film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Rosalynn Try-Hane

  • Interview With Christina Noble

    With interviews you always hope to have enough questions and answers to fill your allotted interview time. I always hope the interviewees are either: interesting, opinionated and passionate. Just sometimes you meet that rare person who has those three and bags upon bags of personality. Christina Noble is that person. Stephen Bradley’s film biopic of her life is out now. I was lucky enough to sit down with her to receive a command performance of her singing, chatting and imparting pearls of wisdom. How did a girl from the slums of Dublin come to set up a foundation in a country she couldn’t show you on a map and save countless children’s lives despite being separated from her siblings, raised in a convent and escaping an abusive husband. Here’s how she managed it in her own words:

    “I love me. All the great things you can do. We’ve all got brains. Don’t give up no matter what. Never give up. Love who you are. Be proud of who you are and know who you are. I know who I am. Many tried to take it away.”

    [BRWC] You’ve seen the film. Was the story told in the way you’d want to tell it?

    I was happy with it because…mmmm…did you read me book?

    [BRWC] No

    They didn’t give you a book? They are so mean in that office [laughs]. You’d have to read the book. The film is a very small part of my life. But what they did was they did it very well. I mean you can’t produce a film that’s really too painful because people can’t deal with it you know. You want
    your audience to go out with a good balance. No one can tell my story. [John] Keats said “no experience ever becomes real until it is experienced – even a proverb is no proverb to you till your life has illustrated it”. I think the film has been beautifully done but
    it is a small part of my life but the big part of my life, the beautiful part of my life. I’m glad that I am me and I don’t want to be anyone else.

    [BRWC] Do you feel they captured who you were on the screen.
    Yes. Do you know the sparrow. Ah I bet you do. I loved Edith Piaf. [She sings Non,je ne regrette rein pitch perfect]. I was a kid. What I thought it sounded like I’d write it down. I loved her. Meaningful, deep, I loved her depth. I loved Shirley Bassey:[sings] “I don’t give a damn for lost emotions, I’ve given all I have to give.”

    [BRWC] When get to Vietnam in 1989 and you’re like I don’t care what you’re going to say to me I’m going to do this. Do you think you’re childhood helped you achieve all that you’ve achieved now?

    Yep. I know I was born with an interest. I loved people and children even from when I was small. I always stood up for anyone not able to defend themselves. I was never a bully. I’d ask why you make her cry for. They never had a proper answer. The Lord said we’d be friends with everyone. I’d say I’d give them toffee and if they said yes I’d say no because it wasn’t sincere. If you are going to make up it should be from the heart with feeling otherwise it won’t last. I wasn’t perfect or anything like that.

    [BRWC] You were always really adventurous. Have you spoken to your family. What do they think of the film?
    My family that’s alive went to see it. My sister that went to Canada and my brother from America [saw it]. My two sisters came and my children also. Well, they cried you know. They cried, some memories hit them you know and they cried very much, at the separation [scenes] when they were put in the van. Very well shown – exactly – the black mariah [the prison van was called that].

    Noble is out now and was released in cinemas across the UK on 12 February.

  • Review: Bone Tomahawk

    The western is still rather popular first Hateful Eight and now Bone Tomahawk. This is the type of film destined to become a cult classic as it takes all the essential parts of the western genre and has a bit of fun with them and even throws in a few zombies in for good measure. Yes, zombies! So in fact it doesn’t matter whether you are good or bad in Bone Tomahawk you just want to make sure you don’t get eaten.

    What are the basic elements that make a good western? It is usually set in the untamed, ungoverned wild west where the good guys wear white hats and defeat the bad guys in black hats and as a consequence the untamed west becomes civilised. However in Bone Tomahawk directed by Craig S Zahler, he throws a spanner in the works. We have all those elements however there are a spectrum of bad guys: the petty thieves who kill the unsuspecting and rob them right through to zombies. Say what? Yes, zombie like cave dwellers who aren’t Native Americans but some other race. The glorious aspect of the film is that it works because Zahler respects the western genre and doesn’t stray so far that it becomes ridiculous.

    The opening scene is a mixture of gore, razor sharp dialogue and excellent sound effects. We learn that there are reputedly 16 major veins in the neck and it important that you cut through all of them otherwise your “dead” victim might well shoot you. That shot awakens the zombies that we catch a brief glimpse of. The story then jumps forward 11 days and we arrive at the town of Bright Hope – already governed and kept in order by Sheriff Hunt (played with deadpan humour by Kurt Russell supported by his second deputy Chicory (the constantly excellent Richard Jenkins). We meet the broken cowboy, quite literally with a broken leg, Arthur (Patrick Wilson) married to Samatha (Lili Simmons) and the very vain and very machiavellian Brooder (on good form Matthew Fox).When Arthur’s wife as well as the prisoner and Deputy Nick (Evan Jonigkeit) are taken by the zombies the four set out to rescue them.

    Bone Tomahawk is gory and what befalls Deputy Nick (Evan Jonigkeit) at the hands of the zombies will haunt you for a few days afterwards. However, gore aside the humour’s wonderfully thick and dark like molasses will have you chuckling throughout. The characters are well drawn including the female character which is a welcome trend in modern westerns.

