gilbert seah

Movie Review: LEGEND (UK 2015)

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legend_posterLEGEND (UK 2015) ****
Directed by Brian Helgeland

Review by Gilbert Seah

The second film about the notorious Krays, (the first was called THE KRAYS in the 80’s directed by Peter Medak) the gangster twins that terrorized London the 50’s and 60’s is given a glossier more modern approach.  But just as violent.  The Kray twins in LEGEND are both played by Tom Hardy.

Written and directed by Brian Helgeland (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL his best film) and based on the book The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins by John Pearson, the film is told from the point of view as well as narrated by Frances Shea (Emily Browning) the wife of Reggie Kray.   She met Kray at 16 and married him aged 22 in 1965 . She committed suicide in 1967, and narrates the film from beyond the grave.  “It took a lot of love to hate him the way I did,” were her famous words.

When the film begins, the Krays are already established gangster princes.  The script does not detail how they got to be such prominent gangsters except by having them usurp the turf from Charlie (Paul Bettany) and his brother Eddie, childhood friends of the Krays and the leaders of notorious south London gang (also known as the Torture Gang).  That was when Reggie met Frances.  The film that goes on to deal with the further rise and fall of the Kray twins; the relationship that bound them together, and charts their gruesome career to their downfall and imprisonment for life in 1969.  And all from Frances’ angle.  

LEGEND is necessarily violent.  The best segment is the well executed fight between the two brothers (made trickier to shoot as both brothers are portrayed by the same actor) which is guaranteed to make you cringe in your seat.

The script is set up to have the audience take the side of Reggie, the sane brother.  The other, who is ultra violent and homosexual and certified insane not once but twice is the script’s set up for the downfall of the Kray’s empire.

Hardy does an exceptional job playing the Krays, definitely proving to be Oscar material here.  He creates two very different characters in the Krays, one sane and the other insane.  Though the film uses the tactic of Ronnie’s glasses to distinguish the twins apart, Hardy creates different nuanced behaviour for each.  Of the other performances, David Thewlis stands out as the Krays business and lawyer connection who wants to make the business more legitimate, thus running foul with Ronnie.

Ronnie’s homosexuality is treated in the film with campy seriousness.  He justifies his gay sexual acts by claiming to be the giver and not the taker.  One difference between the two KRAY films is that Medak’s dwelt on the Kray’s doting mother’s influence, the mother played by Billie Whitelaw in THE KRAYS.

The 50’s and 60’s London atmosphere is effectively created, complete with the period posh suits, vehicles and Burt Bacharach songs like ‘The Look of Love’.

Hard to fault, LEGEND belongs to the genre of excellent British crime thrillers of the 70’s that used to be popular.

 

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Movie Review: OUR LAST TANGO (UN TANGO MAS) (Argentina/Germany 2015) ***

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our_last_tango_posterOUR LAST TANGO (UN TANGO MAS) (Argentina/Germany 2015) ***
Directed by German Kral

Review by Gilbert Seah

This documentary tells the story of love between the two most famous dancers in tango’s history – María Nieves Rego (aged 81) and Juan Carlos Copes (aged 84).

When the film begins, a closeup of Maria has her say that if she was given the chance to do it all again, she would not change a thing – for tango. The only thing is to do it without Juan. The camera moves back to show Maria and Juan standing very close, face to face. They begin to tango. This is a powerful start. Why did Maria make that statement about Juan. Did she bare that much hatred fro him? Or did she love him too much that she cannot handle it? The doc goes on to reveal the reason.

The film would naturally have a slow feel with two aged subjects. Director Kral (who got his film experience working as assistant to Wim Wenders) tries to counteract this by animating his film as much as possible. This is most evident in one scene where Maria’s two interviewers more than act out their surprise at Maria’s answers to their questions.

