Originally broadcast in January of this year on BBC One, the three part series which was transmitted on consecutive evenings was created by Tony Marchant, and starred Anna Friel (back from Hollywood) and the underrated Daniel Mays.
The story revolves around two people who are off the rails who are attempting to get back on track. Probation officer, Paula Radnor (Friel) has an assailant under her supervision but who on release murders a young woman. Under great scrutiny, Paula is suspended and pleads, 'as much as you want to, you can't hold their hand 24 hours a day.'
Three months later, she is given the case of Eddie Mottram (Mays) who is out 10 years after strangling his girlfriend , 'I am out, but I'm not free'.
The writer Marchant, has a penchant for writing gritty, hard-edged material that does make you realise you have not got it as bad as you might think.
The episodes have a real zip to them, conveying a lot of information without succumbing to needless histrionics. This is thanks in part to the formidable acting display by Mays, who is slowly coming to national prominence after being under the radar for so long. Friel does what she can with a role that could have been unlikeable, and one written where she should not garner such sympathies, yet Friel is adept at being strong when her character is weak or put upon.
A really gripping and sustainable piece of British drama that is a competent mixture of acting, writing and befitting of the current social climate.
Public Enemies is released by BBC Films on DVD on Monday 30th April, and distributed by Arrow Films
Showing posts with label British. Show all posts
Showing posts with label British. Show all posts
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Twenty8k - a bold future for British filmmaking
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending in Newham the set of a new and exciting British production, Twenty8k. Co-directed by David Kew and Neil Thompson, produced by Martin Carr and starring Parminder Nagra, Stephen Dillane, Jonas Armstrong and Kierson Wareing; in a script written by Jimmy Dowdall and Paul Abbott. It tells the story of a young woman, Deeva, a fashion executive in Paris who returns home to East London to defend the name of her brother who has been arrested for murder, but as she seeks to uncover the truth, lies and conspiracy come to the fore with twists aplenty.
Firstly, upon my arrival on set I was allowed an in-depth sit down with Martin Carr, a passionate man who described the film as a 'woman in peril thriller', a rare beast for these times and one for which they always had the acclaimed Nagra in mind for. As we arrive on set, they are in the last week or so of major shooting, due to Parminder's busy schedule in line with her work on J.J.Abram's new TV pilot Alcatraz; this has been a busy five weeks and hectic for the still young actress - who is back in England for the first time in years.
Nagra, is the cornerstone of the film, and in some exclusive reel footage we were shown; we see a scene of her crying in her brother's bedroom as she sees the only contact with which she had with him; a postcard from her home in Paris where she was working as a fashion executive, she breaks down in tears as this postcard is the only link she had with her brother, the tears expressing guilt and regret over the greater distance she had withdrawn from family life.
Mr.Carr went on about the gruelling schedule of shooting, days shoots running from 7am to 5pm, and then sometimes a night shoots going from 5pm to 7am, sometimes straight after, which has been hard on the 40 strong crew, but the professionalism on display has been all apparent.
As the money man, he was not shy to state how the budget at £1.4m is very good for a British film of this stature - but with its presence as the marquee British release of the early spring after the Oscar rush of films, the film could be the first thing of London in 2012 before 'the big sporting event' appears on the horizon in late July. Yet Mr.Carr made the point, 'that filmgoers pay £8 or whatever it is, for a big Hollywood blockbuster and the same for a small British film, so why can we not offer the British film fan the same sort of sheen and look as a Hollywood film.'
Asking about the script, a first draft was written in 2008 but following a creative difference with the original author, mostly about the omnipresent c-word in British pictures; Carr approached Paul Abbott (Shameless, State of Play) who said no but came back and did a draft and the beauty of Abbott's work, 'is that in two lines he gets the audience to ask 30 questions'.
Carr hopes that along with such films like Enemy of the State and the Bourne franchise, 'there will be a sense of immediacy with the work and that the preparation will pay off. And that there will be an international reach for this film even though it has a low budget, but this has class and we are using London as an asset and character in proceedings. And in Deeva (Nagra), we have a character who is a strong yet vulnerable girl, using her skill set and intelligence - allowing us a greater demographic due to her everyman quality.'
