March Round-up: TV

I seem to have been to the theatre a lot the past couple of weeks, as well as getting through several books, movies and TV shows. I'm just going to bundle them together so that I can start afresh in April. Too busy/lazy to give each the review it deserves! 

Roger and Val Have Just Got In: Series 2 (2012) built on the touching, funny first series of two-handers between Dawn French and Alfred Molina by introducing new conflicts (Roger's living, estranged son from an adolescent fling) and resolving old issues, such as Roger's tribunal and Val's desire to be Deputy Head. Rarely predictably, always heart-felt and honest, this little series goes to show that you don't need exciting locations, massive casts or manufactured incidents to create laughs and warmth, you just need the talented French and Molina cooking tea or hiding in a wendy house. And that last moment was simply wonderful.

A million miles away from the subtly of Roger and Val was the fourth series of Let's Dance for Sport Relief (2012), a gloriously silly spectacle of 'celebrities' and sports people creating dances for charity. Rowland Rivron was quite rightly crowned winner after a knackering version of Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice - a relief after the boring winners last year. Other favourites this year included a couple of women from Eastenders doing a creditable Telephone; Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards' gloriously daffy, and exceptionally competent, Austin Powers dancing to Soul Bossa Nova; and Arabella Weir's sultry Can't Get You Out of My Head, unfairly beaten by Omid Djalili to the final. Not quite as instantly classic as previous years, but still good Saturday night entertainment.

While on the subject of daft Saturday night TV, I must make mention of Harry Hill's TV Burp, which came to an end (bar the best ofs) with the conclusion of series 11. It may not have been as consistently funny as it used to be, but it was still practically the only regular show worth watching on ITV. Childish and daffy it may have been, but Harry was also knowing and aware of the ridiculousness of much of the telly he poked fun at. There were regular laugh-out-loud moments, as well as joyfully sublime/ridiculous scenes of Harry dancing around his desk with busts of Queen Victoria, a horse and various old characters. Where the final series was lacking in the dearth of celebrities getting involved, there were far to many random people plucked from documentaries to perform odd musical pieces at the end of episodes. Where was the star-packed 'cataracts?' piece of previous series? At least in the final show, the real Heather from Eastenders turned up, alongside Amanda Lamb (never 'eard of her!) to give some kind of weird closure. 

More serious yet at the same time still full of light moments of delicious British humour was Being Human: Series 4 (2012). After dispensing with Mitchell in the last episode of series 3, the first show of the new series wasted little time in preparing the new dynamic that would find George and Nina (the latter offscreen) killed off, leaving Annie to look after their baby alongside Damien Molony's new vampire, Hal, and Michael Socha's werewolf, Tom. In no time at all I had invested in the new characters and their foibles - Hal's OCD and curious mannerisms, combined with Tom's sweetly naive youth and Annie's kick ass new role as mother/protector of baby Eve made for compelling viewing (Annie was much less wet as a mother than Scully was in season 9 of The X-Files). By the end of the final, heart-breaking episode I'd almost completely forgotten about George and Mitchell (but not Nina, who deserved an on-screen ending). The new ghost character is spunky, and although some great villains were hatched and then quickly despatched this series, the seeds of series 5 have already been sown and have left me hungry for more.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon, 2003)

basics...
Narrated by Christopher Boone, a teenager with autism (or Asperger's, neither diagnosis is confirmed within the text, although the dust jacket declares the latter to be so), The Curious Incident begins as a detective novel before turning into an affecting piece about the relationships between Christopher, his father and his 'deceased' mother.

