Arts & Entertainment Journalism

Director: Walter Hill

Running time: 91mins

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Jason Momoa, Christian Slater

AS SUBTLE as its title would suggest, Bullet to the Head’s saving grace is that it only just stumbles over the 90-minute mark. It is, however, still long enough to exhaust the patience of even the most ardent Stallone fan.

Aged hitman Jimmy Bobo (Sylvester Stallone) and Korean-American cop Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang) are the unlikely duo, teaming up to avenge their respective partners. As they close in on the criminals responsible for the killings, Bobo’s daughter (Sarah Shahi) is kidnapped, giving him even more reason to enact vengeance. In essence, it’s an hour and a half bursting with fighting, shooting, fighting, brooding musclemen and an unhealthy amount of explosions. Add on top of this blood splattering, nudity, and a copious amount of foul and abusive language and it’s staggering that this is only a 15 certificate.

During his career, Stallone has shown glimpses of talent (particularly in the form of Rocky (1976) and Cliffhanger (1993)), but this is not a film the 66 year old revels in. His rippling physique has been taken to an unnatural extreme, and the imbalance between his slim legs and bulging upper body leaves the audience fearing for his stability throughout.

It’s easy to forget, but he is one of only three men to be Oscar nominated for best actor and writing in the same year (for Rocky; 1976), sharing that honour with cinema legends Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles.

The cast may not be one taken straight off the A-list, but many will recognise the lesser known members. Jason Momoa, who plays uncompromising mercenary Keegan, is best known for his role as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. Many will know Sung Kang for his recurring role in the Fast franchise, and it’s clear that fans of the latter are the target audience for this action flick. A small role for Christian Slater brings some quality acting to the screen, but he is unceremoniously disposed of before he can have any real impact.

Walter Hill’s stature in the action/thriller genre is not under threat, but the success of 48 Hrs and Driver seem to be long behind him. Bullet to the Head is his first directorial outing in six years and, on this evidence, his sabbatical hasn’t served him well. Even the screenplay from Alessandro Camon, Oscar nominated in 2009 for The Messenger, fails to impress.

What’s more, the cinematography is tired and just boring. It attempts nothing out of the ordinary besides sharp, yellow freeze frames, but after the first dozen they become nothing more than an annoyance.

Product placement has been a part of commercial cinema for a long time (remember the Pan Am logo on Kubrick’s shuttle in 2001: A Space Odyssey?), but the  tireless Blackberry plugging left me wondering just how much of the $55m budget the telecoms giant stumped up.

The movie delivers exactly what it promises to, just in a shoddy and unimaginative fashion. By the end, a Bullet to the Head didn’t sound like a bad idea.

BBC2

Saturday, 26^th January 2013. 9.30 pm

A camera, a screen and a piano, those are all the tools a good teacher needs to teach music. Or so the great Howard Goodall thinks anyway. His Story of Music sets out to be another clear BBC Documentary, covering from the Stone Age of Music to Opera’s birth.

There are a million ways of telling the story of music’, as Howard Goodall says, and this complete documentary is certainly his. Perhaps there really is nobody better to talk about music than a man who has won awards for his work as a broadcaster and composer of choral music, stage musicals, film and TV scores. He says at the start that music is a mirror of the time when it was written, so if we know about music, we will know at least half about history.

Howard Goodall drives us on a six-episodes tour from the beginning of music, in the Stone Age, to the birth of Claudio Monteverdi’s opera, back in the Baroque period. When lyrics and rhythms were hard to remember, Goodall tells us about the first monks’ and nuns’ work, which was about writing down several times the same melody just to remember it. We barely have instruments left from that period, every score is missing. Shame on us!

All along the documentary, we learn about the history of music, without even noticing it. The show presents us with a peculiar mix of ancient and up-to-date images which are backed on a current chorus of voices, increasing in number as we move along different important scenes of music.

He does not miss a single detail, summing up centuries in just 60 minutes. Goodall makes travel back in time possible, from Egypt or Greece to Spain or Italy, key places in music’s development. You almost feel like you were there. You really do not have to be into music to enjoy being taught some basics about this big issue. It becomes even easier when he plays the piano, playing some of the most known songs as he explains each discovery in the wide world of music.

Goodall tries to be hip. He contrasts 21^stCentury clips and artists like Bruno Mars or Lady Gaga with the first Christian’s origin songs. He even makes a stave with some snacks, before sharing who Guido D’Arezzo and Perotin were and how important their contribution has been to musical language.

This graphic documentary supplements Goodall’s speech with amazing images from the environments where music was born: Alhambra’s gardens, the Greek Parthenon, Christian churches, gargoyles. Indeed, it makes you want to travel. It is not just music, which manipulates our emotions, landscapes play their role too.

That lead us to the final part of this BBC masterpiece, the birth of Claudio Monteverdi’s opera, a fusion of music and theatre, one of the most complete genres. With or without the assumption that we have five episodes left to know everything about music, this documentary ends letting us know that this little story does not finish here.

