Film Reviews by AW

***MAY BE SPOILERS***

I saw this film once before when it came out, I think I enjoyed it but couldn't remember much except it was a true story, felt the urge to revisit it altho' now I'm ambivalent about it. Sometimes the directors commentary helps or doesn't. This time after listening I felt deflated and that the film lacked both punch and verve.

Firstly it's strange to think there really was a Racial Integrity Act and that up to the 60s interracial marriages were illegal in certain US states but again one has to remember that the state known as the Commonwealth of Virginia is technically in The South and that Caroline County is only just an hour south of DC, midway between Washington and Richmond.

Secondly, for a true story it does hold fairly well to the truth, even to the similar looks of the characters.

The title works twofold - to their surname and situation. Curious too that of the the main couple neither is American - Joel Edgerton (playing Richard) is Australian and Ruth Negga (playing Mildred) is Ethiopian-Irish!

One of the producers (* interestingly Colin Firth also got on the bandwagon) said something in commentary about development of the characters, but somehow in this rather plodding script that aspect, to my mind, seemed to have been missed out. I didn't really get any sense of the characters' real feelings or motivations; couldn't decide if they were particularly surpressed; there was no reaction to the slurs or reverse discrimination. The dialogue is lean and after a while I felt that Richard's taciturn and monosyllabic manner might be suggesting he was a few sandwiches short of

a picnic. Mildred seemed (as one or two other reviewers suggested) awfully doe eyed (or perhaps a deer in the headlights?) but she might have been a bit brighter than her husband as later she seemed to blossom a bit, becoming more aware and speaking up, even though she's seemingly settled placidly into motherhood and housework without much complaint. As she clearly wasn't working I was glad Richard was providing well for his family in their enforced and hated exile in DC. In their hearts they were simple country folk, uncomfortable with the publicity and just wanted to be left alone to get on with their lives, largely unaware of the momentous changes the 60s civil rights movement and their own situation were about to make.

Time passes vaguely in this film too, 10 years go by and he's only just been able to start putting down the cinder blocks for the house he planned for her and the baby right at the beginning. Rather poignantly he didn't get many years living in it. Won't spoil it for others. It's explained at the end.

Classed under the Long Lost Comedies series, I hesitate to call this a comedy as it is singularly un-funny. Except for one line:

The General: "Have you ever been in a haunted house, a real, genuine haunted house with rattling doors and whistling keyholes, mildew and cobwebs?"

Sid James: "I've stayed in some English hotels?"

Touché.

Made in 1955 with a bunch of radio stars. Sid James of later Carry On fame lords it over all the rest as an American film director trying to make a low budget science fiction film with a disorganized script on a small army base (actually Beaconsfield Studios) until the general puts his foot down. I like the 1950 vibe, costumes and check out the early entrance with his cars and vans.

Sid only plays Sid. He's a bit annoying as his accent keeps slipping and he shouts a lot, while the whole film crew mills about in organised chaos.

Early outings for Tony Hancock and Peter Sellers, even Erik Sykes, and some curvy dolly girls the squaddies can't keep their eyes off. Interesting as a period piece only.

This single series seems to have been universally panned when aired but I actually found it very funny and was all ready to order the second series but that seems to been shelved.

Clunes is an acerbic, selfish, curmudgeonly, crotchety and fiscally tight driving instructor in the City of Preston. He lives with his girlfriend Anne and her 2 teenage sons. "Warren" looks quite different in his khakis and with a pepper and salt beard, quite unlike his Doc Martin persona who this character is unfairly compared with. The neighbours, driving students, and

shop assistants that Warren deals with all fit the bill of diversity but are all fine in their bit parts. He continually wastes his clients' valuable lesson time by highjacking them to takeaways, shops and distant locations so he doesn't have to spend extra time going out for his personal chores.

Anne's parents too are funny but only get to shine in 2 of the episodes. Too bad as many threads of the plot lie unexplored, and I felt another series might well have leveled it all out.

There's a prominent trend in remakes of old Classics. Sometimes they work but too often the original still stands up as the definitive version. However although theres a lot of slating of this film going on in reviews, I didn't really find this that bad, as it stood. Interestingly filmed in Hungary.

I've watched the 1938 version but it doesn't stand out in my mind. This one managed to hold my attention & the mysterious, secretive characters were...mysterious and secretive.

Tuppence M was a bit OTT in the hysteria stakes, granted, and the others a bit dismissive of her claims that Miss Froy existed, but hey, everyone had reasons not to delay the train's arrival in Trieste. Gemma Jones and Stephanie Cole were fun flower loving sisters for light relief. I liked Selina Cadell's assured Miss Froy. Dane Jesper Christensen was a slimy doctor I would not have touched with a barge pole! Nowhere near the complete pig's ear Kenneth Branagh made of the recent Murder on the Orient Express remake.

