The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

13 Oscar nominations. 13? THIRTEEN????

How is that possible?

Admittedly, some of these are deserved but others are most assuredly not. This is complete Oscar bait stuff - an adaptation of an F Scott Fitzgerald short story, it is lengthy, weighty and expensive. It runs the gamut of emotions - or at least tried to elicit these from the watching masses - tears, laughter, joy - you're supposed to fall in love Benjamin and Daisy and 1920s and 30s America. I genuinely had a sinking feeling within 30 seconds - I realised quickly that this was another Forest Gump/Big Fish style shaggy dog story, and that is historically not a type of film I've enjoyed at all. I'm afraid I didn't enjoy this either.

Nominations that are completely deserved:

Make-up & Special F/X - the only reason to stay with this interminable thing is to see whether the make-up crew and the special f/x department can make Brad Pitt look 20 again. Well, as it turns out, they can - and very convincing it is too. Kudos to them for that - have a well deserved Oscar nomination.

Best Score - Alexandre Desplat is a very talented composer and, while not his best work, it is of sufficient quality to merit awards notice. I probably wouldn't have had it in my top 5, but it would not have been a million miles away.

Art Direction - Probably just about deserved, although a win would be a real stretch when you have The Fall and Hellboy II: The Golden Army released in the same year.

Nominations that are probably undeserved but that I can handle:

Best Actor - Brad Pitt is not a particularly strong actor. The guy is incredibly good looking and I think this helps mask any deficiencies in charisma and screen presence. He is never the most nuanced of actors, and his only previous Oscar notice came for an exaggerated, tic-riddled mental patient where nuance went out the window. Well, to give him his dues, this is probably the best thing he has ever done - there's a subtlety and restraint (and he's not so restrained his comatose a la Jesse James) to his performance that makes it worth noticing and in many other years a nomination would have been deserved. Just not in a year when Rourke, Penn, Langella, DiCaprio and Jenkins gave far superior work though.

Cinematography - Seen better, seen worse. Presumably people remember the ballet scene where Daisy is silhouetted. At the time I was watching this I actually thought, maybe this could have been lit a little better. And in any case, The Fall is clearly the best cinematography of the year by something like a zillion miles.

Nominations that are completely undeserved but not catastrophically bad:

Costumes - Bleh. Who cares. Why is this even a category? Only 20% of the films made are even competing for this award. As if would ever go to something contemporary like American Beauty or The Departed or Crash (all of which won Best Pic.) They always lavish attention on period pieces and let's be honest, when was the last time you came out of a film and thought - "great costumes!"

Best Supporting Actress - What did Taraji P. Henson do that was noteworthy? Anything? Anything at all?

Astonishingly unfair, undeserved and embarrassing nominations that border on clinical insanity:

Best Picture: I detest pictures that for some reason decide they need to bookend and punctuate a story with a pointless modern day setting. Think Titanic or Saving Private Ryan. What's the point? It is always the weakest aspect of the film and serves no purpose. This one is punctuated by a masturbatory, death-bed, hurricane Katrina setting. I see no point to this other than to get Cate Blanchett and Oscar nom for playing a 90 year old and even that didn't work. And if there was some symbolic relevance to setting it the day before Katrina, then clearly it wasn't necessary since the original short was written in 1921, and I dare say was a much finer piece of work than this.

Best Editing - What editing? I dread to think how long the first cut ran but if this is a well edited film then I look like a 20 year old Brad Pitt. If it had been half the length, maybe there would have been an enjoyable film there, but at 166 minutes it is at least an hour too long. Any editor with balls would have told Fincher the whole Katrina thing was getting canned anyway.

Best Adapted Screenplay: - Take a novella and bloat it so immensely, you make Forest Gump look like a live action short. The aforementioned modern day setting is indulgent and completely ruinous.

Best Director - I am actually a huge David Fincher fan but this is so self-indulgent I cannot believe this is the guy that directed Se7en, The Game and Zodiac. Very disappointing stuff from someone I greatly admire. Even his previous misses like Panic Room and, dare I say, Fight Club, had a huge amount of directorial verve and originality. This is just Forest Gump lite.

Grade: D

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

What more is there to say about Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, a film which has wowed audiences, critics and awards ceremonies in the early part of 2009? Well, hopefully, a little bit otherwise this review will be a little pointless. Nominated for 10 Oscars, including some love for Boyle in the director's category, does this deserve the praise which has been heaped on it?

The answer is yes and no. Yes, because this is a terrific film, thoroughly enjoyable and intense throughout (except for perhaps a 15 minute or so period of drift), though it perhaps falls short of being the absolute classic it has been heralded as.

So, in case anyone needs reminding, Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), who ends up on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Accused of cheating because he answers the questions correctly, Jamal is interviewed by the police, during which it becomes clear why he knows the answers to the questions he is faced by...

This is a brilliantly put together film. Reminiscent of my favorite film of all time, Ikiru, in the way it narrates the story backwards. Slumdog stands as proof of the emotional effectiveness of focalising the drama in this way - as opposed to the traditional, linear, narrative fare of much mainstream cinema. Telling the story - effectively - backwards just seems to be a highly effective way of scoring emotional points and hitting the right psychological notes. This is done very effectively here.

I think I would echo my colleague's comments on the lead performances. Dev Patel and (the absolutely stunning) Freida Pinto are perfectly decent but should not, in reality, trouble our end of year lists (as they haven't my colleague's) nor, for that matter, any other, though, of course, far less prestigious, awards ceremonies. The stand out performance here is undoubtedly provided by Anil Kapoor, who plays Prem Kumar, the host of Millionaire who somehow manages to convey a character even more obnoxious than Chris Tarrant. Kapoor's performance bristles with energy and presence and he produces a very effective counter-vision to Jamal's wide-eyed innocence. The rest of the performances are all fine, though nothing special. That said, perhaps Ankur Vikal, as abusive and sleazy local hood Maman, deserves special mention - although I did feel that the 'gangster' sideshow was often superfluous to the film.

