So my blog page has moved to new digs
http://stakesinatripod.wordpress.com/
I do hope you will join me there
Saturday, 8 February 2014
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Underrated Celebrated
In a monthly feature, I re-evaluate those cinematic gems that for one reason or another, financially/ communally/award seasony, did not receive the recognition they deserved….in my humble opinion anyway
#2 Safety not Guaranteed (2012 Colin Trevorrow)
Personal ads can take many forms from selling a car to looking for true love. However rarely does an ad come along that promises the chance to time travel. What sounds like a concept for a Charlie Kaufman film was an ad that appeared in a 1997 edition of Backwoods Home Magazine as follows
Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.
Director Colin Trevorrow takes this short but striking prose, which was actually a joke ad by one of the employees of the Backwood magazine, and runs with it to see the after effects of what this unique classified would bring to those who investigated a surreal scribe, a kind of ‘whodunit’ for the slacker generation.
Mistress of malaise Aubrey Plaza plays Darius, a young yet cynical intern at a Seattle based magazine. After a staff meeting for potential articles, the subject of the bizarre classified ad comes up and she is assigned to cover the story along with her staff writer Jeff (Jake Johnson) who has his own agenda for the trip and Arnau (Karan Soni) a meek intern wanting to experience something out of the ordinary. As they track down the subject of their piece Kenneth (played by the wonderful Mark Duplass), Jeff gets sidetracked by a romantic errand whilst Darius becomes increasingly intrigued by Kenneth and embroiled in his master-plan.
The beauty of Safety not Guaranteed is that it is a film where you genuinely don’t know which way it is going to play out, something that is unique in these jaded film times. Is Kenneth simply a deluded dreamer? Is it easier to assume that this odd loner is on a fool’s errand to be revealed as a misguided fraudster? Or could this man possibly have found a way to cheat the boundaries of time? Mark Duplass plays the character of Kenneth so endearingly that, as the viewer, we want his hair brained scheme to work despite its implausibility and the question mark surrounding his sanity. Duplass’ Kenneth recalls Napoleon Dynamite and Eagle vs Shark’s buffoon Jermaine with their quirky tendencies and social ignorance yet Kenneth elicits warmth from his character, his is neither arrogant nor malicious, he is simply on a quest, to experience more beyond the presented limitations.
Plaza, meanwhile is the anchor of the film, her Darius is our journey woman as she is assigned the job of pretending to be interested in time travel to get closer to Kenneth, her initial scepticism begins to melt away and is replaced with a unexpected connection to a man who at once seems crazy but is actually sweet and insightful with an infectious attitude toward belief.
As with any film that carries a theme of time travel, the ideas of rewriting past mistakes crop up, the chance to relive your life and make it better is a wistful temptation. Johnson’s character Jeff uses the assignment to rekindle a high school romance, the lure of a rose tinted view of a past time he believes will save him from the mediocrity of life and give him some validation. Kenneth’s motives meanwhile seem purer and somehow almost more achievable than Jeff’s ill-fated dalliance, he merely wants to make things a little better. And it is then that the film slowly creeps up on you and becomes surprisingly touching and poignant.
Safety not Guaranteed has a limited release at the cinema but is the kind of film that would flourish on DVD. However the availability in the UK is scarce, which is a shame as it deserves to be accessible for those who like their feel-good films on the eccentric side. There is humour and there is heart to this little oddball movie which should be enjoyed by a wider audience. Make it a mission to source out this gem, so it has a present and is not condemned to a little seen past.
#2 Safety not Guaranteed (2012 Colin Trevorrow)
Personal ads can take many forms from selling a car to looking for true love. However rarely does an ad come along that promises the chance to time travel. What sounds like a concept for a Charlie Kaufman film was an ad that appeared in a 1997 edition of Backwoods Home Magazine as follows
Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.
Director Colin Trevorrow takes this short but striking prose, which was actually a joke ad by one of the employees of the Backwood magazine, and runs with it to see the after effects of what this unique classified would bring to those who investigated a surreal scribe, a kind of ‘whodunit’ for the slacker generation.
