Portfolio

A Critical PortfolioBy Paul Cook

In creating this document I wanted to achieve a

number of things. First and foremost I wanted

to create an aestheticaly pleasing piece of work

that would document not only a range of my

journalistic efforts from the past six years across

a range of online, magazine and newspaper

formats but also display the abilities I have in

laying up and presenting a piece of work.

This collection of work samples also aims to

demonstrate the skills I have across several

pieces of creative software including Photoshop,

InDesign, Illustrator and After Effects.

The material I’ve included ranges from pieces I

have written in my capacity as the Music Editor

of Concrete Newspaper, the University of East

Anglia’s Student Newspaper, to reviews I have

written as a contributor and sub-editor to both

God is in the TV, an online music zine and Faux

Magazine, a fledgling culture magazine based in

Lincoln.

Films and music have always been my two true

passions. Having studied Film and Television

Studies at UEA I have developed an even greater

and deeper love for cinema and since starting

out as a music journalist at the age of 15, music

fast became only second to film on my cultural

priority list. I always feel a great satisfaction

and enjoyment from articulating my thoughts

on a piece of cinema or music through the

written word and feel that my personality and

enthusiasm comes through in my writing.

Whether it’s the stunning cinematography of a

film, the catchy, toe-tapping bassline of a piece

of music or the inspiring work of any number

of creative personalities in the entertainment

industry, the first thought I have is how to

articulate my passion for it onto the page.

Introduction

Contents

Cinema

Review: Ratatoille

Review: Fantastic Mr Fox

Review: Public Enemies

Review: There Will Be Blood

Feature: The Road: From Page to Screen

Feature: Inception: Film & Philosophy

Music

Feature: Greatest Albums of the Noughties

Review: Bombay Bicycle Club

Review: The Whitest Boy Alive

Review: Foals

Review: Wild Beasts

Contact Details

Tel. 07957 567 293Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/paulwilliamcook

Further Work Samples

God is in the TV zinehttp://godisinthetvzine.co.uk

Faux Magazinehttp://ireadfaux.com/

Plain & Simplehttp://plainandsimple.tv

Ibiza Spotlighthttp://ibiza-spotlight.com

Top Ten of 2010 The Year in Review

1. Un Prophète(Dir. Jacques Audiard)In recent years the ‘best thing since The Godfather’ tag has been banded around with such frivolity that the commendation has all but lost it’s meaning.

Particularly with European cinema, comparisons to Coppola’s Mafioso masterpiece are rife. Mesrine and Gomorrah are two such films to have made these claims and both fell short of the qualities which make Un Prophète the greatest cinematic release of 2010.

Un Prophète is the first film in a decade that comes anywhere close because beneath all of the visceral violence and compelling tales of corruption it is a very human, very relatable work of cinema presented in a sensory mix of breathtaking elegance and astounding power.

Tahar Rahim who plays Malik, the film’s protagonist, brings the role of a Mob-apprentice a captivating realism and such naturalistic touches that you will indeed find yourself making comparisons to the young, naïve Michael Corleone of part 1.

The film also balances perfectly between art cinema and mainstream crime thriller. There are gems of artistic genius and yet the arcs of plot and character throughout sit firmly within the realms of gritty crime saga. Not only does Un Prophète stand as my top pick of 2010 but makes my top ten of the decade without question.

2. Inception(Dir. Christopher Nolan)Don’t let the Hollywood thrills and spills fool you into thinking Inception is just another superficial action export. What Christopher Nolan has created with Inception, a film that has taken the British auteur over ten years to fully conceive and bring to fruition, is a deeply philosophical, intricately intelligent exploration of some of cinema’s most intriguing themes. Everything from hyper-reality to deep-seeded human ethics bubble with intensity under the surface of what some could see as a straight-forward Hollywood heist movie.

DiCaprio and Cotillard, the two tortured lovers, play their roles with depth and empathy to such an extent that it not only comes to define the film’s plot but define the film for the audience too. Many a director with such a mega-budget would have become preoccupied with the stunts and special effects and sidelined the real heart of the story, the tale of heartbreak between Cobb and Mal. That said, many a director could never write, direct or simply envisage such an intelligent and thought-provoking film.

Nolan is one-of-a-kind and Inception delves into the depths of Nolan’s philosophical and cinematic interests in unforgettable and fascinating fashion.

3. Monsters(Dir. Gareth Edwards)

A relative late-comer to the best-of-2010 list is Monsters and it storms its way up the list to make the top three for sheer ingenuity, originality and mind-boggling value-for-money.

The micro-budget feature, which was written, directed and produced by Gareth Edwards, a refreshingly promising young British filmmaker, is a character drama set within the framework of a Monster-movie.

The film is a testament to the possibilities of low-budget movie-making with a reported budget of around £10,000. Shot beautifully in and around Mexico and South America the story of how the film was made is perhaps as interesting as the film itself. Unscripted and with just two principal cast,

Monsters was made in a gap-year style travel experience with Edwards, his editor and two actors travelling, stopping, shooting and leaving with the footage.

Comparisons to Mike Leigh style exploration of character relationships might seem superlative but Monsters really is an understated yet touching tale of human survival told through the characters’ unspoken feelings for one another.

4. Toy Story 3(Dir. Lee Unkrich)Toy Story 3 had a huge weight on its shoulders to live up to the two benchmark animated features that preceded it. Toy Story was the first fully CG-animated feature film ever and Toy Story 2 is arguably one of the only animated sequels not to be a complete flop.

