David M. Brown's Blog, page 58
April 26, 2013
Film Review: Caravaggio
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Sean Bean, Nigel Terry, Michael Gough, Spencer Leigh
Directed by: Derek Jarman
Runtime: 90 minutes
Studio: Zeitgeist Films
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Review: Caravaggio
Derek Jarman’s biopic covers the life of painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610), beginning with his time as a teenager (Dexter Fletcher) with raw talent who is nurtured by Cardinal Del Monte (Michael Gough) who funds the young man’s career. The adult Caravaggio (Nigel Terry) continues to excel at his craft producing a series of religious paintings, each with unusual anachronisms within. Ultimately, Caravaggio’s passion leads him through periods of love, violence, jealousy and even murder.
The film is told through a series of flashbacks. We begin with Caravaggio in 1610 and on his deathbed, slowly succumbing to lead poisoning. His loyal friend Jerusaleme (Spencer Leigh), who is deaf and dumb and came to Caravggio as a boy, is by the painter’s side but cannot prevent his master’s decline. Caravaggio remembers his days as a handsome youth with a natural talent for painting who is funded by the church and becomes a renowned artist in Italy. Things take a sinister turn when Caravaggio discovers a street fighter Ranuccio (a young Sean Bean) and his lover Lena (Tilda Swinton in her first film role). Initially drawn to Ranuccio as both a model and desiring him as a lover, Caravaggio soon finds himself also falling for Lena. Love triangles are always a messy business and this one is no exception. Reason or retreat do not end this triangle. Sadly, only violence can resolve it.
Jarman’s biopic is unusual in that it evokes the essence of Caravaggio’s work in many aspects of the artist’s life depicted here. The characters smoke cigarettes, we see a calculator at one point and someone is even using a typewriter! This all blends in with Caravaggio’s style of archaic figures in his paintings but in modern dress. This is an interesting insight into the life of the artist but given that it just nudges ahead of the 90-minute mark it does seem somewhat too short and feelsl as if there are some gaps that needed to be filled out better.
Caravaggio is an interesting biopic of one of history’s celebrated artists. While the film seems too short and some substance appears to be lacking in the overall narrative, there is a good cast here that keeps things interesting.
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Caravaggio | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
April 25, 2013
Film Review: The Iron Lady
Starring: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent
Directed by: Phyllida Lloyd
Runtime: 105 minutes
Studio: The Weinstein Company
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Review: The Iron Lady
Margaret Thatcher’s time as Britain’s Prime Minister (1979-1990) still divides the UK and her recent death saw the same anger and condemnation resurfacing. I am from the north of England where Thatcher’s name was reviled as I grew up in a mining town in the eighties. Phyllida Lloyd’s The Iron Lady looks at Thatcher in her later years where she is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband. Margaret (Meryl Streep) still keeps her husband Denis’ (Jim Broadbent) clothes and is reluctant to let him go. She sees Denis each day and through their conversations we are taken back through Margaret’s life from humble origins to one of the most powerful women in Britain.
I recall there being some outcry at depictions of Margaret Thatcher in this film, struggling in her twilight years and seeing her dead husband but it is apt for a woman who is grieving for the love of her life. Margaret’s rise to power in a political landscape dominated by men is still a remarkable feat. In her youth, Margaret (Alexandra Roach) is depicted as idolising her father who was involved in politics and as a young woman Margaret seeks to win a local election but fails. She marries Denis (Harry Lloyd) who persuades her that his support can help her move forward. Although Denis and Margaret have two children, Margaret is fully focused on a political future and soon finds herself claiming a seat in the House of Commons and slowly building her way up to not only challenge for control of the Conservative Party but to emerge as its leader. Given Thatcher’s eventful time in power, the film cannot cover every aspect of her career but it does show both memorable and controversial incidents including the Falklands War, the Miner’s Strike, the Brixton Riots, the bombing at the Gran Hotel where Margaret was nearly killed and her eventual fall from power after the poll tax and her own party members turning against her.