Friday, 6 May 2011
Submarine - Review
Richard Ayoade, who came to prominence by performing with relish in the Channel 4 sitcom, The IT Crowd, also did a side bit of directing music videos, primarily for the English indie band, The Arctic Monkeys, even directing their only live DVD, as well as Alex Turner's (lead singer of the Arctic Monkeys) side project, The Last Shadow Puppets. Submarine, is his feature debut as both writer and director, adapting the novel by Joe Dunthorne.
The novel follows the erstwhile Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts), as he comes across first love for the first time with the equally tenacious Jordana Baker (Yasemin Paige), whilst trying to keep his parents marriage together. This juxtaposition of young love with the dwindling of the adult relationship is a clever trick of Ayoade's adaptation.
The script includes numerous callbacks throughout - Oliver mentions how he reads the dictionary looking for obscure word of the day's and then when his father, Lloyd (Noah Taylor) uses an obscure word (in this case, atavistic) it prompts him to look it up. Oliver is the type of young male who uses words like schism to explain the current obstacle affecting his parents relationship; and the constant referring to the depth of the ocean (six miles) which is brought up initially and then recalled on two more occassions later in the film.
The work that Ayoade most resembles is that of Wes Anderson - this film and Anderson's are quirky, literate (the film is presented with three parts as well as a prologue and epilogue) and perhaps a bit too clever for itself, yet is not ashamed to use big displays of public emotion, which ultimately leaves the characters flummoxed. Another trait they share is that all the characters know a character better than themselves; after their first intercourse, Jordana tells Oliver, 'Don't get cocky', the formal warning of the phrase serves as an intuitive part of Jordana in forewarning how this may affect Oliver when he gets to 38 years of age, as he fears for a moment.
The period detail of the mid to late 1980s is immaculately rendered and yet the film could have been located in any post World War 2 period due to the universal themes - first love, bullying, infidelity, the fear of a broken home and cynicism of other belief systems. Yet Ayoade is able to inject nice typically British quirks on the school theme and the usual close conversation between concerned teacher and timid student. As Oliver is talking to the teacher about his fears, a middle shot is set up with them at the forefront backing onto a window onto the playground, and behind them students jump up and down mocking the serious situation whilst gesticulating for all to see, whilst the two people indoors are oblivious to it all.
All the actors on display are brilliant; Taylor and Sally Hawkins as Oliver's unhappy parents are both given key scenes to show off (especially Hawkins when she talks to Oliver in bed, and it ends up her worrying he might be gay), Paddy Considine hams it up as next door neighbour-mystic Graham, with an awful Pat Sharp mullet. However, the deepest admiration should be reserved for the two newcomers, both are brilliant yet when they are together is when there is a real spark - never more apparent than in the wordless finale at the water's edge; they merely look at each other to say it all.
The songs by Alex Turner, a key feature of the poster campaign, are a bit wistful at times and not inspiring as they should be for a film, which may rely on them more in another context. In spite of that flaw, Ayoade is helped by his DoP, Erik Wilson (who also worked on the forthcoming Tyranosaur directed by Paddy Considine) who lends a vibrancy to proceedings.
This film was part funded by the UK Film Council and the National Lottery, a travesty that that body has folded when something as rich and fulfiling as this shows that there is genuine talent in the British Isles when it comes to film-making.
The novel follows the erstwhile Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts), as he comes across first love for the first time with the equally tenacious Jordana Baker (Yasemin Paige), whilst trying to keep his parents marriage together. This juxtaposition of young love with the dwindling of the adult relationship is a clever trick of Ayoade's adaptation.
The script includes numerous callbacks throughout - Oliver mentions how he reads the dictionary looking for obscure word of the day's and then when his father, Lloyd (Noah Taylor) uses an obscure word (in this case, atavistic) it prompts him to look it up. Oliver is the type of young male who uses words like schism to explain the current obstacle affecting his parents relationship; and the constant referring to the depth of the ocean (six miles) which is brought up initially and then recalled on two more occassions later in the film.
