01/11/2013 The Film Review

ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, all that and much more on Sportsday

at 6:30pm, but now on BBC News it is time for the film review.

Hello and welcome to The Film Review here on BBC News. To take us through

this week cinema releases is Anna Smith. We have Philomena. This stars

Steve Coogan. We also have Judi Dench and from the director of the

Queen, Stephen Frears. We also have an American indie comedy. About

people who drink a little more than they should. And also Thor, and Thor

wrings his hammer to London. Philomena has had a lot of ugly

city. It has won awards. `` a lot of publicity. It is about Martin

Sixsmith, a list who comes across an incredible true story of the woman

who gave her child up or adoption. Or rather her child was taken away

from her and she has kept the story secret for 50 years and was looking

for him. They developed a friendship and discover an incredible story. I

know this woman. She had a baby when she was a teenager and has kept this

secret for 50 years. You are talking about a human interest story. I do

not do those. Hello. You must be Philomena. Evil is a good word. I

was going to ask if it would be possible to not use my real name?

What about and Berlin? We have to use your real name. `` Anne Boleyn.

I used to be a journalist. There are avenues we camped you in America. I

am getting the royal treatment. I feel like the Pope.

I am surprised at how many last there were in that little segment.

The story itself is not very funny. It is a tragic story. What the film

does which is very clever is get a unique balance between comedy and

drama. You have flashbacks to her childhood and things are not

pleasant, these girls were taken to give birth and then there are babies

were taken away from them. But in the present you have these warm

moments between them. It is a bit like Alan Partridge and his

secretary. He is a journalist and she is excitable. It is funny and

moving. It is already being tipped for several awards and these actors

are difficult to criticise. I would say it would have perhaps been more

authentic to have an Irish actress in the role but her accent is very

good. Her comic ability is very good. She could well be up for an

Oscar. Steve Coogan is not to everyone's taste but he is excellent

in this. Yes. Perfectly cast. Let's go on to Drinking Buddies. Alcohol

is in bold. Yes. The two of them work in a brewery. `` alcohol is

involved. They go away for a weekend with their partners and pensions

come to the fore. It says like traditional romantic comedy but what

I liked about it is is a bit more athletic. You do not know who is

supposed to be with you. It is quite authentic. The cast do you really

good job. My view of some romantic comedies is that the romance does

not work and the comedy is not funny enough. This is funny. It is also

dramatic. It is about observer in relationships and people and it is

quite thought`provoking. Our people meant to be for one another? Some

people think we have an interesting attitude to alcohol but it is true

in the United States. Is this a kind of Hangover type film? I think it is

a type of film that British people will get on with better than

Americans. It looks into the downsides of alcohol, of course, but

it is not a traditional romantic comedy. Now, Thor two, what about

that? There is a new villain who is threatening Thor and the rest of the

role. Thor plunges back to earth and London. Jane. Sorry. I just needed

to make sure you were real. It has been a strange day. Where were you?

Where were you? I was right here where you left me. I was waiting and

then I was crying and I went looking for you. You said you're coming

back. I know. But wars were raging. Marauders were pillaging. I had to

put an end to the slaughter. As excuses go, it is not terrible. But

I saw you on television. You were in New York! I fought to protect you

from the dangers of my world but I was a fool. I believe fate brought

us together. One of those really rubbish lines.

Does he look good for the rest of the movie? Yes. This film has a

sense of how ridiculous it is. There is a lot of mystical mumbo jumbo

that is absurd but it stops to laugh at itself. There is even a running

joke about someone running naked around Stonehenge. There is a lot of

apples. The formula goes a little bit like that. `` there is a lot of

battles. It kind of works. The audience 's for this tend to be

teenage boys? Yes. And maybe twentysomethings as well. A bit of

popcorn fun. Nothing to charging. Not taking yourself too seriously.

That sometimes works for certain audiences but sometimes teenage boys

want something different. Yes. Anthony Hopkins is on hand to

deliver the mythical codswallop sufficiently. I prefer it personally

to the likes of Man of Steel because they do not add it how absurd they

are. The Selfish Giant is your favourite of the week. Yes. Amazing

film. This is the story of two boys who are sort of searching for scrap

metal, they have been excluded from school. It is about the

relationships and much more. The two boys are fantastic and it is one of

those films I felt is like a future classic. It is based on a past

classic. It is Oscar Wilde story about the selfish giant who has a

garden but he will not let children in, so the guarding cannot thrive.

You can read that in many different ways. `` the guarding cannot thrive.

`` the garden. Yes. It is a ported two characters who could be any age.

This Machiavellian boy and his soft`hearted sidekick it has been

compared to Kes. Yes. High praise. Now, your DVD. It is about the

fashion editor of Vogue in Paris. She strikes out on her own. It is a

documentary about her trying to do her magazine so it is one for

fashion fans but it has loads of behind`the`scenes access, her

fashion so is `` her fashion shows. It is quite funny even if you are

not into fashion. It is a little bit sycophantic. But at the same time,

you watch it back and go, really? They are pushing harder and harder

to push the envelope and she is obsessed with babies. There has to

be a baby in every fashion shoot. Are the atoll self`aware?

Self`awareness was not one of the strong suits of many of the people

in previous fashion films. That is true. The limousines, the first

class, the champagne, you could not get further away from The Selfish

Giant. Mark Kermode will be back with us for The Film Review next

week. BBC Radio five Live's competition closes next Friday. The

winner of the short film competition will be judged by Mark Elmwood and

the programme will feature the final three films. Details can be found/

five live. You will find more film news and reviews from across the BBC

online, including all of our previous shows. That is it for this

week. Acts for watching. `` thanks for watching.

There will be plenty of those wet November nights that Gavin made

reference to over the coming week. Further spells of rain and strong

winds tonight, the rain as you can see on the radar is mostly focused

towards Lincolnshire, North Midlands, Wales with some rain