THIS WEEK: The Master / Killer Joe / Cosmopolis

Well now, with the Twishite saga finally having reached its vastly overdue finale (Seriously, even splitting the final book in two?  How gullible can an audience be?), with which people are obviously obsessed since swallowing the lie it is good cinema featuring a GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR WOMEN (really?), I am hugely excited about the cinema we have coming up this season; it's almost like they have been holding the quality stuff back so as not be overshadowed by the twinkly vampire monstrosity.  A quick look through forthcoming releases, I find my unashamed film-geek side almost salivating.  But that is for later, right now I'd like to talk about three films I have already seen, and I've cheated a little. Usually I review films I've seen in the week only, but I've only seen one this week, and I realise there are a couple I saw some time back which I never talked about enough, so now that those movies are available to rent or buy, I'm going to take the opportunity to talk about them ...because this is my blog...and I can :)

THE MASTER

So this was a recent cinema release, directed by PT Anderson, who is not the most easy film maker, which, due its controversial topic, style, and I think partly due to the aforemention Breaking Dawn, is not being shown for long in many places.  A WW2 veteran returns to America traumatized and with little direction; he finds himself, like many others, sucked into a world that is overseen and seemingly controlled by The Master.

P. T. Anderson's last film 'There Will Be Blood' was a masterpiece; this isn't quite that, but it is almost as impossible to talk about.  David Lynch once explained how the beautiful language of cinema should not be translated back into words once a film is complete, and Anderson's movies seem to illustrate his point.  Since Magnolia he has sat somewhere between Kubrick and Lynch, making films utterly without compromise and completely enthralling; I for one hope he continues to do so.  He always seems intent, like Kubrick, on finding a new language of film; his voice is very unique, and consequently not to everyone's taste.  It is funny how he and Tarantino are very good friends and mutual admirers, since as film makers, you could hardly imagine two directors with approaches more different!

The Master is far more a character study than it is a narrative, and many may find this frustrating.  A look at opportunistic power, religion, the role of belief systems, their pros and cons, and America at this point in history, it is long and heavygoing.  Nevertheless, with another strange and superb Johnny Greenwood (Radiohead) soundtrack, stunning cinematograhy, outstanding performances all round, particularly from the ever infallible P S Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix (who looks strangely terrifying as the vulnerable veteran, whose trauma is literally made manifest in his twisted physicality) and Amy Adams (a million miles from The Muppets here), this is a must for cinema fans.  Despite its form, I would say this is certainly an Oscar contender in at least a couple of categories.  I do understand it is a difficult movie, and it may be worth familiarising yourself with Anderson first, but if you want near masterful cinema, when you do get a chance, check this out.

4/5

Catch if it you like:  David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood

KILLER JOE 

William Friedkin is rarely one to tread on eggshells; from the visceral power of 'The Exorcist' to the radical characterisation in 'The French Connection' to the uncompromising adaption of Tracy Letts' play 'Bug', he opposes the notion of watering anything down for an audience. In fact, by his own words, he comes from a school where confrontation and challenge were desired, adult storytelilng for people who understand art can engage, enlighten and infuriate as much as it can lightly entertain. Whether times and audiences have changed is debatable, but what certainly isn't is that Friedkin has not, for here he is with a second adaption of a Tracy Letts play, and it may be the most nasty, twisted, scuzzy release this year, one which has the power to drop jaws (literally) and draw genuine gasps and howls from the audience. A rarity. Where 'Bug' clearly dealt with post-9/11 themes of paranoia and fear, and wouldn't have been out of place in David Cronenberg's catalogue, 'Killer Joe' is a more sloppy affair, whose comment on "trailer trash American culture, morality and familial breakdown", if indeed that is at all what it is, is tougher to discern. What remains clear, however, is both Letts' desire, and Friendkin's ability, to shock and appaul an audience.

Emile Hirsch is possibly the weakest link of the cast, as the young drug dealer who ropes his dad and stepmother into a noir plot to off his estranged mother in order to collect her life insurance. Thankfully, the rest of the cast hold their scenes up and carry Hirsch nicely, with Thomas Haden Church in particular bringing a great deal of humour with him. The fact the last thing I saw him in was 'We Bought A Zoo' only makes this cast seem more surreal. The UK's own Juno Temple is perfect as the innocent, simple sister in all this, drawn against her will and in the most underhanded way, into the arrangement.

The movie is utterly owned by Matthew McConaughey, though. Fans only familiar with his rom-com King/sex symbol status are in for a nasty/exhilirating shock. His performance as Joe is incredibly powerful; it reminds us that he is actually a great actor (we all recall 'A Time To Kill'?), and that he has a level to which, even in his most heavy roles, we have not seen him go before...and here it is! The less said about where he goes with the character the better, but let's say he has created a screen presence as intense and intimidating as Dennis Hopper's Frank Booth in Lynch's 'Blue Velvet'. It reached a point fairly quickly where he didn't actually have to be doing anything, and I found myself on edge just because of his presence. If he does not receive a 'Best Actor' nomination, there will be something very wrong.

