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The Safest Place for Fruit Is in Carmen Miranda's Hat (2010)
Madcap mash-up makes the most of a juicy plot about fruity folk
This coconut is hardly shy, and who's that going bananas under a bush with their latest squeeze? When fruit breaks free and goes wild, the world may never be the same again...
Meet the Frumans, an appealing bunch of characters, apart from the evil Agent Orange, who believes greed is good and expects all fruit to follow the power of market forces.
A madcap mash-up of mirth and mayhem makes up this juicy plot - check out the trailer for a taste of their comic capers. When the maverick Cox's Pippin kicks up his heels and runs through the orchard, you can only wonder whether they will all live appley ever after.
Narrated by DJ and comedian Phil Jupitus, of Never Mind the Buzzcocks, written and directed by Kal Bonner.
Le concert (2009)
Russian passion and French polish combine to make sweet music and heal the wounds of the past
Mustering a motley crew of Russian musicians with rusty skills to perform at a top venue in Paris is a premise with plenty of comic potential – even if the idea that they can make beautiful music together at the drop of a hat is a bit far-fetched.
Still, if you can manage to suspend disbelief and go with the flow, it's easy enough to be swept away by the enthusiasm and energy of this unlikely ensemble.
Cultural differences between the unruly mob of Slavs and their more sophisticated French hosts play a large part in the humour, and director Radu Mihaileanu highlights the contrast by using fixed camera shots to illustrate Parisian elegance, while hand-held cameras follow the frenetic antics of the Russians.
The cast of characters include an elderly trombonist who insists that his asthma actually improves his playing, and a gypsy violinist who is particularly well-accomplished on the fiddle, with a sideline in arranging fake passports for orchestra members who need them in a hurry.
The character-generated humour works up to a point, occasionally treading a fine line between comic exaggeration and racial stereotyping. Scenes where the Russians speak in faltering French present a particular challenge in the sub-titling, as the comic touch runs the risk of becoming lost in translation.
The whole plan is orchestrated by Andrei Filipov, played by Alexei Guskov, a seasoned veteran of the East European movie scene, who gives an earnest and likable performance in the role, though he comes across as more of a straight man than a natural comedian.
Demoted from conductor to cleaner at the Bolshoi Theatre, he discovers that the Bolshoi Orchestra has been invited to play a concert in Paris, but keeps the news to himself and plans to take his own orchestra instead. There is further motivation for him to go to Paris in the form of virtuoso violinist Anne-Marie Jacquet, a woman whose talents he so admires that he keeps a secret stash of all her CD's and press clippings.
A trail of clues seems to suggest a father-daughter relationship, but this is something of a red herring, as the past connection between the pair is not quite so obvious.
Melanie Laurent, best known to an international audience for her role as Shosanna Dreyfuss in Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds, has a luminous screen presence as the virtuoso violinist who is haunted by the music of Tchaikovsky for reasons she cannot quite fathom.
Laurent, who is left-handed, learnt to play the violin for the part, a daunting task as the instrument cannot be converted and must be played right-handed. Bravo: her playing looks authentic enough and no-one can say she isn't prepared to suffer for her art.
While the challenge of playing a cool and self-controlled character appears to place constraints on her emotional range at times, she is finally able to give her feelings full expression in the climactic scene, when Jacquet faces her fears to perform Tchaikovsky's violin concerto for the first time.
The score combines original music by Armand Amar with the sublime harmonies of Tchaikovsky, a fine blend in keeping with the musical theme. Mihaileanu neatly ties up loose ends in the highly-charged final scene, interspersing highlights of the concert with flashbacks telling the fate of the Jewish musicians from three decades earlier, while flash forwards show the orchestra on a world tour following their success in Paris.
The message that reverberates through to the final chord is that people's lives can be transformed, at least temporarily, through the shared experience of music, which crosses barriers of language and culture to achieve harmony and perfection. The fine performances from the players in this concert may merit a round of applause, but the transcendental music of Tchaikovsky is the star.
Round Ireland with a Fridge (2010)
Tony Hawks and his fridge make a cool couple
After spotting a man with a fridge hitch-hiking in Ireland, the author and comedian Tony Hawks took up a challenge to do the same thing for a month.
The Irish warmed to this eccentric idea, making Tony and his travelling companion most welcome. He went on to write a book about his experiences entitled Round Ireland with a Fridge.
This features the fridge in a variety of locations – by the sea, hitching a lift, and attracting the attention of a couple of curious nuns.
In the film of the book, Tony plays himself, accompanied by his co-star, the fridge, looking well-travelled in a multi-coloured coat of graffiti from well-wishers along the way.
The making of this low-budget, independent British movie is a tale of David and Goliath - an unassuming, offbeat story taking a stand against the blockbuster giants.
Under a Vest (2011)
atmospheric blend of satire and suspense
Under a Vest is an atmospheric, tongue-in-cheek tribute to Hitchcock, combining humour and suspense.
Use of light and shade serves to highlight the contrast between the public and private images of those in high places, with accompanying music underpinning the changing moods.
Monochrome gives way to a burst of golden light, Wizard of Oz style, at the moment when the main protagonist is caught off guard and his colourful secret life is revealed in the climactic scene.
This is a fine example of what can be achieved on a limited budget in a short film where every shot counts - a triumph of quality over quantity.