M.I.A-/\/\ /\ Y /\
So the backlash has started at last. This, the infuriatingly titled new release from M.I.A. (which I'll just refer to as Maya from now on) is a crushing disappointment. Over the last few years I have been able to ignore M.I.A's regular and foolish and idiotic political statements (Facebook is run by the CIA! The Tower Hamlets MP flooded the area with heroin to sedate the Bengali's) because she has turned out a sizeable number of brilliant tunes (Boyz, Jimmy, Bucky Done Gun, Galang, Paper Planes etc etc) thanks in no small part to her production team (especially Diplo and Switch). With Maya, however she has allowed her sense of paranoia and seemingly unwavering belief that she is under attack filter into her music. The majority of Maya throws huge sounding blips, synths and drums at you without any sense of direction, it tries to batter you into submission but ends up sounding flat. Now, I am in no way moaning about the lack of a 'Paper Planes' or 'Jimmy' single, the opening trio of the masterpiece 'Kala' (Bamboo Banga, Bird Flu, Boyz) was a superb hurricane style onslaught but controlled with a sense of vision and effortless ability. In 'Maya' we are left with a hollow shell of an album, devoid of any heart or emotion (the vocoder overkill doesn't help either). The intro 'The Message' complete with the most annoying lyrics of the year thus far "iphone connected to google connected to the government" followed by the flat 'Steppin Up' do not make a good start. 'Meds and Feds', a collaboration with Sleigh Bells is also a wasted opportunity, a nice idea in principal but really just doesn't work. Single 'XXXO' is enjoyable enough, but it seems like she's in search of a pop moment and it just sounds like a Lady GaGa reject. The best track by far is the teaser 'Born Free' which retains an element of power even shorn from its controversial video and is probably the only track that is a match for anything on Arular or Kala. I'll still listen to whatever she does next, but here M.I.A has fallen for Third Album Syndrome big time.
The Radio Dept.-Clinging To A Scheme
New album from the latest 'neo-shoegazers' The Radio Dept. is a very worthwhile affair. The singles, especially 'Heaven's On Fire' make it a worthwhile listen but the album tracks, particularly 'Never Follow Suit' are pretty much solid indie rock stuff. Not life changing but perfectly passable.
The Drums-The Drums
Along with Delphic, The Drums were probably the best act on this year's Sound of 2010 list. Sadly like that group, their debut album seems to have had a decent first week position only to drop down like a lead zeppelin soon after. Still though, this is an enjoyable worthwhile listen and one of the year's more immediate records. Basically, they are a sunny indie band with 50's style melodies that you absorb fairly quickly. The bouncy 'Best Friend' sets the tone for things to come, two tracks later coming to the excellent 'Let's Go Swimming', lead single and probably the best track on here. 'Book of Dreams' is a wistful growing up style song very much in the Brian Wilson vein, 'Down By The Water' is just gorgeous, and on tracks like 'Skippin' Town' you find yourself singing along to the lyrics without even realising it. The Drums do live up to their hype at least as far as music goes; and this is a fun, likable album, if a tad samey. Nevertheless, it looks like, at this stage anyway, they won't become arena killers yet.
Robyn-Body Talk pt. 1
Robyn, despite having the superb #1 hit 'With Every Heartbeat' seems destined to fall down the same career path as Annie; namely crafting superb electo/dance/pop tunes that for some strange reason are completely ignored by the mainstream. This, the first of three albums out this year stalled at 47 on the album charts which to me is a real shame, because 'Body Talk Pt. 1' gives most other pop albums this year a proper run for their money. At 30 minutes and 8-tracks it's a very lean album, and time will tell with the subsequent 'Body Talks' if this should have been a longer, single album but on the strength of these tunes Robyn has plenty of fine pop songs up her sleeve to keep us busy for the rest of the year. The opening half is particularly strong, 'Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do' opens brilliantly with a call and response and general grumble about modern life that doesn't pause for breath until we get to the excellent 'Fembot'. After this is the albums centrepiece, 'Dancing On My Own', just as good as 'With Every Heartbeat' and like that fine record, it's a slow burner that creeps up on you the more you listen to it. Elsewhere, 'Dancehall Queen' sees her paired with Diplo who does a fine job on a deceptively straightforward song and winds up being better than any of his work on the M.I.A album. The latter half of the album winds things down slowly with the moody Royskopp collaboration 'None of Dem', lovely acoustic version of 'Hang With Me' and ending with a sweet sounding Swedish traditional song. The only real criticism of 'Body Talk Pt. 1' is that it's way too short, but in the light of the forthcoming parts, this may be best enjoyed as a whole experience. Either way, this is certainly enough to wet ones appetite for more.
Album Of The Month: Robyn-Body Talk Pt. 2
Tuesday 10 August 2010
Films I Saw In July
Sherlock Holmes (Guy Ritchie, 2009)
Surprisingly OK action thriller with Downey and Law sharing great chemistry in this fast paced, if over-directed film. Ritchie was not allowed to write the screenplay for this, which oddly enough is the weakest element in the film. The plot about a Freemason like group plods along and doesn't really have much in it to keep you interested. Also, Ritchie's style tends to pulverise the senses a little and employs way too much visual trickery. Nevertheless, Downey and Law are really good as Holmes and Watson and given the right treatment, a sequel could actually be really good. This however, is just average.
Ponyo (Hayao Miyazaki, 2008)
Miyazaki's latest film about a girl-goldfish who's attempts to become human after she falls in love with a local boy causes environmental chaos is a delightful piece of work providing much fun for, as the phrase does 'kids of all ages'. The English translation boasts a fine cast (Cate Blanchett, Tina Fey, Matt Damon) who do the film justice, while the animation is simply gorgeous and lovingly crafted from the get go. Touching, funny, moving and awe inspiring, this is an excellent film and the best Ghibli film I have yet seen (others being Totoro and Spirited Away).
