20/12/2013 The Film Review

well. That is all on Sportsday at 6. 30pm with me Olly Foster. Now on BBC

News it's time for The Film Review. Hello and welcome to the Film Review

on BBC News. To take us through this week's cinema's releases, Mark

Kermode. What do we have? A mixed batch we have American Hustle.

Already got seven Golden Globe nominations. Leading the awards

pack. We have Walking with Dinosaurs, the 3D movie which does

what it sayses on the tin. It is in 3D and we walk with dinosaurs. And

after nine years, Ron Burgundy is back in Anchorman 2 - the The Legend

Continues. A very interesting film based on the

scam - the FBI were Attempting to ensneer public officials. They came

up with a conman and came up with a plot. What we have in this is the

retaling of a story which says, some of what you are about to see, some

actually happened. It is interesting that you check out the real story.

More is true than perhaps you would expect. We have terrific

performances. We have Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and

they are all characters who are all pretending in some way or other to

be other people. Some are FBI, some wives, some politicians. They are

all basically living in a world in which is the face they show to the

world and the one in their private lives and they all have extravagant

haircuts. Here's a clip. Historically the best perfumes in

the world are laced with something... You cannot get enough

of that smell! Couldn't get enough! Smell her nails. Sweet and sour.

Rotten and delicious. Smells like flowers. You know what it is for me

- it is coriander for me. You can't get enough - that is what hooks you.

He always comes back for it. I can't get enough!

So nice! In five, four, three, two, one...

Can me and the man talk about business here?

Great hair styles but a great script. When it was submitted to the

Golden Globes, it was submitted as a drama. There is debate - is it a

comedy or a drama which has comedy overturns. It is a caper movie. It

is more dramatic I is wrong just to call it a -- it is wrong just to

call it a comedy. You get fantastic performances. Christian Bale doing

that thing about immersing himself in a role. There's an opening

sequence, in which he's seen applying his wig. It involves glue,

a hair appliance. Hair is a big thing all the way through. We see

almost every member of the cast in rollers at some point. The question

is this - alongside the great performances, Amy Adams is terrific

- it owes more to Good Fellas and to Last Days of Disco. It is about the

look, all about the clothes. If it is going to be dramatically

successful, the question is, is there anything underneath it? On

first viewing, it was about surface. What a glittery, what an attractive

and enticing surface it was. It is really good fun. I am not sure it

has the heart of Is Silver Linings Play Book. It was a broad broadly

funny story - it was dealing with heartbreak and tragedy and this is

sort of attempting to do the same thing. On a visual level it is

extraordinary. On a performance level it is very, very good. I

wonder in the end whether it has enough heart and soul. It may be it

takes a few viewings to find that. Very much like the lifestyle it

portrays, it was great to look at and great to be in the presence of

it. I don't know that it lasts much longer than that. Walking dinosaurs

- I remember that from the BBC. It was terrific. I don't know if I want

to pay to go and see it. It is What we have is very - well rendered 3 D,

great big reptiles, but with cute voices. This is a story of a young

dinosaur called Patchy. He's not got to be eaten or trampled. He falls in

love, has friendships I is very kid-friendly. We have information

coming up saying what th is the name of the dinosaur. Behind it all you

feel there is some educational remit. It was very good to look at.

It is amazing how we have become bla say about the idea of seeing

dinosaurs on screen. It looked very good. If you compare it to Moshi

Monsters, going out for the children - believe me, if you are a parent

and you take your kids to see something - this is a walk in the

park. It is not Earth-shattering, but perfectly fine. And Ron

Burgundy, he was wonderful, I think. Yes. It was nine years ago. When it

was first made took $90 million worldwide. The story is Ron Burgundy

is enlisted as one of the anchormen on a 24-hour News Channel. This

sounds to him like the most stupid idea that anyone has had... Until he

gets there. Well to GNN. Here is Curtis

Nightfish and the best in the biz - Jack!

