Tube Tales

Whilst living in London from 1998 - 2000 there were lots of posters on the London Underground (also know as The Tube, I mostly used the Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines - Knightsbridge is actually portrayed in this film, I think) - The Acid House, Miss Saigon, The Blair Witch Project, Star Wars, Sciencetology (!)....and, of course, given the average Londoner's (if they exist) love-hate relationship with The Underground....Tube Tales.

Tube Tales is a series of short, unconnected films set in and around London's Underground; with one exception (My Father The Liar, directed by the late Bob Hoskins), most are average, albeit with one or two flashes of inventiveness. Like the fleeting strangers you'll meet on your journey, you'll see them only once, before they're quickly forgotten.

What's more noteworthy is the roster of late 1990's talent involved - Kelly MacDonald (Trainspotting), Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock...), Frank Harper, Simon Pegg, a nice pairing of veterans Liz Smith and Tom Bell, Denise Van Outen, Dexter Fletcher, Daniella Nardini....plus directorial debutes from Ewen McGregor and Jude Law.

For all this, Tube Tales never really catches fire the way it ought to have done; still, if you want a few undemanding stories from the Underground, and a peek at late 1990s London, then this is the one for you. Now mind the gap....

PS. I see Sky Arts recently released a program of very good short films a few months ago, starring Sheridan Smith amongst others; does Tube Tales have a legacy of shorts after all?

This is a collection of nine short stories centred in and around the London Underground, known by the locals as 'The Tube'. Each story has a different director which makes for quite an interesting feel to the film. It was originally made for TV but I don't think that detracts too much from the quality of the piece.

There are some well known actors involved in the project, both from film and (UK) TV. These include, Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Simon Pegg, Sean Pertwee, Liz Smith, Denise Van Outen, Don Warrington, Rachel Weisz and Ray Winstone. I particularly liked the performances of Denise Van Outen in 'Horny', Don Warrington in 'Steal Away' and Ray Winstone in 'My Father the Liar'. Although all the performances were pretty good.

Over all I found this a bit hit and miss. Some stories were great whereas others just failed to hit the mark. It's still a very watchable piece, but, I suspect, one you'll only watch once. I should warn you that there are a few pretty gross things that go on down there, so I advise not watching during a meal. My two favourite segments were 'Rosebud' and 'Steal Away': Recommended, especially for these two.

My score: 6.2/10

i saw this and was quite pleased with what I saw. The stories were all very different in style and content. Setting was the obvious common ground as all the films are shot in and around the London Underground. I watched a couple at a time rather than the entire collection at once and I'm glad i did as it gave me time to reflect on them individually. I don't want to give any plots away, so all i can do is recommend these films based on their artistic merit. don't expect Hollywood gloss or loads of stunts; there are only a couple. not all of the shorts even have a traditional narrative. rather, you are immersed into a life as it passes through the underground. some unsettling surreality is balanced with plain old unsettled reality. just like travelling on the real underground. but beware, once you've seen this film you'll never want to carry your stash on the train again. In fact, you might just find yourself cycling around London!

I saw the film at the London Film.

As is often the case with anthology films, some stories work better than others. None are particularly bad and none are particularly great either. The best shorts were Armundo Ianucci's "MOUTH" segment that is hilarious and unexpected, Charles McDougall's "STEAL AWAY" which is great, but starts off telling one story and ends with another, Stephen 'Lost in Space' Hopkins "HORNY" which stretches one gag for about ten minutes but gets away with it and is quite funny, and Gaby Dellal's "ROSEBUD" which is quirky but visually stimulating but ends without an ending.

Overall, not a bad try, most of the stories work but don't have a punchline.

A collection of surreal, artsy short stories that feel more like visual narrative poems. If you view it with an eye for artistic style, it's not bad. Otherwise, the plots fall short in sustaining interest, and it is hard (but not impossible) to develop a liking for any of the characters. As a work of art, 6/10. As a movie, 3/10.