The Quarantine Collection: Week 5

I ordered hair clips for my mum to lessen the jungle adorning my head, but they aren't coming till May 14th which means if things go drastically wrong with my hair at the same time that lockdown is eased, a lot of people will see the mess.

Fri. 17th April: Apollo 13 (1995)
DVD.

Whilst this does technically count as the first re-watch, it has been so many years that it felt like I was watching it again with new eyes. Coincidentally, I watched this with my parents on the 50th anniversary of the astronauts landing back safely on Earth, making the viewing have that little extra oompf. Apollo 13 is a remarkable docu-drama; accurately recreating the true events without Hollywood-ising the story, but still amazingly following a lean three act structure. Director Ron Howard has crafted a suspenseful space film that stuns on both technical merit and the sheer brain power of humanity. The ability for the people on Earth to come up with solutions is a high point in the film; these top scientists working their socks off to bring three men home. We see some of the workers in sleeping bags in an office, showing the total hands on nature of their mission in that they cannot go home to sleep. As an added bonus, it never feels overly patriotic either. 

Also check out : First Man (2018)

Sat. 18th : Ponyo (2008)

Netflix. 

Okay, out of all the Studio Ghibli films watched thus far, Ponyo is far and away the outright weirdest. The title is the name of a 'goldfish' that becomes a little human girl. But the goldfish already has a human face and body, just no limbs. She moves through the water like jelly that hasn't fully set and is slightly bigger than all of her siblings. The halfway point between Ponyo's transformation into a person has her with chicken type legs and hands with three fingers, and once she comes ashore after spilling a magical substance in the water, she effectively drowns the world, plunging all but the tallest hills in a vast water world where prehistoric fish use the roads and clothes ripple on their aquatic washing lines. It is perplexingly odd and ridiculous, but its original and stunning to look like. The human Ponyo does become irritating after a while, but for films that make you want to go to the toiler, this is up there with Finding Nemo. 

Also check out : Princess  Mononoke (1997)

Sun. 19th : Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000)

DVD. 

Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie star in this overly orange saturated film that is basically the bastard child of Ocean's 11 and Fast and Furious, except it came out before both of them. It is a ridiculous plot about stealing 50 expensive cars for Christopher Eccleston to bail out Cage's brother. Weirdly, the title has no relevance to any part of the plot: not once is sixty seconds referred to or used as a timer. In fact that the only thing that was gone in sixty seconds was my memory of this shitshow. 

Also check out : The Italian Job (2003)

Mon. 20th : Unbreakable (2000)

DVD. 

Before superhero films took over the world (ironically), M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed this original, ahead-of-its-time take on the popular genre. Reuniting Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis five years after Die Hard With a Vengeance, this picture sees David Dunn (Willis) become the sole survivor of a train accident. Elijah Price (Jackson) is a very frail comic fan with a birth defect who thinks Dunn has superpowers. Dissecting and subverting the genre before the genre had barely started, Unbreakable contains top notch performances and some genius camera work in the introductory scenes to the two characters: in Dunn's opening he is sitting on a train with the camera set in the seats before him, peering at Willis' weary face through the gap in the seats. The camera then slides along one to show the person he is talking to, and then back onto David. For Elijah Price's introduction, it is the brilliant usage of a mirror to shoot a conversation, instantly kick-starting this theme of opposites and alternates. One of those films that is just pleasantly surprising, and perhaps my film of the week. 

Also check out : Split (2017), the stealth sequel 

Tue. 21st : Vanilla Sky (2001)

DVD. 

Director / writer Cameron Crowe worked wonders with Tom Cruise in 1996's Jerry Maguire, and they have another crack together with this odd experiment. Joined by the other famous Cruise, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz and Kurt Russell, the story is a multi-reality dream based film revolving around Cruise's David, the son of a news publisher who is charming, a little narcissistic and has everything in the world except someone to love. Enter Penelope Cruz, a mutual friend who spend one lovely evening together. But after a car crash, David's face and body is brutally disfigured, giving us the unique opportunity of seeing Tom Cruise's face reduced to scarring and grotesqueness. It is a long winded premise, and it really struggles to maintain interest in the non-romantic scenes. Cruise does not mine the disfigured David well enough to care for him and the third act is essentially a horribly overblown explanation of a twist that is the opposite of shocking nor unpredictable. Crowe runs his philosophies down your gullet ("the sweet isn't so sweet without the bitter" or something" and the only thing I thought was cool was the French New Wave film posters adorning the walls. 