The film falls short of two hours and with spending a lot of time in the present day, it does feel like we rush through much of Margaret’s career. I don’t think the film would have suffered for being a bit longer but what is there is well done. The main talking point is undoubtedly the performance of Meryl Streep that bagged her an Oscar. Streep excels in the title role and is well worth all the plaudits, making a very convincing Thatcher on screen. Broadbent is always reliable and he doesn’t disappoint here while the rest of the cast support Streep well in her star turn.
The Iron Lady is a fascinating recreation of a Prime Minister that controlled a nation in turmoil and survived for more than a decade before her later policies proved to be her undoing. The film could have maybe been a bit longer but what is there is more than worth your time and Streep is simply superb in the lead. This will do nothing to unite the opposing sides on Thatcher’s career but if you want a summary of her actions that split the UK then this a good starting point.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: The Iron Lady | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
April 24, 2013
Film Review: Black Sheep
Starring: Nathan Meister, Danielle Mason, Peter Feeney, Tammy Davis, Glenis Levestam
Directed by: Jonathan King
Runtime: 87 minutes
Studio: Dimension Extreme
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Review: Black Sheep
Horror films are a great excuse to turn so many animals we’re familiar with into vicious monsters. Step forward Jonathan King who brings killer sheep to the table. The story begins with Henry Oldfield (Nick Fenton) who lives on a sheep farm with his father and older brother, Angus. Jealous of his brother, Angus plays a cruel trick on Henry, donning a sheep carcass and pretending to be a monster. Moments later the boys are informed their father has been killed in an accident. Henry is in shock and develops a phobia of sheep. Returning fifteen years later, Henry (Nathan Meister) has come back to sell his share of the farm to Angus (Peter Feeney). In Henry’s absence, Angus has been having genetic experiments conducted on the sheep which leads two animal rights activists – Grant (Oliver Driver) and Experience (Danielle Mason) – to steal an obsolete supply from a clandestine lab. Inside a container is a small lamb which is inadvertently released and begins biting the local sheep population and turning them into bloodthirsty monsters.
A film about killer sheep is not supposed to be taken seriously and Black Sheep certainly doesn’t try to do that. Giving Henry a phobia about sheep adds an extra dimension to his character and on his return home, Henry hooks up with an old friend, Tucker (Tammy Davis), and is later joined by Experience after her friend Grant is bitten and left in a pretty bad way. Yes, not only do sheep biting sheep create more killer sheep but if they bite humans they’re turned into a man/sheep hybrid. With thousands of sheep on the rampage can our trio of friends survive and what of Angus and these scientific experiments?
I won’t descend into a plethora of sheep gags about this one. As horror films go this ticks a lot of the boxes. The effects are pretty good, the acting isn’t atrocious but it isn’t spectacular either, but that’s not a primary concern with many horror films. Lacking in scares, Black Sheep ups the ante with the gore and King is clearly paying tribute to that other New Zealand director – Peter Jackson – who started with Bad Taste and Braindead before taking the reins of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Will King enjoy similar fortune? Maybe so.
Black Sheep is a pretty decent horror film with merciless sheep running amok in the gorgeous hills of New Zealand. Heavy on the gore, this will satisfy many horror fans and there are some amusing moments thrown in to keep everything ticking along. You may never look at a sheep the same way again though!
Verdict: 3/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Black Sheep | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Sympathy for Mr Vengeance
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Ha-kyun Shin, Doona Bae, Ji-Eun Lim, Bo-bae Han
Directed by: Chan-wook Park
Runtime: 129 minutes
Studio: Tartan Video
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Review: Sympathy for Mr Vengeance
Chan-wook Park’s Vengeance trilogy is one I have been keen to finish for some time. Oldboy (2003) was superb and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005) was good but not up to the standards of its predecessor. Sympathy for Mr Vengeance was the first in this trilogy and I was understandably curious to see just how it would compare to the other instalments.
The film focuses on Ryu (Ha-kyun Shin), a deaf man who works at a factory and supports his sister (Ji-Eun Lim) who needs a kidney transplant but is on a lengthy waiting list. Ryu is unable to donate an organ as his blood type doesn’t match that of his sister. Problems arise when Ryu loses his job and in desperation he turns to a black market dealer who agrees to give him a kidney in exchange for one of his own and for the money he has saved for his sister. Ryu wakes to find both his kidney and his money gone with nothing in return for his sister. Ironically the hospital informs Ryu they now have a kidney but he no longer has the money to save his sister’s life. In desperation, Ryu and his girlfriend Cha yeong-mi (Doona Bae) decide to kidnap the daughter of Ryu’s former boss and ransom her to save Ryu’s sister.
