... or How I Learnt To Stop Worrying and Love Blogging

The Blog is Dead. Long live the Blog

2011-03-16T10:56:00.000Z

Hello,

I am no longer using this blog.

You can find my new blog at www.benkeightley.com

All of my archived blogs from this site can be found on my new blog as well.

Thanks... and keep watching the skis.

Toy Story 3 in 3D - 2010

2010-07-20T14:13:00.000+01:00

I was 11 years old when Toy Story first came out. Still at school when Toy Story 2 arrived and so now, 15 years after the release of Pixar's debut comes Toy Story 3 in 3D. I had my doubts about a third Toy Story film. Firstly third parts in film franchises are invariably utter trite which often undermine the integrity of the original by sullying the characters. Then there was the gap. Just over ten years have past since we last had a Toy Story and I felt though Pixar had moved past Toy Story. The first film (still Pixar's finest achievement in my humble opinion) set up the studio and it has been incredible seeing how the studio has grown and matured, moving away from the more child focused stories and buddies movie mentality which became the Pixar signature in its early years. Films such as The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Wall-E and Up moved Pixar into a position which enabled them to earn an Oscar nomination and embrace the notion that animation should not be for children mainly, but for adults just as much. And so I was worried Toy Story 3 would be a regression, a step back, even a nostalgia-fest which served only to remind us of Pixar's earlier achievements.

How wrong was I. Toy Story 3 is so wonderfully brilliant, so emotionally fulfilling and so well thought through and executed that it is equal to its predecessors in ever way imaginable. The film picks up with Andy, now 17, preparing to head off to college. This is the best decision that Pixar could have made. Like me, most of the film's core fanbase are most likely adults now and the film fully embraces that, making it the theme of the story. This is as much about toys no longer being played with as it is about parents having to acknowledge and let go of their own playthings; their children. Looked at in the context of Pixar you can chart the youthful joyous feeling toward playing with toys from the original Toy Story, to becoming adults themselves in Finding Nemo to now letting their children fly the nest - Pixar's films perfectly embrace the issues the creators have faced and in doing so tap into the same emotions and stages of life their audience is going through. And yet at the same time Toy Story 3 is for all those little kids who love animation and playing with toys themselves. The opening sequence perfectly capturing the imagination of a child.

The story centres around the core group of toys Andy has kept hold of, if not played with for years, and so all the favourites are back; Woody, Buzz, Slinky Dog, Hamm, Mr and Mrs Potato Head, Jessie and Rex. When they are mistakenly taken to Sunnyside day care centre it seems as if their life as a child's toy will begin again but things are not all they appear. At Sunnyside we meet a host of new characters - all memorable, all unique and different to our existing characters. Lot's O Huggin Bear (voiced by Ned Beatty) is brilliant as the leader of the daycare toys and the franchises best villain and Ken (of Barbie and Ken) voiced by Michael Keaton is an amazing addition to the cast, and his inclusion fits perfectly when considered in the context of the franchise (TS2's Barbie dolls). His subplot with Barbie is a source of constant pleasure and although the comedy feels obvious in a way, it is handled with such subtly and genius you can't help but laugh at every scene. The animators deserve as much credit for this as the writers.

The real joy of Toy Story 3 comes in the beautifully constructed and unfolding plot which ties perfectly in with the emotional development and growth of these beloved characters. Woody, always the lead, goes on a fantastic journey and demonstrates the writers desire to tell a story over just having a series of excellent set pieces. Toy Story has these in abundance. The film has one of the most brilliantly devised escape sequences in the history of cinema. I found myself on more than one occasion having to raise my dropped jaw at the staggering confidence and aplomb with which the story unfolds. What Toy Story also has is the greatest third act of any of the films in the franchise. It's exciting, genuinely scary, moving and for a moment I found myself clutching the armrests at the uncertain fate of the characters. For a studio such as Pixar to create such an effect on the audience in what is ostensibly a children's film is astonishing.

The animation is also faultless. One potential problem was how to improve the CGI of the cast without making the characters look to detailed and thus unlike their former selves. Pixar once again comes up trumps. The characters look every bit as detailed as Ratatouille or Wall-E but retain that quintessential toy-ness, and the world is lush, especially in 3D. There isn't a single image which isn't overwhelmingly beautiful and absorbing. One of the joys of Pixar is seeing what new world or landscape they will attempt to master with their latest effort they manage to just that as the story moves into its very own "Mount Doom" moment at the films climax.

Finally, the film offers a lovely epilogue to the film which allows the audience to reach for the tissues as you sense Pixar are finally done with Woody, Buzz and the crew. You literally could not ask for a sweeter or more beautiful ending for some of the best characters in the history of cinema.

There is so much richness to this film, both in style and content that this review could go on and on. There are a number of comedy highlights I refuse to mention because, well, they must be experienced without foreknowledge. Simply put Toy Story 3 is possibly the best film I have seen this year and might also be the best threequel in the history of cinema. Toy Story 3 demonstrates once again that Pixar is the finest studio today and that if you focus on character over spectacle the story will be engaging, engrossing and box office gold. When the credits rolled I wanted to leave the cinema, buy a ticket and experience that joy again. A instant classic.

Inception - 2010

2010-07-19T14:45:00.000+01:00

It's hard not to be impressed by Christopher Nolan's latest epic Inception. The film looks incredible, is shot beautifully and has a cast of hugely talented wonderfully watchable stars in it. The film itself arrives on the back of one of the most gloriously over the top endorsements from pretty much every publication and film website in the entire world. There doesn't seem to be a dissenting voice amongst them. All over-awed by Nolan's seemingly effortless ability to straddle high concept mind blowing summer blockbuster with a thought provoking, deeply cerebral intelligent film.
For me, Nolan is without question one of the most talented directors working today. A sort of cross between Ridley Scott and Stanley Kubrick who, although perhaps not yet scaling either their heights, is certainly one of the most consistently brilliant and enjoyable film directors working today. With Inception he has taken the free reigns granted him with The Dark Knight's monumental success and created what is almost certainly this decades Matrix.

But its probably better to judge both Inception and Nolan on their own grounds and while Inception is in many ways his strongest and most successful film to date, it is also arguably his weakest. There is no question that Christopher Nolan is an incredibly intelligent and accomplished storyteller. He's proven this before. And with Inception he has gone one step further proving just how cleverly plotted and intriguingly brilliant his storytelling ability is. Inception is the kind of film which demands much of its audience, not just whilst watching the film but afterwards. He expects you to ponder, contemplate and mull over what you have seen, not just from a storytelling point of view, but also thematically, culturally and perhaps most importantly with the context of cinema itself. Whether its intentional or not Inception screams out to be considered, analysed and critiqued in the context of classic science fiction cinema.

The concept is a simple one. Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) plays an idea thief. A process known as Extraction is used to help find out insider secrets from within the subconsicous of the minds of those who know it. This process in created by inducing within the subject a dream state (which they don't realise) and then Cobb and his cohorts enter the dreamscape and basically steal the information they need. While they only do Extraction, a client approaches them with the task of inserting a memory into someones subconsicous - a process known as Inception. We are told this is impossible, then possible but extremely difficult. Thus begins our story. As far as science fiction concepts go this is up there. It is genuinely one of the most mouthwatering and refreshing ideas I have ever heard, and for this reason Inception stands shoulder to shoulder with any science fiction masterpiece.

The film kicks off with an exciting sequence which leads into a fast paced opening act in which Cobb goes about planning and designing his dream worlds in order to successfully pull off the inception. Watching this is about as exhilarating as cinema gets. The pace is fast, so to is the exposition as we learn how an architect creates a dream world and the logic and laws of that world. This all adds up to a breathless first hour motored by DiCaprio's excellent performance as he simply conveys the complexity of this world.

Then the story comes to a standstill. The biggest problem with Inception for me was the pacing. An over-abundance of flashback containing crucial emotional information about Cobb, needed for the story to move forward hinders the forward momentum of the plot and actually ends up working against the narrative drive. In one regard this works like a "kick" - an jolt to the dreamer which wakes them from the dream world, a device used in the film as genius as it is simple. The same feeling was felt by me every time we cut back into the flashback story to learn a little more in what is essentially a ploy from Nolan to raise the stakes, heighten the tension and inject some much needed emotional connection to the story.

I loved Inception, it ticked all those cerebrally, intellectual boxes I love good intelligent cinema to tick. However it failed to tick any of those emotional connection boxes which usually drags me through the weaker moments of a film and so herein lies the other major weakness of the film.. I had little to no emotional connection with any character in the story. Cobb's flashback was a distraction and a little cliched (those that have seen Shutter Island will get a sense of deja vu, especially as both feature DiCaprio in the lead).By the films climax, when Nolan expertly interweaves the too storylines I was still left marvelling at the mechanics of the story rather than feeling the emotional journey of the characters.

Speaking of the characters, Joseph Gordon Levitt is wonderful, and has the best scene, as Cobb's partner Arthur. His performance is note perfect as he works off Dicaprio effortlessly as though they have known each other years. Ellen Page brings some youthful exuberance to the film but her character is marginalised and never really explored in favour of the rising plot and Cobb's own backstory. The same could be said of all of the other characters. Nolan has reached that level where even legends such as Michael Caine and Pete Postlewaite will except roles so far below them its a surprise they even spotted them. The film also has too many characters. Nolan may find something for them all to do come the James Bond themed third act, but in reality there are just too many characters overpopulating the story.

You can see why Inception has garnered such high praising reviews, and there is so much in the story to satisfied, elate and overwhelm you - run the bathroom, or daydream for more than moment and you'll be playing catch up for the rest of the film - but I was left wondering where the heart of the film is. Like Avatar before there is much to marvel at and the originality and creativity is there to be see on the screen, it just isn't there to see in the emotion. It does appear that Hollywood cinema has reached a point where no hero can be recognised as such without some deep familial scares or wounds to carry through the story.

So Nolan turns out another mind blowing cinematic experience which dazzles, confounds, confuses and entertains, often all at the same time, but it lacks the emotional weight to elevate this film to a truly spectacular cinematic experience. Oh and one final point. Nolan's final image, intended to leave you mind spinning, for me had the effect of leaving me reeling.

Pedators - 2010

2010-07-16T14:34:00.000+01:00

The best thing I can say about Predators is that it made me want to go and watch the the original Predator, which in one way is a good thing, but really is nothing short of highlighting the major disappointment Predators turned out to be. On one level the film offers a great concept. A bunch of "predators" from Earth are dropped onto a Alien world used by the Predators as a game reserve to practice and refine their skills as hunters. On paper that looks like a wonderful idea, but is quite poorly executed and also feels as though it hasn't been fully explored, instead substituting original genre pushing ideas for what essentially becomes a retread of the original (hence the nostalgia) but with inferior characters and an ending designed specifically to help set up sequels.

To begin with, the film opens far to abruptly with Adrien Brody (in the Arnie role) falling through the air before crashing onto the Alien world. Once there he quickly runs into and teams up with a collection on the Earth's most dangerous and notorious killers; a Mexican cartel baron, an Africa gang leader, a Yakuza, a serial killer, a man on death row, a Russian soldier (basically Gatling gun man) Brody's mercenary and a Central American sniper; I think that is it, but the characters are so poorly drawn and so clichéd it would be easy to forget one. For example, after the first attack, one of them is predictably killed. When one of the surviving characters points out someone is missing I had to scratch my head trying to work out who it was, only to realise it was one of the most famous actors in the cast. A bad start surely.

As the film evolves it attempts to develop the concept of hunting humans for sport, whether being human is the weakness that will get them killed (invariably it isn't - rather just that the Predators are much harder and cooler) but never really explores the characters beyond the paper thin development. The filmmakers seem too aware that these characters will soon be dead and so why bother letting the audience get to know them. This argument could be used against the original but honestly, there were definite characters who are interestingly explored and wonderfully acted - here, the actors have little to work with, the dynamic of having a bunch of strangers (all ruthless killers) with no history makes it instantly impossible for any real range of development. The most annoying thing being that the one sub plot which is pushed is between Alice Braga (the sniper) and Brody's mercenary. But as Braga is the token woman it makes sense - its just handled with little subtly or guile.

The characters themselves range from annoying (Brody's mercenary cares only for himself and so comes across as a bit of arse), idiotic, clichéd or mysterious to the point of stupidity (step forward Topher Grace). Topher Grace is exactly what is wrong with the film. The actor isn't so much responsible, but as everyone identifies themselves it becomes clear the "doctor" Grace doesn't fit. It felt as though this was set up to have the audience curiously wondering why he'd been included, and when we find out it felt massively unnecessary and irrelevant to the story. Perhaps if it had been introduced early the idea might have worked, but in the end, it doesn't.

The other interesting element which feels missed is the development of the Predators. Here we are told they hunt in packs of three, and that each year they learn from the previous years exploits and are enhanced, improved and better equipped to destroy their prey. This got me thinking that perhaps the best way to take this franchise forward would be to tell the story from the point of view of the Predators. At the moment, based on the franchise entries, all we know is that they are a hunter race who are really good at what they do, unless you smear mud over yourself and use fire. Surely they would have learnt using heat signatures has its downside. Also, as this is a world Predators bring alien's to to kill, it might have been interesting to see a wider range of other aliens, and then becoming more of threat to our band of humans. Again, a missed opportunity.

By the films climax, the predictable deaths and missed opportunities are rife. The Yakuza's discovery of a samurai sword setting up a sword fight with a Predator should have been one of the films stand out moments but feels too short and another nod back to the original. Which raises another point. Alien, Aliens and Predator all work because they offer such interesting takes on their ideas and create a number of key stand out set pieces which last, even to this day, in the memory. As I write this now I am trying to think of an action set piece which actually works. Where the original scared, exhilarated and intrigued me in equal measure, this film barely raises the pulse. It's not that the film is bad, its just that its not nearly as good as it could or should have been.

Overall, if you are looking for a bit of mindless, sci-fi fun you can't really go wrong with Predators. If you're a massive fan of the original and have been waiting for the day Predator gets a sequel worthy of the original you will probably be disappointed. The best thing in the film is a cameo from Laurence Fishburne which surely deserves its own prequel story at some point.

A bout de Souffle - 1960

2010-06-30T14:26:00.001+01:00

There's little one can say about one of the most iconic, stylish and effortlessly cool films ever made. But with this 50th anniversary digitally restored re-release of Jean-Luc Godard's debut masterpiece A Bout de Souflle it feels only right to revisit the film and see if it still works as well as it obviously did 50 years ago.
The first thing to say about the film, showing at selected cinemas across the UK including the Curzon on Shaftesbury Avenue, is just how incredibly brilliant the restoration is. The films looks brand new, and could easily pass for a new film, rather than a re-release.The second thing to point out is how the film hasn't aged a day. The style still feels fresh, original and cool, despite having been ripped off by every one from Scorsese to Tarantino. Paris rarely looked better (in fact this film alone could be the root of my love of the city), and even though the film is shot around some of the most famous landmarks on the city, it somehow manages to avoid the "tourist" snapshot effect which so many films suffer from.
Both Belmondo and Seberg (surely one of the most beautiful and alluring performances ever) are astonishing as Michel Poiccard and Patricia Franchini despite neither having much cinematic experience. Seberg for example had starred in just a couple of Otto Preminger films and so working in France, with Godard under his unique, innovative style must have been a little surprising and Seberg has a certain vulnerability and insecurity which makes her all the more lovable. She is the kind of screen beauty who never lets you take you eyes off her, and Godard, in both his style and shot choice clearly seems aware of her seductive power on audiences. Belmondo likewise had little acting experience up to then but plays the cool, aloof, dangerous criminal who is more playing the role than living it. His obsession with everything cinema, especially Bogart makes him likeable and charming while his arrogant manner comes across as suave. Belmondo personifies Godard's style in his performance as he plays the role with a reckless, spontaneous abandon which gives the impression he is making it up as he goes along; very much like Godard's style.

Like a lot of classic films the story is a simple one. After stealing a car, Michel is chased by the police. Discovering a gun in the car, he shoots and kills an officer and flees to Paris to find Patricia, a short time lover, who he happens to be in love with. He has an ulterior motive for being in Paris, hoping to hook up with a fellow criminal to get some owed loot before escaping to Italy. What makes the film work so wonderfully is that at its heart it is a tragic love story, of a man, pretending to be someone he's not, but whose heart can not deny what it wants, and with Jean Seberg, its easy to understand why. When Michel makes his fateful final choice you completely understand his motives and given the same situation would most definitely copy him.

A bout de Souflle was the beginning of the French Nouvelle Vague and has its place firmly cemented in cinematic history for this alone. That it is also one of if not the finest example of French or even World cinema is a testament to Godard and everyone who worked on the film, both in front and behind the camera.
Godard broke almost every convention in the cinematic book, less tearing up the rules, more running the down, dousing them in paraffin and lighting them up - and it could be this which makes it such an enduring classic.

The truth is A bout de Souffle is that it is one of those wonderful films where everything works perfectly. The Jazz soundtrack is about as cool as soundtracks ever got, the chemistry between Seberg and Belmondo is electric, the editing revolutionary and Godard's direction may have only been surpassed in a directorial debut but Orson Welles.

If you've never seen A bout de Souffle, or if you have only ever seen it on TV or DVD, then this is an absolute must. All great films should be seen on the big screen, and the restoration is one of the finest I have ever seen. A stone cold Classic in every sense of the word. I'd put money on it being the greatest film released in 2010.

The LOST Blog

2010-06-30T13:37:00.000+01:00

Following the end of LOST and void it has left in my life, I decided to write some in depth blogs about everything great about LOST, from a review of the final episode "The End", to the a list of the Greatest Characters, Episodes, Moments, Twists, a review of each season and in honour of both the Oceanic 6 and the numbers (4,8,15,16,23,42) a list of the 6 reasons why LOST could be the greatest TV show of all time.

WARNING though. These blogs complain complete and utter SPOILERS. Especially in the best moments, twists and episodes so for anyone who hasn't seen the show but would like to, this is probably not the blog for you. For those who couldn't care less and will never watch the show, but are curious to know what all those "crazy" people liked then read on, this will tell you everything you need to know. But it is mainly for people who love LOST. Like me.

Enjoy

Ben Keightley

The Lost Blog - The Top Ten Twists

2010-06-29T17:12:00.015+01:00

LOST built its reputation on raising questions without ever seeming to answer them. As a result it infuriated as much as it elated. But what made LOST one of the most unbelievable and addictive shows over its entire run were the twists which redefined our idea of the island, the characters and in the end the entire show. Below are my ten favourite twists in the history of LOST.

10. The Smoke Monster

The creators of LOST promised The Smoke Monster would be explained toward the end of the show and they did not disappoint. Firstly he takes on the form of Locke, then we discover all those dead people haunting the survivors including Christian Shepherd were the smoke monster all along. Finally in "Across The Sea" we go back to discover that the Smoke Monster was a fate worse than death and his creation or release (depending on how you look at it) was the mistake which led Jacob to bring people the island to replace him. It's amazing when you think back at all the imagery and description (Cerberus protector of Hades) that the final twist was far more interesting and human than anything we could have expected.

9. Locke's Dead

This could well be in here three times. At the end of Season Four we learn the casket Jack visits contains the remains of one Jeremy Bentham aka John Locke. In Season 5 episode The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham we learn how he died, why and who killed him. This is a particularly tragic death as the entire episode epitomised Locke's great weakness - he spends the entire episode trying to get everyone back to the island but fails miserably. Then, in a final moment of desperation he decides to take his own life only to be saved by Ben of all people. Then after Ben has given Locke a reason to live and found out why he is here he kills Locke by strangling him. The third and final twist surrounding Locke's death comes back on the island when he is seemingly resurrected. At this stage, with everything we have seen and learnt, the idea that Locke is back from the dead isn't too surprising, that is until we learn that he is still dead and Locke is no longer Locke.

8. Dharmacide.

We always new there was something evil about Benjamin Linus. But in "Behind The Curtain" in Season 3 we finally get to know the real Ben, and guess what, he is evil, incredibly so. Taken to the island as a boy, he was put upon and blamed for his mother's death by his father. Not exactly a psychologically stable environment to grow up in. One can almost sympathise with Ben for wanting to leave. That he then returned and murdered his own father in cold blood and orchestrated the death of everyone (including women and children) in the Dharma Initiative dispelled any doubts we had about Ben's evil intentions and the lengths he would go to to protect the island. That the episode ends with him seemingly murdering Locke shouldn't have been much of a surprise after this, but actually, it was.

7. How Locke Lost His Legs

Locke, like many of the shows characters, had serious Daddy issues. But his were probably the most severe. After finding his father after 40 years or so of life, Locke seems happy for once, but it isn't long before we realise that Anthony Cooper is less a father figure and more a master conman, stealing from Locke his own kidney. Too make matters worse, we then discover the reason Locke has been wheelchair bound for so long. Being pushed out of a multistorey building by your own father must leave some pretty deep emotional and physical scares and that Locke could never get over it made his existence even more tragic.

6. They're All Dead

How you read the final act of the last ever episode of LOST depends greatly on whether you find it an amazing twist or an annoying cop out. For one thing, it could on one level mean that the events of the island never took place, that it was purgatory all along or that the show had turned into a non too subtle religious metaphor. For me though, after much musing the end of LOST does exactly what Lost has always done. Remind us that no matter how many times we think we've worked it out, we haven't and the creators can surprise us whenever they want. Learning at the end that the flash sideways were not really sideways but more flash afterlife and that everybody was dead was bold, daring, controversial and potentially self destructive, and on first viewing it did feel like a cop out, but watching it again it becomes clear that emotionally it is deeply satisfying, but also extremely poignant as each character realises the true importance of their experience on the island and the sacrifice they made there. A truly wonderous final twist to end the show on.

5. "Do't Tell Me What I Can't Do"

It didn't take long for LOST the utterly confuse and amaze us. The pilot episode was a breath of fresh air and a whirlwind at the same time, so when in episode 4 when we learn the reason Locke has all those knives is that he was in Australia to go Walkabout, but he couldn't because he is in a wheelchair, we were flabbergasted to understand how he'd gone from being in a wheelchair to be able to walk just by crashing on the Island. Suddenly this place took on a whole new level of mystery.

4. "I have to move the island"

When Locke told Ben after his meeting with Christian that he had the move the island i'm fairly sure no one really understood what he meant, but give Ben credit, when he finally went beneath The Orchird Dharma station and revealed the frozen donkey wheel the Island took on an entirely new level of "huh". That the island then just disappeared was even more shocking. Where had it gone? Or more accurately When had it gone, as we later learned. Time Travel very much became a stable of LOST after this moment, and even now it seems surprising that it made so much sense.

3. "We're the good guys"

So, after pretending to be a black man who crashed in his balloon on the island Henry Gale's true identity is finally revealed in the Season Two finale. After leading Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley across the island in a bid to rescue his son Walt, Michael asks the now revealed Benjamin Linus who they are. Ben's reply pulled the proverbial rug from under our feet as he asserts that they (the Others) are the good guys. The blurring between good and evil on the island was rarely so shockingly exposed, but gradually become more and more of a running theme throughout.

2. "You're Gonna Die Charlie"

The episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes" was really the first epsiode of LOST to introduce the idea of time travel, even if it didn't really feel like time travel. By the episodes end, when we realise everything Desmond has been doing was to try and save Charlie and that as Eloise states the "universe has a way of course correcting" hit home when Desmond revealed to Charlie that he kept seeing Charlie's death. This became one of the biggest hooks of Season Three and its development right up to the season finale make this not only one of the most intriguing, interesting and shocking twists but also the most emotional.

1. "We Have To Go Back"
Whether you guessed this before the reveal or not, the twist at the end of Season Three worked either way. If you guessed that this was not a flashback but a flashforward then Kate getting out of the car might have seemed a little predictable and underwhelming. If you didn't guess it it was possibly the moment you realised you would have to stick with LOST until the end. The big reveal isn't that we are now seeing a post island life but more importantly those famous words "we have to go back". Not only did this make jaws hit the floor but it also baffled that the one character who above everyone else wanted to leave the island was now the guy doing everything in his power to get back. From this point on Lost became a different show and suddenly the prospect of answers beckoned. The end of Season Three was the biggest turning point in LOST until, possibly the end.

The Lost Blog - The Top Ten Moments

2010-06-29T17:12:00.013+01:00

I know what you're thinking. Just ten. And you'd be right. This could be a list of the top 100 moments in LOST's history and it still wouldn't be difficult to fill. But this is a list of the ten moments which meant to most to me and to my mind defines the reason LOST has been such a unique experience. So read on but prepare to probably be disappointed, surprised, infuriated and possibly even elated - kind of like watching an episode of LOST then.

10. Daniel Faraday's Death - Season 5 - The Variable

Faraday is one of the most intriguing characters on LOST. From the second he arrived on the island he seemed to have a hidden goal, knew more than anyone about the island and was either a bad guy trying to gain trust or the one person who might be able to save everyone. In "The Variable", we realised just how important he was and also, in true LOST fashion, how tragic. If ever there was a greater example of LOST being a modern day mythology it is Daniel Faraday. Raised by his mother to pursue scientific pursuits only; forced down a path and into a life he didn't necessarily want Faraday believes he has found away to undo everything and disprove the theory that whatever happened, happened. Returning to the island in 1977, Faraday devises a plan to blow up a hydrogen bomb negating the energy which led to the Hatch, which in turn resulted in flight 815s crash. In the process he enters The Others camp in search of Richard only to be shot by his own mother, realising with his dying words that his own mother new his entire existence that his life would end at this point.Devastating.

