Love is All

Well Wednesday night was an experience.

One of the many things I love about Sheffield is the fact that everything is covered. You like climbing? There's a festival. You like books? There's a festival. You are an entrepreneur? Yep there's a festival for that to. Music? Obviously. You like documentaries? Well here you go.

The main thing about Docfest is every year it makes me wish I was still a student. If I had no commitments I'd be volunteering without a doubt. To get in to see shows, be part of the adventure, and to get hold of one of those gorgeous yellow bags. But it's just not possible to commit what with spending most of my life dropping off, waiting for and collecting children of an evening/weekend.

So I just settle for going to the odd event and this year the only one I made it to was Love is All At Chatsworth. And odd it really was.

It sounded idyllic. A beautiful summers evening spent in a field in Chatsworth, eating a picnic, chatting with friends, listening to music then watching a film about love on screen. Aahh.

The main trouble was the music was hardly relaxing. Hot Soles played first, which we weren't expecting. Accomplished as they are they didn't really seem to sit right for a romantically titled evening. They are far more suited to a raucous stage at Tramlines.

Then the Everley Pregnant Brothers appeared. Everyone from Sheffield adores them. You just have to. They are funny and homegrown. Last time I saw them they were hilarious. But last time I'd had at least 4 pints, as had the rest of the audience. They are certainly not what I'd call romantic.

Obviously I'm missing the point. I imagine is wasn't about love but about the fact that the bands were from Sheffield. But there are tonnes of Sheffield bands who would have fitted the brief more. Although maybe not many who could fill a marquee.

In my view it was altogether a little strange.

The odd got odder as the chairs were put on the stage for a Q&A before the film. This is always the part I'm fascinated by. I was filled with hope again when a teenage hero of mine, Jeremy Hardy, stepped on stage. He was followed by two film makers and the force that is Richard Hawley. It should have been fascinating.

The next fifteen minutes was a car crash. Jeremy struggled to do his job and ask questions while the audience had moved onto that fourth pint and had stopped listening. I began to feel awkward as Richard Hawley angrily half answering questions while struggling with painkillers for his bad back. He asked for an ice cream and babbled about Margaret Thatcher. Then he swore dramatically and left the stage in what seemed to be, for want of a better word, a huff. Since I got home I've seen people call him a “legend” based on this performance. I'm clearly getting too old for all this.

On the upside the film was a joy. It was a series of archive footage, mostly in black and white, from films and footage through the ages. Funny, touching, and supported by the most wonderful soundtrack, I was genuinely moved. Of course it was also more than a bit misogynistic due to the eras represented, and there were a few too many shots of fireworks/bombs and rockets taking off, but overall it was a lovely film to see. And it included My Beautiful Launderette so I was reminded of my general adoration for Daniel Day Lewis. I must re-watch My Left Foot.

So the night ended on a high. But the whole experience was...well...odd.

Films catch up

Well this reviewing books and films of the year doesn't seem to be going too well. I can barely remember what I've seen but I know there's quite a lot of it. Hence very basic reviews sorry. Although I expect you aren't using my blog as a way to decide what to watch anyway...

Films
Oceans Thirteen
I've seen this before. It's silly and I couldn't remember the plot until three quarters of the way through. Which may say more about my brain than how good the film is. Or it may not. Lots of famous actors (many of them pretty) robbing a casino. It's alright. 5/10

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Ok so it's a kid's film but it's brilliant and I watched it so it's in the list. Very funny, great animation, well written clever and funny plot in which a misunderstood child turns crazy inventor who makes food of increasing size fall out of the sky. Wonderful 10/10

Men in Black 3
You may wonder how I missed some of these films first time round. I have children. Anyway, this film is what you'd expect it to be - a bit of a dodgy sequel. It's daft and has Will Smith in it going back in time to mess with history. But it's not the original. 4/10

Avengers Assemble
Being a member of Lovefilm means I watch all sorts of tosh. This is a film where comic book characters work together to foil an attack on the planet. I didn't hate it. But I can't remember much about it either. I didn't even like the cast particularly. 3/10

Anvil

Now I like a rockumentary but I have to say I found this one more than a little depressing.

