National Television Awards 2011

Last night the National Television Awards took place. This is the only awards ceremony for TV that is completely voted for by the British Public. This usually means the same old faces are seen grinning behind statuettes. Last night, however, there were a few surprises. Strange ones, too.

In the category for Best Drama, where you had the likes of Doctor Who vs Sherlock, probably the most heated debate of the night, the gong instead went to Waterloo Road. Two shows as funny and diverse as QI and Mock The Week were saddled into the same category as Big Brother and the winning I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! When Benidorm won Best Comedy Programme, the first award of the night, you could have actually guessed that this was going to be a rough ride for favourites.

The usual suspects were there, of course - The X Factor giant obliterated its fellows in the Talent Show category; The Inbetweeners continued their final year with more silverware. David Jason, darling of ITV Drama, won an award. They just give them to him now in the David Jason category. EastEnders, the happiest soap on earth, won three awards, including Best Serial Drama. How interesting that this should happen right bang in the middle of a controversial storyline that has had people talking for quite a while now. Never mind the brilliant special effects of the Coronation Street live episode, or the hard-hitting story lines of Hollyoaks.

One thing everyone could be agreed on, however, was the recipient of the Special Recognition Award, Bruce Forsyth, a celebration that is long overdue. In typical form he commanded the audience effortlessly. you have to hand it to him - sometimes all you need is a pro.

REVIEW - Black Swan

Ho, boy. Nothing can properly prepare you for one of the most bizarre experiences you will every have in the cinema. But here goes.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Nina (Natalie Portman) has been given her big chance at long last: she has been cast to play the Swan Queen in a new production of "Swan Lake". But already pressure is building: her mother (Barbara Hershey) is trying to control her, a new dancer (Mila Kunis) could be trying to steal her role, and her director (Vincent Cassel) doesn't believe the darker side of her role, the Black Swan to her White...

Black Swan is ridiculous, insane and brilliant. It is a return to form for director Darren Aronofsky, echoing his epic The Fountain; it is a stunning blend of art, psychology and classic film genres, all of which add up to a uniquely stunning film.

That being said, it starts off slowly - very slowly. The titles echoing the most obvious reference, The Red Shoes, before we start to explore the story of Nina. But this gradual build up works eventually; the tension rises and rises, picking up pace as the film progresses, until the last 45 minutes when, literally, all hell breaks loose, and you are at a loss as to what you are watching is really happening or not.

Natalie Portman is amazing - never away from the camera, her character and the breakdown she suffers captivates the storyline and holds you tight in its grasp. Her performance will surely go down as one of the greatest of her career, defining her as an actress of her own rights, removing her from your memory of her in the sad, wooden Star Wars prequels. It is often incredibly difficult to tell whether or not it is her dancing or a body double.

The ballet scenes are shot wonderfully; though this is certainly a film that is not just about ballet, it still plays a pivotal role, aided by the brilliant, memorable soundtrack of Tchaikovsky's work, and adding real depth to the story and to the characters, as they echo the core themes of the ballet itself: desire, deception, death.

The film is not perfect, sadly; the script is most certainly full of clichés, resembling a high-budget erotic thriller at times more linked with something like Basic Instinct. Cassell's character in particular is a tried and tested formula of the teacher who lusts after his own students. There is a nice cameo appearance from Winona Ryder as a faded star, and one feels that more could have been made out of her character. Kunis is almost in danger of becoming a very 2D bad girl, but the script saves her as it sweeps the rug from under the audience's feet in a bizarre set of twists.

There are jumps a plenty, a few quite bloody scenes and, of course, the much talked about lesbian scene, which really isn't at all what it says it is on the tin. Be warned - this is not just a film about ballet. Ultimately, this is a film about obsession and madness, a companion piece to Aronofsky's last work, The Wrestler - where that was about a tried old man, this is about a scared young girl.

Utterly compelling once it gets properly started, this film will, like all of Aronofsky's work, divide everyone who goes to see it. Brilliant.

