ESSENTIAL VIEWING THIS FEBRUARY:
For true film lovers, the release of a new Paul Thomas Anderson movie is considered a major event. It’s been five years since There Will Be Blood, his most ambitious movie to date. But with this month’s The Master, Anderson shows he is ready to take his filmmaking to yet another level. Driven by three stunning performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams (who all received Oscar-nominations), this is complex and disturbing storytelling taking full use of the format that is grand cinema. It is Anderson’s first collaboration with cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. and together they have created one of the most beautiful American pictures in years. Shot entirely in 65mm (the first film in 16 years to do so) it simply looks stunning, and it is a shame that our digital revolution prevents many audiences to see it in its original format. This is dark and gritty, but personal and undeniable brilliance from the most exciting filmmaker working in Hollywood today.
Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty may not have swiped the table clean during this award season as one might have expected, but considering the source material this film was always going to be a tough sell to an American audience. The ten year long manhunt for the man responsible for 9/11 had to be re-written halfway through when the Navy Seals made their way into that compound. But the drama surrounding the fights that went on in the corridors of Washington and on the ground in the Middle-East still makes for terrific cinema. Featuring a superb performance from Jessica Chastain (surely the most versatile leading lady in Hollywood at the moment), brilliant editing and some impressive camerawork from Greig Fraser, this is wildly entertaining and at times offers edge-off-your seat stuff.
Silver Linings Playbook made history at this year’s Oscar, as it received nominations in every acting category. At the end of the night it was only Jennifer Lawrence who went home happy, and even though one could argue it perhaps was not this year’s strongest performance, she certainly is the one who carries this film. Bradley Cooper also does well in his first proper drama gig, but the main quality in this picture lies in the dialogue and writing. Director David O. Russell has showed an impressive range as a filmmaker, with titles such as The Fighter (2010), Three Kings (1999) and the shamefully overlooked Flirting With Disaster (1996). This is another strong achievement, and even though it may not hit you as hard as the creators would wish for, it is still an engaging watch and a thoughtfully executed piece of work.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING THIS FEBRUARY:
The Good, The Bad & The Zugly have received some of the finest reviews for a Norwegian band in a long time, and their debut album Anti World Music is definitely worth praising. It’s a band that is hard to stick a label to, after several EPs and minor releases, but their first full-length record is a solid mix of hard rock tunes wrapped around the ever growing genre that is punk. The band draw inspirations from a variety of older outfits and Turbonegro drummer Tommy Manboy can be found within the production team. The twelve tracks still clock in on less than half an hour so needless to say this moves fast, and there is much fun to enjoy from what is sure to be one of the standout Norwegian rock albums of the year.
The song most played on Norwegian radio last year was called I Spy, the debut track from singer / songwriter Mikhael Paskalev. This month saw the release of his first full-length album What’s Life Without Losers, and it is a very pleasant debut. The album is a great collection of tracks, all in familiar pop and rock territory but Paskalevs style and voice make it all sound fresh and engaging. Featuring both somber ballads and catchy upbeat tunes, this still makes one think that with the talent involved, the best stuff from Paskalev might be still to come.
In today’s music industry, for a band to release anything close to fifteen studio albums is to be considered as a minor sensation. This is also the case for Push The Sky Away which is exactly that, from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. It’s been five years since their previous outing Dig! Lazarus, Dig!!! and the aussies have decided to turn the volume down a bit, which suits them perfectly fine at this stage of their careers. With a modest nine tracks Cave has less than usual on his mind this time around, but he still demands to be taken seriously while uttering every single word. The now 55 year old veteran’s singing is more tender than ever, but still fuelled by passion and conviction. The opening track We No Who U R (yes, that’s how it’s spelled) is a rare gem, both dangerous and seductive as Cave and his magnificent Bad Seeds prepare you for the journey ahead. Push The Sky Away is a powerful reminder of Cave’s unique and necessary presence in today’s music, and a guaranteed candidate for any top lists to be filed come the end of the year.
