Things I Love: Brazil

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for any depiction of a dystopian future - be it in book, comic, cartoon, song, or indeed, film. I think this morbid fascination stems from my undying love of George Orwell's "1984", which is of course a literary masterpiece. However nothing captures the imagination like a good film.

Which brings me to the mighty Terry Gilliam's "Brazil". Filmed in 1984, oddly enough, and released the following year, this is the story of an Orwellian future as told by an esteemed member of the Monty Python clan. The result, as you'd probably expect from that description, is pure madness.

The story follows a lowly file clerk named Sam Lowry (brilliantly played by Jonthan Pryce). Sam works for a large large, centralized company which deals in information. More specifically, it deals in bureaucracy - layers upon unfathomable layers of it. The only joy Sam has in this grim, grey world are his fantastical visions wherein he is a silver-winged flying demi-god, continuously fighting off baddies and saving a beautiful fair maiden. When that same maiden appears in his waking life, his life is sent into an absolutely insane spin, leading him to actively rebel against the nightmare system he inhabits.

There's so much to love about this film: the way it's shot is masterful, the acting is outrageous, the music is hilarious, plus the whole thing hits achingly close to home, as any conversation with your mobile phone company will soon confirm for you. However, what I personally love most about this film is the feel of it. Not once does it feel like anything other than a Terry Gilliam film. The chirpy music set against this abysmal backdrop of depravation and misery, the satire, the irony, and most of all, the production design. You see, this film was made long before CGI existed so people had to build things for actors to inhabit. As a result, you get a certain authenticity which, as a dystopian future fanboy, I absolutely love. Every single minute detail of the film has a purpose, there is not one wasted thing in the frame. Everywhere you look, beyond the action even, you'll find adverts, slogans and posters in the background saying things like "Don't suspect a friend, report him" or "Relax in a panic-free environment". All of these elements make the entire thing feel like a real world. No matter how deranged things get, and trust me they do, you still believe every second of it. Indeed it is a film so rich in detail, nuance and subtlety, it definitely requires more than one viewing. It's also really fecking funny, which helps.

I will admit that if you are not a fan of Terry Gilliam, you should come in with an open mind. Because if nothing else, the man is a true original. Do expect to see men with sinister baby heads, concrete monsters, latex faces and other such absurdities. Also the last half hour is nothing short of absolute insanity. However, if you fancy getting lost for a few hours in a completely different, but sadly not too unfamiliar world, then I cannot recommend this masterpiece highly enough. To coin an oft-used phrase...they just don't make them like this anymore.


JB.

Things I Love: The King Of Comedy

Or as I like to call it, The Most Underrated Film of All Time.

You see, when this film came out in 1983 it was almost universally panned by critics and audiences alike. However, over the years and the test of time, this film is now widely regarded an unheralded classic. Of course part of the problem is that it is a DeNiro/Scorcese collaboration, and the world was clamoring for another Taxi Driver, Raging Bull type dramatic masterpiece . What they instead got was the story of a deranged comedian trying to crowbar his way into stardom by any means necessary. People were baffled. Where was the Scorcese touch? The DeNiro masterclass?

Aha! That's is precisely where their first mistake lied. You see, friends, this film is, in my humble opinion of course, one of DeNiro's finest performances, for the simple fact that you actually forget that is him at all, and instead get completely lost in the utter pillock that his character, Rupert Pupkin, is. Also, the reason why Martin Scorcese is the greatest director around is because he does one very simple thing every time. He lets the story dictate the style it's told in.

Goodfellas? Mafia. Loads of violence. Loads of cocaine up the hooter. Might want to speed things up. Lots of camerawork, music, fast editing etc. Same for Casino. Taxi Driver. Raging Bull or The Departed for that matter. However, in this film, there is absolutely no camera trickery. No crazy edits. No rock n' roll music. He just sits back and lets the story flourish. And as a result gives us a brilliant film.

Rupert Pupkin is one of the most subtlely creepy people ever put on screen. His equally mental friend, played by Sandra Bernhard, is only a shade less weird and Jerry Lewis (basically playing himself) is deadpan hilarious as the mega-star TV Host who is the object of their affections.

All in all. See it. Now. It is a hilarious, slightly disturbing glimpse into the world of celebrity infatuation that seems eerily even more relevant today than ever before. Perhaps that's why people only like it now.

Maximum respect.

John.

Things I Love: One Man, Two Guvnors

So, by a fortunate set of circumstances that occurred yesterday, my afternoon was spent in the fourth row of the Adelphi Theatre watching the smash-hit "One Man, Two Guvnors".

Now, I had previously heard nothing but glowing reviews for this play but what I witnessed for two and a half hours was by far the funniest show I've ever seen in the West End. It is a classic British comedy farce with a plot far too convoluted, and frankly mental, to go through here (plus, half of the fun of it is not knowing what to expect). People being hit with objects? Check. Cross dressing? Of course. Sexual innuendos? Plenty. It certainly ticks all the comedy boxes. However why this play was so so great was simply down to one man, James Corden.