Howard Goodall’s Story of Music: 1. The Age of Discovery (part 1/6)

Aired Saturday, Jan. 26^th, at 9PM on BBC Two

(reviewed as if for a serious music publication, in American English)

Howard Goodall’s Story of Music aired for the first time on January 26^th on BBC Two.  The first segment of this six-part series, “The Age of Discovery” is still available for viewing via BBC iPlayer.  Covering Western music from antiquity through 1600 C.E., Goodall’s program is well constructed and presents a decent overview of western music history to a general audience.

Viewers with more extensive musical backgrounds will also likely find interesting bits of information-for example, that paintings discovered in France’s Chauvet Cave seem to be placed in the areas of greatest acoustics in the dark cave system and that singing might have been used from these areas as a sort of echo-location navigation device.  Overall, however, Goodall’s inaccuracies and moments of trivialization make it difficult for an educated viewer to thoroughly enjoy this program.

Goodall seems undecided as to who his audience is; his overall presentation comes across as serious and somewhat scholarly, intended for an intelligent audience who might or might not have musical training.  At times, however, he seems unsure of whether his program will be “accessible” and “entertaining” enough and resorts to dumbing things down for the benefit of the masses, referring to neumes as “squiggles” and including random clips of popular music videos in between illustrations of Early Music.

In fact, the program opens with footage of Goodall formally conducting a small string orchestra…playing the synth part to Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface”, followed by footage of her actual music video.  Goodall is obviously trying to pique the average person’s interest in the history of Western music, but he cheapens the value of his program by his lowest-common-denominator references.

Goodall does outline the evolution of early Western music in a clear, concise, easy-to-follow manner; he uses examples on a keyboard, visual illustrations, recordings, and absolutely gorgeous live performances by a vocal octet (not credited) to effectively illustrate how Western music and notation evolved from ancient times through around 1600 C.E.

The enjoyment of listening to these beautiful musical examples, however, is dampened by the inaccuracies found throughout this documentary.  Of course, in attempting to make things accessible to people who might lack training in an area, one often must simplify concepts and information, but stating wrong information is just not acceptable.

For example, Goodall states that an octave is “called an octave because in church music at the time there were only eight notes to chose from”.  He then explains that thirds are “imperfect” because they appear in major and minor variations when played on the white keys, whereas “perfect” fourths and fifths are considered “perfect” because they have no variations and are always the same when played on the white keys.  But what about B-F, which creates a diminished fifth/augmented fourth?

He also makes it sound as if scholars today have no knowledge of how early Greek music might have sounded, whereas in actuality we have writings by Pythagoras and others about how Greek music sounded and was used, including descriptions of scales that were based on the physics of the overtone series, which, or course, remains the same today; these scales and the surviving music notation are therefore decipherable by us.

In all, Howard Goodall’s Story of Music has much potential to be a very good, educational documentary.   If he kept the clear and concise explanations and beautiful, historically representative musical examples and threw out the Lady Gaga clips and inaccuracies, he would have a documentary definitely worth watching.  As it is, it does still make for enjoyable viewing overall, and a person who lacks training in early Western music history will learn much from it.

By Cait Thomson

Lovely, softly spoken pop star turned physicist Brian Cox is back with a new series on BBC Two, which will leave his fans bursting with new found knowledge about the world we live in.

If you watched his previous documentaries, Wonders of the Universe or Wonders of the Solar System, you won’t be disappointed with this more philosophical, Earth based programme, Wonders of Life.  In the first episode of the documentary, Professor Cox tackles the issue ‘What is Life?’, where he chats about…well, life.

There’s something strangely relaxing about the way Professor Cox presents his show. It’s not quite David Attenborough in delivery, but something more awkward and politely nervous. Before we get swept away in his twinkling smile and thoughtful gaze let’s get back to the point.

Brian begins sitting next to a dragonfly, explaining what makes it alive in a way that doesn’t completely isolate the audience from the first minute. Within the first ten minutes of the programme he has bombarded us with some ‘illion’ numbers that we don’t need to particularly keep notes on.  Just let the numbers wash over you. You could probably let a lot of the information he’s providing wash over you as well – it’s not easy to keep up.

You can of course just come along for the nice views. One particular scene stands out, where Professor Cox takes a dip in the river with 20 million jellyfish. It’s beautiful and serene, even if Brian attempts to chat to the camera with his snorkel in. Another nice moment occurs when Brian calmly announces that he’s been stung and has ‘a tingling finger’. No urgency in his voice as would be expected from a man who, if he were any more laid, back would be horizontal.

We are provided with some nice shots of space, the big bang specifically, as Cox narrates the whole fantastic spectacle. Next, some shots of Brian in front of the sun, illuminating him may be a little sinister but still pleasant nonetheless.

If you aren’t a huge science fanatic or know next to nothing about the solar system, don’t worry, Professor Cox will guide you through some stunning landscapes and show you a cute animal or two. You don’t need to be concentrating too hard as the visuals make up for the boring bits when he discusses equations. Ladies, it’s difficult not to consider Brian Cox your official ‘weird celebrity crush of the year’, as he dons a fetching life jacket and sits at the edge of a boat sailing down a tropical river. You might change your mind however when you see him spit into a test tube as part of an experiment, miss, and dribble down his arm. Even if you are a science buff, you’ll enjoy his take on the world and what is has to offer.

