Friday July 12
The Eagle [M-Net. 0045]
Phil Spector [M-Net.03.00]
Saturday July 13
The Twilight Saga: New Moon [M-Net.23.35]
GLENN CLOSE AS ALBERT NOBBS
Albert Nobbs [M-Net.04.00]
Mary and Martha [M-Net.05.30]
Sunday July 14
JENNIFER LAWRENCE-TALENT NOT JUST EYE CANDY
The Hunger Games [M-Net.20.05]
The Sound of My Voice [M-Net.01.30]
THIS CUNNING POSTER SAYS IT ALL
The Skin that I Live In [M-Net.03.00]
Monday July 15
Made in Dagenham [M-Net.02.25]
Tuesday July 16
Skyfall [M-Net.0030]
Phil Spector [M-Net.03.00]
Wednesday July 17
Tara Road [e.tv.22.35]
***
THEN WAS THEN
Living in a fast food, throwaway society, things change at breakneck speed; today’s cult is tomorrow’s tired joke. Remember when, just the other day, The Twilight Saga was the rage. The books flew off the shelves, the movies played to full houses and copycat Vampires drew blood from many addicted throats and minds. For old time’s sake, watch The Twilight Saga: New Moon [M-Net.Saturday.23.35]
AND NOW IS NOW
Off with the old and on with the new— the notion behind Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games is a study in brilliant simplicity. In a bleak future, the ‘head to head—winner takes all struggle’ made popular by Survivor and other competitive Game Shows is notched up to an enticingly deadly level.
CLEVER SUZANNE COLLINS
Will this concept be different enough to sustain? Who knows, but the first movie has and its two sequels are set to make bucketfuls of money for loads of people.
DIRECTOR GARY ROSS
The (first) Hunger Games movie [M-Net.Sunday.20.05] features some really innovative acting from a talented cast while the brisk pace set by director Gary Ross maintains a high excitement quotient. Ross opted not to direct the HG sequels and has/ will be replaced by Frances Lawrence for sequels, Catching Fire and Mockingjay.
SWIFT AT THE GRAMMIES WITH HER PRODUCER AND CO WRITER OF SAFE AND SOUND- T-BONE BURNETTE
Maybe Ross feels that once is a challenge, twice is merely marking time. The music from the movie; especially the song Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift is rather beautiful; neatly summing up the human condition, in spite of the harsh reality of life, we all seek and strive towards a safe haven.
AN OLDER CHILDREN'S FAVOURITE IN 50s AND 60s- THERE WERE NO YOUNG ADULTS BACK THEN
Since the advent of the Franchise, movies are no longer ever a one off affair; trilogies are the norm rather than the exception. Saying that, will The Eagle [M-Net.Friday.00.45] based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s The Eagle of the 9th, first published in 1954 even make to sequel stage? The movie, like the book before it, is a tasteful, if dated, Sword and Sandals Saga, directed by Kevin MacDonald.
THE EAGLE ON SCREEN-TATUM AND JAMIE BELL
The Eagle stars a chipper Jamie Bell as Esca, a slave, loyal to his master Marcus Aquila, played by Channing Tatum. Tatum unfortunately, is a little too American to be a really believable Roman soldier. In the best S & S tradition, Tatum is trying to restore his father’s honour.
SUTHERLAND IN THE HUNGER GAMES
Down the cast list is veteran Donald Sutherland who is turning into the Michael Caine/ Sean Connery of his generation, he keeps popping up in all sorts of roles; for example, President Snow in HG.
AN OLD SIGNET EDITION OF LIVE AND LET DIE-BEFORE( IN THIS CASE)ALBERT BROCCOLI, HARRY SALTZMAN AND ROGER MOORE GOT IN ON THE ACT
1954 also saw the publication of the second James Bond novel, Live and Let Die. Moviewise, Ian Fleming’s 007 has set the standard for serial sequels. Skyfall [M-Net.Tuesday.00.30] is number 23, Daniel Craig is the sixth actor to play Bond and Sam Mendes is director number eleven.
PIERCE BROSNAN-THE LAST OF THE TRADITIONAL BONDS
For four generations, Bond remained a fantasy figure, spry and sardonic, handy with both a gun and a girl.
CRAIG WITH JUDY DENCH
When Daniel Craig replaced Pierce Brosnan in 2006, Bond’s character was subtlety updated, becoming grittier and more human somehow. Craig’s Bond is believably fallible and quite intuitive, especially in his dealings with M.
DANIEL CRAIG COULD STAY BONDED FOR A LONG TIME
Skyfall is Craig’s third appearance as Bond, modern audiences love the new look Bond and Craig seems set to make 007 his own; that is, if he wants to.
JAVIER BARDEM MAKES A DELECTABLE VILLAIN
In Skyfall, Craig jousts with villain’s villain Javier Bardem while Oscar winning director Sam Mendes handles the punchy and plausible storyline with a certain amount of glee. Not surprisingly, Skyfall has become the most successful Bond movie ever.
ADELE-ONE IN THE EYE FOR OLD CHAUV. IAN FLEMING
The theme song won an Oscar for Adele; Miss Adkins can’t put a foot wrong at the moment, can she? Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers were also winners in the category Best Sound Editing. Note, two of the three winners are women, as is dear Judi Dench who plays M for the last time. That should leave old misogynist Ian Fleming turn frantically in his grave.
OLIVIA WILLIAMS
Set, not in future or the past, or in the land of spy fantasy, Tara Road [e.tv.Wednesday.22.35] is set in the present, both in time and locale; some of the American footage was, in fact, shot in Cape Town.
