Eavesdropping At The Movies

José’s enjoyed three weeks in Cuba and the Dominican Republic and wants to return with a nice easy watch. Shazam! obliges. The latest DC movie follows a teenage orphan given the ability to transform into a thirty-something Action Man at the shout of a single word. It's light, colourful, a little corporate but what can you do? It's just what a jetlagged man needs. Recorded on 7th April 2019.

We visit 1949's romantic drama The Passionate Friends, a favourite of previous podcast guest Celia, who describes it as "what would have happened if they'd had the affair in Brief Encounter". It offers a complex story of love and relationships, characters who want different things from their relationships and a love triangle that gradually shifts and changes over many years. Mary (Ann Todd) loves Steven (Trevor Howard), but refuses to marry him, wanting to belong only to herself, as she puts it; instead, she marries Howard (Claude Rains), a successful banker who gives her security, stability, social status and affection. Dramatic irony, shifting affections and a sensitivity to the subtleties of love and relationships create a fascinating and beautiful film. There's a lot to discuss, including and especially the unconventional Howard - in any other film he would be an obstacle to the romantic couple's true love, but here, although he has villainous aspects, he is revealed to be as three dimensional a characte

A young girl from a tight-knit family in Norwich gets a shot at her dream, joining the WWE, the glamorous home of professional wrestling. Parental pride, sibling rivalry, and a lot of hard work ensues, as do great performances generating a lot of laughs. We're not that keen on some of the clichés - very little happens that you wouldn't expect, and some of the scenes take a long time to get there - but we like the male-female rivalry, the way Vince Vaughn and Nick Frost light up the screen, and of course, the fact that a big promotional corporate movie for Americans starts off in a tiny living room in Norwich. Recorded on 14th March 2019.

A tweeny sci-fi based on a manga, Alita: Battle Angel tells the story of a young cyborg found on a scrapheap and given a new lease of life by a kindly doctor. She doesn't remember who is she or where she came from, but takes to the dystopian world around her, finding excitement and energy in it, quickly realising an aptitude for combat and inclination to explore, and developing a relationship with a young man who seeks escape to a floating city that promises a better life. Oh, and she's completely CGI in a live-action world. Neither of us is too enthusiastic about the film, though José is far less interested in it than Mike, who finds things worth praising, particularly how Alita's attitude to her body can be read in terms of transgender experiences. But the world-building is weak, relying on simple tropes, and Mike decries the sequel set up, convinced that the story it's likely to tell could and should have been a part of this film. We vaguely agree that the action is enjoyable, José holding the reservation

It's taken ten years but Marvel has finally branched out into films about heroes who aren't white guys. Following last year's Black Panther, Captain Marvel introduces Marvel's first female protagonist, Carol Danvers, a young woman caught up in conflicts between worlds and the mystery of who she is. José is enraptured by the film's visual beauty, Mike by its cat. Its mid-90s setting is mined for tons of laughs, as is Samuel L. Jackson's lively, witty performance. Neither of us is too convinced by Brie Larson, sadly, who lacks the charisma to truly sell her role, but the cast and storytelling that surround her more than compensate. Quite apart from the very obvious gender dynamics at play, other intelligent, interesting themes are brilliantly interwoven into the plot, giving the film real substance and emotional punch. It's occasionally a little too transparently right-on, some moments of sisterhood rather unsubtle and even cringeworthy, but other scenes intended to inspire female empowerment truly soar. It's

Remaking his own film, Hans Petter Moland brings us a revenge thriller, starring - who else? - Liam Neeson as a model citizen turned remorseless killer on the trail of those responsible for his son's murder. Sounds like typical Neeson fare, but Cold Pursuit leaps between dramatic and blackly comic tones with verve, and offers something much more interesting and original than you're likely to expect. We find lots to like in it, including its magnificent lighting and compositions, interesting and welcome inclusion of a group of Native American characters, as well as a commentary on their relationship to the very whitest America there is (the film being set in a Colorado ski town), and some surprisingly tender moments between adults and children, and people in love. We highly recommend it, it's a huge amount of fun! Recorded on 3rd March 2019.

In response to José's excursion into the world of Michael Curtiz a few months ago, Mike has picked four films of his own to discuss, the first being writer-director Dennis Gansel's 2008 high school drama Die Welle (The Wave). Based on the true story of a 1967 social experiment, Die Welle follows one week in a high school in which, as an exercise intended to teach his pupils about the methods and dangers of fascism, a teacher creates a fascist movement, named The Wave, that rapidly spirals out of control. Die Welle is first and foremost remarkable for convincingly depicting the seductive aspects of fascist movements, such as the shared symbols that engender group unity and, indeed, simply the positivity of being a member of a like-minded group. Mike compares it to Starship Troopers, claiming that it doesn't just argue its case but actually makes it work on its audience - rather than seeing why The Wave is appealing to the kids, you feel it too. José discusses what sets it apart from your typical high school m

