Movie Natters: May 13, 2008 Archive

I have two half-watched films at home, and I'm feeling guilty. It's an extension of the stern admonition that you have to finish everything on your plate I suppose.

There are excuses of course - and I think good ones too.

The first film is a DVD of the new St Trinians movie sent direct from Britain by my sister. (Thank you!) It's a series which got started at the Ealing Studios back in the gloom of the 1950's, based on the cartoons of Ronald Searle. It tells the story of an anarchic girls school which strikes terror into the hearts of the government education authorities. It's a very British thing I suppose. (I mentioned it to Mark Wheat and his eyes lit up.)

Anyway, a new film only comes along ever decade or so, and even though I can guess the plot pretty much (there's always a field hockey match which turns into a battle scene a la Braveheart,) I have been limiting myself to a little at a time. I'm 35 minutes in, and just watching a few scenes at a time.

The second film is "Mon Oncle" the Academy Award winning Jacques Tati film from 1958, which satirizes modern efficiencies. It's such a wonderful gentle story, with more than a little steel in its spine, floating along on some gallic jazz. It's great, but exhaustion made my eyes droop when I was half way through and I haven't had time to finish it yet.

I feel bad about it, but I have to admit I'm enjoying looking forward to finishing them both. Here's a little Tati.