The work that Ayoade most resembles is that of Wes Anderson - this film and Anderson's are quirky, literate (the film is presented with three parts as well as a prologue and epilogue) and perhaps a bit too clever for itself, yet is not ashamed to use big displays of public emotion, which ultimately leaves the characters flummoxed. Another trait they share is that all the characters know a character better than themselves; after their first intercourse, Jordana tells Oliver, 'Don't get cocky', the formal warning of the phrase serves as an intuitive part of Jordana in forewarning how this may affect Oliver when he gets to 38 years of age, as he fears for a moment.
The period detail of the mid to late 1980s is immaculately rendered and yet the film could have been located in any post World War 2 period due to the universal themes - first love, bullying, infidelity, the fear of a broken home and cynicism of other belief systems. Yet Ayoade is able to inject nice typically British quirks on the school theme and the usual close conversation between concerned teacher and timid student. As Oliver is talking to the teacher about his fears, a middle shot is set up with them at the forefront backing onto a window onto the playground, and behind them students jump up and down mocking the serious situation whilst gesticulating for all to see, whilst the two people indoors are oblivious to it all.
All the actors on display are brilliant; Taylor and Sally Hawkins as Oliver's unhappy parents are both given key scenes to show off (especially Hawkins when she talks to Oliver in bed, and it ends up her worrying he might be gay), Paddy Considine hams it up as next door neighbour-mystic Graham, with an awful Pat Sharp mullet. However, the deepest admiration should be reserved for the two newcomers, both are brilliant yet when they are together is when there is a real spark - never more apparent than in the wordless finale at the water's edge; they merely look at each other to say it all.
The songs by Alex Turner, a key feature of the poster campaign, are a bit wistful at times and not inspiring as they should be for a film, which may rely on them more in another context. In spite of that flaw, Ayoade is helped by his DoP, Erik Wilson (who also worked on the forthcoming Tyranosaur directed by Paddy Considine) who lends a vibrancy to proceedings.
This film was part funded by the UK Film Council and the National Lottery, a travesty that that body has folded when something as rich and fulfiling as this shows that there is genuine talent in the British Isles when it comes to film-making.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Fire In Babylon - review
The West Indies are made up of different islands, but they come under one banner yet from island to island the accent is different, the food is different but cricket becomes this universal sporting gesture in which their character is expressed onto a world stage. The different islands bring different temperaments, 10 young caribbean men put together is not a team, but a gang. The selection of Guyanan Clive Lloyd elevated the team with purpose and mentored the team to dominance, they won the first World Cup in 1973 when it was held in England.
A voiceover is used like in 'Citizen Kane' looking back fondly but with a critical objective eye on matters. Not surprisingly, a contemporary soundtrack of classic 70s reggae and funk music is utilised to create an atmosphere of nostalgia and class.
Cleverly, using archive material, the Australians (Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee, Geoff Thomson) during the tour of 1975 are built up like evil purveyors of their craft; aiming to hurt batsmen with their fast, hostile bowling as batsmen do not play the ball but aim for self-preservation. Those test matches were built up like a World Championship, it turned into a fight with broken hands, broken bones, and humiliation for the proud West Indies. Australia won with intimidation factors, in a hostile environment where many players were subjected to verbal abuse from opponents and the fans. Australia remained on top, winning the series 5-1, but things were going to change.
Fittingly, the tour of England in 1976, (the talk of immigrants in 1976 is still prescient in today's age) taking on the colonial masters on their homeland when Tony Greig famously said he would make them 'grovel' the idea of making the 'slaves' bend to his demand brought up terrible imagery in the mind, coupled with the ongoing apartheid in South Africa and only stoked the fire in the belly of the West Indian team. Greig soon ran off to Australia with his tail between his legs.
That summer, cricket was played with such flair that West Indies gained new fans and it is indicative as to why the West Indies are held in such esteem and fondness on these shores, is due to that summer, when the passion exhibited was unlike anything ever seen. England were demolished and legends were born; the summer of Andy Roberts and Michael Holding bowling peerlessly and the arrival of the 'master blaster' Viv Richards.
