ESSENTIAL VIEWING THIS MONTH:
The adaptation of David Lipsky’s book about his five days spent with writer David Foster Wallace for his Rolling Stones article was always going to be tricky. But director James Ponsoldt, alongside a tremendous starring duo, pulls it off and in so has created one of the finest films of the season. THE END OF THE TOUR is a smart, delicate and moving story about art, creativity, depression and the beauty of a great conversation. It is endlessly enjoyable, much thanks to Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg, both providing some of their finest work to date (the film is guaranteed to be a – if not the – standout of Segel’s career). It’s incredibly well written, which one supposes is a given, and directed with grace and a creative touch to a on paper very structural idea. A triumph for everyone involved.Ridley Scott’s films of late have been a mixed bag, to say the least. Considering the legendary director is now close to eighty years old it is quite remarkable that he has managed to remain so productive. In fact, this past decade has arguably been the most potent of his career despite its share of hits and misses. THE MARTIAN is a highlight though. A well-crafted and surprisingly light on its feet space odyssey, centered round a stellar turn from Matt Damon. Spending most of his screen time alone, he is the perfect blend of arrogant and amusing – a combination he’s nailed to perfection before, but never with this much vigor. The film is beautifully shot, perhaps Scott’s most visually compelling piece ever that despite its two and a half hour running time never allows you to slip out of his – literally – universe. It’s a superb blockbuster, made with a skill set most filmmakers Scott’s age will never have come close to.
Tom Hardy has over the past years made his way towards the very top in the category of tough, hard hitting and charming leading men in Hollywood. From Bronson to Bane, he’s never made a false step – or at least one that was not a hundred percent convincing. In LEGEND, he really has his work cut out for him in not just one, but two very challenging roles as he plays the legendary Kray twins, who ruled the London underworld of crime in the 1960s. Hardy’s performance is a massive triumph, a ruthless and agonizing take on one part, while charming and controlling on the other. He is endlessly watchable, and simply impossible to take your eyes off. Director Brian Helgeland’s script occasionally suffers from one to many clichés, but overall it’s a great take on a period of Britain that still remains one of its most interesting.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING THIS MONTH:
JESSE MALIN is one of those New Yorkers who has kept it going for ages, never really becoming a household name anywhere outside his native city, but still producing an impressive amount of solid rock albums – still without any poor releases. OUTSIDERS is his eight studio album, and the singer/songwriter who is now pushing fifty, is showing no signs of slowing down. Malin’s recipe is simple, but thorough. He wears his inspirations on his sleeve (Springsteen, Waits, Earle) and is loyal to his beloved dirty rock genre. Outsiders is another solid collection of tunes, presented by a skilled and confident voice with the back-up of head to toe professional musicians. It doesn’t hit the peaks of his finest work released during his most productive period, such as The Heat (2004) or Glitter in the Gutter (2007), but this is still a notable and respective addition to an already impressive resume.It’s always great to write about acts from this writer’s hometown on this site, and this month finds another reason to do so, with the release of IN THE LIGHT OF THE SINKING SUN – the debut album from REPTILE MASTER. The band themselves declare they're on a mission to "spread the gospel of doom", and this stuff certainly isn’t for the fainthearted. It’s a modest album, with eight tracks clocking in just shy of forty minutes, but within there is plenty to enjoy. There is a great attitude to their sound; aggressive, but also sensitive, in particular when it comes to the arrangements. There is a terrific attention to detail and the production is first class (not always the case on a debut album from a band not signed to a major label). This should have fans of the genre way outside their domestic borders take note, and hopefully the album will find an audience that will encourage the band and make sure that they’ll return with an even bigger and heavier second outing in the near future.
The National have been mentioned on this site before, as on many other sites that have described them as one of the most original and fascinating indie rock bands of the past decade. That is one of several reasons why the debut album of new outfit EL VY has had many people waiting in excitement. Pronounced like “Hell pie” (according to their website bio), it is also the plural of Elvis. The band is a duo, consisting of The National lead singer Matt Berninger and Brent Knopf, perhaps more known for his rock project Ramona Falls. Their debut album is called RETURN TO THE MOON, a variety of tracks spreading across several genres. It fuses rock, electronica and simple pop to one big melting pot of delicious and great sounding music. Original, creative and entertaining, this is bound to stand as one of the year’s most welcome records. Check out the lyric video for Need a Friend, directed by Matt’s brother Tom Berninger.
