Saving Mr Banks

What a good movie. Thoroughly enjoyed, could not fault it.
Emma Thompson playing the writer P L Travers supplants Bullock for the Oscar nomination in my book.
Nice shot near the end with Thompson on the red carpet outside the Grauman's Chinese Theatre looking back onto the road and the awful tacky shops opposite are masked out with red sheeting. Well what else would you do?
There is a fault and that's what happened after the film's premier and end of this film.Travers doesn't like the film at all and refuses to collaborate with Disney on any further adaptations. So a rather Disney view on themselves so for that knowledge I have deducted a further mark.

8/10

Watch out for references to paintings, I spotted two, the first a nod to Hockney, the second to Millais's Ophelia. (watch out for the way the hands are held)

Gravity

Without doubt best film seen for a long time. Multiple Oscars will be coming its way come March. Sandra Bullock very well cast in lead role and given the other actress offered the role, the most appropriate and should receive her second statue for her part.
How long the stunning opening scene went on for I do not know but it felt like ten minutes, but could have been longer so much so that the first obvious cutaway came as a jolt. Cinematography in Emmanuel Lubezki hands gobsmackingly outstanding, another Oscar winner there too. I have read that there are only around 200 cutaways in the film much less that normal, please note other directors and editors. Nothing is more tiresome than a scene cut into multiple shots and different perspectives. Emmanuel Lubezki, if you dont get an Oscar, you will get mine.
Lastly for a Brit, this was filmed, except for the last couple of minutes, in Shepperton Studios and 3D enhancement again by UK studios. How they achieved this 'real' film is beyond me but breathtaking it was.

A tip, unless watching at an IMAX, sit down at the front. Do not stray towards the back (which I normally would) but get yourself down there so that the screen fills your vision totally and you have to move your head to see what is happening on the extremes.
A  truly remarkable film.

9.75 / 10   (the ending was predictable otherwise it would have been 10)

Captain Phillips

Decent film in the hands of a master director, Paul Greengrass. Hanks and Barkhad Adbi turn in good performances especially Adbi as it was his first screen role.
9 / 10

Bacon and Moore @ Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

Interesting juxstaposition between the two artist's work but was left rather underwhelmed by the whole exhibition. After Bowie Is at the V&A this did feel rather provincial.
Bacon is so over rated and getting close up only reinforced that view. Moore is from a different and special planet to Bacon, I did like this small piece called Three Points especially.

5/10

Squally Showers @ NT's The Shed

Pythonesque study in bad acting with equally bizare dancing that would be at home on the Edinburgh Festival circuit, a very amusing 65 minutes were spent in the NT's Shed. The sight of a previous PM break dancing and a magical use of a prop half way through were a few of the highlights. What it was about? who cares!

7/10

EOTR 2013 @ Larmer Tree Gardens

For some reason we felt this years EOTR had an 'end of term' feel to it, don't know why maybe it was the autumnal weather that put a chill into the evenings. The days were perfect, but come sundown a chill wind could be felt as well as the drizzle that marred Friday night.
So highlights only.
David Byrne and St Vincent were just wonderful, driven on by a seven piece brass section taking on the tradition of American marching bands by constantly being on the move. All well choreographed with DB doing his Stop Making Sense moves and Annie Clark tettering along on high heel shoes like a music box marionette. The final number is Road To Nowhere, and with all the musicians radio miked and not a lead in sight they proceed to play the number conga style around the stage clear of amps etc. They knew what they were doing, magical. Must see again.
Sigmur Ros were just from another planet, orchestral/operatic in ambition, could this be what an Wagner would have sounded like if he had been born in the late 20C. Again a brass section but only four strong and a four piece string/vocals outfit. What Jón Birgisson was singing about nobody had any idea but listen to him as if it was another instrument and it made sense. After an hour we had had enough vowing to see them again but in a full concert hall where we could sit down in comfort and
just let it all wash over us.
Best of the rest: it has to be the girls, Caitlin Rose with a blistering 50 minute set with what looked like so imported additional musicians on lead and drums. it certainly worked. Warpaint the day before, all women's outfit with good control of the dynamics of rock. Heartless Bastards had a feel of a rock orientated Lucinda Williams and again good control of dynamics.
Savages were a little disappointment, having seen them a month earlier in LA where standing right in front of guitarist Gemma Thompson the power of their performance was really bought home, it was lost on us standing near the back of The Big Tent and a badly lit stage.
Surprise of the weekend was King Khan and his Shrines, funk,soul, grunge and psychedelia all rolled into one. But again common element shared with DB/StV/SR was the horn section, that extra texture made the difference between them and all the guitar based groups, long may it last.
Small mention to Ed Harcourt who to had a trumpeter and Serafina Steer with her harp based rocky songs.