OUR LAST TANGO is less a film about the tango than about the relationship between Marian and Juan. And it is not a love but more a hate relationship. It becomes a bit tedious, with each complaining about the other, from start to finish of the film. Director Kral offers two sides of the story, so that the audience takes no sides. Often each would complain about the other at great length. Maria loves Juan too much but not unconditionally. Her pride is terribly broken she Juan bears a child with another woman. On the other hand, one can sympathize with Juan when he says he cannot stand Maria. It is not easy to live with someone whom one cannot stand despite the fact that that someone loves you.

The film has quite a lot of tango dances but not many shown in great detail or to great length. Rather many different types are shown during the different stages of their lives. The duo exported their dance to Broadway with ‘Tango Argentino’.

One wishes that there be more archive footage of Maria and Juan dancing together. Young dancers perform too many re-enactments so the film has too much of a made-up feel.
There is little said in the film of how the two became so famous and how rich or successful they became. Their dances on display in the film reveal very little of their talent as well.

OUR LAST TANGO is also a film about ageing, though not much is said of the subject. But one can see on the faces of both Juan and Maria – their past glories and regrets. Maria is also suffering from some nerve problem, evident in her old age. She cannot stop shaking her head.

It is difficult to imagine OUR LAST TANGO being interesting to those with little to do with dance, for the love/hate relationship of the couple is also not something that audiences will flock to.

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Movie Review: ANOMALISA (USA 2015) ***** TOP 10

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ANOMALISA_posterANOMALISA (USA 2015) ***** TOP 10
Directed Charlie Kauffman, Duke Johnson

Review by Gilbert Seah

Charlie Kauffman outdid himself and almost everyone else for that matter with the script of FINDING JOHN MALKOVICH, made into a film so inventive, entertaining and fascinating, that one can hardly imagine anything topping that. ANOMALISA comes close if not succeeding.

As the stop-motion animated adult comedy drama unfolds, slow enough to allow the audience to think over many of the film’s details, the immediate question that comes to mind is why animate this story. The question seems more relevant since the animation appears to copy the actual human being and their everyday work as accurately as possible. The characters are animated but the settings like hotel room, cab and props are not. A non-animated film could have served the identical purpose. The answer to the question might be that the story could have been told in either format, but the stop-motion animation serves to highlight certain aspects of Kauufman’s ingenious story. For one, the story has surreal elements that are best highlighted in a surreal looking animated film resembling the real thing. Secondly, the artificiality of life is emphasized. And thirdly, the whole enterprise looks like a dream – a Kafka-ish world like an animated cartoon.

The apparently ‘normal’ story concerns Michael Stone (David Thewlis), an author of books on the subject of customer service, struggling with his inability to connect to people. Michael, born in England and married with a son lands in Cincinnati on a routine business trip. He meets a stranger, Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who changes his world view as he falls in love with her.

The film appears really odd at the start. All the female characters are voiced by males (except for Lisa) and soon it becomes apparent that all the voices are done by one male actor – Tom Noonan. The reason becomes clear later on in the film.

Kauufman’s film works on various levels. It is one of the most human films that is animated. The world as seen by its protagonist is exactly the way it actually is. The most important person is oneself and everything else is secondary. In the same way, to Michael Stone, the only person that matters is himself, which he realizes and that there is only one other person in the world that matters, the one he has fallen in love with and the one that really would make a difference. This is the one that will de-normalize his life and hence he renames her ANOMALISA from Lisa. The film also captures the boredom or everyday life in a most exciting way – a feat Kauffamn achieves, at apparent ease.

The stop animation is a marvel – complete with its accuracy in details. The animated sex scene complete with gentials should be seen to be unforgotten. An old movie seen on TV by the characters is also animated ANOMALISA has won accolades and prizes where it has been shown. It currently, at the time of writing, hold a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

ANOMALISA is an almost perfect film in every way, down to the closing song and music. The film is a rare treat that celebrates life and the best of what it has to offer, ironically, without having a happy ending. Not occasionally but frequently brilliant, ANOMALISA is that rare movie, yes out of the ordinary that is definitely a must-see, a near-masterpiece of originality!

