filmbore pick of the week - Bunny And The Bull

Bunny And The Bull

Director: Paul King
Screenplay: Paul King
Starring: Edward Hogg, Simon Farnaby, Verónica Echegui
Year: 2009
Language: English
UK rental release: March 2010


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Two friends, two and a half thousand pounds and two views on how a great holiday should be. Organised itineraries, or random occurrences, or maybe even a mix of both, Bunny And The Bull is a off kilter British buddy movie with a difference.

Stephen Turnbull (Edward Hogg, Anonymous, White Lightnin') hasn't left his house for a whole year. Through his institutionalisation he has transformed into an obsessive-compulsive, agoraphobic hermit - a pure exaggeration of his insular, disciplined self . Then one morning, when his routine is disrupted, he his forced to face his demons and take a walk down memory lane. Luckily, his ridiculously organised life means that the stacks of boxes in his home contain enough mementos for him to re-live (though reluctantly at times) the partly fond memories of his recent trip outside of the UK with his best friend, Bunny (Simon Farnaby, Burke And Hare, The Mighty Boosh TV series), who is the pure anti-thesis of Stephen - a cocksure, confident risk-taker.

Flashback to one year ago. A lucky bet lines the lad's wallets with enough cash for a tour of Europe. Stephen wants culture, sifting through the more unique museums, but Bunny craves danger. In an attempt to break the regimented fun, he pushes for a bit of spontaneity, setting them on a path of uncontrollable outcomes... and more gambling!

Along the way, they meet Eloisa (Verónica Echegui) - the potential light in Stephen's life, who cushions him from the new chaos introduced by his travelling buddy. But this softening is short lived, as Bunny keeps raising the stakes on every bet he plays...how far can he go until his luck changes?!

Bunny And The Bull is the feature-length directorial debut of Paul King, the same man at the helm for British TV favourite, The Mighty Boosh, and it's clear to see the kinship between his works. This tale, even though brave and subjective, is easy to get into but also satisfies your need for wonkier comedy, if that's your poison.

Paul has also brought in some old friends, as a few of the "Boosh" boys step into to play some fantastic cameos: Noel Fielding as a washed-up, alcoholic wannabe Matador, Richard Ayoade as a dry flat-lining shoe museum curator, and the scene stealing Julian Barratt as Atilla, the dog drinking vagrant (seriously!). These moments sit perfectly in the overall piece. Our lead characters are strong too, where Hogg's subtle performance as Stephen balances well against the bravado of Farnaby's Bunny.

However, another strong character, holding the film from start to finish, is the overall design. From great use of stop-frame animation and clever segues between the house scenes and flashbacks, every element of creativity brings a unique identity to the fore. The real star here lies within the genius set design.

It's some of the best I've seen in years, being both astounding and inspired. When Stephen relives the past through items in his home, the object in question becomes the theme of that scene's set - for example, looking over photos of the train journey conjures up images of their experience where everything around them is built from a photograph, or peering at the numerous clocks on the wall brings back memories of a visit to fairground, which happens to crafted from numerous clockwork parts. Detail is also put into the backgrounds of our fantastical scenery, adding real depth to the surroundings. These crazy but smart ideas give an art house feel, insuring the necessary quirkiness needed to support the left-field but confident humour in the tale. The sets are the film's biggest talking point and it's clear to see why.

Returning back to Stephen's home between these scenes is extremely poignant too, as the real set here pressures him to deal with the harsh reality creeping towards him through his flashbacks. It's clear that there is a dark rift throughout, assisted by a strong score from British folk artists, Ralfe Band. Their music is haunting, and carries a gloomy cloud to preempt Stephen's fears and what drives them, while infusing well with the lead's journey by morphing their sound to the cultural melodic tones of the country that they currently reside in.

On paper, the overall combination of these ideas really shouldn't work but luckily they do, softly knotting together as the film evolves and helping to identify how Stephen's new heavily organised life opposes Bunny's maverick impulsiveness. All of this is a superb achievement, making Bunny And The Bull a great example of successful quirky British film making. And if my comments won't convince you, just check it out for the unforgettable the dog drinking!