Richards like other seminal players - Adam Gilchrist, Don Bradman - changed the very nature of the game, making bowlers scared of him. The West Indies became so dominant because they had bowlers who could terrify batting orders into submission, and then Richards would come and do the same thing and amass huge totals where teams would seek ways to avoid defeat by the end of the first innings.
A gripping visual essay more than documentary reflecting on why the West Indies hold such a special place in the history of cricket; the World Series cricket debacle of 1976/77 when test players could not play for the test side due to the involvement with Kerry Packer's revolutionary one day series - when they were paid handsomely for once and not a pittance; then the rebel tour of the early 1980s to apartheid era South Africa when many players were then banned from playing test cricket again.
Pleasingly the film ends on the 'blackwash' tour of England in 1984, when a competitive England led by Ian Botham, set the West Indies a formidable 300+ target to chase on the last day. That target was met with disdain by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, who chased down the target for the loss of no wicket and took the wind out of a resilient England team. Also on that tour the emergence of Malcolm Marshall, meant that as the bodies of Roberts and Holding got older, the younger tyros of Marshall and Garner had the fast bowling attack in good stead, and led the groundwork for Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose to come to prominence.
There might have been a fire in babylon, but through the talent of their fast bowlers and one special player, as you rarely get with Richards, they fought that fire with a fire of their own. Bringing cricketing nations to their knees, and giving a voice to people who were undervalued giving joy to collective nations and spirit to those who had none.
Riley should be proud of the end result of the film, a pleasing nostalgic look back at halycon days of glory that may never fade, and also an example to the current team who have talent but no leadership nor desire to fulfil their potential. Sometimes, you get teams that never reach their potential, this West Indian team reached their zenith and went beyond it, always with a smile on their face, as will anyone who watches this brilliant film.
Fire In Babylon is a Cowboy Films/Passion Pictures production with funding from the National Lottery/UK Film Council, distributed by Revolver Entertainment. In cinemas from May 20th.
A voiceover is used like in 'Citizen Kane' looking back fondly but with a critical objective eye on matters. Not surprisingly, a contemporary soundtrack of classic 70s reggae and funk music is utilised to create an atmosphere of nostalgia and class.
Cleverly, using archive material, the Australians (Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee, Geoff Thomson) during the tour of 1975 are built up like evil purveyors of their craft; aiming to hurt batsmen with their fast, hostile bowling as batsmen do not play the ball but aim for self-preservation. Those test matches were built up like a World Championship, it turned into a fight with broken hands, broken bones, and humiliation for the proud West Indies. Australia won with intimidation factors, in a hostile environment where many players were subjected to verbal abuse from opponents and the fans. Australia remained on top, winning the series 5-1, but things were going to change.
Fittingly, the tour of England in 1976, (the talk of immigrants in 1976 is still prescient in today's age) taking on the colonial masters on their homeland when Tony Greig famously said he would make them 'grovel' the idea of making the 'slaves' bend to his demand brought up terrible imagery in the mind, coupled with the ongoing apartheid in South Africa and only stoked the fire in the belly of the West Indian team. Greig soon ran off to Australia with his tail between his legs.
That summer, cricket was played with such flair that West Indies gained new fans and it is indicative as to why the West Indies are held in such esteem and fondness on these shores, is due to that summer, when the passion exhibited was unlike anything ever seen. England were demolished and legends were born; the summer of Andy Roberts and Michael Holding bowling peerlessly and the arrival of the 'master blaster' Viv Richards.
Richards like other seminal players - Adam Gilchrist, Don Bradman - changed the very nature of the game, making bowlers scared of him. The West Indies became so dominant because they had bowlers who could terrify batting orders into submission, and then Richards would come and do the same thing and amass huge totals where teams would seek ways to avoid defeat by the end of the first innings.
A gripping visual essay more than documentary reflecting on why the West Indies hold such a special place in the history of cricket; the World Series cricket debacle of 1976/77 when test players could not play for the test side due to the involvement with Kerry Packer's revolutionary one day series - when they were paid handsomely for once and not a pittance; then the rebel tour of the early 1980s to apartheid era South Africa when many players were then banned from playing test cricket again.
