Much was said about Gravity, the suspense drama featuring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney literally being lost in space. In the wrong hands this surely sounded like a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Thankfully, director Alfonso Cuarón proves himself the perfect man for the job. With previous films like Children of Men (2006) and Y tu Mama támbién (2001) he’s explored disaster and intimate drama both which are key elements in this terrific and highly realistic space odyssey. Clooney does little more than playing George Clooney, but it does not matter as this is Bullock’s show. The actress suffers from very variable performances over the span of her career, but this is without a doubt her finest hour. However, it is director Cuarón and in particular DP Emmanuel Lubezki who deserve the glory. You’ve never seen anything quite like this before, and if you’re able to catch it in 3-D this marks the exception where it is well worth those silly glasses.
After his acclaimed Oslo-trilogy Schpaaa (1998), Hawaii, Oslo (2004) and De Usynlige (Troubled Water, 2008) director Erik Poppe has moved out of his native Norway for his fourth feature Tusen Ganger God Natt (A Thousand Times Good Night). And it will prove a valuable effort as this is his strongest work to date by far. Featuring a superb central performance from Juliette Binoche, who in the most sober and effective way handles every word and motion with both grace and vulnerability. It is indeed one of the standout leading performances of the year. Binoche plays Rebecca, one of the world’s top war photographers (a trade occupied by Poppe himself in his earlier years) who struggle to maintain a healthy family life while chasing the photographs she feels a responsibility to show the rest of the world. The dramatic storyline may not shatter any boundaries, but the film is a moving and comprehensive piece of work that is bound to have an impact on its audience.
The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman slipped under many people, including this writer’s radar at this year’s Berlin film festival. This is a shame because it is one of the most refreshing independent films of the year. The feature debut from director Fredrik Bond stars Shia LaBeouf, who has made some interesting career choices over the past years, desperately trying to escape his Transformers legacy, and is only the third screenplay by writer Matt Drake. In other words it is a trio of hungry and talented filmmakers who have all gone their own ways in trying to impress. LaBeouf is Charlie, the American tourist who stumbles into dangerous love while travelling in Romania. Nothing mind blowing, but what the film lacks in its story’s originality it gains tenfold in style, music and performance. In addition to a terrific leading performance from LaBeouf there is amazing support to be found in Evan Rachel Wood and Mads Mikkelsen (the coolest cast ensemble of the year?). It’s intensity and occasional desire to show off may require some patience, but in the end this is a delicious surprise and one of the coolest indies of the year.
Essential listening this November - Norwegian edition:
Norwegian singer and songwriter Stein Torleif Bjella received tremendous reviews for his first two albums Heidersmenn (2009) and Vonde Visu (2011) and he’s grown a notable group of fans by performing memorable live shows all across the country. This month he is back with his third record Heim For å Døy and there is no reason this will slow down his continued rise in popularity. Bjella has expanded his sound a bit for this one, and it is a welcome addition to his somber and delicate tunes. The tracks are still recognizable as his own and there is no musical poet like Bjella performing in his native tongue and dialect around. The album is not flawless, there are parts that get a little too cautionary to fit in the mix of his desire to elaborate from his first two outings, but they become minor details to a report that can conclude that this is another triumph from Bjella.
As done once or twice before, it is always with great joy this writer gets to shine the shoes to some local talent. The Northern Lies is a relatively newly formed trio from Tromsø who play great folk and country rock tunes and this month sees the release of their debut album Midnight Medicine. The band may wear their inspirations on their sleeves but they are also more than capable of creating their own expression and take on the genre. The album’s eleven tracks may have benefitted from a slightly more strict production touch, but over all this is an incredibly promising debut from any band of any genre, from anywhere! Here’s hoping they get the attention they deserve and thereby implicating themselves to making even more records sooner rather than later.
Another impressive Norwegian debut to arrive this month is Boy from the North by singer / songwriter Monica Heldal. The album features ten impressive tracks, all dipping their toes in genres such as blues, country and folk pop. Despite having been around for some time this is the songbird’s first full-length album and it is bound to stand out as one of the finest releases of its genre to come out of Norway this year. Heldal is not only an accomplished guitar player, her voice is both rugged and sharp in all the right places making her tunes both enjoyable and encouraging to future visits. Boy from the North is a lovely album that arrives at an ideal moment for Heldal to make an impact on a so far only partially aware audience.
Check out this live performance of I Don’t Mind to get an idea of the talent behind the name.
No comments:
Post a Comment