Two more movies today and two more thumbs up: one for
Albatross, which
I review in full, and another for the Norwegian
King of Devils Island. An unusual double bill, to be sure, but it matters not; you dont generally need to be in a certain mood to watch a good movie, its supposed to put you in that mood. Albatross is a British coming-of-age comic drama about two girls with very different outlooks and backgrounds, who come together and bring something out of one another. It was a surprise: a very sweet, funny movie with wonderful central performances. There was nothing particularly new or innovative about the story, but it still comes highly recommended. It is the first movie from director
Niall MacCormick and writer
Tamzin Rafn, who are clearly talents to keep an eye out for. Theres an actor in it called
Harry Treadaway, who I immediately recognised as the white middle-class kid from
Attack the Block. Yet when I looked him up on
IMDb, I couldnt find it listed. Further investigation revealed that he has an identical twin brother, Luke Treadaway, who was in Attack the Block. Harry was in Fish Tank, and Pelican Blood (which I saw at
last years Festival). The two appeared in Brothers of the Head, an interesting mockumentary about conjoined twins in a punk band. That movie won the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature, from a jury headed by John Hurt. There are no juries this year, or prizes. Part of me doesnt mind; last years winner,
Skeletons, was perfectly fine but it was the best of a weak bunch (Albatross is better, and would have been a worthy winner). For all my criticisms, of the movies Ive seen the average has been pretty strong. However there are signs that this Festival is going to end with long debates about what will need fixed for next year. Take the opening night film, for instance.
The Guard officially opened the Festival on Wednesday night, premiering at the Festival Theatre. That theatre has a seating capacity of 1900 (not 1500 as I previously reported). A video of the event is on the
Film Festival website. We see people arriving (no red carpets). Ewen Bremner, a Festival staple, makes an appearance. The director,
John Michael McDonagh, is there. But when we cut back to the audience, there are empty seats. The auditorium is only about three-quarters full. The point of moving from the Cineworld to the Festival Theatre for the opening film was that so many people wanted tickets they started showing the opening film in two and even three of the multiplexs screens. Now they have a venue that seats 1900 and two that seat around 250-300, and no middle-ground. There are still tickets to the
Kings of Leon documentary
Talihina Sky (although as of writing this just a handful) despite the fact that the band is going to be there. I realise, incidentally, that my view of the Festival is not a comprehensive one; not only do I not see all the movies, but I also miss the events, which this year make up about half the programme (again, filling the vacuum). I am not dismissing these events, and have heard good things about several of them: talks, musical events, and several uses of the term New Media. I simply dont have time to investigate this side of the festival, but would be keen to hear the opinions of those who have.
King of Devils Island is based on the true story of a boys prison on an island Norway, and the struggle between the young inmates and the prison staff, who are corrupt and hypocritical. One boy in particular inspires the others to form some kind of rebellion. It is a grim movie, but there is a certain beauty even in its grimness; the photography, by
John Andreas Andersen, is cold and desolate; there is no warmth on screen, not just because the conditions of the island but also the colour palate. I did not see the colour red make a single appearance, apart from a few shots of blood. The director,
Marius Holst, gets strong and affecting performances from his young cast. The governor of the prison is played, superbly, by
Stellan Skarsgård. Its an interesting, subtle performance; he is not the movies biggest hypocrite, but he can be cruel and cowardly. He suggests an internal struggle as well as a resolve; his posture and frown have a vague echo of Bruno Ganzs performance in Downfall. Hes a terrific actor, and its the best performance Ive seen from him in a while.
Adam Whyte, our man in the Highlands is attending the Edinburgh Film Festival. Check out all his reviews HERE.