FILM | Reviews
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BIOPIC NERUDA (15) 105min ●●●●● Hardworking Chilean director Pablo Larraín follows his recent Oscar contender Jackie with a playful, provocative reflection on the travails of poet-diplomat Pablo Neruda during the early days of the Cold War. He embraces a sense of heightened reality, transforming Neruda’s life during the 1940s into a hardboiled film noir pitched somewhere between Hitchcock and Dennis Potter. You almost expect Robert Mitchum to step out of the shadows. As Chile sought to align itself with America, Neruda’s communist convictions saw him branded an enemy of the state. Forced into hiding, he is hunted by a clueless police inspector (Gael García Bernal), who makes Clouseau look like Hercule Poirot. Luis Gnecco’s podgy, affable Neruda embraces his contradictions as a champagne-swilling socialist and champion of the people. He savours the opportunity to transform his life into the stuff of myth as he mocks, teases and outwits his gormless pursuer. Larraín’s painstaking attention to detail stretches from the use of back projection and voiceover narration to the Bernard Herrmann-style score composed by Federico Jusid. Irreverent, funny and insightful, Neruda is unquestionably mannered but undeniably entertaining. (Allan Hunter) ■ Limited release from Fri 7 Apr.
COMEDY WHISKY GALORE! (TBC) 98min ●●●●●
Adapted from the novel by Compton MacKenzie, itself based on a real-life incident, the 1949 Ealing comedy Whisky Galore! is a sprightly trifle about wily Scots conspiring to outwit the officious English. This 2016 reimagining, directed by Gillies MacKinnon (Hideous Kinky), makes substantial changes while staying true to the subtle charms of the original. When a ship washes up on nearby rocks, the villagers of the tiny Scottish island of Todday are desperate to plunder the cargo of whisky. The pompous Captain Wagget (Eddie Izzard) is keen to thwart them, while local hero Macroon (Gregor Fisher) leads ingenious endeavours to liberate the amber nectar.
This fresh take on the material makes good use of an ideal location in Portsoy, Aberdeenshire and is crisply shot by Nigel Willoughby, with a jaunty Patrick Doyle score. But the real star is Peter McDougall’s script: wry and acerbic without ever resorting to crude caricatures. Whisky Galore! has the rare feel of a film made by Scots for Scots; yet, as with Bill Forsyth’s best work, the resulting bonhomie might just have wider appeal. Its gentle humour may be lost on some, but this is a true taste of Scotland that’s well worth acquiring. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Limited release from Fri 5 May.
COMEDY MINDHORN (15) 89min ●●●●●
Co-creator of The Mighty Boosh Julian Barratt slips into the brogues of washed-up thespian Richard Thorncroft and the result is an endearingly silly comedy that pokes fun at dated detective shows like Bergerac. The title refers to the 1980s TV series that made Thorncroft famous. In it he plays a moustachioed MI5 operative, Mindhorn, who winds up solving crime on the Isle of Man after his eye is replaced with an optical lie detector, an innovation that allows him to literally ‘see the truth’. The film takes place in the modern-day as a killer stalks the island. A phone call from
Russell Tovey’s deluded, possibly deranged fan – who believes Thorncroft is actually Mindhorn – leads the actor back to his old stomping ground. Rather than try to solve the case, he sets out to prove his worth to his former cast members, including his ex, Patricia Deville (The Babadook’s Essie Davis – sadly underused).
There’s so much to love about this superbly daft creation, especially the way Barratt
sells his character’s arrogance and desperation with a fully committed performance. It’s confidently directed by debut helmer Sean Foley, with Barratt co-authoring the screenplay alongside Simon Farnaby who turns up as Thorncroft’s old stunt-man / love rival Clive, sporting a curly blonde wig and speaking in a Dutch accent. The attention to detail is perfect: from the fact that our hero’s most recent advertising
deal has been pinched by John Nettles, to his botched attempt at a music career. Fans of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and Alan Partridge will particularly appreciate the brand of humour on display, as well as the array of ridiculous characters who take great pleasure in reminding Thorncroft of his failings. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ General release from Fri 5 May. See feature, page 47.
DRAMA LADY MACBETH (TBC) 89min ●●●●●
Florence Pugh astonishes with an imposing turn as a young bride shackled to a callous middle-aged man, shifting between wild-eyed wickedness and controlling command with swiftness and precision. Left to her own devices when her husband is away on business, Katherine (Pugh) begins a passionate affair with stable hand Sebastian (Cosmo Jarvis). Debut helmer William Oldroyd inserts arresting imagery into this adaptation of Nikolai Leskov’s novel. He delivers beautifully symmetrical, meticulous compositions and directs his players with assurance. Special mention must go to Naomi Ackie as an ill-treated maid who bears the brunt of her mistress’s dreadful deeds. Ackie conveys the gravity of her situation with trembling conviction, bringing a stirring humanity to proceedings. Katherine’s quest for power knows no bounds and she is fascinating to behold, while the
screenplay allows for humour and fleeting tenderness too. As the protagonist’s actions spiral out of control, Oldroyd and writer Alice Birch maintain a restrained mood in keeping with the 19th century setting. This talented duo have crafted a quietly and compulsively watchable first feature sure to send shivers down your spine. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ General release from Fri 28 Apr.
76 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2017