9. The Four Toed Statue. - Season 2 - Live Together, Die Alone Part I

Season Two set up a number of mysteries which never really felt fully explained even in the final season, but none where quite as baffling or unexpected as The Four Toed Statue. To begin with we were like Sayid, unsure what to be most shocked by, that only the leg remained or that it only had four toes. Either way it hinted that the island was much older and more important than we ever thought it was. That it turned out the be the Statue of Tawaret, an ancient Egyptian God was mouthwatering. That we never found out who built it and why was infuriating.

8. Jacob in the Cabin - Season Three - The Man Behind The Curtain
The truth is Locke was nothing but a thorn in the side of Ben. After passing Ben's test to become an Other, albeit with Sawyer's help, Locke demands to see Jacob. Relenting, Ben takes Locke to a small cabin in the wood. Surrounded by a grey powder which Ben tentatively steps over, Locke enters only to find the room empty. Ben then proceeds to speak to an empty chair. Locke doesn't buy it, naturally, until the cabin begins to shake, Ben is hurled across the room and Locke sees a glimmer, just a glimmer, of someone in the chair. Was it Jacob? Was it MIB playing games? Who knows, but at the time is was exhilarating and heart pounding.

7. Jack Saves Charlie's Life - Season One - All The Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues

As Jack and Kate race through the jungle after Charlie and Claire they find Charlie strung up with some vines, seemingly dead. Jack proceeds to give him CPR but all seems lost as the minutes pass and he's still lifeless. The whole thing gets to much for Kate as Jack's driving desire to fix everyone and save Charlie seems to turn into a futile obession. Kate finally pulls Jack off, but unwilling to accept defeat and another death of one of the survivors Jack continues pounding his fist down on Charlie's chest. Kate can't look, as not even the driving heavy rain can hide her tears. Then it happens. Charlie coughs and splutters and comes back to life. The first time I watched this I punched the sky, and even now I'm still not sure if he will come round.

6. Sawyer's Jumps off the Helicopter - Season Four - There's No Place Like Home Part III

This was the great selfless act of the selfish man. All his life James "Sawyer" Ford has looked after number one and no one else. Always looking out for himself, often at the expense of other people, he is also not averse to conning people for sole purpose of getting a little bit of revenge. So when the survivors are finally escaping the island on the Freighters helicopter it becomes a massive act of self sacrifice that in order to ensure everyone makes it to freighter Sawyer jumps off. That he first asks Kate to find the mother of his child and deliver a message hints a greater depths of character than perhaps we were previously certain of. Sawyer has always been a good guy at heart, but this was the moment he became a true hero.

5. Charlie's Sacrifice - Season Three - Through The Looking Glass Part II

It had been foreshadowed for most of Season Three but when it finally came Charlie Pace's death was possibly the most emotional moment in the history of LOST. It helped raise the season finale to a level never equalled on the show, and also allowed one of the most beloved characters to go out in a heroic sacrificial way. That his last act is to warn Desmond that its "Not Penny's Boat" just cements his character. He may be troubled, weak, insecure but at his heart Charlie is a great guy who always just wanted to do what was best.

4. Meeting The Others - Season Three - A Tale of Two Cities

I remember discussing with a fellow fan that I thought Season Three would begin with another plane crash. Oh how right and wrong I was. An understated book club scene opens the third season before an alarm is raised and we realise this normal, domesticated people are actually the shows evil enemies. As Ben watches flgiht 815 break up and crash on the island he jumps straight into action sending Goodwin and Ethan off to check for survivors. Audacious, bold and utterly jaw dropping - Classic LOST.

3.Michael Confesses to Killing Ana Lucia - Season Two - Live Together, Die Alone Part I

Wow, this wasn't easy to watch. A Michael leads Jack, Sawyer, Kate and Hurley across the island to rescue Walt, the truth finally comes out as Michael confesses he needs them to come with him to get Walt back, and that he is leading them into a trap. Slowly it dawns on everyone that he broke Henry Gale free, that it was he who shot and killed Ana Lucia and Libby. What makes this work is that there are three revelations in one scene. Firstly everyone blows up about Michael handing them over to the others, then the penny drops about Ana Lucia and finally, in the most heart breaking moment Hurley realises he must have killed Libby. It painful, tear jerking TV at its best, and the performances from the cast are note perfect.

2. Desmond Finally Speaks to Penny - Season Four - The Constant

It can't be easy being Desmond. Marooned on a strange desert island pushing a button to save the world and all you want to do is be reunited with your true love. So when it finally comes it is both poignant but also brilliantly concieved. On his way to the Freighter Desmond experiences Temporal Displacment - his consciousness switching between the present and the past. Told the only way he can survive is to find a constant Desmond chooses Penny and pleads with his heartbroken love to answer the phone on Christmas Eve in 2004. With Desmond close to death and the phone having rung for what seems like an age, Penny finally answers the phone in one of the most rousing, beautiful and reaffirming moments in the history of TV.

1. Sawyer tells Jack about his Dad - Season One - Exodus Part I

I know what you're thinking. Really, after six years of action packed, emotionally charged, mysteriously addictive TV this is the best scene in the shows history. Perhaps not, but what this scene personifies is the heart of LOST. For most of Season One Jack and Sawyer butted heads, argued and threatened to beat each other up (we had to wait five seasons for that). But in one moment, one small scene as Sawyer cuts bamboo trees to ensure his place on the raft and Jack prepares to depart for the Black Rock, Sawyer gives Jack the resolution to his arc for the season in a deeply moving, beautifully acted and wonderfully ingenious decision. We already new, thanks to a flashback that Sawyer met Christian on his last night alive. But when Sawyer tells Jack what Christian never could you feel the emotional catharsis this represents for Jack, and to hear it from Sawyer of all people makes it even more difficult to take. Matthew Fox and Josh Holloway are also wonderful in the scene.

The Lost Blog - Season Reviews

2010-06-29T17:12:00.012+01:00

So in the end it ran for six seasons totalling 121 episodes. It was the only TV show I know of that agreed a defined end time and was granted time to run its course. So, which is the best season, which season turned audiences away in droves. Which season took the show to new heights, and did the final season deliver as successfully as its first. Below is a list and brief review of all six seasons with shiny star ratings.

Season Two
The One with the Hatch

As Season One ended with the most audaciously annoying yet brilliantly cliff-hanging ending of possibly any show ever, Season Two had one major difference from Season One. The hatch was open and we would almost definitely find out what or who was inside. In addition to that we found out what happened to the tail end of the plane, and how their experience was much worse. We also finally got to put a face to The Others and began to get hints of their plan for the survivors. Ultimately though Season Two will always be remembered as the season everyone proclaimed "They're are making it up as they go along". And to be honest for the most part the season felt a little like that. Having said that some interesting characters came into the show, most of which were despatched with ruthless efficiency. There was also highlights, most notably "Lockdown" which found an incredibly interesting way to tantalise us with bigger and more interesting mysteries, "The Other 48 Days" which showed us the Tailies story and the Season Finale "Live Together, Die Alone" which turned the sky purple and saw three of the major characters captured by the dastardly Others.

Season Six
The End is Nigh

The final season was always going to have an impossible task. Especially as after the finale to Season 5, there was little actual story left to tell and as a result there was too much waiting around by almost all of the characters . The inclusion of the flash sideways felt interesting, then distracting and finally revelatory, but too often didn't feel like it moved the story forward or told us anything new about these characters. Of the 18 episodes (taking The End as two) nearly half felt let set up episodes for the following week, some even failed to offer self contained stories. And yet, with it being the final season LOST inevitably pulled out the stops for episodes such as "Sundown", "Happily Ever After", "The Candidate" and "What They Died For". Add to this that two major flashback episodes "Ab Aeterno" and "Across The Sea" gave us much needed and craved backstories to some of the most intriguing elements of the show. That so many mysteries where never addressed or interwoven in the main thrust of the story reveals an inability or unwillingness on the part of Cuse and Lindelof to address these issues, but by the finale Season 6 felt like a fitting if slightly lacklustre ending for one of the great TV shows of all time.

Season Five
The One with All the Time Travel

Following Ben moving the island all bets were off as to what might happen in Season 5. No one could have guessed that time travel would be brought in in such an inventive and original way. By doing so those left on the island were in constant peril, it allowed the writers to address and answer a number of big questions which seemed impossible until this point. Also, we had most of the main cast no longer on the island, and instead had some incredible episodes such as "Jughead" which posited an atomic bomb on the island while having Desmond trying to find Faraday's mother. The best decision this season though was to not drag out the time travel and get everyone back onto the island (only in 1977 - never saw that coming). Following "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" all the major action returns to the island as the Losties try to take advantage of being in the past by changing the future. The big theme of the season being whatever happened, happened. By the season finale (another season high) everything was set up for the climactic final season as Jacob is murdered, Locke is dead but isn't, Juliet sets off the atomic bomb and everything fades to white.

Season Four
It's all about the Flash Forwards

As the shortest season of Lost, at just 14 episodes (three of which are the season finale) Season 4 benefits from the forward momentum generated by a influx of new characters, new mysteries and new conflicts. The big thing was the flash forwards, especially as we had to wait until the finale to find out how and who definitely got off the island, and also what might have happpened to those left behind. By being so short and throwing so much at the story Season 4 threw up such classic episodes as "The Constant", "The Economist", "Meet Kevin Johnson", "The Shape of Things to Come" and the finale.As the season starts Locke and Jack, forever on different paths, separate and take a selection of survivors each, and as the series develops we begin to understand more about the island, its deeper mysteries as well as its strange electromagnetic effects and temporal displacement. This works well in laying the foundation for Season 5's time travel. Also through Charlotte, Miles and Faraday we are able to explore more of the Dharma initiative and learn exactly how Ben managed to murder them all.

Season One
Where it all began.

The first 20 minutes of Lost are arguably the greatest opening to a TV series ever. It all began with a close up on a eye. Then our hero, Jack, races through the bamboo trees and as the camera pulls back we see the full extent of the crash. Even now I still remember exactly where I was and that I didn't take a breath until the first ad break. Season One introduced us to the survivors of Oceanic 815 and in the words of the great Charlie Pace had audiences all over the world asking "where are we". The great mysteries of Lost were sown in this season, and in such wonderful ways. Locke being in a wheelchair pre-island, Jack following his dead father to water, the revelation that they are not alone on the island, the Black Rock, polar bears and the love triangle between Sawyer, Jack and Kate. Looking back now, you begin to realise just how far both the audience and the characters have come since that opening fateful crash. Lost Season 1 is one of the finest debut seasons in Television history.

Season Three
The one where the answers began to unfold.

From Jack, Sawyer and Kate being held captive by the Others to finally making contact with the Freighter. From Locke surviving the implosion of the Hatch to stabbing Naomi via a bizarre meeting with "Jacob", Season Three expanded, developed and explored LOST more than any other season. By the end of Season Two no one could have foreseen just how much we would have learnt and how far we would have gone, discovering how The Others reacted to the crash of 815 was a superb way to open the series and it offered the same jaw dropping brilliance as season one Pilot. The mid season break gave the opening episodes a sort of self contained mini-series feel and allowed the writers to really spend time with The Others. As the show progressed the further exploration of Dharma, Locke's attempts to join up with The Others, the arrival of Naomi and the possibility that the season may end with rescue kept us coming back each week. Season 3 also introduced time travel, or temporal displacement and saw Desmond become a season regular. Even episodes like "Expose", which at the time seemed infuriarting slight and pointless, in light of the charging plot, can now, in hindsight be viewed as a momentary pause before the final onslaught of the final act. The episode itself is also brilliantly macabre and encapsulates some of the major themes of the series. By the end with the Flash Forward, the explosive season finally and even a return for Walt, Season 3 emerged as the series when LOST hit its stride, and it has rarely faultered since.

The Lost Blog - Six Reasons Lost is the Greatest TV Show of All Time

2010-06-29T17:12:00.010+01:00

Like many of recent TV shows LOST as raised the bar in what can be done and what is expected from American Television shows. LOST is a unique show unlike any other. At times infuriating, at time compulsive, it took the phrase "addictive TV" to new heights. Below are 6 possible reasons why LOST could be called the greatest TV show of all time. Whether it is or not is up to those loyal fans who have stuck with the mystery, the love stories, the back stories, the leaps of faith. So in honour of the Oceanic 6 and those dastardly Numbers, here are six reasons why LOST should be watched by everybody.

6. (4)
The Music.

Michael Giacchino's rousing, heart wrenching, evocative, pulsating score has elevated LOST to level of high charged emotional brilliance. At lIst of the great scenes in Lost's history are ones accompanied by Giacchino's score. His character themes are all perfect, a mixture of love, mystery, intrigue, danger and humour all feeling right for the island setting. Lost has brought a tear to my eye on more than one occasion and for all of them, Giacchino's beautiful music was there to tip me over the edge.

5. (8)
The Time You're Not Watching LOST

No TV show in history has taken over a fans life in the way LOST does. Yeah previous shows have developed deep, mystery mythologies, but nothing quite on the level of LOST. From books written by characters in the show, yet published in the real world, to the LOST Experience - a huge web of online secrets which can be investigated to add and enhance your enjoyment of the show. LOST's creates understood the importance of viral campaigns to pique interest in the show, and with Lostpedia, people had a resource where they could read up on the vast number of mysteries from the show as well as read theories and ideas on what its all about. I spent much more time thinking about LOST than I ever spent watching it, and even though its over, there is still so much which is left unknown. I feel I will for a long time be looking into the mysteries and questions the show raised in search of answers - and no TV show has ever embraced this more than LOST.

4. (15)
The Twists and Reveals

A TV show built on a mystery of an enigma is going to have a number of big twists and reveals but LOST took the idea to such an extreme that even if the ending didn't satisfy even if it did at the very least work as the biggest twist and reveal in the shows history and so feels right in the sense. From the polar bears to the monster to the Dharma Initative to the Others to the island. There have been too many twists and reveals to name, but watching Ben move the Island, discovering the true identity of the smoke monster, discovering who caused the plane to crash and why, as well how each of the characters connected before they came to the Island is half the fun of watching the show. The biggest and best twists come right at the end of each series such as finding out that if Locke didn't come back from the dead, then who is that going to meet Jacob. A jaw dropping moment, which once again changed the face of LOST forever.

3. (16)
The Characters.

LOST had such a vast array of characters throughout the show its surprising how well so many of them stuck with us. And what fascinating people they were. Firstly we had a cripple who was pushed out of a window by his kidney stealing con man father, a criminal whose witnessed the murder of his mother at the hands of his father and then took upon himself the identity of the con man who led to their deaths. A guy who won over a hundred million dollars on the lottery, owns companies other characters work for, spent time in a mental institute and thinks winning all that money was the worst thing that ever happened to him, only to discover the numbers are integral to events on the Island. Or how about a boy whose mother dies in childbirth who is then taken to the island, where his dead mother convinces him to join the natives and then years later, kill his father and everyone one of his former people; kidnaps a child and raises as his own and orchestrates the deaths of countless people only to seek redemption. These are just some of the wonderful array of diverse characters on LOST, and with actors of the calibre of Terry O'Quinn, Michael Emerson, Nestor Carbonell and Jorge Garcia every episode was joyous to watch just to spend time with these characters.

2. (23)
The Mystery.

From episode 1 LOST set itself up as the great mystery of modern television. Within the first episode we discovered polar bears, a giant man eating force rampaging through the trees and a French distress signal. As the show has unfolded bigger, weirder and less plausible storylines have come to light all answering questions whilst raising more. The mystery of LOST is its life blood. Its what had thousands of fans rushing to the internet after every episode to chase down potential leads which might, possibly, shed light on the show. That it ended with more mystery and less answers will no doubt infuriate many, but LOST always stuck to its guns and left us all with plenty to think and talk about. And even now the show has gone I still find myself pondering on the mysteries of the great mythology of our time.

1. (42)
The Island.

In long running TV shows, two things must remain constant throughout. The Characters and the World. And the creators of LOST created perhaps the greatest "world" in the history of television. The Island is perhaps the biggest and most interesting character on the show. Reluctant to reveal it's secrets, its purpose or even why it exists, the island is a menagerie of bizarre, engaging and utterly baffling things. From the Dharma stations to the polar bears, from plane crashes a plenty, the inland shipwrecks, from smoke monsters to caves, underground passageways and bright white lights. Add into that the weather, the scenery and the history and you have something truly spectacular. We never found out just how old the island was, who its first inhabitants are and what might happen if its power was negated or released. And yet, the biggest pull back to LOST will always be the island. Characters and societies in the LOSTverse will come and go, but the Island endures. For it is the great mystery of LOST.

The Lost Blog - Top Ten Greatest Episodes

2010-06-29T16:55:00.001+01:00

Making a list of the ten best epsiodes of LOST isn't an easy task. Hell its difficult to make a top ten for just a single season. Then you have the season finale's. One thing LOST most definitely got right was its season climaxes. Every season ended with such a bang, you were always left wondering how they might possibly top it. And when they did, you were in awe of not only their ambitious and courage, but also with the reality that it was never anything like you predicted; take the last ever episode of proof of this. So here are the ten best episodes of LOST. I have included two and three parters as one, otherwise this list might just be occupied with all those finales. So for those of you who think LOST was never incredible, here is all you need to know about just how high LOST managed to get in terms of jaw droppingly, mind bendingly, breath takingly brilliant TV. Enjoy!

10. Ab Aeterno
Season Six
There are a number of reasons "Ab Aeterno" can be considered one of the highlights of LOST. Not only does it clear up a number of small mysteries such as when and how did the Black Rock end up inland on the Island? How did the four toed statue end up as a four toed statue? And perhaps most importantly, how old is Richard Alpert? Turns out nearly 200 years old. Set in the late 1860s, we learn that Richard was a slave upon the Black Rock, sold into slavery after accidentally killing a doctor on his homeland of Tenerife. We also learn how he came to be Jacob's intermidiary. But what really makes this episode stand out is Nestor Carbonell's performance, which may well be the finest single episode character performance of the entire show. By the shows climax, Richard has been transformed into a mystical, curious and intriguing character to a tortured, heartbroken tragic hero. Add to this the LOST creators desire to tell a strong story rather than just reveal a bunch of backstory makes this episode indispensible. Oh and we also get perhaps the most abstract definition of the island up to this point; basically its a cork (who knew).

9. The Man Behind The Curtain
Season Three

From the moment we learnt who Benjamin Linus was we all craved that backstory. Who was this man and how did he become the evil monster he is? It turns out Ben was a bigger liar and more evil monster than anyone ever thought. He wasn't born on the island, he came there when just a boy as one of the Dharma Initiative. Then, after a visitation from his dead mother he meets Richard (who doesn't look any younger - the first time his agelessness becomes apparent). We learn about his desire to control, the lack of love he felt from his father, and that he was instrumental, maybe even planning it himself, in the "purge". As he sits with his father in that VW Van and puts on the gasmask, it is one of the most shocking moments in the shows history. Oh, and on the island, Ben takes Locke to see "Jacob" and then shoots him, leaving him in the pit with Dharma bodies. Truly epic, mouth watering TV at its best.

8. Exodus
Season One

The Season One finale was a three part extravaganza which saw Michael, Jin and Sawyer set sail on the raft, Jack and Co venture into the island in search of the Black Rock, the first sighting of the black smoke, the opening of the hatch, Rousseau stealing Claire's baby and Sayid and Charlie heading off to get them and the first dramatic, on island appearances of the numbers. Like the show's finale, this was essentially a massive LOST film which offered action, emotion, drama, tension - basically everything you could possibly want from the finale. By the season's climax we had seen Sawyer shot and left in the ocean, with Michael screaming after Walt as "The Others" sail away and Jin is missing, presumed dead. Locke and Jack are left staring down a deep hole in the ground creating what is probably the most infuriatingly audacious season cliffhanger in TV history. Exodus was also the benchmark of LOST and a sign for how dramatic and addictive the show would become.

7. There's No Place Like Home
Season Four

As Season Four shot along to its finale there was a genuine sense that the show was moving into its final act. The freighter people had arrived. The survivors had been culled to just the core major characters, we had flash forwards to give us a hint of what their lives would be like off the island, and for the most part things were better on the island. But we also got a sense that the show new where it was going. The introduction of a handful of new, intriguing characters that would allow us to further explore the island made for interesting viewing, and the introduction of the science of the island through characters such as Faraday started to make everything fall into place. Then came the finale; a three part thriller which begins with the Oceanic Six arriving on the mainland. As the possibility for rescue to the Freighter begins to become a reality, Ben, Hurley and Locke head to the Orchid station to "move the island". Jack and Sawyer also head to the Orchid to rescue Hurley, whilst on the Freighter, Michael, Jin and Desmond attempt to disarm or at the very least prolong the inevtiable explosion of the massive C4 device set up by Keamy. Its a fraught, nail biting climax as Keamy and his men are out manouevered and destroyed by the Others with the help of Kate and Sayid; Sayid toe to toe punch up with Keamy was the shows finest until Season six when Sayid again had a dust up with Dogen. The finale also holds some of the great moments and shocks; Sawyer becoming a hero by jumping off the helicopter to save everyone; Sun's clambering to save Jin as the Freighter explodes; Michael's redemption as he stays with the bomb and of course Ben moving the island. We also see Desmond finally reuniting with Penny and Jack discovers Claire (who he has to pretend he never met) was his half sister. All in all "There's No Place Like Home" comes very close to being the best Season Finale of LOST and completely changes the entire show as the island disappears.

6. Flashes Before Your Eyes
Season Three

Desmond episodes usually rank quite highly. The season 2 finale Live Together, Die Alone nearly made the list in part for the excellent flashback to Desmond's time in the hatch. A wonderful way to end the season. But with "Flashes Before Your Eyes", we see what happened to Desmond as a result of turning the fail-safe (who would have known how important his survival would be). For a lot of the early part of Season 3, Desmond secretly goes round seemingly protecting Claire and saving her from drowning. As Charlie and Hurley grow more and more suspicious of the effects of the hatch implosion on Desmond they decide to get his pissed on McCutcheon whisky to try and extract the truth. What follows is fascinating, edge of your seat TV as we learn Desmond temporally displaced his consciousness back to the time when he was about to propose to Penny. This works wonderfully as a flashback to give us a clear indication of the love Desmond feels for Penny, he sense of unworthiness and how it all ended. What makes this even more interesting is the appearance of Eloise Hawking, a sort of Timecop who warns Desmond about making the "wrong" choice. That she knows so much is a wonderfully intriguing addition to the episode and her argument that the universe has a way of course-correcting comes into play much more prominently later in the show.

5. The Shape of Things To Come
Season Four

This was a big episode full of jaw dropping action, huge emotional beats and moved at such a pace, you barely had time to catch breath before the next massive scene slapped you across the face. Following the untimely death of Rousseau we all knew and expected something big, but not as big as this. The whole thing kicks off with Hurley, Sawyer and Locke playing Risk when a phone call reveals an automated message saying Code 14-J. Everything seems fine until Locke asks Ben what it means and springs into action pulling a shotgun out of the piano chair. As Keamy and his men descend on the Barracks all hell breaks loose as most of the "redshirts" are killed off, Claire's house explodes under missile file and finally Keamy brings out Alex. Ben refuses to leave choosing the island over his daughter and Bang! there goes another cast member. The big shock though is when Ben disappears to "call" the smoke monster and Keamy and his men seem less threatening. As they leave, a showdown between Locke and Sawyer over Hurley keeps the heart racing before they head off for Jacob's Cabin. All that and we haven't even mentioned the flash forward which sees an off island Ben (waking up in the middle of the desert) recruit Sayid, after he coolly dispatched a few Arabs, to help him kill Widmore's men. The episode ends with one of the most tense dialogue exchanges in the shows history as Ben tells Charles he will kill Penny and never let him get back to the island. Instant Classic.

4. The End
Season Six

For a more indepth analysis of LOST's final episode see my blog of the final show. When I first watched this episode for almost 2 hours it was one of, if not, the best two hours of LOST ever. It really did threaten to take top spot in this list, and even now, when I have come to terms with the ending and find it deeply satisfying and incredibly rewarding, it just misses mainly because, well I always expect more from LOST and although this delivers in spades, there is a sense that there wasn't enough story to tell for a finale episode (for example they reach the Source almost instantly, the story is quite linear, and not enough mysteries are revealed). But still, as far as LOST two strengths goes (pulling on heart strings and incredible twists) "The End" has it is spades. Every scene is short, snappy and keeps the pace flowing. With it being the end you never know exactly how it will all end or who will survive. It's also possibly the only season finale where the off island story is as compelling as the on island story. As Desmond and Hurley work together to bring everyone to the concert and trigger the memory of exactly what this place is, every scene is tinged with a feeling of closure. That everything is coming to, well, an end. When the final scenes play out there won't be a dry eye and that they managed to give every single major character in the shows history (well almost) a wonderfully emotional and cathartic ending is genuinely miraculous.

3. Pilot
Season One

For me, as soon as the first add break arrived on Channel 4 all those years ago when LOST premiered on Channel 4, I knew I would stick with this show until it ended. I don't actually remember taking a breath as Jack wakes up in the bamboo, staggers in the direction of screaming and comes upon one of the most dramatic and visceral starts to a TV show ever. The pace, the excitement, the characters, the intrigue, everything which would become synonymous with LOST and reshape TV forever was here in this opening pilot. From the "dinosaur roars" in the jungle, to the French message on a loop, to polar bears in the jungle, to the pilot being ripped out of the cockpit. From the glorious opening, to the superb ending, the characters, the locations, the inherent drama, even the flashbacks were gripping. LOST instantly presented itself as must see TV. Every character seemed drawn from cliche, yet was utterly compelling. There was humour, drama, excitement, pathos, confusion, mystery. You can see why ABC picked up the pilot, and why JJ Abrams was intent on directing. In the words of the late Charlie Pace "Where are we". For Lostites everywhere, that was a question we definitely wanted exploring.

