10/08/2013 The Film Review

Review. Taking us through this week's releases is Anna Smith.

first one is Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Steve Coogan bringing his much

loved character to the big screen, and Allen in a hostage situation.

Then Foxfire, based on a book set in New York with a French director. And

a film you may have heard of, The Lone Ranger, they mislay a flop in

the United States. Will it be a flop here? A comedy Western with Johnny

Depp. I am a huge fan of Alan Partridge.

How is it? Great fun. Not too ambitious, a hostage situation, but

still in Norwich, keeping it local. A hostage situation in the local

radio station, a disgruntled former employee comes in guns blazing, he

only trust Alan, who uses this as an opportunity is to impress his new

boss. -- as an opportunity.

How are you feeling about this whole media circus? Really puffed up, like

an owl. It is like synergy. But that is lesbians. As far as the press are

concerned, you are the face of this. I am face. -- I am seige face,

Allen, argue all day? -- Alan, are you all right? I have

almost got the break issue! I could be called the talking cock!

I laughed so many times. It makes the best of his characteristics. His

cowardliness comes to the fore, and only wanting to save his own skin,

then he spies an opportunity, his ambition comes into play. Steve

Coogan is still funny in the role, and it is faithful to his character.

Some things, maybe the trendy trainers she was wearing, but it is

very funny, not ambitious, keeping it local and true to the character.

It sounds brilliantly written. That is key. I often wonder, Mr Bean is

one obvious, going back to Norman Wisdom, characters selling around

the world with a British brand. Does this work anywhere else? Maybe. It

is a bit like the David Brent character, which managed to be

exported. And what about Foxfire: Confessions Of A Girl Gang? This was

made into a film in the 1990s with Angelina Jolie, but this adaptation

is more faithful to the book about a girl who take the law into their own

hands when they feel abused and patronised by local men. Some

feminist issues. By problem was the performances and perhaps the

direction. We have the French director with his first

English-language film. He had The Class, which did well at Cannes.

Perhaps he was just finding his feet with American actresses. But still

worth a watch. I know we will talk about The Heat in a moment, but is

this a girl buddy movie? A lot of direction is deemed to the audiences

deserve to be entertained. Is this a new kind of sub genre? I think it

just happens to be centred around girls. The characters are not well

drawn enough stop it is more of an arthouse film. But that is still a

good thing, it is so rare to have so many characters all e-mail. And --

all female. And quite the opposite, The Lone

Ranger. Famously losing money. Armie Hammer plays the main character,

going to see his brother who is killed, he searches the bag I with

the help of Tonto, played by Johnny Depp. They are forced to work

It is the end of the line! Do we jump? What about the passengers?

There are children on board! It did not look that bad. It is not

that bad. It is fine, but overlong, tries to be a comedy for kids, then

a serious Western involving things like cannibalism. But there are

entertaining moments, the cast is good, costume is great, the money is

on screen. But the script could have been tidied. Yes, for �250 million,

it could have been a better script. You might think again about taking

the kids to such a long film, but it is enjoyable in parts. Is there a

market for westerns? Django is one, But we have had some flops. Yes,

Hollywood does not seem to be learning. Back to the future -- Back

To The Future III, that seems to be the last one aimed at a family

audience. You do not see it on television any more. I do not think

it has the attraction to young boys as it used to. Computer games and

space might be more exciting. Superheroes do well, how boys not so

much. Your pick of the week is The Heat. Two comedy films, perfect for

me for summer viewing, along with Alan Partridge. Melissa McCarthy and

Sandra Bullock at two cops who hate each other, negligible plot, but

very funny. They do some things different with the characters. You

would not know it to be Melissa McCarthy in the poster, she seems to

be airbrushed. She is terrific. Yeah. But it would be a cliche if it

was not women. I think that is what saves it stop because they are

female, it offers a different dynamic. They have different things

to discuss than you would have male colleagues. And the DVD of the week

is the Danny Boyle movie Trance. had a mixed reaction. I really liked

it. James McAvoy as a criminal with amnesiac, asking a hypnotist played

by Rosario Dawson to find out where the stolen painting is. A lot of

delving into his mind. I read one critic who said this was the Danny

Boyle of The Beach, not of Slumdog, and I do not think that was a