I’ve just seen this article and had to share. I love Bridget Jones and indeed the two films are integral to our Christmas movie viewing; an annual event in the Briston-Hill household it has to be said. It brought a smile to my face to see the below photographs and of course the illustrious Apple Mac product placement to boot. Well, how else will Bridget write up her thought evoking diary now-a-days?!

You can read the article here

Cx

Writer Nick Hornby’s (High Fidelity, About a Boy) most recently adapted screenplay is quite the morally ambiguous tale. However, because of his sophisticated writing, Lone Scherfig’s pristine direction, and the entire cast’s wonderful performances, An Education is able to tell an inappropriate story with great taste and thought.

Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is a sixteen year old intellectual whose path in life has been meticulously determined by her parents. Her inquisitve and independent mind, however, gravitates towards things outside the linearity and banality of school. Literature, art, music, films, other cultures. She serendipitously comes across David, a charming man in his thirties who shows her just what she wants, and the two eventually form a romantic and, therefore, taboo relationship.

Carey Mulligan delivers one of the best performances I’ve seen this year, and the supporting cast is just as powerful. Peter Sarsgaard, who plays David, is attractive with his charm, but a hint of sliminess permeates through his good looks. Alfred Molina does very well as Jenny’s father, a stern but ultimately naive man who’s easily deceived by anything that might benefit his daughter.  The film’s heavy themes are expertly balanced in the modest performances. Never does An Education become extremely melodramatic, and this is a testament to the elegant style of British filmmaking.

The art direction is both dazzling and quiet as well. The film transports us to 1960’s England, displaying their way of life through jazz clubs, auctions, concerts, fine dining, etc. Each place we’re taken to feels so wholesome and comfortable, and they never become distractions to what the movie is trying to say.

The film clashes traditional ideals of education against the more independent approach to learning. Jenny’s character is present in so many of my college peers who have difficulty finding value in going to school just to get a pointless degree when we’re capable of learning so much more about the world through travel and experiences. An Education handles these thoughts impressively, and it ends by showing us how young Jenny truly is, despite her vast knowledge of pop culture.

Unfortunately, this movie crumbles in the final ten minutes, and it’s heartbreaking to watch. After telling its story with poise and profoundness, An Education falters in its final moments, wrapping up in conventional fashion. The movie also fades out with a voice over, but it’s completely out of place because there is no other narration present in the film.

An Education is a graceful coming-of-age story that provides laughter, reflection, and wonder. The colors of the world coincide with the deep characters, and the elegant pacing of the film (minus the last ten minutes) flows very well with the great writing. As the end of 2009 approaches, numerous top ten lists will be made; I see myself putting An Education on mine.

8.5 out of 10

The actress Emma Thompson has made no public statement regarding her alleged withdrawal of her support for Roman Polanski. 

Yes, a student has reported that Emma has told her that she would take her name off a petition supporting Polanski, but she has told no one else and she has released no statement indicating said withdrawal. 

The Shakesville blog which had first reported on the student comment has had nothing to say on this since November 4.

Personally, the dankprofessor does not care what Thompson’s position is on Polanski.  I am not into the celebrity cult.  But hardcore left feminists apparently are into said cult.  They care about what Thompson says or not says on Polanski and they care about Polanski because he is a male and a celebrity.

I know the retort would be that they care about Polanski because they believe he is a rapist in the most ideal form.  Now if they really cared about bringing rapists to justice they would be picketing the city hall in Los Angeles and other major cities because DA’s do little or nothing about rape.  They leave the rape kits in storage unexamined.

And there is little or no emphasis on rapists at large.  Of course, the LA Times says that Roman Polanski is still a danger.  They must know something that we don’t know. Or maybe they have seen too many Polanski movies.  Maybe they and others really believe that it was Polanski who slammed the kid in the face in THE TENANT.

Here is what the dankprofessor knows.  The LA DA, the talking and writing heads all want to be on the Larry King Show which means they are “real” celebrities.  As Celebrity Paris Hilton said on the Larry King Show, “you (Larry ) are a legend”.

Now there are two people I know of who definitely don’t want to be on that show- Roman Polanski and Sarah Geimer.  They just want to be left alone.  Ironic isn’t it!

Enough said, at least for now.

As much as I try to remember and to express that death does not need to be greeted with fear, there is a reason that we usually do. If I forget that then I’ve missed the point.

Ao ficar sozinho, sem destino, expectativas, sonhos, ares e qualquer outro tipo de esperança, algumas pessoas resolvem aparecer em nossas vidas. Diversas vezes, essas pessoas já estão ao nosso lado um tanto tempo, mas não vemos.

Recentemente, tenho buscado ficar na minha. Digo buscado, pois não é fácil dizer não aos amigos e familiares. Estou bem seletivo em relação as minhas vontades. Em relação a minha vida. Pergunto - Se hoje eu lhe sorrir, por que não sorrir de volta? Você já olhou em sua volta? Recebes muitos sorrisos?

Pois bem, não sou o único perdido aqui.

Tinha que ser Você

Assistindo “Tinha que ser Você” ou “Last Chance Harvey”, com Dustin Hoffman e Emma Thompson – perfeitos, diga-se de passagem – vi o que sempre tentei negar. As pessoas são solitárias! Em pouco mais de vinte minutos de filme, pude contar no dedo vários conhecidos, inclusive eu, que se encaixariam bem nos papéis principais.

Alerto que, as pessoas não são solitárias porque querem, pelo contrário. Muitas vezes, por razões e emoções não correspondidas, elas se tornam assim. Talvez ao ver que um tempo que não deveria ter passado tão de pressa, passou. Talvez um amor desejado, mas nunca correspondido.

Tento responder aos enigmas de por qual motivo, tantos porquês precisam morrer ao final do dia, complicando nossas escolhas.

No meu ponto de vista, de tanto pensarmos em algo que queremos fazer, por mais certo que seja o ato, de alguma maneira, se torna errado, fazendo-nos recuar.

Hoje, vejo que não conheço nada, pois sempre recuei. Essa rotina sem graça, acabou sendo confortável. Contudo, estou aprendendo que viver a vida, dependendo de pessoas ou momentos, não vai acrescentar muito em meu potencial e nas chances de realizar meus desejos.

