The Reader

A truly remarkable film starring Bruno Ganz, Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes.

It is a bit difficult to write about the plot without giving too much away - but in outline Bruno Ganz plays a 15 year old Michael Berg who meets tram conductor Hannah Schmidt as he falls ill from scarlet fever. She helps him to get home and when four months later (after he has recovered) he returns to offer her thanks and they begin an affair, despite their great age difference. Between torrid sex sessions Michael reads to Hannah - anything he happens to be studying at school. Hannah suddenly disappears, and years later Michael as a law student attends a trial where Hannah is accused of a terrible crime. Michael realises he knows a secret about Hannah that could throw a whole new light on the evidence being presented against her. He fails to reveal it - and she is too ashamed to admit it too. This bears upon Michael throughout his life - and effectively ruins his relationships with his family, wife and daughter. There are wonderful performances from Kate Winslet and in particular Bruno Ganz who manages to be both a believable 15 year old and a more mature man. It is so well observed and the emotions described so excellently, dealing with powerful and repellent behaviour with remarkable sensitivity. A rating of 9/10

La Boheme - a film of the opera

Dean Spanley

Che (Parts I & II)

One of my great heroes, so I was looking forward to this new study of the life of the hero of 'the

armed struggle'. There are two films here - the first begins with Che Guevara's meeting with Fidel Castro in Mexico City and ends with the successful overthrow of the Batista regime in 1959. Part II traces Che's arrival in Bolivia as part of the Cuban campaign for world revolution and a United Socialist Latin America, and culminates with his execution by government forces. Now many will find thew approach of these films unsatisfactory - it is nor your standard Hollywood biopic, it is a factual drama documentary seen entirely from Che's perspective - but this doesn't mean it shows him without flaws or a military genius. I found it fascinating, especially the second part where the realisation begins to dawn in Che that his brand of socialism and his revolution is not welcomed with joy by the Bolivian working classes who fail to flock to his insurrection. All the previous methods - free medicine, indoctrination, propaganda, finance and guerrilla warfare fail comprehensively - even to the point where an ordinary soldier almost begs to be the man to act as his executioner. I was impressed by the way I managed to get a far better understanding of the man through these two films - Rating 8/10

Easy Virtue

Control

Drole De Felix

Yet again I wonder why and how French cinema can produce so many thoughtful films about human relationships. This one stars the wonderful Sami Bouajila - who features in one of my favourite films Days of Glory. This is in many ways extremely 'light' (as suggested by the title

perhaps). Felix is gay, an Arab, HIV+ and seemingly happy. He sets out to find his father, someone he has never met, after he loses his job and following his mother's death he uncovers some correspondence from this man. He travels across France from Normandy to Marseilles, but isn't (naturally) finding his father - he is finding himself. The film shows his various encounters and creates a new 'family'. Like many characters in French films he is remarkably casual, careless almost - and is portrayed in the usual manner that film makers consider gay men should be shown - promiscuous, on the edge, an outsider looking in, and more lustful than emotional. However, I'd give this a 8/10 rating.