Save the Cinema

SAVE THE CINEMA is based on a real-life event but the film is not very well made.

A small town in Wales has a downtown theater that was originally a live theater then converted to a cinema in 1935. It's a mostly empty building but for some local stage performances. A dastardly mayor is working behind closed doors with a developer to demolish the theater block and created a mall-type thing (it's 1993). The mayor sneaks it thru an open town meeting, figuring no one will care and blabs about a revitalized downtown, jobs (the usual spiel). But the director of the live theater group fights back to save the cinema.

Samantha Morton plays the gallant lady, Jonathan Pryce plays the old fogy movie fan. Main problem is that the mayor is depicted as a cartoon character. The scenes of the amateur plays are way too long and the actual story is overly simplified, including the phone call from Stephen Spielberg with the OK to show JURASSIC PARK to make money.

Best part of the film is their obtaining a 35 mm print of HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY from a local movie fan (he's had it for 50 years) and the local Welsh audience being in awe of the story. But apparently no one in the town has ever seen a VHS movie or seen an old movie on TV. They gape at it like it was a dinosaur bone. The character Morton plays never even heard of the film or of GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS. Small-town life according to the movies. Everyone is a dope.

And of course the 50-year old 35mm nitrate film has no decomposition even though it's been stored in a closet (highly unlikely) and the Liz character has been working in the theater for decades but never knew there was a projection room? And the projectors, unused for decades, are all ready to go and need no cleaning or repairs? Things seem remarkably well preserved in Wales.

Unfortunately the story and the basic facts have been simplified to the point point of stupidity.

I just wanted to note the other review for criticising a true story for being predictable, unremarkable and having not enough funny characters.... In a TRUE STORY, I mean imagine being that daft wanting the chuckle brothers involved just for some banter.

It's a heartwarming film about someone who cared about something which is alien in 2022, I mean care, not sit on the internet typing good words to look like you're a good person. It's just a feel good, honest film that shows you the hood in people.

Whilst letting governments tax people to near poverty we risk losing the traditions and charm that made this country great, at some point it'll become uninhabitable in the uk as it can't be cost effective unless you're in the one percent.

I miss how the uk used to be, community spirit, charm and togetherness, real togetherness not cheap clapping ploys for photos, but a real big hearted safe community.

With an excellent central performance of Samantha Morton, Save the Cinema will have you laughing out loud one minute and wiping a tear away a moment later. Morton plays 'Liz the Lyric' beautifully, and although she makes the part her own, it is obvious that Morton and the production team have had access to archive documentary footage with snippets of real life dialogue faithfully and skillfully re-enacted.

A stellar supporting cast (a who's who of Welsh talent) topped by Tom Felton as a town councillor and Johnathon Pryce as her inspirational retired school teacher are swept up in Liz's quest to save the condemned cinema of the title.

The fictional elements woven into the historical facts pluck at the heartstrings, particularly with Pryce's reminiscences of watching Goodnight Mr Chips, which led him to becoming a teacher. The film is a wonderful testament to the efforts of a women and the legions of helpers and children she inspired.

The accompanying documentary Save the Cinema: Behind the Curtain on SKY is a recommended watch, presented by two of Liz's real life sons, Mark and Wynne (of Go Compare infamy!)

A pretty cool true story, but the film itself? Rather poor.

'Save the Cinema' is simply too on the nose for my liking, it's cringey in a fair few bits and even pretentious in others. It does have a good cast, though that aside it struggles to get away from the fact that it feels like a made-for-television Christmas-esque movie - literally so with the plot.

Samantha Morton, Jonathan Pryce and Tom Felton are as solid as you'd expect, though the Welsh accents kept taking me out of it - Pryce was born in Wales admittedly, yet even his accent sounded off... might just be me though. I didn't overly like any of that trio's, or their co-star's tbh, performances though, I just like Morton/Pryce/Felton from others things more than anything.

I wouldn't say this is a bad film, it's just a really lousy one in my opinion. I could see it finding an audience though.

Fun movie based on the true facts about how passionate people can do inspirational things , a great tribute to a woman who did more for the town than any politician and the people who knew her and the lives she touched.