Quick Round-up: Movies

I seem to have seen so many films recently, on TV, DVD and at the cinema and I've not had time/inclination to write a lot about each one. So for the sake of completeness, I'm going to zip through what I've seen here, starting with TV drama Page Eight (2011), a slow yet solid tale of espionage starring Bill Nighy. Then there was Bringing Up Baby (1938), the hilarious screwball comedy that sees Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn trading barbs as they try to track down the titular Baby, a pet leopard on the loose, and Hepburn tries her darndest to snag her man. I've seen this film before and it's an absolute hoot, so I was eager to get Andrew to watch it to see what he thought - for the same reason we watched The Birdcage (1996), the hilarious US remake of La Cage aux Folles starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane as a gay couple who are shocked to learn 'their' son is to marry the daughter of a Republican senator. Funny and unexpectedly touching, The Birdcage doesn't do a great deal for the gay cause, but it's hard to be offended when everyone's having so much fun. 

A change of tack to documentary and Sarah Palin: You Betcha! (2011), where Nick Broomfield investigates the strange world of the one-time VP hopeful through interviews with family and friends. And once it becomes clear that Broomfield is making an honest documentary rather than a puff piece about how amazing Palin is, the access to family dries up pretty quick. I didn't think that Broomfield set out with a liberal agenda per se, but he soon uncovered a lot of dodgy back story and delusion behind the soccer-mom smokescreen that painted a convincing and scary picture of Palin. 

Panned by the critics and shunned by audiences, I went into John Carter (2012) with an open mind (and a buy-one-get-one-free email voucher from Disney) and was completely blown away. I cannot see why everyone is down on this movie, it's exciting, it's funny, it's original and it is much better than many other CGI sci-fi epics I can think of (yeah, Phantom Menace, I mean you). I've not stopped talking about it to friends and colleagues since. Taylor Kitsch is hunky and a hero to route for as the title character, a widowed US Civil War veteran who is mysteriously transported to Barsoom/Mars where he gets caught up in the red planet's own internal fights. Filled with spectacle, non-irritating CG characters, suprisingly dark moments and much more, John Carter's fully-realised world is one I'd love to go back to in future films, but alas that's unlikely. 

Special effects on a much smaller budget and screen made last Christmas' The Borrowers (2011) a believable and fun tale that up-dated Arrietty's family and found them living under Victoria Wood's floorboards. Stephen Fry's scientist gets wind and determines to expose the little folk to the world in a plot that is bigger than the Ghibli movie but less sweetly engaging. A much more odd interpretation of a classic children's story, Wes Anderson's stop-motion Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) features an assortment of indie voices plus George Clooney and Meryl Streep as Mr and Mrs Fox, and a laconic tone that suits the story to a tee. 

After reading William Goldman's novel I revisited The Princess Bride (1987) on DVD. I didn't get the big deal the first time around, and while I can see why it has earned cult status, like the book before it I still felt it was lacking an extra something to expand the idea of a parody fairytale into a roaring success. What the movie did was make me want to watch Cary Elwes really letting loose in Robin Hood: Men in Tights again! The Princess Bride felt oddly low key as a whole, something that could also be said of Monsters (2010), the economically made movie about two characters who are thrown together to travel across alien-infested landsThe low budget meant that this was more a character study than a John Carter style action-fest, with the CGI aliens only briefly glimpsed. Perhaps actually it is more of a love story than anything else, as well as a pretty trip around the jungles of Central America. 

Finally, last Wednesday we went to the cinema to see The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012), in 3D, Aardman Animation's latest claymation feature. The most joyfully silly movie I've seen since The Muppets, The Pirates is packed full of sight gags and witty lines, run through with an earthy Britishness and randomness reminiscent of Monty Python. While not as consistently laugh-filled as Chicken Run, I found The Pirates more satisfying than Curse of the Were-Rabbit and left the cinema with a massive smile on my face. And that concludes the movie part of the update!

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.

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).

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. 

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.