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In memory of the great Tony Scott

The tragic news of Tony Scott's death one week ago has affected lovers of film all over the world. What's surprisingly wonderful though is that, in the wake of his passing, the discussions brought up by his fans isn't so much of "why did he do it" but "wow, what great films he's made in his life". This is a fitting tribute to the man, as this already proves that it's his art and his creativity that he will be remembered for.

Therefore, in honour to the gentleman fondly referred to as the "rock and roll" element to the Scott brotherhood, I'd like to re-cap over some prize moments of the man's career, and in true leftfield, filmbore style, namely the more wonkier moments in his movies. Enjoy...

The Last Boy Scout - "I'm awake"

Underrated and slightly mocked, this romp of a buddy movie has some cracking dialogue, but it's the cigarette craving "I'm awake" scene that you remember most, not just from the strangely relaxed Jo Hollenbeck (Bruce Willis) but the shocking swiftness in dealing with his nicotine supplier.

Beverly Hills Cop II -Shooting Gallery

There are so many hilarious scenes to choose from in Tony Scott's answer to Axel Foley, and I was tempted to include them all, but I think it's more fitting to show the brief clip of the Shooting Gallery scene just for the final moment. In the vicinity of nearby criminals, Axel can't help but revolt against the system before him and use his own gun - bucking the trend just like Tony!

Crimson Tide - Silver Surfer fight

I love a good debate, but sometimes they get nasty. Especially the serious topics. But none more serious than the spat between two stressed out submariners in Crimson Tide. So, with our priorities in check...Kirby or Moebius?

True Romance - Confiding in Elvis

With so many crazy moments in this bizarre but brilliant modern fairy tale (including some unique casting in both Brad Pitt and Gary Oldman), it's Clarence's one-to-one with The King which sticks in the mind the most. Nothing like your own subliminal version of your hero to egg you on!

Top Gun - Watch The Birdie!

Tony Scott is more famously known for this 80s blockbuster classic. As a film maker he was always a "Maverick" and this scene with the upside down MiG fighter jet proves it. A flick of the bird and quick camera shot later, this brief clip sums up the rebellious nature of the man. No matter what views the critics may have of his output, he made whichever films he wanted in whatever way he liked. If someone told him "You can't fly a MiG an an inverted engagement with another jet", he'd go and do it to prove them wrong! That's why this clip is pure Tony Scott, and with scenes like this to remind us of him, he'll be sorely missed!

Tony Scott (1944 - 2012 ) R.I.P

Please feel free to share other crazy and funny moments from Tony Scott's roster of films by adding them in the comments section below.

filmbore pick of the week - Brotherhood

Brotherhood (Tae Guk Gi)

Director: Je-gyu Kang

Screenplay: Je-gyu Kang, Sang-dom Kim, Ji-hoon Han

Starring: Don-gun Jang, Bin Won

Year: 2004

Language: Korean

UK rental release: October 2005

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When it comes to watching a war movie, there's a plethora of choices available, be it Second World War, Vietnam, The Great War, The American Civil War, even cold wars in even colder surroundings under water - there's just too many to pick from! If you're stumped, let me help you out...just watch Brotherhood.

In 1950, South Korea, two brothers of a poor family have little to show for their life, but they are happy. The younger of the two, Jin-seok Lee (Bin Won, Mother, The Man From Nowhere) could bring further joy to his relatives as he has a promising future in medicine, something his older brother, Jin-tae Lee (Don-gung Jang, The Warrior's Way, The Coast Guard) is overwhelmingly proud of. He envisions polishing shoes for an eternity if it means it will pay his sibling's way through university.

Then, as North Korea invades their homeland their lives are forced down a different route. A brief self-exile cannot prevent the inevitable, as Jin-seok is enlisted into the ROK army. Jin-tae sees a brighter fate for his brother, and attempts to submit himself in Jin-seok's place, relying on a draft raised specifying that only one son per family be enrolled. Through the confusion, both of them end up in the ROK army. Jin-tae still believes that he should be the only son to represent his family's name in this civil war and, unbeknownst to Jin-seok, agrees to do whatever it takes to send his brother home. If he achieves enough accolade to receive a medal of bravery, then he would get his wish.

