The Double

Are you sitting in a cinema feeling nervous, uneasy, slightly confused and… Loving it? You must be seeing The Double.

(Like what I did there? Maybe not my best...)

It hasn’t had much promotion, but The Double is the latest black comedy directed from London’s very own Richard Ayoade of IT Crowd, Mighty Boosh and Big Fat Quiz Of The Year fame. The film is based on Dostoyevsky’s novella of the same name, written in the mid 1800s.

Simon James is, if we’re honest, a bit of a loser. He works hard with no recognition, he looks after his sick mother who shows him no thanks, and he fancies the blonde at work, who’s falling for the new guy, James Simon - who looks and sounds exactly like him. But there is something different about James; he’s charismatic and confident and with this, manipulative and mean, and soon Simon is once again completely taken advantage of. With his misfortune increasing with every turn, how much is too much, and what will it take for Simon to rid his doppelganger?

I’d say that Ayoade has taken a modern twist on a classic, but as it’s set in a fantastical forties (… or fifties… or sixties…) setting, it’s not exactly brought up to the present. This of course makes the film incredibly stylish amongst the gloomy, theatrical staging. As an audience member it’s like you’re looking down into a magical world, with the story being played out almost in puppet form (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve seen The Grand Budapest Hotel, which exudes the same sensation).

I don’t know who’s responsible for the film’s Wikipedia page, but really, E for effort. A seven-sentence plot description? Yes, The Double has one, big overall theme, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in content. The dialogue is witty, fast-paced and thrown back and forth between the cast members effortlessly; Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska and Jess Eisenberg (really, it does feel like three of them) are joined by fantastic though brief performances by a host of recognisable faces, including Sally Hawkins, Chris O’Dowd and Wallace Shaun.

If you do go and see The Double, stick with it. In the first ten or so minutes I felt like I’d made a horrible mistake by taking my friend along, but later when we were both chuckling, I was pleased I’d stayed. It’s unlike most films I’ve seen, but just like other visionary directors (again, like Mr Anderson), I feel The Double is the start of a whole host of great films to come from Richard Ayoade.

20 Feet From Stardom

Never underestimate the underdog. This week I was back at the pictures, first to see 20 Feet From Stardom.

For a music lover like me, the poster for this film is pretty eye-catching; glitzy, glamorous, and with a cast list that reads “Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder and Bette Midler”… But, for once, this lot aren’t the stars of the show. The real leading ladies are those that usually shy away at the back; the incredibly talented backing singers. Morgan Neville’s film looks at the (ironically) “unsung heroes behind the greatest music of our time”.

I hadn’t heard of the film until the night of the Oscars, when it picked up the award for best documentary, and after the nomination clip and the sound of a harmonious chorus in the studio, I knew I wanted to see it. The screening I went to was more than half-empty, but I can only hope this is because everyone has seen it already.

If you know your musical stuff, or were around at the time, you may recognise some of the names, most notably Darlene Love and Merry Clayton. Up until the introduction of Love’s group The Blossoms in the early 1960s, the pop world had been dominated by all-white back-ups who, although successful, were a little too well-behaved for the music that was to come. When The Blossoms boomed, everyone loved their gospel-influenced sound, and bands and singers across the world wanted to know how to get their hands on them.

Throughout the film, we watch and listen as the singers recollect their journeys to the stage, as well as their battles when they got there and sadly, the fall of many great talents. In the case of Darlene Love, her story is haunted by disloyal producers who cheated her out of her much deserved recognition, and then many, like Merry Clayton, failed at making the big-time, despite singing some of the greatest riffs of the time.

But don’t think the movie is one big sob story; there are great anecdotes (did you know Merry recorded “Gimme Shelter” in her curlers and silk pyjamas?) and I was goose-bumped all over from titles to credits. 20 Feet From Stardom also introduced me to some incredible voices, such as Tata Vega and Lisa Fischer. Get onto Youtube for a sneaky preview or if you’re like me, you’ll be downloading the soundtrack on iTunes.

If I’m being really nit-picking, there were a few downsides, the biggest one being that, despite wanting to bring the backing singers to the front of the stage, there were STILL some people who were interviewed without ever hearing them sing or tell their story. But I wouldn’t let that ruin my enjoyment of the film. 20 Feet From Stardom is like one big concert, which I will happily watch again and again and again.

Her

Less than a week to go until the big night and I'm squeezing in the last few films (getting a bit tight now, isn't it?). Last week's flick was the fantastic Her.

