The Boat That Rocked

Writer and director Richard Curtis is the proud architect of the British romantic comedy. After a string of genre defining hits (such as ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Notting Hill’), his magnum opus ‘Love Actually’ billed itself quite legitimately as the ultimate romantic comedy. Its stellar cast and clever interweaving of six or seven typical rom-com stories brought Curtis’s work to a warm and emotionally satisfying crescendo. Now, armed with a few familiar faces, Curtis attempts the daunting task of surpassing or at least equalling this feat. ‘The Boat That Rocked’ carries a burden of expectation, but also the promise of much reward.

Wisely shifting the focus away from purely romantic exploits ‘The Boat That Rocked’ tells the story of pirate radio stations, who defied oppressive 1970’s authorities to keep Britain rocking. They supplied an eager public with 24hrs of non-stop Rock and Pop with their taboo breaking offshore broadcasts. It was an era rich with musical genius and exhilarating playful rebelliousness. The film perfectly captures the bright optimistic essence of that time, assisted greatly by a vast soundtrack of timelessly brilliant songs.

Music is an admitted passion for Curtis and it’s the secret weapon which he cleverly deploys to keep ‘The Boat That Rocked’ on track for greatness. There is undoubted truth in the films central theme that the power of music to inspire and enthral should not be underestimated. Of course few films can survive on their musical virtues alone, but ‘The Boat That Rocked’ thankfully has much more to recommend itself.

The film’s cast is rich with winning comedic charm, much of which comes from the surprisingly fertile breeding ground of British TV. Talent such as Nick Frost’s ample mirth and Chris O’Dowd’s hilarious vulnerability provide great support for brilliant turns by returning Cutis’s collaborators Rhys Ifans and Bill Nighy, both once again on top form. The presence of Oscar winning acting heavyweight Philip Seymour Hoffman adds an air of dramatic credibility to proceedings, but he clearly revels in shedding the shackles of seriousness to share in the fun. Kenneth Branagh and Jack Davenport ham it up brilliantly as the villainous government officials determined to shut down the party. It’s a varied cast devoid of any trace of a weak link.

This film is clearly amongst the most personal and autobiographical of its creator. Curtis admits that the awkward virginal adolescent around whom much of the story centres is a character dear to his own heart and drawn from his own painful memories. Luckily new face Tom Sturridge is up to the task of playing the films only real straight man amongst a sea of competing funny faces. He trades serious musings with Hoffman and shares the film’s most outstandingly hilarious moments with Nick Frost and Gemma Arterton.

It’s typical to end a review by dissecting a film’s faults, but other that it’s slightly long running time ‘The Boat That Rocked’ has very few failings. It stands shoulder to shoulder with Curtis’s best efforts and defies audiences to leave the cinema without a smile on their faces.

Out everywhere April 1st and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for some Rock and Roll joy in their life.

The Damned United

Last week the red carpet rolled out in Leicester Square for the world premiere of ‘The Damned United’. The biographical film tells the life story of Brian Clough the outspoken and astonishingly successful football manager, widely celebrated and fondly remembered as a unique sporting genius. The film focuses on Clough’s sensational but disastrous 44 day attempt to manage Leeds United. It has courted minor controversy after the late Clough’s family publically shunned both it and the book it’s based upon.

Oscar nominated screenwriter Peter Morgan (The Queen, The Last King of Scotland) and director Tom Hooper suggest the film gives a more rounded and affectionate portrait of Clough than the book. Explaining the film's decision to focus on one of Clough’s brief periods of failure, Oscar winning cast member Jim Broadbent says that it is simply more inherently dramatic and revealing to watch someone fail rather than winning.

Early reports and his co-stars suggest that the film’s star Michael Sheen has produced yet another uncanny performance as the flamboyant young manager. His performances as Tony Blair in ‘The Queen’ and as David Frost in ‘Frost/Nixon’ have earned the rising British star a reputation for skilfully dramatising familiar public figures. Sheen himself has been quick to make clear that he is more than just a mimic. Much of the film’s success will hinge on the credibility of the film's fictitious private moments, built around real lives and events.

Accompanied by appropriate seventies tunes, the stars of the film were joined on the carpet by broadcasting legend Michael Parkinson and Emma Watson out supporting her Harry Potter co-stars Broadbent and Timothy Spall. The film is on general release on 27 March and aims to be an engaging drama accessible to more than just football fans.

The link below is to interviews with the cast at the premiere to help you make up your own mind
http://www.lsq.tv/red-carpet/the-damned-united-world-premiere-red-carpet.html

Anvil: The Story of Anvil

It is impossible to talk about the story of Anvil without referencing the well known and eternally popular spoof rock-umentary “This is Spinal Tap”. The two films are essentially identical as they follow a likeable but ludicrous heavy metal band on its painful descent from the cusp of fame back to the depths of grim forgotten obscurity. The band itself has just enough witless charm and musical talent to make their increasingly implausible delusions of rock star grandeur not only bearable, but endearing. There is only one difference between the two films, the story of Anvil is entirely real, making it more tragically painful and by turns hilarious than its fictitious counterpart.

