Connecting with Culture - Film

The Name’s Brand… James Brand

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:20:18 +0100

There are numerous web pages devoted to the Bourne versus Bond debate. Who’s the superior in your book? Robert Ludlum’s brainwashed bionic man – a gritty, focussed, über-assassin, who wouldn’t be distracted by Swedish supermodels or a bottle of Bollinger; or Ian Fleming’s naval commander – not just a resourceful killer, but a witty philanderer and nouveau cuisine connoisseur.

Whatever your decision, there’s no denying that the Ludlum character’s film franchise resulted in Bond being (ahem) bourne again. Daniel Craig’s new, more bruising Bond, owes a lot to Matt Damon’s rogue spy; there are less quips, less gadgets and less girls in Casino Royale, as no doubt will also be true of the upcoming Quantum of Solace.

Hellboy 2 – The Golden Army

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:32:47 +0100

Much of JRR Tolkien’s fantasy epic, The Lord of the Rings was inspired by the author’s experiences on the battlefield of the Somme. The dedication of Samwise to Frodo was a reflection of the loyalty of a batman – a military version of a butler- to his officer. And the industry of Saruman’s mines and forges, and the raising of an Orc army to wipe out humankind mirrored the mechanisation of warfare in the First World War.

Prince Caspian – Leadership Under the Lion

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:46:34 +0100

Narnia returns to the big screen this week as Prince Caspian opens in cinemas nationwide, a week after hitting the very, very big screen of the O2 arena at its UK premiere. The new film sees the Pevensie children – Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy – summoned back to Narnia by the eponymous hero, who is rightful heir to its throne. But it is an occupied and embattled Narnia to which they return. True Narnians are now a persecuted minority, and the murderous usurper, Miraz, rules by fear, division and violence. Cue lots of CGI, fantastical violence, elaborate sets and beautiful scenery; together with some subtle details that will please die-hard fans of the book.

The Incredible Hulk

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:08:00 +0100

‘Wrraaaarrggghh! Hulk smash!’ Fan boys have to wait an hour-and-a-half into the new film, The Incredible Hulk, to hear those two, well, nearly three, immortal words roared out by the anything but jolly green giant, but it’s certainly worth the wait. It comes in a smack-down between our verdant-skinned hero and his devastatingly powerful, and equally emerald mutant opposite, The Abomination.

Three and Out

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:46:18 +0100

“Is there any comedy in dying under a train?”

That was the somewhat disarming question put to the actor, Mackenzie Crook, when he arrived for the premiere of his new film, Three and Out on Monday evening. It was asked by one of a number of Tube train drivers, picketing the premiere in protest at what they regard as the film’s insensitive handling of suicide on the London Underground.

Quite apart from this particular film, the picketing driver’s question raises the broader issue of whether everything is fair game for comedic interpretation, or whether there are certain things that should remain off-limits.

nothing’s better than the real thing

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:00:47 +0000

Cinema, in glorious three dimensions, is back! And there’s not a pair of those frail, cardboard, green-and-red specs in sight! Now you get a natty pair of special polarising specs that would give Ray-Ban a run for their money. Forget the horror that was (for all the wrong reasons) Jaws 3-D; the latest technology is guaranteed to have you gasping in disbelief as images leap to life before your eyes. See for yourself (if you missed Beowulf before Christmas) when U2’s imaginatively titled concert film U23D comes to a cinema screen alarmingly near you next month.

the golden compass

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:01:47 +0000

Anyone who has seen The Golden Compass in the last few days without having read the novel it’s based on may well feel bemused by all the fuss being made about it in certain quarters. Although it has been accused of ‘selling atheism to kids’, it seems innocuous enough. The principal problem with the film, in my opinion, is that the story has been mangled to the point of being nearly incomprehensible.

atonement

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:26:06 +0100

Ian McEwan has come a long way since the days when his menacing, somewhat morbid tales of deviancy and dysfunctionality earned him the nickname ‘Ian MacAbre’. Today, ten novels and five film adaptations later, he is regarded by many literary critics as one of Britain’s finest living novelists. Amsterdam won the Booker Prize in 1998 and his new novel, On Chesil Beach, is shortlisted for this year’s award.

the bourne-again identity

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:01:04 +0100

Can we escape our programming?

Can any of us really sail against the cultural tides that shape our minds, our hearts, our imaginations, our everyday decisions?

This is the question that lies behind the breathtaking car chases, visceral fight scenes and frenetic, Machiavellian machinations of Britain’s current number-one film, The Bourne Ultimatum.

this is how the world ends

Tue, 22 May 2007 15:50:53 +0100

If I had to choose, it would be by meteor. I’m not too fond of the idea of a new ice age – or a nuclear war or an alien invasion, the sun being snuffed out or a rampant mutant virus. No, a beautiful shooting star that sets the sky on fire before sending us all to oblivion by tidal wave or earthquake – that would be the way to go.

outlaw

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:27:43 +0000

‘Vengeance is mine,’ says the ex-paratrooper played by Sean Bean in his latest film, Outlaw. Bryant comes home from Iraq to find his own country under siege from street thugs and organised criminals. Disgusted by the ineffectiveness of the courts, he gathers a band of similarly disaffected individuals to mete out their own brand of justice.

amazing grace

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 12:05:40 +0000

The film Amazing Grace, which hits the high street on March 23, depicts the tireless work of William Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect to bring an end to the slave trade. It ought to carry the caveat ‘Warning: May Encourage Radical Christian Activism!’

missing the magic?

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 09:18:23 +0000

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without many things: mince pies, mulled wine, candlelit carol services and the Queen’s speech, to name but a few. But now, as old Father Hollywood has decreed, it also wouldn’t be Christmas without that greatest of traditions, an epic sword-and-sorcery spectacular. Whether it’s schoolboys battling evil wizards with wands or short chaps with hairy feet resisting the power of rings, we’ve developed a yuletide appetite for fantasy.

borat: cultural learnings

Thu, 10 May 2007 13:56:09 +0100

Rarely has such a silly film been so clever.

For the uninitiated, Borat is a ‘mockumentary’ charting the journey across America of the Kazakhstani TV reporter Borat Sagdiyev (played by the British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen) in pursuit of ‘cultural learnings’ – and, latterly, Pamela Anderson.

the devil wears prada

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 11:50:14 +0100

Does it make sense to sacrifice your scruples in order to secure success?

You may not work in the high-pressure world of fashion, but the chances are you have found yourself facing that dilemma, just as Anne Hathaway’s character does in The Devil Wears Prada.