Kermode & Mayo’s Take - Timothy Spall, Bolan's Shoes, A Haunting in Venice & Brother

Episode Date: September 15, 2023

Don’t worry, Mark and Simon are back for good! This week’s episode sees Simon sit down with the humble and delightful Timothy Spall, who is in the studio to discuss his new film ‘Bolan’s Shoes’, a melodrama about the enduring legacy of childhood trauma and the deep bonds of sibling love set to the music of the film’s namesake, T-Rex's Mark Bolan. Our own iconic Mark also offers his thoughts on the film, along with reviewing ‘A Haunting in Venice’, Kenneth Brannagh’s stab at a Poirot murder-mystery, which sees the famous detective investigating a murder while attending a Halloween séance at a haunted palazzo in Venice, and ‘Brother’, a Canadian drama about the sons of Caribbean immigrants dealing with issues of masculinity, identity and family amid the pulsing beat of Toronto’s early hip-hop scene. The Box Office Top 10 and What’s On are covered as usual. Time Codes (relevant only for the Vanguard - who are ad-free!): 08:54 Brother Review 21:31 Box Office Top Ten 35:22 Timothy Spall Interview 50:30 Bolan’s Shoes Review 58:27 Laughter Lift 01:01:05 Haunting in Venice Review 01:08:39 What's On You can contact the show by emailing [e-mail] or you can find us on social media, @KermodeandMayo EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/take Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To advertise on this show contact: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To support sustainable food production, BHP is building one of the world's most sustainable products in Canada. Essential resources responsibly produced. It's happening now at BHP, a future resources company. Maybe the start of this podcast is the right place to mention. And if there are any involuntary gasps or a Billy Buntist art, Yarros or Oofs or owls, they're all coming from Mark and his general state of health. I put my back out, but it's just to be clear as to how this

happened. So it was Sunday and the good lady professor was just doing a bit of gardening and she said, oh, can you just pull out that small tree? So, right, so, but she's doing the gardening, so why didn't she pull out the tree? Obviously, she's,? Because obviously she's not butch enough for that. So she turns to her, her now 60 year old husband, whom in a wonderfully loving way, she still views as someone who can do that kind of thing. And I, of course, being asked, can you do this? My answer is always yes. Like if you said, could you lift that car up, I would say yes., could you say man's die? Of course, exactly. So I go over this quite small tree,

like a mere stripling of a thing. I, I, I, I, I, so it's like a sapling. A sapling. It's like a, it's like a plant really. And I put both my manly hands around it and I think hands. Yes. And I, and I yank and then I, oh, and then visit me. I remember this. And I was told, be very careful with your back. I forget that people told me that. And so now it's several days later and I am still in a hospital. I was told that I was in hospital for a while. I was told that I was in hospital for a while.

I was told that I was in hospital for a while. I was told that I was in hospital for a while. I was told that I was in hospital for a while. I was told, be very careful with your back. I forget that people told me that. And so now it's several days later and I am still walking on the squiff and going, you need to remember that there are tree pullers in your part, wherever your neck of the woods is. If you look up tree pullers at neckofthewoods.com, you'll find someone who can come around to your garden and pull a tree.

Who was it that said that they didn't do DIY because they weren't a scab? That's the late Jeremy Hardy on the radio who said, he had disapproved DIY because it was scabbing, which is always a great line, and I've used it many times. Because they're people who are employed to do that stuff. And if you do it, you're just taking their jobs.

Exactly. Well, that was me trying to take a job from treepullers.com and as a result of it, I am now Twinge testing right so in this roleplay, I am the good lady professor in laws earmark. Could she lift up that aircon unit? But doesn't sound anything like her. Does it'll do okay? Will you pick up that aircon unit? Of course, of course I can do that. Yes No, let's try it again. I see mark. Will you pick up that very heavy camera for me? Darling, I love you very much,

but unfortunately I'm old and in firm. There you go. That's fine. You're now suited and booted to go out to the world and live and prosper. And here we are on the show. What are you doing later? I'm going to be reviewing a bunch of films.

It's written down here. I'm going to be reviewing a brother, a Haunting Inventus, which is the new Kenneth Branagh film in which he plays Puerro and his multi-layered moustache and Poland Shoes with our special guest. Who is Tim Spool, who you'll be hearing from very shortly. In the extra takes, ah, sorry, I'm really sorry.

I thought I was joking. I'm really sorry. In voluntary noises. No, I was trying to encourage him. At least 90 minutes more in extra takes which has landed already but don't go there yet. Our recommendation feature we can watch list we cannot list five will thrive three should flee. I quite like that. Take it on leave it you decide your chance to share great stuff that we've missed and bonus

reviews of. Well Batman because it's Batman day I'll'll explain more dead man shoes Which is being reissued Cassandra and the Nettle Dress which are two new films both of which I'd like to talk to you about Particularly Nettle Dress because it just did really well at Shetland Pretentious wire is currently 18 versus mark is 18 and mark is 16 so you're too behind yourself One frame back is inspired by haunting in Venice. We've asked for your top films that feature salces, not Venice. Is that what you do in a in a sails? Yeah, isn't it? You know, go, oh, I have a spirit there. I want to speak to Uncle Jip. No, I have neither because they're not real. But people do have some people do have them, but you know, they might go, oh,

this is one of your back noises. It's all, you're either having a spasm of pain or you're contacting the dead. Anyway, you can spot us by Apple Podcasts or head to xtakes.com for non-fruit related devices. If you are already a van goddys dad, as ever. We salute you. Clare O'Connor leads the email pile.

And now into the redacted part of my scripts. Literally, this is what they give me. They tell me it's an email and they black it out so that I can enjoy it for the first time in this contest. And such enjoyment, they're such enjoyment. From this email from Clare O'Connor, which is indeed the masterwork. Okay, a masterwork. A masterwork.

Mark and Simon and lovely production team, long time list, their previous correspondent, the list of place names where your drones will deliver, which we did last week. It was wet, Wang, shitterton, all those kind of vaguely rude who are misses kind of places. And it had me chaulking immodirately, it's clear. When your first correspondent referred to getting to Denmark,

which I think the very first email on. That's how it began last week's pod. I mistakenly thought it was a continuation of a theme of odd place names or phrases because of an older Australian slang term, which is getting off at Redfern. In Sydney, the main trade in station is called, this is not particularly original central station. The preceding station from one of the most used train lines in the 1930s is Redfern. This gave rise to the phrase getting off at Redfern, resulting from the practice where we avoid creating an extreme. I can already see where this is going offspring during shall we say acts of intense affection. The bloke would leave before the finale.

This practice became known as getting off at Redfern because you didn't finish the journey at Central. I hope this hasn't lowered the tone too much, although you have just referred to Lawrence of Elabia. So, hey, oh, so this is this is very good. So this is fantastic. So I've met this very I've met this very nice person by I am planning to get off at Redfern. So you're not getting off at Central. We should also point out that that is not one of the reliable forms of not creating life. I think it's officially sanctioned by the Pope. Yes. I'm not, well, I'm not claiming anything other than this. There's a practice is cool.

The two Ronnies joke about that, which is that the Pope was going to go to a conference on contraception, but then he pulled out at the last moment. Something like that. Something like that. So the Pope got out at Redfern. Well, I don't think the Pope did. I don't know. The Pope does do that.

So he moved on. They have done in the past. Back in the, you know, 16th century, Deer Salky and Mime says Jessica Wheatman, taking a very strange turn. I thought you might like to see this. If it hasn't been sent to you before, here's a book published in 2018. It's called The Wild Flowers by Harriet Evans. It's got a very nice.