The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos (2009)

basics...
A documentary from the recently created Disneynature brand, the film focuses on the lives of the unusual lesser flamingos of the Lake Natron in Tanzania.

brilliant...
Part documentary, part nature-porn, with a life-span narrative to hang it all on, Crimson Wing started out slow with lots of pretty shots of landscapes and soon became an enveloping, pleasurable experience, combining the silky tones of Mariella Frostrup's poetic narration with stunning photography and genuinely interesting creatures. These flamingos fly back to Natron every year to breed - what's weird is that Natron is incredibly salty and not much survives here, yet the flamingos build nests from the salt and bring up their chicks on it. This leads to some of the chicks' downfall as they wander about in the water, get coated in salty crud which then hardens on dry land, weighing them down like concrete ugg boots and leaving them prey to various carnivores. There's less information here than in an Attenborough documentary and the pace is more relaxed, with a quirky soundtrack that makes Crimson Wing stand out as more than just a documentary about pink birds. The images of running flamingos was rivettingly hypnotic and awe-inspiring.

but...
There's an argument to be made that the flowery script is too airy fairy at times, and that more importance is given to the lives of the flamingos than is appropriate. And sometimes the images are not just nature-porn wonderous but computer wallpaper placeholders. I find it a bit odd that this is being released by Disney as there's nothing particularly Disnified about it, it's a UK/US/French co-production with the Disney name slapped on the DVD box. Although honestly, would I have picked this up if it hadn't?

briefly...
An uplifting, beautiful story of a surprisingly fascinating creature and its equally intriguing habitat.

Black Mirror (2011)

basics...
A trio of morality plays about the state of Britain at the beginning of the 21st century, as told by the warped wind of Charlie Brooker and featuring an all star cast (well, episode 1 anyway). 

brilliant...
The best episodes were those (co-)written by Brooker; the first, The National Anthem was a blackly hilarious skewering of the media, politics and the public appetite for spectacle wherein the people's princess is kidnapped and the ransom demands that the PM must have sex with a pig live on TV. Played completely straight by the likes of Rory Kinnear and Lindsay Duncan, the drama feels like it is but a single breath from reality in the way that the media manipulates public opinion and how both fuel political actions. It all ends up rather bleak and distressing, and the title of the series is never more apt. 

15 Million Merits is very different, and very good. Directed by Doctor Who veteran Euros Lyn, the story is set in an unspecified future in which our hero (Daniel Kaluuya) is one drone among many. He sleeps in a room that is wall-to-wall TV screens, with an avatar able to wander around Second Life type worlds while he must cycle daily to power the constant stream of stimulation on the channels that feature game shows that poke fun at fatties, computer game shoot-em-ups featuring the world's cleaning staff, salacious pornography and an only-just exaggerated form of Britain's Got Talent/X-Factor. It's a chilling, dystopian vision, and the young cast captures the tedium of the world well. I've been saying for a while how much I dislike the way our lives are dictated by screens of every discription, and here is such a world. Part Big Brother, part game show, the story at the heart of the show, our hero gives the credits he has inherited from his brother to a girl he's sweet on so that she can go on Hot Shots and become a singer, is nicely subverted when she is forced into porn. Bleak, original and terrifying stuff.

Third programme, The Entire History of You, written by Jesse Armstrong was less compelling, with fewer ideas. The main idea was a good one though. In this world everyone has a 'grain' implanted behind their ear that records everything a person sees and does, which then allows a person to rewatch moments from their lives either on their own or synched up to a TV screen. Husband and wife Liam (Toby Kebbell) and Ffion (Jodie Whittaker) are at the centre of a small, more personal story than the two previous shows, that deals with the former's sexual jealousy, which is exacerbated by the grain's ability to exactly revisit old arguments and takes obsession to dangers levels. It's an interesting idea but I think it would have worked better on a grander scale, with a more compelling narrative - perhaps some humour too, something this installment lacked.

briefly...
Thought-provoking cautionary tales with lashings of originality and wit, Black Mirror's 'play of the week' style should be more common on British TV.

Coriolanus (2011)

basics...
One of Shakespeare's lesser known plays (I had never read/seen it and had no idea of the plot going in) Coriolanus was brought to life by Ralph Fiennes both in front of and behind the camera. Bringing the Bard's words to a modern-day setting, filmed in war-scorched Serbian towns, Coriolanus is a popular soldier who grudgingly becomes consul in Rome, but his reluctance to adhere to the requirements of the role lead to his ousting at the hands of the people. 

