A Wheezing Rampage Of Revenge

It’s official. This chap Michael Caine, who has for so long gone overlooked in the movie world, is surely the planet’s greatest actor. I mean he’s just chuffing marvelous, there are no two ways about it, or if there are the other way is that he is fricking amazing.

In Harry Brown, Caine plays an old geezer, which isn’t much of a stretch to be fair, who gets increasingly Harry Browned off with the local scumbags on his estate. When his best mate, who happens to be the caretaker of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is murdered by the aforementioned scumbags, Harry takes it upon himself to go postal on their asses in a wheezing rampage of revenge.

The first half of the film is almost kitchen sink drama, in which Caine is utterly compelling in every frame. Even The Incredible Suit got something in its eye in the scene where Harry was informed of his friend’s death.

Unfortunately the second half, which is kick started – albeit very slowly – by an overlong and slightly freaky visit to a local gun dealer, loses the plot a bit as it heads toward a big finale which the budget can’t support. Ten hoodies and a handful of coppers do not a riot make. Also the police, bless ‘em, are portrayed as ineffectual plods the whole way through, and although this prompts Harry to take up arms himself, it comes across as lazy characterization. Having said that, Ben Drew is remarkably believable as the worst person in the world ever, which is saying something when you’re sharing screentime with Sir Maurice of Micklewhite.

Harry Brown is depressing, brutal and much better than its American cousin Gran Torino, but perhaps the best reason to see it is to watch a legend doing what he does better than what other people what do it does it. Yeah? As some indication of how convincing he was, the only other people in the cinema were four old ladies who I had to avoid eye contact with on the way out because I thought they were going to beat the living crap out of me.

Back by popular demand (i.e. I forgot all about it until now):

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Fountain Of Cobblers

It’s Wednesday. At a loss for something interesting to write about the fact that it’s Wednesday, I turned to the fountain of cobblers that is Wikipedia, and learned this:

“According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the third day of the week. This day is between Tuesday and Thursday.”

I genuinely had no idea that the days of the week were numbered according to international standards. I did know, however, that Wednesday is named after the god Woden (Odin to his mates), but I didn’t know he looked like Gandalf:

So as it’s the third day of the week, here are three things to look at over lunch:

1. A trailer for Michael Caine’s new film Harry Brown, released on November 13th and a new addition to The Official Register Of Films You Must See Before Christmas. Not to be confused with Gran Torino, which this seems worryingly similar to, only better.

2. A video for Adam Buxton’s tribute to Pixar’s Ratatouille, which is both funny and clever. Not something we get much of round here.

3. A clip from Charlie Chaplin’s The Rink, possibly his best short film, from 1916. The music’s rubbish on this clip but I would be happy to lend you my copy* which has a much better score.

If you can’t find something in there that tickles your pickle then I’m afraid there’s no hope for you. Perhaps you’d be better off here.

*No chance

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