Apparently Anvil should have been extremely famous and successful in the early 1980s and influenced loads of heavy metal bands. Instead they disappeared into obscurity but carried on regardless releasing a stream of scary albums.

They decided in 2005 to make a documentary about how hard they try to be successful and how brilliant they are. We do have a problem here in that I cant stand heavy metal. And that I find men in their fifties playing heavy metal even more excruciating. At least he wasn't wearing bondage this time around but it still didn't make for pleasant viewing. The desperation was believable and unnerving, and there really were no laughs. Even Metallica's "Some Kind of Monster" had the odd giggle.

The film shows them working normal unskilled jobs (delivering food to schools) and going on tour in Europe playing to literally tens of people. Fortunately the lead singer's sister is wealthy and soft and she paid for them to record an album which makes up the second half of the film.

I imagine they did it on the slipstream of Metallica and ultimately the film has done roughly what they hoped. No record company would release "This is Thirteen" until the documentary proved popular, and then VH1 Classic did. Now Anvil have a new lease of life touring Europe and supporting heavy metal bands I have heard of but would never want to see play.

I suppose I should be pleased for them. The end of the film should have left me uplifted as they were seen playing a gig to thousands in Japan. The most I felt was marginally moved and pleased they didn't feature in my record collection. But then what did I expect?

I need to watch Spinal Tap to cheer myself up.

3/10

Les Miserables

"Do you hear the people sing, singing a song of angry men, it is the music of the people who will not be slaves again..."

I am struggling a bit this morning with this particular ear worm. You look a bit daft singing rousing choruses while dropping your kids off at school.

As you will have worked out I went to see Les Miserables with a friend last night at the Showroom Cinema. We did avert disaster after a minor heart stopping moment. We'd be gassing so much we hadn't realised we were actually in the wrong screen until the page for Django Unchained came up. That could have been dodgy. With hindsight we did wonder why we'd been put in seats C9 and 10, one either side of an aisle. Fortunately our film hadn't started.

I am rather pleased I didn't encourage Paul to come with me. It's not just that particular show, but any film where the cast sing every line of dialogue is a bit of an issue for him. I'm remembering Sweeny Todd in particular (just because it's Johnny Depp doing it doesn't make it easy to listen to).

As it was I went with a friend who is clearly at least as soppy as me because she passed me a tissue during "I Dreamed a Dream" and I hadn't quite worked up to tears yet. It was "A little fall of rain" that got me most. That and the very end.

And the cast? Well there were some wonderful actors and singers. I sadly wouldn't put Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe amongst them. I'd take my hat off to them (if I was wearing one) as it looked like a complete nightmare to learn, but honestly I would have rather seen a less famous name who could really sing. But then Russell Crowe in particular has never really done it for me and good as Hugh is as an actor I couldn't quite get Wolverine out of my head.

My favourite actor was Daniel Huttlestone, a beautiful young boy with fantastic charisma. I also loved Samantha Barks once I got over how tiny her waist was.

I can't stand Sacha Baron Cohen's comedy usually (apart from Madagascar obviously), but he and Helena Bonham Carter were fantastic. I wonder whether she ever thinks "please let me be the beautiful female lead this time instead of the mad woman". Probably not - it looks much more fun being barmy.

So in summary, it's long, it might make you cry and you'll be singing the best bits for days afterwards.

8/10

Last Shop Standing

I don't know why I'm surprised when I watch a documentary I'm interested in and Billy Bragg appears. I should know by now. What with his new album release news and free download yesterday though it was a bit of a coincidence.