Todos possuem chances. Chances de acertos e de erros – não apenas uma ou duas chances, mas enquanto houver vida, haverá chance. A quem cabe nos julgar, a não sermos nós mesmos, primeiramente?

Viver o agora, sem medo de ser ou fazer. Meu plano de ação para 2010, que já está raiando, brilhando como o sol. Brilhando como meus olhos cheios de força e coragem. Nada do que foi deixado de lado no passado, será outra vez negado.

Viver o agora e agora!

Júlio Frutuoso

QotD: “I have no pity.”

I watched Red Dragon earlier in the day rather than tonight and I did go out with friends. I have some money left but not a lot. Not as much as I’d like. But, I made sure to trade it well, for precious liquids.

So, I’m typing this in Word so that I can fix spelling mistakes, for once. Liquids and spelling do not go together all that well. Tomorrow night promises to be even more damp, but that isn’t costly. It also promises to be smokey, considering the crowd, not my usual conspirators, but friends of friends who I approve of, some of them. Not all.

At the moment it is late into the dark and I am enjoying Lou Reed’s relaxing songs of violence and menace, sitting in the darkness of my room with the light coming from my screen and from the window, which, for once, isn’t creating an “artificial night”, but letting in the real one. Melbourne nights are bright, which I like. I enjoy slow walks home, relaxed by drink, a cool breeze, light enough to see everything but dim enough to not need sunglasses. But you still wear them, of course.

Someone has taken my lovely headphones, so I’m using my speakers. I don’t usually do that at this time of night, as I’d prefer to have it louder, but my housemates aren’t about like me tonight. The moon is away so most of the monsters are away. I can barely hear this, fuck it, it’s going up.

I feel like sitting outside, I might go do that now.

(break)

It’s nice outside tonight; I wish someone else was awake. The sun is around the other side and there’s a breeze. No stars, but the sky is always nice to look at. Cicadas can fuck off elsewhere though. Or I’ll go where they aren’t, I’m not a fan.

I’ll write more on Red Dragon another time.

I met some alright people tonight, some I knew already. Not everyone impressed me, but nobody was too bad, it was a comfortable crowd.

I want another drink, but I don’t know if I need one.

(break)

I got one.

The problem with nights like these, they have the potential for being great, long nights with friends, but there are no friends around. I’m often fine with solitude, but when I’ve been with people and I’m still in a people mood, then they’re not there. I’m just here, by myself, making incomplete sentences in the dark.

Tomorrow will be better, the words that get you through today,

Goodnight cow, goodnight moon, goodnight cow jumping over the moon,

Your damp, smoked song of violence and menace,

TDE

Still from Stranger Than Fiction, 2006

How easily do the comic actors get dismissed as good for nothing else performers who can be part of commercially viable comic projects only. Frankly, I used to believe so too. And it wasn’t till very recently that this belief of mine stood strong in my head. And the person, or rather the actor, who literally crushed my belief system and changed it all for me was someone I could never have expected in a million years. I’ve seen him do corny and trashy and really, really terrible stuff in the not so distant past. I would, however, like to clear that the actor I’m referring to here is a mainstream, commercial performer and the movies in consideration were made with mainstream audiences in mind.

The man I’m referring to is Will Ferrell. I’d seen him in movies that not only made no sense to human intellect but were rather repulsive at time as well. ‘Things’ (not movies) like Zoolander, Talladega Nights – The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Anchorman – The Legend of Ron Burgundy (which was a good satire on news anchors and news channels as such), A Night At The Roxbury, Dick, Superstar and Bewitched to name a few. And just to clear things up, I saw these movies on TV for lack of anything better to do at the time. There was no reason for me to even consider Will Ferrell as an actor at any level. But two weeks ago, when I was watching the TV yet again for lack of anything else to do, I chanced upon another Will Ferrell movie, Stranger Than Fiction, co starring the very talented Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The story revolves around Harold Crick (Ferrell), an IRS agent, a loner, a man with a compulsive habit of counting everything. One day Harold wakes up with a feeling of a strange voice in his head narrating his life. The voice goes on and on as he counts the strokes of his tooth brush, counts his steps to the bus stop and the stairs to his office floor. At first he ignores the voice, but when the voice says that Harold will die in a few days, he suddenly snaps up to the reality that the voice in his head is actually that of a writer, authoring a book and he is the ‘hero’ of that book. Sometimes, he finds the voice describing his actions and sometimes, guiding his thoughts and actions. The situation gets interesting with addition of a beautiful young woman, Anna Pascal, into the story of Harold’s life, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is being audited by the IRS. Gyllenhaal herself is in her own time-space continuum in the movie, giving a nearly stellar performance (after watching this one, I actually expect far better things from her) as Anna Pascal, a feisty baker who catches the fancy of the IRS agent, partly being led on by the voice in his head and partly by the free spirited young woman’s subtle beauty. Things start to change in Harold’s life, he starts living for the first time. He stops counting the strokes of his tooth brush, his steps to the bus stop or even the stairs to his office floor or his apartment. He even buys a guitar, a stratocaster and learns how to play. Just when he starts to let go of himself and enjoy whatever little life the writer has decided to leave him, Harold finally manages to find out the woman whose voice he’s been hearing, describing him, guiding him and sometimes even mocking him.

Emma Thompson is a veteran actor, been around for a while now and really good at what she does. The biggest surprise element of Stranger Than Fiction was, undoubtedly, Will Ferrell with Maggie Gyllenhaal doing her part to perfection in no small way and looking gorgeous while doing so. She catches the essence of Anna Pascal perfectly, the slightly fluid tempered, easy living, free spirited, large tattoo sporting baker being audited by the IRS for refusing to pay her taxes as a mark of protest. Will Ferrell as Harold Crick just plonks a mirror in front of your face, telling you how mundane and superfluous your life is if you tune out the voice of your heart. What was really Stranger Than Fiction was watching this man make a u-turn from his usually unimaginative and rather slapstick performances and give the performance of a lifetime.

I liked to believe in Freud’s saying that people who go into the performing arts suffer from an external locus of identity and are seeking other people’s approval in whatever they do with their life. Well, if that is true indeed, then Mr. Ferrell is definitely Stranger Than Fiction and has my approval for sure.