If I have a picture, very nice cover. This is from Jess, this is Jess in Wiltshire, Jessica, we met. She's clearly a member of the church. So from page 140, Alistair Fletcher lent towards him, did you hear me boy, Ian and Julia, he said, and he actually thought he might be sick. The plane noise was so near now. Yes, sir, sorry, sir. I just think we ought to get outside. The adults, was so near now. Yes, so sorry, sir. I just think we ought to get outside. The adults, it doesn't matter. No one knows. The adults both glanced at his face absolutely said, Alistair Fletcher, we ought goodbye, Diner. Good to have you here. Rideo, take the tongue-called fruit called Aunt Diner to his retreating back and down with the

Nazis. When was this book published? 2018. Excellent. But that could be that they were a fan of the Queen Mother, the late Queen Mother. But on another page, it says, da da da da da. And then we hit traffic, or when a seagull on Limeridge's beach stole my Nutella sandwich, quote, and all shall be well,

and all manner of things shall be well. It's Julian of Norwich. After he died, I found it in his wallet, torn from a library copy of's Julian of Norwich. After he died, I found it in his wallet, torn from a library copy of Revelations of Divine Love. I hadn't realized it was a quote from someone until then. So that is, I think that's signalling, isn't it? It's definitely signalling. Harriet Evans. Harriet Evans. Hello, Harriet. Yes. Thank you very much, indeed, for being a part of, we're assuming that you were a part of the cult of the cult. Indeed,

correspondence at kermanameo.com. Brother! Yeah, weirdly enough. Is there an exclamation mark? Is this a follow-on from mother? You know, it's really odd that you should say that because so brother is the new film by Clement Virgo and it is a Canadian drama about two brothers and their mother. And weirdly enough, the film is called Brother because the mother is such an imposing presence in the film, it could equally be called Mother. So it's based on a book by David Chariandi which I haven't read. And it takes place over three separate time periods, which are separated by gaps of 10 years. In the very beginning of it, we meet the two brothers, Francis and Michael, Francis is the older

brother, Michael is the younger brother. They're at the foot of a pylon, a huge, great power pylon. And Francis is saying, look, we're going to climb up this. It's really good. But in order to do this, you have to do exactly what I do. You have to follow me. You have to be confident. And you know, this is terrifying.

This is a really, really. And you can hear the electricity buzzing in the air. There's follow me, think on your every step. And this is kind of laying out the groundwork of what the story is about. The older brother is more adventurous and outgoing, the younger brother is shire and is more worried about the world

but looks up to his brother. And then we jump forward 10 years to the younger brother now at home with his mother played by Marcia Stephanie Blake. And Francis isn't there, although we're not entirely sure why at that point. And then the drama also flashes back 20 years to them as younger kids.

And what we see is their relationship, their life playing out in this non-linear fashion and the tensions and affections between them. Here's a clip in which the older brother tells the younger brother that he's not gonna be around in the near future. Going away. What?

When? Soon. future. She'll understand. Bro, it should be fine. On this mark, the feet, you know. So that's Aaron Pierre and Lamar Johnson as the two brothers. And as you were watching that, you saw that obviously if you're listening on the podcast, you can't see it. The camera was starting to slowly push in and all the way through the film. The camera which glides and has this kind of strange floating quality is always either slightly pushing in or just slightly pulling away from a scene as if it's focusing on some detail that it wants us to see, or it's stepping back in order to give the characters breathing space.

There are times that this reminded me of moonlight. You remember moonlight had that kind of the broken temporal structure, it takes place over three, over different time periods and the identity of the central. It's called the broken temporal. Did you say? No, sorry, a broken temporal.

A broken temporal? Yeah, exactly. So it's jumping between time periods. And in some ways, this had a touch of that about it. It is, I have to say brilliantly played. So the three main forms is Aaron P. L. Amar Johnson and Marcia Stephanie Blake are absolutely terrific. It has a real sense of intimacy and of something really important unfolding before you,

although it doesn't declare its handling. There are a lot of background noise about police brutality and gang violence and racism and poverty. When the kids are young, we see their mother having to go out and work night shifts. And as she goes out, she says, Francis, look after your brother. Look after your brother and don't leave the apartment. Because as soon as she's gone, he immediately leaves the apartment and almost straight away, takes his brother across the road and he nearly gets run down. So there is this threat all the way through that one of them is adventurous and front-footing. And the other one is, you know, on the back foot. And at one point, the older brother tells the younger brother, you know, you, you have

to project a more confident, you know, confident front. You have to show people that you aren't nobody. But of course, behind that match, I facade, he himself has secrets that the film doesn't reveal for quite a while. I loved this. I thought it was really, really touching, really moving. I mean, it's one of those kind of dramas in which it's all about confounding your expectations, but doing it in a way which is really natural and really organic. It's got a beautiful score by Toro Kobakov, but it also makes really good use of needle drops.

There is the Nina Simone version of Jack Brel's Nemecki Tepa, which is used twice. And both times it's used as a kind of unlocking of memory, of like a tumbling montage of memory. And you know, I remember Steve Woolie said that thing about you know, pop music and movies is like a knife, you twist it and nostalgia comes pouring out. The correct choice of a song in a film

is always something that gives me great delight But the way in which the sound of an innocent moan singing that particular song because it's an absolutely heartbreaking song The way it kind of unlocks memory through he basically he's listening to his brother's records and his brother's record collection is Leading him back through and into the past. I thought it was really well done, beautifully shot, lovely to watch fantastic performances. I mean, really, really great trio of central performances, but to bring us back to where you started, it's called Brother, and they keep coming back to the power pile, and they keep coming back to the, you know, follow my every step, do the climb. It could have been called Mother because she is such a core presence

in the drama. In that clip, which is the only bit that I've seen, when he says, okay, I'll tell her soon and she'll be okay. My hunch is, he doesn't tell her soon and she's kind of not okay. What's fascinating about that is that that's a classic example of show don't tell is that you say something, but everything about the way you say it is saying something else. Rather than you saying, I'll tell her, I don't know if she'll be fine. In fact, she may not be fine, and in fact, I might not tell her.

But you don't do any of that. What you do is you deliver the line in a way that tells you... Which he doesn't believe in. Precisely. And that's the, you know, I think, as I've said before, I think acting is alchemical and I don't understand how it's done. But when you see somebody do that, you think, okay, that is really, really fine work. Still to come, Mark will be reviewing these movies. We have a haunting in Venice, which is the new, uh, a kill, wow, film starring Ken Chuckles Branagh and Boland Shoes with our special guest. Who is Tim Spool? He'll be the great Tim Spool. The great Tim Spool. you a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a and see a effort and intelligent execution. It represents the wise choice of many alternatives.

Choice, not chance, determines your destiny, which was of course Aristotle. Oh, it was Benonorama. No, Aristotle, Aristotle. It was for the bottle. And Hobbes, of course, was fond of his drama. We haven't had any Thomas Hobbes, so I'm assuming that next week at this time,

there will be a quote from Thomas Hobbes and his really tedious book called Leviathan, which I had to read before doing the Introduction to Politics course at Whore at University. If you wanna fall asleep very quickly, get yourself a copy of Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes. And you'll be fond of your drama. Hi, esteem podcast listeners, Simon Mayo.

I'm Mark Kermot here. I'm excited to let you know that the new season of the Crown and the Crown, the official podcast, returns on 16th of November to accompany the sixth and final season of the Netflix epic Royal Drama series. Very exciting, especially because SuperSub and Friend of the Show Edith Bowman hosts this one. Indeed, Edith will take you behind the scenes, dive into conversation with the talented cast and crew from writer and creator Peter Morgan to the crown's Queen Elizabeth Imelda Staunton. Other guests on the new series include the Crowns Research team, the directors, executive

producers Suzanne Mackie and specialists such as Voice Coach William Connaker and propsmaster Owen Harrison. Cast members including Jonathan Price, Selim Dor, Khalid Abdullah, Dominic West and Elizabeth Tabicki. You can also catch up with the story so far by searching the Crown, the official podcast, wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe now and get the new series of the Crown, the official podcast first on November 16th. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Happy Nord Christmas. Protect yourself whilst Christmas shopping online and access all

the Christmas films from around the globe. Plus, when you shop online, you'll have to give websites your card details and other sensitive data like your personal addresses. Those websites should already have their own encryption built into their payment systems, but to be on the safe side, you can use a VPN to ensure that all data coming to and from your device is encrypted. Even if you're using an unsafe Wi-Fi, you'll still be able to shop securely with a VPN. And you can access Christmas films only available overseas by using streaming services not available in the UK. To take our huge discount of your NordVPN plan,

go to nordvpn.com slash take. Our link will also give you four extra months for free on the two-year plan. There's no risk with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee. The link is in the podcast episode description box. description box. I'm drinking from my Vanguardies. Oh, I lost mine. What? I lost it. I lost it. I left it on the train. They're all sold out. No, they're not. I'm sure we can get you one.

I was, I was, I was, I was, because I use it on the train because it's so fabulous. I'm going to have to buy one. You might get like friends discount. No, you just said I'm going to have to buy one. You maybe get like, if anyone found it on the train, it's, you know, if you found it on the train, keep it as a gift, you know, pass it, pay it forward. Is that what the phrase is, pay it forward. So yeah. But what if the person who found it is a nasty evil, the ciferous kind of Trump supporting? OK, very simple. If you are that thing, then give it back. But you don't want it back.

Do you? After it's been... I had tiny hands around it. Yes. Tiny, groping hands. Anyway, they are available. What do you think the chances of the Joe Biden impeachment inquiry going well are? Do you think Kevin McCarthy is just doing that because he's a spineless licksbittle?

Or do you think it's because Matt Gates is scaring him? George Willis, an official 8-Z of Kermit and a baby bald book see attached anyway. A deer six foot and three inches. A long-term list, a heritage list, a member of the Vanguard after recently having a baby. Says George, my cinema trips have become extremely limited. Most films are now enjoyed at home over the course of two to three evenings. So when my mother-in-law offered to look after my little sprung, I took the opportunity for an outing, my local cinema to watch Nolan's fantastic Oppenheimer

Lexlum. As the mesmerising story unfolded on the silver screen, my attention was undeniably divided by an unexpected yet frequent visitor, a smart watch. Oppenheimer has a groundbreaking insight. Flash. Robert Downey Jr. Choose the scenery flash. Benny Safty shrugs flash. Robert Downey Jr. choose the scenery flash. Benny Safdie shrugs flash. Clearly the culprit wasn't aware of the distraction that they were

causing flash. As they hadn't registered my very British side glances and frequent shuffling in my seat because nothing speaks of anger more than shuffling in your seat. Exactly. You can't see a side glance in the dark even if you're illuminated or a hard stare smartwatch. After discussing the situation with a friend who frequents the pictures on a regular basis, he confirmed that this issue is plaguing his experience too. With this in mind, I present to you the campaign to inhibit notifications fromN-E-M-A, conveniently cinema. As someone who does not own a smartwatch and likes a classic timepiece, I performed a quick 30 second internet search to find that most smartwatches have a theatre mode, which prevents

flashing for movement and notifications. So these cinema, S-I-N-E, so campaign has three goals. Education, educate users that theatre mode exists and how to enable it. Encouragement, encourage cinemas to remind users to use this feature. Application, ensure people actually use it. That's the bit where I think physical violence can be used.

You won't find a website for this campaign as I've just made it up, but hopefully, draw your attention to it can improve everyone's cinematic viewing pleasure. Love the show. Take a deep tonk, all that jazz George Willis. So this is sort of going back into old territory on, you know, can your phone be on like emergency mode? If, you know, if you're a doctor on call, can you have the, you know, the one person, if they can't contact you, which you very, you know, said, no, absolutely not. But you can. I'm now going to put one on. Have you got one of those?

So your phone is a, is it? Yeah, you press that one there. Right. And that's theatre mode. So therefore it won't flash. It doesn't flash, it doesn't just flash, because in cinema, and telephone phones, as I think they called now,

if you put them in theatre mode, you should, they're on, but they're just slightly dimmer. Which I think theatre mode is off. There you go. So this lights up when I move my wrist, except for me in theatre mode is to their own, but they're just slightly dimmer, which I think theatre mode is off. There you go. So this lights up when I move my wrist except for me in theatre mode. Oh, okay. So if you put it back on because I don't have any of this height, have you put it back on to normal?

When you move your wrist, it automatically lights up. It's just motion, does it, right? Yes, that's right. How very annoying. Well, it's not. It's very, very useful piece of gadgetry. Mm-hmm. You've made that's right. How very annoying. Well, it's not. It's very, very useful piece of gadgetry. Mm-hmm. You've made that sound again,

and you know you can't make that sound. I think the good lady prefers it as- Look what I have on my wrists. Uh, nothing. Nothing at all. So what? Yeah. Is that a big deal?

Is your life any better than mine? I know what time it is. It's so do I. I can see what time it is for me. I'm on time. I'm on my time keeping is great.'s so do I. I can see what time it is. I'm on time. I'm on my timekeeping is great. What time did I get to your house last night? It was late. It was 9.30. It was three in the morning. It was exactly 9.30. We had to stay here. I am my timekeeping is very good. Top 10. Anyway, here we go. Number 62, a life on the farm.

It's a very, very odd, but actually rather humane movie about the discovery of the home movies that this guy made on his farm that address life, the universe, and everything in a way that partly multi-partisan meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre, partly actually, strangely endearing, very, very interesting film. Number 31, the School of Rock 20th anniversary. How nice that it's sort of actually in the chart. I look a bit. I love the idea that people will have gone back to see it on the big screen because I imagine that most people going to see it on the big screen would have known all the lines and probably joined in with many of them. Although you disappointed me last week when I was doing the complete The School of Rock quotes,

because I thought you would have the whole film memorized. Number 10 here, number six in America is Blue Beetle. Which I liked more than most critics it turns out. I thought it was, I liked the fact that it was genuinely about family. I liked the characters. I went in with no expectation at all, and I enjoyed it much more than I thought.

Number nine here, and number nine in the US, teenage mutant ninja turtles mutant mayhem. I mean, of all the teenage mutant ninja turtles films, it's one of the better ones. Okay. Number eight here and number 17 in the United States. Why is it higher here than in the United because it was only released last week. It sounds a bit weird. Yeah, so it's, can I just say, I said last week when Because it was only released last week. It's been, yeah, so it's, can I just say, I said last week when it was like number five or something, yeah, it'll drop like a stone next week. So there we go, number eight,

it'll be, it'll be, it'll be out of our hair next week. So goodbye. Before it's out of our hair, do we have correspondence? Well, the redacta has, I think, picked the choice list. Bits of course, the choice list cuts. Now, and each of these comes from people with names, but then with numbers after them, to the extent. Really?

Yeah, and I look so unusual. You know, and I'm not. So maybe they exist. Yeah, no, because usually the people that get in touch with me to tell me their Q&N on crackpot theories. I'm sure they're real people. So, carry on. Tim Smith, 1, 2, 7, 8. You know, it could well have been that Tim Smith got that thing because there was 1, 2, 7, 7, maybe, Tim's before. I haven't yet seen Sound of Freedom, okay? And I might not, but it's no surprise that Kermann and Mayor openly dismissed the film as they are establishment figures. Can I just say two things firstly?

I have seen sound of freedom. You haven't shut up. Given the controversy surrounding it, they have to be seen to hate it and might even genuinely do so. But let's face it, didn't hate it, didn't say I hated it. But it was an unremarkable B movie. So not only have you not seen the film,

but you didn't listen to the review. I actually need to actually need to answer it. Because there is a particular moment where everything falls into place. And the book by Dave Rich that I mentioned a few months ago, let's face it, if they showed support for the film, they would most probably be serious consequences regarding the work.

I couldn't care less about Trump, but imagine there is quite a lot of truth in the film, because the mainstream media have obviously trashed it. So, whatever they say, it's good or bad or right or wrong, the opposite is most likely to be the case. The events since early 2020 underline this point pretty well for those awake. Oh, right. Hang on, now here's the bit. Okay.

As a side note, I understand that Simon Mayer is a big fan of the author, Yaval Noa Harari, a rather questionable individual, closely associated with Klaus Schwab of the ridiculous world economic forum. So just that would confirm to me he hardly has great judgment. Oh right. So it's just a coincidence that they've picked on a Jewish man as the reason that he's a questionable individual. I see. I understand. Clearly that's enough. Enough said Jason Smith 902 typical BBC. I mean, hello, it's read the press. This is, well, also knowing that this is the most branded program I've ever been on. And in a typical BBC, even the feds admitted they invented QAnon.

No, they didn't. Yeah, no, they didn't. Yeah. No. Okay. Apparently, the redactor went back and said, can you provide a source? You'll never guess what? Do they not? They could not? Well, I mean, actually, one of the really fascinating things

about Q and on is, of course, it's starting with, it starts with 4chan and 8chan, sites on which child pornography was an absolute staple. There's just one more. Don't trust me, incidentally. Listen to the coming storm podcast, which is very, very thorough. Or it is on the BBC. It is on the BBC, yeah. Or, youally, listen to the coming storm podcast, which is very, very thorough. Or it is on the BBC.

It is on the BBC, or do you research Simon? Do you research? And finally, Trina Dixon 4608. I should read this as it appears here, because often, we all make mistakes in punctuation and grammar and all that kind of stuff. But I'm going to just, I should just do. These two people shouldn't even have airtime, never mind past judgment and anything. Who are they?

They, it's embarrassing. Go see the film. Don't let two nobodies. Who know nothing about anything. Comment on any topic. Hope there is not making a living. You might as well have the cheeky girls on. Now that is a good idea at the end.

Yeah. I'll have the cheeky girls on. Now that is a good idea at the end. Yeah, I'd have the cheeky girls on. But, you know, yes, yes. Well said, we support in that having the cheeky girls. So, I mean, what I'd like to say about this is, firstly, it demonstrates, I mean, absolutely proves our point. This is nothing to do with the film. It is to do with the political allegiances of the people who feel they should be aligned with it. Sound of freedom is an unremarkable B movie that was given a platform by the fact that Trump

did screening of it. It stars Jim Caviesel who is a full on Q and on not bull. It's just a note to Tim Smith, 1278. He's actually right on one fact, and that is I am a big fan of author, you will know Harari. He was the most fascinating and intriguing person when you hear him on the radio, he's absolutely fantastic. He talks it to her. Okay, but you do know that he's funded by the

feds. Oh, I might have to recon. Yeah, yeah, no, no, it's to do your research. Well, what's your proof for that? I, can you tell me? Anyway, thanks. The next week, we won't have to bother with any of this. Thank you very much. Number seven here. Number three in the States, my big fat Greek wedding three is a hit. I don't think that's a hit. Top three in America. That counts. It's not very good.

I mean, it's really not very good. I wasn't saying it was. I mean, it has one good joke in it, which is the thing about, well, I said it last week, about, you know, we, within this family, we share out scream and we win arguments through, through guilt and threat, but anyway, but it's not very good, but I hear that it's, it's all over the airwaves. On what it is, it's BBC Stoog. That's the other thing.

When the accusers are being the BBC, have you not noticed the adverts? Have you not noticed the fact that every now and then we stop and tell you to email here, we had, um, Hyall, we had already decided to see Mug of a, were three before hearing your review, but just because we wanted something light that would be fun to go and see on our wedding anniversary. I haven't got a name on this email, but maybe it's the 36 years, but we both came out saying the same thing. If you want to see a film where a bunch of people go to a Greek island to be silly and occasionally emotional, watch Mamma Mia

here we go again. It felt as long as Oppenheimer with the same number of laughs. There were a vaguely funny airport scene at the end, but by then I was too annoyed to laugh. The trailers were the best bits, seeing a few seconds of Glender Jackson in the Great Escaper was seeing more acting than in the whole of the Gaffer III. She was brilliant looking forward to the argument so whether it should be the great S.K.P. followed by letters from Grammarians saying, you're right, wrong, and it doesn't matter because language evolves. Oh, there it is. Simon's still on an allotment in Leon C, 40 years in NHS nurse. Very good.

Just read the script, Mayo, and you'll be fine. The aforementioned Oppenheimer is number six, and number eight in America, three, ten, up. Yeah, what else is there to say? Number five in the UK is past lives. See our chat with Celine Song and Mark's review from last week, anyway, Neil and Greenwich, and then Mark will tell you how much he loves it again in

a moment. I found this to be a real gem of a film, which has been living in my mind ever since the credits rolled over Christopher Bear and Daniel Rosson's bitter sweet score. With her featured debut, Celine Song has created, as crafted by Gepard, an beautifully restrained love story about roads not taken, what could have been and our relationship with the past. For me, there was a natural ease and chemistry in the writing and performances which brought to mind Brooklyn, the before trilogy, and more recently the excellent return to soul, which I think you mentioned.

I hadn't realized the emotional investments that the story had instilled in me until the perfectly judged final scenes, where the measured confidence of the filmmaking delivers a cathartic d'unumor that I know will stay with me and I'm sure many others forever. That is why this is why we go to the cinema. Thank you. Love the show. Neel and Grennich. If you heard the Selene song interview, you'll know that you'll know how perfectly balanced and pitched the film is and how much that's the result of a director knowing exactly what they're doing. I think that this is so far it's my favorite film of the year and I think it's very, it's going to be very surprised if it's not up there.

By the time we get to, if there are better films than this coming down the line, then we are all delighted. And it's not just you loved it as much as I did, right? You were completely knocked out by it. And I only saw it on a laptop, so I need to see in the cinema. And isn't it breathtaking that this is a debut feature? I know she's a playwright, so obviously she knows her way around. Her character is fallen in love with cinema, really. And it's just right. She said it was like meeting the love of her life.

And I loved this film. Barbie, is it, doing incredibly well. The first solo female directed movie to break the billion global box office, which I think is worth noting because it mean if the world is changing for the better, even though some reductionist. The equalizer 3 is at 3.

Oh, I'm not even getting the idea to do that. No, okay. Is it good fun? I quite like it, you guys are 3. And Jauan three is at three. Oh, I'm not even getting the idea to do that. No, okay. It's a good fun. I quite like it. You guys are three. And Jauan, and is this the UK number two? So this wasn't press screen. This is a Indian Hindi language action thriller, which are having gone in at number two. That means it's done terrifically well without being. And it's been before in the States. Yeah. So if you've seen it, please let us know. Ross has a long term list, a medium-term email, here with some thoughts on

Joanne. It's the second film of the year to star Shah Rukkan. The great Shah Rukkan. Friend of yours, I think, man. After Spy Thriller, Patan back in January, and an absence of five years proceeding that, Patan was a Bollywood version of Mission Impossible, which was somehow more ludicrous than anything cruise at Al Pulloff in the modern, but Jowan takes it a step further. It's trying to be all things to all people at times, a John Wick-esque hand-to-hand and gun combat film. And others are sort of cross between Robin Hood and Joker, if instead of Batman, the Joker's villain was corruption in both the private and public sectors. It also has many musical numbers,

but that's part of the course and enough speeding, slow motion to make even Zack Snyder call for a strength. How about that? It's a high octane, ridiculous, grandstanding at times cringe-worthy, but ultimately highly recommended piece of world cinema. Thank you, Ross, for that. And number one in the United in, number one in the UK is the none two. So a couple of emails, Luke and Gloucestershire saw the none two prior to listening to Mark's review. Felty was maybe a little harsh. It's not a high art nor anything inventive for the horror genre,

but as a dumb, fun slice of ghost train, ask Popcorn horror, I had a rather good time. Of course, it helps that I saw it in IMAX, which would make paint drying a major cinematic experience, but I think the film delivered enough enjoyable, if not standard jolts and thumps to work as a decent conjuring installment. And Kevin Atkins, I think you like this. Okay. Dear ones and twos, the Nundering 2 is playing at my local multiplex, and here's my review, spoiler alert.

This is how it ends, not with a quiet, quiet bang, but with a wimple. I can't follow that. There you go. That's absolutely perfect. Isn't that good? I mean, I think that was considered for the laughter lift, but was not quite good enough.

But Kevin, if you want to send us any other stuff, that's fine. But a wimple. That's very, very good. You slightly annoyed that you didn't. I am actually really, really annoyed that I didn't come up with that, because I was talking to your child three last night

who writes jokes, and he had just come back from a session in the pub of writing jokes. And I don't have writing jokes as a mystery to me. And he was saying that the thing, the perfect joke is a joke that you kind of, you know what it is already. It's a recognition thing. There's attention and a recognition.

And what's beautiful about that, not with a quiet, quiet bang, but a wimple, is that I kind of feel I should have got there, but I didn't. But Kevin, that gains did. So thank, but Kevin Atkins did, so thank you Kevin. Thank you Kevin. A correspondence at curbadamay.com. This episode is brought to you by Mooby, a curated streaming service dedicated to elevating great cinema from around the globe. From my connect directors to emerging otters, there's always something new to discover, for example.

Well, for example, the new Aki Karri's Mackey film Fall and Leaves, which won the jury prize at Cannes, that's in cinemas at the moment. And if you see that and think I want to know more about Aki Karri's Mackey, you can go to movie The Streaming Service and there is a retrospective of his films called How to Be a Human. They are also going to be theatrically releasing In January Priscilla, which is a you a couple of film, which I am really looking forward to since I have an Elvis obsession. You can try MUBEE FREE for 30 days at MUBEE.COM slash Kermit and Mayo. That's MUBEE.COM slash Kermit and Mayo for a whole month of great cinema for free. As the world's population grows, so does the need for resources like potash to support

sustainable food production. This is why BHP is building one of the world's most sustainable potash mines in Canada. Essential resources responsibly produced. This is what BHP has committed to Canada. The future is clear. It's happening now at BHP, a future resources company. To discover how visit BHP.com slash better future. Earlier in the podcast, Mark correctly jumped in and told me off when I just said Tim Spall.

What I should have said is the great Tim Spall. Who is our special guest? He stars in a new movie called Bowlin Shoes. You'll hear our chat after this clip. I've got diagnosed when I was in Bristol. It's a lovely city, it's showing about the slaves. What are you doing in Bristol? It was an ex-big place to come out. They found me. Fully clothed, thrashing about in the Millennium Fountains.

Convinced I was carrying grants, illegitimate son. They've had prontual of nations. Carrie Grant? Yeah, there's a statue to him. Carrie, is it a Bristol boy? Don't go. Doing that, so 72 hours continually at the end. And that is a clip from new movie called Bullen Shoes. One of it stars is Timothy Spool,

and I'm delighted to say he's in the studio. Hello, Tim, how are you? I'm great, Simon. I love it to speak to you once again. Very nice to see. It was it snows in Benadorm, I think, was the last conversation we had. It wasn't me, it was.

And it did, I remember, right? It did snows when I was there. I think that was the last Tim Spool movie that I saw. Because you're just interesting in almost everything that you do, and it's just, if there's a Tim Spool movie that I saw. Because you're just interesting in almost everything that you do. And it's just, if there's a Tim Spall movie that comes along, you think, okay, you have to watch it.

And I know you've got some of the greatest reviews that you've ever had for the Sixth Commandment, which I'll come on to in a moment, but introduces to the world of bowling shoes. Well firstly, thank you for that. That's a lovely thing we've just said. I'm pleased. You never know, it's paying attention.

So it's always paying attention to you. It's called Bowling Shoes. And it's stuntsably about a brother and sister who gets separated. They're in care together in the 70s. And they go off together as a group with the rest of the care home all organized by one of their carers and the Vicar who sort of has an active thing

and the Vicar's daughter goes to them. And as a brother and sister, and the sister is 10 and the vicar who sort of has an active thing and the vicar's daughter goes to them and there's a brother and sister and the brother The sister is 10 and the brother's 12 the sister is very much the boss because the brother the very nervous shy guy And gets bullied quite a lot by the other kids on their way They have a great time and a little boy gets bullied but when he gets there They have a lovely time they go and see the show to have a brilliant to go and meet Mark and they spy a pair of Mark shoes. So it's not really about Mark Bowling, it's certainly not about his shoes though. They do play a role. Oh, they do play a role.

Because there's another shoe as well, which turns up, no, it's not, but the music, it starts, it's because they're all the linking fact is that they remain the whole, all the people in it are massive fans of Mark and they, it brings them together. It caused, you know, their love of it going towards it coming away from it, happened, that's going to happen these things. So he becomes a sort of linchpin in it. And then at the end of it, there's a rather wonderful, the characters all go off to this tribute band to Tyrannas T. Rex. I'm in the old term, the Tire and the Swarge Rect, where a couple of the, I think, one of the members of the original did play with the T-Rex, actually, in it. So there is a sort of opening, a closing aspect in this love of

Mark's music. And right at the beginning it says Roland Bolin, whose Mark's son is an associate producer. So you, yeah, okay, we've got the official blessing. You had the approval to use the music. So when Jimmy, your character appears the first time, you look more like Roy Wood out of wizard, basically, don't you? You've got the hat and you're kind of dressed in that kind of like a velvet cloak. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, he does, the people I've said that about that.

And I think that was, you know, was marked at where that big top hat in the, and he did wear a fur coat. I just happened to be an older broke with a big beard and a hair, and it was the kind of look of the time. So, you know, that's, he does look a bit like that. But in a sense, that wasn't a homage to the beard. He obviously stuck to a certain degree in that time. It was more to do with him

being a kind of entertainer and having a kind of a thing. The only thing he really has is his love for Mark, the monument. He's had a terrible history with being in an out of psychiatric units drifting, being totally lost, which his sister finds out and is alarmed by because he doesn't really take care of himself. He's still being bullied, so the whole thing is being, you know, not, he's stuck really, he's trapped. And really it's, you know, the serious side to it is people who are disrupted by circumstance and, and through unfortunate events and, you know, and I'm getting lost in the system. And massive denial about what's happened to them as well. And being unable to really sort it out

until they come back together. And that, you know, that sensitivity, that complexity and sensitivity of the human heart, which is bunked back together for again, some very big, you know, unpleasant moments, but also there's got a lot of humor in it as well, you know, it's setting Liverpool sort of, they are scarlet, well, that's complicated. We find out that there's a complication in one of the characters on that level, but there's got a dialogue

is very witty and language is very scarce, you know. Yeah. Are you happy with that accent? Well, I seem to get away with it. Yeah, I mean, I... It always strikes me as one of the more difficult accents to master if that's not your natural. It is a difficult one, but you have to listen. I listen to a lot of older guys, you know, speaking. It's slightly different. I talk a little bit about doing it know, speaking, it's slightly different, I don't even do it now,

like, Paul McCartney, I can't, I wouldn't do it now, because I have to really, when I work on an accent, I work on it, and I make it part of the character, so it's sort of, it's not just about on thing, it's somebody who's also, he'd been in London a long time, he'd been in Bristol, you know, so it's a mixture. Yeah, yeah. So it is a difficult accent because it's a mixture of Irish, Welsh and Lancashire, you know, over to you. It's quiet. You mentioned bullying a couple of times and there's nothing particularly disturbing by some levels that we see in other movies in this, but it's still very upsetting because

Jimmy's bullied as a kid and bullied as an adult. There's a scene in the caravan that Jimmy lives in where he's being bullied by some younger kind of drunk folk. And it is just maybe it's getting old, but I just found it particularly disturbing. There's nothing gruesome, nothing particularly violent, but there's the threat of violence. And you think this could go very, very badly. It's very, very, I mean, it's testament to all you guys who performed in that caravan, but I found that a very disturbing scene. I think it is, and I think it's, I think it is that terrible sort of self-fulfilling prophecy of people who are trapped in certain aspects who allow things

to happen to them. I mean, this guy is a middle-aged guy, an older middle-aged guy now, you know, he has found himself cut a drift and actually not a communicator, and really friendless. So these people who come along are kind of friends and he talks about them and you can see that he's not really sure whether they are. And then his sister discovers this thing that he's, I think the sadness is that he, they are the only friends he has to a certain degree. So he puts up with it. Although he's not, you know, he's trouble very big problem with communication, big problem with what he's, you know, has, what his reality and what isn't at times and what is just dealing with what's on his conscience. He has a terrible struggle with his conscience and it's with his sister that they managed to work this through, you know. Tell me how you got involved in it, Tim, because this is a directorial debut from Ian Poulson

Davis, who's 64, which is going to give a lot of people a lot of encouragement. So he's been an actor and so he's done lots of, he's been in the business for a long time, but a directorial debut at 64 is quite something. How did the script end up with you and why did you say it? Well, it was, it ends a really good actor, but he's also a fantastic writer. It co-wrote brilliant script, which my machine surely worked on called dirty filthy love with Jeff Pope, which was about people with OCD really bad,

you know, and it's about love affair. So he writes about what I like about him, his mind and his whole thing. He goes into areas of people's with problems that you don't really see. And then not dirty filthy love like this has moments of kind of black humor in it, you know, when he, when my character talks about his problem, he jokes about what his condition is. He's allowed to, but he also has a certain overview of it being a problem. So it's not all gloom, it's not misery porn, there's a lightness in it and there's a sweetness in it. I think I get attracted to A stories which are,

off, slightly, concentrating on people who are often, you know, not, if a tract or living a life that isn't their own. I mean, that's one of the central tenants of this is, there's a main, the central role of this. It's a woman who has chosen to live another life because of pain, because of pain in youth. Now, I think to a certain degree, we all make decisions about what we're going to live and what we are. This is a massively extreme case of it.

You know, and I think this is a sort of investigation of how someone, I can't take that anymore through their inability to be happy and ever adopted their acting. I mean, everybody to a happy and ever adopted their acting. I mean, everybody to a large religious degree is acting themselves. This person is really acting another person and it's through revisiting the past via the love of Mark Bowen and that this reconciliation comes, this meeting comes. And I like that finding of a kind of that terrible word closure close your awesome path towards some kind of inner peace through actually facing up to the horror of what's happened to you and not pretending or somebody

else, but owning it, looking at it and facing up to it and letting it go. You're a cheque to your year older than me, but we were both very susceptible to the music of Martin Bowler and it's what I'm guessing. And so we're both at secondary school when this stuff comes on the road, yeah, we'd thought it was fantastic, you know, the... I wasn't, because I wasn't listening to John Peel at the time, I was less aware of the hippie stuff that he was doing when it was Tyrannosaurus Rex, but what do you remember of Bowlin's music? Was it big for you? Yeah, I love that sound. I started listening to it when it was more foaky, sort of foaky rock sound, and I loved it.

He had this very prolus voice that was with his music, and the tunes and the sounds, it had a sort of world music quality to it, that segues into a folk, into rock. I love that sound, and it was, you know, a bit like quite a bit like very different, obviously. We're talking about Bob Dylan going from folk to rock. A lot of them did it, and interestingly enough,

he became glam rock, which a lot of people who, you know, some people have never forgiven Bob Dylan for becoming, you know, doing the rock music, but there's still people. I don't think he ever forgave Mark for doing bone and becoming, but he became a huge star, a pop star, you know, and he was on top of the pops before that. He was much more of a niche focusing, wasn't he? So that character becoming a sort of a thing, he became pretty big in the States as well. Didn't he? He was

a big, I think he became a big star. Get it on, bang a gun. That was their big hit in the States, but children as a revolution was a matter. Right. Right. Yeah. Fantastic tunes. Am I right? Wonderful looking man. Oh, yeah. I really had a very, I think somebody called it, I think, a dirty, pretty look, you know. And some of the actors in in Bowling Shoes, they, they, they do their own version with

the glitter on the faces. Am I right? Saying at the time that you were hanging out with a guy who looked like David Bowie and you had an extravaganza, is that right? Are you a ganzer, and you were made with extravaganza. Yeah, and Peter Heisen, yeah. That's right. It was, yeah, it was the time, that transitional period, and I live very close to the King's Road. So I used to dress up in a quasi-de-Kenzie and I had a frot coat like a... I can see that. Yeah, and a little pair of spectacles, and I think I had some sort of britches to our war.

And he was an absolute dead ringer for David Bowie. And we used to sit on the steps of Chelsea Town Hall on the Kings Road, desperately trying to look interesting. And probably succeeding until he was about to... I mean, weren't we, we were just kids? But, you know... Well, there was quite a sense. How did it, it wasn't a David Bowie tribute act, but you hung out with a guy who looked like David Bowie.

Yeah, and he was a dairier. Before we're done, just two things I need to mention. First of all, the six-comamament, an incredible drama series. You must have known when you were doing it that it was brilliant, but are you surprised by the extent to which people have said, you know, like career best performance for you? Very surprised. You know, it's delightful.

And you never quite know. When you do things, I always try to give everything I've got. You know, I don't take on anything lightly without thinking about, you know, thinking about it a lot. I want to go on about it too much, but you never really know. I know it's fantastically written. I knew when we were doing it, we had a very intense and enjoyable time working on it together and sold Dib Director and Aina, Hardwick who plays my lover. I knew he was fantastic. And you know, you get a feeling you've possibly done something interesting and good, but you never know. This is the interesting thing about this business. You do these things and you choose it on the script It's only a script that turns up a series of scripts and you're reading anything that's interesting and then your job

Oh, we are a storyteller. You know, I don't want to sound too, you know like You know, I'm making humble of it But that's a we are and you think this is a great story and my job is now to fit myself in the story But you never know to what extent is going to catch the imagination. And I haven't really had this kind of thing. It's like the old days when I've read a saying was first on people coming up in the street and just volunteering to say how much they loved it and enjoyed how affected they were and also how affected they were by emotionally touched by it. And it's a lovely thing. It means that you, you know, and it's the, it's the,

it's the dear old babe, you know, it's the BBC making what it's always been able to do has done in the past. And I hope it encourages them to do more straight down the line. Let's just make interest in drama. Let's not try and tick boxes all the time. Let's not aim at a demographic. Let's make what we make properly and do it well, you know. So I'm really delighted and you know

It's really has caught your imagination It's lovely to know that you can do these things and that they do many awards coming your way. Oh no But finally someone who has had such success in television and in movies It's a difficult time isn't it with it that you know the screenwriter strike now has been going on a long time as we're speaking. There doesn't appear to be any resolution at all. Is your industry going to be in a really tough place between now and I don't know. Maybe they're talking about maybe it gets sort of till the Oscars. Yes, I think it's not great. Something affecting you. Yeah, I mean it's not a sag member, so myIG site is on strike. You know, the sadness of it is that something has to happen because there are issues. I won't go on about them, you know, but everything basically people know what they are, I think.

But what's hard is a very difficult job to get working anyway. And also, you know, this is an issue that has to be sorted out. There are so many people who are working and around the business who are not working. As we know, I always say, nice work when you can get it. So, it's the employment rate very, very low. So, it's difficult and it's painful. And so, I do really feel and understand, you know, there are not people to suffer. But, you know, as I say, I'm a Sagan member, so I support the action. Pauline Shuse is Tim's new movie, a cinematic release. Indeed.

Yes, small one, but it will be so if you'll see it out, it'll be on somewhere around. Look it out on a big screen. Bollin's shoes, starring Tim's ball team. Thank you very much, Dave, for coming in. Thank you, Simon. I always love it to talk to you. Bollin's shoes,

Bollin's shoes, who says so much to say, even though that was an edited version of our conversation, you could listen, I could listen to him for another half hour quite happily, because he's just been around for a long time, and he knows a lot of stuff. And he's funny and charming and empathetic and everything that you want, you know, an interview to be. And when he said, I never do anything, kind of, I'm paraphrasing, you never do anything half-party,

throws himself into absolutely everything. You, you just sense that that's true. And so whether he's playing Jimmy in bowling shoes or whether he's doing a big dramatic piece in America, you know, he'll give it absolutely everything. And you're right about the next moment. I mean, you know, it's great. Yeah, and that's, and how interesting that he automatically reflects to our feeders' empath,

which is like almost a startup is a story that people, that it had, and imagine what, I mean, and the hit TV show back then, it counted for so much more, you know, with another 10 million people watching, than a hit TV show does now, but that was his reflex point. Yeah.

So should we talk about Bowling shoes? So look, I think it was a great interview. I'm a huge fan of Tim Spall. The best is very good. The performance is very good. And it is true that in Pilsen Davis, who he talked about, his involvement in dirty filthy love, which of course was a big award winning thing

and very intriguing So there's a there's a lot of promise in this. There's a lot of talent involved in this I have to be absolutely flat out honest. It didn't work for me and it doesn't it didn't work for me for one very simple reason There's just too much going on So what Tim Spill referred to in that review as unfortunate events. I mean, there's unfortunate events. And then there is a catalog of unfortunate events that it becomes quite hard to follow where the story is really going. So on the one hand, you have bowling shoes. It has the retro thing about, I'm a big bowling fan. And then I love

the fact that they use light of love because that doesn't get used enough. Like, that is an absolute banger of a song. And you have stories about people, people dealing with trauma, essentially hiding themselves behind characters. And whether in the case of the Tim Spalting, you said the fact is he kind of looks like Roy Wood. But when you meet him, it's not immediately apparent to anybody who he is and then he is recognized for who he is and he's obviously taken on this person.