MAEVE BINCHY-I MISS HER
The Maeve Binchy novel transfers to the screen fairly well; in the leading roles, Olivia Williams is better than Andie MacDowell but what else is new?
STEPHEN REA AS COLM
The supporting cast, including Stephen Rea and Sarah Bolger, do a deft prep up to a story that is a real weepie, but one with loads of class; as I often say, read the book, but in this case see the movie as well.
GLENN CLOSE AND JANET McTEER
Glenn Close and Janet McTeer were both nominated for playing women dressed as men in Albert Nobbs [M-Net.Saturday.04.00]; with lgbt issues much in the news at the moment; it is interesting to note that the original short story was written by Irish writer, George Moore in 1918. Is there really nothing new under the sun?
MIA WASIKOWSKA WITH ALBERT
Albert Nobbs uses cross dressing as a tool for access into a male domain, rather than for sexual or quasi sexual reasons.
A STUNNING PERFORMANCE FROM JANET McTEER
The acting is breathtaking and the mood of the narrative is gently maintained and the story is sadly bitter sweet.
IKE AND TINA TURNER-AS PRODUCED BY SPECTOR
Al Pacino stars as the mad, bad genius Phil Spector; the record producer who created the revolutionary Wall of Sound at a time when recording techniques where primitive at best, using only voice, instrument and basic mixing board. The classic River Deep, Mountain High is a definitive example of Spector’s Wall of Sound.
JOHN AND PHIL IN THE 70S
Later, Spector worked briefly with Beatles on Let It Be and with both Lennon and Harrison in the early 70s, Imagine and My Sweet Lord are both Spector co productions.
EARLY DAYS FOR THE WALL OF SOUND
But Phil was always a little off the Wall, Sound or no Sound. In 2003, he shot Lana Clarksen and was tried twice, three times if you count ‘trial by media.’ Sound Familiar?
OKAY, WHICH IS WHICH?
The made for TV movie, Phil Spector [M-Net.Friday.03.00 and Tuesday.03.00] deals with Spector’s second trial and his relationship with defense attorney Linda Kenney Baden. David Mamet directs and Al Pacino has his full blown day in court as Spector.
MIRREN AND PACINO
Helen Mirren provides a great foil, her performance Linda Baden is a lesson in restraint. Better, I think than the original cast choice, Bette Midler. What a display of colliding egos that would have been.
PERFECT CASTING
The film poses many questions and provides some (sometimes) questionable answers. Phil Spector is compulsive viewing, as this kind of story always is, especially when it is a well made, quality production like this one.
BLETHYN AND SWANK-UNITED IN GRIEF
Another made for television movie is Mary and Martha [M-Net.Saturday.05.30] which tells the moving story of two mothers who have lost children to malaria. The two then try to assuage their grief by helping others in the same sad situation. The movie, set in Africa, is directed by Philip Noyce, written by Richard Curtis, and stars Hilary Swank as Mary and Brenda Blethyn as Martha.
THE WOMEN TAKE A STAND
What a very English film Made in Dagenham [M-Net.Monday.02.25] is. A serious subject told with insight and wry humour. The film, set in 1968, tells the true story of female workers at the Ford Motor Plant in Dagenham who went on strike for equal pay.
DAGENHAM IN THE 60s
The women’s job was to stitch the cars seat covers. The industry was forced to capitulate— you can’t sell a fancy motor without seat covers.
HAWKINS AS RITA O'GRADY
Sally Hawkins, in a role that fits like a glove plays Rita 0’ Grady, strike leader, while the supporting cast is peppered with marvelous performances from Bob Hoskins, Rosamund Pike and Andrea Riseborough. Miranda (No Relation) Richardson plays feisty politician Barbara Castle.
SANDIE SHAW-SO POPULAR IN THE 60S-STIILL GOING STRONG
Billy Bragg wrote the anthem style theme song, sung with gusto by Sandie Shaw, herself a working girl from Dagenham who as a youngster worked in the Ford Factory as a clerk. The soundtrack also includes a host of 60s classics. It is satisfying to note that the action in Dagenham was instrumental in bringing about The Equal Pay Act of 1970.
MASTERCRAFTSMAN-FRITZ LANG
Cult director Pedro Almodovar ventures into the field of chiller thriller with The Skin I Live In [M-Net. Sunday.03.00] with fascinating results; producing a finished article that is one part Alfred Hitchcock to two parts Fritz Lang. Almodovar wrote the screenplay based on the novel Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet, but the syntax and intent is pure Almodovar.
PEDRO AND ANTONIO AT THE TIME OF TIE ME UP, TIE ME DOWN
The story shifts and undulates; highlighting recurring Almodovar motifs of revenge, counter revenge and deception, while probing changing sexual identity and ultimate survival.
DOCTOR AND PATIENT
As usual, Almodovar follows his own agenda, in turn, taunting, teasing and titillating, his upheld mirror always reflecting yet another mirror. Antonio Banderas stars, with Elena Anaya in the pivotal role of Vera Cruz.
WHO IS SHE?
Really intriguing is the Indie,The Sound of My Voice [M-Net.Sunday.01.30], where the future seems to envelop the present. Or is the cultish environment merely a cruel set of mind games. Sound of My Voice is a finely crafted drama which leaves the audience wondering and pondering. Zal Batmanglij directs while Brit Marling and Christopher Denham star.
RICHARDSON AS BARBARA CASTLE JUST A TOUCH OF THE IRON LADY
Back to earth with a bump- I could have chosen almost anything this week, but my final vote goes to Made in Dagenham [M-Net.Monday.02.25]