Change Your Image
nicklpool
Reviews
Walking to the Cage (2009)
Passion and pain
"Why do people jump out of airplanes?" "If you honestly express yourself it doesn't matter"
A film that portrays MMA very much as an Eastern-style martial art, with no connection to Saturday night brawling. The inclusion of snippets from a very impressive Bruce Lee interview is a shrewd move, adding poise and depth to footage of people getting sweaty on gym floors.
The 3 practitioners are all friendly, devoted and focused. A little eccentric in their obsession, in an age of short attention spans. They all have an ease with the camera and a placidity that makes the fight footage all the more jolting.
The training, the long-suffering families, the hopes and set-backs will be familiar to any athlete : at the end, after the fights that are the climax to the film, the message is spelt out. We have presented the sport that is our passion - if you don't like it, that's your choice...
Occupation (2009)
Flawed but strong
So when does a topical drama go from being 'committed' to being 'shrill'? And when does 'covering many aspects' become 'cluttered'? This was engaged film-making of the Ken Loach style - you'll probably guess from that comparison what the makers' view of the Iraq war was. But even as someone who marched against the war, I found the film overwrought at times.
The sheer number of characters meant some of them were just cyphers, and you got the feeling the makers had tried to bung everything they'd heard about Iraq into the film.
... and yet for all that it was a passionate, 'big' work, well-acted and powerfully-scripted. The plot twists were cheeky, but it was easy to be carried along.
Oh and if you haven't yet seen 'Occupation', avoid the IMDb discussion page. Some numbskulls haven't quite grasped the idea of 'spoilers'!!
The Moon and the Sledgehammer (1971)
Totally unique
This startling film offers a striking vision of a family constructing its own reality in defiance of the world around it. Reviewers have gushed about how prescient and wise they are, but instead I see eccentricity and stubbornness, backed up by surprising practicality. The homestead's bucolic setting (booming birdsong and all), the strange 1930s appearance of the male family members with their physical resemblance, and the claustrophobic feel of a world comprising 5 people all transport you for the entire documentary. The family dynamics are gently brought out, providing the nearest approach to high drama. In these cynical times, you expect a sinister dimension or disastrous conclusion but instead quietly bonkers whimsy wins the day.... Now available on DVD and via a certain online film provider.
The Selfish Giant (2013)
A 'Kes' for the 21st century
This film is stunning - a visually powerful glimpse into a savage, precarious world, with humour and tenderness.
It can't just be reduced to a political diatribe, although the post-industrial setting is bleak and the poverty grinding. Mainly it's the story of a young lad's struggle towards adulthood, ahead of his time and in tough circumstances, as he learns the hard way what it is to be a grown-up.
The echoes of 'Kes' are obvious, but with the destruction of that old industrial world the characters too are ambiguous and troubled. Arbor is a complex mix of ruthlessness, cheekiness and wit. We see his character develop from being a cocky little tawt to something altogether more complicated and touching...