Films you've seen lately

[smittims]

I've enjoyed 'Ikiru' I think one of my favourite Kurosawas, though I also like 'Red Beard' . Not so keen on his violent films - I'm more of an Ozu fan. I'll look out for 'Living' as I've always admired Bill Nighy, e.g. in 'The Restless Heart' playing a typically slow,phlegmatic character which suits his talents.

[Belgrove]

Peter Greenaway’s first mainstream film, The Draughtsman’s Contract, has been rereleased in a spruced-up print to mark its 40th anniversary. On seeing it again, it epitomises cinematic precision and elegance. The formal dialogue is heightened, literary and precise. The images are formally composed, static and precise. Indeed they are framed within frames, for the entire film puns upon that word. What emerges is a country house murder mystery, in which the eponymous Draughtsman is inveigled into a closed aristocratic world whilst pointedly remaining an outsider. The visuals are sumptuous despite the restricted colour palette. The house and park of a beautiful estate in high summer is ravishingly captured (it was shot at Groombridge Place, near Tunbridge Wells). The costumes are extravagant fantasies on late 17th Century fashions. So it’s a visual and aural treat, not least through Michael Nyman’s witty, Purcell inspired, score. For all its precision, it’s still baffling in the end - like a fiendish crossword puzzle with some clues omitted or possibly belonging to another. But it still delights and entertains.

[Bryn]

Peter Greenaway’s first mainstream film, The Draughtsman’s Contract, has been rereleased in a spruced-up print to mark its 40th anniversary. On seeing it again, it epitomises cinematic precision and elegance. The formal dialogue is heightened, literary and precise. The images are formally composed, static and precise. Indeed they are framed within frames, for the entire film puns upon that word. What emerges is a country house murder mystery, in which the eponymous Draughtsman is inveigled into a closed aristocratic world whilst pointedly remaining an outsider. The visuals are sumptuous despite the restricted colour palette. The house and park of a beautiful estate in high summer is ravishingly captured (it was shot at Groombridge Place, near Tunbridge Wells). The costumes are extravagant fantasies on late 17th Century fashions. So it’s a visual and aural treat, not least through Michael Nyman’s witty, Purcell inspired, score. For all its precision, it’s still baffling in the end - like a fiendish crossword puzzle with some clues omitted or possibly belonging to another. But it still delights and entertains.

Thanks, That had passed me by. Blu-ray double disc now duly ordered. As to Purcell-inspired, such a pity the Nyman withdrew his A Handsom, Smooth, Sweet, Smart, Clear Stroke: Or Else Play Not At All, though I see the comment about his having withdrawn it now appears to have been withdrawn itself. Perhaps it will be performed again, at some point. Some might find this old Nyman thread amusing: http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...833#post183833

[Pulcinella]

Has anyone watched My Policeman (Amazon Prime), released on 4 November?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Policeman_(film)

We found it a bit clunky (possibly the original book is too), but the 1950s look was well done, and I was more impressed with Harry Styles than some/most of the reviewers seemed to be.

[HighlandDougie]

Has anyone watched My Policeman (Amazon Prime), released on 4 November?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Policeman_(film)

We found it a bit clunky (possibly the original book is too), but the 1950s look was well done, and I was more impressed with Harry Styles than some/most of the reviewers seemed to be.

I haven't seen the film, largely on the no doubt thrawn grounds that I liked the book very much (definitely not clunky IMUV) and fear that the film would struggle to capture its quiet subtleties. I found it quite moving.

[Bryn]

Having had it now for close on a week, during which I have watched all the accompanying 'extras', the new BFI Blu-ray remaster of The Draughtsman's Contract. Both video and audio are significantly improved over the old DVD release.

[smittims]

An old favourite of mine which I saw last night is 'The Quiet Woman' , a 1950 Monty Berman production with Jane Hylton, a mild smuggling and escaped prisoner drama set in Sussex , with a nice score by John Lanchbery.

[Mal]

Just re-watched "Pan's Labyrinth" on Amazon Prime - a wonderful film - leaving 1 Dec, so be quick!

[johncorrigan]

Just re-watched "Pan's Labyrinth" on Amazon Prime - a wonderful film - leaving 1 Dec, so be quick!

I recall seeing it at the cinema after it received great reviews, but I was worried it might be a bit scary for me, Mal. I loved it.
Last night on the BBC Scotland channel they played 'What We Did on Our Holiday', a film from the folk who created the likes of 'Outnumbered' (it was written and directed by Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin). I've seen it before, but happily watched it again. I think it's a very funny, feelgood movie. Some great performers in there including the kids, but star is Billy Connolly, 80 this last week - you get the impression he's just playing herself in it. He is great in it. Lovely film.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b061sk00

[richardfinegold]

We just watched The Fabelmans over the last two days. I really liked it. One realizes that Spielberg couldn’t have possibly made this movie when his Parents were still living. The character of his mother, while ostensibly being secondary to the Young Spielberg, is really the emotional fulcrum of the family.
There were two interesting cameos, one by Judd Hirsch doing his avuncular Yiddische schtick, which is getting critical praise, but as usual I find his hammy acting annoying in the extreme. Would that Alan Arkin have been cast in that role. The other cameo is Director David Lynch doing John Ford, and it is superb. Seth Rogan is also stellar as the home wrecking Uncle who loves the family upon which he has had such a devastating effect

