Film REVIEWS
GANGSTER DRAMA WILD BILL (15) 98min ●●●●●
There are many aspects of Wild Bill that could cause a discerning cinemagoer to give it a wide berth – its lack of recognisable stars; its done-to-death London gangster milieu; its debuting writer/director Dexter Fletcher’s connections to the works of Guy Ritchie – but despite these seeming harbingers of dreck, to dismiss this film unseen would be to miss out on one of the highlights of the year so far. It’s not that Fletcher and his co-writer Danny King do anything particularly new with this story of an ex- con freshly released from prison and keen to reconnect with his kids; but they tell it with such unexpected maturity, drawing very funny comedy and resonant emotion from well-crafted characters, while lending the mundane locations an unexpected beauty through George Richmond’s striking cinematography. Having been part of the furniture of British film and TV since his acting debut, aged 10, in Alan Parker’s Bugsy Malone, Fletcher has clearly learned more than a thing or two from the sets he’s hung around, and here he puts it into practice with great results.
The film begins with the introduction of 15-year-old Dean (Son of Rambow’s Will Poulter) and his younger brother Jimmy (Sammy Williams), fending for themselves in their crummy East London flat. Back into their lives comes Bill (Charlie Creed-Miles) – the aforementioned ex-con and the boys’ father – and tension immediately hits. This broken relationship, and its potential restoration, is the dramatic heart around which revolves myriad sub-plots and characters – from Bill’s old gang rivals to concerned social workers to various girlfriends and relatives. In truth, the film comes close to collapsing as all these layers build up, but Fletcher pulls the focus back to Bill, Dean and Jimmy for a powerful conclusion. (Paul Gallagher) ■ Out now on general release.
DRAMA DELICACY (12A) 104min ●●●●● THRILLER HEADHUNTERS (15) 101min ●●●●●
SCI-FI COMEDY IRON SKY (TBC) 93min ●●●●●
Perhaps only in French cinema is the currency value of beauty so high that an entire film can be drawn out of the prospect of a not-that-good-looking man getting it on with Audrey Tautou. Even Hollywood would try to pretend that some other values had a look-in. Yes, Tautou’s character here, Nathalie, is supposedly ‘delicate’ because of being recently widowed; but the real question the film asks as she contemplates a union with clumsy workmate Markus (François Damiens) is whether her exquisiteness can reasonably be expected to share space with his lack thereof. Despite this rather yucky premise, the film musters not inconsiderable charm – Tautou is not mis-sold as an irresistible love object, and Nathalie’s workplace and family life are warmly and observantly drawn. But the film just lacks momentum: Nathalie’s mild resistance to nice, lumpen Markus doesn’t constitute a plot in itself, and we’re not offered much else to hold on to. Oddly, though her recovery from grief would have made for a rich subject, the film edges away from it, preferring to present itself as a low-impact opposites-attract romcom. (Hannah McGill) ■ Selected release from Fri 13 Apr.
68 THE LIST 29 Mar–26 Apr 2012
The twisty, tangled, page-turning bestsellers of Norwegian author Jo Nesbø seem tailor-made for the screen. The narratives move with all the momentum of a runaway train and there are enough flawed individuals and crumbling moral certainties to provide substance as well as style. Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) is a suave, successful
headhunter living way beyond his means and lavishing gifts on his trophy wife. He is also something of a Raffles-like gentleman thief supplementing his income by stealing rare artworks from his clients. Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his original Rubens seem like the perfect target, except Clas is prepared to fight back. The two men are soon engaged in a fight to the death that falls somewhere between a Road Runner cartoon and a Coen brothers thriller. Director Morten Tyldum leaves little time to doubt
the spider’s web intricacy of the plotting and both of the lead actors are a perfect fit for their parts in this tit for tat feud. It may verge on the unhinged at times but Headhunters is breathlessly, outrageously entertaining. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Fri 6 April.
Six years in the making, Iron Sky arrives in a blaze of pre-release publicity. Finland’s first blockbuster, partly funded by fans, you certainly can’t quibble with its killer pitch: Nazis on the moon. It’s just a pity that director Timo Vuorensola’s so-so sci-fi comedy never quite lives up to such an inspirational premise. Set in 2018, the Germans have been hiding out on the dark side of the moon since the end of WWII. But when a lunar expedition ordered by America’s Sarah Palin-like President (Stephanie Paul) as a PR exercise uncovers their Swastika-shaped base, the Nazis (led by Udo Kier and Götz Otto’s power- hungry commandant) have no choice but to launch an attack on Earth.
There are some nice sight gags – like the mad Nazi
doctor dismissing a modern smart phone in favour of his ancient room-sized computer – and the Star Wars-influenced special effects impress, given the cut-price budget. But the satire on American imperialist policies falls flat, and the invasion plot is strictly B movie. Feeling like a missed opportunity, for once a Hollywood remake might be in order. (Vincent Renwick) ■ Selected release from 20 April.