Sympathy for Mr Vengeance has a great storyline and in Ryu we have something of a saint. Each day he works himself into the ground at the factory to support his ill sister. He’s very much the victim of ill fortune which in the end drives him to violence. Losing his job is bad enough but he does at least have the money to get his sister a kidney transplant but with no organs available he gets desperate. His contact on the black market is a mother and her two sons who offer a good deal only to shaft Ryu, leaving him penniless and minus a kidney. When the hospital announces they can now do the transplant, Ryu is devastated, knowing had he held on for a few days his sister would be saved. Ryu’s girlfriend, Cha Yeong-mi, who is something of an anarchist and claims to head a terrorist group, helps Ryu with a desperate plan.
Initially seeking vengeance against his former boss, Ryu and Yeong-mi decide kidnapping the boss’ daughter would be too risky with the police bound to suspect recently sacked workers. Instead Ryu and Yeong-mi target a friend of the factory boss, Park Dong-jin (Kang-ho Song) and kidnap his daughter, Yu-sun (Bo-bae Han). With a distraught Dong-jin eager to pay any ransom for his daughter, what can possibly go wrong for Ryu and Yeong-mi? Well, everything bad that could happen does! Ryu’s sister discovers her brother’s scheme and, devastated by his actions, she kills herself. Worse follows when Yu-sun accidentally drowns leaving Ryu and Yeong-mi at the mercy of Dong-jin. The film becomes a gripping thriller as Ryu seeks vengeance against the black market dealers, while Dong-jin seeks vengeance against Ryu and Yeong-mi. Sounds messy doesn’t it?
Sympathy for Mr Vengeance is absorbing throughout. Ryu’s crusade to save his sister is heart-warming and the lengths this seemingly gentle man goes to are admirable. On the one hand Ryu is a sympathetic character, his ill fate making you cheer when he seeks vengeance but his actions in the ransom are questionable as are Yeong-mi’s in assisting her boyfriend. What I love about this trilogy is what vengeance reduces people to. Polite and law-abiding citizens become capable of some truly horrific acts of violence when they have been wronged and Dong-jin is no exception. This is far better than Sympathy for Lady Vengeance but it’s inferior to Oldboy in my opinion.
Sympathy for Mr Vengeance is a tense, exciting and violent thriller. The unfortunate twists of fate hit the lives of a group of characters hard. There are no real heroes by the end of the film and you will be kept guessing how it turns out. Oh, and there’s a nice twist right at the very end. All in all, this is a great film.
Verdict: 5/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Sympathy for Mr Vengeance | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Teeth
Starring: Jess Weixler, John Hensley, Josh Pais, Hale Appleman, Lenny von Dohlen
Directed by: Mitchell Lichtenstein
Runtime: 94 minutes
Studio: Dimension Extreme
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Review: Teeth
Mitchell Lichtenstein’s horror comedy is designed to have the men in the audience crossing their legs and grimacing. It tells the story of Dawn O’Keefe (Jess Weixler) who is part of a Christian group – The Promise – that preaches abstinence from sex. Through the group Dawn meets Tobey (Hale Appleman) who is ashamed to inform her he has previously sinned – just once – but he is determined not to again until he is married. Dawn and Tobe become closer but after going swimming in a remote lake, Tobey shows his true colours and proceeds to rape her. However, Dawn is armed with a very effective defence mechanism.
The origins of Dawn’s, let’s say gift, are unclear but we know she has it from a young age. When they were chidren, Dawn’s step brother, Brad, touched his step sister’s vagina only to recoil and find the end of his finger missing. Dawn’s gift is that she has teeth in her vagina and when she uses them to great effect on Tobey, she becomes a different person. Dawn turns her back on her abstinence and though initially terrified of the teeth and unsure how to control them, she soon learns the secret. With Tobey out of the picture, Dawn has the welcome attention of another boy at school, Ryan (Ashley Springer), and the unwelcome attention of her stepbrother Brad (Josh Hensley) who spends his days getting high and having sex with different girls though Dawn is the only one he truly desires!
