My Cultural Life - London

Hsiao-hsien Hou's atmospheric film observes everyday life from a distance, but as Alan Diment finds, is all the more mesmerizing for it.

‘Hannah Takes The Stairs’ is part of a growing movement in independent US cinema known as ‘mumblecore’. Such films normally concern young Americans who, unable to hold down either a job or a relationship, sit around discussing their lives at great length both introspectively and rather inaudibly (hence the ‘mumblecore’ moniker). For the most part, their self-analysis unearths little but disenchantment with their lot in life. Depending on your taste in movies, you may find this style of film-making decidedly irritating or conversely extremely refreshing.

Director Cristian Mungiu intends ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days’ to be the first in a series of films about life in Communist Romania called ‘Tales From The Golden Age.’ The title is hugely ironic, of course. It is hard to see how it could be more so than with this grim but compelling drama of an illegal abortion which deservedly picked up the Palme D’Or at Cannes earlier this year.

Although when it was released in 1987 Withnail And I, the semi-autobiographical account of writer/director Bruce Robinson’s life with the outrageous Withnail in a squalid Camden flat at the back-end of the ‘60s, was not a box office success and indeed remains fairly unknown in the world of cinema greats, there is a certain type of person who has seen it at least ten times, and could quote nearly every line — especially the funny ones.

Every time bar hostess, Mama-san (Hideko Takamine), works she ascends the same set of stairs and has come to hate them. They lead her from the neon-signed street into a smoky bar of whisky-drunk men accompanied by a soundtrack of jazz music. There’s only two ways out, as she explains, either through marrying-off or starting a business - and neiher are are favourable options. Richard Armitage previews a Japanese classic coming soon to the BFI Southbank.