Slavery is alive and well in the 21st century. This point hit home this past weekend, when I led a group of New York University students through the interactive human trafficking exhibit Journey co-sponsored by Oscar winner Emma Thompson, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and the Helen Bamber Foundation.

Journey is a traveling exhibit that brings to life the seven different stages of sex trafficking. Displayed across seven shipping containers, the exhibit serves as a vessel that carries you through the experiences of Elena, a minor victimized by this growing illegal enterprise.

As the exhibit reminds us, every minor involved in the sex industry was once an innocent child with dreams and aspirations. Such was the case of Elena, whose dreams quickly turned to nightmares – nightmares lived out over and over again in a brothel bed that in essence shackled her to life of abuse and depression.

Interpol estimates that human trafficking is now the third largest transnational criminal enterprise in the world, behind drug trafficking and arms trafficking, and quickly closing in on the latter.

Sadly, approximately one-fifth of the estimated 12.3 million victims of trafficking are children.

Human trafficking entails a variety of despicable practices that deprive children of both their innocence and their dignity: involuntary servitude, debt bondage, forced soldiering, organ trafficking, and sex trafficking. The latter arguably has the greatest impact on children. According to the International Labor Organization, as many as 1.8 million children are exploited by the commercial sex industry – prostitution, pornography, and stripping – each year.

Often when we conjure up images of children exploited for sexual purposes, we imagine the brutality taking place in far off Third World countries. But as Journey reminds us, sex trafficking knows no bounds – it is just as prevalent in industrialized societies as it is in underdeveloped ones.

In the United States, for example, it is estimated that as many as 300,000 children are at risk of sexual exploitation each year – 30,000 of which have been trafficked across our national borders. Just in New York City alone, the number of child sex trafficking victims is approximately 4,000.

Victims of sex trafficking are everywhere – probably right in your hometown. Unfortunately, child sex trafficking is a scourge that is often disregarded.

Despite the cruel nature of this business, most still view it as a simple crime, referring to the consumers as ‘johns’ rather than statutory rapists and the exploiters as ‘pimps’ rather than traffickers. Even more troubling, the children are frequently referred to as ‘prostitutes’ and handled like criminals. But in reality, they are the casualties of globalization-era slavery.

Hopefully, as Journey travels across the country, more of us will be motivated – inspired even – to bring the horrors of child sex trafficking out from behind the red light and under a big white spotlight where the exploitation and abuse can no longer go unnoticed.

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/louis-klarevas/traffickers-without-borde_b_360826.html

An Education is a dramatisation of the memoirs of journalist Lynn Barber written for the screen by men’s book specialist Nick Hornby.  It tells the tale of Jenny (played by Carey Mulligan), a 6th form student who is destined for great things in 1960s Twickenham as she discusses Camus with her friends in the local cafe preparing for a scholastic life at Oxford and is under the strict tutelage of her father played by Alfred Molina.  All of this is turned upside down when she meets an older man, David (played by Peter Sarsgaard, whilst waiting at a book shop who sweeps her and her parents off their feet and shows her another world, far away from the books and Latin homework.  What follows makes Jenny the talk and envy of both her fellow sixth form school girls and teachers.

Whilst this is a fine ensemble film, there is a bright star at the centre of this film and it is Carey Mulligan.  As Jenny, Mulligan starts as a naive schoolgirl but Mulligan manages to bring with that naivete an arch, somewhat saracastic and occasionally pretensious streak.  After all, how many 17 year old girls break to French to make a particular point or discuss Camus in the local cafe.  She also has a lovelorn admirer, Graham, who doesn’t always get the rub of the green or Jenny’s undivided attention.  But for all of the attention on Carey Mulligan (which is undoubtedly deserved), this is very much an ensemble piece with many great performances.

What I really liked about this film is that there are few black and whites with characters drawn in shades of grey and the performances backing that up.  Alfred Molina’s father is a bit hapless and alternates between being strict and being easily persuaded to allow his daughter to do things which seem to face in the face of his cautious nature.  However, Molina manages to make Jenny’s father a likeable character as he clearly wants the best for Jenny even if he is not quite sure what that is or how to achieve that.  Clearly he thinks Jenny going to Oxford is the best and he is relying on what he has been told is the best way of her doing it.  It’s hard to take against him. 

Likewise, Peter Sarsgaard’s David is clearly something of a creep and potentially a paedophile and some of his scenes are completely cringeworthy, however, it is easy to see how Jenny would fall for him and his easy charm with her parents means that it is not just Jenny falls for him.  Peter Sarsgaard is the perfect actor to play this slightly off-kilter creepy yet charming role.  His friends played by Dominic Cooper and Rosamund Pike are equally intriguing characters.  Cooper’s character clearly sees the advantage of having David around and appears to be clearly devoted to his girlfriend but, at the same time, despite being something of  a wideboy he is clearly attracted to the smart, cultured Jenny and feels equally uneasy about the nature of David and Jenny’s relationship. 

Rosamund Pike is a revelation as the ditzy Helen who is a perfect counterpoint to Jenny, playing almost a 60s WAG but she mines the comedy potential of this role without being dumb.  I would have liked to have seen more of the teachers, of whom we really only get a cursory glance, particularly Emma Thompson who I always enjoy.

Beyond the acting, director Lone Scherfig has given this film a remarkable lustre and it feels of its period without being hokey and relying on cliche whilst scenes in Paris are imbibed with the sheen of a Fellini movie and feel every bit as magical as they should to Jenny, contrasting the bright palette with the muted tones of greys, browns and blacks you see in Jenny’s home life.  This film is a brilliantly judged balancing act which was thoroughly enjoyable and in Carey Mulligan, I have no doubt that a star is born.

9/10

Emma Thompson (Born 1959 in London, England) is an Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Golden Globe Award winning British Actress and Writer. In a career that began in England in 1982, she has appeared in dozens of films including “Howards End”, “Much Ado About Nothing”, “Remains of the Day”, “In the Name of the Father”, “Carrington”, “Sense and Sensibility”, “Primary Colors”, “Wit”, “Love Actually”, “Angels in America”, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban”, “I am Legend”, “Nanny McPhee”, “Stranger than Fiction”, “Last Chance Harvery” and many others. She has been nominated for 4 Academy Awards, winning the 1993 Best Actress Oscar for “Howards End” and the 1996 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for “Sense and Sensibility”. She has been nominated for 4 Emmy Awards with one win and has been nominated for 8 Golden Globe Awards with 2 career wins. She is the only person to have won Academy Awards in both acting and writing categories.

