Cultural Tales of Two Cities

Film - Coriolanus - directed by Ralph Fiennes

2012-01-31T09:25:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 8/10

Ralph Fiennes has produced an impressive and very contemporary version of the seldom performed Shakespearean drama Coriolanus, in which he both stars in the title role, and directs. I am a big fan of updating the bard with modern settings, this time in the middle of the 1990’s Balkan conflict, yet keeping the original lyrical words intact. My favourite example of this has to be Baz Luhrmann’s wonderful ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with Mr. DiCaprio in 1996.

Fiennes seems perfect for the role of the famous and victorious Roman general Caius Martius, who leads a celebrated early victory in the city of Corioles against those pesky old Roman enemies, the Volscians. On his return he is given the title Coriolanus in honour of the victory, and is encouraged by his adoring and commanding mother to swap his army fatigues for the robes of a politician. But the power games and spin of this world do not rest easy with his more straight forward soldierly character, and he is very ill suited to the skills of diplomacy and democratic niceties.

Gerard Butler is superb as his powerful and handsome nemesis, the commander of the Volscian army, Tullus Aufidius, who is loved by his own people in a way that Coriolanus could never be. You could say the two men have a love hate relationship, having battled it out on many previous occasions with no-one emerging victorious, and their relationship is verging on homoerotic at one point. And Vanessa Redgrave as his domineering mother was born to recite Shakespeare, making the words she utters seem like everyday conversation with her immense grasp of their power and nuance. She shows here again what a phenomenal actor she is.

I can see though, why this is not one of Shakespeare’s more popular plays – it is very wordy, with no great consistency of hero to worship like Henry V or villain to despise like Richard III. There are only shades of grey as Coriolanus goes from hero to villain to anti hero to tortured soul. He is pushed on relentlessly by his adoring mother to enter the world of politics, but the soldier in him cannot cope with the flattery and fawning that must accompany it. He is not prepared to compromise his principles for the love of the people – unlike many of today’s toadying breed of public figures and politicians. In some ways this is a refreshing stance (are you listening Nick Clegg?) but obviously ultimately a very flawed one for the pursuit of power.

The Balkan comparison makes real sense, and there are also very real parallels with the Arab Spring, and the angry, hungry mob which features in the plays opening scenes. There is a clever use of rolling news channel newsflashes, and Jon Snow reading breaking news to explain the developing plot did not feel out of place. And although the dialogue is dense in places, Fiennes makes it relatively easy to follow.

Now for a bit of a moan – Coriolanus was not showing at my local friendly neighbourhood multiplex and was only on a very small screen at the art house Cornerhouse cinema, and with limited screenings. So I had to frequent a multiplex in the city centre – can you believe it? Should it really be so hard to watch an intelligent, well acted, relevant Shakespearean drama? The answer of course is no. But catch it if you can – if only when it comes out on DVD!

DVD - Melancholia - directed by Lars von Trier

2012-01-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 5/10

Maybe it’s me – and I am entirely willing to believe that it could be – but Lars von Trier’s blue planet disaster film, which is just released on DVD, is totally baffling, not to say nuts, and about an hour too long. The dramatic classical music that overplays the puzzling introduction for at least 10 minutes - or at least it felt like a very long time – signals that this is an event rather than a film whose plot you can follow from start to finish. And the image of the Ophelia-like bride floating in water gives a clue that all will not turn out for the best from the off.

I’m all for few a few twists and turns along the way, but quite how you can go from a wedding somehow ruined by the bride’s mental health problems, to a planet about to crash into the earth and destroy us all is a bit of a stretch. Kirsten Dunst is terrific as Justine, the advertising executive who is getting married to Michael at her sister Claire’s lavish castle like home. Charlotte Gainsbourgh is also very good as the organised sister who is justifiably annoyed after she has gone to so much trouble to organise the wedding, and her wealthy husband is footing the bill to boot. It’s not quite clear why Justine is not entirely happy on this day, but her mother, played wonderfully by Charlotte Rampling, is bitter and twisted enough about the matrimonial state in her wedding reception speech to make you suspect that possibly Justine didn’t have the ideal role model.

It all goes very wrong, don’t ask me why, I couldn’t really say, and the partially muffled dialogue didn’t help much either. Anyway Justine has a break down and stays with Claire, who helps her to get better. And bizarrely, as she does so, it is her sister’s turn to freak out and lose the plot as the gigantic blue planet gets closer. Her husband assures her that it will just be a near miss. How can he tell? The film whirls into a totally different act, and as Claire becomes more and more agitated, Justine seems to be entering a state of ecstasy.