Pleasingly the film ends on the 'blackwash' tour of England in 1984, when a competitive England led by Ian Botham, set the West Indies a formidable 300+ target to chase on the last day. That target was met with disdain by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, who chased down the target for the loss of no wicket and took the wind out of a resilient England team. Also on that tour the emergence of Malcolm Marshall, meant that as the bodies of Roberts and Holding got older, the younger tyros of Marshall and Garner had the fast bowling attack in good stead, and led the groundwork for Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose to come to prominence.
There might have been a fire in babylon, but through the talent of their fast bowlers and one special player, as you rarely get with Richards, they fought that fire with a fire of their own. Bringing cricketing nations to their knees, and giving a voice to people who were undervalued giving joy to collective nations and spirit to those who had none.
Riley should be proud of the end result of the film, a pleasing nostalgic look back at halycon days of glory that may never fade, and also an example to the current team who have talent but no leadership nor desire to fulfil their potential. Sometimes, you get teams that never reach their potential, this West Indian team reached their zenith and went beyond it, always with a smile on their face, as will anyone who watches this brilliant film.
Fire In Babylon is a Cowboy Films/Passion Pictures production with funding from the National Lottery/UK Film Council, distributed by Revolver Entertainment. In cinemas from May 20th.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Blitz - New trailer/video clips
New clips from the new Jason Statham film BLITZ is online now, follow the links below to see. The film also stars Paddy Considine and Aiden Gillen; tells the tale of a cop killer with Statham the man with the answers.
Released on May 20th
Click on Blitz to see the newest trailer
http://www.blitzmovie.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/blitzmovie
Courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment and Thinkjam
Released on May 20th
Click on Blitz to see the newest trailer
http://www.blitzmovie.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/blitzmovie
Courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment and Thinkjam
Monday, 25 October 2010
WEST IS WEST
The long anticipated and hoped for sequel of the 1999 box office success 'East is East' gained its European premiere at the London Film Festival last week in a red carpet event at Leicester Square's Vue cinema with bhangra music, elephants and stars in attendance.
The film with the wish of Aybu Khan-Din is written not so much as a sequel but as a stand-alone film in its own right, and for the most part it proves a successful follow-up to the film that won a Bafta for Outstanding British Film. The cast return en masse (although Jimi Mistry fans will feel slightly short changed).
The original film was ground breaking in that it brought subject matter previously unheralded to the big screen; inter-racial marriage set against the backdrop of 1970s working class Salford,Manchester with all its contexts of class and social status. The idea of a white woman marrying a Pakistani and the hatred that such things may incite were addressed, but the violence is reserved for the cold hand of George Khan (Om Puri) who beats up his wife in the back office of their chip shop. Whilst played and marketed for laughs, the original did have its darker moments.
'West is West' focuses on Sajid (Aqib Khan - in his first role), the youngest son, who is rebellious playing truant from school and avoiding bullies who berate him as a 'Paki' thus causing worries about his identiy and reluctance to accept his mixed heritage and hating his father. The need for discipline and restraint in the young tearaway leads George to take him to his homeland in Pakistan to the family home he abandoned 30 years previously to marry Ella (Linda Bassett).
Mostly played for laughs, but asking genuine questions about identity and belonging not just to your race but your family home; the film has these major questions but has a lovely parallel narrative surrounding Nemar (the middle son) and his quest for a wife. This narrative garners the most laughs as the bride he chooses proves to be more than meets the eye. Sajid and George's narrative journeys are directed with a humility and subtlety which is with thanks to the direction of Andy de Emmony, who has a long track record in television drama, and this comes to the fore in his feature length debut effort.
Beautifully shot by Peter Robinson, again making Pakistan (though the film was shot in Indian Punjab for insurance purposes) look as beautiful as Chris Menges did for 'Slumdog' and it is this debt to that Oscar winning film that gives this film not a rose-tinted view of the world, but a serious enough tone to go in balance with the humour that comes from Sajid's escapades as a hermit attempts to teach him lessons about life by stating the obvious and making the youngster discover it for himself.
