stanton-7 Reviews

Not One Less (1999)

Would bring a tear to a glass eye!

[3 July 2000]

Simplicity is the watchword in this charming story of a young girl's strenuous efforts to keep the group of children in her charge together. The film is set in a village school in rural China where the poverty is highlighted by the reverence the pupils give to a box of chalk, rationed at one piece each day. We see a substitute teacher, not much older than the children she is expected to teach, given more responsibility than she is able to handle and struggling to keep them under control, especially one cheeky boy. When he leaves to go and work in the city the drama unfolds as the class try to raise money for the bus fare for the teacher to go and bring him back. It may sound pretty dull, especially given that the actors are non-professionals, but there is humour and charm in the story's telling without the reality of such poverty ever being watered down. As a reward for the children spending hours moving bricks in the heat of the day to raise money, they have enough cash to buy two cans of Coke between twenty-five of them. The expressions on their faces as they dutifully take a little before passing it on to their comrades is genuinely moving. This is a film well worth seeing, acting that comes from the heart, a story told with feeling and a bunch of delightful kids to be charmed by.

Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)

A beautiful piece of storytelling

[27 May 2000]

The most striking thing about this film is the way the images and the colours evoke a time and a place, the harsh landscape of the American north west and the harsh reaction against Japanese/Americans in the aftermath of Pearl Harbour. Theres a terribly sad scene as the people of Japanese extraction are walked through the streets to the ferry to be taken to camps, their faces full of quiet dignity and the townspeople's of quiet shame.

The layers of David Guterson's story remain in the film version through the use of flashbacks and beatifully understated acting, there are no star roles here and Ethan Hawke's performance is remarkable for it's emphasis on his looks and gestures rather than words to project his anger and pain.

Erin Brockovich (2000)

Hooray for Hollywood!

[1 May 2000]

Why can't we get more films like this, a strong story, based on actual events, excellent performances and dialogue which sounds like it is based on how real people talk to each other?

I don't know how accurate this particular story about corporate deceit and environmental pollution is but, given the track record of big corporations, it should be a rich vein for film makers to mine. 'Erin Brockovich' is very good, a shocking story of land pollution and resultant death and disease in a community. A story, however, which would not have been told were it not for the efforts of one woman to get behind the obfuscation and at the truth. It's a juicy role and Julia Roberts grabs it for all she is worth, she is superb, full of anger and determination to use the opportunity to make something of her life. This is the strength of her performance, she convinces in showing us a woman in challenging circumstances, on her own with no job and kids to feed who is actually a bold and intelligent woman rather than a victim. There is a real hunger about how she works her socks off to put the case together while trying to balance her other responsibilities.

There are good performances all round and some of the dialogue really crackles, seeing some corporate lawyers put in their place is particularly satisfying. A film well worth seeing and one that is more subtle than it might at first appear.

Boys Don't Cry (1999)

A tragic story told with real passion

[1 May 2000]

This is a superb film telling a story of intolerance and violence that should shock viewers given it is based on actual events which occurred only a few years ago. The story of Teena, the life she chooses to live and the love she finds, is told with compassion and understanding and is helped by a performance from Hilary Swank of great honesty and subtlety.

All the performances by the young cast are excellent and the escalation to violence all the more convincing coming as it does from characters whose weakness and instability have been carefully developed. The violence however is shocking and the overwhelming feeling is of anger that events can have conspired to a such a tragic conclusion.

A very impressive and powerful piece of filmmaking.

Place Vendôme (1998)

Simple story featuring world weary characters, beautifully acted.

[15 November 1999]

The plot of this film may centre around scams in the the diamond trade but don't expect slick plotlines and witty, glamorous characters. The film offers instead a look behind the glamour at individuals worn down by their lives, by wrong decisions and damaging relationships. These relationships have developed between characters involved at some time in questionable aspects of the trade and appear to suffer as if mirroring the dishonesty and deceitfulness of the scams. It is a story told at a slow pace allowing the details to unfold and to enable us to get to know the characters and understand their motivation. The acting is superb, particularly Catherine Deneuve, and the film ends on a note which suggests some kind of atonement and reconciliation.

Ratcatcher (1999)

Dark, telling portrait of growing up in an inner city

[8/10 · 19 August 1999]

I attended the screening of Ratcatcher in Glasgow as part of the Edinburgh Film festival where it was very warmly received. At times it is not an easy film to watch but it is hard not to relate to the struggle of the young boy at the centre of the story as he tries to make sense of his situation and to dream of an escape from squalor. The incident at the heart of the story and it's impact on the boy is developed in an understated way while never leaving you in doubt about it's devastating effect. The non-professional cast are uniformly excellent, particularly the boy playing the main character, and the film always feels rooted in the real lives of real people continually up against it. The humour and casual violence have considerable impact by being used sparingly and there are moments of great tenderness, particularly between the boy and an abused girl in his street. The film is set in Govan during the binmen's strike of the late seventies and it looks quite bleak yet the colours are deep and rich. This is a serious film with real depth and an exceptionally promising debut from Lynne Ramsey.

The Inheritors (1998)

Excellent story, beautifully told.

[12 June 1999]

This is a terrific film which I found really gripping because of its story of the unequal fight between a group of peasants and local landowners. So few films seem to portray inequality and the fight for justice that The Inheritors seemed to me like a breath of fresh air. I thought the story was simply but beautifully told, the scene at the communal meal where the characters assert their right to the ownership of the farm against the wishes of the brutal foreman is understated and powerful. The way they are shown standing up to his bullying against the backdrop of the place set as usual for the now dead owner is keenly observed and uplifting. The film looks superb, its rural setting is very authentic, and the performances of the actors catch well the growing confidence and political awareness of the peasants, always laced with elements of self-doubt. There is a tragic core to the film and a melancholy tone but it is never dull or depressing, the characters seem too busy with trying to make good their chance of a better life.

Apt Pupil (1998)

Excellent performances make for a quietly gripping film.

[31 May 1999]

Given the recent debate over the lack of moral direction of young people in general and the expression of that lack in violence this is a timely film examining a sensitive subject. I am unfamiliar with the Stephen King novella from which it was adapted but the film seems to me a convincing portrait of a teenager, Todd Bowden, struggling to find clean and simple answers to life who becomes alienated from his friends and family when those answers come from the most poisonous of sources. The two central performances are first rate and there are some chilling moments, especially towards the end when a teacher falls victim to the ruthlessness Todd is able to apply to anyone who questions his actions. It is not a great film and the examination of evil is far from deep but there are aspects of this film that are disturbing and that ring true.

Happiness (1998)

Unsettling, funny and very thought provoking.

[17 May 1999]

This is an unusual and thought provoking film. It takes as it's subject matter the underbelly of family life, the tension, self-deceit and anguish we all experience in different ways but presents them in a cool almost detached way which is unsettling and challenging. The setting is middle-America, which has never seemed less appealing, and a group of characters who do not elicit sympathy and include one whose behaviour in cinema is generally portrayed as monstrous. His behaviour is monstrous but all the more believable because it is presented in such an understated way, such people do not appear monstrous in their everyday lives. The distance employed by the director forces us to form moral judgements, he does not tell us how we should react but allows space which made very me conscious of my role as observer. It is also very funny at times but here too there is uncertainty, should I really be laughing at this? This is a difficult film to judge but to me it rang true, behind every family there are dark truths we would rather others did not see. A fascinating film from an interesting director well served by a superb cast.