I heard Her being described the other day as "that one where the guy falls in love with his computer"... To an extent, I guess that is the long and short of it. Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) lives in the not too distant future where, to meet a growing demand for simulated relationships, an operate system is produced, designed to suit the user's particular needs. This is where Theodore meets "Samantha" (Scarlett Johansson) who helps him through his loneliness, his struggles at work, and the final stages of his divorce with his wife, Catherine (Rooney Mara). But as these OSs learn from intuition, Samantha grows as their relationship does, and soon she too has needs that she wants met. Is it morally wrong? Will he be missing out? Does any of it matter if he is happy? This movie depicts the problems evident in any relationship, as well as those that arise in the virtual.

Thinking about it, Her had pretty much everything I like in a film. The love story was interesting and intriguing, not a soppy romance with predictable ups and downs. I found it funny, as did the the majority of the audience, though I think most of the laughing was due to an uncomfortable understanding that this kind of relationship could be waiting just around the corner... Of course it's also got its sad moments, and your heart bleeds for both Theodore and Samantha at times, which is odd because, not only are they fictional, but half of them isn't real either.

A professor I had at university had a theory that one day, society will start to grow tired of new technology and will begin reverting back to old aesthetics and processes of design. Director Spike Jonze must have similar opinions because despite being set in a futuristic world, Her is full of influences from the past. The costumes, the furnishings - Theodore even works for a company that writes and digitally produces handwritten letters. The film's overall palette gave off, dare I say it, "vintage" tones. Having said that, the scenes that do use computer generated effects to depict the futuristic elements are also stunning and quite effortless.  Personally, I was absolutely immersed.

I like Joaquin Phoenix (which helps, as most of the film is spent watching, in effect, him talking to himself!) - I think he's a fine actor and it's great to see him back on the big screens again. His performance isn't jaw-droppingly spectacular, but it's not supposed to be. Theodore Twombly is your everyday man, and that's what makes him and his story so relatable. For me it was the girls who really stood out, and rightly so, considering the title. This does leads to the question, who is "Her"? There's an obvious answer, but actually, her could be any of them; the perfect woman who (literally) doesn't exist, the once wife now ex, the blind date that got away, the girl next door; each play an important part in Theodore's life and therefore Spike Jonze's tale of love.

Having said all of this, the friends that I went to see the film with didn't get it. They found it creepy and disturbing, and unenjoyable. Well, whether you love Her or you hate Her, it has to be agreed that it's unlike most things you'll have seen before.

So what's going to happen on Sunday? Her is up against some seriously big, shouty movies, and I'm not sure it will come out on top... But deep down inside, I so hope it does, at least picking up, like it has done at other awards ceremonies, a Best Screenplay award for Mr Jonze. Fingers so tightly crossed.

If you haven't already, check out the Guardian's brief videos supporting each film in the Best Picture category. A quick giggle, and a good catch up if you've missed any.

OTHER 'A BIT OF WHAT I FANCY' BEST PICTURE REVIEWS :

- 12 Years A Slave

- American Hustle

- Philomena

- Gravity

- The Wolf of Wall Street

- Dallas Buyers Club

- Nebraska

Future Cinema presents Dirty Dancing

More cinema and more dressing up – last weekend I certainly had the time of my life. I’d never felt that way before. I swear, it’s the truth! ;)

I first heard about Future Cinema and their amazing event a year ago when my best friend went to a screening of Grease. Hearing what an incredible time she had, I made her promise to take me to the next one. So, on Saturday, we brushed up our merengues, practised our pachangas and prepared ourselves for all things Dirty Dancing!

When booking your ticket to a Future Cinema event you never know exactly what you’re signing up for, as most of the details are kept secret or not revealed until the last minute, including the event location. Through the Facebook event page, guests were fed tantalizing hints and tips to get us in the mood; dance tutorials, lyrics to songs, even a list of entertaining rules and instructions to accompany your stay at Kellerman’s holiday camp.

It is also compulsory for all guests to dress up, and we had a great time planning our Baby and Johnny outfits. Piecing them together from items found on the high street and in our wardrobes, I went for the “Baby on the footbridge” look, with two tops from H&M, white pumps from Primark (£4) and my cropped denim shorts. I also spent the night before sleeping in flexi rollers, which worked a treat! My other female friends dressed in the classic cropped jeans and tied white shirt, and the boys looked perfectly of the time (my boyfriend in particular, who in his black shirt, leather jacket and greased back hair attracted many comments throughout the day including “Hey Johnny”, “Nice to see you again, Mr Swayze” and, from one of the Kellerman’s reps, “Excuse me but, sir, please, pop your collar!”).