The cinematography is gorgeous, the special effects great, and the shots of the blue planet looming ever closer are truly beautiful. But it’s all just a bit bonkers...

Film - Haywire - directed by Steven Soderbergh

2012-01-28T08:54:00.001-08:00

Star rating – 6/10

It’s difficult to watch a secret agent action film without comparing it to the wonderful Bourne stable, and there is no doubt that Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Haywire’ is simply not in that class. But if you want a good couple of hours entertainment in the company of martial arts supremo turned actor Gina Carano, then this is quite fun.

Carano is good – well to be specific very good at the fighting bits, and quite good at the acting too – even putting some of the professional thesps in the cast to shame a bit. She plays Mallory, a US government agent who finds herself fighting for her life against her former masters. The rest of the cast is pretty star studded, with Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Puss in Boots (aka Antonio Banderas), and Channing Tatum in support. But their hearts are not always in this one - especially McGregor who is especially weak.

There are some nice location shots of Barcelona and Dublin, where Carano has to run through the streets and over roof tops with gun in hand ready for action – as you do. Some of the plot is a bit silly, like the young guy she makes hand over his car and drives away at speed, who then offers her sips of water and takes a bullet out of her arm with a pocket knife while she is making her getaway at the wheel. I think I would have been a little less sympathetic than he was in that situation to be honest.

But it is harmless, entertaining, if a little mindless fun. And Carano is sure to be back – just like Jason Bourne.

Gigs - The Secret Sisters - The Ruby Lounge

2012-01-28T08:24:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 9/10

The Secret Sisters are Laura and Lydia Rogers - a couple of simply charming real life sisters from Alabama, whose love of their country music heritage, courtesy of their parents, shines through their music. In their latest gig at The Ruby Lounge they delighted the audience with their warmth and musical talent.

I first caught them supporting Ray LaMontagne last year at the Bridgewater Hall, and thought they were great. But their beautiful harmonies, with voices that wrap around each other perfectly, sound even better in a more intimate venue. They performed great tracks from their first self titled 2010 album like ‘Tennessee Me’, which they claim not to like much but is a real cheesy crowd pleaser; and their cover of a lovely old Irish folk song ‘Do You Love An Apple’.

The covered country standards like Hank Williams’ ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’, as well as tracks by Crosby, Stills and Nash; and Skeeter Davis, who was a new one on me but well worth checking out – inspirational as she was to many including the legendary (in my house anyway) Tammy Wynette. The sisters talk fondly of their southern roots, while being very aware of the stereotypes applied of that part of the US. One of their new songs, ‘Tomorrow will be Kinder’ was written by Lydia about a tornado that hit in Alabama when they were touring in Australia.

They seem very grounded, happy and charming personalities, with elder sister Laura doing most of the chatting. They are currently recording their second album which will have more self penned tracks on it – so look out for them here again sometime soon. Their voices are great, and they just make you want to smile with their lovely depressing songs. Pure country magic!

DVD - The Silence - directed by Baran Bo Odar

2012-01-22T13:36:00.001-08:00

Star rating– 7/10

The Silence is an accomplished debut from German director Baran Bo Odar. It is not so much a whodunit as a study in guilt. A schoolgirl was raped and murdered 23 years ago whilst out cycling in the country lanes near her home, and the crime remains unsolved. There is no mystery for the audience however, as the two men involved are shown with one brutally committing the crime, and one watching him do it.

On the exact anniversary of the murder, 23 years later, the detective who fruitlessly led the investigation is about to retire from the police, and is still haunted by the crime remaining unsolved. And another young girl goes missing in very similar circumstances, so similar that the conclusions cannot fail to be drawn that she had also been murdered, maybe by the same person.

The film painfully studies the effects the loss has had on the original victim’s mother, on the parents of the recently missing girl, as well as the police themselves, who are not without their own private tragedies. And of course, the killers themselves have rightly not been able to escape the after effects of their own terrible actions. The action is very well shot, with a great colour palette making the contrast between the beautiful rural locations and the deeds committed there all the more stark; and the sound track is suitably menacing and disturbing in all the right places.

The acting is great, but the end is a tad anticlimactic, as the culprits are known from the start, but this is a well done crime movie, and the director is certainly one to watch out for.

Theatre - Two - Royal Exchange

2012-01-21T23:51:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 4/10

Two is the latest production from the Royal Exchange, and in these cash strapped times is an obvious choice for a regional production, with its cast of two and very minimal set of just a bar with imaginary stocks of alcohol and no props. But it was far from a great evening’s entertainment for me.

