Films: Recently Seen

Which is not to say they're recent

Michael Clayton
Directed by Tony Gilroy (2007)

If there's such a thing as a thinking man's John Grisham, then Tony Gilroy and his script for this legal thriller come close. 'Thriller' is almost a misnomer here as it's all very low key, with the emphasis on character rather than action. George Clooney in his best performance yet plays a man facing up to failure when a brilliant career once beckoned. He's now a bag-man, or fixer, for a corporate law firm who are in the midst of defending a GM crops company, a concern that bears a striking resemblance to Monsanto.

The head of the defence team, brilliantly played by Tom Wilkinson, has turned turned turtle and is threatening to blow the whistle on his erstwhile clients, while a genetically modified Tilda Swinton is equally determined to stop him. Clooney is the man in the middle, his smarm factor considerably reduced, still present but now accompanied by vulnerability. The problem is, he can't do angry. Whenever he tries to appear tough he looks like he's about to give you a hug.

You don't need to be a lawyer to spot a few holes in the story, though you can easily buy into it. What really grabs is the acting, set design and the photography, which all leave you thinking that they deserve a rather more substantial film. Politically the American liberal tradition of blaming wrong-doings on a few misguided individuals, is followed religiously. So then, a good evening's entertainment and just a bit more besides Michael Clayton

Black Book
Directed by Paul Verhoeven (2007)


I've always been a fan of the much misunderstood Paul Verhoeven. Although you wouldn't think it from his films, at least if you take them at face value, he comes from an academic background, his speciality being classical Greek theatre. He professes amazement that films such as Basic Instinct and Showgirls are taken seriously, and not considered the assault on American mores that he intended. But you can only take the piss for so long before you start to forget what you really believe in. Hollow Man his last US film, and one which lived up to the first part of its title, ultimately caused him to take flight and stock and return to his Dutch roots.


Black Book is his first film since his homecoming and while it is astonishing in places, it's ultimately disappointing. Set in German occupied Holland the story focuses on the Dutch resistance, in particular Ellis a young Jewish girl who will go to any lengths for the cause, including sleeping with high ranking German officers. Her original intention is to see off a German general, but he turns out to be a 'good Nazi' if such a thing ever existed. The tale then turns into one of betrayal for the pair of them as the general's underlings have been running a scam murdering and robbing Jews seeking to flee the country and then pocketing the proceeds, something even the Nazis think is beyond the pale.

What's astonishing is the sheer pace with which events unfold, quite unlike any European film, while the lavish production values would grace any Hollywood release. What disappoints, ultimately, is the convoluted story which would have you believe that there were more traitors that fighters in the resistance movement. Up until a certain point you go along for the ride, indeed it's a thrilling experience but the denouement is one trick too many.

The Dutch/German cast are superb, though Sebastian Koch looks much too nice to be wearing a Nazi uniform. But it's Carice van Houten as Rachel/Ellis who steals the show, even with her clothes on. You can see how much Verhoeven has learned from his American experience, I just hope next time around this is tethered to a more credible story, though It seems churlish to dismiss this on such grounds given its many qualities - it's thrilling and and at times, edge-of the street-stuff. Just be sure to have several pinches of salt handy.

Comme une Image
Directed by Agnes Jaoui (2004)

This got great reviews and it's easy to see why. Too easy. The acting is superb, the cinematography lush and it's about the critics' favourite subject: writers. But is it too saying 'look at me'? There's a kind of picture book blandness about this, especially when compared with Jaoui's previous work , Le Gout des Autres a biting tale of French cultural snobbery. All we are told here is that the French literati are self obsessed wankers. Hands up those who didn't know that.

Pan's Labyrinth
Directed by Guillermo del Toro (2006)

Expectations were as high as the concept for this. A young girl seeking to escape the horrors of her surroundings and her brutal fascist stepfather, concocts an escapist world of fairies and other such forms. The backdrop for this is the last days of Spanish Civil war. Franco's forces have triumphed but there are still pockets of resistance, giving the fascists yet more scope for killings and torture.



All this is handled adequately but the problems begin when the fairies make an appearance. Actually, they're not so bad, it's the fauns you've got to watch out for as the labyrinth lurches into a CGI fest. The idea, of course, was for the girl to dislocate herself from reality but the effect on this spectator was to dislocate from the film itself. It almost felt there was an intermission and I was suddenly plunged into a trailer for a Pixar production. Nothing wrong with Pixar, but if you are in the middle of watching, say, Shrek, I doubt if you'd be too pleased to find the film suddenly cutting to Schindler's List.


It's a fact that we live in a digital age, but it wasn't always thus. There was a time when filmmakers had to rely on their imagination, and the audience too, but now it's all laid out for you. I'm not advocating going back to the radio, or should I say wireless, but there must be a better way of doing things than this. I should say I'm in minority here as the film is the recipient of several oscars and is currently rated #47 in the all-time greats on the Internet Movie Database. Pan's Labyrinth