brilliant...
As the book is written in first person by a young man with a distinctive voice, a unique view of the world and an unconfirmed special need, Curious Incident immediately put me in mind of the excellent The Incredible Adam Spark. It wouldn't be appropriate to compare the two for enjoyment and inventive style as they both stand proud as very different works, packed with heart and humour. Haddon's central mystery, about a dog murdered by a garden fork to the stomach, is a good hook for the young protagonists' book, and it gets even more interesting when the mystery surrounding his mother is unravelled, leading to some emotional scenes - no mean task from a narrator who is a stranger to recognising emotion. Every exchange of dialogue is necessarily therefore 'she said' and 'I said' - no 'he exlaimed' or 'she erupted' - and so the writer has to work harder to create an impact, and it is something he does well and you don't notice how easily you're drawn into Christopher's logical world. As with Adam Spark, the humour does not come at the expense of the learning difficulties of the central character, rather from their unique view of life. Although the author has not claimed to be any authority on autism or the like, it is encouraging, although possibly a little naive, to think that the condition does not mean that those experiencing it cannot lead a full and happy life as Christopher does.

briefly...
Charming, funny and heartfelt, a real pleasure to read.

You, the Living (2007) / Adventureland (2009) / Hot Rod (2007) / F (2010)

You, the Living / Du Levande (2007) caught my eye in the schedules as it was billed as a Swedish comedy. It was fairly amusing... and decidedly odd. There was no narrative as such, merely a collection of 'sketches' or vignettes featuring ordinary moments of daily life in a very raw, dramatic yet blackly comic style. The tone put me in mind of Sound of Noise but that was a much more linear movie, with a point to it. The indecipherable impetus behind You, the Living didn't end up making for an unsatisfying whole, I quite enjoyed the movie... I'm just unable to articulate why I liked it. Weird.

Much more straightforward was Adventureland (2009), an American comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg as a geeky kid who ends up working at the titular theme park for the summer between high school and college. While there he befriends Kristen Stewart, who plays a variation of her unreasonably mopey misery-chick schtick from the Twilight franchise but manages to be less irritating with it. Oddly he falls for and ends up dating the park's resident cool chick (in a bit reminiscent of Bandslam's geek-gets-the-girl genre subversion) but it's obvious who he should really be with. It's a slight movie with an unoriginal premise yet Adventureland is hugely enjoyable, mainly because Eisenberg is so damn charming and cute. He's like Michael Cera with less attitude. The supporting cast are a wonderful array of freaks and misfits, including a small role for Bridesmaids' Kristen Wiig, and Bill Hader (who also crops up in Hot Rod below), plus a turn by Ryan Reynolds as a likable bastard.

An evening of pizza, wine and chat at our friend's flat last Friday also involved watching the fabled Hot Rod (2007). Twice. Watching with a group of friends is not normally how I like to see a new movie, but the reverence that certain of my mates show this film made for a pretty hilarious experience. And from what I had the opportunity to see, Hot Rod turned out to be pretty hilarious, full of really silly, unexplained humour that wouldn't be out of place in The Muppets (although some of the racier stuff would need taming). Andy Samberg's daredevil/idiot lead is endearing and not just stupid, and his relationship with his stepfather, Ian McShane, is deliriously deranged - his goal is to earn enough money through stunts to save his stepfather's life... so that Rod can kick his ass. There were many bits that had us all laughing out loud, from the 'cool  beans' sequence, the wacky grilled cheese sandwich and burrito fight and my favourite, the random dancing Chinese guy who gets a montage of bill posting and crotch thrusting... It really is a movie that has to be seen to be believed. And quite rewatchable as it turns out.

While recuperating from a manky cold this week I watched the British horror/thriller simply titled F (2010) - no relation to US high school Othello adaptation, O (2001). After an opening set up that sees teacher Mr Anderson (David Schofield) head-butted by a pupil and thus more resigned and timid in his role, the movie settles in to the confines of the school campus after most of the inhabitants have gone home. Unfortunately for the cleaner, secutiry guards, headmistress, secretary, woodwork teacher, Mr Anderson, his daughter and her boyfriend, they're still in residence when a gang of hoodies turn up to kill them off, one by one. The growing menance is effected by tight camera angles, right up in the victims' faces, and some creepy choral/lullaby music when the speechless, faceless bad 'uns turn up to bash, stab, burn, maim, slice, axle-grind and generally murder all involved. There's not much character development or even really any plot after the first 10 minutes of set up, just a series of offings. No explanation is given as to why these hoodlums are committing these graphic acts or even who they are - are they connected to the guy who headbutted Mr Anderson? The script doesn't care, there are plenty of people to be bloodying up to bother with motivation. The lack of impetus leaves the film feeling a bit hollow, although it is effectively chilling. Thankfully the final scene/ethical dilemma is a real humdinger and makes the previous 80 minutes well worth the price of admission (y'know, if I'd seen it in a cinema).