So what makes EOTR so special, ignoring Joanna Newsome two years ago, its the Americans, better musicianship, better stage craft, just more nounce all round, set against the raw Brits. It all leads to an interesting juxstaposition, with my heart going to the Yanks.

Quentin Dennard Snr @ Hal's Bar and Grill on Abbott Kinney Blvd Venice Beach

Last night in LA, decide to go somewhere nice to eat, first place we tried had a long wait. Walked a few more yards, nice restaurant and got seated immediatly.
Next to a small band who were setting up, bass, keyboard, sax and drums. Band ask for any songs from audience, I threw in one which they thought had too many changes (probably difficult for audience....Birdland by Weather Report) so said do a Beatles medly.
Anyway, they were very good indeed...too good infact for the location.
They did about six or seven numbers and stopped for a break. The drummer who I had been having the conversation with over songs came over to our table and a very friendly chat ensued, really nice genuine guy. We mentioned we were from Oxford which he replied he had played back in the 70s as drummer for The Supremes!
No wonder they were good. So now back home good old internet hrows up this piece of information.
Top Bloke!

Quentin Dennard Sr. is a virtual musical chameleon, making his moves with ease from straight-ahead jazz to R&B; from low-down blues to fusion; from polka to pop. I've seen Quentin play with such Motown-greats as legendary saxophonist, Teddy Edwards, jazz & blues recording artist, Barbara Morrison, bassist and former Detroiter, Thomas Gargano, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin and Freda Payne. Without blinking, he put tasty R&B licks behind the silky, smooth vocals of Eddie Kendricks and was the percussionist who pumped up the band for The Temptations and The Supremes. Quentin Sr. also toured with Edwin Starr and later became a driving force at Invictus Records. When Holland, Dozier and Holland were just giving their fledgling record company wings, it was Quentin's flying drum sticks that backed up the hit group Honeycomb, as well as Chairman of the Board.

Full Dee Dee Mac interview 

Eilen Jewell Band @ Pershing Square Los Angeles.

A great 45minute vignette from Eilen Jewell and her band, keeping it reasonably up tempo so no Codeine Arms. Managed to get a request for High Shelf Booze which she duly obliged. Still do not understand why she is not bigger. Spoke to Lucinda Williams who was there with her husband/manager Tom Overby and who manages EJ too, anyway Lucinda sat to the left of the stage and was getting well into the set. Had a nice chat with EJ after, it is so great that your favourites are so readily available.
But what made the gig exceptional was the setting, starting off with a clear blue sky before darkening quickly showing off the towering office buildings that surrounded the square.
Thank you LA for a very memorable, if some what short gig.
10/10

The Getty Centre, Los Angeles

There are few 'free rides' in the museum/art gallery/famous building on the world scene as they have now become reliant on pay on the door customers, The Ashmoleum in Oxford is another refreshing example, but the Getty, with its large collection including significant works and a building whose design is a masterclass of pure control, is a free ride par example.
True it costs $15 to park the car, but you do get a ride on the tram up the hill.
The massing in places reminded me of both the Alhambra in Granada and Castle Drogo (by Lutyens) on the edge of Dartmoor but it is the sheer control of the detail design that is quite awe inspiring. There are a couple of areas where the grid pattern clashes with grids attached to a circular devise like the entrance rotunda, and there are places of liitle idioscracies where instead of the regular square grid of the stone façade is sub divided instead by an angle cut...spot it if you can!
All in all a short visit but well worth the drive over from Venice Beach.

!0/10

Savages @ El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles

 

Great little venue matched equally by a great band with Balls. Raw energy, post punk feel, with Jehnny Beth posing like Johnny Rotten occasionally snarling at the audience but at the same time flirting with the men at the front below her 3" heels. Strangely just a one hour set but given its intensity, probably a good job.
Gemma Thompson an excellent guitarist making the most of the array of pedals at her command, standing right next to her feet on the edge of the stage, she was pretty nimble with her feet controlling the output.
So a great evening adventure out from our holiday house on Venice Beach. Sat Nav guided us swiftly to and back from the El Rey which with valet parking organised right outside for $10 was a little luxury worth taking. Can London take it up please. Drinks were shockingly expensive though.

