Yep, a blog about music and my first '..of the year' involves films. Well, in a not so great year for music some of my favourite pieces of art this year were films and in many ways my favourite films have meant more to me than my favourite albums. I haven't seen all of the films I wanted to, due to the complete and utter crapness of my local Cineworld, who only seem interested in blockbusters and there will be a list of stuff that I have been forced to miss at the end. But my favourite are:
1. Fantastic Mr Fox
I may be a total Wes Anderson groupie, but this was just brilliant. Such attention to detail, such great lines, such memorable music, some great cameos, it all just came together better than you could ever have hoped. More Anderson than Dahl, this just left me wanting to see it again and again. You notice new things each time. Clear winner.
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Most people hated this, but I loved it. Yes it was too long and there was lots of un-necesary background stuff and it was overly sentimental but it did make me cry and it made me think and I thought it was an extremely memorable film.
3. Looking For Eric
Very funny but also exceptionally warm hearted and a simple story about friendship with a great twist. Lots of laugh out loud stuff and great to find out that a lot of it was ad-libbed. Extremely British- what on Earth would Americans make of it?
4. In The Loop
Probably even funnier than Looking For Eric although obviously not as warm hearted! Peter Capaldi is brilliant as Malcolm Tucker, supremely watchable and quotable. The ending will make you very angry too, so a very clever film.
5. The Damned United
Another film with a great central performance but also excellent support from Timothy Spall. You don't need to be a football fan to enjoy it, all about ambition, greed and friendship. Martin Sheen does a great job as Brian Clough.
6. Up
Never mind all the fuss about the 3D, this was just a great story with great characters and a brilliantly clever sequence early on that can't possibly fail to make you cry.
7. Milk
Powerful, shocking stuff. Great casting as Sean Penn was not an obvious choice for the role. The film tells you what is going to happen in the first few second and then unravels the stories before your eyes. Very well made and a great istory lesson too.
8. Adventureland
Nothing amazing here, just a nice coming of age story with a good soundtrack which I found rather enjoyable.
9. The Wrestler
Great performance from Mickey Rourke who carries a straight-forward, cliched story, although at least avoiding the Hollywood happy ending. Powerful stuff in places. All about Rourke though.
10. 500 Days of Summer
In two minds about this. Very consciously 'indie', but with a realistic storyline with no short cuts and happy ending.
Disappointments:
The Invention of Lying - terrible film. Ricky Gervais is clearly starting to believe the voice of his own ego. Stupid idea that doesn't stand up to the slightest scrutiny, bad acting. Boring. And the only thing worse than a boring film, is a boring film that is terribly pleased with itself.
Synedoche New York- really really wanted to like it. Nothing likeable in the film at all. Unpleasant, depressing and boring.
Bruno - simply not funny. in any way.
Films I was not able to see yet / aka Thanks Very Much Cineworld:
Moon
An Education
A Serious Man
Sunshine Cleaning (although to be fair, this does not look good)
The Class
Wednesday 23 December 2009
The TracksandGigs Christmas Number One
Firstly, many apologies to any (are there any?) regular readers for the complete lack of updates. Won't bore you with the reasons but TracksandGigs will be back to normal in the new year with reviews of all the latest albums. 2009 wasn't such a great year for music but 2010 already looks great with new LPs from Innocence Mission, Tindersticks, Arcade Fire and Fleet Foxes on the radar and all sorts of Pavement activity to get excited about.
I have already heard the new Tindersticks album, courtesy of a promo. I've played it so much it feels like an old friend rather than a new, as yet unreleased, album. More on this in the New Year.
Anyway, I have decided to nominate a T&G Christmas Number One. This will be a yearly tradition and almost uniquely it will be based on MUSIC. Yes. Much as poking Simon Cowell in the eye sounds like fun, Rage Against The Machine are on Sony so seem to be rather raging against themselves these days and there seems to be something of an irony in people responding to peer pressure and internet campaigns to pay 79p for a song with a chorus of "fuck you I won't do what you tell me". Or is that just me? Most likely.
Anyway, I am nominating Camera Obscura's 7" single which couples a cover of Jim Reeves' 'The Blizzard' with their very own insanely catchy 'Swans'. 'Swans' I have blogged about before. It will always hold a place near to my heart as I ran an entire 10k race with its nagging melody dancing around my brain. 'The Blizzard' is new and utterly gorgeous. Managing to be both warm, solemn and jangly at the same time, Tracy-Anne Campbell sings Reeves' song about a man who travels on a pony in the snow to meet his love Mary-Anne and then....freezes to death just yards from where she waits. How much more Christmassy can you get?
Anyway, its a beautiful single, when I look around for the competition, I...can't see any...and it would have won even if there had been some, so the TracksandGigs 2009 Christmas Number One is...
Camera Obscura 'The Blizzard/Swans'
Take that Simon Cowell.
I have already heard the new Tindersticks album, courtesy of a promo. I've played it so much it feels like an old friend rather than a new, as yet unreleased, album. More on this in the New Year.
Anyway, I have decided to nominate a T&G Christmas Number One. This will be a yearly tradition and almost uniquely it will be based on MUSIC. Yes. Much as poking Simon Cowell in the eye sounds like fun, Rage Against The Machine are on Sony so seem to be rather raging against themselves these days and there seems to be something of an irony in people responding to peer pressure and internet campaigns to pay 79p for a song with a chorus of "fuck you I won't do what you tell me". Or is that just me? Most likely.
Anyway, I am nominating Camera Obscura's 7" single which couples a cover of Jim Reeves' 'The Blizzard' with their very own insanely catchy 'Swans'. 'Swans' I have blogged about before. It will always hold a place near to my heart as I ran an entire 10k race with its nagging melody dancing around my brain. 'The Blizzard' is new and utterly gorgeous. Managing to be both warm, solemn and jangly at the same time, Tracy-Anne Campbell sings Reeves' song about a man who travels on a pony in the snow to meet his love Mary-Anne and then....freezes to death just yards from where she waits. How much more Christmassy can you get?
Anyway, its a beautiful single, when I look around for the competition, I...can't see any...and it would have won even if there had been some, so the TracksandGigs 2009 Christmas Number One is...
Camera Obscura 'The Blizzard/Swans'
Take that Simon Cowell.
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