Batman: The Animated Series - Volume 1 (1992)

basics...
The first DVD volume of the 1990's animated Batman series contains 28 episodes and features the Penguin, the Joker, Catwoman, Clayface, Killer Croc, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze and a whole host of 'colourful' new villains who face off against Bruce Wayne's alter ego. 

brilliant...
I'd only ever seen bits of this series when it first went out years ago, and I'd read so many positive things about the show that I decided to give it a shot - and wow, it's one of the best adaptations of Batman ever. Kevin Conroy's voice-work as the Dark Knight and Bruce sends shivers down your spine, while Efrem Zimbalist Jr's Alfred adds a welcome light touch to a very dark animation - both in terms of the colour and content. The well-known rogues gallery of villains are given new origins (apart from Joker and Penguin, who arrive fully formed and appear to have been pestering Gotham for some time), and new one episode bad guys impress as well. The animation is stunning, Gotham looks suitably gothic, and is equipped with docks, trains, caves, springs, suburbs, anything the script calls for, but always in keeping with the same grimy asthetic. Batman really feels like a detective here rather than a super-hero, which he's not really since he has no superpowers, just the money and strength to outwit the badguys. I hope to watch more of the series soon. 

but...

Aside from a couple of weaker scripts here and there the only weird thing about Batman: The Animated Series is Robin. He popped up in the second episode, then disappeared only to reappear a couple more times. Inbetween-times he's never mentioned and there's no explanation as to a) who Robin is and how he came to be in Batman's life, or b) where he is most of the time, particularly when things look dicey for Batman and he needs assistance. Robin's appearances don't detract from the episodes, but his absence is curious. He really should be there all the time or not, otherwise it's cheating. 

briefly...
The definitive Batman? Very likely, but then Tim Burton's and Christopher Nolan's Dark Knights are also excellent, just different. This Batman certainly stands proud alongside Christian Bale, Michael Keaton and (of course) Adam West, Kevin Conroy is ace. 

Starsuckers (2009)

basics...
A multi-functioning documentary about fame, public hunger for gossip and the lengths that the media will go to to cultivate and feed it.

brilliant...
I liked the style of this documentary, which used clips, talking heads and 'sketches' to make its points. By sketches I mean pieces created for the film, with the creator running fake focus groups and job interviews to show just how crazy some people are. Such as the parents who are happy for their children to take part in a (fictional) visit to an abbatoir or drink alcohol and act drunk if it means they get on TV. Or the celebrity PA candidates who would be more than willing to break the law for their bosses, or in one case even happy to take a bullet, since they'd be alongside celebrity. There's also a long part in the second half of the documentary that looks at tabloids and how they solicit stories, without verification, to fill their pages. And finally there's a piece on how Live 8 pushed the Make Poverty History marches out of the papers and then didn't really have the impact it claimed. Oh and an excellent bit in Lithuania, where much of their parliament is made up of celebrities.

but...
Perhaps there's a bit too much going on in this documentary, and the focus gets a bit muddled. Is it about the way newspapers manipulate the news? Or about child stars? Or about public hunger for fame? It's everything all at once, and I didn't really follow how it was all supposed to be connected, other than under the massive 'media' umbrella. 

briefly...
An insightful, disturbing look at the way the media controls our lives, whether knowingly or not. 

The Inbetweeners Movie (2011)

basics...
The four socially-awkward teens go on a summer lads holiday looking for sun, sex, sea, sex, and sex.

brilliant...
Just as hilariously filthy as the TV series, the Inbetweeners Movie is a riot, full of dirty jokes, inspired dance moves, a great cameo from Anthony Stewart Head, plus a heap of nudity from the lead cast - oh and some full frontal bits from a club dancer. What more could you want from a movie?? The cast of 4 girls that the lads pair up with are also great, not just mere eye candy, they have personalities and are not just female copies of the boys. It's good to see resolution to Simon's crush on Carly, who turns out to be a bit of a bitch, and good to see a happy ending for Will. Jay's propensity for bullshit is punctured when he actually develops a mature relationship, and his journey is perhaps the emotional core of the film, along with the general bond between all 4 guys. This unexpected sweetness carries over from the last episode of the TV series and elevates the knob gags to another level.

briefly...
Filthily hilarious, an excellent swan-song for the easily recognisable friends.

Castle: Season 1 (2009)

basics...

Starring Nathan Fillion (the main draw for me) as Richard Castle, a novelist who helps out/tags along with detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and her team as they conduct murder investigations, ostensibly so that Castle can draw inspiration for his work. 

brilliant...