Despite the positives I was left feeling that I didn't enjoy this quite as much as I should have done and I would certainly question how well it would stand up to a second viewing. And I don't think that was all down to the people in the row in front, and in the row behind, giving the answers to the fictional questions on the gameshow and getting them wrong in all cases. When the geezer in the row behind said "D'Artagnan" for the last one, he almost got a faceful of what was left of our popcorn. In the end, though, the film just didn't resonate quite as it should have done, despite being fully enjoyable and generally satisfying. Further, there is enough here for many to enjoy and I don't recall, yet, hearing anyone say a bad word about it. Recommended but, in the end, perhaps only just.

B+

Movie Years 2008

My top 5s for 2008 are complete. Click on the logo!

More 2008 Notes

Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Stunning. Best Woody Allen in ages, maybe ever. Terrific dialogue and the wonderful Spanish setting is like another character in this excellent ensemble piece. A sheer delight from start to finish. A+


Frozen River - Saw it for Melissa Leo's Oscar nom and she is certainly deserving, trouble is I can't help feeling she took Kristen Scot Thomas' spot. You're never exactly hard pushed to guess where the film is going, but it gets there with no shortage of skill. A great debut from Courtney Hunt. B+


Wendy and Lucy - Michelle Williams stars as Wendy, and gives a decent performance, but I have to say I found her character fairly irritating. She makes a series of illogical decisions and I had little sympathy for her, although this is once again a well made film and a good debut by a female director. C+


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - AKA Forrest Gump 2, and it might be wort noting that I hated that film too. Tedious, much much much much much much much too long self-indulgent wank. I love David Fincher's work but this is borderline unforgivable. 13 Oscar nominations??? Pah. (More to follow) D


Let the Right One In - Swedish horror film riding high in the IMDb charts, and it ain't bad. It's not the best horror ever, in fact it isn't even the best horror this year but it is the best Swedish horror film I've ever seen. Actually it is the only Swedish horror film I've ever seen - it it is nicely shot and atmospheric, but found slightly wanting in terms of real suspense or intrigue. B-


The Fall - Spectacularly beautiful film - amongst the most visually pleasing I've ever seen in fact. The cinematography and art direction are outrageously good. It proves there no excuse for poor visuals as this was all accomplished with a very modest budget - the makers of low budget films everywhere should take note and be embarrassed with their half-hearted efforts. A-


Doubt - Enjoyable Meryl Streep - Philip Seymour Hoffman double act. The 10 minute long scene featuring a tempestuous confrontation between them is wonderful. Nicely written although slightly irritating direction with director John Patrick Shanley mistakenly believing tilting the camera 30 degrees adds something to the shot. There's a reason no-one else does that John. B+

Christian Bale Going Nuts

Terminator 4 is my 10th most anticipated movie of the year and clearly Bale is taking it very seriously. One thing that struck me though was his weird pseudo American accent. Last time I heard him speak he definitely had a pretty normal British accent - maybe he was screaming in character?

Quick Notes

Valkyrie - the makers of Valkyrie commit that most unforgivable of sins - their film is so dull that I couldn't care less whether Hitler lived or died. Tom Cruise is Colonel Von Stauffenberg - a soldier selected to assassinate Hitler and overthrow his government. Sounds like a great premise for a film but even a solid director like Bryan Singer, someone who certainly knows how to craft a thriller, can't eke any thrills out of such plodding material. Sure it looks handsome, and is nicely photgraphed, but much of it borders on tedium. C-


Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - the quirkiest title of the year in a self-consciously quirky film - think Juno, but far less successful. I don't mind quirky. I liked Juno as much as the next man (as long as the next man isn't Matt.) But if I'm honest I was fairly irritated halfway through the opening credits, which is a pretty impressive going. The cast are all likeable but the script just didn't do them justice. C-


Defiance - another WWII film - the third of 2008 - and the third WWII film of '08 that blows hard. It's dull, unconvincing and... well isn't that bad enough? Ed Zwick isn't everyone's favourite director but I actually liked The Last Samurai a lot. This is the sort of worthy bore-fest that makes him hard to defend though. D


Revolutionary Road - stunning Sam Mendes film (goes without saying) that was criminally overlooked by those fine folk that nominate the Oscars. The only actor to get a nomination in this terrific film was on screen for about 3 minutes. DiCaprio and Winslet are wonderful and deserved better. Winslet's nomination for her role in The Reader instead of for this superior effort is inexplicable. Review to follow. A

The Wire, Season One

You may well have heard accolades like "greatest television show ever" bestowed on this series, which not that many people have heard of because, like all the best America tele, it got shoved on to a channel which no one watches, not everyone has, and at a difficult time of day. Just like, in fact, creator David Simon's previous show, The Corner and many other great shows that have come our way from across the pond (Seinfeld, Arrested Development, even arguably Curb, the list goes on).

But suddenly everyone has started talking about The Wire, quite possibly because, having completed its 5th season, it has finished. Recommended to me by a few friends recently, I began catching up with this from season one. I owe my friends some serious beers for the recommendation.

Condensed over 13, hour-long, episodes, The Wire tells the story of a complex series of murder and drug-related investigations undertaken by a special unit of the Baltimore PD to try and take down a local drug baron by the name of Avon Barksdale, and his crew.

I was into it by the end of the first episode, to a degree and depth no first episode has ever engaged me before. The story is a little slow to get going, but the brilliant, deeply-drawn, characters drive the first few episodes on at an incredibly rapid and soulful pace, to the extent that I find myself watching the DVD clock shoot towards the hour mark at light speed desperately hoping it would slow down. Around Episode 5, this simply becomes the greatest series of television I have ever seen and sustains that level of interest, depth of character, engagement and general, all-round, brilliance right to the last reel of Episode 13, which leaves you gagging, and I do mean gagging, for Series 2. Like a book you can't put down, the watchability of this exceeds even the greatest, most engaging, television of the last decade (which, for me, constitutes, in terms of drama, the first seasons of Lost and 24).

Although the drama and the story are both utterly compelling, the best thing about this is it's characters. Alternating between being heroes and villains from one moment to the next, there is not one element, not one pore on any of their skins, that feels hackneyed and cliched. Again, this even surpasses season 1 of Lost, which did such a brilliant and, in a way, very original take on characterisation, with the layers of humanness that lie under the interesting skins of the Wire's characters. The main protagonist is the sublime McNulty (a brilliant Dominic West), an incredibly passionate cop, who likes the odd drink and who drives the investigation with his passion and verve, which comes to infect all of those around him who start of not wanting to be there. McNulty makes more enemies than Ashley Cole along the way, but it is relentlessly compelling. However, the other characters are so equally brilliant, he is not left holding, or even driving, the show in any way. McNulty's partner Bunk is hilarious and just as fun, but with a very deep soul as well, the chief, Daniels, grows into the series like a sunflower stretching up to the sky in summer. Kima, who grows close to McNulty, is perhaps the least well understood of the characters and you sense there is a lot more to come from her as well. The actress (Sonja Sohn) is spectacularly good as well. There are others, too, particularly Lester, who, like the Chief, grows into the series and will surely play a more prominent role in the series to come.

