THE SAINT OF EVERYMAN

A return to the cinema after a four month absence was, to be fair, a strange experience. I always rely on The Everyman Cinema to have lots of space in which to lounge and immerse oneself, and on this occasion that was still the case but it felt strange.There was a tension within the auditorium and a feeling of uncertainty, but a good movie can negate these external factors, so it's a good job I went to see Saint Frances 

Directed by Alex Thompson, written by Kelly O'Sullivan and starring O'Sullivan, this film is a breath of fresh air and is an unfussy tale well told. Now I would be the first to say that films with precocious small children in major roles can be an acquired taste but Ramona Edith Williams (age 5) as the titular Frances is clearly a natural and she manages to balance the brattishness of the character with an insight and innocence  that makes her slowly become more and more likeable. In this respect this is exactly what happens with O'Sullivan's Bridget as she searches for some kind of meaning within her underachieving life she creates a bond with Frances.

The main characters are well defined and  tell of the complexities of relationships, parenthood and guilt but in a non-preachy way.

It's funny, not laugh aloud funny, but finding the humour in tricky situations and the uncertainties of relationship building.

Yes, I soon forgot about the strange circumstances of the viewing as I became absorbed with the story.

Saint Frances is a great example of the relevance of independent cinema, handling big themes with an intimate approach. I await more from Thompson, O'Sullivan and of course Williams.

FINAL GIRLS

The final girl is a tradition seen more and more in horror movies and as the number of horror movies increases (we seem to like them) so do the number of final girls. For those wondering what a final girl is may I refer you to Sally Hardesty (1) Laurie Strode (2)  Ellen Ripley (3) Sarah Connor (4) and Sidney Prescott (5). There were final girls before the Seventies, notably Susy Hendrix (6). 
The final girl is the female last man standing, the one survivor the merciless killer cannot defeat. The fact that this trope is a woman surviving is interesting and two recent examples show the variety of final girls that can be called upon to have the last word in the genre of fear.

Hush and Gerald's Game both feature women in jeopardy both of whom survive using their wits and an inner strength that they didn't know they had: victims one minute warriors the next. 

  

Hush doesn't give us any glimpses into the killers motivation, he is just there killing people and the deaf mute woman is there summoning up courage and ingenuity to thwart him.\In Gerald's Games, as you would expect from a Stephen King adaptation, the horror is multi layered, the predicament extreme. The final girl digs deep (extremely deep to extricate herself and survive.

You could be forgiven for thinking that we have seen every permutation of the final girl but that's not the case, the final girl is the defining character in most horror now. Empathy, maybe that's what it's about, seeing a faceless killer, an unknown monster or a set of peril laden circumstances allows us to invest in the final girls efforts at outlasting their nemesis.
The list of final girls is a long one and they feature in some excellent movies as well as some mundane entries in horror franchises.Two notable final girls are Wendy Torrance (7) and Ellen Ripley both of whom use their maternal instincts to spur them on to survive a relentless enemy

The final girl is here to stay in what is generally considered a male dominated genre, and long may she outlast the others, and you know what? I think we should call them 'Final Women'



(1) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
(2) Halloween
(3) Alien
(4) The Terminator
(5) Scream
(6)Wait Until Dark
(7) The Shinning

A PINT DOWN THE COVID ARMS

The big news is not that the number of deaths in the UK from Covid have reduced, its not that there is a cure that's been discovered, it's not even that we are in for a heatwave or an economic boom. The big news is that the pubs are open!

Yes that's right, Wetherspoons pubs up and down the country from Dover to Hull have served that first pint of refreshing Carling to Terry off the Estate.

The length and breadth of this Sceptred Isle has seen men in fisherman's waistcoats and glasses on strings round their necks bolt their breakfasts in order to get to the pub 'early doors'

We've seen young men slipping into their pristine Reebok classics and heading to the boozer with no more than a slice of toast clutched in their hand and a sip of milk (just to line the stomach)

But not to worry, for those that have had a lie in, the other pubs have opened their doors to the thirsty populace a couple of hours later.

To make things even better Sky and BT are showing Five Premier League games throughout the day and into the evening; perfect to give those that have conked out at midday after having thoroughly imbibed from 8:04am, a second wind.

What a day this promises to be and don't worry folks, Boris Johnson is sure of one thing: That the British Public will show Common Sense!

Cheers!