Autograph #249 in Collection.

To all our listeners, this is what I have to say – God bless you all. And as for you bastards in charge, don’t dream it’s over. Years will come, years will go, and politicians will do fuck all to make the world a better place. But all over the world, young men and young women will always dream dreams and put those dreams into song. Nothing important dies tonight, just a few ugly guys on a crappy ship. The only sadness tonight is that, in future years, there’ll be so many fantastic songs that it will not be our privilege to play. But, believe you me, they will still be written, they will still be sung and they will be the wonder of the world.

– The Count

Pirate Radio is Americanized version of the British film, The Boat That Rocked that was released earlier this year across the pond. The television trailer advertised this movie as a single American deejay taking a stand to the British government. That is not entirely true. So much have been cut out that it makes the story boring. It did.

In 1966, radio stations in Britain play less than forty minutes of rock and roll music a day. There is a single boat called Radio Rock in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that broadcasts 24 hours of rock and roll.

A young man, Carl (Tom Sturridge) is sent to the boat, because he was expelled from school for smoking some grass. His godfather, Quentin (Bill Nighy) is the owner of the pirate radio station. Carl is introduced to the various deejays there like The Count (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Angus (Rhys Darby), Dave (Nick Frost), Simon (Chris O’Dowd), Mark (Tom Wisdom) and Bob (Ralph Brown).

Carl becomes one of the helpers with News John (Will Adamsdale), Thick Kevin (Tom Brooke), Felicity (Katherine Parkinson) and Harold (Ike Hamilton). The pirates want to stand up to the status quo.

The British government wants to shut down the pirate radio station by Sir Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branaugh). He thinks that the music is corrupting the youth to drink, fornicate, and experiment with drugs. His only mission is to shut down the radio station within a year.

Alistair enlists Twatt (Jack Davenport) to help shut down the station. First, they have it to illegal to advertise on the station. It seems to work, but the station brings back a retired deejay, Gavin (Rhys Ifans) to woo the advertisers back. The Count is threatened by Gavin’s arrival.

Alistair has grown impatient with Twatt “going for the jugular”. Twatt finds a way to shut them down when a fisherman’s distress call is blocked. They try to get the public on their side by January 1; pirate radio will be illegal because the endangerment of fisherman on the open seas, The Marine Offenses Act.

I thought that the movie was be about the the government trying to shut down the pirate radio station, but it’s not. I had to have these twists and turns about coming of age and paternity determination. It’s like a dead fish wrapped in the newspaper sitting on the deck for a week. PSH tries so hard to recapture his Lester Bangs persona, but it falls short here. The classic rock & roll music was the redeeming quality this movie.

Judgment: A watered down movie that doesn’t keep your attention afloat.

Rating: ***

Actor Alistair McGowan, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, Actress Emma Thompson and Chief Executive of Film London Adrian Wootton launch 'Green Screen London' at City Hall on February 5, 2008 in London, England

Mayor of London Boris Johnson is backing Green Screen, a newly published guide unveiled at the latest Cannes International Film Festival.

Green Screen is an initiative to help encourage environmentally friendly filming in the capital. It was launched in February 2008 to help film, TV and commercial producers cut climate change emissions in the capital. Supported by the London Filming Partnership, Green Screen has developed a practical package of support for film-makers.

London is continuing to lead the way on tackling climate change and Green Screen is part of a number of sector specific campaigns contributing to the Mayor’s ambitious aim to cut the capital’s emissions by 60 per cent by 2025. Green Screen provides a range of information and guidance and underlines the commitment within the industry to making London the world’s greenest place to film in.

Following extensive research in consultation with some of the leading companies and names in the film, TV and commercial production sector, the Mayor of London and Film London have produced a user-friendly and practical guide.

Many of the ideas in Green Screen will not only cut carbon emissions but also deliver significant financial savings without sacrificing artistic quality.

Boris Johnson said: “Film is an absolutely crucial industry to London’s economy and cultural life. This is not about compromising the quality of productions or hampering creative endeavour – we know the industry is concerned about climate change and we can make it the world’s greenest place in which to film.

“Green Screen contains really practical information on how to reduce emissions and what’s more, save money in the process through reduced energy bills. The film industry can play an important role in creating the new low-carbon economy. In a sector known for being imaginative and forward looking, this is another area that studios, producers and creative talent can take the lead.”

Oscar winning actress, Emma Thompson, also backed the campaign she said: “Our planet is our most precious resource and we all have a role to play, both individually and collectively, in helping to preserve it for future generations. It is really great that the film and TV industry has come together to show leadership but also take real action on this critical issue as it’s time for warm words to translate into action and as of today I will be making changes in my own working practice to reduce my carbon footprint and fully play my part in helping make our industry greener and cleaner.”

The Mayor of London’s most recent ‘Green Screen’ report revealed that 125,000 tonnes of CO2 is emitted by this sector per year (that’s the equivalent of 24,000 households) the breakdown of the London screen industry’s emissions consists of 40% from studio production, and 17% from location shooting. Finally, it also indicated that London is the third busiest centre for movie production.

If people die the moment that they graduate, then surely it’s the things we do beforehand that count.

– Jenny

When I posted the trailer for An Education a couple of months ago, I eagerly anticipated this movie. I mentioned on my Oscar Watchers group when I posted the release dates of film that I was so excited that I could pee. This movie has a Metacritic score of 85. It’s a fantastical account of a girl that is not having an academic education, but an education of life.

Newcomer Carey Mulligan gives an Oscar caliber performance as Jenny, a 16-year-old private school girl living in 1961 Twikenham, London. On a rainy walk home from school orchestra practice, a car pulls up.

A suave real estate agent, David (Peter Sarsgaard) offers her a ride. She gladly accepts it. In the car ride, they chat about Jenny’s plans to be an independent woman when she gets her grades up to attend Oxford University. They strike an immediate accord with each other.