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Top 10 Films of 2015 by Gilbert Seah

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TOP 10 FILMS OF 2015

The end of the year arrives with the best 10 lists of everything.  As for films, it is always the same each year.  For the first 11 months of the year – nada.  Almost nothing good is screened and come December, a host of excellent, inventive and entertaining films arrive.  Guess it is Santa’s reward for filmgoers pumping good old fashioned money into the economy.

My best 10 films are listed below (in alphabetical order).

TOP 10 (in alphabetical order):

ANOMALISA (USA 2015) ***** 

Directed by Charlie Kauffman

Animated feature about a lone soul (voice of David Thewlis) who finally finds the love of his life.  The entire film is narrated by only three actors because there are only three people in Michael Stone’s life.  Himself,  Anomalisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and the rest of the world (Tom Noonan).  A most interesting film about the most boring person on the planet.

THE BIG SHORT (USA 2015) *****

Directed by Adam McKay

A smart, hilarious look at the housing mortgage bubble burst in the U.S. and the few people that benefited from it.  An all-star cast joins in the fun with cameos from Salena Gomez and Robbie Margot who help explain some financial jargon.  

CAROL (USA 2015) *****

Directed by Todd Haynes

Openly gay director Todd Haynes delivers another first class gay drama about the love affair between an older wealthy woman (Cate Blanchett) and a  struggling store clerk, Carol (Rooney Mara).  Set in the 50’s when gay relationships were taboo, CAROL is nevertheless moving, disturbing and ultimately still relevant.

THE FORBIDDEN ROOM (Canada 2015) ****

Directed by Guy Maddin

The Best Canadian film of the year and another weird and wonderful film by Guy Maddin with co-creator Evan Johnson – and one of Maddin’s best and most structured, which is not saying much.  And the film is in colour instead of black and white.  The film begins, humorously with a man in a bathrobe giving lessons on how to draw a bath.  This vignette is linked to another concerning a submarine crew in dire distress.  The captain is missing and the air supply is running out.  They chew on flapjacks to utilize the oxygen bubbles in the batter.  Does not make sense?  It does not matter.  All this is part of the weird pleasure that is abundant in a Maddin film. 

THE HATEFUL EIGHT (USA 2015) *****
Directed by Quentin Traction

Shit-disturber Tarrantino’s latest film, a western is another winner.  Bounty hunters and an assortment of characters are put up at Minnie’s Haberdashery during a winter blizzard.  They do not come here without a reason.  Chaos ensues.  The film runs 3 hours with a 6-minute longer version in 70mm, complete with overture and intermission.

HOUSEBOUND (New Zealand 2014) ***** Top 10

Directed by Gerard Johnstone

HOUSEBOUND is my guilty pleasure.  The film came out of nowhere turning out to be the biggest surprise of the year.  This is the story of story of Kylie Bucknell (Morgana O’Reilly), an ill-tempered delinquent forced to return to the house she grew up in when the court places her on home detention.  Her punishment is made all the more unbearable by the fact she has to live there with her crazed mother Miriam (Rima Te Wiata) – a well- intentioned blabbermouth who’s convinced that the house is haunted.   Horror comedy at its best, all neatly explained at the end.

JOY (USA 2015) *****
Directed by David O. Russell

Joy is indeed a great joy!  David O. Russell’s latest family/business drama sees desperate housewife Joy (Jennifer Lawrence) take on the business world with her invention, the miracle mop with the help of her immediate and extended family.  Hilariously satirical at times, this movie belongs to both Russell and Lawrence who delivers the best performance this year.

LEGEND (UK 2015) ****
Directed by Brian Helgeland

LEGEND is about the notorious Krays, the gangster twins that terrorized London the 50’s and 60’s.  The Kray twins in LEGEND are both played by Tom Hardy.  Written and directed by Brian Helgeland (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL his best film) and based on the book The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins by John Pearson, the film is told from the point of view as well as narrated by Frances Shea (Emily Browning) the wife of Reggie Kray, making it part crime and part love story.