Also check out : Magnolia (1999)

Wed. 22nd : Black '47 (2018)

Netflix. 

The 'Black '47' of the title refers to 1847, the worst year in the Irish Famine. Completely overlooked by the film industries of the world, the Irish Famine saw around 1/8 of the Irish population die, and 2 million flee to America, so if you think coronavirus is massive, it has yet to scratch the figures of an event like this famine. In this gritty tale, Hugo Weaving (who I have always championed as one of the underrated character actors in recent times) plays Hannah, an ex-soldier who, in order to evade a death sentence, is hired to track down his old comrade Feeney (James Frecheville in a glowering, stoic performance) who is avenging his family's death against the English and Protestant colonials. Shot in washed out grey and white, the stark grimness of the quiet countryside and barely surviving populace is not shied away from. Operating as an Irish proto-Western, the violence and bursts of action are engaging, especially due to the guns only containing one shot before that lengthy reload. This offers a new dynamic to the skirmishes as it means using the shot wisely and having a back up in the likely event of a misfire. It is not a long film, but it could afford to be if only to give Frecheville a bit more to say and emote, but its certainly boosted by its unique setting and effective ending. 

Also check out : Brimstone (2016)

Thu. 23rd : Eden Lake (2008)

DVD. 

A chilling British horror thriller, Eden Lake sees a couple (Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender) travel to a remote quarry and lake, where they are tormented by hoodlums led by a young Jack O'Connell. Rare in that most of it is daylight set, its chases in the woods feel like Apocalypto (2006) and The Blair Witch Project (1996) but the presence of a working class teenage gang lends it a  frightening realism designed to tap into middle class fears. Of course, looking at it politically it suggests working class and middle class cannot peacefully coexist, but to the general audience it is a fairly believable situation pushed to the extremes. It does have a cheap jump scare and the couple are ridiculously stupid, like shouting at my telly stupid. So much could have been averted had the couple done things more tactfully, but I guess when in Rome do as the Romans do. The horror genre largely gets its tension from overly inquisitive characters and dumb blunders. There is nasty violence and a shocking ending that left me feeling both nothing and everything: a numbness from the previous ninety minutes of frustration and an anger towards the people in the final few minutes. It is a tough watch, but stick with it. 

Also check out : This is England (2006)

TV Roundup:

Devs (mini-series, 8 episodes)
BBC.
Two of the best words in science fiction right now are Alex and Garland. With Ex Machina and Annihilation (2015, 2018), Garland established his brand of thought provoking, visually intense and borderline Kubrickian mix of science fiction with horror. Devs is the third installment in what I'm calling the Garland Sci-Fi Universe and it is just as rich in premise and ideas. Devs is a technology company that contains the ability to both look backwards in time and forwards. The first episode sees a chap called Sergei promoted to working on this machine, but after trying to steal data, he is executed and his death treated like a suicide. His girlfriend, Lily, grows suspicious and tries to investigate the anomalies. It is a refreshingly small cast, and looking back it does appear that the story could be efficiently told in a 2 and a bit hour film, but because of Garland's style of long, drawn out shots, minimal dialogue and building a dreading atmosphere, a series also works well. There is a pleasure in watching something that hurts to think about; much like my reaction to Annihilation, when the show ended I thought 'I don't quite know what I watched, but I really liked it'. The last two episodes push new boundaries in the free will vs determinism concept and there is a great Nick Offerman performance and a terrifically cast antagonist named Kenton, but its the freshness of the show that sticks the most.

Westworld, Season 3, Episode 6
Sky Atlantic.
Another solid episode in the show. The standout sequence is Ed Harris' William aka The Man in White, in a group therapy session with himself: there is a child William, young William from season one, older William as the wealthy business owner and William as the violent Man in Black. The discussion is riveting, throwing shade at the whole 'videogames make people violent' argument and leading to what is hopefully an exceptional redemption arc for the show's best character. Meanwhile Maeve meets with a Dolores and Charlotte/Dolores is exposed, leading to a shootout and car bombing. If the bad guys are still struggling to hit people with their advanced weapons, the story is now building to a hopefully sensational final two episodes (even though the announcement of a fourth season does interfere with the safety of some characters).

The Quarantine Collection: Week 4

As Boris Johnson spent his Easter weekend watching The Lord of the Rings in hospital, here is the next seven days of viewing. 

