Tim's Best of the Fest 2017
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"All good things come to those who wait" they say and, my word, have I kept you waiting for my take on the Glasgow Film Festival 2017. The reason for the delay - life, I'm afraid, has taken over art for the last few weeks and all I can say at this time is that you should expect a review of the 1980's Tom Hanks starrer, The Money Pit coming your way shortly. In the meantime, what better way to demonstrate the diversity and standard of the Glasgow Film Festival 2017 than to release a compilation review. Please get yourself along to these films on release, they each seems to have screen magnetism for very, very different reasons.
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Starting us off was the magnificent Handsome Devil, which was a film to behold and be beguiled by. It oozes charm and delicate sensibilities that hits you like a rose petal sledgehammer. The full review can be read below and details of screenings can also be found on this very website under the Breaking News section.
Paul Verhoeven's Elle was next in my list of films in the festival and it has one of the most explosive beginnings I have seen on film. It was deeply unsettling.
Verhoevan has not lost his touch and although blips of silliness with Basic Instinct and Showgirls, Elle sees him returning to his acid sharp life reflections that made him one of the best director's of his time.
Elle stars Isabelle Hupport as successful business woman Michèle who is hunting down the man who raped her in the disturbing opening scene. Hupport is magnificent as the "barely holding it together" leading lady and it's because of her that this film is so gripping.
The story does trundle along a bit and there a pieces of surrounding plot that I could have lived without but the main line running straight through Elle is magnificent. The cinematography is gloomy and bleak reflecting on the horrific opening scenes through to the conclusion.
If you are in the mood for a European thriller from arguably one of the world's best visionaries then this is.
Verhoevan has not lost his touch and although blips of silliness with Basic Instinct and Showgirls, Elle sees him returning to his acid sharp life reflections that made him one of the best director's of his time.
Elle stars Isabelle Hupport as successful business woman Michèle who is hunting down the man who raped her in the disturbing opening scene. Hupport is magnificent as the "barely holding it together" leading lady and it's because of her that this film is so gripping.
The story does trundle along a bit and there a pieces of surrounding plot that I could have lived without but the main line running straight through Elle is magnificent. The cinematography is gloomy and bleak reflecting on the horrific opening scenes through to the conclusion.
If you are in the mood for a European thriller from arguably one of the world's best visionaries then this is.
www.iwtfilm.com always tries to stay away from the pretentious; even if the reviewer doesn't (can everyone hear me typing?) so copious amounts of research does not get done before I see a film as I prefer the rawness of not knowing what to expect. For Free Fire, I knew I was sitting down to a Cillian Murphy film and that was it. So what followed was a bit of a treat, if somewhat unexpected.
What I actually sat down to was not only an after film Q&A with director Ben Wheatley (Kill List, High Rise) and stand out actor, of the previously reviewed, Sing Street, Jack Reynor (Macbeth, Transformers: Age of Extinction) but also a multi-talented funny, violent bullet-fest of a film.
Free Fire has the talent of Cillian Murphy, Sharlto Copley, Jack Reynor, Armie Hammer and Brie Larsson going head to head with each other, swapping sides and basically trying to mutilate each other in a concrete warehouse.
This film is packed to the rafters with humour, tongue in cheek dialogue and rip roaring action. Very little plot but it's not really required, all that is required is the set up then the actors, Wheatley and fellow writer Amy Jump do their magic, crafting something that will keep you guessing who is going to buy it next and more importantly how.
The QA with Ben Wheatley and Jack Reynor was laid back and insightful. Both are very interesting and engaging and sold the film, Free Fire, well. Audience questions were asked and quite a lot was said about the production and the actor's thoughts on crawling over broken glass and using live guns. There was quite a bit of chuckle to be had when Wheatley's Free Fire was compared to Reservoir Dogs by an audience member. Wheatley responding, dryly, with the answer - "they are both is the cinema sub genre of movies set in a warehouse, and that's where it ends".