THE REVENANT (USA 2015) ****
Directed by Alejandro Inarratu

A tracker (Leonardo DiCaprio) is mauled by a bear and left for dead by his fellow travellers.  The man survives and after a long track, gets his revenge.  A great wilderness adventure with a very strong performance by DiCaprio, this violent  \film might not be for everyone but it is quite the unforgettable movie.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (USA 2015) *****
Directed by J.J. Abrams

The most anticipated film of the year lives up to the hype and expectations.  Abrams pumps new blood into the series with characters like Rey, Poe and Finn joining the legendary Star Wars characters Hans Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in taking down the Dark Side.  Great special effects, action sequences and musical score add to the the best that this series has to offer.  The Force has awakened and is here to stay!

Movie Review: THE BIG SHORT (US 2015) *****

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the_big_short_posterTHE BIG SHORT (US 2015) ***** TOP 10
Directed by Adam McKay

Review by Gilbert Seah

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Michael Lewis, THE BIG SHORT describes several of the key players in the creation of the credit default swap market that sought to bet against the collateralized debt obligation (CDO) bubble and thus ended up profiting from the financial crisis of 2007–2010. But the film mainly highlights the eccentric nature of the type of person who bets against the market.

It should be noted that many of the characters in the book have their names changed – to protect the innocent or the guilty, as the case may be. The Jared Vennett character played by Ryan Gosling and the Mark Baum character played by Steve Carell have been changed from the Greg Lippmann and Steven Eismann characters respectively. Others like Dr. Michael Burry (Christian Bale) have remained unchanged while Brad Pitt’s Ben Rickert has been changed from Ben Bockett. It is also strange that Adam McKay, a director known for his outlandish comedies like ANCHORMAN and THE OTHER GUYS be chosen to make this film based on such a serious topic. The housing credit bubble burst cost millions of Americans their jobs and houses. But it is a good bet. No ordinary person would like to see a depressing film about the Ameggedon of the U.S. housing market. McKay makes the whole enterprise hilariously off-beat, so unless one has actually been burnt, severely by what has been described, THE BIG SHORT is one hell of a ride!

For those not well versed in the world of finance, THE BIG SHORT might be too technical. But the film is not without its entertainment value. McKay explains certain terms with great humour. If one is uncertain on what mortgage credit is, he uses Margot Robbie (playing herself) to explain the term while drinking champagne in a bubble bath. McKay also uses Selena Gomez (again playing herself) to explain the various type of CDOs (Collateralized Debt Obligation) while handed a ten and a seven at a Blackjack table in Las Vegas.

There are characters in the book left out in the film. No complaint here, as the film already runs over two hours. But now wonders what magic can be added with the interesting character of Eugene Xu, a quantitative analyst who created the first CDO market by matching buyers and sellers.

The filmmakers have assembled a more than apt and impressive cast. For one, Burry’s character, a true one is an ex-neurologist who created Scion Capital despite suffering from blindness in one eye and Asperger’s syndrome. One can see what attracted Christian Bale, who appears to be having a field day, to accept this role. Brad Pitt, barely recognizable with glasses and a goatee plays the anti-hero admonishing his two proteges that they should stop dancing after making so much money for the fact that people have lost their jobs and homes a s result. Carell and Gosling also add to the festivities.
For a film based on the worst financial disaster, director Adam McKay and gang might even make the losers shed a tear or two of laughter. An amazing film with an amazing treatment of the material.

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Movie Review: HE NEVER DIED (USA/Canada 2014) **1/2

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he_never_died_posterHE NEVER DIED (USA/Canada 2014) **1/2
Directed by Jason Krawczyk

Review by Gilbert Seah

HE NEVER DIED is an odd movie with a theme that counters the good cheer of the Christmas festivities. It is everything the festive season isn’t, so if one is fed up of friends and family and want something completely different, HE NEVER DIED might just be the film to satisfy.

The film is an off-beat one with an equally off-beat character. When the film opens, Jack (Henry Rollins) answers a knock on the door. It is his landlady. Paying cash from a suitcase full of money, he asked her for the time, date and day of the week. He then goes to his usual restaurant and orders the same stuff – hot tea. Things get weirder.