2. Through The Looking Glass
Season Three

As LOST built its reputation for stunning, incredible, show changing season finales, nothing comes close to its Season Three finale "Through The Looking Glass". As Season Three, the shows strongest built to its ending there was never any doubt about its potential to blow your socks off, and it did it constantly for double bill. As the episode begins, Locke is seemingly dead, Juliet as been revealed as a double agent, only to turn into a triple agent. The Others are coming to take the women, Naomi is well and hoping to contact her freighter to offer rescue and Charlie is about to embrace his destiny and make the ulitmate sacrifice. And we have the return of Walt, who tells a suicidal Locke his work isn't done. What makes this episode work so well is that there are three on island plotlines running simultaneously both enhancing and driving the main story forward. While Jack leads everyone to the radio tower to disable Rousseau's message, Jin, Sayid and Bernard wait behind to ambush the Others as Desmond and Charlie head to the Looking Glass to deactive the signal blocking radio transmissions to and from the island. Firstly, the ambush goes awry with only two explosions, Sayid, Bernard and Jin are captured. Sawyer and Juliet, unarmed, return to find out what has gone wrong. Ben moves to intercept Jack and the survivors resulting in one of the greatest scenes in LOST's history as Jack finally plays the hero and beats the crap out of Ben. Hurley, spurned by Charlie on his mission follows, Sawyer and Juliet and saves the Jin, Sayid and Bernard with help of the VW van in another of the shows highlights sequences. Charlie takes on the mantel of preordained hero when captured in the Looking Glass and fulfils Desmond's vision by deactivating the signal, in the shows most tear inducing deaths ever, and Jack finally makes contact with the freighter, despite Locke's re-emergence and attempted murder of Naomi. All of that and we have the shows first ever Flash forward and those famous lines, "We have to go back". Through The Looking Glass in not only the best season finale to LOST ever, but it is probably the greatest season finale to a TV show ever.

1. The Constant
Season Four

And so to number 1. "The Constant" is quite simply the finest hour of TV LOST ever produced. Another Desmond centric episode (I told you his episodes rank highly). What makes The Constant such an excellent episode is that it is 40mins of what LOST does best. Great mystery, intriguing drama, and tear inducing emotional intensity. It also offers one of the finest acting performances from anyone in the show from Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond. The basic story runs as follows; Desmond and Sayid decide to hop on the helicopter with Lapidis. Warned by Faraday to stick to a particular course to avoid any "problems", Lapidis flies into a storm and in the process something happens to Desmond which sees his conscious displace to a time in the past (sometime in the 90s) when he was in the army. Desmond flips when he doesn't recognise anyone on the Freighter (or Sayid) and we soon learn that another crew member (Radzinsky) has been suffering the same thing. When he dies because he lacks a constant, Desmond must try and find one for himself, and with the help of Faraday, both on the island and back in the 90s Desmond chooses Penny and sets up the most emotionally satisfying end to a TV episode ever as for the first time is years Desmond and Penny make contact. I'm not going to lie to you, when I first saw this I was jumping up and down with joy as tears streamed down my face. One of the best moments of TV ever.

A quick note on a few other notable episodes which should never be overlooked across the seasons

Season 1
Walkabout (1x04) - Locke centric episode where we first learn he was in a wheelchair before the crash
Solitary (1x09) - Sayid centric episode, first appearance of Rousseau and Hurley's golf course.

Special (1x14) - We first discover that Walt may be special as Michael and Walt get a flashback
Homecoming (1x15) - Charlie get's his revenge on Ethan.
Deus Ex Machina (1x19) - Boone dies and Locke meets his real father.

Season 2
Man of Science, Man of Faith (2x01) - Locke, Jack and Kate finally make it into the Hatch
The Other 48 Days (2x07) The tailies get their own flashback as we learn just how hard survival has been.
The Long Con (2x13) Sawyer cons everyone (with a little help from Charlie) and steals all the guns.
Lockdown (2x17) Locke gets trapped in the hatch as the timer runs out and he sees the map of stations
Two For The Road (2x20) Ana Lucia and Libby gunned down as "Henry Gale" escapes

Season 3
The Cost of Living (3x05) - Eko stands up to the smoke monster and comes off worse.
The Man From Tallahassee (3x13) - We finally find out how Locke ended up in that wheelchair
Expose (3x14) - Pablo and Nikki special episode. At the time annoying, now scary, exciting and brilliant
The Brig (3x19) Locke offers Sawyer a chance to meet the man who killed his parents
Greatest Hits (3x21) - Charlie makes a list of his greatest moments; both moving and poignant

Season 4
Confirmed Dead (4x02) - Reactions to the crash and death of everyone from Oceanic 815. Huh
The Economist (4x03) - Sayid flash forward, doing what he does best. Seducing women and killing people.
Meet Kevin Johnson (4x08) Michael is back, the island is not done with him yet.
Cabin Fever (4x11) Locke goes in search of the cabin.

Season 5
Jughead (5x03) Still flashing, Faraday helps the Others deal with a hydrogen bomb
This Place is Death (5x05) The flashes start taking their toll, nad Jin and Sun get a flashback/forward.
The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham (5x07) Locke gets off the island and tries to get the 6 to go back
The Variable (5x14) Faraday returns and has a plan to prevent the future.

Season 6
Sundown (6x06) The Smoke Monster goes medieval on the Temple.
Happily Ever After (6x11) Desmond uses his unique talent to cross between timelines.
Across The Sea (5x15) Jacob and Smokey get their own flashback.
What They Died For (5x16) The candidates finally meet Jacob as the pieces move for the final battle.

So, there we have it. The Top Ten episodes of Lost ever, along with the highlights of each season. If these were the only good episodes of the show that would be enough to make LOST one of the best shows of recent years. That there are still some wonderfully brilliant pieces of television and possible only 2 bad episodes across the entire show is a testament to the consistent quality and heights achieved.

2001: A Space Odyssey @ Royal Festival Hall with Live Orchestra

2010-06-28T17:10:00.001+01:00

For a film so famous for its magnificent use of classical music, it came as a surprise when it was announced Friday's screening of 2001 A Space Odyssey with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Voices that it had never been shown with a live orchestral accompaniment. Opening the Royal Society's anniversary Summer Science Exhibition the film brings together some of the Southbank's finest elements. When deciding upon the opening event organisers consulted the BFI who suggested 2001 for its importance within the science fiction genre, but also for its unique credibility and basis in real science. The film also, quite obviously, brings to the fore the great tradition of live musical performance from the Royal Festival Hall, and one of the joys of the night was the lush, acoustically excellent surroundings of the Hall.
Add to that a fresh, digitally restored print courtesy of Warner, who had stripped the musical soundtrack and left only the dialogue and sound effects tracks and the film may have never look so crisp and defined.
The experience itself was wonderful. The musicians giving everything to capture the genius of the music and have it live helped draw you into the hynoptic, emotional brilliance of the images. 2001 is arguably the finest collision of sound and image in cinema history and here it works even better as each string, each drum beat reverberates around the theatre. And the print was exceptionally detailed making each image just as glorious as it has always been.

The film was introduced by Christiane Kubrick who talked about Kubrick's love of film and how flattered he would have been to have the film shown with a live orchestra and from my point of view, the orchestra can feel a sense of pride for making the experience one of those once in a lifetime situations. It took over 40 years for 2001 A Space Odyssey to be screened with a live orchestra, now lets hope it happens much more frequently as everyone with the slightest interest or love of cinema will be overwhelmed by its beauty and majesty.

Ashes To Ashes 2008 - 2010

2010-06-16T13:16:00.001+01:00

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

After nearly five years and five series (if you count Life on Mars) Ashes to Ashes came to a conclusion and the riddle of Gene Hunt was finally solved. It was sad to see one of best British TV characters of the last ten years leave our screens. Having said this, it left a slightly bitter taste.

So what was the answer? The station, the criminals and the Quattro, what were they? As it turned out, this was police purgatory. What about Alex Drake? Well, it turns out she was actually already dead. We had three series of waiting, waiting to see if Drake would wake from her coma and be reunited with her daughter. She wasn’t. She was dead and she had been all along. Considering she had been shot in the head it may have been slightly foolish of us to assume that she would wake up.

What about Chris, Shaz and Ray (who for my money has been the star of all three series). They were all dead too. Ray in the seventies, Chris in the eighties and Shaz in the nineties.

To the big question then. Who was Gene Hunt? Well, he was an angel. A big, burly police angel. He himself was shot dead whilst on duty. Since arriving in purgatory he assumed the position of Chief Superintendant and acted as a guardian for those who have ended up in his station. Hunt was only a teenager when he was killed. He wanted to be the tough guy but never got the chance. Gary Cooper was his hero, hence the references. In this world he is given the opportunity to prove himself.

As for Jim Keats, Gene’s nemesis throughout the series, what is he all about? Just what is his problem? He’s a demon. Yes, a demon whose main interest was to take Gene’s team down to Hell. Fortunately they fought against it, his identity was soon uncovered and Gene was able to usher the guys off to Heaven or in this case The Railway Arms. For those of you who don’t know, this pub was frequented by the officers of Life on Mars. However in Life on Mars, it was just a place to purchase cheap ale not the afterlife.

The one genuinely poignant moment was the realisation that Gene was now alone in the world. He had lost his family and it was time to start a new one. The final scene of Ashes echoed the first scene of Mars with the arrival of a male police officer (presumably from the future) demanding to know what the hell was going on. Gene’s adventure was about to start again.

Now from reading this it sounds as though I was not a fan of either series. This is not true. Life on Mars was one of the best British dramas of the past ten years. It had great stories, well rounded characters and a perfect ending. Ashes to Ashes, whilst not as good, still worked, series two being the strongest of the three.

However the third series, whilst not ignoring the story of the week format, it felt as though this came second place to the writers trying to resolve what this world is really about. This was an impossible task. Also the suggestion that John Simm could return as Sam Tyler was a red herring we could have all done without.

Some might say the final episode was satisfying because all loose ends appeared to be tied. However having all the answers does not necessarily make a great ending. The conclusion of Life on Mars strayed away from trying to resolve the puzzle, instead choosing to focus on character and story. It worked. Ashes to Ashes was trying to create something much more complex, original and meaningful. It got lost along the way.

By Mike Gregory

The Lost Blog - Top Ten Characters

2010-06-02T18:42:00.002+01:00

For a show with so many unforgettable characters ranging from those you love, to those you love to hate, to those who just make you laugh, and even those who annoy you a little, LOST like most truly great TV shows takes its greatest strength from his characters. Below are, in my less than humble opinion, the 10 greatest characters in the history of the show. I apologise if your favourite isn't there, but at the end of the day, these characters represent everything which is bold, ambitious, mysterious and down right excellent about LOST.

10. ROSE AND BERNARD

You've got to love Rose and Bernard. "Retiring" on the island after the island disappears Rose and Bernard were another reason why the creators of LOST were so bold and confident in their creation. There aren't many shows on TV which have a relationship as rich, loving and comforting as Rose and Bernard. They enter the show separately as Rose survives with the main crash and Bernard is one of the few Tailies to survive. Their reunion is without doubt one of the most moving scenes in LOST, made the more so by Rose's constant insistence that Bernard is still alive. As the show progresses difficulties emerge as Rose, dying of cancer before the crash, but now cured, doesn't want to leave, while Bernard, the loving, devoted husband is doing everything he can (including building a giant SOS signal) to get her rescued. What makes them so amazing is that they are given a happy ending. As we see in The Incident when they are stumbled upon and explain their lack of interest in running off into the jungle to do something stupid. They even get a brief cameo in the finale, as they break their "rules" by rescuing Desmond. A final, fitting gesture for a beautiful couple.
GREATEST EPISODE - S.O.S (Season Two)
We finally get a Rose and Bernard centric episode and see the elegant and beautiful way they came to be together and realise the depth of the love they have for each.

9. DANIELLE ROUSSEAU

A crazy French woman who has been living on the island for 16 years since her research team crash landed on the island. A woman who had to kill all of her team, including her lover and father of her daughter. A woman who gave birth to her daughter alone only to see her kidnapped a week later. A woman who has lived alone, surviving on the island making traps and somehow avoiding detection. You can kind of forgive Rousseau for being such a crazy person. Her first appearance in "Solitary" came as a unexpected addition to the characters as she captured and tortured the torturer Sayid. Later she re-emerged telling the survivors that "they" were coming, only to try and steal Claire's baby. Again, you can kind of forgive her. Rousseau was a survivor, someone who had learnt to live in on the island, and someone who understood the deep mysteries and dangers of the island, but wasn't really interested in them. She was also not interested in leaving, this being her home now. When she is finally reunited with Alex, all of the hurt and pain she has lived with all her life is wracked across her face (Mira Furlan is another of the stunning actresses on the show). The real disappoint with Rousseau is that she was so easily disposed off, and so unexpectedly, by Keamy and his team of mercenaries. In hindsight it makes sense, but that made it no less tragic when it happened. It was with her death that I truly realised how beloved she was, and how much I would miss her. That we get a flash sideways glimpse of her with Alex and Ben in "What They Died For" helped repair some of the damage. It's also strange that with a cast of so many female characters Rousseau is the one who stuck with me, the one I was most intrigued with and the one I wanted to know more about.
GREATEST EPISODE - Through The Looking Glass - Season Three
Not only does she supply the dynamite the blows the Others up, but she also leads the survivors to the radio tower and finally turns off her signal, oh, and she is finally reunited with Alex, and cracks Ben with the butt of her gun.

8.DANIEL FARADAY

The last addition to the show to appear on this list, Faraday was one of those characters that almost instantly made you think, now we're gonna get some answers. A mathematical genius and the one who helps Desmond find his constant, Faraday helped us come to terms with the whole time travel aspect of LOST; "Think of the island like a record spinning on a turn table, only now that record is skipping". The first real intrigue around him arrived at the end of "The Constant" when we saw in his little notebook that he'd written Desmond could be his constant, implying some foreknowledge of events to come. Back off the island, and long before he came on the freighter, Faraday was dabbling with temporal displacement and tragically destroyed his lovers mind, and nearly his own. The real tragedy of Faraday though was that all his life he had been pushed down a path he didn't want to walk by a mother who knew from his very birth, the fate which would befall him. In "The Variable", Faraday devises an ingenius plan to destory the electromagnetic pocket, preventing The Incident which would lead to the Hatch being built which would in turn result in Oceanic 815 crashing on the island. Only, he never got to see through his plan, gunned down by his own mother, who at the time didn't know it was him; his last words were to remind her that "she knew" and leave Eloise Hawking his special notepad full of brain fryingly complex physics which explained what was happening on the island.
GREATEST EPISODE - The Variable - (Season Five)
After an absence of some time, Faraday returns with an ingenious plan o save everyone on the island only to meet his demise. A sad tragic life but one which meant so much.

7. RICHARD ALPERT

The man with the black eyeliner who never ages. Richard didn't appear in Lost until Season Three episode 7 "Not in Portland" as he tried to recuirt Juliet to come to work for him. One of the greatest aspects of Alpert's characterisation is his enigmatic quality. Even to so called Island stalwarts like Ben, Richard seems a mystery. Richard's first on island appearance was in "The Man From Tallahassee" six episodes later. For the rest of Season Three Richard is mysterious and barely present. For most of Season Four Richard is also absent, only to appear in Locke's childhood testing his suitability to be leader of The Others, though we didn't know it yet. It's really at this point that Richard became such a fan favourite and the enigma he remained for most of the show, As advisor to Jacob, Richard seemed to have all the answers, but as it turns out, after Jacob's death, he's as much in the dark as all of us. When we find out his back story (Ab Aeterno) we learn he was a slave on the Black Rock and more importantly that the Man in Black first tried to convince him to kill Jacob in his attempt to find a loophole. What finally made Richard so wonderful was that he came to the island due to a tragic love story back in mid 1800s when his wife died. Part of the allure of Richard stems from the fantastic performance from Nestor Carbonell whose performance in "Ab Aeterno" is one of the finest single episode performances in the entire show.
GREATEST EPISODE - Ab Aeterno - (Season Six)
We finally get to see Richard backstory and by god is a heartbreaker. Also, Carbonell's performance is astonishing.

6.JACK SHEPHARD

The life of Jack can really be split in two with the pre and post moments shifting at the "We have to go back" moment at the end of Series Three. For the most part Jack was a tad annoying. Overly earnest, always wanting to fix things and reluctantly, if predictably, becoming the leader of the survivors. This positioned him in a thankless task. While the "cool" characters like Sawyer, Hurley and Locke could go off and enjoy themselves Jack was always tied down to protecting everyone and giving rousing speeches such as "live together, die alone". But what makes Jack so excellent is the flip his character undergoes from "that" moment on. When he cries out "we have to go back", everything on LOST changed forever and suddenly there was a new dynamism to Jack. His journey from man of science to man of faith became complete in my opinion in one of his finest moments when at the request of Richard he offers to help him die by lighting a fuse to some dynamite. Rather than flee, Jack is so sure he has been brought to the island for a reason he sits and watches with a shocked Alpert as the fuse goes out just moments before it blows. From this point on we all knew Jack was "the obvious choice" but more importantly he was the right choice. He was the one who had the power to change everything, to defeat the Man in Black. Jack Shephard went from being an annoyance to one of the most compelling characters in the show and for that reason he makes the list.
GREATEST EPISODE - I Do - Season Three
Jack cuts Ben's dural sac (whatever one of those is) and threatens to leave Ben to die unless they let Kate and Sawyer leave. Not only does this personify Jack but it also shows us a more ruthless interesting side to the man. Jack is beginning to realise how to play the game.

5. JAMES "SAWYER" FORD

When Lost started Sawyer was bloody annoying. All rugged good looks and quick witted charm. He was everything I hoped LOST wouldn't become. Thank science then that he turned out to be such a bone fide hero. Unlike Jack though, or even Locke, Sawyer is the atypical antihero. On the surface he is a brooding, selfish, smart conman, but underneath he is a insecure, weak, tortured soul whose father murdered his mother, then killed himself with Sawyer in the room. Hence the name Sawyer. Ford took the name when his parents died, it being the name of the man who conned his mother and father and led to their deaths. What makes Sawyer such an incredible character is his arc. From a guy who hordes supplies including medical, from the wreckage and cons the entire group out of their weapons to a guy who is willing to sacrifice himself on any number of occasions to save his fellow survivors. He even becomes something of a leader when he and a number of others are left behind and end up in 1974, successfully managing to ingratiate himself and the rest into Dharma life becoming the head of security. Sawyer will also always be remembered for his love triangle with Kate and Jack. For so long this seemed like a central plotline and helped to distinguish to polarity between Jack and Sawyer, but eventually this peetered out and Sawyer became a man defined for his dry wit and cutting insults. His finest moment came when he sacrificed himself to save the Oceanic Six by throwing himself off the helicopter and he will always be remembered for his ability to read others at the drop of a hat and see all angles.
GREATEST EPISODE - The Long Con (Season Two)
While everyone is bickering and getting nervous about the Others, Sawyer exploits Jack, Kate, Locke, Ana Lucia and pretty much the entire camp to find and steal the armoury. "There's a new sheriff in town boys". Classic Sawyer.

4. JOHN LOCKE

If it hadn't been for the fact that John Locke died he might well still be my favourite character. So although his image and the actor remained in the show until the very end, because he wasn't John Locke, it means he as lost the top spot. Locke is the character who grabbed you immediately, from the moment he hurled a massive knife into a chair next to Sawyer. The born hunter who provided food for the Losties and from that shot of him smiling whilst sucking on an orange there has been something captivating about him. Locke enabled us to discover so much about the island. Unchained to protecting the survivors like natural born leader Jack, Locke was able to venture into the island, he was able to look into the eye of the island and what he saw was... beautiful. He took us willingly deep into the mysteries of the island, immediately aware of just how special this place was and that all their fates had brought them here for a reason. This derived from the realisation that Locke was wheelchair bound before landing on the island. Yet despite all this seemingly heroic characters Locke is arguably the weakest and most insecure of all the survivors. Desperately clutching at purpose and reason, for meaning to his existence Locke is fated to be the tragic hero, struck down just when he thought he was about to fulfil his destiny. The great paradox of Locke is that off the island he was a sad pitiful character, and perhaps this is why I like him. I understand his depression for working for a box making company. His desire to find his father and have a meaningful relationship, only to be constantly fooled and conned, and not just by his father. He was the one character I always wanted to succeed, whether it be getting into the Hatch or succeeding Ben as the leader of the Others. The truth though, a truth which unfortunately applies to most people, is that he didn't have what it took. He might have been right about the island, but he was unable to through off the shackles and insecurities of his life. Locke was doomed from the beginning, and that just makes him more loveable.
GREATEST EPISODE - The Man From Tallahassee - (Season Three)
We finally found out how Locke ended up in his wheelchair and Locke makes moves to join the Others.

3. BENJAMIN LINUS
Has there ever been a more evil yet loveable character on TV. A list of his crimes against humanity would make most serial killers or even dictators look like small fry. Benjamin came to the island after the death of his mother in childbirth, a day Ben's father never let him forget. Feeling alone and wanting a place to belong, he is soon recruited by Richard and grows up undercover within the Dharma Initiative only to orchestra first his own Father's death (in a particularly poignant moment - I completely empathised with him which is just wrong) then the genocide of every member of the Dharma Initiative. Benjamin Linus is LOST's Napoleon; a man so addicted to power he will sacrifice his own daughter's life to maintain it. He attempted to kill John Locke not once but twice, and succeeded (the second time obviously), he stole Rousseau's daughter a week after her birth and barely raised an eyebrow when ordering the deaths of loyal Others. He is also possibly the most beaten up character in TV history. But Ben's greatest quality, if quality is the right word, is his ability to manipulate others to get them to think they are doing what they want, when really they are doing exactly what he wants. For five of the six seasons Ben is so perfectly evil and manipulative that its difficult to believe a single word he says or even know what he plans to do next. And he always has a plan, even allowing himself to be beaten or capture just to learn something about his opponents in order to find their weak spot. Ben is quintessentially brilliant both in his characterisation and in Michael Emerson's superb performance
GREATEST EPISODE - The Shape of Things To Come (Season Four)
A heart stoppingly brilliant piece of Television where Ben calls upon the Smoke Monster to seek revenge after the death of Alex.

2. HUGO "HURLEY" REYES"
Unique surely in all of Television history, there is not a single scene in the six years of LOST containing Hurley in which he doesn't raise a smile and get a laugh. Even when facing the life threatening events which seemed to afflict the castaways on a daily basis, somehow Hurley was able to look on the bright side, or at least keep a detached, whimsical view of events. Hurley was loveable, cute, fun to be around and probably of all the characters the one you wish was your friend, because with Hurley in your life, the world just seems a little brighter. Yet for him things weren't really that way. It turns out winning over $100million on the lottery is not the answer to all your questions and Hurley believing to be cursed finds it even harder when he sees his winning numbers on the hatch. It doesn't help that he was once in an insane asylum and can speak to dead people (the two are somewhat connected) but his ability ends up making him integral to events on the island.Hurley is all about the good time; building the golf course so everyone could cut loose, finding the Dharma van and being a mean ping pong player Hurley is reason alone to love LOST. That Hurley inherits the Guardianship of the Island is a poignant and perfect relationship and just feels right. As Jacob said he brought people to the island to prove they were not inherently evil - what better person to prove that fact than Hurley, never holding a grudge and always seeing the best in people.
GREATEST EPISODE - Through the Looking Glass (Season Three)
Hurley uses the Dharma Van to save his fellow Losties and prove he is valuable to the group after all. I literally whoop when that moment happened.

1. DESMOND HUME

First place might have been taken by a character like Walt had he been in the show a bit longer, instead the greatest character in the history of LOST for me is Desmond. Like many a character on LOST Desmond shares his name with a philosopher, but unlike most the shows characters Desmond personifies everything about the show which made it such compulsive addictive viewing. A character overwhelmed my his own sense of cowardice and inferiority he never realises his true heroism until late in the show. Desmond's is also one of the greatest love stories not just in LOST but in TV. His passion and devotion to Penny Widmore is equalled only by her devotion to him. They first meet as Desmond is kicked out of a monestary for drunkenness, his feelings in inadequacy result in his inability to marry her and eventually leads to him being shipwrecked on the island and having to live in The Hatch for three years. Once he escapes he tries to leave but the island isn't done with him. Eventually, after destroying the island, travelling back in time and losing Penny again (though for different reasons) he is finally reunited with Penny and everything seems to end happily ever after. But thanks to Charles Widmore (the main reason for his sense of inadequacy) Desmond is returned to the island as he holds the key to saving the world. Desmond works not just because of Henry Ian Cusick soul bearing performance but because the character is wrapped up in the mystery of the island. The only person able to withstand an electromagnetic event he is integral to events on the island, despite being absent for so much of the show. Without Desmond LOST would make so much less sense and be so less mysterious and heart-wrenching and for that reason he is quite simply the greatest character ever in LOST.
GREATEST EPISODE: The Constant (Season Four)
Desmond is finally reunited, if only by phone, with his true love Penny for the most tear jerking moment in Lost history.