What puts Castle slightly above similar crime-dramas, since there are so many churned out by US TV networks, is the humour and chemisty of the two leads, which builds well across the short 10-episode first season after a slightly shaky start. Fillion is always so charming, he's a pleasure to watch, and Castle's will-they-won't-they flirtatious relationship with beautiful Beckett makes for some funny scenes. The murders are often gruesome, glossily filmed mysteries, and often include the odd surprise twist, although for the most part there's not much new, other than Castle's fiction-writer input to the crimes. The writer's relationship with his teenage daughter (Molly C. Quinn) provides a lot of the emotional backbone of the show, as well as sparky humour, as does Beckett's backstory concerning the murder of her mother. This latter looks set to be the 'Samantha Mulder' motivation that will burn away in the background, coming to the fore now and then as the series moves forward.

but...

As with any series, it took a few episodes for Castle to find its feet, the first couple feeling a bit too flashy and inconsequential, but once the relationships and the humour became more assured the show improved. In these first 10 episodes it was important that Beckett and Castle became characters you wanted to keep returning to, so it was perhaps inevitable that the other leads, Beckett's fellow detectives, her boss and the medical examiner, got short shrift and didn't make that much of an impression. It's also taking a while for Castle's live-in actress mother (Susan Sullivan) to grow on me too. 

briefly...
Glossy, gratuitous and greatly engaging, Castle is owned by Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic's enigmatic pairing. A better-than-average crime drama with an intriguing literary background.

Foetal Attraction (Kathy Lette, 1993)

basics...
From the same collection of books as American Psycho, Foetal Attraction couldn't be more different. Funny chick-lit, Lette's book follows Australian Maddy Wolfe and her relationship with TV wildlife expert Alex. Maddy moves to London to be with her beau, but she soon finds herself an outsider with Alex's snooty friends, and then when the relationship begins to crumble she finds herself pregnant.

brilliant...
I don't normally go in for female-focussed fiction like this, so I was a bit unsure what I would make of this book, particularly as it seemed to be all about pregnancy and babies. And then I read the first line 'My female friends had told me that giving birth was like shitting a water melon', and the first chapter had me laughing a lot at Lette's wonderful use of language so I was gripped. Part fish-out-of-water comedy and part realistic love story, Foetal Attraction is a simple idea realised brilliantly, with wit, sarcasm and a good cynical take on relationships and pregnancy. The funniest chapters of the book are the 4 or 5 pieces that begin each Part of the novel, when Maddy is describing in glorious detail the agony of childbirth in the first person. The rest of the book follows Maddy's journey from her move to London through to conception and ante-natal classes, meeting a host of horrifically funny members of the British upper classes along the way. The unpatronising, very modern take on impending motherhood had me in stitches, and gave me a different perspective on a subject I won't ever get to experience firsthand. 

briefly...
Funny, modern and very real - if all chick-lit is this good then maybe I'll give more of it a chance.

The Pitmen Painters (23/08/11, The Grand)

basics...
Written by Lee Hall, who was responsible for both the movie and stage versions of Billy Elliot, The Pitmen Painters has a similar north-east, mining town setting, although this time the events are based on a real group of painting pitmen from the 1930s and 40s.

brilliant...
I found this play at utter delight from beginning to end, with many moments of laugh-out-loud humour and earthy, believable characters. It was also incredibly informative and thought-provoking about the class system, politics of the period and above all else, the appreciation of art. Hall's approach to art much more accessible than that espoused by Alan Bennett in The Habit of Art, and it opened my mind to ways of creating, interpreting and thinking about culture that I hadn't thought of before. The cast were exceptional, with strong Geordie accents helping the humour along. I particularly enjoyed the culture class comedy between the 5 budding artists and their posh tutor, Robert Lyon. My favourite line involved a posh patron exclaiming that she likes modern art, to be told that she'd like the group's work then, as they were only painted that week!

briefly...
A hilarious and touching portrait of painting pitmen, with the added bonus of challenging approaches to art production and appreciation.

Agatha Christie's Verdict (20/08/11, The Grand)

basics...
Last year we saw The Agatha Christie Theatre Company's excellent production of Witness for the Prosecution, so we were eager to see their next show. Where Witness was a courtroom drama with a few twists thrown in, Verdict is a pretty straight-forward character drama. There's a murder, but we see it happen, so it's not a whodunnit, or even a whydunnit, the tension comes in the second act when another character is mistakenly put on trial (off stage) for the crime. 

brilliant...
Not heavy on plot, Verdict's success is in the fully-rounded cast of 10, including a German academic, his wheelchair bound wife, her sister and a couple of Professor Hendryk's students. The script is witty and initially led me to believe that the play could be a whodunnit, neatly setting up motives for several characters, before romantic jealousy leads a young student to poison the professor's wife. From here the drama intensifies around the court case of the deceased's sister, who also happens to have an unconsummated but reciprocated love for her widowed brother-in-law. It's hard to describe how the characterisations make the play shine, but the actors really brought the whole piece alive, and did so on an impressive library set.

but...
Focussing on the characters means that there's not that much exciting drama, and as I went in expecting a mystery I was a little disappointed at how straight it all was. The very end was rather odd too, and a little flat. 

briefly...
An absorbing character piece that's oddly twist-free. 

