An Education

4/5

Directed by: Lone Scherfig

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Emma Thompson, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, Alfred Molina and Rosamund Pike

To those of us ill-fated enough to be born in the decade of shoulder pads, mullets and metal, the fulness of life is forever denied; reared with the crushing belief that no time will ever be as cool, as free or as bohemian as the 1960s.  What with The Beatles, Hepburn and the birth of free love, how could any other New Romantic, Girl Power decade ever compete?  After an hour and a half of sitting through this gloriously rich, thick cut dialogue between the bourgeois relics of the 50s and the young champions of liberated pleasure, An Education proves, hands down, that the 60s wins the decade of the century award … and then some.

Adapted from the autobiography of journalist Lynn Barber by Nick Hornby, An Education charts the coming of age of one Jenny Mellor; a promising school girl, a well rounded Oxbridge candidate and an exceptionally gifted conversationalist.  A coincidental meeting with middle-aged play boy David plunges Jenny into a decadent world of fine art, fine clothes and fabulous French music.  Wildly opposed to the studious lifestyle envisioned by Jenny’s father, it is a road that leads to heartbreak and wasted potential.

Draped in an array of costumes that are best described as breathtaking, Carey Mulligan leads an exceptional ensemble cast with both flair and poise.  Mulligan captures the perfect balance between an academic wisdom and a worldly naiveté and not only is she beautiful, but her timing is spot on and her delivery perfect.  Peter Sarsgaard is disarmingly charming as the dangerous David whilst Dominic Cooper and Rosamund Pike support with an aloof sophistication that would make even Evelyn Waugh envious.  If possible, Pike is perhaps even more ravishing than she was back in her days as a Bond girl and Emma Thompson is flawless, as always, in her small but memorable role as Jenny’s virtuous Pharisee of a Headmistress.

Together with Nick Hornby’s beautifully lyrical text, director Lone Scherfig creates a world of intoxicating temptation, for toxic it truly is, as beguiling for the audience as it is for the chief protagonist. The only hole, perhaps, is in the blindly driven ignorance of Jenny’s parents as they thrust her towards an Oxford education with an almost farcical and cringe-worthy pretence to pomp.  Amidst the whirligig of artists, authors and glamorous locations, though, this frustration is easily forgotten as An Education slides elegantly towards its humble and poignant conclusion.

Mariah Carey Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel

2/5

So what happened?  This last decade has seen Mariah Carey throw away her old Walter Afanasieff formulas and twee one word album titles, like Daydream, Rainbow and Butterfly, in favour of risky, innovative, up to the minute R&B.  Well, this is no one word title but the record clearly marks a giant step backward in Mariah’s ‘glittering’ career.  Lacking the adrenaline high vocals of The Emancipation of Mimi, and missing the driving beats of E=MC², Memoirs is safe, mid-tempo and, well, just a little dull.  In fairness, it is also slick, polished and beautiful in places.

Having sold over 165 million albums, it seems unlikely that a superstar like Mariah Carey will really suffer much from one disappointing record, but where Memoirs really falls flat is in its retrospective feel.  Tagged as a ‘greatest hits album without using the greatest hits,’ Mariah and The Dream have returned to the muted, lacklustre approach of Charmbracelet with a classic Butterfly-esque ballad thrown on the end; her cover of Foreigner’s I Want To Know What Love Is.  Sure the vocals are great but much of the material is lacking.  The track succeeds in demonstrating Mariah’s thriving powerhouse vocals but the unmistakably 80s feel of the song seems out of place amongst a collection of urban slow jams.

Oddly for Carey, who is probably better known for her melodies than her lyrics, Memoirs is really her most interesting work lyrically.  Of course we get the standard love songs but we also see Mariah choosing to fore-ground her lyrics on a number of tracks this time around, as well as exploring darker than usual themes of revenge and aggression.  This is Mariah  Carey angrier than we have ever seen her before, which is somewhat strange since she seems to have finally found herself happily married.  Still, however, Memoirs’ strongest track is the lilting, laid back love song Ribbon with stomping lead single Obsessed coming a close second.  If Mrs Nick Cannon wants to see her renewed success lasting another twenty years, though, she is going to have to do better than this.  She raised the bar and now she has to top it every single time.

