march 2012 book and film review

BOOKS

HE WHO HESITATES, by Ed McBain. A young man from out of town comes to the big city, but there's something on his mind. Something he knows he has to report to the police. But what? This is the fifth book I've read in McBain's "87th Precinct" series, and I'm still not tired of them yet. His spare, clean style still appeals, and the plot always hooks you in to the end. I think I've got at least 2 more in me before I move on.
THE SENSE OF AN ENDING, by Julian Barnes. A man now retired reflects on his early life, and the relationships he forged then which still exert their power over him after a lifetime's interval. Winner of last year's Booker Prize, this book was, I am informed, chosen in part because of its "readability" It is certainly easy to read, and meticulously written as we might expect. But does it represent the best of contemporary literature?. I thinknottle. The twist at the end shows Barnes's skill, but true substance remains wanting, in this reader's view at least.
MANSFIELD PARK, by Jane Austen. The goings-on of a noble family and their friends, complicated when an impoverished cousin is brought into the fold. Talk about a book where not a lot happens... A sedate comedy of manners at which Austen excelled, but really, this offering from the mistress of early 19th century literature fails to hold the interest of the reader despite its immaculate style. To me, "Persuasion" and "Pride and Prejudice" remains the twin summits of her career, and the others don't really hack it. But you decide...

FILMS

A PROPHET (2009) D- jacque Audiard. A young Arab is sent to prison where there are 2 main factions: the Arabs and the Corsicans. Unfortunately he is adopted by the Corsicans, leaving him in a slightly invidious position. Despite this he comes through to become a figure of power and menace in both factions. Highly watchable story of power and manipulation. Worthwhile.
SENNA (2010) D- Asif Kapadia. The life of the inspirational Brazilian racing driver, who was so good he thought he was immortal... A highly professional piece of documentary film making, clearly made by a committed fan, though it does not suffer from that. There's nothing wrong with a committed film; indeed I actually prefer them to "balanced" views which often end up offering less truth and reality than the other kind. Superior.
HANNA (2011) D-Joe Wright. A father raises his daughter to be the ultimate killing machine (why?) and she proves too good for all the grownups around her who wish her harm. I'm sorry, but I'm beginning to become a little exasperated by all the hitman films that are around at the moment. If you were to believe Hollywood, every other person you walk past in the street is tooled up ready for their next assassination- and that's bollocks. Not really good enough.
THE COWBOYS (1972) D- Mark Rydell. John Wayne, in the absence of any good men to help him move his herd of cattle, enlists a crew, literally, of boys. Really rather good western in the old tradition, with some moving moments.
MURDERBALL (2005)D- Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. The American and Canadian Paralympic rugby teams battle it out for supremacy coming up to the Athens Games of 2004. Terrific documentary giving us great insight into the minds and damaged bodies of 2 teams of outstanding athletes, determined to win at all costs, whatever their own disabilities. Utterly compelling.
THE GUARD (2011) D-John Michael McDonagh. An Irish policeman used to doing nothing more exciting than issuing an occasional speeding ticket, becomes mixed up with big-league international drug dealers. An American FBI agent becomes involved too, and cultures clash... Highly entertaining vehicle for Brendan Gleason, who can do no wrong in my eyes since his top-flight performance in "In Bruges"
UP IN THE AIR (2009) D- Jason Reitman. George Clooney plays a man who spends half his life flying around America in his job which basically involves firing people for companies too scared to do it themselves. Then he falls for a fellow frequent flyer... Highly professional offering from Ivan's son, though a little too slick for my tastes.
KILLING BONO (2011) D- Nick Hamm. A bunch of aspiring rock stars in Dublin want to be famous. Some of them form U2, and the rest is history. The others struggle to make it at a much reduced level, and slowly resentment builds. Watchable film, though nowhere near as good as "The Guard" (qv)
SCREAM 4 (2010) D- Wes Craven. Ghostface is back, and this time he's scarier than ever. Wes Craven has got this sort of thing down to a fine art: pretty teens get slashed from first frame to last, and we love it, don't we? The "safe fear" of the horror movie remains as popular as it has ever been, and if that's your bag, you could do worse than this.