What I actually sat down to was not only an after film Q&A with director Ben Wheatley (Kill List, High Rise) and stand out actor, of the previously reviewed, Sing Street, Jack Reynor (Macbeth, Transformers: Age of Extinction) but also a multi-talented funny, violent bullet-fest of a film.
Free Fire has the talent of Cillian Murphy, Sharlto Copley, Jack Reynor, Armie Hammer and Brie Larsson going head to head with each other, swapping sides and basically trying to mutilate each other in a concrete warehouse.
This film is packed to the rafters with humour, tongue in cheek dialogue and rip roaring action. Very little plot but it's not really required, all that is required is the set up then the actors, Wheatley and fellow writer Amy Jump do their magic, crafting something that will keep you guessing who is going to buy it next and more importantly how.
The QA with Ben Wheatley and Jack Reynor was laid back and insightful. Both are very interesting and engaging and sold the film, Free Fire, well. Audience questions were asked and quite a lot was said about the production and the actor's thoughts on crawling over broken glass and using live guns. There was quite a bit of chuckle to be had when Wheatley's Free Fire was compared to Reservoir Dogs by an audience member. Wheatley responding, dryly, with the answer - "they are both is the cinema sub genre of movies set in a warehouse, and that's where it ends".
Following Free Fire was going to be tough. How does the GFF2017 top a sizzling, gun bonanza? Of course, some sadomasochism. On Friday night Mrs C and I toddled off to Glasgow's SWG3 to re-watch/watch 2002's The Secretary starring James Spader and Maggie Gylnahall.
Both Mrs C and I were slightly weirded out by the amount of scenes, dialogue and overall comedy that we could not remember from the first viewing. It was 15 years ago after all and there was a 3rd pancake in between all of that but even so...my thoughts really were that I did not give this magnificent film enough attention back in the day.
Today sadomasochism is a bit more public eye given the different shades of grey going about in both film and book however to pop out a movie of this subject in 2002 when it was more underground was very brave of director Steven Shainberg. The film doesn't pussyfoot about either, when it hits, it hits hard, holding nothing back. Some of it is quite shocking, even for today.
James Spader is his ever fantastic, enigmatic self, playing, curiously enough, Mr Grey. He is deeply, deeply troubled and is drawn towards his muse and submissive subject, Lee (Maggie Gyllenhall) who he recently employed as his secretary. The relationship is somewhere between the gates of hell and the doors of heaven for each character. Cat and mouse, it isn't. Unless the cat has a penchant for spanking and the mouse self harms.
What was astounding about The Secretary was the level of comedy that was in the movie. This film is funny and pings out its best just through a character's sideways glance.
This film, although 15 years old, has aged well and twists the nipple of social conventions until it bleeds. So worthy of another visit.
Both Mrs C and I were slightly weirded out by the amount of scenes, dialogue and overall comedy that we could not remember from the first viewing. It was 15 years ago after all and there was a 3rd pancake in between all of that but even so...my thoughts really were that I did not give this magnificent film enough attention back in the day.
Today sadomasochism is a bit more public eye given the different shades of grey going about in both film and book however to pop out a movie of this subject in 2002 when it was more underground was very brave of director Steven Shainberg. The film doesn't pussyfoot about either, when it hits, it hits hard, holding nothing back. Some of it is quite shocking, even for today.
James Spader is his ever fantastic, enigmatic self, playing, curiously enough, Mr Grey. He is deeply, deeply troubled and is drawn towards his muse and submissive subject, Lee (Maggie Gyllenhall) who he recently employed as his secretary. The relationship is somewhere between the gates of hell and the doors of heaven for each character. Cat and mouse, it isn't. Unless the cat has a penchant for spanking and the mouse self harms.
What was astounding about The Secretary was the level of comedy that was in the movie. This film is funny and pings out its best just through a character's sideways glance.
This film, although 15 years old, has aged well and twists the nipple of social conventions until it bleeds. So worthy of another visit.
So far, I had rugby (Handsome Devil), guns (Free Fire), spanking (The Secretary). As everyone knows the next logical step was a Mexican sci-fi story marinating a commentary on domestic abuse.
