Damage

Tags

1990's, Damage, Drama, Erotic Drama, Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche, Leslie Caron, Louis Malle, Miranda Richardson, Rupert Graves

Film Title

Damage

Director

Louis Malle

Starring

• Jeremy Irons as Stephen Fleming
• Juliette Binoche as Anna Barton
• Miranda Richardson as Ingrid Fleming
• Rupert Graves as Martyn Fleming
• Leslie Caron as Elizabeth

Erotic obsession and the devastation of infidelity are dispassionately captured in Damage, directed with clinical hands by Louis Malle and performed admirably by the cast. It’s not a film for all tastes, but for those willing to view an intense and glacial unearthing of attraction, Damage may well interest you.

Stephen Fleming is a former doctor, who is now in the sphere of British politics as a government minister. His life is largely ordered and well off, with his loving wife Ingrid and two children; grown up Martyn and young Sally. While his life is pretty impressive and successful, you get the feeling that Stephen desires more out of what he says as a slightly dull and stuffy existence. That very thing finds him when he meets Anna Barton, a new girlfriend of Martyn’s who is gorgeous yet glacial. Stephen is immediately captivated by the icy Anna, who silently allows and entices his attractions to manifest and culminate in an affair. For Stephen, he is experiencing sexual bliss and something out of the ordinary, while for Anna it is more clouded and enigmatic. She seems to enjoy this thrill of the chase when it’s on her terms, yet remains passive outside of the bedroom with her hand clearly on Stephen’s heart. knows that what he is doing is wrong, but the beautiful Anna has awakened something within him that can’t be easily tamed. It completely consumes him from every angle and his ordered world is turned upside down. The affair intensifies, even though Martyn announces that him and Anna are to be married. It is Anna who mainly seems to control what is going on, telling Stephen that she is going to marry and still have relations with him. Yet after dinner with Anna’s mother who hints at her daughter’s damaging influence, considers breaking things off with her. Before this can happen though, revelations and sadness sweep over as the affair’s impact is brutally drawn out.

Louis Malle’s direction is one of measured pacing and subtle hints, that allows Damage to move along with a sharp eye on the affair and the ways it tests everyone. A lot of the tension in the film is found in the glances between Anna and Stephen, with each thinking they know the other’s thoughts and desperately wanting to get physical. There isn’t a moralizing factor in Damage and while and Anna are obviously hurting others b their clandestine actions, Malle refuses to pass judgement and presents them as two people who just can’t quit their desire, regardless of the consequences. The view of the characters will no doubt be what the audience wants it to be, but kudos to the script that explores the depths of obsession and how incendiary desire can become on even the most decent person. Which brings me on to the sex in Damage, which is animal and messy, up close and uncomfortably personal. It isn’t movie style sex though the people aren’t without appeal, it is depicted as a lustful thing that isn’t always pleasant or earthy. That may sound like a criticism, but it isn’t because Damage shows the burgeoning affair with an uncompromising air making it fierce but ultimately  bruising. That’s why the sex in it is so different and unusual, it boasts an intimacy that never lets you look away through the cold and arresting treatment of things. Anyone going in expecting to be aroused will no doubt be disappointed, as Damage focuses more on the awkwardness and attempts to remain concealed best conveyed through body language. Sex and desire is played out as an exercise in both emotions and longings that are brought up yet slowly begin breaking through, with often compromising and ultimately tragic results in the long run. As smart and piercing as Damage is, it isn’t completely above the level of soap opera is some of its moments. Thankfully, these moments are only really a few in what is largely a successful and strangely gripping dive into the rivers of erotic longing, that wisely for the most parts rises above the need for melodrama. In fact, emotions are kept largely at simmering level until inevitable tragedy and heartache and that’s when Damage really soars, as the moments are so unexpected and emotionally violent. Some may say that the film is too cold, but that is to miss how objectively it views the characters and their actions. The music mirrors the bubbling tension and breaks in tranquility, before discovering a well of sadness that comes in handy when all is laid out on the table.

