1/17/08

Bob's Big Screen:

British TV comedy better bet than sci-fi film

by Bob Connally

This week’s new releases include the latest offerings from some of Britain’s finest artists,  film director Danny Boyle and the TV team of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. One of these offerings is outstanding, the other a disappointment.

Enjoy a nice cup of tea and find out which of these is worth your time.

Sunshine (available January 8)- Danny Boyle is a director of many talents. His resumé is as impressive as it is diverse ("Trainspotting," "Shallow Grave," "28 Days Later," "Millions”). He’s one of the best directors working today, thanks to his ability to make films drenched in style without the characters, story, or dialogue getting lost in the shuffle. So the thought of him taking on the horror/sci-fi genre was very exciting.

Sadly, "Sunshine" does not measure up.

What's so disappointing about this film is how Boyle manages to bring virtually nothing new to the table, a failing of which he’s never been guilty before.

The premise is great. The sun is dying and a crew of scientists has been sent to restart it. Unfortunately, instead of building an original story around this premise, Alex Garland's screenplay is cobbled together from bits of "2001," the "Alien" series, an episode or two of "Firefly," and several other classics.

Icarus II is the name of their ship, which of course means that Icarus I didn't complete the mission. There's the obligatory tension among the group of people who couldn't be more diverse, and the inevitable moment when they discover that the previous crew, long thought lost, may still be alive. It’s all very familiar.

Thanks to Boyle's visual flare and cinematographer Alwin H. Kuchler, this is all very nice to look at and Cillian Murphy (“Batman Begins”) and Chris Evans (“Fantastic Four”) do their best as the two crewmen at each other’s throats.

However, none of this rids us of the sense that there's nothing terribly inventive here, and the ridiculous twist in the last 20 minutes doesn't help matters.

I eagerly await Boyle’s next effort. After all, everyone’s entitled to an off-day. 5.5/10.

Extras (Complete Series available January 15)- In 2001, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant introduced “The Office.” The incredible British series had such a universal theme that it’s been remade four times (in the US, France, Germany, and Quebec).

With just 12 half-hour episodes and one feature length Christmas special, Gervais (who played boss David Brent to excruciating perfection) and Merchant created a work many thought could never be topped. The truth is that they probably won’t top it. But with “Extras” they’ve done something almost as impressive. They’ve given us a show that stands outside of “The Office’s” shadow.

“Extras” is the story of hapless film extra Andy Millman (Gervais). For years he has toiled wordlessly in the background. His ongoing dream is to break out and become a serious actor.

Andy’s best friend is fellow extra Maggie (Ashley Jensen), a cheery yet dense young woman who probably only became an extra to meet stars and eat free food between takes.

Andy’s attempts to advance his career are often hindered by Maggie’s perfectly innocent comments which manage to paint Andy as a shallow jerk. He’s not helped by his agent Darren either (Merchant). In one episode Andy has to explain to Darren that Los Angeles is in fact in a different time zone from London. It’s no wonder Andy can’t establish any Hollywood contacts.

Andy’s interactions with Maggie and Darren are enough to make “Extras” comic gold, but Gervais and Merchant aren’t content to stop there. The willingness of some of the biggest stars in the world to lampoon themselves is further proof of the power of Gervais and Merchant. Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet, Patrick Stewart, Orlando Bloom, Daniel Radcliffe, David Bowie, Sir Ian McKellen, and a host of others all play themselves as awful and sometimes idiotic people. McKellen in particular is a hoot, explaining to Andy that acting is “pretending.” When describing his work as Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” he says, “How did I know what to say? The words were written down for me in a script. How did I know where to stand? People told me.”

Season 1 is about the sense of hopelessness caused by obscurity. Season 2, in which Andy becomes a catch-phrase squealing sitcom star (“Are you havin’ a laugh!”), is about what happens when the pursuit of fame leads to personal compromise. Just like “The Office,” the second season is the more squirm-inducing of the two.

Also like “The Office,” the series closes with a 90-minute special that blends genuine emotion and sharp comedy beautifully. The final episode in particular gives Jensen a chance to shine. Her Maggie gives the show its heart in the same way Martin Freeman’s Tim gave one to “The Office.” 

Anyone who believes that TV is inferior to film has never seen the work of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

Seasons 1 and 2 have been available on DVD for some time now, which leads me to my problem with the release of the special. The only way to get it is to purchase it in the boxed set of the whole series. Those of us who’ve already bought the first two seasons will just have to wait around and hope that HBO decides to eventually release the special on its own. Not a good way to treat your audience, HBO. But if you’re new to “Extras” or haven’t gotten around to buying it yet, this is your chance to get every episode of this incisive and hilarious show. You will definitely be havin’ a laugh.

Also Available

January 8

3:10 to Yuma (R)- 6.5

Zodiac: 2-Disc Director’s Cut (R)- 10

January 15

The Ten (R)- 6.5

January 22

Barney Miller: Season 2

The Game Plan (PG)