Apparently, he discovers he has a daughter, Andrea (Jordan Todosey).
People are trying to get to him and kidnap Andrea as a result. Jack is shown to display super human strength. Though he gets hurt, bullets do not kill him. And Jack plays BINGO to kill time. (See photo inset of Jack with his dabber.)

So what is the explanation? It comes right at the end of the film. It does not make much sense, but at least it is an explanation. A few things are left unexplained, such as how he got the suitcase of money and how he got some woman pregnant.
But the entertainment of the film comes from Rollins’ performance. He is simply the best thing of the film, delivering a deadpan performance, full of one-liners while constantly sneering. Rollins is no newcomer in film, but he has never landed a leading role before.

His credits include bit parts in Michael Mann’s HEAT, JACKASS: THE MOVIE, BAD BOYS II and LOST HIGHWAY. The supporting cast do not fare badly either. Booboo Stewart plays a native student, Jeremy, capturing the perfect slacker loser character while Steven Ogg plays the villain, Alex over-the-top in contrast to Jack’s character. Kate Greenhouse plays Cara, the waitress who tries to date Jack, though one cannot see any reason to do so.

Krawczyk’s film is exceptionally violent but deserves to be so. Without it, the film would lose the audience’s attention. The violence feeds into the audience so that more and more is wanted. It is human nature to root for the underdog who is trying to survive no matter what reason. So when Jack clips off a victim’s finger or breaks another’s foot to prevent him from escaping, one can only winch and watch.

The film is a U.S. and Canadian co-production shot in Toronto. The setting of the film is never mentioned but judging from the American notes in Jack’s suitcase and one reference to Jack being in the Civil War, it is assumed that the film is set in the States.

But the one-joke one-gimmick film is unable to sustain the 90-minute length. Despite the violence and super-dry dead pan humour, HE NEVER DIES would be deemed too slow for most audiences.

Movie Review: THE REVENANT (2015)

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the_revenant_posterTHE REVENANT (USA 2015) ****Top10
Directed by Alejando G. Iñárritu

Review by Gilbert Seah

Mexican director Alejandro Iñárritu’s (AMORES PERROS, 21 GRAMS, BABEL and last year’s BIRDMAN) THE REVENANT is a no-holds barred almost 3-hour wilderness adventure complete with all the violence of the wild west frontier set in the 1820’s. If one does not have the stomach for the grisly, avoid at all costs.

The film is based on the life of frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) based on a 2002 novel of the same name by Michael Punke. The plot of the film can be summarized in one line, remarkable considering the length of the film. Hugh Glass is left for dead by his fellow travellers after a vicious bear attack and subsequently seeks revenge on them for abandoning him.

The story contains a few subplots, like the one involving his quest for revenge. One of his fellow travellers is John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), a vicious, hardened criminal who ends up killing Glass’s son. Another youth, Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) is a good hearted drawn into the drama.

The film begins with a 15-minutes attack of the Indians on the fur trappers. It is an extremely violent segment, inspired no doubt by the similar lengthy beginning segment of the D-Day landing in Steven Spielberg’s SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Both sides suffer heavy casualties. Glass, Fitzgerald, his son and Andrew escape with a few others before the crucial bear attack.

The bear attack sequence is no less violent and occurs not once but twice in all its horror. Silly rumours by some press describe the scene as a bear rape but one thing for sure is that there is no love in this attack.

Despite the simple plot, there are a few details that occur so fast that they are difficult to follow. But these are not essential to appreciating Iñárritu’s film.

Director Iñárritu is a well respected artist who have proven himself apt at working with different genres including Hollywood drama as in last year’s acclaimed BIRDMAN. In THE REVENANT, he workers with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, together creating some of the most stunning images seen on screen this year. One has the men crossing the top of a water fall, another running across the shallow waters of tall trees and another at the film’s climax during a chase when an avalanche can be observed in the background. One can question the purpose of these, as the waterfall and avalanche have nothing to do with the story. But Iñárritu has earned his artistic licence to indulge in such excesses. But a few of his traits like the beginning chase camera shots used in AMORES PERROS are duplicated here in the chase scenes in THE REVENANT.

