The Brits and the blockbusters.

So the UK papers are the first carry reviews if the season's big ones. Sukhdev Sandhu in the Telegraph on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:

This must be the first Hollywood picture in ages to feature baddies - wolves, in fact - who speak with American accents. When Peter, already acting like a would-be Henry V, brings down his sword on one of them, he seems to be sticking up two fingers to "the special relationship"... [T]his is a film that exults in its Englishness.

[...]

Tolkien famously faulted Lewis for mixing up characters from Christian, medieval and even folkoric eras. [Director Andrew] Adamson, a pastichist at heart, smashes and grabs elements - fortunately, good ones - from Creature Comforts, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw gives the film five out of five stars, calling it "a triumph":

It is gorgeous to look at, superbly cast, wittily directed and funny and exciting by turns.... I can't see how it could be done better. Perhaps Mel Gibson would have preferred Aslan to be whipped with barbed wire for 30 minutes before the main event, but Adamson handles it with finesse.

In the Independent, Stephen Applebaum has a fine chat with Adamson. And in the Times, Sean Macaulay discovers that evangelicals in the US are taking the movie very, very seriously.

Then, the Telegraph's John Hiscock on Peter Jackson's King Kong:

[It] could legitimately be described as the most thrilling B-movie of all time. But, while the special effects and visual stunts make for some spellbinding moments (the digitally created Kong, in particular, is a marvel), the film lacks the cohesion and character development needed to make it a totally satisfying experience.

[...]

[I]t is 70 minutes before Kong makes his first appearance - but an impressive entrance it is... It's then that the film takes off... Hokey and clichéd in parts, thrilling and dramatic at other times, King Kong is reminiscent of both Jurassic Park and Titanic. And like those two record-setting epics, it is certain to be a huge hit.

The Times runs a brief extract from Peter Jackson's declaration of love for the original. Also, Giles Hattersley interviews Jackson and Kevin Maher plays the video game.

Geoffrey Macnab evidently hasn't seen King Kong yet, but he's got a lengthy backgrounder in the Independent. Also, a bit on Capote.

Also in the Telegraph:

• Tim Robey on Atom Egoyan's Where the Truth Lies. More from Anthony Quinn in the Independent and Bradshaw in the Guardian, where Doug Bolton interviews Egoyan.

• Sheila Johnston on Merry Christmas.

• And Alistair Sooke gets an earful of Kurosawa from Exorcism of Emily Rose director Scott Derrickson.

Also in the Guardian:

• Bradshaw on Lower City: "Steaminess and sexiness abound in this unapologetically passionate film from Brazil." Also: Keeping Mum, Yoji Yamada's The Hidden Blade, Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy and Ermanno Olmi, Abbas Kiarostami and Ken Loach's Tickets.

• Hadley Freeman interviews Claire Danes.

• Sylvie Simmons on The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

Update: Cinematical's Karina Longworth has found another British Kong review: Baz Bamigboye in the Daily Mail.

Posted by dwhudson at December 2, 2005 7:24 AM