An ode to Harold and Maude

You know you really love a film when you put it in your top 5 list of all time greats. You know you really love a film when the mere mention of its name, be it in someones conversation or a magazine article, makes your heart skip a beat and pulls at your emotions. You know you really love a film when you name your cat after one of the main characters.

I have such a love for the film Harold and Maude, which has been called something of a cult film, though most people I have met have never seen or heard of it (this I have tried to rectify in my own small way by forcing copies of those nearest and dearest who I believe will dig its individual charms).

The movie bombed upon its release in 1971 and a sufficient dent in the reputation of director Hal Ashby, as cinema goers were not tempted by the (slightly misguided) premise of a romantic comedy between a nineteen year old boy and a seventy nine year old woman.

Though there is an element of romance to their relationship, to me Harold and Maude is more about friendship and how this has no age bounds when two people truly connect. Harold is a sombre young man obsessed with death, who daydreams of suicide plots and frequents funerals. It is at a funeral that he meets Maude, an effervescent old lady who turns his world upside down with life's simple quirky pleasures such as stealing trees from roadsides to give them a better, more dignified life. And yes the film is quirky (though this was in the days when the term had not been overused and thrown at every other film to make it seem 'cool') with singalongs, fake death sequences and a one armed Army General but the film out rides all the kookiness to deliver a genuine heartfelt love letter to two outsiders finding their soul mates.

The influence of Harold and Maude can been seen in many contemporary works, particularly on Cameron Crowe who lists the soundtrack (composed entirely by Cat Stevens) as one of the greatest ever in movie history. The sequence which uses the song 'Trouble' is in my opinion one of the best uses of music and image in a movie, cutting together the unfolding story and heightening the mood that the film has taken.

If this review encourages others to seek out this little gem, then it would make this fan very happy. If not, it has made this fan very happy to simply reminisce about one of my favourite movies.

Oh and I named my cat Maude.

Things I have learnt this week

No news is not always good news, its sometimes just plain rude. A simple story of a girl losing her dog can bring heartbreaking results (see Wendy and Lucy). You may have the imagination of a great film director but this is hard to put into practice with a poundland budget. Jason Schwartzman's mum is Talia Shire aka Adrian in the Rocky films!!

Rubber (Quentin Dupieux) Film Review

Ah a film the world has been waiting for, Rubber tyre comes to life and forms telekinetic powers thus enabling 'it' to kill people as it stalks across the desert land.

I was attracted to this film by the cheeky trailer and the trashy but fun premise, enticing the viewer with the tag line 'Are you tired of the expected'. This film is in some ways nothing anyone could expect. If the above plot was not barmy enough the film adds eccentric layer upon layer with its interwoven segments of 'spectators' watching the film unfold as we the audience do (though they do this with binoculars and the aid of a very dubious accountant).

From the opening gambit, we are told , straight to camera, by the lieutenant overseeing the tyre's crime spree, that things happen in movie land for 'no reason', he confirms this with references to other films that leave us with accepted yet unexplained details. Thus this allows Rubber a celluloid get out of jail free card, to go about its merry strange way without having to justify the actions. The film also seems intent to address the minor audience that Rubber may find, as the spectators/audience are systematically killed off, bar one, thus the film somewhat grudgingly has to continue.

And yet, despite its limited appeal and left field execution, Rubber is an intriguing, oddball gem. Those wanting a killer tyre movie that simply delivers a large body count and B movie nastiness might want to drive on by as the film may have a selection of exploding heads and animal body parts but it is not primarily concerned with generating cheap thrills.

The star of the show is Robert, the murderous tyre with anger issues, he is shot in such a way, that we are drawn to him and every simple action he takes, from his first tentative steps, like those of a newborn child, to his breathing as he rests from a hard days rolling, the tyre takes on full dimension as an actual character (so much so that when he comes across a pile of tyres being burned in the wasteland, we can almost feel his silent pain).

Rubber defiantly lies somewhere to the left, a well crafted, expertly shot, pseudo oddity that will be too much for most but took this viewer on a bumpy but entertainingly bonkers ride.

No news is not so good news

Finally got round to watching the Oscars last Friday (even though we all know by now who the winners were), as I like to watch the whole ceremony. My highlights included

James Franco- It has been well documented that Mr Franco was not the most popular of hosts, somewhat mismatched with Anne Hathaway and portraying an air of detachment to the whole proceedings, but his facial expressions were a treat and his almost stoner like presence was a welcome relief from Hathaway's try hard giddy girl routine. That and seeing him in a white leotard during their skit of Black Swan was a hoot.

Luke Matheny- The director and winner of Best short film for God of Love gave the sweetest most genuinely excited speech of the evening.

Kirk Douglas- It was slightly awkward watching him try to move around the stage but the old timer still showed a cheeky charm.

Cate Blanchett's dress- Best of the evening for me, just the right side of quirky.

It is the Bradford Film Festival this week and there are many screenings and talks going on. I missed out on going to the Terry Gilliam talk, however tomorrow I will console myself with the screening of the classic 'Labyrinth' which they are showing on the big screen in all its glory. Expect Graham and I will be singing "You remind me of the babe" all the way home.....

Filming for Forgotten Reverie- Blackpool Bridge, Meltham 11th February 2011

Day 1 of filming of 'Forgotten Reverie'.




