Although the films are seen to oppose each other, some critics have suggested that Bridget Jones Diary was influenced by and was produced in the “spirit of My Beautiful Laundrette”. They have similarities in terms of plot, the use of British humour however explore these in different means. My Beautiful Laundrette focuses on immigrants in London, deals with homosexual relations, cross cultural relationships and the reactions of different classes and races to these situations. Bridget Jones Dairy deals specifically with heterosexual relationships of white middle class Londoners and appears to ignore people of other races and of different cultures.

Bridget Jones Diary follows ideas that tradition and heritage are inherited from past generations. Higson suggests that this approach to British culture ignores invented, imposed or imported traditions. For example the great ‘British’ tradition of the cup of tea only exists as a consequence of colonialisation. In contrast to this film My Beautiful Laundrette represents contemporary cinema that critiques traditional British cinema of Bridget Jones Diary. Higson would describe this film as post- national as the film does not depict Britain as a whole but denotes a local area of London and the cultural divides that exist.

The traditions depicted throughout Bridget Jones Diary can be argued by Higson to be invented. The film is inventing the antiquity of Britain and her traditions. For example this can be seen in the scenes where Bridget and Hugh Grant go for a weekend away in the country or at the engagement party of Colin Firth. They both have links to the way in which heritage films connote their strong links to British national cultural traditions, especially ruralistic traditions. My Beautiful Laundrette does the opposite of this, the traditions seen throughout the film are not inherent, they do not attempt to beautify Britain or connote a fake sense of antiquity. The film follows the idea of realism and portrays the dark and depressing side of London. For example the mis-en-scene in the film connotes small cramped living conditions of the working class,where in comparison to Bridget Jones Diary the living conditions are of lush apartments in Notting Hill or stately homes in the country.

Bridget Jones Diary represents the homogeneity of British culture. The film nationalises the questions of community, culture and identity. Family stability is a product of traditions, this can be seen with the opening of the film denoting Christmas at the Jones’; family and friends coming together due to traditions. The film also promotes the idea of the nuclear family, throughout Bridget’s mother is on a quest to find herself, to denounce her normal life and find excitement with a new man. However eventually she realises her mistakes and Bridget’s parents reconcile their differences and stay together. Higson has however suggested that the film engages with heterogeneity. For example the story line of the mother running off with another man, or that the film was a French British collaboration with the lead character being played by an American. This reflects the developments that occurred in British cinema throughout the 1920’s and onwards, businesses began to explore a Pan-European cinema, films became transnational. Even the demographics of the film connote the global audience of this film.

My Beautiful Laundrette however represents the heterogeneity of British culture. The film reflects the shift in British cinema, that Higson suggests was inevitable due to changes in economy, politics, social and cultural landscapes of Britain. The film connotes this as it follows both white English and Asian English in a struggle against unemployment during the Thatcherite years. The film also depicts subcultures of England based on ethnicity, youth styles and the way they respond to local. circumstances. This is denoted in the film by a group of racist ‘fascist’ punks that constantly remind Johny (Danial Day Lewis) that the man he works for is an immigrant. The film brilliant expresses an opposing view of stability of identity and security of family to that of Bridget Jones Diary; as it shows them as a product of circumstances rather then tradition. For example when Omar visits his uncles house, his uncles daughter states how long its been since they had seen each other. This connotes to audiences that if Omar had not been profitable to his uncle’s business he would not have seen his cousins.

John Hill however would suggest the My beautiful Laundrette could be a national film like Bridget Jones Diary, as the film is still sensitive to social and cultural differences. Higson contradicts this suggesting the Hill take Britishness for granted. Hill glosses over the questions of community, culture, belonging and identity by using terms of ‘Nationally specific” and “Identifiably British”. Higson believes that national films can also be regional or transnational.

The production of both of these films see collaborations between different countries, cultures and races. For example Bridget Jones Diary was a British French collaboration. My Beautiful Laundrette however represents the diverse culture of Britain both on screen and off screen. The writer, Hanif Kureishi collaborated with English director Stephen Frears. Hanif Kureishi was pioneering in the 1980’s with his production of, what Robert Murphy calls Black films. He believes the “Black writers have a responsibility to their own imaginations” He wished to show how London was a “playground for immigrant communities, the place where they could try anything once.” This theme is brilliantly connoted throughout My Beautiful Laundrette.

Both films can be said to connote British cinema as a social institution. The issues dealt with throughout both films are relevant to society. They deal with similar problems, but how they effect different classes and races. They may not be national or post-national films but they contribute to society and its varying cultures. The issues of relationships (both romantic and plutonic), work, money and family bonds are incorporated in to both films and are dealt with in different ways.