The movie has its problems, but they are not really worth mentioning. It isn't quite the maserpiece I secretly wanted him to have created, but it is a stunning-looking, extreme, startling vision, which has more moments of important, well-observed subtext than I think can be picked up on in one sitting. Due to its sexual politics and surprising moments of extremity, it caused walkouts, prompted conversations over just how nasty and depraved a film should be allowed to be, and caused young ladies to get all up in a huff over their dreamboat's decision to be part of something so vile.  Don't say you weren't warned.

Certificate 18 for a reason, this is 'Blue Velvet' meets 'Blood Simple' via 'American Psycho' with a dash of Quentin Tarantino. Slightly surreal, very tough to watch, but even harder to look away from. It will make you laugh, gasp, cringe, and leave having to talk about it. You will experience something intense, whether you like it or not, and sometimes, as William "The Exorcist" Friedkin would undoubtedly say, that is what it's all about.  

I saw this a few months back; you can rent or buy this now!

4/5

Catch it if you like:  Blue Velvet, Bug

COSMOPOLIS 

David Cronenberg is a film maker who, for over 30 years, has refused to work anywhere other than at the edge. He is the director known for pioneering body horror, dealing with concepts that push any audience willing to take the ride to consider that which they wouldn't otherwise. Known for his ability to use visual metaphor in the way a novelist or poet might use a literary one, the closest to blockbusting success he has come would be 'The Fly'. At some point he made a transition, not necessarily a conscious effort on his part, but a clear change nevertheless. The common themes of his work remain, the ideas of psychology, identity, transformation, the horror within, etc. but recently we have seen a more subtle approach, with finesse of performance and what is being said taking precedence over purely visceral assault and visual effects. From this "new" Cronenberg we have seen unsung masterpieces ('A History Of Violence'), modest successes ('Eastern Promises'), and he has proven himself to be somebody not afraid of adapting for the screen dangerous material that most wouldn't dare touch ('Crash' and 'A Dangerous Method'). 'Cosmopolis' sees him doing the latter again, and definitely with the greatest sense of experimentation so far. The film falls in the category into which we would put David Lynch's most surreal work, one for cinema that defies description as simply good or bad, and instead invites you to an experience, one whose quality only YOU can decide.

Adapted from the Don Delillo book, which was already pointedly distant, David Cronenberg's latest offering has drawn a fair deal of negative criticism for retaining the detached approach of the novel, and for being, it would seem, deliberately cold and apparently uninterested in its audience. Cold it is, most certainly; indeed if it were any colder it could sink Titanic all over again, but quite honestly this is the only truly valid criticism of the film, and I don't even consider it a criticism so much as an observation. Its coldness is clearly intentional due to the subject matter, and much like an iceberg, what you think you've seen on first inspection turns out to be just a bit of what's actually going on. Indeed for a film set for the most part in a silent (really, completely silent!) limousine, it is one you can delve into surprisingly deeply, and find level after level of meaty ideas to chew on.

Truth of the matter is this movie was never going to receive huge commercial success, it is simply too divisive for obvious reasons:

- A tough, obtuse novel that reads like a discombobulating dream

- A director who adapts it almost directly, creating arguably his most experimental film, and if anything emphasizing all the more the metaphoric devices of the story.

- Casting a teen heartthrob from one of the biggest cinema series of all time in the lead, making it immediately eligible for the mainstream audience, a brave choice on both parts. A fair amount of people walking into this film are "seeing the new R Pattinson film" and have no idea what they are in for.  I am just thankful to see clear signs that the man himself is not impressed with his starting point; I look forward to a lot more grown up, serious work from this guy, as it is clear there is some talent there.  He has already signed up on the next Cronenberg picture alongside Viggo Mortensen, so we shall see what happens.  Let's hope he is serious about wanting to distance himself from it all.

Put this all together and you have a small, experimental film that you have to be completely prepared for, one that is purposefully aloof and probably disappointing to at least half the audience who weren't to know any better. On the other hand, you have a master of his craft making cinema from an un-cinematic source that is essentially metaphor piled upon metaphor, drawing a compelling performance from a lead who I never thought I'd like, and creating something which, despite all that has been said about its impenetrability, actually managed to pull me in to a point where I wanted to know where it was all leading.