Predators (Nimrod Antal, 2010)
I entered this film with fairly reasonable expectations, seeing as there was no way this could be worse than Predator 2 or the AvP films and indeed it isn't. Basically it's a re-hash of the original film, only seeing as that came out 20 plus years ago it would now probably be deemed a homage. It deliberately avoids to have much of a plot and basically it's nothing more than a series of selected warriors from around the world put together to fight the titular race. Adrian Brody is fine in the lead role and there are some decent action sequences in, but overall it's far too self referential and it takes itself very, very seriously something action films should never do. Not a disaster by any stretch of the imagination, but not a patch on the original either.
Body Double (Brian De Palma, 1984)
Lower tier De Palma, in what is probably his worst Hitchcock-aping film. An out of luck actor finds himself drawn towards a beautiful woman while house-sitting for a mysterious stranger in L.A. Unlike other De Palma films (Dressed To Kill, Blow Out) this lacks any innovation on his part and is hampered by what is ultimately a ludicrous storyline. May be of interest to 80's nostalgists, but I'm way past that stage myself. Although a club sequence involving Frankie Goes To Hollywood is probably the best bit in what is otherwise a pretty poor film.
Men Who Stare At Goats (Grant Heslov, 2009)
Zany adaptation of John Ronson's book about CIA mind control units. This film is episodic in nature, and therefore un-even, but has some great performances, especially from the ever dependable Clooney and Jeff Bridges who basically re-hashes The Dude only with a military career. The main story arc involving Ewan McGregor (in one of his dodgy American accent roles) is a little clunky and is probably best used as a loose anchor for a series of sketches. This film got mixed to negative reviews when it first came out, but to me, it is slight, enjoyable, and overall really fun. Worth a look.
Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010)
An excellent, supposedly final chapter to one of the most beloved series of the last fifteen years. Toy Story 3 finds Woody, Buzz et al dealing with Andy's impending college trip and accidental drop of at a daycare centre. Toy Story 3 refines what was so special about the first two films and allows the characters to develop naturally without being too showy. Not that the Pixar team are resting on their laurels mind, the script is just as sharp as ever and filled with some terrific new characters (Barbie's Ken and a lederhosen wearing hedgehog, Mr. Pricklepants voiced by Timothy Dalton are favourites). While it does not have the knockout punch of the first two, or quite the level of emotion that Up and Wall-E do, it's really comforting to watch and basically spend time in the company of characters we have come to know and love. Basically, it's another triumph from Pixar, watch today!
Incidentally, the film is in 3-D and I really don't think it needs to be. Here is Mark Kermode's two cents on the subject and I think he pretty much hits the nail on the head: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2010/06/_in_order_to_see_1.html
The Informant! (Steven Soderbergh, 2009)
Soderbergh returns to his Erin Brockovich style, corporate villain mode for this strange tale of a real life whistleblower who seemed to be just as much of a crook as those he was informing on. The film is played as something of an offbeat comedy despite showing fraud and embezzlement on a massive scale. This is probably because Matt Damon's title character, an eccentric compulsive liar is such an oddball, that a straight telling just wouldn't work. Still, the tone of the film doesn't feel quite right and we never get close as to Damon's motives throughout. Not his fault though, as this is one of his best roles in a while, but the script and tone of the film just...seems...wrong. It's hard to explain why, but I just didn't really get this film! Maybe you will.
The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus (Terry Gillian, 2009)
Heath Ledger's final film, which Gilliam managed to save by casting Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law as various 'personas' of Ledger's wanderer who falls in with a troupe of magicians and travels to fantasy lands through the title character's mirror, or imaginarium if you prefer. I was expecting this to make the film patchy, but it holds together well and the concept makes sense in it's own way. The main problem is one that hampers the occasional Gilliam film, particularly his last two films, Tideland and Brothers Grimm: the script and story tends to take a back seat to his admittedly brilliant visuals. Occasionally the plot falls off the rails, particularly in the fantasy sequences and we don't really care about that characters as much as we should. Still, this is much better than either of those films and it does represent a 'return to form' of sorts for the erstwhile Python. Ledger puts in a fine performance, but Tom Waits steals the film from everyone, hamming it up nicely as The Devil. Worthwhile.
Jurassic Park 3 (Joe Johnson, 2001)
I was watching the first two films recently and then realised I had never bothered with the third. Not that I was missing much to begin with, as this is a virtual re-tread of the first film without any sense of wonderment. It barely even attempts a plot, as Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil) gets stranded on Site B along with a divorced couple (including William H Macy) and some mercenaries. Some of the CGI effects in this film have suffered quite badly over the years, remember this is pre-LOTR and King Kong, and as a result JP3 looks more dated than the first film in parts! While it doesn't have anything as ridiculous as the Kong style rampage at the end of The Lost World, the film is pretty much a long chase and doesn't really raise the bar a great deal. Actually, Grant conversing with the Raptors using one of their skulls is pretty ludicrous. Still, at 90 minutes it doesn't outstay it's welcome and in the words of Samuel L Jackson in the first film "it could be worse...a lot worse".
The Descent: Part 2 (Jon Harris, 2009)
Utterly pointless sequel to the brilliant 2005 original finds survivor Sarah returning to the caves with a new team only to be set upon by more of those nasty cave dwelling creatures. Next to the original, this is nothing, the monsters are shown way too much and the film goes for cheap gore effects as opposed to the genuine atmosphere and scares of the first. That, and some really stupid plot elements make this a vastly inferior sequel. Still, I found it watchable enough in parts.