Brian Cox’s Wonders of Life continues on BBC Two at 9pm on Sunday evenings.

Ana Vázquez

Classification: +18 according to the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification).

Director: Quentin Tarantino.

Director of Photography: Robert Richardson.

Lead actors: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo Dicaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson.

Running time: 165 min.

Sitting down to watch the new Tarantino film does not mean you have to forget all about his last success, Inglorious Bastards (2009). Is it going to be better, or will he just try to make it again without achieving anything new? Another Tarantino happy ending (so people can go on talking about him as the great director he is) or just another film to forget?

It starts out as a Western. Dr King Schultz (Christoph Walz) is a German bounty hunter who sets free slave Django (Jamie Foxx) in return help in the murder of three brothers. And then it turns into a study of American slavery, driving Django forward in the hard task of rescuing his wife from the plantation where she is owned by the cruel Calvin Candie (Leonardo Dicaprio).

From the point of view of history, Tarantino seems faithful to the terrible holocaust that was American slavery, especially in terms of the torture scenes, as realistic as those in Zero Dark Thirty (2012). But even though such scenes are hard to watch, he does not miss a moment to make the spectator laugh, no matter how bloody the scene. People would remember, for sure, the funny scene of the confrontation of Dr King Schultz with another man in the middle of a crowded western street. When he shots the man, nobody runs away, they just decide to disappear when they notice a woman fainted because of the gunshot.

We know it will be hard to like any character in Tarantino’s films, but here it is easy to admire Christoph Waltz’s speech, hate Dicaprio’s character, laugh with Samuel L. Jackson as a servant and yet focus on Django throughout. But what is behind the main character? He is a former slave, who has suffered a lot through his life and knows what is worth to fight for: freedom and love.

This time, Tarantino has chosen Ennio Morricone, James Brown and Tupac as the musicians for Django’s soundtrack and he really got it right in this way, because we do not have just the usual music from western movies, he also combines this with rap music related normally with black people. He finally has all the spectators singing to themselves Django’s main song, by Luis Bacalov, after leaving the cinema.

Every single film he makes is a new success, even if we think he cannot do it better, he always bring something original and new to the screen. Sure that this film will keep in our minds for a long time, and will not be remembered as just another Tarantino’s film. In conclusion, another master piece from one of the best nowadays directors, one of the only ones that can get a still spectator for more than two hours and a half in front of the screen. Because Tarantino’s films, they have endings but you never know when that is going to happen, you never know when or where the next battle is taking place.

Marelle Wilson

Django Unchained (18)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington.

Quentin Tarantino seems to have the perfect formula for a blockbuster down pat.  Take one star-studded ensemble cast, throw in a few badass one liners, add an epic soundtrack and plenty of guns and girls and once again he’s laughing all the way to the bank. The director’s latest offering, Western epic Django Unchained, is no exception.

Sold into black slavery in the Deep South, Django (Jamie Foxx) makes a deal with eccentric German bounty hunter Dr King Shultz (Christoph Waltz) agreeing to help him hunt down some wanted outlaws in return for finding his long lost wife. The twosome embark on an action packed journey laced with danger and dark humour, leading them to infamous cotton plantation Candie Land where Django’s beautiful wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) has been sold to blood-thirsty owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Candie’s grizzly hobby of bare knuckle slave fighting provides a way in for the pair to the plant to complete their risky rescue mission.

Not unlike Tarantino’s other works, Django, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, is a visual feast. You’ll leave the cinema eyes aching from trying not to blink and miss anything. Two and a half hours of gun slinging and explosions set against the epic mountainous back drop of Texas and Mississippi makes for breath taking viewing. As with the director’s other works, Django’s sound track is a masterpiece in itself, with the musical backdrop ranging from classic Spaghetti Western records to 90s gangster rap.

The film is stylistically different from the writer and director’s other works: rather than jump chronologically in a matter of a few scenes, it follows one character’s journey from beginning to end.

This allows the viewer to see the development of Django’s character from submissive , terrified slave to bold gun slinging hero, a transition which Academy Award winner Foxx plays well. However, Foxx’s portrayal in the lead role pales in comparison to Christoph Waltz’ Dr Shultz, a show stealing performance which has earned him his second Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor.

Other stand out performances come from Leonardo DiCaprio, breaking his typecasting as villain Calvin Candie, and Tarantino favourite Samuel L. Jackson as Candie’s aging man servant providing the comic relief necessary to balance some of the grizzlier fight scenes.

The film’s fast pace keeps the viewer intrigued throughout, yet with fewer of Tarantino’s famous suspense building drawn out scenes, there’s no time for the building of the spine tingling tension seen in the director’s other works.  Who could forget the opening to his last film Inglorious Basterds, where a helpless Jewish family await their fate, hiding under the floor boards from the Nazis? This absence of suspense building moments leaves Django somewhat lacking.

One of the few flaws to be found with the film was the embarrassing cameo from Tarantino himself. His failed attempt at an Australian accent will leave viewers squirming in their seats. But the rest of the film is pretty damn close to perfect, so we’ll forgive him his self-indulgence.

