Tony Curtis, screen legend (and that word gets used a lot but is very much appropriate in this case), has died aged 85 in Las Vegas. In honour, here is one of my favourite scenes in cinema history:
30 Sept 2010
29 Sept 2010
Film: True Grit Trailer
Any news of new Coen Brothers material is an exciting thing in the world of Man, Culture, Love, but when a trailer appears suddenly for their next release, a remake of the seminal 1969 Western revenge story of the same name that stared John Wayne as Marshall Reuben J. 'Rooster' Cogburn, then the whistle goes and everything comes to a halt...
So here it is, in all its beautiful, eye-patching, snow-drifting, horse-galloping, pistol-cracking, revenge-taking glory:
Cogburn is played now by industry darling Jeff Bridges, sporting an eyepatch no less black and serious than Mr Wayne's in '69, and the heroine Mattie Ross is played by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. Support comes from Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, who was immense in No Country For Old Men and will no doubt apply a similar brooding machismo to this tale.
Can't...
Fucking...
Wait...
So here it is, in all its beautiful, eye-patching, snow-drifting, horse-galloping, pistol-cracking, revenge-taking glory:
Cogburn is played now by industry darling Jeff Bridges, sporting an eyepatch no less black and serious than Mr Wayne's in '69, and the heroine Mattie Ross is played by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. Support comes from Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, who was immense in No Country For Old Men and will no doubt apply a similar brooding machismo to this tale.
Can't...
Fucking...
Wait...
TV: Cowards/Him & Her
Stefan Golaszewski has come onto my radar. Not in a sexual way, like he's spunked on my submarine equipment, but in peripheral vision, "look, here i am, i'm over here" kind of way...
Yes, Stefan Gonefornewskis, once President of that most elite of comedic breeding stables, the Cambridge Footlights, has since ventured into stand-up, delivering 3-star worthy stage monologues about lost loves at Edinburgh, and is one quarter of the comedy troupe Cowards, whose BBC Radio and then BBC4 (formally BBCWhoCares) show is quickly becoming the cultural know-it-all's sketch show of choice ("Oh you haven't seen [insert trendy new comedy show here] yet? Oh how sad for you. I've seen it many a time, in fact I'm having a screening of it this friday evening over herbal tea and handjobs, yes, we're going to project onto a sheet hung between my giant swinging dong and my inflated sense of self-importance...").
But Stefan Goonandkissme's talent for chuckles doesn't stop there. Oh no. It galavants on in style to the medium of writing, as he has been tipped as a "hot young thing" for penning the new talkworthy sitcom Him & Her. A story of two twenty-somethings - aren't we hilarious? - to whom work and intelligent conversation hold about as much worth as a sock to a mermaid, it's all set in one dank flat (we're in a depression don't you know) where poo-jokes pervese sex obsessions and weird neighbours abound, and has been hailed by some as being fresh, original, oddly romantic and, you guessed it fans, "honest". This is what others have thought. But here is what I think:
Him & Her is, to my varied tastes and sensibilities, an almighty turd in the pool of contemporary British comedy. "A fart in my general direction", to quote a certain French soldier. It is one of the least funny, and most self-congratulating and patronising shows that I have seen in some time. It's up there with Horne and Corden, it's sharing a studio flat with Two Pints Of Lager and a packet of crisps, it is really that dire. The characters are unsympathetic, thoroughly dislikeable even (and just because those around them are even more detestable doesn't change that, damn it!), the humour is more suitable to Bottom, and the plots of the episodes so far have been made up of tiresome, recycled relationship beans. Not magic comedy beans. Just beans. Boring, stagnant, cliched, not-even-Heinz, probably that other label, the one that the cheapos get, Branston, that's it, Branston...beans.
In episode one, in which Steve (played by the otherwise likeable Russel Tovey) has to hide from his girlfriend Becky (played most of the time in her knickers, GO'ON THE LADS, by Sarah Solemani) the fact that her sister is being cheated on by his best friend, there is, and I'm not kidding here, a repeated gag that sees Steve complaining to Becky because she has done a particularly pungent number two in his bathroom. That's it! That's about the level it gets to! Shit gags! Need I say more? The gags are quite literally shit!
In the same episode Steve does a penis dance, ponders the logistics of the back-to-front sexual position, and slavers over the idea of watching Becky go at herself with a dildo. Honestly, if that's "honest" comedy then we're all fucked! We might as well just pack it in now, because if that's what "real" twenty-something's are like then evolution has somehow slipped into reverse. Maybe it can't change gears because it's too busy knocking one out over Carol Vorderman, or trying to watch Morse, or some other tired nineties cliche. Written as though its audience were lobotomised and had reverted back to a pre-pubescent state, Him & Her treats the viewer's intellectual capacity with wantan disregard, probably having seen the Inbetweeners and thought "oh, it's all just cock and ball gags, I can do that!". But it can't. The Inbetweeners has, at least, some sort of character growth, whereas the only growth in this lame duck of a show is...oh I can't bring myself to do it.
It gets me riled up. You can see that.
HOWEVER, it does get me wondering, because Stefan Getamoveon occupies this other space in my cultural awareness, as a performer in the aforementioned Cowards, which is actually rather good. There's only been one series as far as I can tell, but the writing is slick and confident and, importantly, funny. It's not full of stock characters and incessant catch-phrases, and it's got a very British sensibility, recognising comedy of the past whilst trying to forge its own new style. Very droll, very dry, very smooth, and ultimately quite niche (your parents wouldn't get it you don't think), but ambitious and different. Of the four actors that make up the central cast, Tim Key is the most recognisable name, having been a cult favourite on the comedy circuit for years with his deadpan and decidedly tickling poetry, but Stefan Goldmininginfaliraki, Tom Basden and Lloyd Wolf are just a competent in their funniness (funniness? I'm running out of steam here, clearly...).
Of anything in the show though, and that includes odd scenes about barristers, strange men in pet shops and four men living in a caravan together, the highlight for me are the songs of Tom Basden. This is my personal favourite:
Short, sweet, and particularly funny, they have more originality and laughs in them than any amount of pube-plucking, arse-scratching, dick-swinging banality that Him & Her could muster.
And there you have it. Stefan Gncjdncnvcjnvinjoijifnwcski, you have been placed precisely on the fence. Spend your time with your mates, not on your own, and good comedy will be more likely. That is my suggestion.
(As an afternote, I would like to point out that this post has, really, nothing to do with Stefan Golaszewski himself, but he is a convenient link between two shows I have seen recently that divided my attention. Stefan, if you're reading this, I've got nothing against you, so don't lampoon me in a satirical comedy way. I've seen Star Stories, I don't think I could face that kind of public send-up... Cheers.)
Yes, Stefan Gonefornewskis, once President of that most elite of comedic breeding stables, the Cambridge Footlights, has since ventured into stand-up, delivering 3-star worthy stage monologues about lost loves at Edinburgh, and is one quarter of the comedy troupe Cowards, whose BBC Radio and then BBC4 (formally BBCWhoCares) show is quickly becoming the cultural know-it-all's sketch show of choice ("Oh you haven't seen [insert trendy new comedy show here] yet? Oh how sad for you. I've seen it many a time, in fact I'm having a screening of it this friday evening over herbal tea and handjobs, yes, we're going to project onto a sheet hung between my giant swinging dong and my inflated sense of self-importance...").