While not an atrocious horror film, Teeth isn’t a great one either. Once you have overcome the idea of Dawn having teeth in a delicate place, this is pretty standard and uninspiring. That said, it’s amusing watching some of the guys get their comeuppance though did that gynaecologist really deserve that, Dawn?
Teeth is a bloody exploration of sexual awakening and one that gives power back to one young woman. There are some amusing moments watching Dawn take revenge against the likes of Tobey but the shock factor aside, there isn’t very much to the film which is average at best.
Verdict: 2/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Teeth | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
April 22, 2013
Film Review: Yeti: The Curse of the Snow Demon
Starring: Marc Menard, Carly Pope, Adam O’Byrne, Elfina Luk, Brandon Jay McLaren
Directed by: Paul Ziller
Runtime: 87 minutes
Studio: RHI Entertainment
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Review: Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon
Remember when Luke Skywalker was captured by a Yeti in The Empire Strikes Back and a combination of the Force and some nifty work with a lightsaber saw him make a dramatic escape? I remember it well and it’s with that in mind that I turn my attention to this made for TV horror film by Paul Ziller. Naturally, I suspected the film would be about a group of people that encounter a bloodthirsty Yeti in some snow-tipped mountains but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions!
The film follows a college football team whose plane crashes in the Himalayas. Amongst the survivors are Sarah (Carly Pope), Peyton (Marc Menard), Ravin (Adam O’Byrne), Ashley (Crystal Lowe), Dennis (Christian Tessier), Kyra (Elfina Luk), Rice (Brandon Jay McLaren), Andrew (Joshua Emerson) and Garcia (Kris Pope). While awaiting rescue, the friends find they are on the doorstep of a bloodthirsty Yeti that has the college football team on the menu. With a search and rescue team comprised of Fury (Ona Grauer) and Sheppard (Peter DeLuise) on the way, can the college friends survive long enough to be taken from the mountains to safety?
Following the plane crash the group find that their supplies are meagre and that they will not survive for long without food. Two friends, Garcia and Andrew, have a look around and wander into a nearby cave where Andrew is on the receiving end of some Yeti annoyance at the intrusion in its lair. While awaiting Garcia and Andrew’s return, the group are in a quandary about eating the bodies of the dead and though they decide to go down this difficult path for survival one girl, Kyra, puts an end to proceedings by burning the bodies! Worse follows for poor Garcia who returns from his encounter with the Yeti only to be shot by a flare gun! Yes, this group of survivors fare less well than Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck would if their plane had gone down in the Himalayas!
Prior to the burning of the corpses, the group had started to notice the odd body vanishing. This is courtesy of the Yeti that doesn’t turn his hairy nose up at a special offer at the local supermarket but he is soon aggrieved to find the sale is over and live meat is quickly on the menu. These Yetis have one hell of an appetite and not a McDonalds or Burger King in sight to at least try and cater for their hunger. What follows is fairly predictable. The Yeti attacks, kills and relives the days of his hero, King Kong, by making off with one of the prettier members of the group, Sarah. It’s then down to the survivors to lead a daring rescue but there’s still time for one of them to be unearthed as a self-serving scumbag who has been hoarding a secret supply of chocolate for himself. Cheeky sod. These types usually get their comeuppance and in fairness to this film that moment does raise a smile.
Of course one smile cannot cancel out the many incredulous looks you will give to your screen at just how awful this film is. The Yeti isn’t particularly scary, angry yes, but not frightening, more like a distant relative of the Incredible Hulk though with none of his grace and style. Much has been made of some of the errors in this film such as trees growing at high altitudes and blood spurting out of severed arms rather than the body where the bulk of the red stuff is gathered. Ignoring those elements this is another of those films with a bunch of uninteresting characters, some shoddy effects and a pretty weak storyline. I’d think being in a plane crash is bad luck enough but to come right down on a Yeti’s doorstep is just plain careless!
Yeti: The Curse of the Snow Demon has a couple of amusing moments which I’m struggling to remember but otherwise this is pretty cheap and poor entertainment. The search for the elusive Yeti is one that has intrigued many scientists and explorers but on this evidence I think we should leave them well alone. They’d only embarrass themselves in the limelight.