A shorter story (jrm_gwm, 2011)

Here's the first piece I wrote for my Open Uni course. This didn't have to be a self-contained story, since the word count was fairly low, but I made into one anyway. It's not quite as polished as the last piece as I'd barely even started the course.

‘Breathless’

A short story (jrm_gwm, 2012)

Here's something different from my usual reviews of other people's movies, books and plays, a short story I wrote for my Open University creative writing course. I hope you enjoy it (Click the title).

The Truth is Out There 

The Jester (James Patterson & Andrew Gross, 2003)

basics...
Hugh DeLuc, an 11th century inn-keeper, finds himself caught up in the Crusades and in possession of a historical relic that unscrupulous nobles will stop at nothing to acquire. Hugh's wife and son are captured and so he learns the jester's trade to infiltrate the castle of his lord to find his love in a plot that sees him leading a revolt against the upper classes.

brilliant...
I haven't read any James Patterson for a while. I enjoyed his exciting Alex Cross detective thrillers but I went off him when he started churning out books that were written in partnership with other people. This is the first such book I've read of his, co-written with Andrew Gross, and while it keeps the short chapter-structure and punchy, non-stop plotting the setting is very different. The characters do talk like they've been transplanted from the twenty-first century and there is a lot of blood, sex and action - Labyrinth this ain't - so it's an exciting ride that barely pauses for breath. It is quite refreshing to read something set in the past that doesn't fawn or pander to a languid exploration of the period and just cracks on with plot, plot and more plot. 

but...
Some of the plot is fairly predictable, and the revelation containing Hugh's love interest, Emilie, and her parentage comes as no surprise to anyone who's ever read a book before. Characters are introduced and dispatched in breathtakingly short spells, in often ridiculously short chapters. Dan Brown managed to mix excitement with (some) character-development, this latter isn't much of a concern for Patterson and Gross. It is interesting that I read The Jester during the same week I watched G-Force, as Patterson and Bruckheimer share a sensationalist streak that sometimes means subtly suffers, or vanishes altogether. 

briefly...
Exciting, plot-driven thrills from a skilled writer (and friend) that I will forget almost as quickly as I read it. A passing pleasure with no lasting impression. 

G-Force (2009)

basics...
From the sublime Inside Men to the ridiculous G-Force... A Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer production that sees Zach Galifianakis (wow, spelled that right on my first guess!) as an FBI bod in charge of a crack squad of talking guinea pigs, who are out to prove their worth by investigating Bill Nighy's tech-mogul's plot to take over the world. Or something.

brilliant...
G-Force has a good set up and delivers a lot of wham-bam special effects, chase sequences and flashy CGI that would no doubt keep kids entertained for hours. There are also quite a few references to more adult films that are enjoyable and helped to keep my attention away from the films flaws. I particularly liked the line 'Yippee-ki-ay coffee maker!', a Die Hard reference that none of the film's target audience should know.

but...