The performances of the entire cast is nothing short of superb. DiCaprio and Hardy excel, and credit should be given to these artists for working under the extreme conditions as shown on screen.

THE REVENANT succeeds admirable in being a stunning looking violet wilderness adventure. The film comes complete with a satisfactory ending, a fight between hero and villain with some spiritual highlights thrown in for good measure.

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Movie Review: The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (2015)

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the_lady_in_the_car_posterLA DAME DANS L’AUTO AVEC DES LUNETTES ET UN FUSIL (France 2015) ***
(THE LADY IN THE CAR WITH GLASSES AND A GUN)
Directed by Joann Sfar

Review by Gilbert Seah

This is a remake of the 1970 Anthony Litvak British film with the same title starring Samantha Eggar and Oliver Reed. I have not seen the original but do not remember it as a particular famous film despite the reputation of Litvak. The film is an adaptation of the Sebastien Japrisot’s 1966 novel of the same name. But the remake is not too bad a film, a good mystery in which the solution remains an unsolvable puzzle till the very end. Which is very rare in a film these days. This is an entirely French film shot in French in France.

The film begins innocently enough with a naive and innocent secretary agreeing to work overtime for her boss (Benjamin Biolay). Dany (Freya Mavor) completes the job overnight at her boss’ house and ends up driving her boss and his wife from Paris to the Cote D’Azur only to be convinced to drive the car back alone to Paris. But Dany has never seen the sea and steals the car to take a detour to achieve her dream. That is when she discovers that a lot of people that she meets recognizes her the day before though she has never met all these people. Dany thinks she is going crazy with one weird incident after another happening. She encounters a sleazy thief that she has an affair with that eventually steals her (or her boss’ ) car. This is when a corpse is discovered in the trunk.

If all the above sound interesting, it all is. The mystery keeps the film absorbing from start to end. As an additional bonus, director Sfar effectively captures the mood of the 60’s and 70’s of this period piece. One can probably not be able tell the difference between the time setting of the original film and this one. Mavor is also an extremely sexy actress, her character flirting with one man after another while she swaggers her girly figure while swinging her purse.

The only problem is that the film’s climax cannot keep up with the interest the mystery generated. When the solution is presented, the film starts to drag. It is not that the solution is unbelievable but it is kind of obvious and one wonders why one has not thought of it earlier.

The lovely title should tease audiences to see the film, though the gun in the title should be replaced with rifle as Dany carries a rifle rather than a gun. One can probably guess that the rifle was swapped for the gun as Dany looks sexier holding a rifle than a gun.

Still, this psychological mystery thriller satisfies. And Dany turns out not to be that harmless as Sfar intended the audience to think. The film turns out to be a black comedy set in the bright lights of the south of France.

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Movie Review: Daddy’s Home (2015)

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daddys_home_posterDADDY’S HOME (USA 2015) **
Directed by Sean Anders

Review by Gilbert Seah

DADDY’S HOME is advertised as a movie with a dad vs. a stepdad. And in the words of the movie, the audience is to be shown the difference between a dad and a father.

As the film opens, a mild-mannered stepdad, Brad (Will Ferrell) is married to his new wife Sarah (Linda Cardellini) and living with her and her two children. The two children are yet to confide in him and Brad tries his best to be a good dad – poor soul. Farrell actually makes his audience sympathize with his character. Then enters Dusty (Mark Wahlberg), the real father who weasels his way into staying at the house. His main aim is to win his wife, Sarah (Linda Cardellini) and kids back. And Brad is too naive to realize what is happening.
The above story is nothing really special to write home about. The script is pretty lame and does not have much room for twists in the plot. What transpires is predictable. Dusty wins his children’s affection and Dusty tries too hard. Brad eventually, because of his good naturedness wins Dusty’s heart and together make one healthy family with two dads. It is a film where two males do their best to make annoying kids happy.