Last Shop Standing is a short film about record shops. It's full of record shop owners and a few customers, talking about their history and future. It's interesting, especially the section about reps hyping the charts, and sad as we see a shop in Chesterfield close. But more than anything it made me want to do to Record Collector in Broomhill and ask what he recommends for a Billy Bragg fan. I'd go tomorrow but it seems to be snowing and it would take a while on foot. I'll put it on my list.

It isn't scintillating and not really much of a surprise, but it is way more positive about the future than I expected it to be so well worth a view. 6/10.

Life of Pi

I have noticed over the years that at the end of films in the cinema people tend to quietly exit , not really talking much about the film until they get into the bar or the car park. Or maybe they ask "what did you think?" before giving sensibly their own opinion in a calm way. Maybe that's because there are so many people all herded together and no-one wants to be overheard and potentially disagreed with by them all. Maybe it's British reserve.

At the end of Life of Pi as the credits began to roll, the man next to us exclaimed "fantastic!" It shot out of his mouth like it was an involuntary reaction. I don't know if I've ever heard that happen before. But I totally agree with him. And my reactions throughout the film were less than calm, like the several bits where I jumped out of my seat and threw my water bottle underneath the seat in front. Or when I laughed out loud.

I'll be clear, I haven't read the book. Sorry. I imagine I should have. Normally when I see a film that's a book I come out thinking now I should read the book. But this time I don't want to read it. It might spoil it. That's a bit backwards isn't it?

So I had seen the trailer and knew the basics - that it was about a boy shipwrecked on a boat with a tiger.

The film is breathtaking, terrifying, life affirming and downright magical. The lead actor, Suraj Sharma, is staggering. Quite why he isn't nominated for an Oscar I don't know. Apart from the fact that he is only 19 and this is his first and ONLY film role. What a way to start a career.

My best friend and I both agreed it was the most engrossed we'd been in a film for years. And unusually for us it was the first time we'd seen an Oscar nominated film before it came out on DVD which makes us unbelievably cool.

10/10 Favourite film so far. But I haven't rated one badly yet and it's only 10th January.

Tyrannosaur

We watched Tyrannosaur last night. Man I badly need to watch a comedy now.

It's hard to say that I enjoyed it. It's another dark gritty Warp film, especially one with the trademark violence of a sort that is meant to make you feel extremely uncomfortable. And uncomfortable was an understatement.

It's a sad terrifying film about an abused wife and an unlikely expressionless alcoholic who becomes her friend. The acting is brilliant. The rape scene and the dog attack I could have done without. But then I always say that.

Watch it. But brace yourself.

8/10

Chronicle

Fours days in and film number 2: Chronicle.

Three college students find weird glowing thing and gain superpowers. I knew nothing about this film but based on the description I thought this was going to be a comedy. It's way darker than that.

I liked the students discovering what they could do and developing their newfound powers but for some reason it felt lopsided. Lots of time and emphasis was given over to that section yet the descent into the inevitable misuse of power wasn't given enough time in my view.

It also raised a question for me about special effects. I always thought I preferred the old ways to CGI, but watching actors obviously hoisted up into the air by their pants looked slightly comedic and out of touch with modern film making. It all looked a bit panto, whilst frankly being a bit gory at the end which is an odd contrast.

But I did enjoy watching it despite that so 7/10. Just because gaining super powers is every school boy/girl's dream.

Film 2013

I've decided to review the films I watch in 2013.

I'll possibly be horrified at this at the end of the year. Not least because I'll be able to add up the amount of time I've spent watching films. Before we even get to add on the hours spent watching Gok and X-Factor. But it encourages me to write, and will be an interesting record so here goes...

New Year's Day
Harry Brown - This film made me sob in the first twenty minutes, leap out of my seat at points and hide from the screen at others. Michael Caine essentially sorts out some scumbags and causes carnage. Too gruesome for me really but there is something weirdly appealing about a geriatric vigilante.

And it had Joseph Gilgun in it. Even as a drug addict.

Nuff said.

8/10