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Film review: Untouchable (cert.15)

21 Sep

When Driss (Omar Sy), an unemployed, ex-offender attends a job interview to be the carer for wealthy quadriplegic Philippe (Francois Cluzet), he only wants to tick off a box and doesn’t want the role. However, Philippe spots in him someone who won’t give him pity. Driss finds himself with the job and living in a mansion.

The French film directed and written by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano after they saw a documentary ten years ago about the people they based the story on, is quite a gem. Driss starts to get the hand of all he needs to do as a carer for a man who cannot use his arms and legs, all with a certain charm and innocence. Philippe is at the same time energised and motivated by this person with an alternative perspective on life.

Sy lights up the screen with a captivating performance and Cluzet draws us into his insecurities while being limited in how he can express his anxieties. There are times when the troubles of Driss at the lower end of French society and difficulties within his own family can seem a little stereotyped but as it’s based on real people, you give it the benefit of the doubt. It’s also a film with loads of humour. I left the screening enraptured by the movie. I hope it also re-ignites a love of the excellent music of Earth Wind & Fire, which was featured in the film. The film is out today in the UK. Rating: 9 out of 10

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Movie review: Lawless (Cert. 18)

5 Sep

David Michod directed prohibition era movie Lawless tracks the attempts of the Bondurant brothers at supplying liquor in Franklin County. Jack Bondurant (Shia LaBeouf) is the least violent of the three siblings. Forrest Bondurant (Tom Hardy) and Howard Bondurant (Jason Clarke) are unafraid of using weapons to preserve their business. Proceedings are further fired up when underhand Deputy Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) comes to town. Jack is also trying to romance preacher’s daughter Bertha Minnix (Mia Wasikowska) and barmaid Maggie Beauford (Jessica Chastain) has her aim set on Forrest. The screenplay written by Nick Cave is based on a true story.

The film steers you easily into the brothers’ lives but without you feeling that you’re championing their cause. Hardy seems a little expressionless at times though he generally captures the elder brother seniority well. Jessica Chastain’s Maggie is promises more excitement and mystery than she’s given. Howard is a little short-changed as a character. If you extreme violence in movies disturbs you, best to try another film. Out on the 7th September in the UK. Rating: 7 out of 10

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Review: Tina Turner celebrated in Soul Sister musical

22 Apr

The real Tina Turner:

There have been many times when I’ve been out for the evening and I’ve seen women out in the shortest of dresses – bottom skimmers. I’ve wondered to myself, do they not worry about showing it all when they start to dance. Well I was reminded of my musings when I went to watch the stage show Soul Sister at the Hackney Empire, London, about the life of Tina Turner.

Whenever you see clips of Tina Turner shimmying in the shortest, sparkliest and fringiest of dresses in her hey day, you never ever saw flashes of anything unladylike. She was a master of keeping everything in control while blasting out the most fantastic vocals.

This show also reminds us of what a talent the lady is. The musical, with Emi Wokoma playing Tina, entertains on so many levels. You see here how so many of today’s acts have been influenced. Her backing singers don’t just sing – they join in with all the moves. The live band for the show is also extremely tight with Chris Tummings playing the controversial Ike Turner.

You witness the rise of Tina, Ike and the band and also the abuse handed out to its superstar. All of this is punctuated by amazing live vocals and performances which keep you gripped throughout. The show was rounded off with a live set of Tina’s later hits. The audience gave it a standing ovation. So if you want a show to get your blood pumping, I recommend Soul Sister, if not a tiny mini dress.

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Theatre review: The Ladykillers

8 Feb

Through the snowy London streets we tripped to reach The Ladykillers at the Gielgud Theatre. We wanted a show that warmed us up in the icy February night and this Ealing comedy transferred to the stage did the job.

When a gang of robbers, headed by Professor Marcus (Peter Capaldi), rent a room at little old lady Mrs Wilberforce’s (Marcia Warren) home, their attempts to disguise their criminal activities raise many laughs. There’s ex-boxer One Round (Clive Rowe) who’s slow off the mark, Louis Harvey with a dislike for old ladies, James Fleet as Major Courtney and Stephen Wight as the accident-prone Harry Robinson. It’s a starry cast that keeps the pace and humour going in this production directed by Sean Foley.

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Film review: Shame

25 Jan

http://youtu.be/arD1Hmjlqag

In director Steve McQueen’s film Shame, being a high flyer in New York doesn’t harness fulfilling relationships when you’re a sex addict. Michael Fassbender who has graced our screens in numerous films such as X-Men First Class and Haywire over the last few months, plays Brandon. His restrained and stark life revolves around meeting women for one thing only – dispassionate and emotionless sex. Caring very little for the woman he engages with is essential. He is essentially commitment phobic and to build a relationship would be to risk letting his guard down and in his eyes feel trapped. Marriage appals him and the possibility that you could be with someone for any length of time is unbelievable to him.

Into this environment steps his singer sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan), the woman whose calls he’s been deliberately avoiding and deleting. She has her own problems of wanting love and feeling needed. Her forcing herself into his life unsettles him. A desire to change is triggered when he starts to feel something for Marianne (Nicole Beharie), a woman at work. The magnanimity of the situation challenges him. Then there’s his sister who wants to cling to him further, especially after he tells her off for an affair with his boss. Brandon experiences some rock bottom moments when he even seems to be punishing himself to the extreme.

The film takes you to some bleak places through the addiction convincingly expressed through Fassbender. Carey is the best we’ve seen her so far in a role that requires so much more of her. At the end of it all, you’ll still be wondering why he turned out this way. See the film without expecting clear answers.

