ESSIE SPEAKS OF THE PAST

I was actually going to call this week's theme something totally different. I then reread my reviews. It is late, I am sleep deprived and have a very early start tomorrow, but even I can see that really, we are mulling over the past today.

It is not so much the content of the past that we are mulling over though. It is the fact that we can never really escape it. Or can we? Yes we can run far away, change our geographical location and cut our ties with people. But our past has left its footprints on our very souls. It is part of who we are. By the time we are adults, sadly, it is too late, and we will never totally be free. The only way of actually being free, bizarrely, is to embrace your past. Accept it as it is. Come to terms with yourself and with what happened, no matter what it may be. With time you will make more memories that mould you into a completely new person once again and the things that bother you now will be lost in the sea of the new. I guess the point I want to make though is that they will never drop out of you though. They will still be part of you. Smaller parts maybe, but parts all the same.

The films I review this week cast this as a rather bad thing I'm afraid. I don't know that it is always true though, but anyway, that's the topic of a different week and theme. I do hope you enjoy this week's films. I especially loved Brideshead Revisited. It's actually one of my top ten movies now. Hence the plug in the intro :)

Oh and I will make a point of reviewing something jollier for next week. I have grown positively maudlin and that will never do!

happy viewing,
Essie

BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY STOP REVISITING THE PAST... "BRIDESHEAD REVISITED"

" If you asked me now who I am, the only answer I could give with any certainty would be my name: Charles Ryder. For the rest: my loves, my hates, down even to my deepest desires, I can no longer say whether these emotions are my own, or stolen from those I once so desperately wished to be." Put your hand on your heart and tell me that is not one of the hardest hitting opening lines you have ever heard in your life. I expected this film to be good. I also expected it to be a typical “Merchant Ivory” type period piece. You know, good quality stuff you can depend on and guess the outcome of. Well the outcome in this case is pretty clear as the story is told in flashback, but you pretty much bank on being able to guess how you got there. I was wrong. Oh God I was so wrong…

The above-mentioned Charles Ryder is an aspiring artist. When he utters these words he is approaching middle age, the country is in the throes of the Second World War and much of what Charles Ryder had before, in the way of prestige and happiness, he has lost. He is embittered and hardened now and this is the story of how it came about. Ever since his first year at Oxford, leaving a rather sad home where his widowed and disillusioned father makes not the slightest effort to make him feel wanted or loved, Charles’ fate is inexorably tied up with the aristocratic Flyte family. A chance (very chance) meeting with Sebastian Flyte, the youngest son of the family leads to a friendship Ryder is not likely to forget for the rest of his life. Now, as we all know, families are complicated things. When they work, they work very well, but if not, it can be hell on earth. And the odd thing is, society is such a thing that, the deepest, darkest holes can remain perfectly masked by social conventions, especially if you’re as high up the social ladder as the Flytes. Charles may dream of being like them, but really he has absolutely no idea what he is getting himself into…

This film taught me without a shadow of a doubt what the fuss is about love triangles. No, it is not the love triangle you think. It is a LOT more complicated than that. In fact, the last sentence pretty much sums up the entire film. I love this film because it does not offer any simplistic solutions. Nor does it offer up simplistic problems, as is typical with tragedies and dramas generally. If the film is over two hours long, it’s because, much like life, the problems the family has are so complex. And, even though the film is set mainly in the 1920’s, at the end of the day, they are so similar to the problems we have today. But that is the mark of a brilliant story is it not? Universal themes in local setting as it were. The Flytes may be aristocracy but they battle with matters like family rifts, upbringing, the concept of duty and the dark, dark fingers of the past reaching out to grip the three Flyte children, never giving them a hope to breathe freely. Religion comes into it, as does sexuality. So does social background. And the result? Not a grand tragedy, as a lot of mainstream films would have it, but a quiet pathos as the pain and darkness are, for another generation, safely tucked away behind social convention. And again, much like real life, the real pain comes from the fact that in the end, try as one might, there is very little one can do, if anything at all. Charles Ryder is about to come face to face with the true face of Brideshead, the home of the Flytes. And sometimes, all the love in the world cannot help a person break free from their past…

Apart from the realistic tragedy Brideshed revisited superbly portrays, a word simply must be said for the acting. Emma Thompson stars as one of the most memorably horrible characters I have seen. And yet, as tempted as one is to passionately hate Lady Marchmain, Thompson gets her just right, so we can’t fail to understand her either – even though we don’t really want to… And then there is Matthew Goode – Charles Ryder – who I had a niggling feeling I had seen before. I had. In A Single Man (as Jim, the partner who dies), along with Match Point and Watchmen among other things. Oh and then there is Ben Winshaw who plays Sebastian. I can confirm, yes that IS the guy who plays the new Q in Skyfall. Do your really need any more convincing folks? Just go watch the film already. This one is in my top 10 any day of the week. 

