Well, the sun is shining, and the Christmas and New Year extravaganzas have come and gone. And what better way to leisurely drift in the afterglow than to indulge in the annual barrage of January cinema releases? Some of us will move all the way from the computer we've downloaded them on, to the plasma. But in spite of my willingness to experience films fresh off the reel (not to mention my inability to resist temptation), there's really nothing quite like getting off your ass and going to a cinema. I love it so much, I've even learned not to sneer at the candybar prices (but I'm also smart enough to smuggle an extra cold drink and some munchies in my bag). Cinema is good for your brain; far too many of us are lacking the stimulation, and the LG widescreen LCD just doesn't match sitting in the dark theatre, with that glowing, monstrous screen, the rustle of Twisties packets, and the occasional pain in your tail bone (oh, who cares?!). What can I say? I'm revolting against DVD, LCD, Bit-torrent, Limewire, Peekvid, ipod, JB, Youtube and all the rest. So let's take a look at a few releases currently beckoning our call from the delicious hush of the cinematheque...

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It's not very often, I must confess, that British cinema manages to win my affection. But Stephen Frear's The Queen is, in my opinion, one of the strongest contenders in the Christmas cinema blitz (box-office takings aside, of course, which we will take no notice of). It's smart, subtle, wickedly funny, and yes, Helen Mirren should win a bloody oscar (though I imagine I could change my mind when I see Laura Dern's "Inland Empire" nightmare). On one hand, it goes without saying that political cinema is fast becoming a revived genre, and the political timeliness of this film isn't terribly difficult to miss. On this level, it's a clever game, The Queen. Though it focuses on the Royal Family, with the portrayal of Tony Blair designated supporting subplot, I think it is ultimately Blair that is the film-makers' political prey. The ridiculousness of the Royal Family in today's world is hardly news to most of the audience who will see this film; but the unfortunate connection to Tony Blair, a man who once "saved" us from the first real chance we've had of the English working class debunking and rejecting the Queen of England (when their "truer" colours were exposed after Diana's death), is news to most (who have forgotten, or in this country, certainly, never knew of to begin with). It was this that I found nagging at my thoughts, after the credits rolled.

But for those not as interested in the politics, like many of us are, or even for those beginning to grow weary from the political cinema onslaught, I insist that the Queen is a marvelous treat that works aside from these social factors. I do think the film will affect you in a manner that is socially dependent - I can't imagine anyone who could not be affected in this way - but even so, the film transcends the leftish implications for The Coalition of the Willing, etc, and explores issues of class, the symbolism of pomp and tradition and its place in the modern world, the sensationalising and manipulation of public narratives by media, and the dissonance between adaptation and accountability. The Queen is actually an interesting moral puzzle, and though its stance is ultimately clear, it never beats us over the head (like the preaching, ridiculous Bobby), and plays wicked mind games - toying with our conscience, sympathies and beliefs.

It also has an enchanting humanity, and the infamous story of the ill-fated Princess of Diana, instead of being exploited and contrived, comes to life like never before (without the Princess being an active part of the story, aside from the clever usage of real television footage). I'm by no means a Di-hard (is that the right term?), but this is precisely my point. I left the film feeling, for the first time ever, that the death of Diana truly was a woeful tragedy, and that aside from Blair's meddling with public relations, the ultimate chance lost is not the near-rebellion of the masses towards the monarchy, but the woman herself. I must stress that I never thought I'd hear myself say that - but, at the end of the day, I was a 19 year old uni student when Diana died, and perhaps it was more that I had finally revisited this tale as someone older, wiser and decidedly more aware. Whatever the case, The Queen was a hypnotically beguiling, entertaining and surprisingly emotive film. I can't recommend it enough.