The sad thing about G-Force is that it never really lives up to the fun-sounding premise that guinea pig spies might suggest. There's not enough fun to be had with the fact that these are guinea pigs! The film takes itself a tad too seriously - Galifianakis is basically a straight man to some ok-CGI lumps of fluff with impressive voices (Nic Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penélope Cruz, Steve Buscemi and Tracy Morgan) but a weak script, by something called 'The Wibberleys'. That credit explained a lot... The plot - the mole is actually a mole in the ranks and plans to wipe out humanity through killer kitchen utensils - is silly and there are plot holes and contrivances galore. It seems churlish to say that about what is clearly a kids movie, but there should be so much more to this thing that special effects, shouldn't there? I don't think it's a big ask for a tighter script and less clunking scenes like the one in which Galifianakis suddenly decides to tell the little spies he got them from a pet shop

briefly...
G-Force left me annoyed at the squandered potential that a film featuring spy-fi rodents and this cast might imply.

Inside Men (2012)

basics...
A four-part drama that follows the aftermath and planning of a robbery on a counting house, seen through the eyes of 3 inside men, employees who for various reasons decide that they can pull off the perfect crime.

brilliant...
I've not been able to get this incredible drama out of my head since I saw it last weekend. Not quite as stylishly cool as last year's peerless The Shadow Line, Inside Men was still top-class entertainment from beginning to end. Opening with the heist in progress, motives unclear, with no idea of who was who, the story then flashed back to a time preceding the planning of the assault and slowly, like the over-used metaphorical onion, the layers of the plot were teased out. Steven Mackintosh's counting house boss was a work of sublime beauty. His performance made me shiver, and the character's terrifiying motives and manipulative skill was a joy to behold. Mackintosh was ably supported by Ashley Walters as a security guard with a conscience and Warren Brown as the brash employee who dares to steal from Mackintosh's meticulous manager in the first place, sparking off the plan to take every last note from the place. Spooks' Nicola Walker and Kierston Waring (last seen in Top Boy with Walters) were excellent as, respectively, Mackintosh's unwitting wife and Brown's complicit partner. The flashback/forward style was used perfectly, in fact I'm not sure I've seen this technique used so well in a drama before - always breaking at just the right moment to make me desparate to get back to the time-stream to see what happens next, but I'm made to wait as even more exciting drama unfolds in the present. Not a single predictable moment, Inside Men held me gripped every minute. It's dramas like this that justify the BBC licence fee!

briefly...
Astonishingly assured acting, writing and directing from all involved. This is the high watermark for 2012's crop of mini-series dramas. 

The Know-It-All (A.J. Jacobs, 2004)

basics...
The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World is a very funny, informative account of A.J. Jacob's self-imposed quest to read the entire 33 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica. 

brilliant...
A quirky concept, the book is broken down into chapters by letter, and further fragmented into sections headed by a specific Britannica topic. Jacobs relates interesting, shocking or amusing anecdotes from the revered tomes and provides commentary on his experience of reading every single entry across 33,000 pages. It's a mammoth task, and although he rarely wavers, there are moments when he questions what exactly he's getting out of it - is he learning more, does he remember what he has read, is it all futile? It's a funny journey and one that I enjoyed sharing. More than just a collection of facts, The Know-It-All provides an insight into the author's life as a journalist living in New York post-9/11, and we follow his growing relationship with his super-brainy father, and his wife's attempts to get pregnant. Jacobs joins Mensa and tries to use his new knowledge to win big on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, as well as impressing/irritating friends and family with facts about obscure Latvian villages or ancient customs. I've retained little of the knowledge I gleaned from Jacob's watered-down version of the Britannica, but as with the author, I think I learned more from the human stories, about the quest for knowledge and how it is not an end in itself.

briefly...
Warm and witty, fact-packed and teeming with humanity too, The Know-It-All is a treasure trove of unexpected pleasures.

