I can't wait to see John Boorman's THE GENERAL. I've been a fan of his work since I was a kid and saw EXCALIBUR, ZARDOZ and POINT BLANK. Word has been great on this film thus far, and the word holds on this review. Also we have the latest on Ken Loach's MY NAME IS JOE. Loach has been one of them indie directors that I haven't seen much from, though I liked RIFF RAFF. Here's the report...
Here's two more reviews of films that will be shown at the New York Film Festival, which starts today. I went to the press screenings of these films which might explain why I'm writing about them before they actually screen at the festival.
So here's the scoop on two UK imports: John Boorman's "The General," starring Brendan Gleeson (Mel Gibson's sidekick in "Braveheart") and Jon Voight, and Ken Loach's "My Name is Joe" starring relatively unknown actor Peter Mullan, who won the Best Actor award at Cannes for his performance in this film.
Let's start with "The General." It's based the life of a notorious, likeable, and thoroughly popular Irish criminal named Martin Cahill. Boorman has put together something of an Irish "Goodfellas." The film is extremely enjoyable. It is in black and white and shot in Cinemascope! We follow the exploits of this very imaginative criminal who always finds ways to ellude the police and to cheat the justice system. In the prologue, we see him as a kid stealing sandwiches to feed his family. This leads to a career of theft, including pulling off the biggest heist in Irish history. Even though Cahill became famous in Ireland, no one ever managed to photograph him. Gleeson walks around half the film with his hands covering his face, which his makes his performance all the more difficult considering he has to deliver his lines. Another important thing to mention is that Cahill lived in poligamy, something that is thoroughly explored in the film.
I found the film to be extremely interesting as well as entertaining. Like "Goodfellas" it has a lot of nifty camera moves and slow motion sequences. John Boorman directs with a steady hand and even though the film doesn't have the dramatic punch of say, "Deliverance," it still has the mark of a master filmmaker. The press audience at the screening erupted in applause after the film ended. I take that as a pretty good sign.
A couple of months ago I had the chance to see the film "Twentyfourseven" with Bob Hoskins. Like "The General" it is also in black and white and they share a similar filmmaking style, although the subject matter is completely different. If you have a chance, see this movie (it should be out on video soon and it has a kick-ass soundtrack), you won't regret it. It's about a reformed alcoholic who tries to rebuild his life by teaching boxing to teenagers. This leads me to "My Name is Joe" which has a similar premise...
Joe Kavanagh (Peter Mullan) is a reformed alcoholic who is trying to rebuild his life. He's only been sober for a little under a year. Like Hoskins, he tries to keep his mind off the booze by serving as a soccer coach to a bunch of young guys with addiction problems of their own. But that's where the similarities stop. This film is much more psychologocally complex than "Twentyfourseven." The film actually centers around Joe's relationship with Sarah, a health worker he falls in love with. They try to make it work, against all odds, but outside forces (which I won't spoil for you) continuously threaten to pull them apart.
I happen to be a fan of Ken Loach. His "Ladybird, Ladybird" ranks among my all-time favorite. It is also a very depreessing film. "My Name is Joe" is more upbeat and funny, but not by much. It is ultimately about a man's struggle with himself and the ending is the bleakest I've seen in a while. Loach is also a very political filmmaker. "Joe" marks a departure from his political/activist cinema to a more human, more personal glimpse into someone's life. This movie will tear your heart out, but, at the same time, it is very emotionally satisfying. For my money, I'd rather see this than a manufactured tearjerker like "One True Thing." "Joe" is about real people dealing with real life problems and it's done with honesty.
In short, both "The General" and "My Name is Joe" are examples of the kind of beautifully crafted films that are coming out of the UK lately. In addition to "Twentyfourseven," there have been a few other gems like "I Went Down" (also with Brendan Gleeson), and Neil Jordan's "The Butcher Boy." Next week, I'm going to see "Gods and Monsters" and "The Velvet Goldmine," two more British imports. Expect a review of those immediately following each screening.
