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Reviews
Day of the Flowers (2012)
Charlie's Cahiers De London Lsf Screening
From Glasgow to Havana via Bafta: I am writing my second review, after 'Fifty Kisses', not as a filmmaker, but as a fan. When Jean Luc Godard was first interested in film, he wrote in 'Cahiers DE Cinema', creating film dialogue of auteur, so in this vein, I hope to create a thoughtful level of critique rather than playing the line of industry games. Note that Kermode also described the film as 'thoughtful', as though in surprise, and having 'a plethora of themes'. What he doesn't point out though is what a daring feat it is to take a departure from formulaic movies to film that has no rigid genre.
In the after discussion at the Vue, Piccadilly the Glaswegian writer, Eirene Houston, sits with producer Jonathan Rae and director John Roberts, to make clear that they fought over every scene. "It was like a family made film then?" Chris delightedly asks, while Judy Goldberg takes photos.
The following Friday we are going to see a screening and reception for 'Fifty Kisses' at Bafta, also produced by Judy and Chris, celebrating its Guinness Record Status, for the number of people to work on a film. This will be a light relief after the highly emotional days of listening to extremely brave and moving women, like Judy Goldberg talk of overcoming painful, personal experience; or the focused Catherine Artin sharing her compassion; as well as seeing Malala Yousafzai just a few weeks ago in conversation at 'Women of the World' at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, eerily overwhelming, cheering and miraculous after her near death experience.
There is positive explosion of women actors, writers, thinkers at 'Day of the Flowers' revelling in tales of their differences, but ultimately making a low budget film on two million pounds, in Cuba itself. I am all for that family feel having started with Kafkaesque Frank Castorf, at Berlin People's Stage, who has had a Turk with little language ability at the stage door and a young man running the box office with a hunchback for over fifteen years, both happy and unemployable elsewhere. Airbrushed cosmetic theatres of Western Europe are put to shame simply by this alone. After we put the homeless and gypsies on stage, Frank wanting to keep pace allowed the most gifted to join the ensemble and tour Europe. To return to 'Day of the Flowers', shot in Cuba, Vernon Layton and director John Roberts point out what a big star impressive ballet ace, Carlos Acosta is, himself from poverty-stricken origins, which informed Eirene's writing of those heartening kinds who are not broken, but raised up to immense courage when under pressure. The film seamlessly melds alluring landscapes, filmed on 35mm by Vernon Layton, with the story of mismatched sisters Rosa and Ailie whose tense relationship overlaps with the relationship of their parents, supporters of the Cuban revolution.
There is something in the air with Judy Goldberg starting a campaign for 'Be Heard', a short film competition for victims of abuse, which I take interest in supporting as most homeless are on the street to avoid abuse, from family. Like her, Eirene Houston, Cathy Arton, on IMDb: also Jonathan Rae, John Roberts, Vernon Layton and Chris Jones.
'Day of the Flowers' is as fragile and vibrant as real life, flowing scenes integrated at the last minute, admit writer Eirene, director John and producer Jonathan. John adds the flexibility ' keeps the acting fresh'.
Eva Birtwhistle and Charity Wakefield bristle as wayward sisters, the former Rosa, genuinely named after tragic revolutionary Rosa Luxembourg. She is willing to fore-go all private pleasure touchingly in a quest to save the planet; idolising her father while the younger Ailie is freer, willing to take what life throws at her whether good or bad. I am staying silent as to all unexpected and outrageous twists that bring script alive as I don't wish to spoil..
Another humorous aspect to the film is the fact that director of photography Vernon Layton wanted to do some producing, in a minor capacity for a change, when their Director of Photography pulled out, as it clashed with other work, so Vernon had to step in as DOP! He explains how he preferred shooting on 35 mm film as it lends 'the film the look of a tapestry'; 'beautiful old crumbling buildings make a great setting.' He also mentions later to me how he 'did the 'Rock Circus' of the Stones'. I perceive him in my mind's eye, walking around the Cuban cities where they shoot, finding interesting angles of exotic buildings to make the decaying grandeur of an ex-colony reflect the heightened mental states of the two young women.
The actors mix the aesthetically pleasing with dramatic interludes of them finding new inner dimensions in the hypnotic landscapes they encounter; dancing late nights for the love of beautiful local men, including the star Carlos Acosta who is a member if the Royal Ballet although Cuban.
