howard-45

A great slice of the early 50's - with an impeccable "British Movietone" narration. All stiff upper lip, clipped speech but some stunning shots of the now defunct 1951 London Festival Exhibition site. A rather different film to "London in Festival Year" - this looks at the closure of the show - and shows the windswept site, devoid of life, paper littering the site. A sad end to a great show. All that now remains of the site is the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank - the Skylon has long since been broken up....

A recent BBC TV documentary followed the fate of the Skylon - and found some bits had been preserved - but hardly anything remains of the actual exhibition. You can buy mugs and such at boot fairs - bu this film is a great reminder of a post-war "tonic for the nation" exercise.

...as one reviewer said above "Only the British can make rubbish like this" - but what lovely rubbish. The film followed on from a very successful BBC TV series of the same name - still showing today.

It's full of "innuendo" (which American viewers may not follow) and cheeky - but like "Carry On" films that is where the charm lies. We like smutty films - where suggestion is best left to the imagination. The death knell of the later "Carry On" films was heard when they actually showed naked women on screen - it has all been good clean titillation up to then, missus! Frankie Howerd, as a veteran of stage, radio, film and TV, allowed these romps to be used as a vehicle - full of his catch-phrases, knowing nods to the audience and hidden meanings.

Guess if you don't like it - you may not be British!

Channel 4 are showing this in the UK on Monday nights (March/April 04). We are currently towards the end of the 1st series and I am totally hooked. I don't usually like US crime series (well... I do like The Shield). On first inspection I thought it came from the same production company - but it's not. Great scripts, fine acting and lots of twists in the missing story plot lines. Jack's private life is beginning to unfold bit by bit too - and I am intrigued!

Anthony LaPaglia (playing Jack) won a Golden Globe this year (2004) for his part in the show - and he is absolutely fantastic. So much so, I have began searching out his earlier Australian films (Lantana is a must). An Aussie by birth, he is a cracking actor.

If you have missed this show (which also has a fine supporting cast including the wonderful Marianne Jean-Baptiste who starred in Mike Leigh's "Secrets and Lies" with Timothy Spall - a UK production) it is out in the autumn in a DVD box set.

Roll on series 2.....

..and glad that I did. Mike Leigh's earlier forays (Life is sweet/Secrets and Lies - all on DVD) lead you into this latest slice of "council estate" life in UK. Mike Leigh's method of getting his cast to explore their characters in depth before filming starts, provides a wealth of emotion upon which to draw once filming commences.

Timothy Spall has you reaching for the rolling pin, while you will want to punch the lights out of the family's large unemployed son. It's pretty tense, but for once there is a nice ending and the dysfunctional family seem on the point of getting on with their sorry lot.

Bitter, sweet, funny and frustrating - not a film to pass the evening away. We were both having to stop the DVD and argue/berate/discuss as we went along - a wonderful recommendation!

Life after WWII was bleak in England. Rationing was hitting hard, but spirits were lifted by the forthcoming royal marriage of Elizabeth and Philip. This slice of village life takes a poke at stiff England and the trials and tribulations of getting a slap up feast on the table for the local VIPs to celebrate the marriage. Michael Palin is the wimp, and marvellous Maggie Smith is the "trousers" in the relationship. Lots of lovely one-liners to treasure.

I do. The early films of Julie Walters, like "Personal Services", rely much on her early career as a nurse. She has an infectious laugh and clipped way of talking with her Midlands accent. This film is currently not available (2002) and friends and I have been searching - it has lots of one-liners (always a JW trademark) and builds up to a suitable comic climax (in every conceivable sense). The late Ian Charleson is great as the wimpish Mr Spong. I can't get on a flight now without smirking at the line where JW let's a car salesman know she is an ex-airline stewardess "I used to give out the complimentaries, you know, Tang, that sort of thing". Another British gem of a picture.

Richard E as Mr Greb and Julie Walters - together. Dream combination. A bit of Withnail and I plus Personal Services (1987) blended by experts.

Set in part in Southend, Essex, a look at mummy's boy Mr Greb being "seduced" by boozy Julie Walters as he searches for his long lost Dad. Denholm Elliot plays Julie's boyfriend.

Lovely one-liners such as the bit where Denholm returns drunk to the Hotel they are staying at (long-term) and Julie is annoyed, so shouts "Matty, you will not treat my home like a hotel!" Marvellous.

Any Julie Walters gem.

At the cinema this was a treat. At home on DVD it's even better! The sound, sets, colour all combine to provide a stunning 161 minute biopic. Jim Broadbent is good as usual, and works easily with Mike Leigh (as he is one of Mike's usual coterie of actors).

Buy it.

Life after WWII was bleak in England. Rationing was hitting hard, but spirits were lifted by the forthcoming royal marriage of Elizabeth and Philip. This slice of village life takes a poke at stiff England and the trials and tribulations of getting a slap up feast on the table for the local VIPs to celebrate the marriage. Michael Palin is the wimp, and marvellous Maggie Smith is the "trousers" in the relationship. Lots of lovely one-liners to treasure.

As the film is about Yorkshire in the 50's, why did Mel Gibson have to have a fake US accent? Surely they could have let him use his native Australian one for a change? I expect that the new Thomas Tank engine film will have Yankees in as well! Next they'll be making a film about US Navy folk stealing German cypher machines.

Lovely puns, in-jokes and references throughout - can't wait for the DVD release!