A quick review of The Station Agent, a film a saw on the spur of the moment last night.

It’s a well-written, superbly acted film where – almost – nothing happens. And, unlike many films of its type it’s well-worth watching because the characters are both fascinating and endearing. Fin is, as they say, vertically challenged and moves into a parochial American backwater town where a Cuban hot dog man sells his wares to (more-or-less) nobody and Olivia, an artist going through a messy divorce who almost drives over our hero (twice). They are an odd set of warm characters performed brilliantly by the cast.

It’s also a comedy and succeeds in not turning farcical with lots of slapstick about shorter people. The comedy is tender, clever and entertaining, but it’s not a belly-laugh-a-minute film.

The Station Agent turned out to be one of the best films I have seen so far this year.

—

You can buy The Station Agent on DVD from Amazon.

On this day…

2004: Fries Are Chips and Chips Are Fries

At the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival I saw Endgame. It’s a unique take on the London Gangland film genre – in this gangster/sugar daddy (Mark McGann) keeps his rent boy housed in a plush apartment to turn tricks for those required to be kept onside. Without wanting to spoil the plot, rent boy Tom (Daniel Newman) escapes his prison, befriends neighbourly Americans who come to his aid and escape to a remote country cottage.

Normally, I don’t watch films with so much violence (there are scenes of rape and some horrific beatings) but it’s filmed/directed in a way that’s does keep you watching. Despite the things that happen to him, Tom’s character never really develops much beyond the chain-smoking cute-boy that starts the film, although you do begin to empathise with him as the film moves on. Mark McGann, however, is menacing and John Benfield (as Dunston, the corrupt detective) is threatening (if a little one-dimensional).

Disturbing but interesting.

On this day…

2004: 50 First Dates

I went to the BFI London IMAX cinema last night to see Haunted Castle: it’s presented in 3D and was superb.

Firstly, the 3D effects were excellent. There are several scenes (one on a roller coaster-style ride) where you really could be part of the action. It’s very, very well done. Of course, like many of these films, there are some ropy bits, but, on the whole, it’s believable 3D throughout. I found myself closing my eyes at some points because I really felt some of the action was leaping from the screen.

Haunted Castle is the story of Johnny, whose mother – and ageing rock star – has died and passed on her secluded castle home to her son. Upon arrival, Johnny finds that the castle is more than an empty stone building, for it’s alive with ghosts and evil doers. As he stumbles around the castle, Johnny discovers his mother had done a deal with Mr D in which she had to give up her soul for fame and fortune.

We are taken on a ride through the castle to hear the music in the burning pits, meeting the ghouls and spooks that inhabit the Haunted Castle along the way. We ride the cable car and Ferris wheel into the fires and visit the strange dungeons where the Opera singers are spending their days – will Johnny surrender his soul and give in to the temptation of the spooks? Finally, Johnny confronts Mr D again as the castle falls around him.

The stunning effects in this film really surround you. It really was a superb experience and reminds me that I should go to the IMAX more often.

On this day…

2005: More Politics
2004: St David's Day
2003: Ben Affleck In Tight Leather

Having enjoyed the Chicago, The Musical, I went to the cinema to see the long-awaited film version. And what a cinematic treat it is, thoroughly deserving many of the great reviews it’s been getting on the web.

There are some who feel this is better than the musical, but I would disagree. It’s a superb film, but there are always comments to be made: it sticks a little too closely to the stage version, not using the different medium to its full extent. That said, the music is still there, and while not pushing the genre’s boundaries like Moulin Rouge, it is some of the best music to have made it to film. The air is filled with the jazz sounds of 1920s Chicago, the perfect backdrop to the nightclub singers and the murders they perform.

Catherine Zeta-Jones is a superb Velma Kelly, Renée Zellweger perhaps not as sassy as the Roxie I have in my musical memory, but she certainly plays the vulnerability card well, and the surprise (to me at least) was Richard Gere, who plays suave Billy Flynn brilliantly (and it definitely seems that he can sing and dance).

