Saturday, October 31, 2015

Oct 31st  
Suffragette** (12A)  
(Ipswich Film Theatre)                          

(GB/Fra 2015)

A Bethnal Green laundry worker becomes implicated in the women's suffrage movement.
Quite affecting and powerful human rights drama, necessarily urgent and not pandering in style to period drama sedateness, although the period details are also good, and the (mostly female) all-star cast may be slightly underused but add strength to the drama.

Written by: Abi Morgan.
Producers: Faye Ward, Alison Owen.
Director: Sarah Gavron.
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Whishaw, Anne-Marie Duff, Brendan Gleeson, Romola Garai, Meryl Streep (as Emmeline Pankhurst), Finbar Lynch, Natalie Press, Samuel West, Adam Michael Dodd, Geoff Bell.
Photography: Edu Grau.
Music: Alexandre Desplat.


Thursday, October 29, 2015

Oct 28th  
The Jungle Book**   

(US 1967)                                    

Adopted jungle boy Mowgli encounters various adventures and dangers in his flight from the man-eating tiger Shere Khan.
Amiably loose animation adaptation with only occasional recourse to Rudyard Kipling, and some catchy tunes in between sluggish phases and some variable character interpretations, and a general uncertainty of tone - a sign of the muddled Disney efforts to come (this was Walt's last production before his death.)

Written by: Larry Clemmons, Ralph Wright, Ken Anderson, Vance Gerry, Floyd Norman, Bill Peet.
Producer: Walt Disney.
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman.
Voices of: Sebastian Cabot, Phil Harris, George Sanders (as Shere Khan), Bruce Reitherman (as Mowgli), Louis Prima, Sterling Holloway, J. Pat O'Malley.
Music: George Bruns.
Songs: Terry Gilkyson, Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman.

Preceded by:
Tom and Jerry in
A Mouse in the House**
(US 1947. 7m.; d: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera; p: Fred Quimby.)

THE JUNGLE BOOK. Mowgli meets the vultures, based (very) roughly on The Beatles.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Oct 20th   
The Martian** (12A)

(Odeon Colchester)                              

(GB/US 2015)

A NASA astronaut is left behind for dead on Mars, and uses his resourcefulness to survive on the planet until Earth and his fellow crew realise he is still alive.
Formulaic space exploration drama to begin with, but with consistent interest in its modern Robinson Crusoe scenario on Mars itself, even if the off world dramas are less interesting and the jargon in the script becomes hard to follow.

Written by: Drew Goddard, from the novel by Andrew Weir.
Producers: Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer, Aditya Sood, Mark Huffam.
Director: Ridley Scott.
Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Pena, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Benedict Wong, Donald Glover.
Photography: Dariusz Wolski.
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams.
Production Design: Arthur Max.



Friday, October 16, 2015

Oct 15th
Space Station 76*   

(US 2014)  

The new recruit to the Omega 76 space station causes a stir among the inhabitants.
Meandering series of comedy sketches set in a 1970s style retro space station (together with some anachronistic 70s sensibilities). Authentic looking, although seemingly pointless, with no major action to speak of and bored characters who moan about their lot in a similar droll fashion to Dark Star.

d: Jack Plotnick
s: Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson, Matt Bomer, Marisa Coughlan, Kylie Rogers, Kali Rocha, Jerry O'Connell, Keir Dullea.


Thursday, October 15, 2015

Oct 13th  
How to Steal a Million**    

(US 1966)                  

An art forger's daughter persuades her friend to commit a robbery of their own statue from a Paris museum before the authorities discover it is a fake.
Lightweight romantic heist comedy of its time, with noted talents in leisurely mood. Despite some over-the-top flourishes, generally quite professional and entertaining, with the director utilising Audrey Hepburn in Paris almost as evocatively as he did for Rome in Roman Holiday.

Written by: Harry Kurnitz.
Producer: Fred Kohlmar.
Director: William Wyler.
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, Hugh Griffith, Eli Wallach, Charles Boyer, Fernand Gravet, Jacques Marin, Marcel Dalio.
Photography: Charles Lang.
Music: John Williams.


Preceded by:
L'Idee** 
(The Idea)
(Fra 1932. 25m. bw; Various people respond to a naked woman who represents the purity of thought. Enigmatic but haunting pieces of French philosophy through silent animation.; w, d: Berthold Bartosch, from the novel by Frans Masereel; m: Arthur Honegger.)




Thursday, October 08, 2015

Oct 7th       
Yield to the Night**   

(GB 1956)

A woman murders her dead lover's ex-girlfriend, and spends a sleepless few weeks in prison after being sentenced to the death penalty.
Vividly depicted within the claustrophobia of the prison walls, although with a slight lack of chemistry between the romantic leads and some archaic music and dialogue, this notable drama of the time, a plea for the abolition of the death penalty (based in part on Ruth Ellis) still makes for arresting entertainment and showcased its sexy star with an excellent dramatic vehicle.

Written by: John Cresswell, Joan Henry, from her novel.
Producer: Kenneth Harper.
Director: J. Lee Thompson.
Starring: Diana Dors, Yvonne Mitchell, Michael Craig, Marie Ney, Athene Seyler, Geoffrey Keen, Dandy Nichols, Liam Redmond, Harry Locke, Michael Ripper.
Photography: Gilbert Taylor.
Music: Ray Martin.