8/10

Oscar Nominations 2011

Exciting times. The Oscars are just a few weeks away, the Baftas even closer. The Golden Globes should have given us some idea of who we can expect to walk away with awards - but remember it's not always set in stone (Bill Murray for Lost In Translation, Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler - both stolen from them by Sean Penn...)

The biggest shock this year is that, once more, there is no Best Director Nomination for Christopher Nolan for his epic Inception. There is a Best Screenplay and Best Film nomination but nothing else for the genius behind this project. For shame.

All the usual suspects are involved - Colin Firth and Natalie Portman still the firm faves to take awards (though Portman is probably more assured a gong than Firth). As for Best Film, really there are no surprises. Once more Pixar shows it's might and provides us with an Animated Film nominated. Whether this recurs next year with the not-exactly-anticipated Cars 2 remains to be seen. Whatever the result, Toy Story 3 will be guaranteed an award - if not, then the Academy doesn't know how to function anymore, and must go back to potty training.

Though The King's Speech is nominated for the most awards this time round, it is likely to only pick up a couple, including one for wardrobe. The big winner will most likely be The Social Network. Time will tell.

The EastEnders Controversy

Soap operas are a curious breed. In the states everything is big and over the top, wonderfully made fun of by the establishment in various ways; just check out the scenes of Days Of Our Lives that appear in Friends. Very tongue in cheek, but then that's what a soap opera really is in the States: high drama, high glamour.

Over here in the UK it's a very different animal. A soap opera can be warm, funny and more realistic; Coronation Street is a good example of this. When something horrible goes wrong, it's a big event storyline because, usually, as in life, these things just don't normally happen on this show. A lesbian storyline, for example, like the one between Sophie and Sian on this show, takes time to develop, months even. It's a slow burner.

Other soaps are a strange mixture. For glamour and teen issues, see Hollyoaks. For daytime,, easy-going stories, see Doctors. But EastEnders is by far the extreme on the spectrum. Not a day goes by without something miserable happening on this show. That's not necessarily a criticism either: it's just what EastEnders is, what it has been from the outset. Its very first episode started with a death, and, if ever it happens, its very last one surely will too.

But recently, more attention has been placed around this pessimism than usual. A controversial storyline has shaken the country, if perhaps not dividing it, for everyone seems to wonder what the heck the writers on the show are playing at. What should have been a happy event takes place with a double birth - Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Ronnie (Samantha Womack) both giving birth on the same day. But this is EastEnders. They don't understand the meaning of the word "happiness". Ronnie's baby dies tragically due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Sids); in desperation she swaps the babies around, leaving Kat and her partner Alfie with a tragic discovery in their happiness.

The writer of this blog does not watch EastEnders regularly, and certainly commendments must be placed at the feet of Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie, whose perframces as Kat and Alfie truly brought home the pain and grief too many parents feel in the real world. However, what has happened with the addition to the story truly defines what we seem to think a soap opera now is: highly melodramatic unrealistic rubbish. To examine the effects of Sids is one thing; it is a subject that more awareness should be made of. But to then attempt to glamorise it with a "baby swap plot" is both offensive and stupid. Though the writers describe the events as the last straw for Ronnie, the very fact that the actress who plays her is leaving the show, if you believe the media, in protest of the storyline surely justifies the lack of common sense in this move.

A few years ago now, Hollyoaks, known for sometimes hard-hitting issues done well, ran a Sids storyline that concentrated more on the consequences it had on the parents, Tony and Mandy, their combined grief ultimately destroying their marriage, as well as the effects it had overall on the two girls babysitting. Though it can be argued that this is still, in a sense, "glamming up" a hard-hitting storyline, there can be no denial that, compared to what has happened in Albert Square over the last months, that was pittance.

The EastEnders plot is due to finish early at Easter, thanks to a record number of complaints from the public (at the last count: 8,400), and it can be safe to say that, for EastEnders, they have finally reached the bottom of the misery barrel after 25 years.

REVIEW - The King's Speech

It's been a week since I went to this film, so here's the review for it!

