Cinderella Man

Ron Howard is a funny one? On paper his movies always sound like they will be among the best of the year - they are well produced with high levels of detail and a nice gloss on them, always with big names and always promising a good experience. But the end product as a whole doesn't always add up to that promise. He has been accused of being sentimental, focusing more on the redemptive aspects of his characters rather than exploring them as real people, and that is mostly a fair judgment - I hated Beautiful Mind for that very reason (well that and the worst aging make-up ever seen) - but it is the movies and someone has to be out there creating unlikely heroes and a bit of popcorn escapism. On getting the DVD for Cinderella Man, then, I didn't expect too much. Crowe doing another gritty working-class hero, a boxer who's life goes down the pan, setting up for a glorious comeback, all sounded like predictable stuff. In many ways it was exactly that, but old Richie seems to have learned a few new tricks about light and shade in the interim, because this humble tail of the depression and the ancient art of pugilism is just about his career best film . It doesn't offer everything on a plate, doesn't patronise the audience so much, indeed it is for extended sections quite brilliant and beautiful. The photography and production design are exceptional, but this time the story and the characters are good enough to match. The relationship between Crowe's Braddock and his world-weary trainer, played by the ever impressive Paul Giamatti is a delight, and the journey they take, based on true events, touches you in a truly resonant way, perhaps because it is not merely one man's story but the story of a nation going through tumultuous times, and the story of people who had nothing and helped each other through it. I'd go as far as saying that this is one of the best films in its genre - one of the best boxing movies and one of the best underdog movies ever made. It bodes really well for this Summer's sure hit The Da Vinci Code, a film that I know I will see whether it is well reviewed or not, but it's good to have regained a little trust in Howard as a director. I was genuinely impressed and can only recommend it. 9/10 Kx

Quantum Leap

For the past wee while the only time the TV is on for anything other than sports or movies is that time after my daughter gets home from school, between homework and bedtime. The routine is always the same: Friends 5 - 6 and Third Rock From The Sun 7 - 7:30, sandwiched by an hour in the unsettled life of Dr. Sam Beckett and his holographic aide Al, played by Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell respectively. The show, of course is Quantum Leap, one of the biggest sci-fi hits of the 90s, alongside Star Trek, which later took Bakula on as the first captain of the Enterprise. I used to watch it as a matter of course back then, rarely missing an episode in my late teens - it was original, well written and for the time cutting edge in terms of effects (very hard to believe now!). Why my daughter loves it so much I couldn't really say for sure, but to see her face when she watched her first episode and realised the possibilities of the central premise was priceless. Re-watching it with her you realise that its success is a mix of the terrific writing, the chemistry between Sam and Al and the incredibly likeable performance of Bakula, who really does come across as an angelic figure as he faces every moral dilemna you can think of in his mission to save the lives of those he meets and ultimately strives to "leap" home. I had a quick look at some old fansites of the show and was amazed to find that although he turned up in his own town during his own lifetime a few times he never did actually make it home! That idea makes me a bit melancholy, but also makes me smile to think that somewhere he might still be out there... If half of todays shows aimed at family viewing were half this good I'd still be watching more TV. Kx

Australian Open

The first big sports event of 2006 took place down under in temperatures reaching 40C, providing yet another Grand Slam title for the most dominant sportsman on the planet at this time - Roger Federer. Without Sky TV and with their day kicking off at midnight UK time I had to rely on the internet radio service coming live from Melbourne every day to keep up with the latest scores. It sounds a bit naff to say I "listened" to tennis, but it really was an excellent service with top commentaries delivered with a distinctive Aussie sense of fun - and what's more they even read out my e-mail about the future of Scotland's Andy Murray, who unfortunately went out in the first round before he had the chance to meet their own Leyton Hewitt, who was well under par. Right from the start though it was all about big Roge in the men's singles as he blasted past all competitors with power and grace, making one of the most difficult games in the world look stupidly easy. This year is about him achieving the Grand Slam and on this evidence who can stop him? His biggest test may come in Paris in the Summer, but for now domination is far too mild a word! In the women's game there was a big comeback for "The Swiss Miss", Martina Hingis, out for some time feared never to return, but she showed why she was a champion in the first place in the early rounds, reaching the quarter finals before losing out in 3 sets to Belgium's Kim Clijsters - my tip, who herself was beaten in the semis by eventual winner Amelie Mauresmo. Considering that I only managed to see the finals on TV I couldn't possibly have enjoyed it more, keeping up with the stats and draws on their superlative website, and dreaming all the while that I was down there kicking back with a few tinnies, soaking up the rays. It sure added a touch of light into the darkest part of the Scottish winter. Kx

