Linda, Linda, Linda
 | | Alex Crawford reports from the Festival |
This may be the feel good hit of the festival. It screens at The Institute of Contemporary Arts on Tuesday at 14.00. Set in Japan, it,s about a schoolgirl punk band, who split up, right at the start of the movie. Undeterred by the fact that her school's music competition is in just three days time, Kei, the guitarist and co-founder of the group decides to form a new group, recruiting a (Korean) singer that doesn't even speak, let alone sing, in Japanese. The group is going to sing three songs by 80's Japanese punk band, Blue Hearts. It's a hugely likable film, with some terrific moments, a lot of humour and the occasional delve into the poignancy of teenaged life. Marvelous stuff. I Saw Ben Barka Get Killed
 | | I Saw Ben Barka Get Killed |
Showing, also at 14.00, is this French movie. This is a slice of political history given the existential pulp thriller treatment, and the result is interesting, if not always as successful as one might hope. Being a French crime thriller, it's impossible to escape the shadows of the masters Melville and Godard. Being shot in the style of the era in which it is set, the 1960's, just adds further fuel to the comparison, which the newer film, directed by Serge Le Peron, inevitably suffers for. There's a lot to like, but don't miss Linda, Linda, Linda for it. Man Push Cart Showing at 16.15, at the ICA, is the excellent Man Push Cart. This is a low budget film set in New York, about a Pakistani immigrant who sells coffee and bagels from a push cart on a street corner. Our main character, Ahmad, used to be a rock star in his home city of Karachi, and is recognised by a wealthy countryman, who promises him the opportunity to resurrect his career in America. At the same time, he meets a Spanish girl, working in a newsagent kiosk in the city, and a connection is formed there.
 | | Alex discusses Man Push Cart |
It's moving and touching, and possessed of intelligence and integrity. I recommended the excellent New York Doll ahead of it earlier this week, but now's your final chance to see Man Push Cart, and you really shouldn't miss it. Separate Lies The Mayor of London Gala was last night, when the directorial debut of Julian Fellowes, Separate Lies was screened at the Odeon West End. The film is a classy, unfussy drama with excellent performances by Emily Watson and Tom Wilkinson as a married couple, who run into trouble following an accident in their village, and a meeting with a recently returned villager, played by Rupert Everett. One of Separate Lies' biggest strengths is its unpredictability. While the basic outline of the plot is formulaic, the emotional resonance of each step is anything but. Here's where the performances really come into their own, with Wilkinson, in particular, hugely impressive. Fellowes' direction is elegant and sparse, and the script is intelligent and sensitive. There is a frustrating, and unnecessary, voiceover which merely repeats the emotions we can already see on the excellent actors' faces. It's showing again today at 15.30 at the Odeon West End. |
