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Charlie Bubbles
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Finney Directs
Review date: 2008-11-21 Rating: 8 out of 10
When an actor gets to direct for the first time, he tends to experiment - because he's self-conscious about the process and because he doesn't altogether know what's possible and what's not done and what's the formulaic way of doing things. That's always good for creativity.
So it isn't long before we are watching seven different rooms on seven monitors all at once on one screen as Albert Finbey's wealthy character arrives home after a night on the razz. We see young Liza Minnelli on one of them, talking to camera. What we're seeing, it turns out, are cctv links to every room in the house, as he and his drunken friend wander from one rooom to another and house staff start to respond...all interacting, live. And then Finney suddenly enters the monitor room where we've been all along.
We see '60s London and actors interacting with reality in candid location shots...and then we move north, to Finney's home town, to Salford in Manchester for some downbeat nostalgia, as his character visits an ex-wife and he takes an estranged son (and us too) to see Manchester United play football, circa 1967.
And we see it on a fine, clear, colourful digital transfer.
The film takes its time. It's contemplative - because Charlie Bubbles, despite being an ostentatiously successful writer (back when writers could be successful, and back when films could take the time to be contemplative), is looking for something more from life...only he doesn't know what, and he doesn't even know he's looking.
It's a fine film, and Finney isn't compromised for a minute by being on both sides of the camera. The Salford lad made good did good.
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Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Albert Finney
Liza Minnelli
Billie Whitelaw
Creators:
Billie Whitelaw (Primary Contributor)
Liza Minnelli (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Fremantle Home Entertainment
EAN: 5030697014900
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2008-09-15
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 85 minutes