The Untamed is about a woman Alejandra (Ruth Ramos) who is regularly abused by husband Angel (Jesús Meza) who is having an affair with her brother. Confused, you will be... Throw into the mix stranger Veronica (Simone Bucio) who is in her own unique abusive relationship who introduces Alejandra to her partner, a "pleasure" alien, fallen from an asteroid, which has become abusive.
The Untamed is one of the most original tales I have seen in a long time. It's not the most finished, high polished film and it reminded me of a missing Twilight Zone story. It's not "B" movie status by any stretch and while being serious, it stays away from sci-fi cliché's. The acting is above par and believable even for the twisted, slightly ridiculous plot.
The domestic abuse message running deeply through The Untamed is the real star of the show and Spanish director Amat Escalante has crafted a powerful, awkward story to demonstrate how abusive relationships function.
Uncomfortable to watch, The Untamed is a unique, interesting twist on abusive that is well acted and kept me gripped for the entire running time.
The Untamed is about a woman Alejandra (Ruth Ramos) who is regularly abused by husband Angel (Jesús Meza) who is having an affair with her brother. Confused, you will be... Throw into the mix stranger Veronica (Simone Bucio) who is in her own unique abusive relationship who introduces Alejandra to her partner, a "pleasure" alien, fallen from an asteroid, which has become abusive.
The Untamed is one of the most original tales I have seen in a long time. It's not the most finished, high polished film and it reminded me of a missing Twilight Zone story. It's not "B" movie status by any stretch and while being serious, it stays away from sci-fi cliché's. The acting is above par and believable even for the twisted, slightly ridiculous plot.
The domestic abuse message running deeply through The Untamed is the real star of the show and Spanish director Amat Escalante has crafted a powerful, awkward story to demonstrate how abusive relationships function.
Uncomfortable to watch, The Untamed is a unique, interesting twist on abusive that is well acted and kept me gripped for the entire running time.
To round of my Fest of 2017 was a total movie treat and starred Scotland's own, David Tennant.
Mad to be Normal was the closing film of Glasgow Film Festival 2017 and stars David Tennant as controversial psychiatrist R.D. Laing.
David Tennant is fantastic as the charismatic, isolated doctor who made a name for himself by treating patients by more humane methods in his own environment, amid his family. He is supported by the simply terrifying Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects, Miller's Crossing), elderly Michael Gambon (Harry Potter, Sleepy Hollow) and the slightly twitchy Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men, Girl, Interrupted) as Dr Laing's partner Angie Wood.
The story is a cross section of Dr Laing's life and we are dropped into the midst of it. It is part biopic and part drama which works well. The film pokes the stick at the psychiatric establishment in the 1960's and rather than giving a balanced view, writer and director Robert Mullen sides with Laing and his methods.
The film is dark, claustrophobic and disturbing with Tennant producing his usual well thought out, character portrayal and with high calibre co-stars Gabriel Byrne and Michael Gambon to bounce off of, Tennant is in his element.
Mad to be Normal is a slice of the dark side of 60's psychiatric diagnoses and treatment which is intelligently played by the cast. It's not a Saturday night funfest as it is troubling at however this does not make it less entertaining. If you like David Tennant, biopics or just an intelligent story, go and see Mad to be Normal
Mad to be Normal was the closing film of Glasgow Film Festival 2017 and stars David Tennant as controversial psychiatrist R.D. Laing.
David Tennant is fantastic as the charismatic, isolated doctor who made a name for himself by treating patients by more humane methods in his own environment, amid his family. He is supported by the simply terrifying Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects, Miller's Crossing), elderly Michael Gambon (Harry Potter, Sleepy Hollow) and the slightly twitchy Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men, Girl, Interrupted) as Dr Laing's partner Angie Wood.
The story is a cross section of Dr Laing's life and we are dropped into the midst of it. It is part biopic and part drama which works well. The film pokes the stick at the psychiatric establishment in the 1960's and rather than giving a balanced view, writer and director Robert Mullen sides with Laing and his methods.