Verdict: 1/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Yeti: The Curse of the Snow Demon | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Holy Water
Starring: John Lynch, Adam Astill, Angeline Ball, Cian Barry, Ray Callaghan
Directed by: Tom Reeve
Runtime: 93 minutes
Studio: Centurion
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Review: Holy Water
Tom Reeve’s comedy is set in the village of Kilcoulins Leap in Ireland. Now in decline, many of the locals are struggling to earn a living with the lucrative spa business of the past more or less obsolete and even the famous Holy Well not drawing in tourism. A group of bandmates – Podger Byrnes (Cornelius Clarke), Tom Gaffney (John Lynch), Donal O’Connell (Lochlann O’Mearain) and Sean Casy (Cian Barry) – decide to hijack a truck full of Viagra. Their plan is to take the goods to Amsterdam and make a decent profit. However, things go a little bit wrong.
Podger initially comes up with the plan to steal a supply of Viagra. He and his friends are struggling badly at the outset. Tom is in danger of losing the hotel he owns with his sister Geraldine (Susan Lynch) and Donal is horrifying everyone by considering moving to England, forsaking the local barmaid Kate (Deirdre Mullins) who he clearly has feelings for. Our four friends manage to steal the goods even though it is a far from well-executed operation. When three Americans led by Cory Williams (Linda Hamilton) appear in search of the missing loot, the net begins to close on the Irish quartet. They decide to stash the Viagra in the Holy Well only for it to leak into the village water supply. I don’t need to tell you what happens next.
I do enjoy comedy from Ireland. Father Ted remains a masterpiece for me and the likes of Dara O’Briain and Dylan Moran are among the funniest I’ve seen in recent years. Holy Water adds to Ireland’s magical touch with comedy. It’s a silly film no doubt and does get very randy later on but it’s amusing and entertaining with a warm and friendly cast. Hamilton blends in nicely in the Irish village and in no way overshadows the rest of the cast. She’s more toned down than Sarah Connor but still a welcome addition here.
Holy Water is a simple and funny story about four struggling friends doing what they can to make ends meet. Their numerous bungled attempts will raise many a smile and the joy they inadvertently bring to lift the gloom in the whole village is just brilliant. There’s something in the water in Kilcoulins Leap, just ask the locals.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Holy Water | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Inception
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Runtime: 148 minutes
Studio: Warner Home Video
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Review: Inception
Hype is an interesting thing, isn’t it? Some films build up a huge reputation before many of us have even had chance to see them. Christopher Nolan, arguably the best director around at the moment, released Inception in 2010 and the feedback was tremendous. Glowing appraisals worldwide and a decent cast make the film certainly appealing to me but would the hype be justified?
The film focuses on Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his business partner Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who are experts in espionage and can steal personal information not in reality but through bringing their targets into shared dreams! The process involves two-levels with Dom and Arthur implementing a dream within a dream for their targets which allows them to steal what they need. When they’re approached by Mr Saito (Ken Watanabe) to use their methods to break up the empire of his business rival – the dying Maurice Fischer (Pete Postlethwaite) and his son and heir Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) – by planting an idea into the victim’s mind. Though Arthur doesn’t believe this is possible, Dom takes on the job with Mr Saito promising him he ensure his safe passage back to America to his children and help clear him of charges of murdering his wife Mal (Marion Cottilard). Dom and Arthur can’t do this job alone and a team is assembled to take on a challenge with huge rewards but equally large risks.
Dom and Arthur are at work on a job when the film opens and their target is Mr Saito himself. Their cunning methods bring the admiration of Saito who sees their potential in destroying the empire of the Fischer family. Maurice Fischer is dying and his son, Robert, has a somewhat fragile relationship with his father. He has strived to be the man his father is but always falls short and believes himself to be a failure and disappointment. Saito’s plan is to influence the relationship between father and son and ensure that the empire is broken up when Robert comes to take power. Robert is the target for Dom and Arthur but planting an idea into his mind is far from straightforward and how they try to do it becomes very complex. A trio of skilled people are added to the team – Eames (Tom Hardy) who specialises in identity forgery; Yusuf (Dileep Rao) is a chemist brought in to create a sedative capable of inception (a complex three-levelled dream state, transcending the two Dom and Arthur use); and Ariadne (Ellen Page) who is an architecture student who is brought in to design the dream landscapes and make them complex enough to deceive Robert Fischer. The biggest obstacle to the task ahead is Dom himself. His past involving the death his wife Mal, haunts him continuously and this darkness within that he cannot face up to becomes manifest whenever Dom enters a shared dream. His mind brings Mal to life and rather than a sweet and loving wife, she does everything in her power to sabotage Dom’s missions. Not the sort of interloper you want!
