 |
Architect-turned-director Patrick Keiller crafted a pair of innovative, droll documentaries in which two fictional characters--the narrator and Robinson--explore the pretty surface and nasty underbelly of England. Neither documentary nor fiction, London (1994, 82 mins.) is a provocative film essay and a kind of travelogue. It chronicles a year in the life of England's capital through the eyes of Robinson, whose literary reflections and historical speculations are voiced by an unnamed, unseen narrator. Then in the companion film, Robinson in Space (1997, 78 mins.), Keiller presents the country's familiar historic landmarks and grand estates, but also the suburban malls, industrial parks, landfills, factories, and phone booths choking the landscape. "Robinson advances Keiller's claim to be the liveliest spar k of the British independent scene, and the wittiest film essayist since the early Peter Greenaway" (The Times). Narrated by Paul Scofield. Patrick Keiller---Great Britain---1994/1997---160 mins.
|
|
|