Some commentators have suggested that the direction is limited due to director Rob Marshall’s TV background. I can’t say that it was noticeable to this viewer, although perhaps my comments about the medium above are related. Chicago tells the tale in an elegant way; it conveys the essence of 20s and moves along at a decent pace.

If there was one major disappointment, it was the downplaying of the Mary Sunshine role (in the musical, it’s played by a man) and the omission of her song (A Little Bit of Good). Nevertheless, one to recommend.

On this day…

2006: Coffee To Get Me Going
2005: Links Of The Day
2005: Now We Know
2003: The Grand Old Duke

My Big Fat Greek Wedding was something of a hit-and-miss film. You learned a lot about the Greek (lead) character, Toula, and her family relationships. But you learned very little about her love interest, Ian. If the point of the film was to show the development of Toula from the shy woman living life for her father by waiting tables (“seating hostess”) in his restaurant to the confident, beautiful self-styled woman that Ian Miller falls in love with, then, I guess, it succeeded. Sadly, because you know so little about him and his one-dimensional parents, this film feels empty and fails to pull you in.

Reviews will tell you how My Big Fat Greek Wedding makes you laugh, cry and feel. I, however, was left wanting more. The large Greek family, played with love and humour, finally accepts non-Greek Ian into the family. Ian, however, never challenges that their acceptance requires him to turn into them. Far from celebrating diversity, the film fails to show both sides of the tale, and we are forced to believe that Ian will do anything, unquestioningly, for Toula. I suspect I’m reading too much into what should be a light Saturday night romantic comedy, but as the film played out, I found myself less and less engaged.

Having said all this, there were some laugh-out-loud moments and some top-class performances. Andrea Martin (Aunt Voula), Michael Constantine (Gus) and Lainie Kazan (Maria) all stood out. Nia Vardalos (Toula), who also wrote the story, is worth mentioning as well, because she certainly conveyed Toula’s side of the story. Unfortunately, that’s all I felt I got (Toula’s side), and it could have been so much more.

On this day…

2004: Autumn Again
2002: First VHS For Sale

I saw a pumped-up Matt Damon in The Bourne Identity last weekend. Sadly, I am a sucker for this kind of action movie. They have little point, but they tell a tale that absorbs you for 90 minutes and gives you an all-action thrill for much of it. What more do you want from a cinema-going experience?

My Review: Who would have thought Matt Damon could convincingly play the international agent? Yet a beefed-up Matt holds his own in the world of blockbuster espionage – that’s a world of martial arts acrobatics and high-speed car chases down back alleyways (and flights of stairs). Franka Potente keeps Marie convincing, even though many would have walked away from Jason Bourne (Damon) at their first meeting. It’s a Friday night, action-packed, spy-game blockbuster (with a twist of amnesia) and, unfortunately, nothing more.

See also: Matt Damon as Man of the Moment.

On this day…

2005: It’s In My Hand
2004: Happy Birthday To Me

You know when you don’t go to the cinema for what seems like an age and then you suddenly go quite a lot? No, well, I do this on-off thing with the cinema quite a lot. Yesterday, following on from my Men in Black II experience, I went to see The Guru at The Clapham Picture House (which, if you live in this part of the world, probably ranks as one of the better cinemas and it’s not part of an overly large chain – although there are more of them than you would imagine).

The people I was with loved it. They laughed (a lot). Many people in the cinema were laughing too. I smiled occasionally, and there was the odd laugh, but on the whole I was pretty quiet. So, to validate my lack of enthusiasm for the film (which seems to be generally well received), I got as far as The Guardian’s film site (which, I am sure was Film Unlimited at one point). Peter Bradshaw reassures me with,

There’s no bite or edge to this movie, though; it’s goofy, soft-centred romcom slush, with some very half-hearted Bollywood pastiche” and “… these moments don’t really justify the admission price

[Full Review]

Now, I am using the web to reinforce my own opinions. This can’t be a good thing.

On this day…

2002: Celebrities in Space