The Nesbo-phenomenon: Review of 'Nemesis'

Title: Nemesis
Author: Jo Nesbo
Genre: Crime, thriller

If you've arrived into or departed from, or even just brushed near a London train station recently, chances are that you will recognise the name Jo Nesbo. Millions of people are reading the Norwegian writer's novels featuring the troubled detective, Harry Hole (pronounced 'Hoola' in Norway) in a whole host of sticky situations - ok, less sticky, more dangerous, violent and with a significantly high death risk. With eight books in the crime fiction series, plus Headhunters, which was recently made into a movie, Nesbo has firmly established himself in popular reading culture, being dubbed 'The next Stieg Larsson' (of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo fame). Personally, I think he's better than Larson, and my most recent read, Nemesis, proves it.

Starting with a bank raid in which a young female cashier is shot dead, so begins Harry's investigation into a complex web of robbery, murder and infidelity involving gypsies, Brazilian hit men, successful businessmen and even Harry himself. A suffering alcoholic, Hole also finds himself wrapped up in the death of an old flame, taking his investigations underground when he becomes the prime suspect in his own murder case.

As usual for a Nesbo thriller, this is a page turner until the last. The pace is relentless, urging you to fly through the 700 or so pages with twists and turns leading you to suspect almost every character at one time or another. It is not as complex as The Redbreast, which involved story-lines from across large gaps of time, taking the reader from the 1940s to the present with little warning. However, there will be times when the complexity of Nemesis will have led the story to flip back and forth so many times that you start to feel that you could have accepted the first explanation - thank you very much officers, let's call it a wrap and go home. But somehow, you find yourself quickly back and absorbed deep in the story and enjoying those final moments when it all comes to light. Albeit, 700 pages later.

Harry Hole's character is as flawless as ever - in written terms, not in personality. Despite his unconventional methods of policing, we're rooting for him. And despite his alcoholism, insomnia, lack of social skills and the constant pressure he puts on his colleagues, loved ones and himself, you can't help but love the guy and hope that it all comes good with the case and his long-term love interest, Rakel. He is the typical damaged maverick, but there is always room in my heart for those types - in literature, obviously.

A follow up to The Redbreast, you might be forgiven for thinking this novel came after the most popular of Nesbo's books, The Snowman. All his novels are plastered with the tag line, 'Author of The Snowman' but it is simply that his books have been translated into English and published in a funny order. The latest release in the UK, The Bat, is actually the first Harry Hole thriller and finally, with this release we will discover the story behind the mysterious shooting of an Australian serial killer that Harry Hole is so famous for in fictional Norway.

So what to do? Do you pick up The Bat and start from the beginning? Or do you start with The Snowman? In all honesty, it doesn't matter. Nesbo has an art for reintroducing the longer-running threads in the Harry Hole story in each novel as well as starting afresh with his character and giving you the chance to form a relationship with the lead at any point in his life. The only no-brainer is this: it doesn't matter which book you choose from the Jo Nesbo collection, just make sure you read one.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Nemesis'.
www.jonesbo.co.uk/

'The Island President' Review

Film Title: The Island President

Starring: Mohamed Nasheed, Ahmed Naseem, Mohamed Aslam

Directed by: John Shenk

Our Rating: 4 stars

Argh! Climate change, we’re all gonna die! Well, actually some people in the Maldives might. Sorry to make it all gloomy but if, like me, you thought that climate change was just another thing happening in the world, then you should watch this; an insightful documentary about a man determined not to give in to the potential catastrophes of global warming.

Jon Shenk’s latest documentary, The Island President, charts the story of Mohamed Nasheed, the President of the Maldives. Having suffered torture, repeated imprisonment and solitary confinement for his opposition to authoritarian leader President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Nasheed finally brought democracy to his home country in 2008 and took on the role of President at the age of 41. Though he may have thought his darkest days were over it soon became apparent that they were only just beginning, as the real threat of climate change loomed over his low-lying island nation. The reality for the Maldives is this: with a sea level rise of just 3 metres the Maldives’ 1200 islands will become a modern-day Atlantis, submerged beneath the surface of the ocean with 3,000 years of history, culture and people lost.

The movie tracks President Nasheed’s first year in office, from his official appointment to the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009. Nasheed is a fantastic character. He is funny, delightful, cheeky and outrageously determined to get the recognition, help and cooperation that his nation needs to survive. Ultimately, he’s one politician you’re rooting for; maybe it’s because he’s the underdog, maybe it’s because he was beaten up so many times but often it’s just because he is honest, brave and has moral integrity.

Jon Shenk is, however, the unseen star of the movie. His cinematography set to the dulcet (if slightly gloomy) tones of Radiohead portrays the Maldives as a mythical nation, so beautiful it almost transcends itself. And that’s the point: the eeriness, the glowing blue water and tiny dotted islands are soon to become a thing of stories if the ocean is allowed to claim it over the next few decades. The golden sands and iconic exotic beach holiday images are tainted by the sandbags and diggers placed on the islands’ coastlines in a futile attempt to keep the waves at bay. It’s a harrowing reminder of the ease with which man can fall and of the grim fact that the next generation of Maldivian children could become the first environmental refugees, forced to leave their homeland

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Nasheed lifts your spirits with his warm humour and unrelenting will to solve the problem of climate change with the help of his practical team of people. Though the Copenhagen Climate Summit was seen by many as a failure, thanks to a rousing speech from Nasheed himself it was salvaged from complete disaster with an agreement that marked the first time that the United States, China and India had collectively agreed to reduce carbon emissions. The section of the film documenting the Summit is a rare glimpse into the realities of the political bickering that goes on behind closed doors. Nasheed is like the small kid with glasses (probably called Englebert) thrown amongst the big bullies, struggling to be taken seriously and ending up a little bruised when he attempts to speak up. But Nasheed has been bruised before; his appreciation for his democratic rights is enough for him to square up even to the Chinese in order to save his nation.

The message of Shenk’s documentary remains a serious one but its real triumph is that it’s not preachy. For those of us who live blissfully and ignorantly with the idea that recycling now and then is enough to save the planet, it does not set out to wag its finger nor badger us into a change of behaviour. Instead it simply and poignantly brings home the realities of impending climate disaster, in stark, vivid terms.