Napoleon Dynamite

The term "Cult Status" was never more applicable! If you are fortunate enough to get the joke of the strange and vivid world of Napoleon Dynamite then it may end up in your top ten. Equally, I can imagine a lot of people watching in gormless amazement before coming away thinking they've witnessed one of the worst films ever made. People were forever asking me if I'd seen it yet (several who loved it and one or two who hated it) so I had to find out for myself. To make the surreal aspect of this unique little movie worse I had a huge cold on my first viewing and just couldn't believe what I was seeing! Set somewhere in a mythical void between the 80s and the present day and centering around the life and loves of the geeky eponymous hero as he bounds randomly through his last days of school with equally kookie friends Pedro and Debbie. Owing a lot to the films of Wes Anderson, perhaps, it is a colourful journey, produced in pop-video segments that embrace the bizarre in every frame. Some of the gags are a bit overdone, however, and it succeeds best in its more subtle details. The dialogue is at times pure genius on the most puerile level, almost daring you to laugh at just how silly it is. But its true appeal lies in a brilliantly observed central performance by Jon Heder: his Napoleon is brought to life to stand as one of the great comedy creations of all time; it is not only what he says but the way he says it and how he looks as he says it (try the ND soundboard by clicking the title link above - great fun). As a movie it really can't be endorsed as a "good" film, it is average fare elevated by moments of quirky inspiration and a wonderfully satisfying payoff in Napoleon's last dance (a scene that will live forever in movie legend). I feel that the writers and director missed as many notes as they hit, letting it down in certain areas. But saying that, any future film that bears the tag "from the makers of Napoleon Dynamite" simply must be seen. Mixed feelings - 7/10 Kx

Jose Gonzalez

This Neo-Folk album was actually first released back in 2003. Perhaps surprising to its new set of fans, turned on to it by the high profile commercial (the one with all the bouncy balls) that used Heartbeats as its soundtrack. You could have been forgiven on first hearing that song that you were listening to a new release by Iron and Wine - probably the most successful proponent of the genre - I certainly did, and with much enthusiasm, as I love nothing better on a Sunday afternoon or late at night than a mellow vibe and an acoustic guitar. Well, there's plenty of that here, almost to the point of being repetitive, but not quite to the point of irritation. True, there is not much variation, but why should there be when what he does well is so beautiful? It drifts over you, creates a background - it's not meant to be deep or thought provoking, just simple and romantic and soothing. And for that it works. I would still give preference to the aforementioned act, Iron and Wine, if pressed, purely because there is something infinitely soulful about that sound which perhaps gets swallowed by the more tangible presence of foreground instrumentation in Gonzalez's work. It will stay in my collection for a long time though, I believe, getting a run out from time to time when the mood takes me. The interesting thing really is how so much attention can be generated from one commecial where previously there was very little. If I'm right in thinking, it has been a top ten album here in the UK since Christmas, and that is no mean feat for a non-mainstream act. Still, I'm not complaining - I'd rather see this in there than Will Young or The Pussycat Dolls any day! 7/10 Kx