Written in another recessionary time, 1989, by Bolton writer Jim Cartwright, who is more famous for ‘Little Voice’, it takes place in a Northern pub, with the two actors playing a host of characters who run and visit the bar. Comedian Justin Moorhouse, last seen here playing the lead in ‘Zack’, and Victoria Elliott take on these many roles, which are all about couples, hence the title. And it has to be said that some work better than others.

But for me it was a play of two distinct halves, neither of which worked particularly well. Before the interval the tone was very upbeat, or even slight, with me pondering the difference between a theatrical production and a light entertainment sketch show, as I seemed to be watching the latter when I expected the former. Not all the characters worked, the landlord and landlady parts were good, but a little old Ena Sharples type woman, and a lonely old man were weak links. It felt like watching a comedy, although well acted, that was just not quite funny enough.

After the interval the tone changed dramatically into a window on a relationship of domestic violence and emotional blackmail, and some of the audience were slow to catch onto this volte-face, resulting in some uncomfortable laughter at the brutal dialogue. This felt like manipulation of the audience. I didn’t know much or care about the characters before me – there was no back story or context. It felt like stepping from Phoenix Nights to a darker episode of Coronation Street in one fell swoop. This heavier dramatic tone continued as emotional rifts and deep wounds were revealed.

My problem was not with the performances, this is undoubtedly a challenging play for any actor with all its characters and time on stage for the two leads, and Moorhouse and Elliott were good, and for the most part very convincing. But I simply did not enjoy the play, it was not funny enough in its lighter parts, and its darker underbelly felt very out of place.

Film - Shame - directed by Steve McQueen

2012-01-19T12:29:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 10/10

I haven’t seen a film worthy of my top rating for a while now – but this masterpiece in both direction and acting is an absolute gem. It is shocking, unsettling, and so sad at times as to be nearly unbearable; and it stayed with me long after the credits had rolled.

Director Steve McQueen really impressed me with his debut feature ‘Hunger’ about the IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. And he teams up again with the fantastic Michael Fassbender to tell the story, or at least part of it, of a sex addict. Brandon is superficially very successful, with a classy minimalist Manhattan apartment and an unspecified executive job to match. But he cannot stand relationships or intimacy of any kind, except the sex act itself, which he craves at any time and place, and in any way he can possibly get it. And his lonely lifestyle is disrupted, to his considerable annoyance, when his clingy and dependent little sister Sissy, comes to crash at his place when she has nowhere else to turn.

Fassbender gives a stand out performance as Brandon, playing super smooth cool guy and empty, frightened addict in equally perfect measure. Carey Mulligan yet again shows her considerable acting credentials as Sissy, who is desperate for the affection that her brother just cannot give. Their American accents are as near as damn it perfect, and that’s official – anyway it is according to my American cousin who saw the film with me. And Mulligan shows off her beautiful, fragile singing voice, giving what must be the saddest ever rendition of ‘New York, New York’ ever.

The direction is superb, with the very welcome inclusion of what is fast becoming McQueen’s trademark long uncut shot, in this film of Brandon running and running across the city, trying to get away from the unpleasant scene of his married boss and his sister getting a bit too intimate in his own bed.

This is not a film about sex, although there is undeniably lots of sex in it. It is a film about addiction, and how that warps the everyday life of the addict. It is surprising that Brandon actually manages to hold down a job, with every meeting consisting of him staring at the backside of a woman around the office; and with his computer being taken away to be cleaned up as his hard drive is so full of porn.

The film is unutterably heartbreaking, as he messes up the only chance of a real relationship that comes his way, crippled by his emotional blockages. And his relationship with his sister is all wrong too. McQueen does not go in for back story in a big way, so all we know is that they had an unhappy childhood. And for that matter their future is not really mapped out very clearly either. As opposed to the futures of McQueen, Mulligan and Fassbender who, whilst possibly being a bit too racy in ‘Shame’ to triumph at the Oscars, will undoubtedly shine bright for many a long year. This is a simply superb film – watch and be stunned into silence by its brilliance and intensity.

Film - War Horse - directed by Steven Spielberg

2012-01-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 8/10

No-one does epic Hollywood sentimentality on a scale quite like Steven Spielberg, so to accuse his latest film ‘War Horse’; of being over sentimental, is a bit like saying there was a bit too much espionage in ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’. That’s sort of the point. And this is undeniably an epic and sentimental film, but it is also a great sweeping journey back to the golden days of Hollywood, reminiscent of the glory of ‘Gone with the Wind’.