The zany animation gurus at Pixar therefore had a huge task to try and achieve the impossible; a faultless trilogy, and in true Pixar style they did, introducing new characters to a cherished franchise as if they had always existed in the world of Toy Story and setting Woody, Buzz and the rest of the now-three dimensional gang on an original and exciting journey.

With the exception of Avatar and select few, 3D has seemed more gimmick than gain in 2010, particularly in animated features where at times it only serves to gloss over and distract the viewer from the weakness of plot and character. Toy Story 3 didn’t take the bold decision not to use 3D but instead used it sparingly and in the right moments, in the right way.

The wonderfully imaginative opening five minutes features a child’s playtime brought to life in gloriously vivid digital 3D as Woody and Buzz chase an evil Mr. Potato Head bank robber. Here the three dimensions add real life and excitement to the image. Throughout the rest of the film thereafter the 3D element adds hints of depth and perception where needed and remains rightfully sidelined where it isn’t.

Toy Story 3 works brilliantly as it retains that all-important animation balance between child and adult humour, plot and spectacle and best of all seems like a logical end to the trilogy seeing Andy leave for college. At times it is heartwarming and in others heart-racing and will leave you feeling a touching sense of nostalgia.

5. Shutter Island(Dir. Martin Scorsese)2010 has without doubt been DiCaprio’s year. With Inception smashing into the all-time box office books a second cinematic outing of such class and precision was a treat. Released a few months before Nolan’s dream-state thriller, Shutter Island had the added excitement and anticipation of being directed by the one and only Martin Scorsese. Shutter Island also marks a noticeable diversion in story and genre for the mob-film master as it delves deep into psychological thriller territory.

Based on the best-selling book by Dennis Lehane, Shutter Island is a film with potential for re-viewing two, three or even four times over and is packed with enigmatic subtleties which will have you thinking it over and over for hours after the credits have rolled.

DiCaprio gives yet another performance of psychological torment and angst, that is of course, after the gentle nuances and telling directorial nods reveal that he is himself the escaped inmate he has been searching for.

With some truly unforeseeable shocks and scares along the way, hidden amongst the admittedly predictable ones, Shutter Island brings the intelligence of the novel and its twisting plot to the silver screen faithfully. Scorsese has retained the audience’s position as the investigator and feeds you enough information to draw you in before whipping it out from underneath you in the climactic finale.

Like Inception, Shutter Island finishes on the most ambiguous of endings, leaving you to draw your own conclusions, something which will have you re-watching time and again with intrigue.

6. Kick-Ass(Matthew Vaughn)

2011 saw the release of two hugely popular comic book adaptations. One was the repetitive and superbly over-hyped Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, a repetitive and formulaic comic book-come-teen comedy and the other was the far superior, infinitely more intelligent and observant Kick Ass.

Jane Goldman, formerly referred to simply as Jonathan Ross’ wife, penned a uniquely quirky and original take on the now-saturated comic-book movie market. Kick Ass features a career-best performance from Nicolas Cage who ditches his typically southern, simple accent, playing a rogue ex-cop out for carefully crafted revenge. Training his daughter, the inimitable “Hit-Girl” (Chloe Moretz) as a deadly but adorable assassin, “Big Daddy” (Cage) team up with the self-styled protagonist “Kick-Ass” (Aaron Johnson.)

The film is a direct product of a genre of film that seemed simply exhausted. It is refreshing to see such a novel and original

take on the super-hero flick, especially in light of the disappointingly wayward sequels in the form of Iron Man 2 and the biggest sinner Spiderman 3. It’ll have you in a state of shock and fit of laughter all in one go as the film’s tone treads a delicate tightrope between glorifying violence and powerful pastiche.

7. Ponyo(Dir. Hayao Miyazaki)It wasn’t until 2001 that Europe and America really sat up and took note of the extraordinary talents of Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki and his animation goliath Studio Ghibli. Spirited Away was released almost a decade ago, with its vibrantly rich, detailed animation yet dark, brooding subject matter and it deservedly won critical acclaim and exploded into the Western market.

Ponyo arrived in the UK earlier this year after a 2008 release in Japan and 2009 release in the US and made the long wait worth it. Marking the return of Hayao Miyazaki, having not released a film since the equally stunning Howl’s Moving Castle in 2004, Ponyo tells a fantastically imaginative story of a young boy who inadvertently meddles in the delicate balance of the ocean.

With the American version voiced by Noah Cyrus, Cate Blanchett and Matt Damon the film remains accessible to everyone and at its heart is a coming-of-age tale. ‘Ponyo’, a goldfish who yearns to become a human girl meets a young boy Sosuke and the film’s warmth comes through their friendship with one another. In true Ghibli style the visuals are simply stunning. The vividness of the colour and detail of every frame, drawn by hand, is enough to leave you speechless in some scenes. For fans of Pixar or Disney Miyazaki’s work is as original as it gets and you’ll be hard pressed to name a recent cell-animated feature with as much heart as this.

8. Due Date(Dir. Todd Phillips)Due Date, from the makers of the surprise comedy corker The Hangover, is a similar story of a race against time to get from A to B. This time the characters are not best buddies, in fact far from it. Thrown together in an unfortunate misunderstanding at the airport, Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jnr. play two road-trippers heading cross-state together.

Downey Jnr. plays an up-tight businessman, void of personality and patience whilst the ever-quirky Galifianakis plays a cup’s half-full character on a mission to give his late father, whose ashes reside in a coffee tin for the duration, a well-earned send-off. The two naturally collide in comically explosive fashion.

