A brush with sporting greatness

Well hello everybody. Last Sunday was the final home game of the season for the Huddersfield Giants. As has been the case for much of the season the game ended in disappointment. A small number of the players signed autographs and a couple posed for photos but most just disappeared down the tunnel. That was very disappointing particularly for younger fans. However, my personal thanks go out to the following players: Eorl Crabtree, Rod Jensen and Leroy Cudjoe.

Special thanks go to:

STUART JONES

AND ANDY RALEIGH

Obviously it goes without saying that it was the Giants who were rubbing shoulders with a future great. For those who keep up to date with these things Tom starts his rugby season next weekend. I understand that there will be a few weeks of training before the first competitive match and then it'son with the good, friendly, violent fun.

So on with the film reviews, you've all been waiting for. Sunday night has a couple of excellent films either of which would be good entertainment. Tim Burton's original Batman is an excellent bridge between the camp 1960's classic and the new version by Christopher Nolan. Michael Keaton does sullen well but the undoubted star of the show is Jack Nicholson. He steals the show as The Joker. This is often the case in Batman films. Jack has always played psychos very well. It was a welcome return to the Dark Knight version of the legend and nobody does dark and gothic quite like Tim Burton. Also on Sunday night there is the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. Now I may be something of a heretic but I actually prefer this version to the original. Pierce Brosnan is suave, cool and sophisticated and is ably supported by Rene Russo. Now I saw the original after this version and was left disappointed. It was good but not as enjoyable as the remake. The only real downside is Sting's version of Windmills of Your Mind.

On Tuesday night there is Van Helsing. It is alright and is certainly not a desperately worthy film. It is just good fun and no more than that. On Wednesday night there is Stealth. It is a kind of WarGames for the 21st century. It is probably more style than substance but again it is good fun.

Friday night we have The Bourne Supremacy. The Bourne series is credited with giving the Bond franchise a kick and leading to Casino Royale. This is the second of the three films. There is much debate as to whether it is the best or not. I am not actually sure myself. That issue aside it is fantastic action.

I have also been watching a number of films and dvds since my last post and so I thought I would bring you up to date.

The first of my recent viewings was V For Vendetta. Now I have never read the source material. But its author has disavowed the film, and in fact all the film versions of his works. The film tells the tale of a future Britain which is under the control of a one party state. The three central characters are Evie, played by Natalie Portman, V played by Hugo Weaving and the police inspector played by Stephen Rea. Portman is drawn into a web of violence and intrigue when she is saved from the police by V. He shows her that not all is well with society. Rea plays the policeman charged with catching V and Evie. As his investigations progress he comes to question the truth that he is being told by the state. It is good comic book fun and I would certainly recommend it for a light evening in.

Since the 1990s we have seen a number of films which are in the style of the classic film noirs of the 1930s and 1940s. The difference for me is that the violence in the old films was more in the mind rather than on the screen. These new films are much more in your face. The Usual Suspects and LA Confidential whilst both being excellent films missed something. The same is true of The Black Dahlia. Brian De Palma who has never knowingly avoided violence in his films strikes the same chord and in my opinion the film suffers for that. He is able to capture the style and the image of the time much as he did in The Untouchables but the film is not as good as it could be. The cast are fine with nobody being particularly outstanding. The next two films must be seen together to be truly appreciated.

Letters From Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers bring together the talents of Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg and Paul Haggis. They both tell the story of the American landings at Iwo Jima which became one of the most iconic miltary actions of WWII. The stories are told from both sides of the events. Letters is the Japanese version of what the defenders went through to try and save their island. It is in Japanese so unless you are fluent you will need the subtitles. Ken Watanabe is spellbinding as the general charged with the island's defence. Battling with his duty to his family and his duty to his country. He is shown in a similar light to a young soldier who faces the same challenge.

Flags tells the tale from the point of view of the soldiers who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi in that now iconic image. It tells the tale particularly from the view of three soldiers and is partially shot in flashback. For me the standout performance comes from Adam Beach as Ira Hayes who has to endure the racism of the American nation and the thoughts that his friends didn't all make it back and why was he special. Watch out for Jamie Bell of Billy Elliot fame. In terms of films about the war in the Pacific these are two of the best films I have ever seen and are up there with Tora Tora Tora and The Battle of Midway.

Adam Beach coincidentally appeared in my final film recommendation of the week

This film by HBO tells of the tale of how the Sioux nation was brought onto the reservation and generally treated like dirt by the white settlers who wanted the gold that they could mine in the Black Hills of Dakota and in particular take revenge for the Little Big Horn. Adam Beach plays a young sioux boy who is given the opportunity to train as a doctor and to help advance his people's cause. Slowly he comes to realise along with Sitting Bull and Red Cloud that this will never happen. This is a sad and moving film with many great cameos. Beach is ably supported by Aidan Quinn, Anna Paquin and August Schellenberg. This is one of those films that you probably will only want to watch once but you should do so given the chance.

More soon.

Jonathan