His zest for life and screen presence adds a dimension that dramatically alters any false view of Cuban people as lost souls in need of a Western injection: he refreshingly lives for dance. We see how relative poverty neither enables or detracts from the ability of individuals to stand out from others if they chose better lives as he teaches others dance. He is in stark contrast to the villainous family in the Cuban countryside trying to exploit innocent foreigners. Rosa retrieves her father's ashes from their fate as a tragic golfing prize and flees to deliver them to a river in Cuba. I am delighted that the writer and partner Laura have an hour long chat about character writing in the pub afterwards, with Eirene dropping hints about character scripting. Remember to vote on IMDb so it becomes a cult classic.
50 Kisses (2014)
CHARLIE'S CAHIERS DE London/Exceeding expectations hugely as the Guardian points out
This put it among the top rated films of the week. Is cinema at a Crossroad?Taking a step back for a more controlled step forward, in a crowd funded feature, acting as a catalyst for change? I used to write culture reviews for the Aga Khan appearing in India, Africa and also for the Guardian newspapers. I still enjoy it.
So what inspires all these people to jump at the chance Chris gives them of directing, writing, acting and editing in a crowd funded feature that will not be paid? It must be the touching innocence that exudes from Chris. 'Gone Fishing' his Oscar nominated short that 'came much closer to winning than I thought' he tells me, is beautifully and artistically created by one of the masters of DOPs, Director of Photography, Vernon Layton. It is as he also points out a children's version of 'Jaws', a brilliant concept, as entertaining. There is a need to see your work out there so you feel you have taken chances and reached people. That is why Chris, Vernon and his ensemble buzz with positive energy..
Of course blockbusters will always exist to make us jaded, stay in and prefer making love. Or watch 'Fifty Kisses', another upbeat, sublimely eccentric film from Judy Goldberg and Chris, who make no bones about bringing about positive outcomes in this case by involving a record number of screenwriters, filmmakers, and musicians in a film, over 2000?
The axis or shift of power from men to women has never been hazier. As I watched these fifty attempts at healing kisses it feels comforting how much I enjoy listening to women talking of film, or directing as Yildirim of Turkey did in 'That Good Night', in which a lead is played by her neighbour who 'has never played more than in background roles'. Bertolt Brecht had the habit of employing 'lay actors',non-experts, and I find myself the experience of working with homeless on a Millennium Award funded 'From the Horses Mouth' an authenticity left us yearning to do more work like this. In Eastern Europe we worked at Brecht's 'People's Stage' highly popular in Europe. Certainly first for working class work and his first attempts.
Even this though does not compare for me to the upbeat nature of many of these fifty films. For example in 'Beryl' by Sarah Page, the care worker takes on the role of former husband of the Alzheimer sufferer.
How interesting in fact it is to look at Kenneth Lemm's script, which centres on disappointment in familiar settings of parental hopes or wishes. The author notes a number of times that no-one has taken on the task of filming his offering and he must have felt concerned. Then as said a woman from a relatively unknown environment with 'zero budget' succeeds in making the film. Being a woman is what it speaks of to me, for she doesn't exaggerate the old man's anger, anymore than his reaction to his prodigal daughter's return with granddaughter. The understatement is what wins us over and makes us admire Yildirim as best director also.
I recently admired a book of poems by a woman from Massachusetts who delivers a guide to herself by seeing others, self-portrait drawn from many, and this is what I think has always made men see themselves, the reactions of women. The nurse yielding in the face of the old man's brutality, as well as the daughter silently but forcefully returning set the tone. In fact when comparing script and finished film understatement is more exalted by the end.
There is also the 'Dream Date', a much-admired section co-written by two females Ann Marie Draycott and Charity Trimm which is a great one to see. It works entirely out of the mistaken expectations we have of film to reveal aggressive, testosterone-driven sex, with the sedate parents exclusively orgasm over enjoying 'quiet time'. Similarly simple, gentle nuances are what set the works of women a cut above.
In fact all in all the female sequences seem more believable. Tracy Flynn also rewards with her sensitive tale of agoraphobia, while for sheer multitude of kisses envisioned Jennifer Allen outdoes the field. Nina Haerland makes for the gushing tears but Smiley Gab and Emma Croft bring a powerful outcome. 'Enough' by Kirsty McConnell was considered good enough to win best script on the night of the Premiere. It speaks intensity which is what we all feel in relationships that break down. Interestingly similar to 'Love Actually' it is however more believable, urgent with the woman's role having more depth, with her smoking out of the blue; it does not glamorise the misery that is experienced when lines o communication are impaired and what feels right becomes much more ambiguous. The film was played by a whole canon of actors and filmmakers showing that it is a universal scenario.