In the final scene, Django turns and flashes us a satisfied grin. You can almost imagine he’s mirroring the director behind the camera, and they’re thinking “ka-ching!”

Django Unchained (Dir. Quentin Tarantino)

Certificate: 18

“Air conditioning currently out of order; apologies for the inconvenience” read the sign that greeted me on the door of screen 12. I dreaded that this may have been a sign of things to come, and if it had been, the apologies of the multiplex chain I frequented would not have been enough.

However, my fears were dashed. Django Unchained delivers on all fronts. Quentin Tarantino’s eighth movie outing – or sixth if you discard the vastly inferior Kill Bill series – continues his rise into the upper echelons of the great film directors.

In his own words, the gore-loving American wanted to “transport the viewer to the time of slavery”, and with tongue firmly in cheek, he does just that. The movie tells the tale of Django (Jamie Foxx) a freed slave on the hunt for his wife, with bounty hunter Dr King Shultz (Christoph Waltz).

As has come to be expected with Tarantino you can almost tap your feet in time with the dialogue, and the script flows like molasses, both Foxx and Waltz delivering fantastic performances. Foxx is the epitome of cool; a natural gunslinger with real swagger. Waltz basically revisits his role as Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds – the camp, polite German, with a dark side – and having won the Oscar in 2010 for the performance, it is no surprise he has been nominated by the academy again.

If that was not enough, there are two more acting performances to add to the list. Leonardo DiCaprio, as flashy land owner Calvin Candie, gives his best performance since The Departed (2006). Even he though is outdone by Samuel L. Jackson. The 64 year old has become one of the most well-known supporting actors of all time and his performance as Stephen – Candie’s lead ‘house slave’ – is easily one of his best.

Django Unchained is unflinchingly brutal, and more than deserves its 18 certificate, but there are real moments of comedy gold. Two scenes stand out as being so dissimilar that it would be no surprise if they had been plucked from two entirely different movies.

On the one hand, we have a gang of angry racists readying to raid and kill “nigger loving German” Dr King Shultz (Christoph Waltz), when a petty argument breaks out over the quality of their white hoods. It is a delightfully funny, Monty Python-esque moment. On the contrary, when a slave purchased by Monsieur Candie to take part in his vicious fighting ring proclaims himself to be unfit to fight, he has him ripped apart by dogs. It was difficult not to squirm, even on second viewing.

It’s a near perfect movie, but has one flaw, a flaw shared by all Tarantino’s movies; he put himself in it. A man with such a natural talent for storytelling should stick to that, and leave the acting to the professionals. Witnessing such an untalented actor opposite Jamie Foxx is insulting.

That said, Django is a blood-splattering, bone crunching, hugely entertaining film, worthy of the accolades coming its way.

Stuart Martin

Quentin Tarantino’s work often provokes a marmite reaction from cinema-goers. Some have him raised on a lofty pedestal, dining out amongst industry greats whilst others dismiss his film-making as merely an exercise in self-indulgence and ego-stroking. I sat firmly on the fence. That is until I saw his latest blockbuster; the rambunctious, relentless and undeniably riveting, Django Unchained. Without sugar coating it too much; I absolutely loved it.

Set in the mid-19^th century, amid the backdrop of America’s slave trade, we’re introduced to mild-mannered German dentist turned bounty hunter, Dr King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) who buys broody slave Django (Jamie Foxx) – the D is silent –  to help him track three brothers with a large price on their heads. We soon discover Django has a penchant for killing and in return for spending the winter as his business partner, Schultz vows to assist Django rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of vindictive plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

With a running time shaving the three hour mark, those of a restless disposition might find the experience slightly hard-going but Tarantino’s knack for writing compelling central characters, coupled with absorbing narrative and too-cool-for-school dialogue, should leave most inconspicuous to the film’s length.

Jamie Foxx plays the title role with authority, exuding understated charisma from every orifice and although his character may not say very much, his actions speak overwhelmingly louder than words. Heading up the supporting cast, Christoph Waltz, propelled to international acclaim following his performance in Inglorious Basterds, shines as the politely-spoken yet unreservedly ruthless Schultz while Leonardo DiCaprio, breaking free from typecast, is entirely convincing as the villain of the piece. However, it is Samuel L. Jackson, as Candie’s decrepit house-slave Stephen, who steals the show. An embodiment of his master’s vehement racism, Stephen’s an Uncle Tom esque figure, belligerently loyal to Candie and entrenched with an evil darker than his owner’s tobacco stained teeth. Jackson’s portrayal is both jaw-droppingly chilling and rip-roaringly hilarious.

As pleasing on the eye as the clever confab is on the ears, Tarantino magnificently captures the vast and unforgiving mountainous terrain of America’s mid-west whilst, contrastingly, showcasing the idyllically picturesque surroundings of the southern plantations. This feast for the senses is further heightened by a scintillating soundtrack which successfully marries Tarantino’s contemporary take on classic western fare with hard-hitting, in-your-face, gangster rap. On paper, it really shouldn’t work but in context, it’s a faultless match.