And Spielberg again shows just what a fabulous director he is with this adaptation of the Michael Morpurgo book, already a long running West End hit with the magic of puppetry. It’s the story of a poor farmer’s son, Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his beautiful and clever thoroughbred horse Joey. Joey is not really the hard working stout carthorse that the family need to help on the farm, but Albie and Joey show what they are made of against the odds.

And ‘against the odds’ is very much the theme of the whole film, as Joey is sold to go off on fight in the First World War, is captured by Germans, and gets horrendously trapped in the barbed wire of no man’s land, showing great bravery and intelligence throughout. The action is broken up into a series of cameos, some admittedly stronger than others, as Joey’s adventures unwind.

The play is brilliant, this film is great. Being Spielberg, and catering for a family audience, the violence of the trenches is not shown in absolute graphic detail, but it still gets across something of the horror of the conflict. If your heart isn’t warmed by this lovely, sad adventure then shame on you. If you don’t like sentimental Hollywood epics with animals than you are advised to give it a wide berth. Luckily I do, and can appreciate in it the work of a genius director, the like of whom we may not see again. It’s just a shame they did not see fit to credit the horse at the end of the film like they did with the doggie star of ‘The Artist’!

Books - Easy Money - by Jens Lapidus

2012-01-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 9/10

Easy Money will be released in the UK soon, but is already a sensation in Sweden and far beyond. It’s been a best seller there for over 2 years, and already been turned into a hit film. It seems the next obvious target for a big budget Hollywood make over. I, like everyone else, am becoming a bit bored by endless claims of the next big Scandinavian crime export to rival the Steig Larsson phenomenon, but really this is very, very good.

Jens Lapidus takes the lid of the murky Swedish criminal underworld, and uses the criminals themselves as his main characters, rather than any police or legal eagle. The story is told from their perspective not the victims, police or prosecutors. And it is a very engrossing story at that. Lapidus has drawn brilliantly on his experience as a criminal lawyer to write about people who feel they have no alternative but to continue living a life of crime. He gets right behind the way their minds work in this multi threaded plot with some very original characters.

In a lot of ways it is very reminiscent of The Wire, with intelligent people engaged in highly complex criminal operations which they run in very slick and professional ways. Some of his characters come from the dangerous world of the mobsters from the former Yugoslavia, who already feel like outsiders in their new home. They import the violence they used to brutal effect in the war there to establish a new dominance in Sweden. Their paths cross with a more unusual player. JW is a wannabe rich kid who is having to work very hard to maintain his facade with the privileged crowd he so longs to be accepted by. And Jorge is a Chilean doing the latest of his small stretches inside for relatively minor offences. And the mutual pursuit of big money by all involved leads to their paths crossing in a high stakes game where only the toughest have any chance of emerging with their lives and empires intact.

Lapidus writes in a very pacey and original way, changing the style of both the dialogue and the prose depending on which character he is focussing on. This is crime writing at its best – thrilling, fascinating, engaging, and brutal. This book is tantalisingly the first in a trilogy. If the other instalments are as good as this one we are certainly in for a dark treat.

Exhibitions - Adolphe Valette - The Lowry

2012-01-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

Star rating - 8/10

It’s great to find someone who really appreciates and embraces the beauty of Manchester through its famous climate, rather than just moaning about its rain. And the pioneering impressionist artist Adolphe Valette, whose exhibition is still on until the end of the month at The Lowry, is one such person.

Valette is famous for being a teacher and friend of L.S. Lowry himself, at the Manchester Municipal School of Art in All Saints, now part of the Manchester Metropolitan University, and for his beautiful paintings of Manchester itself which celebrate its mist and fog like nothing else quite does. He came to Manchester from France in 1904, and stayed on for another twenty four years, becoming a favourite teacher at the school. There are lots of lovely nude drawings from his life classes there, probably just ordinary folk from the local area who needed a bit of extra money.

In this exhibition there is the clear sense of Valette as someone who really appreciated ordinary people, both family, friends, and strangers alike, and celebrated them through his art. There are lovely portraits of his wife, mother and sister. His first house in Plymouth Grove, in the well to do neighbourhood of Victoria Park, is captured in all its leafy affluence. His paintings of the city are celebrations of its status and industry – in the River Irwell, the Ship Canal, and the traffic along Oxford Road.

To prepare for this exhibition, The Lowry made a public appeal for some of his lost works, and managed to track down some of them which were previously thought lost. Some of his work as a graphic designer is displayed, as well as rural portraits of working people and places from his time back home in the fields of France, where he returned due to ill health and the death of his mother.