Then there is the other side, the drug dealers. Only, with the Wire, you can never quite be sure just whose side you are supposed to be on as heroes and villains lurk in every corner switching from one to the next just like the human beings they are. The main protagonist on this 'side' is D'Angelo Barksdale (Larry Gilliard Jr.), nephew to drug baron Avon, whose conscience is torn by the brutal, tormenting, world into which he was born and the deeds it compels him to carry out. D'Angelo is probably the deepest of all the characters (though that's like saying Pele was the greatest Brazilian footballer of all time in a team that comprised (say) Sokrates, Garrincha, Jairzinho, Ronaldo and 100m man Kaka) and every scene he is involved in is fascinating and you are just never sure which way he's going to go in any given situation. Avon (Wood Harris) is truly scary, one of the most frightening villains depicted on screen for years. Harris is brilliant and invests Avon with a ocean-deep sense of intensity, drive, power and strength. The same goes for Avon's lieutenant Stringer Bell (Idris Elba).

Further brilliant characters flit around the outskirts, meaning that no scene seems superfluous, padding or meaningless. As Anthony Burgess wrote about The Old Man and The Sea , every word tells a story and there is not a single word too many. Drug-addict turned informant Bubbles just tries to survive in a world you know he isn't made for and, again, more of his story waits to be told. Omar, a local rival to Avon, is almost as scary, but more sensitive, humorous and layered.I can't mention every character, otherwise this review will go on for a year. Wikipedia has a useful brief summary on every character for those interested.

The other sublime thing about this show is its depth of focus on the reality of inner city American life and ghettoisation. The far-reaching and very real impact of inequality and deprivation (including oppression, racism and ghettoisation) are here laid bare in all their wretchedness. These characters are forced to make choices and decisions the more fortunate of us simply never have to contemplate facing. If the world is to change, the beginnings of those changes will have to be felt here. But what has changed? This is the world Bobby Womack, in Across 110th Street, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5, in The Message and, in film, Charles Burnett, were warning the world about already 30 years ago. People can only take so much and one day the grapes of wrath will sow the seeds of revolution on these streets. This is a brutal and unforgiving world and, ironically, one which makes for a relentlessly compelling season of perfect drama.

Just go and buy this, you cannot possibly regret it. I'm going to return to Season 1 time and time again, especially whenever I feel the call to revolution. It immediately has a longevity way beyond that of most TV seasons, even the most brilliant. Just superb, brilliant and beautiful. TV cannot, and will not, get any better than this.

A+

Cher in Batman 3?!

Apparently the rumours are not true, but I'm intrigued by the fact that there were rumours in the first place!

Oscar Reaction

4/5 on my predictions for Best Picture, although that wasn't that difficult. I get credit for guessing The Dark Knight would be snubbed, despite what the vocal fanboys were saying. Sadly I didn't predict the film that would do the upsetting, but then neither did anyone else. That film has a lowly 60% fresh rating on rottentomatoes and got an even lowlier D from me when I saew it atwo weeks ago. Surely the worst film to get a Best Picture nomination for a while.

Kristin Scott Thomas missed out. A travesty.

Brad Pitt got into the line up. I await Benjamin Button with baited breath but Pitt has not once shown he is capable of doing anything that would merit Oscar attention (yes I know he's been nominayted once before) and one of the performances that was in the mix was from the brilliant Leonardo DiCaprio so I am suspicious that he is worthy, but we shall see.

Happy for Richard Jenkins for The Visitor, happy for Mickey Rourke, although his nomination was nailed on, and pleased that the American votes have a bit more intelligence than the Brits - the Slumdog love did not translate into another inexplicable nomination for the perfectly pleasant, but card-board cut-out-esque Dev Patel.

Confused as to why anyone thinks In Bruges is worthy of anything other than a Razzie nom.

Oscar nominations tomorrow

So I've looked into my crystal ball and it tells me the following shall be nominated for Best Picture...

Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
and, controversially, Wall*E

Everyone else is saying The Dark Knight for that last slot. I have two problems with that. One: it's a comic book film, and however well received it was, comic book films don't get nominations. And two: it wasn't that good. I think a lone directing nom for Nolan is as likely as a best picture nom for the film, but of course I'm not exactly going to be surprised if the Bat does sneak in. I personally would like to see The Wrestler (almost certainly my film of 08 - review imminent) make it but alas it seems Mickey Rourke will be flying the flag on his own.

The other nom I am looking out for is Kristin Scott Thomas for Best Actress. Never did I think it would be possible for her to miss out but it seems that it might be. The favoured five seem to be...

Winslet, Streep, Hathaway, Leo and Jolie.

I cannot believe it, but KST may miss out yet again. A real shame.

All will be revealed at insane o-clock Pacific time in the States (around 1pm in the UK I think.)

Australia

"Baz, you know that last act that you worked so hard on and thought would be the perfect way to end it?"

"You mean the segment featuring the Japanese bombing of the Northern Territory - that hugely important cultural event that was such a powerful event in the lives of the people we're portraying here, and ultimately shaped our nation? The segment we spent 3 months shooting, sweat blood and tears over and spent millions on."

"Yeah that's the one."

"What about it?"

"Well - how can I put this - it's shit."

read the rest

Slumdog Millionaire

Despite continued success and solid reviews for just about everything he has ever done (The Beach excepted) Boyle has never made that transition into the big time. I expect that is about to change. Oscar success seems imminent. People are knocking on his door. He's the hot new thing in cinema and all thanks to an obscure, low budget, star-less Indian film about a boy on a quiz show.

read the rest

The Reader

One half of Kate Winslet's double Golden Globe success from Saturday landed here a couple of weeks ago and I caught up with it upon its release so it is about time I reviewed it. Whilst I'm happy for Winslet - there are very few, if any, actresses working today that are as overdue as she is in terms of big awards - one can't help wishing that she was being rewarded for something truly outstanding. Perhaps Revolutionary Road, which she won the lead actress award for on Sunday, may feature that performance. The Reader certainly doesn't.