brilliant...
Seeing an unknown Shakespeare production without prior knowledge of the characters and plot can be a risky affair, especially when the original language is retained. Thankfully, Coriolanus was pretty easy to follow, helped in no small part by the use of on-screen captions, the news-reader (Jon Snow!) commentators/chorus and the present-day settings. Fiennes gives the production a visceral, muscular look and feel, the camera rarely staying still. The dialogue seems to be stripped back to the bare essentials too, with only a few scenes of speechifying, and none of the exposition/solliloquy of Hamlet or King Lear. The cast are uniformly excellent, from gruff Gerard Butler, Coriolanus' on-again-off-again enemy/ally; Brian Cox's manipulative Menenius, who's final scene is devastating; and the sheer force of nature that is Vanessa Redgrave's Volumnia, our hero's mother. She's a really strong character, of Lady Macbeth proportions, in a sea of masculine power. It could have been easy for the character of Coriolanus to be unlikable - he's surly, never gives a reason for his reluctance to serve the people and is quick to anger - yet Fiennes makes us care for him while leaving motives open to interpretation. This is a film that I found myself discussing long after we'd left the cinema. It is a very powerful piece of cinema. The more I think about it the more I like it, from the music, the camera work and the direction to the story and cast. Brilliant.

briefly...
A stunning Shakespearean drama that delivers action, drama and spectacle, I don't expect to see another thriller this year that will match the impact of Coriolanus. 

January Round-up: TV

We recently watched Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure that I had recorded on TV... and then realised I actually own it on DVD! The perils of a large DVD collection. Anyway, I enjoyed it all the same, and it brought back memories of when I saw it live in Stoke-on-Trent while at uni, and I got a photo with Gorman afterwards. I need to find that and dig it out to scan and put with my 'James Meets...' celebrity photo ops on Facebook. 

Something I hadn't seen before was The Comic Strip Presents... The Hunt for Tony Blair (2011), a one-off comedy starring Stephen Mangan as the PM who finds himself in trouble and ends up on the lamb. The twist here is that the story takes place in a black and white, old-Hollywood noir world, where Margaret Thatcher (Jennifer Saunders) is a corpulent Barbara Cartland type predator, modelled on Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard, and Harry Enfield is a sweary Alistair Campbell, with Ross Noble putting in a great performance as a socialist and another of Blair's victims. Short for a one-off (running an hour on Channel 4), Hunt was very well made and had laughs at Blair's expense so it was enjoyable enough, but it did feel like it could have stretched a bit longer.

Back at Christmas 2010 the BBC showed The One Ronnie, a hilarious one-off vehicle for Ronnie Corbett and a host of comic cameos, and early this year they took the format and applied it to create The One Lenny Henry, Jasper Carrott, and Griff Rhys-Jones (2012). The title really only makes sense in the case of Griff as his comedy usually involved Mel Smith, who turns up for a great head-to-head conversation in his episode. I enjoyed all 3 episodes - it was good to see the comedians doing what they should be doing rather than fronting daytime game shows or light-entertainment documentaries. Carrott's stand up was funny because he moaned about getting older in the current tech-obsessed world and didn't come off as fusty, just funny - and while the reunion with Robert Powell as the inept pair from The Detectives had a low gag-rate, the sketch with real-life daughter Lucy Davis that reversed the father-daughter relationship was a hoot. Lenny Henry was good but the weakest of the 3, but then I've often found his comedy a bit hit and miss. The best of the trio was Griff Rhys-Jones, who eschewed the stand-up / sketch / stand-up / sketch pattern for a series of hilarious sketches, including the aforementioned Mel Smith update. Griff has a real knack for stupid characters and brings good acting chops to the comedy dialogue - his persistent football fan, desperate to get Tom Hollander's non-fan to talk about the game was gold. I hope that Griff more than any of the others gets back into comedy after this. And if Mel Smith wants to join in as well that would be fine.

A show from last year that we took a while to getting around to watching, Death in Paradise: Series 1 (2011), turned out to be a warm, easy show to like - once the first episode was over anyway. I liked the first show because they wrong-footed the viewer and made a character you assumed was a starring role into the murderer (stealing an idea from Spooks' very first episode), but for some reason the hour felt long and the set up, though intriguing, didn't hook me straight away. Ever reliable Ben Miller is DI Richard Poole, sent to the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint-Marie (really Guadeloupe) to investigate a murder and then told to stay there, along with French DS Camille Bordey (Sara Martins). Poole loves the rain and cold of Britain so he's none to happy to have to suffer in the sun and heat of this unfamiliar island, particularly with a French sidekick. While the plots were often fairly easy to work out for anyone who's ever seen a crime show before, the joy of Death in Paradise was how easy and relaxed and comforting it all was, and with great performances from Miller and co, including Danny 'Cat from Red Dwarf' John-Jules as a laid back policeman, and a host of British character actors like Miranda Raison, Shirley Henderson and Keith Duffy(!). Oh and this being a Caribbean-set show there are some great accents, mostly shown off by a who's who of black British talent - very much like The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. The camaraderie of the main cast kept me coming back, along with the gentle humour and the exotic locations.