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

1930s England: Albert, Duke Of York (Colin Firth) has lived with a stutter all his life which makes the sudden intrusion of radio technology into the Royal life a nightmare. His wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), after trying every conventional therapist she can, seeks the assistance of a recommended Australian, Lyle Logan (Geoffrey Rush), whilst bitter conflicts loom both in Europe and in the royal Family itself...

Tom Hooper's excellent film takes a subject matter which many can relate to - simply the annoyance of a speech impediment - and gives us what is essentially a high-brow bromance. In it he is aided spectacularly by a brilliant cast, a witty script and lovely cinematography.

Though Firth is gaining all the awards buzz - and rightly so, for his performance as Bertie is a wonderful example of a hard working actor - one should not step away from the importance of Geoffrey Rush in this film. His failed actor is constantly upbeat and funny, so that when he is made the victim of abuse or class snobbery we genuinely feel for him. The partnership that this creates is both charming and rewarding, and you feel that this is a proper friendship developing.

The secondary characters involved with this partnership are also very well played; in particular, Carter brings a quiet wit to her role of the future Queen Mother. Perhaps the least convincing role is that of Guy Pearce's pretentious Edward, though this is more down to the script forming him as the most 2D role in the film.

When the script works well, though, it crackles. The excellent scenes of speech therapy are both interesting and joyful to watch. Viewers should be advised that in one scene there is an awful lot of bad language which is one of the few laugh-out-loud moments of the film, feeling just right in the mixture; it arrives at the correct time.

The whole point of the film - the actual speech of the film's title - is perhaps the most depressing part of it, yet it seems a triumph, for the new King must tell his people that their country is at war again. We don't need to see what happens during the war, or hear the speeches he mad afterwards - for him this was the greatest point of his life, of his reign. He had fought the demons of his life and was now able to stand up and be counted as someone his people could fight the demons overseas for.

The film is always engaging, interesting and, most importantly, has a good heart with many chuckles. Thoroughly recommended.

8/10

REVIEW - A Single Man

Coming up on The Culture Section: The review for the much-anticipated The King's Speech. In the mean time, here's a review of Colin Firth's last Ocsar-botherer, A Single Man.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

1962, America: English professor George (Colin Firth) wakes one morning to the decision that he is going to kill himself at the end of the day; his life seemingly means nothing since the death of his long-term partner Jim (Matthew Goode). He spends the rest of the day taking everything around him in, whilst reliving painful memories of the past...

It is without question that this is the film which Colin Firth SHOULD have won an Oscar for in 2010. His performance virtually carries the movie out of a slightly arty, perhaps pretentious mawkishness and fills it with humanity.

That's not to be so incredibly harsh of the film; it is certainly beautiful to look at, first-time director Tom Ford very aware (perhaps a little too much) of colour and light in his world. In particular, emphasis is placed heavily on clothes. In one scene where George is sitting at a bank when a neighbour's daughter steps forward to speak to him, the camera pans up her body, showing off her blue dress in spectacular fashion.

The script, adapted from a novel by Christopher Isherwood, is perfectly fine up to a point. George is in every single scene, which certainly helps. Lesser characters are not as important as this single man, though there is perhaps a little predictability within some of the scenes, not least the ones featuring Nicholas Hoult as one of George's students. Both endings feel a little predictable too, though you do need to be paying attention to the early stages of the film in order to get it.

The day pans out fairly quickly, which is by no means a bad thing. It would perhaps have been a little more interesting to have seen more of George's teaching of his students. What is refreshing is that, for a film that is about a gay man, there is no struggle for George to be accepted; it is only hinted at about unseen characters - firstly one of his neighbours, secondly the parents of his late partner JIm, who decide to hold the funeral for "family only".

But this is truly Firth's film. Though there is a nice little mini-scene with Julianne Moore as a friend of George's going through her own personal mid-life crisis, her accent superb and flawless, without Firth's quiet desperation the scene would just seem out of place. There is as much humour in his performance as there is sadness. The scene where George finds out about Jim's death in particular stands out as a feat of epic acting skills, a brilliant school for all aspiring actors to watch with unwavering eyes.