The film is dark, claustrophobic and disturbing with Tennant producing his usual well thought out, character portrayal and with high calibre co-stars Gabriel Byrne and Michael Gambon to bounce off of, Tennant is in his element.
Mad to be Normal is a slice of the dark side of 60's psychiatric diagnoses and treatment which is intelligently played by the cast. It's not a Saturday night funfest as it is troubling at however this does not make it less entertaining. If you like David Tennant, biopics or just an intelligent story, go and see Mad to be Normal
Handsome devil - opening the Glasgow Film Festival 2017
The Glasgow Film Festival is renowned for bringing Glasgow the best that world cinema has to offer, premiering exciting and thought provoking movies from the ridiculously talented. This year, the ever industrious organisers of the Glasgow Film Festival have upped the ante yet again with a stunning line up of first class films for 2017. Full listings can be found in the Breaking News page but be quick as this year, demand is high. To kick off the celebrations we have a belter of a European Premier, so sit back, strap in and commence au festival..
Opening the Glasgow Film Festival 2017 is director John Butler's coming of age drama, Handsome Devil. The story is about teenager Ned's turbulent journey through adolescence, set in a background of an Irish boarding school scattered with a minefield of prejudices. Ned, delicately portrayed by Fionn O'Shea, meets up with Conor (Nicholas Galitzine), the new boy to school, who is instantly accepted due to his sporting pedigree. They are flung together as roommates and we take the story from there.
O'Shea and Galitzine are cast well as the ill fitting, awkward teenagers who both have their own prejudices to overcome. Both are very watchable and while O'Shea shows a sensitivity to Ned, Galitzine plays Conor as prickly and popular in public but caring and vulnerable in private. Vulnerability and acceptance is a theme that runs the length of the film and is explored with soul searching honesty by both actors.
They are supported by Moe Dunford (Patrick's Day, Vikings) as the quite sadistic P.E. teacher, Pascal, and the, ever watchable, Andrew Scott (Sherlock, Spectre) playing Mr Sherry, the influential English teacher. Dunford and Scott are magnificent at lynch pinning the boys struggle through school and self discovery. Both have their own reasons for living part of their lives through the boys, resulting in a tense head to head between the teachers. To round out the of the cast are school bully Weasel, played cruelly by Ruairi O'Connor, a despondent headmaster, Walter, played by Michael McIlhatton and a refreshing straight laced turn from comedian Ardal O'Hanlon playing Ned's father.
Writer/Director Butler doesn't relent on emotion and will have you following each deeply believable character with interest. He tells a raw story that knows when to release the tension with some lighter moments. The humour and warmth of the story comes straight from the Emerald Isle which, like Alan Parker's Commitments, Stephen Frears' The Snapper and Butler's very own film, The Stag, cuts that nice line between celebrating Irish humour but remaining respectful of the culture.
The pacing of the film is OK but it could've taken a bit more time to bask in the sunshine of its own story as it tries to fit a lot of things into a short running time of 95 minutes.
Handsome Devil deserves its place, alongside Hail Caesar! and The Grand Budapest Hotel as opening films to the magnificent Glasgow Film Festival just as writer/director John Butler is not out of place beside The Coens and Wes Anderson. Butler has given the world an absolute charming price of cinema that threw me through a spectrum of emotions from anger right the way through to joy. It taps into the same characters that we all knew from school whether this was a Pascal, Mr Sherry, Conor, Ned or even a Weasel and twists them into a deeply personal story that is enormously watchable.
Please see the Breaking News for Handsome Devil showing times
Rating 9.5/10 - 0.5 off for not basking.
Opening the Glasgow Film Festival 2017 is director John Butler's coming of age drama, Handsome Devil. The story is about teenager Ned's turbulent journey through adolescence, set in a background of an Irish boarding school scattered with a minefield of prejudices. Ned, delicately portrayed by Fionn O'Shea, meets up with Conor (Nicholas Galitzine), the new boy to school, who is instantly accepted due to his sporting pedigree. They are flung together as roommates and we take the story from there.