The beauty of Due Date is that whilst it admittedly follows a very similar formula to The Hangover in the sense that the characters seem destined for disaster as soon as they cross paths, it still feels as fresh and as unexpected as The Hangover. It’s Galifianakis’ film through-and-through as Downey Jnr. tries his best at comedy but fails to light up the screen like his zany counterpart.

In a very literal sense too, the beauty of Due Date is in the way it is shot. As with The Hangover the stunning scenery of their adventures, or rather misadventures, take

it to a whole new level. Watching these films is like tagging along for the ride rather than simply observing their misfortunes along the way. Aside from a few more interesting side-characters (Jamie Foxx feels wholly misplaced) there’s not a lot to fault in this light-hearted comedy road movie.

9. The Social Network(Dir. David Fincher)It was never going to be long before somebody wrote a screenplay based around the Internet phenomenon of Facebook. The way in which The Social Network tells the story however, a fascinatingly true one at that, is far more intriguing and entertaining than one might have thought, like a suspenseful espionage thriller

Facebook wasn’t thought up by a media conglomerate, for example, but instead by a drunk Harvard student by the name of Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg. However, that’s where the motivation for the film’s friction comes in, a dispute around who actually created it.

The Social Network retreads the story of how Zuckerberg, a student who drunkenly created ‘Facemash’ (a website that allowed Harvard students to rate female classmates online) allegedly stole the idea for Facebook from two entrepreneurial brothers.

The thing that makes The Social Network fantastic is that it’s not just a movie for the Facebook-generation. Anyone could watch it, whether you use Facebook or not, and find the story of how a small idea conceived in a college dorm room exploded into a multi-billion dollar business. Eisenberg plays Zuckerberg with a perfect balance of stubborn tenacity and charming wit so that you find yourself questioning his credentials to be the protagonist.

It’s a marvelously balanced account of the story of Facebook and David Fincher, one of Hollywood’s best working directors today, brings a dark undertone to it with a hint of humour for all round entertainment.

10. The Other Guys(Dir. Adam McKay)Will Ferrell hasn’t exactly been on-the-money with recent releases. Since the brilliance of Anchorman and Zoolander there have been rare glimpses of such comedic prowess but hardly a laugh out loud classic. Step Brothers showed promising return to form for the Saturday Night Live veteran but remained caught between ridiculous odd-ball comedy and light-hearted coming-of-age (despite being 40) story.

The Other Guys certainly didn’t manage to fill Ron Burgundy’s shoes nor Derek Zoolander’s but it did present us with one of the only outright, outrageous films of 2010. A brilliant turn from Mark Wahlberg as the short-tempered partner of pen-pushing Alan Gamble (Ferrell) marked the film as a surprising comedy outing this year.

From the bizarre to the slapstick The Other Guys covered all its bases where gags were concerned and some classic comedy gems, including the stunning Eva Mendes as the wife of nerdy, outcast Gamble, made it a film to enjoy over and over again. In a year where quality comedies were hard to come by The Other Guys brought a breath of fresh air to cinema screens.

RATATOUILLE (Dir. Brad Bird)

Originally Published: 31st October 2007 - God is in the TV Zine

It’s been over a decade since the birth of wholly CGI animation feature films and

almost as if to celebrate this landmark in filmmaking the animation dynamite team of Disney-Pixar has created something truly worthy of this commemoration. Ratatouille neither tries too hard to be as fantastic as it is, nor falls back on the security of the animation cash-cow. Comedy comes in small bursts, each and every time pleasurable to both the younger and the older viewer and sharp observations of everyday life are made in almost every scene, showcasing the firmly established talent of Brad Bird as an animation auteur.

Having already tripled its $150 million budget, Ratatouille’s success lies in its recognition of the fact that audiences no longer want to see a group of talking animals. Of course it has them just to be on the safe side, but like Toy Story before it, Ratatouille blends real-life with fantasy and in doing so creates an intelligent, observational film appealing to every type of audience. Even at nearly two hours long, Ratatouille is neither too long nor too short and at times you become so wrapped up in the entertaining, endearing storyline you forget it is an animation. The witty nuances of the Toy Story films is blended with the visually stunning advances in animation central to the likes of Monsters inc. producing a fantastical realism.

Ratatouille tells the story of Linguini, the heir to TV-chef-superstar Auguste Gusteau, rising to the ranks of head chef of the once infamous Gusteau’s. However, Linguini has no talent for cooking and orphaned, super-chef rat Remy aids him in his cooking. Along

the way Linguini and Remy infuriate the evil, greedy sous-chef Skinner, who attempts to overthrow the heir and take the business for himself. The film is full of believably eccentric characters and its energy and intelligent script come together to create an enthralling feature-length animation.

The films strengths are in abundance and every aspect, from its storytelling to its visual

spectacle, highlight the film as the crème-de-la-crème of the animation world. The use of relative unknowns and abandonment of A-list voices give the film a very credible, real quality that allow you to become immersed in the film without ever reminding you it’s all unreal.

Without reservation Ratatouille will become a classic animation, equalling the likes of Toy Story and The Jungle Book and most likely setting a benchmark for all computer animations to come. Undoubtedly one of the best animations to grace the silver screen, Ratatouille is a much belated summer blockbuster, truly unmissable.

The crème-de-la-crème of the animation world.

Likening Brad Bird’s film to that of a fine wine, Ratatouille will only get better with age.

