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As you may or may not know, I’ve become somewhat of a Francophile in recent years; there are loads of French people in London, and practically every one I’ve met has been lovely. More than that, the French appreciate art and artists more than any other nation, especially compared to the British! When I’m in France, I feel a sense of belonging. It’s too bad I discovered all this after Brexit! So anyway, because of my love of France, I keep an eye on events at The French Institute in South Kensington, and on Thursday they held their 10th annual ‘Night of Ideas’, where they present a series of talks, dance and music, all for free!  Talk 1 was with Dancers; they talked about having no plan B, being fearless, and just going for it! Dance teaches you discipline and self-confidence, so combined with the fearlessness of youth, you get to where you're going wherever that is. For me, in my films, I need to remember how I thought when I was young. So many decades have passed, and so many failures experienced, it kind of blunts your edge. I need to be bold and fearless again!  Talk 2 was very contentious, for me, anyway. I’m someone that believes that war should always be the last possible resort, but this panel on ‘The Baltic Frontline’ was the most one-sided, belligerent panel I’ve seen, possibly ever! It was hardly a balanced debate, but rather the same old 'sabre-rattling' from the West, towards Russia. I love a recent quote from a former MI6 spy, pointing out that a continent of 500 million relies on a country of 342 million, to protect it from a country of 146 million! So obviously, Europe does need to get its house in order! 'We need to win the war!' Declared Marie Mendras, in a bellicose tone. She also labelled Russia as cowards! The debate lacked any nuance, or perspective. It was just plain propaganda! They kept referring to Russia as a dictatorship, but I know for sure that the UK puts more people in prison for things they say, or post online, than practically any other country on Earth! There was also the usual Zelensky worshipping. Let me be clear; Russia should absolutely not have invaded Ukraine, but I remember when Ukraine and Poland both hosted the Euro’s (football tournament), and how so many journalists exposed Ukraine as being the most corrupt country in Europe, and how there were groups of men that were openly Nazis! As a brown man, Ukraine was never on my list of countries to visit, because of such reasons. Yet, as soon as the war started, the media and the West, suddenly made Ukraine the bastion of virtue! Like most people, I don’t buy a word of their bullsh!t. Especially in light of all the unjust wars they’ve dragged us into, as recently as the past 25 years! (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria) And now the panellists are baffled as to why young men don’t want to fight in another war?! Fight for what?! A country we have no stake in? We don’t own homes, we don’t have wives and children, what are we fighting for? The machinations of the elites, who start these wars from the comfort of their armchairs, knowing that they nor their ilk will never face a single discomfort! These people are so disconnected from the working class, it’s laughable! Corrupt politicians, open borders and an endless stream of migrants who become competition for jobs, housing and services, are far more of a concern to people on the ground, than Russia! Finland is very war ready, in terms of population, infrastructure and military. Estonia is also prepared. The UK's infrastructure and population is very ill prepared. A fire at a single electric substation closed down the UK's main airport. We would not survive the kind of bombardment that Ukraine has survived, which is a fair point. The UK, as anyone that lives here knows, is a joke. There’s no National Security when it comes to our infrastructure, because of years of under-investment under privatisation; it’s all foreign owned too! The main problem is, the West has cried wolf so many times, it's hard to believe them anymore! The UK has instigated so many unjust wars this century, that even if faced with a ‘just war’ (whatever that is), we as the public, don't believe them! The panel, like the entire establishment, was completely ‘pro war’! Which is easy to be, when you’re not going to be the ones fighting and dying in battle. If it were up to me, I’d put all the people that want a war in a room and let them fight it out, whilst normal people around the world just get on with living our lives in peace.  Talk 3 was the best talk in my opinion. The panellists were all very well-informed and cut through the narrative pushed by the media, and gave answers that were based on data, not opinion!
