Pan-fried
It isn't often that the St James cinema screens a turkey, but if the reviews in the UK newspapers are to be believed, then the recent remake of Sleuth is just that. And in addition to panning the movie, the performances of its two stars Michael Caine...
It isn't often that the St James cinema screens a turkey, but if the reviews in the UK newspapers are to be believed, then the recent remake of Sleuth is just that. And in addition to panning the movie, the performances of its two stars Michael Caine and Jude Law were well and truly fried.
The first movie version of Anthony Shaffer's play was directed by Joe Mankiewitz back in 1972, with Laurence Olivier and, yes Michael Caine, although that time he was playing the Jude Law role (I hope you're still following this). The 2007 version is directed by Kenneth Branagh - could it be that the golden boy is losing his glitter?
But if the new Sleuth doesn't quite cut the mustard, there's still plenty of good stuff to be seen at St James this month. In Elizabeth - The Golden Age, Cate Blanchett reprises her role as Queen Elizabeth the First of England. And in so doing she earned herself another Oscar nomination. This sequel - of sorts - also has Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh. The lad's come a long way since playing Romeo at The Manoel for the Young Vic.
Across the Universe, also showing at St James this month, received mixed notices when it premièred last year. Directed by Julie Taymor and with Evan Rachel Wood, Martin Luther and Dana Fuchs in the cast, it is an affectionate recreation of the 1960s, Beatles songs and all. For some critics the premise is both patronising and inaccurate; for others it works. You pay your money . . .
The cult writer/director Quentin Tarantino has been fairly quiet of late, so his latest movie Death Proof should be welcomed by fans. It is a typical slasher-type flick with lots of Kensington gore flying around the screen. The plot involves a psychopathic stuntman who sets out on a serial killing spree, bumping off girls with a car that is supposedly deathproof. The film stars Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd and former Hollywood A list actor Sydney Poitier. I think it would be fair to say this is not one of Mr Tarantino's greatest movies.
Now for an absolute gem of a movie, And When Did You Last See Your Father? This is a beautifully written and shot British feature. Directed by Anand Tucker and starring the terrific Jim Broadbent and the equally charismatic Colin Firth, it focuses on a father-and-son relationship. Mr Broadbent plays Arthur, an ageing family doctor in the Yorkshire Dales, while his son Blake is played by Mr Firth. Arthur is slowly coming to terms with the fact that he is terminally ill with cancer. Not, I agree, the greatest premise for a fun evening at the cinema. But the story is told quite brilliantly and an interesting parallel is drawn between Arthur's struggle with cancer and Blake's struggle to come to terms with his relationship with his father. This is definitely one of those movies you just have to see.
Sean Penn minus Madonna is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished and dedicated actors working today. And after his directorial debut on Into The Wild, now he is also being hailed as an extremely fine director. Based on a true story, the film follows the fortunes of a comfortably-off young man, Christopher McCandless, who gives away his savings and sets off to hitch-hike to Alaska. Christopher is played by the promising young actor Emile Hirsch. The cast also contains Hollywood heavyweights Hal Holbrook and William Hurt.
The Best Foreign Language Oscar- winning German film The Lives Of Others is also showing at the St James cinema this month. Written and directed by the young German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the film harks back to 1984 and the days of the DDR, before the Berlin Wall came down.
It goes into some detail on the methods used by the East German secret police, the Stasi, to break the people they are interrogating. This is a brilliant feature and thoroughly deserving of all the awards and nominations it has picked up.
Also showing at St James this month is the Robert Benson movie Feast Of Love, starring Morgan Freeman.
All the films showing at St James this month are distributed by KRS.
The first movie version of Anthony Shaffer's play was directed by Joe Mankiewitz back in 1972, with Laurence Olivier and, yes Michael Caine, although that time he was playing the Jude Law role (I hope you're still following this). The 2007 version is directed by Kenneth Branagh - could it be that the golden boy is losing his glitter?
But if the new Sleuth doesn't quite cut the mustard, there's still plenty of good stuff to be seen at St James this month. In Elizabeth - The Golden Age, Cate Blanchett reprises her role as Queen Elizabeth the First of England. And in so doing she earned herself another Oscar nomination. This sequel - of sorts - also has Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh. The lad's come a long way since playing Romeo at The Manoel for the Young Vic.
Across the Universe, also showing at St James this month, received mixed notices when it premièred last year. Directed by Julie Taymor and with Evan Rachel Wood, Martin Luther and Dana Fuchs in the cast, it is an affectionate recreation of the 1960s, Beatles songs and all. For some critics the premise is both patronising and inaccurate; for others it works. You pay your money . . .
The cult writer/director Quentin Tarantino has been fairly quiet of late, so his latest movie Death Proof should be welcomed by fans. It is a typical slasher-type flick with lots of Kensington gore flying around the screen. The plot involves a psychopathic stuntman who sets out on a serial killing spree, bumping off girls with a car that is supposedly deathproof. The film stars Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd and former Hollywood A list actor Sydney Poitier. I think it would be fair to say this is not one of Mr Tarantino's greatest movies.
Now for an absolute gem of a movie, And When Did You Last See Your Father? This is a beautifully written and shot British feature. Directed by Anand Tucker and starring the terrific Jim Broadbent and the equally charismatic Colin Firth, it focuses on a father-and-son relationship. Mr Broadbent plays Arthur, an ageing family doctor in the Yorkshire Dales, while his son Blake is played by Mr Firth. Arthur is slowly coming to terms with the fact that he is terminally ill with cancer. Not, I agree, the greatest premise for a fun evening at the cinema. But the story is told quite brilliantly and an interesting parallel is drawn between Arthur's struggle with cancer and Blake's struggle to come to terms with his relationship with his father. This is definitely one of those movies you just have to see.
Sean Penn minus Madonna is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished and dedicated actors working today. And after his directorial debut on Into The Wild, now he is also being hailed as an extremely fine director. Based on a true story, the film follows the fortunes of a comfortably-off young man, Christopher McCandless, who gives away his savings and sets off to hitch-hike to Alaska. Christopher is played by the promising young actor Emile Hirsch. The cast also contains Hollywood heavyweights Hal Holbrook and William Hurt.
The Best Foreign Language Oscar- winning German film The Lives Of Others is also showing at the St James cinema this month. Written and directed by the young German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the film harks back to 1984 and the days of the DDR, before the Berlin Wall came down.
It goes into some detail on the methods used by the East German secret police, the Stasi, to break the people they are interrogating. This is a brilliant feature and thoroughly deserving of all the awards and nominations it has picked up.
Also showing at St James this month is the Robert Benson movie Feast Of Love, starring Morgan Freeman.
All the films showing at St James this month are distributed by KRS.