Lost Season 6 Finale - The End - Review

2010-06-02T13:35:00.004+01:00

"I don't believe in a lot of things but I do believe in duct tape."

So, after 6 long years of confusion, mysteries, action, romance, heartbreak, twists and amazing scenery Lost has finally come to an end with the final episode, appropriately titled The End. At 2 1/2 hours it is certainly one of the longest and most epic season finales in history and similarly to recent season finales it seems to have polarized audiences in equal measure.
So to be fair and write an objective (with a smattering of the subjective thrown in) review I will outline both the good and bad things about the final episode followed by a conclusion on my personal thoughts of Lost.

AGAINST

"I've got a bad feeling about this"

The real big problem with the ending of Lost was two fold; firstly the answers we had been "promised" never came. I can see why this would irk so many people. I personally wanted to know who, when and why The Statue of Tawaret was built especially as "Across The Sea" inferred that the Egyptians existed or visited the island prior to Jacob's time there. I also wanted to know who, when and why the Temple was built. There were other questions pertaining to what the Island actually was, what the source was and why it was so important to be protected, but in some ways these questions were answered. The annoyance seems to be that absolutely no questions where answered and if anything more were raised.
The second major point of annoyance seems to stem from the final big twist and revelation about the "flash sideways" timeline. For me what initially made this seem so wrong was that tonally it didn't seem to fit, it had no precedent in any of the previous five seasons and also could be argued it never fully explained its connection to the main storyline. All this seems to have led to the assumption that Lindelof and Cuse we're making it as they went along and this ending, on first viewing, failed to fit with the tone or resolve the main themes of the show. Add to this that the ending worked as a massive twist unlike anything in Lost's history and you can see why so many people grumbled that Lost had finally, well, lost it.
On a personal note the actual ending, despite know feeling so apt and inspired, actually felt somewhat abupt on my first viewing; I expected the story to continue and tie up some of the loose ends which were left dangling.

FOR

"Christian Shepherd, seriously?"

Lost season finales having always had multiple storylines, fast paced plots and massive reveals or twists and "The End" was no different. In fact for the most part it was superior to anything Lost had ever done before. A real sense of tension, suspense and pace exploded as soon as the show began, especially as Hurley said "I have a bad feeling about this" which marked the second Star Wars reference in as many minutes and set up a nail biting, toe tapping ending. Following the opening the show continued to raise the stakes and crank up the pressure with a quick reappearance of some old beloved characters. Ultimately though the end stuck closely to the heart of the show focusing on the characters and it was wonderful to see so many of the shows long dead characters return. What was really special was the devotion Lindelof and Cuse demonstrated for almost every major character from the series. It would take a cold hearted person not to reach for the kleenex at least once in the episode, and for getting the balance between plot, pace and emotion so right they should be commended.

The truly great thing about the show though was that it feel so epic in scope and execution. The final battles felt bigger and more important than anything before it and every major character seemed to get at least one great scene either by reuniting them with old characters or just through their actions (personal favourite was when Hurley saw Charlie again then shot him).

So in conclusion I can completely understand the annoyance a lot of fans have had with the end of Lost but I also see, from the reviews I've read, that the man reason for disappointment is that Lost never pandered to what their fans wanted instead sticking firm to their idea and conclusion of the show. And at the end of the day the reason I love Lost isn't just the mysteries, the plots, the characters or the scenery, it is because it has always provoked a strong reaction, has been bold, confrontational and above all, has got me thinking and deliberating what the hell I just saw, which the ending has certainly done. There may be some flaws with the show and the ending, and people who aren't prepared to give themselves over to the show are probably never going to love it, but for me, after letting those final few images sink in I can only say this. Lost is without doubt one of the finest pieces of television ever created and I wouldn't change a thing.

Dennis Hopper - 1936 - 2010

2010-06-01T17:38:00.000+01:00

Dennis Hopper must be one of the coolest and most iconic actors in film history. A close friend of James Dean after they met on Rebel Without a Cause (1955), studied at the Actors Studio with Marlon Brando, wrote and directed and starred in iconically cool film Easy Rider (1969) was the oxygen sniffing sadomasochist in Blue Velvet (1986), the insanely brilliant photographer in Apocalypse Now (1979), the disgruntled ex cop villain in superb actioner Speed (1994), starred in Tarantino's greatest ever scene in True Romance (1993), was the ludicrously silly villain in the ludicrously silly Waterworld (1995) as well as being the original bad guy facing off against Jack Bauer in 24.
It amazing how you forget how many iconic films Hopper starred in and more importantly how many of them are iconic because of him. I'm not interested in how crazy his personal life, because what's left are some of the most entertaining, brilliant and enjoyable films made in the past 50 years and with a career that included working alongside James Dean, Marlon Brando, John Wayne,Christopher Walken, Kiefer Sutherland, Martin Sheen, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.
as well working with directors as talented as David Lynch, Nicolas Ray, Francis Ford Coppola, George A. Romero, Tony Scott, Henry Hathaway and John Sturges.
Hopper was irrepressible, he was eye catching, scene stealing and always watchable, even in the most dire films he churned out along the six decades he worked.
He will be missed but he will also be remembered, for the films that live on are always better for his involvement.
And in the words of the great Frank Booth - Let's hit the fuckin' road.

The Trial - 1962

2010-05-19T13:24:00.001+01:00

Most famous for Citizen Kane it is often forgotten just how many classic films Orson Welles eventually made. And The Trial is one of them. Adapted, for the most part faithfully, from Franz Kafka's novel, The Trial stars Anthony Perkins as Joseph K. the beleagured bank clerk arrested and put on trial for a crime he has no knowledge of, and can find no knowledge of. Sticking closely to Kafka's novel Welles brings the absurdist and insanity inducing story to life through wonderful use of camera movement, placement and framing as well as lighting which echoes the classic film noirs of the 40s. The film begins and continues to feel more and more claustrophobic as Joseph K. futilely attempts to uncover his crime and prove his innocence. As each avenue closes itself off to K. it becomes ever more clear that he is destined to a fate he has no control over.
Perkins is excellent in the central role, all paranoia, fidgety mannerisms which recall the classic performance of Norman Bates two years earlier. Welles himself plays the Advocate with devilish relish and takes it upon himself to retell the biblical story towards the films climax regarding the man sent to a room but stopped by a guard who will not let him pass. The cast is bolstered by a strong female presence in Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider and Elsa Martinelli.
The production of the film arose when Alexander Salkind approached Welles to adapt a story of his choice promising complete artistic control and the film was shot on the abandoned railway station, Gare d'Orsay which Welles used to wonderful effect.
As adaptations go Welles' The Trial is a wonderful film, in many ways superior to Kafka's book as he elevates the film from pure faithful adaptation utilising the qualities and strengths of his art form to bring out the tone and sense of despair from the book in wonderfully visual and engaging way. No image or frame in the film is not stimulating and moving toward the fatalistic ending, and certain stand out locations and scenes such as the Titorelli painter sequence and the final Cathedral scene are so evocative and scary that they achieve so much more than the book does.
Welles made a number of masterpieces following Citizen Kane and The Trial is one of them. Whether a fan of the book or just a lover of great visual sotrytelling, The Trial is a delight to behold.

I Am Love - 2010

2010-05-19T12:41:00.000+01:00

I Am Love is another film which reinforces the notion that Italian cinema is experiencing something of a resugence at the moment. Following such wonderful films as Gommorah and Il Divo, I Am Love continues to push forward with a new breed of great Italian filmmakers. The film centres on the lives of wealthy aristocratic family the Recchis'. Opening on the birthday party of the father (Edoardo) of the family, who announces his retirement from the family business leaving it to his son (Tancredi) and his grandson (Edo), proclaiming it will take two men to follow in his footsteps, the film goes on to chart the individual lives of the family; focuses mainly on Emma, wife of Tancredi. Its a sign of Edoardo's and the Recchi's arrogance and grandiose self image that he believes it would take two men to carry on the business. This arrogance is echoed in the news that the Grandson Edo has finished 2nd in a race earlier in the day. Something unheard of in the Recchi family. The winner of that race; a chef Antonio; someone lacking the elegant grandeur of the family becomes the man who eventually penetrates the family and leads to the breaking down on the unit. Firstly, at the impetus of Edo, they embark on a plan to open a restaurant in a secluded country spot hours away from civilisation. During his burgeoning friendship with the Edo he comes more and more into contact with Edo's Mother Emma, who as the story unfolds is revealed to be a Russian, and seems somewhat out of place in this world. Tilda Swinton's wonderfully understated performance of a woman tied to a family and its rituals, wanting to break free. The first sign of this arrives when she tries Antonio's food; an orgasmic release of emotion previously unseen in the film.
Gradually Emma embarks on a dangerous affair with Antonio which threatens to tear the family apart.
The film is shot in beautifully subdued tones, the film shot almost entirely using natural light. This gives the film a certain quality as though there is a darkness, a secretive nature to not just the characters but also the family. Later when Emma embarks on her affair, we get the golden hues on the countryside which feels refreshing and like a breakthrough from the dark, drab life she inhabits in the family home.
The main problem with the film is its inability to draw me in to the lives of those of the family. I felt very little emotional connection to any of the characters and the film became more a cerebral than emotional experience, but a very good one at that.

Heart of Glass - 1976

2010-05-12T17:27:00.002+01:00

After the opening few scenes of Werner Herzog's Herz aus Glas a hypnotic effect is created upon the viewer. The world Herzog creates through the unfolding of the story and Jorg Schmidt-Reitwein stunningly evocative cinematography is bewitching, absorbing and yet distancing in a strange, surreal way. The film tells the story of a pre-industrial Bavarian village in which all the inhabitants have fallen into madness after the death of the local glass blower, who has taken the secret of his ruby glass. A seer from the hills then arrives in the village with ominous prophecies of doom.
Herzog is known for his challenging films and Heart of Glass is up there with the weirdest them. The most fascinating and strangely terrifying thing about the film are the performances; the actors performing their roles hypnotised. This adds to the eerie atmosphere created by Herzog as each character reacts in unnatrual ways to the events going around them, and everyone appears under a spell.
Although Heart of Glass is an absorbing, unique and beautifully made film, I found it a tad hollow as it failed to connect with me in a deep, emotional way. Although Herzog exploits to the best of his ability the sense of loss and fear the village feels at the death of the glass blower, it never quite manages to reach the heights of Nosferatu or Aguirre which both have similar aura's about them.
Another bizarre yet brilliant film from Herzog which may be difficult to enjoy or engage with but is no less fascinating for it.

Shortbus - 2006

2010-05-12T17:20:00.000+01:00

I watched Shortbus not because I'm a perve, or have a filthy mind, or even to surprise my girlfriend with what, from the opening sequence feels as though it is going to be a porno. Instead I am fascinated by cinema's inability to make films in which the central subject matter is sex itself. On numerous occasions cinema has managed to achieve genuinely erotic, intimate, passionate, lustful or downright sexy sex scenes - the irony being that all of these scenes are simulated sex. With Shortbus and a number of other films of recent years including Intimacy and 9 songs, the boundaries between simulated and real sex, and cinema and pornography have merged. Similar to violence in cinema which over the past ten years has become so graphic to the point of feeling pornographic it certainly feels as though the restrictions facing modern filmmakers are becoming ever more relaxed. Yet where cinematic violence can on occasion achieve an artistic and brilliant level of both relevance and enjoyment (if enjoyment is the correct word), sex is cinema, as it becomes more graphic becomes less dramatic and actually stands to make these films tedious, pointless and utterly devoid of pleasure - so very much unlike sex. It may be that while their is a level of complicity which exists in violence on screen, and you can either indulge that primal side of your nature, exorcising those parts of your mind which can in no other way, beyond actual violence, be purged, with sex it fails to work.
This, to my mind, seems to be that sex is an extremely initmate affair, and even when it involves more than 2 people their is a connection which exists between those partaking in sex which can never be replicated with a cinema audience. Sex, and the initmacy which is intrinsic to its act is almost internal, and so something is lost when you watch it. Unlike say porn which is clearly just for the audience to get off, sex in cinema attempts to recreate that intimacy, or passion, or even lust, which we all secretly know doesn't exist in porn and thankfully the pornstars seem completely aware of it. Its a mechanical act devoid of emotion. And so Shortbus, the most explicitly sexual mainstream film fails resoundingly on its one big selling point.

The film also fails on its more traditional and conventional cinematic levels as well such as story and character. The array of characters on display are barely likeable, the story is disengaging and by the end you couldn't care less if the main character has never had an orgasm (although you do feel compelled to point out that she might be going about it all wrong). The gay couple do nothing to elicit sympathy and nobody else manages to achieve anything close to empathy or sympathy throughout the entire film. Which is a shame because I had hoped Shortbus would be the first film to deal with the issue of sex in cinema and actually make it engaging, emotional and entertaining.

Centurion - 2010

2010-05-12T13:19:00.000+01:00

Neil Marhsall is a filmmaker who as garnered my interest and I constantly look forward to his latest film. This opinion comes from both Dog Soldiers, an excellent British Werewolf horror with great wit and humour, and the The Descent, arguably the best horror film of the past decade, and an incredibly terrifying yet character driven film. His third film, which I've yet to see, Doomsday, wasn't well recieved and followed a similar model of putting a small band of characters in an inhospitable scenario and then slowly killing them off. Centurion, his latest effort follows the same tried and tested path.
The film begins with Michael Fassbinder's Quintus Dias, Roman Centurion and son of a Gladiator, as he flees from captitvity at the hands of the ruthless Picts. Following his escape he is teamed up with the Ninth Legion of Rome in Britain as ther make ready their invasion of the Pict territory in Scotland. What follows is the decimation of the Legion at the hands of the Picts and the attempt of the few remaining survivors to get back to Roman occupied land before a Pict search party can hunt them down and murder them all.
One of the principal problems I felt in this film was just how low budget it felt. Unlike say Gladiator, or any number of Roman set epics, this film felt small, and suffered for it. The initial battle between the Picts and the Roman's feels tiny in comparison to say the opening battle of Gladiator. The "Legion" representing nothing more than about 100 hundred men.
Thankfully though, the film really kicks into gear and the adrenalin got pumping when the band of survivors set out on their mission to first, rescue the General and then flee to the safety of Britain. It's here that Marshall, from the experience gained in his previous work, really begins to express himself as Fassbinder and a band of recognisable British faces (David Morrissey, Noel Clarke, Riz Ahmed and Liam Cunningham who seems to be in everything these days) and a few others. The film resembled Dog Soldiers on the run, but with less wry wit and poorer action sequences.
The main problem for me though was in the lack of a real theme. A minor subplot involving a witch (yes!) felt contrived and set up to provide an ending which was predictable, telegraphed and disappointing. The other problem was that the Roman's were made out to be the bad guys invading the Picts land and so I was never really sure who to root for. Add to that the Picts being depicted as a bunch of super human native killers which fell the wrong side of cliche and the film seemed to enjoy seeing the Roman's defeated by the Picts, whilst also asking us to root for the few surviving Romans.
Despite all the flaws when Marshall lets rip with fake blood and big weapons you'll find few complaints from me. It's just a shame the story and characters weren't as rich as those in Dog Soldiers or The Descent.

Iron Man 2 - 2010

2010-05-12T11:16:00.000+01:00

For me the first Iron Man film felt a tad lightweight and a little underwhelming but was held together and utterly enjoyable thanks to the strong cast (mainly Robert Downey Jr, but also the effortlessly captivating Gwyneth Paltrow). In many ways it reminded me of the first X-Men film. A film which had made the most of its budget, whilst never really being able to hide it. Add to this that Irom Man was an origin story which invariably suffers from a lack of forward momentum and big set pieces (the original Superman being the exception.) and Iron Man was good, but nothing more.
So I came to Iron Man 2 expecting Favreau and his team to have ironed (pardon the pun) out most of the weaknesses which beset the first film. What I found was a film equally enjoyable but equally frustrating. The film had only two main action sequences, and only one which actually featured Iron Man. Although both were excellent, I never felt the exhilarating heart thumping I expect from Summer blockbusters, and even more so from comic book films.
Favreau and screenwriter Justin Theroux focus the story on Tony Stark and its a clever and entertaining addition that the power source which is keeping him alive is slowly (or not so slowly) killing him. This added an antagonist in the absence of a direct antagonist for most of the films running time. Which is really the main problem with the film and Iron Man/Tony Stark as a character. Sam Rockwell joins the cast as competitor weapons developer Justin Hammer looking to exploit Stark's knowledge and gain access to an Iron Man suit, but despite another good performance from Rockwell, Hammer is just not a threat to either Stark and his empire or Iron Man. Similarly, Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko, who is the central bad guy of the film is missing for much of the 2nd act, and only comes to the fore towards the end.
But Iron Man is still very watchable; Paltrow, Cheadle (replacing Terence Howard as James Rhodes), Johannson and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury make the film an enjoyable ride, even if the film never reaches the amazing heights one comes to expect from an comic book film. One of the subplots should get fanboys ready as Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. comes more the the fore ready for The Avengers in 2012.
That film focuses more on Stark than Iron Man is another commendable decision, and with Downey Jr being possibly the most watchable actor working today it makes sense for the film to foreground Stark over Iron Man, but the scales tip too much in favour of Stark for me - even to the detriment of most of the supporting cast. With Cheadle in your film you would expect a little more, and his emergence as War Machine could have been heightened. Add to that the rather pointless inclusion of Scarlett Johansson, who despite a rather cool action scene adds very little to the story.

Overall then Iron Man 2 is no better but no worse than Iron Man, and should be commended for not falling into the trap of overloading the story with big villains and massive set pieces, but could have at least done with one more good action scene. But what it lacks in acion it makes up with charm and comic moments.

Cemetery Junction - 2010

2010-05-05T15:47:00.001+01:00

The debut film from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant arrived with a certain amount of expectation. After creating one of the finest British sitcoms in The Office, followed it up with the excellent if flawed Extras you could be forgiven for thinking Cemetery Junction would be the best thing since sliced bread.

It's with reluctance then that I have to admit the disappointment I felt coming out of Cemetery Junction. It's not a bad film, not by any stretch of the imagination. It's actually very good, both funny and moving, silly and poignant, its just that it is never enough of one thing to elevate it above a run of the mill British comedy. Compare it to other recent comedies from TV stalwarts such as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Borat or In The Loop and as a comedy is comes last by a long way. Given the reputation of Gervais and Merchant and the comedy gold they have mined previously it feels very lightweight in the comedy quota, and those moments of comedy which are sprinkled throughout are so good, your left wondering why there aren't more.

Similarly, when one remembers The Office it is as much for the pathos and moments of genuine emotion as for the comedy cringing of David Brent. Yet in Cemetery Junction, bar Bruce (Tom Hughes) and his relationship with his father, the film rarely reaches the emotional heights of The Office, or even Extras for that matter.
I loathe having to compare the film to the TV shows but when a film comes with expectations, and in watching it you are reminded of how good it could have been, the comparisons are almost inevtiable.

The central story revolves around three friends, Freddie, our hero, who wants to break free of the life that awaits him, as personified by Gervais (here playing himself yet again) who plays his father, a factory worker his entire life, his best friend Bruce, destined to end up either in prison or stuck in the factory, who constantly states his intention to leave, but never gets round to it, and Snork, the cliche-rdidden fat friend who might just find love, if he could only think before he speaks.

The main problem with the film doesn't lie in its lack of continuous comedy, or as a serious drama, but rather with the lack of stakes. This is a small story about small characters in a small world. Whatever happens will have no real impact on their lives, beyond their own aspirations or dreams being doused, and as such as a viewer I was left wondering what the point was. The film never attempts to say anything too big, their are hints about the era (1977) being a time when a shift is taking place, as the old paternal figures are constantly ridiculed for their archaic notions and attitudes, but this is subsidiary the central story.

The other problem is in the focus. While Freddie and his burgeoning love for Julie is the central plot, it would have made much more sense to foreground Bruce, as the poster does, and explore more his relationship with his father; a final dialogue free scene is tear-droppingly poignant in a way the rest of the film never comes close to and only hints at just how good this film could have been.

Thankfully the film is held up by a few strong quirky characters and a supporting cast including Emily Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Matthew Goode and Stephen Spiers that provide most of the drama. But ultimately, when you expect so much from such talent you never expect such an underwhelmingly good film. It might feel unique as a British comedy, not falling into either the Richard Curtis mold or social realism, but then it has hardly created any new. Here's hoping for their next effort Gervais/Merchant can find the charm of Cemetery Junction, but with more laughs and more heart.

Michael Haneke, The Films of.

2010-05-05T14:29:00.000+01:00

This week I complete my viewing of all of Michael Haneke's theatrical work, excluding The Castle (originally made for TV) with Benny's Video (1992) and the original Funny Games (1997). I first came to Michael Haneke through Cache (2005), after the film recieved such glowing reviews, and starred Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil. The film, about one man's guilt over the post colonialism of French Algeria, relating to a choice he made as a child, and resurfacing after he recieves a number of video tapes of his apartment, and a series of childish drawings. This was followed by a unique cinematic experience watching his American remake of Funny Games. Its rare for me to experience a film in which most of the audience has left by the end; it happened with Southland Tales (because it was dire), it happened with Antichrist (because it was dire and shocking) and it happened with Funny Games U.S. because it forced the audience to be complicit in what occured on screen, but was no less brilliant, if hardly entertaining.
Finally, last year I saw The White Ribbon, one of the best films of the past ten years. I sat in awe of the genius on display in the film, my mind overwhelmed by the genius on display, and my heart leaping at every moment of cinematic wonder. Having seen these films I decided to seek out his entire oeurve and have since seen all his films, except the previously mention The Castle.
The Seven Continent (Der Siebente Kontinet) was Haneke's first featue film, having worked within TV for years, and it told the true life tale of a family in Austria who decided one day to through off the shackles of life, overwhelmed by the feelings of alienation of distanciation prevelant in modern society, and destroy all their possessions before finally commiting suicide. The film is close the unwatchable, with Haneke obsessed with the rituals of modern living, and we barely even see the faces of the family throughout the story. Of all of Haneke's films it felt the weakest, and it wasn't until the final images, as it was revealed to be based on a true story that the weight of the film hit me.
His follow up, Benny's Video, which forms the 2nd part of a trilogy (though content and characters don't carry over, it being more a thematic triumvirate) is similar in many ways to The Seven Continent. Haneke seems less concerned with emotion engagement, but rather distancing the audience and forcing them to become aware of themselves in the act of watching the story unfold. In this case, about a teenage boy who murders a young girl, and then recieves aid from his parents in covering up the murder. The impact of the film is lasting, but again, with a lack of emotional engagement you are as disturbed as you are engrossed.
Following this Haneke made 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance. Looking past the ever so slightly pretensious title, the film is actually an excellent multi-stranded narrative about a group of alienation individuals, both in relation to each other, and themselves, whose stories culminate in a shocking and unexpected act of violence (somewhat unsurprising for Haneke). The film itself, in my opinion sees a step up in quality from Haneke, and begins to hint at the genius to come.
The original Funny Games, made 10 years before its American remake, takes some of Haneke's trademarks - violence, audience complicity, distanciation over emotional engagment to an extreme, and works so brilliantly as an essay on audience enjoyment of screen violence which Haneke subverts.
Haneke moved away from his early obsession with placing the audience in a position of self awareness for his next few films, although the concept never left his work. Code Unknown, marked his first collobaration with Juliette Binoche, and the film is another multi-stranded narrative which focuses of a group of people who come together in the opening scene and then spiral off in their disparate lives. Haneke here is commetning on the lack of communication and alienation felt between differing ethic and cultural backgrounds. The film is framed by scenes in a school for the deaf, as they try to communicate through actions. For me this is one of Haneke's most engaging and thought provoking films, and I still find myself pondering its brillance.
The Piano Teacher is possibly Haneke's most disturbing film as it deals with Issabella Huppert's piano tutor and her sado-masochistic tendencies which comes out when a student develops a crush on her, add to this some blatant Freudianism as Huppert's character tries to seduce her overbearing mother and you have a film which is equal parts brilliant and gross.
The next three films of Haneke were those which introduced me to his work, the highlight of which for me is The White Ribbon, an astonishing brilliant film about the seeds of facism, which like his other work are set in a specific location, in this instance Germany just before the outbreak of WW1, but the themes and ideas are universal.
Haneke is one of the most impressive, interesting and acclaimed directors working today and his clarity of vision across his entire filmography which is almost unparralled in modern cinema. I for one will be anticipating his next feature with baited breath. If he can surpass Cache and The White Ribbon, who knows just how good a film it could be.

The Ghost Writer - 2010

2010-04-27T10:21:00.001+01:00

Roman Polanski's new film, The Ghost Writer, based on the book by Robert Harris, is a strong, entertaining and enjoyable thriller. With a less than subtle subtext about Tony Blair, his war with Iraq, being America's whipping boy and the Western worlds policy on torture, and our Government's complicity in such acts.

The basic story revolves around Ewan McGregor, newly appointed ghost writer for Pierce Brosnan's former British Prime Minister Adam Lang's Memoirs. He is hired after the original ghost writer, a loyal long time aide who has apparently died either by suicide or accident. The mystery surrounding his death throws a shroud of intrigue and mystery not only over the ghost writers job but also over Adam Lang, who quickly becomes under investigation for war crimes by the Hague. As the ghost writer tries to shape the secretive memoirs into something more engaging and interesting, he begins to uncover a mystery, the truth of which may be hidden in the draft of the memoirs.

