This is my review of Mia Madre DVD.

In the course of shooting a Ken Loach-type film on fraught industrial relations in a factory, Margherita tries to make time for hospital visits to her mother, separation from a lover who seems reluctant to accept that their relationship is over, and a daughter who needs to resit her school exams. Unlike her brother Giovanni, played by the director Nanni Moretti, Margherita finds it hard to face up to the fact that her mother is dying, and is by turns impatient, frustrated by her sense of being unable to be any use as a carer, or hides behind assurances to her mother that there is nothing amiss. Yet in his quiet way, Giovanni may see his mother’s death as the cue for a major change in the course of his life. Nanni Moretti must have been inspired to direct this film by the recent death of his own mother, although this may have made him “too close” to the event to portray it with a sufficient sense of perspective.

Some viewers will be moved by the situation, and be brought to reflect on how they will deal with the inevitable death of a parent, or have already done so. However, for me the film was a set of disjointed scenes which did not coalesce into a whole which “worked”. I was unconvinced by the surrealistic episodes which I assume occurred in Margherita’s imagination.

The comedy supplied by Margherita’s nightmare of an Italian-American leading man Barry Huggins, demanding, narcissistic and maddening in his inability to remember lines, is a welcome antidote to the protracted, realistic but depressing bedside scenes. Yet the mixture of poignant loss and farce often appear incongruous. Margherita Buy seems too emotional and capricious to have made it as a director, and as she slips into what seems like a nervous breakdown, it is half-painful, half-amusing to see her unnecessarily large retinue tip-toe in the wake of her tantrums like clueless sheep, but where is the producer or worried financial backer who in the real world would step in and send her off on indefinite leave?

One of the strongest scenes for me is where rejected lover Vittorio blasts Margherita with a hard-hitting analysis of all her shortcomings.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars

This is my review of 45 Years [DVD] [2015].

Kate Mercer, a self-controlled retired headmistress married to the older and frailer former engineering manager Geoff, combines walks with her dog through the misty Norfolk Broads countryside with preparations for the couple’s forty-fifth wedding anniversary party. A few days before the event, Geoff is understandably shaken to receive a formal letter in German notifying him of the discovery in an Alpine glacier of the perfectly preserved body of Katya, his girlfriend of half a century ago, who fell to her death during their trek through the Alps from Switzerland to Italy. Naturally, vivid memories return from the distant past, prompting him to exclaim aloud over the fact that Katya will be preserved exactly as she was, in contrast to how he has changed.

Kate’s equally strong if largely repressed emotions must surely be more than simple jealousy. Is she distressed by what she suspects or unearths about the true nature of Geoff’s relationship with Katya, or is it that he has misled her, if not exactly lied, and caused her to question how well she really knows him? Does the shock of the event expose long-denied disappointments in the marriage they are about to celebrate? The drama is strengthened by the fact that what is probably the key reason for Kate’s distress is revealed in such a subtle and unspoken way. The understated ambiguous ending also strikes the right note.

Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay are excellent in the leading roles, the filming very naturalistic, creating a strong sense of place, with ordinary members of the public rather than extras in a busy Norwich street scene. Yet as the closing credits rolled I felt a slight sense of disappointment after the glowing critical praise. Perhaps the plot was a little too slight, the pace a little too slow to pad it out to 93 minutes. On reflection, I realised that in addition to the main plot so much about getting older is implied, such as on one hand the sudden crushing realisation of how life might have been different, or one might have made different choices, as opposed to the more positive recall of a past interest or talent which can be resumed, although probably not to the same standard. All this is over and above the

usual frustrations over one’s physical decline or the sense that “everything is going to pot” at one’s former workplace.

In the recent crop of “Marigold Hotel”- type dramas clearly designed to draw grey power audiences, this stands out in a class of its own, although I do not know what younger viewers will make of it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars

This is my review of Gemma Bovery (2014).

Although I do not know how close it is to Posy Simmonds’ satirical cartoon strip about English expatriates in rural France on which it is based, this French-British collaboration is an amusing and neatly plotted parody of Flaubert’s famous classic “Madame Bovary” which it is not essential to have read in advance.

Martin Joubert, played by the excellent Fabrice Lucchini, has returned to his picturesque, except in the English-type rain, home village in Normandy to produce mouth-watering bread in the boulangerie inherited from his father. He may have become disillusioned with publishing, but his literary passion for “Madame Bovary” arouses a fascination which will inevitably turn into infatuation, much to his wife’s irritation, when his new neighbour proves not only to be the classic heroine’s virtual namesake “Gemma Bovery”, but also to have a possibly dull husband Charles, and be fatally attractive and fairly soon rather bored. When Gemma, played convincingly by the suitably irresistible (and named) Gemma Arterton, duly starts an affair and buys arsenic-laced poison to get rid of the local fieldmice which invade her cottage, Charles becomes convinced that events are on course to imitate those of Flaubert’s art, and does his frantic, clumsy best to upset them, not always for entirely altruistic motives.