Perhaps, ironically, A Single Man is just about that - a single man who can carry an entire story, an entire film on his shoulders with seamless ease.

7/10

Trailer:

REVIEW - TV Of 2011

The small screen has a lot to offer this upcoming year, though as always you could be more excited about old favourites returning compared to brand new series. Doctor Who and Torchwood will be back, as will a brand new series of Sherlock, which was one of the undisputed highlights of 2010. Starting on Monday, Shameless hits Channel 4 again, with the first five episodes being shown every night for the first week. For the reality fixates, too, we have the glorious return of the addictive-yet-I-don't-know-why Dancing On Ice, and the tantalising promise of new judges on Britain's Got Talent.

Three shows that have arrived since the start of the year are two welcome old favourites and one new show; the case in point that the old is better than the new sadly proves fruitful in this instance. Zen, a new three-parter on BBC1, is trying hard to be the Italian version of Wallander. Not everyone is a fan of the Swedish detective, though merit comes from the experienced hands of Kenneth Branagh. Here the title character is played by Rufus Sewell, a man whose previous roles have involved being a bit of a scoundrel and getting the girl, so no surprise when he starts an affair with one of his colleagues, played by the beautiful Caterina Murino (whose last notable appearance was in Casino Royale). But there just seems to be something missing from Zen; it looks good, no doubt, but the plot moves a little too slowly and becomes a tad predictable.

Predictable is the state of Hustle, back last night (Friday) for a seventh season. Anyone who enjoys the show knows the gist: con artists who only con those who deserve to be conned. Last night's opening episode was a cracker; fast, quick plot, with some brilliant guest acting from Anna Chancellor as their bitch model agent of a mark, it also kept you guessing a little as to what was going on towards the end.

Another welcome return was from Primeval. The show was in hiatus after its third season, the three main characters stuck in the very distant past, struggling to survive against dinosaurs. The series itself was in trouble from ITV, and was most likely going to end up being cancelled altogether. But America have come to the rescue, and now we have the first of two shiny new seasons. Again, the plot is always a little predictable, but thankfully some of the darkness of the last season (the main character was killed off in Episode Three then) has been lifted, and an intriguing sub-plot concerning the great actor Anton Lesser is keeping us on our toes, when we're not being thrilled by the chase of man-munching monsters.

Thumbs up then, almost all round. 2011 is shaping up quite nicely, thank you very much.

BBC Sound Of 2011

The BBC have just announced the winner of their annual poll among the cream of music journalists and writers, the Sound Of.... Last year this was won by Ellie Goulding, whose album Lights was one of the best out there. The winner this year, Jessie J, though another female singer/songwriter couldn't be more different.

Her debut single, "Do It Like A Dude" ironically starts with the line: "Stomp, stomp, I've arrived", and she definitely announces her presence to the rest of the world. Her sound is urban, gritty, with a lot of electronic wizardry helping to add emphasis on her rather explicit lyrics. Slightly surprising words to come from a girl who write "Party In The USA" for Miley Cyrus. Seriously. She also came out of the Brit School and performed on the West End when she was 11 in Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit-and-miss Whistle Down The Wind.

The video for the single adds even more emphasis to the strength of the song. Be warned that this is the Explicit version.



This is a defiant woman, slightly scary at times, making her stand. She wears a strange black kind of lipstick, a variety of torn clothing; she looks dominating, scornfully at the men in the video. The fact that she has two girls kissing in it also probably helps to push her message across: this is Girl power for the 21st century. Stuff you, Spice Girls.

Trouble is, shocking and provocative as the song is, there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference between her and other female artists emerging out of the urban scene. Think of Katy B and her fantastic track, "Katy On A Mission", for example. If you listen to the acoustic version of "Do It Like A Dude", Jessie's voice seems more refined, slightly more US Urban, chuckling mischievously at times. You get the full range of her vocal chords too; towards the end she sounds powerful, perhaps even more so than in the studio version.



Another song by her you can find on YouTube is "Price Tag".



