A special night at the flicks

The choice on Monday night was between watching a digitally remastered version of The Godfather at Cineworld in Glasgow (Europe's tallest cinema) and playing chess with half a dozen old men. I love chess but the film buff in me knew that this was a great chance to watch a classic on the big screen. I am so glad that I went to see the film. It was a magical cinematic experience from the first scene to the last. Half way through the film I was dying for the toliet but I was trying to hold it in because I was so engrossed in the film and did'nt want to miss anything. Everything is perfect: the acting, cinematography, music, sound, costume and setting, script and direction. There are no crap bits. Simple as that. It is a film that demands to be watched and rewatched, again and again. It's the type of film that you never get tired of wacthing, it does not lose its freshness. One of the great things about it was the pace of the film. It just takes its time without being ponderous, allowing the plot to unfold, for tension to build in a scene, for characters to develop and reveal themselves. Francis Ford Coppola does a magnificent job in that respect. I went to see it with my dad and afterwards we talked about the film, comparing our favorite scenes. My favorite scene is probably when Michael assasinates the chief of police and some mobster in an Italian restaurant. Pacino's acting is amazing: you can see it all in his eyes, as he sits there with the concealed gun, deciding on whether to go through with the assassination. Although he does it to protect his father it is probably the turning point in the film for Michael, as he turns down the road to perdition, although the final nail in the coffin is when his wife is killed in Sicily. Before that happens you feel as though there is some good left in him. His Sicilian wife is innocent and pure and may be a good influence on him but her assassination kills off any chance of his salvation. From then on becomes a ruthless, cold hearted mobster. Pacino does an amazing job of showing this transformation, and he deserved an oscar for his performance over the first two films. Equally brilliant is Marlon Brando as The Godfather. He portrays him in such a way that the viewer is almost sympathetic to him but you are always aware of his power and the underworld of crime and deception he has chosen for himself. The cinema was packed and a lot of the audience were young so there is certainly a market out there for the rescreening of classic films, old and new, and hopefully they will show The Godfather Part 2. I will be at the head of the queue! As for Part 1 it is simply a masterpiece and a joy to watch. 10/10.

Adventureland review

Adventureland is a bittersweet tale of growing up and the lessons learned through life experience in the most unexpected place, a tacky theme park. The main character, James, is a college graduate who has plans to travel Europe during summer and then study at one of the Ivy League schools in NY. His hopes are dashed when his parents cannot fund him and he takes a summer job at Adventureland, a local amusement park, to cover his college fees. The job is spectacularly uninspiring and littered with bizzare characters but he falls for a smart and sexy young co-worker, played by Twilight's Kirsten Stewart, and the ups and downs of life and love follow. The film is quirky and slightly offbeat, which I quite liked, but there is a sense of realism at the same time. The cast are strong and the script is smart and thoughtful, helping the film rise above your average teen film. It's not a comedy but there quite a few funny moments, often delivered by the more bizzare or geeky characters. For some reason the film is set in 1987, but it is still relevant to this generation of young people. Most of the characters are white middle class Amercians and they are a bit lost, confused and rootless. They find their identity and comfort very much through the pop music culture, drugs, alcohol, and sex. I can identify with this to some extent. We have all done daft things when we were that age but personally I had my family, friends and faith to fall back on and keep me grounded. The characters in this film don't have that. This is not a judgement on them, many of them have good intentions and potential, but there is the sense that they have drifted into a sort of spiritual vacuum. Late teens is hard enough at the best of times but without a strong family background it becomes all the harder. Adventureland reminded me a bit of The Rules of Atrraction, but it is not as nihilistic or bleak. The film is set in 1987 and I guess the characters would be in their early forties by now. I'm not looking for a sequel but it would be interesting to see where they have ended up. 7/10

Twister or dental torture?

My friend Joanna is going to Italy on Monday for a year, so there was a informal party at her house. There was a nice crowd and things were going well until some sadistic person brought out the Twister game. Man, it was agony. I was doubled over with cramp after about five minutes. I would rather have dental torture performed on me. Who thought up this terrible game,,,the Spanish Inquistion? I can just imagine it. 'Now, Michael Gilfedder, recant or it will be left foot red square for you!' It's also a strangely intimate game. As the game progresses limbs are interwoven and I always end up with some guys bum in my face. If we were all naked it would look like something from a Kama Sutra manual. Twister or dental torture? I hope I never have to make that choice!

