100 Films And A Funeral

Rating: out of
Released: 2007
Directed by: Michael McNamara
Cast: Documentary

For those that don’t follow the business side of the film industry, Polygram Filmed Entertainment is probably a company that you are familiar with, even if you don’t know the name. They were behind many of the biggest films of the 90’s. They financed such films as FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, TRAINSPOTTING, FARGO, and BEING JOHN MALKOVICH.

100 FILMS AND A FUNERAL follows the rise and eventual fall of the company. Written and directed by Michael McNamara, all the key players are interviewed. From the production heads to talent such as Jodie Foster who had a production deal with the company, and Alan Parker.

It is a story of how a European company tried to compete with the Hollywood machine. Since European companies need a Hollywood studio to open a film in the US, Polygram tried to create their own distribution pattern. And, for much of the 90’s, they were very successful.

Ultimately, the problem came down to the fact that the studio was just one part of the larger company Philips, known for its electronics division. Because of this, the larger company had little interest in or knowledge of the film industry. Several of what could have been very successful acquisitions (such as the attempt to buy the MGM library by Polygram) were stalled by the upper management. Finally, the company was sold off.

The one problem with this documentary is that it is a bit too vague. They talk about the early years of the company and how certain films failed at the box office. Yet, none of these films are mentioned. Only a few films are really talked about at any length.

I wish they had gotten a bit more specific, maybe go through the years in a more film by film basis of the company’s history. At the end of the film, they show a list of all the films the company was responsible for and it was a very impressive resume. I wish more focus had been put on those films.

Still, it is a very interesting story of an outsider trying to make it in Hollywood.

Reviewed by: Jim Magovern

Jan 01,2008