Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Not One of Us

No car chases, no computer graphics, very low tech. Must be England 1973. The pace is leisurely and the dialogue rich and revealing. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the vintage John Le Carré novel is probably not for Matt Damon or Daniel Craig fans.

It assumes that its audience have some sense of Cold War history. In fact it seems targeted at baby boomers - those who read the book and saw the TV series but have difficulty remembering the intricacies of the plot and characters. This reviewer was in that category like many of the cinema-goers attending.

Gary Oldman as George Smiley does a serviceable but lacklustre job. Alec Guinness showed in the 1979 TV series that dour doesn't have to be bland. At times it seemed that Gary was mimicking Guinness. The rest of the cast are real pros, though John Hurt seemed too debauched as Control, but doesn't he always. At the other end, Colin Firth lacked a rough edge in his role.

Have to wonder what the current generation would make of this nostalgia flick, if they bother to see it. Director Tomas Alfredson has created a world that never existed yet somehow rings true.

I was reminded of Sir Humphrey Appleby's great line in Yes Prime Minister when he learns that his predecessor was a Russian spy. How could "one of us" be "one of them"? Unfortunately the film leaves that question unanswered.

Melancholia: not the way the world ends

Melancholia from Zentropa on Vimeo.

If you didn’t know that Melancholia is a film about the end of the world, the opening is a plot spoiler in itself. This slow-moving prologue, set to Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, is a director’s tribute - part 2001: A Space Odyssey and part Hitchcock dream sequence.

It’s a multi-genre affair. As Sci-Fi, the science is mostly fantasy. As the apocalypse approaches, cars won’t start but the electric golf buggy does. Just suspend all disbelief at the beginning.

It has all the key elements of the wedding movie complete with bizarre, dysfunctional family. Mother (Charlotte Rampling) is the embarrassing speechmaker. (John Hurt) is the unlikely father, a serial sleaze enchanted with womanhood in the guise of numerous Bettys. Though he’s not the one to have gratuitous sex in a bunker.

At several levels, it is a bitter, mostly humourless society farce. Justine’s tagline for the boss of her Public Relations firm: “Nothing is too good for you!” The setting is a private castle complete with 18-hole golf course, bridal path and exquisite gardens. It’s a biting but essentially unoriginal satire of Western decadence and the conspicuously wealthy. Lars seems to be trying to prove that old aphorism about not being rich and happy. He can’t be a golfer.

The cast is a high-powered gathering. Apparently, Kirsten Dunst was not first choice for the lead but she fits perfectly. Her droopy eyelids and glassy stare are naturals for the deeply disturbed Justine. Charlotte Gainsbourg is convincing as timid sister Claire who fits the other definition of melancholia of having “ill-grounded fears”, except that this time she’s on the money.

Kiefer Sutherland as brother-in-law John seems happier as filthy-rich capitalist than as astronomer buff. His timely exit is as much a plot device as a statement on his character. He just doesn’t need to come between the sisters any longer.

The two Skarsgårds, Alexander as naïve, reality-challenged husband Michael and Stellan as evil boss Jack, are quite adequate in their roles but they’re not the main game. In fact Abraham, Justine’s favourite mount from the flash stables, will probably remain more memorable. Cameron Spurr, as Claire’s young son Leo, is no scene-stealer but he stays the course.

Melancholia is clearly an allegory. You can pick your own lessons. Justine is not just suffering from the 21^st Century pandemic of depression. She is surrounded by a pack of cynical black dogs who seem to have lost the capacity for happiness.

In some ways she belongs to the dark side of 19^th century romanticism. Her melancholy finds no joy in anything. Ironically, she discovers calm, purpose and inner peace when preparing her magic cave for the end.

I was more taken with this film than I had expected. It was refreshing not to use the word fluff as we left the cinema. Lars von Trier wears the crown of auteur self-consciously. As writer/director of Melancholia, he tries his best to make a grand statement about the human comedy.

Aliens Attack The Block

 

Before the preview session we were warned that the film was dark and violent but fun. For a Sci-Fi alien film, Attack The Block turned out to be on the light side with less blood and violence than expected. It was fun! The audience laughed a lot - a real plus for a teen flick as there were lots of baby boomers in attendance.