Mistress of malaise Aubrey Plaza plays Darius, a young yet cynical intern at a Seattle based magazine. After a staff meeting for potential articles, the subject of the bizarre classified ad comes up and she is assigned to cover the story along with her staff writer Jeff (Jake Johnson) who has his own agenda for the trip and Arnau (Karan Soni) a meek intern wanting to experience something out of the ordinary. As they track down the subject of their piece Kenneth (played by the wonderful Mark Duplass), Jeff gets sidetracked by a romantic errand whilst Darius becomes increasingly intrigued by Kenneth and embroiled in his master-plan.
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| Road trip to the past? |
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| 80s meets 90s in the time travel headgear wars |
As with any film that carries a theme of time travel, the ideas of rewriting past mistakes crop up, the chance to relive your life and make it better is a wistful temptation. Johnson’s character Jeff uses the assignment to rekindle a high school romance, the lure of a rose tinted view of a past time he believes will save him from the mediocrity of life and give him some validation. Kenneth’s motives meanwhile seem purer and somehow almost more achievable than Jeff’s ill-fated dalliance, he merely wants to make things a little better. And it is then that the film slowly creeps up on you and becomes surprisingly touching and poignant.
Safety not Guaranteed has a limited release at the cinema but is the kind of film that would flourish on DVD. However the availability in the UK is scarce, which is a shame as it deserves to be accessible for those who like their feel-good films on the eccentric side. There is humour and there is heart to this little oddball movie which should be enjoyed by a wider audience. Make it a mission to source out this gem, so it has a present and is not condemned to a little seen past.
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Only God Forgives (directed by Nicolas Winding Refn)
Wanna Fight?
Low brooding beats, gloomy shadows, Ryan Gosling’s face appears obscured in the darkness of the frame. So far, so familiar for the second pairing of director Nicolas Winding Refn and his golden boy Gosling. But those expecting Drive 2 should move on as that is where the similarities come to an abrupt end. In Drive, Gosling was allowed some form of happiness before the inevitable car crash of violence but in Only God Forgives his exiled Julian starts in hell and continues the descent as the film progresses into a dark rabbit hole with no escape.
A simple tale of revenge performed like an operatic nightmare, Julian, an exiled drug smuggler living in Thailand, is ordered by his mother Crystal (Kristen Scott Thomas, an incestuous Cruella DeVille styled like Donatella Versace) to kill the man behind his brother Billy’s murder. However the man he is targeting is retired cop Chang, aka The Angel of Vengeance (Vithaya Pansringarm), with his own agenda for primitive justice.
Only God Forgives’ ace card is in its design, every frame is composed and executed with precision and admirable flair. The cinematography is rich in enhancing the lurid underworld, seeped in evocative red hues that disorientate and drag the viewer further into the situation. Winding Refn is a director with free reign and you can sense that he will not allow his vision to be compromised which comes at a price; it feels too aware of itself to care.
It is populated with ugly characters with no redeeming qualities, that whilst it is not always necessary to relate to the protagonists, it is hard to elicit any emotion with a bunch of condemned souls, creating detachment and disdain for them. Julian’s assigned revenge is bereft of any honour, Billy is murdered because he raped and killed a young prostitute, yet his mother refuses to acknowledge this shameful deed. Chang could be seen as delivering a form of rectitude but he is working beyond the law, brandishing punishment in a calculated sadistic manner.
The violence is visceral and unflinching, in particular the way Chang has a perchance for bearing his samurai skills and using available sharp objects, including a set of hair pins. Heads will be caved in, chests will be split open and Gosling face will be beaten to a pulp which may be the most disconcerting element for many of his admirers.
Gosling himself can brood like the best of them, his puppy dog eyes used to the best of their expressiveness to counteract the lack of Julian’s dialogue. He is a man disarmed, unable to control himself; he is incapable of touching his ‘girlfriend’ and constant references to his hands are hinted out throughout the film and worryingly the only time Julian touches something deeply is his mother. But Gosling is pretty much sidelined by Vithaya Pansringarm as Chang, a karaoke loving force to be reckoned with, carrying menace in muted spades. Each time he is on screen, the tension is heightened and Gosling finds himself in the unlikely position of being the visual underdog.
Only time will tell….
