EDF Cinema

[SeanMacGabhann]

that is FANtastic!

[Keef]

Superb! >:D

[citizenED]

I caught the Spanish fantasy film Pan's Labyrinth last week. Love it when a film creates a belivable world of make-believe. A strangely charming tale with some frightfully nightmarish images and the most amazing make-up. Brilliant portrayal of the mind being used to block out the horrors of life in a war situation.

[Izodia]

That's a great film. My boyfriend refused to watch it because he thought it was purely fantasy which he's not into at all. But with the whole Spanish civil war story in parallel, I think he really missed out. Somehow they managed to blend two very different types of film into one.

[spadetownboy]

if you liked pans labyrinth, check out another spanish film recently released, the orphanage. watched it several weeks ago,very atmospheric and in parts frightening film, highly recommended. on the dvd front this weeks spadetown offering is two days in paris, very gentle romcom set in the city of lights, quietly passes 90mins without being too taxing.

[TillieTrotter]

Pans Labyrinth is my daughter's fav and funnily enough she watched the Orphanage this week and didnt think it was due the hype!.

[Keef]

Mrs Keef has been talking about the Orphanage... Sounds interesting for sure.

Pan's Labrinth is a strange one. I don't know what I think really. I agree ith Citizen with "Brilliant portrayal of the mind being used to block out the horrors of life in a war situation.", but at the same time I felt the actual "real life" story would have been a powerful film in it's own right without all the fantasy stuff...

[Izodia]

Yep, The Orphanage is definitely on the list to see. Another good Spanish civil war ne is Butterfly's Tongue.

Two Days in Paris? Is that the Julie Delpy one? I've heard it was on a similar vein to but not as good as the Before Sunrise/Sunset. But maybe I'll give it a try after all.

[citizenED]

More fool your beau, Izodia for missing out on the treat that is Pan's L. Agree with you Keef regarding ths Civil War story being strong enough to stand on its own. However it is satisfying to see a filmaker taking such an interesting appraoch to storytelling. Much as I enjoyed it, though, it would not be a top ten one for me. To be picky, I thought the ending was a bit fluffed because the fantasy world did not impact enough on the real world. The girl died a lonely death.

[spadetownboy]

watched the bourne ultimatum last night and apart from the a few flashback scenes it was a cracking show, without doubt the best of the three although i,m still no closer to knowing what they were actually about.followed it up with the spadetown recommendation of the week,blood and chocolate a thumping horror show about a reluctant werewolf,definately a different on the old werewolf story.

[mockney piers]

**Pans Labyrinth Spoilers**

Citizen we all wanted the ghouls to save her, but ultimately it was just her imagniary world, even though they added moments of ambiguity. It's sad she didn't make it, but then they was sad sad times.

Izodia, 2 nights in paris was dire...don't do it. No rom, no com. It was a 'comedy' of manners between france an america where everyone came across as frankly irritating (though the opening sequqnece at the airport was quite funny)

[citizenED]

Mockney - I didn't say I wanted the girl to live, for I am a bit partial to an unhappy ending. I just wanted the underworld to play a role in the comeuppance of the nasty Captain. Grat film though. The ghoul with the eyes in its hands has to be one of the most memorable creatures ever in film.

[Izodia]

I'm with CitizenED on this one. I was quite happy when the girl didn't live. Obviously I wasn't happy that somebody died, but I also like films that don't wrap things in up in a nice 'everything will be alright in the end' type of way. That way you don't always know what is coming. I think the first time I saw a film like that was watching 'The Wicker Man' as a student. (As aside I am quite a generally happy person and don't always look for unhappy endings!)

OK, I'll go back to avoiding 2 Days in Paris then.

[Izodia]

OK I'm going to be brave and make a recommendation. I'm a bit of a foreign language film watcher so it won't be to everyone's taste.

The last film I watched and really enjoyed was Girl On The Bridge with Vanessa Paradis and Daniel Auteuil. A type of humour the French do very well. It's not a new one though.

[spadetownboy]

Izodia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm with CitizenED on this one. I was quite happy

> when the girl didn't live. Obviously I wasn't

> happy that somebody died, but I also like films

> that don't wrap things in up in a nice 'everything

> will be alright in the end' type of way. That way

> you don't always know what is coming. I think the

> first time I saw a film like that was watching

> 'The Wicker Man' as a student. (As aside I am

> quite a generally happy person and don't always

> look for unhappy endings!)

>

> OK, I'll go back to avoiding 2 Days in Paris then.

dont avoid it,mock liked this is england for christ sake,that tells you all you need to know. its a fairly funny comedy of misunderstandings, written by julie delpy, so while the humour wont be to everyones taste,its still a pretty good show. but the proof is in the pudding so make your own mind up.

[mockney piers]

Oh no, I wasn't saying that, it was more the desire for the fantasy world to be more concrete. I anted the same, but ultimately it makes more sense when viewed wholly as a mechanism for escape, and thus has no chance at introducing any sort of more satisfying ending, such as saving the girl or killing the captain.

[Brendan]

As an aside I recently saw an interview with Guillermo del Toro (bloke wot made Pan?s Labyrinth). He was approached to direct one of the Harry Potter films and turned it down. Apparently what he said to the producers was, ?When you are ready to start killing those kids off then ask me to direct Harry Potter.?

[spadetownboy]

maybe he could direct one a la emmerdale, ie engineer a plane crashing on hogwarts, and put an end to the whole thing, which is imho the biggest load of over rated crap.

[Keef]

citizenED Wrote:

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> The ghoul with the eyes in its hands has to be one of the most memorable creatures ever in film.

Evil evil evil!!!!!!!! Horrid creature eating the nice little fairy thing!

Great classic style, will she get out through the hole before he gets to her? Those scenes are great for getting the heart going, and almost have me off me seat cheering the escapee on!

[mockney piers]

And i stand by that STB.

It had a lot more humour than 2DIP.

Oh how we laughed in the scene where she saw an ex-boyfriend in a cafe and screamed at him that he was a kid fiddler much to everyone's embarrasment but her. Oh how we wept at party full of french-shoreditchtwats, where boyfriend finds out she's taken naked photos of men before.

That's not comedy of manners, that's just a bad film.

[Izodia]

Sorry to say it STB, but I liked This Is England too. Was getting it confused with Once Upon A Time In The Midlands for a while there, which I did think was dire. But now I've remembered...

[spadetownboy]

mockney piers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And i stand by that STB.

> It had a lot more humour than 2DIP.

>

> Oh how we laughed in the scene where she saw an

> ex-boyfriend in a cafe and screamed at him that he

> was a kid fiddler much to everyone's embarrasment

> but her. Oh how we wept at party full of

> french-shoreditchtwats, where boyfriend finds out

> she's taken naked photos of men before.

> That's not comedy of manners, that's just a bad

> film.

each to their own.

[mockney piers]

true words STB, and yes Izodia, I too thought that was his worst film. (loved dead man's shoes too)

[Izodia]

I hadn't realised they were by the same director, you learn something new every day.

Dead Man's Shoes is creepy and unnerving, another good film.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Dear God but prominent threads drop off the front page quickly these days..

I thought Mike Paeleologous (sp) had mention "In Bruges" on here as he was going to see it Fri night

I saw it yesterday and absolutely loved it - was tempted to pop along to watch it again today

In Bruges trailer