CityLife

Pedro Almodóvar’s latest offering, again starring his favourite leading lady – Penelope Cruz, is a homage to film making itself. It splits the story between present day Madrid, with the blind former film director Mateo Blanco (played by Lluís Homar), who has tragically lost his sight and will now only answer to the name of his former pseudonym Harry Caine; and flashbacks to 1994 and the making of his last film, which starred Lena (beautifully and sensuously played by Cruz), as the mistress of a ruthless but rich businessman who will do anything to keep her under his control. At times an exciting action movie, at other times quite dark and tragic, and again in places very, very funny, this is another gem of a film from Almodóvar. The violence and suffocation of Cruz’s relationship with her older lover in the flashback scenes, is lightened by some lovely humour in the present day scenes, such as when Diego, the son of Mateo/Harry’s best friend and agent Judit, is exploring the possible storyline for a vampire romance film. He alludes to many other films in the piece, including one of his best movies to date – Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown from 1988– via the use of that old favourite, the spiked gazpacho trick. But this film is not just for serious film buffs. It is a complex and involved plot but not too difficult to follow. Cruz is at her brilliant and stunning best when working with Almodóvar. The colour is terrific and soundtrack great. Another great, if slightly indulgent film from Almodóvar – but when self indulgence is this good to watch – who cares?

This slick sci-fi adventure thriller does more than live up to its billing. A strange but brilliant mix of politics and aliens, it is set in Johannesburg where an enormous alien space ship has been hovering over the city for the past two decades, with no sign of life at all. District 9 is the part of the city that has become a colony for the thousands of alien refugees that escaped from the mother ship. The film opens in a mockumentary style, with various figures from the sinister Multi National United (MNU), relating what happened when they were tasked with relocating the aliens to a refugee style camp far away from the city. The actors are relative unknowns, so this does work quite well. It later switches to more of a straight drama style, which is also very effective. The way that the aliens, commonly referred to in a very disparaging way as ‘prawns’ are treated by the humans is pretty sickening. It conjures up both images of both apartheid South Africa, and also the way asylum seekers are still treated in many Western countries today. They are fed cans of cat food by the humans, which seem to have an effect on them similar to that of crack cocaine. They are exploited by Nigerian gangsters, who believe that alien body parts of lucky talismans. The fall guy for MNU, who is given the unenviable task of emptying out District 9, is called Wikus van der Merwe (played very believably by Sharlto Copley). He has obviously not been picked for the task due to his leadership skills, but does play the role in an affable way, except when he is tricking the aliens into signing away their rights (do aliens have right?) and homes. But tragedy strikes for Wikus, as he accidentally sprays himself with a liquid that the aliens have manufactured to enable them to restart their space ship and escape from this alien hell. He starts to mutate into an alien, and is swiftly dropped like a stone by his MNU colleagues and family alike. Some fantastic shoot outs follow – helped by the fact that Wikus can now use the powerful alien weapons with his alien hand/claw. The action is disturbing and thrilling at the same time. He stands up for himself at last as a half man half alien, through a performance that is genuinely moving. Peter Jackson’s production is familiar from his other work, although none the less very effective here. The digital effects are fantastic. The film raises some very interesting moral and political questions, and not just the obvious issue of apartheid, but it is not really trying to answer them. A very exciting movie which will appeal to many more film lovers than just the standard sci fi thriller audience.

Vincent Cassel again excels as the infamous French gangster Mesrine (Pronounced Meyrine as he insists throughout the film). We catch up with him here as he revels in his own infamy, and believes that his bank and casino hold ups are somehow his fight against the system. It is a fast paced action piece, although his wit and humour also make it very funny in places. There are also a couple of touching scenes with his dying father and his daughter that help to show his more gentle side. Just before one court room escape, Mesrine delights in demonstrating the packed courtroom just how corrupt the system is by showing off the key to his handcuffs that he claims to have bought from a police officer. He writes his life story during one of his short prison stays- and revels in the embellishment that he gives the tale. He really is out to create his own legend. Again it is fast, funny and brilliantly filmed. But very violent – and the ending (which we saw through different eyes at the start of the first installment) is inevitable when it finally comes. This beats anything else in its genre around at the moment hands down.

I am usually a bit suspicious about films made in two parts that you have to pay to go to see twice (although the recent Che Guevara double bill proved my scepticism to be misplaced on that score so you never know ), but nonetheless I held my doubts in check and I am so glad I did. The film is based on the true story of gangster Jacques Mesrine (magnificently played here by Vincent Cassel). Jacques charms and fights his way out of the French campaign in Algeria, into a life of heists, gangsters and shoot outs - all put together with a nice dash of 60's chic across Paris, Spain and Montreal. The action is non stop, the two hours passes like a flash. I did feel a bit guilty about wanting Jacques to emerge triumphant from his various escapades including an audacious prison escape. Not sure in reality it is good to be on the side of such violence but hey - this is the movies. The film makes clever use of split screen action, and uses music of the period to great effect, including the juxtaposing of Tammy Wynette's Stand by Your Man with Jimmy Hendrix - that has got to be a first. I for one can't wait for the second instalment of the adventures of France's alleged Public Enemy Number 1.

Gig review - Paolo Nutini – Manchester Apollo Star rating – 7/10 This gig was a party – and that was just the band on stage. Paolo Nutini stormed through a set lasting one and three quarter hours, and didn’t seem to want to stop even then. He played all his hits – Jenny Don’t Be Hasty; New Shoes; Last Request; Coming Up Easy; and the amazing latest single Candy. His voice soared above the crowd, most of whom joined in with every note, in his distinctive and very attractive singing style. He is as comfortable doing the stripped down ballads with just a guitar for accompaniment, as the big band numbers that really got the crowd dancing. His many membered backing band, The Vipers, were a class act, including a great brass section. And they even did a cover of "Alone Again Or", originally recorded by the 60’s psychedelic folk rock band Love. He is still a relatively young song writer and singer, and if his two albums so far are anything to judge by, he shows signs of having much more to come. But for now it was enough to just savour the party, savour his extremely versatile voice, and savour the music.

