Event

LOCAL HERO

Saturday, April 17 at 7:30pm
$12 Members / $16 Public
Active Membership Will Be Checked

In Person: Co-star PETER RIEGERT and, from Scotland, Director BILL FORSYTH

"My problem," director Bill Forsyth once lamented, "is that 40 per cent of me wants to make an entertaining film and 60 per cent of me wants to subvert the idea of movies." This dichotomy is never more apparent than in his 1983 masterpiece Local Hero, which challenges and confounds the viewers every expectation, whilst adding an undercurrent of wistful sentimentality and flinging a last-ditch lifeline to its protagonist.

Mac (Peter Riegert, Crossing Delancey) is a deal-broker for an American oil firm. When the firm's president (Burt Lancaster) decides to buy up a Scottish fishing village and plunder its natural resources, Mac is sent to sweeten up the residents. But anyone anticipating a straightforward story of redemption, in which our hero helps the plucky villagers to defeat the monolithic corporation, may be disappointed. All the villagers bar one philosophical hermit want to sell, while Mac is weak and deferential, with no intention of scuttling the deal.

The ensemble acting is flawless, while Lancasters performance is underscored by an unexpected humanity that makes his later scenes a treat. Forsyths singular sense of humour is a joy, encompassing sight gags, whimsy and absurdity. And despite or perhaps because of Local Hero's resolute unconventionality, the film is incredibly affecting. The scenes in Scotland are shot, acted and scored with such tenderness that even without narration or flashback they play like Macs rose-tinted memories. There are few films that bring a lump to the throat with the very mention of their name. Local Hero really is that special. - Rick Burin

Born in Glasgow, Bill Forsyth is considered one of Scotland's most important directors. Fims include That Sinking Feeling (1980), Gregory's Girl (1981), Local Hero (1983), Comfort and Joy (1984), Housekeeping (1987), and Gregory's Two Girls (1999).