Louis Theroux: A Place For Paedophiles

Last night on BBC 2 Louis Theroux graced our screens on his much talked about, controversial, new documentary. Based in California, Coalinga Hospital homes over five hundred convicted sex offenders.

The documentary sheds light on the mysterious question...'what happens to them after they're convicted'. Well, they play guitar, partake in Halloween parties, play sport as well as partake in intense therapy every day.

The usual 'On the fence, English gent' that we know Louis to be clearly felt uncomfortable in these surroundings and one has to congratulate him for finally challenging his subjects with blunt questions.

Theroux interviewed several paedophiles including Mr Rigby, a former junior athletics coach who lured the young into taking part in sexual initiations. Mr Lamb, who confessed to molesting 50 children. One man had undergone castration in an attempt to secure his release.

Even though, most of the men speak profoundly & honestly about their 'disorder' it just doesn't seem genuine. It's almost like they have memorised these lines from their psychotherapy sessions. It's all a bit strange and fake.

This documentary casts off forever any memories of Theroux's earlier career of moving in with D-listers and getting us to laugh at them, he spent a week almost living with paedophiles in a Californian hospital.

Having said this, the documentary as a whole is petrified of these men and lacks any perceptive insights. Instead, there is the obvious, these men are child like themselves, these men are in denial, these men will never be free etc. The efficient editing and Theroux's attempts to imitate the wondrous Nick Broomfield was obvious from the beginning.

None the less, this documentary undoubtedly reached in over 2 million viewers due to the subject matter. I feel like Theroux has no passion for telling stories nor does he have an opinion. He has been quotes saying: 'When I work, I like to be invisible'. Some may say this is key in becoming a documentary film maker as you get more out of your subjects...

However, I think there is a moment when your increasing absence contaminates an investigative documentary. Thereoux is a total bore following the Broomfield trend of interesting subject matter.

If you would like to watch the documentary please click here.

Sunset Boulevard (1950) Dir.Billy Wilder

Sunset Boulevard takes a cynical look at the film industry & is one of the masterworks of cinema. Co-written and directed by the great Billy Wilder, the movie is an unusual mix of black comedy and film noir. It is a accessible, well crafted Hollywood movie, but at the same time it has the density and originality one would expect from an art-house film.

The film opens with police vehicles driving down palm tree lined streets as a male narrator says in voice-over: "Yes, this is Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California… A murder has been reported from one of those great big houses in the ten thousand block." Soon the police arrive at a mansion, where floating in the swimming pool is a dead body. The audience is instantly drawn into the film.

The most cinematic scene appears early on in the film; the shot of the dead man floating in the pool surrounded my paparazzi is stunning to the eye and makes a blunt statement on the film as a whole.

The story flashes back to six months earlier, and we meet Joe Gillis (William Holden), a hopeless young screenwriter. While driving along Sunset Boulevard, Joe's tire goes flat so he pulls into the driveway of a run-down mansion. The mansion reminisces the one described in Dicken's classic novel, Great Expectations. At the house he encounters a woman he recognizes as Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a movie star of the silent era. When Joe remarks to Norma that she used to be big, she retorts, "I am big. It's the pictures that got small." - Classic.

Joe soon learns Norma has written a screenplay she expects to play the lead in the movie made from it. When Norma discovers Joe is a screenwriter, she hires him to edit her screenplay. Then the aging former actress gradually makes the handsome Joe her gigolo. Joe moves into Norma's gloomy mansion, where she is attended by her faithful servant Max (Erich von Stroheim). Two or three evenings a week Max runs the projector while Joe and Norma sit watching her old silent films.

Ironically the movie we see them watching is Queen Kelly (1929), which starred Gloria Swanson and was directed by Erich von Stroheim.

Norma becomes increasingly happy as she comes to believe she will soon be the leading lady in a movie. Meanwhile Joe grows restless and gets involved with a perky young, ambitious script reader (Nancy Olson), this results in tragic consequences. But the events are so traumatic for Norma that she loses touch with reality.