Jin-tae's relentless attempts to succeed, and his brother's pride and determination to be a great soldier are the seeds to their gradual deterioration as siblings, and as the tale unfolds we witness the creation of a chivalrous knight engulfed in the insanity of war, and the evolution of a boy into a man....little do they know that these changes will determine their future relationship with each other.

Brotherhood has been frequently labelled as "Korea's answer to Saving Private Ryan" and it's clear to see why. The large scale production of the piece, in tune with the personal aspect of our leading men's tale has a familiar vibe to the Spielberg epic. However, delving deeper into the film reveals a war story with incredible individuality. It's fair to say that its comparison to it's Normandy-storming cousin exists because it's difficult to mirror the film with anything else.

The constant throughout is the morphing of tenacity to fragility of the brother's connection. As far as war movies go, this is the most detailed and colourful that I have seen the battlefield affect the emotions and relationships of men. This is, in part, due to the fact that our two leads are brothers from the same life but then with the dynamic of the civil war they transform into two completely different beings. Their journey taps into a more personal core than attempts from better known movies, especially as the family edge grants the tale further realism.

At many points it is harrowing but striking, and you cannot tear your eyes away for a moment. As corruption and politics affect Jin-Tae and Jin-seok in different ways, we're presented with two sides of a moral coin, which is extremely brave when considering the source of the material.

What also stands out for Brotherhood are the actions scenes, which are continually impressive as the film shifts forward. The intensity of each battle grips you, and the overall quality of production is superb...so much so that the effects crew were invited to do the same for the unique Chinese war story Assembly, bringing together the talents of two countries as titans of world cinema.

Still, with the all of the available war films out there, can this movie stand toe-to-toe with the best of the bunch? It's an enormous task when you consider the calibre of films over decades of movie history. But, with it's incredible success in both Korea and worldwide audiences (breaking records in its home country at the time), paired with its brutal portayal of both sides of the Korean civil war, I'm confident in saying that Brotherhood (Tae Guk Gi) is probably one of the finest war films ever made!

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filmbore pick of the week - Das Experiment

Das Experiment

Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Screenplay: Mario Giordano, Christoph Darnstädt, Don Bohlinger
Starring: Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Berkel, Oliver Stokowski
Year: 2001
Language: German
UK rental release: April 2003

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In 1971, Stanford University, California, conducted the infamous "Stanford Prison Experiment", where 24 male students were randomly assigned the role of either a prisoner or a guard. The intention was to monitor the behaviours of human beings in such an environment, and how naturally they evolved into their new positions. Such a brave attempt at manufacturing a judicianal society was cut short after 6 days when the morality of the operation was brought into question...we may never know what events could have occurred in such a habitat.

Then, along comes Mario Girodano, who bases his novel Black Box on the failed experiment, influencing his tale on these true accounts and unravelling the potential chaos that such a practice could have released. Das Experiment is based on said book, and is a bleak, realistic approach to Mario's source material.

Struggling journalist Tarek (Moritz Bleibtreu, Run Lola Run, The Baader Meinhof  Complex) casts his eyes upon an advertisement for an experiment that offers a substantial sum of money. He has the brainwave that an undercover sting on such an operation could benefit him, not only financially, but as the basis of a great story. With the drive that his submission could boost his writing career, he invests in some specialised recording glasses to film his incarceration. On arrival, sporting his new techy specs, he is introduced to the concept of the experiment and, when selected to be a "convict," is given the new moniker, Prisoner 77. 

With his uncontrollable shirking of authority, and a developing conspiratorial companionship with Prisoner 38 (Christian Berkel, Flame And Citron, Black Book), he becomes party to an ever-swelling resentment between the inmates and the guards, leading to unprecedented outbursts and unnecessary refutes. With only his memories (or day-dreams) of a new lover, to keep his breaching insanity at bay, Tarek must keep his wits and strength intact in order to win through and break his news story.

What could have been a paint-by-numbers true story adaptation is, in fact, a raw, stage-like drama, naturally encompassed by an overall strong cast. It was vital that Oliver Hirschbiegel employ a team of actors capable of absorbing the atmosphere of such an experiment, and imbuing the whole film with a sense of authenticity - which I'm glad to say they achieve with gusto! 