[johncorrigan]

I was thinking when watching 'Harvest Time' in a full house at the Dundee Contemporary Arts Film Theatre that this was the fourth documentary that I had seen in the last two or three years where a film was released of material that had been sitting in the vaults for around fifty years - 'Aretha's 'Amazing Grace', Harlem's wonderful 'Summer of Soul' and the Beatles 'Let it Be' with rooftop concert being the others. Neil Young's 'Harvest' is fifty years old and Neil released film footage from the making of the record. There's film of the barn studio on Neil's Californian ranch that is on the album cover; there's film of him working with Crosby and Stills and Nash in the studio; there's film of Neil in Nashville. One of the most interesting parts was when he was in London recording in a Town Hall recording 'Man Needs a Maid' with the LSO. I suppose this was still early days of the rock and classical world coming together and the sequence takes Neil and his team through some of the differences of recording live with an orchestra. Great film. I was less aware of 'Harvest' than other records of his, partly because I had the LP and a pal borrowed it and never gave me it back; so I had forgotten some of these songs. A very enjoyable couple of hours with some fantastic music.
Here's Neil with said orchestra...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LANT_Ycyfh0

[Beresford]

Can anyone recommend a good streaming service (UK) for classic French 20th century films?
Cinessance looked promising, but it has now closed.

[gurnemanz]

Can anyone recommend a good streaming service (UK) for classic French 20th century films?
Cinessance looked promising, but it has now closed.

BFI has a pretty good selection of French films

https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscription/collection/french-cinema

[richardfinegold]

Saw Tár, the new Todd Field film with Cate Blanchett as the title character, Lydia Tár, the extremely fictional superstar conductor of a not-quite-exactly named (IMHO, AFAICT) orchestra in Berlin. Kind of surprised at the lack of discussion here, given its immersion in the world of classical music, unless it hasn't attained general release yet in the UK. I chatted with some orchestra friends after a screening, and they said that the film does a pretty good job of capturing some of the insider dynamics of the orchestra world, while obviously exaggerating some aspects for dramatic effect.

The film does drop a lot of real-life names in the world of classical music, and pretty accurately. The only slip was mention of the "Israeli Philharmonic", rather than the Israel Philharmonic. Julian Glover is featured as an older, retired conductor named "Andris Davis" (interesting choice of name, that), while the character of "Eliot Kaplan" seems to be based obviously on the investor and (extremely) amateur conductor Gilbert Kaplan, down to Mark Strong's visual appearance. Interestingly, the film mentions Marin Alsop pretty early on, flatteringly in passing, but while also seeming to base Lydia Tár's character on various aspects of Alsop's life, but refracted through a glass extremely darkly. For example, Lydia Tár is mentioned as a mentor to aspiring female conductors in a program titled "Accordion", while Alsop has mentored female conductors for years in her Concordia conducting fellowship programs. It's maybe not too much of a spoiler to state that Lydia Tár is slowly revealed as a less-than-fully positive person over the course of the movie.

Perhaps irrelevant nerd question: various reviews and write-ups about the movie describe the orchestra that Lydia Tár leads as "the Berlin Philharmonic". However, I'm thinking that the film never, or virtually never, specifically says the "Berlin Philharmonic" once, except maybe at the start in the interview scene between the real-life New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik and Cate B.'s character. There are conversational allusions to Furtwangler, Karajan (such as in one scene between Cate B. and Julian Glover), and a visual allusion to Abbado, but again, AFAICT, without actually using the phrase "Berlin Philharmonic". If anyone there watches the movie and can address this question, that would be great. In any case, the hall that features the orchestra scenes looks to be the Dresden Kulturpalast, and not at all the Philharmonie Berlin.

I enjoyed this to the point of purchasing it on Apple. We had a copy of one of the freebies that they give to Academy voters, but one can’t do subtitles on these, and the dialog was recorded so low (in a 2.5 hour dialog driven movie) that we missed half of it, thus the purchase.
To address a few points: you are correct in that the Berlin Philharmonic is never addressed by name, and it would be interesting to know why. More importantly, while Alsop’s biography seems to be a model for the character, most of this could be a movie about Alsop’s mentor, Leonard Bernstein. Close your eyes during the master class or Orchestra rehearsal sections and imagine the gravelly voice of LB instead of Cate Blanchett. The film seemed to make this connection explicit when after Tar’s fall from grace she is consoling herself by watching a VHS of LB in a Young People Concert. And thank you or the information about Dresden being filming site as I was wondering about that.
Ultimately the trajectory of the movie follows the Greek arc of the strong hero being dragged down by having a tragic flaw. In this case the main character uses her power and greatness to sexually exploit underlings and is caught in the Me Too movement. This didn’t specifically happen to LB, as he died around 1990, but when the Me Too movement erupted a few years ago, and specifically with the cases of contemporary Classical Musicians, there were some references to rumors the both Bernstein and Copland had engaged in similar behavior in past decades.
I think Forumites will all love this movie which is so steeped in Music, but the General Public will give it the thumbs down

[Beresford]

BFI has a pretty good selection of French films

https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscripti.../french-cinema

Thanks. Looks just the ticket.