Film Friday: Of Time and the Lycans

While watching the trailers for Underworld: Rise of the Lycans that have been wallpapering TV recently, you may have wondered two things. First of all, "Rise of the Lichens?" and then probably, "Who is that beardy bloke who keeps yelling?"

We'll tell you who it is. It's only bloody Tony Blair! Or rather, Michael Sheen, the actor who we recently said was "burned into our brain as 'Tony Blair' no matter what he's in." Well, he's doing his best to prove us wrong. Will he? It depends on if his character, the leader of a group of werewolves, engages in a deal with the other front-runner for werewolf leader and then gets them all involved in a pointless war by claiming that the vampires could ready their fangs within forty-five minutes (ooh, political satire).

Anyway, that's one of the films out this week; it's a weak time for film (again) meaning that most are (wisely) concentrating on Cinematheque Ontario's new season, which starts tonight with Terence Davies's Of Time And The City, called "caustic, rueful and affectionate in equal measure" by Eye's Jason Anderson. Cinematheque Ontario are also showing their Canada's Top Ten selection this season, too, which is well worth looking out for.

Otherwise we've got philosophical documentary Examined Life playing the Royal and the latest in Brendan Fraser's series of films where he plays a dad who goes on adventures, Inkheart. Not entirely sure why this seems to be all he's interested in currently—is he trying to pick up women with his career or something? ("Ooh, he's adventurous, but he can also take care of a child.") Similar in concept to the Adam Sandler vehicle Bedtime Stories, the Star's Linda Barnard argues Inkheart has "more to offer, with plenty of thrills, a smart although oft-confusing script … and a gorgeous high-concept visual style."

There's also Welcome to the Sticks, the highest-grossing film in France ever, apparently, a fact that many critics have been interestingly snooty about. NOW's Barrett Hooper is at a "loss to understand why," calling it "like the worst episodes of Northern Exposure." We'd like to imagine there's something decent about it to make it so popular, but then again, Titanic is a load of old pants, so…