Mallard Cinema: 18th Apr - 24th April 2008

Fool’s Gold is this week’s new release. Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson are a married couple on the brink of divorce. He is a treasure hunter and his obsession with a particular pot of gold has driven them apart. Soon events take an unexpected turn and the pair are forced to work together to find the treasure and…

…oh, what’s the point? Seriously? Is there actually any point in going to watch this film? Hudson and McConaughey have done this before and we must have sat through this tired nothingness about a hundred times, in fact, I’ll save you some money - they’ll get the treasure and fall in love again and McConaughey will spend at least a third of the movie with his shirt off.

Now I know that The Mallard Cinema is a small operation compared to cinemas in the UK but they still have the ability to screen a wide selection of films. Currently they have six films on offer out of which two (Never Back Down and Step Up 2) are identical and one (Fool’s Gold) is a copy of a copy of a copy. A brief look at the current cinema releases in the U.K. reveals a much greater variety of content ranging from the highly commercial Son of Rambow through Shine A Light and In Bruges to Funny Games.

Whilst it is understandable that Funny Games would never pull in as much money as Never Back Down (or Step Up 2 - both in the UK Top Ten) one has to wonder if there is not room for a little more variety - what with it being the spice of life and all. Is there no space for limited screenings of popular foreign and art house films such as Rec., The Orphanage and The Diving Bell And The Butterfly? …or even more mainstream hits such as There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men? I imagine that the audience for such films wouldn’t even mind waiting a little if getting them as new releases was not economically viable.

As it stands The Mallard Cinema is in a unique position. They are the only purpose built cinema on the Island (with CineGuernsey being the only other exhibitor of films) and the only place people can see new films on the big screen. Whilst I understand that economic reasons might be forcing them to play it safe with mostly child and teen friendly content (they are, after all, a business) I cannot believe that there is not extra money to be made in aiming for a more mature market. Whilst there is undoubtedly a place for dance movies and even Mr McConaughey’s chest, surely once or twice a week one of those screens could play host to something a little different?

Full listings info is available on the ‘Mallard Cinema’ page.