Despite making his now customary cameo (the less said about it the better), Django Unchained represents a spectacular return to form for Tarantino. Both brilliant and brutal, it depicts the barbaric lengths a man will go to in the name of love. To say I’m now a fully paid-up member of the Tarantino fan club might be a tad premature but I’ve certainly looked out the subscription papers.

Rated: 18

Running time: 2hrs 46mins

Released: 18/01/13

Written and directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Now, most people (and by people, I mean those aware of Tarantino’s movie making history) may expect this will be far from the director’s best effort to date. After all, how can you beat classics like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill and, most recently, Inglorious Basterds? However, it’s not far off.

Set in the Southern US, ten years before the Civil War, Tarantino’s latest offering explores the world of slave trading in the Deep South and Old West. It comes across as a western but really it’s a love story about one freed slave on a journey across the country to rescue his wife from a cruel plantation owner with the help of an unlikely friend, a German bounty hunter.

The star-studded cast are, by far, what really bring the film to life. Scarred by his past with a strong focus on nothing but saving his wife, Jamie Foxx portrays the dark, mysterious but wholly amicable title character. Leonardo DiCaprio gives arguably one of the most powerful and challenging performances of his career as slave owner Calvin Candie whilst Samuel L. Jackson plays his grouchy yet incredibly loyal head servant Stephen.

But it is Christophe Waltz’ Golden Globe winning performance as dentist-turned-bounty hunter Dr King Shultz that gives the movie its true value. A dangerous yet loveable character, Shultz is not dissimilar to Waltz’ Hans Landa of Inglorious Basterds. However, Tarantino’s self-indulgent appearance as mining company employee with an abominable Australian accent is pretty unforgivable.

There still remains the typical Tarantino style overblown fight and shoot out scenes which use enough buckets of blood to redecorate the entire set. He also pushes the boundaries of his own cinematic style. He is a little overzealous with use of text and the cinematography, through being experimental, can be quite messy and distracting when there’s so much going on.

Despite the overblown elements (and what would a Tarantino film be without those overblown elements) what the director is clever to avoid is overplaying the western theme. It’s hard to make a movie set in those times without falling into the trap of cheesy spaghetti western but he just teeters on the edge and brings himself back, dignity intact.

Amongst the relentless violence, there are elements of Tarantino’s quirky humour, both goofy and witty throughout the film. Such moments include the KKK arguing over badly designed bags obstructing their vision and when old Django meets new Django. Franco Nero, who originally played the role in 1966, stars as a slaver who discusses the spelling of the name with Foxx’s character. Very clever.

The soundtrack is an effective mix of Ennio Morricone’s signature spaghetti western sound and modern hip hop and urban tracks provided by the likes of Rick Ross, RZA and Anthony Hamilton, giving the film a more contemporary feel along with much of the language used in the script.

For a film of its length (it’s almost a whopping three hours) Django Unchained won’t quite bore you to death, but it won’t quite leave you wanting more either. If anything, it should leave you thinking, “Hmm, that wasn’t half bad actually. Tarantino’s still got it.”

Nina Glencross

Les Miserables; Certificate: 12A; directed by Tom Hooper; starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway; reviewed by Rachel Shaftman

The new film Les Miserables might tide musical theater fans over until the next live tour comes through town, but it doesn’t do much beyond that.  The film version of Les Miserables includes the well-loved songs and heart-wrenching storyline that have made the staged version successful for so long, but there’s nothing that makes the film stand out as more than just an easy-access version of this popular musical, minus the excitement of live theater and with a lower level of singing than one can find in a good stage production.

This well-known story, based on Victor Hugo’s novel, is set in 19^th century France.  Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) steals a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s child and subsequently serves 19 years in prison.  After his release he breaks his parole in a desperate attempt for a fresh start, and is then hunted by police inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) for many years.  During these years Valjean becomes a successful and kind-hearted mayor.  He promises to care for the daughter of dying Fantine (Anne Hathaway), and he raises her child Cosette (grown Cosette played by Amanda Seyfried) whilst running from Javert.  Along the way he has multiple encounters with Javert, faces the challenges of living in revolutionary France, and has to come to terms with the inevitability of his adopted daughter growing up and beginning a life of her own.

Jackman, Hathaway, and Seyfried all pull off their vocal numbers quite well, but Crowe leaves much to be desired.  Considering that I had no idea that Crowe could sing at all, he wasn’t bad, but his nasal tone and intonation problems on the higher pitches, his swallowing of the words on the low pitches, and his too-pop style made his numbers far from enjoyable.

The film is visually dark overall, which helps to portray the oppressive nature of Valjean’s struggles and of that time in history.  During the solo pieces each character was brought into a sharp, close focus, with the background sights and sounds fading into a blur, helping to bring one’s attention fully onto the character.  The volume difference between a soloist singing and the orchestra playing in the background was quite large, relegating the orchestra to the position of pre-recorded background music.  This was yet another way that this film simply copies the stage production of the musical without adding much to make them film version stand out and with the loss of some of what makes the stage production effective; placing the orchestra so much in the background during the solo numbers makes the numbers lose the excitement of the interaction between the vocalists and the instrumentalists.  This disjunction was no doubt exacerbated by the fact that the live-on-set recording of the vocals was actually done to a piano accompaniment, with the orchestra added later.