24: Series Four

With season five about to begin on Sky I finally managed to catch season four on DVD, spread over about 3 months. I came to this franchise very late to begin with - almost two years after series one first aired - but lost no time catching up. The first day in the tragic life of Jack Bauer was a revelation; the second day was a real thrill and still probably the best season; by series three there were some repetitions, but the team stepped up to the bar to deliver some exceptionally tense episodes. By season four daughter Kim is gone, President Palmer is nowhere to be seen and Jack has a new squeeze in tow, daughter of the senator he is employed to protect now that CTU no longer require his services. 24 has always been about the cliffhangers - taking a situation to breaking point and then leaving us dangling there till the next episode, the famous clock ticking all the while. The context for series four is once again international terrorism, and the producers address the modern world in a very compelling way, balancing our fascinations with spies, technology and backstabbing politics to create a seductive whole just on the edge of believability. But the real secret to 24 is the characters, their inter-relationships, the way we care about their lives in situations of mortal danger, whether from a bomb, a bullet or a broken heart. At times it becomes laughable, descending into soap opera or sickening American gung ho-ism, but it is never less than entertaining no matter how ridiculous the plot becomes. It is quite a feat to make a show that fits 24 hours in the lives of dozens of characters into, er, well 24 hours of film (about 20 if you take away the commercials), so any criticism is pretty redundant; it simply is Top Telly and there can be no doubt about its classic status, or, indeed about the cult status of its central hero Mr Jack Bauer: all purpose action man for the 21st century. Where does this last series rate? Well, it's up there at times, perhaps getting a little flabby in the middle, but there is a lot of innovation and some expertly timed re-introductions of old characters that have you cheering at the screen. Certainly, there is nothing to put me off watching a fifth series from beginning to end - and with Jack officially dead now the new hook is a stroke of near genius. 24 is what it is and I love it. 8/10 Kx

Hard-Fi

With an album as good as this it is only a matter of time whether you own it or not! It starts with the first song you hear - for me it was Hard To Beat, performed at the Mercury Music Awards. I thought, yeah that's OK, but never heard of them, that's probably their only decent song and now they've had their fifteen minutes of fame they'll disappear into obscurity. Wrong! A few weeks after that and you couldn't move without hearing or seeing them - Cash Machine was everywhere as a single and a lot of other tracks were getting radio attention, it was time to listen to the full album. To say I was blown away is a bit strong; there are a few weaker tracks in the running order that after a few plays you just want to skip to get to the main course. But there are also six or seven outstanding tunes that belt out at you relentlessly, demanding repeat play. OK, so at heart these boys are a bit aggressive, there's a lot of urban angst coming through, but a lot of intelligence too. Maybe I just needed to bang my head and work out a bit of anger, but for some reason I took hold of it for a few weeks and rarely wanted to listen to anything else. Imagine my delight then upon finding out they were to play Edinburgh on Hogmanay...! It certainly added excitement to the build up and my first street party in 3 years. Supported by new Scottish band Brothers and Sisters (who weren't half bad, watch this space) the lads made it onto the Waverley stage by 11pm and totally rocked the 100,000 or so revellers within earshot, kicking off with Cash Machine, reaching a peak with a superb cover of Seven Nation Army (White Stripes) and going into orgasmic frenzy for Living For the Weekend - "not only is it New Year's Eve, it's Saturday!" cried charismatic frontman Richard Archer (not the greatest live singer in the world, but masses of energy and youthful swagger). Timed to perfection their set ended just before the fireworks, and who cared that it took 25 minutes to squeeze back onto Princes St? It kicked off one hell of a party and that's all that mattered. Maybe they will drop off the radar as quickly as they have appeared on it, maybe their energy will burn itself out and the zeitgeist will move on, but there is certainly a potent songwriting talent here and I hope it sticks around for more than a quick flash in the pan. 9/10 Kx