Law Abiding Citizen

4/5

 

Directed by: F. Gary Gray

 

Starring: Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler

 

Clyde Shelton is an inventor.  Seemingly a good-natured family man, the devil takes hold of his extremely well motivated hands following the murder of his wife and daughter.  Nick Rice is an attorney.  After striking a somewhat Faustian deal with one of the killers, to secure the conviction of the other, he finds himself the target of Shelton’s latent malevolence.  Ten years pass and, needless to say, the tragedy is not forgotten.  The Philadelphia justice system shudders as Shelton emerges a fully fledged terrorist with the imagination of Leonardo da Vinci and the know-how to back it up.

 

Starting out as the love-child of Enemy Of The State and Saw, Law Abiding Citizen soon establishes itself as a story deeply rooted in biting moral debate.  Much like the tragic heroes of Sophocles and Euripides, Shelton is a man throttling down the path of hubris towards a gripping climax.  Director F. Gary Gray frames Shelton brilliantly as an early Catholic martyr praying the rosary; defying a corrupt system as he calmly twiddles the beads on a bracelet his daughter made for him.  Both committed family men, Rice and Shelton play tug of war with a rope twisted from dual strands of intellect and action.  The story pivots on this constant back and forth; two forces, each fighting in the name of God, with no right answer.  The issue is a fascinating one.

 

A well balanced combination of ballsy action sequences, powerful rhetoric and stinging pathos, Law Abiding Citizen is easily appealing to a wide range of audiences.  More Daniel Craig’s Bond than Roger Moore’s, the gutsy script provides a safety net of humour with just the right amount of gore to make the experience feel dangerous.  It’s edgy, it’s clever and more importantly it asks questions, and valid ones at that!  Foxx and Butler are even matched in ability and both turn in convincing and engaging performances.  Where Law Abiding Citizen possibly falls flat is in the unravelling of the game.

 

Whilst wanting to surrender and just go with the flow, you could easily be forgiven for feeling like you need a bit more detail.  All of the scheming, the technology, the wizardry seems to be just a little out of reach.  Though not necessarily a bad thing, the final reveal is perhaps a little less empowering than other similarly successful thriller flicks.  If you can live with a bit of mystery, problem solved.  If not, you could well find yourself a little underwhelmed.

Adam Lambert For Your Entertainment

4/5

This sound is made from one complicated recipe.  Listening to the vocals, you can hear a dollop of Steve Tyler, maybe splashed with a bit of Jon Bon Jovi.  Production wise, there is definitely a mix of the ever popular ‘dirrty-gaga-scissor-pop’ but this time it’s baked in the sizzling fire of Freddie and coated with an alternative Bowie glaze.  The American Idol runner-up has certainly checked all of his iconic influences off the list, but is he creating something new or re-hashing something old?  Maybe if we could take a minute to ignore the giant media footnote, “Adam Lambert is gay,” which comes along with the album and pay attention to the music, we might be able to see that this is an artist who could well have something to offer.

Having been criticised for over-cooking his vocal performances on Idol, Lambert takes this opportunity to prove that his voice is as versatile as it is powerful.  A Loaded Smile and Broken Open bring a masterful tone of intimacy with Lambert utilising softer, waning vocals whilst Sure Fire Winners and the self penned Aftermath remind us, in case we hadn’t noticed, that no another man on the planet can sing as loud or as high.  Somewhat courageously, Lambert draws from a spectacularly diverse range of musical styles and manages to stew them together into a well blended piece.  Rarely do the words eclectic and cohesive go together but For Your Entertainment is closer to achieving this feat than any other Idol alum debut.

With only three months to record For Your Entertainment, camp Lambert have wisely gleaned material from song writing giants including Ryan Tedder, Kara DioGuardi, Linda Perry and the incomparable Max Martin.  Lambert’s clearly identifiable voice puts his stamp on the sourced tracks with the solid writing lending him firm support.  Martin’s ability to write successfully across genre for such a wide range of artists makes him the perfect choice for this project and he delivers two album highlights, Whataya Want From Me and If I Had You which will surely materialise as future single releases.

While Lambert takes every opportunity possible to throw around words like ‘fresh,’ ‘glam’ and ‘art,’ cynics will no doubt roast him for so obviously taking the pop road.  It is, however, on the Matt Bellamy masterpiece Soaked that we really see the artist in Adam start to emerge.  Though debut albums are seldom career highlights, this one points to a very promising and exciting future.  Is it as groundbreaking as ‘the Glambert’ would have us believe?  Perhaps only time will tell.  For now, though, this must be enough to make an impact!