You don’t have to live in the Maldives to appreciate that losing your entire culture, your houses, your cinemas, your favourite park bench, is a terrible thing. Think of the uproar if Nelson’s column went under and we’d all have to up-sticks to Ben Nevis? This is the immediacy of the problem for a nation that’s already had its fair share of trials and tribulations to bear. Now, despite being led by a man who’s won numerous political and environmental awards for his work, it faces an even tougher and less forgiving adversary in the form of climate change. The Island President is not trying to change your mind, but it will. In any case, for the beautiful cinematography, the inspirational Nasheed and for a crash course on the little known history of the Maldives, this documentary is well worth a watch.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'The Island President'.

Also appeared on Best for Film (http://bestforfilm.com/film-reviews/drama/the-island-president/)

'A Man's Story' Review

Film Title: A Man’s Story

Starring: Ozwald Boateng

Directed by: Varon Bonicos

Certificate: 15

Our Rating: 2 Stars

After following menswear designer Ozwald Boateng around for twelve years, you'd think that at the very least Varon Bonicos might have a good bit of fashion gossip to share with us. Sadly not. A slightly stuffy, rose-tinted documentary about an evidently talented man; though its grounding is in clothing creation it never quite manages to cut to the chase.

A Man’s Story is the product of 12 years filming the life and times of successful fashion designer, Ozwald Boateng. The son of Ghanaian immigrants, self-taught menswear designer Boateng went on to become the youngest and the first black man to front a shop on Saville Row; the mecca for gentleman’s tailoring. Varon Bonicos, initially agreeing to film this man for 6 months with an end to making a movie about his successes, ended up filming him for 12 years. After doing a bit of maths we can confirm that that’s quite the upgrade.

Boateng: self-taught, youngest and first black man on Saville Row; there’s no denying that this a true success story. You’d think that with all that business savvy and slick suited style, they’d be able to come up with a film that’s at least half-watchable. Sadly though, flabby editing, an over-abundance of similar material and selective access to Baoteng’s experiences means that Bonicos film never feels quite authentic, instead ensuring a fairly one-note romp through a (admittedly bloody lovely) suit collection.

Considering the amount of time Bonicos spent with Boateng, you would assume that the director must have been present at some seminal events in the designer’s life. You would assume incorrectly. Well, to be fair we do get to see him meet the Queen and have his car clamped, but issues such as his troubled personal life (he’s been married twice and has three children) seem to be dealt with with hesitation, with Bonicos only ever willing to show us Boateng’s (invariably biased) point of view. Nothing negative in Boateng’s life seems to be his own fault – he openly discusses how he wishes he had more time to spend with his kids, before cheerfully rushing off to China to film some ninjas in a wet field. He could have done that in Wales. Admittedly the Welsh don’t look as good doing kung-fu, but hell, there’s nowhere like Cardiff for an impromptu family trip. Spending twelve years with anyone will distort how objectively you wish to portray them, and you can’t help but get the feeling that Boncio’s desire to stay ‘tight’ with Boateng far outweighs any desire to show him in a practical light.

It just gets rather annoying after a while. Boateng – glugging his 7th vodka shot and warbling about feeling inspired and about how tough it is being away from his gorgeous Russian wife – always seems to be pitched as the victim in this story; a good man being hard done by, constantly having to raise himself from the gutter again and again so that he can afford the goldslick silken materials to make his next ludicrously-priced suit.

And that brings us to the second rather difficult problem; it’s obvious that Bonicos had no idea what to do with the hours and hours (and hours) of raw footage he’d gathered over twelve years (did I mention he filmed this guy for twelve years?). What could have been an insightful, inspiring and unique documentary about an ordinary man’s life and his extraordinary successes (he has an OBE, for God’s sake) ends up being a wishy-washy homage that sacrifices genuine insight for entertaining celebration. That bit of twine that’s meant to run invisibly through the middle of a documentary to give it narrative and flow – it’s missing here. You find yourself waiting for that moment when it will all fit into place, but it doesn’t. Boateng is a watchable, interesting and intelligent character, but unfortunately post-production has let him and his story down. At the end of the day – and unlike subject and cameraman – this is one documentary that is anything but ‘tight’.

By Siobhan Burke

Monday 20th February 2012

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'A Man's Story'.

Also appeared on Best For Film (http://bestforfilm.com/film-reviews/drama/a-mans-story-2/)

'Juno and the Paycock' review - charming, funny and bleakly tragic all in one

Juno and the Paycock

Written by Sean O'Casey

Lyttleton Theatre, the National Theatre (a coproduction with the Abbey Theatre, Dublin)

15th January 2012

Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock is a renowned and well-respected play looking at life in a crowded Dublin tenement in the early 1920s. First performed in 1924, it has since become a regular star of the Irish stage. Telling the tale of Jack Boyle, an Irishman determined to stay out of work, his wife Juno who battles unrelentingly to keep her family afloat, and their two children, Mary and Johnny, it is a comic but bleak portryal of Irish life during the harsh times of the civil war.

The staging, in my eyes, was this production's first great success. Having studied this play as part of my dissertation, I had always understood O'Casey's tenements to be loud and claustrophobic. Howard Davies' production however, with its high ceiling and vast spaces between sparse amounts of furniture, highlighted more poignently the material and financial emptiness that is the reality of this family's life. That said, footsteps and voices still rang out through the house as a reminder of the lack of privacy in this shared and poverty-stricken space.

Juno's feisty character was played with conviction by Sinead Cusack and her playful personality was married beautifully with the more serious and sombre moments in the script. It was this performance by Cusack that was responsible for the feelings of utter injustice and sympathy that the audience experience at the climax of the play. A true star was Clare Dunne who played the doomed Mary, a character that represents the very image of failed potential. An intelligent, hardworking girl led astray, she (and Juno) must bear the brunt of her mistake more harshly than either Johnny or his wayward father who rely on the women in their family to clear up the carnage that they constantly seem to leave in their wake. Johnny, a character scarred and impaired by his fights for the IRA, was played as a twitchy, nervous and psychologically-damaged boy by Ronan Raftery. His experience in the adult world seems to have permanently confined him to a life of bitter dependence on his mother, not made easier by the fact that he strugggles to walk and has even "lost an arm for Ireland".

Ciaran Hinds as Jack Boyle was a delight, if a little mumbly at times. A convincing drunk, funny but for the most part an ignorant and idiotic man, he is simultaneously a joy to watch and a man you'd like to slap. Though he marches around in his Captain's cap (having only actually been on a boat once, to Liverpool!) his sense of self-importance doesn't translate into any sense of responsibility for his family, his friends or his country. Unlike the noble Juno.

