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What's new on the big screen |
| Smart People |
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The list of cast members suggests this should be something a bit special. For starters you have the ever-reliable Dennis Quaid playing Laurence Wetherhold, a misanthropic, arrogant college professor stuck in a rut after his wife dies. His whip-smart but frustrated daughter is played by Oscar-nominee Ellen Page, while Thomas Haden Church — so brilliant in Sideways — stars as his laid-back adoptive brother, who becomes Wetherhold's driver after the prof suffers a seizure.
Added to the mix there's Sarah Jessica Parker as a doctor who used to have a crush on Wetherhold when she was a student. A great ensemble, but ironically enough for a movie about brainy folks, something just doesn't add up.
Individually there are some fine turns in first-time director Noam Murro's film. Quaid clearly relishes playing against type, all but packing away that shit-eating grin to breathe life into a complex, at times loathsome, character. Page underlines her status as a ferocious talent with another nuanced performance, while Haden Church brings considerable slacker charm to proceedings.
It's such a pity, then, that the actors are let down by a plot that never really goes anywhere. The relationship between Wetherhold and his sexy doctor doesn't ring true, while some parts — in particular the professor's son, played by Ashton Holmes — are woefully underwritten.
People who love those angsty comedies centred around an intelligent but dysfunctional family (The Royal Tenenbaums, Squid and Whale) will find something to enjoy, but overall Smart People makes too many dumb mistakes.
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| Heartbeat Detector |
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Mathieu Almaric is on top form as a psychologist investigating the emotional wellbeing of a chemical company director in Nicolas Klotz's disturbing look at corporate crime. Intriguing if a tad long-winded.
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| Charlie Bartlett |
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When trouble-stirring rich kid Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) lands up at a state school he fits in by selling prescription drugs to fellow pupils in Jon Poll's passable teen comedy. High-class performances make up for an annoyingly predictable end.
PIERRE DE VILLIERS |
| Speed Racer |
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The Wachowski brothers have clearly not learnt from their mistakes. Remember those rubbish Matrix sequels?
Remember how they were pretty to look at, but had a stupid plot and went on for so long you lost the will to live? Well, Speed Racer goes down that same road.
Using cutting-edge layering technology that allows the foreground and background to be in sharp focus simultaneously, Larry and Andy have created a mind-blowing, cartoon-like world where racing cars defy gravity as they tear around the sort of tracks usually reserved for Playstation games.
Amid the eye-popping splendour, a flimsy storyline holds on for dear life. Based on the animated TV series, Speed Racer (Hirsch, looking bewildered) attempts to negotiate the pitfalls of a corrupt racing circuit where corporations fix results to boost their profits. To expose the fat cats the driver has to take part in a deadly race called The Casa Cristo 5000, which has already claimed the life of his older brother. With the help of his parents (John Goodman and Susan Sarandon), girlfriend Trixie (Ricci) and crime-fighter Racer X (Fox), Speed sets out to try and prove that cheats never prosper.
Behaving like a couple of kids with a new toy, the Wachowski siblings cram as many special effects as they can into every scene, whether it's a cliff-top race or simply two guys talking. It's a flashy approach to film-making that starts wearing thin as Speed Racer burns rubber well past the two-hour mark.
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| A Secret |
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Mathieu Almaric plays a man coming to terms with a family secret dating back to France's WWII occupation in Claude Miller's time-line hopping drama. Good performances make up for a plodding pace.
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| Fabric |
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Another member of the Chicago music clan, Mark Farina, brings his mighty talents to Fabric's renowned CDs series. Now more of a San Fran man, Farina is coming to play at the east London club to celebrate the launch of his Fabric 40 mix. He says he tried to pick a "good variation of underground goodies" for the album, so expect to hear a whole lot of tracks that are hidden gems as he shows off his skills to London.
» 77a Charterhouse St, EC1 (020-7336 8898). Saturday, May 10, 10pm-7am. £16.
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| Sharkwater |
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This documentary highlights the fact that human life relies heavily on shark life. Rob Stewart teams up with Paul Watson (Sea Shepherd Conservationist responsible for deterring Japanese whalers) to find the reason why there has been a massive decline in shark numbers. Sounds quite simple but there are many obstacles in their way. Corrupt Governments, Mafia, gunboat chases and attempted murder charges provide viewers with as much action as any Hollywood scripted film. Human greed for shark fins results in them running for their lives. A must see film.
SIMON RICHARDSON |
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