9/10

Whilst the animation goliaths Disney-Pixar were creating the intelligent,

endearing and dazzling likes of Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-E and UP, Wes Anderson and his plethora of artists, model-makers and animators were working on something entirely different. Whilst both are set to battle it out for the Academy Award for best animation, Fantastic Mr. Fox represents something closer to the sepia-toned nostalgia and roots of a now-thriving genre of film.

The meticulously modelled stop-motion of Anderson’s film exemplifies the real heart and soul behind one of the industry’s most lucrative markets. Attention to detail is an understatement as all 621,450 still frames that make up the film’s 87 minutes are beautifully crafted. The film is a culmination of five years of tirelessly passionate and creative work to create a film that returns to the roots of its inception. The handmade models and 100+ sets give the film a feeling unseen in other animated features and under the innovative direction of Wes Anderson the witty nuances and dry humour work brilliantly to produce a piece of cinema

as close to the atmosphere and emotion of live-action as animation can get. Roald Dahl’s now-50 year old vision is brought to life in the brightest and most creative way possible and stands as testament to the expertise of those working in the British film industry, it’s lead animators, model designers and artists all hailing from our humble shores. Voiced by the ever-charming George Clooney and voice –of-reason Meryl Streep the film further benefits from a stellar performance from those involved.

In many respects it is a shame that Fantastic Mr. Fox and UP fall into the same Oscar ceremony as both deserve to be recognised and indeed rewarded for their ingenuity and visual achievements. Unfortunately, Fantastic Mr. Fox, given UP’s sensational and heart-warming tale of love,

loss and adventure, will likely lose out to it’s Pixar-rival despite its pure creativity and uniqueness.

Nonetheless, Anderson’s creation can stand tall amongst its closest animated competitors safe in the knowledge that it has the potential to live on as the greatest adaptation of a Roald Dahl story to date.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX(Dir. Wes Anderson)

Originally Published: March 9th 2010 Concrete Student Newspaper

An intelligent and original reimagining of a classic Roald Dahl tale hindered only by being in the shadow of animation giant Pixar.

8/10

Paul Thomas Anderson is somewhat of an underground director, having directed

just a handful of films one might only have heard of. Magnolia and Boogie Nights are probably his best known films and although incomparable for the most part There Will Be Blood is easily his greatest masterpiece. That’s all this film can be describes as in many respects, an epic masterpiece, driven forcefully by the outstanding Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview. For today’s standards two hours and forty minutes is a ‘long’ film by most standards yet There Will Be Blood breezes through it effortlessly, at times packing a hefty, visceral punch too.

Astoundingly, the rest of the cast are relatively unknown until a sneaky imdb check-up tells you many have starred in dozens of well-known films. Paul Dano in particular shines as both Eli Sunday and his brother Paul Sunday. It is a solid and frequently stunning performance, particularly when acting alongside the masterful Day-Lewis. Epic as it may be, neither the subject matter nor the scope of the film in terms of action are epic. It is therefore the performances that lead to this description – and rightly so. Daniel Day Lewis, having only starred in 3 films, including this, in 11 years is a choosy actor to say the least. This said, almost all his previous performances have been special and unforgettable in one way

or another, and There Will Be Blood doesn’t just live up to expectations, it shatters them with a brooding, powerful master class in acting.Hailed as the new Citizen Kane, There Will Be Blood, in certain respects, is a greater film. Despite sharing similarly resonant themes of capitalism and religion and further conveying the importance of family unity, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis’ epic story of an oil man’s rise and fall of morality and power has a bravura and deeply emotional connection that Citizen Kane has always lacked. It’s been a long time since cinema has been graced with so many fine examples of the cinematic experience and unique ability to engage and immerse its audience and with Atonement, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood having been released in the last 6 months, cinema hasn’t been this good for a long, long time.

Public Enemies has all the ingredients to be both a summer action blockbuster

and timeless epic; Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard all under the masterful direction of Michael Mann. To some extent it is the epitome of Mann’s filmography and influences without quite hitting that benchmark set almost 15 years ago with Heat. Eagerly anticipated, the film has received mixed reviews but one thing is for sure, it’s one of the best films so far this summer with engrossing depth and a charismatic turn from Depp.

Public Enemies like many of Mann’s films has been in the pipeline over a decade coming at a time when the economic and social context of the film somewhat mirrors today’s. The celebrity status of bank-robber John Dillinger (Depp) at the height of the Great Depression is the latest in a long line of films to celebrate the underdog and more importantly the criminal valiantly fighting against the system. ‘The Assassination of Jesse James’ did it with beauty and poeticism and ‘American Gangster’ did it with effortless bravado. Depp does all that adding his own style and swagger portraying a man torn between life as America’s most wanted and his love-life.

Dillinger’s confidence and charm could only be achieved by a few select actors of our generation and Depp, who is strikingly similar in appearance to both the subject and the movie-icon of Dillinger’s era, Clark Gable, is exceptional. Hype surrounding the film had Public Enemies down as

the Heat of the 1940’s yet the cops and robbers storyline proves to be one of the only similarities. Whereas Heat’s leading men, De Niro and Pacino, matched each other in every manner in their respective professions, Christan Bale and Johnny Depp are polar opposites. Depp is razor-sharp and one step ahead leaving Bale lagging behind in his wake. This kills much of the tension that the film builds to in a number of anti-climaxes and it is only Depp being torn between life as a rich, free man and his sweetheart Billie (Cotillard) that produces the nail-biting moments in the movie.

