L THE SELFISH GIANT Scene from - Classic Films …...83 L overs of late Victoriana will doubtless...
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83 L overs of late Victoriana will doubtless recognise the title as that of an Oscar Wild short story – you remember, the one about the giant who walls off his garden so the kiddies can’t get in and play in it, and then it snows all the time… Ahem, it’s a bit of a heavy-going religious allegory, frankly, so this take on the tale is a most welcome and vibrant reboot. The tale revolves around a couple of Bradford- based urchins (fantastically played by Connor Chapman and Shaun Thomas) who find themselves involved in the copper theft business, while at the same time getting mixed up in some (wonderfully shot) illicit horse and trap racing. Hats off to director Barnard – this is a truly affecting and memorable piece of film-making… T here’s something about Italian cinema, isn’t there? They’ve got some sort of knack for it that gives their films an instantly recognisable flair, and every year it feels like they’ve produced another classic or two. This one, from director Paolo Sorrentino, garnered lots of fulsome praise when it his the big screen earlier on in the year (although it probably didn’t make it to too many multiplexes, sadly), and now’s your chance to catch it in the comfort of your own home. Toni Servillo plays Jep, an aging roué who’s lived the high life (surely it’s no coincidence that the film echoes La Dolce Vita) for donkey’s years but who’s now turning 65. Cue a change of pace as he starts wanders the city and reappraises the world and his part in it. Meditative and beautifully shot, this film has genuine charm and reaches the parts most other movies can’t. A full 50 years after it actually happened, there’s still something about the Great Train Robbery that exerts a hold over the British psyche. Was it the audacity of the crime itself, the fate of the blaggers who pulled it off, or the feeling that justice was never quite done, somehow? Either way, this Christmas saw the airing on BBC 1 of this rather classy little recreation of the whole thing, with two 90 minute episodes concentrating on the crime itself and then the police investigation. Luke Evans, Neil Maskell and Jack Gordon are among the crims, while dear old Jim Broadbent stars in the second part, in which the plod gets its arse into gear. Quality telly, and deffo worth a shufty if you missed it last month! THE SELFISH GIANT THE GREAT BEAUTY THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY TOMMY T he Who’s ‘rock opera’ was always well over the top, with bombastic, messianic songs about a blind kid who couldn’t be beaten at pinball. Really, what were they thinking of? Still, thanks to the strength of the songs the album was a smash, and when the time came for a film adaptation, who better than the never less than over the top Ken Russell to helm it? Roger Daltrey plays (not so) young Tommy, who in between flicking silver balls around has run-ins with the likes of Oliver Reed, Jack Nicholas and Robert Powell. Throw in top musicians like Clapton, Tina Turner and Elton John and this new Blu-ray release has got plenty going for it… MF4901 p82-83 Scene.indd 83 19/12/13 15:34:54
Transcript of L THE SELFISH GIANT Scene from - Classic Films …...83 L overs of late Victoriana will doubtless...
83
L overs of late Victoriana will doubtless recognise the title as that of an Oscar Wild short story – you remember, the one about
the giant who walls off his garden so the kiddies can’t get in and play in it, and then it snows all the time… Ahem, it’s a bit of a heavy-going religious allegory, frankly, so this take on the tale is a most welcome and vibrant reboot.
The tale revolves around a couple of Bradford-based urchins (fantastically played by Connor Chapman and Shaun Thomas) who fi nd themselves involved in the copper theft business, while at the same time getting mixed up in some (wonderfully shot) illicit horse and trap racing. Hats off to director Barnard – this is a truly affecting and memorable piece of fi lm-making…
THE THIRD MAN
Scene from
There’s something about Italian cinema, isn’t there? They’ve got some sort of knack for it that gives their fi lms an instantly recognisable fl air, and every year
it feels like they’ve produced another classic or two. This one, from director Paolo Sorrentino, garnered lots of fulsome praise when it his the big screen earlier on in the year (although it probably didn’t make it to too many multiplexes, sadly), and now’s your chance to catch it in the comfort of your own home. Toni Servillo plays Jep, an aging roué who’s lived the high life (surely it’s no coincidence that the fi lm echoes La Dolce Vita) for donkey’s years but who’s now turning 65. Cue a change of pace as he starts wanders the city and reappraises the world and his part in it. Meditative and beautifully shot, this fi lm has genuine charm and reaches the parts most other movies can’t.
A full 50 years after it actually happened, there’s still something about the Great Train Robbery that exerts a hold over the British psyche. Was it the audacity of
the crime itself, the fate of the blaggers who pulled it off, or the feeling that justice was never quite done, somehow? Either way, this Christmas saw the airing on BBC 1 of this rather classy little recreation of the whole thing, with two 90 minute episodes concentrating on the crime itself and then the police investigation. Luke Evans, Neil Maskell and Jack Gordon are among the crims, while dear old Jim Broadbent stars in the second part, in which the plod gets its arse into gear. Quality telly, and deffo worth a shufty if you missed it last month!
THE SELFISH GIANT
THE GREAT BEAUTY
THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY
TOMMY
T he Who’s ‘rock opera’ was always well over the top, with bombastic, messianic songs about a blind kid who couldn’t be beaten
at pinball. Really, what were they thinking of? Still, thanks to the strength of the songs the album was a smash, and when the time came for a fi lm adaptation, who better than the never less than over the top Ken Russell to helm it? Roger Daltrey plays (not so) young Tommy, who in between fl icking silver balls around has run-ins with the likes of Oliver Reed, Jack Nicholas and Robert Powell. Throw in top musicians like Clapton, Tina Turner and Elton John and this new Blu-ray release has got plenty going for it…
Tit feels like they’ve produced another classic or two. This one, from director Paolo Sorrentino, garnered lots of fulsome praise when it his the big screen earlier on in the year (although it probably didn’t make it to too many multiplexes, sadly), and now’s your chance to catch it in the comfort of your own home. Toni Servillo plays Jep, an aging roué who’s lived the high life (surely it’s no coincidence that the fi lm echoes turning 65. Cue a change of pace as he starts wanders the city and reappraises the world and his part in it. Meditative and beautifully shot, this fi lm has genuine charm and reaches the parts most other movies can’t.
Athe crime itself, the fate of the blaggers who pulled it off, or the feeling that justice was never quite done, somehow? Either way, this Christmas saw the airing on BBC 1 of this rather classy little recreation of the whole thing, with two 90 minute episodes concentrating on the crime itself and then the police investigation. Luke Evans, Neil Maskell and Jack Gordon are among the crims, while dear old Jim Broadbent stars in the second part, in which the plod gets its arse into gear. Quality telly, and deffo worth a shufty if you missed it last month!
MF4901 p82-83 Scene.indd 83 19/12/13 15:34:54