The establishment is concerned about Gen Z mistrusting the media, but look at how we've been lied to! Covid was a scam that enriched the elites, Palestine is forever presented as the villain; the suffering and genocide of their people constantly justified as a rational response. The panellists get this. The idea amongst Gen Z is that the establishment is basically the new aristocracy: journalists, judges, government, they're all part of the same beast; a beast that only wants to sustain a system that benefits it. Young people get no benefit from society, so why wouldn't they turn to the extremes of politics, when those extremes offer them hope. One of the panellists said that picking out Gen Z’s voting intentions is sensationalist. There's no big chasm in voting patterns. The general population is moving in the same direction. The media talks about young men turning to the far right but the biggest trend is women voting green! But that doesn't suit the narrative. Actually, a lot of young men are also turning to the Greens! But again, it's all about the narrative being pushed, which is another reason why no one trusts mainstream media! Young people on the far left and the far right both share a distrust of politicians and the media and establishment, but how to solve those issues is what separates them. Generally speaking, young people still lean left compared to the rest of the population, so this worry about the young turning right, is overblown. The role of social media in polarisation cannot be understated. Social media takes complex views and complex people and reduces them to a single, overarching opinion. There's far more to a person, and an issue, than simply 'pro or anti-immigration' for example. The solution to so much mistrust at all levels, is to band together at a local, community level and change our local community first. A solution suggested by Rosie Campbell. We can't rely on politicians or the media to solve our problems, clearly! We must do it ourselves at a local level. Basically, there's a massive mistrust because there is so much inequality, and INJUSTICE! We don't live in fair society, and everyone can see it and feel it, and that's what is driving division in society! Bravo to the panel! They were hitting all the right notes!! That's the solution. Banding together at a local level. Build your community. If there’s strength and cohesion at a local level, there’s inevitably strength at a national level too. We’re too self-focused and atomised in our lives, and I hate to say it, but it’s completely deliberate. People are facing an ever more powerful ruling class, and even though we outnumber them by a few billion, if we feel alone, we behave in a way that confirms our powerlessness. If we come together, and act as one, we become powerful, and a threat to the powers that be. Divide and rule; the oldest play in the book, and one that continues to work on a global scale. Anyway, it was a great night! The highlight for me wasn’t actually any of the events, but chatting to fellow attendees; one beautiful French woman in particular. Too bad she lived in Bristol with her boyfriend! Haha!
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 I remember when this movie first came out (back in the late 90’s); a big deal was made about the special effects (a black and white world with characters in colour), but I never got around to watching it.
I recently stumbled upon it whilst browsing ‘Imdb’, and it had great reviews, so I decided to finally give it a go. It’s decent, but it’s not as good as it thinks it is. There’s a very obvious and blatant message wrapped up in novel concept, and the lack of nuance is what stops the film from being great. The messaging is very ‘black and white’ which is ironic, considering the film’s setting. The film’s ideology is that if you believe in conservative values, then you’re a ‘black and white’ character, akin to a book burning Nazi. But if you believe in progressive, liberal ideals, you’re colourful (literally) and full of life. The lack of subtlety is pretty silly. This film could easily have been made today, as the so called ‘culture war’ between conservative and liberal (woke) values is more pertinent than ever! Just goes to show, this sh!t has been going on forever! Still, my memory of the late 90s is that we all just agreed to live and let live, and not impose our ideologies on others. I still adhere to that mindset; live and let live. I consider myself quite liberal, but I also appreciate conservative values. I think most people exist on a spectrum; no one is ‘black and white’, completely one way or the other, as the film (and our current news media) suggests. So whilst I appreciate that societies must change, and people must be free to fulfil their own desires, unshackled from the chains of dogma, I also believe that adultery in marriage is wrong, as is promiscuity in general; both things that seem to be celebrated in this movie. According to this film, I’d be one of the ‘black and white’ book burning Nazis, which is absolutely ridiculous! So yeah, the ideology and messaging of the movie frustrated me. But that aside, it was very well-made, and the concept definitely has potential! Toby Maguire was especially good, anchoring the film and being the voice of reason amongst all the characters. If the messaging was more nuanced and also more subtle, the film would be great.  I remember when this movie came out; all the hype, the slow release of information, photos and posters of all the new characters, the release of ‘The Animatrix’ that lead up to it… It was a great time!