But Stefan Goonandkissme's talent for chuckles doesn't stop there. Oh no. It galavants on in style to the medium of writing, as he has been tipped as a "hot young thing" for penning the new talkworthy sitcom Him & Her. A story of two twenty-somethings - aren't we hilarious? - to whom work and intelligent conversation hold about as much worth as a sock to a mermaid, it's all set in one dank flat (we're in a depression don't you know) where poo-jokes pervese sex obsessions and weird neighbours abound, and has been hailed by some as being fresh, original, oddly romantic and, you guessed it fans, "honest". This is what others have thought. But here is what I think:
Him & Her is, to my varied tastes and sensibilities, an almighty turd in the pool of contemporary British comedy. "A fart in my general direction", to quote a certain French soldier. It is one of the least funny, and most self-congratulating and patronising shows that I have seen in some time. It's up there with Horne and Corden, it's sharing a studio flat with Two Pints Of Lager and a packet of crisps, it is really that dire. The characters are unsympathetic, thoroughly dislikeable even (and just because those around them are even more detestable doesn't change that, damn it!), the humour is more suitable to Bottom, and the plots of the episodes so far have been made up of tiresome, recycled relationship beans. Not magic comedy beans. Just beans. Boring, stagnant, cliched, not-even-Heinz, probably that other label, the one that the cheapos get, Branston, that's it, Branston...beans.
In episode one, in which Steve (played by the otherwise likeable Russel Tovey) has to hide from his girlfriend Becky (played most of the time in her knickers, GO'ON THE LADS, by Sarah Solemani) the fact that her sister is being cheated on by his best friend, there is, and I'm not kidding here, a repeated gag that sees Steve complaining to Becky because she has done a particularly pungent number two in his bathroom. That's it! That's about the level it gets to! Shit gags! Need I say more? The gags are quite literally shit!
In the same episode Steve does a penis dance, ponders the logistics of the back-to-front sexual position, and slavers over the idea of watching Becky go at herself with a dildo. Honestly, if that's "honest" comedy then we're all fucked! We might as well just pack it in now, because if that's what "real" twenty-something's are like then evolution has somehow slipped into reverse. Maybe it can't change gears because it's too busy knocking one out over Carol Vorderman, or trying to watch Morse, or some other tired nineties cliche. Written as though its audience were lobotomised and had reverted back to a pre-pubescent state, Him & Her treats the viewer's intellectual capacity with wantan disregard, probably having seen the Inbetweeners and thought "oh, it's all just cock and ball gags, I can do that!". But it can't. The Inbetweeners has, at least, some sort of character growth, whereas the only growth in this lame duck of a show is...oh I can't bring myself to do it.
It gets me riled up. You can see that.
HOWEVER, it does get me wondering, because Stefan Getamoveon occupies this other space in my cultural awareness, as a performer in the aforementioned Cowards, which is actually rather good. There's only been one series as far as I can tell, but the writing is slick and confident and, importantly, funny. It's not full of stock characters and incessant catch-phrases, and it's got a very British sensibility, recognising comedy of the past whilst trying to forge its own new style. Very droll, very dry, very smooth, and ultimately quite niche (your parents wouldn't get it you don't think), but ambitious and different. Of the four actors that make up the central cast, Tim Key is the most recognisable name, having been a cult favourite on the comedy circuit for years with his deadpan and decidedly tickling poetry, but Stefan Goldmininginfaliraki, Tom Basden and Lloyd Wolf are just a competent in their funniness (funniness? I'm running out of steam here, clearly...).
Of anything in the show though, and that includes odd scenes about barristers, strange men in pet shops and four men living in a caravan together, the highlight for me are the songs of Tom Basden. This is my personal favourite:
Short, sweet, and particularly funny, they have more originality and laughs in them than any amount of pube-plucking, arse-scratching, dick-swinging banality that Him & Her could muster.
And there you have it. Stefan Gncjdncnvcjnvinjoijifnwcski, you have been placed precisely on the fence. Spend your time with your mates, not on your own, and good comedy will be more likely. That is my suggestion.
(As an afternote, I would like to point out that this post has, really, nothing to do with Stefan Golaszewski himself, but he is a convenient link between two shows I have seen recently that divided my attention. Stefan, if you're reading this, I've got nothing against you, so don't lampoon me in a satirical comedy way. I've seen Star Stories, I don't think I could face that kind of public send-up... Cheers.)
28 Sept 2010
Music: September Playlist
BANG! Videos and songs and bands and shit to listen to if you get a chance. Bits of dance, bits of rock, bits of blues, it's all there. One constant in the whole parade is that of quality. This month seems to be a good'un. Me hope you like.
1) VIOLENS - Acid Reign (from the album entitled 'Amoral')
A NYC band to be wary of this year, these boys. A five piece with a hint of The Smiths about them (or maybe just Marr), and a driving, bass heavy yet at times ethereal, weightless sound, they have been written about before, and will no doubt continue to fill the inches. This video sucks balls, as it is a mere photo of some men (presumably la band) in a tunnel, but the song is my favourite on the album, a steamroller of a song.
2) EVERYTHING EVERYTHING - MY KZ, YR BF (from the album entitled 'Man Alive')
Everything Everything, a four piece from various patches of the UK, have already received rounds of applause and industry handjobs for their debut album. And rightly so, it is a very very good'un. This is the first track from it, and a single from it. A very pop-friendly, disco-tinged number reminiscent of Friendly Fires and the like. The album itself swerves around a fair bit, and sounds in parts like Radiohead or Elbow (the vocals on 'Final Form' certainly have a touch of the Guy Garvey about them). But all of it is enjoyable and fresh and different. Listen if you like the angular sound of Friendly Fires, Foals, Post Way Years et al.
3) THE BLACK ANGELS - Sunday Afternoon (from the album entitled 'Phosphene Dream')
Alright! See, if Letterman's were a bar there'd be a guy in a Doors t-shirt down the front on acid and a girl making love to a Budweiser bottle somewhere near the amps. It's a hell of a groovy show, and I can't wait for them to come over from Austin, Texas and slide around England in their leather pants. Very classic-sounding, very very rock and roll, and very very very good. Find the album if and when you can, it doesn't disappoint.
4) JULIA STONE - This Love (from the album entitled 'The Memory Machine')
No videos have surfaced it seems for anything on Julia Stone's (of Angus and Julia Stone) new album. This is because it is not out yet. So get me! Anyway, I've heard it and it's very pretty indeed, very quiet, very becoming, very heartfelt. A must listen for any fans of Emiliana Torrini.
5) QUEST FOR FIRE - Set Out Alone (from the album entitled 'Lights From Paradise')
For those who like their music with a bit of balls, see Quest For Fire. New album Lights From Paradise will please fans of riffs, solos and drums hit harder than a crash dummies nutsack. Nuff said.