Another acoustic, it sounds like something you could hear Fergie or even Beyonce at a stretch performing. It sounds nice, but you can see why the studio released "Do It Like A Dude" first in the age of GaGa. Currently it's just broken the Top 10. I doubt it's going to hit the top spot by Sunday, but she is sure to be around with us for a few years.

REVIEW - "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"

And so the first film that I did watch in 2011 was a film from 2008. Superb. Still, it all counts, don't it? Here's my review for Forgetting Sarah Marshall:

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When actress Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) dumps her long-term boyfriend Peter (Jason Segal), his world falls apart. Stuck in a horrible depression, he decides to go on vacation to Hawaii; unfortunately for him, Sarah also happens to be there with her new boyfriend, world famous rocker Aldous Snow (Russell Brand)...

After the surprisingly charming Knocked Up and the surprisingly gross-out Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a nice mixture of the two for the Judd Apatow crowd. It has a good, solid script, though the tendency for improvisation does become a little too regular at times. It also looks beautiful, a perfect picture postcard for Hawaii.

If you have ever been dumped you can probably sympathise with Peter, played convincingly for the most part by Segal. However, at times the reliance on him being a bit of a cry baby does damage the character a little bit. What's nice, however, despite the initial finger of blame being pointed solely at Kristen Bell's Sarah, is that Peter too was at fault for the problems in the relationship. This makes the situation a lot more 3D and realistic.

The two stars of the show are undoubtedly Mila Kunis as Peter's new love interest, Rachel, and Brand as Snow. While Kunis underplays and conveys the character that she is needed to be, Brand is a force unleashed, though thankfully he isn't let too far off the lead. His Snow is a wonderfully stereotypical and, in the end, monstrously pig-headed rocker; in a sense, Brand is really playing himself. It was always going to be a success.

There is good supporting work from Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd as two dysfunctional hotel employees, though they do become a little annoying after a time. Bill Hader is much more successful as Peter's friend.

Towards the end of the film the story attempts to go into clichés, and though it ends on a really big one, the blow is softened by the previous five minutes; the puppet musical of Dracula is laugh-out-loud funny, entirely reminiscent of the wonderful Avenue Q in its brilliance and its audacity.

At times one could argue that the film doesn't really know which audience it's aiming for: frat boy or genuine rom-com lover? It is however a very decent effort, and should certainly not be forgotten in a hurry. We are waiting to hear about the movie rights to the Dracula Puppet Musical.

7/10

The Films Of 2010

Happy New Year to anyone who reads this blog, which, taking into account the act that this is only the third entry, is most likely an incredibly small amount.

As I looked forward, it's probably only natural that I look back too; so here, as a slight companion piece to me last entry, are the films that rocked me (and bored me) last year. They don't necessarily have to have been released last year; I just had to have watched them for the first time.

First, my Top Films of 2010:

1. Toy Story 3 ("certainly a brilliant film...had me choking up and blubbering like a baby")
2. Inception ("One of the best films you will see...great stuff")
3. There Will Be Blood (Finally saw this worthy award winning turn by Daniel Day-Lewis)
4. The Bride Of Frankenstein (Probably the greatest horror film ever made)
5. The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford ("The film speaks volumes for us today")
6. Zombieland (Very funny stuff with some nice surprises)
7. Star Trek (A great sci-fi film, not just for Trekkies)
8. Michael Clayton ("A perfectly fine intelligent picture")
9. Watchmen (A very successful attempt at adapting the epic graphic novel)
10. Jennifer's Body (Fun, sexy and gory second film from the pen of Diablo Cody)

And now, the worst films I saw last year:

1. Lust For A Vampire (Awful, camp lesbian vampire tosh)
2. Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (Awful sequel to one of Steven Segal's few good films)
3. Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (Overblown and boring)
4. The Book Of Eli ("A lot of people will leave the film very disappointed")
5. The Boat That Rocked ("Too long and leaves too many loose ends unresolved")
6. Burn After Reading (Doesn't hit the right notes like a Coen Brothers' film should)

Those last 4 films were all scored a 6 on my voting, so I was obviously very lenient last year on that front! Must be crueler, harsher. Probably.