MARIE ANTOINETTE
now showing

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Royal is, like, so in, darling. Three times as cool as The Queen, and yet, nowhere near as wonderful, is Sofia Coppola's latest poor little lost rich girl oddyssey, Marie Antoinette. I can't stand the egocentric film-making of the young Coppola. I enjoyed her debut, Virgin Suicides; but how were we to know the pattern that would emerge? Lost In Translation was, I know, a big hit for Coppola, but I hated it. It was as if the penny dropped, and I realised that what I was really watching was a vacuous girl who was going to use her moment on the silver-screen to basically drown herself - and us, along with her - in her boring self-pity and aggrandisement. Boo fucking hoo. "Hey, everyone, I'm like... lost... in translation. Get it? Boo hoo, I'm so lost. I'm like rich, and I, like, have everything... and yet, I'm so empty inside. These things means nothing to me. This career, this Ferarri, this rich, hot boyfriend. I reject all of it, man." Yaaaawn.

But, before you write in and put me in my place, I do concede that many love this lost, little, rich girl. So you'll know where you are on that line, and you can still use this review as a guide, because if you loved her void in Tokyo, you're gonna love this, too. If you wanted her to throw herself out the window of the Tokyo high-rise (and take Murray down with her) than stay the fuck away from Marie Antoinette. You thought Sofia was lost, empty and ultimately without substance, before? Just wait til you see her project her self-obsession onto the infamous French Queen!

The film spends almost two hours going nowhere - which is, like, the point. Get it? Do you? Huh? And while I by no means come at this from an angered traditionalist perspective that complains of Coppola ignoring the larger historical narrative (in fact, I welcome using history as a conceptual motif for exploring subjectivities - as does The Queen, and so too, the next film we will look at), I would have liked a little more than MTV clips and what ends up feeling like a fancy-dress Versailles special of The OC. Off with Sofia's head.

PAN'S LABYRINTH
commences Jan 18th (Dendy cinemas)

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Another film that takes a factual moment of history, and then uses it as a basis to explore broader themes related to that history  (stretching the boundaries of reality and factuality in the process) is Spanish film, Pan's Labyrinth. Set in the 1940's rebellion in Franco's Spain, it tells the story of Ofelia, the daughter of the woman the captain of Franco's army will marry in order to gain the heir to his family legacy. Of course, the brutal captain is a little more concerned with Ofelia's forthcoming little brother, than he is with Ofelia or her Mother, and his menacing control and violent ways give us the greatest screen villian of the Christmas movie run.

Cleverly juxtaposed with a parallel historical drama is Ofelia's magical discovery in the creepy gardens' stone labyrinth and her wondrous journey as the would-be princess of the underworld. The brutality of the story of the descending rebels set against a fantasy adventure that plays out like Jim Henson on a bad trip, results in a film that is innovative, thrillingly imaginative, and occasionally unsettling. The suspense is beautifully maintained, and what could have been a disastrous balance between the historical and the magical, held me captive to every moment. The end result is a believable and affecting ride.

The film (whilst never presenting a bombastic or clear-cut allegory) ultimately explores the role of fantasy and naivety in settings where depravity and hopelessness rule, and because this is a foreign (subtitled) film and not an over-produced Hollywood extravaganza, this portrait is painted with exquisite beauty (the score and the visuals are breath-taking, and the absence of CG FX in favour of older style creature creations was an unexpected pleasure), but even better, without the mainstream interference of test audience concerns and big bucks - meaning that the portrait can be allowed the ever-present darkness and pervading sorrow it deserves. The ending is just gorgeous, and I can't tell you how nice it was to be left sitting in the dark when the credits start to roll, thinking, quite simply, "wow" - the magic and beauty of the film lingering like a dizzy spell where reality must be slowly re-introduced. I let go, completely, during this one; I urge you to do the same, and dare to venture into this strange, wonderful fairytale for adults. It's difficult to hold this film up against the Queen - they're so vastly different - but I think this was my special find of the holidays. I thoroughly enjoyed Pan's Labyrinth - a film that can only be experienced in the magical light of a silver screen, a haunting, exciting and affecting escape.  

 

 

So have fun. And if you have any suggestions/warnings of your own, or perhaps you want to tell people not to listen to a word of what I've just said, post your own summer movie moments in the forum threads (which you need to register to do). Enjoy!