But above all else, our two lead detainees infuse the film with real star quality as two behemoths of German cinema. The unnerving but genuine chemistry between the two is one of the saving graces of the piece.

The other unsung star of the Das Experiment, however, is the set. Simple, clinical, dreary and imposing, the straight forward design of the mock penitentiary is the glue that brings the tension together. An overly fantastical prison, or a obvious hell hole would have made a mockery of the dramatic air presented so confidently in the movie.

Das Experiment succeeds on multiple counts: a sheer, invigorating drama; an insight into what a passionate writer is prepared to do; an observation into the instinctual appetites of our fellow Homo sapiens; an intense, naturalistic account of bullying and courage; a window into the corrupt methods of an exploitative system. Big Brother...eat your heart out!

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Like for like remakes...why?!?

I’m clearly not the first person to talk about this, but there is still an issue with original thought and creativity in Hollywood. Not only are they still churning out remake after remake (I tremble when I think of the up-and-coming attempts at the “Verhoeven Three”: Robocop, Total Recall and Starship Troopers!) but still we keep seeing like-for-like remakes of excellent foreign films, re-shot nearly frame-by-frame in the US to capitalise on the original’s brilliance.

Tomas Alfredson excellent Let The Right One In

Take, for example Quarantine: at face value, a decent, found-footage zombie film…in reality, it’s a carbon copy of the fantastic Spanish original, [Rec]. And Let Me In is just an impostor to Let The Right OneIn, all draped in the garbs of Tinseltown. In fact, horror seems to be a favourite when doing over great world cinema…Ringu became The Ring (only saved by the fact that a subtle storyline change meant they had to draught a brand new movie for the US sequel, bringing in Ringu’s director Hideo Nakata to craft it), Ju-On became The Grudge, and even para-normally brilliant The Eye and the moody Dark Water also got re-fitted (to be fair, this last one isn’t too bad!).

Vanilla Sky's twin, Abre Los Ojos

Personally, I was most frustrated about what I thought was the amazing “Vanilla Sky”. After watching the DVD extras it gave the impression that Cameron Crowe had crafted a masterpiece, including covering an entire room’s floor with script pages…complex as it appears to construct. Then, I was pointed towards a film that somehow passed under my radar (by the only person who’s a bigger fan of film than me…my mum!), the beautiful Abre Los Ojos. Not only is the film superior to Vanilla Sky, but they are almost identical in very way…even casting Penélope Cruz in the same role in the remake was a brave move (she is ever so slightly better in the original) but didn’t make up for the fact that it was a blatant exploitation of an unique Spanish movie.

Look…I can understand that some people can get annoyed by subtitles, but I always try to re-assure people that this frustration fades over time. “Well, try watching Night Watch”, I say, “as the on-screen text is placed strategically around the screen to draw your eyes to points of interest…there are even funky effects on some of the subtitles!” Do they watch it after my suggestion? Of course not! But they’ll find no injustice to watching a shoddy, badly cast reproduction of the original print just so it’s in their native tongue.

The insanely brilliant Infernal Affairs

I have to admit, I’m not totally against the principle of remakes in general. If they are creatively re-approaching subject matter and aim to stand on their own two feet, then it’s a worthy artistic endeavour. For example, this works when you think of such incredible films like The Thing and The Fly. This has been perfectly demonstrated with world cinema too, especially in the Westerns genre with The Magnificent Seven (Seven Samurai) and A Fistful Of Dollars (Yojimbo), but it rarely happens in modern cinema. One movie that managed it well is Martin Scorsese’s first Oscar win, The Departed, based one of Hong Kong cinema’s best films of recent years, Infernal Affairs. Scorsese's version never shied away from for the fact that it was a remake, but it still carried a touch of class and identity that proved that it can be done with style. In fairness, David Fincher’s version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a decent output, with great performances and a different vibe (plus some of the best open credit sequences ever committed to film…watch out Bond!). Some of these are even in my Top 10 Decent Remakes post here, so the overall premise is a sound one, as long creativity still thrives.