9/10

A Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable. by Punchdrunk

Seen in someways appropriately on the 4th of July, this is very much an independent theatrical experience where exploration of a story across four floors and 200,000 sq ft of a redundant postal sorting office has you, the usually seated public, scampering around.
Through the back lots, bars and trailer parks of Hollywood to the desert of Death Valley this production is one incredible feat of theatre production where you the voyeuristic and masked cinema goer have to explore to root out the story that unfolds. A small flyer handed out before you are masked, reveals the black and white, two sides to a story, tale of a couple whose relationship is breaking up, and it is them that you follow, or try to follow over three hours from the cool and barren basement to a high kicking finale.
I though next day that we had seen between a third and a half of the actual story and have since learnt that stringed together the actual production would last ten hours which temps the question, do you back for more? Quite possibly as you know where to look, who to follow and what to avoid.
We fortunately witnessed the start of the tale which was acted out to just three of us, and again saw a conclusion at the end before rushing after the fleeing actor to the finale a couple of floors below. But only just considering that most of the audience were already there. This bathing scene we missed and only heard about it outside afterwards.

So, this is not for everyone, story a bit thin and you physically have to work at it to keep up, but as an experience, this is second to none and will linger in the head for a long time.
8.5 / 10

Mission Drift @ The Shed, National Theatre

Excellent satire from New York's Team group, and proves to me that the NT is the place to see first rate theatre. With two disappointing rep outings this year, the three NT productions have proved illuminating and all where we have sat on stage right next to the actors (The Architects slightly different maybe).
The Shed is a great temporary theatre, all little too warm for the hottest day of the year so far but appropriately intimate, what will happen to it once the refurb to the Cutteslow is complete who knows but it will be a shame if it is just dismantled. Architecturally it brings a welcome alternative form (and colour) to the otherwise bleak, but extremely vibrant (the pop up container bar in front of the Hayward another exception) South Bank.
Roll on Punchdrunk's Drowned Man is a few weeks time.

9/10

Lucinda Williams @ Barbican Hall

Described as an 'Intimate Evening With Lucinda Williams' this was anything but. Apart from the good acoustics, The Barbican Hall is not a venue to recomended for anyone of the rock/folk/country etc etc community. It is souless with 1% atmosphere, a cavernous hall. Why oh why was she promoted here? Audience, predominatly middle class and middle aged, including myself, not even sold out, unlike the last two occsions at a packed and very responsive Shephers Bush Empire. She even said after three songs that it was a bit quiet. Wrong venue Lucinda!
However, a strong selection of songs, and a majority that I have not heard live before, tailored to the fact she was accompanied by lead guitarist Doug Pettibone and bassist David Sutton. A good format which allowed space for the songs chosen but could have done with a precussionist (not drummer) in the mode of someone like the late Don Alias had with Joni Mitchell in her golden years to fill and add that little bit extra texture.
Low lights were Drunken Angel when she either got ahead of herself or Pettibone and Sutton were way behind and the new number Something Wicked This Way Comes. (the other new one I Look At The World showing early promise)
Highlights, her voice was on good strong form... Car Wheels... Copenhagen.... Nick Drake's River Man (a surprise)...Blessed and of course Ventura for a number of reasons one being that I will try and drive Ventura in July but also for the fact that Neil Young ('put Neil Young on and turn up the sound') was playing at the very same time five miles away over at the O2. If he turned up his sound, maybe we could hear him.
Did she entertain me? for a fan the glass was half empty.
Late in the day but it occurred to me that her songs were real life vignettes
Managed to get one half decent photo which was not bad as we were in the circle but security at the Barbican was lax as I just walked through with a big camera.

Set list

        Can't Let Go
        Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
        People Talkin'
        Pineola
        Sweet Old World
        Something About What Happens When We Talk
        Ventura
        I Look At the World
        Copenhagen
        I Envy the Wind
        I Lost It
        Drunken Angel
        Something Wicked This Way Comes
        Those Three Days
        Hard Time Killing Floor (Skip James)
        Essence
        Joy
        Honey Bee
        Encore:
        River Man (Nick Drake)
        Blessed
        Get Right With God

7.5/10

Behind the Candelabra

Top rate performance from Douglas and even Damon is a surprise. Enjoyable movie with plenty of grimace factor.
But no chance of an Oscar for Douglas as considered to be a film made for TV. Would have deservedly been nominated otherwise.

