Thursday September 1
Picture Perfect [e.tv.20.30]
Friday September 2
AUSTRALIAN ACTRESS ROSE BYRNE IS IN BOTH ADAM AND GET HIM TO THE GREEK
Adam [M-Net.09.30]
Saw IV [M-Net.21.30]
Endgame [M-Net.00.00]
Get Him To The Greek [M-Net.02.30]
NO ONE STOOD A CHANCE AGAINST THE A BOMB-IT WAS COMING
Letters From Iwo Jima [SABC2.22.30]
Saturday September 3
City of Ember [M-Net.07.00]
Green Zone [M-Net.23.40]
The Great Buck Howard [M-Net. Saturday.03.28]
Crocodile Dundee [e.tv.14.00]
Sunday September 4
The Other Guys [M-Net.20.05]
Revolver [M-Net.21.50]
The Hudsucker Proxy [SABC3.19.30]
Zanadu [SABC3.Sunday.02.30] Xandu- thanks, Wonderlad!
EARLY BOND WAS GUILTY OF MUCH NON PC BEHAVIOUR- SMOKING CIGARETTES WAS ONE OF THEM!
Dr No [e.tv.22.10]
Monday September 5
Before The Rains [M-Net.09.30]
Egoli: The Movie [M-Net.22.30]
Get Him To The Greek [M-Net.01.30]
Rock Star [SABC3.01.35]
Tuesday September 6
Endgame [M-Net.01.09]
Wednesday September 7
The Other Guys [M-Net.22.30]
Saw VI [M-Net.01.16]
***
My computer problems that have been lurking for a while now came to a head and are now finally sorted out. I hope. Right, let me get in touch with my inner film fan.
This week there is a lot of film cross pollination; or to borrow a term from the kitchen, 'fusion celluloid.'
GENERAL KURIBAYASHI- HE DIDN'T LEAVE IWO JIMA ALIVE
Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood produced, while Eastwood directed a companion piece to Flags of our Fathers, Letters From Iwo Jima [SABC2.Friday.22.30]. This time we see the events of 1945 from a Japanese perspective. The story, written by Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis, was inspired by the published letters of General Kuribayashi, who is played, quite magnificently by Ken Watanabe.
WAS THERE A WINNER?
Set in the Pacific, but played out against the bigger picture of nuclear devastation, Is that hindsight? 'Little Boy' was still seven months away.Still, Letters from Iwo Jima stands as a potent testament as to the hopeless futility of war. General Kuribayashi knew from the outset that few of his troops would survive the conflict, but orders remained orders. The Japanese are at all times, portrayed as human beings, not merely killing machines.
KYLE EASTWOOD. COUSIN SALLY IS NOTORIOUSLY CAMERA SHY
This sure makes a change from the old jingoistic, ‘Might Makes Right’ approach so beloved by American politicians and most Hollywood Studios
Eastwood often makes his movies a family affair, son Kyle wrote the score and word has it that his cousin Sally brewed the tea and served the sushi. The movie also won an Oscar for Sound Editing in 2006.
PAUL GREENGRASS-HE WORKED WITH MATT DAMON ON TWO BOURNE MOVIES AS WELL
In the backlash of 9/11 and the whisper of ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction,’ Western allies found a perfect excuse to implement all manner of dubious military strategy. Green Zone [M-Net.Saturday.23.40], a movie by Paul Greengrass tries to unearth the truth, whatever that may be.
MATT DAMON-HERE WITH JASON ISAACS
Matt Damon, Gregg Kinnear and Brendan Gleason head a fine cast and the movie, based on Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s Imperial Life in the Emerald City is technically first rate; but the audience knows from the outset that these operations were threaded with betrayal, deception and gross ineptitude.
SCREWED TIGHT SCREWBALL
In the tradition of Preston Sturges, the Coen Brothers, both as writers and directors have set out to prove that nothing is sacred; I, of course, adore them. The Hudsucker Proxy [SABC3.Sunday.19.30] dates from 1994 and is a terrific movie.
PAUL NEWMAN-ONE OF THE BEST
Sam Raimi helped Joel and Ethan with the script and there are some wonderful performances from both Tim Roth and Paul Newman; Newman was only to make six more movies before his death in 2008, aged 83. The Oscar winning actor was never better than in this film, set in the 50s, where he plays the villain, gleefully wheeling and dealing in the corrupt world of big business.
SAOIRSE RONAN
Salt to the creativity pot is often provided by British born actors transplanting to America. Saoirse Ronan first found acclaim in Joe Wright’s Atonement. She is an extremely talented young actress and is the best thing in City of Ember [M-Net.Saturday.07.00], a patchy adaptation of the Jeanne Duprau fantasy novel.
AMERICAN WRITER JEANNE DUPRAU
The novel explores a safe world that isn’t really safe at all. The movie doesn’t quite capture the vulnerability of that false safety. On the other hand, the plot idea is sound ; to make good fantasy, the core of the story must be believable, even in a cockeyed way.
JONAH HILL AND RUSSELL BRAND
Another British import is comedian Russell Brand, who to me acts, looks and sounds like a Victorian depiction of the Anti Christ. No, I agree, not funny at all. In Get Him to the Greek [M-Net.Friday.02.30], Brand rehashes Aldous Snow, his character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, giving him another chance to gawk and posture; at the expense of us, the poor innocent audience.