It’s great to really get a sense of a person through their work, and these pictures are really beautiful, as I imagine was the soul of the man himself. Valette was not from Manchester, but obviously really loved this city, and through his work and close relationship with Lowry, helped to bring its greatness and beautifully inclement weather to the attention of a much wider public.

Film - The Artist directed by Michel Hazanavicius

2012-01-07T01:36:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 9/10

For once - a film that lives up to the hype that surrounds its release. ‘The Artist’ is a glorious, uplifting, funny, clever and innovative film that deserves the praise and Oscar nods it is getting. And it serves as a timely lesson that to be original and innovative, you can ironically, sometimes reinvent the wheel.

I was slightly dubious and sceptical about a black and white silent film capturing my attention for an hour and forty minutes, but it does it with such charm and joy that it is a delight to watch. French director Michel Hazanavicius has made a homage to Hollywood which is stylistically as good as, and damn near identical to, anything produced in the silent era of the silver screen. It nods to so many wonderful Hollywood films, moments and actors that I almost lost count, and some allusions were more subtle than others. But my overriding feeling was akin to the warm glow that I get from watching Gene Kelly in ‘Singing in the Rain’.

Jean Dujardin is excellent as George Valentin, a huge film star of the silent era who accidentally bumps into a beautiful young girl Peppy Miller, again wonderfully performed by Berenice Bejo, and a charming story ensues. The action follows the decline of the silent star, and the parallel rise of Miller in the amazing new talking pictures. Both Dujardin and Bejo are captivating screen idols, and with the camera on their faces in close up for so much of the time, their roles are as demanding as in talking roles. There is another star of the film in the shape of Valentin’s wonderfully cute and clever little dog, who is beside him for every step of his journey.

The score is beautiful, the story line simple but touching. It is not faultless though – I would say it was slightly over long in the latter stages, and Dujardin is certainly no Gene Kelly in the dancing department. But any film that has the audience breaking out into a round of applause at the end has to be a bit special, and that is exactly what 'The Artist' is.

DVD - Kill List directed by Ben Wheatley

2012-01-04T14:02:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 7/10

It’s not often I venture into the world of horror in my film watching, but Ben Wheatley’s ‘Kill List’ comes with such fulsome recommendations that I decided to give it a go. And it is low budget and gritty but very scary and unsettling, based as it is in a suburban normality that goes badly wrong when this claustrophobic world is fused with evil forces.

Jay (Neil Maskell) is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder of some kind, possibly from Iraq, possibly from his subsequent employment as a hit man on a mysterious job in Kiev. Financial pressures force him to reunite once more with his best friend and bluff Northern Irishman Gal (Michael Smiley) on another foray into the world of professional assassination with a list of people to kill. I did find the dialogue between some of the characters early on a bit difficult to follow in places.

And the baddies are not kept a secret for long – with Gal’s dinner date at Jay’s house confirming my worst suspicions early on that HR managers can be an evil force to be reckoned with. MyAnna Buring plays Jay’s wife Shel, who herself is ex army, and so a crack shot when she needs to be.

Things turn very creepy and nasty – to say the least. I wanted it to be over about half an hour before it was, but I think that was just because I didn’t want to be scared any more rather than the film itself being too drawn out. Strange people in wicker masks wandering through forests add to the high tension. This is very a very dark film, which does not by any means provide you with all the answers to the questions it raises, but leaves you wanting to forget that you wanted answers to them in the first place, if you see what I mean. Probably a great thing for true horror fans – after watching this creepy and disturbing film I am not sure I am really one of them.

Film - Sherlock Holmes – a Game of Shadows directed by Guy Ritchie

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Star rating 4/10

After the critical mauling it got I have to admit I never bothered to see the first Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes meets Hollywood extravaganza, but as it was New Year's Day, and the festive feeling of goodwill was just about still in evidence, I decided to give the follow up a try. Bad move.

This is a testosterone fuelled macho action movie that happens to be very loosely based on a Conan Doyle crime classic. Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr are fine as the leads, accomplished actors as they both are. But the plot is boring, which is something I would never level at Conan Doyle, and the context is muddled. It is set in Victorian times, but Ritchie insists on Holmes saying distinctly modern phrases such as ‘no pressure’, which seem oddly out of place.

Noomi Rapace is criminally underused as a gypsy side kick along for the ride. After the dramatic highs of her splendid performance as Lisbeth Salander in the original Swedish versions of the Millennium trilogy films, this feels like one hell of an artistic come down for her. The film drags along with all the finesse of a bulldozer, and the finer nuances of the original stories have all but vanished. Some of the other acting is so wooden you suspect it is a wardrobe.

