Thursday 5 July 2007

In the Company of the Thornberries - GG

The weekly GG’s cup certainly does not runneth over. It is hard to get excited about most films to be screened. In the Company of Men (Wed 9 12midnight) stars “charismatic” Aaron Eckhart and written and directed by Neil La Bute (Nurse Betty and 2006’s The Wicker Man). Eckhart is “smiling, square-jawed and venomous” in this film “about misogyny as an aphrodisiac and the emotional brutality of which men are capable – toward women and each other. This film remains a coiled, bloody revelation.”
The only other movie that I genuinely like is The Wild Thornberrys Movie (10 Sun 1P). The Thornberry family unit is strong and caring, the children are a real mix of independence and dependance, and while there is some character comedy (little brother Donnie, aka the child whirlwind and older sister Debbie, the disconsolate teenager) at no stage do the characters devolve into caricature. The star of the show however is Eliza who has a pet monkey Darwin and can talk to animals. Yes, its animated and yes its primarily for children, but the whimsy and strong family ties make me a fan of the TV series which this film apes suitably.
For those who did not make the effort to see Hitchcock’s Sabotage last year when it was screened and then castigated me fiercely for their missed opportunity (you know who you are), they have another opportunity (ABC Tue 2A). WARNING, my review contains spoilers !

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