8/10

David Bowie is @ The V&A

Was never a fan but they have put on a great exhibition. Two high points for me were a couple of scraps of paper with costing for hire of musicians for a recording in London, The £12 for Piano (Rick) was presumably Mr Wakeman, and the projected images/videos on to suspended cubes or the great hall of three storeys high was gobsmackingly outstanding.
9/10

Star Trek. Into Darkness

Yawn
Bang bang shoot them up movie, a complete waste
4/10

Climb the Icon @ The O2 London

This photo of Up at The O2 is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Glorious sunny evening, big party, togged up in all weather clothing but hardly necessary, the first two lifts are challenging especially with the bouncy rubber suspended walking deck, but after that relatavily straight forward. The last two lifts coming down are equally as interesting.
good views from the top of the east end of London which still is poorly developed although across the water onto Canary Wharf is a differnt matter.
Worth it.
9/10

Queen of the Nile @ Hull Truck Theatre

Back in the 80's we saw Hull Truck on a number of occasions in London, Bush Theatre and Donmar Warehouse spring to mind and under Terry Godber the material was sharp and funny. So was pleased to be told that our hosts had obtained tickets for a performance. 
Decent new theatre in the centre of Hull all promised well but thats where it ended. Some funny lines, a good number of obvious funny dialogue but otherwise flat. The last month or so have become adicited to The Big Bang Theory and that is so well scipted it puts most into the shade, and for Queen of the Nile, that wit and sharpness just put a sandstorm over this production.

5.5/10

Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express @ Islington Assembly Hall

Chuck Prophet in UK terms is very under rated, much to my advantage. Dingwalls last year I stood next to his guitarist James DePrato throughout the whole set, this gig with its elevated stage, able to lean comfortably on the security barrier with the band all before me.

A blistering 2+ hour set, great solos, good well structured songs, great rapore and interaction with the audience, loved the use yet again of the squawk microphone, and an excellent version of Bowie's 'Sorrow' duetting with his wife Stephanie and humour.
As a friend remarked during his set at Oxford the following night, Outstanding!

So why is he under rated / unheard of in the UK, I have no idea. Blame 6 Music for not playing him enough. Mike Trotman, the Oxford gig promoter wrote, 'In some parallel dimension Chuck Prophet is a star, though for the real-world fans he’s amassed over the past three decades, beginning with his stint in Green on Red through his well-regarded solo career, he may as well already be one'.

9/10 (possibly too many solos stops it being a 10/10)

Mick Farren and the Deviants @ Islington Assembly Hall

Support for Chuck Prophet, reminded me of Mark E Smith and The Fall who has been quoted as saying, "If it's me and your granny on bongos, then it's the Fall". Exchange Fall with Deviants and you have it in one only Farren is 13 years older than Smith, but the granny on bongos is still there.
Good to see you can still rock and roll at 69, albeit with the help of a stool.
Not my cup of tea but 5.5/10

Beth Orton @ Acadamy Oxford

Disapointed, some good moments mainly centred around songs from Central Reservation. Venue was packed with hardcore of fans, but did not light mine and our party's fire.
The problem for me is that I wanted the band to have a bit more funk, taking the songs towards their folk roots and away from a dance orientated 'folktronica' sound. Or maybe I was just imaging something that she does not deliver. 

5/10

Trance

Grave, grave dissapointment. Having seen by accident Memento the previous evening which has a similar theme running through, this Boyle film was not a patch on the Nolan. Pumped up music obscuring dialogue, a plot full of holes. It was as if he gave it a junior to handle whilst he was concentrating on the Olympics.

5/10

This House @ The National Theatre

With the best seats in the theatre, front row, goverment benches, this was one thouroughly enjoyable experience from start to its finish some two and a half hours later. Missed Paul Daniels presence after he was caught backing Michael Foot as replacement for Wilson in the later stages but that is nit picking. A hot seat in town indeed.

9/10

The Architects

First exursion into immersive theatre in Shunt's production at the Biscuit Factory in Bermondsey.
Enjoyable, but it promised more than it delivered.

7 / 10

Life of Pi

Faithfull reproduction of book and being in 3D a trully amazing visual experience. This was my first 3D film and having to wear the glasses over my glasses not a good thing to say the least but soon got used to it. After the 3D trailers, the film had a natural approach to its use of the third dimension which thankfully greatly enhanced the experience.
Strong performance from Suraj Sharma as Pi, a film debut no less and the cgi work that created the tiger. The alternative version of the events somehow takes away the impact of the magical story.

9 / 10