All in all, the film Les Miserables was pleasant enough and will likely be enjoyed by fans of the stage production who don’t have the opportunity to go see the stage production on a regular basis, but it doesn’t offer anything deeper than that.

Lyndsey Collins

Rating: – 12A 

Hundreds of people across Glasgow will wake up today wondering if the movie they chose to see on a bitterly cold night in Glasgow’s Cineworld was real – or a passionate, emotionally charged hallucination. Tom Hooper (award winning director of ‘The King’s Speech’) has ultimately created a star-studded, spellbinding musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic novel Les Misérables.

Russell Crowe’s portrayal of the relentless and obsessive character of policeman Javert was overwhelmingly convincing alongside Hugh Jackman in his portrayal of the ill-fated, wronged and broken character of Jean Valjean.

The audience watch as the exhausted Jean Valjean serves his time in penal servitude as exhausted prisoner ‘24601’ under close watch from the tyrannous Javert. Valjean’s fortune changes with the intervention of a kindly bishop and he sets out to start a new life. We meet him again with a new identity as a local Mayor and owner of a large factory. On discovering the unjust sacking of his worker Fantine (Anne Hathaway) he tries in vain to save her life.

He searches for Fantine’s daughter Cosette, who is lodging with (but being abused by) The Thérnardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonam Carter) and Jean Valjean adopts Cosette as his own.

Meanwhile Javert recognises Jean Valjean at a road accident and reports him to the authorities but Javert retracts this accusation and apologises to Jean Valjean. It transpires however that someone else is to be accused in the name of Jean Valjean and he realises this is unjust and he must go and admit his true self as prisoner ‘24601’ but Javert now knows the truth.

Much anticipated crowd pleaser ‘Master of the House’ was performed by the controversial Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter – an unlikely yet hilarious duo portraying the ridiculous characters of the innkeeper’s (The Thérnardiers) reminding the audience to laugh in between the film’s most tragic moments.

Fantine (Anne Hathaway) gives a stunning rendition of the much anticipated ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ early on in the movie and (in my humble opinion) is an Oscar winning performance. There was a tension within the audience as they waited for this performance; scared in some ways that the beautiful actress might bring glamour to Fantine’s character. However, losing weight and having her long brown hair literally hacked off in front of the camera are just some of the sacrifices this actress made for her hopeless character portrayal of Fantine. The audience felt all the agonies of Fantine’s shambolic life; aching as she sells her body for the first time in her most desperate hour; Hathway stumbles hopelessly into her magnificent rendition of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ only for the song to reach its highly emotional climax.

Ballad-heavy, truthful to the story, yet wonderfully different and new; the film enraptured the audience within seconds and remained that way for two and a half hours. Audience members comprised of 20-80 year olds with not a child in sight. There was a real sense of togetherness within the audience and it would have been appropriate to reach to the stranger next to you for a handkerchief.

The audience applauded when the credits rolled and the cheers rang on long after; a few melodramatic looks of emotion were shared between members of the audience as they piled out of the cinema.

This is a stunning musical film adaptation of a very high standard that will allow the story of Les Misérables to live on for many more years.

By Cait Thomson

No one does blood splatters like Tarantino, and he certainly doesn’t disappoint in his latest blockbuster, Django Unchained. The intense, often uncomfortable to watch, 140 minute escapade ticks all the boxes of a classic Tarantino movie. This time however, it would seem the film is aimed at a more mainstream audience, albeit a mainstream audience which doesn’t mind blood and gore by the bucketful.

If you’re expecting the mad chaos of Inglorious Basterds or the bizarre plot twists of From Dusk Till Dawn, this film doesn’t provide any of that. Django Unchained offers far more in terms of thought-provoking awfulness in a way that Tarantino hasn’t captured before.

We meet friendly faced German bounty hunter, Dr Schultz (Christof Waltz) who requires help from slave, Django (Jamie Foxx) in order to secure the killings of three, slave owner brothers who have a large bounty on their heads. Through the strange bond sparked up between the two unlikely friends, Schultz vows to assist Django in finding his wife (Kerry Washington), also sold into slavery.
They track her to the CandieLand Plantation, run by vile racist Calvin Candie (Leo DiCaprio). It is there that they come up with the daring plan to rescue her from a life of manual labour and torture.

The film has moments that are beyond difficult to watch, at some times sickening and vile but Tarantino makes no apologies in his direction. They provoke thought, conversation and leave the audience shaken but entertained. Although the film has moments you will grimace through and frequent use of the ‘N’ word get no easier to listen to, the performances are undoubtedly incredible.

DiCaprio steals the show as Candie, one of his rare non-lead roles since Titanic, in 1997. It’s blatantly obvious how much he is enjoying himself throughout the movie, as he relishes the part of the villain. He and aged house slave Stephen (Samuel L Jackson) also offer some much required and surprising comic relief to the movie.

Writer and director Quentin Tarantino makes his usual cameo appearance but audiences are sure to be more impressed by his direction over his frankly awkward three minute performance. Somehow, and incredibly cleverly, Tarantino manages to persuade the audience not to hope that Django gets his revenge slaughtering every white man he comes across, but instead long for him to be reunited with his wife.

