Film
rrrerr cow-or IGBY GOES DOWN (15) 97min on
The title of this US indie grabs one’s attention. Is this going to be some sort of skin flick? And what about that name, 'lgby’? Written and directed by former actor Burr Steers (he was Van in The Last Days of Disco and he also had a small part in Pulp Fiction), the film itself brings to mind those oft-quoted lines from Philip Larkin: ‘They fuck you up your mum and dad/They may not mean to but they do'.
This pungent comedy of unhappiness begins with an act of matricide, and what follows is a dissection of an affluence that can’t _ — mask acute emotional dysfunction with a reliance on various kinds of medication to assuage mood. Seventeen-year-old lgby (Kieron
background, but he loathes his ruinously self-absorbed mother Mimi (Susan Sarandon) and his ultra-materialistic Republican brother Oliver (Ryan Phillippe). His
successful godfather DH (Jeff Culkin) may come from a privileged Goldblum), along with the latter’s volatile choreographer mistress (Amanda Peet). Hanging out with quirky Jewish girl Sookie Sapperstein (Claire Danes), lgby narrative. rails against the phoniness of the schizophrenic Dad (Bill Pullman) has adult world like a modern-day
a. h...‘
lgby in the Rye
dialogue?‘ The film also side-steps the clichés that befall so many coming-of-age pictures by withholding any simplistic moments of redemption from the central
Yet despite the acting talent at his disposal however, and the many
long since been confined to a home Holden Caulfield, and discovers that creditable performances, Steers
for the befuddled.
Thrown out of countless expensive educational establishments, lgby pilfers one of
terre of his conspicuously
COMEDY lllllll t.l;R DIRTY DEEDS (15) 110min O.
'Barla brng. ba<la boonr; hey Pauly. out another prawn on the barbre.' No that's not rrght — let's try agarn: ‘l ook at the how ma. l’nr a great brg (lagl' Yes. [)rrty Deeds rs that rare l)|l(l the Australran rr‘obster rnovre. a genre that as about as prevalent as a Merchant Ivory yaku/a flrck It's also a culture clasl‘. corr‘erly prtcherl at such a level of hysterra that rt doesn't even rtualrfy as a turkey; thrs rs a rnutton brrrl of outstanrlrng perlrgree.
It's 1960 rn Sydney. busrness rs boorrtrng for Barry Ryan (Bryan Brown_ who you may rerr‘errrber frorrrSFX: Murder by ///usron and a certarn popular car atlvertrsenrentr. buoyetl up by the rnfiux of US sol(lrers returnrng fronr Vretnanr. Hrs success attracts the attentron of the Chrcago mob. who send lorry rJohn GOtXlltléltll over to rrrvestrgate.
Wrrter rlrrector Dawo Caesar works hrrnselt up rnto a Scorseselrke fury wrth thrs slrce of Goodfeflas lrte whrcl: arlrr‘rtterlly has a f w nrce touches anrl a whole lot of frsh out of water Jokes. Gootlrnan looks Irke he's (lorng rt for the free holrtlay whrle lonr Collette as Barry's harrl laced wrfe Sl‘aron steals every scene she's rtt, What Sanr Nerll rflexrng hrs .Jarr‘es Mason notso-harrlnran rnuscles) rs (lorng here 5 anyone's guess. On the plus srtle. the film looks great: the clothes and set (letarl rn the frr'st halt rs outstantlrng. But the (letrouert‘errt rn the outback has the soporrfrc effect of ‘.‘.'£tl(:l‘.rrtg (,‘rorrcorle Dundee I? after an excessryely heaxy roast. [)tl'tgemus stuff. (Paul Dal0r I General release from Frr 6 Jurr
Goodfellas-lite
24 THE LIST :‘3- 1:) June 30's.:
amusing dialogue. As lgby himself his mum’s credit cards and holes up sarcastically enquires: ‘If heaven is in New York, crashing at the pied-a- such a wonderful place then why is being crucified such a big fucking
his own sibling is his romantic rival. never quite makes us feel for his lgby Goes Down proves that
creations. It’s an angry film, which is
Steers has a talent for writing acidly caustically entertaining without ever achieving a tragic dimension.