The Royal Bodyguard (2012) was equally as gentle as Death in Paradise, but it wasn't nearly as satisfying. I decided to watch the whole series to see whether it would improve, and other than brilliant comic work from David Jason as hapless, disaster-prone bodyguard Guy Hubble and sublime straight-man Geoffrey Whitehead as his boss, it fell flat in terms of believability and truly funny comedy. I realise that comedy doesn't need to be realistic, but the central idea - that someone as old and useless as Hubble would be entrusted with looking after the royal family - just does not ring true, however much Jason is adept at playing the gullible fool. For such an unexciting show the production values were good, it's a shame that more time wasn't spent on the scripting and curiously drawn out jokes. 

Shelock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2010) & Sherlock: Series 2 (2011)

basics...
The continuing adventures of celluloid Holmes and Watson, starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law in Victorian London, plus the return of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock and John, modern day problem solvers on a TV budget.

brilliant...
Very little seems to have been written, at least in the things I read, discussing these two very different adaptations in the same breath, which is odd considering they both back in sequels released/broadcast within a few weeks of the other. The movie is a less cerebral, more visceral, action-packed affair than the trio of new episodes, yet each 'product' is recognisably Sherlock Holmes, and each is a joy to behold. Key to each is the chemistry between the duo of actors in the starring roles - Downey Jr and Law seem so comfortable sparking off each other, while Freeman is a knockout as his (platonic) love for quirky Cumberbatch's super-sleuth translates through to the audience. A Game of Shadows is more fun, more assured than its predecessor, and the inclusion of both Stephen Fry, as Holmes' brother Mycroft, and Jared Harris as nemesis Moriarty are masterstrokes. The TV show has an equally compelling villain in Andrew Scott's Jim Moriarty, and the final episode, in which he sets Sherlock up for an almighty fall was nail-biting stuff. Damn Stephen Moffat's love of cliff-hangers!

but...

I reiterate my complaint from my review of Sherlock: Series 1: 3 episodes is not enough! Even if they are each feature length. While it's nice to see Noomi Rapace on screen in A Game of Shadows it would have been even better if her character had something useful to do - the dearth of female characters gives a real boys' own adventure feel to the film. Women are better served in the TV version, particularly Lara Pulver's Irene Adler - I hope we see more of her next series (although in the infamous naked scene we've already seen quite a bit).

briefly...
Worthy successors and happy bedfellows, each adaptation/version has a lot to recommend it. 

December Round-up: TV & Books

The Christmas / New Year period was fairly busy for some reason, and it's only since this last weekend I've been able to unwind, at least that's how it feels. So I'm going to do a quick catch up on the stuff I've been watching and reading to bring me up to date to start the new year. 

Back at the end of 2011 I loved every minute of Forbrydelsen II / The Killing II (2009). While not as long or perhaps as compelling as the first series, the second still held my rapt attention. Sarah Lund returned to Copenhagen to track a series of killings involving the army and incident in Afghanistan many years before. Grisly murder scenes and lots of pensive Lund moments mixed with new politician Thomas Buch's investigations into his predecessor's conduct as Justice Minister combined for some pretty exciting TV. I did not see the ending coming AT ALL and it was super intense. The intelligent way that The Killing handles plot, character and drama makes it one of my favourite show of the year. Roll on series 3!

Another returning series was Merlin: Series 4, which kicked things up a notch early on by dispatching Uther (and Lancelot) and crowning Arthur King of Camelot, before treading water with some ho-hum warlock-of-the-week episodes before shifting gear again on the overarching plot and marrying off the new king to Gwen. Still no sign of Merlin revealing his magical secret to his best mate and boss, but there were more interesting developments that almost got forgotten in the final episode of the series when the boy magician finished off evil Agravaine! I'm sure that's going to come back to haunt Merlin and add some angst to series 5.

The small yet perfectly formed Rev came back with a new series that saw some big name guest stars in Reverend Adam Smallbone's tiny congregation. Still funny, endearing and often unexpectedly, refreshingly rude, Rev still feels like a hidden gem.

