Wheat and Chaff
I've watched two films recently - one in the cinema and one on the TV - and one is as good as the other one is bad.
First the good news - City Island - a made for TV film as far as I know - starring Andy Garcia from The Untouchables.
It's a quirky yet heart warming tale of a New York family - who hide things from one another.
Some of their secrets and small and inconsequential - others are dark and potentially explosive.
The plot is bizarre but works on every level - a comedy, a drama, a love story - of a big hearted city - and its crazy mixed up people - who are all trying to find their way in life.
Andy Garcia plays a 'corrections officer' (prison guard) with ambitions to be an actor - his two kids are at that stage where they think their parents are dull and boring or worse - and there's more fear of his wife than excitement in their marriage.
Not only that he's just discovered a grwon up son - from a previous relationship - who turns up as a jailbird in his own prison (correctional facility).
The rest is a joy to watch.
The other film I thought I'd share with you is a bit of a stinker - to be perfectly honest.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TTSS) - I saw at the cinema - and I thought I'd be blown away at the quality of the acting.
Gary Oldman, John Hurt &Co all strut their stuff to great effect at times - but the story is told in a plodding, slow and dull manner.
Good acting is one thing - but on its own it doesn't quicken the blood - or make you care about the characters and what's happening to them.
Also, the film requires either a throrough knowledge of the John le Carre book (TTSS) - or a recent viewing of the famous made-for-TV version - starring Alex Guinness some years ago.
I spent the first half hour wondering who the hell everyone was - what they were doing - and why.
At the end I couldn't recall the motivation for the revenge killing - and the film didn't explain - was it love or politics?
Anyway, without the chaff - there is no wheat.
So I'm just putting TTSS down to experience - a bad experience - though I'd watch City Island and Andy Garcia again - any day of the week
First the good news - City Island - a made for TV film as far as I know - starring Andy Garcia from The Untouchables.
It's a quirky yet heart warming tale of a New York family - who hide things from one another.
Some of their secrets and small and inconsequential - others are dark and potentially explosive.
The plot is bizarre but works on every level - a comedy, a drama, a love story - of a big hearted city - and its crazy mixed up people - who are all trying to find their way in life.
Andy Garcia plays a 'corrections officer' (prison guard) with ambitions to be an actor - his two kids are at that stage where they think their parents are dull and boring or worse - and there's more fear of his wife than excitement in their marriage.
Not only that he's just discovered a grwon up son - from a previous relationship - who turns up as a jailbird in his own prison (correctional facility).
The rest is a joy to watch.
The other film I thought I'd share with you is a bit of a stinker - to be perfectly honest.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TTSS) - I saw at the cinema - and I thought I'd be blown away at the quality of the acting.
Gary Oldman, John Hurt &Co all strut their stuff to great effect at times - but the story is told in a plodding, slow and dull manner.
Good acting is one thing - but on its own it doesn't quicken the blood - or make you care about the characters and what's happening to them.
Also, the film requires either a throrough knowledge of the John le Carre book (TTSS) - or a recent viewing of the famous made-for-TV version - starring Alex Guinness some years ago.
I spent the first half hour wondering who the hell everyone was - what they were doing - and why.
At the end I couldn't recall the motivation for the revenge killing - and the film didn't explain - was it love or politics?
Anyway, without the chaff - there is no wheat.
So I'm just putting TTSS down to experience - a bad experience - though I'd watch City Island and Andy Garcia again - any day of the week