Jenny’s father, Jack (Alfred Molina) wants to know where his money is going for her education. That is his only intention in her daughter’s life. Bumping into David around the neighborhood, David wants Jenny to meet his friends, Danny and Helen (Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike), but the problem is that Jack wants let her out. David comes by to sweet talk Jack and Marjorie (Cara Seymour) into their little adventures. David is Jenny’s outlet in having the freedom that she wanted.

As Jenny and David’s relationship continues to grow, Miss Stubbs (Olivia Williams) and Headmistress (Emma Thompson) become foils for Jenny when she talks about her budding relationship with David. She tries to warn Jenny not to be caught in the ways of love. She needs to educate herself first, before pursuing the life of a wife and mother. Soon, Jenny’s world is turned upside down when she learns that David is not what he appears to be.

It’s a bubbly romp that transported me to that time with the music, the fashion and the locales displayed on screen. The performances were solid from most of the cast. Carey Mulligan gives off an Audrey Hepburn vibe when she was dolled up. The movie’s plot is typical with a May/December relationship. You could guess what is going on.

Judgment: This movie should not be missed. Watch out for star being born.

Rating: ****

I saw this article on NPR’s website. It discusses an art installation called Journey, co-curated by well-known British actress Emma Thompson and a young woman named Elena, who at the age of 18 was trafficked into the UK and forced into the sex trade. The installation is comprised of seven shipping containers, each one designed by a different artist, that represent steps on Elena’s “journey into hell.”

Emma Thompson at Journey

Photo Credit Simon Clark/Eyebox

The goal of the installation is to tell Elena’s story, and call attention to international sex trafficking and how it destroys the lives of young women like her. But reading this article initially made me a little apprehensive, and also immediately made me think of Arlene Croce’s controversial article, “Discussing the Undiscussable.” In it, Croce decried the idea of “victim art” or art that “effectively disarm[s] criticism.” Uncomfortable too, is the idea of a celebrity, even a celebrity that I respect like Thompson, taking on a issue like this and effectively becoming the means through which Elena’s experience is told.

All that being said, I feel these criticisms were considered when planning the installation. While Journey is undoubtedly about the victimization of Elena and others like her, it appears to be designed to allow the viewer to actively engage in the process of becoming a victim by taking their own journey, using art as a proxy. It is not, as Croce warns against, presenting oneself as a victim and calling it art.

Watch a video about Journey here.

So, I caught a free screening of Pirate Radio last night (today is its opening day in the states). I don’t want to dishearten Richard Curtis fans who treasure Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually (neither of which I’ve seen), but he dropped a big bloody bollock with this movie (known as The Boat That Rocked in the UK).

How can that be, you ask? It’s about a British pirate radio station during the mid-1960s. Its soundtrack boasts choice cuts from the British Invasion. And it’s got a charming cast. How can a movie be bad when it has Philip Seymour Hoffman and Bill Nighy and Nick Frost and Rhys Ifans and Rhys Darby and cast members from The IT Crowd, along with cameos from Emma Thompson and January Jones? Kenneth Branagh even goes all campy villain on us as the station’s bureaucratic nemesis (see also Wild Wild West, a terrible movie where he chews some scenery as the bad guy). That sounds great on paper. Even if it’s saddled with boomer era clichés about free love and rock music changing the world, it’s gotta be fun, right? Who doesn’t want to run a pirate radio station on a boat with these folks?

There’s so much wrong with this hack job of a movie. There’s a lot left unexplained. How did this ragtag group get a boat? Why is rock music illegal to broadcast in 1960s Great Britain? How are these radio personalities so famous? There’s also lots of truncated plot points and weird tonal shifts and nonsensical character motivations which I don’t think would have been aided by the original cut’s three-hour running time. The protagonist is a bloke named Carl (played by Tom Sturridge) who may or may not have been put on the boat by his mother to meet his dad, but I’m too bored to care. And that’s saying something, as his dad is played by Ralph Brown, who was Danny the Dealer in Withnail and I.

I’d also mention that it’s kinda disheartening to see Hoffman — who plays a crusty American deejay named the Count — spout rockist catchphrases like “a whop bam boo” and “young men and young women will always dream dreams and put those dreams into song” with stealy-eyed import. But it’s also kinda amazing. A lesser actor couldn’t pull it off. But Hoffman makes Count’s turn of phrase sound like some kind of rock deejay John McClane. Oh, and he almost drowns when the boat sinks. Except he doesn’t and emerges victoriously (and ridiculously) from the North Sea. Such is the power of rock. 

But I think you know what my big problem is. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the roles for women and girls are marginal and insultingly one-dimensional. While I think there may have been an effort to keep their presence ornmanental so as to make a commentary on the era’s regressive attitude toward gender and sexual politics, I think the movie exacerbates the problem rather than rectify it.

There are groovy birds (re: prostitutes, groupies, and moms) who board the ship to “service” the talent, sometimes pretending to love one crew member to get closer to another and wounding their pride. Awesome. 

There’s one woman in the crew — a lesbian named Felicity (played by Katherine Parkinson) who basically serves as the ship’s put-upon housewife. She does get a girlfriend, but this is given for too obvious, peripheral treatment to seem as real progress.

There are no musicians, except for women like Dusty Springfield, Skeeter Davis, and Sandy Shaw who function as playlist selections.

There are also huddles of simpering female fans who listen attentively to the radio — students, flight attendants, secretaries, cleaning ladies, mothers, wives, single women, waitresses, and shopgirls. None of them speak, though many giggle. They also lack names. Oh, correction. Kenneth Branaugh’s secretary Miss C (played by Sinead Matthews) sort of gets one.

Anyway, this sucks, and a likeable cast can’t salvage its suckitude. So I suggest instead of seeing this movie that you watch Jane Campion’s A Girl’s Own Story instead. Here’s a scene. Wish I could post the whole thing.

Made in 1984 and available on the Criterion Collection edition of Campion’s debut feature, Sweetie, this short focuses on a group of Australian schoolgirls who came of age during Beatlemania. It showcases the complex relationships girls have with their fandom, along with their homosocial friendships and burgeoning sexuality. It’s pretty awesome, and actually suggests what it may have been like to be a teenaged girl during rock’s golden era. Pirate Radio couldn’t be bothered.