While in Crewe for New Year I had the 'pleasure' of watching a few bits and pieces on my in-laws' new 3D TV, including some Kylie concert, a bit of a CGI movie and a whole programme in the form of nature documentary The Bachelor King 3D. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough the over-long one off followed the life and times of a king penguin - at least it purported to do, until the closing credits revealed that the penguin lead was actually 'played' by several different birds. The 3D was a nice touch, but as I've said before, watching something in 3 dimensions does not improve the actual experience. It's a novelty and nothing more, and after 75 minutes with heavy 3D glasses it's also a bit of a headache. The programme was good, though didn't shed any new light on the lives of a well-documented species.

TV short Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas was charming though distinctly odd. I understand the conceit of talking mammoths, sloths, etc, but I just cannot credit the presence of a human Santa Claus or the very notion of Christian Christmas many thousands (millions?) of years too early. I know it's a kids' holiday special but come on! Paradoxes aside, the short was a lot of fun and made me want to finally watch the movie sequels to the not-quite-classic-but-better-than-most-cgi-movies original.

I found time to read a couple of books over Christmas. The first I actually received as a gift last year, The Interrogative Mood (2010) by Padgett Powell. A bizarre 'novel' constructed entirely throughout its 164 pages by a random string of questions. It's an odd beast, and not really my idea of a novel, but it's hardly non-fiction either. Occasionally there seem to be groups of questions that link but there is no connected through-line. Strangely the overall impression of the book is that whatever it is, it works. It really has to be read to be believed.

More straightforward was Kate Mosse's Labyrinth (2005), an epic grail quest that feels incredibly sedate compared to the Da Vinci Code. I say grail quest, it's not until the last third of the novel that the relic evens merits a mention. Before that the story is split between Alice in the present and Alaïs in the 13th century as the former pieces together bits of the life of the latter until both narratives cleverly converge in the same cave in the French Pyrenees. I rarely had this book out of my hands over New Year, I very much relished the dual-narrative style, the subject matter and the wonderfully drawn characters. I particularly liked Alaïs' experiences in a foreign country and a dim and distant past for the fact that both aspects of her life were so different and original. Where Dan Brown's book felt like a thriller for the MTV generation, Labyrinth was more like a 20 part Danish drama, slowly unfolding over time to reveal a deftly plotted adventure.

Post Christmas TV & Movie Round-up

Once I come back from the in-laws in January, and have finished my next Open Uni story I'll update on the great TV series that finished in December (The Killing II, Rev, Merlin) but for now I thought I'd update on a few one-offs I've watched in this no man's land between Christmas and New Year.

Following a viewing of the original on Christmas Eve, on Boxing Day we settled down to watch Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) over dinner. While not quite as innovative or original as the first, this film gets off to a strong start with inventive (and believable) new ways of separating Kevin from his family. This time they go to rainy Florida while he ends up in snowy New York, with his dad's credit card, and, inconventiently, recently escaped burglars the Wet Sticky Bandits. More time is spent this time around on the main set piece of Kevin attempting to murder the Wile E. Coyote-related burglars with ingeniously placed holes and buckets. There is some great comedy to be had with reliable Tim Curry as an over zealous hotel concierge and some good continuity gags from the first film, such as Harry still having Kevin's front door handle burned onto his palm. The pigeon lady's emotional arch isn't as touching as the scary neighbours in Home Alone, especially as the scenes between Kevin and his mother are where the real heart of the film lies.

A couple of programmes starring Alexander Armstong and Ben Miller caught my attention on Channel 4 the other night. First we watched The Best Bits of Armstrong & Miller (2001), which featured highlights from the duo's final Channel 4 sketch show, and not any of the first 3 series for unknown reasons. I remember laughing along to this series when it went out, though many of the sketches I'd forgotten. I remembered Nude Practise though, which sees the characters running an inexplicable naked vets... Odd. Some of the best bits are the running gags and one liners, such as the inspirational teacher who tells his class to 'fuck off' as soon as the bell goes, or the camp TV gossip columnists who open the episodes. It's all good stuff, up there with the best of their BBC work.
I suppose the purpose of this strangely scheduled clipfest was to help promote the sitcom pilot that preceded it, also starring Armstong and Miller as a pair of Edwardian fops, Felix and Murdo. It was a curious set up. Written by Simon 'Men Behaving Badly' Nye it had an oddly disjointed, undercooked feel. I suppose, as a pilot episode, it's flaws can be forgiven, especially as Armstrong and Miller's central performances were so reassuringly well delivered. If it were to run to a series I'm not sure I'd be tempted back, but we shall see.

