Review Cinema Movies: Pick of the Indies | Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains | Iranian hostage crisis | Middle East | The Banishment

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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with DAN CARRIER
Published: 14 August 2008

Pick of the Indies

JIMMY Carter’s one-term presidency will be remembered for the Iranian hostage crisis which marred the last 444 days of his time in power.
But since the man derided as a Southern peanut farmer has been an ex-president, he has become a world statesman, with a reputation for his ability to bring conflicting sides together.

Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains is a flattering documentary which follows Carter on a world tour where he discusses his vision for lasting peace in the Middle East. His recently published Palestine: Peace not Apartheid – was a title not well-received by pro-Israelis.
Carter shows his skills as a statesman – he remains calm in the face of some rather vitriolic criticism. Above all he reminds us all of how totally awful Reagan and the two Bushs, the three Republican presidents of recent times, have been.
The film appears at times to be a little too fawning, but you get an inside track on what makes Carter tick. He is fiercely clever, has an interesting story of his own to tell (son of a peanut farmer, trained as a nuclear scientist, God-fearing but open to other beliefs) and makes thought-provoking copy. It is almost as if the director Jonathan Demme is saying: you didn’t appreciate him when he had real power, so be fair – do so now.
The film is being screened at the BFI on the South Bank from August 15-28.|

• It’s been a long wait for fans of Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev since his 2003 film The Return. The Banishment (certificate 12A; Curzon Soho and Renoir) tells the story of a family who move to the Russian outback, and then have to face a series of relationship issues. Strong performances from the leads, eye-watering vistas and a careful plot show Zvyagintsev has not lost his style. But take some sustenance with you – it’s fidgety-long and slow-moving.

• A quick reminder: the fantastic horror film festival Frightfest hits screens in the West End next week, with a feature by Highgate director Ben Robinson on show. Organised by FilmFour, its jammed full of unpleasant surprises that will make you cower in your seats and jump when you least expect it...www.frightfest.co.uk for more.

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