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Che: Part One

I knew very little of Che Guevara before I saw the first part of Steven Soderbergh's documentary-like take on the man, and now that I've seen it there is one one thing I know for absolute certain: there's absolutely no way in the world I'll be watching part 2.

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Twilight

Stephanie Myers' vampire trilogy is the hot new cult thing amongst teens and Twilight is the first film in what is almost certainly been an already greenlit series. I suspect the they've got the green light for a few reasons: 1. it made a decent return at the US box office; 2. it didn't cost very much to make; and 3. it is actually surprisingly good.

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2009 - Adam's take

Such are the vagaries of the film release calendar it doesn't feel as though 2008 has finished, and indeed it hasn't. I've still got Milk, Revolutionary Road, Doubt, Gran Torino, The Wrestler, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Frost/Nixon, Nothing But the Truth, Rachel Getting Married and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button all to see before I can possibly announce my side of the much coveted, highly prestigious movieyears awards. All land in the UK in the next couple of weeks after being released late in the year in the US an attempt to snag awards glory.

But for a brief moment let's look ahead at the 2009's genuine releases. Take this list with a pinch of salt. Of those films in my 2008 list, Valkyrie, Star Trek and The International were bumped to 2009 and MR73, Oliver Marchal's follow up to the brilliant 36, didn't even get a UK release; I'm awaiting the DVD. Of those three bumped films, Valkyrie and The International no longer hold much appeal - if they'd been any good they'd have been released when they were originally slated to, or at least that's what one would expect. I am still looking forward to Star Trek though but I can't have it on both my 2008 and 2009 preview, so with that in mind my top 10 most anticipated of '09 are...



10. Terminator: Salvation

The first two Terminator movies are rightly very highly regarded but the 3rd one is actually a very good film as well. Breathtaking chase sequences, particular one involving an enormous truck, complemented what was actually a very nicely written plot, one that advanced the SkyNet/John Connor/T-800 storyline whilst staying true to the previous films. I have concerns over the director and also the 25 year gap between T3 and T4. Nick Stahl did well as the younger John Connor but they seem to have cast well in Christian Bale as the adult Connor. If they have a decent script, and with Bale on board that seems likely, let's hope they can do this thing justice, however McG is best known for directing Charlie's Angels, and that isn't exactly a stellar resume (although I have to confess I thought the sequel, which he also helmed, was pretty good!)



9. Avatar

Well anyone who directs a film to almost $2 billion worldwide, completely obliterating any previous box office record, wins a record 11 Oscars and then takes 12 years off certainly knows how to ramp up expectations for his next project. James Cameron has done just that and we have to wait til December to see how he follows the most successful film of all time.



8. Inglorious Basterds

Well I have a couple of concerns, one: that's not how you spell bastards, and two: Tarantino has been off form over his last two films. I didn't care for Death Proof at all and was disappointed by Kill Bill Vol. 2. However, the guy is still an incredible talent and one of the most unique filmmakers in the business so any new Tarantino film has to be something to look forward to. Basterds stars Brad Pitt in the long-awaited WWII project.



7. Man Who Stares at Goats

Grant Heslov co-wrote Good Night, and Good Luck with George Clooney and that was unquestionably one of the smartest screenplays of that year. The film was very highly received and Heslov has graduated to the director's chair for a film that at the very least has one of the more intriguing titles of the year. Clooney, McGregor, Spacey and Bridges head an impressive cast in an Iraq based comedy.



6. The Informant

I'm not convinced Soderbergh has done anything of especial merit since Traffic but he is still a name I look out for when composing something like this and The Informant looks interesting. Matt Damon stars as the vice president turned informant Mark Whitacre, who accuses the US government of price fixing. It appears it doesn't know what it wants to be however as IMDb lists it as a comedy/crime/thriller/drama. A shame it's not also a sci-fi/western as well.



5. Duplicity

Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton landed atop my 2007 list so his follow up is a no-brainer in any preview list. Duplicity stars Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti, which is also a no-brainer. This has quality written all over it and one hopes this can capture the absorbing atmosphere of his debut film. He certainly knew how to get great performances out of his actors so at the very least we should be in for an acting masterclass. The plot sees Roberts and Owen team up pull the "ultimate con job" on their bosses. Sounds like there is comedic potential but IMDb assures us this is a pure thriller.



4. State of Play

Tony Gilroy's second appearance on this list, this time as writer, in Kevin MacDonald's State of Play. MacDonald's last film, The Last King of Scotland, was complete crap and saved only by an astonishing lead performance, but he is sure to fare better with this adaptation of a well-received British TV political thriller. Rachel McAdams, Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman and Helen Mirren star.


3. This Side of the Truth

Here's why this is going to be great:

1. Jeffrey Tambor
2. Ricky Gervais
3. Rob Lowe
4. Jason Bateman
5. Tina Fey
6. Patrick Stewart
and 7. Jeffrey Tambor.

Have I mentioned before that Jeffrey Tambor is quite possibly my favourite actor in the world? For the uninitiated, check out The Larry Sanders Show and you too will be convinced of his brilliance. His Arrested Development efforts weren't too shabby either and I know Gervais is a big fan of both shows so it is no surprise to see him team up with him in his latest film, the first feature film that he has written and directed. Gervais added his own inimitable style to Ghost Town, a highly enjoyable Hollywood debut, but this promises to be even better. In a world where nobody has ever lied, Gervais invents dishonesty out of boredom. Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Jason Bateman and Christopher Guest also star.



2. Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Michelle Williams, Max von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley, Patricia Clarkson and Ted Levine in a "Mystery/Crime/Thriller." It's from a Dennis Lehane novel, he who also wrote Mystic River, which didn't fare too badly come Oscar time winning 2 of it's 6 Oscar nominations, all of which came in the most prestigious categories. With one of the best casts of the year, it's a decent bet that this may follow suit.


1. Arrested Development: The Movie

So it hasn't even been officially announced, they're not even in pre-production and it certainly doesn't have a release date, but I figure if enough people like me make this their most anticipated film of 2009 then the powers that be will make it happen. Please please please please please.

