THE SECRET LIVES OF DENTISTS
15, 104 mins
The title of this deliciously quirky domestic drama is obviously intriguing. Probably the film-makers figured that few would rush to watch if the title remained The Age of Grief, like its source novella by Jane Smiley. On the other hand, the word “dentists” could unfortunately exert its own adverse effect. Who runs to a dental appointment?
Trust the director, the always fascinating Alan Rudolph, to avoid the sweet and obvious. Unlike most films by this former associate of Robert Altman, Dentists avoids exploring group dynamics in favour of a twosome: the personal lives of two married dentists, Campbell Scott and Hope Davis. All seems bustling until Scott sees Davis in another man’s arms; then the age of grief arrives.
Rudolph’s treatment of the material is not absolutely perfect: as Scott tries sitting out his wife’s presumed affair, some repetitions creep in. But director and scriptwriter (the playwright Craig Lucas) never mislay the film’s core, and humorously convey the mounting disorder as facts are faced, kids get the flu, and life spins out of control.
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Davis’s part is not the most sympathetic, though you still watch her every move. Denis Leary, dressed in the world’s nastiest brown leather jacket, is robustly amusing as the louche patient who becomes Scott’s prodding alter ego.
But this is Campbell Scott’s film. He knows the true film actor’s secret — less is more — and his droll underplaying reveals insights and emotions a bulldozing performance would have quickly flattened. Modest extras. (Tartan).
IT HAPPENED HERE
PG, 97 mins
Kevin Brownlow’s name has become so associated with silent-film history that his own work as a director with Andrew Mollo can get forgotten. They began shooting this adventurous “what if . . ?” fantasy about Britain under Nazi Occupation as teenagers in 1956; they finished it in 1963. There were always holes and rough patches but the film’s force remains undiminished, thanks to its eye for detail, sharp editing, persuasive performances (mostly amateur), and the chilling ease of Britain’s capitulation.
The extra material could have been voluminous; but it isn’t. (Film First).
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WOLF CREEK
18, 94 mins
Backpackers in the Australian Outback have enough headaches without the movies foisting nightmares upon them. But if you do wish to be scared rigid, Greg McLean’s assured debut feature does the job with ruthless determination and some sophistication.
Two British girls and a Sydney surfer find themselves miles from anywhere with a non-functioning car. Enter a bushman proffering help — the kind of help best refused. Interviews, a lengthy “making of”, and a good commentary fill out the grisly package. (Optimum)
THE TALES OF HOFFMANN
Exempt, 127 mins
Martin Scorsese has rhapsodised over Powell and Pressburger’s boldly stylised film of Offenbach’s opera. Certainly it yokes music, dance, theatre and cinema in a mighty fusion, though the heavy encrustation of decorative effects can prompt claustrophobia.
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This copy has watery colour, but opera lovers should relish the inclusion of two CDs containing the German release soundtrack, featuring different singers. (Immortal)
GEOFF BROWN