Reviews

UUCUMEN IAHY l l! lMAHt BM (15) 108rnin 000

Mano Van l‘eebles l6"‘l€?éil(?‘§ the diamatic stoiy behind the making oi daddy Melw is it oi so! lastii‘ llh‘l moxie Sue“! Sneetlim Vs Baadasssss Sol g Ill ti .e style of K(‘\.§ll Mac‘doi iald 8 7w.” ‘ll'! 'g the Vod. Sueettm‘k has been su!l ed \x.lh a ieputalion as the first l‘laxp'olaiwii lllO\.l(‘. but it would be better ieiiieiiibeied as tl ie litiii ti iat. aloi .g with Jol in Cassavs-lm' Siifi'iuii inspiietl modem da, /\li’.é‘li(,1tl| independent liln.ii.;‘il.ii.g. It i; ll”; l,o.:.l of \ ew that Vin l‘eel‘li‘ s Jl take . .ll this eiii ‘}.li‘i‘? di i' u ii imp. if you wil. whi< h set; out to It’( io'ile the tale, Willt‘ll Van l‘eebles 8: ii let uni itt-d ili his hii'liaiit 19ft “inalaiiig ti

(Tompli iioii hook.

Baadassss oi it 0 again is the stoiy of a black man's delemizi .alioii to 'get the man's foot outta his ass”. Bat k iii the day. Me".in Van l‘eeble ; tunie'l l back on t loll, it id, has: .g teit (:oiiipioiiii::ed in iiiakii ig l‘v’Lite/meio'i Man and wanted to show the Alllé‘liL‘Ltll dieam liom the (7“l‘i(‘:‘" li‘.(‘ of an Liiban black man. Ine postmodernist £ll‘l‘lt)ii(.ll to the dor unwiilaiy mixes i«t lional footage and ll’,ll()ll(i| lust liai :d a;;< <:Lii .ls with true liist hand a/ (‘ouiils lioin legends

(the late) U‘Ne Day‘s. It i" great B-il Cost V and tliH l" ‘llii ‘I! -l faith \I rd and l we (then a' I oiiai iaiiyilig soundliat k album lauii: lied li .e gioup). ln Lilfilllig him-ell to (la, iiir; own lalher. Mai Lo Van l‘eelile‘; puts a lot of emphasis on the ston of a son being (Ultt‘d to star “I a sex lii‘;‘.i‘.‘, iathei than t Ullk elitiale on in ; dad's mole famous sr rapes V. Ni lion's of the (lap and the Blgv k l‘ai ilhoi l’ai it Sadly. theie's neither ewmgii (i ;l hand exmlei n <3 (mm Van l‘eol‘les 53: ii himself not suit i'ieiit sot ial li'stoim-al peisper live lyi Had'i‘wmxs l’l It 'i'v e the leap lion. bo'i .g a g' v d (lo(,liiiieiitaiy to a gel! i l: m.

(Kaleem Allab) I U630. (3/3119 w fro/xi / II i!) dun

ACIIUN COMEDY MR 8- MRS SMITH (15) 117mm 000

It's lilting that a film awash v..tii oil (:anieia g'i';<;'p < o' i eniiiig .ls ‘~"ll ; Should, at its ( i -'e. lo at i' i it iiiilmage and di~.on e, lie'; and li‘" eit. But let's not get too heavy; l)r iiig l inirii.‘<; Hi (‘4 M/S Sin/III is a blank < oiiioily designed lo M ileilaiii lather than eiiligllleii. /\ii indulgent \‘.'."ll’-, that (‘r‘u'd do v..lh < Iii-‘lemili'o (‘lll' " '1, it

waixs to l") l ‘e\/ w. l‘. .H r" {We

come BOOK ADAPTATION BATMAN BEGINS (12A) 139min 0000

After the dreadfully diminishing returns of the Batman movie franchise (which hit an all time low with 1997’s Batman and Robin), the big screen adventures of the caped crusader are reignited with this fifth film which tells of the secret origin of DC Comics’ most popular character in great detail and at great length.