In this brewing drama of wrenching consequences, the assembled actors admirably perform with all they have got, with spectacular results. In the lead of the bewitched government minister, Jeremy Irons subtly portrays both an agonizing guilt and an almost school boy infatuation that refuses to remove itself from him. Irons is a pro at playing the stiff upper lip aspects of the part, while hitting home the deep obsession he feels whenever Anna is around him that causes him to jeopardize everything in his life he has worked hard for.  Juliette Binoche has the right seductive allure and remoteness for the role of Anna, which she plays wonderfully. The part is a difficult one because Anna is someone who holds a lot back, but when you someone as talented as Binoche, the results are compelling. Through little flickers and nuances, she hints that there may be more feeling to Anna behind her icy surface, yet we can never be quite sure as she knows how to manipulate others too and her actions are not always what you expect. Her combination of aloof poise, come hither glances and possible danger are employed in a most striking way, with Binoche a sensual yet mysterious femme fatale. It isn’t difficult to see why Stephen risks everything for the melancholy yet arousing Anna, she really is a beautiful yet complex woman( due in no small part to the intelligence and suggestion of Juliette Binoche.) Yet the real fireworks and best performance in Damage is from the always interesting and dependable Miranda Richardson. Starring as the dutiful and caring wife who slowly comes to notice little things not adding up and earning a distrust of Anna, there is an elegance and grace to Richardson’s work that soon gives way to volcanic shock. And when I say shock and anger, she really goes for the jugular when everything spills out about the affair. It’s a soaring piece of acting and one that burns into the memory, owing to how deeply felt and bravely astonishing Miranda Richardson is. Rupert Graves has probably the least engaging part of the cuckolded Martyn, but he manages to really invest a sense of being bowled over by Anna and not being able to see what is right in front of him. Leslie Caron really makes her presence known in only a couple of scenes. Playing the wise and withering mother of Anna, she exemplifies an understanding of her daughter’s actions and knows exactly what she will do if she can. I had fun seeing Caron in the film as she largely says what everyone else is thinking, laced with a toxic undercurrent of foreknowledge.

A quietly intense and measured erotic drama that packs a punch as it goes on, Damage provides a striking view of overwhelming attraction and the brutal fall out from ones actions in the name of passion.

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Enchanted April

Tags

1990's, Alfred Molina, Drama, Enchanted April, Jim Broadbent, Joan Plowright, Josie Lawrence, Michael Kitchen, Mike Newell, Miranda Richardson, Period Drama, Polly Walker

Film Title

Enchanted April

Director

Mike Newell

Starring

• Josie Lawrence as Lottie Wilkins
• Miranda Richardson as Rose Arbuthnot
• Joan Plowright as Mrs. Fisher
• Polly Walker as Lady Caroline Dester
• Alfred Molina as Mellersh Wilkins
• Jim Broadbent as Frederick Arbuthnot
• Michael Kitchen as George Briggs

A thoroughly captivating period drama, in which a dream vacation for four ladies has each person is changed by the experience, Enchanted April is aptly named and filled with a real feel good factor that is hard to resist.

It is 1920’s London and grey skies and constant rain fill the days. Downtrodden housewife Lottie Wilkins desires a change of scenery for a while as she is married to solicitor Mellersh, who rarely pays her any attention and London depresses her. She meets a neighbour, Rose Arbuthnot, to whom she has never spoken and sees that she also is in a not to different situation. Yet Rose is a woman who has become so used to being subservient to her husband that the idea of a holiday appears to be just a dream. Yet she is soon won over by Lottie’s insistence and good nature, and soon the women grow friendly and plan a getaway. The location is an Italian castle on the shores of the Mediterranean for the month of April. The two jump into this as a way to escape the dreary lives they lead and take the chance. In order to split the expenses, Lottie and Rose put out an advertisement for two others to join their impromptu adventure. The two people they take on are the haughty and disapproving Mrs. Fisher and beautiful but restless socialite Lady Caroline Dester, who wants to get away from her social circles. Once at the exotic castle, the four of them set apart attempting to relax and unwind, though it isn’t always that simple. The ladies are at first at odds with each other, yet over time they grow closer to each other. A change happens for each of the women over the course of April as the fresh air and surroundings weave a magic spell on all of them. Lottie discovers her own sense of worth, Rose emerges from her insular shell to become a vivacious and confident lady, Mrs Fisher’s waspish attitude is minimalised as she lightens up and Caroline gets a sense of contentment from the castle. It appears that the place has some unusual ability to transform those there and generally for the best in this luscious movie.