A STORY OF A RISE THAT COMES BEFORE... "THE DAMNED UNITED"

Yet another pleasant surprise of the cinematic variety dear readers! I had seen this film before, on DVD shelves and the like multiple times. I never, ever thought I would like it. The main reason for that is the fact that I know pretty much nothing about football. I mean I know, I should know by now that sports films “dumb down” the sports element considerably (with some notable exceptions like Moneyball for example , half of which I did not get at all due to a lack of baseball knowledge.  I enjoyed the film a lot mind you – but that’s another story). I only ended up picking it up because (as you know) I have a bit of a soft spot for true stories. I’m glad I did. I really, really am.

Brian Clough (portrayed here rather superbly by Michael Sheen)  is the manager of Derby at the beginning of our story. He and his long-suffering assistant Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall) have had a track record of being a bit of a “wonder treatment” for teams. Taking seemingly ailing teams, they seem to think nothing of boosting them all the way up to the top of the first division. However, successful they may be, a picture of harmony, they most certainly are not. Brian Clough was a brilliant footballer in his day, one of the top scorers Britain has ever seen, however he is a very difficult man to work with. Headstrong, extremely outspoken and at times almost completely consumed by ambition, it is all the long suffering Peter Taylor can do to rein him in. And then there is, of course, the matter of his deeply personal vendetta, bordering on obsession, with Dom Revie, the legendary manager of Leeds United. It is partly this obsession that pushed Clough to unceremoniously drop all other engagements when he is offered Revie’s job. There is, however, one problem. Peter Taylor is refusing to go with him. I will not attempt to hide the historical fact that Brian Clough’s appointment to the position lasted a mere 44 days, one of the shortest of its kind. But how did this come about? Hold onto your hats guys and dolls, this is going to be a very bumpy ride indeed…

I really admire Michael Sheen in this role. He very successfully manages to put across two very contradictory emotions. On the one hand, you want to openly strangle Clough for his lack of manners alone, much less the way he treads on Peter Taylor’s toes and treats his players. But yet again, as we get to know him a bit better, alongside this will to strangle, as it were, you also desperately want him to succeed. Even though you know in your heart of hearts, he is well and truly doing it ALL wrong. It is rather sad that despite the upbeat end to the film, the two men ended up having another massive fight and not talking again until Taylor’s sudden death in the 1980’s. The film itself is, however, a rather wonderful reminder that although ambition , grand gestures and headstrongly following your own fate are all admirable things, they cannot get you as far as you may have hoped without the hand of temperance to guide you.

The film itself does not follow a linear storyline as such, but then again it is very easy to follow. There is not much lingering on the football side of the film so even the complete football novice (me for example) can follow the action with joy and ease. I also found it quite endearing that the film was often mixed with actual archive footage of the matches – and of course the characters.

The Damned United will frustrate you. It will have you yelling at the screen and tearing out your hair. But, in a rather perverse sort of way, I can almost guarantee that you will love it. And if that doesn’t make sense, well, you’re just going to have to watch the darn thing and see what I mean. 

ESSIE SPEAKS OF DESPERATION

Not the most fun topic in the world you might say. Then again, where would the cinema sector be today if it had to focus only on things that were "fun"? Desperation is one of the most human emotions, we all feel it at some point in our lives and it's good to talk about it. Especially when there are films that speak so eloquently and beautifully.
Desperation may come in many different forms. We may be struck down by a major catastrophe, a natural disaster or a mishap in our family perhaps. Or we may just happen to take a couple of wrong turns and end up in a dark place where the only way out is taking a deep breath and charging through somewhere even darker... At that moment we raise our heads to the sky and search for the strength to keep us going. Luckily, the human spirit is an extraordinary thing so usually we do carry on, for better or for worse. Because, again perhaps luckilly, one thing and one thing only is guaranteed in this life. Change. And the odds are things will change for the better some time soon.
The films this week are by no means easy watching guys and dolls, but then again, not everything in life does come easy. And I can promise you that you will feel emotional after watching these two. But you will not regret it.

happy viewing,
Essie

SOMETIMES IT HITS YOU LIKE A WAVE : "THE IMPOSSIBLE"

Before anyone says anything, the title wasn't meant as a pun or a joke. I, for one, personally know what it feels like to be hit by waves of desperation and despair. I assure you it's nothing to laugh about. 