Fri. 10th April : David Brent: Life on the Road (2016)

Netflix. 

Gone is Stephen Merchant, Martin Freeman and Mackenzie Crook, but Ricky Gervais' David Brent remains, working again in an office for a cleaning company. Directing, producing, writing and of course starring, this is Gervais' film through and through, recreating the cringe-inducing comedy that can be found in any workplace. Brent wants to tour the UK with his band, consisting of musicians who cannot tolerate the continuously verbal and naive lead singer. It falls short of the comedic heights of the show, but Gervais is phenomenal with emotion and finding humanity. This film is a secret tribute to the people in your life who you can't stand to be around but don't have the heart to tell it to their face. And, ultimately, you realise that when they aren't around you, life seems a little more boring. We need Brents in the world. 

Also check out : After Life (2019-)

Sat. 11th : Crocodile Dundee (1986)

Netflix. 

A cult classic Australian film, Crocodile Dundee is considerably fun. It is a story of fish out of water: the first half dealing with urban based New York reporter Sue going deep into the sparse Northern Territory to meet local hero and bushman Michael 'Crocodile' Dundee (Paul Hogan) and the second half seeing Dundee coming back to New York with Sue. The politics are gloriously outdated; Dundee grabs two people's crotches to determine their gender after learning about transsexuals, whilst also asking a black cab driver which tribe he is from. But seeing as the film does a great job setting up the isolation in the remote parts of Australia, without television and international news it makes sense that Dundee would be so politically backwards. It is also important that none of it is to the detriment of his character; he is friendly and calm, embodying the spirit of the Australian people in a way that crippled me with gap year nostalgia. The inevitable love story between the Western reporter and the local Australia does work thanks to the shared feeling of being out of depth in the others' homeland. Quintessential Friday night viewing. 

Also check out : The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert (1994)

Easter Sun. 12th : Ben-hur (1959)

DVD.

You know something is wrong with the world when you are allowed to watch a film in the morning of Easter Sunday. And what better film to see then the almighty Ben-hur. The biblical epic is best known for two things: its record breaking 11 Oscar wins and its titanic, nine minute chariot chase. It is an epic in every way; a near four hour run time, more extras than a chewing gum company and rousing action. It does take a while before Charlton Heston gets on the galleys, but the film really picks up with the brutal rowing sequences and an awesome naval collision between Romans and pirates. Ballistas and catapults sling flaming projectiles in the air whilst hulls are rammed and ships are sunk. Accomplished with miniatures, it only alludes to the forthcoming spectacle. When the chariot chase comes it truly is as fantastic as it is made out to be. It boils down to nine laps around an oval, but the fusion of meticulous stunt work, hair raising action and the dramatic power of the character rivalry makes for a sequence that is surely the apotheosis of classical filmmaking. Ben-hur may be overwhelmingly long and at times tedious, but as a vital piece of cinematic history it is worth the watch. 

Also check out : Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) for the influence of the chariot chase.

Mon. 13th : The Robe (1953)

BBC 2. 

Another biblical film for the long weekend (not that you could tell it was a bank holiday); Richard Burton is Marcellus Gallio, the Roman tasked with the crucifixion of Christ. Afterwards. Marcellus wins Jesus' robe but is haunted by what he did. This kick-starts a journey to Palestine in order to find out more about the man he killed. More concerned with character than spectacle, The Robe is still a handsome production gleaming with lavish costumes and impressive sets. Released in the early 1950s, it is impossible to remove this film from the anti-communism that was so entrenched at the time: switch the Romans to capitalists and the followers of Jesus to communists and there is a wonderful dismantling of American culture. Indeed one of the writers, Albert Maltz, was on the Hollywood blacklist for his supposed connections to the Communist Party. An entertaining and illuminating film, this is a worthy watch. 

Also check out : The Ten Commandments (1956)

Tue. 14th : The Hunt for Red October (1990)

DVD. 

