Arts Corner: March is film month as well

I know, I know…you spend ages not watching any films, and then a whole load of them come along at once. Not content with the delights of February, this month I’ve been to see a couple of grown-up films.

First of all (courtesy of the lovely people at SeeFilmFirst), I love you Phillip Morris. This is the (true) tale of con-man and four-time prison escapee Steven Russell, who fell in love with his cell mate Phillip Morris.

I can’t quite get my head around this film. There’s something not quite right about it, and for once, it’s not Jim Carrey.

I can’t stand him, normally – The Truman Show is about the only film of his that I’ve ever enjoyed. But in this, he’s excellent as the con-man Steven Russell – most of the Carrey-isms are reined in, and towards the end, he puts in a really powerful acting performance. Top marks (although I could have done with a *lot* less of the naked Jim Carrey…).

The film falls down on three counts, I think. First of all, it can’t quite decide if it wants to be a comedy or a drama – there’s moments of both, but it’s all so jumbled up together that there’s a lack of coherence in the general mood and feel of the film.

Second, Ewan McGregor is woefully miscast as Phillip Morris. His accent wobbles all over the place (mostly via Scotland), and he just comes across as far too wet. Yes, Phillip Morris was a nice guy – but Ewan McGregor never fleshes that out at all – his performance is very two-dimensional.

Thirdly, make that pretty much every performance that’s two-dimensional (apart from the aforementioned Mr Carrey). It might be inevitable in a film that focuses so firmly on the two lead characters, but the rest of the cast are never rounded out as characters, and you care even less about them than the leads.

Sad, really. The subject matter’s great (and I suspect the book is fascinating) – but it’s just not been translated well into a film.

In other news, I've also been to see A Single Man (following on from my Colin Firth spree in Nanny McPhee).

All I can say is: Colin Firth. Julianne Moore. 1960s architect-designed houses in Laurel Canyon. What’s not to like?

This film is fab – a beautiful, moody and very sad depiction of the last day of college professor George Falconer – and has a stunning central performance by Mr Firth. Who also wears some rather good shoes, and manages to look effortlessly cool and nerdy at the same time. College prof-style is obviously the way to go (Orb, take note).

If I had any criticism, it's that the soundtrack is a little bit overbearing at times. There's only so much strings/orchestra tugging at the heart strings that a girl can take.

Arts Corner: February is film month too...

...courtesy of the £1 a ticket showings at Empire Cinemas on a Sunday (it's just a cheap excuse to go into Newcastle so we can go to the Chinese bakery afterwards, I suspect), and the charity shops of Gosforth (it's amazing what you can find on video for 10p).

So far, we've seen:

Bolt: on DVD, which we were given for Christmas. It was the first full-length feature film M ever saw, and just as exciting to revisit. Good storyline, accents that can be understood by a four-year-old, and, for once, a thoroughly fabulous heroine. Penny doesn't wear pink, she isn't obsessed with being a princess - she's a proper action girl, who has the best scooter ever. I may have had to pretend to be Bolt the dog running round the park more times than I would like, but hey, it's worth it for less princess/fairy/kitten nonsense.

Sound of Music: 25p on video from the charity shop. A special edition, with original intermission, no less (including lots of pictures of the lovely Austrian countryside). I'd forgotten there were so many good songs in this film - my favourite has to be Raindrops on Roses. I'd also forgotten just how *long* the damn thing is...we had to watch it in two sittings. M loved the children and Julie Andrews, and was completely bored by the love story. I sat there in a haze of nostalgia, remembering when I played Sister Margaretha (complete with habit and fishnets) in the school production. My little brother's never really got over playing Kurt (I think it was the long socks and shorts that did for him).

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: at a proper cinema (hurrah for the large screen!). This was excellent - far better than I expected. It was funny, had lots of jokes for adults (including lots of references to other films, apparently, which I didn't get but which Orb thought were hilarious), and some fantastic special effects. And the love interest is a geek weathergirl. How cool is that?!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: another charity shop purchase, which we watched while munching hot cross buns. I can't quite believe (a) it was made in 1968 - the special effects are still rather good (b) how bad Dick Van Dyke's accent is - although not as bad as his cockney Mary Poppins one and (c) how scary the child catcher is still, even as a grown up.

Next on the cards: more charity shop purchases (including James and the Giant Peach, and Ice Age), and maybe a trip to the cinema to see Colin Firth in A Single Man.