Ultimately, this was a great production, with barely a flaw at all - the only downside was that some lines were a little incomprehensible (which may be in part to O'Casey's beautiful use of the Irish working class language) and the youngsters Raftery and Dunne should be commended for their clarity and strength of character onstage. The wonderful comedy of the play was beautifully matched with the bleak image of a lonely Jack sat in an even emptier room at the play's climax, the tragi-comedy that O'Casey is so known and loved for. Having studied this play, it was fantastic to see it finally mapped out on stage and serves as a harsh reminder of the difficulties that most ordinary families will face in the aftermath of so many of the recent revolutions as they attempt to keep their homelives intact amidst an increasingly fractured world.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Juno and the Paycock'.

10 reasons to love 10 years of 'Spooks'

Spooks

BBC One, Sundays, 9pm

Spooks for me is like a bad man. Smooth, well-dressed and unequivocally attractive, treating me mean and keeping me woefully keen. Since we met ten years ago, my emotional investment has only led to repeated heartbreak interspersed with the occasional heart-racing encounter. Yet, I have stuck by. And now, a decade on, it plans to dump me (undoubtedly in the most spectacularly explosive fashion) without so much as a quick courtesy phone call to check I haven't fallen completely off the post-breakup wagon.

Call me dramatic, but this is the love that I (and I believe many others) have for Spooks. So, I thought I'd search my soul for the top 10 reasons that have led to it seducing us all into this turbulent and troublesome relationship.

1. For 1 hour a week, you believe you could be a spy.

Yes, we've all thought it - fancied ourselves as the next James Bond or that sexy girl with the killer heels and the gun tucked up her suspenders. Spooks makes you believe that you really could be it. Perhaps it's something about the way that they all seem so ordinary (albeit with an impossibly high IQ and the ability to defuse a nuclear bomb) or the way they explain those pesky Russian plots and the latest Terrorist threat making you believe you've got the espionage lingo sussed. Then you remember that they'd happily exchange their mother in order to save the world and it reminds you that perhaps it's not that easy after all. Besides, I'd be rubbish under torture.

2. It's not frightened of betrayal.

The world can be pretty tough in reality, but at least we can always rely on TV to lie to us about it. Spooks, however, is no such television programme. Like a strict parent, it gives it to you straight. It hands over that cute, fluffy teddy bear you've always wanted then takes it back, tears its head off and throws the remains in the fire. Lesson: good things never last. Harsh, but - be it the lovely Adam exploding before our eyes, that whiskey-supping home secretary played by Robert Glenister who turned out to be a two-timing, lying wotsit or last season's traitor,

Lucas - Spooks has never been afraid to turn everything we believe on its head. Usually killing off/making a Russian sympathiser of our favourite characters in the process.

3. It's full of surprises.

I've been watching this show for 10 years now and it still has me stuffed behind a cushion in fear and disbelief. Oh your Hello's and Reveal's might be able to tell you what's happening on Albert Square next week but I'll be damned if anyone can figure out who's going to blow up next time on Spooks. That little preview they give you does squat. Speculate if you will but I have yet to hit the nail on the head as to the who's, where's, why's and what for's in the future of MI5.

4. It knows all the good park benches.

Has anyone noticed how empty their public meet-up spots are? I always thought that the point of meeting in public was so that it was more difficult to get shot without anyone noticing, and yet whenever spy meets spy, there's no one about. I don't know if you've ever gone out in London around lunch time but every park bench is crowded with air-hungry commuters and snap-happy tourists all tucking into their pret-a-manger. The only time the scene is ever crowded?

When there's a bomb ticking. Then, inevitably, thousands of oblivious humans are aimlessly wandering about to get in CO19's way.

5. Everyone's sexy.

Fact. It even makes I.T. look desirable.

6. It never sleeps/showers/eats.

Unless it's sipping on a whiskey after a hard day's nation-protecting, spies never seem to have to function like normal humans. I'm peckish by about 10am at work, but an MI5 worker will be holed away at his desk for hours without so much as a thought to those custard creams in the office kitchenette. The only time you see a character in bed is if they've had to have a morally ambiguous night of passion with an asset/terrorist/fellow spy and I think the only time a bath or shower has been involved was when some bird tried to drown Adam. Perhaps eating, sleeping and washing is just too dangerous when you're in espionage.

7. Americans are annoying.

No matter how much the real world thinks we're under the thumb of Uncle Sam, Harry will always fight our corner in the fictional world. The CIA might be bad-ass, 10 times as rich and even more sleek and attractive than their British counterparts, but they're arrogant and irritating and like to think that they have our beloved MI5 on a lead. Well, not so fast America - we know you're not perfect and we've got a few tricks of our own up our sleeve, so we'll take you on if we have to. Plus as long as Harry's at the top, we'll have our own two legs to stand on thank you very much.

8. It's terribly, terribly British.

This might be farfetched telly but it's no nonsense, efficient, full of awkward glances and brave faces British telly. Ros was so cold she'd have survived naked in the arctic, Ruth's constantly making eyes at Harry but you can't quite imagine the snog under a star-spangled sky and it's almost never sunny - note large overcoats, leather gloves and a constantly overcast sky. It's our recognisable home and I think that might just be one of the biggest reasons we succumb to its charm. We can forgive its twisty-turny plot lines because it's just so unashamedly us. Plus, the dry humour is there to tickle you in between the tears.

9. It took on Downton Abbey.

And lost. But who cares? It's a blip it can afford for the sake of National Security.

10. Harry is always there for us.

That's right. Despite the heartache, the explosions, the sacrifices, the chemical leaks, unavoidable attacks on assets, computer bugs and corruption from the inside, Harry has always been there to see us through. In 10 years there have been some hairy moments and he can be a right meanie from time to time (e.g. the time he let Ruth's new squeeze get shot in the back of the head in front of her), but he's always sucked it up and started over with a clear head and another bottle of whiskey (ok, so maybe not a clear head). But let's face it, no one is safe in Spooks and to kill Harry off at the end of this series might be like the universe imploding but at least they wouldn't have to find a replacement, who would take another 10 years to earn our trust. I can't help thinking though that to kill Harry off at the end of this season would be akin to the 'and then they woke up and it was all a dream' scenario. My bet's on Ruth snuffing it (probably because Harry puts her in the wrong place at the wrong time) and he'll end up being dishonourably dismissed.

