Tube Tales

I saw this film.. plus I bought it.. I must admit, it's not a bad film. Something I would watch on a rainy day.. With an all star cast of British actors.. It's no wonder why 9 stories or films all revolve in and around the London Underground. I think everyone from Jude Law to Ewan McGregor who directed the segments of the film. Plus you have Rachel Weisz and Denise Van Outen all doing their bit just to keep us entertained..

But at the end of the day. It's a pretty cool film. Hel! They even had that guy Richard Jobson, who used to interview people in Sky Movies.. Look at him now! He's directing films.. Nice one, man! 9 out 0f 10!

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?

A quirky, and very British, collection of nine ten minute short stories all set on the London underground.There is no obvious central theme, and no message. Just a celebration of the diversity of everyday goings on in our subterranean transport system.

You don't have to, and are probably not intended to, like all the stories. There is no "eureka" moment.What you do get is idiosyncratic story telling by a distinguished cast. The dialogue is often sparse, placing great importance on acting, and space, which the film delivers in spades.

In an era of increasingly formulaic and homogeneous film making this dares to be different, and rewards the viewer accordingly.Perversely the fact that the tales are no longer than ten minutes makes the overall running time seem longer, as you mentally "rewind" after each short. And if one is losing your interest? Well you are only a few minutes away from your next one.

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!