There was no way that this film, or perhaps any film, could live up to the genius of the first Matrix movie, but when I saw this film, I totally got into it, and rated it highly for years. Having just re-watched it again, after at least a decade and a half, I have to say, it’s not as good as I remembered! They took a brilliant concept, and convoluted the hell out of it! The new characters, new layers, and expansion of the lore just muddy the water and make it needlessly complicated, just for the sake of it. ‘Zion’ the home-base for the humans was disappointing, even back in 2003. The Earthy tones, the hippie vibes, the massive rave that takes place in a cave; it’s all so far removed from the cold, barely-held together, steely look of the ‘real’ world depicted in the first movie. If anything, ‘Zion’ should have been something completely cyberpunk, or even steampunk, made from the ruins of old skyscrapers; pretty much anything would have been better than what we got. Then there’s the world of ‘the Matrix’ itself. In the first film, it was an indistinguishable simulation of our own world, fully populated and grounded in the rules of what we know to be reality. In this film, it becomes nothing more than an open world computer game, with PS3 level graphics to go with it! There’s nothing ‘real’ about it. Where are the crowds of people? Where’s the ‘reality’ and the danger that doing anything out of the ordinary will cause alarm and thus alert Agents? There’s practically no jeopardy; the characters walk around as if in a game, going from one fetch quest to another. That said the scenes that take place in ‘the Matrix’ are still miles better than the scenes that take place in Zion. Also, the fact that they’ve introduced so many new characters means we spend less time with the characters we really care about, i.e. Neo, Trinity and Morpheus, something that only gets worse in the third film! That said, there’s still plenty to like about the film; mainly the fight scenes! Seeing a Neo that knows what he’s doing is brilliant! The fight scenes, the choreography and staging, the music that accompanies them, it’s all absolutely top draw! In fact, the fight with weapons at the end is probably my favourite fight scene in the entire series! It’s so damn good! The main cast is still superb! Keanu Reeves is Neo, and there’s no one else that could possibly do that role justice! EVER! Carrie-Anne Moss is also superb, and always a joy to see on-screen, which makes it all the more disappointing that she hasn’t been the lead in many other movies! I also really enjoyed Neo’s exchange with ‘The Architect’ at the end, and the explanation about how he’s ‘the one’; that he’s the sixth version of ‘the one’, and what his purpose is. All those details really ignited our imaginations back in 2003, as we pondered all the previous versions of ‘the Matrix’ and dreamt up stories concerning the first ‘One’, something that the fourth Matrix should have been about, instead of the piece of crap that we got. Anyway, I felt like watching it; I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as good as it was back in 2003, but then, you can never go back and experience things as you did the first time; the context, the events of the period, the smells, and even who you are, are never the same. Shame really.  I first saw ‘Rock of Ages’ as a theatre show in the West End, and loved it. So I was excited to see the movie when it came out, especially as it starred the legend that is Tom Cruise (in a musical!).
The movie was met with harsh criticism, trashed by critics and audiences alike, but I liked it! Fast forward over a decade later, and I felt like watching it again… I really liked it! First and foremost, the songs in it are all bangers (based on existing ‘rock’ classics), which is what you need most from a musical. Sure, the characters are cliché, but ALL the actors do a great a job in bringing them to life, and you can see that they’re enjoying themselves, because doing an all singing, all dancing musical, is FUN! What I enjoyed most, was that at the centre of it all, the film is a love story, and who can resist a good love story? I remember first seeing ‘Julianne Hough’ in ‘Dancing with the Stars’, and she absolutely had that ‘star quality’ of looks, personality and talent, so you could see why Hollywood would come knocking on her door. In this film, she has top billing, which is something considering the amount of talent involved, and I have to say, she totally delivers; providing that ‘girl next door’, small town charm that every guy would fall for. It’s a shame she never really hit the heights of being a ‘major Hollywood star’. As for ‘Sir Tom Cruise’? I love the guy, but I have to say, he was kind of miscast. He just didn’t have that ‘Rock Star’ mystique and presence that the role called for. He’s still good, as he always is, but his whole performance seemed ‘hammy’ and inauthentic. In the stage show, ‘Stacie Jax’ (Tom’s character) was played by Russell Brand (who plays a lesser role in the movie), and he never actually makes an appearance! They cut to video clips of him, but he’s never on stage, which actually gives the character more mystique. In the movie, they obviously beefed up the role, as it’s Tom Cruise playing him, and the film almost becomes more about his character, instead of the two young lovers, which isn’t a good move. Maybe it was more so in the extended cut, vs. the theatrical cut, I can’t remember, but either way, they should have made him less of the focus. All in all, I have nothing bad to say about the film. It was a damn good time! Great songs, great actors, a good love story, a fun vibe; what’s not to like? It’s a good film!  I watched this in the cinema when it first came out, back in 1989 (such a good year!), and had no idea that films of this calibre were a rarity that must be savoured. As a kid, you just took it for granted that movies were good!