(Tom Dawson)
I (if 7. Glasgow; Cameo. {.‘(llll/M/lg/l from f‘rr l3 Jun,
Better off living through misery
l'AMll Y DRAMA BROKEN WINGS (15) 87min .0
(hrs low-key Israel: (lrarna looks not at the brg prcture of the ongorng polrtrcal (:rrsrs rn the Mrrlrlle East. but at a srrialler prcture: the rrnplosrorr of a fatt‘lly traurrratrserl by the rleath of the father. Absent tron: the lllll‘. rexcept rrr a flashback sequencer rs the presence of the n‘ale parer‘t of the Ulrr‘a': fanrrly; the frlrn charts the ways rn ‘.-.'.hrch each at the farr‘rlr, members can deal or not rleal wth therr loss.
Teenage (laughter Maya rs caught between 't‘akrttg a go o‘ becornrng the srnger songwrrtm of a rock band and helprng the rnother rarse her young brother and mster. Mother Dafrra spends her trrne erther sleeprng or zvorkrr g nrghts as a nurse r" a rrrate'nrty warrl. And brother Yarr rs out of school sufferrrtg ar‘ exrstentral crrsrs. ‘We are all rrrere specks ot (lust rr‘. the unwerse.' he nruses rnrserably
Of course, the farnrly nrenrbers are all, r". tlresr r .vays. ayortlrng ttrerr grref. And whrle they're (lorng that. they keep thetnselxes busy rrrakrng one another trnhapprer strll. Maya 'esents her ll‘.()lll(3l for not gettrng over her father. Dafna rs riot at all supportrye of her daughter's rnusrcal talent and Yarr .vrrtes everyone off as those 'specks of (lost. So. the farrwl; vnoor: about. unable to (lo anytnrng wrth therr :‘rves,
The sarrte. unfortunately. rnrgnt be sarrl of NW Bergrr‘ar‘s frlr' For all rts potentrall, neartbrtxrkrng 'torr‘estrr; warm: and respectable performances. Broker? l.‘/ngs ‘ar:s to ergage lnsteao‘. rt we; 'rders T()‘.'.a.'(l5 a tarball, latrrlab‘e cat urrrerrrarkablt‘: conclusrort. erles Feiclerr I Cameo. Etlrrmurgh fro/tr Frr {5 Jan
Arid ‘
ER MANAGEMENT (15) 106min 0..
1 K .i i ~i\’\' \ ’ '«(I 1‘. {'1 v I. .r i' ‘fln..t\ 1...).
{\,.,\'. ‘ J ‘1 ll" lu- . ,\ N(:‘l'ztt'rt t'~ r. r: :to ' ' 'r '.'.r".tt. " ‘9‘ '
a rrr" 2' ’l ’
ll at 12"7t '.e.",rri.tr‘_ firm k lwl! “.'.r"wt .t" .1“ Rule -"- “ le" .'.l‘r.’ " Hafil‘rrk If, rrrrrrr‘rete. -rrr‘r~r'erlt. the t;e‘.'.r‘rrler~:rt tnrsrr‘resnrrrarr ‘s serflerrrerl tr .rrr .lllllt'l r'r.‘xrt.lr)t>rrrt-rrt prograr'rrrrerrrt par“. \)1 wrrprsorrrnerrt But the rrrrrlrtbrulrtx lllt‘ll‘rkllllltll
fir". sper raltst l)r llurlrl‘.
Funny fury
Hyrlell ulack Nrr;ho|sorrr push Bu/nrk to the breakrng porrrt. ls ltyrlell a clrarlatarr, or rs he errrotrorially beetrrrg up Hu/nrk’r’
lhe lrrrrrrour rrr tlrrf; sporadrcally arrrusrng cornerlyr (,orrref, from the pt ssrve Bu/nrk sufferrrr'; abuse from ll/rlell .vlro rrroves rrrto hrs patrerrt". home before atterrrptrrrg to steal hrs grrlfrrerrrl lMarrsa lorrrerr and a serres of phenomena“, rrrfurratrrrg characters lplay'erl b,’ an rrrlpt‘:',1,r‘/t: supportrrrg (,ast rnclurlrng .Jot‘rrr lrrrturro. Lurs Gu/rnarr. Woorly llarrelson and Harry Dear: Stantonr
It's a one Joke rno‘xre ant) the Joke Isn't Sarrrller‘s -rt .‘ras (lrearrterl up b, Paul Thornas Anderson. who pre‘xrorrsly cast San/ller as a rrrarr wrtb an anger r'rarragernerrt problerrr Ill Pope/r Drunk Love. erles Frelrlerr I Gerrera/ release from Fe C Juo.