Another slice of life by British film maker Ken Loach. Robert Carlyle (fantastic) is Stevie, a Glaswegian and an ex-convict who joins a group of nomadic construction workers in London who are employed by a ruthless boss to renovate a dilapidated building and turn it into a series of apartments for the rich, an ungrateful and often also very dangerous job because the safety on the scaffoldings leaves a lot to desire. Stevie also falls in love with a young woman called Susan, who moves in with him when she’s kicked out of her apartment by her landlord. They are both dreaming of a better life (he wants to become a salesman and thinks boxer shorts are a good business, she hopes to be a famous singer one day), but life isn’t very nice to them and they don’t always make the right choices …
This is a fairly relaxed Loach movie, almost a comedy, but at the same time a wry comment on British class society and the effects of Thatcherism on the working conditions of those who don’t fit into the system. Loach is a very fine film maker (he’s actually my favourite Britissh film maker of the last 30 years) but he often delivers his ‘message’ in a way that might be a bit obtrusive (‘Okay Ken, we got the point, go on with your movie’), but here his approach is rather subtle. The film was made for TV but released theatrically when it got some special attention at the Cannes festival. Funny and poignant, only the finale feels a bit forced.
Well I finally watched Cannibal Holocaust. Really glad I ate my lunch before watching it. Honestly apart from the infamous disturbing parts, this was kinda boring.
Yeah, I read about that. Can’t say I’m sad I’m missing it. I did fast forward through the turtle bit as I’d seen that before on YouTube and once was enough for me.
Apparently it was fine to restore the animal deaths only if the locals ate them afterwards, or if the animals didn’t feel much pain.
I guess the BBFC hopped into Bill & Ted’s phonebox to confirm all this stuff.
LOL I would think the Tardis was their go to device when investigating cruelty to animals.
PS: Didn’t see any cuts in ‘Octopussy’ when Bond and Cuban military run over a farmyard full of chickens … or the shooting contest in ‘Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid’ chickens buried up to their necks and then blown up by the special effects guys … ehhh?
Man, love a lot of Star Wars movies but that specific version of A New Hope has got to be my favorite. Something a little more rough about it which adds to the charm.
I saw Melville´s “Le Cercle Rouge” tonight, and, oh man, it was absolutely fantastic! I cannot remember the last time I was THIS immersed in a movie. I am definetly going to check out his other films. BTW, for you Spaghetti fans out there, Gian Maria Volonte gives a fantastic preformance in this.
In my opinion L’Armée des Ombres (Army of the Shadows) is his best film, even better than Le Samourai and Le Cercle Rouge, but it’s a close finish, so to speak.
I just saw “Bram Stoker´s Dracula” and, well, it was an amazing experience! A very weird film that takes more from Nosferatu than Stoker´s novel, with Gary Oldman delivering a fantastic preformance. As of now I´v been impressed with all of the Coppola films that I have seen, which are The Godfather, the two sequels, Apocalypse Now (my favorite film of all time), The Conversation and this.
I haven’t watched that one in years so I need to pull it out and give it another viewing. I first saw it in the theater at the time it was first released and remember being in awe of how Oldman was the epitome of terrifying, creepy, and cool all rolled into one.
‘Le Samouraï’ may be more iconic and ‘Army in the Shadows’ more critically acclaimed; but for me Melville’s finest film came a few years earlier with the mesmerising ‘Le Doulos’. All the recurring themes in Melville’s subsequent oeuvre were perfected in this film.
I watched ‘Ghost Stories’ (2017) on Blu ray with a friend last night, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. A few good jump scares, with three chilling intertwining tales, which were reminiscent of one of the old ‘Amicus’ compendium movies.
Not much blood and gore, simply good old-fashioned creepy story-telling at its best.
All in all, a very well-made British horror, which is itself based on a successful stage play.
I just saw Godard´s “Vivre Sa Vie” on a 35mm screening and it was fantastic. Anna Karina played great in this very tragic character study. Tomorrow I´m going to a screening of “Breathless”. Getting to watch a lot of movies this week.
I would think the Tardis was their go to device when investigating cruelty to animals.