When we arrived at Hackney Downs (the now not-so-secret location) I was so pleased we had all made an effort; for once, the people who hadn’t were the ones who stood out! On stepping through the gates you do feel rather transported. There’s “Orientation” on the left, a life-drawing class on the right, and dance tutorials EVERYWHERE! The reps were all very enthusiastic in their “Kellerman’s” t-shirts, greeting you with an American twang. Raring to go, you then enter the main event.

A large grassed area is split in two by a long aisle, with food trucks and drinks tents lining either side. There were lobster rolls, burgers, mac ‘n’ cheese, scallops and schnitzels, all being sold out the side of caravans, falafel marquees, burger huts, and of course watermelons, popcorn and candy floss were all on sale too. At the front of the seating area was a stage where the official Johnny, Baby, Penny and more made appearances, talking to the crowd and teaching them to cha-cha. We had such fun dancing, singing, and watching the variety of costumes that went past. At one point Mr Kellerman himself shouted out “Get your balls up in the air!”, and everyone started throwing their beach balls to the skies. Suddenly, from behind either side of the stage, two huge balls (they must have been 10 foot in diameter) were bounced around the crowd! Great fun, although we came very close to being squashed.

The audience were now full of good food and buzzing with anticipation, and the start of the movie was timed perfectly with the setting sun. There were roars of applause as the cast list came up on the screen, but that was nothing compared to the first appearance of Patrick Swayze, shades and all. What a beautiful and talented man he was; so sad that he was taken too soon.

Watching Dirty Dancing with hundreds of other people was absolutely incredible. There were waves of wolf-whistles and cheering when they kissed, boos and heckling whenever Robbie came on screen (if you don’t know why, you haven’t watched it recently enough) and with every amazing song in its soundtrack, floodlights came on and our we were given our cue to stand up and boogie.

In true Dirty Dancing style, a few weeks before the event an email was sent out to guests, inviting them to a “secret” after party in the staff quarters. Hosted by Johnny and Penny, we were asked to bring a watermelon with us. Instead, we turned up with a hula-hoop and human-size inflatable banana - it’s a long story, but let’s just say it was an interesting cab journey... Arriving at the venue was slightly peculiar, as we couldn’t hear a peep of sound! We were ushered by the “staff” up a fire escape and through several doorways, each muttering as they went, “Jeez, lots of new faces, Paul not going to be happy” (Paul later turned out to be the DJ). Pushing open the final set of doors, we entered a room filled with smoke and red lighting and by midnight, when more people had arrived, it felt just like the film. We danced until the early hours, twisting, shouting, jumping, jiving and even the Mashed Potato. We made a pact there and then to make this a tradition, and I already can’t wait! Footloose? Pulp Fiction? What do you think?

The Lone Ranger

On Saturday night I was transported to the Wild West by Disney’s new blockbuster, The Lone Ranger. The movie is currently advertised as being “from the team that brought you Pirates of The Carribbean” and that it certainly is. The look, the feel, the music; it is the American version of its British forerunners, which leads me to think that there may be a Lone Ranger 2 and 3 lurking around the corner. It’s interesting, therefore, that even in this film they’ve cast so many British actors for lead and supporting roles (Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson, Harry Treadaway, James Frain).

But of course, it’s all down to one American actor that audiences will be flocking to see Lone Ranger. Similar to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp’s Tonto is essentially the fool, providing many a silly laugh, as well as coming to the hero’s aid on a number of occasions completely by accident. It is also a much aged Tonto that narrates the story, and in case you were wondering, yes, he does look a little like Keith Richards ;) Other Americans of note are Armie Hammer as the title character and William Fichtner, who is very well cast as the evil, bloodthirsty villain, Butch Cavendish. Definitely go and see Lone Ranger for a bit of light-hearted, action-packed fun, and before you put it all down to CGI, have a look at some rather impressive behind-the-scenes clips!

The Things I Fancy...

My posts will be split into :

                                    

                                               Theatre and Film                            Art and Exhibitions

                                   

                                                  Restaurants                                         Bars

                                   

                                                      Books                                            Fashion

                                    

                                                      Music                                             Travel

Do feel free to comment or make suggestions, and I'll reply when I can. Hope you enjoy!