Having seen some quite critical reviews dismissing this as, for instance, “a watchable but sugary snack” of a film, I came to it with low expectations. In fact, I liked the mix of cultural differences and language between the English and French (with subtitles) characters, the frequent humour and amusing variations on Flaubert’s original plot. Ironically, it may even convey to a modern audience better than the novel how, even in secular C21 Europe, a woman may become the victim of her sexual appeal to men.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars

This is my review of The Gift [Blu-ray].

This well-acted psychological thriller, original in its unpredictable plot, manages to build a sense of menace through a threatening atmosphere rather than brutal violence. It is like a subtle version of a Hitchcock film.

In the opening scenes, Simon and Robyn appear to be a happily married, affluent couple in the process of moving into an up-market house in the Californian hills – attractive if you don’t mind the sense of exposure from surrounding trees pressing in on the expanses of floor-to-ceiling windows. A chance meeting with a former schoolmate Gordo, whom Simon does not at first recognise, is the dramatic trigger. As Gordon becomes increasingly intrusive with his uninvited appearances when Robyn is alone, and his over-generous yet unwanted gifts, Simon indulges in very realistic, jokey conversations with their new circle of friends over how to deal with “Weidro Gordo” whereas the more sensitive Robyn feels sympathy for him. Gradually, Simon is revealed as dominant and ruthlessly ambitious, Robyn appears vulnerable, possibly disturbed and dependent on her husband’s protection. How well does she know the man supposedly so close to her, and can she trust him? What is the truth? What makes some people winners and others losers? What exactly is “the gift” of the title?

Although as is often the case, aspects of the denouement are unclear or even implausible, the ending is very effective in leaving matters open to the viewer’s individual interpretation, and even in playing with one’s emotions to switch sympathy in inexpected directions.

A film to which I brought low expectations turned out to be gripping and thought-provoking. I was also interested to note that the excellent actor, Joel Edgerton, who plays Gordo was also writer, producer and projector for the project.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars

This is my review of Once Upon a Time in Anatolia [DVD].

Three carloads of Turkish policemen with accompanying prosecutor, doctor, diggers and two hand-cuffed prisoners arrested for murder search the bleak Anatolian countryside for the victim’s grave. It is dark, perhaps because the prime suspect has already been leading them on a wild goose chase for some time. Another possible reason is the pure incompetence of the police which often borders on comedy, together with the lack of resources to do their job effectively – this being the complaint of others encountered on the way.

In the course of a night and the following day, we are given an insight into Turkish life. We learn much about the characters’ attitudes through their banter and confidences, and their facial expressions in some fine pieces of naturalistic acting. I was reminded at times of Mike Leigh, in the authentic scenes which could well be based on improvisation. The dialogue is often quite like a stage play, with little action, for which the subtitles are sometimes barely adequate.

My main problem is the extremely slow pace, with the film taking two-and-a-half hours, which would have been transformed for me into a much more powerful work if reduced by at least sixty minutes. Also, vital information on the motive for the murder is delivered so quickly that I had to check the plot summary on Wikipedia to confirm what had happened.

So, although this is a plot with great potential, well-acted with striking photography I cannot give it more than 3 stars.

⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars

This is my review of The Outcast [DVD].

I do not know how close this film is to the original novel, but it is a vivid and moving portrayal of how a tragedy can turn a lively and appealing ten-year-old into a violent delinquent. Nowadays, Lewis Aldridge would receive counselling and therapy, which might not necessarily work, of course. However, in the stuffy convention of England in the 1940s-50s, his traumatised inability to account for the tragic incident makes him an object of suspicion, even for his father Gilbert. It does not help that, recently returned from the war, Gilbert is a virtual stranger to his son, and that his uptight inability to abandon his stiff upper lip makes him unable to show the boy any natural emotions of love and sympathy.

It is agonising to see how Lewis’s life spirals inexorably out of control, and to doubt that the tale can ever reach a positive conclusion. Problems are compounded by his relations with the neighbouring family of Gilbert’s boss, who are in their respective ways even more dysfunctional than the Aldridges, hiding their problems behind masks of well-heeled respectability.

Although some scenes are a little clunky, and I could have done with subtitles to catch all the dialogue, the film is very powerful in arousing empathy for Lewis as he is repeatedly misunderstood and driven into a downward spiral. It could be that the unrelenting nastiness of some characters is a little exaggerated, and the inhabitants of Waterford somewhat stereotyped in their prejudices, but it is a compelling drama, evocative of a bland, stuffy 1950s which could drive bored housewives to drink.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars

This is my review of Ida [DVD].

Demure, unaware of her sexual appeal, eighteen-year old Ida is about to take her vows as a nun. Brought to the convent as an orphan, she knows nothing of life in the outside world. The Mother Superior insists that Ida visits her sole remaining relative, who turns out to be a chain-smoking, hard-drinking, promiscuous and clearly embittered Communist woman judge. Ida is introduced abruptly to a corrupt, secular world, lightened by the lure of soulful jazz, dancing and handsome band players. She also learns about how her parents died, with all this symbolises of the dark side of recent Polish history. Will she be destroyed by these new experiences? Can she return to life as a nun?

