“Not many people know that”

Michael Caine is one of my favorite actors and has a reputation for knowing lots of arcane bits of information that he brings out in conversations, ending it with what has becomes his catchphrase, “Not many people know that”.

Because of his distinctive manner of speaking he is also widely impersonated by his fellow actors. In this interview with Michael Parkinson, Caine is [Read more…]

Alan Moore on the influence of V for Vendetta

When the above film based on Moore’s 1988 graphic novel series came out in 2006, it immediately struck a chord with me. (See my review here and later reflections in the light of the Arab spring here.) I felt that it would become a cultural icon and so it has proved, with the Guy Fawkes mask becoming a ubiquitous symbol of popular uprising against an entrenched oligarchy.

Moore reflects on how the ideas for his book and [Read more…]

Atlas Shrugged II – More trains!

Ayn Rand devotees will be delighted to hear that part two of the film made from their icon’s hit book will be released before the elections so that they can all – well actually I am not sure what the film is supposed to tell them to do, other than perhaps prepare them to go Galt if the Kenyan-Muslim-Communist-Alinskyite is re-elected in November.

The producers seem undeterred by the fact that [Read more…]

Film: Game Change

I do not particularly care for films that re-tell real political history based on the reports of journalists who cover the campaigns. They too often deal with the second level of politics and avoid the more important third hidden level that deals with the oligarchic influence on the system itself.

But I will make an exception and likely see Game Change, the new HBO film [Read more…]

Film review: The Ides of March (no spoilers)

There was a time when I would have absolutely loved a film like this: a political drama that showed the backstage maneuverings of politicians and their campaigns. I would have thought that I was getting a look at what ‘real’ politics was all about, as opposed to what was reported in the newspapers and on TV.

You can read about the film at the official website. Here’s the trailer.

The film deals with a crucial Democratic primary election in Ohio and [Read more…]

Film review: Margin Call

Margin Call (2011) is a first-rate film.

It deals with what ensues in a large unnamed investment bank when a junior analyst discovers late one evening in 2008 that the value of the bank’s holdings of mortgage-backed securities has wandered dangerously outside the range of mathematical models of the values that it should have, and that the size of the potential losses is so huge that it could bankrupt the entire institution.

The film tracks events over the next twenty-four hours as this information goes up the chain of command all the way to the chief executive, triggering a series of meetings at higher and higher levels that run through the night and into the dawn, as everyone tries to figure out what to do before the news of this disaster becomes widely known in the financial industry and destroys the company.

In the process, it reveals the thinking and mode of operation of the various players in investment banks, from the junior to the highest levels, the role of money, how people’s allegiance and silence is bought, and how some people are ruthlessly sacrificed so that others may profit, all done calmly and urbanely.

This world is unknown to me since I have never worked in such institutions but I have to say that from what I have read on the financial crises and kinds of people involved, the story and characters seem utterly plausible.

The film keeps you intensely interested even though there is little physical action or even any shouting. It is all talk, low-key and understated, but it shows how a film can deal with serious issues and still be engrossing. What it takes is that it be well-written, well-directed, and well-acted.

Here’s the trailer.

Film review: The Ledge

Some time ago, I passed on information about a new feature film called The Ledge (2011) that had an atheist character as the lead. The film was written and directed by Matthew Chapman, who happens to be the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin. I finally had a chance to see it over the weekend and I have to confess that it was a big disappointment. Even though I wanted to like it, the film has so many flaws that I simply cannot recommend it anyone.

The story begins with a person standing on the ledge of a high building and threatening to jump, and consists of flashbacks as he and the police officer assigned to talk him down exchange their personal histories.

The main problem is that it is overwritten. The script is too preachy and tries to hit too many obvious points in the religion/atheism debate. It is not subtle. Furthermore, the story is highly implausible and three of the main lead characters (the atheist, the Christian, and the Christian’s wife) are unsympathetic and their portrayals (by Charlie Hunnam, Patrick Wilson, and Liv Tyler respectively) are leaden.

The one redeeming feature in the film is Terrence Howard as the police officer who tries to talk the atheist off the ledge. He has more acting skills than the other lead actors combined and the subplot involving his character was more interesting than the main story.

I think that the best way to deal with religion in films is with humor. Religious beliefs are so preposterous and the history of religions so bizarre that it makes for ripe pickings for comedians. Monty Python’s Life of Brian and Ricky Gervais’s The Invention of Lying are good examples of how to do it.

Maybe a serious film that deals with atheism well will come along someday.