But I still have fear for the future…it’s been announced that there will be English speaking version of both OldBoy and The Orphanage. Two amazing movies that, in the wrong hands, could fail in their re-birth. Is it right that Hollywood should continue in this facade? Maybe world cinema re-do’s in future should vastly promote the original foreign version out of respect (but I can’t see that happening unless it’s built into the contract)? Should there be more investment in new writing talent to allow the industry to produce some unique content? 

What do you think? Let the whingeing commence!!!

Top 10 Decent Remakes

The first top ten list on filmbore isn't hugely original, but tying into my recent article about like-for-like remakes this felt apt.

Below are my suggestion for the top 10 best remakes there's ever been, and this was a difficult one. Not because there are so many to look over (because there aren't really) but the of the re-do's that are good they were hard to pick from.

Some stipulations: no TV-to-big-screen remakes...movie to movie conversions only; the same goes for book adaptations; the new Star Trek is a re-imagining and not truly a remake, so that doesn't count; Star Wars only took influence from Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, so that was omitted also; Airplane! is only a parody of Airport and Zero Hour;  and Tarantino's brave but genius Inglourious Basterds is not a remake!

WARNING! Mild spoilers ahead.
 

10. The Departed (2006)

Remade from... 

Infernal Affairs (2002)

Martin Scorsese's salute to the fantastic Hong Kong crime thriller Infernal Affairs is not only a great movie, but handles it's material fairly too. Yes, a lot of the film feels very similar to the original, but through great casting and incredible camera work and lighting, Scorsese has managed to create a stand alone feature in its own right. Well worthy of his long awaited Oscar!

9. A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)

Remade from...

Yojimbo (1961)

Sergio Leone's first instalment of the "Dollars Trilogy" was a pioneering film of the Westerns genre. It introduced us to The Man With No Name, which became synonymous with Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood. The original, Yojimbo is one of Kurosawa's best classics, and Leone's version is honourable in it's remake, taking the same sensibilities from the East and planting them firmly in the West.

8. Cape Fear (1991)

Remade from...

Cape Fear (1962)

Martin Scorsese makes the list a second time with his version of J. Lee Thompson's 60s thriller. Character traits are the most noticeable difference in Cape Fear Mk II besides the ever growing air of darkness seeping through the picture. De Niro supposedly took his body fat percentage to 4% to embody the brutal Cady, which is pretty good method acting if you ask me!

7. 13 Assassins (2010)

Remade from...

The Thirteen Assassins (1963)

Not only did Takashi Miike recreate Eiichi Kudo's classic samurai film with an injection of his own visceral action, but in honour of the way movies were made back then he tried to replicate iconic shots with a little bit of his own modern touch. Also taking some tints from Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, this is one of Miike's more approachable pieces in his impressive roster of nearly 80 feature length movies he's made since the early 90s.

 6. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

Remade from...

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)

Dropping the voice-over narration from the first outing, Phillip Kaufman's 70's equivalent is edgier and creepier. Sometimes favoured by fans, Kaufman's attempt exposes more of the evolution of our invading doppelgangers and throws a curve ball with it's alternative twist ending that's enough to give you nightmare's for months. "That scream" still haunts me to this day... 

5. The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Remade from...

Seven Samurai (1954)

Just a hairline distance before Leone westernised Yojimbo (see above) John Sturges managed a western remix of the East by remaking Kurosawa's masterpiece Seven Samurai. There are lots of similarities between the films, but The Magnificent Seven stands alone as great feature down to it's production quality and incredible cast...and who can forget that epic score!

4. Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Remade from...

Ocean's Eleven (1960)

  
How to make a good remake? Make it better than the original! With the 60's outing acting as a platform for The Rat Pack, Steven Soderbergh took the overall premise of Danny Ocean's crew taking on a major casino and imbued the heist with realistic security, twists, cons and acrobatics. Then, he employed one of the best ensemble casts in recent years. The chemistry between our stars of 2001 version is electrifying, and the dialogue is so solid that it will stand the test of time.

3. Scarface (1983)

Remade from...