Low brooding beats, gloomy shadows, Ryan Gosling’s face appears obscured in the darkness of the frame. So far, so familiar for the second pairing of director Nicolas Winding Refn and his golden boy Gosling. But those expecting Drive 2 should move on as that is where the similarities come to an abrupt end. In Drive, Gosling was allowed some form of happiness before the inevitable car crash of violence but in Only God Forgives his exiled Julian starts in hell and continues the descent as the film progresses into a dark rabbit hole with no escape.
A simple tale of revenge performed like an operatic nightmare, Julian, an exiled drug smuggler living in Thailand, is ordered by his mother Crystal (Kristen Scott Thomas, an incestuous Cruella DeVille styled like Donatella Versace) to kill the man behind his brother Billy’s murder. However the man he is targeting is retired cop Chang, aka The Angel of Vengeance (Vithaya Pansringarm), with his own agenda for primitive justice.
Only God Forgives’ ace card is in its design, every frame is composed and executed with precision and admirable flair. The cinematography is rich in enhancing the lurid underworld, seeped in evocative red hues that disorientate and drag the viewer further into the situation. Winding Refn is a director with free reign and you can sense that he will not allow his vision to be compromised which comes at a price; it feels too aware of itself to care.
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| Crystal pouts in neon hues |
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| The Angel Of Vengence |
Gosling himself can brood like the best of them, his puppy dog eyes used to the best of their expressiveness to counteract the lack of Julian’s dialogue. He is a man disarmed, unable to control himself; he is incapable of touching his ‘girlfriend’ and constant references to his hands are hinted out throughout the film and worryingly the only time Julian touches something deeply is his mother. But Gosling is pretty much sidelined by Vithaya Pansringarm as Chang, a karaoke loving force to be reckoned with, carrying menace in muted spades. Each time he is on screen, the tension is heightened and Gosling finds himself in the unlikely position of being the visual underdog.
Nicolas Winding Refn stated, a little pompously, that he wanted the film ‘to penetrate the viewer’ however it is hard to get past the glacial surface that he presents. The film would perhaps benefit from repeat viewings yet it is a world that you won’t want to return to in a hurry and therein lies the rub. Hailed as a masterpiece by many but equally derided by others, it is one to truly divide its audience; it is both an exercise in masterful bravado filmmaking but also a laborious frustrating experience.
Will Only God Forgives over time open itself to reveal more to admire?
Only time will tell….
Friday, 16 August 2013
Frances Ha (directed by Noah Baumbach)
Godard style Gerwig
New York. Black & White. Greta Gerwig runs through the streets of the big city to the sounds of David Bowie’s Modern Love. Welcome to the world of Frances Ha, Noah Baumbach’s love letter to cinematic slackers and grown up life shirkers. Gerwig plays the eponymous Frances, a 27 year old apprentice dancer, who we are first introduced to, in a habitual state of marital role-play with her best Sophie (Mickey Sumner, hugely bespectacled with sardonic wit, like a hipster Deirdre Barlow). They live together, eat together, play fight together and even sometimes share a bed together, acting like a comfortable couple , even saying themselves it’s like they are married, in the fact that they do everything together except having sex. It almost seems in the beginning of the film that life would be easier if the girls were romantically involved as the men in their life seem almost superfluous.
However this buddy bunk up comes to a sudden halt when Sophie announces she is leaving their apartment to move into the district she has longed to live in, somewhere Frances cannot afford and cannot follow. This sends Frances on a sporadic journey to try to organise her life-traversing apartment switching, career dead ends and ill advised trips, whilst continually subverting the conventions of growing up. She is a woman at a crossroads of life, not willing to give up the frivolity of youth but unable to sustain the carefree existence that is attainable to the wealthy trust fund kids. She, quite literally ambles from scene to scene with no clear direction, echoing the unstable mood of a restless generation.
Greta Gerwig has her fair share of admirers and detractors and Frances Ha will no doubt strengthen both camps arguments. The admirers will revel in her breezy infectious tone, her uninhibited and unglamorous portrayal of a skittish daydreamer. The non converted will find her character self absorbed, immature and twee and to some extent she is these things, at times you want to shake her by the shoulders and try to pull her misdirection together. It’s safe to say that I fall in the former category and find Gerwig’s performance refreshingly real but also wistfully romantic, to revel in the possibilities of life, while mundane realities seep into the consciousness.