Fish Tank (2009)

basics...

Directed by Andrea Arnold, who I know from the very good Red Road, Fish Tank is a 'kitchen sink' drama about 15 year old Mia (Katie Jarvis), a disaffected 'chav' who slowly falls for her bitchy mother's new boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender).

brilliant...

I always find it hard to put into words what I like about these very British sorts of films. The characters are very often from an unlikable social group, the language would make a sailor blush, and generally not a lot happens. Fish Tank is so well crafted though, with characters you care about, and believable situations draw you into these small, personal dramas. Jarvis, who'd never acted before this film, is an excellent lead, she puts an emotional gloss on the chavvy bravado that would normally put me off such a character (on screen or in real life). It also helps that she's supported by the delicious Michael Fassbender, who I find has an odd sort of attraction and is magnetic on screen (get the Magneto pun? oh). Arnold lets the budding crush develop slowly, and it builds to a will they won't they where you hope that either/both character has the good sense not to jeopardise the friendship. And then it all goes pear-shaped and a few revelations and disappointments towards the end make your heart yearn for a bit of good luck for Mia.

briefly...
A welcome addition to British cinema that is anchored by a pair of likable, sympathetic leads.

Babes in Hollywood (2010)

basics...
Another documentary in the True Stories strand, this one looks at the experiences of child actors who come to a specific apartment complex every year for pilot season, in the hope of landing a TV series and having their celebrity dreams come true.

brilliant...
Rather than being like some sort of freaky mini-pops style clown show, Babes' tales are full of unintentional laughs, delusional young actors and parents, and a real dollop of reality and emotional heartache. The families who inhabit the apartments include Megan and her mom, who came several years ago and never left, but the precocious young wannabe fails to secure any auditions, never mind callbacks. Her story is the sad heart of the documentary - they rarely see her father, back home in his state making money to keep funding the acting classes, photographers, and myriad other leeches, and her mother regularly breaks down and wonders how she carries on. There's also Shanna, who has come along with her mom to pilot season for the very first time, and they both have their eyes open to how difficult it really is to make it in Hollywood, and how much luck is involved. They end up leaving at the end of pilot season seemingly satisfied to carry on with their lives, but many of the kids and adults are not so clear headed. It doesn't help that the 'motivational' speakers fill everyone's heads with impossible dreams.

briefly...
An eye-opening peek into how Hollywood makes its money, and how difficult it is for anyone, whether child or not, to get a big break.

Dead Reckoning (1947)

basics...
The noirest of the noir, Dead Reckoning sees Captain 'Rip' Murdock (Humphrey Bogart) trying to get to the bottom of what got his friend killed, and how it ties in to a murder years ago. He is assisted and hampered by Coral, Lisbeth Scott's tricky femme fatale.

brilliant...
Dead Reckoning is packed full of sparkling dialogue, the majority of it tumbling from Bogart's expert lips through narration, or dead pan on screen. I've only seen Bogart before in Casablanca, and his Rip here seems like a close relation of that film's Rick, the script seems to be tailored to his particular style and delivery. The plot is twisty and turny and people with classic noir goons and villains, with Scott's love-interest/plot catalyst/possible mastermind a good foil for Rip's macho manner.

but...
The final act reveal of the criminal mastermind will shock few people, even those who've only seen or read a couple of pieces of the noir genre (like me). 

briefly...
A feast for the eyes and ears thanks to the claustrophic noir stylings and the sharp screenplay, brought to sinister life by Bogart.

Twilight (2008)

basics...
Twilight is your typical girl-meets-reformed-vampire romance, only with hoards of insane fans, going crazy over 'R-Patz' and 'Jac-Abs'. 

brilliant...
I wanted to really like Twilight, and it's not a terrible movie. But not being a crazy mad fan of the books (never read them) or Robert Pattinson, who is sort-of-handsome but not really as a pasty-faced, moody vampire. It's only when Bella (Kristen Stewart) figures out that Edward is a vampire halfway into the movie that Pattinson gets to let loose a bit and shows flashes of something great, but this is tempered by the general woodness of the script and misery of the direction. I liked spotting the people I knew in the supporting cast, like Up in the Air's Anna Kendrick, Dr. Cooper from Nurse Jackie and the tasty Cam Gigandet, who has the scene's only hot topless shot. Taylor Lautner's Jacob is only a minor character in this movie, he'll come back in force later on as far as I understand it, but his brief scenes here, with horrible long hair, add a spark that I wasn't expecting. His storyline is one of the more interesting bits. Oh and Edward's vampire family is fun too.