Hancock (2008)

Hancock (Will Smith) is a beleaguered, down-on-his-luck, superhero, living in present day LA but unwanted by the American public, and generally unloved, because he seems to create more destruction than he prevents. Drunk and moody, Hancock drifts aimlessly through his days, mixing drinking with the odd bit of heroism, until he saves the life of Ray Embrey, who works in PR. As a thank you, Ray offers his services to help Hancock's public image and help him come to terms with his past and who he is today...

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We're back

Apologies for a total lack of posts over the last 2 weeks. I have been sunning it up in Mexico and my colleague was obviously having fun in England, which I returned to Saturday, but it felt like I'd landed somewhere more like the picture above.

Loads for me to catch up on asap - I have seen and will review:

Twlight (surprisingly good)

The Reader (surprisingly bad)

Lakeview Terrace (somewhere in between)

and am seeing Australia later, although I approach with trepidation after mixed reviews, and I pledge to see Che and Slumdog Millionaire by the weekend. Reviews forthcoming.

2009 Preview Baby

Well, 2009 is here and us dedicated types at MyFilmVault have disregarded our hangovers, put off clearing up the beer cans and shaken off our disappointment at the lack of football today to bring you this preview of the year ahead. And what a year it promises to be. As I was putting this together I was struck by the amount of quality that will be coming our way. I could easily have doubled this list and, further, have made one for January alone, such is the quality coming our way over the next 31 days. We have the first part of Che (though not in Leicester, sadly), Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road (a GREAT book), Australia, The Wrestler and Slumdog Millionaire all to look forward to. So, I'll leave these off my preview, even though I've earmarked Che as my most mouthwatering prospect over the next 12 months. That said, a number of other tasty morsels are being offered up. The question is...how many of these will I actually go and see at the cinema? A market will shortly open up on Betfair.

1. Watchmen

Although this is in no particular order, watching Hancock (see next review...) has really put me in the mood for this forthcoming, bound-to-be-brainy, superhero film. Set in an alternate 1985, an age still riddled with cold war paranoia and despair, being a superhero is not uncommon. However, superhero status has now become outlawed and 'vigilantes' have been discredited and run underground. But when one of their number is brutally murdered, a rag-tale band of former heroes reunites to track down the murderer and uncover further sinister goings on...

If this sounds like a novel take on a superhero movie, it is. This is bound to be dark, claustrophobic, deep, thoughtful and brutal. Having been knocking around Hollywood in one form or another for a number of years, it is amazing it has even been made at all. Both Stallone and Schwarzenegger were reportedly attached at one time or another, but directed Zack Snyder has thankfully gone for a bunch of by-and-large unknowns, although I note Patrick Wilson has been getting some love from my colleague's lists and reviews of late.

In a way (and discounting the January flurry of promising movies), I'm most looking forward to this in 2009 as it promises something different and something interesting, following on from the equally interesting and brave Hancock from 2008. And we don't have to wait too long for this. It should be with us on March 6th.



2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Okay, a somewhat dull choice I know, and perhaps an inevitable one given that I've posted on it before. It's worrying that it was put back a year (this should have been released this past November) and I haven't yet heard an explanation as to why it has been put back, but I still hold out hope.

This is the best of the Potter books (which I've read), and that's saying something given that book 7 is also superb. But Book 6 has even more than the thrilling climax and, if done well, this should be dark, claustrophobic, tense, compelling and thrilling (a bit of a theme emerging here...). There are signs that the actors are getting better, that Gambon is beginning to fill Richard Harris' rather large wizard-shaped shoes as Dumbledore, and that things are beginning to come together. Film 5 (Order of the Phoenix) wasn't great, but, then again, neither was the book. Book 6 is almost as long, but not a word is wasted. They'll do well to cram it all in, and cram it all in effectively, but this is the moment I fell back in love with Potter. For those who hate the books and the films, this is the time to give it a second chance.

Another look at the trailer...




3. Where the Wild Things Are



Oh dear, only at number 3, and two 'children's' films already previewed. And, like Watchmen and Potter 6, this is also courting controversy, particularly among the fanboys of Maurice Sendak's book. I've never read it so I can't comment. I don't understand, however, the hostility fans of books, comics, theatre productions have to the very idea of their beloved artistic treasures being made into a film (not that they can't be disappointed with the final result). Isn't it good that a piece of genuine art will reach a larger audience? Give the filmmaker a chance. After all, if it wasn't for Spielberg (with a little help from Messrs Scheider, Dreyfuss, Shaw et al), where would Jaws be?

And director Spike Jonze (whatever else you may feel about him) can hardly, in all fairness, be called cynical. Add that to the fact that the screenplay was penned by the brilliant Dave Eggers, you just have to call on people to give this a chance. Please...

Anyway, the film centres on Max, a young boy sent to his room without any supper. Angry, he creates an imaginary world inhabited by creatures, who crown him their ruler. We are promised more darkness, more scares, more fear. This just sounds very interesting and well worth a look, particularly for someone like me who works with children and particularly enjoys working with their imaginations. Well worth a look.

4. Drag Me To Hell

Moving away from children's films onto horror movies...



This also sees Sam Raimi move away - briefly - from his Spiderman baby to this tale of a Loan Officer (Christine) ordered to evict an old woman from her home. The old woman then places a supernatural curse on Christine, who is forced to turn to supernatural forces of her own to help liberate her from the curse.

This sounds, in all essentials, like a genuine, old-fashioned, chiller which, like this years brilliant REC, will aim to bridge an unsettling gap between modernity, superstition and religion. And if the result is anything like that achieved by REC, the results could be fantastic and genuinely chilling. This one is heading our way in May (a shame it misses Halloween, which seems to be devoid of decent, even promising, films year on year).

5. The Road


I finished reading this novel, by current literati darling Cormac McCarthy (fully deserving of adoration by the way), a few months back and loved it. Set in a post-apocalyptic nightmarish America, the entire landscape of which is awash with black ash and ruin and which is ravaged by roving bands of carnivorous, brutal, survivors.

It sounds fairly by the by from that description, yet it is anything but. For, through the ash and charred remains of humanity and human landscapes, walk a father and son, desperately striving, against all hope and against all the odds, for some form of redemption.