Mike Newell has a sensitive edge to his direction that brings the characters and settings to life admirably. The whole strangers going on holiday and changing genre has been done a million times, but Enchanted April is one of the better films of its kind thanks to the script and aforementioned direction from the great Newell. There is subtlety at work in Enchanted April that suits the slow, sunny days in which the quartet evolve as people due to the change in location and free from the pressures of life. Some people may say that not a great deal happens, when quite a lot occurs just in a mature and measured way as opposed to something majorly overt. I like this approach in a movie, especially something like this that allows for depth and nuance.  A good touch is having some of the thoughts of the women play out as monologues when they’re alone and left to contemplate the impact of change on them. The locations are gorgeous to look at and the visual changes pave the way for memorable viewing. From the dour London scenes to the brightly coloured setting of Italy, Enchanted April knows how to twin the colours with the emotions the characters and audience experience. You can take away a warm and fuzzy feeling from this film, that at least feels genuine and not mawkish or filled schmaltz. Gentle music stunningly underscores the growth of each person as the paradise quietly but noticeably changes them.

Enchanted April gains huge points of greatness from the splendid cast. It’s the ladies who are the most memorable within the film. As the lady who comes up with the idea of the holiday, Josie Lawrence has enough energy and optimism she could practically burst. Playing Lottie as a woman who is bruised but has an effervescent spirit and perceptive ability. Lawrence succeeds as it is impossible not to be won over by her. Miranda Richardson is simply sublime in her part of the saddened and put upon Rose, who discovers a new purpose and love for life once in the Italian surroundings. Richardson is one of those performers who can say so much with her face than most can with heaps of dialogue. She is a moving and luminous presence in this film and not one that is easily forgotten. Stealing all of her scenes is Joan Plowright; essaying the role of a cantankerous old lady who is really quite lonely and regretful behind the entitled surface. She gets all the best lines and her old-fashioned and snobby attitude is a funny thing to view. Yet Plowright knows exactly when to reel in the disapproving glances and acidic remarks to reveal a woman at odds with the world, as it is totally different from the one she grew up in and her morals are now outdated in changing society. As the last part of the female quartet, Polly Walker’s work is stunning and full of kittenish behaviour. At first glance,the part of Caroline could be seen as merely a glamorous one that probably wouldn’t require much in the way of acting. But Polly Walker digs beneath that and thanks to the writing, emerges with a very good performance that opens up the character who just wants to be loved by someone for not just her beauty or money.

Though while the ladies hold a lot of the interest, the men do pretty well too. Alfred Molina and Jim Broadbent excel as two of the husbands who are inattentive to the yet once they visit the paradise are changed significantly. The always reliable Alfred Molina in particular is a highlight as the initially priggish Mellersh, who appears more interested in his job than anything else. Later he is seen displaying a deft humour and surprising sensitivity once his character glimpses how important his wife is to him in the scheme of things. Michael Kitchen has a good part as the owner of the castle who is never seen far from a thick pair of glasses due to having short sight.

A lovely film of gorgeous scenery, subtle drama and nice performances, Enchanted April is just the ticket for a rainy day as you will feel refreshed by it.

