Viva Lewes Issue #147 December 2018

ON THIS MONTH: FILM
Left to right: Paddington 2, White Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life
Film ’18
Dexter Lee’s cinema round-up
About this time last year, I bumped into Lewes
Depot trustee John Kenward, and as usual he
gave me his latest film recommendation. It’s
generally a slow-moving Italian documentary or
some sort of Iranian arthouse work. “Have you
seen…” he said, then paused, for effect. “Have
you seen… Paddington 2? Marvellous film. I’ve
been twice.”
As usual I took him up on it; I went with my
wife. Just us. We both laughed (a lot) and we
both cried (just a little bit). As ever, John had
hit the nail on the head. If you missed it at the
Depot you’ve a last chance to see it at Lewes
Film Club, at the All Saints (16th).
That’s the only one from the Film Club this
month, so the rest of the films listed here are
one-offs and specials at the Depot. The month
starts with Big Howard, Little Howard (1st), in
which TV comedian Howard Reed, in person,
interacts with his six-year-old on-screen
persona, as seen on TV. Then there’s a one-off
screening of Robert Zemeckis’ 2004 CGI
animation The Polar Express (2nd), in which a
cynical-of-all-things-Christmas kid takes a train
ride to the North Pole, to see Santa. And on the
15th, while we’re talking kids’ films, there will
be two screenings of CBeebies’ Christmas Show
Thumbelina.
There are three very different one-offs in the
first week of the month. First up, there’s a rare
chance to see Gone with the Wind (2nd) on a big
screen. Need I say more? Go on, then. Roguish
Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) meets manipulative
Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh). He’s no
gentleman, she’s no lady, and quite frankly,
since it’s just shy of four hours long, you’ll be
glad there’s an interval. Meanwhile this month’s
dementia friendly offering is the classic musical
White Christmas (4th). And, also set in the
festive season, there’s Carol (6th). This (Patricia
Highsmith) book-to-film choice (read it, watch
it, discuss the difference) is a 50s-based periodpiece,
starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney
Mara, about a cross-class lesbian relationship.
On the 3rd and the 9th, live from the Royal Opera
House, there’s a screening of Peter Wright’s
interpretation of Ivanov’s ballet The Nutcracker,
with its sumptuous Tchaikovsky score, featuring
young Clara, her enchanted doll, and, of course,
the Sugar Plum Fairy (see pg 43).
It’s a while since I’ve seen It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad,
Mad World, Stanley Kramer’s immensely successful,
recently restored, madcap 1963 comedy,
with an all-star cast containing some still-familiar
names, such as Spencer Tracy, Terry-Thomas,
Mickey Rooney and Phil Silvers. It’s this
month’s Comedy Genius, introduced by Phil
Nicol (16th). And finally, inevitably, Christmas
being Christmas, Michael Voigt has chosen It’s
a Wonderful Life (19th) as his December film to
watch and analyse afterwards. Programmer Carmen
tells me she’ll probably screen it a couple
more times, so check the website for news of
this and all the month’s other releases.
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