Much discussion has been raised amongst critics regarding Mann’s use of digital rather than 35m, a courageous move given the urban beauty that he paints in many of his other films (see Heat and Collateral) in which dirty, crime-ridden cities are transformed though the lens into sprawling, picturesque cityscapes. The film does have a distinct visual style. The almost invasive close ups on Depp and Cotillard mixed with the fantastically choreographed action sequences make it a solid effort but it is the wide, panoramic visions of 1940’s America that suffer from a lack of celluloid.

Nevertheless, clarity is abundant, every hair and wrinkle on the cast’s faces visible, but it is the distinctive depth in colour and contrast of film that is missing.

Public Enemies is somewhat topical in its thematic elements also, dealing with a contemporary set of issues and features projected onto a gangster-backdrop. Also, if it’s competitors at the box-office are the likes of Transformers 2 and The Taking of Pelham 123 it has nothing to worry about. The best £6 you could spend at the cinema would be Public Enemies without a doubt.

PUBLIC ENEMIES

It is the wide, panoramic visions of 1940’s America that suffer from a

lack of celluloid.

Despite not being the sum of it’s parts, Public Enemies is a carefully considered character piece set against a classic backdrop of depression-era America.

7/10

THERE WILL BE BLOOD(Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

Originally Published: 15th March 2008 - God is in the TV Zine

A difficult term to use, but a fitting one nonetheless, There Will Be Blood is a modern classic.

10/10

(Dir. Michael Mann)

Originally Published: 15th March 2008 - God is in the TV Zine

Cinema is increasingly becoming dominated by adaptation. Throughout

history the most successful films, both financially and critically, have been adaptations of novels; eight of the top ten highest grossing films of all time have been cinematic re-imaginings of bestsellers. Suffice to say that adapting a book is often the best method to ensure at least some, if not total box office success. That is not to say it is an easy task. Every film adaptation is at the mercy of the source material’s loyal fans. None more so loyal are Cormac McCarthy’s, the greatest living American author by many accounts.

Only a handful of Cormac McCarthy’s literary creations have been brought to life on the silver screen and John Hillcoat’s adaptation of The Road feels as natural and made-for-cinema as No Country For Old Men did just two years ago. Telling the tale of an unnamed man and his son’s post-apocalyptic struggle to survive, ‘The Road’ is a book that encapsulates the epic subject matter of the ‘globally-warmed’ end of the earth whilst maintaining the humanistic, emotional qualities of a father/son story. It is perhaps the balance of the two, with poignant performances from Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee in the father/son roles, that form the recipe for success following firmly in the footsteps of Oscar-laden films such as Titanic, Ben-Hur and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Based on last year’s Slumdog clear up at the Academy Awards however, The Road is by no means a certain Oscar contender. Morbidly dark and overtly cynical, the film is far from the ‘feel good film of the

year’ that so many Oscar winners of the noughties have been. The Road’s subject matter, whilst remaining worryingly close-to-home, is indeed something particularly difficult to connect with. Post-apocalypse tales have never been told with such frighteningly realistic scenarios and the film’s desolation and hopelessness throw our natural instincts into discarding it as fiction. In fact, the film achieves an element that most films often lack in being able to force the audience into recognising the possibility of such an event. The film’s trailer best demonstrates the film’s sense of implicit understanding showing a sequence of news footage of natural disasters. Interestingly, the film itself does not feature the sequence, relying on the audience’s understanding of the scenario. It’s a further method by which Hillcoat remains faithful to the novel’s unspoken sense of natural disaster, something that is a testament to the film throughout. What is striking about the way in which the novel has transposed to the screen is it’s pace. In essence it simply shouldn’t work as a feature length film. Much like the mother’s (Charlize Theron) birth scene in the film, the route from the page to the screen must have been excruciatingly difficult and full of obstacles and doubts along the way. The book is very short in comparison to most novels and carefully treads a delicate path through its subject matter. At times the book can feel slow and the child’s naivety, as it does in the film, can be aggravating. However, the film successfully manages to negotiate the balance between suspense and narrative throughout, picking, in equal measure, the most shocking and heart-warming moments from the text whilst remaining as loyal as possible. The child’s unwavering desire to be one of the ‘good guys’ and his father’s unequivocal love and protection for him provides the film’s emotional backbone whilst the darkest portrayals of cannibalism and human survival give the film a refreshing yet disturbing alignment with the horror genre. The film is cold and unforgiving from start to finish made horrifying by the constant realisation of the film’s realistic tale of a world ruined by humanity itself.

Stylistically too the film is very much on the same page as the novel. McCarthy’s awfully bleak, grey and ash-covered America has been recreated for the screen with attention to every apocalyptic detail. Cars

stand abandoned, roads crumbled and human remains strewn along the journey. The world’s cold, lifelessness is realised in a perfect combination of CGI-enhanced wide shots and intimately shot close-ups. Viggo Mortensen brilliantly performs the book’s grave, gloomy outlook. Despite having hope for his child and faith in his survival, Mortensen displays in his subtle gestures and distant gazes that like his wife he has lost almost all hope for humanity.

The Road is by far one of the best novels of the 21st Century. Absolutely uncompromising in it’s depiction of something that is an innate fear for all of us, not to mention starvation and cannibalism to boot. The film shows complete loyalty to McCarthy’s story and dialogue but in doing so lacks that cinematic drive in which action and character strike a vital balance. Whilst both elements are pulled off effectively by Hillcoat and his cast, it is perhaps the film’s stark realisation of the subject matter that make it a film extremely difficult to watch without discomfort. The Road is the death of Hollywood’s happy ending.