Another comedy one-off, on BBC2, was I suppose a pilot too, for a TV version of the Radio 4 programme I've Never Seen Star Wars. Oddly though, this has already been on TV, on BBC4 and hosted by Marcus Brigstocke. The terrestrial (mainstream?) version here was hosted by Jo Brand and featured Stephen Fry as the guest, apparently because he had time among his other many projects to fit in a bit of boxing, ear piercing, building flatpack furniture and watching Only Fools & Horses. It's an interesting premise for a show, thought I think it would work better without the studio bit and if it just featured footage of the guest enjoying the new experiences. To be fair, it was the attraction of Brand and Fry that drove me to the special, which I suppose was the point, and I doubt I'd bother with it again unless the guest was someone of interest.

There's a second episode of It'll be Alright on the Night airing before the year ends, but I'll write about the first to cover both. This is one of the few shows I'll make a point of watching on ITV, even more so now that isn't-he-dead-yet Dennis (S)Norden doesn't host it. Griff Rhys Jones is a much more agreeable guide to the pratfalls, fluffs and plain weirdness that makes up the long running blooper-fest. I'd seen several of these clips before, but that didn't make them any less funny. From the Blue Peter presenter dropping the Trafalgar Square Christmas star to Martin Clune's inability to write a prescription, there's something so funny about the material found on this show. I love it, and am not ashamed to admit it!

Christmas TV & Movie Round-up

We began the Christmas break on the 24th by not leaving the flat and enjoying the time together. This trend continued through the big day itself - we plan to go out today and visit the sales for a bit - and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Our Yuletide viewing began on Christmas Eve by popping in the DVD of Home Alone (1990), a festive classic that I've not seen for years. What struck me on this watching was how little of the film is actually made up of Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) fending off the hapless burglars (Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci). Even though I must have seen the movie lots in my youth there was plenty to enjoy, and it had us laughing out loud at the hilarious set ups and prat-falls. A great way to ease into the festive mood.

The only TV Christmas special we watched that same night was Outnumbered, which saw the unlucky Brockman family trying, ultimately unsuccessfully, to go away on holiday. It was a nice little piece, with superb performances from Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner, who would pop up again on Christmas Day. We happened to catch and laugh uproariously at a Best of Les Dawson 25 minute special too, just before bed.

As usual, I was up first on the 25th, excited to open my presents. While Andrew had his breakfast we watched the Disney animated TV special Prep & Landing (2009) and the two shorts on the DVD. The 22 minute piece sees elves Wayne and Lanny teaming up to prepare a house for Santa's visit, almost causing a disaster and then saving the day. It's a good natured film, with the highlights being the modern takes on the old-fashioned Santa scenario. So technology is imployed to scan for 'creatures stirring', to test the temperature of Santa's milk, and to knock out waking animals and children - this ingenuity is what the Tim Allen movie The Santa Clause only began to address. I enjoyed the piece, and the Operation: Secret Santa (2010) short as well, especially as the latter featured Betty White as Mrs Claus.

As with most recent years, the TV didn't stray away from BBC1 all evening. Following a successful and tasty lunch of chicken, potatoes, veg and all the trimmings, we podged out on the sofa with the festive edition of Top of the Pops, sadly still fronted by personality vacuums Reggie Yates and Fern 'Amazing' Cotton. Again, as usual most of the best songs of the year (for me) were either skipped through in the round up sections or completely missed out - where's Melanie C, goddammit!? There was a memorably weird performance from Will Young and his dancers, the women holding their pony tails aloft, and a nice albeit brief set of clips featuring the late Sir Jimmy Savile, and some atrocities from Olly 'punch me' Murs, some new group called Little Mix and the massively over-rated Jessie J. All in all a pretty piss poor effort.

Much better was her majesty The Queen in her usual 3pm slot, talking about the importance of family and doing her mother of the nation bit. Thank goodness Prince Phillip didn't take a turn for the worse.