Top Girls (WYP, 03/03/12)

basics...
Another volunteer placement at the Playhouse, with Andrew joining me in the audience. Top Girls is a feminist play in three acts, with an all-female cast playing various characters. Act 1 sees Marlene, an 80's business-woman, at a dinner party with female historical figures, including Pope Joan. Act 2 begins with a scene involving Marlene's simple niece, and continues at the central character's recruitment agency, where Angie turns up looking for help from her cool aunt. Finally, Act 3 flashes back a year to Marlene's visit with her sister and her first meeting with Angie in years.

brilliant...
The best thing about Top Girls was the opening act. It's odd and there's no explanation for why these 6 women find themselves chatting round the dinner table. Each shares some experiences of being a woman at the time they were alive, and the overlapping dialogue makes what is a fairly static scene come alive. There's humour too, mainly in the portrayal of Dull Gret, a simple woman from the Dark Ages who steals the cutlery and bread. Pope Joan's a hoot too, and her story is interesting, as is that of Lady Nijo, a geisha who seems to compete for how hard her life was with rather boring Izabella Bird. The cast and the staging were superb.

but...
If the whole play had carried on like the first Act, even with little plot development, then I would have been happy. Unfortunately when the story became less quirky and moved away from fantasy dinners my interest flagged. I really didn't understand what the whole thing was supposed to be saying. The random sequencing of the acts and the dull story of Marlene and her simple niece were obtuse to the point of boring. I'm sure there are better ways to explore the suffering of women than in this round-the-houses, need-to-study-the-text-in-depth-to-understand-it sort of play. 

briefly...
Aside from an inventive and memorable first act, Top Girls was too obscure in its feminist energies to work as a good piece of theatre.

The Muppets (2011)

basics...
The Muppets return to the big screen for the first time in years. Massive Muppet fan Walter and his brother Gary (co-writer Jason Segel) learn of Tex Richman's (Chris Cooper) plan to tear down the disused Muppet Studios and set out to convince Kermit and the rest of the gang, who have gone their separate ways, to reunite and put on a telethon to save the theatre from destruction. 

brilliant...
I had high hopes for The Muppets, and when I heard that Jason Segel would be scripting and starring I prepared to lower them a little. How wrong I was. What Segel, writing partner Nicholas Stoller and director James Bobin is a celebration of everything that is fantastic about the Muppets, that is respectful of their history and celebrates their unique brand of comedy in a fresh, modern way. It is as much a film as a love letter to everything the Muppets were and are, in much the same way that Hugo and The Artist drew on and celebrated early cinema. Hilarious from start to finish, the human cast, including Amy Adams and a host of cameos from the likes of Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Jim Parsons and Whoopi Goldberg, are just as funny but thankfully do not overshadow the Muppet performers. Once the story is set in motion (and the plot's nothing new, a similar 'theatre-in-jeopardy' macguffin was used in TV-movie It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie) and the Muppets get back together, the humans fall into the background and Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Swedish Chef et al get to be their incredibly funny selves. The references to the original Muppet Show, including a lingering shot of Jim Henson's photograph, are touching and connect the new movie with the modern Muppets. Some of the best bits of the movie: the introduction of 80's Robot; the inspired song and dance numbers, including Oscar winning Man or Muppet; the myriad of Muppet cameos from the TV show - nearly every shot with multiple Muppets features one or two familiar faces; the montage sequence and travelling by map; and the part that had tears of laughter rolling down my face: Clarissa and the Chickens performing 'Forget You'... Priceless.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the unexpected bonus that preceded the movie in the form of the Toy Story Toon: Small Fry, a short that sees the whole of the Pixar gang reunited. A Happy Meal sized Buzz stows away in the toy's new kids' backpack while regular Buzz is inducted into a Forgotten Toys Anonymous therapy group. The magic of Pixar is well and truly captured in just 7 minutes. I'm also rather looking forward to new animation Brave, which was trailed alongside 3D Beauty and the Beast.

briefly...
The best Muppet movie in years, I left the cinema with a massive grin on my face, full of enthusiasm and praise for such a lovingly-crafted film.