Green Zone (Paul Greengrass, 2010)
Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon's Iraq War-set post-Bourne collaboration is a huge disappointment. Sure, the trademark Greengrass action, editing and pacing are all present and correct but the plot involving Damon's Lieutenant in search of nuclear weapons and the US Government's cover up over intelligence is very preachy to the point of being really annoying and filled with stock characters who are on the whole one-dimensional and un-engaging.. The action is good, but doesn't re-invent the wheel enough to make one care particularly. Worst of all, I found it actually really boring. Not awful, but probably not worth your time either.
Film Of The Month: Toy Story 3
Surprisingly OK action thriller with Downey and Law sharing great chemistry in this fast paced, if over-directed film. Ritchie was not allowed to write the screenplay for this, which oddly enough is the weakest element in the film. The plot about a Freemason like group plods along and doesn't really have much in it to keep you interested. Also, Ritchie's style tends to pulverise the senses a little and employs way too much visual trickery. Nevertheless, Downey and Law are really good as Holmes and Watson and given the right treatment, a sequel could actually be really good. This however, is just average.
Ponyo (Hayao Miyazaki, 2008)
Miyazaki's latest film about a girl-goldfish who's attempts to become human after she falls in love with a local boy causes environmental chaos is a delightful piece of work providing much fun for, as the phrase does 'kids of all ages'. The English translation boasts a fine cast (Cate Blanchett, Tina Fey, Matt Damon) who do the film justice, while the animation is simply gorgeous and lovingly crafted from the get go. Touching, funny, moving and awe inspiring, this is an excellent film and the best Ghibli film I have yet seen (others being Totoro and Spirited Away).
Predators (Nimrod Antal, 2010)
I entered this film with fairly reasonable expectations, seeing as there was no way this could be worse than Predator 2 or the AvP films and indeed it isn't. Basically it's a re-hash of the original film, only seeing as that came out 20 plus years ago it would now probably be deemed a homage. It deliberately avoids to have much of a plot and basically it's nothing more than a series of selected warriors from around the world put together to fight the titular race. Adrian Brody is fine in the lead role and there are some decent action sequences in, but overall it's far too self referential and it takes itself very, very seriously something action films should never do. Not a disaster by any stretch of the imagination, but not a patch on the original either.
Body Double (Brian De Palma, 1984)
Lower tier De Palma, in what is probably his worst Hitchcock-aping film. An out of luck actor finds himself drawn towards a beautiful woman while house-sitting for a mysterious stranger in L.A. Unlike other De Palma films (Dressed To Kill, Blow Out) this lacks any innovation on his part and is hampered by what is ultimately a ludicrous storyline. May be of interest to 80's nostalgists, but I'm way past that stage myself. Although a club sequence involving Frankie Goes To Hollywood is probably the best bit in what is otherwise a pretty poor film.
Men Who Stare At Goats (Grant Heslov, 2009)
Zany adaptation of John Ronson's book about CIA mind control units. This film is episodic in nature, and therefore un-even, but has some great performances, especially from the ever dependable Clooney and Jeff Bridges who basically re-hashes The Dude only with a military career. The main story arc involving Ewan McGregor (in one of his dodgy American accent roles) is a little clunky and is probably best used as a loose anchor for a series of sketches. This film got mixed to negative reviews when it first came out, but to me, it is slight, enjoyable, and overall really fun. Worth a look.
Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010)
An excellent, supposedly final chapter to one of the most beloved series of the last fifteen years. Toy Story 3 finds Woody, Buzz et al dealing with Andy's impending college trip and accidental drop of at a daycare centre. Toy Story 3 refines what was so special about the first two films and allows the characters to develop naturally without being too showy. Not that the Pixar team are resting on their laurels mind, the script is just as sharp as ever and filled with some terrific new characters (Barbie's Ken and a lederhosen wearing hedgehog, Mr. Pricklepants voiced by Timothy Dalton are favourites). While it does not have the knockout punch of the first two, or quite the level of emotion that Up and Wall-E do, it's really comforting to watch and basically spend time in the company of characters we have come to know and love. Basically, it's another triumph from Pixar, watch today!
Incidentally, the film is in 3-D and I really don't think it needs to be. Here is Mark Kermode's two cents on the subject and I think he pretty much hits the nail on the head: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/2010/06/_in_order_to_see_1.html
The Informant! (Steven Soderbergh, 2009)
Soderbergh returns to his Erin Brockovich style, corporate villain mode for this strange tale of a real life whistleblower who seemed to be just as much of a crook as those he was informing on. The film is played as something of an offbeat comedy despite showing fraud and embezzlement on a massive scale. This is probably because Matt Damon's title character, an eccentric compulsive liar is such an oddball, that a straight telling just wouldn't work. Still, the tone of the film doesn't feel quite right and we never get close as to Damon's motives throughout. Not his fault though, as this is one of his best roles in a while, but the script and tone of the film just...seems...wrong. It's hard to explain why, but I just didn't really get this film! Maybe you will.
The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus (Terry Gillian, 2009)
Heath Ledger's final film, which Gilliam managed to save by casting Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law as various 'personas' of Ledger's wanderer who falls in with a troupe of magicians and travels to fantasy lands through the title character's mirror, or imaginarium if you prefer. I was expecting this to make the film patchy, but it holds together well and the concept makes sense in it's own way. The main problem is one that hampers the occasional Gilliam film, particularly his last two films, Tideland and Brothers Grimm: the script and story tends to take a back seat to his admittedly brilliant visuals. Occasionally the plot falls off the rails, particularly in the fantasy sequences and we don't really care about that characters as much as we should. Still, this is much better than either of those films and it does represent a 'return to form' of sorts for the erstwhile Python. Ledger puts in a fine performance, but Tom Waits steals the film from everyone, hamming it up nicely as The Devil. Worthwhile.