6) INTERPOL - Barricade (from the album entitled 'Interpol')
Continued decreases in quality songs, self-titled fourth albums, disappointing festival performances, wild horses, it seems nothing can hold me back from this god-forsaken band. Ever since 'Turn On The Bright Lights' I have been a slave to the doom and gloom that is Interpol. I'm still longing for a return to the blistering, hypnotic standards of old, and the new release isn't going to change that, but there's a few good numbers on there. This track, along with 'Lights' and 'Safe Without', at least pricks the ear.
7) CHROMEO - Don't Turn The Lights On (from the album entitled 'Business Casual')
Dancefloors everywhere beware, the middle-class white kids are coming a-grooving as everyone's favourite electro sex-pests release a new album of groovy, funky, sultry sounds. For me, personally, it's no Fancy Footwork, as the simplicity, the arrogance, the filth, the macho swagger of tracks like Needy Girl, Bonafide Lovin and Outta Sight have been replaced by something a little more predictable, a little safer, and therefore a little more forgettable. It hasn't yet charmed its way into my grundies, but then again, who can resist track names like "I'm Not Contagious" and "You Make It Rough".
8) JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE - Harlem River Blues (from the album entitled 'Harlem River Blues')
Steve Earle's son is a talented but troubled fella, having started taking drugs apparently at the age of 12. 12!!! When I was that old I was dressing up as a turtle, not hitting the crack. But then it's not for us to judge, all we can do is listen. And the sound he makes, in his fourth album, is a lovely bluesy country that reeks to high heavens of the beers and backwaters, not to mention the musical heritage, of his home town of Nashville.
9) THE STRANGE DEATH OF LIBERAL ENGLAND - Rising Sea (from the album entitled 'Drown Your Heart Again')
Did anyone say Arcade Fire? A team of musicians, soaring melodies, euphoric chanting, it's all there. But it sure ain't a bad knock-off, and the rest of their album has a similarly impressive quality. Not much else to say. I like his wafro. And he looks a bit like Andy Murray, no?
10) SHAPES AND SIZES - Tell Your Mum (from the album entitled 'Candle To Your Eyes')
A Canadian outfit whom I have never heard of before, but who have forged two albums on Sufjan Stevens' Asthmatic Kitty label prior to their new release. They're not everyone's cup of tea, a bit sparse and difficult, and may well end up on the iTunes heap, but for now i'm intrigued. I like her voice. And they don't look like they should be a band. More like a nursing home staff meeting, but then hey, who am I to judge?
11) BOBBY DARIN - Mack The Knife
Frank Sinatra just pips Darin, I think, as the king of swing, but Bobby was one hell of a showman, and I can't help but love the energy, the professionalism and the charm of performances like this. As he dances off into the sunset at the end I get a little emotional, as I think he died shortly after this recording. Michael Buble can eat my socks, there's nothing like the greats.
1) VIOLENS - Acid Reign (from the album entitled 'Amoral')
A NYC band to be wary of this year, these boys. A five piece with a hint of The Smiths about them (or maybe just Marr), and a driving, bass heavy yet at times ethereal, weightless sound, they have been written about before, and will no doubt continue to fill the inches. This video sucks balls, as it is a mere photo of some men (presumably la band) in a tunnel, but the song is my favourite on the album, a steamroller of a song.
2) EVERYTHING EVERYTHING - MY KZ, YR BF (from the album entitled 'Man Alive')
Everything Everything, a four piece from various patches of the UK, have already received rounds of applause and industry handjobs for their debut album. And rightly so, it is a very very good'un. This is the first track from it, and a single from it. A very pop-friendly, disco-tinged number reminiscent of Friendly Fires and the like. The album itself swerves around a fair bit, and sounds in parts like Radiohead or Elbow (the vocals on 'Final Form' certainly have a touch of the Guy Garvey about them). But all of it is enjoyable and fresh and different. Listen if you like the angular sound of Friendly Fires, Foals, Post Way Years et al.
3) THE BLACK ANGELS - Sunday Afternoon (from the album entitled 'Phosphene Dream')
Alright! See, if Letterman's were a bar there'd be a guy in a Doors t-shirt down the front on acid and a girl making love to a Budweiser bottle somewhere near the amps. It's a hell of a groovy show, and I can't wait for them to come over from Austin, Texas and slide around England in their leather pants. Very classic-sounding, very very rock and roll, and very very very good. Find the album if and when you can, it doesn't disappoint.
4) JULIA STONE - This Love (from the album entitled 'The Memory Machine')
No videos have surfaced it seems for anything on Julia Stone's (of Angus and Julia Stone) new album. This is because it is not out yet. So get me! Anyway, I've heard it and it's very pretty indeed, very quiet, very becoming, very heartfelt. A must listen for any fans of Emiliana Torrini.
5) QUEST FOR FIRE - Set Out Alone (from the album entitled 'Lights From Paradise')
For those who like their music with a bit of balls, see Quest For Fire. New album Lights From Paradise will please fans of riffs, solos and drums hit harder than a crash dummies nutsack. Nuff said.
6) INTERPOL - Barricade (from the album entitled 'Interpol')
Continued decreases in quality songs, self-titled fourth albums, disappointing festival performances, wild horses, it seems nothing can hold me back from this god-forsaken band. Ever since 'Turn On The Bright Lights' I have been a slave to the doom and gloom that is Interpol. I'm still longing for a return to the blistering, hypnotic standards of old, and the new release isn't going to change that, but there's a few good numbers on there. This track, along with 'Lights' and 'Safe Without', at least pricks the ear.
7) CHROMEO - Don't Turn The Lights On (from the album entitled 'Business Casual')
Dancefloors everywhere beware, the middle-class white kids are coming a-grooving as everyone's favourite electro sex-pests release a new album of groovy, funky, sultry sounds. For me, personally, it's no Fancy Footwork, as the simplicity, the arrogance, the filth, the macho swagger of tracks like Needy Girl, Bonafide Lovin and Outta Sight have been replaced by something a little more predictable, a little safer, and therefore a little more forgettable. It hasn't yet charmed its way into my grundies, but then again, who can resist track names like "I'm Not Contagious" and "You Make It Rough".
8) JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE - Harlem River Blues (from the album entitled 'Harlem River Blues')
Steve Earle's son is a talented but troubled fella, having started taking drugs apparently at the age of 12. 12!!! When I was that old I was dressing up as a turtle, not hitting the crack. But then it's not for us to judge, all we can do is listen. And the sound he makes, in his fourth album, is a lovely bluesy country that reeks to high heavens of the beers and backwaters, not to mention the musical heritage, of his home town of Nashville.
9) THE STRANGE DEATH OF LIBERAL ENGLAND - Rising Sea (from the album entitled 'Drown Your Heart Again')
Did anyone say Arcade Fire? A team of musicians, soaring melodies, euphoric chanting, it's all there. But it sure ain't a bad knock-off, and the rest of their album has a similarly impressive quality. Not much else to say. I like his wafro. And he looks a bit like Andy Murray, no?
