by Lynda Del Sasso
Chopper
Australia 2000, Cert. 18
Director: Andrew Dominik
Star Rating * * * *
Australian Mark 'Chopper' Read
is a violent, mentally-unbalanced criminal who longs for fame
as a legendary villain. After a bungled kidnapping attempt, he
is sent to H Division, the maximum security wing of
Melbourne's Pentridge prison, where he soon gains a reputation
for unprovoked attacks of violence. Eventually stabbed by his
best friend, Chopper mutilates himself to ensure his transfer
out of H Division. Years later, released from prison and
suffering from acute paranoia, he kills a man. Determined to
be remembered as a criminal hero, Chopper writes an
autobiographical account of his life. Back in prison, his
ambition is realised when his book becomes a bestseller.
This compelling biopic is based
on the true story of Chopper Read, as infamous a character in
Australia as the Kray Twins are in Britain, and Al Capone is
in America. First-time writer-director Andrew Dominik claims
to have found Chopper's autobiographies hysterically funny,
and has been criticised for inventing fictional incidents for
his film.
Nevertheless this remains a
powerful and terrifying portrait of a madman. Eric Bana, an
Australian comic, bravely manages to inject a measure of
vulnerability into the lead role, and is totally convincing. A
more sinister Chopper is impossible to imagine. Like the
character, this film is grim, violent and horrifying. It's
also a riveting cinematic account of a human life, and leaves
audiences wanting to know more.
Small Time Crooks
US 2000, Cert. PG
Director: Woody Allen
Star Rating * *
New Yorker Ray Winkler (Woody
Allen) is a small-time crook and dishwasher. He and his
long-suffering manicurist wife Frenchy (Tracey Ullman) embark
on a get-rich-quick scheme to rob a bank. Frenchy opens a
cookie shop a few doors away from the bank, while her husband
and his bumbling, inept friends make a three stooges-type
effort to tunnel underneath. While Ray and his incompetent
buddies fail to steal a penny, Frenchy's home-baking is an
instant success. Before they know it, the Winklers are
legitimate millionaires.
Woody Allen's latest is billed
as a romantic comedy, although much of the humour is of the
traditional slapstick variety, and as such is perhaps a little
difficult for Woody Allen fans to accept. There are some
heavy-handed jokes at the expense of the nouveau riche, and
Allen seems to derive pleasure from showcasing the Winklers'
garish lack of taste, but somehow it all fails to please. Hugh
Grant features in his usual role as a foppish, well-bred
Englishman, in this case an art dealer who is employed by
Frenchy to teach her the finer aspects of sophisticated social
behaviour, but this too feels artificial and contrived.
Embarrassingly so. Okay, so money changes people, but that's
hardly an original notion, much less plot theme. Hailed by
some as a welcome return to the old style, Small Time Crooks,
though lacking the insight and depth of the director's earlier
works, is a pleasant enough social farce but it's not going to
blow anyone's socks off.
Duke of York's from Dec 1
The Grinch
US 2000, Cert. PG
Director: Ron Howard
Star Rating * * * *
The Grinch (a barely
recognisable Jim Carrey) is a mean-spirited creature that
lives in a hill above the idyllic town of Whoville. On
Christmas Eve, the Grinch visits the town and removes all
signs of Christmas, ie: gifts, toys, trees and fairy lights.
This magical fantasy is based
on the book How The Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr Seuss. The
tale is extraordinarily tame by today's standards and the
ending holds no surprises, but the whole production is a
delight to watch, comparable to the classic Wizard of Oz in
terms of imaginative sets and other-world reality. Character
make-up and special effects are superb, as is Jim Carrey's
performance. Definitely the best Christmas movie this year,
for adults as well as children.
Odeon from Dec 1
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