Testament of Youth

Tags

2010's, Alicia Vikander, Based on a true story, Colin Morgan, Dominic West, Drama, Emily Watson, Hayley Atwell, James Kent, Kit Harington, Miranda Richardson, Taron Egerton, Testament of Youth, War

Film Title

Testament of Youth

Director

James Kent

Starring

• Alicia Vikander as Vera Brittain
• Kit Harington as Roland Leighton
• Taron Egerton as Edward Brittain
• Colin Morgan as Victor Richardson
• Emily Watson as Mrs Brittain
• Dominic West as Mr Brittain
• Hayley Atwell as Hope
• Miranda Richardson as Miss Lorimer

A beautifully moving and stirring movie, Testament of Youth recounts the true events in the life of Vera Brittain during the First World War, filled with determination, horror, heartache and self-sacrifice. Powerfully acted and poignant to the core, it’s a well-rendered triumph of emotion and bravery from her memoir.

We begin on Armistice Day and while everyone is celebrating the end of the First World War, Vera Brittain begins to reflect on her own personal experiences. We flashback to 1914, Vera is an independent, passionate and free thinking girl whose attitudes were at odds with her parents ideas of her becoming a respectable lady. Along with her good-hearted brother Edward, friend and secret admirer Victor Richardson and sensitive Roland Leighton, Vera enjoys rebelling against the norms of the time and we first glimpse her swimming in a lake without a care in the world. She has ambitions of becoming a writer, but her shocked parents are not exactly thrilled to hear of these plans. She is encouraged by Roland( who also would like to write but doesn’t quite have the confidence), who she holds a torch for to apply to Oxford because of her dreams and while nervous she does so. When she gets a place at Oxford, she couldn’t be more overjoyed and she makes her intentions clear to Roland, who reciprocates her love. Yet this happiness for Vera proves to be short-lived as the War begins and Roland signs up, along with Edward and Victor. With the world at war and it continuing on longer than expected, Vera tries to go about her studies at Oxford which she fought so long and hard for. But her irrepressible spirit tells her that she must act and sacrificing her place at university, she begins to work as a nurse, which eventually takes her to The Front. Yet the war is a cruel time and one by one, Vera’s life is turned upside down by personal tragedy and turmoil. But the young Vera isn’t broken yet and continues to do her part for the war, while bravely experiencing the utter horrors it can bring.

James Kent contributes an emotionally involving direction to the film. He thankfully doesn’t fall prey to the usual problems of making a true story have an impact on the screen without overdoing it. Testament of Youth isn’t strictly a biopic, it is based on a true story but doesn’t feel episodic like other biopics. It does have elements of a biopic that are thankfully realised with heart and soul. The way that Kent intercuts scenes from a happier time in Vera’s life with the devastating effects of war is assured and heart-wrenching to watch. Aside from this, the use of camerawork puts the audience deep in the heart of the emotional story by often focusing on faces, in particular the changes on Vera’s as the war deals its tragic blow on her. It is a sensitively done movie that doesn’t go for histrionics, instead it opts for subtle emotions that make the story all the more powerful. The closeness of the story makes us feel like we are there and when Vera experiences something, we too feel the exact same way as her. For a movie that centers around war, the battle scenes in Testament of Youth are few and far between. I believe that Kent is more interested in showing the aftermath of the war and the horrific wounds both physical and emotional it can inflict on us. Though it must be said it doesn’t scrimp when showing the horror of war either when Vera is a nurse, which adds a very haunting angle to the movie. Although it is a heartbreaking film and moving in every sense of the word, Testament of Youth does however retain a sense of glimmering hope in the form of Vera. Through her struggles, we witness her transform and eventually see her ultimately become a passionate pacifist, who refuses to forget the fallen. Vera Brittain was such a brave woman and it is shown here how she suffered immense pain, but managed to survive being engulfed by it to write her personal story down for the world to know. There may be romance within the story between Vera and Roland, but it is not a full-blown passionate union. It is a fleeting and tentative romance that only heightens the ultimate tragedy that it later ends in. A beautifully evocative score adds considerable impact to events and seems to act as Vera’s resilient voice as the war rages on and personal suffering surrounds her.