10) SHAPES AND SIZES - Tell Your Mum (from the album entitled 'Candle To Your Eyes')
A Canadian outfit whom I have never heard of before, but who have forged two albums on Sufjan Stevens' Asthmatic Kitty label prior to their new release. They're not everyone's cup of tea, a bit sparse and difficult, and may well end up on the iTunes heap, but for now i'm intrigued. I like her voice. And they don't look like they should be a band. More like a nursing home staff meeting, but then hey, who am I to judge?
11) BOBBY DARIN - Mack The Knife
Frank Sinatra just pips Darin, I think, as the king of swing, but Bobby was one hell of a showman, and I can't help but love the energy, the professionalism and the charm of performances like this. As he dances off into the sunset at the end I get a little emotional, as I think he died shortly after this recording. Michael Buble can eat my socks, there's nothing like the greats.
23 Sept 2010
Film: Winter's Bone
Winter's Bone, a new film directed by Debra Granik and adapted from the novel by Daniel Woodrell, has made waves this festival season with its brutal portrayal of a girl's struggle to find her father and save her family in a drug-fuelled backwater world of isolation, secrecy and bone-chilling violence. Granik's astute, unflinching direction and a stunning lead performance from a young actress by the name of Jennifer Lawrence make this film deserving of its praise, finding as it does a glowing hope in the heart of a truly dark and desolate American hell.
Ree Dolly (Lawrence) is a seventeen year old girl who quietly survives in her trailer-cum-cabin in the bleak and cold Ozark Mountains: a wide-spreading Missouri plateau now ravaged by poverty and drugs and where the same genes have been spread thin by years of close breeding. With her father Jessop nowhere to be seen and her mother in a glazed state of mental exile, Ree is left to care for and raise her younger brother and sister. She just about gets by, doing her best to teach them everything she knows - from spelling and cooking to skinning squirrels and shooting a shotgun - but money is short, and only the brief generosity of her neighbours feeds them for another day.
When a sheriff arrives at the house then to tell Ree that her father used the family's house and land as capital against his bail, and that unless he can be found for his approaching court date she and her siblings will be evicted, Ree has little hesitation in setting out to find her drug-cooking daddy amongst the dangerous social terrain. In doing so she seeks the help of those that scare her most, including Jessop's brother, Teardrop (John Hawkes), and local legend Thump Milton (Ronnie Hall). The question of the story is whether Ree can withstand the almighty force of aggression and paranoia working against her to save her family and defy her seemingly doomed fate.
With this story and this film there has been uncovered a host of exciting talent. Granik's direction, helped immensely by the cold and cutting cinematography of Michael McDonough, is exceptionally bold. A recognisable opening sequence finds children playing innocently amongst the squalor of their impoverished life, but quickly we are introduced to Ree, and then hurled into a world of horrifying violence and anger, where fear and aggression, against a backdrop of drug cooking and addiction, sizzle relentlessly. Women are everywhere under the rule and fist of men, and secrets are kept with a burning intensity. Those who step out of line, who break the rules, will be punished, and they will know it too.
Much has been made of the Ozarks as a character unto themselves, and it is a hugely affecting place, all washed out hills and valleys filled with burnt out cars and stray animals, but it is still, overwhelmingly, the occupants of this godforsaken land and the social environment, rather than physical, that provides the story its dark and deadly heart. What Granik does so marvellously is use Ree's character to search for signs of humanity in a world of hellishly selfish and hateful people with little to no soul, where self-preservation rules and where knowing can be deadly. With the continuing assertion by those who meet our heroine that she will not benefit from asking questions, we find the tension and mystery of story build and build, and as Ree pushes on against all odds and logic, as if pulling herself through a swamp, we find revelation in others.
There are recognisable faces amongst the cast, and some fine performances from seasoned American actors. John Hawkes (familiar from the HBO masterpiece Deadwood) as Teardrop gives a fine display of a man for whom redemption is no option, slave as he is to drugs and violence, but to whom Ree, he realises, represents a chance to do good by his family and brother. Elsewhere Garret Dillahunt (also in Deadwood), and Lauren Sweetser (also in, well, nothing...) give fine performances as local sheriff and Ree's friend respectively, but it is Dale Dickey who stands out from the supporting cast in her performance as the terrifying Merab, a weather-beaten but hard-as-nails woman who speaks for the rarely seen Thump, and who is the instigator of some of the film's most breath-snatchingly scary and tense moments, including a memorable scene towards the film's climax that takes place on the water and that will haunt me for some time.
But really there is only one star of this show and that is Jennifer Lawrence, the young actress who, as Ree, instills in the story a courage, a determination, a heart and drive that churns through the scenes with gusto. Ree is a swirling mesh of vulnerability, pride, desperation, focus and anger and she is as believable in her conviction as anything I have seen on screen for some time. It is an astonishing performance from a young actress, the very backbone of this excellent film, and it is in her that we, and the world we have been surrounded by, find hope.
Winter's Bone is expertly done from start to finish, and is a breath of fresh air and hugely different (though it reminded me, in spirit and tone and visuals, of recent films such as Frozen River and White Lightnin'). A dark and dangerous world vividly brought to life where secrets are buried beneath the soil and water like bodies and where only the truly strong and courageous will pierce a hole for light.
Ree Dolly (Lawrence) is a seventeen year old girl who quietly survives in her trailer-cum-cabin in the bleak and cold Ozark Mountains: a wide-spreading Missouri plateau now ravaged by poverty and drugs and where the same genes have been spread thin by years of close breeding. With her father Jessop nowhere to be seen and her mother in a glazed state of mental exile, Ree is left to care for and raise her younger brother and sister. She just about gets by, doing her best to teach them everything she knows - from spelling and cooking to skinning squirrels and shooting a shotgun - but money is short, and only the brief generosity of her neighbours feeds them for another day.
When a sheriff arrives at the house then to tell Ree that her father used the family's house and land as capital against his bail, and that unless he can be found for his approaching court date she and her siblings will be evicted, Ree has little hesitation in setting out to find her drug-cooking daddy amongst the dangerous social terrain. In doing so she seeks the help of those that scare her most, including Jessop's brother, Teardrop (John Hawkes), and local legend Thump Milton (Ronnie Hall). The question of the story is whether Ree can withstand the almighty force of aggression and paranoia working against her to save her family and defy her seemingly doomed fate.
With this story and this film there has been uncovered a host of exciting talent. Granik's direction, helped immensely by the cold and cutting cinematography of Michael McDonough, is exceptionally bold. A recognisable opening sequence finds children playing innocently amongst the squalor of their impoverished life, but quickly we are introduced to Ree, and then hurled into a world of horrifying violence and anger, where fear and aggression, against a backdrop of drug cooking and addiction, sizzle relentlessly. Women are everywhere under the rule and fist of men, and secrets are kept with a burning intensity. Those who step out of line, who break the rules, will be punished, and they will know it too.