What is also refreshing about Frances Ha is the film does not make it its mission to find our heroine a man. She is often referred to as ‘un-dateable’, which would hint that this theory would be proved wrong later in the film. Frances does not end up with a boyfriend and the film tackles the often more problematic relationship- the best friend and how this bond copes when one is ready to move on before the other does.
Being shot in black and white not only makes Frances Ha look gorgeous but lends itself to the minimalistic sensibilities of the film and adds emphasis to the thread of malaise that runs through the narrative. The scene where Frances wanders the streets of Paris to Hot Chocolate’s Everyone’s a Winner becomes more significant than a scene with a Hot Chocolate song has any cause to be, the elegant cinematography highlighting the loneliness of Frances irrational choices. Baumbach gets the best from his Miss Mumblecore and directs her and the supporting players with a zesty realism, they may not be the people you want them to be, and perhaps we as an audience do not like to see our characters like real humans, selfish and childlike as many of us can be. But Baumbach presents them as they are, their setting may be unlike ours, yet the feelings will be familiar. This makes Frances Ha a melancholy gem, one for the dreamers and the jaded. And one especially for the Gerwig lovers.
New York. Black & White. Greta Gerwig runs through the streets of the big city to the sounds of David Bowie’s Modern Love. Welcome to the world of Frances Ha, Noah Baumbach’s love letter to cinematic slackers and grown up life shirkers. Gerwig plays the eponymous Frances, a 27 year old apprentice dancer, who we are first introduced to, in a habitual state of marital role-play with her best Sophie (Mickey Sumner, hugely bespectacled with sardonic wit, like a hipster Deirdre Barlow). They live together, eat together, play fight together and even sometimes share a bed together, acting like a comfortable couple , even saying themselves it’s like they are married, in the fact that they do everything together except having sex. It almost seems in the beginning of the film that life would be easier if the girls were romantically involved as the men in their life seem almost superfluous.
However this buddy bunk up comes to a sudden halt when Sophie announces she is leaving their apartment to move into the district she has longed to live in, somewhere Frances cannot afford and cannot follow. This sends Frances on a sporadic journey to try to organise her life-traversing apartment switching, career dead ends and ill advised trips, whilst continually subverting the conventions of growing up. She is a woman at a crossroads of life, not willing to give up the frivolity of youth but unable to sustain the carefree existence that is attainable to the wealthy trust fund kids. She, quite literally ambles from scene to scene with no clear direction, echoing the unstable mood of a restless generation. Greta Gerwig has her fair share of admirers and detractors and Frances Ha will no doubt strengthen both camps arguments. The admirers will revel in her breezy infectious tone, her uninhibited and unglamorous portrayal of a skittish daydreamer. The non converted will find her character self absorbed, immature and twee and to some extent she is these things, at times you want to shake her by the shoulders and try to pull her misdirection together. It’s safe to say that I fall in the former category and find Gerwig’s performance refreshingly real but also wistfully romantic, to revel in the possibilities of life, while mundane realities seep into the consciousness. What is also refreshing about Frances Ha is the film does not make it its mission to find our heroine a man. She is often referred to as ‘un-dateable’, which would hint that this theory would be proved wrong later in the film. Frances does not end up with a boyfriend and the film tackles the often more problematic relationship- the best friend and how this bond copes when one is ready to move on before the other does.
Being shot in black and white not only makes Frances Ha look gorgeous but lends itself to the minimalistic sensibilities of the film and adds emphasis to the thread of malaise that runs through the narrative. The scene where Frances wanders the streets of Paris to Hot Chocolate’s Everyone’s a Winner becomes more significant than a scene with a Hot Chocolate song has any cause to be, the elegant cinematography highlighting the loneliness of Frances irrational choices. Baumbach gets the best from his Miss Mumblecore and directs her and the supporting players with a zesty realism, they may not be the people you want them to be, and perhaps we as an audience do not like to see our characters like real humans, selfish and childlike as many of us can be. But Baumbach presents them as they are, their setting may be unlike ours, yet the feelings will be familiar. This makes Frances Ha a melancholy gem, one for the dreamers and the jaded. And one especially for the Gerwig lovers.