I was especially interested in it as I have just finished choosing new wallpaper patterns for my own home. The collection includes sumptuous Japanese gold embossed hand painted patterns from the 19th century, right through to current designs. A notable inclusion is the Pollyanna design from the mid 1980's which is hand printed large green parrots on foil, and at

Ray Lamontagne is famously shy on stage, and so was true to form tonight. But honestly, who needs spoken words when he sings so beautifully, and with searing honesty, about his passions and pain (but mostly his pain). His set tonight opened with ‘Empty’, one of the strongest tracks from his second and arguably his best album, ‘When the Sun Turns Black’, and he worked his way through highlights from all three albums. There was a moment of bizarreness when a woman jumped onto the stage in a very short dress, and was quickly escorted off it. When an audience member asked him if he had enjoyed that, Ray answered ‘Not particularly no’ – which I thought was a fair enough reply under the circumstances. He did helpfully inform us that ‘Hey Me, Hey Mamma’ was about Nebraska. As he said, we would not have known that ‘from the melody, the lyrics or the title’ so he thought he would tell us. Again, fair enough. I am quite happy for him to let his wonderful singing voice and powerful and soul stripped bare lyrics do the talking for him. And as usual he was generous and supportive to his two support acts Ethan Johns (the producer of all his albums); and the very promising Josh Ritter; who both joined him on ‘Hey Me, Hey Mamma’. He did some of more rocky numbers, such as ‘Three More Days’ and ‘Meg White’, but it his soulful ballads that shine out. We were treated to ‘Trouble’, ‘Shelter’, ‘Hold Me in Your Arms’, and ‘Let it be Me’ to name but a few. He finished his encore with a beautiful rendition of the haunting and wonderful ‘Jolene’. He still may not know what love means but he sure can sing about it.

In this directorial debut, which is executively produced by Gael Garcia Bernal, a young teenage girl Sayra (impressively played here by Paulina Gaitan) is looking for a better life along with her estranged father and her uncle. It features some extremely brutal gang violence, with gang member Willy breaking their code by carrying on an illicit romance behind the gang leader’s back. After the tragic aftermath of his actions, he finds himself on the same freight train as Sayra and her group of escapees. The unlikely relationship that ensues between the trusting Sayra and the desperate and broken Willy is moving. The cinematography is also impressive, with the morning sunrises across the desperately poor land showing how cruel and hard life must for some Central American people. It was hard to watch the sheer brutality that this film was so honestly attempting to portray, but nevertheless I could quite see why is was awarded the 2009 Sundance Festival Directors prize. Bleak but nonetheless beautiful.

I wasn’t prepared for this film at all. Not an out and out anti war film, but squarely on the side of the soldiers, it is relentless, powerful and absolutely engrossing. Director Kathryn Bigelow wants us to really feel what it is like for the three main characters in this drama, and boy did I sweat with them. The action follows the exploits of a three man special unit who deal with IEDs (Improved Explosive Devices) in Iraq in 2004 in the final 38 days of their tour of duty. Sgt James (superbly played by Jeremy Renner) joins the team as their leader to replace their previous boss who was blown up by a bomb. James is an adrenaline junkie who seems almost suicidal in his quest to do his job of disarming the powerful devices, with many enemy eyes watching his every move, many times without his full protective suit. He takes risks that his fellow unit members are appalled at, but they also have to respect his sheer bravery and audacity, and have no choice but to follow where he leads. The full horror of the realties of being is such a hostile environment unfold in a series of almost impossible missions. The audience are gripped by the action, and by the moments of immense tension throughout the entire film, as the soldiers trawl through abandoned buildings and remote desert locations on their missions. There are a couple of notable cameo performances from Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes, but the main action is always with James and his men. Great performances are also had from Brian Geraghty as Specialist Eldridge, who is clearly on the verge of a breakdown; and from Anthony Mackie as Sgt Sanborn, who at one point is even tempted to kill James and make it look like an accident just to escape from his recklessness. In the end, for me, this was a film about the futility of war, and the bravery of the soldiers who fight in it, as well as the untold damage that it does to them, during or long after the conflict. One of the most telling comments on war, which seemed so out of place with the obvious reality we were watching, is from the hapless army doctor, who tells Eldridge that he should have a good time as war is also supposed to be fun. No fun at all is to be had though, in this fantastic film, that I am sure will stay with me for a very long time.

Derek Griffiths simply shines in this outrageously funny adaptation of the French seventeenth century satirical comedy. He plays Harpagon, the tight fisted father who plans to marry both his son and his daughter off for money, rather than letting them follow their hearts’ desires. Elise and Cleante however, have other ideas, and the play follows their hilarious attempts to outwit him. Helena Kaut-Howson’s production is non stop side splitting action, and Griffiths sparkles in this stand out role, where he has the audience eating out of his hand and holding onto their handbags. It has a pantomime feel in places, as he draws them into his miserly world. Despite being over three hundred years old, the play feels as fresh as a daisy, with very current and relevant references to credit and banks thrown in for good measure. There is great support from the cast, notably from Danny Lee Wynter as the dandy son Cleante, and Helen Atkinson Wood as the scheming matchmaker Frosine. The costumes are very striking in a Vivienne Westwood sort of way, if a little odd in parts, especially the women’s revealing dresses. The set is up to the usual excellent standard for the Royal Exchange. Don’t miss this hilarious production, it will have you roaring with laughter, and holding onto your wallets.