Somewhere Around Here: November 2010

Essential viewing this November:
- The Social Network is the new film from David Fincher and it is a comforting return to form after the mildly disappointing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). Based on the acclaimed book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich and with a script penned by West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin, there is certainly enough talent on display here to get you interested. The film looks great and the solid performances make this a compelling viewing. There is a feeling of uncertainty that creates an almost claustrophobic atmosphere which makes even the most dialogue driven parts very exciting. Fronted by a phenomenal turn from lead actor Jesse Eisenberg, this is one of the best character dramas of the year.

- Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay have created some of the past decades finest comedies, with 2004’s Anchorman as the standout. This month they are back together again with The Other Guys, with Ferrell playing a desk riding police officer alongside Mark Wahlberg. Wahlberg struggles to keep up sometimes, but the two make for a surprisingly fine comic duo. The comedy works far better than the action, and the use of Steve Coogan as the villain is hardly the best casting of the year, but all together this is an enjoyable flick with some genuinely hilarious bits.

- When actor Joaquin Phoenix announced in 2008 that he was retiring from the business, people immediately thought it was a joke. Two years later, the film I’m Still Here arrives, and just a few weeks after its release, director Casey Affleck admitted that it was in fact just that. Which is a shame because the film would definitely have benefitted from having its audience in the dark throughout. Regardless, it is still a fascinating experiment and fake or not, Phoenix does pull out one of the best performances of his career. The quality of his various encounters vary a little too much, and Affleck should have realized that the best parts are often when Phoenix is left alone and that it is then we get the closest to him. It is a superb performance and a courageous exploration of celebrity that maybe suffers a little bit from its own making.

Essential listening this November:
- Håkan Hellström has firmly established himself as Sweden’s top provider of pop music over the past ten years. With his new album 2 Steg Från Paradise he should ensure that his position is not under any threat. There is plenty of both rock and powerpop and Hellströms voice still sounds strong and fresh. While tipping his hat to the likes of Springsteen and Morrissey he belts out tunes with confidence and high energy. A terrific pop record.

- The debut album from Scottish trio Sparrow and the Workshop has actually been out for some months, but it was not until I caught them live a few weeks ago that I really got a sense of them. The album Crystals Fall is a strong first outing and the band sounds tight and alive from the very beginning. They’re hard to place in genre, but the album has strong elements of folk and pop while there are also quite a few rocky tracks. Think Florence and The Machine meets The White Stripes. In a good way.

- I’ve made my love and admiration for Bruce Springsteen known before on this site so it probably won’t come as a surprise that the release of his Darkness on the Edge of Town box set finds its way into this month’s column. Alongside a re-mastered edition of his 1978 record there is also The Promise, a two disc album featuring songs that didn’t make the final cut. A three year legal ban from releasing new music due to a conflict with his former manager gave Springsteen plenty of time to record and the result was about seventy new tracks. Needless to say, there is plenty of quality and it should be interesting for more than just the average fan. A rock solid release and a reminder that they just don’t make ‘em like this anymore.
The single Save My Love has a nice video which shows you The Boss both now and back in the seventies, recording what would become in my opinion his finest and most complete album.