What makes this film so entertaining is that it sees a return to form for Ewan McGregor, in one of his most engaging and likeable roles in years. Brosnan also gives a wonderful supporting role as the beleagured former Prime Minister, and rather than try and resemble Blair, he offers his own take on a role, so close to Blair. His Adam Lang is both strong, powerful and direct, as well as being vulnerable, weak and angry. The two central roles are supported by Olivia Williams in a stunning turn as the Prime Minister's wife, a woman who represents both the power behind the thrown, and a scorned lover, who loathes the life she now leads. Kim Cattrall looks stunningly beautiful, playing her age, unlike her role in Sex and the City, as Lang's most loyal of PAs and the cast is reinforced by Tom Wilkinson in a cameo.

Overall The Ghost Writer can be considered a return to form and in my opinion is probably his best work since the late 70s. Despite this, the film never reaches the heights of his masterpiece Chinatown or some of his earlier work such as Cul-De-Sac or Rosemary's Baby. The script written by Polanski and Harris is strong for the most part, even though it wavers a little in the middle of the 2nd act, and struggles on occasion to justify the arc of the Ghost. However, come the climax the film had me gripped, as I wondered how this compelling, excellent drama might resolve itself. Which is a testament to the writing and directing, as I never saw the ending coming.

Clash of the Titans 3D

2010-04-19T15:26:00.000+01:00

Most of the criticism hurled at Clash of the Titans has been aimed squarely at its conversion from 2D to 3D and although it never reaches the dazzling 3D heights of James Cameron's Avatar (did anyone really expect it would) the 3D isn't all that bad, bar some ropey moments and certain scenes which look 3D absent.
The story however is something else. Taken lightly from the ancient myth of Perseus, demi-god son of Zeus, who must save Argos from the wrath of Zeus and Hades. The film seems to take liberally from other myths, and does little to stick to the original story, but then would you really expect it.
Similarly, anyone expecting stellar acting from a strong cast will equally be disappointed as Ralph Fiennes reminds you Voldermort with his whispering tones as Hades, Liam Neeson does everything he can to maintain dignity as a giant glowing Zeus in his silver body armour. Sam Worthington places the reluctant hero Perseus, and once again failed to convince me that he is the next big thing. That's three films Worthington has starred in (Terminator Salvation, Avatar and Clash of the Titans) where he essentially plays the same character with a similar arc, but here is poor performance is more to do with a limited script and poor directing.
The only reason to see Clash of the Titans is the action. Fights with giant scorpions (quite good), Medusa (a little dissapointing and not nearly scary enough) and finally the Kraken (again a bit of a disappointment). But despite this, the film flows along nicely, conjures up memories of the early Mummy films, Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings without ever really scaling the heights those films conjured (although it does occasionally surpass some of their low points).
In the end then Clash of the Titans is really only a disappointment if you foolishly expected it to be any good. It's not a terrible film, but won't live on as either a classic summer blockbuster or even a cult movie. Instead it will be very quickly forgotten as it offers nothing new or original to the fantasy genre, nor computer generated effects and will do nothing for the careers of anyone involved.
What it is, if you're willing to leave you brain at the door is good fun with some fun action scenes and some excellent myths.
Overall then Clash of the Titans won't rock any boats or even turn you to stone with boredom, but was in my opinion a good, fun film to watch about men in short skirts fighting giant monsters, which can only ever really hope to be good fun.

Crazy Heart - 2010

2010-03-02T16:13:00.000Z

Crazy Heart is one of those films which feels fresh and familiar at the same time. Watching the film I couldn't help but feel as though I had seen this film, or this type of film; about an aging musician (artist) struggling with some form of addiction whilst trying to get his career back on track. In this way Crazy Heart is something of a dissapointment. It never attempts to offer a new slant, or element of originality into an overly familiar sub genre. What it does, and does well, is use a great cast and some great performances to create a film which is uplifting and entertaining, but mainly because you are watching Jeff Bridges, and not just the actor, but elements of the characters he has played over his career. This is like a 2 hour love letter to the fans of Jeff Bridges, of which I am one. Throw in Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall and you can't help but enjoy the experience, even if Farrell and Duvall feel criminally underused. Add to this the always watchable and usually magnificent Maggie Gyllenhaal and Crazy Heart becomes one of the easiest films to watch in recent years. This however is as much a credit as a criticism. The film is pitched at the middle of the road, never commiting to addressing the issues ot alcoholism and how damaging it is. In fact for all of the plaudits Bridges has received he is never required to do anything you knew he could do already. The same is true of Gyllenhaal who never feels stretched. It's a film which had it not been for the cast, would probably have fallen into obscurity and not received the critical attention it deserves.

Having said that, there are many commendable elements to the film beyond the cast. Scott Cooper, in a directorial debut gives the film a beautiful look and draws out some strong performances from those all around, and having written the script as well, also does a fairly good job but the real quality lies in the music, composed by T-Bone Burnett, who worked on O Brother Where Art Thou.

Ultimately this film feels like a vehicle for Jeff Bridges and its thanks to him that the film is so enjoyable even if there is never any sense that he will be in serious trouble and his career will be permanently derailed. It's also no surprise to learn that before Fox Searchlight picked it up it was due to be released as a straight to video.

Nostalgia - 1983

2010-02-10T13:16:00.000Z

Andrei Tarkovsky doesn't do fast paced, or clearly understandable plots or story. Instead his films are meditations, poetic both narrative and in his visually arresting images. Time seems to be a preoccupation in all of his films, and in Nostalgia it is ever present, from the slow, drawn out pace, to the memories of protagonist Gorchakov, a Russian poet travelling through Italy researching the life of a composer (Sosnovsky). Whilst there Gorchakov befriends a local madman in a Tuscan village - who similarly feels a sense of displacement and longing for the past. The madmen tells Gorchakov that he wishes to walk across a sulphurous pool with a lit candle and if he achieves it he will save the world.

As with other Tarkovsky films there is a strong sense of the passage of time, and regular motifs of water and fire as well as memories permeate Tarkovsky's images - enhancing the feeling of poeticism which seems to be a stylistic preoccupation for the Russian filmmaker. By the films conclusion, a repeat of the opening sequence but shot from a different perspective reveals and seems to tie together a lot of the themes the film and Tarkovsky are pre-occupied

The film is also interesting as it is the first film made outside of Russia, and is cowritten by Tonino Guerra who was a lifelong contributor of Michelangelo Antonioni. It was shot by Guiseppe Lanci and stars Oleg Yankovsky, Erland Josephson, Domiziana Giordano

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - 1974

2010-02-08T13:01:00.001Z

A far as horror cinema is concerned, there is nothing a streamlined, or purposefully designed and created to terrify audiences as much as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. From its very first image to the last brain frying scene the film is haunting, harrowing, disturbing and any other adjective you can think of to describe the absolute abject terror this film instils within its audience. It might look cheap, you may even feel the acting isn't very good (your wrong), and it may seem utterly unbelievable, and yet all of this essentially makes the film even scarier. The camera work and grainy film stock make it feel as though you are there, crammed inside the camper van. The blistering heat can be physically felt when you watch the film, and to call it unbelievable is to ignore the true life serial killer Ed Gein, upon whom the film is based. It may has taken the concept or artistic license to a extreme, but from the opening voiceover you immediately feel as though this may well have actually happened, and that in the 1970s there may well have been places in America where this could happen.

Horror cinema, especially from the 70s onwards has made great use of the "hick town" middle of nowhere idea and the inbred, cannibalistic tendencies, including most recently films like Cabin Fever. That each of them owes a massive debt to TCSM is evident only when you rewatch it. The story of the making of the film is also as interesting and unnerving as the film itself. Take for example the scene when Leatherface chases Marilyn Burns' Sally up the stairs in the house. Gunnar Hansen, the actor carrying the working chain saw, couldn't actually see Marilyn and so had no idea just how close the swinging chain saw was to striking her. The final scene in the house, with the "he-can't-seriously-be-alive" grandpa, was shot in the day time, in the summer, with temperatures well over 100 degrees and one of the crew accidently injected herself with formaldehyde when creating the set of the house.

The reputation of TCSM has also helped to create the aura of terror which now surrounds the film. Banned as part of the video nasty era in the 1980s the film built a cult following and reputation for being one of the most violent films ever made. And yet, watching it now, it is amazing how little violence is actually shown onscreen. Though 4 teenagers a brutally murdered, the violence is not explicit in say the way the Saw films are. The horror is all implied - for example in the scene when helpless Pam is hoisted up and put on a meathook. At no point do you see flesh penetrated, instead the image is left to the imagination, making it infinitely more terrifying. The policy is employed throughout and it is through Hooper direction, the set design, the script, and the excellent performances that the sense of macabre horror is created and sustained throughout the 80mins running time. Which is another thing, for a film so short, its incredible how much of an ordeal the experience becomes. From the opening shot, there is a sense of unease the film puts you in, and it only ever gets worse. Just when you think things are getting better, they just get worse, and even the ending, which offers some form of catharsis, doesn't feel satisfying in a cathartic way. Instead you are left with the blood soaked abject horror of Sally as she is seemingly driven off to safety. An expression on her face, that leaves you wondering if death would not have been the better option.

Texas Chain Saw Massacre may not be the most accomplished or engrossing of horror films. It lacks the majesty found in The Shining or The Exorcist, it lacks the gloss of most slasher films, and the humour or gross out quality of the body horror of the 80s. Yet no horror film ever made has created such a sustained impression of fear on its audience, and for this reason the film is undoubtably the scariest film ever made. It also has one of the greates film posters ever.

Dead Man - 1995

2010-02-08T11:55:00.000Z

Jim Jarmusch's surreal, darkly comic Western is one of those rare gems in which every element seems to come together perfectly. Johnny Depp is brilliant, at a time before his performances became dictated by mannerisms, as Cleveland accountant William Blake, who arrives in Machine, to work for local steel magnate John Dickinson. However, having turned up a month late, his position has been filled, and with no money to leave, finds himself stuck in the small, miserable town Machine. It's not long before he meets a women and embarks on a journey unlike anything which has ever featured in a Western before.

On his journey Blake is befriended by Nobody, an Indian with a colourful past, who believes Depp's Blake to be the real William Blake, and spends much of the film quoting from the great poet.

The film is littered with cameo's and supporting actors including Robert Mitchum (as Dickinson), Gabriel Byrne. Steve Buscemi, Lance Henriksen, Iggy Pop, Billy Bob Thornton, Alfred Molina and Crispin Glover.

Shot in black and white by Robby Muller, the film is a beautiful as it is beguiling, and along with Johnny Depp's performance - a mixture of bewilderment and a sense of a character completely out of place in a world he has little understanding of - the film offers up a tonally ambiguity which veers from absurdist humour to profound philosophical musing.

The film is also notable for Neil Young stunningly evocative score. Recorded live Young's guitar helps solidify the mood of the film, enhancing its fatalistic aura.

Oscar Nominations 2010

2010-02-02T16:46:00.000Z

So the Oscar nominations have been announced and for the first time there are 10 Best Picture nominations, which does nothing but highlight the fact that in Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker doesn't win, then the people who vote must need their heads examining. Bigelow must surely become the first female to ever win Best Director as well, and about time too. With competition coming in the form of Tarantino, Cameron, Reitman and Daniels (Precious), its hard to imagine how any other director could possibly steal a much deserved haul, and even though Bigelow became the first woman to win the DGA award, cameron walked off with the Golden Globe, and word in America is that its a two horse race. Cameron has achieved enough with Avatar, and it would be a bit of a dissapointment is the Academy finally began to recognise science fiction cinema at the expense of one of the finest war films ever made.

My oeverall opinion though is that 2009 was clearly lacking in some Oscar worthy films, as for the most part those which i've seen are drastically lacking in quality, which only adds to my believe that The Hurt Locker must be the film which triumphs on the night.

Up has also been nominated for Best Feature and Animated Feature so will be unlikely to get a look in for best picture. The real battle though will no doubt take place in the Foreign Language category between Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon and Jacques Audiard's A Prophet. If either of those fails it will come as a big surprise.

http://www.empireonline.com/news/feed.asp?NID=26896 at Empire Online for a full breakdown of the nominations.

Roll on March 7th and the making of history.

Night and Fog (Nuit et Brouillard) - 1955

2010-02-02T16:21:00.000Z

Made ten years after the end of the Second World War, one can only imagine how massive the impact was when Alain Resnais Holocaust documentary premiered. That is still manages to shock, horrify and overwhelm is not merely a reinforcement of the tragedy which befell the Jews during World War Two but is also a stamp of the genius Resnais used to create the film.

Both the writer Jean Cayrol and composer Hanns Eisler were liberated from concentration camps, and it was not until Cayrol came onboard that Resnais, originally reluctant, agreed to direct the film. The film cuts between historical footage and photographs of the time as well as footage of the camps, including Auschwitz, as they were in 55, abandoned, seemingly innocuous and yet somehow containing the horrors which took place. The imagery itself is harrowing, especially the footage of dead bodies being piled on top of each other - their bodies looking like nothing more than sacks of bones.

There are no subjects the film shies away from with experiments, prostitution, torture, the gas chambers and executions who shown either in found footage or photographs.

The film ends with the liberation of the camps across and questions who was responsible for them.

The power of Night and Fog in undiminished, even 50 years on, and there is not another film which has addressed the issue is such an honest and impressionable way. Rarely is cinema this brilliant.

Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire - 2010

2010-02-02T14:58:00.001Z

Precious is a film which fails as much as it succeeds. The film has a annoyingly high level of self awareness. Every character that encounters Precious, seems to well up and look as if they are about to cry, sometimes even before she has revealed anything about her plight - as if the filmmakers felt compelled to leave cues to the audiences as to when they should begin to weep. That the film failed to conjure any overwhelming emotional reaction within me might have been a direct result of this attempt to imbue the film with a heightened empathy. Yet the film rarely depicts anything completely shocking, and you feel, as bad a life as Precious has, there are children out there in much similar and even worse scenarios - so what makes Precious so different.

Raped twice by her father, with one child called Mongo - after Mongoloid; the child has down's syndrome, and another on the way, Precious find herself being kicked out of school, and having to attend an alternative school, reserved for a group of cliche-ridden poorly developed characters who predictably grow to become close friends. At home, her mother is a lazy bitch. There is literally no better way to describe her, and she also physically and verbally abuses her daughter, in much the same way everytime. There are at least three scenes which feel as if the dialogue has been lifted and replayed, and so we never really get a deep understanding of the relationship between mother and daughter.

The style of the film is also a bit jarring. The film tries to feel fresh and original, stylish but gritty and ultimately feels like a mishmash of both. The acting is ok, Gabourey Sidibe is very good as Precious as is Mo'nique as her mother, especially in the films denouement, but the rest of the cast, including a supporting role from Mariah Carey spend far too much time playing cutout cliches or looking as though they are a beat away from the sniffles. As a result many of the scenes scupper any real emotional weight, and the performances feel as though they have been misdirected.

Having said that Precious's heart is in the right place, and its contains a character who is difficult not to like, or develop empathy for her. When the films climax arrives, although it may be tinged with a sappy undertone, you do still feel the catharsis of a young girl who has strived to make her life better and might just achieve it.

Overall then, Precious feels too similar and cliched to change your life, but has at its core a uniquely endearing character and enough poignant moments and humour to carry what feels like an exploitation of your emotions when it didn't need to be.

The End of Miramax

2010-01-29T12:37:00.000Z

So, Disney have announced they are closing Miramax. After two decades of fighting for independent and world cinema, one of the greatest and most successful studios of recent time. As Empire magazine have said Miramax is in many ways The House That Quentin Built, but its important to realise that it was Harvey and Larry Weinstein who took the risk (well maybe risk is to strong a word) on Reservoir Dogs, letting an unknown movie geek, directed a heist film with no heist, starring some of the best actors around at the time.
It was also the Weinstein's who stuck with Tarantino allowing him to indulge himself and direct genius films such as Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown, but also Kill Bill and Gindhouse, both films which could have been disatrous for both the studio and Tarantino. (NB. I realise Grindhouse was a disaster but they still let him make it).

Then there is Kevin Smith, the indie kid who delivered Clerks on a shoestring and then sold it Miramax. The rest as they say is history, and although Kevin Smith has never managed to equal his success, his indy mentaility found a great home with Miramax, as did Steven Soderburgh whose sex, lies and videotape started the whole independent American cinema resurgence back in the early nineties.

There is also Dimension, the production company responsible for Scream, Sin City etc. And for most of the nineties, the Dimension logo before a film may not have guaranteed a great film, but did ensure an entertaining couple of hours.

The real benefit provided by Miramax though must have been what they did for world cinema. Films such as Life is Beautiful, Kieslowski's Colours trilogy and many others were pushed and given decent distribution, the success of which has drastically changed world cinema distribution in both the US and UK marketplace.

So, it may be the a good time to close down and waning studio, with the Weinsteins having sold it Disney and jumped ship but the studio reinvented cinema in more ways the one in the 90s and the benefits are still being felt today.

Still can't forgive them for Shakespeare in Love Oscar haul though. So not all good.

A Prophet - 2010

2010-01-26T14:21:00.001Z

A Prophet is the latest film from director Jacques Audiard and tells the story of 19 year Malik, who after commiting an assault on a police officer is setenced to 6 years in prison. The prison in many ways, intended or not, is a microcosm for French ethnicity within society. Split between the Corsican's and the Arabs, and those in between, Malik holds a special place as he speaks both French and Arab, although neither the Corsicans or Arabs welcome him with open arms. To the Corsican's, led by mobster Cesar Luciano (Niels Arestrup) Malik is the perfect fit for a hit on a Arab who will soon testify against Corsican mobsters in court. Before long Malik is given a choice. Murder the Arab inmate or be killed himself. Almost instantly the film grips you in a vice-like hold, and for the next two and half hours refuses to let you.

The film is brutal, brilliant and utterly shocking at moments. There are a number of scenes which have you gripping the arm rests, and others which make you want to pull your eyes from the screen, but you know you never will, for fear of missing another perfectly crafted sequence.

Jacques Audiard is fast becoming one of cinema's brightest talents. His earlier films, such as The Beat That My Heart Skipped, received great critical attention, but A Prophet seems to have elevated him to a new level. The film has a assured confidence one finds only in the most accomplished directors. No scene feels less important than the last, Audiard commanding your attention, and creating a world which feels rich, fresh and original - despite falling into a genre which often creates bland, uninspiring mis-en-scene and characters ripped from the pages of cliche. The greatest accomplishment Audiard achieves is in making, what on the surface looks cliched and predictable, but is not only brilliant, but equally epic. By the films closing moments, is a fantastically simple yet carthartic moment; you feel the passage of time, the growth and character and almost as if you too have served the sentence sentence with Malik
.

A Prophet doesn't really look or feel like a typical gangster film and yet it is, the rise to power of an unsuspecting hero, a man who somehow, through luck, ingenuity and foresight, manages to find the freedom in prison he failed to find in the real world. In this way A Prophet is a damning indictment of the prison system and the potential for rehabilitation. Prison life may not be glorified or presented in a flattering light, but it does show, that with some brains, now how and the right people you can become a much more successful and dangerous criminal than you ever were before you went it.

A Prophet is held together by the two central performances, both astonishingly well rounded, notably from first timer Tahir Rahim (as Malik) and Niels Arestrup and a director in complete control off every frame. The film also works as a stunning assessment and commentary of French culture, as potent and insightful as Laurent Cantet's The Class.

Films of this quality and achievement are rare, and should be savoured. Audiard's A Prophet deserves all the plaudits it has recieved, and more. One of the most engrossing films in recent times... just don't show me a spoon anytime soon.

Up in the Air - 2010

2010-01-19T08:16:00.002Z

The worst thing I can say about Up in the Air, Jason Reitman's lastest comedy, is that it ends. I can't remember the last time a film finished and I didn't want it to. The film is also irrefutable proof that George Clooney is a modern day Cary Grant. Subtle, charming but without his usual need for cool, Clooney expresses a range of acting that is rarely seen in modern romantic comedies. But then, this isn't like modern romantic comedies. It never feels cliched, instead it is fresh, original, with two characters who have masses of on screen chemistry, yet also feel like real believable people; not just idealised versions of what romantic leads should be. Up in the Air is also a film which reminds me of the classic Wilder comedies of the 50's or the Cary Grant comedies with its zinging, pithy dialogue.

The sotry centres of Ryan Bingham, who works for a corporate downsizing company, spending all his time in planes, airports or hotels flitting between cities to lay off the staff for companies unwilling to do so themselves. With the current financial climate this film feels more relevant, and at times you wonder if the light hearted comedy will jar against the depressing nature of the story, yet in the hands of Clooney and Reitman, the film manages to be funny and moving in equal measure. What makes Clooney even more endearing is that his goal is a simple one. To accumulate 10million airmiles. That's it. Nothing more, just to join an elite club. This provides not only a measure of the comedy, but also sheds light on to the type of character Clooney is playing.

On his journey Bingham meets Alex (Vera Farmiga - sexy, effortlessly charming, and the equal of Clooney in every way) who is essentially the female version of him. Together they embark on a love affair across states, catching an evening here and there whenever their hectic schedules send to the same place. It's here, in the witty exchanges, like comparing the size of their airmiles, as if it was the most intimate of secrets, that the film achieves its greatest heights. Not for a long time as a romantic couple on screen been so seductive.

Bingham though has other problems. Loving his life, spending 250 odd days a year on the road, and somehow finding time to give motivational speeches about losing all the baggage we carry round, Bingham is paired with young colleague Natalie (Anna Kendrick), who is attempting to revolutionise Bingham's industry without even understanding it. She threatens his existence by devising a plan for the company to fire people not face to face, but using a webcam. This subplot, which in lesser hands would derail the entire film actually ends up giving the film its heart. Kendrick more than holds her own, where a lesser actor would have faded or competed against the chemistry of Clooney and Farmiga. This film highlights Kendrick as an actress to keep an eye on.

What makes this film stand out against the usual, run of the mill romantic comedies is that it is a bitttersweet journey, and one which has a unlikely protagonist. Bingham is isolated, prefers to be alone, and doesn't believe in marriage or children. In many ways he is unlikeable, but when he is laying people off, you seen his humane side. He understands human nature, how devestating losing your job is, and so he provides an unlikely and unexpected comfort to these people. The film also benefits from using actual people who have been laid off over the past years, allowing them to draw on their own experiences.

The film also refuses to deliver the typical rom-com ending, and this final resolution provides a fitting end to a film which never veers anywhere near convention. A film which is pertinent to the current climate, has a heart and charm unlike any comedy for years, delivering a breath of fresh air so far from the recycled air of an airplane that when the credits begin to roll, you feel alive, and a great appreciation of life. Its in the final images that Reitman interweaves the two central plots most effectively, allowing the theme to come to fore - of those who have lost their careers and the pursuit of love.

Reitman hits the big time, with a effortlessly charming romantic comedy, with a potentially career best performance from Clooney, and a message which nevers feel trite. This is what Hollywood used to do best, and Reitman may well be the unlikely director to rekindle the past, especially if his next film can equal the beauty and simplicity of this gem.

Daybreakers - 2010

2010-01-12T11:40:00.006Z

Yet another Vampire film clogs up an already hectic genre, with variations on variations. Over the past few years the genre has come back from the dead, just like Dracula, and already it seems as if the life has been sucked out of the genre. For every Thirst, or Let The Right One In, there is a Twilight of Daybreakers.

Conceptually, the film isn't actually too bad. Set in 2019, vampirism has all but rid the world of humans, and as such the vampires are now in danger. With the human race dwindling, blood supplies are running low and no alternative or substitute has been found or created. Ethan Hawke plays Edward Dalton, a scientist with human sympathies, whose job it is the find a suitable substitute to blood. He is joined by Willem Dafoe, a former vampire, who somehow, reverted back to being human, and now leads the resistance. The other recognisable face is Sam Neill, as the bad guy and Ethan Hawke's boss.

Daybreakers explores some interesting themes, and through some of its subplots we glimpse the potential for a quality science fiction, but unfortunately writer/directors The Spierig Brothers seem more interested in poorly concieved action sequences and excessive amounts of blood letting, so the dilemma Neill feels for his human daughter not wanting to be a vampire, or the relationship between Hawke and his brother, who turned him because he didn't want his brother to stay human, or the human survivors hiding from detection who are brutally and mercilessly hunted by the vampires, or the concept about a vampire class system are never fully explored and developed to make this film feel fresh or original enough to merit much interest. It also feels as though this film is trying to become the first part in a potential franchise, and therefore doesn't focus on telling a story which is fully contained and comprehensible.

Once Hawke's character stumbles upon a potential cure for vampirism and realises the best way the replace the need for blood, is to take away the need itself the film veers off into a pointless, senseless action. This ideais equally as interesting as the other ideas, especially, what happens to vampires who are blood deprived, raising questions about the nature of why a vampire drinks blood; ostensibly it gives them the one thing they need to maintain their human side.

The third act descends in a violent, blood letting, and the Spierig brothers seem obsessed with decapitated heads; I eventually lost count. The preposterous performances don't help, and their is no sense of emotional cartharsis, unless you find cartharsis is stupidly balletic violence.

So a film which shows some potential, but is never commited to any of the great ideas swashing around vying for attention in a film more concerned with coming across as cool as opposed to intelligent.

Kubrick's Napoleon - The Greatest Film Never Made... @ BFI

2010-01-12T09:33:00.003Z

To coincide with the release of Alison Castle's epic book on Kubrick's unmade masterpiece Napoleon, her follow up to the fantastically insightful and comprehensive Kubrick Archives, the BFI last night presented a lecture on the film and the compilation of the book. Unfortunately the books editor Alison Castle was unable to attend, and present her lecture (another victim of the recent weather) but to make up for it, and at very late notice Christiane Kubrick stepped into the breach along with her brother, and Kubrick collaborator Jan Harlan.