Much has been made of the Ozarks as a character unto themselves, and it is a hugely affecting place, all washed out hills and valleys filled with burnt out cars and stray animals, but it is still, overwhelmingly, the occupants of this godforsaken land and the social environment, rather than physical, that provides the story its dark and deadly heart. What Granik does so marvellously is use Ree's character to search for signs of humanity in a world of hellishly selfish and hateful people with little to no soul, where self-preservation rules and where knowing can be deadly. With the continuing assertion by those who meet our heroine that she will not benefit from asking questions, we find the tension and mystery of story build and build, and as Ree pushes on against all odds and logic, as if pulling herself through a swamp, we find revelation in others.
There are recognisable faces amongst the cast, and some fine performances from seasoned American actors. John Hawkes (familiar from the HBO masterpiece Deadwood) as Teardrop gives a fine display of a man for whom redemption is no option, slave as he is to drugs and violence, but to whom Ree, he realises, represents a chance to do good by his family and brother. Elsewhere Garret Dillahunt (also in Deadwood), and Lauren Sweetser (also in, well, nothing...) give fine performances as local sheriff and Ree's friend respectively, but it is Dale Dickey who stands out from the supporting cast in her performance as the terrifying Merab, a weather-beaten but hard-as-nails woman who speaks for the rarely seen Thump, and who is the instigator of some of the film's most breath-snatchingly scary and tense moments, including a memorable scene towards the film's climax that takes place on the water and that will haunt me for some time.
But really there is only one star of this show and that is Jennifer Lawrence, the young actress who, as Ree, instills in the story a courage, a determination, a heart and drive that churns through the scenes with gusto. Ree is a swirling mesh of vulnerability, pride, desperation, focus and anger and she is as believable in her conviction as anything I have seen on screen for some time. It is an astonishing performance from a young actress, the very backbone of this excellent film, and it is in her that we, and the world we have been surrounded by, find hope.
Winter's Bone is expertly done from start to finish, and is a breath of fresh air and hugely different (though it reminded me, in spirit and tone and visuals, of recent films such as Frozen River and White Lightnin'). A dark and dangerous world vividly brought to life where secrets are buried beneath the soil and water like bodies and where only the truly strong and courageous will pierce a hole for light.
21 Sept 2010
Film: Trailers 3
Riddle me these trailers three...
1) THE TOURIST (Dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
Oh lick the lips, cinema fans, at the taste of this teaser for the new film by the brilliant German director of 2006's foreign-language smash hit The Lives Of Others. Jolie and Depp look to have forged a sizzling partnership, all sexy and sassy and sharp, and Paul Bettany, a very underrated actor indeed, brings up the rear. The trailer is funny in parts (though I worry about Depp's apparent channelling of a certain Captain for slapstick laughs...), but also leaves the plot relatively in the dark, and so excites the mind as well. Looking forward to it very much. Could be the big thriller hit of the year.
2) RED HILL (Dir. Patrick Hughes)
Recent examples such as The Proposition and The Assassination Of Jesse James (the latter directed by an Australian), prove that our friends down under have a way with westerns. This film, though far more crash, bang, boom than those mentioned above, still excites to no end this fan of all things gunslinging. Revenge is a dish best served explosively it seems, as is often the case, and the lead actor Ryan Kwanten's face is one you might recognise from the brooding, bloody and sometimes brilliant True Blood series. From the festival circuits this will hopefully pick up a wider release as I'd love to get a peak.
3) RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE (Dir. Jalmari Helander)
It's not often I'm completely stumped by a trailer, as so often they do little but throw plot at you like a monkey tossing its turds, yet I've watched this maybe three or four times now and I still, for the life of me, can't figure out what it is. Seemingly part monster/horror movie, part festive children's story, part comedy action pastiche. With lines like "Have a peaceful christmas, and a happy fucking new year", amongst clips of a caged santa claus and exploding arctic silos, it will at least make me chuckle. It's on at the London Film Festival so catch it while you can...
1) THE TOURIST (Dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
Oh lick the lips, cinema fans, at the taste of this teaser for the new film by the brilliant German director of 2006's foreign-language smash hit The Lives Of Others. Jolie and Depp look to have forged a sizzling partnership, all sexy and sassy and sharp, and Paul Bettany, a very underrated actor indeed, brings up the rear. The trailer is funny in parts (though I worry about Depp's apparent channelling of a certain Captain for slapstick laughs...), but also leaves the plot relatively in the dark, and so excites the mind as well. Looking forward to it very much. Could be the big thriller hit of the year.
2) RED HILL (Dir. Patrick Hughes)
Recent examples such as The Proposition and The Assassination Of Jesse James (the latter directed by an Australian), prove that our friends down under have a way with westerns. This film, though far more crash, bang, boom than those mentioned above, still excites to no end this fan of all things gunslinging. Revenge is a dish best served explosively it seems, as is often the case, and the lead actor Ryan Kwanten's face is one you might recognise from the brooding, bloody and sometimes brilliant True Blood series. From the festival circuits this will hopefully pick up a wider release as I'd love to get a peak.
3) RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE (Dir. Jalmari Helander)
It's not often I'm completely stumped by a trailer, as so often they do little but throw plot at you like a monkey tossing its turds, yet I've watched this maybe three or four times now and I still, for the life of me, can't figure out what it is. Seemingly part monster/horror movie, part festive children's story, part comedy action pastiche. With lines like "Have a peaceful christmas, and a happy fucking new year", amongst clips of a caged santa claus and exploding arctic silos, it will at least make me chuckle. It's on at the London Film Festival so catch it while you can...
16 Sept 2010
Misc: Being A Dickhead's Cool
Bit of fluff for a thursday arvo...
Oh, the constant bickering about what's cool, eh? The irony is that most of the people who watch this video and twitter it to their bro's are most likely the same people that the song sets out to lampoon (or is it harpoon?). It has, therefore, fucked itself. Deary deary me.
Nathan Barley, it was on to something.
Oh, the constant bickering about what's cool, eh? The irony is that most of the people who watch this video and twitter it to their bro's are most likely the same people that the song sets out to lampoon (or is it harpoon?). It has, therefore, fucked itself. Deary deary me.
Nathan Barley, it was on to something.
TV: This Is England '86
I posted a while back about the trailer for this momentous televisual event - british director par excellence, Shane Meadows' small screen debut (even if he only directed two of the four episodes) and a four part sequel to his superlative cinematic original. Now it has hit our screens, and though I watched the first episode abroad where I couldn't therefore post about it, I have since returned for the second instalment and am chomping at the bit to express my true, unstoppable love of this expert piece of drama.
With the return of Shaun, Woody, Lol, Milky, Gadget and the rest of the gang (but no Combo as yet, though his name has been dropped and I'm bursting at the seams to see if he returns), Meadows and pro TV scribe Jack Thorne (Skins, Cast-Offs), have brought the film's trademark wit, nostalgia, tension and heart to our boxes in wonderful style. What's more, Tom Harper's direction of the opening two episodes has at no time felt at odds with Meadows' usual style, and will segue seamlessly into the following, final two hours.