Leona Lewis Echo

 

 

5/5

 

Having firmly routed a UK flag pole in the charts of almost every major country around the world with her record breaking single Bleeding Love, Leona Lewis finally embarks on the voyage which will almost certainly set the tone for the rest of her career.  Fluke successes come and go and small discoveries are often soon forgotten.  This chart conqueror, though, seems determined to make more of a lasting claim on the continents she won over two years ago with her debut album Spirit.  New release Echo sees the continuation of a number of working collaborations with some welcome additions and a definite growth and maturity in musical sound.

 

The sought after Ryan Tedder is back to provide two album highlights; both lead single Happy and the OneRepublic duet Lost Then Found.  Both tracks demonstrate a depth of emotion that was perhaps a little lacking in Lewis’ debut and although the pop sparkle of Bleeding Love is traded for a more gritty, philosophical tone, the transaction is a fruitful one.  Max Martin, the father of modern pop music, also returns with Outta My Head which could well just blow a few minds.  Although Lewis has dabbled with a little bit of pop before, the phrase up-beat has been a bit of a no go zone.  Well no longer!  Outta My Head sees Lewis easily competing with the ‘GaGa-Bootylicious’ of today and must surely be a future single.  Though Ne-Yo’s presence is sorely diminished, Justin Timberlake more than fills the gap with Don’t Let Me Down, focussing on a more authentically urban sound.

 

Leona Lewis cynics, who continuously criticise her preference for ballads, will be blasted out of the water by Broken and My Hands.  These two songs mark, perhaps, only the second time that Lewis’ extraordinary vocal abilities have been matched by an equally incredible lyrical content.  The voice soars, the lyrics dig deep and the production values draw the two extremities together beautifully.  Whilst some will continue to call her dull and predictable, those who really listen will hear an artistry that is genuinely unmatched by any other female singer in the genre right now.

 

Do we really want Leona Lewis to start singing club friendly tracks when it is the ballads that set her apart from everyone else?  Isn’t that the reason that we voted for Alexandra Burke last year?

9

2/5

 

Directed by: Shane Acker

 

Starring: Christopher Plummer, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly and Elijah Wood

 

 

It is amazing what one name can do.  In a town like Hollywood successes are often made simply by riding in the back seat of someone else’s career.  As the name gets bigger, well so does the expectation and when the name is as big as Tim Burton’s, those expectations have to met each and every time.  Flashing the name Tim Burton, who produced the film, here and there may have attracted our attention for a little while, but the basic frame of 9 is so insubstantial that it fails to carry us with it much further than the opening credits.

 

Based on a 2005 short film of the same name, 9 tells the story of a small rag doll man who comes to life and finds himself one of several similar creations who are struggling to defeat a machine which has been stealing souls.  The usual story really; post apocalyptic world, six inch rag doll fighting a twenty foot machine, set in the ruins of our destructive civilisation, with a few all American home truths thrown in for good measure.  Given the advantages of modern day graphics, with a century of cinematic history to learn from and build upon and a respectable cast of actors on the bill, you could be forgiven for asking why it is that picking up your bible and turning to David and Goliath is more entertaining than a ten pound trip to your local cinema.

 

The first issue at hand is the atrocious screenplay written by Pamela Pettler.  Stilted, stale, heavy handed, overly emotive, tired, lifeless … the list goes on.  Secondly, what may seem on paper to be a talented bunch of acclaimed screen actors manifests as a string of lack lustre voice performances that fail to match the sometimes explosive and climactic nature of the action on screen.  The real crux of the problem, though, is a catastrophic identity struggle.  With a trailer promising edgy, dynamic action and imaginative futuristic technology, director Shane Acker actually serves up a batch of sentimental, recycled scenarios in a film which is more ‘Bambi meets Stand By Me’ than it is ‘Transformers meets I Am Legend.’

 

Fortunately there are a few minor points of interest.  The animated characterisation of the little rag people is at times quite beautiful.  The subtle differences in design between the faces, bodies and the materials used to make them up provide a welcome distraction from the bizarre drivel surrounding them.  Also, to be fair, there are a handful of sequences which manage to excite, not least of all an attack from a mechanic pterodactyl like creature.  However, by the time 9 finally draws to a close there is little that can be said in its favour.  If you are looking for something to watch with your seven year old son, go for it.  Otherwise, may I suggest turning to 1 Samuel: 17 with a big wooly jumper and a Cup-a-Soup?