Under the delusion that shooting has begun on her comeback film, Norma utters one of the most memorable last lines in all of cinema: "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close up."

Sunset Boulevard will speak loud for film lovers everywhere. A Billy Wilder classic.

10/10

Revolutionary Road (2008) Dir. Sam Mendes

The trailer for Revolutionary Road reflected this as a deeply philosophical film which raised questions about relationships, the idea of marriage itself and happiness.

Adapted from Richard Yate's 1961 novel, the film is predictable, irritatingly long and the acting is excessive . So, failed actress April and her corporate copywriter husband Frank have a home in Connecticut.

Sam Mendes is obsessed with reminding the audience it is the ninety fifties via the costume, random throw In's of societal pressure and the constant cigarette smoking.

Frank has an affair as does April, there is a random plan to ditch their dull life and move to Paris to truly start living, but it falls through. Their children are hardly ever seen in the film which is understandable as this is a film about marriage but their absence is sloppy and there are gaps in the plot. Who looks after them when they are out with neighbors? The film leaves time for the audience to wonder these minor issues.

These characters are not believable, a lazy performance by Kate Winslet and Dicaprio desperately tries to shine here but fails terribly. The only fine thing in the film is Kathy Bates whom plays Helen Givings and her mentally ill son, John Givings, played by Michael Shannon. They are a breath of fresh air to this claustrophobic, empty and ridiculous film.

My favorite sequence is John Givings arrival, his air time is very short but he is mesmerising, storming out with controversial lines about marriage, philosophy and life. Kathy Bates is also excellent, portraying a frustrated mother trying to make things normal.

There isn't much else to say about this film - I left feeling undoubtedly cheated. It is suprising that this is the same director that gave us the insightful and subtle, American Beauty.

MILK (2008) Dir. Gus Van Sant

"My name is Harvey Milk and I am here to recruit you!"

On of my favorite performances of the year was Sean Penn in MILK. This is a film about the first openly gay elected member of the Public office in the US. Very relevant for the current time we are in and an excellent portrayal of San Fransisco circa 1970.

The sheer excellence of the film is down to the screenplay, Sean Penn and the mere celebration of gay rights. Josh Brolin plays Dan White, Harvey Milk's opposition. This biopic is an excellent piece of film making, not only is the screenplay fantastic, the characters are very loyal to the real life people involved in Milk's legacy.

So, Milk moves to San Francisco from New York and opens up a camera shop in the cities flourishing gay district. Van Sant reveals Milk's death early on in the film and switches back to the beginning of his journey. The mood is essentially positive, light and warm. This is mainly due to Milk's friends and coworkers.

Emile Hirsch in particular gives a fantastically modern representation of a young, trendy gay man. The friends / coworkers bounce off each other and Penn delivers heartbreaking lines with the warmest sentiment.

At times, the focus on politics is lost and turned into a fluffy subject however we must remember this is essentially, a biopic. Alison Pill gives a mediocre performance of the only lesbian in the film, the fantastic Anne Kronenberg whom has openly congratulated Van Sant on the film. There is no doubt this is about gay rights not the lesbian movement.

A fascinating film which celebrates the legacy of Harvey Milk.

Slumdog Millionaire Dir. Danny Boyle

Danny Boyle is back and he isn't quiet with his return with this new feature.

Dev Patel plays Jamal Malik, a former Mumbai slum child whom has now found work in a call centre and has landed himself on India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. We are instantly told the outcome of the film, Jamal has won but how? He has astonished India with winning and the splendid question arises; was it luck, did he cheat, is Jamal merely a genius or was it purely down to fate.

The film cleverly uses the game as a hub for the audience to witness and understand Jamal's life. Going back in time to experiences in his life which led him to know all the answers. Instead of being overly sympathetic we are led to see Jamal as morality solider.

Danny Boyle takes us on an electric journey through the slums of Mumbai - Ambitious and electric camera work makes the seemingly dull scenes, for example, the kids running through the alley slums, as something of masterpiece in the making.

The soundtrack is incredible and fits perfectly with the general vibe of the film. In particular MIA teams up with AR Rahman with 'O Saya' a hair rising track that forces the audience to truly understand this film as well as savor every second of it.