Jurassic Park 3 (Joe Johnson, 2001)
I was watching the first two films recently and then realised I had never bothered with the third. Not that I was missing much to begin with, as this is a virtual re-tread of the first film without any sense of wonderment. It barely even attempts a plot, as Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil) gets stranded on Site B along with a divorced couple (including William H Macy) and some mercenaries. Some of the CGI effects in this film have suffered quite badly over the years, remember this is pre-LOTR and King Kong, and as a result JP3 looks more dated than the first film in parts! While it doesn't have anything as ridiculous as the Kong style rampage at the end of The Lost World, the film is pretty much a long chase and doesn't really raise the bar a great deal. Actually, Grant conversing with the Raptors using one of their skulls is pretty ludicrous. Still, at 90 minutes it doesn't outstay it's welcome and in the words of Samuel L Jackson in the first film "it could be worse...a lot worse".
The Descent: Part 2 (Jon Harris, 2009)
Utterly pointless sequel to the brilliant 2005 original finds survivor Sarah returning to the caves with a new team only to be set upon by more of those nasty cave dwelling creatures. Next to the original, this is nothing, the monsters are shown way too much and the film goes for cheap gore effects as opposed to the genuine atmosphere and scares of the first. That, and some really stupid plot elements make this a vastly inferior sequel. Still, I found it watchable enough in parts.
Green Zone (Paul Greengrass, 2010)
Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon's Iraq War-set post-Bourne collaboration is a huge disappointment. Sure, the trademark Greengrass action, editing and pacing are all present and correct but the plot involving Damon's Lieutenant in search of nuclear weapons and the US Government's cover up over intelligence is very preachy to the point of being really annoying and filled with stock characters who are on the whole one-dimensional and un-engaging.. The action is good, but doesn't re-invent the wheel enough to make one care particularly. Worst of all, I found it actually really boring. Not awful, but probably not worth your time either.
Film Of The Month: Toy Story 3
Films I Saw In June
Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood, 2008)
I've always had problems with Clint Eastwood's recent output. Films like Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby are always perfectly watchable with engaging storylines, but they always seem so 'worthy' and desperate for Oscar glory and the plot of this film (racist war veteran comes to terms with the multicultural world around him) did sound very contrived. But the truth is, this is Eastwood's best acting and directing performance since 'Unforgiven'. He's in a particularly grouchy mood, his performance at times seeming very like a Dirty Harry in retirement. The film is never sentimental, handles its subject matter well and has great performances by all through out. Very good indeed.
Rachel Getting Married (Jonathan Demme, 2008)
After watching the awful 'Margot At The Wedding' I was perhaps a little sceptical of this similarly titled film, but as it turns out this is how you do a Chekov style two sisters feuding around a wedding film. Anne Hathaway is excellent as the wayward sister who returns from rehab for the titular Rachel's wedding and in the process lots of family skeletons are brought out of the closet. It's a little formulaic to be sure, but it's well acted throughout and never loses your interest.
Zombieland (Ruben Fleischer, 2009)
Coming across as something resembling America's answer to 'Shaun of the Dead' this is a fun take on an already well worn genre. Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harelson trek across a zombie ravaged America with a couple of girls and generally try and one-up each other while fighting zombies. The film is short and never overstays its welcome and is very enjoyable indeed. Particular mention must go of course to the celebrity cameo halfway through, which I won't spoil but you probably know anyway...
The Killer Inside Me (Michael Winterbottom, 2010)
Michael Winterbottom, one of the most versatile directors around has caused something of a stir with this film, an adaptation of Jim Thompson's 1950's crime novel. Most of the attention focusing on the main character's (Casey Affleck) brutalisation of women, opening up charges of misogyny against Winterbottom. Whilst I don't believe the film is misogynistic (Affleck's character is so vile and twisted that it doesn't exactly say much for masculinity either) it is one of the more brutal films of recent times. Shorn from it's controversy though and we are left with a film that's actually pretty dull with a script that plods along and poorly explains a plot that seems more labyrinth than it should. On the other hand, it looks really slick and Affleck delivers a fine, menacing performance up there with his 'Jesse James' role, but overall the window dressing and violence tends to distract you from what is really quite an average film at best.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009)
I was somewhat disappointed with this film, being a lifelong fan of Rahld Dahl's books and Wes Anderson, but the two really don't mix well together as a film. For starters, it is annoyingly quirky pretty much from start to finish and seems to be peppered with several adult or 'intelligent' jokes that seem to subvert it as a children's film. While the original novella had plenty of charm, this goes for quirk and does so in spades and in the end I had to wonder "who is this film for?". It's not without its plus points though, the animation is great and Clooney's vocal talents are put to good use for the title role, but in the end I just felt that Wes Anderson should stick to making live action indie comedies and stay away from animated kids stories.
Paranormal Activity (Oren Peli, 2009)
An excellent horror/ghost story film, genuinely unsettling and the best of its kind since the original Blair Witch. The story is simple enough, a couple are alone in a house and are haunted by a benevolent demon. It doesn't re-invent the wheel but knows exactly what makes the best horror films work and does it with aplomb. The two actors (Katie Featherston and Miach Sloat, using their real names) are both very convincing. It's scare factor may have been blunted on me as I was a little pissed when I saw this, but nevertheless it's still very creepy and definately worth a look for horror fans.