THE ROAD: FROM PAGE TO SCREEN (Dir. John Hillcoat / Author. Cormac McCarthy) Originally Published: Faux Magazine, February 1st 2010

the film successfullymanages to negotiate the balance between suspense

and narrative.

The Road iwas perhaps never designed for the purposes of adapatation. McCarthy’s unrelenting sense of anguish is at times too uncomfortable even for the screen. Nevertheless Hillcoat’s film is a solid attempt in bringing a modern classic to life..

7/10

Hillcoat remains faithful to the novel’s unspoken sense

of natural disaster.

After a month or so mulling over and contemplating Nolan’s gravity-defying,

mind-bending movie Inception I have finally sat down to write a review-come-philosophical reading. Christopher Nolan has long been fusing his unique filmmaking craft with philosophical and sociological ideas, most commonly treading the murky, mystical waters of existentialism whilst journeying into recurrent themes of memory, responsibility and reality.

From his humble beginnings as an independent auteur working on the low-budget, high-tension neo-noirs Following and Doodlebug, Nolan has built a distinct stylistic and thematic body of work which are all linked philosophically. Nolan’s latest thriller Inception joins that filmography and brings many of those themes full circle in what I see as his greatest film since Memento.

Inception is as cleverly and intricately layered as the dream-within-a-dream premise upon which it is based and in doing so Nolan has proven himself to be one of the best storytelling directors in the world. DiCaprio gives his second captivating performance of 2010 after the similarly psychological thriller Shutter Island earlier in the year and Marion Cotillard shows once again why she is an Oscar-darling. She was sensational in Public Enemies last year despite the rest of the film failing to fulfil the hype and in Inception she brings depth and emotion to even the shortest of moments on screen.Having studied Memento, The Prestige and his brace of Batman movies it becomes apparent that his body of work rests heavily

on the theory of existentialism combined seamlessly with the themes of memory and responsibility. To summarise existentialism is a near impossible task not least because there are different schools of thought, equally valued and yet almost completely opposed. However, the basics soon become much clearer when you look at them through Nolan’s lens and the director’s intriguing journey into the existential arguably form the depth and intelligence of his films.

In a nutshell then existential philosophy is concerned with man’s total freedom to act in whichever way he chooses and it is his choices, and more importantly his acknowledgement of his responsibility for them, that defines him. Ringing any bells? Bruce Wayne becomes Batman to fight evil and avenge his parents’ deaths. The masked crusader even says “It’s not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me” before leaping into the shadows. The

same is true for Inception in which the fundamental storyline is Cobb’s choice to go into people’s dreams and perform Inception, thus defining himself and those around him. To a further extent Inception is the embodiment of Nolan’s fascination with existential thought because the climax is built around Cobb’s realisation and acceptance of dreams, reality and the dramatic conclusion of his acknowledgement of his responsibility for them.

Thinking back to Memento, the dramatic end comes when the torn, tortured Leonard Shelby realises his actions and his methods as being in vein and that he has allowed himself to become what existentialists call fallen. At times in Inception too Cobb experiences fallenness in that he loses sight of reality and the purpose of inception due to his immense psychological struggle to accept the truth about his wife Mal. His demons haunt him throughout and his unshakable feeling of responsibility for her death reinforces the existential core of the film.

Inception also journeys into Nolan’s favourite theme of memory. We saw it form the motivations and inhibitions of Shelby in Memento, the driving ambition of Batman Begins and it occupies the very essence of the character of Cobb in Inception. Memory and existentialism go hand in hand when

looking at the preoccupation the philosophy has with acknowledging and accepting your responsibility for your actions.

Put simply Inception is a physical embodiment of the ideas of existentialism. Defining yourself, creating the world around you, taking responsibility for your actions. Nolan has brought philosophy and film together inseparably and in doing so created a masterpiece. Inception is as smart and deep as you make it. At its simplest it’s a big-budget action thriller that is crafted for ultimate suspense. No other film I can think of features three or four simultaneous action sequences, each with its own unique twist and distinct generic leaning. The way in which Inception transforms and moulds time means that in one instance there is a long, gripping slow-motion sequence (the van falling from the bridge) and in another there’s the thrills and spills of a ballsy guns and gadgets action sequence (the snow fortress).

The ingenious craft that Nolan has mastered is to tell simultaneous and complicated stories that work together and apart to create an edge-of-seat cinematic experience. Inception is the smartest film in years and yet you don’t have to unravel its complex web if you choose not to, appealing to the widest of audiences. His characters too are full of complication and inner-torment which transform his films into deeply satisfying and fantastically enjoyable experiences time and again. I saw it twice in four days and now I’m eagerly anticipating a DVD release near Christmas. With almost $700 million in worldwide box office takings this re-watchability has clearly contributed immensely to its success.

INCEPTION: FILM & PHILOSPHY (Dir. Christopher Nolan) Originally Published: Faux Magazine, September 1st 2010

Inception stands as a testement not only to the immensely intricate storytelling ability Nolan possesses but it also highlights his philosophical preoccupations better any other film.

9/10

Bloc Party – Silent AlarmBloc Party have always achieved an impressive output of infectious indie material thanks to their signature jagged guitar riffs and break-neck drumming. Silent Alarm was at the forefront of a new, now over-saturated, style of indie rock. Fusing emotional ballads such as ‘Blue Light’ and powerfully frenetic crowd-pleasers such as ‘Like Eating Glass’, ‘Silent Alarm’ had national and international mass appeal. Clean, catchy and original lyrics and the perfect balance of pop and rock tones made the album an instant success and the band a defining, undeniable part of contemporary British indie music.

