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Financing & independent distribution scarce in UK.

12.200.238.58

In Reply to: RE: Why are English "art" films mostly mediocre? Sure, there are occasional hits, but the misses posted by tinear on March 28, 2011 at 20:59:05

Other than lottery money, which ain't at all what it used to be, most film financing and subsidies dried up, BBC cut back, other Euro bucks like Canal 4 gone etc.
Many British talents defect to US or European backed movies to be able to make ends meet. Or they try to get one of the few remaining BBC vanity projects to pay the bills. The economy is worse in Old Blighty than it is in US.
That said, I think Leigh has an honorable resume of excellent films, and if recent films are not so daring as his earlier work like Naked, he still ranks among the top in the world. I haven't seen Another Year yet but I feel most any film from Leigh is a gift.
I would also point that there are strong independent British filmmakers like Shane Meadows (This Is England) and Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank) making fine films...when they can. Duncan Bowie (Moon) is another striking new talent but now working in Hollywood.
And let us not forget Michael Winterbottom, who is prolific and unpredictable, flitting between studio productions and quite daring independent fare, marching very much to his own drummer.

Edits: 03/29/11

Follow Ups:

Of those you mention, I'd only say Winterbottom is very good. - tinear 09:47:05 03/29/11 (3)
And S. Korea, Argentina, Hungary, Portugal, and Thailand (!) manage to have terrific films. With it's highly placed world economy, I'd say England's problems aren't financial but rather artistic. But that's been the case for some time, hasn't it? Italy, Germany, France--- all very much outpaced British film, especially post WWII.
- Except for... - Harmonia 12:11:23 03/29/11 (2)
  ...Powell & Pressburger and David Lean, those filmmakers take a back seat to no one.
  - Carol Reed, too.... And Hitch. Oh, I guess I should include - tinear 17:27:14 03/29/11 (1)
    Chaplin (he should count for a dozen), Boorman, Roeg, Scott (Ridley), Frears, and Schlesinger.
    Damn.
    Perhaps I need to rethink my assessment....
    - Perhaps you should ;-) - Harmonia 14:46:40 03/31/11 (0)
      I dunno that I'd place Ridley Scott amidst the pantheon of Albion, but certainly Reed, Chaplin, Hitchcock, Roeg, Frears, Boorman maybe, Schlesinger maybe...Blanket statements are just so hard to prove y'know, it's harldy safe to make them anymore.
      
      And we're still probably leaving someone out.

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