"You forgot your hug!"

I keep saying that I'm going to write up some reviews of my favourite Christmas films, and not getting round to it. So far, saying that I'm going to do something and not getting round to it is a rather impressively consistent theme to this blog. You're welcome.

So far this year, I haven't actually watched that many of my favourite Christmas movies. Partly I've just been a bit busy with boring and crappy things to be able to, and partly I've been saving them for a bit closer to Christmas, when I'm getting closer and closer to getting off work and can let my Christmas spirit fly with great abandon. Sorry if any of it gets on yous.

I have managed to see Elf, however. I saw it at a screening at the Ulster Museum, courtesty of the Movies at the Museum programme from the QFT. £2.70 to go see a movie in a lecture room at the museum on a Saturday afternoon really isn't a bad deal at all. Especially if you've got kids to bring with - an afternoon of movies and the museum for that price is really quite the bargain.

Anyway, back to the movie. Since I first saw this a year or so after it came out, Elf has become a firm favourite of mine at Christmas. It's just so flipping funny and so very, very sweet. It manages to be the perfect combination of heartwarming, hilarious, daft and offbeat to make it appealing to pretty much everyone of every age.

It's definitely in the top two or three of Will Ferrell's best performances, I reckon. Just thinking about all 6'3" of him in his elf costume running around New York City, chasing after people who forgot their hugs is enough to make me spontaneously break into fits of giggles. He's the perfect mix of daft and sincere, without being so over the top as to make his character cloying, which is a problem I've had with some of his more recent films.

This balance between sincere and ridiculous is also played out nicely by the levels of cynicism in the other characters, namely his real father Walter and love interest Jovie. The way in which their dim world view is broken is another thing that makes the film ring so true - they don't have some sort of manic conversion to the cult of Christmas, they just soften and thaw out a bit. It's believeable. Well, y'know, for a film about a 6'3" elf who grew up in the North Pole.

Plus, it's got a great script, great direction, great music (mostly big band/swing type classics, which is very much ok with me) and frankly if you don't love it, you're a wee bit wrong as far as I'm concerned.

As you can tell, these aren't exactly intended to be in-depth analyses of films from a terribly critical or knowledgable perspective or anything, it's really just some random thoughts from me. More to follow...at some point. Hopefully.

Two Door Cinema Club, Cast of Cheers, Not Squares (gig review)

Oops. It seems I've been a tad lax about all this stuff lately. Put it down to the usual pre-Christmas insanity. Well, that and my utter laziness. Here, you will find my review for ATL of Two Door Cinema Club's Christmas homecoming, ably supported by The Cast of Cheers and Not Squares.

This was the first time I had seen Two Door in quite some time, and it was remarkable to note how far they've come. It's fantastic and really quite touching to see a band that you're used to thinking of as just another wee local band (no matter how great you think they are) pack a venue like the Mandela to the rafters, and fill it with so many different types of people. You had your usual scenesters, your indie kids, your older folks who've found something a bit indie/a bit pop that they actually like, and the 'one gig a year' type folks who think that TDCC were discovered by Cool FM, bless 'em.

But every single person was having a ball, singing every word to all their songs - it was a crazy and rather lovely atmosphere, and you couldn't help but feel all proud of and chuffed for the lads who clearly could hardly believe all of this themselves.

They've had one hell of a year, and surely things are set to get even better for them. They were tight as hell, and every single song seemed to be another perfect jangly indie pop hit that puts a smile on your face.

And I have to give a huge shout out to the always ace Not Squares, too. They're just so flipping great, I really have run out of ways to heap praise on them. It was a wee bit too early for them to be on stage, I reckon, since it was still a bit empty at first and people were trying to thaw out from the ridiculous cold and ice outside, but by the end of their set they were just bloody brilliant. Asylum and Release the Bees are absolutely stonkingly massive, huge tunes (and those are some words I never thought I'd see myself write), the type of thing that should make Not Squares absolute superstars the world over. But for right now, it's quite nice to feel like you're part of some select little club that knows of their awesomeness.

Anyway, it was a great wee night altogether, and made one very excited to think of what must be in store for all of the bands on the bill.

Tallest Man on Earth (gig review)

Well *blows dust off blog*, haven't been around here in a while...