but...
The main flaw in Twilight is the morose, sullen heroine, Bella. I can see why teenage girls identify with her, but she's incredibly difficult to symathise with or give a shit about. She's miserable for no discernable reason and rarely cracks a smile. And then she's lumped with some poor dialogue and an interminably long, drawn-out prelude to romance with Edward. This film could really do with some editing, and some excitement. Especially considering this is a vampire movie there's very little action, you have to wait until the closing 20 mins for all the real danger and thrills when Gigandet's evil vampire smacks Bella around a lot. 

briefly...
Twilight is OK. I would like to watch the later films to see more of Lautner, to see if he lives up to the promise he shows here, and to maybe see Pattinson kick things up a notch - maybe different directors will help with this. Otherwise, if I want to see a vampire-human romance I'll stick to a story with bite, like True Blood or Buffy.

He Kills Coppers & truecrime (Jake Arnott, 2001 & 2003)

basics...

The second and third books of The Long Firm trilogy, He Kills Coppers and truecrime continue and expand upon the world of British gangsters and police that Jake Arnott began in the book that named the threesome. Coppers follows the exploits of policeman Frank Taylor, journalist Tony Meehan, and small-time crook-cum-cop-killing legend Billy Porter through the 1960s and into the 1980s, while truecrime moves Tony into the 1990s alongside hard man Gaz Kelly, and Julie Kincaid, daughter of a gangland father, out for revenge on the man who killed him - Harry Starks. 

brilliant...

Picking up where The Long Firm left off, He Kills Coppers and truecrime work well as standalone stories, and work even better as parts of a labyrinthine whole, tied together by common characters and events. Harry Starks, prominent in Firm, is more of a sinister background presence in the second book, but his (perceived) actions at the end of book one directly feed into the overarching plot of truecrime, namely the plot to end him. Arnott's prose is a pleasure to read, packed with period detail and interesting, earthy characters from various walks of life. The cops are as three-dimensional - and flawed - as the criminals, and the multi-protagonist approach to the books (in Firm and truecrime, one chapter per character, in Coppers, the three characters each get a third of a chapter) means that events are seen through different eyes, meaning it can be difficult to know who to sympathise with. That doesn't mean that the characters aren't sympathetic though, even the villains - Gaz's story in truecrime is particularly good as he narrates his approach to changing fashions in clothes, drug culture and celebrity. 

but...

I think my only real grumble with the books is my own fault - I wish I'd either re-read The Long Firm before reading books 2 and 3, or that I hadn't left it so long before finishing the massive trilogy that's been sat on the shelf only a third read for years. I found myself flicking back through The Long Firm to try and remind myself what Starks was all about, and to see whether the characters in later books has popped up before.

briefly...

A classic trilogy that seems to get better with each entry, He Kills Coppers and truecrime were both captivating reads. And if David Bowie thinks that the books are 'funny, fast, witty and brutal', who am I to argue?

Die Welle / The Wave (2008)

basics...
Based on an American teen novel, this German, adult movie follows a high school class during project week, when their Autocracy lesson gets out of hand. Rubbishing the idea of another Nazi Germany, the students are manipulated by their teacher, Mr. Wenger (Jürgen Vogel), into adopting a dress code and a new set of values which leads the class to discover that fascism is all too easy to set in motion...

brilliant...
Would this film have such an emotional undercurrent if it was not German made? I doubt it. Germany's painful history, and its people's struggles to assimilate it with the modern day, are an explosive catalyst to the plot of The Wave. And because of the history of fascism, the resultant fallout is all the more scary. I found the film enthralling from beginning to end, and although I'd associate 'thrillers' with action and special effects, The Wave proves that a relatively simple domestic classroom drama can be just as thrilling. The class is full of recognisable types, the hippy chick who stands up to the Wave and won't conform, the bullies who rail against it initially and then don't want to be left out, and the popular, hot jock (Max Riemelt) who can see that all will not end well. And then there's Tim, who's all too open to the power of suggestion and becomes far too enmeshed in the narrative of the Wave. Posing challenging questions - although the students are defacing property outside of class, their school work improves - about the power of the individual versus the mob, The Wave is a masterful piece of filmmaking, with a style and soundtrack that only increases the feeling of growing menance and lack of control.

briefly...
A powerful premise thrillingly executed, The Wave will be a film I'll revisit in the future.

Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios / Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

basics...
A big hit both in Spain and in America in 1988, Women... is about the 7th Almodóvar movie I've seen, after enjoying Bad Education, Volver, Tie Me Up Tie Me Down, etc. Described on the box as a farce, the film features regular Almodóvar stars Carmen Maura and a young Antonio Banderas - the former goes a bit deranged when her lover seemingly cuts her loose. What follows is a typically odd collection of characters drinking drugged gazpacho, soap-opera style histrionics and a final act chase sequence in a bizarrely furnished taxi.

brilliant...
This certainly had Almodóvar's charming off-kilter feel to it, with some funny moments and a tour de force turn from Maura. 

but...
Sadly the laughs were not very frequent and I found the whole thing disappointing. After watching the introduction by a film expert, gushing about the story, the hilarity and the movie references, I realised that this is the sort of film that you might study for influences in a film studies class - unfortunately this didn't translate into something particularly easily accessible and enjoyable. And thus I was surprised that it did so well in the American markets. I can't put my finger on what it was I didn't enjoy... I just found the 'farce' strangely paced and the expected laughs thin on the ground.

briefly...
A real treat... if you're a proper serious film buff. I know movies, but not enough to spot Hitchcockian references in Spanish cinema. Oh well, hopefully I'll have better luck with the next Almodóvar we watch. 

After the Apocalypse (2010) & The Redemption of General Butt Naked (2010)

basics...
The Radio Times has picked out a couple of the True Stories documentary film strands on More 4 lately, so I've taken to recording/watching them and found some very interesting stories. The first one I watched was After the Apocalypse which took as its focus the possibly sinister aftermath of Soviet nuclear testing in the Polygon/Semipalatinsk Test Site in remote Kazakhstan. The second followed Joshua Blahyi, known as General Butt Naked during the Liberian civil war of the 1990s, who has become born-again and seeks forgiveness for his horrific acts of bloody violence. 

brilliant...
Neither story is the sort of thing that makes for easy viewing, but both subjects are fascinating, and the way both documentary makers let the people tell the story with no narration allows you to make up your own mind about who to believe or who to forgive. Apocalypse begins with stories of people who have grown up in the Polygon area and they and their children have suffered physical deformities, which they blame on nuclear fallout. However, as the film goes on we meet scientists who cast doubt on the veracity of these claims. But some of these scientists work for the government. So it is difficult to know who to believe, since the officials may have an agenda just as much as the poor families are looking for excuses. What is true is that the treatment of the deformed children, and the expectant mothers, is terrible at the hands of unfeeling health professionals. 

Victims of the Polygon?

In Redemption - which has a title that really draws you in with the expectation of something a little bit salacious - is the more fascinating of the two documentaries. Covering a filming period of months and years, it follows Blahyi as he addresses congregations, meets victims of his brutality, testifies to the Liberian war crimes 'pre-tribunal' and then goes into hiding. The film never asks you to judge Blahyi, but it allows him to explain himself, his past actions and his later search for redemption, and contrasts this with talking heads interviews with historians, ex-gang members and victims' rights campaigners. After admitting to killing not less than 20,000 through his actions in the civil war at the tribunal, Blahyi is exonerated from prosecution while others - including a politician who had killed the ex-Liberian leader - were recommended for trial. It's a shocking admission, a shocking statistic, and an even more shocking outcome. It makes you wonder about the power of forgiveness and whether a person really is capable of such acts of contrition as Blahyi. 

briefly...
Sometimes difficult to watch, yet always fascinating, thought-provoking studies of two terrible periods in the histories of little-discussed countries. I will be watching more True Stories with interest.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

basics...
The final Marvel movie before next years super-hero team up, The Avengers, Captain America stands out through being set in World War II, with Nazi bad guys, and a super patriotic hero in the form of... weedy Steve Rogers. Transformed into a buff (hello Chris Evans' pecs), fast healing 'super-soldier', he must defeat the dasterdly Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) before he takes over the world.

brilliant...
Captain America's biggest asset is its cast, which includes the charmingly hunky Chris Evans, gruff and funny Tommy Lee Jones, villainous Hugo Weaving, slimy Toby Jones, winsome Hayley Atwell, cute young Dominic Cooper, and best of all, Stanley Tucci with a German accent! What's not to love? It also helps that the characters exist in a different era as well as a different place, and there are other variations on the superhero theme that contribute to an enjoyable movie, aside from the action setpieces. For a start, Steve Rogers is well known to the world as Captain America, there's no secret identity here, although in a hilarious and knowing sequence, the Captain is initially just a propaganda tool, someone used alongside scantily glad chorus girls touring the country to sell War Bonds. In a neat touch, he also has his own comic book! There's enough originality and window-dressing to make this standard hero origin tale an enjoyable addition to the genre. 

but...
In a year that's already seen Thor, X-Men: First Class, the Green Lantern and probably a couple others I can't remember in cinemas, Captain America's story suffers a little from 'been there, seen that' syndrome. We all know the basic super-hero origin story tropes, and here the Captain sometimes feels like he's going through the motions. And on top of that, I never once thought that our hero was in any way threatened by Red Skull and his Nazi henchmen, defeating him was all a little too easy. Steve Rogers is a bit too perfect too, where are his flaws? Thor has anger issues, Tony Stark is a hedonistic mess... maybe Rogers' issues will come to the surface now that he's thawed out in the present day, and all those he saved back in the 1940s are long gone. 

briefly...
In spite of the feeling of superhero deja vu, Captain America's cast and enthusiasm, along with some genre twists, make it one of the better comic book movies. Although, not as good as Thor.