When the mission gets underway it is nothing short of remarkable and exciting. Dream states are complex and dangerous. One member of Dom’s gang is chosen to have a dream which the others all enter. When Robert is first sedated he is on a plane with Dom’s gang in close attendance and they all enter a shared dream of Yusuf who pictures a rainy city. While Yusuf drives his friends around in his dream, Dom and the gang sedate themselves and enter a second level dream – Arthur’s dream which is set in hotel. Arthur remains in the hotel as his friends sedate themselves and enter the third level dream of Eames’ which is a fortress in the mountains covered by snow and is the result of Eames’ dream. Things become tense at the first level when Mr Saito, who has joined the group to oversee the mission, is shot and the group need to act quickly to prevent him dying and entering limbo – a terrifying subconscious state where it’s difficult to keep a grasp on reality. Throughout the many levels of dreams, Dom and his gang have Robert with them and plant the idea of his godfather Peter Browning (Tom Berenger) as the subconscious mind that they are really aiming to explore when all the time Robert is the target. Confused? Inception is hard work on the brain but the outcome is amazing. In order to complete the mission, Dom and his gang have to lead Robert through the heavily guarded fortress to a vault where answers about his godfather, Peter, and father, Maurice, await. Even then the extraction process is complicated. Each member of the gang who are having the dreams – Yusuf, Arthur and Eames must instigate a jolt or kick to wake up their friends. Eames has to wake up the gang in the third level dream to coincide with Arthur waking the gang in the second level dream just as Yusuf wakes everyone in the first level dream to instigate their return to reality and waking completely from the dream state. Watching this at the end is one of the most exciting moments you’ll come across in films in recent years.
What else can one say about Inception? The cast are fantastic. DiCaprio is great in the lead and is ably supported by a fabulous gang in Gordon-Levitt, Watanabe, Hardy, Rao and Page. The late Pete Postlethwaite makes a welcome appearance and Cillian Murphy is good as his son who becomes the primary target of dream espionage by Dom’s gang. Nolan directs this masterpiece with flair, weaving excellent acting together with stunning effects and a brilliantly original storyline. This is edge of your seat territory throughout, at times exciting, at times poignant, especially revelations about Dom’s past and there’s even some ambiguity to the ending to keep you talking long after the credits have rolled.
Inception is a stunning thriller from start to finish and may be the best thing Nolan has ever made. I love The Prestige (2006) but this is just as good, if not better. I try not get caught up in the hype with a film but when it comes to Inception all that praise is more than worth it. Miss this one at your peril.
Verdict: 5/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Inception | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
April 21, 2013
Tweedlers’ Jukebox Song of the Week: Dog Train
Hailing from Brighton, The Levellers have been around since the late eighties and have retained a loyal following. Though they never seemed to trouble the UK Top 10 with their singles, their albums have often hit the golden 10. My first affiliation with them came when I was watching MTV one day and happened upon the music video for Dog Train. I couldn’t resist buying the single and not just on the strength of the video.
Hope Street is another of my favourite songs by The Levellers but at a push I’d always opt for Dog Train. I’m not sure what it’s all about beyond being on the dog train but I don’t often worry about deciphering the meaning of a song. I’m quite content to sit back and enjoy another classic song and though this one only peaked at #24 in the UK charts it still brings back fond memories for me.