The aesthetics of the film are undeniably breath-taking as Tarantino takes care to showcase the incredible scenery of the Deep South, and combines this with an excellent soundtrack. The classic ‘western’ style pieces you would imagine are combined with gangster rap that bizarrely fits in perfectly.

Tarantino virgins – beware.  This film is bound to make you recoil in disgust at points but at the same time will leave you wanting to sift through his back catalogue. If you’re a fan already, you won’t be disappointed. It doesn’t matter that Jamie Foxx’s performance isn’t amazing, Leo DiCaprio and Christof Waltz make up from him tenfold.

All our new arts critics and writers and readers are very welcome to this new annual edition of our blog. More to follow. See about for more details about what we do here and who we are.

…and shamed? Or perhaps not. This interesting and amusing feature analyses those critics who were outliers, going against the grain in Rotten Tomatoes’ Fresh/Rotten aggregated ratings. Do the different stories of  Kyle Smith and Owen Gleiberman, what they said, and why, tell us something illuminating about good or bad critical practice?

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/03/americas-most-cantankerous-film-critic/49835/

Well, it was bound to happen, sooner or later. A new film has officially scored zero for “positive ratings” on Rotten Tomatoes, the US review rating site, based on 40 reviews. It’s a film starring Ediie Murphy. But for arts journalism, is this good news, or bad news?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9140572/Eddie-Murphy-film-gets-worst-reviews-ever.html

Who? Anthony Who? Yes, Burgess must surely be one of the fastest-forgotten names in British literature in the years after his death, but during his lifetime he seemed to bestride the critical arena like a colossus. You can maybe see why from some of the examples of his brutish, even arrogant (but always worth reading) style, quoted in Observer literary editor Robert McCrum’s introduction to the prize - which also rehearses once again that old divide between the “critic” and the “arts journalist”. Your entry though does not have to be about books. Closing date is 15 September 2012. Full details and how to enter here.

Dir. Roman Polanski

Writing by Roman Polanski and Yasmina Reza

Cast: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly.´

Roman Polanski has decided to throw to the public this brilliant film adaptation of the no-less-outstanding play by Yasmina Reza. Carnage is a pure exhibition of the meanness hidden beneath political correctness.  However, Polanski’s approach is not depressive or apocalyptic – as in the style of Lars von Trier- but ironic, cynical and in short, incredible funny.

Carnage presents the situation of two middle-class couples, Michael and Penelope Longstreet (John C. Reilly and Jodie Foster) and Alan and Nancy Cowan (Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet) that decide to meet after their sons are involved in a fight –Zachary has hit Ethan with a stick, resulting in two broken teeth. As the afternoon goes on, the civilized and polite meeting degenerates into a disaster.

In Carnage there are no sympathetic characters. There is no opportunity to support either side of the story. For the duration of the film and the story’s evolution, the conclusion is simple: all of the main players are just horrible and frustrated people. In fact, the success of Carnage is underpinned in the depiction of the four characters and their well-tuned evolution.

Yasmina Reza’s script displays finely chiselled characters. Penelope, the stiff, hypocritical art-lover with a superficial interest in charity causes. Michael; straightforward, friendly, and playing the role of “the perfect father”.  Nancy; well-educated and stylish business woman, apparently under control. And Alan; arrogant, cynical and nihilistic workaholic lawyer, more attached to his mobile phone that anything else.

Foster, Reilly, Waltz and Winslet’s performances are vibrant and well conducted. Special mention is deserved by the female characters, with Jodie Foster passing from hieratical to neurotic and Kate Winslet who evolves from posh to punk.

The film is also supported by the good rhythm of the story in crescendo. Despite the tension that can be noticed in small gestures from the very beginning, there are some inflection points that help the film go forward.

The breaking point is reached when Nancy literally vomits all over Longstreet’s coffee table, driving Penelope out of control. From this moment onward, chaos takes over and the real faces of the characters are shown. They spit out to each other their frustrations and resentments, making them wilder, more impolite but, somehow, more human.

Polanski knows how to drive the story with mastery. For example, every time that the Cowans try to get out of the house, something happens that keeps them inside. It’s a device that echoes Buñuel’s masterpiece “The exterminating angel”, in which the participants of an upper-class dinner find themselves unable to leave the mansion with no apparent reason.

Moreover, the dynamic use of the camera around the one-location scenario –the Longstreet’s flat- as well as the make-up and custom design –notice how Nancy’s perfect rouge lipstick, make up and clothes are messier and messier as the film moves forward- contribute as well to the smooth rhythm of the story.

It’s an excellent and entertaining film that Polanski, with acid irony, decides to undertake in the middle of his dramatic and not clearly solved situation with the American Justice. You will not notice that the film was actually shot in Europe, owing to Polanski’s exile, despite the New York setting.

A divorce, a suicide and a rehab stint filled the off-air activities of ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ proving it’s not all perfect in Hollywood.

The glamorous ladies were back- with only some of their significant others in-tow for the second series which follows their privileged lifestyles in Los Angeles.