Visually slow-paced, in what may be an East European tradition, yet covering events in brief fragments, this provides what seems to be an authentic picture of Poland in the early `60s, the black-and-white photography adding to the impression of general poverty and contradictions of a strongly rural, Catholic society under an imposed atheist Communist regime. The film exposes some of the unresolved conflicts in a troubled, occupied post-war country.

This subtle film, which reveals its story gradually, deserves the praise it has attracted, even if the ending is initially disappointing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars

This is my review of Far From The Madding Crowd [DVD] [2015].

Visually beautiful, well-acted with some impressive recreations of harvesting by hand in golden cornfields or quenching a conflagration in a barn, this latest filming of Thomas Hardy's classic did not live up to my hopes. Perhaps my memories of the lovely Julie Christie in the role of the headstrong landowner Bathsheba Everdene and the fatally attractive Sergeant Troy in the shape of Terence Stamp make this disappointment inevitable. Yet I was prepared to give this film a chance.

Reviewers have criticised Belgian Mathew Schoenaert's English – which I thought was rather good. It bothered me more that none of the main characters had any trace of a Dorset accent. Perhaps because of the need to cram a complex story into two hours, the storyline proceeds in rapid, jerky steps with no time for development of situations and characters. Director Schlesinger's much longer 1967 film, made practicable by the convention of an interval, had the benefit of more scope to establish these aspects. I missed the originality of the earlier film, from which, for instance, I still recall the surreally tragic transport of the coffin of a young girl who has died in childbirth as seen through the eyes of the drunken carter. The wild coastal landscape also seemed to play more of a part in the first film from the memorable opening shots. It is worth making comparisons with the 1967 film of which a digitally enhanced version is scheduled for release in June 2015.

I accept that the new version may provide sharper insights into the issue of female equality and fulfilment in a society where convention demanded that men proposed marriage to women they barely knew, taking it for granted that they would play a subservient role in their husbands's lives. Yet it is more romantic and soft-centred, insufficiently moving, leaving little doubt from the outset which of the trio of stalwart shepherd Gabriel Oak, repressed beneath his suave exterior landowner Mr Boldwood and sword-flashing cad Sergeant Troy will ultimately prove to be the successful rival for Bathsheba's hand.

⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars

This is my review of Force Majeure DVD.

Tomas and Ebba, a Swedish couple whose marriage may already be under pressure, take their two young children on a ski trip to the Alps. When a controlled avalanche exercise goes awry and seems to pose a serious threat, Tomas thinks only of saving himself. Ebba is shocked by the incident, but even more so by her husband's inability to admit to his action. By turns humorous, moving or cringe-making, the ensuing chain of events dissects human relationships – marriage, family, gender roles and friendships. The film may also intend to explore Swedish inhibitions over expressing emotions, which were apparent to me forty odd years ago, although times may have changed, but this aspect may not be clear to a non-Swedish audience.

"Force majeure" is a common clause in contracts that essentially frees both parties from liability when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond their control prevents one side or the other from fulfilling their obligations. The film's title is therefore ambiguous. Does it refer to Tomas's failure to act as expected of a husband and father? Or, does it relate to Ebba's extreme reaction to her husband's behaviour?

I enjoyed the brilliant beauty of the mountains under snow, the discussions which rang true, and the relevant, thought-provoking ideas raised. A few scenes did not quite work for me, such as the events of the last "Day 5" of the ski trip, but the ending is unpredictable, interesting and open to different interpretations.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars

This is my review of A Little Chaos [DVD] [2014] [2015].

This period drama romance develops a fictitious episode in the life of André le Nôtre, famous landscape gardener employed by the capricious "Sun King", Louis X1V. Le Nôtre (played by Matthias Schoenaerts, at the time of writing a favourite choice for the role of handsome heartthrob) hires Sabine De Barra to add a little artistic chaos to his own formal style, which he senses is not quite enough to guarantee the king's approval for the designs of the gardens at Versailles. Since De Barra's rock garden with fountains ends up looking pretty formal to our eyes, the "chaos" seems to apply mostly to the characters' personal lives.

The course of events is predictable in this film which also seems too long in view of the essential thinness of the plot: 90 minutes might have been better than 117. Apart from the visual beauty of the scenes, the main interest lies in the portrayal of court life, an artificial bubble of luxurious excess, in which the courtiers at times literally dancing attendance on the king seem like pampered children in ludicrously ornate fancy dress, trapped in their privilege since they are free neither to leave the court, nor to express their true emotions, although overt flirtation seems permitted. The main point of suspense is over how De Barra became a widow and lost the young daughter, over whose memory she is obsessed.

I agree with the "professional" reviewers that although Kate Winslet plays De Barra with emotional honesty, the talents of a strong cast of actors are not shown to full effect by the script, pacing and plot. The Hollywood Reporter sums it up well for me by: "This decently acted film is agreeable entertainment, even if it works better on a scene by scene basis than in terms of overall flow."

⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars