Miller’s Crossing.
What’s the rumpus? Set in Prohibition-era America, the Coen Brothers’ Miller’s Crossing follows an emotionless gangster, Tom, as he uses his quick wit and nous to play opposing sides of the criminal underworld against each other in order to survive. Tom (Gabriel Byrne) is the chief advisor, a consigliere if you will, to Irish crime lord Leo (Albert Finney). Leo’s Italian counterpart, Johnny Caspar (played to perfection by Jon Polito) is not happy with bookmaker Bernie (another excellent performance by Coen Brothers regular Jon Turturro) who, according to Caspar, is lacking in “ethics”. Leo, against Tom’s advice, refuses to punish, or allow Caspar to punish, Bernie, and in doing so starts a gang war, with Tom caught in the middle. Deceit and double-crossings are rife in one of the sharpest and most complex screenplays produced by the Coens, with dialogue so fast, subtitles may be required to fully comprehend the conversational tug-of-wars. Critics will attempt to condemn the film on the basis that the characters of Miller’s Crossing are cold and distant, however this is a deliberate consideration by the Coens, as they are aware that in the world of crime, closeness gets you killed. Multiple viewings may be needed to properly understand and appreciate the plot of this gangster film noir, however the beautiful cinematography is apparent from the second the film starts rolling. Well worthy of a viewing, however don’t go into it expecting a kill-a-minute gun fest; this is as close to Scarface as Blade Runner is to Star Wars.
Riff-Raff.
Unbelievably for a Ken Loach film, Riff-Raff is set in a London borough rather than the working class North of England. The main characters, however, are from all over: Liverpool, Glasgow, Bristol, Northern Ireland; working class people searching for a job wherever they can find it, and the search has led them to London. The plot revolves around Robert Carlyle’s “Stevie” (an alias he uses), a Glaswegian who dreams of opening a shop selling boxers and socks, a modest dream but one far from reach for a low paid construction worker. The rest of his colleagues on the site look out for each other and find him a squat. After finding a woman’s handbag in a skip, Stevie returns it to Susan, a struggling, unemployed singer. Stevie and Susan see more of each other and there relationship grows in a less than Hollywood manner; they fight, they argue, but they forgive. As with the Ken Loach films already seen in weeks past, Riff-Raff is an ultra-real insight into working class life post Thatcher. There is natural humour, there is natural drama, there are natural relationships; the film is a pseudo-documentary into how people with nothing continue to survive; not only survive, but to live.
Thelma & Louise.
Best friends Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) plan to take a weekend vacation in the Arkansas mountains. Thelma is an ill-treated housewife, Louise an overworked waitress. Neither are entirely happy with their lives, so an escape from the daily grind, even just for a day or two, is most welcome. Not long after leaving, things go wrong for the two friends as they are pursued cross country by the police. At the outside of the film, the personalities of Thelma and Louise are presented as being quite opposing: Louise is clean, organised and level-headed; Thelma is spontaneous and naïve. As the story progresses however we see the intricacies of their characters, and how complex they are as individuals. Our two female protagonists discover during their adventure, what it is to be alive and free; what is more symbolic of freedom and the emancipation from an oppressive society, than driving a convertible through the scenic, vast open spaces of the Southern United States? A stellar cast including Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen and Brad Pitt along with the two female stars are excellent, as, typically, is director Ridley Scott; combined with the best original screenplay at the 64th Academy Awards from Callie Khouri, gives a thoroughly enjoyable film which questions the ideas of sexism, oppression and, ultimately, friendship. If The Simpsons, in their heyday, devote an entire episode to parody a film, then it must be worth a watch, right?
Boyz n the Hood.
Tre is a young, black boy living in the Los Angeles Crenshaw ghetto in the early 1980s. The frequent gang shootings in his neighbourhood have normalised violence to Tre; after fighting with a kid from school his mother sends him to live with his father: to teach him to be a man, to be responsible. Seven years pass and we are introduced to Tre and his childhood friends as they approach adulthood, with their paths leading in different directions. Tre works part time in a store and is planning on attending university with the love of his life, Brandi; Ricky is a father and has dreamt of playing in the NFL since he was a kid and is pursuing a scholarship to play college football; Doughboy, Ricky’s brother, has little to no career prospects, he’s a member of a gang and deals drugs. Boyz n the Hood delivers a powerful insight into life as a young, black male living in the LA ghetto, with the streets depicted as a war zone with only one way out. First time writer and director John Singleton brilliantly explores the themes of race, family, poverty, violence, police brutality and more besides in an enduring film about life, his life, in the hood. If you’re looking for a film that glamourising the gang lifestyle that dominated the hip-hop scene of the 90’s, this is not it.
Kiki’s Delivery Service.
Kiki is a thirteen year-old witch; tradition dictates that at that age she must move to a new city and live independently for a year to train her abilities. Each town should only be inhabited by one witch, so after a little searching Kiki, along with her feline companion Jiji, find a suitable place to call home. Upon arriving in the city, Kiki discovers that the people, culture and traditions are different than they are in her village; leaving Kiki to believe she is very much an outsider. After performing a favour for a baker she happens across, Kiki is offered a place to stay and decides to start a delivery company in the attic of the bakery, using the only witch ability she has learned so far: flying parcels all across the city on her broom. Kiki’s tribulations constitute the rest of the story, as she attempts to adjust to life in a new place, with new people and new experiences. Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli create a beautifully animated, wonderful, magical world filled with loveable characters that is guaranteed to make any viewer feel warm and cosy. There is a deep, personal story to Kiki’s Delivery Service that may go over the head of the youngest in the audience, but certainly isn’t lost on those who can empathise with Kiki; her problems are, ultimately, human, and are experienced by everyone at some point in their lives. Better than Disney.
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