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Underrated/Celebrated
In a monthly feature, I re-evaluate those cinematic gems that for one reason or another, financially/ communally/award seasony, did not receive the recognition they deserved….in my humble opinion anyway.
#1 Young Adult (2011, Jason Reitman)
A comedy, with its fingers painted jet black, Jason Reitmans’ second collaboration with writer Diablo Cody was not embraced as well as their previous effort Juno, whose offbeat charm and snappy lingo created an army of fans for Cody and its endearingly edgy star Ellen Page. But Young Adult, a kind of bitchy older sister to Juno, deserves to be championed just as much for its sardonic look at a woman living in the past and a thoroughly wicked turn from its leading lady. Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gary, a former high school prom Queen and little miss popular, who now is a ghost-writer for teenage fiction books. A recent divorcee Mavis lives in adolescent squalor, an adult in a high rise apartment who acts like they are still expecting their mother to come and tidy their room. Mavis’ girlie books become a metaphor for a woman who is trapped in a state of youth, she spends her days getting primped and preened then getting boozed up and spending the next day in a comatose hungover state. When a chance email arrives in Mavis’ inbox from her old high school boyfriend Buddy Slade (a sweetly naïve Patrick Wilson) announcing the birth of his first child, Mavis takes this is a calling to bring purpose to her stagnant life- she will return to her hometown and rescue Buddy from his dreary existence. She believes that she and Buddy will restore their relationship and live happily ever after, despite Buddy already settled as a loving husband and now a father.
The challenge for Reitman and Cody is do they try and elicit a connection with such an unsympathetic character or make her as monstrous as possible so that the audience disassociate as much as possible. Perhaps more frighteningly we don’t want to see a part of ourselves in Mavis, a woman trying to hold on to her glory days, to stay in the limelight, her unapologetic attitude and steely misdirection are at once refreshing and brutally painful. This can be attributed to Charlize Theron, her portrayal of Mavis is depressingly delicious, a vixen on a mission is surely fun for an actress to play but Theron injects the role with gloomy glam, behind the masquerade of hair pieces of fake eyelashes lays a deeply insecure woman caught in a bygone bubble.
The film eschews the traditions of the Hollywood staple arch by refusing the heroine a clear path of redemption; an air of ambiguity shrouds the final frames and the audience is left wondering whether Mavis has learnt anything at all. This is Young Adult’s ace card, it becomes something more realistic, not everyone learns from their mistakes and some people deny the conventions to grow up as they grow older. This may also have contributed to the films underwhelming reception, its dark heart was not something many viewers could accept. Charlize Theron’s Machiavellian turn was also shamefully ignored by the Academy, despite her previous Oscar for playing a more obvious monster; her fearless performance of deadpan immaturity was overlooked and lost in the midst.
Those wanting a chocolate box happy ever ending should avoid this film and it is not quite the comedy that some might expect, its giggles come from the awkwardness of the uncomfortable situations. But for those with a penchant for black humour, characters full of personality but also flaws and a wicked satirical edge should discover Young Adult, a refreshingly downbeat film with fabulous performances that shines in a murky kind of way.
#1 Young Adult (2011, Jason Reitman)
A comedy, with its fingers painted jet black, Jason Reitmans’ second collaboration with writer Diablo Cody was not embraced as well as their previous effort Juno, whose offbeat charm and snappy lingo created an army of fans for Cody and its endearingly edgy star Ellen Page. But Young Adult, a kind of bitchy older sister to Juno, deserves to be championed just as much for its sardonic look at a woman living in the past and a thoroughly wicked turn from its leading lady. Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gary, a former high school prom Queen and little miss popular, who now is a ghost-writer for teenage fiction books. A recent divorcee Mavis lives in adolescent squalor, an adult in a high rise apartment who acts like they are still expecting their mother to come and tidy their room. Mavis’ girlie books become a metaphor for a woman who is trapped in a state of youth, she spends her days getting primped and preened then getting boozed up and spending the next day in a comatose hungover state. When a chance email arrives in Mavis’ inbox from her old high school boyfriend Buddy Slade (a sweetly naïve Patrick Wilson) announcing the birth of his first child, Mavis takes this is a calling to bring purpose to her stagnant life- she will return to her hometown and rescue Buddy from his dreary existence. She believes that she and Buddy will restore their relationship and live happily ever after, despite Buddy already settled as a loving husband and now a father.