The film noir to end films noir, Billy Wilder's classic crime drama Double Indemnity made its way to The Electric in Birmingham for a one-off screening, where a packed cinema ensured a great atmosphere. Mike, as usual, hadn't seen it, while José is very familiar with it, even having taught it before. Mike didn't entirely click with it, though he's able to appreciate much of what makes it a classic. Perhaps the stylistic and thematic elements that identify film noir are so perfectly employed by Double Indemnity that it leads to an ironic, detached mode of viewing - the genre, though it has existed since its inception, is strongly connected to its classical era of the Forties and Fifties, and has been parodied and pastiched more than most, burdening the film with unfair baggage to audiences not in that frame of mind. José, on the other hand, relishes the chance to see it with a paying, enthusiastic audience, finding that he notices different details and appreciates the film differently outside of an academic s

We return to Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk, his sumptuous romantic drama set in 1970s New York, for a deep dive, and take the opportunity to revisit his previous film, 2016's Best Picture winner Moonlight. It's an enriching conversation and we're glad we took the time to engage in it. We begin with Moonlight, working through our responses to what we experienced differently since having seen it previously (Mike last saw it during its cinema release, while José has seen it a few times on more recent occasions). The film's final third is given serious thought, José in particular enjoying the opportunity to properly work through his longstanding problems with it, which amount to the film's fear of the sex in homosexuality, its conscious refusal to openly and honestly depict two gay men being intimate - the film denies them even a kiss at the very end - and the critical establishment's bad faith in refusing to engage with this particular point. It's great to have finally discussed this topic, particul

It's Valentine's weekend and we take a romantic trip to The Electric Cinema to see It Happened One Night, Frank Capra's 1934 romantic comedy that is one of only three films to win all Big Five Oscars (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay). As usual, Mike hasn't seen it before, while José's seen it plenty. Does it hold up? José talks of its democratic appeal, set largely in the American South during the lowest point of the Great Depression and showing people coming together despite hardship, lack of work and even fainting from hunger. We discuss the development of the relationship between Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, including the wisdom of sharing a motel room with a man you just met, the propriety depicted (such as forgoing a lucrative reward, instead only claiming your expenses), and of course, the madness of Alan Hale's singing. Recorded on 17th February 2019.

Achingly romantic and visually rapturous, If Beale Street Could Talk, Barry Jenkins' adaptation of James Baldwin's 1974 novel of the same name, utterly bowls Mike over, while José expresses some reservations about it, despite also finding it enormously impressive. A love story set in New York City in the late 60s/early 70s, the film follows Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James) as they fall in love, begin to build a life together, but are threatened with its destruction by a racist cop and a false accusation of rape. The title refers to a street in New Orleans that Baldwin, and subsequently Jenkins, use as a metaphor for the black experience across America, and arguably this is overambitious (if not simply impossible). The universality implied by the title is dissonant with what the film offers, which is much more personal and idiosyncratic. José points out the lack of anger in the film, anger that would be absolutely justified to express given both the general institutional racism the characters face

It's already being portrayed as the film that will undeservedly win Best Picture for its cuddly, comfortable, comedy-drama version of American racism in the Sixties, but do we dissent from that view? Green Book tells the true story of a road trip through the Deep South shared by jazz pianist Doctor Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and his Italian-American driver Tony (Viggo Mortensen). Mike immediately seizes upon Tony's inconsistent characterisation, the film using other characters to describe him as deeply racist, but his actual interactions with Shirley consisting of essentially polite microaggressions rather than real malevolence and anger. José also takes issue with the revelation that Shirley is gay, Tony having no problem with it, saying that in his regular job as a bouncer he sees it all the time - the film makes no attempt to explain how he can be entirely understanding and accepting of sexuality while intolerant of skin colour. Mortensen, though, is very characterful, imbuing Tony with entertaining irr

Concluding a trilogy two decades in the making, Glass brings together the characters of 2000's Unbreakable and 2016's Split in an unconventional superhero showdown. We both enjoyed it, though it's a bit of a trifle, but it's enjoyably oddball and features a particularly brilliant performance from James McAvoy. And we appreciate M. Night Shyamalan's direction, staging and camerawork, which, while occasionally a little stilted and 'filmmakery', for want of a better word, is thoughtful and always strives to create interesting and meaningful imagery. The film feels significantly affected by the Marvel Cinematic Universe's influence on comic book movies and their public acceptance; there are things that Glass does, ways it behaves, that are difficult to imagine having made as much sense prior to that series. Indeed, this trilogy is a universe of sorts, with characters from different films being brought together in a shared world. Recorded on 2nd February 2019.

