redcrippler
There are many things about this movie which had me both yelling at the screen and at those that were watching the movie with me. The scenes that use fire look so bad that they should have been left out completely, especially since they were not originally in the book. The scenes from the renaissance period added nothing at all to the movie yet take up about a third of the film. Christie Malry's mother and childhood friend are characters that either should not have been shown or should have actually been used to move the plot along. In closing this was a movie that barely seemed to have a focus and had too many characters and scenes that had no business being in the movie, try to avoid watching it.
K11
The film, set in 1999, is a version of a novel from the seventies about a young man from Hammersmith's London Irish Community, Christy Malry who decides to live his life according to the principles of double entry bookkeeping. For every debit he exacts a credit or recompense. This starts as means to avenge dismissive or rude workmates but evolves into being against society, the more credit owed to him the more extreme his means become. This is against a backdrop of news of America and Britain bombing Iraq. Eventually Christy starts making the news.In a parallel plot we see the life of the monk, Pacioli who invented double entry bookkeeping in renaissance Italy (we are witnessing the birth of capitalism as we know it) and his dealings with his patrons and Leonardo Da Vinci. It illustrates the death of the old system of religious patronage and new system where everything (including loyalty) has a price.
This is an unusual, intensely gripping story, superbly acted by the entire cast, although Nick Moran as Christy and Shirley-Anne Field as his cancer-ridden mother deserve a particular mention. The unsettling atmosphere is supplied through the superb direction of Paul Tickell and an evocative score by Luke Haines.A world-beating independent film to go and see. Ten out of ten.
Gerald Clark
This is a very sharp british film, one of the best since trainspotting. The lighting, editing and music are very snappy and bring to mind (along with much of the dialogue and hints of the plot) Fight Club.
I went mostly cos it had Neil Stuke in it (right from Game On, I've loved everything he's been in) but its genuinely entertaining, funny and compassionate.We can only hope that the future makes it big elsewhere - as Croupier did.
fight_club@poem.org
This movie is one of the best. If it ever gets released on video, it possibly could be the film that helps Nick Moran get past Lock, Stock. What I mean is, perhaps everyone will stop refering to him as "That Guy From Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." Lock stock was a great film but it was four years ago...time to progress PEOPLE! Anyway, Christie Malry is a good film that everyone should see.
AD