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| Mavis (Charlize Theron) eyes up her prey Buddy (Patrick Wilson) |
Arriving back in Minnesota on her one woman charge to ‘save’ her former flame, Mavis enlists the help of high school whipping boy Matt (a subtly affecting Patton Oswalt), a victim of a hate crime which has left him in a perpetual state of passivity, forever defined by the fate dealt in his teenage years. This unlikely duo forms a fragile friendship and the stage is set for a misguided quest-cue cringe-inducing scenes as an oblivious Mavis tries to integrate herself back into a life where she does not belong. Her distain for the mundane small-town existence etched on her face at every corner and her ill-advised behaviour make for a comically uneasy watch.
The film eschews the traditions of the Hollywood staple arch by refusing the heroine a clear path of redemption; an air of ambiguity shrouds the final frames and the audience is left wondering whether Mavis has learnt anything at all. This is Young Adult’s ace card, it becomes something more realistic, not everyone learns from their mistakes and some people deny the conventions to grow up as they grow older. This may also have contributed to the films underwhelming reception, its dark heart was not something many viewers could accept. Charlize Theron’s Machiavellian turn was also shamefully ignored by the Academy, despite her previous Oscar for playing a more obvious monster; her fearless performance of deadpan immaturity was overlooked and lost in the midst.
Those wanting a chocolate box happy ever ending should avoid this film and it is not quite the comedy that some might expect, its giggles come from the awkwardness of the uncomfortable situations. But for those with a penchant for black humour, characters full of personality but also flaws and a wicked satirical edge should discover Young Adult, a refreshingly downbeat film with fabulous performances that shines in a murky kind of way.
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Bradford International Film Festival 2013
The Sun has set on another year at the Bradford International Film Festival and for me, this was my first time participating as a volunteer at the event held at the National Media Museum. It was also, I am a bit embarrassed to admit, my first time attending a film festival.
And although I shamefully did not get to see many of the vast selection of films on offer, I did, through my volunteering get to see some special screenings and events, all whilst wearing a funky red t-shirt and lanyard.
So here are my BIFF highlights seen through the eyes of an enthusiastic film lover, just there to help….
Saturday 13th April 2013 Sir Tom Courtenay Screen Talk
Bringing some old school acting class to the proceedings, Sir Tom Courtenay visited the festival to give a screen talk about his evergreen career and to receive a lifetime achievement award. Covering films from the quintessential Bradford based Billy Liar to the epic Doctor Zhivago, through to his most recent film Quartet. Courtenay engaged the audience with warmth and humour, recalling the times when actors were actors. He shared personal anecdotes between himself and Albert Finney, his love for theatre work and a very strong passion for Hull City FC.
Though he has a reputation for being a private person, Sir Tom revealed an affable and gracious manner and won over the cinematic hearts of the Pictureville audience.
Sunday 14th April 2013 Aidan Goatley: Ten films with my Dad
Writer/Comedian Aidan Goatley presented an amusing yet affectionate portrait of his childhood and his relationship with his Dad that was conversed through the medium of film. From his father’s early attempts to establish his son’s masculinity by trying to make him walk like John Wayne to spotting a deep fat fryer in a scene from Aliens, Goatley highlighted the familiar scenario that sometimes when it’s hard for parents and children to communicate, there is always a common thread to relate to, in this case, it is film. Particular amusement came from the deconstruction of ‘Oscar nominated’ screenplay Avatar and how awesome war film Went the Day Well is (Thora Hird fighting Nazis!). But the show, for all its chuckles, managed to end on a poignant note, as Aidan revealed how his Dad orchestrated a decade long plan to take his son to America to pay homage to his son’s favourite movie The Blues Brothers. The show ended by reminding us that we should not take our loved ones for granted and that even the little things such as watching a film with your folks are the things in life to cherish.