But I haven't been right yet.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this article.

'Sarah's Key' Review: another Holocaust movie, but with a fresh heart

Sarah's Key (2010)

Directed by: Gilles Paquet-Brenner

Starring: Kristin Scott Thomas, Mélusine Mayance, Niels Arestrup, Michel Duchaussoy

Based on the much-loved novel by Tatiana de Rosnay, Sarah’s Key is a French drama that swings between 1940s Paris and the modern day to weave the tale of a young Jewish girl persecuted in the Vel’ d’Hiv, and the woman who finds herself obsessed with her story.

Ordered by the Nazis to reduce the Jewish population in occupied France in 1942, the French authorities went on a mass arrest; imprisoning thousands of French Jews in a Parisian velodrome under inhuman conditions. In Tatiana de Rosney’s fictional tale Sarah’s Key a 10-year-old girl named Sarah attempts to save her younger brother Michel before she is taken away; locking him in the closet and making him promise not to leave until she returns. When the prisoners are moved to concentration camps and split up, Sarah realises she must escape if she is to be in with a chance of freeing Michel.

Meanwhile in the present, an American journalist names Julia Jarmond (the ever-glorious Kristin Scott-Thomas) is beginning to research a piece surrounding the inhuman events of 1940s Paris. When she and her husband inherit a small flat in the city itself, she soon finds herself woven into young Sarah's story, unable and unwilling to free herself from it for reasons she can't decipher.

Sarah’s Key could easily be yet another WW2 movie, lost among the brilliance of such releases asThe Pianist, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas and Schindler’s list, yet it manages to feel relevant and fresh. For a start, the Nazis are not the explicit enemy, and even though it is the French authorities that round up the Jews, even they are not the focus. The spotlight, rather, is on history; the past ebbing into the present, and how it is that those we have never known can change who we are. That being said, there are several moments that send shivers through your body, akin to looking at the piles of shoes gathered from Auschwitz victims or the miles of white headstones that mark the WWI battlefields. The unimaginable scale of the Vel’D’Hiv brought vividly to the screen, but first and foremost Sarah’s Key serves the needs of its story rather than of its emotive context – and is all the better for it.

Scott Thomas is in her element as Julia, and carries the present-day section of the movie strongly. She is let down by those let’s-get-the-history-straight moments in her editor’s office and those token we’re-young-and-ignorant characters that supposedly exist in order to conveniently fill in a historically-clueless audience. Ok, those scenes may be necessary (I’d never heard the details of the Vel’ d’Hiv) but sadly the script is never quite strong enough to do away with the faint air of pragmatism.

As for the young French actress, Mélusine Mayance, her performance as the determined and intelligent Sarah is beautiful and believable. She must quickly learn about the nature of her surroundings in order to make her ruthless return journey to Paris. As she grows into an adult, haunted by her past, that heightened misery never leaves her character – and this air is something that connects her to the equally determined twenty-first century Julia.

In a way that is necessary for films that deal with tragedy, Gilles Paquet-Brenner is unafraid of bringing the brutality of the events of the Holocaust to the forefront. It risks cliché but with sensitive acting and an absorbing storyline that weaves the past and the present so successfully,Sarah’s Key is far more than just a history lesson.

Also posted on Best For Film - http://bestforfilm.com/film-reviews/drama/sarahs-key/

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Sarah's Key'.

'The Shadow Line' Review: Britain's answer to 'The Wire'

The Shadow Line (BBC2 Thursdays 9pm)

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christopher Eccleston, Stephen Rea, Rafe Spall

Genre: Crime, thriller

When drug baron, Harvey Wratten, is founded shot dead in his car, it sparks a murder investigation on both sides of the law. Jonah Gabriel (Chiwetel Ejiofor) leads the team of police - but with the confusion of amnesia hanging over his head, he struggles to get to grips with both the case and himself. Meanwhile, Joseph Bede (Christopher Eccleston) is left to salvage what is left of his investment in the drugs business whilst keeping tabs on Wratten's unstable nephew, Jay (Rafe Spall). Dark, daring and softly but spectacularly scary, Hugo Blick's The Shadow Line is the best drama to hit British screens in some time.

Raw, gritty and irresistibly addictive, this thriller brings a whole new meaning to the word 'shadow'. Impossibly dark, slow and brooding, every man, woman and child in this programme is living under a shadow. Virtually silent throughout, but with tension rising to the occasional but powerful music, you'll be gripped by the eerie acting and stripped dialogue. With a complex network of characters and storylines, Blick blurs the boundaries between the good, the bad and the ugly. Four episodes in and I'm still none-the-wiser - but that won't have you wanting to stop watching.

The modern underworld of The Shadow Line is populated with damaged characters. There's the literal damage to Jonah, who has a stroke of convenient amnesia after getting a bullet lodged in his brain. There's the unstoppable onset of early Alzheimer's that Joseph's wife, Julie (Lesley Sharp) suffers from, and the probable mental instability of the young Jay Wratten. Hard-edged and ruthless, they nonetheless all have something to protect - reputation, money, love, or even the complete unknown - and their thirst for survival in a world of secrets makes for a thrilling watch.

With stand out performances from the likes of Rafe Spall and Stephen Rea as the late-appearing Gatehouse, Blick has on board an incredibly talented team of people to make such a slow-burning thriller work. Spall commands the screen, his distinctive voice and erratic behaviour make Jay Wratten a character to be feared. But the soothing power of Rea's Gatehouse is on another level altogether. Elusive, but calm and ever-the-gentleman, his enigmatic nature will have your eyes virtually sewn to your TV.

Everything in this drama reeks of hard work and intelligence - Hugo Blick has put his all into this one and it pays off. Stealthy, silent and sinister, this programme will pull you into the shadows before you've even had time to realise it. All I can say is, don't fight it - this is one underworld you need to be a part of.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'The Shadow Line'.

'Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood' Review: because cinema deserves a history lesson

Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood (BBC2, Friday 27th May 2011)

Starring: Paul Merton

Genre: Factual, arts, culture and the media

Paul Merton travels to America to explore and chart the birth of the most dominant cinematic power: Hollywood. He sets out to discover how the early movie technology, the people flooding to American shores and field after field of orange groves evolved into the star-studded community and billion-dollar industry of today. If you love going to our modern cinemas, why not immerse yourself in the history of how they came to be? Paul Merton's is a documentary complete with clips of the racist masterpiece that helped to re-establish the Klu Klux Klan and cheeky snippets of our beloved Charlie Chaplin.