Tweedlers’ Jukebox Song of the Week: Dog Train | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
Film Review: Born on the Fourth of July
Starring: Tom Cruise, Kyra Sedgwick, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Stephen Baldwin
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Runtime: 145 minutes
Studio: Universal Studios
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Review: Born on the Fourth of July
Wars continue to divide people. Personally, I was against the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq from the start, the latter in particular. Wars should only be fought as a last resort and as long as all options have been exhausted I can accept conflict. In Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July, we experience the life of a man who was passionate about war and his country until experiencing it firsthand led to a life-changing moment.
Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) grows up in a family of strong religious faith and patriotism. His birth on the Fourth of July sees him take on a great American legacy and Ron does not disappoint as he grows into a handsome and popular athlete at school. The chance to sign up for the marines, fight in Vietnam and demonstrate his love and commitment to his country is too great an opportunity for Ron to pass up. Unfortunately, the Vietnam War hits Ron hard both physically and mentally. He returns home in a wheelchair and finding those that once adored him suddenly indifferent leads him down a path of self-destruction. The question is can Ron reconcile his conflicting feelings about the war and America in general and can he rebuild his life?
It’s hard not to be moved by any film of this nature. War is a cruel thing. There’s no getting away from it. Every week it seems UK soldiers have been killed fighting for their country but those that come back have a different challenge. Some come away from wars with barely a scratch and I imagine count their blessings every day. Others, like Ron Kovic, come back with irreparable damage. Any soldier that serves is a hero but those that die or come back having severely wounded transcend the definition of heroism completely. Ron Kovic’s story is an easy one to be moved by. He begins as just an ordinary teenager, popular with his friends and with the girls at high school, he’s the eldest child in his family who everyone seems to look up to. Ron’s parents are a complete contrast. His mother is devoted to God and to America so Ron’s decision to enlist in the army is one that makes her proud. Ron’s father is somewhat more reserved, diminished almost in spirit, but undoubtedly proud of his son yet worried about the prospect of him going to Vietnam.
Ron’s experience in Vietnam centres on two key moments. The first is during a battle with the Vietnamese at sunset when the American troops are retreating. Confusion reigns and while Ron is moving back from the conflict the sun is in his eyes when he catches sight of a figure charging towards him. Ron opens fire and wounds his assailant only to find he’s an American soldier called Wilson! Medics are unable to save Wilson and Ron is left overcome with guilt at what he has done. Speaking to a superior and trying to confess he is simply rebuffed and told to forget the matter. The trouble is Ron can’t forget such a costly misjudgement. The moment then comes when Ron is once again engaged in combat and this time his luck runs out. He is wounded and left paralysed and dying in the fields. Luckily he is rescued by his comrades but then endures the hospitals for American soldiers which are crawling with rats while facilities are far from adequate to deal with the men’s needs. Ron’s return to America is equally traumatic. His family and friends don’t know how to act as he works his way around town in a wheelchair. In a poignant scene Ron’s father shows him round the house he has reorganised to accommodate Ron, struggling to hold his tears back at the sight of his son. Ron’s mother is a different woman. The athletic and patriotic son she simply adored is gone and she has nothing but disdain for her son now, clearly believing his paralysis to be a failure on his part. This return to America leads Ron down the path of alcoholism and finding a haven in Mexico with fellow wounded Vietnam veterans. It’s a painful recovery process and to see Ron at the end about to make a speech in protest to Vietnam conveys what a remarkable yet horrific journey he has had to make.
Cruise was a brave choice by Oliver Stone for this film and critics lined up to shoot the young actor down in flames. It’s not Cruise’s best performance (that’s in Magnolia) but it’s still a commendable one. He does more than enough to make you care and the rest of the cast do their best, especially the Jekyll and Hyde friends and family Ron has to contend with when he leaves for the war and comes back a very different man. The film is a good reminder that many soldiers are forgotten when they come home wounded and are no longer of use in the army. The many thousands of soldiers, like Ron Kovic, should have statues built of them for their service. Whether or not I am in favour of a war doesn’t change my perception of the soldiers that are sent to fight. They are the salt of the earth and Born on the Fourth of July exposes the ugly side of patriotic duty and the sacrifices so many men and women have made for their countries.
Born on the Fourth of July is a good adaptation from a very important book. It would have been good to see more of Kovic’s anti-war protesting but seeing his journey from patriotic soldier to anti-war hero is a journey worth taking though it’s not an easy one.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Born on the Fourth of July | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
