MR. JONES AT THE MOVIES

One of the many good things about writing this column is that it encourages me to watch films that I otherwise wouldn’t. If you tell me that a film is about car chases and good cops chasing bad men, my usual reaction is to make the tea and go read. If I’d done that with “Bullitt” I would have been making a serious mistake.

As I watched this gritty crime thriller, I decided that it was a Film Noir. Further research informed me that it is actually regarded as “Neo Noir”. So, a revival of Film Noir with colour and no rain.

No CGI or green screens either, which I found very refreshing. Set in 60’s San Francisco, it is the story of Frank Bullitt, a Police Lieutenant played very well by Steve McQueen, who respects the spirit of the law, rather than the letter.

He is tasked with protecting an informant from the gangsters who want to kill him. At first, I thought the plot a little loose, but they got me. It isn’t.

This film is most remembered because of the fantastic car chase. So realistic because it is real, you can see the wheels bend as they strain to make the corners and that really is Steve McQueen driving, most of the time. Director Peter Yates was a racing driver before turning to film, which explains a lot.

The film is significantly enhanced by the music of Lalo Schifrin, which does much to create the “edge of your seat” feel of so much of the film.

You can watch it at the Hailsham Pavilion on February 7th. Please be seated by 7:10. (Age restriction: 15)

I Wanna Dance With Somebody

This is the story of the rise and tragic death of Whitney Houston. When I saw that it was written by Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody) I thought I knew what to expect and, for once, I was right.

So, if you liked that and you love the music of Whitney Houston, you’ll love this.

Whitney is played by Naomi Ackie, best known for her performance in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”, who does an excellent job. I was surprised that there is no mention of her in the Oscar nomination whispering, but I suspect that is because all of the singing is dubbed although, to be fair, I had to check that because it is done so well. There are clear parallels between the story of Whitney Houston and that of Elvis Presley and this film has much in common in its feel with the version of his life that was released earlier in 2022.

Stanley Tucci puts in a very solid performance as music producer Clive Davis who plucked Whitney from semi-obscurity (you can’t be really obscure if your cousin is Dionne Warwick and your “aunt” is Aretha Franklin). The real Clive Davis is listed as a Producer.

You can watch it at the Pavilion till the 16th.