For those with a taste for movies, many may have already studied the history of the moving image. Many of us, it remains to be said, will have not - Merton to the rescue. Cinema is an incredible art form that has advanced at colossal speed in the space of just one hundred years. It has developed from the haphazard silent wonders of The Great Train Robbery (1903) to the dazzling 3D spectacle of James Cameron's Avatar (2009). From the somewhat restrictive Kinetiscope, the first technology that enabled a person to look into its box and see a short film, cinema has become one of the most beloved and accessible arts of the modern age.

In this documentary, Paul Merton has selected the best of early cinema to explore and explain the transformation of a small Southern American hamlet into the iconic location of Hollywood. Intrigued by how a prolific orange-growing community could become the place-to-be for aspiring film-workers, Merton looks at the people responsible for its modern status. His often-cheeky approach to the old greats (let's face it, those jerky old films might have been impressive in their day but a man wrestling a dead bird is only ever going to be funny) celebrates the men and women behind and in front of the early cameras.

Thanks to the devastation of the First World War, the Europeans (the leaders in the development of early cinema) were prevented from going any further with their cinematic ambitions in the first part of the twentieth century. This made room for the Americans to lay the foundations for future of film. As it turned out, many of the most prominent figures were immigrants having left Europe to escape persecution and poverty. Paul Merton looks into their lives and careers and reveals to us how the roles of the director, cameraman, actor and producer began to take shape. This is a great documentary with access to an array of early footage that is as much a delight to watch now as I'm sure it was then. The bonus is, we don't have to sit through the initial three hours of ham-acting and brick fights to get to the best bits - Merton's done it for us.

Catch the next episode of 'Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood' next Friday at 9:30pm.

Moving on up!

In the words of 90s sensation, M People - I'm movin' on up (in the world). I've been allowed to put pen to paper for another lovely blog - Best for Film (www.bestforfilm.com). Not only that, but they've now decided to put my ugly mug on there too. If you fancy taking a peak, the link is here:

http://bestforfilm.com/community/about-us/siobhan-burke/

I'm on page 2 of their community section - I think that's just about the best place to be. Well, it's better than being stuck on page 7 anyway. Click there to see some of my more recent reviews - including something involving Nick Clegg and a superhero gang (you know it'll be good).

They have lots of other cracking reviews and top notch film news stuff, so check em' out.

Top 10 things in film that you wish your eyes had never seen

So we all know some films are built to give us the heebie-geebies and some just make us laugh trying. But how many are there that have done it so damn well we’ve cried into our pillows a big slobbery mess? Some just touch a nerve and others damn well grab it, rip it out and floss with it in front of us. Let’s examine such masterpieces of cinematic goosepimply goodness – be warned, as the title of this article suggests, in reading this you risk psychological and physical disturbance of the highest order. Oh, and there may well be spoilers.

10 – That nose-smashing stunt in Pan’s Labyrinth

Written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth was a gem of fantastical weirdness. It might have fairies and fauns in it but this is anything but a fairytale. Interweaving the real world with some really messed up critters, main girl Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) has to complete three tasks to prove herself a princess. In the midst of all this is her evil stepfather (that’s right patriarchs, evil stepfather in this one – deal with it) who one night stumbles across two farmers lurking about his land. Naturally he beats one in the face with a bottle – a few swift downwards motions and the nose will apparently completely collapse in on itself. Lovely job.

9 – The eye-melting in Resident Evil

So it might be based on one of those new-fangled video game malarkies – personally I’m still trying to complete Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Mega Drive – but Resident Evil (the film) had many moments that made me go a bit gooey inside. And not the good kind. Top of the list is the moment when the man with possibly the uncoolest name in showbiz – Colin Salmon – gets lasered to oblivion. His name is much cooler in the movie – a guy called ‘One’ is surely not to be messed with – but that laser just don’t care who’s hip and who ain’t. Eye-slicing laser: one. One: nil.

8 – Lawrence sawing off his own foot in ... well, Saw

Ok, so you could have picked just about any moment from one of the Jigsaw’s games for this one, but let’s go with the original shall we? Before the franchise got so ridiculously out-of-hand that the producers deserve to play the game themselves. I for one am very attached to my limbs, both physically and emotionally, and anyone with the will and ability to chop off one of their valuable appendages is pretty bloody mad. Nevertheless, Lawrence (Cary Elwes) with his foot chained to the wall of a bathroom, suddenly fears for the lives of his wife and daughter and finds himself succumbing to the Jigsaw’s mind games. The image of him crawling his way to the door still haunts me. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from him and Aron Ralston, it’s that young children motivate you to get hacking. Lesson: don’t have kids. Or even think about having them. Especially in canyons and bathrooms.

7 – Two-Face in The Dark Knight

Ok, so we all wanted to wipe the smile off Harvey Dent’s (Aaron Eckhart) oh so perfect smug little face, but none of us actually wanted to wipe off his face. Nevertheless, the powers that be dictate that he must be disfigured and that he must become Two-Face. Possessing that lovely burned quality, his eye remains (in a way that defies all laws of physics) intact. And it’s that freaky bulging eyeball that makes me squirm every time. Someone get this guy a patch.

6 – James McAvoy being hung à la pig in the back of a butcher’s van in The Last King of Scotland

Now, why anyone would want to punish a face so cheekily Scottish is beyond me, but Idi Amin was a nasty bloke and so James McAvoy’s Nicholas Garrigan must suffer. When Garrigan travels to Uganda to do good with his newly acquired medical degree, he finds himself taking a job as personal physician to dictator Amin. Safe to say, he does more bad than good and gets a lesson in tribal African culture when he is hung, by his chest, with rusty meat hooks and hoisted up to the ceiling. Yum.

5 – Harry’s heroin fix in Requiem for a Dream

The first of two films from Darren Aronofsky to hit this list, this is definitely not one to see with your mum. Not only will your own mind be scarred for life, but your mother’s opinion of you surely will be as well – especially after you convinced her it was an intellectually stimulating film about the unfortunate products of addiction. The moment where Harry, desperate for his next fix, injects heroin into his gangrenous arm is sure to finish off anyone with a weak stomach – which reminds me, it might be as well not to eat lunch whilst reading this.

4 – The girl in The Grudge

Need I say more? The eyes, the noise, the crawling down the stairs and frightening the living bajesus out of everyone – this girl almost destroyed the very fabric of my being. American remake of Japanese film Ju-On: The Grudge, this version stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as Karen Davis, who inadvertently finds herself wrapped up in a horrific curse. Let’s face it, we all could have done without this one on a dark winter’s night – but at least it provides a pretty easy dressing up option for Halloween.

3 – Natalie Portman’s skin-peeling antics in Black Swan

A more recent one to add to the bank, Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning role as Nina in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan gave us appropriate swan-pimples. As if one unfathomable mind-bending moment wasn’t enough, this film gave us many, all equally as gross and brain-churning as the last – with the added bonus of a couple of lesbian encounters thrown in for good measure. However, the crowning glory was that deliciously grim skin-peeling trick she performed on her middle finger. With her teeth. Cue squeamish howls resonating round the cinema.

2 – The shower scene in Psycho

All hail Hitchcock for laying the foundations of fear in the cinema. Iconic sixties magnum opus, the master of suspense instilled the there’s-something-behind-the-curtain-aphobia in almost every film fan in the world – and that’s fact. Shot entirely in black and white, the silent approach of the shadowy figure on the other side of the shower curtain was the simplest and the greatest way to have you hiding behind the sofa. One of the best moments in heebie-geebie history.

1 – Spike’s bum in Notting Hill

I’m just kidding. Everyone knows we wanted to see those buns – ‘Nice. Firm. Buttocks.’

Care to slap us in the face with some more psychologically skull-bashing, spine-tingling, stomach-churning greatness? Let us know and share your nightmares with the world.

Review of '127 Hours': The most fun you can have with your clothes on

127 Hours (2010)

Directed by Danny Boyle

Starring James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara

Intense, gripping and just downright exciting - 127 Hours is the latest big screen venture by Danny Boyle, our much-loved, award-winning and cherished British director. Based on Between a Rock and a Hard Place, the biographical writings of American, Aron Ralston, this movie attempts to capture the horror of Ralston's famous accident. A keen mountaineer and general adrenaline junkie, Aron (James Franco) heads off to the Bluejohn Canyon on a typical adventure weekend. After a sudden fall, his arm becomes lodged beneath a boulder and Ralston has to fight for escape. Over 5 days Aron has to resist 'losing it' - rapidly running out of food, water and motivation this man has to rely on his lust for life to survive the terrifying ordeal. Oh, and he cuts off his own arm.

The opening of this film is brilliant. A Free Blood track explodes onto the screen with the vivacity and energy of Ralston's own character. The screen buzzes with modern city scenes, inescapable busyness - all the better for highlighting Aron's solitude, my dear, and the vast, awesome expanse of uninhabited canyon land that our man will eventually find himself trapped in. Lovely set up. We're kept on edge waiting for the crucial boulder moment - he trips, he slips but it's a little while before the fatal moment comes.

Franco's performance is incredible. It's one thing to have to hold a film almost entirely on your own, it's another to do that whilst you're stuck in a canyon with only one arm free. Aron's video camera allows him to revisit the regrets of his past, leaving tributes to the friends and family that he becomes prepared to leave behind. Franco beautifully delivers the frustration and desperation of Ralston's character - even though he is trapped, he is electrifying to watch. Ralston himself said in an interview, 'we have these very fundamental desires for freedom, for love and for connection. And that's what got me out.' And it's those fundamental desires that are impeccably communicated by James Franco.

Of course, we have to mention the fantastic show that is Ralston amputating his own arm. The pain and the determination are accompanied by an incredible score by A. R. Rahman that make it unsettling but not gruesome to watch. While you might find the uncontrollable urge to look away, you probably won't. We're with Ralston to the end, that means seeing the whole thing through - even if it makes you feel a little queasy.

I love this movie and it's a shame that Franco and Boyle have to live in the spectacular shadow of The King's Speech. Don't get me wrong, I loved Tom Hooper's movie as much as the next man, and I certainly harbor a more than unhealthy love for Colin Firth. However, I find myself sitting in Camp Franco for the Lead Actor Oscar and hope the film scoops some recognition at the awards. If you haven't seen this film already and you're looking for a thrill (well, the closest you can come without endangering your own right arm) then make a date with 127 Hours.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of '127 Hours'.

As it's February...

... why not come up with a new idea? Yeah, I know that's not really a popular saying or even anything that might have been said before but as it's the beginning of the month(ish), I thought I'd start something afresh.

So, whilst having a leisurely chat with my friends the other day, I realised there are some fundamental movie-geek films that seem to have unwittingly passed me by. Don't panic - I've seen Star Wars. Things like The Godfather and The Italian Job - those movies that everyone quotes incessantly and that have become ingrained into our consciousness so deeply that they might as well be a part of us. I almost feel like I have seen them. But I haven't. And this must be fixed.

Here I vow each week henceforth to pick up and watch an iconic movie that I should have already seen. I'm not just gonna stick to the old codgers of the past, in fact I'm going to start with something from last year: A Single Man.

Directed by Tom Ford, A Single Man stars man-of-the-moment Colin Firth as British college professor, George Falconer. Yes, he's called George in this one too! A dark tale of a man haunted by the death of his soulmate, this film was tipped for all sorts of awards with Firth putting in an Oscar-worthy performance. Unfortunately, he was beaten - but he did win the BAFTA for Best Actor for this role so it can't be all bad. Described by Empire as 'a potent cocktail of style and substance' this was clearly a foolish film to have missed.

Excuse me while I add this notch to my cinematic bedpost.

'Kidnap and Ransom' TV Review: Reportedly Trevor Eve's baby

Kidnap and Ransom (ITV1, Thursday 13th January 2011)

Starring: Trevor Eve, Emma Fielding, Helen Baxendale

Genre: Crime drama

Trevor Eve stars as professional hostage negotiator Dominic King in ITV's latest crime drama, Kidnap and Ransom. When a botanist gets taken hostage whilst on a trip to South Africa, Dom heads out to deal with it the way he always does. However, it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary hostage situation, and if the woman is to be brought home alive Dom is going to have to seriously rethink his tactics. Explosive, fast-paced and with more twists and turns than a country lane, this is set only to get bigger and better in the next two episodes.