One Night In Turin (James Erskine, 2010)
After the debacle of England's World Cup exit this year, it might be worth revisiting a somewhat more noble defeat courtesy of this enjoyable doc. Relying solely on archive material and the odd incidental re-construction 'One Night In Turin' tells the story of England's 1990 World Cup campaign narrated compellingly by Gary Oldman. Of course, everyone knows how this ends but you still find yourself caught up in the tale which focuses as much on the off-pitch activities and the hooligan element of the times. It does centre a little bit too much on Paul Gasgoine as the main 'hero' though.
Harry Brown (Daniel Barber, 2010)
Morally bankrupt vigilante film set in and around Elephant & Castle with Michael Caine as a Royal Marines Vet pushed to the limit by a gang of local hoodies led by Plan B. From an ethical point of view this film is very circumspect, coming across like a Daily Mail readers worst nightmare and wildest dream at the same time. Still, it's quite watchable and if you can get over the political tones the film is kind of worth seeing for a decent central performance by Michael Caine and for it's arresting visuals.
Film Of The Month: Gran Torino, but Paranormal Activity comes close.
I've always had problems with Clint Eastwood's recent output. Films like Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby are always perfectly watchable with engaging storylines, but they always seem so 'worthy' and desperate for Oscar glory and the plot of this film (racist war veteran comes to terms with the multicultural world around him) did sound very contrived. But the truth is, this is Eastwood's best acting and directing performance since 'Unforgiven'. He's in a particularly grouchy mood, his performance at times seeming very like a Dirty Harry in retirement. The film is never sentimental, handles its subject matter well and has great performances by all through out. Very good indeed.
Rachel Getting Married (Jonathan Demme, 2008)
After watching the awful 'Margot At The Wedding' I was perhaps a little sceptical of this similarly titled film, but as it turns out this is how you do a Chekov style two sisters feuding around a wedding film. Anne Hathaway is excellent as the wayward sister who returns from rehab for the titular Rachel's wedding and in the process lots of family skeletons are brought out of the closet. It's a little formulaic to be sure, but it's well acted throughout and never loses your interest.
Zombieland (Ruben Fleischer, 2009)
Coming across as something resembling America's answer to 'Shaun of the Dead' this is a fun take on an already well worn genre. Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harelson trek across a zombie ravaged America with a couple of girls and generally try and one-up each other while fighting zombies. The film is short and never overstays its welcome and is very enjoyable indeed. Particular mention must go of course to the celebrity cameo halfway through, which I won't spoil but you probably know anyway...
The Killer Inside Me (Michael Winterbottom, 2010)
Michael Winterbottom, one of the most versatile directors around has caused something of a stir with this film, an adaptation of Jim Thompson's 1950's crime novel. Most of the attention focusing on the main character's (Casey Affleck) brutalisation of women, opening up charges of misogyny against Winterbottom. Whilst I don't believe the film is misogynistic (Affleck's character is so vile and twisted that it doesn't exactly say much for masculinity either) it is one of the more brutal films of recent times. Shorn from it's controversy though and we are left with a film that's actually pretty dull with a script that plods along and poorly explains a plot that seems more labyrinth than it should. On the other hand, it looks really slick and Affleck delivers a fine, menacing performance up there with his 'Jesse James' role, but overall the window dressing and violence tends to distract you from what is really quite an average film at best.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009)
I was somewhat disappointed with this film, being a lifelong fan of Rahld Dahl's books and Wes Anderson, but the two really don't mix well together as a film. For starters, it is annoyingly quirky pretty much from start to finish and seems to be peppered with several adult or 'intelligent' jokes that seem to subvert it as a children's film. While the original novella had plenty of charm, this goes for quirk and does so in spades and in the end I had to wonder "who is this film for?". It's not without its plus points though, the animation is great and Clooney's vocal talents are put to good use for the title role, but in the end I just felt that Wes Anderson should stick to making live action indie comedies and stay away from animated kids stories.
Paranormal Activity (Oren Peli, 2009)
An excellent horror/ghost story film, genuinely unsettling and the best of its kind since the original Blair Witch. The story is simple enough, a couple are alone in a house and are haunted by a benevolent demon. It doesn't re-invent the wheel but knows exactly what makes the best horror films work and does it with aplomb. The two actors (Katie Featherston and Miach Sloat, using their real names) are both very convincing. It's scare factor may have been blunted on me as I was a little pissed when I saw this, but nevertheless it's still very creepy and definately worth a look for horror fans.
One Night In Turin (James Erskine, 2010)
After the debacle of England's World Cup exit this year, it might be worth revisiting a somewhat more noble defeat courtesy of this enjoyable doc. Relying solely on archive material and the odd incidental re-construction 'One Night In Turin' tells the story of England's 1990 World Cup campaign narrated compellingly by Gary Oldman. Of course, everyone knows how this ends but you still find yourself caught up in the tale which focuses as much on the off-pitch activities and the hooligan element of the times. It does centre a little bit too much on Paul Gasgoine as the main 'hero' though.
Harry Brown (Daniel Barber, 2010)
Morally bankrupt vigilante film set in and around Elephant & Castle with Michael Caine as a Royal Marines Vet pushed to the limit by a gang of local hoodies led by Plan B. From an ethical point of view this film is very circumspect, coming across like a Daily Mail readers worst nightmare and wildest dream at the same time. Still, it's quite watchable and if you can get over the political tones the film is kind of worth seeing for a decent central performance by Michael Caine and for it's arresting visuals.
Film Of The Month: Gran Torino, but Paranormal Activity comes close.