I just can’t recommend this at all – but I suspect that Ritchie will be back for more, and like Conan Doyle himself, will not leave his detective to die in the Reichenbach Falls with his arch enemy Moriarty. If you want to see a Sherlock Holmes tale – I would stick to the simply brilliant BBC version with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, rather than this poor man's macho fantasy.

Cultural Tales of Two Cities Annual Awards 2011

2011-12-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

Best Film

Both my favourite films come from early on in the year – nothing since has quite matched their brilliance. So it’s a double award this year:

Blue Valentine – simply the most beautiful, saddest love story ever – with stand out breathtakingly good performances from both leads Michelle Williams, and the gorgeous, fantastic, not to say slightly ubiquitous Ryan Gosling. How Oscars escaped this pair of actors I do not know. Heartbreaking perfection.

And Animal Kingdom – brutal brilliance in the dark underbelly of the Melbourne suburbs. This is a mesmerising example of the crime genre which will be hard to beat.

Special mentions also go to Ryan Gosling in Drive, slightly over violent in places I admit, but if this doesn’t spark a revival in brown leather driving gloves nothing will. Gosling is too cool for school – more please.

Also to the most brilliant documentary I have ever seen – Senna. Even if you have no interest in Formula 1 motor racing or sport in general, I defy you to watch this film and not be moved to the tips of your toes and emerge with a new hero in Ayrton Senna. Sheer class.

Turkey of the year award has to go to The Eagle – even the very easy on the eye Channing Tatum couldn’t save this swords and sandals Roman tale from descending into farce. But with no Frankie Howard...

Best play

The prize is again shared for the best theatre production this year – not a crisis of decision making on my part you understand, just two brilliant comedies that were master classes in plot, timing, and the precise art of a great adaptation, both of which have deservedly transferred to sell out West End runs.

Firstly One Man Two Guvnors at the National Theatre (which I saw via the magic of NT Live – much more of that please) was a fabulous farce for which James Corden has rightly received much praise. He really makes the show, and it is pure joy to watch his brilliant ad libs, even if some were rehearsed – who cares?

Secondly, The Ladykillers at Liverpool Playhouse was also comedy perfection, as this new adaption starring the brilliant Peter Capaldi, and a set the like of which I have never seen was a surprise - sheer delight.

Special mentions must also go to the mesmerising power of David Morrissey as Macbeth at Liverpool Everyman (R.I.P. until it rises phoenix like in a couple of years time); and to Michael Sheen as Hamlet in a secure hospital at the Young Vic. His was a performance of impressive passion and stature, even if the overall setting was slightly weird. It was a total pleasure to see such great actors each at the top of their not inconsiderable games. And the Royal Exchange had some great plays early on in their season – Private Lives, A View From the Bridge, and As You Like It were all fantastic.

Turkey of the year was Winterlong in the Royal Exchange Studio – both for the play itself, and for the ungracious attitude to criticism in this very blog by its author Andrew Sheridan – boo hiss.

Best Book

My favourite novels were The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, which deservedly won the Booker Prize for its brilliantly observed account of relationships via an extremely unreliable narrator; and the unaccountably overlooked The Stranger’s Child by Alan Hollinghurst, which was to my mind equally brilliant and haunting.

I also very much enjoyed a couple of noteworthy biographies this year: Cleopatra – A Life by Stacy Schiff, and Charles Dickens – A Life by Claire Tomalin.

Turkey of the year for my was Great House by Nicole Krauss. I know it was critically acclaimed in all the right places, but it just goes to show that there is no accounting for taste – I found it practically unreadable. C’est la vie.

Best exhibition

Nothing in this country topped my Russian adventures this year, with the St Peterburg Hermitage and the art of the Moscow Metro artistic experiences so special that I would thoroughly recommend a trip for those two destinations alone.

Two Temple Place near the banks of the Thames is a hidden gem which is well worth seeking out, and the William Morris exhibition there was also sheer pleasure.

Turkey of the year most definitely goes to the new Museum of Liverpool – it is a jumble sale of a place, with confused and cluttered cases of not very much at all, housed in a building which is simply an affront to its beautiful and majestic neighbours on the Liverpool Waterfront. Sorry and all that...

Best gig

Although my firm favourites I Am Kloot and their lead singer troubadour John Bramwell have been brilliant on all six times I have seen them/him this year (really looking forward to the new album in 2012 guys), the stand out best live gig was a real unexpected pleasure (always the best kind I think). The award proudly goes to Justin Townes Earle at the Deaf Institute. He is a real showman, who sings brilliantly and plays his guitar with jaw dropping musicianship. I enjoyed every minute of his set, including his very entertaining stories in between songs. A very charming and charismatic country performer indeed.