This began in the rolling countryside of Yorkshire, at a hideaway picturesque location called Blackpool Bridge, near Digley Reservoir in Meltham. With the narrative of the poem, we wanted to create a dreamlike memory. of lost love and regret and we wanted to find somewhere that would evoke a melancholy mood.

After a very muddy and long walk through the Yorkshire countryside, we found the hidden gem of Blackpool Bridge and shot some footage there, along with the surrounding fields. This will be layered with some close ups.

Breathless in Paris

Have just returned from a wonderful long weekend in Paris and thought I would share some film related findings of my journey. As a fan of the french new wave it was a personal desire of mine to see the final resting place of Francois Truffaut, one of the leaders of the movement. The cemetery in Montmarte has many pioneers of the French arts buried there and it is a testament of how high they hold their regard for artists and creative innovators.

Francois Truffaut's grave at Montmarte Cemetary. A true pioneer of filmmaking

The streets of Paris are awash with stunning architecture and picturesque views that have inspired many films and is somewhere that ignites the creative passions, a place steeped in iconic scenery. And has made this part time filmmaker yearn to get back behind the camera.

Henri George Clouzot's grave at Montmarte Cemetary. The director of such French classics as 'The Wages of Fear' and 'Les Diaboliques'.

End of the year review

Its coming to the end of the year and I thought I would partake in a personal cinematic round up of 2010. In terms of film, it has not been a vintage year and I cant recall as many highlights as last years diverse and eclectic treats, yet there has been still delights to be had and thoughts to be provoked.

So here goes....

Top 5 films of the year

5)A Single Man (Tom Ford)

A visually exquisite piece of cinema that was simultaneously poetry to the eyes as well as the ears. Restrained, absorbing and delicately shattering, Tom Ford's first feature film was a period film of style that also achieved substance, notably by Colin Firths subtly devastating portrayal of a man aching with grief yet finding beauty in the simplest of forms. Beautiful.

4) Four Lions (Chris Morris)

Easily the most quotable film of the year and one of the funniest. Chris Morris' suicide bomber comedy is easy tabloid fodder but the film manages to pull laughs from an extremely incomprehensible situation. The final scene manages to encapsulate the horror of the predicament and remains with you long after the credits roll. That and the sight of the Honey Monster at full pelt.

3) The Social Network ( David Fincher)

Who would have thought a talky film about the birth of Facebook (the devils work) would be so damn intriguing. If Mark Zuckerberg is really a intelligent yet pathetic and slimy piece of work then Jessie Eisenberg plays him to a tee. Equally affective were Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin and Armie Hammer (great name) playing both twins via CGI Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (great name also). The trailer also contained one of the best uses of song for the year with a choir version of Creep that was spine tingling.

2) Inception ( Christopher Nolan)

The anti blockbuster blockbuster was the thinking persons summer extravaganza of the year. Leonardo Di Caprio gave his second performance of the year as a man bordering at the edges of sanity and stricken with guilt over a lost wife (see also Shutter Island). He was complimented by a great cast, in particular Joseph Gordon Levitt and Tom Hardy-a future star in the making and new object of affection in our household (more so by my other half proving his a man's man that it is ok to like). The visuals were dazzling without detracting, the plot was dense but enthralling and Di Caprio again proves himself to be the go to guy for mentally tortured, multi layered characters. Some may argue that it was clever (or tried to be) for its own good, but embrace the spectacle and just be glad that this blockbuster wasn't a remake or a sequel for once.

1) Winter's Bone (Debra Granik)

Winter's Bone hardly troubled the multiplexes yet those who sort out this film were richly rewarded. The story of Ree Dolly, an Ozark mountain girl, trying to find her drug dealing father in order to keep the family home is one of simplicity that grips the viewer into a truly absorbing redneck noir thriller. The film has a sparse, subtly menacing quality to it, aided by the cinematography, each frame a microcosm for a land that is unforgiving and brutally insular. It is a film this reviewer would like to aspire to and one that gets under the skin like a winters chill and once takes hold, is hard to shake off.

Special mention to

The squirm while you watch award:

Dogtooth (Giorgos Lanthimos)- The story of three teenagers confined to an isolated country estate by their own father is one of the most thought provoking and somewhat controversial films of the year. I did not include this in my top 5 of the year, purely because it is a film i would not watch again. And maybe that is the point, it is such an eerie, calculated piece of cinema that should be experienced, though not for the faint hearted, and will make such an impact on the viewer that it will not be forgotton, for better or worse.

The guilty pleasure of the year award:

Whip It! (Drew Barrymore)- A teen movie about a misfit schoolgirl finding escapism and fulfillment from her small town syndrome by playing Roller Derby sounds like a plot that in other hands, may have been another mawkish High School Musical type affair. But in the directorial debut hands of Drew Barrymore, Whip It! becomes a punky spunky girl power ride. With feisty female leads and a genuine heroine to root for, the film is a joyous ode to the the odd girl rites of passage and made me want to get my skates on. By the way in case you were wondering my Roller Derby name is Disgrace Kelly :)

Re-release of the year

The Red Shoes (Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger)- This was the first time I have seen this 1948 classic and I was grateful that I had the chance to witness it on the big screen. A glorious, sumptious movie that follows a young ballet dancer who is torn between her love of the dance and the man she loves. It was a film that reminded of the absolute beauty of cinema and how, if you are in love with the medium, like myself, that it continues to dazzle and astound. The infamous Red Shoes sequence is a dazzling tour de force of cinematography and editing and left me with tears in my eyes at the wonder of it all.