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The story of the popular English hero, an ordinary man helping the poor people, has become a theme of inspiration for many productions -books, historical research materials on whether he really existed, movies and series. The newest television release was the production Robin Hood, that started in 2009 and broadcasted 39 episodes in 3 seasons untill 2009. Funded by and made for BBC One (with the coorperation of BBC America), the series were made by the independant Tiger Aspect Productions and gained significant success among TV fans across the UK and the US.

The story retells the tale of Robin Hood -a man who returns to England after three years of fighting in the Third Crusade for the King. However, upon his return he is surprised and disgusted by the way the sheriff of Nottingham is coping with the problems. Because of his rebelous attitude he is proclaimed to be an outlaw, a person who is wanted, a criminal. This is when Robin decides to retreat and hide in the Sherwood Forest with his gang (that consists of his best friend Much, two young men Robin saved from certain death, and two more members hiding and supporting him) and steal cash and gold from the rich, from those who committ the real unlawful acts and make the town suffer. Along the flow of the episodes different adventures would stand on the characters'way -they will have to escape from the constant searches for them, try not to allow the sheriff’s cruel plans to be materialized, and even they will have to save the King’s life after the sheriff of Nottingham has planned an assasination and overtaking of the throne.

The three seasons of the production were seen by almost 17 million people across the UK and the US which made it a successful release. With its typical British themes, humor and atmosphere, it gained the love of the TV fans worldwide.

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Recently a lot have been said about film industry in the UK, different people claim that its world influence have decreased, others support the idea that the traditional British genre of Criminal and Psychological Thrillers are still undisputed. Personally I support the second opinion and I got certain in my belief after seeing “The Exam”-a thriller that caught my attention and truely surprised me with its simple, at first sight, plot and at the same time complicated and fascinating scenario.

The director, Stuart Hazeldine, was born in Surrey and this is where he fisrt started directing organising film shootings in the college he studied. The in question that he made brought him a BAFTA nomination for directing -a sign that this work was a masterpeice of his and personally I consider it to be one.

The plot of the movie is centred around several candidates for the ’perfect job’-people so bright and capable that hardly is someone else to oppose them in their sphere of expertise. They appear in front of a mysterious man to hold an exam -the last step they have to take to reach this wanted job. Without any expressed explanations, the exam leader leaves the group and all these men and women stuck in the examination room will have to find the way to cope with the task …each one of them has the chance to be the future employee of a mysterious and powerful organisation. The cost, however, seems to be too high.

With young actors starring in the movie (such as Collin Salmon, Jimmy Mistry and Luke Mably), the work of Hazeldine promises a remarkable film experience. Undoubtedly these young actors perform at their best, making the movie look like a completely real and possible story exploring the borders and the strength of the human mind, you don’t even question the strange method of recruitment. Although one of my mates pointed out that the whole process would have been made a lot easier with the use of hr recruitment software, which in itself was a very British thing…

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This UK made film by paranoid pictures was the gem of this years Sundance film festival and is possibly best described by the man not quite behind the camera Banksy as, “the story of how one man set out to film the un-filmable. And failed.”

This is the first film by Banksy, who’s graffiti can be seen on the separation barrier of Palestine’s West Bank, to post hurricane New Orleans, to right in your own back yard of Bristol and London. Not to mention a few appearances at the Tate Modern–

So the film is basically a story of a slightly crazed French shopkeeper who is determined not only to find the true appearance of Bansky, who has always kept it a secret to avoid persecution, but to also catch him on tape for his pseudo documentary. And it all ends with the artist turning the camera back on the owner resulting in an incredible film full of things that we are never meant to see, like the artist and his mates at work on walls, and in exclusive interviews.

Not to mention, through the challenge of Banksy, the Frenchman at the beginning puts on the biggest street art exhibition in history. But is he a real artist? Or have his surreal surroundings simply convinced him that he is. Regardless, the botox affect of being surrounded by genius, this film, the premise, the promise it makes and in a very strange way keeps, along with the remarkably witty commentary supplied by Banksy himself is definitely worth the 87 minutes running time.

And if you are ever around Park City’s Main Street, about half way down the hill, check out the little gift left on a wall by Banksy himself. Is his uprooted flower a commentary on the film, or just another signature having captured another city?

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One of the best TV shows I have seen in recent memory was the BBC and HBO’s collaborative project; Rome. Set during the first Century BC, during the last years of the Roman Republic, the show included such famous protagonists of ancient history such as Julius Caesar, Pompey, Cleopatra, Mark Antony and Octavian, the latter of whom would become the first Emperor of Rome; Augustus Caesar.