Despite the fresh talent on board British director Christopher Nolan (Memento, Insomnia) working from a script co-written with David Goyer (Blade, The Crow) and a beefed up Christian Bale donning the cowl - Batman Begins takes its cue from the dark interpretation of the comic original created way back in 1939 by Bob Kane.

Just as Tim Burton took his inspiration for the first two films from Frank Miller’s radical revision of Batman in the graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns, so too does Nolan’s film has its basis in a Miller comic, namely his Batman: Year One series (although that source, previously adapted by Darren Aronofsky and subsequently shelved) isn’t here credited.

The new film retains the noirish look of Burton’s films - particularly in the retro-futuristic Gotham cityscapes - if not emphasising the nightmare fairytale quality of previous films. Nolan and Goya’s mantra appears to be: ‘make it believable’, and from Batman’s armoured suit to his new souped up humvee-modelled Batmobile, the superhero fantasy certainly looks more believable. Gone are the chra-clad villains, here replaced by a trio of non—supervillain monikered foes: Italian American

Hoses but ne\ei guite manages it. Riad Hit and Angelina Jolie play mamed suburban couple. John and Jane Smith. At the outset, we

ow wiinle' thein ll‘. a mamage gnulani e session. after it's become (teal that the” six year union is stale.

othei lull of lead

C(iSSlUl and :he Sunda/xre Kid-st; Ie finale. Written by Simon Kinbei'g the script is at its darkest when John and Jane are 'i‘edeeorating' their home With shellfii'e as they tit and plug each an interesting metaphoi for the underlying hatred

crime boss Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson), corrupt Arkham Asylum psychiatrist Dr Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy playing an old foe from the comics, never overtly referred to as the Scarecrow) and mystical Eastern mastermind Ra’s Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe) and his servant Ducard (Liam Neeson), who initially serves as young master Wayne’s mentor.

Wayne and Batman’s friends - Michael Caine’s trusted butler Alfred, Gary Oldman's detective Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman’s gadget boffin Lucius Fox and Katie Holmes’ love interest, assistant district attorney Rachel Daws are in keeping with the mantra of the new film and are likewise down to earth characters.

Wayne/Batman remains a tormented soul, a near psychotic vigilante waging a war on crime, fuelled by the anger and guilt over his beloved parents' murder at the hands of a petty criminal. This psychological dimension is the driving force of the new film, but for all the screen time devoted to expounding that part of the myth, it remains as simplistic as ever.

In fact, this part of the film’s detailed retelling of Batman's origin proves to be its flaw. Weighed down with exposition from the outset and for at least half of its running time, Batman Begins never really takes off. The film looks great and there are some striking set pieces, but in spite of a series of comic quips (‘Does it come in black?’ Wayne asks Fox after test driving the Batmobile) the new film lacks a sense of adventure and fun. Nevertheless, Nolan, Goya and Bale have still managed to revitalise the ailing franchise.

(Miles Fielder) I Genexai’ release from Tm. 76 Jun.

anything more than good looks and charm on screen. (James Mottraml. I GE’NO'd/ release "'0',“ Fr. 70 Jun.

31' ")H e: v High, we iealise that both in ibelanomist to the othei are spies \‘at‘lialllg loi iival agencies. When thet aie assigned the same target. they (ltllt‘kly (iIS(I()\.(?l the truth and set about (i'SSUlHllg the marriage in the most \iolent of ways.

(Due t)l‘.(? hell of a bod\ (‘ount and a «zones ol ultia repetitixe shoot outs ti =‘ll ""i'l oiii heroes l()\‘.'(ll(i8 a Butt/P

that (:an bLiild up in failing marriages. With director Liinan's old Sningtfls buddy Vince Vaughn (:()~staniiig as Pitt's espionage contact. there's enough good humour to keep the clouds from forming for too long. But With one supporting (:haiaittei wearing a fig/it Club l shiit. it's a stalk ieinindei that it's been a ‘.‘.il|l(?

sinee Pitt ias well as .Joliel ofteietl

out". 3331: