British trilogy will get special screening at IFC Center
RED RIDING — 1974 (Julian Jarrold, 2009)
RED RIDING — 1980 (James Marsh, 2009)
RED RIDING — 1983 (Anand Tucker, 2009)
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Based on four novels written by British author David Peace (THE DAMNED UNITED), the RED RIDING TRILOGY is an epic crime noir set against the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper, a series of murders that took place in England in the 1970s. The first part, RED RIDING — 1970, directed by Julian Jarrold (BRIDESHEAD REVISITED), follows hotshot reporter Eddie Dunford (Andrew Garfield) as he returns home after an unsuccessful attempt at making a name for himself in the big city. Dunford is investigating the disappearance of several young girls, but he soon gets in too deep, uncovering rampant police corruption, falling for one of the victim’s mothers (Rebecca Hall), and battling powerful businessman John Dawson (Sean Bean), who will stop at nothing to build the area’s first giant shopping complex. The second film, directed by James Marsh (MAN ON WIRE), moves the action to 1980, as Manchester detective Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine) is summoned to help capture the Yorkshire Ripper. Trying to put his past behind him, Hunter immediately finds himself up against the local police, particularly Bob Craven (Sean Harris), who is hiding a dark secret. The third film, directed by Anand Tucker (HILARY AND JACKIE), heads forward in time to 1983, as Maurice Jobson (David Morrissey) begins to question his involvement in the corruption and cover-up and ragged lawyer John Piggott (Mark Addy) believes they might have convicted the wrong man.
Sean Bean plays a critical role as corrupt businessman in crime trilogy
Written by Tony Grisoni (FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS), the RED RIDING TRILOGY is a moody, gripping thriller that is part SERPICO, part THE WIRE, part INFERNAL AFFAIRS, with the first film focused on journalism, the second on police procedures, and the third on the law. Although each film — originally made for British television with an eye for international release — can stand on its own, there are recurring characters and overlapping story lines, and the dark, foreboding atmosphere haunts all three works. Despite being made by different directors, the films flow seamlessly into one other and are best seen back to back to back. With that in mind, the IFC Center will be screening the whole series fourteen times from February 5 to 11, beginning each day at 1:00 and 7:00, unfurling this Special Roadshow Edition of the five-hour trilogy for a special price of $25 that comes with a collectors program, free popcorn, two intermissions, and no commercials or trailers. Starting February 12, the films will be shown individually, with separate admissions.
After playing film festivals around the world, Philippe Diaz’s THE END OF POVERTY? ran for one week last year at Village East and is now being rereleased at Cinema Village, bringing its critical take on the global financial crisis. Speaking with Nobel Prize winners, economists, writers, politicians, researchers, and other experts, Diaz attempts to get at the heart of international poverty — particularly by tugging at the audience’s heartstrings. He intercuts shots of talking heads discussing slavery and colonialism, the World Bank, the free market, the International Monetary Fund, and government bailouts with portraits of men, women, and children living in squalor in Africa, Latin America, the United States, and elsewhere. He supplements the film with a barrage of statistics that, individually, are infuriating but, taken as a whole, get lost in a whirlwind of numbers. Adding to the overkill is Martin Sheen’s over-the-top narration, which piles up yet more information and outrage. But even as the film sometimes feels like a Sally Struthers save-the-children infomercial, its crucial message does manage to pull through and take root — the money is out there, but its incredibly lopsided distribution in a warped system is basically set up to keep the imbalance that has led to such a tragic situation.
Toshiro Mifune is a lone samurai on the road following the end of the Tokugawa dynasty in Akira Kurosawa’s unforgettable masterpiece. Mifune comes to a town with two warring factions and plays each one off the other as a hired hand. Neo’s battles with myriad Agent Smiths are nothing compared to Yojimbo’s magnificent swordfights against growing bands of warriors that include one man with a gun. Try watching this film and not think of several Clint Eastwood Westerns as well as HIGH NOON.