Great performances by all concerned, most notably Aqid Khan who with no training instills Sajid with a bit of Malcolm McDowell mixed with Alex Turner, giving poetry to such profanity he sometimes spouts and Ila Arun, as Basheera Khan, the first wife who shows the vulnerability of her husband's abandonment in her aged face; though talking only Punjab she instills the character with such grandeur and poise it is striking and the scene with her and the second Mrs. Khan are startling.
Khan-Din (and the producer, Leslie Unwin) gets the wish of having the film stand on its own, and though it might not garner the same box office and clamour as its predecessor did it still deserves credit for being a work of supreme technical accomplishment and maturity. A straight drama with comedic appeal in this day and age of hook and gimmicks.
There may be a third film to complete the trifecta, possibly following Sajid's attempts to get married himself - maybe this will be played for laughs; but as long as this cast remains the same, there remains the key to its ever growing appeal.
Distributed by Icon Productions, the film is scheduled for a general release in February 2011
The film with the wish of Aybu Khan-Din is written not so much as a sequel but as a stand-alone film in its own right, and for the most part it proves a successful follow-up to the film that won a Bafta for Outstanding British Film. The cast return en masse (although Jimi Mistry fans will feel slightly short changed).
The original film was ground breaking in that it brought subject matter previously unheralded to the big screen; inter-racial marriage set against the backdrop of 1970s working class Salford,Manchester with all its contexts of class and social status. The idea of a white woman marrying a Pakistani and the hatred that such things may incite were addressed, but the violence is reserved for the cold hand of George Khan (Om Puri) who beats up his wife in the back office of their chip shop. Whilst played and marketed for laughs, the original did have its darker moments.
'West is West' focuses on Sajid (Aqib Khan - in his first role), the youngest son, who is rebellious playing truant from school and avoiding bullies who berate him as a 'Paki' thus causing worries about his identiy and reluctance to accept his mixed heritage and hating his father. The need for discipline and restraint in the young tearaway leads George to take him to his homeland in Pakistan to the family home he abandoned 30 years previously to marry Ella (Linda Bassett).
Mostly played for laughs, but asking genuine questions about identity and belonging not just to your race but your family home; the film has these major questions but has a lovely parallel narrative surrounding Nemar (the middle son) and his quest for a wife. This narrative garners the most laughs as the bride he chooses proves to be more than meets the eye. Sajid and George's narrative journeys are directed with a humility and subtlety which is with thanks to the direction of Andy de Emmony, who has a long track record in television drama, and this comes to the fore in his feature length debut effort.
Beautifully shot by Peter Robinson, again making Pakistan (though the film was shot in Indian Punjab for insurance purposes) look as beautiful as Chris Menges did for 'Slumdog' and it is this debt to that Oscar winning film that gives this film not a rose-tinted view of the world, but a serious enough tone to go in balance with the humour that comes from Sajid's escapades as a hermit attempts to teach him lessons about life by stating the obvious and making the youngster discover it for himself.
Great performances by all concerned, most notably Aqid Khan who with no training instills Sajid with a bit of Malcolm McDowell mixed with Alex Turner, giving poetry to such profanity he sometimes spouts and Ila Arun, as Basheera Khan, the first wife who shows the vulnerability of her husband's abandonment in her aged face; though talking only Punjab she instills the character with such grandeur and poise it is striking and the scene with her and the second Mrs. Khan are startling.
Khan-Din (and the producer, Leslie Unwin) gets the wish of having the film stand on its own, and though it might not garner the same box office and clamour as its predecessor did it still deserves credit for being a work of supreme technical accomplishment and maturity. A straight drama with comedic appeal in this day and age of hook and gimmicks.
There may be a third film to complete the trifecta, possibly following Sajid's attempts to get married himself - maybe this will be played for laughs; but as long as this cast remains the same, there remains the key to its ever growing appeal.
Distributed by Icon Productions, the film is scheduled for a general release in February 2011
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