For all my grand intentions to be a prolific and profound blogger, little things like real life and what not seem to have gotten in the way. And no doubt will continue to as Christmas looms (although there's the distinct possibility of demented Christmas hysteria postings), although there's a plethora of amazing gigs coming up in December, so that might get me writing a bit. And maybe some of my thoughts on Christmas films, but they might not be any more articulate or informed that the blogging equivalent of me jumping up and down, clapping like a seal and squealing "Christmas!!! CHRIIIISSSSSTMAAAAAAASSS!!!"

Anyway, getting back to the point of this post - here's my somewhat shoddily written review of the Tallest Man on Earth over at Across The Line.

It was a perfectly lovely gig, marred only (of course) by the insistence of annoying, idiotic twerps who insist on talking the whole way through gigs. It's bad enough at any sort of gig, but at something where you're talking about a dude and a guitar or piano, which requires a little bit of hush, then it just gets really bloody rude and annoying. What is the point of going to gigs and talking through them? You paid for your ticket, didn't you? You deliberately came to see this band, this isn't just some pub you stumbled into for the craic with your mates, so stop treating it like such. There is no need for anyone to be so bloody rude. And yet so many people do it.

But I don't really have the inclination to go into my usual rants on the matter, so I shall save that for another time.

An Evening with Neil Hannon (gig review)

Here's the review what I wroted for ATL of The Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon/genius extraordinaire in the Waterfront last night.

Hardly any surprise that An Evening With Neil Hannon is anything short of a wee bit special, and just generally brilliant. I can't be all that impartial or objective cos I do love him so, but I love him cos he's flipping great. And it really was a brilliant gig. Last time I saw him was also a solo show, in the Andytown Leisure Centre as part of the West Belfast Festival last year. It was a bit of an odd affair - it was like being in a huge school assembly hall, a lot of people were there for the craic rather than to actually listen (and therefore did not shut the flip up), and Mr Hannon himself seemed a little uneasy or nervous or something at first. He settled into things and it was a great show, but there was definitely something a bit odd about it.

Last night, however was faultless. Well, sort of. Anyone who's seen Hannon before - particularly doing solo shows - will know that he does mess stuff up a bit. He forgets his words (which, btw, I don't entirely understand, since he could easily have the words in front of him on the piano, but anyway), hits the odd bum note, ad libs and immediately regrets what he did, and the like. But I think by this point, most fans are aware of that and used to it. And his good humour about it all makes it not matter all that much. Somehow it makes him all the more endearing and charming. And there's something almost inspirational about such an incredibly talented and genius-like songwriter who doesn't always give the most perfect performances. And yeah, he made plenty of those slip ups last night. But it really didn't ruin anything for me.

He played tons of my favourites - Tonight We Fly, Our Mutual Friend and the stunning closer of the second(!) encore Sunrise, which never fails to bring a lump to my throat and goosebumps to my skin - he made favourites of other songs which I'd kinda not paid that much attention to before, and he was in fantastic form. The night was really a delight from the second that he stepped on stage until he left to the much-deserved standing ovation after Sunrise (seriously - if you're not familiar with that song, rectify that immediately. It should be the personal and collective anthem of every and any one who wants peace in Northern Ireland. Truly, it's one of the most moving songs I've ever heard, about anything, ever). I really wish I could go back again tonight to experience it all over again. Wonder if they'd notice the difference in date from my spare ticket from last night....

Anyway, to sum up - Neil Hannon is worship-worthy, and anyone who thinks different is a massive, massive pillock. FACT.

Jane Bradfords, Documenta, War Hole - Menagerie, Sept 14th 2010 (Gig review)

Here's a review I wrote on the ATL site.

I have to say, the Menagerie is a great wee venue since they've changed it about a bit. Last time I was there, the stage was to the left when you come downstairs, and it was a bit of a mess trying to move around the place at all. Much better where they have it now. It's got a great wee vibe about it too - feels a bit like being in a gig in someone's house, it's very cosy and welcoming feeling and quirky without being too trendy or hipster.

I really enjoyed War Hole too. They have a very messy, "we don't really care that much, we're just here for the craic" sort of thing going on, but they're awful craic chatting back and forth to the crowd and telling daft stories and what not, and they seem very at ease on the stage, even when there's only a few people there.

Documenta could've done with taking a leaf out of their book. Musically, they're not bad, but there's nothing that wildly original about them, and it takes more than a few half decent riffs to stand out in this town.

