Weekend Round-Up – More Film4 Reviews and an Apology

It is a Sunny Monday here in the UK, and Scott is here to bring you the round up of FRC Towers viewing from the weekend.

WOAH!! What a scorcher. Finally the weather in UK has broken and we have had a glorious weekend. Most of our time was spent either in the garden or out on walks with Dolly. It was amazing, BBQs too much beer and food, aces!!

Also we managed to get a couple of films in. Which is weird, as normally we seem to be struggling to even see one!

I am cracking through the Film4 Blu-rays now, and loving it. This weekend we got away from the gritty dramas based around UK’s society. with A Room With A View and The Warrior. Full reviews are below. But first an apology.

The last few weeks I have been getting busier and busier at work. Which is a good thing, but also means I have less time to spend on FRC. You see, and probably know full well if you are a blogger reading this, that it all takes time. Luckily I have a great team of writers in Tom, Teri, Mike, Sam and Rodney all supplying me with great content, but even then I am finding it a struggle to keep up with all the editing, formatting that is involved. The worst part is that I have had less and less time to comment on your great blogs and websites. And this is the apology!! I am sorry guys!!

I am sure work will settle down and I will get back on it fully, but for now please accept my apology. I may leave a short comment but that is only because I am trying to fit everything in!!!

Anyway ENOUGH of that, here are the reviews of The Warrior and A Room With A View.

The Warrior (2001)

With a title like THE WARRIOR you would be forgiven in expecting a full on martial arts film filled to the brim with action and violence. But you would be wrong, THE WARRIOR plays out more like an ANTI-VIOLENCE Western set in feudal India.

The film revolved around Lafcadia, played by Irfan Khan, who is WARRIOR (or actually more like an enforcer) for an evil tyrant of a Lord. He is sent on missions to do his Lord’s dirty work. It is when he and his riders are on one of these missions that he has can only be called an epiphany and realizes that the killing he does for his lord is not the elimination of an opposing threat, but it is just because these people cannot pay their taxes, he is simply killing them because they are poor. It is at that moment that he resigns from his WARRIOR role and flees with his son to the mountains for a life of peace, only to find that he is now the hunted of his former riders who want to subject him to the brutality that he once wielded.

It is a familiar narrative, it would have fitted quite well in prohibition America or even in Japan. But set in ancient India it makes it quite a unique tale. Writer-Director Asif Kapadia made an interesting choice in filming this like an old Western rather than a Bollywood film. And at a snappy 86mins it is a pleasure to watch.

Although the film has very little dialogue in places it is never dull. The cinematography is beautiful and the interesting shots and short focus ranges used make the dense reds and harsh yellows of the Indian Deserts and then the greens, greys and blues of the Snowy mountains a true beauty to behold. There were shots that reminded me very much of Malick’s Tree of Life from last year. While the film still holds a fair amount of violence, most of it is off-screen and as a whole the film is fairly bloodless.

Ifran Khan has a very distinct look, his piercing and intense eyes make him look often wise and dumbfounded. Despite this film being set in Ancient India it still has a great appeal to a western audience.

FRC Rating 3.5 / 5

A Room With a View

A Room With a View is a witty comedy that unfolds in the beautiful setting of Florence and continues in the lush countryside of Surrey.

Helen Bonham-Carter stars as Lucy, a young lady who unwittingly falls in a passionate romance with an English Gentleman (Julian Sands) whilst travelling through Italy with her prim Aunt played magnificently by Maggie Smith. The news of her romance crosses Europe and back to the UK where she is set to marry another suitor.

As readers of FRC will be fully aware I am not really a fan of this type of film. Period Drama’s are not high on my ‘to-watch’ list. But, there is no doubt in the beauty and quality of A Room With A View, I mean it did pick up 3 Oscars after all. The production values are stunning and the level of design and art direction is at it’s highest here.

It is however the performances in the film that are the shining light. Maggie Smith and Judi Dench are amazing to watch as a droll double act that won them both BAFTAs while the quality of the British supporting cast is first-class and they all seem to relish the characters given to them. Daniel Day-Lewis is particularly interesting as the patronizing Suitor and Helen Bonham-Carter is the perfect English Rose, a stereo-type that she has only in recent year been able to shift, thanks to Tim Burton and Fight Club.

The highly humorous satire of the ‘English Abroad’ is affectionately captured in the impeccable screen play. Yet it is the contrasting Passion in Florence followed by the ‘English Stiff Upper Lip’ reserve of the English section that really flourishes.

I was very surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did. What has happened to me

FRC Rating 4/5

A Room With A View and The Warrior are available from TODAY on DVD and Blu-ray by Film4

About The Author – Scott Lawlor

Chief Editor of FRC. A self confessed geek with an unhealthy thirst for all things Home Cinema. Whether it is the latest Action film or Subwoofer. Check out his home set up HERE

What did you do this weekend? Have you seen these films? Comment Below…