Review: Fame

Before Britain's Got Talent, before the X-Factor, before Glee - there was Fame - one of the quintessential musicals of the 80s. For some reason, I never managed to see it back then, but remember the iconic theme music dominating the charts.

It traces a number of performing arts students as they progress through school. The dialogue is one of the best bits of it. It's gritty, loaded with appealing slang and seems to perfectly capture the struggles and aspirations of teenagers.  The students and teacher interactions, thanks to strong casting on both sides, are never less than completely believable. The teaching points were some of my favourite parts.

Thematically, it manages to cover most of the bases teens are concerned about.

Where the film struggles is in having too many characters to follow - some of whom I barely managed to connect with before it had moved on.  While Fame does have a structure based around school years, it feels perhaps realistically chaotic.

Verdict: A slice of 80s nostalgia.

Review: Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives

I loved idea of this book. Take a simple concept like what does life after death really look like and instead of squeezing the juice out of one idea - produce a few dozen vignettes on the theme and let your reader ponder them instead.  Not taken with one of them? Simply move onto the next.

There's quite a bit of repetition, or at least variations on a theme. Some like the opening story, really make you think - others feel like the denouement of a Twilight Zone episode. 

Verdict: Mind Candy. 

Review: Never Let Me Go

The missus was truly suckered into this one. She took one look at the romantic cover and announced we must watch it. Another score from the 25p bin in my local charity shop I figured, while carefully ignoring her requests to read the back cover to her.

It's not a conventional romance.

If you are able to follow the same advice, it'll be a much more intriguing watch for this is an alt-Britain with a single devastating idea at its core. A horrifying Faustian pact means disease has been near eliminated.

Mulligan, Garfield and Knightly are all a bit too old to truly convince as teens they portray in the middle section of the movie, but they did capture the naive goofiness well. In lesser hands, the film wouldn't half as effective as all three reveal the changing life circumstances of each in an occasionally breathtakingly sad manner.

Verdict: If Britain made the Island or Bladerunner it would probably look something like this. 

Review: Invictus

Sport as a metaphor for unity is a familiar trope, but rarely have the stakes been so high as they are in Invictus.  Here, Freeman's superbly played Mandela sees it as a way to bring the country together - a country which in lesser hands could have easily fallen into civil war.

The story takes a familiar route, but in sporting terms it is a highly effective ones.  Thankfully as someone who hasn't played rugby since school - and didn't particularly comprehend its appeal even then - Eastwood chooses to focus on the human drama. One of the most effective strands follows the presidential bodyguard team.

The only slightly disappointing is that a few pieces of crucial exposition are left out. For example, I don't recall hearing any explanation of Invictus. I'll leave you - as I did - to head on over Wikipedia for that.

Verdict: Eastwood's on less divisive form. 

Review: All the Money in the World

Were All the Money in the World a different movie, there would be a danger of the behind the scenes drama overshadowing the final film.  Reshooting one of the main character's appearances with a different actor in little over a week surely counts as one of the most extraordinary developments in recent filmmaking history.

It was worth it though. It's a taut absorbing thriller. Plummer's Getty is complex and monstrous. Williams stands out as Harris - treading a line between sheer desperation at her son's plight and her determination to ensure his safety.  Only Wahlberg feels a bit underused although he does play a pivotal role towards the end of the drama.

Verdict: Money can't buy you happiness or safety, but it can get a superb piece of eleventh hour casting. 

Review: True Romance

Early and achingly sweet and brutal romance from the pen of Tarantino. In many ways, it feels like a prototype for some of his later movies.  Aficionados of his work will spot familiar lines, tropes and even cast members.

Most of the sweet charm comes from the relationship between Arquette's call girl turned wife and Slater's comic book guy turned wannabe gangster.  It's a testament to what love can do I guess.

Director Scott deftly balances the humour, romance and violence.

Verdict: Proto-tino

Review: Black Panther

Another Marvel superhero outing, but with a bit of a twist. The superhero comes from a highly technologically advanced, but hidden, country in the African continent.

There's a curiously stilted feel to the production at times - and the bright lighting drains it of atmosphere and gives it the feel of an 80s TV show.   Boseman as the titular lead lacks charisma. I'd have much rather have seen Jordan who plays his rival in his place. Nyong'o and Wright provide good support.

On the plus side, costume and set design is excellent. I particularly liked the Maasai inspired all-women special forces.  It also deals with themes of inclusion, historical injustice and imperialism intelligently.

Review:  Intriguing Afro-futurist curio