The Social Network

I have just come back from watching 'The Social Network' at the cinema and it's the first time in a small while that i've not come out of the cinema thinking 'how the fuck can the people making this film truly believe  that they've made something even remotely good'. The last time i haven't had to react in such a way was when i went to see the animated masterpiece that is 'The Illisionist'; and the last time i did have to react that way i had watched the ridiculous 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World'...unbelievable how incredibly shite that film was. But moving on, 'The Social Network' for me is a hit. Why? Well, It's got Jesse Eisenburg's trademark wit mixed in with the true story behind facebook, and some great performances, not only from Eisenberg himself, as expected. I haven't seen Andrew Garfield in anything else but this film but after his performance as Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of facebook, i'm sure we'll be seeing his face a lot more. Obviously, I don't know Eduardo Saverin so I can't really judge on whether it's a good portrayal of the geezer or not, but Garfield is convincing and proves to be a very 3-dimensional character in terms of the emotions he can unleash. Even JT puts in a good performance Sean Parker, entrepreneur and founder of Napster. I liked how the film was structured in terms of moving back and forth in time, it meant that the story never dragged on and i felt they did well to keep the story together so that it was understandable throughout. Though the film is not perfect it is still 100% enjoyable. Four to four and a half stars for this one.

Mary & Max

Why this did not cause any fuss at the cinema i do not know. There isn't anyone in their right mind who can watch 'Mary & Max' and simply come out with "was alright.." If anybody ever did say that then they've got no fucking clue.
Mary & Max is an instant classic for me. It's a touching story of how a young girl from Australia decides that she wants to make a friend and so sends a letter to a middle-aged man in America asking where baby's come from in the States. A friendship builds between them and gets stronger as they grow older. It is definitely a weird film. It pushes the boundaries like no other animated film i have seen. Yet it still maintains itself to be a thing of real beauty. Also, just because it's an animation with childish type ideas like chocolate hot-dogs and baby's coming from something other than sex, this is very much a film for adults. The issues in both Mary and Max's life are those that only adults can really understand. For example, Max is diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and Mary's mother is a raging alcoholic. Max is voiced by academy award winner Philip Seymour-Hoffman and the film boasts a number of other stars including Eric Bana (Chopper) and Toni Collette (Muriel's Wedding). It really is a triumph and a masterpiece and an absolute joy to watch. I Couldn't be more sure that this film deserves a five star rating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ3vlMO-Z-I&feature=related

Boardwalk Empire

I'd been looking forward to seeing this very much, not just because some of the filming was done in my favourite barbershop in New York, but also for the fact that it's Scorsese's first attempt at a television series. Firstly, for those who are unaware of Martin Scorsese's new HBO series 'Boardwalk Empire' here's a quick overview:
It is a factual based series set in the 1920's at the very start of the prohibition in the United states. Most of the series is set in Atlantic city, where Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the town's treasurer, juggles his political life with being a gangster. Nucky plans to keep Atlantic City 'wet as a mermaid's twat' (Nucky's words not mine)and so he and his brother (Shea Wigham), the town's sheriff, along with local thugs and other corrupt politicians, set out to make Nucky Thomspson the man to go to for illegal liquor in Atlantic City. He does business with the big shots like Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg) and with those who are just starting to branch off like Al Capone (Our very own Stephen Graham). On hearing that name however, we all know who he is and that he won't stay small for long. 
If that overview is not enough to persuade you to go ahead and watch this series then hopefully my review will do the trick. But those who weren't persuaded...what the fuck?... Anyway, i watched the first three episodes yesterday and so far it is looking very promising. It is just what i expected from a collaboration between one the world's most prestigious directors and the writer of The Sopranos.
For me, a television series has a few targets it has to hit in order for it to be successful, like The Sopranos or The Wire. In particular it has to have memorable characters with certain traits throughout, and obviously great performances from the actors playing these characters. Boardwalk Empire is not short of great character performances at all. Steve Buscemi's portrayal of the corrupt treasurer, Nucky Thompson, is particularly worthy of mention, and so to are Steven Graham's attempt at the infamous Al Capone, and Michael Stuhlberg's chillingly calm performance as Arnold Rothstein. Buscemi manages to juggle between two traits very well indeed: One being a man of the community and the other being a more dark, corrupt and sinister figure; Yet he still has that comic edge to his performance that you'll find in Fargo, for example. Furthermore, Steven Graham's performance as Al Capone is another highlight of the series so far. He's psychotic, unpredictable and heartless, which makes him all the more memorable as a character.
Another factor that adds to the experience involved in watching Boardwalk Empire is the set and the props.  The Suits are amazing and so to are the haircuts, and they are successful in convincing the viewer that it is 1920's America. One thing that caught my eye especially was the blue Rolls Royce which Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) drives Nucky around in. It truly is a beautiful car, and a nice touch to the overall attempt at making the series as real as possible. Five Stars so far.

