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State of Mind: The Psychology of Control (2013)
Poor Man's Adam Curtis documentary
This film is haphazard and without a proper narrative. Whilst much of the subject matter is well-documented elsewhere and of interest, its presentation here is piecemeal and does not knit together into a coherent understanding of how these social phenomena take root and how they interact with other environmental factors - in particular the economic imperative - to denigrate individual autonomy. I assume the laudable intent is to cultivate a better awareness of how growing understanding of psychology has permitted industrial means of influencing human behaviour, and stimulate in the viewer towards the crucial antidote of critical thought. Unfortunately it veers too far towards conspiracy and leaves just an impression of the cliche of a simplistic but paranoid model of a shadowy group of elites making sweeping decisions in proverbial smoke-filled rooms when the truth seems more likely to be a lot more complex and, paradoxically, partly driven by countless decisions of individual self interest as much as the occasional major landmark policy choice.
This is no better exemplified than the unwarranted choice of splicing footage of the 9/11 attacks against a narrative of elites manipulating events to encourage public support for.decisions they want to make - no evidence offered? Wouldn't it just have been easier to put forward something solid like the proven falsehood of claims about Iraq weaponry made by the UK Govt to justify invasion?
Ironically the idea that a small cabal is capable of mass mind control may be far more true now in 2021 than when this was made as greater power increasingly lands with Google, Facebook etc. But in this film the internet still seems to be cast as the hero which can liberate the sheeple from the mass media...
I would suggest rather than watch this film potential viewers seek out any of Adam Curtis' excellent documentaries. A Century Of The Self or All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace cover much of the same territory but far more cohesively and realistically - recognising the cock up is just as important as the conspiracy in where we are ending up. Plus these documentary makers totally ripped off his style of archive footage - much of it drawn from the Prelinger Archives frame for frame...
Privilege (1967)
Let down by poor characterisation
This film feels like a missed opportunity. Whilst the concept and style is strong, where it falls down is in a very weak and two-dimensional central character. If I'm being generous I'd not entirely castigate Paul Jones' performance for this, as I suspect he was being told Stephen Shorter should have 'no personality' and is a 'blank canvas'. Nevertheless Jones' perpetually-pensive portrayal lacks any depth and completely fails to capture the sort of nuanced flashes of individual ego or rebellion underneath which renders Shorter not only unsympathetic, but rather unbelievable. The producers ought to have held out for a talented actor who could have been dubbed, rather than a pop star who should have stuck with Manfred Mann (although if he had maybe we wouldn't have got all the brilliant Mike D'Abo hits such as Mighty Quinn or Ragamuffin Man).
I thought 'Privilege' felt most like it could have been a British 'Network'? Both have a similar satirical narrative of the entertainment industry and both explore the deeper political connotations of media control. But it is the phenomenal acting in the latter which raises it from rather preposterous story to completely believable gem, with Faye Dunaway demonstrating just what can be imbued in a character designed to be just as two-dimensional and vapid emotionally as Shorter.
Looking at it 45 years on, the themes of state control and pop puppetry retain a contemporary relevance which make this film an interesting watch. But I imagine you'll find yourself wishing it had been executed a little better...
Expresso Bongo (1959)
A missed opportunity
This was actually much better than I thought it could have been. And for a younger viewer it provides a snapshot of how Cliff really was once hip, belying his now ubiquitously and perennially uncool image. However, not being any sort of director or producer, it is very rare I ever have an insight of how I would remake a film. In the right hands, though, you sense the germs of a story that could have been executed with far more pathos - in the manner of say, a 'Darling' or even an 'All About Eve'. Entertaining as it is, it falls far short of being even the best Cliff film.
Lawrence Harvey is - for the first time that I've seen - badly miscast as the sleazy agent with a heart. He never quite gets to grips with the deeper layers of the amoral Johnny Jackson and the accent flits around hopelessly compounding the problem. You imagine what a Dirk Bogarde or even a young Peter Sellers might have done with such a role? Yolande Donlon portrays 'American star' on autopilot and the sexual tension is far too underplayed (although probably a fear of the censors more than anything else). Cliff is reasonably endearing, but is laughable as any sort of 'British Elvis' - one watch of King Creole (which this film surely owes a lot to) demonstrates Elvis as a far superior actor, albeit one who was never really given a chance to shine. He also inevitably always managed to wear his outfits - however outlandish - with far more panache than the embarrassing costumes Cliff is forced to don (check out the swimming trunks/shoes/socks combo!). Only Sylvia Syms is amiably convincing, but is never really given adequate chance to shine in the role of stripper-with-a-heart Maisie King.
At the root of the problem is a makeshift script which suffers from not knowing what it wants to be? Is it a morality tale? Light entertainment? A document of a short era of London's youth culture? Or simply a quick buck being made off what I imagine was expected at the time to be Cliff's fleeting popularity? Whilst there are flashes of wit and the odd great scene, these are counterbalanced by irrelevant unfunny scenes (such as those involving the inexplicable buffoon children of Donlon's publicist?) and insufficient background characterisation of all the leads. It also lacks sufficient songs of a quality which could help carry it - only Voice In The Wilderness even vaguely stands up as credible, and even then it's not exactly 'edgy'.
In short it's not by any means the worst way to spend 90 mins on a Sunday afternoon or suchlike, but you may end up wishing for what could have been so much more...
Youth Without Youth (2007)
Like a student's pretentious mess
Let me start by confirming I am big fan of art-house cinema and generally ignore most of the crap at the multiplex. So this film should be for me according to a lot of these reviews? Except it is flabbergastingly pretentious and frankly totally boring. Just some of the many clichés:
Long rambling dialogue containing cod philosophy that is difficult to absorb in one sitting - check! Confusing time sequencing intended to disorientate - check! 'Righteous' battle to elude Nazis - check! Several sections spoken in different languages (including Sanskrit!?) - check! Ridiculous unnecessary shots such as the one of Roth face down in the bath or any number of the 'upside down' sequences - check!
I could go on with many more but why keep hammering the point. And that's essentially where this film falls down - yes, if you watched it 5 or 10 times you'd probably see something deeper in it. But it's so laborious I found myself wondering why I bothered sitting through it all once let alone multiple times!
There is, admittedly, some beautiful cinematography - especially of the landscapes - but unless you think the concepts that 'growing old is scary' and that 'you may end up at 70 wishing/dreaming you had regained your youth/had more time' are "revolutionary", I doubt you're going to find much in this two hours of incoherence.