And so all that stuff is going on. And the film is also dealing with bullying and with mental health issues and, you know, with buried trauma, which is fine and admirable. The problem is that when you have a plot which has, at the very beginning of it, a kind of, have you ever seen the sweet here after the Atomago in film? I don't believe so now.

Okay, that has, as it's central, awful event, a coach load of children being involved in an accident. And the film builds toward the revelation of that. And it is one single event that has traumatized an entire community. In this film, that is one event at the beginning of a drama that then has hidden identities, adopting other people's identities. I don't want to spoil anything, but as the plot goes on,

that's not the only one of the, it piles, plot point upon plot point. And as a result of doing that, there's a lot of having to explain. There is one scene in which a character has to explain to another character the kind of, the entire story of her life while the other character who is listening in a very kind of the entire story of her life, while the other character who is listening in a very kind of forgiving, because he's in the business of forgiveness,

way, has this extraordinary series of revelations. And my problem is because of that, I don't believe in any of them. Now, that is not to say that there aren't things. I mean, I think the film's heart is in the right place. And as I said, I think the performances are committed, you said yourself, he just doesn't do uncommitted performances. But the plot is so labyrinthine. And so one of the things that are in it, I mean, I would have watched a film just about the character that he plays. I would have literally just watched a film about that character having a trauma in his

childhood and then becoming the character that we meet blowing the bubbles. I would have watched a film about somebody who... I was a wise Mark Bolton and then something happened that they changed who they were but kept that love of... Any one of those individual elements I think would have been fine. I think when you throw them all together, they just counter each other out to the point that you just go, okay, I don't know what this is trying to be. And I think it's a shame because I think there are things in there that were kind of cute and sweet and, you know, and obviously heartfelt, but it doesn't work and it doesn't work

because there is so much plot and so much exposition that none of it rings true It just becomes a theatrical contrivance Do you feel differently? No, I was sort of intrigued as to where it was going It's quite a long time before Tim Spool's character appears and for a while I'm I would and also when appears, he appears to disappear. Yeah, pretty swift though. Am I going to be doing an interview?

Because this has happened in the past, where someone's in it for two minutes. And in that sequence that we played, he's cleaning, because it's not immediately clear, because he's talking about Carrie Grant and Bristol and cleaning a statue of Carrie Grant. But Mark Bowlin. He's cleaning a statue of Carrie Grant. But Mark Bowlin. He's cleaning a statue of Mark Bowlin with a toothbrush and some fairy liquid, you know, that kind of thing. So he is nothing ever,

apart from, you know, totally engaging. And but I agree with you that if it had been Jim's story, that would have been... Well, that's enough. That would have been enough. So too many vickers. I didn't believe in any of them. It was like stereotype vickers, stereotype vickers,

why I just not really didn't quite buy into any of that, really. But don't you think that any individual one of those threads would have been enough to make the movie itself? I mean, with the central character played by Liam Bezos, she has a story which has a revelation in it. This is what I'm saying. That that's enough of a you don't need that and the other stuff as well. It's one or the other. And that's why I refer back to the Atomigoyan. It's what happens is the things cancel each other out. It's it's a shame because I wanted to like it more than I did, but I can't lie about it.

Thanks to Tim Spulfkuh, he had bowling shoes, is his movie, and as he adds in a minute, Mark, but first his time once again to step into a very, very honorable laughter lift, must we? Yes, yes, Mark. Yes, yes. Mark, do you know how to wake up Lady Gaga? No.

Think. How do you wake up Lady Gaga? Um, uh, poker face. No, Mark, that would count as assault, uh, punishable by, you think, five years? Custody, never had you down as a violent man. The correct answer is, of course, a nice... I'm sorry, the correct answer. The correct answer.

Not fair, because even now as I'm thinking... That's horrible! That correct answer is a nice... Look at how much they're laughing in the kitchen, that's horrible! That's correct answer is a nice cup of tea. I'm not talking to you anymore. Mark, I've deleted all my German contacts from my phone. Now it's hands-free, I didn't need you to respond.

I'm just not getting involved. I just flew back from a Transformers convention and boy, I'm my arms tires. Yeah, I don't need you to respond. I'm just not getting involved. I just flew back from a Transformers Convention and boy are my arms tires. Yeah, I don't need you. Anyway, what's still to come up? I don't care. Stuff with Mark in it. Be back after this unless you're a Vanguardista in which case we have just one question. The first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female,

the first four letters signify a great person. The first five are an intoxicant, whilst the entire word signifies a great woman. Hmm. Get holiday ready at Real Canadian Superstore. Will you find more legendary ways to save than any other major grocer? Until December 13th, you'll get a free PC turkey when you spend $300 or more.

That's right. Free. Only at your super holiday store. Conditions apply to fly for details. With banking packages from Scotia Bank, you can put money back in your pocket. That's how Marcus was able to invest in everything he needed to launch his podcast. About his pets. Welcome back to PetGasd.

Visit ScotiaBank.com slash welcome offer. Scotia Bank Conditions Apply. Visit sco-shabank.com slash welcome offer sco-shabank conditions apply And welcome back the answer is of course heroin but What that you you were in your huff so you didn't notice I was in my half because you all set me up for a really nasty It could know it was good. That was good. Right. Yeah. Was it is the thing and there's the thing and then and and and what's what's a really really really unpleasant about it is that I did it because I think of you as Mr. Nights, it's like you made me say something horrible. No, I made you say something that was suggested by the line that I the feed line. And then you you went for that. And that was exactly as I was hoping that you would.

I'm not the back of yours by the way. It's not good. We have all the things that give me pain at the moment. It's not the most painful. You know, what else is out? I'm not going to tell you. Okay, well, this will be a very, very dull final section. All right, here's what I'm going to do.

It's a long-term. He's what I'm going to do. Okay. As a demonstration of how great therapy has been for me. Yes. I'm literally gonna get over this now. Watch. Okay, so there's a new...

You just had a breath and a clap. Yeah. Well, that's easy. I could have told you to do that. No, but I've moved on. Don't drag it back. Okay, yeah, I've moved on. Okay.

I have moved on. Okay. Fine. Haunting in Venice. Poker face. It's quite a, it's kind of a good line, I think, and you delivered it very well. New film by Kenneth Branagh, which is the third of Branagh's Poirot. I mean, yeah, Poirot, sorry, my brain's going. But the first one that isn't a remake, because murder on the Orient Express, famously it was a film video in the 1970s, death on the Nile,

this is based on Agatha Christie's Halloween party. Do you know Halloween party? I don't. I walked past the poster on the tube the other day, and it was Ken and his fantastic moustache, and it looks amazing. I don't know this story. No, well, weirdly enough, you saw Belfast. and his fantastic moustache and it looks amazing. I don't know this story. No, well, weirdly enough, you saw Belfast.

I did, of course. Belfast features in it, Jamie Dawne and Jude Hill who are in this film. And in that film, and I didn't know this, I just found this out from researching the trivia, Hill's character, the young boy, opens a Christmas present, one of which is a copy of Halloween party. So there we go.