Thursday 18th April Best of Bug: Adam Buxton
This was my favourite show of the festival probably because I have such an avid interest in the medium of music videos and probably because it contained the best David Bowie impression I have ever heard (two tissues for my eyes). The effortlessly funny and jovial Adam Buxton took the audience on a comedic visual journey into some of the best music videos on the internet, combined with smatterings of witty observations, the joys of YouTube comments and the perils of visiting A & E with earache. It also brought to my attention some music videos that I had not seen before and which blew me away with their creative content. All the videos should be listed and praised for their various innovations and techniques however the stand outs for me were
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| Foals- My Number |
Willow: Sweater- The simplest ideas often become the most eye catching as the lead singer Pieter-Jan Van Den Troost of Willow is seen walking in a blank room whilst images are projected behind and around him. This allows him to encompass everything from riding the train to experiencing a deep sea water adventure. The projections seamlessly flow into one another creating a perfect backdrop to the song.
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| Willow-Sweater |
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Sacrilege- Proving sometimes all you need is a startling afflicting narrative and some reverse editing to produce a sombre poignant video.
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| Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Sacrilege |
Buxton could have easily continued the show all night and the audience would have welcomed this however with time against his side, when the show finished I was left thoroughly entertained yet eager for more. Hopefully Mr Buxton will roll the Bug circus into town sometime in the future.
Saturday 20th/Sunday 21st April 2013 The Dodge Brothers
The Dodge Brothers, who have become legends in the BIFF folklore, brought their own brand of skit music to the closing party of the festival on Saturday evening and an intimate ho down was had by all. On Sunday the band took to the stage in the Pictureville to provide the score to silent Soviet film ‘The Ghost that Never Returns’. Using instruments from washboards to a Theremin, The Dodge Brothers accompaniment was faultless and haunting, provoking and enhancing the images of the film. And the band seemed like a really nice bunch of guys too, who had enthusiasm and time for anyone who wanted to chat to them after their performance. This proved to be the perfect end to my time volunteering at the Bradford International Film Festival.
Special Mention to
BIFF by night
In the early evenings the Museum’s café would be transformed into a haven for music lovers, with BCB radio providing the soundtrack to the festival and presenting live music acts for visitors to enjoy in between events and screenings. This became my favourite down time between my volunteering duties, to relax in the café to music that I actually like (Boards of Canada! Broadcast! Scott Walker!). This is a rare thing to find in most mainstream establishments and left me with a big smile on my face and for me personally, enriched the experience of the festival, to be surrounded by people with open and experimental film and music taste.
Monday, 25 February 2013
Oscars 2013- A Review
The red carpet is rolled up and stored away again and so another Oscar’s ceremony has come and gone. The famous, beautiful and fluffy (Ted) gathered in the Kodak theatre to hear the fate of the cinematic nominees. And though there were some guaranteed winners (Hathaway, Day-Lewis), it was a genuinely exciting race to the gongs, with the speculation of the winner of Best Picture in fluctuation throughout the evening. Here is my round up of the night
The Good
Christophe Waltz- Charming Basterd
Walking away with his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Django Unchained, Waltz is always a pleasure to watch on the big screen and at awards ceremonies. Classy, gracious and always sincerely taken aback at winning, Tarantino summed the great man up in his own acceptance speech by declaring that Waltz makes his words sound like poetry. In a category of great performances, no one would resent his win, which was truly deserved being the best thing about Django Unchained.
The boys got the moves
Though Seth MacFarlane’s opening performance wasn’t entirely successful (more on that later) the dancing sequences provided old school glamour and the chance to see Channing Tatum (with Amazonian partner Charlize Theron) looking like a chunky necked Fred Astaire. Also pulling out the moves was the ever charming Joseph Gordon Levitt and even caterpillar eyebrows Daniel Radcliffe busted out the steps in retro fashion. Some of the female audience may have grumbled that Tatum didn’t strip during his dance routine but he proved he could be just as charismatic dancing in a suit and tails as he is in a Mac and umbrella. Ang Lee- Life of Smile
He may not have won the Best Picture for Life of Pi but Ang Lee did receive the Best Director Oscar and a standing ovation in the process. Steering the seemingly impossible ship of filming Yann Martel’s novel, Lee created a visual masterpiece that saw him win his second Oscar following Brokeback Mountain. But the real visual highlight is the man himself, with the most infectious smile in the business, Ang Lee is unable to hide his zest for life and that’s why we love and root for him.