This show was not suitable for children and did not shy away from showing just how sadistic and brutal the people of Rome and Rome itself was. Graphic violence, nudity, swearing and sexual themes aplenty meant that Rome had a late showing time and was not in as prime a slot as it deserved.

The sets were perhaps the best thing about the show. A small city was actually built to film in and it looked fantastic. It certainly added to the realism of the show and I am sure it inspired everyone who was involved in the show from the actors to the writers and directors. And while I am crediting the creative staff of this series, I really feel I should bring up the print materials and DVD packaging which had some of the most fantastic designs and does not let down the art department of HBO from their normal supremacy.

The storyline followed the lives of Roman soldiers, Centurion Lucius Vorenus and Legionnaire Titus Pullo who find their lives intertwined with key events. Kevin McKidd played Vorenus and Ray Stevenson played Pullo and both actors easily stole the show. Their relationship in the beginning is built on nothing more than Vorenus being a higher rank, but eventually the two form a friendship as strong as any which provides for some brilliant on screen moments.

The supporting cast was also very good, with special mention going to Polly Walker, who played Atia, Julius Caesar’s niece, a cheery, calculating and opportunistic manipulator. Also of note is Max Pirkis and Simon Wood, who play the intelligent and brilliant Octavian/Augustus Caesar.

Rome was very well written and rather witty at times. The writers knew how to pen some truly tragic moments as well as some very funny moments and showed excellent diversity. It is a shame the show didn’t go beyond two seasons, but I guess two seasons of gold is better than nothing.

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I have a confession to make. Although I have been quite a big fan of Joy Division for a great many years, I have only just got round to watching, ‘Control’… Why I did not go to see it when it was first released I am not entirely sure; and when it came out on DVD it just became another one of those films that ‘I must get round to watching’.

Well, after finally getting to see ‘Control’ I was very, very impressed. I could tell within the first five minutes that it was going to be good because so many elements were right. The casting is superb, with Sam Riley putting in an excellent performance as Ian Curtis. There are some great bits of photography and watching the ‘Ian Curtis’ performing the songs was eerily authentic to say the least.

Anton Corbijn has done a truly magnificent job of transferring Deborah Curtis’ book (‘Touching From a Distance’) onto the screen. Filming it all in black and white was definitely the right thing to do; I just cannot imagine it have being filmed in colour. Some shots of the band are strongly reminiscent of old monochromatic Joy Division publicity shots.

As a film, I cannot fault ‘Control’. Any Joy Division fans will find it to be accurate, informative and thought-provoking. However, I do have a problem with Ian Curtis… He just comes across as being such a very selfish individual. I remember thinking exactly the same thing after reading the book years ago. There are (unfortunately) plenty of men who are so insensitive towards their wives and I was so disappointed to learn that Ian Curtis was one of them. However, this is just a case of me being disappointed to find that one of my idols was not a particularly nice person.

Hopefully, both the book and the film are completely wrong about that.

By the way, tune in next time for who I saw getting vaser lipo London for their next movie…

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Over the last few decades, there have been some truly great British comedies. The hallmarks of British comedy are much different to those of American comedies in general. Whereas in America, the objective is to get a laugh or a joke in every twenty seconds or so, in Britain, the comedy is far more subtle. Using dry humour and wit are considered the correct things to do, although we do have our fair share of American style sit-coms too.

Some of the best examples of British comedy are listed below. If you have not seen them before, then make sure you check them out, they are timeless classics and I defy anyone to find them anything but hilarious. If you have seen them, it seems it is time to take them out of your self storage and watch them again.

Blackadder - We are starting with perhaps the best British comedy of all time. Blackadder follows the lives of different Edmund Blackadders (of the same family tree) through four series, each of which show Blackadder in different historical eras. Although the first series was rather poor, the second third and fourth were comedy gold.

The Office - Created by Ricky Gervais at the turn of the millennium, The Office is a mockumentary that shows the everyday life of people working for a paper company in Slough. Whilst the setting sounds drab and uninteresting, it is the cringeworthy boss and his misfit employees that provide some of comedy’s greatest moments.

I’m Alan Partridge - Steve Coogan is one of Britain’s best comedians and comedy writers and his best moments are contained within the two series of I’m Alan Partridge. The story follows failed TV show host Alan Partridge as he tries to get his somewhat pathetic life back on track. Obnoxious, full of himself and ignorant, Alan is a difficult man to get on with and his interactions with the general public provide the series’best moments.

