Light House Film Club

Director: Marek Losey

Cert: 15

Time: 1hr 22mins

A story set in a bird hide on a bleak stretch of Sussex coast line would, you might think, be the last place to stage a tense drama. Yet just like the characters in this film, you should never judge things at face value.

Roy, brilliantly played by Alex McQueen (In the Loop) is in every sense the stereotypical nerd. Needing only one more bird to complete the British List he settles down in the hide and prepares for a long stint ahead. His solitude however is soon shattered by the arrival of Dave, a suspicious fugitive whose appearance brings out the worst in Roy. Seemingly at opposite ends of the social spectrum the men soon find that they have more in common than first thought and as more information comes to light it leads to a dramatic and wholly unexpected climax.

Marek Losey’s unnerving yet clever film is at times funny, at times tense but overwhelmingly claustrophobic a feel which is heightened by the use of a sepia tinted film, the bleak surroundings and numerous close ups. Well worth seeing.

Rating: 4/5

Patrons: 3

CA

Director: Andrezj Wajda

Cert: 15

Time: 2hrs 2mins (Polish with subtitles)

Based on the novel Post Mortem, Katyn is the name of the forest where, during a three day period in 1940, the Soviet Army massacred 15,000 Polish officers and professionals. Stalin’s purpose was to destroy elements of the population who would be resistant to Soviet control following the war.

Andrezj Wajda’s film pulls no punches in depicting the ruthless efficiency with which the Soviets murdered their foe and, no less significantly, the impact that this had on loved ones back home. It also explores the lengths to which the Soviets went to conceal the truth one which remained clouded by suspicion until, half a century later, President Gorbachov finally admitted his nation’s culpability.

Harrowing and unremittingly bleak though it may be, Katyn offers a powerful portrayal of callous disregard for human life.  So much so that as the credits rolled, all those who watched it remained wedded to their seats, speechless and unable to move.   

Rating: 4/5

Patrons: 9

CA

Director: Bent Hamer

Cert: 12a (Norwegian with subtitles)

Time: 1hr 30mins

Quite what Norwegian’s use for inspiration is unclear but if this surreal and beautifully crafted film offers any answers it is probable that it may well fall within the bounds of what are commonly termed “illegal substances”.

Odd Horton is a 67 year old train driver who has plied the same route for so long that he could do the journey in his sleep. His life is wrapped in the comfort blanket of routine but, as retirement following a forty year career beckons, he must embark on the process of assimilation to an existence without work.

So begins a series of bizarre yet touching encounters all of which suggest more than we are seeing at face value. His Alzheimer’s riven mother, the landlady who has cared for him over the years, the owner of a tobacco and pipe store and a chance meeting with a deluded foreign diplomat.  All show Odd to be a man very different from his working persona proving that, behind the façade, there is more to folk than meets the eye.  Any film that can achieve that, whilst making you smile, is worth the entrance fee.

Rating: 3/5

Patrons: 9

CA

Director: John Crowley

Cert: 12a

Time: 1hr 35mins

Understated and slightly sentimental though it may be John Crowley’s film about the friendship between a grumpy old man and an independent minded youngster is highly enjoyable.

When Clarence (Michael Caine on top form) a retired magician comes to stay at the care home owned by Edward’s parents the latter’s life is disrupted. Unceremoniously removed from his bedroom - to make way for Clarence - he is nonetheless forced to interact with a man whom he finds difficult to like. However as the weeks pass their enmity recedes as each helps the other, Clarence in making the youngster engage with the world of the living and Edward (Bill Milner of Son of Rambow fame) in getting Clarence to confront the death of his wife.   

One might think that a film set in an old people’s home might be rather morbid. Not so, with a number of laugh out loud moments. A further subplot of problems affecting the marriage of Edward’s parents and the impact on him, is also sensitively portrayed. Worth the entrance fee.

Rating: 3/5

Patrons: 14

CA

Director: Laurent Cantent

Cert: 15

Time: 2 hrs 8 mins (French with subtitles)

They say that education is wasted on the young an assertion which this film, about life in a tough, multi ethnic Parisian school, only serves to confirm. Based on the autobiographical novel by Francois Begaudeau (who also stars in the film) Laurent Cantent’s documentary gives a warts and all account of a year in the life of a French teacher battling to keep his flock on task. 

It is a depressing tale of recalcitrant teenagers, whose non-existent appreciation of the norms of acceptable behaviour, stretches his goodwill to the limit. And in so doing it demonstrates how a teacher (a skilled practitioner) has his existence reduced to the role of child minder. I can only think that there are better ways to spend the money.

The film however also provides some object lessons in how not to manage conflict, as one particularly difficult miscreant slides ever closer to expulsion. It is clear that some of the more progressive methods that the school adopts are totally inappropriate and I would also suggest a course on handling disciplinary interviews.  That aside one is left feeling “what’s the point?”  If ever a film confirmed that education should be compulsory up to age 14, after which children should be free to choose, it was this.  

Rating 3/5

Patrons:  45

CA

Director: Kelly Reichardt

Cert: 15

Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Based on the short story “Choir Train”, by Jon Raymond, this is typical art house fair. It focuses on Wendy Carroll, en route to Alaska, where she hopes to find lucrative employment in a canning factory and with that the beginnings of a new life with her dog Lucy. But when her car breaks down in Oregon, the thin fabric of her financial circumstance comes apart. Caught shoplifting she gets separated from her dog and subsequently loses all contact with her.  The remainder of the story follows her efforts to find her whilst facing up to the fact that her car is a dud and she doesn’t have the funds to repair it.

The basic story is sparse and little if anything happens. Yet it still successfully portrays issues surrounding generosity and compassion and in so doing reveals the limits and depths of the help people can offer in times of difficulty. Michelle Williams is also superb as the forlorn Wendy but we know so little about her that one feels slightly cheated when things end rather abruptly. Perhaps that’s the point.

Rating 3/5

Patrons:  8

CA