Apr 28th
The Ghost** (15)
aka: The Ghost Writer
Odeon Colchester

A biographer is hired to ghost write the memoirs of a former prime minister who has more secrets about his past than he is letting on.
Slow but intriguing mystery thriller which works better on the printed page than on film, based clearly (and unfairly) on Tony Blair - whose character hardly appears in the film - but capturing well the general paranoia of conspiracy and dissatisfaction for going to war in Iraq. Topical in its way.

w: Roman Polanski, Robert Harris, from his novel.
d: Roman Polanski.
s: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, Kim Cattrall, Timothy Hutton, Tom Wilkinson, Eli Wallach, James Belushi, Robert Pugh, David Rintoul

Apr 19th
The Ten
US 2007. Arclight Films/City Pictures/Mega Films/Inverted Films. 98m.

Irreverent series of Monty Python / The Simpsons-style sketches loosely based around the Ten Commandments. It begins brightly but gets carried away with its own tastelessness, and some of the guest stars are slumming it.

Written by: David Wain, Ken Marino.
Producers: Jonathan Hyde, and others.
Director: David Wain.
Starring: Paul Rudd, Adam Brody, Winona Ryder (weak in-joke, as a thief), Ron Silver, Gretchen Mol, Justin Theroux, Famke Janssen, Liev Schreiber, Ken Marino, Oliver Platt, Kerri Kenney-Silver, A.D. Miles, Jessica Alba, and others.
Photography: Yaron Orbach.
Music: Craig Wedren.

THE TEN. In the UK, the eleventh commandment was Thou Shalt Send Straight to DVD.

Apr 18th
Midnight Lace**
US 1960. Universal International. 108m.

An heiress's sanity is threatened by a mysterious killer.
Unusual, glamorous but increasingly improbable psychological thriller set in a sunny Californian version of London, with lots of suspenseful red herrings, so that the final resolution will come as no surprise to admirers of Gaslight.

Written by: Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts, based on the play "Matilda Shouted Fire" by Janet Green.
Producer: Ross Hunter, Martin Melcher.
Director: David Miller.
Starring: Doris Day, Rex Harrison, John Gavin, Myrna Loy, Roddy McDowall, Herbert Marshall, Natasha Parry, John Williams, Anthony Dawson, Hermione Baddeley.
Photography: Russell Metty.
Music: Frank Skinner.

Apr 14th
Amazing Grace**                                                                                                                GB 2006. Momentum/Bristol Bay/Ingenious Film Partners/Sunflower. 117m.

 In the late 18th century William Wilberforce exhaustively campaigns in Parliament for the abolition of slavery.
Glossy, well-meaning historical biopic trying to encompass several decades of political lobbying in two hours, with a good cast and careful observance of period detail, although somehow the general message seems lost.

Written by: Steven Knight.
Producers: Edward R. Pressman, Terrence Malick, Patricia Heaton, David Hunt, Ken Wales.
Director: Michael Apted.
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Romola Garai, Benedict Cumberbatch (as William Pitt), Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Rufus Sewell, Youssou N'Dour, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones, Nicholas Farrell, Bill Paterson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Jeremy Swift.
Photography: Remi Adararasin.
Music: David Arnold.
Editing: Rick Shaine.
Production Design: Charles Wood.

AMAZING GRACE. Ioan Gruffudd strikes a Hornblower-like pose in a (probably) romanticised depiction of William Wilberforce, with Romola Garai as the future Mrs. Wilberforce who helps to bring him round.

Classic Laurel & Hardy

Apr 10th
Manifest Theatre, Manningtree

On the theme of matrimonial harmony, starting with an amusing silent with many gags that popped up in their later sound shorts (the soda fountain sequence in particular), and finishing off with the brilliant Helpmates.

Should Married Men Go Home?**
(US 1928. 20m. bw. silent; Stan pesters the Hardys so that he can go golfing with Ollie, where a mud riot ensues.; w: Leo McCarey, James Parrott; d: James Parrott; s: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Edgar Kennedy, Kay Deslys, Edna Marion, Viola Richard.)

Thicker Than Water*
(US 1935. 20m. bw; Ollie spends his wife's money on a grandfather clock. The wife takes then knocks him out cold and Stan helps Ollie with a blood transplant which mixes the two of them up.; w: Stan Laurel; d: James Horne; s: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Daphne Pollard, James Finlayson.)
+ their last comedy short


Hog Wild***
(US 1930. 20m. bw; Oliver fixes the radio aerial on top of the house, and Stan offers to help...; w: H.M. Walker, Leo McCarey; d: James Parrott; s: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Fay Holderness.)

+ STAN: "Do you mind if I help you?"

OLLIE: "I don't mind, that is if you'll help me!"


Twice Two*
(US 1933. 20m. bw; Stan and Ollie are married to each others' twin sister and and spend a chaotic anniversary dinner.; d: James Parrott; s: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy; ph: Art Lloyd.)

Helpmates***
(US 1931. 20m. bw; Ollie has a wild party and Stan tries to help him clean up before the wife comes home.; w: H.M. Walker; d: James Parrott; s: Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, Blanche Payson.)

+ see also 100 Favourite Films

Apr 2nd
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear*
US 1991. Paramount. 85m.

Lt. Frank Drebin is reunited in Washington with his lady love who is working for a conglomerate trying to ruin President Bush's environmental energy policy.
More zany adventures of the inept cop from Police Squad!, a sequel every bit as daft as the original and almost as funny, following the same formula (with some cheeky political satire thrown in) but most of the jokes still seem fresh.

Written by: David Zucker, Pat Proft.
Producer: Robert K. Weiss.
Director: David Zucker.
Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, Robert Goulet, Richard Griffiths, Jacqueline Brookes, Lloyd Bochner, Anthony James, Zsa Zsa Gabor.
Photography: Robert Stevens.
Music: Ira Newborn.