Film
REVENGE/ACTION/VVESTERN KILL BILL VOL 2 (15) 94min
Life can be terribly tame if you don’t play the game with two. So here it is - the second part of the Tarantino’s seminal revenge fantasy epic. After dispensing with former colleagues O-Ren lshii (Lucy Lui) and Vernita Green (Vivica J Fox) in Kill Bill Vol 1, the Bride (Uma Thurman) resumes her quest for justice. The remaining foes on her death list are Budd (Michael Madsen) and Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) before she can move on to her ultimate goal . . . to kill Bill (David Carradine).
Born out of cinephile fetishisms and a million grindhouse bong fests, Kill Bill V012 is that rare thing - a fevered, passionate love letter that has been dipped in the blackest of comic book blood. The film bears little resemblance to the first film. Tarantino as writer and director throws a curve ball away from the minimal dialogue and breathless iconic narrative drive of Kill Bill Vol 1 and structures his hyper real morality tale’s conclusion as a talk- heavy Western that has been mutated into an Eastern by the appearance of the Kung Fu man himself, David Carradine.
As ever, Tarantino is paying dues here, and the touchstones are closer to home: he draws on the
narrative invention of 70s’ Roger Corman And the bride wore crimson (noticeably The Trip and Bloody Mama) the Tex Mex filthy nihilism of Peckinpah’s Bring Me the Head of revenge, Tarantino lays bare some of the virtually creates a new template from the bone Alfredo Garcia, the wordy, slightly cheesy fiabbiness of his directing and writing skills. But dust of the American Western. exposition of John Ford’s Rio Grande and the butch served well by an excellent cast, he has Whether unwittingly or not, Tarantino has, with feminist misanthropy of Russ Meyer’s Faster punctuated his messy stylised film with enough these two films, created a curious, unforgettable Pussycat Kill Kill Kill. memorable and awe-inspiring sequences to sub feminist epic that underlines RD Laing’s maxim Tarantino has a million celluloid lovers and he is make this gore-splattered ride worth it. that ‘We are effectively destroying ourselves by trying to get them all to meet in one room and Tarantino’s vision is helped immeasurably by his violence masquerading as love.’ A remarkable herein lies the small problem with Kill Bill Vol 2. director of photography Robert Robertson achievement. (Paul Dale) It’s a little bit too mixed and mashed up. By (Platoon, Casino, U-tum). Using a succession of I General release from Fri 23 Apr. See preview. loosening the pace of his rollicking rampage of different stocks and inspired framing, Robertson page 28. ROMANTIC COMEDY WIN A DATE WITH TAD HAMILTON! é (PG) 96min 0
‘When great love is rejected. something inside a man dies.’ intones lovelorn bar girl Angelica (Kathryn Hahn). as she reflects on the troubled romantic triangle i going on between the object of her desire. supermarket worker Pete (Topher i } Grace), his co-worker Rosie (Kate Bosworth) and Hollywood superstar Tad ‘ Hamilton (Josh Duhamel). Hamilton. having initially agreed to date sweet small- town girl Rosie as a publicity stunt to avoid a bad-boy image. soon finds himself 3 falling for her natural charm, until Pete, after advice from Angelica. decides to make a fight of it.
But not much of a fight. Familiar from That 703 Show. Topher Grace makes a wimpy hero in this witless romantic-comedy. where he's well matched by a simpering performance from Bosworth who appears to have one expression;
Sex, lies and spice
WIFE SWAPPING COMEDY I gawping like a tranquillised goldfish. The sophisticated Californian background THE OTHER SIDE OF raise an eyebrow and smile wrny 3 . (it's all monopeds and dogs in spons cars over there. apparently) is meant to THE BED at the Bollywood schemata for l : contrast with the simple pleasures of supermarket life in West Virginia. Win a Date
(15) 112 mm ... movies and, cleverly, The Other ' With Tad Hamilton! is a confection so bland it's hard to tell the difference. Robert
Ostensibly this is a film about Side of the Bed does not waste Luketic. the director of Legally Blonde, is responsible for this inadequate. lame. partner swapping of the ilk seen a single opportunity to do so. 5 turgid soap opera. Avoid at all costs. (Stuart Gray) in Bob and Carol and Ted and The film wallows in its own I General release from Fri 23 Apr.
Alice rather than the Channel 4 stupidity, realising that by series. This musical that set the mocking itself it will bring out the l
(Paz Vega. Natalia Verbeke and template and decides to 3 Maria Esteve) are impossibly underplay the drama by i attractive girls who inexplicably sidestepping the issues of fall head-over-heels in love with partner swapping in its tame l sleazy. unworthy guys (Ernesto conclusion. Where is Amitabh
Spanish box office on fire is fun and humour of a seemingly I
straight outta Bollywood. It has grave situation. :
all the key. spicy ingredients of The joviality starts when l
the Indian diaspora such as Verbeke dumps Toledo for his I . a . tangled romances involving best friend, Alterio. But Alterio I . . . lovers who challenge social cannot bring himself to dump . r .. .- .. mflf 5:399:37?” norms and pop songs that his own belle Vega. She. in turn. . l ‘ " "W‘sz
function as musical asides would not mind a bit of Toledo. " ' ‘ “ ‘ " featuring kitsch dancing boys It's all great fun until the film i
and girls. Predictably. the girls veers from the Bollywood
Alterio and Guillermo Toledo). Bachchan when you need him i With its ludicrous plot lines, most? (Kaleem Aftab) l silly choreographed dancing and I Selected release from Fri 23 i l. over-the—top acting. it‘s easy to Apr. : Monopeds 80d dogs in Sports cars
15~29 Apr 2004 THE LIST 31