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Reviews
Doctor Who: Evolution of the Daleks (2007)
Evolution of Dr Who
As a child of the early 70s who grew up with Doctors Pertwee and Baker and giant spiders, robots, evil mummies, the Wirrn, UNIT etc. I never thought I'd say this but... with the last two episodes Daleks In Manhattan and Evolution Of The Daleks, in my view the new Dr Who has surpassed the classic series - including my all-time favourite Genesis Of The Daleks. The new series has now sustained its excellence across an arc of Dalek story lines - Dalek/Bad Wolf/Parting Of The Ways/Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday and the two new ones - which has been consistently brilliant, imaginative and thought-provoking. It's taken Dr Who up yet another level, as the Doctor has encountered the last few remaining Daleks post-Time War as both species try to come to terms with the existential problems of the being the last of their kind, desperately trying to work out how to survive. It has been completely brilliant.
Evolution Of The Daleks for me was a superb continuation. The Daleks were more menacing than ever - especially when two of them were discussing mutiny amongst themselves, with signs of near-humanity dashed away by the grating Dalek "affirmative". The moment Human Dalek Sec acknowledged the Dalek Creator was wrong was stunning.
The questions of Dalek Factor vs Human Factor smartly and deliberately echoed the brilliant Evil Of The Daleks from 1967 (I think even the title Evolution Of The Daleks hints at this), bringing the same questions of "What make us Human/Dalek?" to a new audience. The fact these Daleks are now experiencing something approaching the challenges and dilemmas approaching humans, expressing doubts and anxieties, seemed to me reminiscent of how Nazi SS Officers would conduct normal family lives whilst running extermination camps. This human edge makes the Daleks even more terrifying.
I was concerned that one last Dalek escaping again at the end stood the risk of being a little repetitive - but they could hardly end it there, could they? Plus, my suspicion is that this Dalek, with his existence and creation questioned, will now search out the Creator... cunningly allowing for the return of Davros in the next series.
Straightheads (2007)
What is the point of Straightheads?
If derivative and predictable rape-revenge thrillers are your thing, then you're in for a rare treat... They don't really appeal to me, so I couldn't find any single thing to redeem this peculiar tale. It seems like something straight out of the 1980s, a different age when this would have gone straight to video. Gillian Anderson and Danny Dyer do OK work with a weak script and a tedious scenario. But what is Gillian Anderson doing getting involved with a film like this after the brilliance of her performance as Lady Deadlock in the BBC TV adaptation of Bleak House last year? The director is said to have been influenced by witnessing a near-rape and by his work on documentaries, but even that's not an excuse for the bizarre scene where a pack of rural hounds beat up Dyer. I don't think I was the only person in the cinema laughing. What I can't understand is the involvement of the companies behind this film - FilmFour and Verve Pictures. Both have been involved in some great independent British films in recent years. Verve distributed Bullet Boy, Code 46 and Red Road - Straightheads doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath. FilmFour and Verve take note: is this really the best you can do? What are independent British filmmakers going to make of your artistic judgement? It's a big blot on both of your reputations. Listen carefully: can you hear the thousands of fans of independent British films crying in despair?
The Gigolos (2006)
a film with the same edge as The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Gigolos had its first UK screening at the excellent Cambridge Film Festival last week. It's an amazing debut feature film from writer/director Richard Bracewell and writer/actors Sacha and Trevor. First, I was expecting it to be about the glamorous life of a male escort in the West End. Instead, it is a film about the search for love in a world of aching loneliness. Every character - the clients and the gigolos themselves - are disappointed and lonely, but it's temporarily forgotten for one magical evening. This was brilliantly done by Bracewell - you don't know whether to laugh, cry or cringe. It's got the same edge as The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm - these guys have taken the "comedy of embarrassment" and applied it to film with great success.
Fantastic also to see Susannah York on the big screen again - for a fan of Tom Jones, The Killing of Sister George and Superman her cameo as a bored West End fashion agent who finds the "London men are boring" is a real treat.