King Kong

Of the big three blockbusters leading up to Christmas (Potter, Narnia & Kong) I was perhaps least excited by this one. Don't ask me why - it was clearly going to be aimed at a more adult audience, had the best director by a monster margin and a cast to die screaming in the jungle for! Maybe I was worried it just wouldn't work and we'd have another Godzilla on our hands? Maybe I sensed the casting of Jack Black as the lead and Adrien Brody as the male love interest just wouldn't work, despite their fine work in other genres? Maybe the thought of a 30 foot CGI monkey just left me cold? I don't know - but I really needn't have fretted. So my initial reaction was that it was much too long, indulgent even, but it had been a long day and a misjudged double bill with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe had left me a little drained. Put it this way, what worked really worked, and there was plenty to admire. Filmed in three distinct sections, the journey to the island, full of build and anticipation, Kong's discovery and capture, full of thrills , shocks and scares, and back in New York, the pay-off leading to the extraordinary Empire state recreation, it is an immediately unsettling movie that manipulates the audience well. The superior middle section out-climaxes the climax however, leaving you a little numb by the closing credits that have seemed a long way off for the last hour. Black and Brody were better than expected, especially Jack, who I imagine will get a lot more offers of serious roles after this. Equally, Naomi Watts lived up to the part with adequate flair and was on the whole an enjoyable and sympathetic heroine. But top honours have to go, yet again, to a largely uncredited Andy Sirkis, who not only broke more new ground with his CG enhanced performance as Kong, but offered a marvelously comic turn as the ships cook - a character that suffers one of the best deaths in cinema history (not a person in the house that wasn't cringing!) and is gifted with the movies best line too (the one about the footprint and the Abominable Snowman). More to like than not then, and I look forward to seeing it again when a bit less jaded. It's great that new epics can still be created and embraced with the positive reactions that this got across the board generally. Just a shame it couldn't have been a bit tighter and brave enough to ditch the dead end subplots. Oscar deemed it worthy of only four technical nominations recently and I have to say that that's about right. 8/10 Kx

Narnia

It was the weekend, there were two big new movies out, both suitable for kids, what else were we going to do? It had to be a double bill with a slap-up meal inbetween - my idea of heaven and I'm not ashamed to admit it! Of course, the success of the day does depend on the quality of the movies, and though I had high hopes I also had hidden fears of being let down... The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe means so much to so many people of different generations - I certainly remember reading it at school and then continuing the series on my own at home, full of awe and wonder; a special kind of magic existed in C. S. Lewis' books that didn't exist anywhere else, they were unique and very very special. A big burden for a new film to bear. Certain details would be crucial: a realistic sense of period and place, good child actors and, most importantly, Aslan - he must be huge, overwhelmingly powerful and commanding, yet ever gentle, a tough goal for CGI... So, the movie unfolded and, yeah, I enjoyed it - at no point did I find myself cringing in horror at what had been misinterpreted, but neither did I get shivers down my back at the glory of it. Everything was just OK, adequate rather than spellbinding - the kids were fine, though often wooden, the effects were fine, but I'd seen better, the story was faithful, but somehow uninspired, and Aslan was bearable, but nowhere near perfect. By the end credits I'd come to realise that what we had here was something made specifically for small children coming to the story for the first time: the target age was set very low, with little thought to all of us who had grown up with it in our heads. A shame for sure, that something with such potential comes away as merely average. I'll watch it again, probably enjoy it again, but somewhere in a lot of people's heads there is a better version still waiting to be made. 6.5/10 Kx

A Short History...

... Of Nearly Everything. And it really is! I got this exceptionally entertaining and educational book for Christmas 2004 and it took me almost the whole of 2005 to finish it, so it is fitting that it should be my first post in an attempt to catch up on things from the two months I wasn't able to update The Wasteland. It didn't take me a long time to read because it was hard work or boring, far from it, it is wonderfully accessible, never repetitive and manages to avoid technical science-speak that is above 99% of the population. What Bryson does is attempt to answer all the questions a reasonably curious human being might want to know about our universe but has always been afraid to ask. He takes the basic knowledge that all of us have and expands upon it in easy to understand terms until our minds are boggled by the sheer improbability of existence, invention and inspiration. He tackles Time, Space, The Natural World, Evolution and all points inbetween, weaving his tales of discovery around the fabulously colourful real characters involved in the history of science, mathematics and exploration. It is the eccentricities of these influential men and women, and the sheer scale of coincidence that led them to success or failure, that fascinated me most and kept me riveted - he makes cold facts come alive by giving science a human face that lies somewhere between religion and secular skepticism, resulting in a wonderful journey that admits the interconnectedness of all things without denying a seeming randomness too. The great thing is that it doesn't ever judge, it is brutally impartial, leading each reader to create their own conclusions from the apparent evidence. From chapter to chapter there was so much that I wanted to retain in order to impress people with weird and wonderful facts during lulls in pub conversation - this book is a major accomplishment and something that everyone should read at some point. I know that I will be keeping it handy for reference, for it simply is the best non-fiction book I've ever read. 10/10 Kx