Don't get me wrong, this is such an emotionally note perfect book it will be very difficult to pull off well. But the signs are promising. Helmed by John Hillcoat, who did a great job with The Proposition (which, vitally, looked great, as this will have to as well) and starring Viggo Mortenson (who is, believe me, perfectly cast), this also features cameos by Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron, a cast that certainly gets my juices going. And the noises coming out of the camp, particularly about the key relationship between father and son (the latter played by the largely unheralded Kodi Smith-McPhee), are equally promising. This will be probably be very good, but, if pulled off, could be great. I await with great interest.

Well, that's my first five, the next five will follow later. A fairly eclectic bunch of films and no doubt some surprising and controversial choices, but we here at MyFilmVault like to keep you on your toes, so I hope you enjoy perusing this little selection. January promises to be a great month and I hope I'll actually manage to see some of the cinematic fare served up in the post-Christmas period. So, enjoy, and back soon with more previews.

You Can Count On Me (2000)

This was recommended to me eons ago by my colleague but it has only just arrived via my LoveFilm account. So, was my colleague right to endorse this understated Americana drama?

In short, definitely. This is a brilliant film, which I enjoyed from start to finish. Even Matthew Broderick didn't manage to ruin it for me and was actually quite good. He even made me laugh out loud through his delivery of a line. Wow. This augers well for a good year in film in 2009.

You Can Count on Me focuses on the life of Sammy Prescott (the once again stunning Laura Linney), who raises young son Rudy (Rory Culkin) on her own. Following the death of Sammy's parents in a car accident when they were very young, the family has disintegrated. But an opportunity for redemption arrives when down-on-his-luck younger brother, the dreamy and disaffected Terry, comes to visit.

Films like this live and die on the quality of their performances, being insular, quiet, understated and totally focused on story and relationships. The leads do not let director Kenneth Lonnergan down one bit.

Is Linney the greatest actress performing in Hollywood today? This website would seem to suggest yes, as she is one of the few performers who seems to elicit the same response of adoration from us both, yet she is still relatively unknown. Linney has generally chosen indie flicks to showcase her vast talents and she still perhaps awaits that genuine breakout movie, which it seemed for a while the Truman Show would be. Perhaps it is a good thing that she hasn't 'broken out' and continues to make stunning films like this and 2007's Jindabyne (although my colleague was not as blown away by her performance there as I was). Linney is, again, the best thing in this and that is no mean feat, given the other performances, especially Ruffalo's. Her range and emotional depth is perfectly showcased in the love Sammy clearly has for her troubled younger brother and Linney invests the character with multiple dimensions of being, thought, emotion and behaviour. The character lives and this means the film gasps and breathes deeply the emotional wilds and vistas it inhabits. Linney is, like a true virtuoso, note and tone perfect throughout.

Ruffalo is great as well, brilliantly awkward, funny and distant as a character who clearly carries a lot more with him than he is ever willing to let on. He does some stupid things, but they always feel human and very real and the audience is sympathetically tied to his fate. Rory Culkin, too, clearly got all the acting talents in his family and he is now beginning to break out into the mainstream after measured performances in this and Signs. And as I say, even Matthew Broderick, who I dislike immensely as an actor and consistently fail to understand how he still gets acting jobs, is decent in this, only on occasion lapsing into his normal inconsistency and poor delivery.

This is well worth an hour and a half of anyone's time, imbued in the life and struggle of an interesting, mostly charming and engaging family. The characters are neatly drawn, lively and, crucially, human and the performers have the requisite talents to live up to them. Add this to your LoveFilm wishlist or seek it out at your local video store. Lovely.

A-

Quick Notes

Two feel good films that are getting some attention as the critics start handing out their end of year prizes. Having much in common, both are independent films, one US the other UK, featuring strong lead performances and both are easily worth your time and money.

The Visitor

Thomas McCarthy's The Visitor stars Richard Jenkins in a rare leading role and after this one can only hope that more follow for he is wonderful. The title might very well refer to Richard Jenkins' character Walter - a stranger to his own NY home - he spends all his time in Connecticut trying to appear as busy as possible when in fact he does very little. It might be Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), the illegal immigrant he discovers living in his apartment when he makes a rare return to New York for a conference. It may also be Tarek's mother Mouna (Hiam Abbass), who arrives in New York when she does not hear from her son for a few of days. All 3 touch each other's lives significantly and unexpectedly.

Impeccably acted by all, but especially Jenkins and Sleiman, the former deserves all the awards notice he is getting. I had a smile on my face for large chunks of the running time and, whilst the film certainly ha a point to make about the American immigration system, it by no means batters you over the head with it. It is a warm, funny, even touching film that invites you to spend 90-odd minutes with some wonderful characters, and that can never be a bad thing.

A-

Happy-Go-Lucky

Happy-Go-Lucky is Mike Leigh's latest, and whilst it doesn't veer away from his usual low budget take on the working class trappings, it does present a far happier portrayal of British life than much of his work. I've enjoyed Leigh most when he has explored subject matters outside his comfort zone - Topsy-Turvy being, in my eyes, easily his best work. Well Happy-Go-Lucky is also a little outside his comfort zone and features a wonderful Sally Hawkins as Poppy, who's character biography can be accurately synopsised by reading the title of the film. Quite unlike any character Leigh has written before, indeed quite unlike any character I have ever seen on screen before, Poppy is an infectious, inexorably delighted 30 year old who can laugh at anything, including severe back pain, make jokes out of the smallest of situations and who has a unwaveringly sunny outlook on life.

Some have found her carefree character irritating and I confess 5 minutes in I was itching for the off button, but that was more to do with there being five such individuals in the room together - an assault on anyone's senses. Poppy on her own though is pretty great and is highly enjoyable to watch especially when playing opposite her perfect counterfoil Scott, who is the antithesis of Poppy. Uptight, highly-strung and angry, Scott has the unenviable task of teaching Poppy how to drive - his exasperation providing frequent comic highlights.

There's no plot to speak of, Leigh, like McCarthy, has invited you to spend some time with some wonderful characters - in this case Poppy and Scott. Played to perfection, Marsan has sadly been overlooked thus far in the end of year awards circuit but Hawkins is racking up wins and nominations like there's no tomorrow. An Oscar nod is likely, and would be well deserved.

