FILM | Reviews
DARK COMEDY SIGHTSEERS (15) 88 min ●●●●●
Imagine if Mike Leigh had been asked to direct Natural Born Killers or Oliver Stone’s talents had been unleashed on a version of Nuts In May. That is the level at which Ben Wheatley’s third feature is pitched. A bone dry, very British black comedy, it successfully blends deadpan humour with the kind of shocking violence that is not for the fainthearted. Determined to show his loyal girlfriend Tina (Alice Lowe)
the world, caravan-loving Kevin (Steve Oram) has dusted off the cagoules and whisked her away to savour the romantic delights of Keswick’s Pencil Museum and the Crich Tramway Museum. The couple quickly discover that hell is other people and soon the duo are on a killing spree through a soggy vision of little England. Using a screenplay developed by the two actors, Sightseers
is often outrageously funny but the shock value diminishes through repetition. Inevitably, it loses momentum as the premise runs its course but for a good part of the journey this road movie offers disturbingly good fun. (Allan Hunter) ■ Selected release from Fri 30 Nov.
DRAMA THE HUNT (15) 115 min ●●●●●
Danish writer-director Thomas Vinterberg’s self-styled ‘old tale in modern clothes’ stars Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen in a boldly cast-against-type role, as a softly spoken kindergarten teacher Lucas, who is falsely accused of sexually abusing children in his care. When the four-year-old daughter of his best friend and hunting buddy Theo (Thomas Bo Larsen) alleges that he has molested her, Lucas is instantly suspended from the nursery, without even being informed of the charges. Soon the tight-knit rural community is gripped by a collective desire for vengeance.
Shooting in warm russet and orange tones, the filmmaker establishes a vivid sense of place, and sidesteps several generic clichés: we never see a trial for example, nor do we doubt Lucas’ complete innocence. Yet Vinterberg is not averse to employing some familiar tropes: there’s no question that Lucas’ beloved dog will become the target of the mob, nor that the mild-mannered protagonist will ultimately be forced to resort to violence. Ultimately The Hunt demonstrates how quickly the veneer of ‘civilisation’ can be stripped away, and equally how swiftly ‘normality’ can be restored, although to the film’s credit, the coda adds a layer of ambiguity to proceedings. (Tom Dawson) ■ Selected release from Fri 30 Nov.
DRAMA THE MASTER (15) 137min ●●●●●
Following up There Will Be Blood was always going to be a daunting task, but Paul Thomas Anderson truly delivers in The Master. It’s the story of two men, Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a restless ex-navy man, a rough bundle of nerves, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, his mentor, the silken slimeball Lancaster Dodd, a charismatic founder of The Cause, a cultish Scientology-style body of beliefs. It’s 1950 and they meet when Freddie stows away on a boat Dodd is renting and the men bond over their shared taste for industrial-strength booze. Coming between them is Dodd’s glassy eyed, true believer wife Peggy (Amy Adams). The Master is about how some men need to follow and others to lead, about family and
faith and the ravages of war. To Lancaster, Freddie represents the ultimate challenge – he tries to tame him as you would a beast, but it’s also a platonic love story with the suggestion that feelings between them run deep. The Master benefits from a delicious, antiquated aesthetic, which emulates the films of the period and was partly achieved by shooting on 65mm film.
Anderson turns the cynical subject matter into an elegantly interrogative film and avoids obvious judgements. He understands that the most sublime cinematic spectacle is the sight of the human face in all its exquisite detail. What he’s captured in The Master are two performers at the top of their game and the power of Hoffman and Phoenix’s dynamic astounds. This may be less flamboyant than some of Anderson’s previous films but when it comes to complex, confounding drama he stands assuredly amongst the masters. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 16 Nov.
ARTHOUSE AMOUR (12A) 127min ●●●●●
Unlike The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke’s Palme D’Or winner from 2009), which stands out for its thematic complexities, Amour sees the Austrian director take a far simpler approach with the intimate story of an elderly couple, Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) and Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant), and how their lives change after Anne has a stroke. Haneke once again takes an axe to the stability of middle class life, showing that happiness often hangs in careful balance. Most of the film takes place in the couple’s home: a grand Parisian flat
which soon becomes their personal hell. Even visits by their daughter Eva (Isabelle Huppert) only brings more anxiety and upset. As time goes on Anne’s health steadily worsens and Georges is forced to help his wife with the most basic of tasks. Amour is a deeply sad film with little relief or hope: just as it is for the characters the audience experiences no let up. From the opening scenes Haneke makes it clear where we are headed, leaving us to bear painful witness to Anne’s slow decline. Amour creates its impact through repeatedly showing the degradation of human dignity. It is uncomfortable and unrelenting but in turn undeniably powerful filmmaking. (Gail Tolley) ■ Selected release from Fri 16 Nov. 64 THE LIST 15 Nov–13 Dec 2012