Well Film Club 50 is but a fading memory, but what japes were had. To recap:

A sighting of none other than Ian Ball, a spectre hanging over Film Club particularly in its Vauxhall/Stockwell heavy phase.

The smooth Howard Moon.

Take away espressos (I was awake all night in the end).

Crayfish in a martini glass. A girl’s starter if ever I saw one.

And…

A disappointing film, particularly after a promising first 20 minutes that somehow made me actually angry. I thought it was going to be a seriousish inspiration to Je T’Aime John Wayne. What we got was milksops, mysogyny and moody mental Moreau. Boo, I say. Boo.

Anyway, I’ll spare you my vitriol and possible spoilers and get right on to them scores.

Campbell 4

Emma 5

James 7

Kate 6

Lou 5

Nat 5

That makes an average of 5.3

Our track record of French movies has definitely taken a dip after this and Trois couleurs: rouge. It’s time to wheel out the big guns if Truffaut can’t get us going.

Wherein, keeping a vague Hargreavesian notion going, I remind you all of the inventive vitriol Matt poured all over a competent mid-table showing from the American indie awardwinner Little Miss Sunshine.

“Bored my tits off.”

“Unfunny, and largely stupid.”

“From the start to the finish, I hated it.”

“It bugged the shit out of me.”

A brief reprieve for Steve Carell who was “moderately amusing”.

And then, right back into it with:

“It made me want to puke all over my socks.”

How the scores broke down:

Campbell 7 “It’s a hipster National Lampoon’s Vacation, right?”

Emma 8 “Nicest, charmingest film I’ve seen for a bit.”

Kate 7.5

Matt 4 “It’s just shit.”

Nat 7

Final score: 6.7

What a load of old bobbins Trois couleurs: Rouge was. A bit of a disappointment all round really. Maybe we would have been better off listening to randomly named Brit punkers 3 Colours Red instead.

We are at odds with the critical community on this one, so maybe these two links will illuminate matters a wee bit. Of course, it could be just that the film was a bit on the shit side.

The New York Times

The Film Journal (opening quote unwittingly nails the problem I reckon…)

Here’s how the votes broke down.

Campbell 3

Emma 4

James 4

Kate 4

Matt 3

Nat 5

It’s been on the horizon for quite some time, but finally we got to spend nearly two hours in the company of Michael Dorsey / Dorothy Michaels. And very well it did too, sliding effortlessly into our top ten.  

Some thoughts on the last scene here, and a great recap here. And a drinking game for the hardened Tootsiephile here.

And the scores broke down like this:

Campbell 9

Emma 6.5

James 9.5 

Kate 7

Matt 7.5

Nat 7

Final score: 7.8

Phew. So, we’ve come to the end of round 4. And, for funs, I’ve been analysing the scores to see what we can learn from having watched 29 films over the past year and a wee bit. Let’s get our percentages on (albeit rounded). Rock n’ roll.

How long are the films?
< 90 mins: 10% Average score 6.4
90-99 mins: 38% Average score 6.7
100-109 mins: 34% Average score 6.6
> 110 mins: 17% Average score 6.4