Director Oren Moverman has managed to get the very best out of actor Woody Harrelson over the past few years. First in 2009’s The Messenger, mentioned earlier on this site, which earned them both Oscar nominations, and again in this months Rampart. Harrelson is absolutely terrific as the dirty cop roaming the streets of a gritty
One of the finest and most original comedies this year has to be The Guard. Featuring two pitch perfect performances by Don Cheadle and Brendan Gleeson, earning the ladder a Golden Globe nomination, and a wonderful script by writer and director John Michael McDonagh. McDonagh, the brother of Martin, who also brought out a superb performance from Gleeson in the delicious In Bruges (2008). Featuring strong support from the always reliable Mark Strong, this is a quirky and offbeat take on a familiar story, that allows every participant to shine. A wonderful achievement, and further confirmation that Gleeson has no problem carrying a picture on his own.
Still going strong, The Avengers is proving to become one of the biggest box office hits of all time. And thankfully, it deserves to be just that. And director Joss Whedon deserves most credit for that. What on paper seemed like an impossible job, putting all of Marvels biggest characters together, and making each one feel both welcome and required. In the wrong hands this could easily have become The Robert Downey, jr Show or an excessive use of effects to disguise the difficult job at hand. This one has plenty of both, but it is in the way Whedon mixes it all together one becomes impressed. The Avengers is an almost flawless piece of popcorn entertainment, and delivers on surprisingly many levels. Every member of the star studded cast comes out a winner, and include a delicious villain in Tom Hiddlestone’s Loke, and you have what is surely looking to become the biggest success of the year. That is, unless the Bat or Spidey come up with something equally impressive. Which is an absolute possibility.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING THIS MAY:
After having declared their previous album, Broken, the best album of 2009 it goes without saying that the return of Soulsavers is indeed a much anticipated visit. With The Light The Dead See they have created another rock solid album, that even though falls a bit short of its predecessor is a very enjoyable record. As always there is both melancholy and energy to be found and at times the words come of closer to poetry than song lyrics. This time around long time collaborator Mark Lanegan has handed over the vocal duties to Dave Gahan, who quickly establishes himself as a fitting singer of these wounded blues. An album that ultimately feels a little too inaccessible, but without a doubt will grow stronger with further visits.
After many years of separation, this writer and Sigur Ròs have reconnected and grown more fond of each other than ever this past year. So the timing of their latest album Valtari could not be better. Easily recognisable as classic Sigur Ròs, the album is seductive and emotional in more ways than one, and definitely needs time to nurture and grow in the property of its owner. The band from
Having toured with Sivert Høyem on several occasions, the acquaintance of Kreg Viesselman seems inevitable. And what a lovely first meeting it has become. If You Lose Your Light is a terrific album, filled with pop and rock tracks that are easy on the ears, but offers depth and wisdom if you investigate further. Mainly through his beautiful lyrics, Viesselman is reflective and engaging, making this record a wonderful mix of soulful ballads and catchy tunes. I can’t wait for our second date.
Check out If You Think You Knew Me Once and join the club.