Academy Award winning actress Emma Thompson has become a champion in the global fight against human trafficking. Thompson has related the story of her friend Elena who was trafficked out of her native Moldova and into a life of enforced prostitution in the United Kingdom. Reading about Elena’s story is moving enough, but to walk through an exhibition of Elena’s terrifying ordeal is all the more arresting.

Journey is a traveling exhibition that is in Manhattan at Washington Place and Washington Square East through Sunday, November 15th. The exhibition is hosted by Emma Thompson, Sam Roddick, Helen Bamber OBE, and other members of the Journey team and is spread throughout seven shipping containers, each with their own theme including: Hope, Journey, Uniform, Bedroom, Customer, Stigma, and Resurrection.

Ford Models’ Art Director, Rachel Berks, had an opportunity to see Journey and shared her impression:

I would implore EVERYONE to see this exhibit. It is beyond moving. The installation brings the vivid, excruciating reality the extreme horror of human trafficking through the eyes of one woman. The exhibit takes about 20–30 minutes to walk through, and you will leave changed. I had no full conception of the reality of slavery in the modern world. This exhibit should be brought to every town, every city in the world so everyone can learn and experience the tragedy of modern-day slavery, and figure out what they can do to help.

To learn how you can fight human trafficking, please visit http://www.freetheslaves.net.

Exterior view of Journey exhibition on Washington Place in Manhattan

The Emma Thompson scenario re Roman Polanski is getting more and more bizarre. As I   indicated in a previous post, a number of feminist blogs and then the media in general reported that Thompson was to withdraw her name from a petition in support of Roman Polanski.  Apparently Thompson indicated to a student at Exeter College where she was lecturing that her name would be withdrawn from the petition.

What the dankprofessor found to be strange was that there was no public statement by Thompson announcing said withdrawal.  And to add to this strangeness, yesterday Thompson appeared on THE VIEW with an audience of a couple of million and said absolutely nothing about Polanski.

Such must have been disheartening to those avowed feminists who were very excited about Emma’s apparent withdrawal.  But as the dankprofessor has previously stated such is contradictory with feminism since these people are looking up to a power figure for validation, and, in this particular case, looking up to a celebrity.

And what also disturbs the dankprofessor is not that Emma Thompson signed or not signed or changed her mind about signing a petition, but rather that she finds signing to be sufficent.   Is it too much to expect the Emma Thompson make a public statement indicating her reasons for signing or not signing?  Signing a petition is easy, explaining why one signed is not so easy.  Are the anit-Polanski crusaders going to give a pass to Thomspson because she is a celebrity?

by The Great White Gypsy

The Box – Written and Directed by Richard Kelly
The premise of this film sounds like a bad teenage horror story. A strange man gives a box to a couple having money problems. They will get money every time they push the button, but every time, someone they don’t know will die. Though it’s riding on Cameron Diaz’s acting skills (um…), if anyone can make it cool, writer/director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) will have no problem.
Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn
November 6

Endgame – Directed by Pete Travis, Written by Paula Milne
Another slow, patient South African political film? Meh. I mean, I really like Hurt and Ejiofor, but Pete Travis directed Vantage Point, which sucked asshole. I really, really want it to be good, I’m just scared it’s going to be really, really bad.
William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Johnny Lee Miller, Mark Strong, Derek Jacobi
November 6

The Men Who Stare at Goats – Directed by Grant Heslov, Written by Peter Straughan
Actor Grant Heslov hasn’t done much directing. Same goes for Peter Straughan and writing. But if you look at this cast, you really can’t go wrong in a story about Telekenisis/Psychic programs in the army. Hell yes.
George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root
November 6

Precious – Directed by Lee Daniels, Written by Geoffrey Fletcher
I hate the fact that the full title of this film is “Precious: Based on a novel by Sapphire”. I also hate the fact that Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey are “presenting” this one. However, cliché and cheesy as it most likely is, I seriously almost cried watching the preview. This has the potential for two hours of raw emotion that leaves you speechless. Or two hours of horrible acting and bullshit storyline. I’ll wait for cable.
Gabourey Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz
November 6

The Fantastic Mr. Fox – Written and Directed by Wes Anderson
I hate, I hate, I hate Wes Anderson. However, there are always a couple elements of his films that impress me, and his attempts at stop motion animation intrigue me. Will I like it? Probably not. Will I see it? Of course.
George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Michael Gambon
November 13

Pirate Radio – Written and Directed by Richard Curtis
When I saw the preview for this, I thought, “Hey, that looks exactly like that movie advertised last year called “The Boat that Rocked”. Wait… I have no idea why this film took so long to release, or why they changed the title, but after waiting so long, I’ve built it up to possible “Almost Famous” level in my head. I really hope I’m not disappointed.  About a boatful of radio DJ’s who broadcast banned music over British airwaves in the ‘60’s. Curtis directed Love Actually.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Frost
November 13

The Messenger – Written and Directed by Oren Moverman
Foster and Harrelson play a very overlooked part of the military in this new drama about the officers who deliver the horrible news to KIA soldiers’ families. Foster starts to care too much…you see where this is going. Moverman’s first film, looks good.
Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
November 13

2012 – Directed by Roland Emmerich, Written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
When I want to see an action packed explosion film with weak story, I’ll catch the new Michael Bay flick. When I want to see a really entertaining film with great special effects that will leave me dumber for having watched it, I’ll go see a Roland Emmerich film (Independence Day, Stargate, Godzilla, 10,000 BC). If you don’t know what this film is about, you should probably look into it, cause we’re kinda running out of time, dude…
John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Oliver Platt
November 13

That Evening Sun – Written and Directed by Scot Teems
I think Clint Eastwood had a scheduling conflict playing a grumpy old man in Gran Turino, so Holbrook stepped in. This is a perfect example of a cookie-cutter Midwest drama starring a senior citizen afraid of change that might not be very good, but will definitely get nominated for at least 2 Oscars. Don’t get me wrong, Hal is great, but the story has the potential to be full of holes.
Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Mia Wasikowska, Carrie Preston
November 13