Gentle Ben- Affleck comes full circle
Winning the big award of the night and providing the best speech of the evening, Ben Affleck came of age with his win for Best Picture for Argo. Touching on his topsy turvy career from his early success to his popularity dive, Affleck highlighted the fickle nature of Hollywood but also the optimism that with hard work and creative passion, anything is possible with one of the most unexpected career resurrections of recent times. A truly worthy winner Affleck summed up the Hollywood machine and life itself ‘You can't hold grudges. It's hard but you can't hold grudges. And it doesn't matter how you get knocked down in life because that's going to happen. All that matters is you gotta get up’.
Special Mention to
Quvenzhané Wallis- the youngest Best Actress nominee in history at the age of 9, who rocked a fluffy dog bag on the red carpet. Styled with a ball-gown, it was cute, age appropriate and fun.
Jennifer Lawrence- not for the Oscar win but for her spectacular trip on her way to the podium. Showing why Oscar dresses are impractical if you actually want to walk anywhere, Lawrence’s gaff also showed that these Hollywood stars are human after all, which is reassuring when you are sat at home in your scruffs, eating Haribo while watching the Oscars on TV.
The old school singing- Shirley Bassey belting out Goldfinger and Barbara Streisand wearing a 90s choker while singing Memories, it was all fabulously kitsch and all the better for it.
The Bad
No thanks for the music-als
Even though I do have a soft spot for Chicago, its inclusion in the triple musical performances only served to highlight the fact that Catherine Zeta Jones hasn’t had a decent role since the 2002 Oscar winning film. Following All That Jazz was Jennifer Hudson singing her big Dreamgirls number, which was impressive but the vocal gymnastics would have been more at home at the Grammys. The worst part though was to come with the cast of Les Miserables who shouted/sung over each other in a cringe inducing medley (though Crowe’s rock style singing still amuses). The fact that they were set against a backdrop of the film but still dressed in their full regale was jarring, Anne Hathaway singing I dreamed a dream while wearing a sumptuous ball-gown. We’re gonna need a shorter speech
There was some cheeky fun to be had at the decision to play the theme from Jaws to round up the award winners over running speeches, an impending doom to strike fear into the speaker’s hearts. After all who wants to hear someone rabbit on and thank everyone under the sun, from their publicist to their manicurist? But while the A listers were indulged, the seemingly lesser mortals- the sound mixers, the costume designs, the special effects teams- were not afforded this luxury and their time of the podium appeared to get shorter and shorter. These people who work for months and months on their craft, rarely seeing the light of day (or in a lot of cases, their hairdressers) until their effort is done, surely deserve their time to bask in their glory, even if they are not as recognisable as the celebs.
Obamarama
Awards presenters don’t come more random than Michelle Obama who appeared by video link to assist Jack Nicholson in reading the nominees for Best Picture. Whilst a fan of the first lady, the best arms in the business, her inclusion in the Oscars felt unnatural and a little embarrassing, her recital of the nominees was full of cliché. It took the showbiz element of the White House a step too far. The fun of the awards presenters is not knowing if they may slip up or say something off cue and not to have a stiff scripted insertion with an ill placed political edge.
The weird
Beam me up Oscar
Seth MacFarlane’s Oscar gig was by all accounts a big misfire, but the weirdest moment came when William Shatner appeared from the ‘future’ via a giant screen to tell MacFarlane that his hosting was a disaster and how to try and stop that from happening. An ironic self sabotage or an inevitable sign of things to come? Can you try and be kooky and off the wall and still attain the aesthetics of old school Hollywood. I personally didn’t think his hosting was a total calamity but he did not seem to have the audience on his side and that is crucial to the night’s success. As MacFarlane said himself ‘Next year Tina and Amy will be hosting it’. Fingers crossed they bag Fey and Poehler for 2014. 
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