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever AgoJustin Vernon, better known as soulful singer-songwriter Bon Iver’s debut is nine tracks of gentle yet powerful indie-folk beauty. Written and recorded by Vernon alone, the album stands out as one of the 2000’s most innovative and important albums from a breakthrough artist. Each track demonstrates an intensely individual approach to folk music and builds upon the last to create a wonderfully crafted album.

Coldplay – ParachutesThe first truly great album of the decade, ‘Parachutes’ made Coldplay’s arrival on the music scene one of complete surprise and astonishment before catapulting them into a global spotlight. Perfectly balancing sombre, melancholic ballads and soaring choruses, Parachutes was a new benchmark in the UK music industry and marked Coldplay as one of the 21st Century’s greatest emerging talents. The album demonstrated flawless consistency and refreshing songwriting talent alongside an inspriring succession of live dates.

THE GREATEST ALBUMS OF THE NOUGHTIES Originally Published: Concrete Newspaper, December 11th 2010

Jay-Z – The Black AlbumEffortlessly blending contemporary basslines and hooks with timeless Motown, soul, reggae and gospel influences, Jay-Z’s ‘The Black Album’ marks itself as one the noughties’ most poignantly retrospective, influential albums. Uniquely, ‘The Black Album’ mixes hardcore lyrics taken straight from Jay’s experiences on the streets and mixes them with much later mainstream Jay-Z styles. The poetically autobiographical ‘December 4th’ and ‘Public Service Announcement’ are particularly apt examples of Jay-Z’s superb abilities as a producer and lyricist and the triple-platinum album as a whole stands at the peak of his career.

Arcade Fire – Neon BibleDespite an astoundingly original debut, ‘Neon Bible’ built upon ‘Funeral’ in every creative field. Lyrically it is full of depth and musically it is challenging and pushed the niche genre of Christian-Rock into the mainstream. Arcade Fire’s sophomore album soars and uplifts to new heights and displays a unique ability to make the music of a band consisting of seven or more members ebb and flow as naturally as possible.

Radiohead – In RainbowsStanding up to an almost impossible task of matching the likes of ‘OK, Computer’, ‘Kid A’ and ‘The Bends’, Radiohead’s seventh studio album ‘In Rainbows’ not only showed unparalleled creative consistency in the UK music industry but it bravely explored new areas of music distribution in the changing digital climate. ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’ and ‘House of Cards’ exemplify how time and again Radiohead produce precise, razor-sharp sounds that at first seem experimental but soon prove to be well ahead of their time and forever influential in the global music scene.

Gently floating melodies telling tales of adolescence and innocence make up the long-awaited long-player from London’s Bombay Bicycle Club and at the age of just 19 they’re a band with true potential to be the best up-and-coming indie kids since Bloc Party.

From the first few strums on opener ‘Emergency Contraception Blues’ with its fast paced, intro’ style riffs and moody string accompaniment ”I Had The Blues…” has you hooked. Quickly onto Lamplight then and Jack Steadman’s trembling, echoing vocals display one of the band’s instantly recognisable sounds. The music is probably best described as an uplifting, up tempo style of indie-pop with the occasional heavy riff and drum solo keeping the listener on their toes.

Fourth track on the album and the second to be released ‘Dust on the Ground’ is a contender for single of the year so far with its ever so simple melody and soft, soaring chorus. Adolescent poeticism like much of the songwriting on the album creates a captivating dream-like mood. The Hill is similarly idyllic and mirrors the glorious

summer weather we’ve had so far this year. Playful tales of seasonal frolics and childhood nostalgia seem fitting for such a promisingly youthful band.

Of course several comparisons can be made but it would an injustice as here is a band that have clearly made headway in creating something original and refreshing. Open-tuned guitars, string-slides, thundering drum rolls and everything in between is so delicately positioned that each part is appreciable. The separate rhythm and lead guitars have their own special moments before pile driving into another full-throttle chorus of passion.

The first single released three months back, ‘Always Like This’ is reminiscent of a mellower Maccabees with particularly nimble drumming and heartfelt lyrics and further evidence that Bombay Bicycle Club are ready to make their mark in similar circles as The Maccabees. Playing a number of festivals this summer, starting with ‘Latitude’ last weekend, Jack Steadman and co. are one of the definite must-see bands this summer.

Three years in the making and The Whitest Boy Alive return with the follow-up to their chilled out funky-electro debut album with ‘Rules’, once again full of fresh, simply constructed toe-tapping rhythms. Minimalist indie-pop, as the Berlin-based band’s style has been dubbed, doesn’t quite sum up The Whitest Boy Alive’s refreshing style. It is actually closer to a succinct concoction of jazz, indie, pop and electro with sprinklings of funk for good measure. All this makes for a deliciously addictive album of easy listening.

Opening tracks ‘Keep A Secret’ and ‘Intentions’ contain both stylistic leanings of the band. The first displaying a real knack for catchy, funky guitar riffs whilst also incorporating newer synth and electro sounds and the latter featuring smoother, stripped back jazz-guitars and pianos. The first half of the album sticks very much to this simplistic yet infectious style before shifting into a more electro-funk gear.

High on the Heels’ mixes electro-pop basslines and melodies with interspersed jazz and funk guitar riffs. ‘1517’ typifies the band’s casual, modern jazz-club feel

whilst ‘Gravity’ and ‘Promise Less or Do More’ demonstrate a talent for smooth, uber-cool walking basslines. Dead End, the more intricate, layered single of the album makes great use of electronic accents to accompany the funky simplified riff.