Uncertainty – Written and Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel
At the risk of sounding like a douchebag, I am very uncertain about this movie. Part romantic comedy, part drama, part action thriller? So confused. McGehee and Siegel have written and directed three other films together, and I’ve never heard of any of them. But Gordon-Levitt hasn’t let me down so far, and Thirlby and Collins are sexy. I’ll flip a coin.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins, Olivia Thirlby
November 13

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – Directed by Werner Herzog, Written by William M. Finkelstein
Controverial old-school director Werner Herzog (Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man) is remaking the 1992 drama (starring Harvey Keitel) about a gambling/drug addict cop, and he’s setting it in post-Katrina New Orleans. They say it’s Cage’s best performance since Leaving Las Vegas (not really hard), and Kilmer’s presence is reassuring. Looking forward to it.
Nicholas Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes, Michael Shannon, Fairuza Balk, Xzibit, Shawn Hatosy
November 20

Chi Bi (Red Cliff) – Directed by John Woo, Written by John Woo and Khan Chan
This is an epic film in the style of Hero and House of Flying Daggers. John Woo started out with some good films (A Better Tomorrow, Killer, Hard Boiled), he even had some good American movies (Hard Target, Face/Off), though there were bullshit ones too (Windtalkers, Paycheck). However, his dramas, like Last Hurrah for Chivalry, have gone largerly unnoticed by American audiences. And, of course, it’s been out in China for two years, and we’re just getting it now. Tarantino needs to step his game up.
Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Zhao
November 20

Fix – Directed by Tao Ruspoli, Written by Charles Castaldi and Paul Duran
Documentary filmmaker Ruspoli blends styles in this fictional documentary about a convicted drug dealer and his friends, who are attempting to raise enough money to put him in rehab before 8pm so he can avoid jail time. I can already tell that Andrews’ over-the-top personality is going to steal the show, and Wilde is kinda cute. When’s it coming to Netflix?
Olivia Wilde, Tao Ruspoli, Dedee Pfeiffer, Shawn Andrews
November 20

The Missing Person – Written and Directed by Noah Buschel
Modern noir about a private detective (Shannon in a lead role…nice) searching for a missing person after 9/11. Elements of drama and comedy make it appear a little disjointed, but Shannon and Ryan are solid. Kinda surprised it didn’t go straight to DVD, but whatever.
Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan, Frank Wood
November 20

Me and Orson Welles – Directed by Richard Linklater, Written by Holly Gent Palmo
I can’t see Efron’s name on anything without thinking Highschool Musical, which makes me want to punch everyone under the age of 17 in the eye. However, this film is a little more dramatic, a lot less musical, and Christian McKay looks like the best Orson Welles since D’onofrio in Ed Wood. And if that still doesn’t convince you to see this period film about Welles directing stage plays, I have three words for you: Richard motherfucking Linklater (Scanner Darkly, Waking Life, Dazed and Confused). There you go.
Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay, Ben Chaplin
November 25

Ninja Assassin – Directed by James McTeigue, Written by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski
The directors of The Matrix are producing this balls-to-the-wall violence-fest about…are you ready? A Ninja Assassin. Crazy right? Just think blades, bullets, blood, and nonstop special effects. I can’t freaking wait.
Sung Kang
November 25

The Road – Directed by John Hillcoat, Written by Joe Penhall
I must admit, I didn’t care for Cormac McCarthy’s award winning novel. The fact that writer and director are inexperienced worries me. Whether the acting, cinematography and effects can save it or not, the story makes me think no one will like this no matter what.
Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Garret Dillahunt
November 25

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

Metropia – Directed by Tarik Saleh, Written by Fredrik Edin
Anything with Vincent Gallo attatched generally gets my attention (Buffalo 66 was fucking weird). In this animated social commentary, Gallo’s character goes nuts when he starts hearing voices in the expansive underground tunnels Europe was forced to build after gas prices went too high. The animation looks pretty damn cool, so we’ll see.
Vincent Gallo, Udo Kier, Juliette Lewis, Stellan Skarsgard, Alexander Skarsgard
November 6 (Sweden)

Harry Brown – Directed by Daniel Barber, Written by Gary Young
Michael Caine hasn’t really been a badass since Get Carter, but this one may change that. Granted, it’s another cranky old man pissed off at street hooligans, but they did kill his friend…and he is ex-military. Comes out in the UK this month, possible limited releases in US.
Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen
November 11 (UK)

Los abrazos rotos (Broken Embraces) – Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar
Almodovar is huge in Spain, and the last time he teamed with Cruz was Volver, which was damn good. This film is about a writer/director telling a young man the story of why he changed his name after an accident took the life of his true love 14 years prior. Limited release this month, but expect it to be everywhere in time for the Oscars.
Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar
November 20 (Limited)

Mammoth – Written and Directed by Lukas Moodysson
Husband and wife with a “perfect” life are put to the test when he takes a business trip to Thailand and decides to let loose a little. It looks very similar to parts of Babel, but more focused. Bernal and Williams have grown on me the last couple years, and Moodysson has done good work in Sweden.
Michelle Williams, Gael Garcia Bernal
November 20 (Limited)

“People just don’t want to know about this issue – it’s hidden, it’s criminal, it’s perverse and yes, it’s happening on our own doorstep. Journey is a remarkable piece of collaborative, creative and confrontational art that profoundly challenges people’s perspective. Come and see for yourself and tell us if you agree.”
-Emma Thompson

If you are in New York this week, make sure to visit JOURNEY NYC. Produced by the Helen Bamber Foundation, this provocative art installation depicts the “journey” of trafficked women in the sex industry. Drawing from the experiences of a survivor named “Elena,” Journey is told in seven stages (each stage is designed by an artist using the interior of a shipping container as their canvas). The seven stages include:

1. Hope
– Designed by Oscar-winning film designer Michael Howells

2. Journey
– Designed by sound engineer and music producer Mick Martin

3. Uniform
– Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell

4. Bedroom
– Coco de Mer founder Sam Roddick

5. Customer
– playwright Ewan Spencer and photographer Simon Stephens

6. Stigma
– Turner Prize winning sculptor Anish Kapoor

7. Resurrection
– Oscar-winning actor Emma Thompson, Royal Designer Mike Dempsey and V&A prize winning illustrator Laura Carlin

From the Helen Bamber Foundation’s website:

“Journey brings together creativity and the art of survival to show what it means to be bought and sold. It demonstrates how one woman’s story can help us understand a subject that is as painful as it is incomprehensible. Trafficking is a crime without borders. Trafficked people become illegal, stigmatized and invisible. The state of New York is a major entry and transit hub, but authorities and agencies are pouring huge resources into supporting victims and prosecuting traffickers.”