Albums I Heard In June
Sleigh Bells-Treats
Currently being touted by uber indie cool king Spike Jonze and M.I.A. this American noise pop duo are gradually getting recognition in hipster circles even if their monstrous sounding music is probably unlikely to cross over into the mainstream. Make no mistake about it, the debut album of the craply named Sleigh Bells sounds absolutely fucking HUGE! It makes an album like, say, Hidden by These New Puritans sound intimate by comparison. The guitars sound utterly enormous, the fuzzbox sounding like the speakers are going to explode at any minute, but still appearing to be oddly clean while the primitive sounding drums anchor the record into a truly bestial stomp. Opener 'Tell Em' starts things as they mean to go on and there's really no letup until the surprisingly tender 'Rill Rill' referred to in an NME article as the 'Paper Planes' moment on the album alleviates the onslaught. At 32 minutes, 'Treats' is a very short album and at times the band do sound like a one trick pony, but much like The XX album, each listen draws you further in and separates the tracks in your mind, albeit in an Earth shattering way. Either way, this is a superb album, original sounding and forward thinking.
The Chemical Brothers-Further
Tom n' Ed's follow up to 2005's underrated, but nevertheless Grammy winning 'We Are The Night' arrives containing the labels 'back to basics' and 'multimedia project', suggesting the dance duo are going through some kind of midlife crisis. By 'multimedia project; they mean the songs on 'Further' are designed to accompany a series of short films available with the album and projected in their recent live shows. I have not seen the films yet, so my focus is mainly on the music, which this time around indeed showcases a 'back to basics' approach given that the focus is on the songs themselves as opposed to a flurry of guest vocalists, in the past a staple of Chems albums and here notable in their absence. The album as a whole does feel like a soundtrack, and 'Further' is a departure for the group as the album is more of a display of cinematic electronic numbers and with the possible exception of the superb, tribal beat heavy 'Horse Power' does not contain anything like the big beat stompers with which they have made their name. If anything, that is the albums only real disappointment; 'Further' goes for beauty over fun. Still, what we are left with is pretty good to begin with, the epic 'Escape Velocity' which first arrived a couple of months ago is a fine song, slowly building and very subtle. Single 'Swoon' though underwhelming at first is a real grower and another highlight and the closing pair of 'K+D+B' and 'Wonders of the Deep' end things in a bright emotional fashion. In the final analysis, this is clearly a transitional album for the Chemical Brothers into making convincing and essential grown up dance music done with considerable skill and is definately worth a listen.
Jonsi-Go
The proper solo debut of Sigur Ros singer Jonsi Birgisson is something of a minor departure from his normal band and indeed from his side project Jonsi & Alex, whose album Riceboy Sleeps from last year was pleasant enough, but did seem to retread worn ground. The opening track 'Go Do' has a stomping beat to it, but is still filled with pixie-esque Technicolor flourishes (the mythical creature not band). The driving, 'Animal Arithmetic' is even more pulsating, building to a glorious beat heavy conclusion. Not that the album is a stomping indie/dance record mind, as it is mainly ballad driven; 'Sinking Friendships' is particularly lush as is 'Grow Till Tall' which sounds very reminiscent of ( )-era Sigur Ros. Overall, 'Go' is a lot more song oriented than the lush album oriented music of Sigur Ros and for fans of the group or quirky/ethereal/Icelandic music, it's an essential listen.
Christina Aguilera-Bionic
After a fairly lengthy (in pop music terms) absence, Xtina's first album in four years seems to be jumping on the bandwagon of making electro-pop songs akin to Lady Gaga, who has taken her and Britney Spears pop Queen crowns as of late. Therefore, it seems the thing to do is to put her with a series of now collaborators (MIA, Switch) along with electro pop ones from the first wave of electroclash (Le Tigre, Peaches) in an effort to re-jig her sound. Press releases were touting this album as 'experimental' but beyond it's lengthy (18 track) running time, what we have here is fairly by the numbers and a number of 'safe' tracks with Tricky Stewart and Polow Da Don fail to hit the mark. 'Not Myself Tonight' and 'Whoohoo' are both pretty pedestrian about which there is little to remark or recommend. The MIA album 'Elastic Love' is good enough, though by her standards it feels like an out-take from her own forthcoming album, of the safer tracks 'Glam' is better than much of the others and the Le Tigre song 'My Girls' is also pretty fun. According to a piece in the Guardian, this could well have been a worthwhile album, with the Ladytron collaborations either jettisoned or relegated to the bonus disc along with some more Switch/Santogold numbers, while songs with Goldfrapp and a cover of Ladyhawke's 'My Delirium' have also ended up on the studio floor. What we have left is an overlong, bland electro pop album that in all likelihood, could have been something more if only her record label had a bit more guts.
Janelle Monae-The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
Now this is how you do an epic, modern pop album! The debut album of American pop/soul/dance/electro/psychedelic (whatever she fancies) singer Janelle Monae is again an epic 18-track journey of an album but one that impresses in its eclectic nature and sheer quality of tunes. Billed as a concept album about robots and dealing in concepts of Afrofuturism, or whatever that means, the lyrics trade in Philip K. Dick style cyberpunk tales. Allegedly. To be honest, I've not paid any attention to the lyrics, but what I do know is that this is a superb, ambitious and totally accessible pop album jumping between styles without sacrificing any sense of cohesion. The record is broken into two 'Suites'; the first features the big sounding commercial singles. 'Dance or Die' is a superb open proper with a funky bassline and catchy chorus and is followed by the equally superb 'Faster'. Later on is the stunning one-two punch of 'Cold War' and 'Tightrope'; the former is a relentless would be hit single, but it's 'Tightrope' that really shines through with contributions from Big Boi and a superb beat and winning chorus, it feels like a number one single. The second half trades in more sunny pop styles with a guest appearance from Of Montreal providing highlight 'Make The Bus' followed by the superb 'Wondaland'. Perhaps the album could do with a bit of trimming but pretty much everything here is worth listening to and the sheer scope of the album is part of it's charm. I'd be very surprised if I hear a better pop album than this all year.