Anchoring the film with a powerful performance is Alicia Vikander as Vera Brittain. Essaying the part with depth, emotional subtlety and strength, we get a real picture of what Vera endured during the war and how it shaped her as a person. Vikander brings passion to the part and never reverts to over the top displays of emotion; the effectiveness of her performance lies in the nuance she gives it and how she doesn’t require a single line of dialogue to get across the intense emotions within her. Kit Harington is very good at portraying Roland, the man who Vera falls in love with and who makes a deep impression on her. His scenes with Vikander are wonderfully acted to say the least and contribute to their doomed romance. Then there is Taron Egerton, who imbues Vera’s brother Edward with a loyalty and sympathy that is sensitively observed. There is a deep honesty to Egerton’s performance that really shows his talent here. Colin Morgan is subtly wonderful as the pining Victor, and there is excellently classy support provided by Emily Watson and Dominic West as Vera’s disapproving parents.  Seen in a small role as a nurse working with Vera on The Front, Hayley Atwell makes the most of the part and Miranda Richardson contributes her usual reliable presence as an Oxford teacher who comes to respect Vera.

Testament of Youth is an emotional recounting of Brittain’s memoir and it does the deeply personal subject matter of suffering, sacrifice and perseverance justice with clarity and a strong lead performance from Alicia Vikander.

Sleepy Hollow

Tags

1990's, Casper Van Dien, Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken, Horror, Ian McDiarmid, Jeffrey Jones, Johnny Depp, Marc Pickering, Michael Gambon, Michael Gough, Miranda Richardson, Richard Griffiths, Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton

Film Title

Sleepy Hollow

Director

Tim Burton

Starring

• Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane
• Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel
• Miranda Richardson as Lady Van Tassel
• Marc Pickering as Young Masbath
• Michael Gambon as Baltus Van Tassel
• Casper Van Dien as Brom Van Brunt
• Jeffrey Jones as Reverend Steenwyck
• Richard Griffiths as Magistrate Philipse
• Ian McDiarmid as Dr. Lancaster
• Michael Gough as Notary Hardenbrook
• Christopher Walken as the Hessian Horseman

Chilling, blood-soaked and visually ravishing, Tim Burton’s take on Washington Irving’s classic story is a creepy tale of murder and the supernatural with nods to Hammer Horror. Bolstered by a strong cast and a striking colour palette, Sleepy Hollow is a must for old-fashioned horror fans.

Ichabod Crane is an awkward, eccentric and unorthodox policeman in 1799 New York. His methods, such as autopsies and checking for fingerprints are criticised by those around him as they are peculiar and deemed unimportant. Ichabod is also plagued by his blurred memories of a past trauma involving his mother which he begins to piece together. He is given the task of uncovering the murderer in a small remote town known as Sleepy Hollow. Four people have been murdered in a short space of time, each of the victims was decapitated and their head was not found. Arriving in the dour town, Ichabod meets with the town elders; Baltus Van Tassel, the most respected and richest citizen, solemn Reverend Steenwyck, nervy Magistrate Philipse, quiet Dr. Lancaster and menacing Notary Hardenbrook. While Ichabod believes that the murderer is a man, the elders have a very different idea. They believe the carnage is the work of the Headless Horseman, a former mercenary in the war who delighted in chopping off the heads of his victims. The Horseman would eventually befall the same fate at the hands of soldiers. The elders are convinced that the Horseman has returned for revenge. Initially very skeptical and trying to think logically about what killed the victims, Ichabod begins to understand this story after his own encounter with the vengeful spirit. Spooked but still determined, Ichabod attempts to unravel the mystery with the help of Katrina, the romantic and enigmatic daughter of Baltus and Masbath, a recently orphaned boy who sees Ichabod as a surrogate father. Gothic chills and bloodshed follow as the mystery deepens into the realms of the supernatural.