This Is England 86

(Spoiler alert)
Yes, i know, it's pretty late to be going on about Shane Meadows' mesmerizing four part series, This Is England 86, but I thought, 'It was so bloody good i've just got to do it justice.' So, here i am, first review of the blog, and I'm proud to make this series my first topic.
Episode one seemed to cause a bit of upset in that people felt it did not live up to the standards of the dark and mind blowing film. But, because I'm patient, and because i have faith in Meadows, i loved it. So what if it wasn't dark , it was a good introduction into the present lives of the charcters. Once episode 2 was shown, only then could i know whether me shutting up critics with a 'stop being a bunch of moaning bastards and wait' was right or not.
What do you know? I was right. Though it still wasn't quite as dark as the film, there were issues that gradually arose throughout which had potential to cause This Is England 86 to be a masterpiece, something that todays shitty telly needs. Lol, gorgeous as ever, and Milky (former geezer, sudden twat) having an affair behind Woody's (Legend) back, Harvey being subject to abuse at home, the return of Lol's suspect father in what proves to be a crucial scene, and Shaun's outburst at finding his mother in bed with his employer. Depression is what i look for with Shane Meadows' work, and i was well on the way.
 Episodes 3 and 4 were arguably the best in terms of what everyone expects from a Shane Meadows drama.  The moments of comedy are almost non-existent, apart from the fight between Shaun's lot and the moped muppets, and Gadgets little fling with Trudy. Even Woody managed to show a moment of true emotion in what was a great scene between he and Milky, where most of us viewing were undecided as to whether we wanted Milky to tell Woody all about the affair. He didn't, and I'm guessing its because he was as surprised as we were that Woody was opening up the way he did. The real performance came from Lol's father. The climatic scene between he and Trev is sickening and just awful to watch. In other words it's just why I defended Shane Meadows in the first place. And what a performance by Lol's father, 'wow' is all i can come up with as to how i felt after that episode, and the lines 'this can either be the best fuck of your life or the worst' just sum up the horror of that scene.
 Episode 4, even though he returned at the end of Episode 3, saw Combo come back. Arguably this was the most anticipated issue to arise for all who watched the film previously, and he didn't fail in his performances to give us what we all wanted from him. Episode 4 also saw what was another equally depressing but more chaotic scene, this time between Lol and her father rather than her friend. Powerful performances and a tense air due to the scenes improvisation gave it a real edge, and if it weren't for my dad screaming it i would've been shouting ' fuckin' 'it 'im!!' at the moment Lol reaches for the hammer. Then Combo appears, and Combo as we all knew him from the film was gone.  He seemed apologetic and ashamed, and not just in this scene but the previous scenes he shows up in at Shaun's gaff and at his recently deceased mother's flat. But despite what we have seen him do in the film, in the end we love him. I was particularly struck by the connection he and Shaun still had, he was almost like a father figure and i found that quite sad but quite significant in the context of role models and how they effect a child's future. Furthermore, Combo is still very much psychotic but we love him for what he does and says. ' Let me do something good.' he says repeatedly to a shocked and hysterical Lol, whilst offering to take the wrap for the murder of her psychotic father. Powerful Scene. Amazing is a word that sums up all aspects of this series. Top quality performances, a brilliant soundtrack, and Ludovico Einaudi once again delivering with the piano riffs to support the depressing scenes thorughout. Five stars.