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After 2001 something happened: Locke suddenly seemed to disappear. Or did he? Well, of course not, he was just biding his time, and doing a fine job of it. Instead of continuing with a load of killer-shrimp sequels, Locke wisely turned his hand to music videos, producing them for the likes of Dinosaur Jr. and Jeffrey Lewis, as well as Misty’s Big Adventure.

And now he’s back in the game with a brand-new feature film: Three Stags, the story of–you guessed it, stag do’s Locke style, is set to get the comedy touch. Casting is already done, in fact, and shoots will soon commence across the country.

What can we expect from this new venture? Well–a lot of laughs for one. Anyone who has seen Locke’s acclaimed short films (heralded by The Guardian, amongst others, as comedy-gold) will know the kind of thing they are in for (although I am sure there will be less jobs for vets in this film…). Anyone else soon will, and, like I used to wonder after I saw Crust, I’m fairly sure they’ll be thinking “Who is this guy?!”

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This dark and broody tale of lust, deception and perverse temptation is as faithful an interpretation of the novel by Zoe Heller as is viable for the big screen; a rollocking roller-coaster of a psychological drama with as much bite—or more—as some horror films.

Sheba hart is a late thirties sweet and innocent middle-class school-teacher who gets a job at the same London school as the villainous Barbera (played by an outstanding Judi Dench). Sheba quickly becomes a mysterious presence at the school and a source of great interest for teachers and students alike. Barbera, more than anyone, finds her both alluring and fascinating. At first Barbera’s fixation with the new girl appears to be little more than overzealous admiration for her ability to do wrong things, but it soon becomes clear that there is a very dark side to this school-teachers deeply obsessive personality. What comes as a shock is that Sheba could almost be considered as bad.

But what is driving Barbera? Is she who she appears to be, and what about the history of the last person to fall victim to her possesive ways? As in the book, this question is what powers the story forward, as Barbera befriends Sheba; telling her to end the affair she has started with a student by the name of Steven Connolly (played well by actor Andrew Simpson). When Barbera discovers that the affair has not ended, things take a turn for the worst for Sheba: a set of events is set into motion as Barbera goes about manipulating her friends—of whom there are few—and enemies.

Notes is an unusual film, and so much more than the sum of its parts; it is in places funny, weird, daft and downright shocking. Like the book, we see the happenings in the first-person, through the eyes and warped mind of Barbera, almost as if it were a documentary unfolding in real-time; and, indeed, the source material is very close to the bone. Several media stories in the last few years have covered similar issues, asking the question, who should govern who we fall in love with?

Some thrilling news before I go, I was talking to my brother the other week and he has just got a amazing new gig at an human resource software company. Well done Oliver

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For a small island, Great Britain more than pulls its weight in terms of making quality films, year after year. While America blows its entire budget on explosions, actresses with more leg than talent and scripts constructed wholly from an MTV auto-cue, English film-makers continue to blaze the trail of progression.

Nothing could be further from American style movie-making than Mark Locke’s debut feature film entitled Crust (2002); made for a modest sum that a Hollywood extra would barely get out of bed for, Crust, in all its comic glory, tells the funny and tragic tale of a seven foot boxing shrimp, a pub landlord and a failed boxer. The film was never released in the UK, despite much critical acclaim. The film would later go on to inspire a slew of Japanese films such as Crab Goalkeeper.

My Summer Of Love—Emily Blunt’s first major film—is a much darker story, but that’s not to say it isn’t funny. Based on the novel by Helen Cross, the film is a black and disturbing tale of lust and adventure set in the Yorkshire countryside. Natalie Press plays Mona, a fun-loving care-free girl who gets about on a moped without an engine, bought from the ‘gypos oop at the maggot farm.’ Different to the book in every way but just as good, My Summer Of Love also featured Paddy Considine (The Bourne Ultimatum)

Surprise Brit shocker Eden Lake (2008) has been called by some ‘the most violent film in years’. Even the most hardcore horror fan can’t argue with that statement; the tale of a weekend’s camping trip gone horribly wrong, Eden Lake is a test of grizzly endurance that works a treat, providing you can get past the horrific torture scenes. Although it might make you think twice before going camping with your girlfriend for the weekend, it’s worth watching for the excellent performances of Michael Fassbender—of Inglorious Basterds fame—and the convincing Kelly Reilly.

So really quickly, I have something to admit. I love bill owen (sorry Gary). I was viewing the most recent season on dvd well into the night and the acting was brilliant! I would highly recommend this one to all of you…

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