It is hard to make an unforgettable comedy with such a lame story. There is no big villain, no end of the world scenario and no action sequences. But given the limitations, the film does contain a few really funny laugh-out loud segments.

The film’s subplots are not that funny either. One involves Dusty inviting a black handyman, Griff (Hannibal Buress) to stay with the family. Another has Dusty bringing a mongrel, who obviously hates Brad, as a gift for the kids. And another has Brad’s boss, Leo (Thomas Haden Church) always having advice or a story to tell to Brad. These generate a few chuckles at most.

The film’s funniest moment occurs when it goes totally ridiculous – a characteristic of Will Farrell’s type of comedy. Brad tells his stepson who is bullied that to solve the problem is not to fight back but to do something else like a dance-off, with the added benefit that both parties end up getting fit. The climax of the movie is a dance-off which thankfully is really funny and almost saves the movie.

DADDYS HOME ends up a family film with few lewd jokes, the only one being Brad’s impotency as a result of a dental accident. Farrell and Wahlberg have worked together in THE OTHER GUYS and make a good team, all things considered. Hopefully, they will team up again in a film with a better script.

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Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival:www.wildsound.ca

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Movie Review: THE LADY IN THE VAN (2015)

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the_lady_in_the_van_poster.jpgTHE LADY IN THE VAN (UK 2015) ***1/2
Directed by Nicholas Hytner

Review by Gilbert Seah

There are several reasons to watch the new Maggie Smith, Nicholas Hytner and Alan Bennette collaboration of THE LADY IN THE VAN. For one, it is based mostly on a true story – the words that appear on the screen at the film’s start, signifying a modest comedy on life. And with an equally number of pleasures as well to be derived from the film.

Adapted from the based-on-fact hit West End play by Bennett (best known for THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE), the film’s title referring to a high-born homeless woman, known as Miss Shepherd (Dame Maggie Smith) fallen on hard times who finds temporary shelter parking her van in Bennett’s driveway — for fifteen years. It is a chronicle of the unlikely friendship between the writer (played by Alex Jennings) and the elderly eccentric who takes over his driveway.

The play and script is smart enough to have two protagonists – Miss Shepherd and Bennett. Bennett is seen as a double in the film. As explained – there is the man that writes and the one that lives. They speak to one another, the equivalent of the man talking to himself. He gives himself a perspective of his life, humorously as well as dramatically. He is a timid fellow, kind enough to look after his ailing mother as well as Miss Shepherd. In contrast, Miss Shepherd is ornery, impolite, and bullying Not all there, she claims to take advice from the Virgin Mary. And she smells bad. There is a mystery about the woman that is kept from Bennett and the audience but all is revealed by the end of the film. But Bennett, despite his very private nature, takes pity on her and says she can stay there for three months.
Miss Shepherd is seen to be one that hates music. She screams and scares away children that play music outside her van. But she has studied music in Paris and plays the piano. The reason for her current behaviour is an intriguing one, and one that Hytner uses to full effect.

But besides being a film about friendship and old age, it is mostly a film about life. The film depicts the bit seedy yet very respectable London neighbourhood of Camden Town (on the Northern Tube line). (I am proud to say I have lived there – though as a tourist and guest for 15 days and the film brings a good effective feel in of neighbourhood chivalry and friendliness.) The message about life in the film is an obvious one, though one mostly ignored. It is stated clearly at the end – to love life is to start living. It is, put subtly, in the writing of Bennett’s character – that he is not to put himself in the writing but to find himself in the writing.

Maggie Smith bares all in the film and she is not afraid of looking old, haggard and ugly for the role. It is a completely different role from her Oscar winning THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE. She would get my vote for her second Oscar.

THE LADY IN A VAN is a tale of life, playfully funny and authentically set in Camden Town, London. Great performances in a film relatively well directed from a clever script full of ripe dialogue.

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