Edinburgh Festival - Part 2

Part 2 of our Edinburgh Festival adventure did not start smoothly. Tony Murphy (I include his surname because I have three good friends called Tony), Alan and I waited in Ballieston for the Citylink bus but the first passed us by with no seats and the second stopped but the the driver told us that there was only two seats left. The first show, Paul Merton's Impro Chums, started at 4.30 pm and we were running out of time. We had two choices: we could drive through in Alan's car but that meant he could not drink or we could jog down to the local train station and get to Edinburgh via Glasgow Queen Street Station. We choose the later and after a bit of huffing and puffing we eventually arrived at Edinburgh Waverley Train Station, just a ten minute walk from the venue. We arrived at the Pleasance Courtyard with just minutes to spare and found a seat at the back of the raised seated platform. I like Paul Merton, his quick wit and dead pan delivery, but I was not quite sure what to expect as Alan told me that he would be performing improvised comedy with four other 'chums'. It turned out to be a very entertaining and funny hour. They would play games or act out sketches much in the vein of 'Whose line is it anyway?'. For example Paul would ask the auidience for the genre of a film or a physical setting and then the performers would improvise within this. All his 'chums' were very talented and they all interacted very well as a group. I was not surprised that the show was a sellout and I would definitely see Paul and his Impro Chums again. Afterwards we got a burger and a pint outside in the courtyard and as we stood chatting Paul Merton himself passed by disguised in a bunnet, scarf and long overcoat. Alan took the opportunity to shake his hand and praise him for such a good show, which Paul seemed to appreciate. In the distance was Arthur's Seat, a hill of about 700 feet rising over Edinburgh, and we could see human pinpricks moving about on top. We had a couple of hours to kill before the second show so we met up for a drink with some of Alan's friends who happened to be in Edinburgh at the same time. They were very pleasant. Tony and I talked to Chris and his wife Joanne, while Alan charmed the lovely Rachel. In fact we were having such a nice time that we lost track of time and almost missed the start of Alistair McGowan's show. The venue was the Assembly Hall, a lovely old building that reminded me of Glasgow University. Alistair McGowan, for those outside the UK, is a well known British actor, comedian and impersonator, but it is for his wonderful impersonations that he is best known and loved. Maybe some people expected the show to be one impersonation after another but his set contained quite a lot of standup observational comedy. I'm assuming of course that he wrote all his own material and if he did then he made a very good job of it. His impersonations were spot on but to fully appreciate them you needed to have watched a decent amount of British tv. I was surprised when, after the show, Alan told me that his show had only been rated three out of five stars in a review magazine or newspaper. He deserved more than that. It was dusk when we emerged from the Assembly Hall, the sky tinged with a beautiful red and orange glow to the west. The silhouette of Edinburgh Castle against this backdrop was very impressive. The dark blue water in the distance gave me a pleasant surprise because I always forget that Edinburgh is right next to the sea. We rejoined Chris, Joanne and Rachel and after a bit of trial and error we finally settled on a Chinese restaurant that didn't look like it would result in food poisoning. In fact the food and service was excellent. I even tried to eat my chicken with ginger and spring onions and fried rice with chopsticks but I resorted to the safer option of a fork after spilling half my meal down my jumper. I then further disgraced myself by eating all the leftovers like I had not been fed in three weeks. I possess all of the seven deadly sins in abundance but gluttony must be at the top of the list. After the meal we found a nice little pub for another drink and chat before Chris, Joanne and Rachel had to catch the last bus back to the borders. Our own journey back to Glasgow was uneventful; Tony listening to Guns 'n Roses on his Ipod (that boy is stuck in the 80's!), Alan staring out of the window in silent thought, and myself reading the excellent 'Birds without wings' by Louis de Bernieres. My second taste of the Festival had been very successful. Two top class shows, good company, the novelty of being in Edinburgh, the energy and atmosphere of the crowds, lots of cider and a good meal. Same again next year.