Harlan began by giving, first a brief background to his relationship with Kubrick and his collaboration with the filmmaker, before discussing how he came to work on the aborted project for Napoleon. Christiane followed this reading through Castle's lecture, explaining how she first ventured into Kubrick's archives and how when she arrived she was overwhelmed by the level of research and information Kubrick housed in his Estate. Despite the fact that Napoleon was never made the research Kubrick undertook far surpassed any of his other completed films.

The slides which accompanied the talk demonstrated the vast amounts of research and the obsession and dedication Kubrick had for the project. Trunks full of draft scripts, box files upon box files of location photography, production notes, transcripts of interviews, costume fittings etc. All of which is compiled in extensive detail and beautifully reproduced in the book.

Following the talk, Jan Harlan and Andrew Birkin had a discussion with Rhidian Davies, the Curator, Public Programmes for BFI Education. Both worked on the project at different stages, and Birkin, for example, who began working with Kubrick on 2001 A Space Odyssey. He finally came to Kubricks attention suggesting a British location for the dawn of man. Kubrick then made him Assistant Director on Special Effects and he shot the front projection plates for the Dawn of Man sequence. His work on Napoleon involved scouting and photorgraphing locations in France, visiting every place Napoleon have ever visited. Birkin revealed that Kubrick had intended to shoot many of the interiors scenes - such as Napoleon's throne room - using a more advanced front projection system he developed on 2001. Birkin was engaging, informative, and had an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of Napoleon.

Jan revealed many of the key developments of Kubrick's thinking on the film, and the development of the project including, rather mouthwateringly the potential cast members including David Hemmings, Ian Holm and Jack Nicholson all in contention for Napoleon, although when MGM pulled the plug, Hemmings had apparently secured the part. Audrey Hepburn was approached to play Josephine, but turned down the role. Alec Guinness and Peter O'Toole were amongst the actors considered from supporting roles.

There was also some discussion on the screenplay Kubrick wrote, which exists on the internet here. What was most intriguing, both in the scripts discussion and also in reading the script, which I did in preparation for the event, is Kubrick's grappling with a strong, central story, and the vast sums of history which he clearly, at this early stage, felt was necessary to convey the magnitude of Napoleon's life.

In conclusion, Kubrick's Napoleon: The Greatest Film Never Made was a fantastic look into the mind of a genius, and his pursuit to tell an epic historical film about the life of what he considered to be the most interesting man who ever lived. As with all of Kubrick's films the story and man explored a central theme Kubrick repeatedly explored; the fallibility of man. It emerged that Kubrick was fascinated with a man who was so brilliant and yet failed. A man who above all else was human - this, explained Christiane is why Kubrick chose to begin and end the film with Napoleon's childhood toy; a teddy bear.

What the script also achieves is to portray Napoleon in a complete unsympathetic, unsemtimental and unbiased way. He presents the man, and tells the story, through the aid of a detached narrator from a distant point of view, presenting Napoleon as a gifted, brilliant but ultimately fallible man. What the script also offers is a crash course in Napoleonic Era history.
There are problems in the script, but as it was revealed, this is merely a first draft, and Kubrick was known to rewrite even on set.

What Kubrick's Napoleon could have been is anyone's guess. But by looking first 2001 A Space Odyssey, and then Barry Lyndon you can begin to imagine just how inspiring and brilliant the film could have been. What's left is possibly the greatest film never made and an archive which stands as a testament to one of the most uniquely brilliant artists not just of the 20th century but of any age.

Dune - 1984

2010-01-11T09:41:00.009Z

I first saw David Lynch's Dune a few years ago. I knew of the source material, the reputation Frank Herbert's tome had, but knew little of the story. And so watching film was not only a little confusing, but also contained a mystical attraction - which I know put down to Lynch's aura and my lack of knowledge of Dune. Now, having having read (one of the most incredible books of my life) Icame to the film with a different perspective. Firstly Lynch should be commended for his screenplay and effectively condensing enough material to make a trilogy into 2 hours worth of cinema. He should also be commended for creating such a visually vibrant and unique universe. Yet the film is so incomprehensible if you are not completely familiar with the source text; there is also a rather rushed character arc for Paul (The always watchable Kyle MacLachlan), and a lot of the major character developments within the book are breezed over, and come not through action by through some intuitive voiceover. Lynch can't really be criticized for this. He is tackling a beast of a story, and has managed to do so admirably.

The film is also helped out by a very watchable cast, grappling with dialogue that even a great Shakespearean actor such as Patrick Stewart struggles with. The action set pieces are also exhilarating, especially the final duel between MacLachlan and Sting. But ultimately the film lacks the weight of the book or any number of classic science fiction films, and also contains some fairly shoddy and now dated visual effects.

With word of the new remake, adaptation of Dune, and the failed attempt of Jodorowsky's Dune, the myth and life of Dune continues unabated, and a new director must now tackle one of the most difficult science fiction books. What Lynch gave us was a unique interpretation of the book, which remained as faithful as possible, and also showcased one of American cinemas most original and visually challenging voices but the film is evidently the weakest Lynch has made and is now more a curio than a classic.

Night and the City - 1950

2010-01-11T09:41:00.007Z

Directed by Jules Dassin Night and the City tells the story of Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark), a hustler in post war London always looking for an angle, and always failing. After a meeting with retired wrestling legend Gregorious (Stanislaus Zbyszko), Fabian devises a plan to promote a wrestling match and thus get rich. In order to do so though he must avoid local wrestling promotor and underworld boss Kristo (Herbert Lom) who also happens to be Gregorious' son.

Shot on location in London the film shimmers with brilliance, both the performances from Wdimark, and Gene Tierney as Mary Bristol, Fabian's lover, as well as the strong supporting cast of character actors. The chiaroscuro lighting is sumptuous and fatalistic in equal measure, as Fabian scurries around the city looking for the finance to promote his wrestling match, Mutz Greenbaum, credited as Max Greene, does a wonderful job of capturing London, and rarely has it looked so stunning. The script also bristles with intensity and beautifully captures the desperation of Widmark's Fabian. The film is also notable for is complete lack of sympathetic characters, but what it manages to achieve is making each of the characters human, in world which has little to no regard for such a concept.

There are number of key seqeunces which elevate this film above a lot of the bog standard film noirs, the highlight being a seemingly endless, brutally and violent wrestling match, on which the hopes and dreams of Fabian hang. During this sequence, I found my self shifting closer and closer to the edge of my seat. The one scene highlights the genius of the film. I was gripped by a series of characters for whom I felt no sympathy and yet could not help but empthasise with their plight. Widmark in particular was a man on the cusp of crazy; his performance a series of sweating, pleading moments as he tried, with all his power, to drag himself up in the world and make something of his life.

A superbly brilliant piece of noir filmmaking from a stunningly talented directed, who made the film in the UK after he was blacklisted and forced to leave America. Night and the City is a groundbreaking Noir thriller with some great performances and a devestating ending. A must for any fan of film noir.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - 1943

2010-01-08T14:26:00.004Z

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger are fast becoming two of my favourite filmmakers. Over the past year I have enjoyed watching their films from the famous; Black Narcissus, A Matter of Life and Death or The Red Shoes (which I recently saw in a digitally restored print at the BFI or the less famous A Canterbury Tale and I Know Where I'm Going. Despite having seen only a handful of their films, I am convinced The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is the most accomplished, beautiful and brilliant piece of cinema they ever created. Even surpassing my previous favourite, Peeping Tom.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp tells the story of Major General Clive Wynne-Candy, and his experiences fighting in 3 Wars. The film uses a rather effective framing device which picks up the story during the Second World War when Wynne-Candy is one of the founding members of the Home Front. From there, through a clever dissolve we flash back forty years to meet, a much younger, fitter and decidedly more Roger Livesay looking Wynne-Candy.

Over the next two and bit hours through stunning performances from Livesay, who portrays the General over the entire 40 yrs, aged using some of the finest make-up effects I've ever seen, Anton Walbrook - fast becoming one of the most underrated actors in my opinion, as life long friend Theodor Kretschmar-Schuldorff and Deborah Kerr, playing three different characters, but essentially fulfilling the role of Wynne-Candy's love interest.

What marks this film out as the mastepiece that it is, is not only its innovative flourishes, such as the a scene which sees Wynne-Candy prepare for a sword fight with Walbrook's Kretschmar-Schuldorff, only the the camera to pull back, out of the hall, and sweep down before dissolving into a shot of Kerr waiting in a carriage, to its hilarious humour and rollicking good story. All the actors are clearly enjoying themselves but never at the expense of the story, or the theme. Powell and Pressburger's script zips with great lines and inventive storytelling techniques, never missing an opportunity to push the boundaries of cinema.

That this film was made during the war, and is now over 50 years old, highlights the astonishing achievement the filmmakers achieved, but also that it feels as vibrant and fresh today as it must have upon its initial release. The film also doesn't lose any of its controversial standpoint, allowing us to empathise and even love Walbrook's German officer, at a time when Britain was deep into conflict with the Germans. What is even more shocking, and helps to explain the reasons Churchill attempted to have the films production shut down (although this was not based on the finished film), is that its Kretschmar-Schuldorff who recognises and adjusts to the changing and shifting shape of war, especially the new enemy which are the Nazi's. While Wynne-Candy becomes an archaic figure, representative of the British war effort, and those running it. In this way the film was seen as a satire upon release, and in many it is, as biting as it is funny.

The film is also intrinsically British, and proud to be such, and in this way it is also utterly enjoyable. The film is proud of the British heritage, and strength of our character, and wears this pride on its sleeve. But Powell and Pressburger are also deeply aware of the effect of such Britishness and lampoon it through Wynne-Candy's caricature.

Very few films aim to achieve as much cinematically, culturally and historically as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and even fewer succeed with such aplomb. One of, if not the greatest British film ever made, Colonel Blimp will last forever, and forever bring joy and wonder to its audiences.

Top 100 Films of the Decade

2010-01-06T14:38:00.013Z

So here it is. After much deliberation, and lots of revisiting the films which stood out, I have not only whittled down the thousands of films I saw over the past ten years (easier than I thought), but I have ordered them based on my opinion of their quality, importance and impact on me (harder than expected). No doubt you will disagree with my list, either the exclusion of certain films or the order. This is not meant to be definitive, as many other lists claim to be, but merely my take on the decade. I hope you enjoy it.

100. Almost Famous (2000)
Directed by Cameron Crowe
99. Bad Education (2004)
Directed by Pedro Almodovar
98. Munich (2005)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
97. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
Directed by Seth Gordon
96. Hero (2002)
Directed by Zhang Yimou
95. Mean Girls (2004)
Directed by Mark Waters
94. The Mist (2007)
Directed by Frank Darabont
93. This is England (2006)
Directed by Shane Meadows
92. Ten (2002)
Directed by Abbas Kiarostami
91. The Class (2008)
Directed by Laurent Cantet
90. Sexy Beast (2000)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
89. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
Directed by David Guggenheim
88. Chopper (2000)
Directed by Andrew Dominik
87. Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
86. Time of the Wolf (2003)
Directed by Michael Haneke
85. Italian For Beginners (2000)
Directed by Lone Scherfig
84. Synecdoche, New York (2009)
Directed by Charlie Kaufman
83. Che (2008)
Directed by Steven Sodeburgh
82. Solaris (2002)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
81. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
80. Volver (2006)
Directed by Pedro Almodovar
79. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
78. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
77. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
76. Bamako (2006)
Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako
75. The Dark Knight (2008)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
74. Sideways (2004)
Directed by Alexander Payne
73. Talk To Her (2002)
Directed by Pedro Almodovar
72. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
71. CousCous (2007)
Directed by Abdel Kechiche
70. Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
69. In The Loop (2009)
Directed by Armando Ianucci
68. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Directed by Michel Gondry
67. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Directed by Sam Raimi
66. Before Sunset (2004)
Directed by Richard Linklater
65. Zatoichi (2003)
Directed by Takeshi Kitano
64. Nightwatch (2004)
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
63. American Psycho (2000)
Directed by Mary Harron
62. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Directed by Larry Charles
61. Belleville Rendez-vous (2003)
Directed by Sylvain Chomet
60. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Directed by Adam McKay
59. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
58. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Directed by Edgar Wright
57. Dean Man's Shoes (2004)
Directed by Shane Meadows
56. A Serious Man (2009)
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
55. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
54. Lost in Translation (2003)
Directed by Sophia Coppola
53. The Descent (2005)
Directed by Neil Marhsall
52. Control (2007)
Directed by Anton Corbijn
51. Gomorrah (2008)
Directed by Matteo Garrone
50. Spellbound (2002)
Directed by Jeffery Bitz
49. Traffic (2000)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
48. Team America: World Police (2004)
Directed by Trey Parker
47. The Incredibles (2004)
Directed by Brad Bird
46. The Proposition (2005)
Directed by John Hillcoat
45. Audition (2001)
Directed by Takeshi Miike
44. Hunger (2008)
Directed by Steve McQueen
43. Amelie (2001)
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
42. Far From Heaven (2002)
Directed by Todd Haynes
41. Amores Perros (2000)
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
40. Ratatouille (2007)
Directed by Brad Bird
39. Infernal Affairs (2002)
Directed by Andrew Lau & Alan Mak
38. Memento (2000)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
37. You, The Living (2007)
Directed by Roy Andersson
36. Etre et avoir (2002)
Directed by Nicolas Philibert
35. United 93 (2006)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
34. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Directed by Andrew Dominik
33. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2007)
Directed by Tommy Lee Jones
32. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Directed by Lars von Trier
31. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
Directed by Andrew Jarecki
30. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)
Directed by Errol Morris
29. City of God (2002)
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
28. O Brother Where Art Thou (2000)
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
27. A History of Violence (2005)
Directed by David Cronenberg
26. WALL - E (2008)
Directed by Andrew Stanton
25. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
Directed by Cristian Mungiu
24. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Directed by Ang Lee
23. Donnie Darko (2001)
Directed by Richard Kelly
22. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
21. Together (2000)
Directed by Lukas Moodysson
20. Let The Right One In (2009)
Directed by Thomas Alfredson
19. Oldboy (2003)
Directed by Park Chan Wook
18. Dogville (2003)
Directed by Lars von Trier
17. There Will Be Blood (2007)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
16. The Hurt Locker (2009)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
15. Grizzly Man (2005)
Directed by Werner Herzog
14. Downfall (2004)
Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel
13. In The Mood For Love (2000)
Directed by Wong Kar Wai
12. Gosford Park (2001)
Directed by Robert Altman
11. INLAND EMPIRE (2006)
Directed by David Lynch

10. Zodiac (2007)
Directed by David Fincher

9. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Directed by Ang Lee

8. Hidden (2005)
Directed by Michael Haneke

7. The New World (2005)
Directed by Terence Malick

6. Mulholland Drive (2001)
Directed by David Lynch

5. The White Ribbon (2009)
Directed by Michael Haneke

4. No Country For Old Men (2007)
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen

3. The Lives of Others (2006)
Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

2. Spirited Away (2001)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

1. The Lord of the Rings (2001 - 2003)
Directed by Peter Jackson

First things first, The Lord of the Rings may have been released theatrically in three parts, but to count each film individually is to overlook the actual story, the achievement and manner in which Jackson and his crew went about shooting the trilogy, and also Tolkien's original vision. The Lord of the Rings is one story, broken into three parts simply because of how big the story is. To separate it would undermine Jacksons achievement.
The Lord of the Rings is quite simply one of, if not the finest achievement in cinematic history. To take one of the great works of modern fiction, and translate it so effectively, and so comprehensively to the big screen is one thing, but to completely realise this world, make it feel inhabited, and find a cast of actors who can handle the dialogue without it feeling confusing or convoluted is something else.
The technological advancements Jackson achieved are also magnificent, from the Mumakil, to Gollum, the CGI to the model work, everything and everyone on The Lord of the Rings were on the top of their game, and the film stands as one of those rare instances where all the elements came together perfectly. The Lord of the Rings is not only the best film of the decade but one of the finest works of cinema ever.

In closing....

So in many ways the Noughties has been a dissapointment. A lot of great filmmakers have begun a slow decent whilst potential greats have failed to step up to fill the void left by the old masters. The death of masters Bergman and Antonioni was greeted with statements about the death of cinema. Certainly no filmmaker today as achieved the global reputation of these two, but cinema has been worse, and as these 100 films, and all the great films which I failed to see, have demostrated that amongst the mediocrity exists genuine films to cherish, and although Hollywood seems to be moving more and more into franchises and remakes, there are still hard working filmmakers looking to push the boundaries and definitions of the art form, and that is a reason to be optimistic into the next decade.

Over the past ten years I have aged from 16 to 26, and have developed my appreciation and understanding cinema. These films represent what I consider they pinnacle of achievement over the past decade. I look forward to looking back in ten years time to see if these films are still has powerful, vibrant, relevant and engrossing as they are now.

Review of the Decade - TV Shows

2010-01-06T09:36:00.009Z

Has there ever been a better decade for television. Below is just a handful of the landmark, and monumental works of television which have aired over the past ten years. A selection of shows I haven’t seen enough of that may merit inclusion include The Sopranos, The West Wing, Deadwood, Arrested Development, Mad Men, The Shield, 30 Rock, Futurama and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Here though stand the 10 greatest Television Shows of the past ten years. That most of them are amongst the greatest TV shows of all time is a testament to the amazing creativity which has developed. It’s ironic that in an age when TV seems to be losing all morality, and reality TV shows clutter up not only the schedules but also the mind, there is still space and time for, if your willing to look, some of the most uplifting, inspiring and beautifully crafted characters and stories ever created.

10. Family Guy
The best comedy family since The Simpsons
Sharp, witty, irreverent. Family Guy is, if nothing else, hilariously funny. It may lack the charm of The Simpsons but its aimed a far older and more mature audience. If you don't like it, you probably don't have a funny bone.

9. The Office
It's funny cos its true
The british comedy phenomenon, giving us the writing talent of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, Th Office broke with traditional sitcom conventions (laugh track, jokes) to create one of the most inspired, brilliant and observant comedies of recent years. In a decade which became overwhelmed with reality TV, and the desire to become famous, The Office managed in 12 episodes and a Christmas special to connect with a generation of viewers like nothing else.

8. Generation Kill
From the creators of The Wire. Need I Say More
Telling the true story of the recon marines who were the first American soldiers to cross into Iraq. Across 7 episodes we grow to love, hate, admire and respect the soldiers as we also see how American arrogance and poor decision making constantly put the men in danger. One of the few TV or Film's to actually capture the conflict in Iraq effectively, and its achieved mainly by finding the human story behind the conflict. Unflinchingly brilliant TV.

7. South Park
Crude, rude and Lewd. What more could you want
When South Park started at the end of the last decade it felt a little like a one trick pony. Yet, as the years have gone by the writing as become wittier, cleverer, and more culturally relevant. That it takes only two weeks to make an episode demonstrates the genius at work, and Parker and Stone are wise enough to never present a polemic, instead taking shots at both sides of the argument and showing the hypocrisy of both.

6. Peep Show
This is what men reallt think. And it's brilliant
This is the funniest, wittiest and unashamedly honest comedy on TV. A unique, original style and content which felt as if it might not last, is, in its 6th season going as strong as ever. The show may be on the wane, but Jez and Mark are two of comedies great creations and even if the quality is beginning to dip, its still head and shoulders above anything else.

5. 24
Addictive, intense, brilliant. It's Jack
There has never been a better endorsement of DVD boxsets. The most addictive, compulsive TV around. It may be highly unbelievable and utterly preposterous, but like a drug, once your jack in, its very difficult to give it up. The show has also managed to deal with some of the most crucial issues affecting the world in the 00s and for this reason 24 is in many ways the most important show of the past decade. Season 6 may have felt as though the novelty had worn off, but 7 saw a return to form and 4 and 5 are two of the best seasons of TV ever created.

4. Six Feet Under
Death as never been this good
Pitching a show about a family who run a funeral home must have been a tough sell, but then it was created by Alan "American Beauty" Ball. Therefore it is one of the most interesting, engaging and emotionally resonant TV show of all time. A great range of complex, lovable characters trying to navigate the right path in life, whilst simultaneously having to face the prospect of death of a daily basis. What makes this so beautiful is how real the characters feel. If you don't shed a tear during the extended final episode you are probably already dead.

3. Lost
The greatest mystery in Television history.
Love or hate it, Lost is the big phenomenon of the 21st century. It's also probably the last great mytharc show. For a time it seemed like it was going nowhere, but the one constant in Lost is that no-one can second guess the creators, and each answer spawns a question more compelling. It's also a show you spend infinitely more time thinking about that watching. Quintessential complusive TV, by the time it ends, it could be one of the few truly exceptional works of TV ever created.

2. Battlestat Galactica
Sci-Fi you can takr seriously
If someone had told me that a reimagining of a awful TV show which clung to the coat tails of the success of Star Wars would become the finest science fiction show of all time I would have laughed. But Battlestar Galactica isn't your average sci-fi. Addressing issues of what it means to be human, terrorism, mythology, whether we as a race deserve our existence - its as good at being personal drama as at sci-fi epic battles. The truly great thing though is that characters you love are forced make decisions which turn them into monsters, and yet you know, deep down that you would make the same choice.

1. The Wire
The single greatest TV show ever created.
As Charlie Brooker wrote, I’m jealous of anyone who hasn’t seen The Wire because they have it all to come. I watched The Wire over about four months, long after it initially aired and shortly before it was re-broadcast on BBC2. Over the course of 5 seasons, the creators developed and introduced us to nearly 100 characters, all of whom felt real, but not just real; they felt as though they had always existed and as if their lives continued after the scene, episode or series ended. The show contained great moments of comedy, wit, heartbreak, drama, fear, tension, action and mystery, and managed to do all of it with more authority, authenticity and style than any other show in existence. Yes it might be bleak, but there is always hope in The Wire. Hope in the people who want to stop the game, to break the system and improve the lives of those caught in its web. But most of all The Wire is the great human drama of our age. It is the closest we have to modern Dickens. FACT!

Review of the Decade - Film (Female Performances)

2010-01-05T16:14:00.004Z

The big debate around female parts in cinema is that there just aren’t enough strong, leading roles for women, and this list contains four supporting roles, and six leads. Despite this argument, which doesn’t look like going away, the decade has seen the emergence of some of Hollywood’s greatest talent in years. I have unfortunately not seen enough foreign actresses performances and so they are notable by their absence, but Julie Delpy, Sophie Marceau, Monica Belluci, Isabella Huppert, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Maggie Cheung, Marion Cotillard, Deborah Francois, Franke Potente are just some of the actresses working outside Hollywood that have impressed.

10. Kate Hudson

Almost Famous

(2000)

Kate Hudson falls into that cateogry of potential great actresses that fell into below par romantic comedies from which she may never recover. Thankfully we will always have Penny Lane, a role Hudson made her own, and one which should, based on her performance have launched a decade of great performances. She is sexy, vulnerable, seductive, childish, charming and had a profound affect on me when I first saw Almost Famous - a term which aptly seems to apply to her now more than ever.

9. Q'orianka Kilcher

The New World

(2005)

I almost hope to never see Q-orianka in a film again. Her role is so beguilling, so hynoptically beautiful that you leave the cinema believing Malick must have plucked from the past; that she could very well be the actual Pocahontas.

A rare performance from a rare talent, she even manages to out act both Christian Bale and Colin Farrell.

8. Julianne Moore

Far From Heaven

(2002)

Todd Haynes love letter to the melodramas of Douglas Sirk has at its heart and powerful, heart wrenching performance from Julianne Moore as the wife of a homosexual man, whose affections for the black gardener ostricise her from her family and community.
Julianne Moore is, in many ways an actress cast from an earlier generation, and her other, similar role in The Hours demonstrates her ability to battle the emotional turmoil in a repressed society that still saw a woman's place as in the home, and a loyal wife.

7. Julia Roberts

Erin Brockovich

(2000)

This may well be the last great performance of an actress who at one time was the most well paid, and famous actress in the world. As her star has waned in the past year, this film now stands as a monument to what could have been a gloruous decade for the once Pretty Woman. Roberts has never been so commited, sensing the potential for awards, and the Oscar she picked up was wholly deserved.

6. Nicole Kidman

Dogville

(2003)

At the turn of the century, Kidman's career seemed to be going nowhere, an actress more famous for being Mrs Cruise, than for being a great actress. A series of roles, of which this was the pinnacle, demonstrated a technician at the top of her game, and the rare emotion, the setless film forced, allowed Kidman to show why she is one of the finest actors working today.

5. Cate Blanchett

The Aviator

(2004)

The greatest actress that ever lived playing the Kathryn Hepburn. Like her role in I'm Not There, there just isn't another actress alive who could portray the tour de force that was Hepburn. Blanchett imbues the role with a frivolity and vulnerability rarely shown in Hepburn's performances and would have made the great actress herself proud, which is some compliment

4. Laura Dern

INLAND EMPIRE

(2006)

Playing essentially three versions of herself, it could have been easy for Dern to get lost in the labyrinth that was INLAND EMPIRE. Instead she displays a range of acting, and commitment to the role unlike anything she has achieved before. Dern becomes the pillar which holds Lynch's imagination down, and the performance is even more magnificent when you learn Lynch didn't have a script. Dern so effortlessly gives herself over, becoming a conduit for Lynch's mystery and the personification of the films meditations on the female.