Scarface (1932)

As a reflection of different eras, Brian De Palma's 1983 outing takes Tony (Montana in his version) out of the prohibition era and into the modern world of drug trafficking. In both, Tony wants "the world...and everything in it" as we see him clamber up the echelons of the crime syndicate until his timely downfall. De Palma's version is still one of the coolest and slickest films on the market, and is still fresh when watched today.

2. The Thing (1982)

Remade from...

The Thing From Another World (1951) 

John Carpenter's The Thing is one of the most important and iconic horrors of the 80's, not only for its incredibly tense plot but its pioneering special effects. Remade from the 50's classic, and keeping it's Tundra location, the change in the species of monster was inspired - taking it from a relentless monster of incredible strength and creating instead a creature that can morph itself into pretty much anything, including one of your comrades, creating instant paranoia and deceit. Bet you still jump during the blood testing scene! 

And the winner is...

1. The Fly (1986)

Remade from...

The Fly (1958)

Beating The Thing by a gnat's wing in this top ten is David Cronenberg's The Fly. The Vincent Price starring original is a good, classic fifties horror incorporating both noir and sci-fi elements (and who can forget the final scene..."Help Me! Help Meeee!"). However, Cronenberg took its 1958 cousin's concept of transportation and accidental mutation to the extreme in his superior version. Using his usual trademark of visceral gore, he also upped the ante on the sensitive factor by creating a beautiful romantic horror that has aged incredibly well. 

Central to the whole piece is both the evolution and de-evolution of the relationship between Seth and Veronica (Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis respectively), which is mirrored with the physical improvements of our lead as he begins his transformation into the Brundle Fly (pinnacled in the unforgettable arm wrestling scene!) and then his degradation as the incompatible splicing of DNA between himself and his travel buddy slowly destroys him (the jars in the bathroom!!). He slowly loses control, as science, his ally for so many years, gets the better of him. The transmogrification continues until he his unrecognisable, leading to both an intense and emotional climax. 

A pure example of how to craft a proper remake, besting it's predecessor and becoming a cult classic. Be afraid...be very afraid!  

Just missed out: Insomnia, True Grit, The Crazies, Little Shop Of Horrors

If you disagree, and have other suggestions, please post comments at the bottom of the post.

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filmbore pick of the week - Intacto

Intacto

Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Screenplay: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Andrés M. Koppel
Starring: Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, Max Von Sidow, Mónica López
Year: 2001
Languages: Spanish, English
UK rental release: 13th October 2003

IMDB
LoveFIlm
Rotten Tomatoes

Every now and then, you need a bit of luck in life. For the participants of the games in Intacto however, you need as much fluke as you can grasp! Set in an slight alternate world where luck is a commodity that can be harnessed and used, this film aims to depict how far someone is willing to go, not only for thrills, but to defeat the seemingly impossible.

Tomás (Leonardo Sbaraglia, Burning Money, Red Lights) is the sole survivor of a horrific plane crash. Little does he know that his reason for being alive after such a tragic event is due to his natural luckiness. Frederico (Eusebio Poncela) takes Tomás under his wing as his new protégé since is ex-boss stripped him of his own power of fortune. Frederico plans to enhance Tomás' ability through an underground league of extraordinary games; trials to test an individuals bravery and, most importantly, their luck.

All of this is to get a shot at the title - to challenge the luckiest man alive to a mano-a-mano game of chance. Said title holder (and Frederico's fluke stealing employer) is Samuel (Max von Sydow, The Seventh Seal, The Exorcist, Minority Report), a mystery amongst the contestants, and the El Dorado of fortune. Will Tomás have what it takes to reach this final test? Can he outrun the police officer, Sara (Mónica López), who's hot on his trail to stop the games? Can he trust his new sensei and comrade Frederico? Only time, and luck, will tell...

 

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo will later become better known for his decent sequel, 28 weeks later. However, it is in this, his first feature length outing as a director, that his talent for making fantastical themes grounded really shines. On the surface, Intacto sounds like a pretentious and over-the-top science fiction drama, but instead it is a calmly thought-out, and delicately presented story of a man who, through influences around him, is set to task in challenging his own instincts and his belief in superstitions. Fresnadillo handles this unique thematic core with the precision of a more experienced director, and the concepts created by himself and his co-writer, Andrés M. Koppel, are genuinely brilliant - especially the trials themselves. One game in particular (of which the film is most famous for) involves running blindfolded through a dense forest, and was the inspiration of a great music video for a Pendulum remix of classic Prodigy track, Voodoo People. 