Melanie C (Club Academy, Manchester 25/02/12)

basics...
Just three short months after I first saw Melanie C live in Liverpool I saw her again, in Manchester, thanks to a Christmas present from my Mum and sister!! Best present ever! So after a day exploring the Whitworth Gallery (ho hum) and Manchester Museum (very interesting), and a Danish tea at KRO Bar, we went to see Melanie C belt out some tuuuuuunes.

brilliant...
Well it was all brilliant, obviously. It wasn't better than last time, although I liked the support act (Molly McQueen) more in Manchester, and the venue was better in Liverpool (with Melanie C on a raised stage where everyone had a good view), it was just different. The set list was revised too, to 18 songs as follows:

1. Rock Me
2. Yeh Yeh Yeh
3. Weak
4. Northern Star
5. Never Be the Same Again
6. If That Were Me*
7. Fragile*
8. One by One
9. Burn
10. Go*
11. Too Soon*
12. Beautiful Intentions*
13. Drown
14. Next Best Superstar
15. When You're Gone
16. Think About It
17. Stupid Game
18. I Turn to You

The set list wasn't massively different, she still opened with a stonking Rock Me segue into Yeh Yeh Yeh medley type arrangement, and ended with an encore of Stupid Game remixed with Tainted Love and a massively upbeat I Turn To You to jump around to. Replacing Reason, Here It Comes Again, Out of Here, All About You from Liverpool were: an acoustic version of If That Were Me that moved straight into B-side Fragile; Northern Star opening track 'Go'; unreleased - and excellent - Too Soon; and Beautiful Intentions. Yet again, not a single track from This Time, but what was sung was wall-to-wall brilliant, with the new selections surprising and well chosen.

briefly...
Another awesome gig from Melanie C. 

Angus, Thongs & Even More Snogging (WYP, 24/02/12)

basics...
Almost a year after I watched the movie, Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging, an adaptation of the popular teenage girl's book Angus, Thongs & Full Frontal Snogging I found myself at the musical theatre production on a volunteer shift at WYP. Following much the same plot as the film, but with more musical interludes, the play charts Georgia's experiences in young love with sex god Robbie, love god Masimo and best mate Dave the Laugh. 

brilliant...
The evening started well with upbeat pop music playing as the audience entered, giving me something to do (dance on the spot) while handing out dance-move fliers and pointing people to their seats. It was like a night out, not an evening at the theatre - this even extended to posters permitting people to Tweet during the performance, which thankfully few people appeared to be doing. As with the film, protagonist Georgia walks a fine line between annoying and cute/funny, mostly straying to the latter side thankfully. Imaginative set design and use of props, breaking some of the 'fourth' wall, made for a fun, loose experience that I'm sure charmed the majority young, female audience. There was also plenty of bawdy humour and references that would go over the heads of the tweenagers, most of which I picked up on and laughed along with. The live music was excellent, very catchy, very poppy, and the whole thing was such a sweet confection it would be difficult not to get caught up in it all (unless you're a heterosexual male perhaps). The highlight of the whole show was a 2 minute, condensed version of Romeo and Juliet (or as the characters hideously call it, Roms and Julz *shudder*), the school play performed by Georgia and co near the play's end. I laughed so much at this I'd have been happy just to pay to see that.

but...
Some of the language irritated me - mainly the way Georgia added '-osity' to the ends of words unnecessarily, to create a language shared by her clique. These moments did feel like an older writer trying to be 'cool' and jarred a bit. I was pleased that most actors had Yorkshire accents though, as Louise Rennison, created of Angus... and co-writer of the stage version is from Leeds. It's churlish to say but Robbie in the play isn't half as hot as Aaron Johnson's portrayal in the movie, one of that adaptation's main plus points.

briefly...
A more pink and fluffy yet accessible night at the theatre I've yet to see. Angus, Thongs and whatever kind of Snogging (what's so offensive about the phrase 'full frontal'?) has an endearing story that clearly skews teenage girl but which contains humour and recognisable moments for all ages.