A London housing estate is besieged by extraterrestrial monsters. Writer/director Joe Cornish keeps a fast pace, punctuating the humour with the inevitable but fairly subdued ‘horror’. The script is clever at times, though the frequent references to oppression of the block’s underclass youth by police, government and society is hardly subtle or necessary. Better to let the bleeding obvious… Anyway, it’s a film about a London riot of a very different kind.

The youthful cast proves the depth of acting talent in Britain. John Boyega as gang leader Moses deliveres his heroic lines with suitable deadpan. He has excellent comic support from Luke Treadaway as nurdy Brewis, and gang members Pest (Alex Esmail) and Biggz (Simon Howard). Pre-pubescents Mayhem (Michael Ajao) and Probs (Sammy Williams) add the kind of attitude you’d expect on the block.

The plot is so implausible I won’t even bother with any spoilers. Clearly U.K. government budget cuts have sunk deeper than an alien’s glowing teeth, as the military don’t even seem to notice an attack from outer space.

It’s a Them and Them and Us movie. Like the teens, it turns out that the aliens are just misunderstood. Fittingly Moses apologises to Sam (Jodie Whittaker) by telling her that they wouldn’t have robbed her if they’d known she lived on the block.

 Nearly forgot the drugs warning: There is lots of weed in this movie. It’s a big part of the humour so not everyone will be pleased.

(Thanks to Ned & Co for the free tickets.)

PS. Life imitating art: a guidedog-in-training had to be removed by its trainer after barking at a tense moment late in the film.

The Tall Man: Death in Paradise

The Tall Man documents the death in police custody of aborigine Cameron Doomadgee on Queensland’s Palm Island in 2004 and the subsequent inquests and trial of Sergeant Chris Hurley.

From my review of the book in 2010 The Tall Man Story continues:

The background to this tragic story is very bleak:

• the appalling treatment of indigenous people in Queensland by settlers, government and police;
• the forced relocation of the unwanted and ‘undesirables’ to Palm Island’s virtual prison;
• the continuing consequences of the stolen generations and separated families;
• the culture of apathy and denial within the police, forensic pathologists and the justice system;
• the code of coverup;
• the ‘them and us’ attitudes of some in the Deep North towards their Southern cousins;
• the legacy of Christian missions on indigenous beliefs and values;
• the sorry state of reconciliation in parts of Australia.

One of the best things about this documentary is that it lets the people speak for themselves. There is no heavy narration or running commentary. Of course that doesn’t necessarily make it objective or without a point of view. As I wrote about the book’s author Chloe Hooper:

It’s easy to feel that she was trying to nail him for the still unexplained violent death of Cameron Doomadgee.

Writer/director Tony Krawitz has been essentially true to the book. He explained his approach and views in this interview:

The audience can draw their own conclusions, just as Chloe Hooper’s readers had to. Some voices are missing, especially Sergeant Hurley and other members of the police force. We have to rely on extracts from his interviews during the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.

Some aspects are left out such as detailed coverage of the riots and subsequent prosecutions. Some recent developments since publication have been added. It’s hard not reach for clichés such as disturbing and confronting. It’s also hard to leave the theatre with any feeling of optimism about most of the issues outlined above.

If you miss this quality production at the cinema, SBS should be screening it later and hopefully will be available on SBS OnDemand.

Flickcrit: Babies - Speaking for Themselves

No commentary, no dialogue to speak of, just four babies in their first year of life. Ponijao from Opuwo Namibia, Bayar from Bayarjargal Mongolia, Mari from Tokyo Japan and Hattie from San Francisco USA.

Though not my topic of choice, I was won over within seconds. Thomas Balmès'Babies is my kind of documentary maker. He lets the camera tell the story. The structure is straightforward and predictable: from breastfed dependency to toddling independence. You can draw your own life lessons, just enjoy the wonder of infancy or do both. If the global village has any future, it is being nurtured in these communities.

It's a French production but could hardly be classified as foreign language. Wikipedia suggests that some viewers think "it lacks insight and depth". Must be used to docos that do all the thinking for them.

Do yourself a favour - catch this one, preferably on the big screen. I haven't smiled so much at the cinema  for ages.