Full of food and not really having the need or want to move from the sofa, we settled down with the rest of our fizzy rosé to watch Monsters vs. Aliens (2009), a movie we first saw on its release in 3D at IMAX. Even without the bells and whistles and size of a barn door extras, this is still one of the best non-Pixar CGI movies, full of loving sci fi references, subversions of cliches and utter randomness - an example of the latter being the President's decision to play a little of the Axel Foley theme, and later, the alien spaceships' password/dance machine playing Aqua's 'Roses Are Red'. The voice cast are excellent and the action is non stop, as are the laughs. A perfect way to unwind on Christmas afternoon.

Later on that evening we saw the sequel to 2009's animated TV special, The Gruffalo's Child, in which the titular protagonist goes on a hunt into the dark woods to find the mythic, scary creature of the Mouse, only to encounter Snake, Owl and Fox. It was pretty much the same storyline as The Gruffalo, except with the roles of Mouse and Gruffalo switched. I didn't feel that this special was quite as magical as the original, but it was sweet enough.

Another sweet Christmas special came in the form of Doctor Who: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, which wasn't as beautifully realised and pretty as A Christmas Carol, yet still had so much heart and warmth, mainly as a result of Claire Skinner's peformance as a strong minded mother dealing with the loss of her husband in wartime and the disappearance of her children along with the Doctor in a snowy winter wonderland where the trees are alive. She also comes across an odd group of people intent on culling the forest, and the extended cameos from Arabella Weir, Bill Bailey and some other bloke are dotty and wonderful. I'd quite happily see Skinner joining the Doctor on his travels once he leaves Amy (and sadly Rory) behind - he needs a strong willed older woman to counter his youthful (looking) exuberance.

I didn't write a full post on Strictly Come Dancing this year, mainly as I only dipped into it here and there, and only watched a couple, including the final, from beginning to end. I do wish I'd watched more though, as I particularly became entranced by Harry Judd's performance. And it seems the judges and rest of the public were too as he won over the dumb blonde Chelsee whatnot from something or other. Judd impresses with his well-toned body, polite demeanour and stunning dancing ability. I did watch the whole of Strictly Come Dancing Christmas which saw the return of all of the 2011 contestants in a disappointing finale, following one-off performances from Charlie Brooks, Simon Webbe, Debra Stephenson, Barry McGuigan and the deliriously potty Su Pollard. It was a camp spectacle that out-gayed even the series proper.

Final treat of the evening was the first return of Absolutely Fabulous (following an hour's break from the TV as Eastenders came on to depress the shit out of an undiscerning audience). The first two series of Ab Fab will never be beaten, and indeed I'd lost faith with the show so much I didn't even see Series 5, but I was hopeful for a return to form for this revival. I was pleased with the result. It may not be a classic, and the plot involving Saffy's ex-prison companion / Patsy's drug dealer was uninvolving stuff, yet the performances from all the J's (Jennifer, Joanna, June, Jane and Julia) were as if the show had never been away and the jokes on modern celebrity were well aimed. The highlight was of course the unnecessary yet somehow essential dream-cameo from Sofie Gråbøl as The Killing's Sarah Lund. Wearing her trademark jersey and hunting around Edina's bedroom for evidence, she made me ache for more (my thoughts on The Killing II will follow at a later date). The main annoyance with this and the next two Ab Fab specials is that now my 'complete' DVD boxset is no such thing! 

All in all a rather wonderful day's viewing complemented a peaceful, loving Christmas day with the man I love.

December Round-up: TV

True Blood: Season 3 (2010)
Following up season 2's sexed up mynad shenanigans with half-naked beefcake werewolves, fairies and more shapeshifters than you can shake a stick at, True Blood's third outing (which seems to only be taking place about a month after the first episode - a lot goes on in a short spell in Bon Temps) featured more bloody, soapy goings on for Sookie and the gang. Eric continued to be the most interesting of the main characters, mostly by virtue of his murky motivations and touches of humanity. He's still miles more exciting than boring old Bill, who became more intriguing as revelations of his relationship with Sookie came out towards the season end. Sookie got more and more kick ass, especially as she played 'who's lying to me now' with her suitors, as vampire king Russell, a deliciously camp, extravagant performance, went completely batshit crazy and instigated double-cross upon double-cross with our star vampires and their fairy friend. Elsewhere Jason had a rather boring relationship with some skank who turns into a panther for no discernable reason; Tara got to mash in a vampire rapist's head before thankfully heading off, alive, into the sunset; Sam had to deal with his hick birth parents and kinda-hot-but-irritating kid brother; and Lafeyette finally got a storyline - and a hot boyfriend - that looks like it may take him, and the audience, into some intriguing directions next season. Season 3 of True Blood didn't feel as 'must watch' as the last 2 but I enjoyed it all the same, there's nothing quite like it out there. And it's so much better than the bloodless Twilight saga. 