Shaun (Tom Turgoose) has left school with no future, failing his exams almost on purpose and cynical about his chances of finding work like his mum insists. He has also cast himself out of the gang that took him in so warmly before, and now, years on, Woody (Joe Gilgun) is struggling to find the money, the conviction and the courage to commit properly to his long term girlfriend, the gorgeous and striking Lol (Vicky McLure). The rest of the gang are drinking and bickering their way around as heart attacks, returning fathers, clumsy sexual adventures and secret affairs bring an intoxicating blend of cut-throat tension and slapstick hilarity to the story.
At the end of the second episode, Lol's relationship with the loveable man-child Woody is on the rocks as she gets closer and closer to old friend Milky (who is also Woody's best pal). Vicky McLure's performance as Lol is brilliantly assured and bold as brass, and Gilgun's Woody is her ultimate foil - an innocent jester who, try hard as he might, can't seem to meet her emotional and financial needs.
Elsewhere, Turgoose again shows just how exciting a prospect he is (and how few child actors there are out there with real talent) as he continues to bring a contrasting vulnerability and anarchy to young Shaun. His mother, Cynthia, is a caring woman with great emotional depth and played excellently by Jo Hartley, who is just one member of a fantastic surrounding cast.
Where the story will end up is for us to wait and see, but Meadows is due to take over directing duties from Harper (who, incidently, directed The Scouting Book For Boys last year, and which was written by Thorne and starred Turgoose) so expect the tiny creases that are there at the moment - some awkwardly stunted scenes between Milky and Lol, a bit of reliance on melodramatic montage towards the end of the second episode - to be firmly ironed out.
A HUGE thumbs up from me. The box set will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.
With the return of Shaun, Woody, Lol, Milky, Gadget and the rest of the gang (but no Combo as yet, though his name has been dropped and I'm bursting at the seams to see if he returns), Meadows and pro TV scribe Jack Thorne (Skins, Cast-Offs), have brought the film's trademark wit, nostalgia, tension and heart to our boxes in wonderful style. What's more, Tom Harper's direction of the opening two episodes has at no time felt at odds with Meadows' usual style, and will segue seamlessly into the following, final two hours.
Shaun (Tom Turgoose) has left school with no future, failing his exams almost on purpose and cynical about his chances of finding work like his mum insists. He has also cast himself out of the gang that took him in so warmly before, and now, years on, Woody (Joe Gilgun) is struggling to find the money, the conviction and the courage to commit properly to his long term girlfriend, the gorgeous and striking Lol (Vicky McLure). The rest of the gang are drinking and bickering their way around as heart attacks, returning fathers, clumsy sexual adventures and secret affairs bring an intoxicating blend of cut-throat tension and slapstick hilarity to the story.
At the end of the second episode, Lol's relationship with the loveable man-child Woody is on the rocks as she gets closer and closer to old friend Milky (who is also Woody's best pal). Vicky McLure's performance as Lol is brilliantly assured and bold as brass, and Gilgun's Woody is her ultimate foil - an innocent jester who, try hard as he might, can't seem to meet her emotional and financial needs.
Elsewhere, Turgoose again shows just how exciting a prospect he is (and how few child actors there are out there with real talent) as he continues to bring a contrasting vulnerability and anarchy to young Shaun. His mother, Cynthia, is a caring woman with great emotional depth and played excellently by Jo Hartley, who is just one member of a fantastic surrounding cast.
Where the story will end up is for us to wait and see, but Meadows is due to take over directing duties from Harper (who, incidently, directed The Scouting Book For Boys last year, and which was written by Thorne and starred Turgoose) so expect the tiny creases that are there at the moment - some awkwardly stunted scenes between Milky and Lol, a bit of reliance on melodramatic montage towards the end of the second episode - to be firmly ironed out.
A HUGE thumbs up from me. The box set will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.
Music: August Playlist
Due to my having been vacationing, last months playlist hits you full in the face a good two weeks late. How dare I. But it's still here, and crammed with some good stuff, some even gooder stuff, and admittedly some filler that I may well never listen to again after I've written this but that, for some reason, grabbed my ear in the month of Augusta.
1) BEST COAST - When I'm With You (from the album entitled 'Crazy For You')
This song is the bonus track from the debut album of a band who have captured many a dreary London heart with a heavy dose of sugary teenage California love-pop. Best Coast are every one's favourite new surfer band, and join The Drums, Surfer Blood and the like in invading the UK consciousness with scuzzy aplomb. Plus the lead singer is a GIRL!!! And she plays GUITAR!!! And she doesn't look like COURTNEY LOVE!!! HOORAY!!!
2) RAY LAMONTAGNE AND THE PARIAH DOGS - Repo Man (from the album entitled 'God Willin' And The Creek Don't Rise')
The husky-voiced singer comes back at us with a great band and good new album, and it is, majoritively, a success. We grumpy brits seem to dislike his voice more than those on the stateside, however the composition of this new record, a more bluesy, more heart-wrenched, gutsy and painful collection of songs than he has played before, presents Lamontagne with a secure base on which to do his thing. In this video he sounds like he's had a few too many rollies, but on disc it all comes together rather nicely. More than just dinner party stuff, thankfully.
3) KIDS OF 88 - Downtown (from the album entitled 'Sugarpills')
For fans of Miami Horror, Neon Indian, Goldfrapp and other such dance-pop stylings, Kids of 88 have all the bass for your face that you need. A New Zealand outfit, they're a bit filthy, both musically and lyrically, and though they aren't going to win any Novello's, turn it up loud enough and there's not much you can do to stop the head bobbing. Infectious, like crabs in a jacuzzi.
4) MOUNTAIN MAN - Animal Tracks (from the album entitled 'Made The Harbor')
At Green Man festival this year they failed, quite spectacularly, to light up the stage, annoying and mumbly enough as they were to bring even the twee-est of middle-class mud-trudgers to wander off for a Pie Minister. HOWEVER, despite their letting me down so, I have still come back to their album, because it is a wonderfully frail, delicate and beautiful collection of expertly harmonised ballads. Yet another group, therefore, to add to the girl-folk vocal talent pile, along with First Aid Kit and The Unthanks and the like.
5) J. TILLMAN - Three Sisters (from the album entitled 'Singing Ax')
The bearded blues genius returns with a new record, and yet again my heart melts. This man will NEVER fail to tickle and tweak my heart, with his haunting voice and subtle, downbeat guitar coming together again in a flood of imagery and emotional weight. More and more brilliance, and this is the first track from the album, set to some sort of crap photography show. Ignore the pictures, just listen to the song. BLOODY LOVE IT.
6) ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN - You Won't See Me Down Again (from the album entitled 'Hawk')
She's a Glasgow girl who sung with Belle and Sebastien, he's a burly American rocker who sang for Screaming Trees and was once a member of Queens Of The Stone Age. You'd never put them together but Hawk, their third album, proves once again that this a duo with a wealth of talent and spirit between them, and who possess an insatiable, sexual, harmonious chemistry. This song is from that third album, and is drenched in Americana, which in turn makes me a little damp. I'll be listening to this album for a while yet...