The acting is fantastic in this show. Eve is wonderfully dark and brooding, but in a soft, silent and controlled way. He's the family man facing that tricky dilemma of having to choose between the home and the job. Not that tricky for some but Dom is obviously drawn in and driven by the psychological thrill of working with the hostage takers - cue LOTS of chess imagery. The script is concise but buried within it are the unanswered questions needed to take us for a ride - be prepared for those aforementioned twists.

The first project for Eve's production company, Projector Pictures (in partnership with TalkbackTHAMES), it's a pretty exciting little début. The next episode airs Thursday 20th January, 9pm on ITV1 and I for one hope the strength of the first episode continues - I have so much faith that I think it'll be even better.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Kidnap and Ransom'.

'The King's Speech' Review: Oscar-tipped, hugely anticipated, a big deal

The King's Speech (2010)

Director: Tom Hooper

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter

Haven't heard about The King's Speech? Well, unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last few weeks, of course you have. From the Oscar-worthy performance of Colin Firth to the touching delicacy of Tom Hooper's direction, The King's Speech is just about the most talked-about film of the moment. The story of King George VI as he tries desperately to overcome a crippling speech impediment, it might not seem like the most likely tale for a blockbuster movie. But this is one film certainly worthy of its regal hype.

The scene is the late 1920s and King George V is on the throne. However, second son Bertie (Colin Firth) and his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), Duke and Duchess of York, are fully in the public eye doing all things Royal. However, thanks to Bertie's painfully bad stammer, public speaking is a nightmare for both him and his audience. Determined to cure him, Elizabeth approaches Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), a less than orthodox speech therapist and from the moment he meets the Prince, so begins an odd, often turbulent, relationship. Soon to be a loving friendship.

Hooper kick-starts the film with a disastrously embarrassing speech from Prince Albert - struggling to get through the first sentence, it's like watching a child at their first nativity forget the one line they spent weeks learning ('No room at the inn' - obviously). It's heartbreaking and you're instantly on the side of team supreme, willing Bertie to get out his words. Nevertheless, the humour card is also played pretty swiftly in a scene involving Colin Firth with balls in his mouth - priceless. The film continues along these same lines, mixing emotional frustration with some good old fashioned one-liners - no mean feat when you consider our hero takes that bit longer to get to the punchline.

Firth, as predicted, gives us the performance of his career. Maintaining a regal strength and willingness to overcome the obstacle, there's also the ordinary human frustration, the lack of self-esteem, the loving family man and the prince fearful of looming responsibility. Bertie's brother, David (Guy Pearce) is a sort of mini-villain (ish) in that he seems determined to shunt Kingship onto his younger brother just so he can marry twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson (Eve Best). But Bonham Carter's Elizabeth is the perfect proverbial rock to the stumbling Bertie.

Bonham Carter and Rush carry much of the film's humour. Bonham Carter's timing is impeccable and that well-to-do accent has never suited a character so well. Rush's Lionel Logue is warm and loveable and anyone who can make a royal swear so elegantly has a glorious thumbs up from me. Of course with the abdication of Edward VIII, comes the realisation of Bertie's horrors and some of the more moving scenes of the film follow as we get ever closer to Bertie's coronation as King George VI.

Since seeing the love for this film at the BFI London Film Festival in October, this has been on everyone's cinema wish list. Beautiful, sensitive and heart-warming, rooting for a royal has never been more fun in a story so wonderfully depicted. For Firth's performance, for Hooper's elegance and for all round great British drama, this is an easy 5 stars. Lovely.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'The King's Speech'.

Flying high with 'Bluebird'

Bluebird by Simon Stephens

The Cockpit Theatre, London (23/11/2010)

Directed by Andrew Whyment

Vibrant, fast-paced and perfectly poised on the see-saw between abstract and reality, this performance of Bluebird brought to life the dirty depths of London with a fantastically fresh display of young talent. Tracking taxi driver Jimmy as he makes his way across the capital for one night, we begin to understand the world through the words of his ‘fares’ and learn the dark truth of our protagonist’s past.

The first striking thing about the performance is the set. Rubbish piled high amongst odd possessions and car parts topped with a single car seat make for Jimmy’s taxi – the taxi light above his head indicating whether it is occupied or not. Simple and unique, the set not only allowed the intimate space of the car to be opened up to the whole auditorium, it became the perfect metaphor for Jimmy’s life and proverbial baggage.

Each scene was interspersed with vivid scenes of city life. Flashing lights, high-tempo music and fast-paced movements from the cast reminded us of the world outside the taxi – while Jimmy contemplates his past, present and future, the rest of the world goes on without him. A clear indication that time was progressing, these interludes were entertaining, brilliantly choreographed and fitted naturally and neatly into the performance.

The cast captured their characters to their core. Each portraying a different aspect of London life, they all painted a poignant picture of troubled minds behind the exterior of routine and daily life. Garry Jenkins as Jimmy was brilliant at taking us through his complex emotions and his meeting with former wife Clare (Juliet Turner) provoked a particularly touching atmosphere that I’m sure was felt amongst many in the audience.

Adam Loxley should also be praised in his role as Richard, a London Underground engineer. His performance was one of the most natural and affecting throughout, whilst Rachel Chambers as Angela was vivid and entertaining and Michael Roebuck provided a funny and disturbing performance as Billy. Not forgetting director Andrew Whyment, a former student of the University of Reading, who showed real talent in pulling all the elements together in such an impressively imaginative way.

The first London revival of this play since its debut in 1998, Bluebird was a whirlwind of emotional highs and lows. From the bleak reality of city-life to moments of genuine (if dark) humour, this was one of the most impressive, entertaining and exciting performances of the recent stage.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Bluebird'.

Someone wasn't paying attention in assembly...

Is it just me or is this the worst Christmas card ever made?

Not only is there a distinct lack of the three wise men and the donkey, but since when was there a rabbit in Bethlehem? Serious artistic fail.

Anyway, just thought I'd share this in the run up to the festive season.

Krapp's Last Tape

Written by Samuel Beckett

The Duchess Theatre, London (18/11/2010)

The story of an old man, alone and decrepit, bitter about but longing for his younger self by listening to the sound of his own voice. These are the bare essentials of Krapp's Last Tape. Painstakingly slow and strangely unsettling, the leading and only man onstage, Krapp (Michael Gambon) revisits his past by listening to his own taped diary entries.