Having not seen this film in decades, I forgot how damn good it is! It’s the funniest of the Indiana Jones movies, and the one with the most heart. The relationship between Indy and his father is brilliantly realised, with the former subtly vying for his father’s approval throughout, and the latter clearly impressed by his son’s exploits, but never actually telling him. The opening sequence with River Phoenix also deserves mentioning, as it was such a novel way of giving us the backstory in an entertaining way, without relying on exposition. Sean Connery is superb as Dr. Henry Jones Snr. At times conveying a child-like wonder at what’s happening, and at other times giving that look of disapproval that only parents know how to give, saying more than words ever could! Harrison Ford, Denholm Elliott and Jonathan Rhys Davies are all great, as ever, and it’s so good seeing them again after ‘Raiders’. In fact, this is the only Indy movie that successfully captures the flavour that made ‘Raiders’ such a masterpiece! The pace and non-stop set-pieces are more impressive because not only do they provide ‘thrills’, but they simultaneously provide character and plot progression! That’s so hard to do! It’s also the reason why so many action movies are so bad, because they don’t even attempt to do that. It’s also the key to why ‘Last Crusade’ and ‘Raiders’ stand head and shoulders above most action movies; the characters take centre stage as much as the set-pieces; in fact, the set-pieces are meaningless unless you’re invested in the characters. The female lead did the job, and was better than a standard ‘damsel in distress’; the running gag with her having slept with both father and son was pretty funny too. I watched the film on a 4k blu-ray, and similar to Back to the Future, I felt the colours were warmer than what I was used to; maybe I should just adjust the settings on my TV (I had it on ‘Filmmaker mode’). 4K blu-rays are so good, you want to watch every movie in that format, but it’s expensive, so I doubt I’ll be replacing my entire collection anytime soon. Still, it is tempting! Anyway, absolutely brilliant film, and although we all wanted more, it was the best ending for the franchise...  I haven’t read ‘Little Women’ or seen any of the movie adaptations, so I was going in blind with zero expectations.
I really liked the show! The score was brilliant! It had a John Williams vibe, and it’s so good to hear a symphonic orchestra playing live! The actors were also great. The show seemed to have a few songs with a big climax, that I thought signalled the end, but then it would continue, so it felt a tad long, but that aside, it was really good! I have no idea how faithful of an adaptation it is, but I’m definitely encouraged to watch one of the movies, or even read the book! Hopefully the show is able to return to the West End for a proper run, because this sold out ‘one-off’ performance definitely deserves to be seen by more people! A great night out that once again solidifies London as the premier place for theatre!  I do enjoy a good romcom; it’s a vicarious experience, used to fill the void in my own life!
So I was really looking forward to this film. You can’t make romcoms any more, because the very notion that a man should pursue a woman beyond her first refusal is a toxic idea, so the film would be over in five minutes. The set-up for this film cleverly negates this conundrum by setting it in the afterlife, where a woman has to choose between the two men she married while she was alive. Who will she spend ‘eternity’ with? Unfortunately, as soon as the concept is revealed, as an audience, you know exactly who she’s going to pick; the ride is how get there. Within the 90 minutes of a standard romcom, we follow the usual formula, but this film is two hours, so thankfully adds something to the mix! In the first half, I was rolling my eyes. It was all too predictable and had that modern day, well-lit, saturated, ‘synthetic’ look that all films have these days. Everything looks brand new, and nothing seems worn. The second half was far more to my liking; there was more of an emotional impact on the characters, and the setting changed from the studio to the outdoors. I also really liked the costume design! The outfits were fabulous and the colours really worked! The film also captures the difference between men and women quite well. A man will find one woman to love, if he’s lucky, and he has to fight for her. Whereas a woman will have a plethora of lovers; her dilemma is in choosing one! What’s worse is, she’ll keep flip-flopping between them, doomed to always think she made the wrong decision! Although it’s definitely not up there with the great romcoms of the past, I enjoyed the film; it had humour and emotion. It was also a fresh take on a genre that I think we’d all like to see return, even if it is predictable.  At a time when humanity should be coming together, we seem to be drifting further apart; I guess scarcity of resources and the insatiable avarice of the elites will do that.