So where does it all lead? An inevitable showdown with an acting veteran, a 20 minute scene, driven by some stunning dialogue. It is a scene I think Stanley Kubrick would have been proud to put his name to; as he once said, "It might be real, but it's not interesting." Well I think 'Cosmopolis' proves his point nicely; it may not be "real" but there is definitely something exciting happening that I didn't want to walk away from. If you are still on board by the end, it will knock your socks off and bring the film to a close in a way that makes some strange, demented sense, and even carve out some empathy, though who you feel it for may be unclear.

I completely appreciate this is a niche film, and many either won't understand it, or won't work to engage with it at all. Certainly most people going for the star are going to leave confused. If, however, you are a Cronenberg fan and you want to see him treading some genuinely new cinematic ground, or you simply have patience and an understanding that cinema does not necessarily have to make full sense to be exciting, try this out. Certainly due to be the strangest film this year, but one I can't stop replaying in my head and wanting to watch again for reasons I can't even explain. Pattinson's character Eric says, "Show me something I don't know." This echoes nicely the attitude with which you need to approach this film to even stand a chance of getting into it, but if you can you might just be surprised.  My rating reflects a general audience potential view of the film balanced with my own feelings on it...I kiss Cronenberg's ass more than most reading might, so I'm trying to be fair :)

You can rent or buy this now.

3.5 / 5

Catch it if you like:  David Cronenberg, or the idea of Robert Pattinson actually performing





 


 

DEFTONES - KOI NO YOKAN

Remember when Korn were gracing the covers of Metal Hammer all the time, when Blind was the biggest song on rock radio and they were heralded as pioneers?  The truth is they were merely holding the door open for bands like Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Disturbed, Staind, Taproot and Linkin Park to wander through (and promptly shit all over the floor); Deftones were the band who, with debut record Adrenaline, kicked that door open in the first place!  They were the true Kings of Nu Metal, and as if to reaffirm that status, they followed it up with an album many rock fans may recall as being quite good, Around The Fur, featuring a little ditty called My Own Summer (Shove It).  Then, in 2000, something happened nobody foresaw; while many of those other bands were sinking with the nu metal ship, recycling the same old boring ideas and sounds, moaning relentlessly about how awful it is to be buggered by your father and beaten by your mother (even when they hadn’t experienced such horrors), Deftones were swimming away from the wreckage...fast!  White Pony was their difficult third album, the one by which most artists can tend to be judged more harshly; you’re not allowed to recycle the same thing a second time, but you mustn’t disappoint your fan-base either; it is easy to see why it is a tough record to make, and why a lot of bands tend to drop off the map with it.  White Pony did indeed disappoint those who wanted more of the same, but for the rest of us it was a breath of fresh air, with a new approach, a maturity and a confidence, it was a near perfect record that quickly had them being referred to as the Radiohead of metal due to its daring freshness and new sound (as opposed to nu sound).  Still very much Deftones, but to some degree a shift in gear for a band who had matured and allowed more non-metal influences on their music to shine more obviously.

 

As a big fan of Deftones it was not easy for me to acknowledge my disappointment with what followed.  The lack of title for their fourth outing was indicative of its laziness, and the rather average and somewhat disjointed Saturday Night Wrist was a bit of a non-event.  Then they became one of those bands that were “hit and miss when playing live”, and I came to terms with the idea that they had dropped the ball permanently.  This feeling of loss of such a musical force was only cemented by the tragic accident that put bassist Chi Cheng into a coma.  Imagine my pleasant surprise, then, when they came back a couple of years ago with friend Sergio Vega on the low end and an impressive record in Diamond Eyes!  A little burdened by some ‘filler’, it is nevertheless a far weightier and satisfying affair than its couple of predecessors, and importantly, it was an indication that there was life in the beast yet. 

Well now we have Koi No Yokan, an 11 track mammoth record, which confirms the re-birth of the most important band in the nu metal movement as now one of the most innovative alt rock bands working today!  Twenty years on, to still expect any Adrenaline Pt 2 is ridiculous (just go and listen to that record, dude), but that said, the album is not without its nods to previous work.  Kicking off with the strident Swerve City, we are immediately smiling at the promise this might be as good as anything offered up on White Pony; the energy and groove are top-notch, and the hook is a dangerously addictive one.  It is not the last time that album seems to be referenced either;  Gauze is jagged, deceptively heavy and nicely textured in a way that brings Korea to mind, a sort of controlled chaos at points that houses some great bass work from Sergio, while Romantic Dreams is evidence that Frank Delgado is now officially a necessary member of this team, who pulls in the same direction as the rest and broadens their canvas, as first truly seen on White Pony, rather than a gimmicky fifth member just added after the fact.  All over this record his keys and samples can be heard to be doing so much more than anything DJ Lethal offers Limp Bizkit.  On Entombed, for example, a song that might not sound out of place on a new A Perfect Circle record, he adds a hypnotic layer, and on Tempest, one of the tracks they previewed prior to the album’s release and one which took a little time to grow on me, his work pulls you in and makes the track all the more compelling, complementing the song’s dark grooves and beautiful dynamics.  Another grower is Graphic Nature, which has a certain Adrenaline vibe going on, and sounds like it should have been the best song on Saturday Night Wrist, its guitar work at times bringing the likes of punk legends Fugazi to mind, and Abe really shining with some nifty, very precise hi-hat grooving.  It may take time, but this could end up being a fan favourite.