The stage is virtually bare - just a desk with a single bulb above an old man's wiry haired head. Collapsed across the desk is Krapp. He remains there for so long that you begin to wonder whether the character is alive or dead. The silence is so unbearable you want to laugh. And this is how the first half of the play pans out. No speech, just Gambon as he moves about the stage as if witnessing it for the first time.

There are some hilarious moments with some bananas, as in a puerile and monkey-like manner, this old man finds some immature pleasure in the phallic fruit. Well.. don't we all! Gambon is magnificent in the role, creating incredible tension amidst the audience interspersed with moments of genuine laughter and others of something close to fear.

The performance is dark, with minimal light creating the sense of that inevitable darkness that will soon smother the ageing Krapp. The recordings of his younger self reveal someone more lively but almost equally troubled. As past and present play out in front of us, it's apparent that Krapp was doomed to become lost and alone. True to Beckett, you could say nothing happens in this short 45 minute performance. But you could also say that crammed into it, everything happens.

We hear a young man and see the old man that he has become and in that witness some 30 years of his life. And within that, we see the next 30 - his spools of tape evidently his last remaining comfort for a man stuck in routine, waiting for the lights to go out.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'Krapp's Last Tape'.

Happy happy happy

So, recently Fate has dished me out 3 healthy doses of good luck.

Number 1 - my online Asda shop showed up late. Doesn't sound lucky? Well, they refunded my order AND delivered my goods. And free shopping definitely is.

Number 2 - I dropped my bagel on the floor and it landed butter side up! Maybe the toast rule doesn't apply to bagels?

Number 3 (and this is the best) - I won a prize!

Courtesy of Jameson Cult Film Club on Twitter (@JamesonCultFilm) I have won this:

Whiskey, hoodies and movies - what student wouldn't be happy? So, I'd just like to take this opportunity to share this with you, dear readers, and to thank Jameson Cult Film - I mean, Psycho on Blu-ray? You have seriously excelled yourself. So thank you on this blustery day for providing me with something to keep me warm and tingly - don't worry, I'll make sure I wait til midday before I take a sip with Hitchcock.

A day at the festival

54^th BFI London Film Festival

Thursday 21^st October

There’s nothing like a new movie to get us film lovers all a-jitter – so imagine the hype when the BFI London Film Festival comes to town. Now in its 54^th year, this festival showcases the best in new cinema from across the globe, mixed with Q&A sessions with writers and directors as well as whole host of other movie-based experiences. With film screenings open to all, it was almost impossible to resist hopping across to the Capital to catch a glimpse of the festival in action.

I headed to Leicester Square where I was booked to see Another Year, directed by Mike Leigh of Secrets and Lies fame. The film stars Jim Broadbent (Hot Fuzz) and Ruth Sheen (Vera Drake) as Tom and Gerri (and yes, the link to the cartoon is picked up on), a kindly couple heading for old age. As the title suggests, the narrative takes place in one year, specifically focusing on the events of each season – carefully tracked via the couple’s allotment.

The film is a beautiful one, with many moments hilarious and others incredibly uncomfortable to watch. The final image of Mary (Lesley Manville) is one that Leigh forces upon us for an unnatural length of time ending the film on a melancholy note. The movie deals with social insecurity, loneliness and deep dissatisfaction with life. But, it’s not all doom and gloom – to counterbalance the rather depressive outlook on life, there are many moments where love, stability and friendship prevail.

Broadbent’s performance is natural and warm, but Sheen’s is somewhat more stilted. Manville is impressive in the role of Mary, so much so that she’ll have you both loving and hating her character. Try loving her – she deserves it really.

After the screening, Mike Leigh came in to the auditorium for a quick Q&A. The conviction with which he defended the motives of his work was inspiring. All of his films are created through a process of improvisation, essentially starting with little more than an idea but ending up with a very precise script. This film is no exception – it allowed Leigh to explore both loneliness and togetherness as well as the ‘tragedy and the reality’ of those who are simply lucky or unlucky.

Ultimately, this film won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you like an honest, gentle depiction of daily life, this one’s for you. Plus, Mike Leigh fans will not be disappointed.

So that brings me to my final experience – seeing the stars. It’s common knowledge that if you see the red carpet rolled out in Leicester Square you don’t just walk past it. No, you jam yourself against the nearest barrier and take photos of every tinted-windowed car that pulls up as it might just be someone famous. As luck would have it, 21^st October was the London premiere of The King’s Speech, directed by Tom Hooper. Starring Colin Firth as King George VI, the movie tells the touching true tale of a monarch overcoming a crippling speech impediment during the turbulent times of World War Two. With the likes of Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush starring alongside Mr Firth, the red carpet was well and truly star-studded. The King’s Speech is due to hit cinemas in January and there are whispers of Oscar nominations a-plenty, so it’s definitely one to watch.

The whole afternoon was an atmosphere to remember – a real melange of students, movie lovers, actors and directors all turning out to celebrate truly great film. It’s an arty atmosphere, without feeling too pretentious, and I can safely say that I have never before been to a cinema where I have overheard one man introducing his friend to another as ‘the man who directed the film’. If you didn’t get a chance to go to this year’s BFI London Film Festival, pencil it into your diary for next year – it’s an event not to be missed.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this report on the London Film Festival.

I think I died a bit...

So, on Thursday (yes, it's taken me this long to get over it) I saw actual Colin Firth in the flesh. Ok, so I was forced to remain behind a steel barrier for the duration of our meeting, but I still like to think we had a connection.

To put this meeting into context, I was in London for the 54th BFI London Film Festival to see Mike Leigh's new film, Another Year. There was a bit of Q&A with said director, enlightening, and then (like all good film/Firth lovers) I hung around Leicester Square to await the arrival of the stars.

It was the première of Tom Hooper's The King's Speech, a movie telling the touching tale of how King George VI overcame a crippling speech impediment. With the likes of Helena Bonham-Carter and Geoffrey Rush sharing the screen with Mr Firth, it was fair to say there was a decent crowd lining the edges of the red carpet. It was an awesome and an odd experience. It just feels a bit peculiar to find out those of the big screen are actually normal-sized humans and that they do in fact mingle with normal folk from time to time.

Naturally, I will be reviewing Another Year in the coming week, but unfortunately, The King's Speech isn't out til January. My good friend Colin looks set to be nominated for an Oscar for it, though, so it's well worth scheduling into your cinematic diary.

Just a little note to self: must remember not to be so star-struck when am hot-headed journalist allowed to mingle with popular people. Something I still maintain will happen in the future.