Change Your Image
chaplinpadua
Reviews
Eden Lake (2008)
Ridiculuous Divisive Nonsense.
Truly awful, implausible from every conceivable plot angle or character motivation, this piece of pretentious trash also has the nerve to come across like a 'comment on society'. What it really does is to demonise, and deepen the perceived rift between 'us decent folk' and the imagined threat of the so-called 'underclass', especially their out of control children. I'm not denying that some children are out of control, but they're not all killers; and this tawdry film cashes in on a media-warped perception of parts of British society, and thereby reinforces it.
As a Horror film it fails on every level. Dumb, misconceived scenes are punctuated by sloppily predictable 'twists'. The teenage gang are all cardboard cut-outs or lazy caricatures, as are the young couple, with whom I suppose the audience is meant to empathise. Of course, the whole thing is basically a 'Deliverance' rip-off, but it also pilfers a couple of riffs from 'The Descent', (by no means a great film, but compared to this it's 'Citizen Kane'). Save your money.
Man on Wire (2008)
'The Artistic Crime Of The Century': They Left The Film Camera Behind...
When I first heard of this film I was intrigued. I'd never heard of a hire-wire act between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. I then heard that there was no actual footage of the feat itself, and I more or less completely lost interest - thought I might watch when it inevitably appeared on the BBC. Anyway, now I've seen it...
After lugging all that equipment to the top of the twin towers, in secret, after all that planning, waiting, anticipation, it wouldn't have hurt for one of them to take a little super 8 camera would it? It seems even more incredible when you see all the other footage they made at the time...they filmed the Notre Dame stunt, they filmed the Sydney Harbour Bridge stunt, and they seem to film each other all the time: talking, planning and practising for the World Trade Center in their house and extensive back garden; they practically filmed each other going to the toilet. Yet, when it came to the 'artistic crime of the century', they make the brilliant artistic decision to leave the camera at home. That, it seems to me, was the bigger crime. It certainly made my jaw drop, anyway.
Petit's character was more interesting than the stunt itself in a way; how did he come to be doing all this? It was never made clear, and there was practically nothing in the film about his family or background, apart from one contributor remarking upon his strict upbringing. What did his parents make of his stunts? Were they worried? Who were they? We can be pretty sure that Petit was looked after with a colossal private income, unless he had an amazingly well paid part-time job, which paid for thousands and thousands of francs worth of expensive equipment and constant flights to New York and back.
The 'docu-drama' style was dated and irritating in places, as was Michael Nyman's annoyingly pseudo-classical score, regurgitated from 'The Draughtman's Contract'. The narrative was muddled. There was no tension created from the retelling or reconstruction of the subterfuge involved in smuggling the equipment to the top of the towers. It's a given that they got the wire across and fastened. We know he succeeded before we've seen the film, so why spend half an hour lulling us to sleep with dull technical details?.
It was certainly quite a feat, but I'm not sure about it being an inspiring one. Personally it made me feel a bit ill to think of him up there, and it really achieves nothing other than self-congratulation. The tag-line for this film was 'The Artistic Crime of the Century'. Well, technically a crime, but also technically circus skills rather than art. And I don't need to ask why he did it; he's a gargantuan show-off, simple as that. The potentially interesting question of why he became one was criminally glossed over by this piece of 'art'.
The Face of Darkness (1976)
Disregarded, intelligent low-budget British Horror.
The politician Langdon, played by Lennard Pearce ('Grandad' from 'Only Fools and Horses'), whose petulant face is well suited to the role, plans to commandeer a zombie, instruct it to bomb a school, manipulate the outrage, reinstate capital punishment and thus avenge his wife's murder. Perhaps not surprisingly, eldritch scenes ensue... Using an antique map and ancient text, Langdon locates and disinters the wooded unmarked grave of a medieval heretic. He then administers 'the kiss of life' to his subject in a very unsettling sequence. Later, his charge appears in Battersea, dapper in white polo neck and occult medallion, to perform a sinister and charming mime for the children...
The scenes during which David Allister (cast as 'The Undead') is psycho-analysed are a little too long, although not without humour. Some more time could have been taken with the editing, perhaps. The pure illogicality is very appealing.
Although this film is very far from being a run of the mill 'b movie', it came into the category of 'quota quickie' upon release mainly because of the running time, and was released as part of a double-bill with the Canadian film 'Death Weekend'.
Lovingly made in and around London,with vivid outdoor photography (maybe a necessity given the budget, but nonetheless beautiful), and a subtle, understated score by Martin Jacklin. This unusual and atmospheric film deserves to be made available.