Turkey award sadly goes to The Lemonheads at the Ritz last month – lack of attack, lack of connection with the audience, sticky dance floor , need I say more?

Best classical concert

For atmosphere and seasonal cheer this has to go to Manchester Baroque’s performance of Handel’s Messiah at Manchester Cathedral. Great setting, great soloists, great night.

Highly commended were also a couple of offerings from the ever inspirational Manchester International Festival this year – the genius that is Damon Albarn produced a visually stunning and thematically interesting opera in Doctor Dee at the Palace Theatre; and Alina Ibragimova and The Quay Brothers produced a concert to remember in the glorious setting of Chethams School.

No turkeys in this section– I am, after all, a vegetarian...

So it’s been a great year for culture in Manchester and beyond. Thanks for reading my blog. Here’s to a great 2012 with all the cultural delights that it will surely bring for those who endeavour to seek them out. Happy New Year!

Theatre - The Wind in The Willows - Library Theatre

2011-12-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 8/10

The Library Theatre has yet again managed to come up with a quality Christmas entertainment for all the family in its current production of Alan Bennett’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’ at the Lowry. It is not a classically Christmas tale, but that doesn’t matter as the lovely riverbank tale of Toad, Ratty and Mole has been updated by director Chris Honer with some great touches.

My own favourite was Albert the Brummie horse, played by Jason Furnival, who works for that loveable rogue Toad, and loves to complain about the smallest everyday detail in a highly amusing manner. The dastardly Weasels are great, dressed as Mafioso types in long camel coats, but in character seem more like a comment on elements of the gutter press. Very topical.

But as always, the show is stolen by Toad, with his outrageous hobbies and proud snobbery. Paul Barnhill plays him with more than a passing resemblance to a certain Boris Johnson. This is great, harmless, funny, and topical all round festive entertainment at its best.

Theatre - Company - Sheffield Crucible

2011-12-29T05:45:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 6/10

In Sheffield the Crucible Theatre’s Artistic Director Daniel Evans dons his 1970’s garb in this unusual offering for the Christmas season in the shape of the Stephen Sondheim musical ‘Company’.

Evans plays Robert, a 35 year old bachelor, living it up in a Manhattan loft apartment to die for. His friends, who are all in relationships of varying degrees of happiness and fulfilment, all want him to get married, but he seems happy enough dating various women at the same time. That’s about the size of the plot – in other words, it’s a bit thin.

Some of the musical numbers are very good, notably the Broadway style extravaganza ‘Side by Side by Side’. The trouble was it was so good that it left me wanting more of the same, and there was none to be had. Francesca Annis was great as the bored, drunken wife of a wealthy husband. But none of the other characters were very memorable. All their various relationships were examined in turn, whilst Robert happy frolicked in black satin sheets with an air hostess. It was all a bit cutesy and dated to really pack the required seasonal punch, despite the great fashions – I did love the white plastic boots.

Film - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - directed by David Fincher

2011-12-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 8/10

I’m not usually a big fan of Hollywood makeovers of perfectly good foreign language original films, but as it’s the season of goodwill to all film directors, and as I needed a break from festive chocolates and tinsel, I decided to give this a chance. It is a remake of the original Swedish film, which was itself an adaptation of the best selling crime novel that is the world wide publishing phenomenon by Stieg Larsson.

I was loathe to accept Daniel Craig as political journalist Mikael Blomkvist, and especially sceptical about anyone but the excellent Noomi Rapace playing Lisbeth Salander, the IT genius with extreme anti social tendencies. But I have to admit that both Craig, and Rooney Mara are exceptionally good in their roles, and do bring another dimension to the action rather than merely a pale imitation of what has gone before. And it has to be said that her blond eyebrows with jet black hair are a seriously menacing look.

Of course this version will have had a significantly bigger budget than its Swedish predecessor, but it is also slick in other ways, with David Fincher adding a deft touch of sleekness that was arguably missing from the original. The cold harsh Swedish setting is atmospheric, with the wealthy family Blomkvist is investigating nicely fitting the crazy Nazi stereotype that has been painted of them.

If you are familiar with the story, as I am, then the plot is no surprise, but is expertly handled – violent and repugnant in all the right places, laced with the odd tender moment. The tension is built nicely to the climax, even if perhaps the film is a little overlong. So don’t expect to read this too often – but this is one Hollywood remake that is most definitely recommended.

