-
Recent releases:
- Immaculate
- Roaring Twenties, The (reissue)
- Soul
- Dune: part two
- American Star
- Dune: Part 1 (reissue)
- Jerry & Marge Go Large
- Argylle
- Forever Young
- Jackdaw
- All of Us Strangers
- Holdovers, The
- Mean Girls
- Poor Things
- One Life
- Ferrari
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
- Next Goal Wins
- Monica
- Wonka
Dennis Skinner: Nature of the Beast
Stars: Dennis Skinner
Director:
He called former prime minister David Cameron Dodgy Dave several times. Offensive, perhaps, but hardly beastly. Ego may have been dented but no blood was shed.
First-time feature film director Daniel Draper explores socialist, trade unionist and labour MP Skinners life and political career in a documentary that took three years to make and is well worth it.
Skinner remark I respect a lot of peoples views within the Labour Party but not necessarily the leadership faultlessly exemplifies Aristotles comment, Man is a political animal".
Quote: When posh boys are in trouble they sack the servants.
Seeing and hearing Skinner tear into House of Commons members speaking pure propaganda is enjoyable, justifying his description of the Chamber as the Greasy pole in the Palace of Varieties and adding I dont want any part of it.
Which this subject-adoring documentary fascinatingly proves.
Derbyshire-born in 1932, Skinner was one of nine siblings who provide fascinating evidence of his early life as a miner (Solidarity you cant buy anywhere else), Derbyshire County Council member, local Clay Cross councillor, President of Derby Mine Workers Union and Ruskin College Oxford before election to Parliament in 1970 where he has been a member ever since.
Theres one rule for those at the top and another for those at the bottom he states in a worthy career during, proving his comment, I dont want to change
. I never will.
Skinner may have been (wrongly) been dubbed destructive. Hes a maverick, yes, but here definitely proved to be essentially constructive too and deliciously ruse.
Quote: Tell the House of Lords to go to hell.
Like all of us, Skinner isnt perfect. But as a unique individualist, conscience-driven politician, he is and has always been invaluable. Its unfortunate that in the final analysis Draper settles for subject-worship and makes his crowd-funded biography into an out-and-out hagiography.
Alan Frank
USA 2017. UK Distributor: insight. Colour.
120 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: PG.
Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.
Review date: 07 Sep 2017