Essential February '12

ESSENTIAL VIEWING THIS FEBRUARY:
Hollywood has not spoiled us with strong political dramas over the past years, but this months The Ides of March is a solid contribution to the genre. George Clooney's fourth directorial effort is based on the stage play Farragut North by Beau Willimon, who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Clooney and his long time production partner Grant Heslov. And it works well on the screen too, thanks to a steady and confident hand from Clooney and a rock solid cast. Ryan Gosling is terrific in the leading role and there is comforting supporting work from the likes of Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Clooney himself. It may not blow your hair back with surprises, but the quality of the work both in front of and behind the camera makes this a very compelling watch and yet another, as if it was needed, piece of evidence that Clooney truly is a driving force on either side of the lens.

My Week With Marilyn mainly got its attention due to the uncanny resemblance and powerhouse performance from Michelle Williams in the leading role. But there is much more to appreciate in here. Ben Smithards beautiful cinematography and the tremendous screenplay by Adrian Hodges immediately springs to mind. There are also superb supporting performances to be found in Kenneth Branagh's Laurence Olivier and Eddie Redmayne. But of course, this is Williams' show. As Marilyn Monroe she has created another milestone performance, assuring her position as one of the finest American actresses of her generation. The film is a wonderful depiction of an era, an industry and a troubled spirit that went away far too soon.

Liam Neeson has made some questionable acting choices lately, but his turn in Joe Carnahan's The Grey is a perfect fit between actor and part. The film about a group of survivors after a plane crash in Alaska is a rough, thrilling and eventually moving experience. With no chance of rescue the group begin their travel south, fighting both the blistering cold and an alarmingly aggresive pack of wolves. Accompanied by Marc Streitenfeld's haunting score and terrific photography by Masanobu Takayanagi, this is a superb piece of entertainment that carries an emotional punch difficult to recover from. Truly impressive from everyone involved.

ESSENTIAL LISTENING THIS FEBRUARY:
With The Grey already mention, why not go ahead and praise the superb soundtrack as well. Composer Marc Streitenfeld earned his stripes by creating the score for Ridley Scott's Robin Hood and Body of Lies. The Grey (which Scott produces) is by far his finest soundtrack achievement yet, and plays equally strong alongside Joe Carnahan's exciting action and emotional scenes. One of the finest instrumental soundtracks out of Hollywood in a long time.

As cool album titles go, Mark Lanegan's latest has to be a contender. Blues Funeral is the name of his first solo album in eight years, and it is another strong outing by the former Screaming Trees frontman. The opening track and single, The Gravedigger's Song really sets the bar, and even though the albums twelve tracks may not all be able to keep up, all put together this is a very well organized and solid release. After his tremendous work with singer Isobel Campbell, it may take a while for you to get Lanegan's more noisy and rough solo boots on, but when you do it is very satisfying walk indeed.

Norwegian pop/rock outfit Mount Washington has just released their fourth album, this time self titled after having added the "Mount" to their band name. Their name is not the only thing they have elaborated, as their sound this time around features more beats and technical impulses than before. Their roots may still be found in melancholic pop, but there is a more electronic edge to most of their tracks. Luckily the quality of the music has not changed as this is another impressive release from the Berlin based Norwegians. It has always been a mystery to this writer why this band does not inhabit more fame and acclaim. This album might be the one to change all that. Enjoy Lisboa and you'll know what I mean.

Photograph # 17

"cold smoke"
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