As far as I understand, old Jimboy had received a bit of a backlash in my fair lands, after of course becoming a mega-star with the success of "Gavin and Stacey". I myself became part of this backlash, quietly wondering if he was just a bit of a twat; nothing more than the UK's Chris Farley. However, watching him in this play reminded me of just what an absolutely brilliant comedic actor the man is. Also, a key feature of this play is the unexpected audience participation at several turns, which Corden executes brilliantly. At the risk of going all Alan Partridge....my sides almost split at the seams.

So, in conclusion, if you're in London and can get your hands on some tickets (hurry up, it's run ends in February) I cannot recommend this wonderful play highly enough. A healthy reminder of how much fun a trip to the Theatre can be.

Peace,

John.

Things I Love: Lost In Translation

The first time I saw this film was a particularly lonely night in Madrid. A leg of my european tour in the winter of 2004 wherein I got there a day earlier than the people I was supposed to meet. What is one to do in such circumstances? Well, find an English speaking cinema (that serves beer, obviously) and settle in for the night.

And there's not many better films to watch in a state of isolation, stuck in a foreign land, than Lost In Translation. From the opening shot of Scarlett Johansson's barely covered arse (really, is there a better way to start a film?) I was sold. Bill Murray expertly embodies a lonely old famous person as only he can, and the unlikely story of two complete strangers sharing a random moment in time among a distant, completely Alien world - Tokyo in this case - struck a chord with me that I've been unable to shake since.

It is hilarious. As are most things with the mighty Murray because his face alone is enough to make anyone laugh. It is also romantic, despite the potentially creepy age difference between the two stars, and extremely poignant. There isn't much dialogue, not really much action, it's just a perfect encapsulation of two people in a certain place, at a certain time.

Expertly directed by Sophia Copolla, beautifully shot and featuring a great cast all the way down to the Japanese prossie urging Bill to "lip" her tights. This film is a lesson in not spoon-feeding a story to your audience and just letting things be. Marvelous.

It also makes me really want to go traveling again....sigh.

JB

Things I Love: Taxi Driver

Now, it is already a wee bit paradoxical to declare a love for a film about man essentially losing his mind and going on a bloody rampage. However, love it I do...and for so many reasons.

Firstly, it stars the genius that is Robert DeNiro giving the sort of performance that most people only ever dream of. After reading Paul Schrader's script, which is vastly different from the film I might add, DeNiro literally is Travis Bickle. Exactly as he was there on the page. Quite an amazing feat to behold.

Secondly, Martin Scorcese. The greatest director of all time, in my humble opinion. Again, after reading the script and seeing what he did with it, how he didn't win every award under the sun for directing for this masterpiece I will never know. There are too many memorable shots to mention but the final overhead of a quite epic crime scene is one of the greatest you'll ever see.

What I love most about this film is that it is probably the only first-person narrative that is completely unrelenting in it's portrayal of the main character. It's almost like a novel. You actually see the world through the eyes of one man and one man only. There is only one scene in the entire film which is not seen through his eyes. Travis' world is a desperate one, one which sees no hope in humanity, filled only with loneliness, isolation and despair. It is literally hell on earth. You want it to lighten up, you want to look away, get invloved in some of the other characters, but Scorcese does not flinch. Not once. For example, in the scene where Travis is at a coffee shop with his cabbie "friends". The way it's shot, acted, directed etc. shows a man who is there physically but he's obviously not really there at all. Indeed, there is a moment where the others share stories and Travis pops an alka seltzer into his water. Rather than join in the hilarity, we suddenly begin to disappear into that glass, with him. The fizzing sound takes over all conversations. It doesn't matter what they're saying, he can't hear it so nor do we. Brilliant.

Of course you can't mention this film without mentioning the score. Tense, schizophrenic, moody, scary. One minute it is smooth jazz saxophones, the next, the noise swells to uncomfortable levels of rage. Again, the perfect accompaniment to this story. Big up Bernard Hermann.

The only question that has remained about this film over the years is the ending. Is it a dream? Did Travis survive? Did he merely not get caught and is now, yet again, a ticking time-bomb? Who knows? I for one don't really care. Leaving things ambiguous makes it all the more interesting I think.

Yes, it's extremely violent. Yes, it is extremely nihilistic. Yes, it's unpleasant. And no, there is no real moral lesson. However, as a piece of cinematic history, and a commentary about society's underbelly, this film is utterly essential. They just don't make them like this any more. Michael Bay hang your head in shame.

"The clock spring cannot be wound continually tighter. As the earth moves towards the sun, Travis Bickle moves toward violence"

(from page 1 of the screenplay)

Peace,

John.