Skyfall

Now I am in no way a Bond expert. As part of the Brosnan generation, I have grown up with the 007 franchise being full of action and a lot of cheese.

However that doesn’t mean that I don’t get excited when a new film comes out. It’s like a national event when it comes around you just cannot escape the adverts that plaster the cities.

So last night I got the chance to go see Skyfall and I can say I was not disappointed.

When the credits started rolling I got Goosebumps, I love Adele’s song and teamed up with some beautiful shots this was the perfect way to start the film.

 Not only did the film provide a lot of topless Daniel Craig scenes (thank you), but also an excellent villain in Javier Bardem – who is perfectly psychotic and dangerous.

I’ve read reviews that this bond is back to it’s best, and I have to agree. It is definitely the best film I have seen from Brosnan onwards, maybe even ever.

I was a bit unsure around halfway through the movie as to whether it would be able to turn itself around. A low point being a particularly bad one liner that in my opinion should have been completely cut from the film.

I have to say that I find that Daniel Craig does not lend himself well to comedy, for me he seems to be a more serious Bond. So when he delivers the comic lines I cannot help but feel that it slightly mismatches his Bond- style.

In fact the whole film seemed to have a bit of an identity crisis. There were points where I questioned whether it was Bond film or not and the plot seemed to be a bit fragmented.

However the final part of the film (don’t worry no spoilers here) was so beautifully shot (thanks to the brilliant cinematographer Roger Deakins) and epic that it meant that I could forgive the occasional trip ups.

I would definitely recommended going to see this, not only for the Craig but also for some great shots that had me mouthing ‘oh God this is so cool.’

Skyfall is out now.

Oh Land - White Nights

So now I’m going to gush on about a song I am LOVING at the moment. I know I am a little late on the bandwagon but Oh Land’s music video for her single White Nights is too good to ignore.

I am not usually one to re-watch a music video, and to be honest a lot of pop videos bore me a little. Their link to the lyrics and the general meaning of a song tend to be very tenuous.

A prime example of this would be Maroon 5’s Payphone, which is a top budget pile of poo if you ask me.

Not even Adam Levine's tones torso could save this video...

However Canada’s creation (the director Oh Land (Nanna) is actually Danish) seems to get the balance perfectly. The dream-like imagery ties in effortlessly with the mystical music.

The slow motion shot of Oh Land jumping into the water is just stunning and one of my favourite scenes from the video.

Maybe I am having a bit of a magpie moment – I tend to be attracted to shiny things. But to me this video is stunningly shot, and wonderfully choreographed.

Anyway watch it here and see what you think…

Oh Land’s album is available now. 

Shame

This film was not what I expected it to be. That’s not a bad thing however; I found it very powerful and atmospheric (which you know is my thing).

From the director of Hunger, Steve Mqueen’s Shame deals with the challenging topic of sexual addiction, and the imagery doesn’t shy away from this. It is not a glamorous portrayal of addiction but a cold, chilling story of one man, Brandon’s (Michael Fassbender) spiralling obsession.

McQueen’s choice of clean lines seen throughout means that the film has a cold feeling to it, a kind of emptiness which is mirrored in Brandon's lifestyle. This combined with the voyeuristic camera creates an uneasy, disturbing atmosphere.

There is a lack of colour and contant use of clean lines in the film.

McQueen plays with cinematic techniques in the film, which gives it a distinctive look. One thing that stuck out to me was the contrast in sound. This contrast was always centred on Brandon. The sense that we saw the story through Brandon’s eyes was therefore heightened.

On the topic of music, the soundtrack is beautiful. You may not notice it whilst watching it, but I looked it up on Spotify afterwards and was just blown away by how heart breaking it is. Especially the score entitled ‘Brandon,’ which is breath-taking.

I also have to say that Fassbender’s performance was flawless. He always plays the charismatic, sinister character very well.

Shame hasn’t made its way onto my top film list (it’s a very elite club). But it raises some interesting questions about society’s relationship with sex and the porn industry and I would definitely say it's worth a watch.

Shame is available on DVD and Blu Ray now.

Moone Boy and Hunderby

The cast of the hilarious Hunderby  on set.

This is just a quick post to mention a couple of shows I’m loving at the moment. I know, I know this is meant to a post about Shame but I’ve got a little side-tracked by some other TV delights…

After a fleeting visit back home to London this week I was treated to the luxuries of Sky Plus. So I decided to catch up with everything I’ve been missing whilst being at uni (a student budget can’t quite stretch to a Sky TV subscription).

Both products of Sky’s new season of comedy, Hunderby and Moone Boy have had me chuckling away to the TV screen.

I’ll be honest with you, I was doubtful when I saw the adverts for these two programs. For me, Sky comedies have always been incredibly disappointing Stella and Parents being prime examples.

However Julia Davis’ Hunderby is incredibly funny in all its weirdness. Set in 1800s England, this clever spoof drama certainly provides a lot of laughs. I particularly like Rufus Jones as Dr Foggerty, who plays the role of the charming kind-hearted doctor with his saying “Hush Ho”.

I’ve also been giggling away to Chris O’Dowd’s Moone Boy, which is a sweet coming-of-age story about an 11-year-old boy and his imaginary friend (played by O’Dowd himself). Set in a small town in Ireland, this semi-autobiographical comedy is a must watch if you haven’t already been doing so.

Moone Boy and Hunderby are currently showing on Sky 1 and Sky Atlantic.

Katy Perry: Part of Me

So we need to chat.

I feel like we are far enough in our relationship for me to reveal something to you.

The other night I voluntarily watched Katy Perry the film.

Yes. I know, I know. I’m not proud of it. It just... happened.

The film offers plenty of behind the scenes footage of Katy on her world tour.

I could go ahead and use the excuse that a friend made me watch it, but that’s just not true. It was totally consensual.

Sure it’s not my normal scene and sure I cried, but Russell was breaking her poor little happy heart. He wanted kids and she wasn’t ready. It wasn’t the fairy-tale marriage she thought it would be.

All jokes aside, I do feel like I have to look at this slightly critically. My main problem is the naming of this as a ‘movie’ because it just isn’t. It is a documentary. To be honest this whole MTV culture of calling documentaries ‘movies’ gets under my skin. Aside from this I found the film harmless enough.

Anyway, I feel a lot better after sharing this with you. I think it’s brought us closer.

I’d say watch the film if you like Katy Perry, or just want something to see that’s not going to require too many brain cells.

On another note, watch out for my review of Shame. It’s coming soon!