3. Ellen Burstyn

Requiem For A Dream

(2000)

I first fell in love with Ellen Burstyn in the wonderful Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. In Requiem For A Dream her role is a sub plot yet, its this story, of an aging widow, desiring to be a contestant on her favourite TV show, who becomes addicted to weight loss drugs in an attempt to achieve her dream, which packs the emotional wallop, as you see her succombing to the addictive, hallucinatory powers of prescription medication - the only real victim in this story.

2. Cate Blanchett

I'm Not There

(2007)

There is only one actress alive who could pull off being a man, an possibly the most iconic man on the 20th century. Outacting the 5 other actors playing versions of Dylan (Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Ben Whishaw, Richard Gere and Marcus Carl Franklin), Blanchett performance is astohishing and should have earnt her an Oscar. Poltraying Dylan at his most famous, and most similar to the real man, this is one of the rarest, and engaging, performances you'll see in this decade, or any other.

1. Naomi Watts

Mulholland Drive

(2001)

There's no real point raving about Watts' career defining role in David Lynch's bizarre, nightmarish surreal drama. Instead just watch her audition scene in the film. Not only is an example for all budding actors how to play the enotion not the line, its also serves as the benchmark for acting this past decade. Watts has demonstrated in the past decade, an ability to take powerful, gut wrenching performances and making them about more than the performance. She never shows off, and can look astonishingly beautiful yet unassuming at the same time. A talent which is rare for leading ladies, especially in this day and age.

Review of the Decade - Film (Male Performances)

2010-01-05T14:17:00.011Z

For the most part, the iconic performances from male actors of the past ten years have tended to be explorations of insanity, evil and madness, all to varying degrees. But what has defined the male leads of the past decade has been the emergence of some of the finest leading men since the Golden Age of Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, James Stewart et al. The great roles of the 00’s have emerged, often from nowhere or seen actors who have previously been looked upon with scorn or indifference emerge and create the defining performances of their generation.

10. Will Smith
Ali
(2001)
There really was no one more suitable to bring the legendary Muhammad Ali to the big screen, and yet it was still a shock to see such a complete, egoless performance from Will Smith. Not since Six Degrees of Seperation had Will Smith shown such ability as a actor. It's just a shame he hasn't been able to build on this heavyweight performance.

9. David Strathairn
Good Night and Good Luck
(2005)
Amid an emsemble cast including Robert Downey Jr, George Clooney, Frank Langella and Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn still emerge as the most eye catching and impressive performer in the central role of Edward R. Murrow. He oozed intellect, coolness and an unflappable motivation to pursue the and present both sides of the argument with a character Strathairn managed to make seem fearless, but by no means flawless.

8. Casey Affleck
The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
(2007)
In a film like this, it rests on the performances of the two leads, and in many ways, Affleck's performance is at the mercy of Pitt's James. That both are exceptional is a testament to both actors abilities but it is the subdued madness of Affleck which so poetically captures the tragedy of Ford's life as a man besotted with James, and thus never able to earn the man's respect. Affleck also never struggles with the arc of Ford, firstly trying to impress James, before finally revealing his jealousy and envy before struggling with the infamy of killing the man.

7. Christian Bale
American Psycho
(2000)
Bale is one of the few actors to turn from child star to full blown A-List star. He may have made for famous roles, but its his turn as the antihero Jason Bateman from Brett Easton Ellis' iconic novel. What convinces and horrifies is not just how suave and charming Bale is, but how he never cross the line nad becomes over the top as the pyshcotic serial killer. You also strangely emphasis with him desire to stand out from the crowd, even if you don't agree with his methods.

6. Heath Ledger
The Dark Knight
(2008)
Better than Nicholson? Perhaps not, but Ledger's role is so unique, original and terrifying that he completely embraces and almost defines Nolan's new interpretation of the Dark Knight. Ledger's commitment to the character is best exemplified when he blows up the hospital but it's his immersive dedication to the character which makes him the best comic book villain of the noughties.

5. Benicio Del Toro
Che (2008)
Benicio Del Toro is Che Guevara. Helped by Soderbergh reluctance to iconise the revolutionary, Del Toro, sensibly recognises the man behind the myth and strives, and succeeds to present just that.

4. Eric Bana

Chopper

(2000)

Having seen Chopper, you'd never imagine Eric Bana was a stand up comic. Yet another psycho find itself on our list. Bana, who spent considerable time with Mark Read, allows us to empathise with the character, but also never plays the part as a psycho, merely a misunderstand, perhaps slightly ordinary guy, craving individuality. What Bana also instils in his performance is the sense that we might all know someone like Read, and that is perhaps the most unnerving truth to his whole performance.

3. Ulrich Muhe

The Lives of Others

(2006)

Understatement doesn't quite encapsulate the monumental final performance from Ulrich Muhe. He holds the film together, and perfectly conveys the oppressive nature of society under the Stasi. Gradually, as the lives of those he watches begin to affect him, we see this cool, steely persona fragment and melt away, leaving a lonely, empathetic character behind.

2. Javier Bardem

No Country For Old Men

(2007)
The scariest incarnation of evil since Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. Take a moment to let that soak in and you'll begin to realise how pitch perfect, Bardem angel of death truly is. "what's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?" indeed.

1. Heath Ledger

Brokeback Mountain

(2005)
For all the attention Ledger received for The Dark Knight, and the pothumous Oscar, it is Brokeback Mountain for which Ledger will be remembered. A towering performance of understatement and repressed emotion. It may not be showy, or draw attention to itself, but never does Ledger fail to convey to emotion of the scene. This performance also stands as the role which saw Ledger evolve from young potential to one of the few great actors of his generation.

Review of the Decade - Film (Scores)

2010-01-05T13:20:00.009Z

A film score can transform a bad film into a good one and a good film into a great one. It can immerse you in a period, or convey emotion often more subtly and effectively than any dialogue, action of camera move. Over the past ten years a number of pre-eminent composers have created some of their finest work, and rightfully belong next to the legends of cinema golden age.

10. House of Flying Daggers - Shigeru Umebayashi

9. Gladiator - Hans Zimmer

8. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Tan Dun

7. In The Mood For Love

6. Amelie - Yann Tiersen

5. Mulholland Drive - Angelo Badalamenti

4. Requiem For A Dream -Clint Mansell/Kronos Quartet

3. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

2. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - John Williams

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Howard Shore

Review of the Decade - Film (Soundtracks)

2010-01-05T10:59:00.010Z

With the help of Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino the soundtrack reached new heights and brilliance in the nineties, becoming a genre all its own – either by rediscovering forgotten classics or finding artists which personified the characters and tones of the film. The noughties was no different, with some off the wall exceptions, and the odd soundtrack which was an album all its own.

10. Garden State (2004)
Coldplay - Don't Panic
The Shins - Caring Is Creepy
Zero 7 - In The Waiting Line
The Shins - New Slang
Colin Hay - I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You
Cary Brothers - Blue Eyes
Remy Zero - Fair
Thievery Corporation - Lebanese Blonde
Simon & Garfunkel - The Only Living Boy in New York
Iron & Wine - Such Great Heights
Bonnie Somerville - Windng Road

9. Juno (2007)
Barry Louis Polisar – All I Want Is You
Kimya Dawson – My Rollercoaster
The Kinks – A Well Respected Man
Buddy Holly – (Ummm, Oh Yeah) Dearest
Mateo Messina – Up the Spout
Kimya Dawson – Tire Swing
Belle & Sebastian – Piazza, New York Catcher
Kimya Dawson – Loose Lips
Sonic Youth – Superstar
Kimya Dawson – Sleep
Belle & Sebastian – Expectations
Mott the Hoople – All the Young Dudes
Kimya Dawson – So Nice So Smart
Cat Power – Sea of Love
Kimya Dawson and Antsy Pants – Tree Hugger
The Velvet Underground – I'm Sticking with You The Moldy Peaches – Anyone Else but You
Antsy Pants – Vampire
Michael Cera and Ellen Page – Anyone Else but You

8. High Fidelity (2000)
13th Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me
The Kinks - Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy
John Wesley Harding - I'm Wrong About Everything
The Velvet Underground - Oh! Sweet Nuthin'
Love - Always See Your Face
Bob Dylan - Most of the Time
Sheila Nicholls - Fallen for You
The Beta Band - Dry the Rain
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Shipbuilding
Smog - Cold Blooded Old Times
Barry Jive & The Uptown Five - Let's Get It On
Stereolab - Lo Boob Oscillator
Royal Trux - Inside Game
The Velvet Underground - Who Loves the Sun
Stevie Wonder - I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
7. Vanilla Sky (2001)
R.E.M. - All the Right Friends
Radiohead - Everything in Its Right Place
Paul McCartney - Vanilla Sky
Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill
Julianna Gianni - I Fall Apart
The Monkees - Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)
Looper - Mondo '77
Red House Painters - Have You Forgotten
Josh Rouse - Directions
Leftfield - Afrika Shox
Sigur Rós - Svefn-g-englar
Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye
Todd Rundgren - Can We Still Be Friends
Bob Dylan - 4th Time Around
Nancy Wilson - Elevator Beat
R.E.M. - Sweetness Follows
The Chemical Brothers - Where Do I Begin

6. Almost Famous (2000)
Simon & Garfunkel - America
The Who - Sparks
Todd Rundgren - It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
Yes - I've Seen All Good People: Your Move
The Beach Boys - Feel Flows
Stillwater - Fever Dog
Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story
The Seeds - Mr. Farmer
The Allman Brothers Band - One Way Out (Live)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man
Led Zeppelin - That's the Way
Elton John - Tiny Dancer
Nancy Wilson - Lucky Trumble
David Bowie - I'm Waiting for the Man (Live from Live In Santa Monica '72)
Cat Stevens - The Wind
Clarence Carter - Slip Away
Thunderclap Newman - Something in the Air

5. 24 Hour Party People (2002)

Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the U.K.
Happy Mondays - 24 Hour Party People (Jon Carter Mix)
Joy Division - Transmission
Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)?
The Clash - Janie Jones
Moby and Billy Corgan with New Order - New Dawn Fades
Joy Division - Atmosphere
The Durutti Column - Otis
A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray
New Order - Temptation
Happy Mondays - Loose Fit
808 State - Pacific State
Blue Monday - New Order
Move Your Body - Marshall Jefferson
She's Lost Control - Joy Division
Hallelujah (Club Mix) - Happy Mondays
Here To Stay - New Order
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

4. Into The Wild (2007)

Eddie Vedder - Setting Forth Eddie Vedder -No Ceiling
Eddie Vedder -Far Behind Eddie Vedder -Rise Eddie Vedder -Long Nights Eddie Vedder -Tuolumne
Eddie Vedder -Hard Sun
Eddie Vedder -Society
Eddie Vedder -The Wolf
Eddie Vedder -End of the Road
Eddie Vedder -Guaranteed

3. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Overture (Instrumental)
Bjork (with Catherine Deneuve) - Cvalda
Bjork (with Thom Yorke) - I've Seen It All
Bjork - Scatterheart
Bjork - In The Musicals
Bjork (with Siobhan Fallon) - 107 Steps
Bjork - New World

2. Team America: World Police (2004)
Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride
Tomoyasu Hotei - Battle Without Honor or Humanity
Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman - Everyone Has Aids
Trey Parker - Freedom Isn't Free
Trey Parker - America, F**k Yeah
Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman - Derka Derk (Terrorist Theme)
Trey Parker - Only a Woman
Trey Parker - America F**k Yeah (Bummer Remix)
Trey Parker - I’m So Ronery
Trey Parker - The End of an Act
Trey Parker - Montage
Jeff Faustman - Forbidden Bitter-Melon Dance
Kubat - Bu Dunyada Askindan Olmek

1. O Brother Where Art Thou (2000)
James Carter and The Prisoners - Po' Lazarus
Harry McClintock - Big Rock Candy Mountain
Norman Blake - You Are My Sunshine
Alison Krauss - Down to the River to Pray
Soggy Bottom Boys and Dan Tyminski - I am a Man of Constant Sorrow
Chris Thomas King - Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
Norman Blake - I am a Man of Constant Sorrow
The Whites - Keep on the Sunny Side
Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch - I'll Fly Away
Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch - Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby"In the Leah, Sarah, and Hannah Peasall - Highways
The Cox Family of Cotton Valley, Louisiana - I Am Weary, Let Me Rest
John Hartford - I am a Man of Constant Sorrow (instrumental
Ralph Stanley - O Death
Soggy Bottom Boys and Tim Blake Nelson - In the Jailhouse Now
Soggy Bottom Boys and Dan Tyminski - I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" (with band)
John Hartford - Indian War Whoop (instrumental)
The Fairfield Four - Lonesome Valley
The Stanley Brothers - Angel Band

Review of the Decade - Music (Artists)

2010-01-05T09:40:00.008Z

This list is based on the bands and artists who have found a place in my heart, have affected me in profound ways, either through the albums they produced or the experience I had watching them live. Most I had never even heard 10 years ago yet now I cannot imagine a future without them.

Top Ten Artists of the decade

10. Gorillaz
Gorillaz (2001)
Demon Days (2005)

9. The Shins
Oh, Inverted World (2001)
Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
Wincing the Night Away (2007)

8. PJ Harvey
Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea (2000)
Uh Huh Her (2004)
The Peel Sessions (2006)
White Chalk (2007)
A Woman A Man Walked By (2008)

7. Doves
Lost Souls (2000)
The Last Broadcast (2002)
Lost Sides (2003)
Some Cities (2005)
Kingdom of Rust (2009)

6. Coldplay
Parachutes (2000)
A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
X&Y (2005)
Viva La Vida or Death and all His Friends (2008)

5. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
No More Shall We Part (2001)
Nocturama (2003)
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (2004)
The Proposition (2005)
The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (2008)

4. The Arcade Fire
Funeral (2004)
Neon Bible (2007)

3. The Arctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am that’s what I’m Not (2006)
Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)
Humbug (2009)

2. The White Stripes
De Stijl (2000)
White Blood Cells (2001)
Elephant (2003)
Get Behind Me Satan (2005)
Icky Thump (2007)

1. Ryan Adams
Heartbreaker (2000)
Gold (2001)
Demolition (2002)
Rock n Roll (2003)
Love is Hell (2003)
Jacksonville City Nights (2005)
Cold Roses (2005)
29 (2005)
Everybody Knows (2007)
Easy Tiger (2007)
Cardinology (2008)

Review of the Decade - Music (Albums)

2010-01-05T08:34:00.009Z

Not being an expert of music, this list of top ten albums consists of the albums which has stuck with me, or in some instances have lived inside my head for a sizeable period of time, and albums which I feel have defined the decade, both culturally and personally.

Top Ten Albums of the decade

10. Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not
The Arctic Monkeys
January 2006

9. Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
September 2004

8. Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
June 2008

7. Humbug
The Arctic Monkeys
August 2009

6. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
October 2000

5. Discovery
Daft Punk
March 2001

4. White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
July 2001

3. Is This It
The Strokes
July 2001

2. Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
September 2000

1. Neon Bible
The Arcade Fire
March 2007

Review of the Decade 2000 - 2009

2010-01-04T12:14:00.006Z

The Noughties, as they inevitably came to known were something of a disappointment in the greater schemes of cinema history. As the new millennium began hopes were obviously very high for fans of cinema. The hi-def revolution was kicking off, and the battle for home entertainment would be resolved, at least for now. With Blu-Ray, audiences where once again offered something at home which couldn’t be experienced in a cinema. But perhaps more importantly the technological developments which came over the decade promised to once again reinvent cinema in similar ways both sound and colour, as well as Cinerama promised to do. For the most part though technologies such as motion capture, hi-def and 3D never took off in the way audiences and film fans hoped for. Yes some of these movies made buckets full of money, and convinced the studios that these new technologies were the way forward, but in years to come, few will look back on The Polar Express, Monsters vs. Aliens, My Bloody Valentine, Beowulf or any number of other films which embraced the revolutions with anything than mild curiosity. It may be that these films were merely teething problems, which is also inevitable with any new development and that the revolution won’t completely kick in until the following decade. And yet this was not the only area to fall down under the weight of expectation.
The noughties, now they’re coming to an end feel like a stop gap between the past and the future. There are multiple reasons for this. Firstly Hollywood, in all its power and magnitude has embraced franchise filmmaking and existing audiences to continually break box office records and ensure their own survival. Batman, Spiderman, X-Men and a slew of comic book movies have been adapted for the big screen with almost every kind of niche being catered for. Some have made massive amounts of money, others have failed miserably. Toys, board games and TV shows have also been mined to ensure return on investment on continually growing budgets. Transformers and its sequel for example are two of the highest grossing movies of all time, and with Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney have managed to rake in $1,066,179,725 worldwide, and there is another instalment of the franchise due. Perhaps the most successful source of material for Hollywood though has been literature. Franchises which immediately spring to mind are the Bourne film, another of which is in development, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia and of course Harry Potter which has become the highest grossing film franchise in cinematic history, and we’re yet to see the two parts of The Deathly Hallows. If this trend continues and audiences continue to lap up cinematic versions of their favourite book, comic, children's toy, cartoon, TV show or even social network site (David Fincher’s film about Facebook – due out within the next few years) then it doesn’t bode well for cinema. Part of the problem, and ironically one of the keys to the success lie in Hollywood learning that if they really want their marquee films to bring in big box office, then an established, quality director can go a long way. So we have had 3 Sam Raimi Spiderman's, two Bryan Singer X-Men’s, A Bryan Singer Superman, two Christopher Nolan Batmans, An Ang Lee Hulk, Peter Jackson directed the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Paul Greengrass the final two Bourne films. If anything this means some of the most talented filmmakers of recent years have been busy churning out Hollywood product instead of personal projects, and yet the biggest paradox seems to be the filmmakers desire to work in this field.
Franchises have not only been borne in the past 10 years either. Rocky, Rambo, Indiana Jones and Die Hard to name the most iconic have all seen rebirths and the audiences seem to crave them so much there is already word on a further Indiana Jones and Rambo film. The quality of these films is mixed, and the obvious danger in destroying a franchise may have hindered further retreads. Remakes have also been clogging up our multiplexes, not only of foreign fare, what with the America’s reluctance to read subtitles but also with old classics; The Wicker Man, 3:10 To Yuma, 13 Going on 30, Alfie, The Amityville Horror, Halloween, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Assault on Precinct 13, Ocean’s Eleven, Solaris, Dark Water, The Grudge, The Ring, Dawn of the Dead, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Departed, Friday the 13th, Gone in 60 Seconds, House of Wax, Insomnia, The Italian Job, Get Carter, King Kong, The Ladykillers and The Manchurian Candidate to name but a few. The slate for upcoming remakes also reads like a film fans worst nightmare.
The other main problem with cinema this past year and it ineffectual development has lay in the gap which exists between established masters and young pretenders. Looking at the highlights of directors such as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, Clint Eastwood, Brian De Palma, Michael Mann and Spike Lee, none have once managed to equal the highs of their earlier career. This is not uncommon and the deficit to cinema cannot be solely laid at their feet. Instead the bulk of the blame lies with both those filmmakers who have drifted toward more commercial enterprises, with both good and bad effects and the failure of new up and coming filmmakers to establish themselves in the same way the 70’s generation of filmmakers did. Wes Anderson, Michel Gondry, Alexander Payne, Michael Winterbottom, Andrew Dominik, Richard Kelly and Darren Aronofsky have all emerged as potential great filmmakers and some have even hinted they can take the torch from the old masters and carry it forward, pushing the boundaries and definitions of cinema to new, previously unexplored territories. However, despite some great works of cinema, none of these filmmakers have embraced the challenge head on, and those that have attempted have either scene their trajectory slide, or have merely sought to imitate and borrow from their major influences. This is not uncommon, but where previous generations have been inspired and taken cinema in a new direction, most of the current crops, despite having incredibly unique talents seem content to work with the parameters laid down by their forebears.
The most obvious example of this is Quentin Tarantino. It feels a long time since Reservoir Dogs seemed to single-handedly change the face of modern cinema, and Tarantino’s follow up Pulp Fiction is simply one of the great works of cinema ever committed to celluloid. This decade, after a notable seven year absence, Tarantino returned, and the films he delivered serve as the most defining example of the noughties inability to move the art form forward. No one could have expected Tarantino to top Pulp Fiction, but with four films Tarantino’s films have intrigued, astonished, angered, annoyed and mesmerised in equal measure. But none of his films feel like defining monuments to modern cinema, and none have shown the stylish wit, absolute genius or maturity of his Nineties output.
Another example of American cinemas inability to reshape cinema can be found in its preoccupation with War films about both the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the subsequent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. But beyond Kathryn Bieglow’s The Hurt Locker, Paul Greengrass’ United 93 and still unreleased in the UK Grace is Gone, none of the films have come close to the great War films made over previous decades. Part of this may be to do with the lack of distance, our perception of the conflicts and the images given to us daily through the news. But those few films which have stood out demonstrate that this could have been a golden age of cinema, had filmmakers and producers managed to navigate the shifting cinematic climate more successfully. It fell in the end to the small screen’s Generation Kill to artistically capture the conflicts we have lived through this past decade.
Its interesting looking back over the history of cinema and highlighting those decades, or periods which seem the most artistically vibrant and creatively fertile. The 1930’s developed and adjusted to the arrival of both sound and colour to produce some of the finest works of cinema to grace the screen. Similarly, the 1950’s, which had the competition of television with which to deal, managed also to evolve the technology and the artistic vision to great another period consistently outstanding cinema. Although the sixties may be the period where the biggest shift in what cinema could portray it wasn’t until the 70’s that an emerging group of filmmakers, lessoned on the old styles and structures but able to explore similar themes in much more confrontational and artistic ways moved cinema on into its next stage of evolution. In the noughties though the shift in the political shape of the world, the new, challenging technological developments both in home entertainment and theatrical cinema and the upsurge in the internet’s role in modern cinema have yet to be navigated to their fullest potential. It may be that the teens of the new millennium will be were filmmakers truly grasp, embrace and define the next era. The possibilities provided filmmakers are unlike ever before and the lack of strictures may go some way to explain the last decade. What is true is that the changes will continue and the thought of were cinema could be in ten years is both exciting and frightening.
There are a few directors however who have, over the past ten years established themselves not merely as unique voices but as creators of some of the most progressive and interesting cinema ever. Pedro Almodovar is fast becoming one of European cinemas leading lights, Michael Haneke is using cinema to provoke thoughts and realities which are as shocking as they are brilliant, Wong Kar Wai continues to offer film lovers the beauty and grace of the art form, Ang Lee dabbled with Hollywood blockbusters, monuments of cinema, native gems and lighted-heart comedy, Steven Soderbergh may be the closest thing we have to a Jean-Luc Godard, his films constantly redefining notions of cinema, whilst constantly challenging our definition of the art – he also manages to what Hollywood does best, better than anyone else , Abbas Kiarostami may be the finest exponent of art cinema, and continues to push to envelope of not only narrative, but also audience engagement, Pixar Studios are the new Disney, and the great modern studio, their work constantly evolving and reshaping audiences perception of animation by creating taut, perfectly structured, adorable films, Florian Henckel von Donnersmack has made a single film in the past year, yet it’s such a brilliant introduction to of a new talent, one can only imagine where he can go if he can surpass his debut, Lukas Moodysson has revived Swedish cinema with touching, provocative, tender, and evocative masterpieces and Lars von Trier, the self declared greatest filmmaker alive had caused perhaps more outrage, conflict and discussion than all the other filmmakers together. He is the quintessential agent provocateur, and with Dancer in the Dark, Dogville and Antichrist he distorted the vision of cinema and storytelling in indulgent, seminal, pretentious yet someone deeply affecting, life changing ways. David Lynch also arguably created his finest works of cinema. Mulholland Drive and INLAND EMPIRE both took us to very dark places and saw Lynch not only embrace new technology but also saw him penetrate his beguiling, terrifying, hypnotic psyche perhaps more honestly and committed than any filmmaker ever has. Peter Jackson emerged as the great storyteller of English language cinema and propelled his reputation to equal Steven Spielberg and George Lucas with The Lord of The Rings (perhaps one of the few defining films of our generation), King Kong, his reinvention and love letter to a classic from Hollywood’s heyday. Guillermo Del Toro defined the one-for-them one-for-me mentality, but managed to maintain his artistic voice. The Coen Brothers went from O Brother Where Art Thou to A Serious Man. With one exception, they have created the most artistically entertaining films of the past ten years; Park Chan-wook emerged with four films to stand up as the finest example of the new wave of Asian cinema. His films contain the influence of American cinema but viewed through a kaleidoscopic oriental vision. New waves have emerged elsewhere in South America, where most of the proponents have emigrated to American of British films, in search, you would imagine of wider audiences. Eastern Europe’s new wave filmmakers haven’t been so lucky, but have made a sizeable impact on art cinema. What these filmmakers do next though could define art cinema for years to come.