Another song they previewed, Leathers, nods its head to Around The Fur, with grooves full of swagger and huge guitars.  It is another example of the band’s desire to step away from the standard format of their peers, playing in 11/8 time.  It is not the only time they let this progressive tendency show either; Poltergeist, featuring sexy guitar effects and continuing the progression they made with Diamond Eyes, shows Chino’s penchant for a ‘hip-hop’ type of delivery in the verses, with a 7/4 time signature, completely atypical of the genre these guys are supposed to be part of.  If further evidence were needed that they do not see themselves in the same bracket as a lot of their peers anymore, look no further than Rosemary, a slow build to a slow BPM, putting on show an affection for the ‘post rock’ influence without going overboard,  it is heavy and seductive.  A huge Djent riff leads into a gentle outro that cleanses the palette ready for Goon Squad, which grows out of it expertly. 

Chino sounds like he cares more than ever about his performance on this; he is writing what seem to be his most positive and evocative lyrics, delivering gorgeous hooks with his unmistakable approach.  He is singing in that seductive way only he really can, and screaming very little, but it is exactly what is required for where they are as a band.   Any doubt that Sergio or Delgado may not fit is eradicated, Steph again shows off his ability to keep what he does simple yet hugely effective, with often molten heavy, groove-laden riffs.  Abe Cunningham is as solid and unpredictable a drummer as ever, straddling the line between punk and progressive perfectly.

Their reinvigoration may be down to working with Rush and Foo Fighters producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has helped them inject a boldness to their sound that has been lacking for some time.  Maybe it is certain members of the band cleaning up their act on a personal level and getting back to doing what they do best.  Perhaps it is the love for Chi Cheng and the hope he will return to play the music they enjoy making once again.  The latter is most apparent on uplifting album closer What Happened To You? which I am sure was written in Chi’s honour.  It may be all of the above, but one thing is for sure, Koi No Yokan is all the good things we know Deftones for rolled into one record with equal measure and perfect balance.  Dark and beautiful, textured and varied, heavy and emotional, it is their most creative work since White Pony, and unlike the last few records, it is in perfect playing order and has not one moment that you feel the urge to skip; in fact you feel almost rude for even considering skipping a song, and I struggle to pick highlights, it is that good!  This is an album you enjoy most when listening from front to back, in its entirety.  If there is any complaint, it is only that there isn't enough of it. This record is a tremendous gift if you're already a Deftones fan, and for anyone who is not, it's a perfect introduction.  There may be some who say it is their best album to date; it is a statement I would not try to argue with.

5/5

ENOUGH

You and I will never have to go through this again,

We watch it all crumble to the sea.

We count the colours in your head,

Which one is he?

And some illusions break

While some cling to the lie;

Some are purged by the ache,

Then something dies.

All this time you waste crawling back in;

The hardest thing to shatter,

Willingness to give.

You and I don't need this safety net,

We’ve got our feel flat on the ground.

We count the colours in your head,

You think one is me?

The harder you try to push

The more you see the smile;

Some are cleansed through the pain,

Then something dies.

All this time you waste crawling back in;

The hardest thing to shatter,

Willingness to give.

The greed gets cold, and the teeth start to bite;

The easiest thing to smother,

My only light

I settle into you in every wrong way;

Blinkered and poisoned, clinging to the day.

Watching from a distance, see you hiding in the grey;

Under lock and key, put the selfishness away.

All this time you waste crawling back in;

The hardest thing to shatter,

Willingness to give.

But you and I will never sift through this again,

We can wait to believe.

We can count the colours in your head,

Which one is she?

And some illusions break

While some cling to the cry;

Some are purged by the pain,

Then something survives.

TORI AMOS AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL - 3RD OCTOBER, 2012

I have lost track of the amount of times I've actually seen Tori Amos, but the experience has never been less than magical, and is more often better described as very intense and beautiful.  Tori's unfaltering track record for live performance deems a lengthy review almost unnecessary (fans who hadn't seen her before won't be let down, and fans who have know just how good she is).  I must say, though, tonight's show at the Royal Albert Hall was, at points, closer to a word I have not used to describe her shows before: Majestic.