Plot wise - This is very simple. There is the touching love story between Jamal and his childhood friend turned love of his life. Jamal's tale involves crime, tragedy and love.

The representation of Indians in this film were one dimensional, this was the films downfall. However, slumdog has edgy camera work and fantastic cinematography - A definite favorite for the Oscars for many worthy reasons but one in particular will be because people will feel like they have visited the 'real' India. This however is debatable.

I think we have an auteur on our hands, Boyle's trademark in the film is visible without being irritatingly self indulgent.

Changeling (2008) Dir. Clint Eastwood

Inspired by a true story, Angelina Jolie is Christine Collins, a single parent to ten year old boy Walter. They live in a modest house in Los Angeles.

Set in 1928, the meloncony mood is conveyed from the start through Clint Eastwood's elevator-esq score. Christine has a job as a roller skating telephone supervisor and cinematically the scenes here are fantastic to the naked eye.

The plot begins when Christine comes home from work to find Walter missing - The long search for him begins and the film concentrates on the devious and corrupted nature of the LAPD. When they claim to have found her son, Christine is keen to be reunited with him. However she instantly realises that this boy isn't her son.

The strength of the film is merely down to the issue at hand, injustice and Jolie's hypnotising performance and character. She is declared insane and sent to a Psychiatric Asylum and the film shines light on the inhumane treatments that took place there.

Throughout the film one feels exhausted due to the emotional roller coaster this roller skater is going through; the fight for a mother to find her son in a corrupt world is portrayed in the most sensitive of manners.

The ex-prostitute that Christine meets in the Asylum is a ridiculous slip up in the film. She does not fit well in the twenties and instead looks like she should have a part in Eastenders circa 1980.

Jolie said she based the character of Christine Collins on her late mother whom shared similar character traits such as; retaining a composed manner at all times, dutiful, good and honest. The audience can sense Jolie has put her heart into this character. However, at times Jolie looks like she is attending a fancy dress party - Her make up is over the top and there is something that just doesn't fit.

The film is a must see as it is clearly going to be a favourite for an Oscar. According to The Times Online it's ninety percent true and above all it's a tear jerker with a great plot, outlining the major faults of the LAPD. Even though the outcome is obvious, the film has many strengths.

Sliding Doors (1998) Dir. Peter Howitt

Sliding Doors is a film outlining how the paths of our life can drastically differ accordingly on missing / catching that train.

Gwyneth Paltrow gives an outstanding performance as the trendy, thirty-something Londoner in this romantic comedy with an edge.

Once the film begins you instantly become comfortable and interested in the screen. The funky soundtrack adds to the overall style of the film and the feeling of fate and something spiritually beautiful connecting the world together is felt.

So, Paltrow is sacked from her big shot PR job - goes to the train station to get the train home back to her pathetic unemployed boyfriend & she misses the train. The film becomes sharp as we see the reverse situation; Paltrow managing to get on that train.

Actor, Producer, Writer & Director, Peter Howitt proves to be exceptionally talented in the movie business, making a minor appearance in this film as the cheeky bloke as well as being the writer of the film.

Sliding Doors is a film about life, hope and fate. It is an easy watch, containing witty one liners and lots of endearing characters that shine light on a city that has a reputation for being the loneliest city in England.

Brick Lane (2007) Dir.Sarah Gavron

Morbid, morbid and morbid.

These are the words to describe Brick Lane. Adapted into a film from the critically acclaimed novel by Monica Ali, Brick Lane the film has many flaws. Nazneem, a Bangladeshi young woman arrives in 1980s London, leaving her beloved sister behind to enter an arranged marriage.

After witnessing her simple and beautiful life back in her village, with the exception of her mother's suicide, Nazneem is married to an overweight, sexist man whom finds comforts with quoting from pioneers such as Ghandi. However, the character of her husband is a complex one and redeems himself when he speaks about Islam being in his heart rather than a political out cry.

