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Pick of the Indies
THE Phoenix Cinema is one of the gems of north London. Apart from being housed in a beautiful building dating from 1910, with an art deco auditorium, it presents films that the multiplexes don’t show.
And this Saturday Beowulf and Grendel, a violent take on the Anglo-Saxon poem, makes it’s British screen debut.
For those not familiar with the story, believed to be the first major work of English literature, it recounts a Nordic warrior’s battle with a monster called Grendel.
The warrior Beowulf sets to prove his allegiance to Danish King Hrothgar by taking his band of warriors to free a village from the yoke of a gruesome monster.
But he discovers the monster is not all that it seems, and his king is more responsible for the troubles than is at first apparent.
Director Sturla Gunnarsson used the wild landscape of Iceland for its backdrop and Gerard Butler’s Beowulf has all the attributes you want from a bearded sword swinger of a flick.
It is unashamedly macho, but offers more than just bearded men covering in each other in blood.
This is for those who liked the Lord of the Rings but want something a little more intelligent.
There is more than enough heroic posturing, and a great theme of moralistic soul searching to boot.
• Beowulf and Grendel, Saturday September 9 3.45pm.
Tickets are £10, £8 concessions. Call 020 8444 6789. |
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