Ed Vaizey

Another week end indulgence, was watching some great films.  We’re about to go and see Little Miss Sunshine, but last night I caught The Long Good Friday (for the umpteenth time) and Being There (for the frst time), both made in 1979.

TLGF is Britain’s answer to The GOdfather, and features fantastic performances from Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren and that bloke off Casualty.  IT reminds you of the grittiness and donbeatness of Britain in the 70s (the visiting Americans describe it as a banana republic) and the power of the IRA.  But most importantly, unlike many tiresome British movies, it has no “message” aboiut Britain, it’s simply a very well made gangster movie with a suitably ambiguous ending,  Rather like the Italian Job, made ten years earlier, which also proves the rule that you only get a good British movie every ten years.

I’d never seen Being There, which is one of the few movies that is apparently not on video.  Again, of its time, its universal message is about how easy the public can wish themselves to be fooled when yearning for leadership and direction.  A timeless movie, as anyone who has lived through the Blair era will testify.

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