Michael Jackson’s This Is It

2/5

 

Directed by: Kenny Ortega

 

Starring: Michael Jackson

 

 

Michael Jackson will live forever.  Having firmly carved his name into the history of popular entertainment, the legend will, undoubtedly, be told for years to come.  The exact details of that story, though, are still yet to be decided.  Will he be remembered for his stunning catalogue of music, the high profile court cases, or tabloid attention centring on his ever changing face?  Hopefully, Michael Jackson’s This Is It will go someway to cementing the image of a musical genius into our collective memory as it shows Jackson as a musician and performer on top of his game, really knowing his stuff.

 

Directed by Kenny Ortega, who is best known for Disney smashes such as High School Musical and The Cheetah Girls 2 as well as television sleeper hit Gilmore Girls, Michael Jackson’s This Is It is a concert film documenting the rehearsal process in preparation for Jackson’s fifty day residence at London’s O2 Arena.  Much of the footage shows Jackson holding back, so as to preserve his energy for the duration of rehearsal.  A common practice amongst performers, this reality of the rehearsal process is somewhat saddening when left unsupported by the finished product.  That is not to say, though, that there are no magical moments.  Of course there are.

 

When you are literally watching Jackson rehearse track after track after track, needless to say, the novelty wears off pretty quickly.  Looking at him, though, there is still that undeniable and indescribable electricity that has forcefully commanded our attention for decades.  At moments, a glimmer of the incredible power of the production-to-be shines through and a sense of the colossal waste of the whole affair leaks a veneer of sadness over the screen.  To be at that concert would have been a truly memorable occasion.  Jackson’s team are clearly a superbly talented bunch and, in places, his dancers run the risk of stealing the show.  Watching the visual effects being created is absolutely fascinating and the beginnings of costume design and pyrotechnical arrangements make a powerful impact.

 

Disappointingly, the film is in desperate need of a greater degree of discourse surrounding the nature of the concert, the creative processes and the people involved.  A great deal is still left a mystery in favour of overkill on the rehearsal footage front.  There are definite moments where if anyone other than Jackson were busting those moves we would call them, well frankly, a ‘loon.’  Jackson’s ridiculously pretentious manner of interacting with his technical team draws a few laughs from the audience as he fervently reinforces the mantra that, of course, at the heart of all the work demonstrated is love; for the world and for each other.  Saccharine sentiments aside, Jackson demonstrates a depth of musical knowledge and a wealth of theatrical flair, part Step Up 2: The Streets and part Liza With A ‘Z.’ Die hard fans will be awestruck throughout.  Respectful admirers will yawn a few times but ultimately leave impressed.  Everyone else should just not bother.

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

3/5

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Starring: Christopher Plummer, Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits and Lily Cole

How come?  What if?  Once upon a time … Our ability to wonder and our insatiable desire to expand our imaginations has made successes of such fantasy giants as Lewis, Tolkien, and more recently Rowling.  Their ability to create rich worlds, overflowing with history, mythology and culture has kept readers and viewers shelling out the coinage without reserve.  Whilst The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus presents a world with the potential to captivate our thoughts, it lacks the volume of creativity that typifies its predecessors, and ends up falling just a little flat.

Doctor Parnassus is the creation of Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam and much like his earlier work it is best described as surreal.  A one thousand year old immortal man, having made a Faustian deal with Old Red down there, leads a travelling troupe of performers in an attempt to gather five souls before his horned opponent can.  Aided by a Tony Blair inspired fugitive, Doctor Parnassus makes some major headway until he discovers that there is more to Tony than is first apparent.

Sound confusing?  That is because it is!  The main problem with this film is that the audience can never really be sure of what is actually happening or why.  We see a magic mirror with a fantastic world of individual imagination behind it, beautifully animated and wonderfully creative, but we do not know what it is or how it got there.  Thus, though much of the film is enjoyable, clouds of confusion pervade.  If you can be satisfied with stand alone exciting sequences or spectacular special effects or the alluring beauty of Lily Cole then you might not mind so much that none of it really seems to ever fit together.