Well this is a rather historical moment, wouldn’t you say, folks? Because, to the best of my knowledge, this is the first big-budget film about the tsunami in Thailand.  Following the true story of a very real family who was only one of many to be hit by this devastating calamity, the film gives us a very real, very emotional taster of what it feels like to be caught up in something so terrible and of such a magnitude…

This is the story of Henry (Ewan McGregor), Maria (Naomi Watts) and their three children Lucas, Thomas and Simon. They are a normal family, with normal worries and concerns who has come to Thailand for a well-deserved Christmas break. However, daily concerns about setting the burglar alarm and their careers are very quickly swept to one side when the tsumani hits. Henry and the two younger boys, Simon and Thomas are swept in one direction, Lucas, the eldest and their mother in another… What will become of them? Even if they manage to survive this calamity, with the ensuing chaos, how will they ever find each other again?

I have heard mixed reviews of this film oddly enough. The greater part, it seems, found the film deeply emotional. I watched it with a group of friends and some were categorically in floods of tears almost throughout. And I must say, even though I am – sadly perhaps – turning into a bit of a cynic when it comes to these things – the film is emotionally charged to say the least. It did rather feel as if you had a rhinoceros – or something heavy to that effect – sitting on your chest for quite a while after the film ended.

But then again, I have heard people sneering at the film slightly. They point out, for example, that it is, at the end of the day your common or garden disaster movie + tear jerker. Family gets torn apart, is then dramatically brought back together again. There is one token serious injury, the rest don’t have a scratch on them. In fact, like a lot of films of its kind, the film is not about the disaster itself at all, it is about, if anything, the tenacity of the human spirit. Which is admirable. But mayhaps slightly disrespectful of the actual people who suffered and died?

Now, sad to say,  I do agree with a lot of these arguments. I completely agree with one viewer (a review on imdb if I'm not much mistaken) who makes the point that the moment we see that all five have survived it is very clear they get back together again, safe and sound. I personally watched the whole film unable to suspend my disbelief as to not knowing what would happen next. I knew quite well what would happen in the end: The tearful reunion. That is because the film DOES follow the pattern of your common or garden tearjerker. It uses all the usual tropes to play on your emotions and I do see how you would be slightly disillusioned. I mean, apart from anything else, we see a picture of the real family at the end, and I hate to disappoint you, but they are very normal people. Very unlike the dashing Ewan and Naomi. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean this disrespectfully – at five feet tall and a size 11 (ehm), I am about as unlike Naomi Watts as they come. But my point is, yes, on one level this IS Hollywood basically going “Oh good. Another emotional story we can make movies about dashing couples about and rake in the cash.” You’d have to be very naïve to deny it.

However, don’t write this film off completely either. I have read “good” things about the production of this film too. For example, it would appear that almost all the Thai and foreign extras were actual survivors of the Tsunami. And I distinctly remember reading that the film had to change its trailer quite a bit, simply because it focused on the family too much and not on the tsunami and devastation – and hence considered disrespectful. And even though you do “know” what will happen in the end to the main characters, there are enough sub-plots and secondary characters around to remind you very starkly of the devastation and the lives that were utterly destroyed in this tragedy. From the moment the tsunami strikes, the story takes place in settings that are seemingly all more chaotic than the next one, crowded hospitals, devastated streets and it is this visual chaos that gives one the sense of constant fatigue and slowly being strangled in the multiplicity of data and sadness. It seems to me, anyway, that the film has done a good job of providing the emotion of the event too. And if you don’t believe me, do a short search online. There are multiple survivors who confirm that the film is indeed accurate in its portrayal.  Besides, if you just want to watch the film and have a good cry, you know what, that’s ok too. I love a good tearjerker, even though I do moan about them…

