Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Closing Gala

Sidestepping a guest-listed red carpet, the ordinary Joes shuffled unglamorously to a packed Screen 1 in the Savoy for the closing gala of this year’s Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. The main event was the screening of Luca Guadagnino’s beautiful feature I am Love (Io Sono L’Amore), and the attendance of its director and leading lady added an extra buzz to the evening.

Joanne O’Hagan, CEO of the festival firstly did the obligatory ‘thank yous’ to the relevant supporting bodies, promoters, staff and volunteers before inviting festival director Gráinne Humphreys to say a few words. Humphreys took the opportunity to speak about the development on the festival which led into a poignant tribute to festival-founder Michael Dwyer, who she reckoned would have particularly enjoyed the opening credits of the night’s feature.

With the lights dimmed, Luca Guadagnino and Tilda Swinton were then welcomed to the stage, arriving from the back of the theatre. Swinton continued on from Humphrey’s tribute to Dwyer, speaking eloquently, the 10ft (approx) red head revealed that her only trips to Dublin had been for his festival and that she always kept an eye out at Cannes and Toronto for her “fellow ginger”.

In introducing the film, director Guadagnino began by saying that although it was his first trip to Dublin, he felt as if he already knew the city through its wealth of music and film. Before hurriedly handing back the mic, he added that John Houston’s The Dead had been a particular influence on him. Cue Dublin applause.

The curtains went back and the credits roll. If Dwyer had a penchant for beautiful fifties-style opening credits, then Humphrey’s assumption is right on the money. The lengthy credits of I am Love (Io Sono L’Amore) takes viewers back to a forgotten age of cinema, transporting old-fashioned aesthetics to turn of the millennium Milan.

The narrative opens on the meticulous preparations for an elaborate family dinner, under the instruction of wealthy housewife Emma Recchi (Swinton). As the family assembles, family tensions are palpable. Swinton’s restless character is at the centre of the peace keeping, until the fractures of her complex family life begin to mount. Beginning with a surprise announcement at dinner, the family’s world starts to unravel. To give a flavour of the plot without giving away too much, one of my intelligent friends pointed out its similarities to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House – take from that as much as you want.

Shot beautifully with a dramatic score from John Adams, I am Love is simply gorgeous. Swinton is fantastic as usual, speaking fluent Italian with a faint Russian accent (!). The support performance from Marisa Berensen as matriarch Allegra Recchi is restrained and aristocratic, whereas Antonio Biscaglia’s versatile Edo is convincing in both his optimism and despair. Although the shortcuts used to symbolise a character’s ‘coming out’ as a lesbian are a bit ridiculous (short hair, culottes for example), overall I am Love is a masterpiece. After wrestling its format from the clutches of Turkish soaps, Guadagnino had successfully reclaimed the melodrama.

Edge of Darkness - Film Review

It's hard to believe it's been eight years since we last saw Mad Mel take the lead on screen. That's not counting his apology with Diane Sawyer on ABC News over anti-Semitic remarks made while DUI in 2006, of course. Mel has kept busy, co-writing and directing Apocalypto and The Passion of the Christ, but here he puts his actor hat back on.

In Edge of Darkness, Mel plays Boston detective Craven whose daughter is murdered at the front door of his home. Initial leads on the case suggest an enemy of Craven's meant to target him, but cooly dismissing this claim and following his hunches, Craven sets about finding Emma's killer and there's something just not quite right about that Globex Corp on the hill...

Oops did we say Globex? No, we mean Northmoor, although it's easy to see why you might confuse the two. Northmoor is an unintentional (we're assuming) parody of the Hank Scorpio-led Globex corp in The Simpsons. In Edge of Darkness, questionable CEO Jack Bennett welcomes Craven into his layer like the nobel man welcomes his guest... Scorpio! Sorry, couldn't resist.

Edge of Darkness is essentially a parody of a parody. The Simpsons parodied James Bond, and Edge of Darkness parodies The Simpsons. It's of little surprise to learn that director Martin Campbell also directed Golden Eye and Casino Royale. The film ticks some of thriller boxes: meeting in underground car park scene - check!, snappy one liners e.g. "welcome to hell" - also check!, but for the most part is comedic - a Sony laptop turns on in seconds!

Worth seeing to hear Mel Gibson say "Give me the skinny" alone. Oh, and he loves german beeeeeeerrrrrrrrr!