The Jane Bradfords have long been favourites of mine on the local scene, so I suppose it's no great surprise that I have nothing bad to say about them. The stuff from the new album, which I believe is almost ready for release, is sounding really great, and it's a huge indicator of the talent and musiciality they possess in bucketloads that they really do sound like they're progressing from the last album. It's not more of the same, it's not a wild leap in a different direction just for the sake of it. It feels organic and right, for want of a better word. As for the gig itself - I wouldn't say it was their best performance ever, but it wasn't a bad one in any way at all. They're bringing a lot more to the table when they play the old stuff these days, and it's hard not to be blown away by the sophistication of song writing. Hopefully the new album gets them some of the attention they deserve.

By the way, I feel like I should issue a disclaimer and point out at this stage that I have absolutely no idea what the hell I'm talking about when I write gig reviews. I'm not a musician in any way, shape or form (many, many years of violin desecretion, or 'playing' as I called it at the time, testify to that). I got into doing this sort of thing just cos I love music, and I think the local scene here in NI is pretty damn great at the minute. I'm not the most knowledgable person in the world, and I've been a little out of the loop the last year or so, but I do take an interest in alternative music - by which I mean, I'm not a Radio 1 listener pertaining to be a cool indie kid. There's nothing cool about me, I assure you. I confess that I do wear black rimmed glasses, but I have a prescription, and they're not the super-sized hipster ones that yer woman off of Britain's Next Top Model wears. Ok, disclaimer-ramble over.

Iron & Wine Review, Or How I Learned To Not Hit People That Are Dicks.

(First off, I feel like I should issue the disclaimer that this isnt a *proper* review, it's mostly just my meandering waffling about a gig I was at last night.)

Right. So. I went to see Iron & Wine and The Low Anthem last night in the marquee in Custom House Square as part of the Openhouse Festival. The marquee is gorgeous - draped in black fabric with fairy lights all over the ceiling, it really is like a night under the stars. Openhouse always seem to do a great job with this event, from what I've seen of it anyway. The stage looked great, the sound was perfect. So no complaints so far. The gig was seated, which is not my favourite thing in the world, for a few reasons. First of all, it means you're confined to one spot - you can't try to move really, if you can't see, and my being a short arse means I can rarely see. The venue was a lot more packed than I was expecting, though it's really my fault for not getting down early enough to get a good seat. Another reason that I don't like seated gigs is that I feel weirdly constrained. I can't move naturally to the music like I normally would, as pretentious and ridiculous as that sounds.

But the worst thing about being seated - at this gig, at least - is that I seemed to have the world's worst gig goers both in front of and behind me. In front of me were a middle aged couple intent on getting completely lit and talking and laughing ridiculously loudly the whole way through the gig. Literally, they didn't shut up. They were pissing off a few people around them, so it wasn't just me, and I really wanted to hug the girl who asked them to keep their voices down, though it didn't work. Then behind me I had another couple who didn't stop talking the whole way through the show. The girl had one of the more annoying laughs not to have been phased out by evolution, and they were talking to each other at full volume, not making any attempt at all to keep their voices down.

All of this would be annoying enough at any gig, but something like The Low Anthem and Iron & Wine, where it's a quiet, mellow, low key sort of evening - they just ruined it for everyone around them. It was a beautiful gig - soulful, touching, emotive songs performed by amazing - and acoustic - musicians. The sort of gig that you normally get complete silence at, which turns it into a wonderful experience - to be amongst a large crowd of people all mesmerized and reverent in the prescence of such artistry. Unfortunately for those of us near these idiots, we did not have such an experience. We had increased blood pressure, as we resisted the urge to visit intense and torturous violence upon these apes.

As for the actual music itself, as I've said, it was beautiful. I don't know The Low Anthem or Iron & Wine very well - I've heard a few albums, familiar with a few songs I've heard on the radio, that sort of thing, but I couldn't really call myself a proper fan. And often at gigs like this, I end up feeling a bit frustrated that I didn't get more into the music beforehand so that the songs would be more familiar. But it didn't seem to matter in this instance - the music just washed over you, bathing you in its serene yet melancholy folky charm. Well, when I could hear it over the buffoons around me, anyway.