AND SOMETIMES IT JUST CREEPS UP ON YOU... : "FROZEN RIVER"

From one kind of desperation to a very different kind. Sometimes fear and desperation come with big fanfare, like in the case of the tsunami. You see it coming a mile away, you know your options – live or die – and brace yourself for its impact. Sometimes though, it creeps up on you like a mist. It first slowly closes one alleyway, then the other, until you have nowhere left to turn. Once you realise it has crept up on you it is far too  late, you are left with only one real  option. Do something desperate, one way or another, to live… Or die…

This is pretty much the situation Ray Eddie (Melissa Leo) finds herself one morning, a week before Christmas. Her husband Troy, a gambling addict who had been clean for 32 months has vanished along with the cash that was meant as a down payment on their new house. She has two children to take care of, the 15 year old, headstrong TJ and little Ricky who’s only preoccupation is what he will get for Christmas. His odds aren’t looking good to be honest; Ray can barely provide them with three square meals, much less Christmas presents. It is precisely at this rather desperate point in her life that she crosses paths with Lila Littlewolf. Lila lives on the Mohawk reservation not far from their home. The two women are not exactly on amicable terms at first but soon they realise that they have more in common than was first apparent. Lila seemingly has something Ray desperately needs – an easy way of making money… At first, all Ray really wants is to get enough money to secure the new house they have just lost. But as is often the case with these things, once you get mixed up, there really is no easy way out again…

Ok, I LOVE the way this film describes how desperation pushes people to crime. I love the slow creeping of the desperation and the hunger for things to go right. A lot of this kind of film tends to contain some kind of big, dramatic event – sickness, someone dying, you know the sort I mean, fireworks. True to life, Ray’s demons are mostly bills. The fact that she has to give her sons popcorn and fruit juice for breakfast as there is nothing else left in the house to eat. The fact that her husband has just vanished with all their life savings and that the pretty young thing at work gets promoted over her. Then there is Lila, also in a state of silent desperation. She has demons of her own that I will let you discover. I have never actually descended into a world of crime, but I suspect, if one slips off the rails, this is pretty much how it goes.

Then of course, it has to be said, it makes a MASSIVE difference to have a woman at the helm as director. I am very, very happy to report that the women in this film do not fit the “frilly” stereotypes they are usually put in at all. Ray is, you will soon discover as tough as old boots. Lila is as well in her own way. They are both put in situations where they are active parties in their own destinies, very much captains of their own souls – as the poem goes. Thing is though, like all of us, they make mistakes – which is kinda what it’s all about, both life and the film. In fact, the more I think about it, the clearer it is to me how much of a matriarchy this film is, as all the main, active characters are women, the men (with the notable exception of the police officer – but I do see it wouldn’t be realistic to have a female police officer at a tough spot like that) are either very much minor characters or acted upon by the women. It is very subtly done,  so much so I didn’t even notice it until I stopped to think about it as I write this review but when I did, it made me smile.

But all that is once you’ve watched the film and the initial shock is over. This is the kind of film that is going to have you engulfed in that all familiar sinking feeling from the first five minutes onwards. It really does feel as if you’re being slowly strangled in the darkness of the film from time to time… But oh boy… What a ride. Totally worth it. 

ESSİE SPEAKS OF RACISM

Ok. Thank you for bearing with me.

You know how these things go, life happens. Sometimes it happens in big masses, all at once. What can I say, I'm sorry for the delay. I have worked out my organisational kinks and it will not happen again. You just see if it does. All you need to do is just keep coming back every week as you always do. I will be here. Waiting as always.

Now the two films I have got lined up for you today were almost meant to be together. Chronologically, they fit like a glove. We are in America boys and girls and our topic is segregation and how it was gotten rid of (yes Mom, I know that isn't grammar. I'm having a Toad of Toad Hall moment.). Our first film speaks of the civil rights movement and how hard it was to get people to even move towards change and integration. The second tells us that how, once societal pressure had been overcome, most people - if not everyone - was quick to realize this was not such a dumb idea after all... Hate of all kinds is, after all, something we learn. It stands to reason therefore, that we can also "unlearn" it.

Thanks for bearing with me folks. I will be back next thursday with more stories to tell!

happy viewing,
Essie