At the end of series one the celebrated ‘Frasier’ actor Kelsey Grammer had moved his forty-something wife out and 29-year-old airhostess girlfriend in.

We also discovered that the rocky relationship between Taylor and Russell Armstrong had taken an unexpected turn. Viewers were shocked to learn that Russell committed suicide, fuelling a longing for series two amongst fans.

The first few episodes will follow the break-down of Taylor’s marriage, but scenes have been adapted due to the circumstances surrounding Russell’s tragic suicide. Rumours circulating gossip websites hint at money troubles as the motive behind his death.

The suicide of a young man with many successes in life is a stark reminder that underneath the glitz and glamour unfortunately the real-life tragedies are also part of the story.

There was more trouble in paradise when the worrying behaviour of Paris Hilton’s Aunt Kim Richards drove her to spend her off-air vacation in rehab.

With ample drama happening off screen, it was guaranteed the opening episode would fulfil our need for all things catty. And the cosmetically enhanced bunch didn’t disappoint.

Adrienne played host in her lavish mansion as the episode cantered around an over-the-top dinner party. Lisa tottered to the main event in customised Louboutin heals that bordered on ridiculous in every aspect of the word.

In her first appearance since her marriage collapsed, Camille put on a brave face as a newly divorced lady while all the others managed to looked pretty, thin and emotionless (thanks to the botox).

A $20,000 magnum bottle of champagne acted as a juggernaut to the impending drama. Adrienne and her husband Paul exchanged cross words in-between Paul letting everyone know just how expensive the bottle was- the most expensive in the world by the way- as guests squirmed with discomfort while delving into miniscule salads.

This being Hollywood, it wasn’t only the Las Vegas casino tycoons muddying the atmosphere. The plethora of bubbly helped create tears at the dinner table as Kyle got involved in a cross-fire between troubled Taylor and snobby Ken.

As the drama subsided and deserts were pushed around plates, the episode seemed vanilla in comparison to what’s to come as the closing snippets of ‘coming up this season’ ran.

Teasers of physical fights, “Get your hands off my husband” snarls and a grown woman crying in a suitcase left me longing for my lifetime dose of a Fairy Godmother. I need a wish for a Beverly Hills credit card limit, the second for the name of their cosmetic surgeon and the third for a delivery of series two straight to my sky plus box.

But since Fairy Godmothers don’t exist- even in Hollywood- I placidly remain eager with anticipation.

Carnage (15)

DIRECTOR: Roman Polanski

WRITERS: Roman Polanski, Yasmina Reza

CAST: Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly

Carnage is a film about breaking down the barriers of what you can and can’t say in social situations. What people really think is often not what they communicate to others publicly, and the film tackles that by throwing politeness out-the-window and scratching away the surface layers of civility.

Based on the award-winning play “Le Dieu du carnage” (God of Carnage) by Yasmina Reza and co-written and directed by Roman Polanski (The Pianist), Carnage centres on two couples, played by Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly and Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz. After a fight in the park between the two couple’s respective children, they decide to meet and civilly discuss the incident like adults. Or at least that’s the plan.

I must be clear in saying that I haven’t seen the play the film is based on, so I can’t judge the accuracy of the adaptation or how it compares in quality. But nevertheless it’s quite clear from the start that it’s based on a stage play because of the fact that – with the exception of short segments bookending the film – it’s set entirely in one apartment, and mostly in one room. To an extent this is contrived, particularly when every time one of the couple’s goes to leave they are forced to stay. However, when the performances and dialogue are this good it’s hard to care about the rather rigid set-up.

Since the movie isn’t eventful in terms of going from place to place, the film relies heavily on the performances. Luckily we’re in safe hands with some of the best actors working today, each of them giving brilliant performances in their own rights. Winslet is the obvious stand-out, not least because she gets some of the best dialogue and a particularly memorable scene which I won’t spoil here. However, for my money Foster was the real strongest point. She’s the one who gets the most emotional heavy-lifting to do as she tries to defend her son under a barrage of accusations and insults.

The women may steal the show but the boys put up a good (verbal) fight as well. Waltz, most famous for his Oscar-winning performance in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, is the most level-headed of the four, only truly wavering once he loses his precious mobile phone he never seems to be able to put down. Lastly we have Reilly, an actor unfairly associated with his comedic antics with Will Ferrell, but who is actually a fantastic dramatic actor. He gets to shine here as the husband of Foster, fed up of being told what’s what in his own home.

Polanski has always been quite a diverse film-maker, from his early work like Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown through to The Pianist and his last film The Ghost. However, if you didn’t know that Carnage was directed by him it would be hard to guess. It’s got less scope than we might expect from him, and not just because it doesn’t move from one location, which means it’s both more focused and less ambitious than some of his other work.

There’s an overall feeling that Carnage could have a lot more to say, and the general consensus is that the play very much does that. But as it stands the film is an often flat-out hilarious experience, featuring terrific performances, ultimately about four people in a room shouting the truth at each other for 80 minutes. And despite its obvious staginess, it works.

This competition has just found its way to me:

http://blogs.chi.ac.uk/shortstoryforum/?page_id=8033