Well, this was not meant to be such a rant on gig etiquette. I've vented and ranted about this subject many, many times before. I've lamented why it is that Belfast crowds are like that, as I've been to manys a show where people just cannot shut the hell up (Willy Mason at Mandela a few years back was the pinacle of ignorance in this regard), but I feel like I need to point out that none of the ignorant shitheads around me were Belfasties (Belfastians? Belfastittes?). That's not to say they don't live here, so I suppose it doesn't really make any difference, they were still annoying, but I felt some small modicum of pride that when I walked to and from the bar, everyone else seemed to be quiet enough, so the Belfast audience wasn't all that bad.

So to sum up: music=good, dickheads=bad.

Certified Copy review

Well, this was a bit of a strange one. Certified Copy stars Juliette Binoche and William Shimnell, it’s directed by Abbas Kiarostami, it’s set in Tuscany, it has subtitles and that’s probably about all I can tell you without giving too much away. Although saying that there’s anything to give away probably gives too much away in the first place…

On the face of it, Certified Copy is something of a romantic comedy – but not as we know it, Jim. It plays with the clichés and formulaic conventions of rom coms that we’ve become accustomed to, to the point that you’re not quite sure what you’re watching. The pacey, snappy, Technicolor traits of Hollywood are replaced with slow, lolling (as opposed to LOLing) camera work, and beautifully subtle cinematography.

This makes the film very intriguing, almost more of a mystery than a romantic comedy, and definitely lingers on the mind, giving you plenty to think about on the way home. I should be clear, though - this isn't Memento, the plot isn't that twisty, it's just not at all what you might expect from what is essentially a romantic tale.

Binoche gives as great a performance as you’d expect. She is, as always, interesting, engaging and nuanced – and as such, she makes the film an enjoyable and absorbing experience, regardless of what’s going on in it.

So, if you like films that draw you in, play with your head, and give you very pretty Tuscan scenery to look at on the way, then you should check out Certified Copy!

And if you do wanna check out Certified Copy when it opens at the QFT in Belfast this Friday, book a ticket online using the code ORLA10 for a discount! Yay for discounts!

Fuller review with spoilers coming up later, btw.

Gig Review - trans:mission day 2

A review I wrote of trans:mission day 2, part of the Trans Festival in Belfast.

It was much craic and featured a bunch of local bands. Just read the thing, I'm in a hurry here people!

So. Apparently I'm using this again.

As with most of my good intentions, I managed to keep this blog up for the entirety of a whole day. I'm gonna try to resurrect it a bit now though, mostly as a way to keep myself sane, my poor friends sane, and to try to give myself a bit of extra motivation to write again.

As you'll probably see pretty quickly from this blog, I am well in need of some practice at writing! It's been longer than I care to remember since I left university, and I appear to have left quite a few of my brain cells behind me, so I want to get using this again as a way to give myself a bit of the oul mental exercise.

Mostly it's probably gonna be rants, possibly some vaguely funny stuff (all nicked from other folk, naturally) and film and gig reviews.

I hope you (by which I probably mean me, cos I'm sure there won't be a lot of other folks reading this!) aren't too badly bored by it all!

:)

Gainsbourg (Film Review)

I didn’t really know much about Serge Gainsbourg before I saw this film, and I think that may have been the best approach to it. If you’re expecting a documentary-like attention to historic detail from Gainsbourg you’ll be disappointed. What you’ll get instead is a wonderful insight into a larger than life character - a musician, a painter, an artist, a creator.

The quirky, almost surreal elements to the film – namely Gainsbourg’s “mug” which grows from being a device created by his childish imagination to help protect him, to an almost grotesque manifestation of his more destructive elements – help to take us out of the real, out of the desire to compare every detail to what we may know of Gainsbourg’s life, and let us sit back and enjoy the story which is unfolding before us.

I honestly have very little idea how much accuracy there is in the film. And I don’t really care that much. Gainsbourg is a beautifully made film, with wonderful characters, wonderful storytelling, great cinematography and a lovely balance in tone towards its main character. It’s no surprise to learn that the director, Joann Sfar, works primarily in graphic novels and comic books. He treats Gainsbourg in the traditional manner of a hero – there is reverence, but there is no hiding the man’s flaws and faults either.

Overall, a very enjoyable, engaging and intriguing film, about a fascinating and absorbing man. Definitely worth seeing.

For those in/around Belfast, it's only on at the QFT, 30th July - 12th August. Go see it!!