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Musical review: Hello Dolly!

24 Nov

The song “Hello Dolly!” is one of those songs that once I hear it, I hum or sing endlessly for at least a couple of days. So it was very fitting that I was treated to the seeing the production of the Jerry Herman musical it’s from when it was performed by the Cassio Operatic Society at the Watford Palace Theatre this month.

The story’s set in New York as the 19th Century transitions to the 20th. Dolly Levi (Julie Lilley), a widow and matchmaker has her eye on winning over the cantankerous millionaire Horace Vandergelder (Jeff Eales). But she realises that to be successful, Horace needs to make him feel it’s his idea and see her as the best choice while she appears to be helping him.

Potential wives for Vandergelder are hat-shop owner Irene Molloy (Fiona Wilkie) and heiress Ernestina Money (Clare Cordell). Dolly sets out to make them seem less favourable candidates. She’s also on a mission to help artist Ambrose Kemper win the hand of Vandergelder’s niece Ermengarde (Jeni Bolitho-Jones). A parallel story involves Vandergelder’s clerks Cornelius (Gareth Edwards) and Barnaby (Stephen Smith) getting involved with Mrs Molloy and her assistant Minnie.

Julie Lilley’s light and enchanting performance creates an endearing Dolly who carries the show along with the help of lively cast. The Cassio team delivered a spirited evening – an antidote to any subdued mood.

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Film review: The Help

24 Oct

http://youtu.be/1GYmhc8Xk8g

Director Tate Taylor’s adaptation of the best-selling novel The Help by Kathryn Stockett is a reminder of the conditions and struggles black people in the USA contended with during Civil Rights movement in the sixties. White graduate Skeeter (Emma Stone) returns to her southern hometown with aspirations to become a great writer. The only job she can get in town to kick her off on her aims is a job writing the housekeeping column in the local paper. She asks her friend if she can enlist the help of her housekeeper Aibileen (Viola Davis) to get the answers to problems. From there she starts to absorb the ill-treatment of the black maids just because of their colour. When Skeeter has the opportunity to be published by a mainstream publisher if she tells the stories of the maids, she takes the challenge. Aibileen writes her own accounts and gradually persuades her friend, the feisty Minny (Octavia Jackson) to also contribute. Passion at the wrong-doing the maids encounter eventually inspires contributions from more women. Viola, Octavia and Emma all give outstanding performances. The film is a tear-jerker but also make you laugh. You will become immersed in the lives of the women, the friendships and cruelty that they are subjected to. The Help is out this week.

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Film review: The Big Picture

3 Aug

In The Big Picture, an adaption of the book by Douglas Kennedy, Paul Exben (Romain Duris) has everything – a successful career, an attractive wife Sarah (Marina Fois), two young children and a wonderful home. He’s about to be left in control of the law firm he works for by his ill boss Anne (Catherine Deneuve) when a chain of events means that he loses everything.

Paul discovers that his wife is having an affair. When he finds out who her lover is, he confronts him and ends up fleeing his life having killed him unintentionally. We’re then invited to watch Paul trying to escape his past and develop a new persona as a photographer.

This Eric Lartigau directed film hinges on how much sympathy for Paul and his plight we can muster – a very difficult challenge. His story and the fact that he’s someone you wouldn’t automatically warm to are hard to overcome. But it is a very watchable film though maybe a little too long.

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Film review: Attack the block

11 May

I have to give a sigh, not one of boredom and irritation but one of wonder and possibility. Out this week is a British movie that isn’t a costume drama, James Bond movie or gangster flick. It was a gritty tale of life in the big city – the UK does that kind of movie well – but in this case, we had some aliens and comedy thrown into it too.

Directed by Joe Cornish of Adam & Joe fame, we join a gang of South London teens who mug a nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker) on her way home. A light shoots from the night sky as they are in their criminal act and suddenly a strange creature is in their midst. The gang, led by Moses (John Boyega), chase after the being and kill it, mistakenly bragging all the way. Unfortunately, that isn’t the end of it for them. More aliens, larger and more venomous follow and decide to hunt the gang down in their tower block.

The mainly teenage cast keep you with them though it was tricky to feel complete sympathy after they start out mugging Sam. She in the end joins forces with them to try to defeat the aliens. Though the comedy can sometimes be hit and miss, you’ll be taken along on an exciting ride and, like I said, it’s novel to have an alien in a South London tower block.

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Film review: Hanna

8 May

Child or teenage female assassins are all the rage at the moment. Remember Hit Girl in Kick-Ass? One of my personal favourites goes back before that with Buffy the Vampire Slayer but before I’m drawn down that road I will review the new film Hanna.

You shouldn’t really be thinking about the arresting icy landscapes when you first see Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) the trained teen killer, but you do. She shoots a stag with an arrow but she doesn’t quite hit the target – the heart. Her perfectionist father (Eric Bana) lets her know that it’s not quite good enough. He has trained her to kill in a snow-swept forest far from civilisation.

Everything explodes when Hanna is launched onto her solo mission to take out the CIA’s Marissa (Cate Blanchett) who has historical reasons for wanting Hanna and her father dead. Hanna travels around the world after fighting off the CIA. She’s a novice to modern technology – even electricity amazes her, but she can certainly handle a weapon or fight without one if necessary. On her journey, she also starts developing friendships by tagging along with a British family.

A booming soundtrack from the Chemical Brothers accompanies the action. Saoirse gives a polished performance, as does Eric. The ending’s a little weak and it’s not an earth-shattering plot but you’ll be involved and gripped throughout.

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