From the opening frames of fog and carnage, we are transported into the gothic world of Tim Burton, who is clearly having a ball with the source material. Burton infuses Sleepy Hollow with an unnerving atmosphere of fear and mystery by utilising shadow and slow-building suspense.He respectfully tips his hat to Hammer Horror with scenes such as the eerily misty woods, a mysterious person clad in a cloak who glides through the woods one night and the wise crone who dwells in the cave, whilst also giving a darkly humorous and sly edge to proceedings. Visuals in Sleepy Hollow are second to none, with the looming houses of the town casting an ominous atmosphere and the gnarled Tree of the Dead a particularly terrifying sight to behold. Sleepy Hollow may be gory in many scenes as crimson and scarlet fill the screen, but at least it has a gripping story to keep it from falling into a full on gore fest. Danny Elfman provides a haunting and spellbinding score of choir chanting, uneasy strings and dreamlike percussion that perfectly sets the mood of impending terror that awaits Ichabod upon his arrival in the eponymous town.

Johnny Depp heads the impressive cast as the nervy and free-thinking Ichabod. He conveys fear, skepticism and radical thinking whilst giving us some darkly funny moments when Ichabod’s modern techniques are questioned by old-fashioned values. Christina Ricci is luminously enigmatic and dreamlike as Katrina, whose secretive behaviour and beauty soon cause her to become the object of Ichabod’s affections whilst aiding him in his unearthing of the sinister legend. Miranda Richardson makes for a mysterious character with her evasive presence and strange smiles every so often that slip from behind her image as a model wife. Marc Pickering conveys maturity and courage as Masbath, who helps Ichabod and develops and deep father-son bond with him. In supporting roles as the village elders;Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones, Ian McDiarmid and Michael Gough are respectable and intelligent. Casper Van Dien is well suited to the macho character of Brom, a potential suitor to Katrina who begins to feel threatened by the presence of Ichabod. And not forgetting Christopher Walken, who portrays the Horseman in flashback and adds a terrifying intensity and menace to the role.

A spellbinding, eerie and visually stunning horror film, Sleepy Hollow is both an affectionate throwback to old horror movies and a suspenseful thrill ride of mystery and danger, crafted with eccentric care by Tim Burton.

Spider

Tags

2000's, David Cronenberg, Gabriel Byrne, Lynn Redgrave, Miranda Richardson, Psychological Drama, Ralph Fiennes, Spider

Film Title

Spider

Director

David Cronenberg

Cast

• Ralph Fiennes as Dennis ‘Spider’ Cleg
• Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Cleg/Yvonne
• Gabriel Byrne as Bill Cleg
• Bradley Hall as Young Spider
• John Neville as Terrence
• Lynn Redgrave as Mrs. Wilkinson

With Spider, David Cronenberg takes the viewer on an intense and psychological journey through the mind of a paranoid schizophrenic as he begins to remember important events from his childhood. Deftly told and powerfully acted, Spider is a film that gets you tangled up in its web and just when you think you’ve figured it out, you see something unexpected and you’re left flawed.

The film begins with an excellent tracking shot through a London station as passengers disembark a train. When the camera finishes gliding through the crowd, we finally get our first glimpses of the title character. He is unkempt, often stoops, mutters to himself and has a haunted expression. In these opening moments, we get a distinct picture of Spider and how his behaviour that will influence the events of the film. He has just been released from an asylum after treatment for schizophrenia and now is to live in a dilapidated halfway way house in the East End. He arrives and is greeted with the cold, unfeeling Mrs. Wilkinson, but is helped by an old man called Terrence. It is here that Spider’s memory begins to unravel and he begins to literally relive his key ‘moments’ from his traumatic childhood whilst revisiting his childhood haunts. The most prominent events revolve around his caring mother and his drunken father, who seems to be having an affair with a local hooker. But as Spider descends deeper into these memories, his mental state begins to deteriorate, even as he begins to put the missing pieces together. Throughout the film, the audience is left with an interesting question, Are the memories that he is reliving real or the result of his paranoia? That is for the audience to decide as the film takes on numerous ambiguous meanings and connotations.