O'Shea and Galitzine are cast well as the ill fitting, awkward teenagers who both have their own prejudices to overcome. Both are very watchable and while O'Shea shows a sensitivity to Ned, Galitzine plays Conor as prickly and popular in public but caring and vulnerable in private. Vulnerability and acceptance is a theme that runs the length of the film and is explored with soul searching honesty by both actors.
They are supported by Moe Dunford (Patrick's Day, Vikings) as the quite sadistic P.E. teacher, Pascal, and the, ever watchable, Andrew Scott (Sherlock, Spectre) playing Mr Sherry, the influential English teacher. Dunford and Scott are magnificent at lynch pinning the boys struggle through school and self discovery. Both have their own reasons for living part of their lives through the boys, resulting in a tense head to head between the teachers. To round out the of the cast are school bully Weasel, played cruelly by Ruairi O'Connor, a despondent headmaster, Walter, played by Michael McIlhatton and a refreshing straight laced turn from comedian Ardal O'Hanlon playing Ned's father.
Writer/Director Butler doesn't relent on emotion and will have you following each deeply believable character with interest. He tells a raw story that knows when to release the tension with some lighter moments. The humour and warmth of the story comes straight from the Emerald Isle which, like Alan Parker's Commitments, Stephen Frears' The Snapper and Butler's very own film, The Stag, cuts that nice line between celebrating Irish humour but remaining respectful of the culture.
The pacing of the film is OK but it could've taken a bit more time to bask in the sunshine of its own story as it tries to fit a lot of things into a short running time of 95 minutes.
Handsome Devil deserves its place, alongside Hail Caesar! and The Grand Budapest Hotel as opening films to the magnificent Glasgow Film Festival just as writer/director John Butler is not out of place beside The Coens and Wes Anderson. Butler has given the world an absolute charming price of cinema that threw me through a spectrum of emotions from anger right the way through to joy. It taps into the same characters that we all knew from school whether this was a Pascal, Mr Sherry, Conor, Ned or even a Weasel and twists them into a deeply personal story that is enormously watchable.
Please see the Breaking News for Handsome Devil showing times
Rating 9.5/10 - 0.5 off for not basking.
T2 TRAINSPOTTING 2016
I never thought I would see a Trainspotting sequel. Just like I never thought I would see a Justice League film (later this year) or a female Doctor Who (maybe?). I wasn't exactly beating down director Danny Boyle's door demanding a sequel. If it came along, great, but if not, I'm of the opinion that the first film is so strong it can stand on its own two feet. In the awesomeness that was Trainspotting , there were no loose ends, nothing to tie up and it said everything it had to say in the sweet, sweet 1 hour 34 minute running time of film perfection. T2 Trainspotting has taken 20 years to make sure that it had the right script, the right cast and was the right time. It was following in the footsteps of a piece of cinema excellence that helped shape an era. It was time to Choose Life again..
T2: Trainspotting or T2 as it will be referred to in this review sees Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returning to Edinburgh after 20 years. He hooks up with his original group of friends, Simon/Sickboy (Johnny Lee Miller) and Spud (Ewan Bremner) while the story follows sociopath Begbie (Robert Carlyle) and draws him into the plot. There is an introduction of a new character, Veronika (Anjela Nedyalkova), who joins the four and there are a few welcome cameos from the peripheral Trainspotting characters - Diane (Kelly MacDonald), Mark's Dad (James Cosmo), Gail (Shirley Henderson) and Mikey Forrester (Trainspotting author, Irvine Welsh) but this story is about the four boys who formed up that iconic poster from the 90's.
All four actors represent their much loved characters very well and even develop a slightly harder expanded side to their characters. They immediately answer the question "Whatever happened to.." and then roll the characters onto more events. A danger for ensemble cast movies is there is usually a weaker link that doesn't quite get the same writing attention which means they come off the worst. In T2, all characters are treated well and, in turn, McGregor, Miller, Bremner and Carlyle give an acting master class in how to retain core traits while moving their characters on with the times.