Oh, my God! He's absolutely magnificent. I bet his poop smells

like sandal wood! Can I help you? What do you mean?

You are staring at me. Do you want my autograph? No. He was explaining

who you were. I was looking at you. Ha-ro-ha-ro-ro!

Is that what I sound like when I talk?

You were laughing a lot. I laughed at the first one. I laughed a lot. I

know I'll laugh at it. When the first one came out I was not won

over by it. I thought it was all right. It was a slow burner. People

started to love it on DVD and it become very quotable. They talk

about a broad way musical. It was on and off and the stud yes said it --

studio said it cost too much. It is about the birth of rolling news. In

America, live car chases, silly pet stories and patriotism will outsell

anything else. There is a serious outpinning about what has happened

to news in the wake of 24-hour rolling news. The problem is, on top

of that, the gags are kind of old hat. There is a very ill-judged,

interracial thing about Ron not being able to deal with African

Americans, which is dragged out. You think it is a little thing, but it

carries on. They have a reprise of the street fight from the first - it

is bigger, louder and more celebrities in it. When you start to

throw celebrity cameos into it, it means you have lost confidence in

it. The first - people were not already expecting a whole bunch.

When I sat in the preview theatre, there were people expecting to be

knocked out by it and they weren't. It is not terrible, by any means. It

is very very average. It's not as funny as it needs to be by a long

way. The interesting thing is the underpinning, the satirical

underpinning about rolling news, about what is happening in America,

about entertaining taking over from news - the gags are not funny

enough. I do think the sort of take on

rolling news and particularly the if it bleeds it leads culture - which

in some American T V stations is strong. Car chasesle - it may not be

an -- char chases. I was impressed by the thread. It is the old Woody

Allen think - insufficient laughter is grounds for divorce.

Now back in October, 5 Live's Kermode and asked viewer to make a

two-minute short film. A winner has been chosen. We will speak to the

winner live in the studio in a moment. Let's look at the winning

entry. That was terrific. With us is the

winning director. You've got your 5 Live trophy, with I is clearly no

expense has been spared to reward you for your efforts. Was that quite

tricky to make? It was quite tricky, yes. They are all practical effects.

We used string and then we had a hairdryer to blow it around. Yes,

various techniques were used. The thing that impressed me is that is

two minutes. Shorter is, can be tricky, can't it? It can. The

original film was three minutes. My brother, who composed the music as

well, kept saying you have to cut it down to under two minutes.

Eventually we got there. Were you impressed? I was. The entries

overall were good. We had hundreds of entries T two rules were, it had

to be two minutes or under. It had to qualify for a U certificate -

meaning suitable for all. Nothing likely to harm or offend. We had

comedies, we had animation, action movies. What we were looking for was

something that surprised us. It is a lovely story. It is well told. The

effects that it is done in camera, meaning you are not going for

special effects afterwards - you are doing it all there. It was

mechanical. I think you yourself have drawn comparisons that that

single idea was well executed. It is hard to get right. We were very

impressed by the entries and very impressed with the winner. Are you

going to do other stuff? I am hoping to become a film maker. I have done

some short documentaries. One other very short narrative film. I would

like to make films for the cinema if that is possible. You now have an

audience. It is quite good. What do you actually do? Do you have a day

job? I work part-time for my dad's company. It is kind of like a gap

year for me. I hope to go to a film school next year. Which is tricky.

It can be difficult to get into. A terrific film. Thank you.

And a reminder before we go - you will find more film news on Kermode

Uncut. Our thanks to Mark and to Phillip.

That is it for this week. Thanks for watching and merry Christmas.

Goodbye. Hello. More wet and windy weather is

heading our way. Not just tonight, but even in the raun-up to

Christmas. -- run-up to Christmas. Further strong and gusty winds

likely. Travel problems are anticipated. If you are travelling

over the next few days keep across the forecast. It may turn colder for

Christmas Day