With the recent US intervention in Venezuela and Trump’s repeated desire to take Greenland, the title of this talk seemed more relevant than ever. Unfortunately, the lecture was about smaller oil rich countries, and more about ‘data’ than agenda or philosophy. To be blunt, it was boring, and reminded me of being at school, where you’re physically fighting to keep your eyes open as you doze off. The only tid-bit of useful information was the fact that global reliance on hydrocarbons is increasing instead of waning, meaning we won’t hit ‘peak oil’ for another two decades! The catastrophic effect this will have on the environment is unfathomable. We’re rushing head first into an irreversible catastrophe, for what? Man’s insatiable desire for money and power.  This show is quite hyped and apparently loved by all, so I was expecting something great, even though I knew absolutely nothing about it!
Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s a good show, don’t get me wrong, but I found it lacking. Fundamentally, there were no songs that lived in my head and made me want to go home and listen to them on repeat. In fact, I can’t recall a single memorable number from the entire show, which is ironic considering one of the protagonists, Orpheus, has spent the entire first half of the show working on a song that will bring about Spring! What’s worse, is that the song in question is mostly made up of the lyrics ‘La la la’! That’s gotta be some kind of a joke, right? You can’t build up your ‘show-stopper’ number and then have it be so basic, and not even that good! The best character was of course Hades himself, which is no big surprise, considering it is ‘Hadestown’. The set design was brilliant, and the modern day setting worked well, but if anything, this show made me want to watch Disney’s Hercules instead (which is playing down the road in Drury Lane)! Anyway, definitely worth watching, but temper your expectations. It was also good to see it in a packed out theatre, especially on a Tuesday night!  I’d seen Conan back in the day on TV; it was so long ago that I could only vaguely remember it, so this recent viewing felt pretty fresh.
What an epic movie! It’s so damn good! It’s exactly what you want from a ‘swords and sorcerers’ movie (a genre that doesn’t exist anymore, of which there were plenty in the 1980s). And the music! Epic is definitely the word! (Although it kept reminding me of the iconic promos for The Legend of Zelda!) Arnold Schwarzenegger was born to play Conan; the character fits him like a glove, and he actually lends a tenderness to him, which proves that Arnold can act! James Earl Jones similarly provides a gravitas to the villain, and the narration from Mako is the icing on the cake. The visuals, the contrast of the man against the vastness of the landscape, the practical sets and the millions of extras; it all combines to elevate the film and gives it a sense of authenticity and grandeur we’re unlikely to ever see again. As an audience, we can completely believe that once upon a time, this place may have actually existed! The protagonist is archetypal and his motivation of revenge is primal; which speaks to the core of every man. We’re primitive creatures beneath it all, and this film taps into that. The muscular men, the beautiful women, the music, the wilderness, the theme of injustice and ‘goodies vs. baddies’; it’s all the ingredients that make up a man’s psyche, and there’s a definite enjoyment in seeing it unfold before your very eyes. I loved watching this film. My only gripe is that the structure could have been tweaked so that Conan doesn’t confront the main villain like three times in a row; one big climax would have been more effective. That said, the film is grand, with epic themes and epic characters. The men are super masculine and the women are unashamedly beautiful, that’s something we definitely don’t see these days, which is a shame, because there’s a primal quality to that type of storytelling which bypasses our perceived intellectualism, and speaks to our inner caveman. Sadly, the subsequent clones and sequels were so sh!t, they killed off the genre! Anyway, great film! |
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