This is England '88 (2011)
Spread over 3 nights just before Christmas, the latest installment of Shane Meadow's distinctly British (comedy-) drama was also set during the 1988 festive period and featured the same gang as before, dealing with new issues and repercussions from 1986. So Lol (Vicky McClure) is a single mother, plagued by visions of the father she killed last series that are genuinely creepy - they could have been hard to swallow in a series that aims for realism, but it worked well to indicate why the unfortunate Lol was so depressed. Her nearly-husband Woody is living in supposed domestic bliss at home with his loving parents and sweet new girlfriend, who are unknowingly smothering the real Woody with kindnesses. He's one of my favourite characters - he tries so hard to be a good son, employee and boyfriend, but he's dying inside, longing to be back with Lol, back with the friends who 'betrayed' him. It's a terrific performance from Joe Gilgun, who steers Woody on a delicate course through humour, distress and anger without ever making him unlikable - I was rooting for him all the way. Young Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), with his permanently worried, Charlie Brown-like demeanour, is now at drama school and is fed up with girlfriend Smell (maybe because she's now Warwick Davis' PA?) and dealing with conflicting feelings about his middle class co-star. The supporting cast do not have as much to do in terms of their own storylines compared to '86 but that's ok because Lol, Woody and Shaun provide laughs, heartache and drama enough to make this series another must-watch drama.

Young Apprentice (2011)
It seems that I never wrote about this year's The Apprentice (series 7), which is a shame as it was a cracker, won by multiple task-loser yet most likable candidate Tom. Barely a few weeks (it felt like, actually a couple of months) after the end of this series came Junior Young Apprentice 2011. Last year's show presented a gregarious bunch of young entrepreneurs who stood out against their older forebears by being reasonable, considerate and less likely to bitch. It turns out that might have been an anomaly as this year's youngsters reverted to common Apprentice type. Never less than watchable, Young Apprentice almost undid all of the good work in the preceding weeks by featuring a final where I didn't care who won - Zara (who 'triumphed') talked a lot of nothing and was just dull, while Irish James (who, like nearly all of the male candidates, proved that there actually is a young obesity empidemic) was so money-driven and coniving his every sweaty red-faced utterance made me more and more sad for him. The real winner, Harry H, a friendly, patient, credible candidate (the only one?), was axed in the penultimate week when Lord Sugar stupidly lumbered him with Harry M, a petulant, illiterate, childish cretin who had lost every single task and was clearly a bad luck charm. This one decision from Sugar almost scuppered the whole thing and I hope it's one he regrets. 

Life's Too Short: Series 1 (2011)
There have been a few shows I've started watching this year and then ultimately decided I couldn't be bothered sticking with them to see if they got better, as there's plenty more readily enjoyable stuff out there. These included Outcasts, The Hour and a couple of things I've blocked from my memory, and very nearly Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's latest, Life's Too Short. I stuck with the latter though, through all 7 episodes, as I had faith that it would improve, and I also really liked Warwick Davis' performance. I'm not convinced it ever did improve, and the laugh ratio was fairly low, especially in comparison with The Office and Extras. The central premise, that Davis is down on his luck, going through divorce and struggling for work, leads to all sorts of embarrassing situations for the short-statured star, some of which poke fun at reactions to Warwick's size and some of which use his being a dwarf to mine for laughs. The problem with Life's Too Short is that so much of the humour comes across as just mean spirited rather than clever - there's too much 'oh aren't we cutting edge, we're not making fun of AIDs or disabled people, we're just pointing out the absurd things real racists/homophobes/sexists say for comic effect'. Sometimes Davis' performance is 'too Ricky Gervais', as in you could see the words coming right out of his mouth, and this is a detriment, as is every time the writer/directors turn up, shoe-horned in to all but one episode. Although I like a celebrity cameo (Keith Chegwin, Shaun Williamson and Les Dennis provided the biggest laughs in episode 6 discussing suicide), I reckon the show would benefit from less of them and concentrating on the promising romance between Warwick and his blind date Amy. My wonder now is whether to stick with a second series, and I think I might based solely on the blind faith that it will get better.