Adam McKay brings the confrontational, fourth-wall-breaking style he employed in The Big Short to a story of lust for power, hidden agendas, opportunism, and as near as makes no difference a coup d'état of the American government, engineered from inside the White House. Christian Bale plays Dick Cheney as he transforms from a brainless layabout into the de facto President of the United States, operating with scary, virtually boundless power to do whatever he wishes. It's energetic, interesting, self-aware, and makes statements and accusations as bold as you're likely to see in mainstream cinema. But it's difficult to trust, says only what you'd like to hear, narrates where there are obvious opportunities to dramatise, and, fundamentally, fails to do what a biopic should: develop and convey an understanding of who its subject is and why. We weren't impressed with much more than the makeup, unfortunately - though it is brilliant makeup. We also have a browse through the Oscar nominations, why not. Recorded on

Gender-bending in turn-of-the-century France, with the true story of Colette, probably the most famous female writer in French history and author, although they were published under her husband's name, of the Claudine stories. With representational interests that give voice and presence to people and lifestyles one might not expect in a period film, and two very good central performances, one sensitive and complex, from Keira Knightley, and the other fabulously charming, Dominic West's, there are things we like. But our overall response is disappointed, the positives dulled by a poor script, some badly developed characters, and direction that allows no metaphor to pass unvocalised. Mike considers it a potentially smart film destroyed by a pointless fear of its audience not getting it; José sees it as the middle-of-the-road cinema it is, for better and worse. It's worth a look in some respects, but we can't claim it's a good film. Recorded on 17th January 2019.

A 1922 Swedish-Danish silent film in the form of a semi-dramatised lecture, we had absolutely no idea what to expect of Häxan, written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. And what a great surprise it was, as we discover an extraordinary, perceptive, original, bold, witty piece of work that details the history of witchcraft, visualises medieval beliefs in wild set-pieces, and draws interesting parallels with modern-day institutionalisation of "hysterical" women. The projection was out of this world, a 2K 2007 restoration by the Swedish Film Institute with unimaginable clarity, sharpness and contrast. It was unbelievable to look at. (Thanks to Holly Cooper for finding the technical details out for us.) And the film is full of images that benefit from the restoration; Bosch-esque dramatisations of Satanic seductions, a Witches' Sabbath, and unholy births of demonic creatures. It was the most expensive silent film to ever emerge from Scandinavia, and it shows. Though neither Mike nor José is an expert on horro

A remarkably lean Jack Nicholson steals a man's identity in an attempt to leave his life behind in The Passenger, Michelangelo Antonioni's existentialist thriller from 1975. Though the film contains many of the raw ingredients of a Bond film or Graham Greene novel - a charismatic leading man, a beautiful European love interest, criminal activity, subterfuge and globetrotting - Antonioni cooks up a deeply atmospheric, contemplative work about identity, dispossession and escape. In the four days between seeing the film at the BFI Southbank and recording the podcast, the film grew in José's estimation, while Mike was captivated by it immediately, commenting on the lucid, imaginative camerawork that brings past and present together in single takes and seems to give the camera a physical presence in the film's world, and considering the displacement of Nicholson's character, a man living between countries and cultures. José, having watched and written on a number of Antonioni's films back in June (links below), e

Something a little different for us today, as we visit the Tate Modern to view Christian Marclay's 24 hour long video art installation, The Clock. It's a looping supercut of clips from film and television that involve clocks, watches, and people telling each other the time, synchronised to the real world. If you watch it at 8:10pm, it's 8:10pm in the film too. Supported by London's White Cube gallery, some 12,000 clips were assiduously located and assembled over three years by Marclay and his team of six researchers to create The Clock, and since its first exhibition in 2010 it's been popping up every now and again. We jumped at the chance to see it. The Clock's scarcity, ambition, and strength of concept have arguably been partially responsible for its uniformly positive reception since 2010. We, however, find plenty to criticise, including a certain imperial flavour to the overwhelmingly Anglo-American choices of source films, not to mention the whiteness that pervades the entire project and lack of imagin

Greek weirdo Yorgos Lanthimos, whose off-kilter thriller The Killing of a Sacred Deer divided and provoked us a year ago, brings us The Favourite, a wild dramatisation of the power games surrounding Queen Anne's bedchamber in the early 18th century. It's his first feature on which neither he nor his usual partner Efthymis Filippou is credited as a writer, and that might account for its liveliness compared to his previous work, which tends to offer significant downtime in which the audience can ponder what it's seeing. The Favourite moves rapidly and fluidly, the shifting dynamics between Olivia Colman's Queen Anne, Rachel Weisz's Lady Marlborough, and Emma Stone's Abigail Hill constantly exciting, with their plans always subject to change depending on who knows what about others. And on top of the intrigue, it's really, really funny. The Favourite offers us a brilliantly cast and even more brilliantly performing female trio, picking on a rare historical moment in which all the most important and influential

Much to Mike's disdain - he throws tantrums about Netflix films - we settled in with a KFC to discuss Alfonso Cuarón's Roma, a semi-autobiographical film about the live-in housekeeper to an upper middle class Mexican family. Carefully composed and inflected with a neorealist aesthetic, it's been making countless year-end lists and is being touted as potentially Netflix's first Best Picture nominee at the Academy Awards, so Mike wasn't allowed to say no. The film is remarkable for depicting modern-day indigenous Mexicans, people to whose existence many outside the Americas might not have ever given any thought. Yalitza Aparicio, Roma's star, is a non-professional actor of Mixtec and Triqui origin, and simply her appearance is interesting, let alone the film's use of Mixtec language (Mike gets this name wrong at first but don't hold it against him) and its development of the indigenous population as lower class workers. We consider the use of black-and-white imagery - José questioning what it brings to the fil