The Lady In The Van – Alan Bennet’s autobiographical play gets
an endearing and charming lift onto the big screen with Alex Jennings and
Maggie Smith in the lead roles. Jennings is eerily uncanny at adopting Bennet’s
idiosyncratic style of witty, mildly effete and quintessentially northern
disposition as the writer finds himself at first aiding and then effectively watching
over an eccentric old woman living in a van on his street for a period of
fifteen years. Having played the role of the title in Bennet’s play, Maggie
Smith has the role down to a t, with the additional advantage of these feisty
older women being something of her specialty. She is truly a force to behold
and marvel at on screen as is Jennings as Alan Bennet, even though the gimmick
of presenting a the writer as two personas (a “writer” version of himself and
an active “living” version) can be a slightly confusing conceit over the course
of the film. It’s unlikely that the film will become a major British classic,
but for those appreciate Alan Bennet’s distinct voice as a writer (such as
myself) it’s definitely enjoyable. A solid cast of names also includes bit parts
from Roger Allam, James Corden, Dominic Cooper and Russell Tovey. *** (pick of
the week)
Steve Jobs – Having already made waves with his film
documenting the rise of Facebook, The Social Network (2010), writer Aaron
Sorkin returns to similar territory with Steve Jobs, a film about the titular
founder of Apple. Taking a much more distinctly structured approach with Steve
Jobs, Sorkin’s script is laid out in three acts, each taking place in
essentially real time ahead of the release of one of the computer systems
developed by Jobs, here played by Michael Fassbender. Fassbender makes for a
magnetic and energetic presence as does his anchoring counterpart of Jobs’
confident Joanna Hoffman played by Kate Winslet (sporting a distinct accent
melding Mid-Western with Eastern-European). Directed by Danny Boyle, the film
also has Boyle’s visual flair especially in the film’s 80’s-set first act that
helps provide the film with a sort of charm in spite of its antagonistic tone.
As much wonderful as his writing is and pointed with its
critiques and comments, Sorkin’s screenplay is alas a little harder to swallow
given the very dense nature of all three acts. Steve Jobs is, much like the portrayal
of its main character, an exhausting and at times a demanding film to get to
grips with, which does serve to its detriment. However, more could probably be
gleaned from return visits. Also features Jeff Daniels and Seth Rogen.***
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True Romance – Rereleased back into cinemas, True Romance is
the Quentin Tarantino-penned tale of star-crossed lovers Clarence (Chrsitian
Slater) and Alabama (Patricia Arquette) on a trip from Detroit to Los Angeles
with a suitcase full of cocaine and gangsters on their tail. Directed by the
late Tony Scott, Scott’s characteristically glossy direction and Tarantino’s predilection
for 70’s kitch and extreme violence make for surprisingly good bedfellows as an
ensemble of a-list actors carry the film along with both tension and
excitement. A cult classic of the 90’s and a must for any Tarantino fan. Cast
also includes Michael Rapaport, Bronson Pinchot, Saul Rubinek, Chris Penn, Tom
Sizemore, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, James Gandolfini, Val Kilmer, Christopher
Walken, Brad Pitt and Samuel L. Jackson. ****
