Review roundup: Laura / Three Burials / A Dangerous Method

Here are some brief musings on things I’ve watched recently:

Laura (1944) [pictured] – Otto Preminger’s Laura is currently enjoying a small re-release courtesy of the BFI. It’s a wonderful piece of cinema from 1944 that’s full of all the wit, intrigue and tight plotting that’s familiar from the best films of that period. Dana Andrews plays the detective investigating a murder, with all the suspects connected to a seductively likeable and beautiful woman named Laura (Gene Tierney). It sits somewhere between a noir and a melodrama, is expertly written, directed and acted, and is indeed very good.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) – Tommy Lee Jones needs to direct more movies. His only theatrical release as director is seriously brilliant. It’s very Cormac McCarthy, despite the author not being involved in any way. It’s best watched not knowing much about the plot, but it’s based in a tough world on the Texas/Mexico border much as McCarthy’s border trilogy is, and contains some of the dark humour found in the Coen brothers’ adaptation of No Country For Old Men, despite some quite heavy themes. Guillermo Arriaga infuses his original screenplay with a McCarthy-esque worldview whilst carrying over the clever narrative structures and themes of loss, longing and alienation from his previous work, which includes Amores Perros and 21 Grams. Jones directs superbly, with a hint of Coen brothers.

A Dangerous Method (2011) – On paper the combination of Cronenberg directing Mortensen and Fassbender in a film about Freud and Jung should work really well, but it doesn’t quite come together. The film feels quite flat, and doesn’t go anywhere really interesting or provide particular insight into their relationship. Fassbender has an affair with his patient (Keira Knightley), Freud gets a bit unhappy about it, Fassbender gets a bit annoyed that Freud is always relating things to sex, and they both talk quite a lot. Originally a stage play, it would have perhaps worked better in that format. As a film it lacks structure and emotion.

 

Films on TV

Some British indie films, one of the best Bonds, and double dose of vampires, it’s this week’s Films on TV:

Exit Through The Gift Shop – Banksy’s Oscar nominated documentary. An admission: I haven’t actually seen it and really should have. Normally I wouldn’t go on about films I haven’t seen, but this is a must see, and now is the perfect opportunity. Saturday, Channel4 9pm

Fishtank – Andrea Arnold’s acclaimed gritty council estate drama. Again I haven’t seen it (there’s a theme here), but I plan to rectify that. Also… FASSBENDER. Sunday, BBC2 & BBCHD 11pm

Let The Right One In (pictured) – A film I have seen. 2009’s a bit hazy now, but this Swedish coming-of-age-vampire-film was my favourite film of the year. It really is stunning. And better than the (nevertheless decent) US remake Let Me In. Monday, Film4 9pm

Twilight – I know right? I’m sooo emo. But I like Twilight and I don’t care who knows. In my opinion it’s a well made fantasy romance, with some decent action scenes that plays to a neglected demographic – teenage girls – and doesn’t patronise them. Wednesday, Channel4 8pm

Casino Royale – Daniel Craig brought a bit of class back to James bond after the laughably bad and increasingly camp Bronholm years. Craig displays vulnerability never seen in the character as Bond learns the ropes of being a superspy, and gets shat-on when it comes to love. Friday, ITV2 9pm