The cast is very good too. Clearly, the always exquisite Max von Sydow can make any role, no matter how minuscule and weak, into a towering presence of acting brilliance. But I am particularly impressed with the reservedness and tranquillity of Eusebio Poncela, as our bitter Jedi master of luck...a Yoda of fortune, if you will. With minimal effort, he has a cool but stirring presence on screen and holds our hand through the tale as both a gambling Lothario and the voice of experience. With this character, you really feel him trying to live his life through Tomás, creating a great tapestry for his part in the story and bringing some weight to some of the more patient moments while we wait for the next game.

Intacto is not loved by all, but is a great candidate for excellent indie world cinema at the turn of the new millennium. It's a great choice if looking for an intriguing watch, and for those of you who are a little nervy of stepping into the realms of foreign cinema may find this Anglo-Spanish journey a little easier to swallow, especially as the games also segment the whole film nicely with some bizarre activities. But please...don't try them at home!

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filmbore pick of the week - Neds

Neds

Director: Peter Mullan

Screenplay: Peter Mullan

Starring: Conor McCarron, Greg Forrest, Joe Szula, Peter Mullan

Year: 2010

Language: English

UK rental release: May 2011

IMDB 
LoveFilm 
Rotten Tomatoes

Nearly two months ago, I was raving about the outstanding performance of Peter Mullan in Paddy Considine's debut behind the lens, Tyrannosaur (see the review here). This week, however, I'll be talking about Mullan's ability in the filmaker's chair, with one of his few directorial efforts, Neds (Non Educated Delinquents).

Over the decades, British cinema has produced a plethora of hard-hitting dramas, exposing some of the more violent and grittier elements of our nation. It's ground that's been covered plenty of times, and not always successfully. Don't let this put you off though, as what Mullan has so shrewdly crafted here is an incredibly personal look through the evolution of a young man's exposure to the volatile environment around him, and how such intense occurrences shape him in ways he could never foretell. Mullan has poured influence from his own experiences in 1970's Glasgow, which allows him to portray a genuine look at the lives of a generation that's steaming at their surrounding culture; unable to deter the fate that has been set for them.

John McGill is a sharp, young boy with great academic promise. Through a little confusion during his first days at his new secondary school, his destiny starts to take an alternative path. In the years that follow, while pressured by his wayward brother Benny (Joe Szula), and reluctantly responding to repeated events of provocation, he begins to wander down a sinister trail.

But it's when John submits to this way of life, through his inability to avoid a lifestyle so vibrantly celebrated by his elder sibling, where his journey to the dark side accelerates. Territorial gang fights feed John's carnal appetite, as he gradually veers closer to the resultant, untamed nature of his inner psyche. We being to witness a re-birth of  a forthright, powerful young man who, through pride and resilience, will stop at nothing to prove his worth.

This tale is bursting with interesting characters, including an excellent supporting role from Mullan himself as John's father, however it's mainly held together by our lead. Both eras of John's life are played by two newcomers to the movie industry. Greg Forrest portrays him during his earlier school years, and carries a real presence of both integrity and intellect. It's a strong performance from such a young actor. 

But the film really thrives from the casting of Conor McCarron, as he envelops himself into John's teenage period. McCarron is a juggernaut of emotions, with a sometimes subtle, but equally overbearing, exuberance unmatched by most actors of his generation. He handles the metamorphosis of his part with both humility and maturity, and his natural presence is evident in every scene he's in. I'm yet to see him star in anything else, which I think is a real shame. If he is still interested in this business, then someone needs to give him a role now, as I think he has the potential to grow into a brilliant actor.

Overall, this is a great example of good, British film making, and it's wonderful to see a realistic take on stories of this ilk. The unstoppable mutation of our lead hints at mirrors of films like Scarface (1983) but carries a far more tangible progression through it's homegrown physicality and truthful steering by Peter Mullan. It also has a unique vibe, and I feel that in years to come it has the potential to become a piece of cult UK cinema.

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