Gomorrah (2008)

basics...
One of few Italian films I've seen (I'm struggling to think of others, but there must be some), Gomorrah is a dark, multi-stranded tale based on the real-life Camorra crime syndicate. 

brilliant...
Reminiscent of the gritty, no-holds-barred Brazilian City of God, Gomorrah is not as easy film to like. There is no lead protagonist, instead the film follows several stories that inter-weave to varying degrees, taking in the corrupt dealings within waste management; gang culture and society, as seen through a tweenage recruit; an aged money man; and a hapless pair who choose to lead a volatile existence outside the mob, and end up paying for their lack of loyalty with their lives. Filmed in some horrible, run down locations, Gomorrah is intriguing and occasionally funny, and often very violent, painting a particularly bleak picture of the culture depicted. The realism and (presumable) authenticity of the settings and stories makes for a thought-provoking drama. 

but...
Inevitably, following several strands, it's hard to find characters to invest in, although young Toto (Salvatore Abruzzese), 13-years old, wide-eyed but not so innocent stands out as an outside looking in, serving as a somewhat sympathetic conduit for the viewer. Since this is a film about the Italian mob, it's hyper-masculine and there are few female characters to mention. Gomorrah isn't a film to enjoy, rather one to admire as a piece of modern anti-mob 'propaganda'.

briefly...
Gritty realism uncovering a dark corner of Italian society. 

Arrietty (2010)

basics...
It's a year since I saw the delightfully cute Ponyo at the cinema, and last week I saw Studio Ghibli's latest 2-D animated movie, Arrietty. Characters and aspects of the plot are taken from Mary Norton's The Borrowers: Arrietty (Saorise Ronan) and her parents Pod (Mark Strong) and Homily (Olivia Colman) are tiny people who live under the floorboards, and their very existence is threatened when sick Sho (Tom Holland) comes to stay with his aunt Haru (Geraldine McEwan) and spots Arrietty.

brilliant...
I've only seen a handful of Ghibli movies and of these Arrietty is easily the most straight forward, with an almost simplistic plot. To my mind this is a positive development as I find Japanese animation can be a little too obscure or left field on occasion, leaving me scratching my head over plot points. With Arrietty I could just sit back and marvel at the utterly beautiful traditionally animated scenes, which were at their best when depicting the veritable forest that is the garden surrounding the house inhabited by the Borrowers. These scenes could easily be freeze-framed and hung on the wall, so lush with detail and warmth were they. The sound design too was amazing - not something you can say about many films - with effective echoing and manipulated sounds to really make you get a Borrower's sense of life only a few inches tall. The voice cast were marvellous - particularly the incomparable Olivia Colman as nervous Homily.

but...
My only concern is that the film simply was not long enough, I wanted to spend more time with Arrietty, Sho and everyone else, to be enveloped in their world. Ghibli doesn't do sequels, but if they did, the further adventures of the Borrowers would be a fertile source of stories and wonderment.

briefly...
Utterly charming, a feast for the eyes and ears. This is a worthy reminder that 2-D, traditional animation is not a dead art. 

Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story (2009)

basics...
This documentary does exactly what its title says, providing an biographical account of comedian/actor/marathon runner Eddie Izzard through interviews, home video footage and clips from his stand up shows. 

brilliant...
I was dubious about whether a 1hr 45min documentary about Izzard would have much to say, but it turns out that his rise to comedy heights took quite a slog. From being born in Yemen, moving to Northern Ireland, losing his mother, attending boarding school, being kicked out of Sheffield University, slogging away at the Edinburgh festival and street performing in Covent Garden, Izzard eventually hit the big time, pretty much overnight. And then there was the coming out as TV, the Watchdog 'scandal' when he was accused of recycling old material in 2000 and his comeback to stand up in 2003 on the Sexie tour, which is woven throughout the standard talking head-docu stuff. There's no denying Izzard's determination and drive to make it big in comedy, and then to get to Hollywood and star alongside George Clooney in Ocean's Twelve & Thirteen. It's quite a story, and one that is told with compassion, insight and liberal doses of Izzard's humourous flights of fancy. The movie is surprisingly emotional too, as Izzard opens up and shares his belief that by doing all of the things he does he's aiming to get his mother back. 

but...
On that last point above I'd say that the camera lingered too long to be comfortable on the teary Izzard after he'd bared his soul. Otherwise, as a depiction of how hard it is to make it in stand up, and the tenacity of Izzard, Believe is a winner.

briefly...
An unusual insight into the way the comedy circuit works, with a subject worthy of such a lengthy documentary. The clips of old shows reminded me just how hilarious Izzard is. 

