A Night to Remember R/I (PG)
HHHH
Dir: Roy Ward Baker
With: Kenneth More, Ronald Allen
Running time: 117 minutes
YOU might have noticed a certain anniversary being marked recently. Clue: it involves a ship said to be unsinkable and an iceberg.
James Cameron got in first with his 3D version of his 11 Oscar winning Titanic. Today, though, we come to praise Roy Ward Baker's majestic version of that dreadful event 100 years ago.
Ward Baker's drama, first released in 1958, is in some ways a superior picture to Cameron's. It might not have the state of the art special effects, or the star wattage, but it is a deeply moving picture in its own right. Its very simplicity is what makes it outstanding.
Judging by the audience response when it screened at the Glasgow Film Festival in February, A Night to Remember has lost none of its power to move. After the initial excitement at seeing the print restored to all its black and white glory, the place fell silent. By the time the denouement came the only sounds to pierce the hush were sniffs and stifled sobs.
What makes Ward Baker's drama work is its attention to detail. The screenplay picks a band of characters, the newlyweds, the ship's architect, the card sharp, the boozy cook, and above all the noble second officer, played by Kenneth More, and through them tells the story.
More, always the best of British, is the pick of an impressive bunch as Charles Herbert Lightoller. Never in the field of human endeavour at sea was an upper lip so stiff. An admirable job all round, and a fitting tribute to those who set off in hope only to meet disaster.
Filmhouse, Edinburgh, April 14 and 16
The Cold Light of Day (12A)
H
Dir: Mabrouk El Mechri
With: Henry Cavill, Sigourney Weaver and Bruce Willis
Running time: 93 minutes
BRUCE Willis and Sigourney Weaver must have wanted a holiday in Spain pretty badly to lend their names to this ludicrous actioner, which starts at plain daft before docking at barking.
Willis plays a stern dad who is gathering the clan together on his boat in Spain for a holiday. Among the brood is brooding son Will, played by Henry Cavill.
The consultancy business Will works for is going under, which leaves him feeling generally useless. He's not in the holidaying mood, but wouldn't you know it, all is not as it seems with this mini-break, or the seemingly happy family that is embarking on it.
Before you can say "screamingly unlikely plot twist" all hell has broken loose, complete with car chases and gun battles galore.
Willis wisely makes his excuses and exits the script as soon as he can, but poor Sigourney has to stick around till the bitter end. That is no way to treat the lady formerly known as Ripley.
One to file under seemed like a good idea at the script stage, but in the cold light of day...
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