Just one minus point - the score is woeful. Everything else is great though. I really would love to see Mike Leigh get $100 million to spend on a movie one of these days. Until then I'll continue to enjoy great work such as this.

B+

Your 2008 Oscar Host

Changeling

Apparently Hollywood's highest paid actress, Angelina Jolie certainly has a decent amount of range - at least in the genre of films she appears in. Happy to appeal to the young testosterone juiced males in ludicrous (although quite fun) action heavy films like Wanted, she also makes sure she appears in enough films with higher pretensions in order to be taken seriously as a - well - serious actress. Very few actors have such a successful dual career - a number jump from one camp to the other for the odd film, but generally appear happier in the dumb popcorn stuff or the not so dumb award bait stuff and rarely both.

To date her more serious roles have yielded just one Oscar nomination and that was back in 2000 for Girl Interrupted - a role she went on to win for. A Mighty Heart was supposed to change that last year but Oscar looked away when everyone else at least saw fit to nominate her. This year though a nomination looks even likelier than it did this time 12 months ago, for Jolie has landed a role apparently highly sought after; Christine Collins - a woman whose son disappears one day when she takes on an extra shift at work, triggering a 5 months man hunt for her lost child. After an exhaustive search the LAPD, desperate to receive some good press, announce that they have found her son when in actual fact the boy they found is someone she's never met in her life. Worse, they refuse to acknowledge their mistake once they "reunite" mother and son and forcefully suggest Collins should take the boy home to "try him out" for a few weeks.

This was a time when the police had an incredible amount of power but very rarely used it wisely. Corruption was rife and mistreatment commonplace. Incredibly the police department didn't even require a medical examination to have someone (almost exclusively a female) incarcerated for mental illness. This was the 20s and women were largely second class citizens. At work Collins is told her manager had to lay his job on the line to get her promoted to shift supervisor - his bosses telling him women couldn't do the job. But inequality in the workplace is one thing, the ability to lock someone up without cause is quite another. Embarrassed by her protests that the boy is not her own, the department start actively campaigning against Collins, indicating that she is an unfit mother and mentally unstable - getting her sectioned under a code 12 internment, code 12 being a term used to jail or commit someone who was deemed difficult or an inconvenience. Enraged by the injustice of this and other cases involving the LAPD, a preacher Reverend Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich) complains daily of police mistreatment in his radio broadcasts and takes up the Christine Collins case as a personal mission to right the wrongs she has faced.

Clint Eastwood's first of two late 08 releases (the other being Gran Torino) is a typical Eastwood helmed picture. Sparse, understated, efficient. He has a confidence in the director's chair that comes with having directed films for nearly 40 years. Filming takes just a few weeks, he apparently rarely does multiple takes of a particular scene. If he likes the way his actors have done it first time round, he'll call cut and move on to the next scene. There's no irritating little tics like "clever" camera placements, edits or swooping pans. He is totally comfortable with placing the camera in the middle of the shot, letting his actors do their thing, then moving on. And where he excels, is getting excellent performances out of his cast. This is very much Angelina Jolie's picture and it is not hard to work out why both Hilary Swank and Reese Witherspoon lobbied for the role. This has serious awards potential - a heck of a lot of screen time, period piece, wronged woman etc. Whilst I wouldn't say she knocks it out of the park, she is certainly very good and has probably done enough to secure the second Oscar nomination of her career. This is not a performance on the same level as Kristen Scott Thomas' but then nothing else this year will be.

The other strong points in Eastwood's film largely revolve around his production crew, for Chageling is as handsome a film as I've seen for a while. It retains a 20s feel throughout - wonderful sets, impeccable costumes, hair and makeup. Its photographed wonderfully - retaining the 20s look through the lens. You feel a lot of time and effort went in to recreating the time period and the entire production team deserve an art direction nod for their efforts here.

Good support comes from Jeffrey Donovan who delivers one great line in particular - the one on the trailer: "why would we be looking for someone we have already found" - a wonderful mix of embarrassment, exasperation and desperation. If myfilmvault.com was sad enough to have an award for best single line reading I dare say this would be in my top 5 for the year. Changeling is an enjoyable film, one that never drags and a film that effortlessly changes gear and focus as the story unfolds. The story itself edges towards incredulity - indeed were it not a true story you might even suggest the screenwriters had pushed things a little too far. Normally I roll my eyes whenever I see those dreaded words "based on a true story" come up at the beginning of the film. On this occasion it is both necessary and actually enhances the film.

B

Miss Potter (2006)

My shameful lack of up to date reviews goes on. And I just can't muster up any enthusiasm to write a full review of this disappointing and ultimately dull film.

Is it fair to criticize a biopic for its poor characterization? Couldn't the director and stars simply reply 'well, why bother watching the film if the characters don't interest you?' Clearly, that will not do. Not only would a director with this attitude be very unlikely to sell tickets for her films, it is perfectly reasonable to expect nuanced, sophisticated characterization from a biopic. For one, you might just not really know the characters - as was the case for me here. Indeed, a biopic will live and die on its characters and whilst this doesn't irredeemably guillotine its audience we are still subjected to a slow lingering cinematic demise equivalent to those unfortunate souls who fall into Saarlac's pit.

In short, this is a dull, uninteresting pastiche of cliches, contrivances and annoyances lumped into 90 poorly put together minutes. The end result is very unsatisfactory and it falls well below the emotional waterline which it is trying to tread. The film does eventually find it's feet in the last third, but it's too late to save it from mediocrity.

Very briefly, the film tells the story of Beatrix Potter's attempts to have her books published and the young editor Norman Warne (Ewan McGregor) who falls for them and her. Renee Zellweger, who I like, is disappointing as Beatrix and the character feels annoying and largely charmless, which I, like the film itself, am sure she wasn't. McGregor is given little to do and is even denied the one scene which might have added an extra layer of emotional meaning to the film. The best aspect of the characters is certainly Ruppert Potter's (Bill Paterson's) awesome sideburns.

Okay, I'm being unnecessarily mean, but some of the accolades showered on this are way wide of the mark, particularly that dreaded adjective "enchanting". Whilst Beatrix Potter clearly was an interesting character, she is anything but enchanting here and I just found the characterisation and development annoying and cliched. Emily Watson, as Millie Warne, Norman's sister, is probably the best thing in it (as she often is) but that is not saying much.