Leaf Storm (Gabriel García Márquez, 1955)

basics...
The third novel(la) I've read by Nobel Prize winning Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez, after Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1981) and No One Writes to the Colonel (1958), Leaf Storm is another brief depiction of life in a small Latin American community. The narrative takes place on the day of the town doctor's death and the three narrators, grandfather, mother and son, provide differing perspectives on the event and the mysterious doctor's past.

brilliant...
At just 119 pages, Leaf Storm tells its story economically and skillfully, the three person narration style working well, providing generational insight on the subject of death and slowly peeling back the layers on the doctor's past. There's a mystery to be found then, although I'm not sure there's much resolved by the book's end. 

but...
As with the other two books I've read by this author, both very short as well, I feel like I should be taking more from the story, but I can't quite see what it is that's supposed to be. It's not that Leaf Storm feels insubstantial, just a bit inconsequential. 

briefly...
An easy to read quickie with some intriguing mystery.

Whistle Down the Wind (1961)

basics...
A strange film, set in rural Lancashire, where Hayley Mills is the daughter of Bernard 'M' Lee and comes across a bearded stranger in her barn. Thanks to a throw away remark from a Salvation Army woman at the beginning, who says that Jesus will look after the child's kitten, Mills' Kathy immediately concludes that this man is Jesus. It turns out that he's actually wanted by the police for murder, but the children don't find this out and are adamant this tramp is Jesus.

brilliant...
Despite the odd premise (and the puzzling title), Whistle has many charms, not least in the precocious young children starring alongside Mills, whose broad Northern tones and idiom stand out in a film landscape of cut glass British accents. I wasn't really sure of any message the film was trying to convey, possibly a warning about the gullibility of children. Or maybe the difference between the innocence of youth and the harsh reality of adulthood, if I'm being less cynical. Although released in 1961, long after the advent of colour, the black and white images give an authentic old-fashioned feel to the location, while the music has a haunting, hopeful quality. At the end when 'Jesus' is finally apprehended by the police, there is a nice touch when his arms out pose for a pat down forms the shape of a crucifix.

but...
Alan Bates' 'Gentle Jesus' is perhaps a bit bland. He has close-ups where clearly 'Jesus' is supposed to be wrestling with his conscience after the children treat him so kindly, but this doesn't come across in the performance.

briefly...
A charming piece of British filmmaking with an outstanding cast of child actors. 

In the Heat of the Summer (John Katzenbach, 1982)

basics...
The first book in an omnibus edition of two novels by John Katzenbach (my first taste of the author), In the Heat of the Summer is a rollicking good thriller that I'd describe as 'unputdownable' if that wasn't too clichéd. A young girl is found murdered in Miami, Florida, and the killer chooses to phone the Journal reporter assigned to the case, Malcolm Anderson, to tease clues and promise more murders. As the killings continue, Anderson is caught between his job, his conscience, the police and the killer himself, whose motives involve a possible massacre in Vietnam...

brilliant...
So, 'unputdownable'. Well clearly any book is putdownable, I don't anything is *that* gripping, but I really enjoyed this book, from beginning to end. Katzenbach's style is punchy and raw, Anderson's first person narration and the handful of named characters really puts you inside the journalist's head and his grapple between following his media instincts and delivering a great story, and helping the police to stop the killer who has chosen him to communicate with. The mid-seventies setting uses post-Vietnam fatigue to develop a compelling backstory for the unknown killer, and the lack of technology such as DNA databases and instant phone taps add to the tension as the killer continues to murder seemingly at random, while Anderson and his paper feed the fear of the city's population. In our times of media saturation and influence, this book's concerns about whether this one murderer is having an effect on the community or whether it is the media obsession and over-exposure that really has the detrimental effect.

but...
I can't really think of anything that didn't work here. Even the unmasking of the killer wasn't a let down, mainly because it almost didn't matter who did it. Or even why he did it. The greater story was about the media and the relationship between journalist and killer, and so the ambiguous ending add's to the novel's success.

briefly...
Gripping, thrilling, exciting... A superior popular thriller that actually has something to say about the world at large. I look forward to reading the second volume in the omnibus, although I might read something a little lighter first.