7) DYLAN LeBLANC - Emma Hartley (from the album entitled 'Paupers Field')
More American singer-songwriter now, and this guy is a special talent. He's got the early Neil Young long hair, the pitch black wardrobe, the heart-broken songs, tales of lost loves and nature's power. He's pretty much the full troubadour package, and he's written a brilliant debut album which will please many a Ryan Adams or Ray Lamontagne fan. What's more I know a girl called Emma Hartley. Go figure...
8) KLAXONS - Echoes (from the album entitled 'Surfing The Void')
Brits ahoy!!! I only realise while adding this Klaxons effort that they might well be the only British band on my list. OOPS. Oh well, you like what you like don't you. Nevertheless, this new single from Les Klaxonnes is a good return from the band who have taken a while to get back to us after their barn-storming debut a few years back. The new album, though I haven't given it the most time, seems to be more traditional than their first, which may be a sign of the group maturing, but may also be a sign of label influence in trying to homogenise a less marketable, less stadium-filling sound. Let's hope it's the former. Atlantis to Interzone will always rule for me, but this is a solid effort.
9) LE LOUP - Forgive Me (from the album entitled 'Family')
A little Animal Collective, a little Arcade Fire. A little boring at times, if I'm honest, but then I never have been a huge fan of that brand of that "epic", layered indie sound. It's not too bad, but it's not going to grace the iPod for too long I don't think. MOVING ON!
10) BLACK MOUNTAIN - Old Fangs (from the album entitled 'Wilderness Heart')
BOOSH!!! Black Mountain come storming into the place, kicking you off your stool and drinking your shot of Jack before making out with your wife. I think they're awesome, real good rock and roll like Zeppelin used to make, with some spacey effects and thick riffs and enough mustangs and heavy metal hair to get a cactus pregnant. Last album, In The Future, was great, and the new album is just as good. Industry insiders love them, and there is about to be a resurgance in the classic rock scene, with bands like Warpaint and Sleepy Sun making waves around the world.
11) WEEZER - Say It Ain't So (from the album entitled 'Weezer (Blue)' or something like that, who knows...)
With their new album out and sounding brilliant, I have revisited Weezer's old albums and found that they still give me that warm and tingly feeling inside. Many a classic grungy track stands up to the critical modern ear, but for me it has always, and will always, be Say It Ain't So that makes me sing and shout the most. A truly brilliant track that epitomised a period of American rock music. "Somebody's Heiny, is crouding my ice box, somebody's cold one, is giving me chills..." GENIUS.
See you in a couple of weeks my lovers x
1) BEST COAST - When I'm With You (from the album entitled 'Crazy For You')
This song is the bonus track from the debut album of a band who have captured many a dreary London heart with a heavy dose of sugary teenage California love-pop. Best Coast are every one's favourite new surfer band, and join The Drums, Surfer Blood and the like in invading the UK consciousness with scuzzy aplomb. Plus the lead singer is a GIRL!!! And she plays GUITAR!!! And she doesn't look like COURTNEY LOVE!!! HOORAY!!!
2) RAY LAMONTAGNE AND THE PARIAH DOGS - Repo Man (from the album entitled 'God Willin' And The Creek Don't Rise')
The husky-voiced singer comes back at us with a great band and good new album, and it is, majoritively, a success. We grumpy brits seem to dislike his voice more than those on the stateside, however the composition of this new record, a more bluesy, more heart-wrenched, gutsy and painful collection of songs than he has played before, presents Lamontagne with a secure base on which to do his thing. In this video he sounds like he's had a few too many rollies, but on disc it all comes together rather nicely. More than just dinner party stuff, thankfully.
3) KIDS OF 88 - Downtown (from the album entitled 'Sugarpills')
For fans of Miami Horror, Neon Indian, Goldfrapp and other such dance-pop stylings, Kids of 88 have all the bass for your face that you need. A New Zealand outfit, they're a bit filthy, both musically and lyrically, and though they aren't going to win any Novello's, turn it up loud enough and there's not much you can do to stop the head bobbing. Infectious, like crabs in a jacuzzi.
4) MOUNTAIN MAN - Animal Tracks (from the album entitled 'Made The Harbor')
At Green Man festival this year they failed, quite spectacularly, to light up the stage, annoying and mumbly enough as they were to bring even the twee-est of middle-class mud-trudgers to wander off for a Pie Minister. HOWEVER, despite their letting me down so, I have still come back to their album, because it is a wonderfully frail, delicate and beautiful collection of expertly harmonised ballads. Yet another group, therefore, to add to the girl-folk vocal talent pile, along with First Aid Kit and The Unthanks and the like.
5) J. TILLMAN - Three Sisters (from the album entitled 'Singing Ax')
The bearded blues genius returns with a new record, and yet again my heart melts. This man will NEVER fail to tickle and tweak my heart, with his haunting voice and subtle, downbeat guitar coming together again in a flood of imagery and emotional weight. More and more brilliance, and this is the first track from the album, set to some sort of crap photography show. Ignore the pictures, just listen to the song. BLOODY LOVE IT.
6) ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN - You Won't See Me Down Again (from the album entitled 'Hawk')
She's a Glasgow girl who sung with Belle and Sebastien, he's a burly American rocker who sang for Screaming Trees and was once a member of Queens Of The Stone Age. You'd never put them together but Hawk, their third album, proves once again that this a duo with a wealth of talent and spirit between them, and who possess an insatiable, sexual, harmonious chemistry. This song is from that third album, and is drenched in Americana, which in turn makes me a little damp. I'll be listening to this album for a while yet...
7) DYLAN LeBLANC - Emma Hartley (from the album entitled 'Paupers Field')
More American singer-songwriter now, and this guy is a special talent. He's got the early Neil Young long hair, the pitch black wardrobe, the heart-broken songs, tales of lost loves and nature's power. He's pretty much the full troubadour package, and he's written a brilliant debut album which will please many a Ryan Adams or Ray Lamontagne fan. What's more I know a girl called Emma Hartley. Go figure...
8) KLAXONS - Echoes (from the album entitled 'Surfing The Void')
Brits ahoy!!! I only realise while adding this Klaxons effort that they might well be the only British band on my list. OOPS. Oh well, you like what you like don't you. Nevertheless, this new single from Les Klaxonnes is a good return from the band who have taken a while to get back to us after their barn-storming debut a few years back. The new album, though I haven't given it the most time, seems to be more traditional than their first, which may be a sign of the group maturing, but may also be a sign of label influence in trying to homogenise a less marketable, less stadium-filling sound. Let's hope it's the former. Atlantis to Interzone will always rule for me, but this is a solid effort.
9) LE LOUP - Forgive Me (from the album entitled 'Family')
A little Animal Collective, a little Arcade Fire. A little boring at times, if I'm honest, but then I never have been a huge fan of that brand of that "epic", layered indie sound. It's not too bad, but it's not going to grace the iPod for too long I don't think. MOVING ON!