Vocally front man Erland Oye has a love or hate quality. At times his airy, carefree vocals gift the music a uniquely laid back style but on other tracks, namely the more electro, upbeat tracks the vocals jar slightly with the cheerfulness and modernity of the instrumentals. This aside, Rules is a fun, catchy, refreshing album which you’ll find yourself putting on repeat time and again.

Jack Steadman’s trembling, echoing vocals

display one of the band’s instantly

recognisable sounds

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB I HAD THE BLUES BUT I SHOOK THEM LOOSE

8/10

A succint concoction of jazz, indie, pop and

electro with sprinklings of funk for good

measure

THE WHITEST BOY ALIVERULES

7/10

An album that grows better with time and consideration, Rules is a contend-er for coolest album of the year.

A band that will no doubt grow and mature with experience and produce albums twice the quality of this already stunning debut

After giving us 2008’s toe-tapping debut album ‘Antidotes,’ Foals proved themselves to be the energetic breath of fresh air the indie genre was crying out for. Their live shows cemented their talent further as they performed a seemingly endless string of European, Asian and American dates with the same high-tempo and electricity every time. Amidst much anticipation, the Oxford-quintet now return with their second album, ‘Total Life Forever’, eleven brand new tracks that deliver yet more intricately layered indie rhythms and electro-experimentation.

The opening track ‘Blue Blood’ throws you into immediate doubt as to whether you’ve accidentally received a Fleet Foxes follow-up as the vocal harmonies and calming instrumentals are dead ringers for the Seattle-based band. Nevertheless, the track progresses into more-notable Foals fare with a soaring chorus of jagged guitars, break-neck drum riffs and the album instantly feels set to engage you back into

the infectiously catchy world of Foals.

‘Miami’ and the title track ‘Total Life Forever’ follow and it’s soon obvious that Foals have had a fantastic time recording this album. The staple element of Antidotes has survived the two year gap between debut and sophomore efforts as the intricate layers of drums, keyboards, electronics and guitars remind the listener of the band’s phenomenal production talents. ‘Total Life Forever’ goes one step further with dual vocals creating yet more depth to an already rich, fulfilling sound. The fun, funk sounds that were only fleetingly experimented with on tracks like Hummer are fully realised in the new album and will add a whole new element to the band’s live shows.

The two singles ‘This Orient’ and ‘Spanish Sahara’ demonstrate two of the newer styles at work in TLF. On the one hand ‘This Orient’ exhibits the band’s concerted effort to concentrate more on vocal variation whilst ‘Spanish Sahara’ displays a change in instrumental pace.

The album continues to impress throughout with ‘After Glow’ and ‘Alabaster’ displaying yet more melancholic, contemplative sounds. By the end of the fantastic 2 Trees it’s hard not to begin admitting that perhaps ‘Total Life Forever’ is superior as a successor to ‘Antidotes’. ‘Total Life Forever’

is both more consistent in its quality and more varied in its styles and pace than ‘Antidotes’, making for a more satisfying album experience all-round.

FOALS

9/10

Total Life Forever is an album of great depth and endeavour, finally demonstrating that Foals are band full of originality and promise.

TOTAL LIFE FOREVER Originally Published: Faux Magazine, May 1st 2010

Just as the wonderfully floating Limbo, Panto did with such ease and elegance, Two Dancers, the sophomore effort from Kendal-based Wild Beasts, is an album of shining highs and deeply contemplative lows. Soaring falsetto vocals from Hayden Thorpe are layered upon the rich, atmospheric tones of echoing keys, playful riffs and powerfully moving drum beats.

Thankfully none of the innovation and passion that made me fall in love with this band has been lost. Wild Beasts’ charm and individuality is evident in each and every track. Kicking off with the gentle, melancholic The Fun Powder Plot, which seems almost like a bridge from Limbo, Panto to Two Dancers it soon progresses into the first single from the album Hooting and Howling which builds continuously into the exciting lyricism and moody ambience that we’ve come to expect from the band.

All The King’s Men employs a heavier drum beat to give the track a real punch from the start, amidst the more delicate piano and string tones. Both choral backing vocals from Tom Fleming and buoyant yelps from Thorpe showcase the vocal range the band possess. Whilst it isn’t as instantaneously catchy as The Devil’s Crayon it is still one of the album’s defining tracks.

Chris Talbot’s drumming then comes into it’s own in the middle section of the album, fantastically sharp on tracks We’ve Still Got the Taste…” and Two Dancers (i). Furthermore the layering of the echoing piano keys and guitar lines over Talbot’s deep, brooding drums is thoroughly captivating. This is Our Lot then swings the mood from buoyant and epic to uplifting, lead purely by the power and grace of Hayden Thorpe’s

stunning voice. Unfortunately the album does tail off slightly at the end, the final two tracks a tad dull if there is too be any criticism of the album at all. The Empty Nest is very much like Cheerio Chaps, bidding farewell to the listener solemnly. Two Dancers is another sublime step forward for Wild Beasts, one that might hopefully bring them some deserved appreciation.

WILD BEASTS Two Dancers Originally Published: God is in the TV Zine, August 1st 2009

The staple elementof Antidotes has survived

the two year gap between debut and sophomore efforts.

8/10

Two Dancers is a beautiful ollow-up album that builds enhances the distinguished and unique sound that Wild Beasts have crafted over the years.