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?