First, a major disappointment, but not with her.  We arrived before 3.00 in the afternoon and excitedly got in line for the Meet and Greet; I was most happy that I was to get my first and only copy of Little Earthquakes signed on the year of its 20th anniversary!  Having been confirmed to definitley be seeing her and a cut-off point being decided upon, we were most disappointed and frustrated when another guy came out and drew a clearly arbitrary line on the floor in front of us (not literally, of course) and advised us that beyond this point, people would not see her due to her soundcheck.  This might have been acceptable if it had been worked out with any sort of policed system, or had left more than a pitiful ten people disappointed.  Very bitter.

  
Gold Dust, an album of her material re-worked with orchestra arrangements works on more than that one level; not only is it interesting to hear these pieces, some of which are classics, bolstered by classical instrumentation, but much like Joni Mitchell's Travelogue, it also gives her, and her audience, an opportunity to reflect on the themes of the songs, the meanings, and to hear them differently years and years later; a chance to consider how they have changed, for both us, and her.  Tonight, we hear the whole record presented in full.  We kick off, however, with a B-side track not actually on the album, Flying Dutchman, and within the first two lines she has "fucked it up again", as she so eloquantly announces.  To some, this may seem to be a bad sign, but to the hardcore Tori fan this is par for the course, and as always, is followed by some joking on Tori's part, some healthy laughter, and then the song has begun again.  That is the only (notable) error for the night; from there on it is smooth sailing.

Yes, on a personal level, there are a few down moments; Snow Cherries From France, Jackie's Strength, and Girl Disappearing, whilst perfectly performed, lack a certain something.  Or perhaps this is just a reflection of my own taste; I have never been that in love with these songs.  A quick look at the set (below), however, illustrates just how much that leaves to be described as gorgeous.  In the past we have seen her give very intense, raw performances; performances that seem to reach in and tear you to pieces.  Tonight is not, for the most part, one of those nights; the orchestra bring something to the songs that makes them less imposing somehow.  The arrangements are written by John Philip Shenale, who actually worked on Yes, Anastasia the first time round, and the grandiosity, whilst removing that raw edge, and removing Tori's ability to improvise and play around with things in the way she often does, also transforms the songs.  Some may not be so keen on the accompaniment, but to me it is like seeing your partner with a different hairstyle, make-up and a dress you have never seen her in before; she is not less attractive, just notably different.  Even the aformentioned Yes, Anastasia, with its already familiar arrangement, has been edited, shifted about, and has had its urgency turned up.  "We'll see how brave you are, we'll see how fast you've been running" remains as powerful a refrain and mission statement as it ever was.

Cloud On My Tongue, with its building vortex of strings, sucks you in to the song anew, and along with Baker Baker, Marianne, Silent All These Years, Winter, Flavor, and the mighty Gold Dust, is delivered with tender beauty and that majesty I mentioned.  In all cases the story driving the song is recalled, replayed in our head, and even re-assessed up to twenty years on!

Tori doesn't say much, except to address her daughter, who is here tonight with school friends, all dressed in red school uniform.  The sweet moment is followed by the sweeter Ribbons Undone, the one song performed solo tonight, and, to those of us who understand, the sentiment of the piece has never been more moving.

We see the evening out with an unusual, yet surprisingly powerful Our New Year.  Tori has been quiet, but is clearly on top of the world right now.  Tonight has not been the most intense performance I have seen from her, but it has been a tremendous set list, and she remains bold, proving herself once again to be an artist not happy with being static, treading water.  She will continue to push herself, with the promise of her musical in London next year, and an album already in the works for 2014.  Yes, despite dropping off the general public's radar about fifteen years ago, we see tonight a woman who is her generation's Joni Mitchell, a woman who doesn't need Cornflake Girl or a dancefloor filling remix of Professional Widow, who lives for what she does, and while she is doing it, I for one will be listening.

Gold Dust is out now.

Royal Albert Hall, 3rd October, 2012 

FLYING DUTCHMAN
CLOUD ON MY TONGUE
BAKER BAKER
MARIANNE
SNOW CHERRIES FROM FRANCE
RIBBONS UNDONE
HEY, JUPITER
JACKIE'S STRENGTH
WINTER
YES, ANASTASIA
FLAVOR
GIRL DISAPPEARING
SILENT ALL THESE YEARS
LEATHER
EDGE OF THE MOON
GOLD DUST
PRECIOUS THINGS
STAR OF WONDER
PROGRAMMABLE SODA
OUR NEW YEAR

SKUNK ANANSIE - BLACK TRAFFIC

Skunk Anansie fans were over the moon to see it confirmed that the band had re-grouped a few years back, and I was certainly one of them.  Having never got into them much earlier I felt like a late arrival, understanding the hype only once the horse had bolted, so the news was....well, music to my ears, I suppose.  Speaking for myself, the album that marked their return, Wonderlustre, didn't really mark the return of the band as far as I was concerned; it is not that the album is at all bad, I'd happily say it is perfectly average, with some good, some weak, but ultimaely nothing that inspiring.  The truth of the matter is, I believe, that whilst the band might never admit it, they were still shaking off the rust when they wrote and recorded that material, and I have to say it shows.  Now we have Black Traffic, and here is how it works.