As the title character, Ralph Fiennes delivers a powerful and committed portrayal that lets the audience experience the living nightmare he endures. He lets his body do most of the talking, capturing the nervousness, jittery movements and awkward gestures that say so much more than speech can. It is through Spider’s eyes that we see the ‘events’ that befell him as a child and how the repercussions have deeply and emotionally scarred him. He is excellently portrayed as a child by Bradley Hall, who boasts an eerily resemblance to Fiennes. Miranda Richardson delivers knockout performances as two women who although they were at different ends of the moral spectrum, each had a huge impact on the boy’s psyche. She embodies both characters, Spider’s saintly mother and Yvonne, a vulgar, loose living prostitute, with a deft skill that is amazing to watch and remarkable in clearly showing the differences in the women. Gabriel Byrne exudes menace as Spider’s abusive father, whose dalliance with Yvonne led to terrifying consequences. And Lynn Redgrave is suitably chilly as the unfriendly and beady-eyed Mrs.Wilkinson.

Credit must go to the screenplay that blends the lines between past and present with a haunting skill. This use of narrative further challenges the audience to decide what is in fact real and imaginary. The set design impeccably displays the dark and dingy area in which Spider grew up and the various incidents that shaped his existence. As with most of Cronenberg’s films, Spider isn’t the most pleasant thing to watch but regardless of this, is an exceptionally evocative and chilling account of the repercussions of memory and the tenuous link between past and present as it overlaps. The film boasts many interpretations that rise from small events that you may have to view again to get a better understanding. If its psychological drama that you want, watch this underrated film that will leave you flawed by the time it ends and thinking about it for days after.

Chicken Run

Tags

2000's, Chicken Run, Comedy, Imelda Staunton, Jane Horrocks, Julia Sawalha, Mel Gibson, Miranda Richardson, Phil Daniels, stop motion, Timothy Spall

Film title

Chicken Run

Directors

Peter Lord & Nick Park

Voice Cast

• Julia Sawalha as Ginger
• Mel Gibson as Rocky
• Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Tweedy
• Tony Haygarth as Mr. Tweedy
•  Jane Horrocks as Babs
• Imelda Staunton as Bunty
• Lynn Ferguson as Mac
• Benjamin Whitrow as Fowler
• Timothy Spall as Nick
• Phil Daniels as Fetcher

Synopsis: A band of desperate chickens trapped in a prison-like farm, seek the help of a cocky American rooster in order to escape from being made into chicken pies by their sadistic owner and her oafish husband.

A glorious stop-motion send-up to Prisoner of War movies such as “The Great Escape”, Chicken Run possesses something for every one of every age to enjoy. It has the comedy to engage young children but a serious, emotional side that adults can equally relate to. There is humour, pathos and thrilling action sequences that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The stop-motion is just fantastic to look at.

The main aspect I liked about this film was the array of different characters. The film establishes the five man band rule commonly featured in Prison Dramas;

• There is the main focal point and hero Ginger

• The perfect foil to the hero Rocky

• The big guy and local cynic Bunty

• The ditzy chick of the bunch Babs

• The smart one in the form of Scottish Mac

The old school Fowler, who always speaks of his RAF days, acts as a mentor to the other chickens as he introduces discipline to them and eventually comes up with the main method of escape.  

This reminded me of how humans are usually in one way or another put into groups such as this with each individual having a unique or special quality.  I also think that the various nods to POW films are funny and inventive, this is clearly shown in the opening scene in which Ginger and the others attempt another escape at night, only to be thwarted by Tweedy and her two evil dogs.  The scene is a clear homage (and spoof) of “The Great Escape”.

