Sun, 8 November 2009
The exhibition includes scenes from many of the famous director's movies and his wife's work as his photography director.
Gwendolyn Alston wonders if good and personalised service in Spanish restaurants is a thing of the past.
Any bones found in the mass grave in Alfaca will be sent for analysis to enable families to identify their ancestors.
Blogger Chris Showers experienced a cultural shock upon his first visit to an outspoken and talkative Spanish dentist.
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In this week's Expatica cinema section - in collaboration with Picturenose - James Drew reviews '3:10 to Yuma', 'Maradona by Kusturica', and 'Sex and the City'.3:10 to Yuma
In 1957, audiences were introduced to poor rancher Dan Evans (then played by Van Heflin) and the number-one outlaw of the land, Ben Wade (Glenn Ford), in Delmer Daves’ original. Evans has to feed his family, but the poor harvest and weather aren't doing him any favours – and, as Wade has been captured, a volunteer is needed to escort him to the town of Contention, to put him onboard the 3:10 train to Yuma jail, hence the title. Evans signs up – and the fun begins.
The remake by James Mangold (Walk the Line (2005)) sees Russell Crowe and Christian Bale as villain and captor – two high-profile actors sharing top billing. Crowe gives a very good performance as Wade, demonstrating a range of emotions that give real authenticity to his character, offering glimpses of vulnerability beneath the brutality. Bale also delivers a winning, versatile performance as the rancher who, in desperation is risking his life to sustain his family - a noble but broken man who, after being stepped on for too long wants to change the way he is perceived by his children and his wife Alice (Gretchen Mol). 
Frequently, when a film features two powerhouse actors, things can degenerate into two egos doing battle for screen time, but that’s not the story here. Both actors approach their roles with conviction, complementing each other excellently. Their efforts are supported by dialogue that is smart and witty and a supporting cast that is just off-kilter enough and peppered with barely recognizable character actors, such as Peter Fonda as a grizzled bounty hunter. With cinematography as rousing as the performances, the film breathes new life into a somewhat moribund genre that is nevertheless still one that Americans do best.
122 mins.
Maradona by Kusturica
Mr. Drew you fancy yourself to be quite clever ... but clever would mean getting the facts straight ... your Sex In The City review contains an error ... it is not Harry who has the "indiscretion", it's Steve. And to be honest it doesn't even appear that you watched the movie ... maybe the trailer.
Dear Trish,
My apologies for the factual error - mea culpa. A slip that I will get the webmaster to address. Concerning your other comments, I don't suppose getting into a 'You didn't watch the movie'/'Yes, I did' back and forth will serve much purpose, but I can assure you that did - the review does read a little cynical, I concede, but the series is not exactly on my preferred viewing list. And, with that in mind, I believe that I was as fair as possible to the movie which, let us face it, is by and large a similacrum of the series, with all the positive aspects that will doubtless entail for fans, among whose number I feel sure you can be included. Thus, it was never really going to grab my attention - sorry for being honest.
Thanks for your comment.
James Drew
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