What must be said, though, is that Gilliam has successfully managed to turn the potential disaster of losing Heath Ledger into a triumph of ensemble performance.  The different faces of Tony, provided by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell have been so cleverly and convincingly explained that it is hard to imagine the film without them.  Christopher Plummer is a godsend and the strangely fascinating Verne Troyer brings a much needed dollop of the extraordinary to the otherwise conventional troupe.  Ultimately, The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus fails to stay afloat of the hype left in the wake of Heath Ledger’s death.  However, just because it is not superlative does not mean it is unremarkable.  Unfortunately it is more likely a point of interest in the final chapter of the Heath Ledger biography than it is a stand alone success.

Cheryl Cole Fight For This Love

2/5

Having spent the last seven years watching Cheryl Cole’s transformation from northern chav to glamorous superstar, the British people are now bracing themselves for her debut voyage as a solo artist, fully removed from the HMS Girls Aloud.  Whilst the sound is definitely slicker than her work with the girls, Cheryl has never been famed for her vocal prowess, so much as her ability to woo men and women alike with her compassionate heart and the exquisitely presented case in which it beats.  Fight For This Love is a mid-tempo tune with a danceable backing about sticking by your sweetheart at all costs.  The lyrics are certainly appropriate, given Cole’s marital history, but the question plaguing both fans and critics is, “Does she really have the chops?”

“Not really,” is the answer.  Cole’s vocals are probably best described as silky and pleasant with a slight vulnerable edge.  No doubt she will perform spectacularly, wowing audiences with impressive choreography and tight fitting costumes.  The possibility of the song being sung live, however, seems a little less likely as even the simplest of melismatic vocalisations seem a challenge for the young pop star.  Nevertheless, the attention grabbing production of hit producer Wayne Wilkins fills out the sound of Cole’s thin vocals and transforms what is essentially a plain song into a passable single.

Rapid pulsing darts of synth and strings make a nice contrast to the fluid, lyrical melody and set Cole happily within the boundaries of the current trend for electro-dance-pop which is rapidly appearing on the albums of everyone from Whitney Houston to Tinchy Stryder.  A perky wood block click adds a much needed dash of energy to the track and a welcome appearance from what sounds like a xylophone warms the production throughout the second half.  Fight For This Love is the perfect example of talented musicians making the most out of an average vocalist.  Credit must be given where it is due, though, and Cole is most definitely worthy of respect for all that she has achieved in the music industry so far.  But whilst this may be enough to launch her solo career, it will probably not make it into the pop hall of fame.

Toni Braxton Yesterday

4/5

While the world stands gawking as the likes of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey boldly throw out new material for the hungry masses, another aging diva is tentatively putting out the feelers.  Once bitten twice shy, R&B superstar Toni Braxton has suffered a number of major blows in the public arena since her last major successes.  But, having slowly built up momentum with a record breaking hit vegas show and a stunning turn on Dancing With The Stars, Braxton is beginning to flex those vocal chords once again.  Branching out with a new record label, newly found strength and a fresh take on her own artistry Braxton is ready to prove to the world that her undeniable talent is still on top form.

New single, Yesterday, has been made available from the singer’s website and it is a tour de force.  Braxton is back doing exactly what we loved her for in the first place, breaking up with her man.  Yesterday is the standard break up package but although there is nothing original in the lyrics, they still manage to happily avoid cliche.  The track has a real sense of purpose and direction with Toni’s trademark emotive vocals telling the story of a heart broken like only she can.  It is rare to hear such heartfelt passion on a recording but the diva’s smooth velvet vocals really dish it out as they soar over the arrangement throughout.

The track opens with a haunting piano driven intro as the familiar sound of that breathy plaintive “oh” hits the speakers.  The beat follows soon after with a thumping snare and a string accompaniment adds warmth to the production as it pounds up to the chorus.  The background harmonies lend an epic quality to the mid-tempo ballad and fans are even treated to Toni’s signature “whoo” as the track slows down towards the end.  There is a reason that Toni Braxton has won six Grammy awards throughout her fifteen year career and they are all evident on this record.  The depth, control and maturity of her vocals still go unmatched and this Ryan-Tedder-Neyo-esque belter looks set to please fans and silence cynics in one blow.  If Braxton can put her label troubles behind her and follow through with a great video and some heavy promotion, there is surely nothing that can stop this tracking hitting the big time.  Get it out there Toni!