Precious - Film Review

With exec producer Oprah Winfrey at the helm of the publicity drive, potential audiences for Precious might expect O-style subject treatment - downtrodden people overcoming stuff, redemption, spirituality. The trailer only adds fuel to these expectations. But there's no self-affirmation or inspirational positivity to be found here. The truth is, it's bleak. Really bleak.

The film opens on an unruly classroom in Harlem 1987, at the back sits poker-faced Claireece Precious Jones. With a glazed expression Precious reveals little to the world around her but we are afforded access to her thoughts via voiceover. Between daydream and reality, we soon learn that our hero is sixteen, pregnant for the second time (by her father) and now, suspended from school.

Aswe are given snapshot of her homelife -cats, grease, abusive mother, - we get an insight to the litany of physical and emotional abuse that Precious is subjected to. Fantasising a new life, Precious attends an 'alternative' school to help her illiteracy and attempts to build a support system around herself.

The film's story obviously has emotional appeal, but it refuses to take the easy road and pull on the heart strings with guaranteed tear jerker cliches, as you might expect. The trailer sets you up for a film of slow motion and montages, but this is not the case, and aside from one or two comments from teacher Blu Rain, Precious is neither preachy or patronising.

Its grim social realism is broken only with short bursts of fantasy, which can be jarring but thankfully become less frequent as the film progresses. This conflict of genre is a bold move by director Lee Daniels who has taken several risks with Precious. In terms of talent, the mix of newcomers, typecast and slated actors seems like a move destined for failure but it somehow works.

Gabourey Sidibe makes her debut as our hero with a low key performance that is restrained and pitch perfect. Elsewhere, it's easy to see why M'oNique won the Best Supporting Actress gong at the Golden Globes for her powerful portrayal of Precious' mother Mary, a surprising turn from the actress better known for her sitcom roles. The casting divas Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz was a gamble that paid off with understated but strong displays from both.

For the most part Precious makes uncomfortable viewing, but it is genuine and surprising. Just don't see it if you're feeling a bit blue.

Tropic Thunder - Film Review

Ben Stiller returns to the director's seat this month with Tropic Thunder, a big budget Hollywood comedy-war-flick. Featuring a star-studded ensemble, it took this cast of Hollywood heavy hitters to finally knock The Dark Knight off its perch at the American box office.

Starring Ben Stiller, Matthew Mc Conaughey, Tom Cruise, Jack Black and Nick Nolte with dozens of cameos by the likes of Jon Voight and Jason Bateman, Tropic Thunder's cast list reads like the guest list to the Oscars.

The story focuses around a group of actors who are shooting a big-budget movie in a jungle and are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying. American celebrity gossip show 'Access Hollywood' opens the movie, as the presenter describes the disastrous production of the film, which is only five days into shooting and already ‘the most expensive war movie ever made'.

The film within the film is based on the war memoirs of veteran Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte). Dealing with diva demands and budget constraints, director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) decides to film guerrilla-style in the jungle, where his pampered actors are forced to go extreme method. Struggling to find their way out of the jungle, they accidentally stumble into a heroin cartel...

The movie's strength lies in its continuous send-up of Hollywood and its actors. While satirising the whole industry, Tropic Thunder also makes millions for the film industry, thus helping it perpetuate everything they ridicule. It's a strange circle.

But quality comedy performances feature across the board, beginning with Robert Downey Jr's controversial Kirk Lazarus character.

Lazarus is a pretentious method actor and "five-time Oscar winner" who adopts an offensive accent and dyes his skin black refusing to break from character ‘until the DVD commentary is wrapped'. Lazarus puts his energy into winding up his co-star and failing action hero Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) with pompous phrases like; "I don't read scripts. Scripts read me."

Jack Black fans will be disappointed by the limited screen time granted to the actor's turn as heroin-addict and star of The Fatties movie franchise, Jeff Portnoy - especially since Tom Cruise is given more scope to bring laughs as studio head Les Grosseman, a hip-hop loving egomaniac.

Yes you read correctly, even Tom Cruise manages to be funny.

With oodles of pot shots at the war classics, particularly Apocalypse Now and Platoon, Tropic Thunder does lose some momentum towards the end but still attains what it no doubt sets out to do - be silly, loud, funny and quotable.

The new Anchorman? Quite possibly.

As the tagline says: "Get some!"


Film Information
Theatrical release date: 19 September 2008
Directed by Ben Stiller
Cast Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr, Jack Black, Nick Nolte
Runtime: 107 mins