Poultry Prison

Whilst the humour is hysterical throughout the film, there are equally emotional and sad moments as well. The many escape attempts of the chickens make the audience feel sympathy for them. One of the most memorable scenes occurs near the beginning of the film; the chickens have all lined up as the evil Mrs. Tweedy comes to inspect their egg count. The scene is reminiscent of POW films in the set-up of the chickens behind a chain-link fence and being under the rule of another power. The scene is deliberately filmed from low-angle shots to give the sense that Mrs. Tweedy is the one in control and the chickens are cowering beneath her. As she continues to menacingly patrol up and down the lines, she notices on her records a shortage of eggs from a certain chicken named Edwina. The terrified Edwina is then taken away to what all of the chickens refer to as “The Chop”, in other words where they are to be killed. Ginger leaves the line and climbs to the roof of one of the pens. Although we don’t actually see Edwina being killed (we just see the shadow of Tweedy raising the axe), it’s the sad reaction of the other chickens as the thud of the axe comes down that leaves a lump in the throat and a tear in the eye. The scene is further saddened as an upset Ginger watches a flock of birds fly over the fence, symbolizing her desire to escape from the farm and live in freedom.   

Rocky the Rhode Island Red

Despite this, or maybe because of it, Ginger tries to boost morale with another escape attempt, to which the others are not so sure. This leads the way for the arrival of Rocky, a rooster who, unbeknownst to the rest of the chickens, can’t fly but has been blasted from a cannon as part of a circus act. He promises to teach them how to fly but later has a crisis of judgment with himself.  Rocky makes for an interesting character as shown by his brittle arguments with his polar opposite Ginger. He is the perfect foil to the character of Ginger. They are like chalk and cheese in terms of personality.

 Tweedy’s evil plan

One of the most exciting sequences comes after the arrival of the pie machine. Before this, the selfish and heartless Mrs. Tweedy has grown tired of collecting eggs and seeks a new way of making money for herself.  With the machine built, Tweedy wants to test it out and takes Ginger to be the first victim. The reaction of the other chickens as they panic intensely lightens the mood before the action begins. Rocky then decides to rescue her and he silently enters the farm. Ginger is strapped to restraints as the machine starts and edges her closer towards the dropping chute.  The music that underscores this scene adds an adventurous and action-packed feeling. Rocky then finds himself searching for Ginger whilst trying to avoid the various instruments of death such as the roller to flatten the pastry. To slow the machine down, Rocky sticks a carrot into the gravy producer causing the pressure to rise. After finding themselves in the oven, Rocky falls into the pies whilst Ginger manages to find the exit. To stop the exit from closing Ginger uses a spanner to wedge it open; she then goes back and manages to save Rocky just in the nick of time.  After escaping from the machine they find a poster of Mrs. Tweedy’s chicken pies and decide to show the other chickens what she is up to.

Rocky becomes a hero

The scene changes how Ginger sees Rocky as a character. Before this she sees him as being arrogant, but after saving her she starts to see him as a hero and takes a shine to him. This is also when Rocky begins to feel like a fraud and starts to feel for the other chickens. This is especially evident after Fowler, who originally looked at Rocky with a disdainful eye, gives him a medal of honour for his rescue of Ginger. After this, Rocky decides to run away, this is a move that upsets the chickens, as they all believed he was the answer to their prayers. Fowler non-intentionally gives them an escape idea of building a crate to fly out of the farm.  They work against the clock to build it whilst Mr. Tweedy attempts to repair the machine for his merciless wife. In this quest, they are aided by two sticky-fingered rats known appropriately as Nick and Fetcher, who provide some great comic scenes.  As they attempt to fly away, Tweedy tries to thwart the plan but Rocky heroically returns and aids them.  By doing this, Rocky has gone from being the anti-hero to the hero.  A nail-biting climax follows as a demented and evil Tweedy again tries to cut off the escape plan in psychopathic fashion.

If you are looking for a film that has laughs, sadness and glorious effects then “Chicken Run” is the film I would advice you watch. This film will seriously make you reconsider eating chicken pie ever again.