British cinema similarly has spent much of the decade trying to emerge from the 90s. Richard Curtis continued to make under par follow ups to Four Weddings and Funeral. Billy Elliot seems a film of the 90s rather than the millennium but the future does like bright. Artists in the shape of Sam Taylor-Wood and Steve McQueen could give British cinema an influx are avant-garde sensibility. The industry also saw the emerging talent of Neil Marshall and a host of strong horror films (and one magnificent Rom-Zom-Com) and comedy in particular seems to have flourished. The continuing fruition of Shane Meadows as perhaps British strongest talent has been fascinating. Michael Winterbottom continued to make thought provoking accomplished cinema. He must be commended for maintaining his individuality and originality. The past decade has also seen a reinvention of James Bond and the monumental success of Harry Potter, although, unfortunately and somewhat predictably most of the profit lines the pockets of US studios. Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, as well as Terence Davies continued to make enjoyable, thought provoking cinema, but rarely attained the previous heights of their artistic success. The big story of British cinema in the past decade is Danny Boyle. Reinventing the zombie film for the new millennium, bringing science fiction cinema to our screens and the Oscar haul of Slumdog Millionaire have seen Boyle transform into Britain’s most acclaimed filmmaker. Boyle may not have made any films comparable to Shallow Grave or Trainspotting but he is the first genuinely big (in terms of box office, critics and awards) filmmaker to remain working in this country and the success of Slumdog should allow him even greater freedom to build the British Film Industry. Other notable filmmakers of the past decade who can’t not be mentioned include Christopher Nolan and Paul Greengrass, but both were lured early in their career to the US and have made some of the most unique, original and engaging films since departing. This says more about the state of our industry than it does about them as filmmakers. The hope for the coming decade will be not just the stability of the British Industry but a growth in filmic styles, voices and audiences.

So the past decade has been eventful, memorable and exciting, but there remains a sense of apathy to it all. There have been moments, flourishes and glimmers of what could have become defining films of our generation but cinematic milestones remain on hiatus. At best there may be ten films which deserve to stand close scrutiny against the great works of cinema. Those ten films make up the final pages of this review of the decade. My motivations for doing this are out of a personal obsession with the unfolding history of cinema, a need to contextualise both historically and artistically this period of cinema, but also the decades shape on me as a person. The noughties feel like they will be the most defining and formative years of my life. From 16 to 26, feels like a much bigger leap than any decade in my life to come. This could be where the routes of my apathy stem. Where previous generations have been looked upon with the goggles of history, reputation and buzz, the noughties for me have been the years I’ve had to define my understanding of cinema, and as imperfect as it still remains, it has been influenced mainly through the cinematic experience. Regardless of how many times you watch a film on DVD, film is by its very definition meant to be viewed in a cinema. The sound and picture become entirely immersive and the past ten years of sitting in the dark gazing up at the possibilities have felt like less of an impact than the DVD experiences which have provided my education. For this reason I have opted to begin my review of the decade with a list of the Top Ten Reissues of the past ten years. Although I have seen only a grain of sands worth of all the reissues it is noteworthy that the cinematic experiences I remember most vividly are the reissues which have enabled me to experience old classics in the way they were designed. What follows is entirely subjective and victim to my inability to watch every film released. I hope to inspire thought, debate, anger, annoyance and contemplation.

And so, over the next however many pages, my review of all things cinematic. Here’s to the next ten years....

Sherlock Holmes - 2009

2010-01-04T11:01:00.010Z

How does he do it. Somehow people keep funding Guy Ritchie's film. Thankfully with his latest he has enough good points to make the film watchable, almost entertaining, but certainly not the waste of time and money most of his films become. With Sherlock Holmes he has a hero who is not only likeable, but a rounded, flawed and deeply entertaining character, and in the hands of Robert Downey Jr. is effortlessly charming, charismatic and watchable. He also has Jude Law, who has Watson knits into the film beautifully to turn Ritchie's film less into a crime thriller than a bromantic comedy. Dwoney Jr and Law work wonderfully together, falling into a natural banter, as if they have known each other a lifetime. You assume it was fantastically fun working on the film and it helps the enjoyment of the film. Unfortunately their chemistry makes the inclusion of Rachel McAdams former lover of Holmes feel somewhat redundant, and the script leans so heavily on the Holmes/Watson double team, that a good, servicable performance from McAdams is almost completely overlooked. The principal cast is completed Mark Strong, playing your stereotypical evil genius.

The actual plot is fairly preposterous, and Ritchies direction is the weak link, he overuse of slow motion, and his direction of certain scenes threaten to implode a film built on shaky foundations, but the film contains a good number of action set pieces and the story rattles along at a good pace, meaning you don't really have time, or don't really want to spend time analysising the flaws too much, except those glaring problems Ritchie brings to the table.

The other major problem with the story is a lack of explanation as to who Sherlock Holmes actually is, we are never given any real character development, the writers assuming the audience has a level of knowledge to carry us through with his violin playing or astute deductive genius. What the film attempts is to move away from the stuffy, old fashioned English gent portrayed in most other film and TV adaptations. Instead this is Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century, cool, charming, strong and with a cheeky knowing arrogance which has come to epitomise a lot of modern action adventure filmmaking.

Not a complete disaster, especially as the pre-release buzz was that Ritchie had fluffed it, but still not the great film it could, and possibly should have been with such a riveting duo in Downey Jr and Law. Here's hoping the next adventure will be a problem investigative thriller, with a human, yet brilliant villain (Moriarty) who forces Downey Jr's Holmes to face a opponent he and we as an audience are absolutely confident he can beat.

Nowhere Boy - 2009

2010-01-04T11:01:00.008Z

Sam Taylor-Wood's directorial debut, Nowhere Boy, is a slight, curious piece of filmmaking. Telling the story of a pre-Beatles John Lennon and the bizarre relationship he had with his aunt and mother, the film is a fine example of some excellent acting, and also, for fans of John Lennon an interesting exploration of how he got into music, and how The Beatles formed. Where the film fails is in leaving a wider thematic resonance. The film never once attempts to explain how the women of his life influenced his musical career, or the subjects he explored through them. It positions Lennon as a troubled youth, trying to come to terms with his dysfunctional family set up, and the tragedy which befell him at such a young age. Of course, you could argue Taylor-Wood and screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh might have purposefully opted to avoid that, instead purely depicting the life of Lennon before The Beatles and not hint at the impact of influence his formative years had on his later music, but in doing so the film, despite being enjoyable, feels to light and lack importance.

That's not to say the film isn't a success. It is both enjoyable, funny and deeply moving. Aaron Johnson is very good as John Lennon, but the film is stolen, in equal measure by Kristen Scott Thomas as the repressed old fashioned aunt Mimi and Anne-Marie Duff as Lennon's bohemian, carefree mother Julia. Also of note, is Thomas Sangster as Paul McCartney, the grounded equal of Lennon, and some of the films finest scenes portray the beginning of what would become one of the strongest and most prolific working friendships in music, but also hints at the gulf in difference which would inevitably lead to The Beatles split.

So, another music biopic which is intriguing, offers some insight, but lacks to relevance and weight you would expect from the life of someone as talented and influential to popular music. What really stood out was why this story was about John Lennon, as it could have been about anybody. As it is, this marks out Sam Taylor-Wood as a potential new voice in British cinema, but perhaps more so, marks the arrival of Aaron Johnson who never looks to be struggling under the weight of playing Lennon.

The Top Ten Albums of the Year - 2009

2010-01-02T16:38:00.007Z

2009 was another epic year of music for me. In all this year the highlight was seeing Neil Young accompanied on stage by Sir Paul McCartney as he closed his Hyde Park Hard Rock Calling set with A Day in the Life. Other highlights included seeing Fleet Foxes, The Arctic Monkeys, who now hold the title for best live gig, based on expectation against actual experience. I expected them to be good, but man, they were so good, they have entered the level of rock gods, and most of them are barely out of puberty. Them Crooked Vultures supporting Arctic Monkeys enabled me to say I've seen Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones, which made me very happy. Josh Tillman of Fleet Foxes was another unexpected treat for the year, and Seasick Steve, once again made me realise just how brilliant live music is. But this is a list of the best albums of the year, and so here goes...

10. Jay Z - The Blueprint III

I'm not a big fan of rap music, and my collection stretches to Dr. Dre's 2001. But there is something utterly infectious about Jay Z's latest, and it has constantly been an album I listen to in order to improve my mood, or just chill out and hear some great beats.

9.Ludovico Einaudi - Nightbook

A wonderful work of classical music. Einaudi's music is haunting, hypnotic, allowing you to float along in the beautiful stream of emotions the music conjures up within you. This is one of the finest works of music I have heard in the past year.

8. Pearl Jam - Backspacer

Another band I knew nothing about before the start of 2009. My knowledge is still limited, but this album has occupied a lot of my Spotify playlists over the past few months, and it feels an integral part of the past year.

7. Doves - Kingdom of Rust

Doves are one of my favourite bands and Kingdom of Rust explains exactly why. A great sound dovetails with great lyrics, Kingdom of Rust may not be their finest work, but its instantly brilliant and you can't help by be overcome by their unique sound.

6. Muse - The Resistance

I didn't even like Muse before 2009. Now, I see it. And The Resistance is one of their most enjoyable, iconic and brilliant albums. I look forward to exploring and appreciating their music further over the coming years.

5. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs - It's Blitz

A plethora of wonderful songs which make you want to dance in the street, as you ipod pumps them at full volume into your ears.

4. Florence and the Machine - Lungs

A lot of new bands have emerged in the past year, but few as vocaly gifted and musically accomplished as Florence and the Machine. Not a bad song on the album, which weaves its way through throbbing fast paced beats and slower, comtemplative numbers, its the album you just can not turn off.

3. Fever Ray - Fever Ray

Haunting, atmospheric, masterful. Fever Ray found me through a five star review in the Guardian which called it the best album of the decade. There weren't far wrong. Superb lyrics, an astonishing voice and a soundscape that makes your ears bleed with joy.

2. Mumford and Sons - Sign No More

The album I just cannot stop listening too. Little Lion Man is the single of the year, and that almost every song on the album is as good, and makes you just want to go out and enjoy life. The Mumford and Sons are most definitely my new favourite band.

1. The Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

It may not have the catchy energy of their debut, or the frenetic pace of Favourite Worst Nightmare, but Humbug is more mature, more intelligent and has a greater range. Put simply its the most accomplished and complete album Arctic Monekys have released, and it may not have the cultural significance now but in time Humbug may be the most important album the band ever produce.

As you may have guessed, my musical knowledge isn't great and most of what I have heard this past year has come from recommendations and heard on Spotify. But as Spotify is such a wonderful creation, I hope to expand my music knowledge in 2010 and beyond.

The Top 10 Films of the Year - 2009

2010-01-02T15:54:00.004Z

It's been a rather subdued year for cinema. Hollywood became ever more bloated and relied on JJ Abrams (Star Trek) to provide some actual light relief in the summer, 3D bolstered its reputation as the future of cinema with the likes of Pixar's Up, Coraline and the return of James Cameron in Avatar, a film which was so magnificently beautiful and dazzling to the degree that the likes of it have never been witnessed before. What it did tell us though was that although 3D can enhance the visual experience and create a fully immersive cinematic experience, it cannot cover up the poor storytelling or problems with the script. Slumdog Millionaire shocked the world with its overhaul of Oscars, even if the film itself has been grossly overrated, its still a perfectly entertaining awards magnetic, and credit should go to Danny Boyle for accomplishing such a feat. New emerging talent in British cinema came in the form of David Bowie's son. Duncan Jones' Moon was a adult science fiction film which dazzled not with extravagance, but with deep, philiosophical concepts and a tight story. The Cannes film festival was notable mainly for two innovative, provocative and unique auteurs. Lars von Trier declared himself the greatest director alive, then recieved cackles and boos when his latest Antichrist premiered. Tarantino rode into town which much anticipated WW2 drama Inglourious Basterds only to find the French unimpressed with his latest effort, rewriting history in the process. The breakout comedy of the year was about a drunken, amnesia filled stag night in Vegas, which proved to be both ridiculous and hilarious in equal measure and finally, after years of production hell, Watchmen, the greatest graphic novel ever written, hit the screens, and was a faithful as possible. Zach Snyder proving an adequate director to bring the vision of an alternate 1980's to life. So after a rather subdued end to the decade, below are the ten films which stood out and towered above everything else in cinemas in 2009.

10. Up
Pixar's latest certainly comes first for most tear inducing opening. A rattling adventure with some great gags and visuals, but the film fails to maintain the stratospheric standard of the opening 20 minutes. If it had, it might well have gone on to become the best thing Pixar has produced.

9. Wendy and Lucy
Michelle Williams beautifully subdued portrayal of a woman adrift in America, is a wonderful evocation of the dislocation and alienation of America society. A simple tale, which deliver little on plot, but over compensates with heart and emotion. Williams carries Kelly Reichardt's film to deliver the female performance of the year.

8. The Class
About as close to documentary as fiction film comes, the 2008 Palme D'or Winner is a superbly acted, and directed drama about the life in a school in a tough inner city, racially diverse school. It may be the best film ever made about teaching, as both pupil and educator are held up to close scrutiny; the resolution revealing that the system doesn't work, or support either.

7. Synecdoche, New York
Charlie Kaufman finally steps away from the keyboard to director his first film. Penned, predictably, by Kaufman the film has the best cast of the year, and the best actor of the decade. It's pretentious, indulgent, makes little to no sense, but asks big questions about life, love and art - which is exactly what great cinema is designed to do. A film which is enriched with multiple viewings.

6. Che
I saw Che not in its two part, but as one long 4 hour epic. Seperately neither film would make this list, as each suffers from presenting a single polemic. Together though each part comments and informs the other. As you watch the failed Bolivian revolution you crave for the momentum and enthusiasm which made Cuba a success. Soderbergh's direction is equally up to the challenge. There is a buzz, a righteousness to part 1, which is juxtaposed against the fatalistic, harsh tones of part 2. Seperately these are enjoyably but deeply flawed films, as a whole Che is one of the most intriguing, engaging and monumental acheivements of the past decade.

5. In The Loop
Fucking hell, this is one funny film. Armando Ianucci takes his TV show to the big screen, and for the first time in my memory as spin off from a TV show actually equals if not surpasses the original, in this case The Thick of It. Addressing the war on terror, Ianucci and his fellow writers create a rib splitting insight into the inanity of government. Peter Calpaldi is perfect as Malcolm Tucker and delivers every line with a vile relish.

4. A Serious Man
After No Country For Old Men and Burn After Reading, The Coen's tackled their own up bringing to deliver one of the most critically lauded films of the year. It's certainly their most personal film, and is as cryptic as it is funny. An almost staccato style throws you into the world of Larry Gopnik as he tries to find spiritual meaning as every pillar of his life seems to be falling away around him.

3. Let The Right One In
Horror cinema, and more specifically the vampire genre received a much need bite in the neck, with Thomas Alfredson's majectic film about the unlikely love which develops between a 200 year old vampire in the body of a 12 year old girl, and the boy she meets (Oskar). The subtly and grace with which this story unfolds elevates even the rare moments of horror to create a sublimely uplifting experience, capped by the best ending of the year.

2. The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow returns to directing with the best Iraq War film ever made, and one of the most intensely emotionally and gruelling films in years. A cast of unknowns, littered with famous faces and a shocking opening reminds us that in war no one is safe. Bigelow chooses to depict the chaos and unpredictability of war by examing not only the teams of bomb disposal experts but also by presenting an unsettling question of what you have to be like to surive, at least mentally, in war.

1. The White Ribbon
Michael Haneke's Palme D'or winning masterpiece may well be the finest film he has every directed. Every image is beautifully composed and lit and the performances are impecible as Haneke ruminates on the birth of Fascism. Set in 1913, the First World War encroaches and looms over the lives of a quiet village in Germany where a serious horrific accidents, which may or may not be accidents, are perpetrator against both the adult and children of the village. Haneke exposes the oppressive nature of German, and by extension human, society, and how the seeds of Fascism are sown. It being a Haneke films very little is shown, so that which is has maximum impact, and Haneke also exlpores the edges of the cinematic image, creating the most emotionally churning scenes of the year.

So that's it. Only 8 five star films released in 2009, and no Avatar. That is a personal dissapointment, but one which is made up for by the quality of those films which made the list.

As for 2010, a new decade, new possibilities for cinema, and a new Toy Story film, in 3D obviously on the horizon. Last year, I listed the 9 films I was most excited about and non of them lived up to my expectation. So this year all I will say is I am most excited about the films for which there is no buzz, there is no hype, which quietly enter our lives, take us to a world we had never imagine and beguile, dazzle and wonder us the unexpectedly life affirming way.

Goodbye noughties hello, er, tens. teens, tennies. Who knows.

AVATAR - The 3D IMAX Experience - 2009

2009-12-21T08:54:00.004Z

The bar has been raised, the goalposts moved, the rulebook rewritten, and all other manner of euphemisms for the next step in the evolution of cinema. Avatar is without question, one of the most sumptuous, breaktaking and visually satisfying films you are ever likely to see. In 3D it is a completely immersive experience which is the biggest and best endorsement for 3D being the future of cinema ever made. No longer do object need to be moving toward you in order to fully feel the effect of 3D, and it is most certainly no longer a gimmick. Earlier films in 2009, Up, Coraline etc proved that when it comes to animation 3D is most definately the future, but Avatar proves that rule applies to all cinema, and not just big budget event cinema. It's amazing that with all the astonishing, outstanding action set pieces on Avatar, the scenes which really stood out for me were the quiet, set based, talky scenes. Or for example the moment Jake Sully rolls down onto the landing base on Pandora, people mulling about, mecha striding past, giant machines wheeling along and you feel right within the action. You are no longer watching the film, but are actually within it. Avatar was dubbed as the future of cinema, and based on these early scenes it didn't take long to be converted.

Which is why, for all of the genius of display Avatar is ultimately an unfulfilling experience. I was so wowed by the visual feast for the eyes, and the world, so perfectly visualised and so wonderfully realised, that it merely stood to emphasis the giant flaws in the story and character. Cameron rightly, spends little time setting up the story, and creates a number of contrived plot beats in order to get the story rolling as quickly as possible, but far too much information is given as exposition in the first act, essentially positioning and audience and feeding them what is needed in order to keep their attention later on. But the problem which this creates is that we barely understand who these people are who what truly motivates them. Too many characters have underdeveloped arcs, and so certain actions leaving you scratching you head. But most dissapointingly the story is just too familiar as cliched. A classic archetypal narrative is not to be unexpected, but Cameron seems to have invested so much time in the world and technology he has forgotten the heart of all stories are unique, individual and original characters. Instead clunky dialogue and 2D characters (how ironic) hinder what is clearly one of the most ambitious pieces of cinema ever undertaken.

It's unusual that a films quality will swing, pendulum like, so much between mouth watering brilliance to predictable tedium, and at one point, just before the final big battle, Cameron has created probably the worst seqeunce in his entire ouerve. Thankfully, when the big battle commences any lingering doubts about Avatar drift away in the mist around the floating mountains of Pandora. Cameron is possibly cinemas greatest exponent of emotionally charged action and for 45 minutes you barely take breath as 3D action finally fulfils its potential, with one of the most exhilarating sequences ever concieved.

Special mention should also be given to WETA for creating such strunningly realistic visual effects. A film like Avatar depends on the brilliance of the visual effects department and they are possibly the films greatest achievement. Its the little subtleties which make the world and Na'vi seem completely real, and each characters Avatar resembles them so successfully that you wouldn't be surprised to learn that is was prothetics or make-up.

By the films conclusion you'll be buzzing with excitement, your heart pounding in your chest, but at the same time, there'll be that sick feeling deep down in your gut as you begun to ponder what could have been, If Avatar was consistently as good as it is when it reaches its heights then it could have been the greatest science fiction actioner of all time.

So, 3D is the future, Cameron is a genius, but his ability to tell an engaging, fully believeable story is in doubt, and but for some contrived plot developments and massively underdeveloped characters Avatar is a success (in box office terms a major one). And to think, in this entire review, and for the whole film, the fact that its a bunch of blue people running around doesn't really cross your mind. And that's an achievement all its own.

Paranormal Activity - 2009

2009-12-08T08:24:00.002Z

The latest in a string of handheld shaky cam films which try to justify the use of such a technique by implying firstly that the material is real (Blair Witch) and secondly having the characters actually holding the camera (Cloverfield) is another horror film which scares more when you see nothing, than it does when the film tries to use actual physical events to terrify.

The trailer and the marketing campaign almost guaranteed Paranormal Activity would be a success. A clever trailer which showed audiences screaming and trying to hide behind loved ones, and an endorsement and aparently a reshot ending suggested by non other than Steven Spielberg, who was quoted as saying he had to wait until morning to watch the films climax helped to raise word of mouth before there actually was any.

But is the film any good? And more importantly perhaps, is it actually scary? The short answer is no. It never captures to originality of The Blair Witch Project or the sheer terror of the Unknown that Cloverfield managed. Instead Paranormal Activity has distracting out of focus, shaky camerawork, which rather than unsettles just brings on nausea. There is far too many scenes when the is no sense of danger or peril, and despite their best efforts, its not until the final few minutes that the film actually creates a genuine increase in tension.

The acting is however, very good, the relationship feels real and their interactions and the increase in tension within the couple is palpable. But none of this makes up for the complete absence of genuine scares. There are moments; a shadow here, footprints in talcum powder, and a door slightly opening and shuting. The whole premise of a demon haunting a single person also works well as it removes any chance for the characters to escape. Their fate seeled and at the mercy of a creature which neither of them can comprehend.

Ultimately though, despite the fanfare, or because of it, Paranormal Activity is a major dissapointment and even worse actually gave me a feeling of nausea which made me want to leave the cinema after about the first 20 minutes.

A Serious Man - 2009

2009-11-23T08:46:00.004Z

After the Oscar success of No Country For Old Men, the Coen brothers made Burn After Reading, a typically Coen-esque comedy but a little light on meaning and substance. For their latest film they have created not only their most personal film, but also one of their wittiest and most enjoyable.

A Serious Man is a period film set in the 1967 in the Twin Cities, and tells the story of Physics professor Larry Gopnik. His is a troubled life, both at home and work. Up for tenure, Larry comes under pressure both from a blackmailing student and anonymous letters trying to undermine his potential tenure. At home things aren't any better - his wife wants a divorce, leaving him for Sy Abelman, a family friend and widower. His brother, Arthur, has been living on his couch for months, hogging the bathroom and writing an inpenetrable numerological treatise. Add to this a daughter stealing from him to fund a nose job and a son (Danny) who is constantly smoking weed, and you have what can only be described as a dysfunctional life.

Out of this Larry tries to remain a serious man. In the face of such adversity and antagonism, Larry tries to find some sense of spiritual solace and seeks the advice of three leading Rabbis. At the same time, his son, who is getting in trouble at school and is constantly being pursued by a bigger local kid, whom he owes money (used to feed his drug habit) - one of the funniest recurring moments in the film. Larry's attempt to seek spiritual understanding of his plight is enhanced by the upcoming Bar Mitzvah of Danny.

The film also contains a number of bizarre, slightly unreal moments, the opening for example is a 19th-century set prologue in which a Dybbuk (an undead of jewish folklore), is welcomed into the home of a Jewish man, before being stabbed by his wife, for being a Dybbuk. The so called Dybbuk then rises and leaves, leaving the mystery of his existence unresolved. This scene is also shot entirely in Yiddish. The final shot of the film offers an equally unresolved and confusing finale to the film.

This is one of the Coen's most uniquely satisfying films. Drawing from their own childhood, the film provides a level of insight and a personal touch often lacking in some of their other films. For all their talent, they are extremely mysterious directors; their films revealing their unique surreal outlook on life, but rarely the identity of themselves as filmmakers. A Serious Man offers a glimpse into who they were, and possibly what shaped their vision of the world. Add to this their brilliant style, a subtle, engaging performance from Michael Stuhlbarg and A Serious Man is a fine, exemplary and hilarious comedy.

The Road - 2009 @ London Film Festival

2009-10-19T08:40:00.009+01:00

As far as adaptations go The Road, directed by John Hillcoat (The Proposition), is about as faithful as you can get. But then Cormac McCarthy's book is not only very visual, it also affords any screenwriter very little need to reinterpret or even introduce new elements. In Viggo Mortensen you also have perhaps the only actor working today who can portray such a range of emotion, vulnerability and heart with just his eyes, or the wrinkling of his skin.

The Road is one of the finest films of the year. Everything from the cinematography to the score, to the costume and make up design to the performances and cameos from Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall and Guy Pierce are all note perfect. Hillcoat amazingly captures the bleak, apocalyptic future, and although the film offers a slightly more hopeful comclusion this is in no way an enjoyable film; instead it is one of the most profound and deeply moving explorations of one fathers love for his son, and the extreme lengths he will go to to ensure the future and safety of his ward.

The film can, however, become a bit one note at times with just Mortenson and Smit-McPhee on screen for such a long time. Scenes begin to feel a tad repeititive and so it is when the characters encounter other survivors that the film really scales the heights of brilliance. Duvall is superb, Theron is supportive, and her scenes help add to the mystery of of just what happened to cause this apocalypse, and even the scenes where our heroes encounter less than friendly foes on the road, from a stunningly brief cameo from Michael Kenneth Williams to the cannibals who trap victims in the basement.

Hillcoat, after the success of The Proposition, is perhaps best suited to this type of fatalistic, harsh reality and he along with cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe use real locations such as New Orleans to capture the desolution of America, and the tones and hues of the imagery help to carry you through the bleak future these characters inhabit.

Another minor criticism is Hillcoat's avoidance of some of the books darker moments. The previously mentioned scene in which we discover a cellar occupied by malnourished prisoners, the meal tickets for those that live upstairs, is neither as horrifying or as explicit as it could have been and as such some of the emotional wallop of the film is lost.

Ultimately though this is a resounding success and for those who love the book, will tick almost every box. For those that haven't though, this film is dark, bleak and for the most part unflinching in its fatalistic portrait of a post apocalyptic America. The only heart coming from the drive and determination Mortensen's father has to protect and save his son.