Opening with I Will Break You, we get the high energy Skunk coming out all guns blazing; it is heavy, has a thunderous bass, and will undoubtedly get the crowd moving when played live.  Similarly, later on the album we get Sticky Fingers In Your Honey, this record's Selling Jesus, with its injection of high octane energy and sense of fun, driven by a rare but much enjoyed double kick.  Together they make up this album's nod to the Skunk Anansie of Then.  To some degree this is a sadness; the rest of the album reflects a Skunk Anansie of Now, and whilst that is to be expected, it stands as a criticism of the album that there isn't quite enough of that fire-in-the-belly style that comes to mind when I mention Stoosh or Charlie Big Potato. 

This is not to say there are not plenty of wonderul hard rocking moments, but as with the very addictive I Believed In You, a riff-tastic burst of anger from a band who know exactly what they are cross about, there is a standard vibe to a lot of it, a safeness to them.  Spit You Out is the first song to really boast the soaring chorus we know Skunk for, and the trick is repeated quite a lot throughout the record, most notably with the song that should have been the closer, This Is Not A Game.  Following a couple of lacklustre tracks, this song sets you up for another taste of disappointment, only to then surprises you with a glorious, anthemic chorus that could have been written by Queen, and reminds us that Skin remains one of the greatest female vocalists we have produced in the last couple of decades.

The hard elements aside, we have an album highlight in I Hope You Get To Meet Your Hero, which is very much this album's Brazen.  Accompanied by a gorgeous string arrangement, Skin delivers heartbreaking lyrics with passion and Ace sounds terrific on bass.  Satisfied gives us another killer chorus and great lead guitar, and is a song that underlines Skin's ability to remain concise about the issues she is addressing, without becoming preachy.  Indeed, this album is generally a less personal record, and apparently more of a subtle knife to the political world, though a lot of it can still be understood as personal as well, which is a constant through the album and is to be admired.

Black Traffic has its weaknesses, even if you're not comparing it to old material; Sad Sad Sad and Drowning come across fairly standard, and Our Summer Kills The Sun is not the only moment that feels like a leftover from previous records and lacking inspiration.  In terms of production, some of this albums feels a little over-processed, lacking the in the room vibe that makes older material feel so vital, and whilst Skin's delivery is technically superb, there are points at which we miss the rawness of a more angry performance.  There are also points at which, through no fault of her own obviously, there appears to be a thin-ness to her voice that doesn't sit as well as it should with the rest of the band.  Granted, these moments are rare, but nevertheless, there they are.

Black Traffic is a solid rock album that tramples all over its predecessor in many ways, not least due to the confidence of a band who had been away for too long, and have now found their footing again.  Further away from perfect than it should be, and certainly not a touch on previous efforts, but a marked return to some sort of form, even if it is a new, more mature, but often less urgent and inspired form.  I remember saying something similar about Pearl Jam when they came out with their self-titled album, which I like very much.  I'm basically saying that all flaws aside, and whilst it is no album of the year or anything, this is still well worth your time!

 RATING: 3.5/5

A Sponsored 48-Hour Fast! Help us

It has been a while, but for the first time in ages I'm using my blog, not to talk about film, but to ask for people's help.  The Raising Hope Foundation are an official, registered, charitable organisation, who have been working very hard to provide orphans of Ghana with many of the things we so easily take for granted.  You can learn about them by checking out the following link, and please do:

http://www.raisinghopefoundation.co.uk/

My sister Jody and I are taking part in a 48-hour fast with a view to raising a good amount of money in aid of their efforts, specifically those to provide an orphanage in the village of Santrokofi.  This is where our fast comes in; sure it's a drop in the ocean compared to what these children have to deal with on a daily basis, but we think if we can drum up support to be able to give a little something towards it, it will be a good thing.  Please take a look at our charity site, linked below, have a good read about it.  Do note that any donation you choose to make is not listed with your name, so you do not have to feel sheepish about giving little; every little helps.  In any case, we encourage you to share this in whatever way you wish, whether it be on Facebook, Twitter, on your blog, whatever spreads the word.  Most people won't know us, but the kindness of strangers is a great thing.  Please give what you are able to.

http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/teamelford

Please feel free to comment, or contact me on eonbluedan@hotmail.com.  You can also see the Facebook Event and perhaps even join in yourself here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/155234567948911/

Much thanks.

Daniel of Team Elford.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES - Spoiler Free!