While the original Trainspotting was the definition of originality, T2 has to take into account the previous story. This works in its favour as valuable running time doesn't have to be spent establishing what makes each character tick. What T2 does with this time, is explain how the characters got to where they were in the original, going further back than the aforementioned 20 years. Due to each character going through their own midlife crisis and seeking answers in whatever they can find, they need to think on their past and each flashback is touching and sensitively told.
John Hodge's screen play is razor sharp with dialogue that crackles off the screen. Every word is counted, checked and measured which results in a flowing, poignant and funny stream of dialogue. T2 includes quick witted, Scottish observations, that the original had, giving moments that made me cry with laughter.
This soundtrack, while not as recognisable as the Iggy Pop, Lou Reed heavy original, slots in well to the action and adds to the character of the movie. Like the dialogue, each song is carefully picked and slotted into different scenes that perfectly frames up the motion.
My one minor critique of T2 is that it allows the audience to catch up too much. Trainspotting was the highest grossing film of 1996 in the UK so it could be taken as read that most people who were going to see the sequel had seen the original. And if they hadn't, well, why not? Boyle takes the audience by the hand in more than one scene and explains the entire back story which seems a bit like talking down to the audience.
The makers of T2 have given the world a detailed, important slice of the beloved characters and moved them on in the world that has no place for them. It had me rolling a tear more than once and for different reasons. Ok, I might not have known that I wanted a Trainspotting sequel but now that I have one, I want more.
Rating 9.5/10 - 0.5 off for being spoon fed the back story.
T2: Trainspotting or T2 as it will be referred to in this review sees Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returning to Edinburgh after 20 years. He hooks up with his original group of friends, Simon/Sickboy (Johnny Lee Miller) and Spud (Ewan Bremner) while the story follows sociopath Begbie (Robert Carlyle) and draws him into the plot. There is an introduction of a new character, Veronika (Anjela Nedyalkova), who joins the four and there are a few welcome cameos from the peripheral Trainspotting characters - Diane (Kelly MacDonald), Mark's Dad (James Cosmo), Gail (Shirley Henderson) and Mikey Forrester (Trainspotting author, Irvine Welsh) but this story is about the four boys who formed up that iconic poster from the 90's.
All four actors represent their much loved characters very well and even develop a slightly harder expanded side to their characters. They immediately answer the question "Whatever happened to.." and then roll the characters onto more events. A danger for ensemble cast movies is there is usually a weaker link that doesn't quite get the same writing attention which means they come off the worst. In T2, all characters are treated well and, in turn, McGregor, Miller, Bremner and Carlyle give an acting master class in how to retain core traits while moving their characters on with the times.
While the original Trainspotting was the definition of originality, T2 has to take into account the previous story. This works in its favour as valuable running time doesn't have to be spent establishing what makes each character tick. What T2 does with this time, is explain how the characters got to where they were in the original, going further back than the aforementioned 20 years. Due to each character going through their own midlife crisis and seeking answers in whatever they can find, they need to think on their past and each flashback is touching and sensitively told.
John Hodge's screen play is razor sharp with dialogue that crackles off the screen. Every word is counted, checked and measured which results in a flowing, poignant and funny stream of dialogue. T2 includes quick witted, Scottish observations, that the original had, giving moments that made me cry with laughter.
This soundtrack, while not as recognisable as the Iggy Pop, Lou Reed heavy original, slots in well to the action and adds to the character of the movie. Like the dialogue, each song is carefully picked and slotted into different scenes that perfectly frames up the motion.
My one minor critique of T2 is that it allows the audience to catch up too much. Trainspotting was the highest grossing film of 1996 in the UK so it could be taken as read that most people who were going to see the sequel had seen the original. And if they hadn't, well, why not? Boyle takes the audience by the hand in more than one scene and explains the entire back story which seems a bit like talking down to the audience.
The makers of T2 have given the world a detailed, important slice of the beloved characters and moved them on in the world that has no place for them. It had me rolling a tear more than once and for different reasons. Ok, I might not have known that I wanted a Trainspotting sequel but now that I have one, I want more.
Rating 9.5/10 - 0.5 off for being spoon fed the back story.
click below to see LAST month's review
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