I just can't recommend this. It's not awful, and the last part of the film is far more satisfying that the clunky moments that lead up to it. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood and this is better than I give it credit for but, regardless of whether I was in the mood or not, this is certainly not recommendation quality. I think a

C

is fair...

I await disagreement.

Cinematography of the Year 2003

Yet another very difficult call this year. You could potentially make a case for all of the five films in my top 5. Although, really, the cinematography in Return of the King, good though it is, is essentially just a follow on from the efforts of the previous two films, the visualisations of the City of the Dead (in particular) and also Minas Tirith (the City of the Kings) is especially stunning and the film is worthy of inclusion in any discussion on those two visual megaliths alone.

Another two films outside my top 5 also merit attention for visual thrills. The first is the spectacular bloodbath that is Zatoichi. Katsumi Yanagishima clearly has an eye for blood and the powerful effect copious amounts of it can have on an audience. When done well, that is, and not crudely, as in another 2003 film, Kill Bill: Volume 1. Tarantino could take a lesson here (which, or so I would argue, he did for volume 2).

Three of the films in my top 5 (The Station Agent, All the Real Girls and Mystic River) come from the same visual plateau (Americana) yet each, especially taken together, show just how light, atmosphere and backdrop can so heavily both influence, and reflect, mood. Mystic River feels dark and foreboding throughout, like the secrecy and undercurrents of discomfort that layer the town and its inhabitants. All the Real Girls is classic David Gordon Green (though it is Tim Orr and not Adam Stone - see my previous post - on photography duty here), dreamy, sleepy, soulful, romantic, all light perfectly reflecting and encompassing sound, like the quiet ping of a raindrop on a spring pond. Beautiful and sensuous. And the Station Agent - quiet, lazy, dreamy, backwater America washed with a cinematic landscape which makes you want to live it and, indeed, live in it. If I had to choose between them, All the Real Girls would win. I just love the look and feel of Green's films and can't wait to see his latest effort, Snow Angels.

Lost in Translation (cinematography by Lance Acord) is a different animal entirely, looking radiant and dazzling, bejewelled by the throbbing neon lights of a Hong Kong reminiscent (but no more than that) of Christopher Doyle's heartached Hong Kong landscapes in the films of Wong Kar Wai. Lost in Translation pushes the eventual winner close too.

However, the 2003 award goes to the second film not in my top 5, the Polish brothers' Northfork. I would watch this again purely for M. David Mullen's photography. The look is a perfect balance between dreamworld and reality, as though the stark, ethereal and dolorous bright light, inhabited by its strange, unearthly creatures, is itself the delicate and lonely bridge between this world and the next, into which the town of Northfork is shortly to disappear. Atavistic and brilliant, the light divides the two worlds, and moods, of the film perfectly. Northfork is a very good film, though one that disappeared too quickly, and its cinematography is well worthy of this award, which it steals ahead of more famous, and more heralded, company. Indeed, the company it finds itself in, and, ultimately ahead of (in this category) in 2003, is testimony to Mullen's strange and beautiful achievement.

Shotgun Stories (2007)

My colleague is going to despair. I finally get around to writing a review for (what I thought was) a 2008 film, then IMDB tells me it's 2007, even though it's only just come out on DVD. What to do? Well, I'll just have to go ahead and review the film anyway.

Shotgun Stories, a classic Matt-pleasing lyrical, pensive, beautifully shot, drama, set in the American south, focuses on three brothers, named Kid, Boy and Son who feud with four half-brothers following the death of their common father. Hated by Kid, Boy and Son, but beloved by the other brothers, Cleaman, Stephen, Mark and John, their father's legacy divides an already unstable family and shatters an uneasy peace, leading to inevitable tragedy, as plain and as sure as the sweet Arkansas sun laying in the rivets and shards of cotton in the fields which form the sumptuous and delicate backdrop to this unassuming, but engaging, human tragedy.

From the start, this is a powerful film. You begin by thinking that Film-maker Jeff Nichols has chosen very poor names for his lead characters but, following the powerful and foreboding funeral scene (eaten up on screen by Son, played by Michael Shannon, more on whom later), it soon dawns on the viewer that their names bear the indelible mark of a neglectful and abusive father who couldn't give so much of a damn as to give them a proper name. Notably unlike his other four sons, who proclaim, with all honesty and integrity, that their father was a changed man after he ran out on Kid, Boy and Son. It's a powerful message - a history, a legacy, is a hard thing to shake at the best of times, but harder still when your name, and how it contrast with that of more favoured and fortunate siblings, stands as a constant reminder to pain, loss, struggle and turmoil, never clearer than when Son, at his father's funeral, reflects that their father ran out on them "to be raised by a hateful woman" his voice bleeding with pregnant rage.

As required by character-lead dramas, the performances here are high end and the characters deep, fluid and interesting. Michael Shannon, as Son, steals the film. An incredible mixture of Joaquin Phoenix, Di Caprio and early Brando, Shannon gives a performance here that suggests he will go on to greater things. I hope he does, he deserves to. Son is one of those rare characters whose fate you just feel tide to and in whose world you have some strange urge to belong, despite its difficulty and struggle. A great performance. Douglas Ligon and Barlow Jacobs, as Boy and Kid respectively, have more to do than the brothers from the other side of the family, and both ably support Shannon and all three brothers are deep, interesting, characters that stand well above the level of caricature, not always easy with a film such as this. The other four brothers are less developed, with the exception of the interesting and pained Cleaman (Michael Abbot Jr.), and this is a flaw, but one that will have to be excused, given the film's running time. It doesn't, I think, have designs on being 'epic' and that will be reflected in the final grade.

Shot by David Gordon Green (on producer duty here)'s favorite cinematographer Adam Stone (who photographed Green's George Washington, All The Real Girls and Undertow), this looks accomplished, lyrical and stunning, the images deliberately provoking contrasts with one another and the overall mood of the film (Green's influence on Nichols is palpable here). The score, by Lucero Pyramid, is suitably haunting and compelling as well.

I really liked this and will add it to my collection as soon as possible. It's very much my kind of film and that is reflected in my grade, so the recommendation comes with that warning that this is very me, but that is not to say it isn't very you either. Well, well, worth a go and well worth an

A-