    This film reminds me of The Big Lebowski. It is the type of the film that may not do well at the cinema but later goes on to become a cult classic. Even for those of you who aren’t a huge fan of westerns this feels fresh and different.

    Bone Tomahawk opens in cinemas across the UK on Friday 19 February.

  • Empire Cinemas Announces Monthly Film Music Playlists

    Empire Cinemas Announces Monthly Film Music Playlists

    Empire Cinemas, the largest independently-owned cinema chain in the UK, has announced that from February 2016 they will be releasing a monthly Spotify playlist, showcasing the very best film music and scores of that month – all in one place.

    These unique film music playlists will be released mid-month, ensuring cinemagoers and music lovers are kept completely up to date with the stunning soundtracks that accompany all the latest UK film releases. This new offering kicks off on February 15th, with a playlist consisting of music from the likes of Goosebumps (Danny Elfman), Dad’s Army (Charlie Mole), Trumbo (Theodore Shapiro) and The Forest (Bear McCreary).

    Empire Cinemas prides itself on offering a range of screenings that span across both mainstream blockbusters and art-house independents; meaning these playlists will give listeners the chance to not only enjoy cinematic symphonies from mainstream masters such as Hans Zimmer, but also discover new, up and coming artists or unknown artists.

    Jon Nutton Marketing Director of Empire Cinemas said: “We’re very excited to announce the launch of the Empire Cinemas film music playlists. Music is such a huge aspect of film, which shouldn’t go unnoticed. We want to be the cinema that puts all these fantastic movie soundtracks into one easily-accessible place for our filmgoers.”

  • Review: Noble

    Christina Noble grew up in the slums of Dublin and with a gift and a dream she changed not only her life but the life of countless children in Vietnam and Mongolia.

    You could be forgiven for suffering from biopic fatigue, I know I am a sufferer, however this is one biopic that is worth seeing. It is inspiring even in some of the bleakest scenes and keeps a sense of humour throughout. Impossible means everything is possible if you’ve got self belief, love in abundance and an iron will as our Christina has.

    Stephen Bradley’s film biopic of Christina Noble’s life does at the start feel formulaic. It starts off with a little girl running from the school inspector, her mother dies and that rips apart the family. Christina steps into the mother role given her father’s alcoholism. The children are all separated and Christina is sent off to the convent. The film only really picks up and becomes interesting when Christina makes it to Vietnam and as she puts it “became obsessed with a country I couldn’t show you on a map”.

    The adult Christina is played by Deirdre O’Kane and she does a fine job. After meeting the woman that inspired the film Deirdre really captures her charisma, zest for life and most of all her determination. The supporting cast: Ruth Negga cast as the best friend and Brendan Coyle plays Gerry Shaw are both excellent.

    The biopic mercifully steers clear of melodrama as it shows Christina helping children regarded as the “dust of life” and taking on the role of Mama Tina to all these children. What was unique and different about this biopic was that I left thinking this woman found her salvation. Too often with biopics I think that’s great the person overcame adversity and became great but did they feel content or happy once they got to that point. Stephen Bradley’s biopic left me with the abiding impression that Christina found her salvation and that’s rare, after all isn’t that we’re all striving for: salvation whatever that means.

    Noble opens across cinemas in the UK on 12 February.

  • Review: Youth

    Youth directed by Paolo Sorrentino is the story of two friends; Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel) and Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine) who meet annually at a spa in a secluded part of the Alps to rejuvenate and hold onto their youth.

    Mick still works as a film director whereas Fred is a retired composer who is being gentled conjoled into coming out of retirement to conduct his masterpiece – Simple Songs – for none other than the Queen.

    Youth is a masterful representation of someone who wants to transmit his love for the medium of film. What does that mean exactly? Precisely! Just like in the film you don’t need to understand everything in order to make sense of it. There are scenes interjected such as; the dancing chambermaid or Miss World slowly descending into the swimming pool or even the opera singer eating fried chicken held delicately by her white gloved hands. Even the main cast of supporting actors played so expertly by Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano and even Paloma Faith are all there to show the audience another side of the main actors; Harvey Keitel and Michael Caine. Do not watch them and try and find meaning in their story – the daughter who’s being cheated on by her husband. Her role is exposition: to show the egotistical nature of her father so just as you start to feel sorry for the old man Paolo shows you a different side.

    The dialogue is crisp and expertly observed. This from the man who gave us This Must Be The Place with Sean Penn as an ageing rocker and again he looks at ageing and what is the meaning of youth. Yes it may be wasted on the young but the real eye opener is whilst the body may wither the mind remains sharp. As for the performances, this is one of Michael Caine’s best performance ever. Somehow Sorrentino manages to get Caine to show his all on screen. One other stand out performance is that of Jane Fonda. She’s blisteringly hot on screen like the the midday sun.

    This is a glorious feast for the eyes and ears. The symphony played in the film, simple songs, is nominated for an Oscar. It is the sort of the film where you must allow the musical score to wash over you like waves lapping on the beach whilst your eyes bathe in the colours on screen. It is certainly a film that could be watched again and again to pick up the nuances that are missed during the initial viewing.

    Youth opened in cinemas across the UK on 29 January.