The Black Keys-Brothers
The Black Keys return with another generous helping of blues rock, and to boot a consistent album worth savouring especially while contemporary Jack White descends further into mediocrity through his various side projects. After their previous Danger Mouse collaboration, 'Attack & Release' this does have something of a back-to-basics approach, but is unfortunately compromised by its 15-track and epic running time. That said, there are some decent tunes here. The single 'Tighten Up' is a fine indie rock tune with a catchy riff and bluesy lyrics. That track is followed by 'Howlin' For You' a good minimalist bar room style stomper; elsewhere 'The Only One' is chilled out and pleasing enough. It's a decent album, but it's pace is a little slow at times and it is far too long.
The Foals-Total Life Forever
Oxford five-piece The Foals were one of the most hotly tipped acts of 2008, but never seemed to live up to their full potential. They had a scattering of good songs (notably Balloons and Cassius) that received decent airplay but their album 'Antidotes' didn't quite live up to its promise and sold modestly. With 'Total Life Forever' they give it another shot, and their sound has become notably tamer or mature depending on your point of view. 'Miami' has a decent groove to it sounding very grown up and slick as does the cool sounding title track. Also worthwhile is 'After Glow' sounding the most like something off the first album and the single 'This Orient', definately the most catchy song here and probably the most obvious 'single' on the record. Still, the best cut here is 'Spanish Sahara', which may be because of its already familiar nature, but in any case it's a superb, massive sounding epic and a clear standout on the LP. I probably haven't listened to the album enough to let it properly creep in, and sometimes it's production can feel a little bogged down and stale, giving it a slightly MOR feel but I'm sure this is a grower.
Deloran-Subiza
Third album from Spanish alt-dance outfit Delorean and follow up to last year's excellent 'Ayrton Senna EP' is a very song-oriented and summery affair. Appropriately enough for a Spanish group, the album trades heavily in nu-Balearic sounds and housey pianos combined with an indie-pop (think Phoenix of Animal Collective) aesthetic. Second track 'Real Love', I don't think is a single, but it definately should be with its heavily distorted and hazy vocals make this a fine summer tune as does the gorgeous 'Infinite Desert', the very 90's 'Come Wander' and the carnival esque closer 'It's All Ours'. It's a little samey at times, but it's an album you can stick on and float away with in the sun, while drenched in echoes of the past it also somehow feels very 'now' in terms of dance music.
Album Of The Month: The ArchAndroid (Suites II & III) by Janelle Monae
Currently being touted by uber indie cool king Spike Jonze and M.I.A. this American noise pop duo are gradually getting recognition in hipster circles even if their monstrous sounding music is probably unlikely to cross over into the mainstream. Make no mistake about it, the debut album of the craply named Sleigh Bells sounds absolutely fucking HUGE! It makes an album like, say, Hidden by These New Puritans sound intimate by comparison. The guitars sound utterly enormous, the fuzzbox sounding like the speakers are going to explode at any minute, but still appearing to be oddly clean while the primitive sounding drums anchor the record into a truly bestial stomp. Opener 'Tell Em' starts things as they mean to go on and there's really no letup until the surprisingly tender 'Rill Rill' referred to in an NME article as the 'Paper Planes' moment on the album alleviates the onslaught. At 32 minutes, 'Treats' is a very short album and at times the band do sound like a one trick pony, but much like The XX album, each listen draws you further in and separates the tracks in your mind, albeit in an Earth shattering way. Either way, this is a superb album, original sounding and forward thinking.
The Chemical Brothers-Further
Tom n' Ed's follow up to 2005's underrated, but nevertheless Grammy winning 'We Are The Night' arrives containing the labels 'back to basics' and 'multimedia project', suggesting the dance duo are going through some kind of midlife crisis. By 'multimedia project; they mean the songs on 'Further' are designed to accompany a series of short films available with the album and projected in their recent live shows. I have not seen the films yet, so my focus is mainly on the music, which this time around indeed showcases a 'back to basics' approach given that the focus is on the songs themselves as opposed to a flurry of guest vocalists, in the past a staple of Chems albums and here notable in their absence. The album as a whole does feel like a soundtrack, and 'Further' is a departure for the group as the album is more of a display of cinematic electronic numbers and with the possible exception of the superb, tribal beat heavy 'Horse Power' does not contain anything like the big beat stompers with which they have made their name. If anything, that is the albums only real disappointment; 'Further' goes for beauty over fun. Still, what we are left with is pretty good to begin with, the epic 'Escape Velocity' which first arrived a couple of months ago is a fine song, slowly building and very subtle. Single 'Swoon' though underwhelming at first is a real grower and another highlight and the closing pair of 'K+D+B' and 'Wonders of the Deep' end things in a bright emotional fashion. In the final analysis, this is clearly a transitional album for the Chemical Brothers into making convincing and essential grown up dance music done with considerable skill and is definately worth a listen.