10) BLACK MOUNTAIN - Old Fangs (from the album entitled 'Wilderness Heart')
BOOSH!!! Black Mountain come storming into the place, kicking you off your stool and drinking your shot of Jack before making out with your wife. I think they're awesome, real good rock and roll like Zeppelin used to make, with some spacey effects and thick riffs and enough mustangs and heavy metal hair to get a cactus pregnant. Last album, In The Future, was great, and the new album is just as good. Industry insiders love them, and there is about to be a resurgance in the classic rock scene, with bands like Warpaint and Sleepy Sun making waves around the world.
11) WEEZER - Say It Ain't So (from the album entitled 'Weezer (Blue)' or something like that, who knows...)
With their new album out and sounding brilliant, I have revisited Weezer's old albums and found that they still give me that warm and tingly feeling inside. Many a classic grungy track stands up to the critical modern ear, but for me it has always, and will always, be Say It Ain't So that makes me sing and shout the most. A truly brilliant track that epitomised a period of American rock music. "Somebody's Heiny, is crouding my ice box, somebody's cold one, is giving me chills..." GENIUS.
See you in a couple of weeks my lovers x
1 Sept 2010
Film: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
Another day in Hollywood, another adaptation of a popular cult graphic novel, and with Scott Pilgrim Vs The World comes Edgar Wright's (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) first foray into the glitz and glamour of Stateside studio film-making. A friend of all things genre, Wright has stayed true to the source material in blowing open the doors of the teen romance story with a blast of kung fu and computer game cliches (or homages for the less cynical).
To the plot-mobile!
Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), is a 22 year old bass player in Sex Bob-omb, and lives with his gay room-mate Wallace (Kieran Culkin). He's dating high-schooler Knives Chao (Ellen Wong) and slacking his way through life, playing kung fu computer games, when he meets the pink-haired legend that is Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). He falls madly in love, and squirms his way into her pants before she reveals to him the important news that might put a spanner in their relationship works; that in order for them to date, Scott must first fight, and defeat, her seven evil ex-boyfriends. Count it, seven. And so the movie continues, with Scott dealing with the usual teen paranoia and awkwardness whilst simultaneously engaging in fist-flinging, backflipping, wall-busting combat with a slew of Ramona's exes.
A cast of hip young things and a springy neo-punk soundtrack make this a film aimed majoritively at younger audiences - boys in their teens for whom retro means the original grey box GameBoy and girls with short hair and insatiable crushes on Fall Out Boy - but there is much to admire in the verve and style, the blistering action and consistent wit, that Wright has brought to the screen.
Cera as Scott is just as Cera as ever, and soon his shtick will wear thin, but this is a film in which the wide-eyed mumbling is paired with a quite exhilerating array of kicks and tricks, spins and slaps. The cliched "girl of my dreams" romance is a bit of a damp squib, and Winstead's Ramona is cool in an arrogant, dislikeable way than a cool aloof fashion, but Wright's attention in this picture lies heavily on the visual and referential, on the over-whelmingly energetic action sequences and the use of gaming symbolism - the shower of coins that burst from a defeated opponent or the glowing bar that decreases as Scott takes a leak. With this focus comes sacrifice in story and character, and the tied up ending is a mess (a result, perhaps, of the comic series on which it is based still having not finished itself...), but this is a cult flick from the start, and never dreams of having great emotional or symbolic weight.
Outside of the flat love story, and when the screen is not being burnt through by chop socky, there are some fine comic performances from Kieran Culkin as Scott's predatory gay housemate, and surprisingly by Chris Evans (as one of Ramona's exes), whose talent for funny has flickered occasionally amidst his superhero performances as the human torch in Fantastic Four, but here shows itself as being more than capable of stealing a scene. Brandon Routh (known elsewhere as "the new Superman"), as well, makes a good tongue-in-cheek appearance a psychic vegan enemy, and future stars (you heard it here) Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza put in sterling comedic support work.
Overall, this is a hell of a ride, but no great marker in 21st century cinema. It is all gloss, and lacks some of the heart of Wright's previous work, but what it lacks in emotion it makes up for in style, energy and bravado, and does the comic strip proud with its wit and cool. Wright will no doubt do bigger and better things in Hollywood, but for a start this an excellent warning shot to the industry that shows off his talents as a keen observer of the past two cultural decades, as well as a refreshing cinematic voice.
To the plot-mobile!
Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), is a 22 year old bass player in Sex Bob-omb, and lives with his gay room-mate Wallace (Kieran Culkin). He's dating high-schooler Knives Chao (Ellen Wong) and slacking his way through life, playing kung fu computer games, when he meets the pink-haired legend that is Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). He falls madly in love, and squirms his way into her pants before she reveals to him the important news that might put a spanner in their relationship works; that in order for them to date, Scott must first fight, and defeat, her seven evil ex-boyfriends. Count it, seven. And so the movie continues, with Scott dealing with the usual teen paranoia and awkwardness whilst simultaneously engaging in fist-flinging, backflipping, wall-busting combat with a slew of Ramona's exes.
A cast of hip young things and a springy neo-punk soundtrack make this a film aimed majoritively at younger audiences - boys in their teens for whom retro means the original grey box GameBoy and girls with short hair and insatiable crushes on Fall Out Boy - but there is much to admire in the verve and style, the blistering action and consistent wit, that Wright has brought to the screen.
Cera as Scott is just as Cera as ever, and soon his shtick will wear thin, but this is a film in which the wide-eyed mumbling is paired with a quite exhilerating array of kicks and tricks, spins and slaps. The cliched "girl of my dreams" romance is a bit of a damp squib, and Winstead's Ramona is cool in an arrogant, dislikeable way than a cool aloof fashion, but Wright's attention in this picture lies heavily on the visual and referential, on the over-whelmingly energetic action sequences and the use of gaming symbolism - the shower of coins that burst from a defeated opponent or the glowing bar that decreases as Scott takes a leak. With this focus comes sacrifice in story and character, and the tied up ending is a mess (a result, perhaps, of the comic series on which it is based still having not finished itself...), but this is a cult flick from the start, and never dreams of having great emotional or symbolic weight.
Outside of the flat love story, and when the screen is not being burnt through by chop socky, there are some fine comic performances from Kieran Culkin as Scott's predatory gay housemate, and surprisingly by Chris Evans (as one of Ramona's exes), whose talent for funny has flickered occasionally amidst his superhero performances as the human torch in Fantastic Four, but here shows itself as being more than capable of stealing a scene. Brandon Routh (known elsewhere as "the new Superman"), as well, makes a good tongue-in-cheek appearance a psychic vegan enemy, and future stars (you heard it here) Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza put in sterling comedic support work.
Overall, this is a hell of a ride, but no great marker in 21st century cinema. It is all gloss, and lacks some of the heart of Wright's previous work, but what it lacks in emotion it makes up for in style, energy and bravado, and does the comic strip proud with its wit and cool. Wright will no doubt do bigger and better things in Hollywood, but for a start this an excellent warning shot to the industry that shows off his talents as a keen observer of the past two cultural decades, as well as a refreshing cinematic voice.
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