He knows what he's doing, I didn't know that. So, Branagh, back behind the, you know, I mean, I do find that when Branagh's been saying, I mean, I love watching him do praro, but it's the twin-layered moustache that you're always kind of worried about the mechanics of it. I know there's a whole thing

in Death and Nile about how it comes about. So it is extraordinary. It is absolutely extraordinary. So he is now retired from sleuthing in the opening scene and this plays out in Venice. In the opening, of course, it does, it's called a haunting in Venice. In the opening scene, we see him ignoring the implications of a load of people who want him to solve cases for them. There's a kind of humorous scene in which people rush up to him with legal papers, and he has a bodyguard who throws them over bridges so they don't bother him. All he wants to do is just be kept away enjoying his cakes and his chocolates, which we know from the previous films

he likes very much until he has a visit from Tina-Face crime writer Ariadne Oliver, who has other plans for him. Here's a clip. Her cure poireau really has gone silent. Walled himself up into retirement, cakes for cases. Pay him much, set these fight. No. This is happiness, not satisfaction, or right or no difference. Even picked Venice to hide in gorgeous relics, slowly sinking into the sea, just like your mind without a challenge. Don't underestimate me for a clever tone of phrase. I am the world's number one mystery writer or was anyway best sellers 27

of 30 books. Damn the critics on the last three called them all small beer. How are you adding the olive oil it is good to see you. You are coming with me. Time to put some life back into your life. It's a great kind of old-fashioned screwball performance, isn't it? With that, you know, da, da, da, da, da, da, I'm going to deliver it to the door. What a lovely balcony, what a terrific view. I think I've seen that in a couple of other movies that very same balcony.

So he's sitting there enjoying his fondance and his cakes and all that stuff. She persuades him to attend a Halloween party sayon at a haunted palatso, nominally to see a medium who he shall either debunk or who, according to Tina Fey's character, will be demonstrated to be the real thing, which will give her source material for her next novel. That medium is played by Michelle Yo who recently won an Oscar for everything ever

or all at once. The Palazzo belongs to Kelly Riley's Rina Davis, whose daughter fell to her death from a high window, or did she fall, or did she jump, or was she pushed? The psychic is going to find out by putting them in touch with the daughter, also at the plato, are Jamie Dorn's traumatized doctor, the pocuses son, Jude Hill, Camille Cotton's Olga Seminoff, host of other people who, when people start dying, are all in time-honored fashion suspect. So, the plot is preposterously twisty, but that's what we come if, all right,

it's an agathecristic thing. And also, it's kind of agathecristic with an edge of gothic horror. Branagh clearly loves playing puro. I mean, you saw just from that scene in which he's having a conversation and eating a cake. You can see the joy on his face. Oh, he's loving it.

He loves it. And he loves doing the accent. And he loves the fussiness and the little mannerisms and the just the little... And the cross on the coffee and everything about it. Exactly. Absolutely. Everything he loves about it. He also, I think, clearly enjoys the opportunity to make films which are on the one hand old fashioned, but on the other hand have the modernity that is now available to him. This is shot on digital incidentally. So, from the opening, I mean, it opens with this kind of Dutch angle shot event.

It's, you know, Dutch angle means everything's on the, I've told you that before of night. Yes, we're always worth repeating. I always thought the joke where Dutch angle means that something is on the shunk, meaning it's, you know, the camera is sideways and it's a kind of expressionist angle. And I always thought it was, I was told it's called Dutch angle because in Holland everything's flat. So it's a joke. If the thing's on the shunk, it's Dutch angle. Okay. It's not actually, it's from Deutsche Angle. It's from German film directors going to America and then bringing German expressionism into Hollywood film. So it starts with a very angular shot.

We remember dead again, which was a kind of tribute to those movies. And then there are these overcranked ghostly machinations of the plot. Again, if you know Branagh's stuff, think Frankenstein, he loves all that kind of overripe, overcooked melodrama. I mean, he's, you know, he is a man who is not afraid of a grand theatrical gesture. And also, apparently, I was reading the background stuff, he took a leaf out of Freakins book for exorcist, and that there were things during the saiyant sequences in which he didn't tell the actors that, you know, the lights were

suddenly going to go out, or, you know, all these gusts of wind were going to blow across the same, because what he wanted to do was to get genuinely alarmed reactions from, you know, which is kind of a bit of fun. I thought it was very likable. Yes, it's silly. Yes, it's overcooked. Yes, it's as ripe as a very, very ripe thing. Excellent. And for a sign, you wouldn't want a pyro that wasn't ripe. And it has a score by Hilda Goodner, Dr. Who, of course, is, you know, the great hero of a modern film composition, recently did women talking one the Oscar for Joker.

So it is a film that delivers exactly what you think it's got. It is called A Haunting in Venice. It is in Venice. There is a haunting. There is all the, you know, sort of high campery of this kind of overcranked, gothic drama, and everyone is given at 110%,

but not in a completely scenery chewing fashion in a way that mixes old-fashioned and also new-fangled. I mean, it's preposterous and ridiculous, and I smile all the way through it. And at the end, does he gather everybody in a room and goes, from a while and there's a thing in the figure and they go, but no. And then I realized. And when some of the, when some of the, because the expression happens over, it was a, it was a thing that happened. I told you that child two, we took child two to see

the mouse trap. And in the moment, in the mouse trap, when it's revoked, when the inspector says, and I put it to you that it was you and child too, who was very young, time went, no! Well, I felt the same way about this. No! So he said, is that so when, when the thing is revealed? Well, it's not, it's not quite as you're saying, but it's close enough. I think you'll really enjoy it. I want to see it now. It's nonsense. It's an absolute fondant fancy of a film. This week's listener correspondence for our What's On, then this is where we invite you to send us you speaking basically. So it's not me reading stuff out again because everyone's you need to break. Fed up with that. So tell us everything about your cinema related activity. Correspondence at wwwcobinamau.com like this for example. Hello Simon and Mark, this is Rachel Kaplan from the Land by Sea Film Festival.

Join Scotland's premier climate-focused film fest from the 15th to 17th September at the Montrose Playhouse. Dive into 20 global environmental films, chat with filmmakers, enjoy the eco-fare, and even brave a Scottish beach dip. Immerse yourself in Inspire Change, visit landbyc.org. The second annual Meet Film Festival will take place at the Solstice Arts Centre Navankantimidth, Ireland on the 16th and 17th of September. Our 2-day program includes the award-winning documentaries, North Circular and Pray for Our Seniors, as well as

the future film sunlight. Each screening will be followed by Q&As with the filmmakers. We will also hold animation and editing workshops, short film programs, and a 24-hour film challenge. For tickets and more information, go to www.medefilm.ie. Excellent information from Rachel Kaplan, first of all, telling us about the climate-focused land by sea film festival. That's great. And Elaine Gallagher plugging the second Meet Film Festival in Ireland. Also great. I was having a conversation with a book editor.

And we went to the book. And a TV producer. Anyway, we're just talking about the fact that AI and eco-related subjects are going to be the big areas, which a lot of people are going to be focusing on. But how increasingly tough it's going to, you know, how do you make your, you know, is the environment one of the big issues at the moment? Yes, of course it is. Is AI the big buzz topic of the, yes, of course it is. There are going to be so many screenplays

on that subject, hitting people's desks over the next couple of years to make your standouts going to be really, really difficult. Yeah. Yeah. Garath Edwards is going down the AI route. We're going to talk to him in a future episode. So it's just, you coming in? Yeah. Yeah. I think I'm doing the thing. So he's coming in. Sorry about that. I'll, I mean, I'll ask him if he can come around. Yeah. You know, maybe have a cup of tea. I like doing the thing. Sorry about that. I'll ask him if he can come round. Yeah, maybe I have a cup of tea. I like him. Yeah, I went around to his flat when he made monster.

I think we gave him his first break. What I think we did. I think he owes it all to us. Because when he made monster, monster's probably, and he did all the special effects in his home, on his laptop computer. Was it my son? He was.

That's right. Well remember, plug it in the BBC. Well remember a big camera minute. It was. That's right. That's exactly where we go. Plug in the BBC. I know exactly. Anyway, establishment journalist. If you'd like to send us, we are the mainstream media. If you'd like to send us your audio trailer about any movie related event anywhere in the world, correspondents at kermetermayo.com. Now, that is the end of take one. This has been a Sony music entertainment production. The team was Lily Hamley, Ryan Amira, Sancia Panzer, Gully T'Kell, Beth Perkin, Mickey movies, Hannah Tulbert and Simon Paul. Mark. You say yes, Simon. Yes, I'm. What is your film of the week? Well, my film of the week is brother, but I would also give a popcorn thumbs up to a haunting

inventist. What's a popcorn thumbs up look like? It's exactly what it sounds like. Excellent. Thank you very much, D for listening. Take two has also landed at the same time in landed Jason to this one and take three with you on Wednesday.