On the Road (Jack Kerouac, 1957)

basics...
An American 'classic' that sees narrator Sal Paradise recounting his travels across the USA and finally down to Mexico.

brilliant...
Ok I didn't 'get' The Catcher in the Rye, and now I can't see the fuss about On the Road, so that's two for two on classic US literature I can't appreciate. However, I liked On the Road the most of the two, because the protagonist is not obnoxious, and the style of writing is original. The stream of consciousness makes the book easy to read, and the social history of 1950's USA is interesting too.

but...
Nothing happens in this book. Sal travels from New York to Los Angeles by hitch-hiking, bus and by car. Then he travels back. And then back again. And eventually down to Mexico, and back. All the time hero-worshipping bum/waster Dean Moriarty, who actually is quite irritating. If it wasn't for all the casual skirt that both characters chase, and the casual homophobia, I'd expect this to be an unrequited love story. But it isn't. It's a plotless, almost-tedious snorefest with few characters to care about, too much detail about specific bits of each journey and little character-development. Although it is heartening to see that Sal appears to tire of Dean's more erratic ways as time moves on, it takes too long for him to see this loser for who he is. And then I'm not she he actually does see this.

briefly...
Well I'm glad I read On the Road, because now I don't have to see it again. Well written but ultimately pointless.

Dogtooth (2009)

basics...
A Greek drama about a very strange family - three unnamed young adults are kept confined to their home and grounds by their mother and father - motives unknown - when the idyllic, safe life they live together becomes threatened by internal and external forces.

brilliant...

This movie is weird. It's a good weird though. Slow moving and low key, the movie works because the actors are so believable and the slowly emerging realisation of their hermetically sealed lives is so creepily and effectively defined. The three children are schooled by their parents, who deceive them in many ways in order to protect them from the outside world. When airplanes fly overhead one of the parents will occasionally throw a toy plane into the garden so that the kids think they are really small objects, not far away. There is no TV, no books, nothing to indicate to the children that life goes on beyond their world. The only contact with the outside is their father's female employee who is brought around periodically to have sex with the male child in order to curb his sexual impulse. The older of the two sisters becomes violent and determined to see what's on the other side of the hedge, leading to some bloody scenes that were difficult to watch. Dogtooth's plot is minimal, but director Yorgos Lanthimos creates a compelling, disturbing family drama that it is difficult to shift from my head.

but...
It is a little too obtuse at times, and I don't see myself wanting to rewatch Dogtooth again soon. I quite liked the lack of explanation or motivation of some of the characters, but others would probably want more resolution. The open ending would probably frustrate some viewers too. I found it rather apt.

briefly...
Atmospheric and chilling, Dogtooth won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it worked for me.

Documentaries: The Diamond Queen, The Story of Musicals, Little Matador, The Cricklewood Greats

The Diamond Queen (2012)
Andrew Marr's 3 part series about Queen Elizabeth II, made as part of the Diamond Jubilee year, was a fascinating insight into the monarch and her life. Marr had fantastic access to a multitude of royal engagments over the past year, from state visits to Australia and Ireland, to the Royal Wedding and on to smaller occasions like the Garden Party and the Queen's Speech. Far from being the royal propoganda that Republicans have claimed, I found The Diamond Queen to be a measured approach to a woman who has a unique position in the UK, the Commonwealth and the world and who is not always understood or fully appreciated. Through his investigations Marr explored the Queen's past, her family life, her devotion to her job and came to the conclusion that she works hard, moves with the times and is still, in her eighties, eager to be a force for good where she can. I already admired the Queen and I'm looking forward to the updated version of Ben Pimlott's peerless biography, so this programme provided an excellent introduction to the Jubilee year. Long live the Queen!

The Story of Musicals (2012)
Another 3 parter, this one had a wider focus than the last. It should have been called The Story of British Musicals but that's no matter, it did a solid job covering many shows I've seen - Cats, Billy Elliott, Blood Brothers - many I haven't - Les Mis, Starlight Express, Phantom of the Opera - as well as plenty I'd never even heard of. Spanning several decades, the series interviewed many of the big players in the genre, from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh to Elaine Paige and, erm, John Barrowman, and it felt pretty comprehensive and packed full of interesting back stories and anecdotes. Most of the interviewees seemed to have a good sense of humour and a perspective on the musical's place in the world while having massive respect for the producers and stars - and after seeing this documentary I can certainly see why. If nothing else, The Story of Musicals made me want to get out and see even more of them!