Let's start by saying Christopher Nolan must be cool under pressure. With Batman Begins he re-booted a comic book legend with the brave origin story many fans had been waiting for; a dark, brooding piece of work that takes its time to tell the story of Bruce Wayne's journey from scared child, to lost soul, to conflicted hero of Gotham City.  Received well by over-joyed fans, it was a unique new take on Batman, happily crushing the memory of Joel Schumaker's effort with "that movie that shall not be named", and a marked success for the man who already had a reputation as the exciting talent behind Memento.  Before moving on to the sequel Nolan brought Christian Bale and Michael Caine (the perfect Alfred) along for the ride with the Hitchcockian The Prestige, in which his ability to manipulate an audience in the best way shone through.  It is a movie about magicians trying to out-do one another, which itself plays out as a magic trick for the audience, in just the way one is described in the movie.  The budget was upped, and so too were the stakes and the brains, as he brought us The Dark Knight, with which he showed us just how smart he thought his audience might be; his was no simple superhero story, it had become a grand allegory, a crime thriller akin to Michael Mann's Heat, with twists, turns, dark themes and tough politics, with which other directors simply wouldn't have bothered.  Nolan appeared to have a Godfather situation on his hands, as he left The Dark Knight on a cliffhanger ending, an ending he says he was happy with; he claims to have had no intention of completing a trilogy unless they found the story to tell.  Well, after a little 2010 success called Inception (you may have heard of it?) they found said story...and boy, what a story they found!  If Nolan felt the weight of expectation on his shoulders, of either the Batman fans waiting for the conclusion that wouldn't drop the ball, or the cinema fans who haven't seen him put a foot wrong yet, the result doesn't suggest even a hint of it.  The Dark Knight Rises shows itself to be the biggest film he has ever made, grand in scale, Dickensian in delivery, and again not without its political teeth, as it unashamedly reveals itself to be, effectively, a war film, and a very good one at that....

Eight years since the Batman was outlawed as a thuggish criminal who killed police officers and the promising District Attorney Harvey Dent, Gotham has become safe, officials stopping organised crime pretty much entirely, locking away the perpetrators with no chance of appeal on the strength of the new Dent Act, founded, of course, on the lie that Dent died a hero.  Commissioner Gordon is living with his guilt, Bruce Wayne is holed away in his mansion, hobbling around on a stick, and the Batman is gone, but the crime figures are great and the public are happy.  Things cannot stay this way forever, of course; a mercenary is coming to rock the boat, he is a beast of a man, he is militant in his thinking, unwavering in his conviction, and brutal in his approach.  His plan is fairly simple in terms of the end game, and let's say it is not looking good for Gotham's citizens.  As Jim Gordon says, the Batman has to come back.

All the principle cast return, and they all bring their A Game.  Whilst they are more periphery characters here, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine deliver with both barrels, particularly Caine, whose Alfred faces a devastating and life-changing choice in this final part.  Somebody really needs to give Gary Oldman his Oscar now; his turn as Jim Gordon here is incredible, completing his character arc beautifully.

Christian Bale, for whatever issues people may have had with him as Bruce or Batman in the past, really goes somewhere in The Dark Knight Rises that he hasn't had to before.  If the growl of Batman has been beyond your understanding until now, perhaps this film will explain it for you, and if it doesn't it's not a problem, Batman gets something like fifty minutes screen time in total.  Yes, a Batman movie that is not that far off the three-hour mark is brave enough to keep Batman's appearance to the minimum until the final act.  If you think this is skimping a bit, I argue it is by design and there is good reason:  Eight years have passed without Batman, and all effort is made to ensure the audience have a taste of what that is like.  Bale's performance as the man who struggles with the possibility of having to be the hero again is superb, his interactions with Alfred never more moving, as he is told that putting on a suit won't make him what he was, that he is not Batman anymore, and is destined for failure.  This is a Bruce Wayne story, and it is as Wayne that we really see why Bale is known for his dedication to a role; this is a truly vulnerable human being we see.  For all the time without Batman, you do not feel the absence of Batman; the storytelling is just too engaging.  Of course, when Batman does arrive for the first time it is an epic entrance, cheekily prefaced by an obviously excited cop fans will recognise.  It is one of many spine-tingling moments that makes you want to cheer.

How are the newcomers?  Marion Coltilard is fine as new Wayne Board member Miranda Tate; I can't say I'm a huge fan of her in general, but she gets the job done.  Anne Hathaway destroys all pre-conception within her first couple of scenes as Selina Kyle and owns the role, playing the moral ambiguity perfectly.  Joseph Gordon Levitt plays an idealist cop named Blake, a reminder to Gordon of how he once was.  He is a little known character from the comic's lore, but is put to great use; to say he presents his arc well is an understatement...and what an arc it is!  He is also the star of a couple of my favourite scenes, and he delivers beautifully.