IAN FLEMING HAD HOAGY CARMICHAEL IN MIND WHEN HE CREATED BOND
When Scotsman, Sean Connery signed up to play Ian Fleming’s suave spy in Dr No [e.tv.Sunday.22.10], he began the James Bond phenomenon, a film institution that has lasted 50 years. It also made Connery an international star—whatever that actually is. Most of the Bonds, especially the first few, are fun; I reviewed them all at length last year; I think we are in for a series rerun, so remember, all those reviews are but a click away.
THIS MIGHT PLEASE THE PAYING PUBLIC!
Guy Ritchie is another Brit with international connections; once upon a time he was Mr Madonna. Cinematically, he made his name making complicated, but highly original capers that pleased audiences worldwide. In Revolver [M-Net.Sunday.22.50] Ritchie proves that for a spoof to really work, it must be gossamer light. Unfortunately, Revolver gets bogged down early, with far too much plot and far too little wit. The movie may well appeal to Jason Statham fans.
PAUL HOGAN
Going back a bit- for some reason, Crocodile Dundee [e.tv.Saturday.14.00] was a big hit in 1986 and made a star of Australian funny man Paul Hogan. There were two increasingly unfunny sequels and then, fortunately, the whole thing petered out.
ONJ
Another Australian import was the honey voiced Olivia Newton John who had a colossal musical career in the 70s and 80s, her foray into film, apart from being hopelessly devoted to John Travolta in 1978 were less than successful. Xanadu [SABC3.Sunday.02.30] was, would you believe, a remake of an old Rita Hayworth vehicle about a goddess taking human form.
ELO
The movie is was dreadful, despite music from ELO and some elderly dancing from Gene Kelly. After Xanadu, Livvy hotfooted it back to the recording studio.
ENDLESS SAWING TURNED TOBIN BELL INTO A STAR OF SORTS
Ah yes, the remake and sequel syndrome. For diehard fans Jigsaw is up to his tricks in Saw VI [M-Net.Friday.21.30]. Six times, one can hardly believe it.
GOOD PERFORMANCES DISGUISE A SUSPECT PLOTLINE
How would we cope without ‘disease of the week’? This time, the movie is Adam [M-Net. Friday.09.30] and the condition of choice is Asperger’s Syndrome. Like most movies about mental health about which even the experts know little or nothing, the film misses the main point wrong.
IRONICALLY, ADAM WON THE ALFRED P SLOAN AWARD AT THE SUNDANCE FESTIVAL
Asking a patient with this or any form of autism to feel love or sexual stirrings as we know them is a bit like asking an amputee to lead a round of applause. Whilst saying that; Adam is a sweet movie with likeable performances from Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne.
IS THERE ANYONE THERE?
There is an acting lesson on Saturday from the often underrated John Malkovich. He plays a tired, has-been magician in The Great Buck Howard [Saturday.M-Net.03.28], with help from The Hanks, Colin and Tom.
WAHLBERG AND FERRELL
When will the buddy cop cycle end? This week it is the turn of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg in The Other Guys [M-Net.Sunday.20.05 and Wednesday.22.30]. To be fair, this is a pretty good one.
A YOUNGER WAHLBERG-WITH JEN(N) IN THE BACKGROUND
Mark Wahlberg also stars in a movie from 2001, Rock Star [SABC3.Monday.01.35], a rather clever take on the ‘be careful what you wish for’ theme. Co star is Jennifer Aniston, a true American Dream, if ever there was one. What I mean is the preppy, Homecoming Queen, as personified on film by Debbie Reynolds, Doris Day and latterly, Sandra Bullock… and Jen(n).
JENNIFER ANISTON IS THE ONE WITH THE LONGER HAIR
Aniston has made 26 feature films which is ridiculous, if you come to think of it. She appears in the rom com feature, Picture Perfect [ e.tv.Thursday.20.30], this one dating from 1997 and co staring Kevin Bacon; Jen(n) doesn’t do that much, she just changes costumes and hairstyles, but give the woman her due, she isn’t really that irritating; although, watching her movies is like watching the same film over and over again.
IT LOOKS BOLLY; BUT IT'S NOT
Indian film and filmmaking are a sub culture all by themselves; apart from the bling, there is a great deal of worthwhile cinema too. Before The Rains [M-Net. Monday.09.30] is a fine example, set in the final days of the Raj and taking a look at colonial history in the making.
MANY OF THE FORMER COLONIES PLAY BETTER CRICKET THAN WE DO
India, like South Africa was once part of the British Empire. Like Australia, New Zealand; we all play cricket and have a film industry of sorts.
BRITISH BORN CHIWETEL EJIOFER PLAYS THABO MBEKI
In fact, South Africa has been making movies since silent days; there is a feature about it on kyk- Net at the moment. For financial reasons, foreign capital is often needed to tell South African stories. Endgame [M-Net.00.00 and Tuesday.01.09] tells of the final days of Apartheid and stars William Hurt and Chiwetel Ejiofer as Thabo Mbeki.
SPOT THE SOAPIE STARS
For a real local is lekker type feature, I’ve chosen Egoli: The Movie [M-Net.Monday.21.30]. I will reserve my comments on another, Skoonheid for another time, suffice to say that it was enough to make Ge Korsten turn in his grave; Min Shaw too, except that I don’t think she’s dead yet.
PAUL NEWMAN FRONTS THE BOARD
Seriously, my pick is The Hudsucker Proxy [SABC3.Sunday.19.30]