84-year-old Helen Bamber, a truly amazing woman who has worked tirelessly with victims for 60 years, will be on site along with Emma Thompson, Sam Roddick, and HBF co-founding Director, Dr. Mike Korzinski. After you make your way through JOURNEY, find a moment to talk with one (or all) of them. They are truly extraordinary people.

JOURNEY NYC can be found on Washington Place @ Washington Square East, NYC, from Tuesday, November 10th-Sunday, November 15th from 12p-8p. A trip through the installation is free and the experience is priceless.

Moviegoing isn’t always about deep meanings, life changing concepts or even just sending someone home with a theory to consider. Sometimes it’s just about having fun and the men of Radio Rock will help you do just that. Pirate Radio is just as much of a party as the daily lives of the crew on the ship. No morals, no shame and good music; who wouldn’t want to climb aboard Radio Rock?

Click here to read more.

“Pirate Radio/The Boat That Rocked”
a review by Darby O’Gill

Hands down, the feel good movie of the year! Before Howard Stern, and even before Wolfman Jack, a band of rogue deejays rocked the airwaves. In 1966, at the height of the British Invasion, rock and roll was only allowed to be played on British radio stations for barely two hours a week. The only way people in the U.K. could listen to rock or pop music was by tuning into pirate radio stations broadcasting from boats just off the coast of Britain in the North Sea. In Pirate Radio, previously released as The Boat That Rocked, earlier this year in the U.K., writer/director Richard Curtis tells a fictional story based on the true events of Britain’s rock and roll revolution. Broadcasting live 24/7 from an old tanker turned makeshift radio station, anchored just outside British jurisdiction, is a band of misfit deejays known as Radio Rock.

The story begins when Young Carl is sent by his mother to the ship known as Radio Rock, to spend time with his godfather Quentin, the owner of the radio station, who is played by the always brilliant Bill Nighy. It’s very much a coming of age story, and I think the British equivalent to Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. Once on board, Young Carl meets the motley crew of deejays. There’s The Count, the flagship American deejay that is constantly pushing the envelope and crossing the line, masterfully portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. There’s the always charismatic, and at times narcissistic Doctor Dave, played by the extremely funny Nick Frost. Another familiar face is that of Flight of the Concords’ manager Brian, actor Rhys Darby, who plays the self proclaimed funny man Angus “the nut” Nutsford. Even though all the faces may not be familiar, this is truly an all-star cast. Each performance is so masterfully executed that you can’t help but feel the authenticity of this film. However, I think one of the most unsung heroes of this film is Ike Hamilton, who plays Harold, the ship’s booth technician. If you watch Ike’s performance throughout the film, I guarantee that you will be totally blown away. Every little nuance that he brings to the character of Harold just radiates brilliantly off the screen. If you’re reading this after you have already seen the film, I highly recommend seeing it again for Ike’s performance alone. But, if you’re anything like me you’ll already want to see this movie again regardless.

The other side of this story is that of the British government and their efforts to stop the pirate radio ships from broadcasting. This task is helmed by Sir Alistair Dormandy, played by Kenneth Branagh, and his new assistant Mr. Twatt. I’m not kidding, his last name is Twatt. And, yes Richard Curtis takes full advantage of it. Twatt is played by Coupling’s Jack Davenport. Now, don’t worry. The political stuff doesn’t weigh down the story at all. Mostly because it’s not an overpowering plotline and it also lends itself to some of the film’s funnier scenes. I dare you not to laugh or at least snicker every time Dormandy says, “Twatt.”

Richard Curtis has, as always, done a masterful job telling this story. His unique vision, and heart warming style of storytelling, makes Pirate Radio/The Boat That Rocked a must see film. Every part of this film oozes 1966. The wardrobe is fantastic, the soundtrack is to die for, and even the look of the film itself sets the tone. It’s almost as if the film was shot and processed in 1966. Adding to the film’s authenticity, the bulk of the movie was shot onboard an actual ship, just off the south coast of England. Richard Curtis’ first cut of the film had a running time that was just over three hours. The final cut of The Boat That Rocked had a two hours and fifteen minute running time, where as the final cut for Pirate Radio has a one hour and fifty-six minute running time. I’ve seen the U.K. version of the film and enjoy both cuts, but I have to say this film is so enjoyable that I wouldn’t mind sitting though the three hour cut at some point. Most of the missing scenes from the first cut of the film appear on the U.K. DVD release of The Boat That Rocked. (U.K. DVD review will be posted soon) The two major scenes that were cut from The Boat That Rocked for the U.S. release of Pirate Radio consists of a visit to the Radio Rock ship from a large group of contest winners, and the other is the unseen stag party in London. The scenes aren’t necessarily needed, but this movie is so, as I said before, enjoyable that I don’t think you could ever get enough of these characters.

I realize this review is quickly becoming a mini-novel, but I think I would be crucified if I didn’t at least talk about the music in the film. As you would imagine, this movie is chock-full of classic rock from the likes of The Who, The Kinks, The Turtles, and so many more. Both the U.K. release, and the U.S. release of the soundtrack feature a two disc edition with 36 tracks to take you back. Also, the opening credit graphics are fantastic! The use of the radio tuner dial transitioning from scene to scene, as The Kinks’ “All Day and All of the Night” blares, instantly sucks you into the world of the movie. But, I think one of my favorite things was the use of the album covers in the end credits. It not only instills you with a fantastic sense of the history of rock and roll, but it also makes you want to listen to some great albums you might not have listened to in awhile. The bottom line here should be obvious at this point, but needless to say I highly recommend this movie no matter which version you see.

Rating:

The Boat That Rocked U.K. DVD Special Features: COMING SOON