The film tackles a number of issues; Nazneem's experience of a culture shock in London to the endless meaning of love through the sexual awakening in a repressed Muslim woman.

Nazneem meets a young man whom she develops strong feelings for and she quickly finds herself having an affair. She puts a stop to it when she finds out that her sister is a lost cause back home as well as being promiscuous. She sees herself in her sisters mistakes and rejects her love for this young man. There is an interesting sequence when Nazneem is cleaning her husbands toenails and she stares at the television. >Brief Encounter(1945) is playing in the background; is this a modern day notion of the romantic drama?

The answer? Perhaps. The 9/11 attacks have happened and Britain is under rapid change, Brick Lane is not at all quiet in representing this important issue. Nazneem's lover develops a beard and starts wearing religious clothing as a means to identify himself and support his people. Her husband begins to grow weaker within himself and the increase of racism is evident.

The film feels unfinished, forced and claustrophobic.

On the other hand, there are many beautiful sequences, especially after Nazneem makes love with the young man. The light she prayed so hard for finally shines on her face and it's wonderful to see. Cinematically, Brick Lane is a piece of art.

The film is pretty much plot-less, it has a lack of strong characters and it also doesn't have a particularly strong message. The ending of the film is irritating as it promotes the idea of immigrants being helpless dreamers, which is by far a terrible bracket to be placed in.

The film is full of beautiful quotes that make me think the book was wonderful. These include;

"The test of life is to endure"

I did manage to endure this film and found myself confused and immensely disappointed. The book however, I have yet to review.

4/10

The Player (1992) Dir. Robert Altman

If you want to know all about the dark side of the Hollywood film industry, then The Player is the film for you. Not only is it informative it's also highly imaginative and has an excellent cast.

The opening of the film is inspired by Orson Wells' Touch of Evil (1958), the voyeuristic camera work almost hints that there is a sort of moral God watching everything that is going on.

The saddest message that the camera work reflects is that this God, is a fickle one. Leaving the chaos alone and merely just watching, perhaps for entertainment value.

The plot is as follows; An ambitious movie executive starts receiving death threats from an angry writer whom he had brushed off in the past. This becomes the execs nagging moral conscience throughout the film.

In order for the exec to keep his professional life safe, he murders a writer whom he suspects is sending him the letters. The exec is in utter panic when he receives another letter informing him he killed the wrong guy.

In exchange the exec promises the mysterious writer that he will make his film, in return for his silence about the murder he has committed. As the film progresses the audience quickly comes to terms with the idea of the obsession with greed in Hollywood. Our exec looses his morality completely and settles down with the dead writers partner.

The screenplay in The Player is wonderfully witty with lines like;

"I was just thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the artistic process. If we could just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we've got something here."

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Misery (1990) Dir. Rob Reiner

Kathy Bates gives her best performance yet as the seemingly average yet psychotic, Annie Wilkes.

Best selling novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) has a car accident and is rescued by
his biggest fan, Annie. The film takes place in the middle of nowhere snow filled town in the mid east of America.

When Paul finally awakes, he finds himself on a bed in Annie's house. All seems fine as she explains she is a nurse and that as soon as the roads are open she will drive him to a hospital.

Annie starts to show her true colours when she finds out Paul kills off one of the main characters in his novel. She demands he writes a new novel and gets him to burn a new manuscript which he has been working on due to the foul language.

The filming matures as the film goes on, adopting for a more Kubrick style of representing this psychological horror film. The close up's of Annie's face in the dark, the odd pauses in between conversations and the eerie room which quickly becomes his prison.

The film is based on Stephen King's novel and this adaptation is perfect for the screen, you will not be able to take your eyes off the film.

One of the reasons the film is so great is due to James Caan being so terrible at playing Paul Sheldon. On the other hand, however much bland his performance is in comparison to Kathy Bates, it highlights the sheer madness of Annie Wilkes.

Misery is a must see, it has a simple plot line and proves that Psychological Horrors must make a come back.

It doesn't take much, throw in a seemingly normal situation and put a microscope over it to unravel the dark side of an individual stuck in the suburbs with nothing to do but obsess.