Little Matador (2011)
Another movie in the True Stories strand, Little Matador is oddly an Irish movie about child bull fighters in Mexico. It follows 3 bull-bothering hopefuls, each of whom has their own reasons for pursuing a life as a matador, from pushy parents, absent parents and a young girl's desire to be a famous female matador... if only she didn't run crying when the bulls run at her. I didn't really have an opinion on bull fighting before watching this documentary - most of the images of stereotypical matadors I have come from Looney Tunes cartoons. I quickly realised how distasteful and barbaric the 'sport' is - it's basically aggrivating and then torturing a riled up creature, before savagely thrusting a blade into it's brain. The successful matador then receives the bull's shorn off ears as a grisly trophy to display triumphantly to the baying crowds. You'd have thought that this sort of practice would have died out with the gladiators of Rome, but apparently not - there are even matador schools in Mexico, training children to do this stuff. It's horrible. I had to look away when the bulls were murdered. I'm no animal rights activist but I can see no up-side of this practice in the 21st Century, no matter how much it's part of the Mexican/Latin culture. The documentary itself left me feeling sad for the 3 delusional children, who deserve to be loved by their parents and allowed to be young, to play and to enjoy life, not taught to face down angry bulls before slaughtering them. 

The Cricklewood Greats (2012)
Ok, I'm cheating now, this wasn't an actual documentary but rather a mockumentary of those rather earnest types of show on BBC4 that celebrate a particular era/icon of film. I'm including it here as it was a fun one-off, and to take the edge off Little Matador. As co-writer, director and 'presenter', Peter Capaldi has created a very funny, almost touching piece about a fictional British film studio that would be believable were it not for the presence of Kelly 'Emma from Hustle' Adams and Tim 'Yates from The Royal Bodyguard' Downie as a number of different actors from Cricklewood's roster of stars. Gently mocked are silent comedies, Hammer-type horror schlock, monster B-movies and Carry On camp. Everything is played straight with a firm tongue in cheek - my favourite scene has Capaldi ('playing' himself) visit the site of the Cricklewood Studios with a 'historian' (Alex MacQueen) and strolling through the Wickes DIY store that has been built in its place, pointing out where the toilets used to be and sensing the aura of the old Studios. Ludicrous and oh so very based in fact - the fact of these types of documentaries.

Hustle: Series 8 (2012)

basics...
The final series of the cocky con-men (and woman) show saw more daring heists, more celebrity guests stars and a final episode that brought back old friends. 

brilliant...
Hustle has so much charm, such glossy production values and a core cast of likable rogues that it's easy to forgive some of the weaker plots - there are only so many different variations of con that you can do over 8 series - and although I can't pick any particular ropey scripts out, I can say with confidence that the final episode was one of the best they've ever made. Bringing back Stacie (Jaime Murray) and then Danny (Marc Warren) was a masterstroke and brought good closure for the gang and the viewer. The cheeky, Moonlighting-style breaking of the fourth wall that Hustle has played around with over the years came to the fore in a final scene that saw the characters leave the set of Eddie's Bar and drive off into the sunset was satisfying and appropriate. I've enjoyed Hustle so much over the years, it's always been a pleasure to watch. Even though it has been light and fluffy it has never been cheap or soapy, yet never tipping over into life-threatening drama. The perfect antidote to some of the more serious shows out there.

but...
I liked the return of two original cast members, but why has Ashley Walters' series 4 character, Billy Bond, who replaced Mickey and preceded Emma and Sean, never even received a passing mention since he inexplicably left? Even a throwaway line in the final episode would have been nice.

briefly...
I now have to try and live in a world with no more Spooks and no more Hustle. It's going to be hard.