Shudder.

Weird mishmash of silent picture clips and 50s B&W Ealing type comedies. Nothing inbetween. They are B Pictures at best, and who chose them? This goes across several discs, the two Dentist films with Bob Monkhouse are mildly entertaining. Did anyone actually like Bob Monkhouse or find him funny? Still he acted extremely well, his timing was good so I give him slack. Kenneth Connor and Graham Stark and the wonderful Peggy Cummins lifted it higher.

A funnier and slightly hidden excerpt on the disc was Tell Me Another, Comedy Compilation. Comes apparently from a 70s TV series I'd never heard of, Tell Me Another. Involves interviews with comedians most of whom I recognised but they didn't bother to identify or even acknowledge their names, before or after. Things like that are really annoying.

I'd had this particular film on my CinemaParadiso list for ages solely because I like Daniel Auteuil. When it started and it had Sebastian Koch in it as Dr.Krombach I was doubly pleased as he's a great actor and easily handles English and French films. I hadn't even read the blurb about the plot so this was a revelation as the film unfolded - it's a well made, suspenseful film, based on a real case that crossed between France and Germany. Auteuil, playing Andre Bamberski, pursues Koch's character for 30 years in search of justice for what he perceives is the murder of his daughter when she was staying with her mother and stepfather (Koch) for the summer. The most horrifying is that both sides, but especially the German courts never appeared to search for the truth; the judgements handed down were laughable. It could be argued that in the 70s and 80s there was far less forensic ability yet they seemed to gloss over the bleeding obvious.

The original French title is Au Non de ma Fille (In the Name of my Daughter). Nice views of France and Germany.

The disc starts rather confusingly with an onscreen choice between France and United Kingdom, if you're looking for the English subtitles choose UK - there are no other language subtitle choices - the French version won't let you turn on any subtitles, even French ones, although there are some during the German court scenes.

The ex wife who left him for Krombach seems a bit of a limp spaghetti and you wonder if maybe Bamberski was too intense but Auteuil pulls it off as a generally sympathetic character, though intransigent and single-minded .

Enjoyed it, excellent Irish cinema. But like all these films, I really could have done with some subtitles to

help understand the quite strong accents. Unfortunately my CinemaParadiso disc didn't have any.

Josie is rather mercilessly teased yet there is an element of tolerance by the rest of the villagers.

He's being unashamedly used by the slimy owner who really doesn't care that the rundown garage

is hardly making any money, yet with his radio, TV and bedsit at the back, Josie seems happy in his

own insular little way.

The Garda officer is eminently sensible dealing with the spiteful complaint by a parent after Josie

unwittingly shows a minor an explicit film.

Belgian French-speaking film about fractured family relationships. Pretty rural location but looked a bit lonely which probably added to the gloomy atmosphere.

Pascale (Huppert) is keeping her family (twin sons) together after a painful divorce. It wasn't immediately obvious the boys were twins as both are quite different in appearances but are played by real-life brothers. Pascale has it hard; the boys have grown into teenagers with hormones. They are selfish and lazy and self-absorbed; she cooks and cleans and waits on them while they mock both her and their remarried father who at least comes around occasionally to visit and gives them money although that seems to annoy her.

I enjoyed the film on the whole as I am into Belgian movies after viewing the hugely successful comedy The OutLaws (Clan) from the Flemish side but this is quite the opposite.

Personally I would have chucked the sons out of the house once they started cutting up rough about her wanting some modicum of happiness with the kindly nextdoor neighbour, and suggesting the sensible notion of starting a B&B business or selling up. The boys seem convinced they have a right to keep the house which they don't and won't be told, and it spirals from there. They moan about money but are seen in nearly every scene consuming large amounts of food. Pascale also seems to be oblivious to raging teenaged hormones as she leaves loo doors open and brazenly showers in full view of one son shaving in the bathroom. Even the very first scene when she's trying on a negligee/ slip in front of a mirror she invites a son to give his opinion. Both boys eye her up subtly then end up crudely joking about their mother's (perceived lack of-) sex life. Francois seemed a bit more gentle and reasonable but Thierry went off the rails for no discernible reason so the ending comes as a bit of a shock but then no real resolution goes on from that, so I've deemed it only 3 star.

DVD from Lovefilm only has English sub titles.

Illuminating series. Hour-long episodes, narrated by Stone and mostly using newsreel footage and actual photos.

Covers from WW2 onwards but shows how actions and imperialism in the previous century had great impact on what happened later. The real story of real people, and highlighting the behind-the-scenes political manoeuvres of Soviet, German and Allied leaders.

Required viewing for ALL history students.