Now we come to Tom Hardy.  If you have seen Bronson, Warrior, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, or indeed Nolan's own Inception, you already know he has a formidable versatility.  Though he is masked for the entire movie, he does not allow the mask to be the character, there is a real performance here.  There is discussion about the voice of Bane, some like it and some appear not to, but they were never going to please everybody.  I had no real pre-conception, and I don't know if that helps, but I find the way the voice is done, with the post-production boom, makes him overwhelmingly intimidating and intense, it carries the idea nicely that he is smart, scary, and a force with which Batman may genuinely be unable to reckon.  Having now seen it twice in two different auditoriums, I can confidently say there is NO ISSUE with regard to understanding everything he says.  The first time it may be fair to say you don't catch everything perfectly, just through not being ready, and when you can't see somebody speak, especially when their speech is muffled, it obviously tests your ears, but you still get the idea.  The second time, however, I got every single word.  It is a case of tuning your ear and being willing to listen rather than expect it to be spoon-fed.  This franchise has always been about keeping things grounded, and it applies here; the man is wearing a mask, and you would have to listen to him carefully in reality, so why not in the cinema?  People may write that off as an excuse and a way of me kissing Nolan's arse, but in fact I don't think this movie is without flaws, Bane's voice just isn't one of them.  There is a great deal of licence taken with the character of Bane, but with that licence they create a genuinely interesting story; they go somewhere with him I wasn't expecting, bravely humanizing the villain.  There is some debate about Heath Ledger's Joker being more memorable, but this has nothing to do with performance, and all to do with character; both are terrific performances, both characters have their devoted fans, and your preference for one over the other is merely going to depend on your personal taste.  For my money Hardy's Bane is the more interesting character, because he has a history, a heart, not to mention some beautifully written moments in which his intention terrifies, and some in which you realise how realistic and frighteningly understandable the public's reaction to his false "Power to the People" rhetoric is, where Joker was an Agent of Chaos, and that is really all you got to know.  Before people have a go, I love Ledger's Joker; as I say, it is down to the nature of the characters, not the performance from the actors.

Nolan has become a trawler's fishing net for cast and crew, with a healthy proportion of the people working on the final instalment of the Batman trilogy having worked with him on at least one of his previous movies.  Most notable is Wally Pfister, Director of Photography for everything he has done.  The movie looks stunning, and it is both a shame, and exciting, to know that he is heading off to make his own movies.  I wish him well and, with the slightest touch of fear, look forward to what Nolan will do next....without him.

Hans Zimmer once again brings his genius to proceedings, though here there is a sense of repetition of old ideas in the soundtrack.  That being said, perhaps it makes sense, with the film nicely coming back to the beginning of the story, and touching upon ideas and story points from both previous films.  Although the music may not be as obviously fresh and exciting as before, the new elements are nicely done, especially those of Bane's, which are thunderously powerful.

I have told as much detail as I am willing to, anything further would spoil.  Safe to say it is dark, bleak, even depressing to a point; it is shocking to see just how intent Nolan is on upping the stakes to just about as high as they can get.  He is relentless in putting you through a harrowing, chilling experience, and it is incredible how often you find yourself realising his Batman is a trilogy of its time in the real world.  His insistence on working in-camera as much as possible, without the aid of CGI, really grounds the action too; you truly feel the weight and intensity of it, because it is being caught for real, with real people and real stunts.  It is complex, in-depth storytelling, requiring your attention to detail, and as with all of Nolan's work, repeat viewing actually reveals more treats, rare for what we think of as a superhero film.  For that reason, if you are not a fan of the heaviness of The Dark Knight, avoid this.  It is long, but from the incredible opening scene, to the perfect final sequence and shot (which was apparently set in stone from very early on and never altered), it pulls the pieces together gradually, upping the pace as it moves along, and builds toward a final forty-five minutes which is undoubtedly due to be some of the most exciting cinema we will see this year.  Nolan is able to keep winding up the tension with a "Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse" approach through the whole of the second half; it isn't often we get to use the expression "on the edge of your seat" literally, is it?

I do have my quibbles, issues with moments I think were a tad misjudged, most notably a few "Hollywood moments" that feel forced, and surprisingly un-Nolan, which makes me wonder how much choice he had when it came to the crunch on these things.  They are superfluous to proceedings; the characters' arcs would have been perfectly fine without said moments.  These, along with a few trim backs that could have been made, keep it from being perfection, but I can forgive him the little indulgences when I consider just what an achievement the movie is, both on its own, and as the exclamation point to close the best vision of Batman ever created, and one of the greatest trilogies of all time!  Nolan and his work have been snubbed before, but I must say, if this does not receive the Oscar nod for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography, at least, the Academy's punishment will need to be more severe ;)

So, Chris, what next?  I vote an Adam Sandler rom-com!

4.5/5