Gigs - Badly Drawn Boy – The Deaf Institute

2011-12-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 8/10

Full marks to Damian Gough for doing more than his fair share of charity work over the past few weeks. Last month it was for organising a special fundraising gig at the Comedy Store to fund research into a rare brain stem cancer for the Billie Butterfly Fund for his friend and music journalist Luke Bainbridge’s young niece. This time the gig at the Deaf Institute was in aid of Operation Shanti (www.operation-shanti.org) which helps the poorest and neediest children and elderly people in Mysore South India, with the basic human needs: food, shelter, medical services and educational assistance.

And BDB is a performer who really grows on you. He did covers of Dylan and The National (great opening song called ‘Runaway’), as well as lots of tunes from his back catalogue. He told a great dog joke (you had to be there), and really got the crowd in the festive mood – in a down beat, low key kind of way. It was a bit of a lovvie luv-in – with soap star/DJs and hosts for the evening Jeff Hordley and Greame Hawley, as well as Mark Riley and Pete Jobson in the audience. Merry Christmas!

Gigs - John Bramwell/Thea Gilmore – Royal Exchange

2011-12-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 8/10

It’s not often the Royal Exchange theatre hosts a gig – in fact I wasn’t aware that it did until I saw John Bramwell and Thea Gilmore perform in this excellent space last night. This was my sixth JB/I Am Kloot gig this year – and he does not fail to thrill with his beautiful lyrics, Mancunian humour, and witty banter that accompanies his songs.

He did a couple of great new songs from the forthcoming IAK album, ‘Shoeless’ and ‘Let Them All In’, in addition to great favourites such as ‘I Believe’; ‘Storm Warning’; ‘Proof’; and ‘Ferris Wheels’. Let’s hope the new album is every bit as special as the last one. I Am Kloot will be touring again with it next May, and I for one can’t wait.

His witticism was much in evidence as always. Just one request please John – get your teeth sorted before you do the tour. You know you’re worth it!

Thea Gilmore and her band were also great. She performed some very moving new songs with lyrics by the late Sandy Denny – ‘Georgia’ and ‘Frozen Time’. It was a lovely intimate space for a special evening.

Classical - Handel's Messiah - Manchester Cathedral

2011-12-11T04:16:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 8/10

After my slightly bah humbug theatre review this week, I was looking forward to a performance of Handel’s Messiah performed at Manchester Cathedral by Manchester Baroque to dispense some festive cheer. And I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed.

It speaks volumes of the charm and beauty of this fitting venue, as the same Christmas favourite was being performed across town at the admittedly acoustically superior Bridgewater Hall on the same night, but the cathedral event was a sell out. But no matter how great a concert hall is, it cannot replace the magic and majesty of a church setting for Handel’s masterpiece. The night was cold, the church was not much warmer, and I tried to banish all thoughts of mulled wine from the alluring Christmas market stalls outside, and settled down for a real treat of a performance.

The orchestra and choir were tremendous, and the soloists were excellent. I was particularly impressed with baritone Terence Ayebare, who in addition to being a sublime singer, with a touch of the great Paul Robeson in his voice, has a very interesting and eclectic past. He trained as an electrical engineer in Uganda before he was given the chance for his musical talent to blossom in Glasgow and Manchester. That must be a great story to tell.

And obviously the high point of the Hallelujah Chorus was fantastic and moving. This was a fitting start to my Christmastime, with the real spirit of Christmas, rather than the crass commercialism of the nearby malls in these straitened economic times.

Theatre - You Can't Take It With You - Royal Exchange

2011-12-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

Star rating – 6/10

In keeping with the traditions of the festive season, at this time the Royal Exchange usually like to offer a more accessible production for those once a year theatre goers to enjoy. And this year it is the 1930’s American screwball comedy ‘You Can’t Take It With You’ by George S Kaufman and Moss Hart. The Exchange have teamed up with ‘Told by An Idiot’ theatre company for this production, which is directed by Paul Hunter.

It is the mild morality tale of a very bohemian, liberal American family, the Vanderhofs, whose lives crash into those of the Kirby’s, who are bankers on Wall Street and hold diametrically opposite view on just about everything. Alice Vanderhof works for the Kirbys, and her budding romance the heir to the Kirby fortune, Tony, leads inevitably to tears and laughter.

It is a funny production, with great comic turns from both Miltos Yerolemou as the mad Russian ballet teacher Professor Kolenkhov, and his not so promising student Essie, played by Sophie Russell, who is also Alice’s elder sister. But I guess I want more than funny from a Christmas production. I felt that the play was a little dated, and not strong enough to uphold the festive season on its own two feet. It’s a shame – but I just wasn’t blown away, and I have come to expect more from the Exchange, so felt a little short changed despite the laughs.