Anchors Aweigh (1945)

basics...
A cheery musical starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra as a couple of sailors on shore leave looking for a good time, Anchors Aweigh primarily attracted by attention for the short scene in the middle in which Kelly dances with an animated Jerry Mouse (of Tom and Jerry fame). As it happens, that section is only a 5 minute fantasy sequence within a much longer tale of romance and male friendship.

brilliant...
Kelly and Sinatra are infectious as Joe and Clarence, permanently sailor-suit clad, as they sing and dance their way around Hollywood, meeting a young boy who wants to sign up (there are numerous billboards urging purchase of war bonds, so the film seems partly a propaganda piece) and subsequently his aunt Susie (Kathryn Grayson). Although Joe tries to set up shy Clarence with Susie, he slowly falls for her himself, while Clarence finds it much easier to talk to a fellow-Brooklyn born waitress. It's immediately obvious where each relationship is going and there are no great surprises in store, but the leads are charming and the musical is lively enough most of the time to sustain interest. I have to say though that few of the songs stick in the memory, and although the dance with Jerry is technically flawless, melding live action and animation, it slows the film down and does nothing to further the plot, a fault with several of the numbers. There is a good dose of humour in the dialogue if not the songs, although 'If You Knew Susie' is a bawdy delight, and the peek backstage at the MGM studios, along with real life composer José Iturbi (who leads a breath-taking multi-piano rendition of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 at the Hollywood Bowl, a tune better known from various cartoon shorts) paints an idyllic picture of the 1940s movie industry.

but...
At 2 hours 15 minutes, Anchors Aweigh could do with an edit, and there are a handful of slow numbers that could have been easily chopped out with no detriment or effect to the ongoing story. 

briefly...
Exceptional only for the early animation/live action sequence - from MGM rather than Disney - Anchors Aweigh is a fun, frothy piece slice of Hollywood gloss from a simpler age. 

Eagle Eye (2008)

basics...
A non-stop action thriller, with explosions, car chases and CGI, Eagle Eye sees Jerry (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachel (Michelle Monaghan) thrown together by a mystery female who can seemingly track their every move in order to participate in a plot to bring down the Executive Branch of the US Government. 

brilliant...
I really enjoyed Eagle Eye, it's been a while since I've seen a film that is so balls-out energetic and non-stop from beginning to end. I enjoyed the way the plot was peeled back, layer after layer, and the mystery behind the voice making the lead characters commit armed robberies and resist arrest by the FBI was skillfully crafted and full of surprises. While Eagle Eye probably isn't to everyone's tastes and wouldn't win any awards for subtlety, it's so fast-paced and slickly produced that the plot holes fly by and you don't care so much. It helps that LaBeouf and Monoghan are sparky and utterly watchable, while Billy Bob Thornton, Rosario Dawson and Michael Chiklis provide excellent support - particularly Thornton, who's humour and approach adds depth to his role. The overarching plot uses fear of terrorism and the ubiquity of technology in everyday life alongside the US constitution to justify killing the president and his cabinet, and it's a thought-provoking idea, although there's not too much time to think about it as cranes crash through windows, drones fly through tunnels and the leads are chased along airport conveyor belts.

but...
Some of the things that an all-powerful computer can do here are ridiculous, for example how exactly does an artificial intelligence decouple a power-cable in order to crash down and electrocute somebody? How does a computer move a train independently backwards and forwards, and manages all of this without crashing or waiting for an egg-timer to finish turning? I think with a film this action-packed it would be churlish to suspend disbelief one moment and then be aghast at implausability the next, it's all or nothing really, so these are only minor gripes. In terms of plotting though, at the end I would have been happier if the Hollywood ending was rejected in favour of actually killing off one of the main characters. It would have felt more satisfying emotionally, less of a cheat. 

briefly...
A blast from start to finish, with the added bonus of likable performances and pertinent plotting.

Disgrace (2008)

basics...
Based on the novel by J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace opens with Prof David Lurie (John Malkovich) coercing a student into sleeping with him. He's then forced to apologise or resign, chooses the latter option and moves from Cape Town out to his daughter's farm in the South African countryside. While there he grudgingly gets involved with a volunteer vet and his complacent attitude is shattered when 3 youths break into his daughter's home and attack her.

boring...
I'm starting this review on the negative side as I didn't find much to recommend this rather bland movie. I haven't read the book, so I don't know whether that affects my understanding, but once the film ended I had an overwhelming feeling of 'what was the point?'. I'm puzzled about what message, if any, the film was trying to convey. Part of the fault must surely be down to Malkovich's sullen performance, although I suppose that is the character. Lurie is unapologetic for being a sexual predator and abusing his position at the university to sleep with a student, and then he's rude and obnoxious when he encounters his daughter Lucy's (Jessica Haines) friends. When the attach on the farmhouse happens, he is beaten and left unconscious in the toilet while Lucy is raped in the next room, although she is very reluctant to discuss events and her anger towards her father for doing nothing while it happened simmers slowly, fracturing their relationship. Disgrace features no likable or interesting characters, and no discernable point.

but...
An Australian movie filmed in South Africa, the location shooting features some stunning cinematography of African vistas. 

briefly...
Not offensive, just uninteresting and uninvolving, Disgrace is simply boring.