At their peak, Canadian speed metal pioneers Anvil shared festival stages with global megastars who still hail them today as inspirations. But while those bands went on to sell millions of records and live out the rock dream, Anvil watched it all slip away. Three decades of mismanagement and misadventures had reduced them to playing in empty bars to tiny crowds of friends and family. But in the face of depressing reality, financial ruin and non-existent support Anvil has kept on rocking past the point of all reason and almost to the brink of insanity.

Like the protagonists of Spinal Tap, Anvil’s singer ‘Lips’ and guitarist Rob Reiner are childhood friends who share a vision of rock greatness that seems destined to escape them. Their bickering and casual philosophising are unknowingly hysterical if occasionally tainted by genuine sadness and despair. Beneath the leather and flowing manes of thinning hair, their wide eyed enthusiasm is simply overpowering as they lurch from one disaster to the next. It’s impossible not to find yourself rooting for them while at the same time feeling sorry for their poor families, who provoke sympathy similar to that bestowed upon the wives of alcoholics. But, few things are more infectious than confidence in the face of certain and utter failure. As complete underdogs, Anvil has a startling power to enthral audiences with a potent mix of pity and affection.

It’s compelling to watch as the band embarks on the most disastrous European tour imaginable and struggles against all odds to release their ‘masterpiece’ album. At times it’s hard to believe events so perfectly scripted and such absurd characters can possibly be real. While the band clearly plays up to the cameras and revels in the novelty of attention, their desperate tragedy and obsessive passion simply cannot be faked. Anvil are the sort of brilliant failures that can only be born not invented. A rare breed to be cherished.

Celebrity fan Keanu Reeves flew to London just to introduce this film at its festival premiere. When the band took to the stage to rock after the credits rolled, it’s hard to describe the pure joyous rapture that greeted them. So, put your fist in the air, crank the volume to eleven and enjoy what is perhaps the greatest rock documentary of all time.

My Name is Bruce

Bruce Campbell is the bumbling epitome of ‘cheeseball charm’. His cinematic appeal in cult movies like the Evil Dead Trilogy stems almost entirely from his vast charisma as a hapless goof. He has crafted his popular persona through a genuine skill for physical comedy and a unique brand of likeable buffoonery. His autobiographies ‘If Chins Could Kill’ and ‘Making Love..The Bruce Campbell Way’ are self deprecating and self aggrandising in equal measure, but consistently funny. Even his cameo as Spiderman 3’s snooty French waiter almost stole the entire film from an emo Peter Parker. So, as I settle down for ‘My name is Bruce’ I prepare myself for more B movie magic and another wave of the Campbell charm.

When the backwater town of Goldlick accidentally awakens a bloodthirsty Chinese god of war, they kidnap movie star Bruce Campbell in the mistaken belief that he’s a zombie slaying real life hero. He plays along, convinced it’s all just another atrocious monster film. With Bruce playing himself and directing the whole show, this promising idea is unfortunately mostly squandered with disappointing results.

At the beginning of ‘My Name is Bruce’ our titular hero is a drunken, moronic misogynist. Campbell sacrifices his likeability in a misguided attempt to subvert and parody the popular perceptions of himself. His usual affable idiocy strays dangerously into the unwelcome territory of obnoxiousness. Watching Bruce drunk dial his ex-wife and hurl pathetic come-ons at every woman on screen is not pleasant or remotely amusing. Mercifully, as the film plays out, Bruce learns the error of his ways; he remains typically clueless but a little less crass. Perhaps complacent in his own appeal, Bruce plays the ‘jerk’ a little too real, making his redemption a tough task even for him.

‘My Name is Bruce’ trades a little too carelessly on the affection of Campbell’s cultish devotees. Films like 'Army of Darkness' are enjoyable because they are cartoonish satires of traditional horror movies and their wooden action stars. We forgive them their own flaws because these are films that know exactly how silly they are and embrace it. In attempting to poke fun at those movies and Campbell’s own fanbase this film stretches the in-joke past the breaking point. Most of the film’s self-referential humour will be lost on anyone who isn’t already a Campbell fan.

Long time Campbell collaborator Ted Rami appears in the film as a series of characters with comedy accents; at best this can be seen as silliness, but at its worst slightly racist. It’s another unnecessary stumble, but despite this, the film manages to become more watchable in its second half. By the end of the film it has mitigated much of the damage of its poor opening stages without living up to its abundant potential. If you want to celebrate Bruce Campbell’s true genius, you’re probably better off re-watching Army of Darkness or Bubba Ho-Tep.

I can’t help but feel that ‘My Name is Bruce’ was made purely to mop up the Campbell fanbase money. Made in 2007, it has only recently emerged, wisely side-stepping cinemas for the straight to DVD market. Since then, Bruce has been lending his voice to the odd cartoon and starring in hit US spy show Burn Notice. According to recent reports, it is unlikely that 'Evil Dead 4' will ever happen, but you never know... “hail to the King baby”.