Jonsi-Go
The proper solo debut of Sigur Ros singer Jonsi Birgisson is something of a minor departure from his normal band and indeed from his side project Jonsi & Alex, whose album Riceboy Sleeps from last year was pleasant enough, but did seem to retread worn ground. The opening track 'Go Do' has a stomping beat to it, but is still filled with pixie-esque Technicolor flourishes (the mythical creature not band). The driving, 'Animal Arithmetic' is even more pulsating, building to a glorious beat heavy conclusion. Not that the album is a stomping indie/dance record mind, as it is mainly ballad driven; 'Sinking Friendships' is particularly lush as is 'Grow Till Tall' which sounds very reminiscent of ( )-era Sigur Ros. Overall, 'Go' is a lot more song oriented than the lush album oriented music of Sigur Ros and for fans of the group or quirky/ethereal/Icelandic music, it's an essential listen.
Christina Aguilera-Bionic
After a fairly lengthy (in pop music terms) absence, Xtina's first album in four years seems to be jumping on the bandwagon of making electro-pop songs akin to Lady Gaga, who has taken her and Britney Spears pop Queen crowns as of late. Therefore, it seems the thing to do is to put her with a series of now collaborators (MIA, Switch) along with electro pop ones from the first wave of electroclash (Le Tigre, Peaches) in an effort to re-jig her sound. Press releases were touting this album as 'experimental' but beyond it's lengthy (18 track) running time, what we have here is fairly by the numbers and a number of 'safe' tracks with Tricky Stewart and Polow Da Don fail to hit the mark. 'Not Myself Tonight' and 'Whoohoo' are both pretty pedestrian about which there is little to remark or recommend. The MIA album 'Elastic Love' is good enough, though by her standards it feels like an out-take from her own forthcoming album, of the safer tracks 'Glam' is better than much of the others and the Le Tigre song 'My Girls' is also pretty fun. According to a piece in the Guardian, this could well have been a worthwhile album, with the Ladytron collaborations either jettisoned or relegated to the bonus disc along with some more Switch/Santogold numbers, while songs with Goldfrapp and a cover of Ladyhawke's 'My Delirium' have also ended up on the studio floor. What we have left is an overlong, bland electro pop album that in all likelihood, could have been something more if only her record label had a bit more guts.
Janelle Monae-The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
Now this is how you do an epic, modern pop album! The debut album of American pop/soul/dance/electro/psychedelic (whatever she fancies) singer Janelle Monae is again an epic 18-track journey of an album but one that impresses in its eclectic nature and sheer quality of tunes. Billed as a concept album about robots and dealing in concepts of Afrofuturism, or whatever that means, the lyrics trade in Philip K. Dick style cyberpunk tales. Allegedly. To be honest, I've not paid any attention to the lyrics, but what I do know is that this is a superb, ambitious and totally accessible pop album jumping between styles without sacrificing any sense of cohesion. The record is broken into two 'Suites'; the first features the big sounding commercial singles. 'Dance or Die' is a superb open proper with a funky bassline and catchy chorus and is followed by the equally superb 'Faster'. Later on is the stunning one-two punch of 'Cold War' and 'Tightrope'; the former is a relentless would be hit single, but it's 'Tightrope' that really shines through with contributions from Big Boi and a superb beat and winning chorus, it feels like a number one single. The second half trades in more sunny pop styles with a guest appearance from Of Montreal providing highlight 'Make The Bus' followed by the superb 'Wondaland'. Perhaps the album could do with a bit of trimming but pretty much everything here is worth listening to and the sheer scope of the album is part of it's charm. I'd be very surprised if I hear a better pop album than this all year.
The Black Keys-Brothers
The Black Keys return with another generous helping of blues rock, and to boot a consistent album worth savouring especially while contemporary Jack White descends further into mediocrity through his various side projects. After their previous Danger Mouse collaboration, 'Attack & Release' this does have something of a back-to-basics approach, but is unfortunately compromised by its 15-track and epic running time. That said, there are some decent tunes here. The single 'Tighten Up' is a fine indie rock tune with a catchy riff and bluesy lyrics. That track is followed by 'Howlin' For You' a good minimalist bar room style stomper; elsewhere 'The Only One' is chilled out and pleasing enough. It's a decent album, but it's pace is a little slow at times and it is far too long.
The Foals-Total Life Forever
Oxford five-piece The Foals were one of the most hotly tipped acts of 2008, but never seemed to live up to their full potential. They had a scattering of good songs (notably Balloons and Cassius) that received decent airplay but their album 'Antidotes' didn't quite live up to its promise and sold modestly. With 'Total Life Forever' they give it another shot, and their sound has become notably tamer or mature depending on your point of view. 'Miami' has a decent groove to it sounding very grown up and slick as does the cool sounding title track. Also worthwhile is 'After Glow' sounding the most like something off the first album and the single 'This Orient', definately the most catchy song here and probably the most obvious 'single' on the record. Still, the best cut here is 'Spanish Sahara', which may be because of its already familiar nature, but in any case it's a superb, massive sounding epic and a clear standout on the LP. I probably haven't listened to the album enough to let it properly creep in, and sometimes it's production can feel a little bogged down and stale, giving it a slightly MOR feel but I'm sure this is a grower.
Deloran-Subiza
Third album from Spanish alt-dance outfit Delorean and follow up to last year's excellent 'Ayrton Senna EP' is a very song-oriented and summery affair. Appropriately enough for a Spanish group, the album trades heavily in nu-Balearic sounds and housey pianos combined with an indie-pop (think Phoenix of Animal Collective) aesthetic. Second track 'Real Love', I don't think is a single, but it definately should be with its heavily distorted and hazy vocals make this a fine summer tune as does the gorgeous 'Infinite Desert', the very 90's 'Come Wander' and the carnival esque closer 'It's All Ours'. It's a little samey at times, but it's an album you can stick on and float away with in the sun, while drenched in echoes of the past it also somehow feels very 'now' in terms of dance music.
Album Of The Month: The ArchAndroid (Suites II & III) by Janelle Monae
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