Friday, January 26, 2007

The Lives of the Saints

The Lives of the Saints is the first original script by Tony Grisoni, Terry Gilliam's long-time associate (Tideland, The Brothers Grimm, Fear and Loathing). The film is set in one of the low-rent, multicultural areas of North London, inhabited mostly by that volatile combination of Greeks and Turks, and is a magical tale of wish-fulfillment and instant karma. The area is run by Mr Karva, a big, loud and brutal godfather-like man, played with mesmerising force by James Cosmo. He is a man who likes to have his own way and will go to any extreme to get it. Karva's stepson, Othello, has his own ambitions, as does his off-sider, the weak-willed Emilio. The story is initially recounted from the point of view of Roadrunner, an errand runner for Karva, who can't stand still, that is until one night when he stumbles over a lost child in the park, forever changing the lives of those who come in contact with him.


Nothing is ever explained about who the child is or where he came from. We only know he has some sort of mystical, desire-fulfilling power, which only seems to work on one person at a time, creating some great moments of tension and conflict. Young Sam MacLintock quietly underplays the child with equal parts of wide-eyed innocence and Damien-like menace.

The film is co-directed by celebrity photographer Rankin, and film and TV director Chris Cottam. Disappointingly, it is a fairly pedestrian affair, lacking the promise any real original or standout imagery to make the settings appear more magical, in line with the story. There are some powerful scenes, but most of it is fairly mundane, as is the acting, or at least in comparison to James Cosmo's larger-than-life performance. Or maybe that was the directors' intention, to make Karva an even more prominent character.


Having said that, this is one of the more interesting independent feature films to be made in London in recent years, which doesn't rely on familiar landmarks to establish its setting. Let's hope we can see more original movies that make the most of the city's diversity, without relying on stereotypical, urban stories about the obvious crime, racism and social injustices we see in our everyday lives. William Blake saw angels in the trees of Peckham Rye, new filmmakers just need to find that magic. The Lives of the Saints is certainly a step in the right direction.

The Lives of the Saints is on general release from Tartan Films on January 26.

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