Sean Connery may not be a great actor, but he is always consistent in a prolific ouevre of films. He is terrific here as Ramius, a Russian submarine captain in charge of the Red October, a sub with the capability to travel undetected. On his way to the USA, both the Russians and the Americans have to work out if he intends to attack or defect. A very young and near unrecognisable Alec Baldwin plays Jack Ryan, the American who believes Ramius to be defecting and has to prove it before nuclear war can break out. The supporting cast is filled out with James Earl Jones, Tim Curry, Stellan Skarsgaard and Sam Neill. The atmosphere in submarine films is profound; a genius mix of claustrophobia, distrust and constant danger. Being confined in an inescapable box with potential mutineers would give anyone enough anxiety, but add the gigantic rock labyrinths that have to be negotiated, the threat of torpedoes and the failure of any part of the ship and you can reduce the men to nervous wrecks. But not Connery. With a resolve of steel and absolute faith in himself, he is a superb lead. The tiny details, logistics and technical know-how in submarine films makes them uniquely intelligent films despite the simplicity of their narratives. A sweaty palm watch. 

Also check out : Crimson Tide (1995)

Wed. 15th : As Good As It Gets (1997)

DVD. 

Jack Nicholson won his third Best Actor Oscar for playing Melvin, a bigoted man with crippling OCD. We have all met someone like him; talking to himself and refusing to walk on the lines of a sidewalk (pavement, the American just slipped out). His neighbour is a homosexual artist with a tiny dog and Melvin's favourite waiter is Carol who has a very sick son. Melvin has to look after the dog, falling in love with it and unaware its presence has altered his precious routine. The three take a road trip together and it soon falls into a rom-com of sorts which was surprising; Melvin and Carol I thought worked better as friends than lovers. But I guess the outcome of the film paints that Hollywood notion that there is hope for everyone no matter your mental condition. It is sporadically chuckle-inducing but heads into vanilla territory as the film goes on. A very three star film. 

Also check out : One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

 Thu. 16th : Porco Rosso (1992)

Netflix. 

For all my problems with it, Netflix made a very smart move in putting nearly all of the Studio Ghibli films up. Expensive to buy on DVD and hard to see anywhere else, this is easily accessible and allows Japanese filmography to permeate Western culture even more. Porco Rosso trots in at a brisk 90 minutes and tells the story of an anthropomorphic pig who flies his sea plane around the Adriatic Sea, defending boats from pirates and bounty hunters. Yes it is supremely odd (also odd that this is the first Ghibli film I have seen with a definitive setting and time) but it is captivating in its beautifully created dogfights, smart humour, gentle feminism and an intriguing eponym. 

Also check out : Castle in the Sky (1986)

TV Round Up: 

Stranger Things Season 1 (2016)

Netflix.

It took a while but I finally caught up with this 80s era phenomenon. It is essentially an eight hour film, set over a few days with the episodes flowing instantly into the next. A year before It: Chapter One took kids horror to the cinema, this show bred The Goonies, E.T and The Thing and birthed this sci-fi horror. In true 80s fashion there is the quiet town, no crimes or murders and run by a policeman who has very little to do. When young Will goes missing, the cop, Jim, is spurred into action. But he isn't the only one; Will's mum goes through a tedious and conventional 'crazy but not crazy' story; Will's three friends Mike, Dustin and Lucas search for their friend and encounter the mysterious and extremely powerful 11; and Mike's sister Nancy and Will's brother Jonathon also team up to do some detective work. It inevitably culminates with them all working together, before offering up largely satisfying endings to all of the characters. The story is engrossing and the characters are certainly likable, but the show is a little too in love with nostalgia and synths. There are some nitpicks too: the ability to spray paint a raised cinema sign in broad daylight seems ridiculous, the two handed child CPR is ridiculous, the monster is rapid in taking down government agents but takes its time walking towards the main characters. Dustin can also be insufferable. And does this show really need 11 executive producers? It might have overplayed its hand setting up a season 2, but I suppose I will have to watch it to see if its justified. 

Westworld Season 3, Episode 5

Sky Atlantic. 

After the barnstorming fourth episode, the fifth takes a tumble. Aaron Paul is drugged, and there are some creative choices to show the five phases of the substance during what I believe is the first driver-less car chase I have seen. The audio mix is often overwhelming but the music choices are still spot on. There is now a growing worry that it is repeating Thrones' season 7/8's mistake of having shorter episodes to allow higher budget, and then to spend it on nice visuals and fail to accommodate the genius writing that made the show a hit to begin with. There are scenes where the bad guys 'bullets just hit anything apart from our protagonists, whilst the bullets needed to kill them can be counted on one hand. I pray this was bad direction and not in the script, because if the action is going to take over from smooth dialogues and philosophy, then at least make it good. 

The Quarantine Collection: Week 3

Balancing out films with television.

Fri. 3rd April  : Revolutionary Road (2008)

DVD. 

Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite in this spiritual sequel to Titanic, playing a suburban American couple in the 1950s negotiating the pitfalls of marriage. The two deliver mighty performances; a breakfast scene at the end is a masterclass in subtle facial expressions. It is directed by Sam Mendes, and it marks an interesting point in his career: from his debut in 1999 with American Beauty to this, all of his films are very American-centric. The American DiCaprio and the British Winslet feels like a passing of the baton, for Mendes next three films would all be ludicrously British (two Bonds and 1917). The film is largely held back because (despite Mendes' brilliance at turning suburban life into a nightmare) it does not have anything new to say that American Beauty already has. Still, Roger Deakins creates some memorable images and the Thomas Newman score is comforting (these two would also work with Mendes on Jarhead, Skyfall and 1917). 

Sam Mendes ranking: 

1. Skyfall    2. Road to Perdition    3. 1917    4. American Beauty    5. Revolutionary Road    6. Jarhead    7. Spectre

Also check out : American Beauty 

Sat. 4th : Jackie Brown (1997)

DVD. 

Ah, Quentin Tarantino. A teenage boy's ideal filmmaker. For some he is the zenith of modern filmmaking; a razor sharp writer with an eye for tension, violence and dividing audiences. He is a style over substance filmmaker who has since turned his hand to crafting period set revenge films for black Americans, Jews and Sharon Tate. Jackie Brown sticks out in QT's filmography as being the only adapted screenplay he has done. It stars Pam Grier, a popular star of 70s blaxploitation films, Samuel L Jackson, Robert De Niro and Michael Keaton. The plot sees Jackie Brown (Grier) as a middle woman between Keaton's FBI agent and Jackson's drug and arms dealer. The best way to describe how the film drags itself over a 150 minute run time is that in season 2 of Game of Thrones there is a scene where Tyrion tells a different lie to three of the King's advisers whilst formulating his own plan. The film is low on jokes and violence, heavy with tracking shots, racial language and a rather odd tone. I tried to watch this last year and got 31 minutes in before deciding I should watch it in a different frame of mind. My disinterest seems to be matched by Bobby De Niro who looks so out of it and disenfranchised that his performance barely scrapes 'phoning it in'. The soundtrack is notable however, with a Johnny Cash song being used, bringing us into....

Also check out : True Romance (1993)

Sun. 5th : Walk the Line (2005)

DVD. 

Johnny Cash, the Man in Black, is a grandad's artist. A prolific country come rock singer with a troubled past, he naturally makes for ripe biopic material. Joaquin Phoenix is Cash, bringing that nervous energy to the role in a relatively conventional musical biopic performance. Phoenix and Cash both lost a beloved brother in their life, and Phoenix gets a chance to weaponise that emotion in the role rather effectively. But the real star is Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, a supportive, extremely likable friend. It is the best I have seen her. It is a good film, far stronger than Bohemian Rhapsody (a film's strength should not come from an audiences love of the pre-existing music) but I would have liked a few more of his songs and a bit more of the creation of some of his songs. 

Also check out : Rocketman (2019)

Mon. 6th : Band of Brothers, Episodes 9-10

DVD. 

The delay in finishing this series is down to the return of my mother to the house, booting me out of the living room and not being allowed to conclude this miniseries without my dad also present. Such an opportunity presented itself and we exploited it. The penultimate episode focuses on Easy Company making their way into Germany. The first half is occasionally funny and warming, laying on the feeling of contentedness and that the hardest part is out of the way.  Indeed, the awkwardness of watching a raunchy sex scene with my father was swiftly avoided by my exclamation of "that's Tom Hardy!" This tone is instantly obliterated in the second half where the Company discover a concentration camp and the disheveled, physically and psychologically broken Jewish inhabitants. The episode is called 'Why We Fight' and it is a question on the lips of many weary soldiers, who find that their answer is not a welcome sight. Episode 9 is one of the finest hours of the television I have witnessed. It is sensitively composed and brilliantly executed to display the horrors of what is possibly one of the only justified wars in recent history. It is unflinching and profound, and came from nowhere. 

The finale deals with the closure of the European front and whether the soldiers will be re-deployed in the Pacific to aid in the conquering of Japan. It feels slightly anti-climatic after the heavy action and Holocaust drama, but Easy Company and its characters need closure. Damien Lewis narrating the real life fates of his men as they play baseball is on the nose but it bloody works, and the gut punch comes at the end as we see the real life heroes talk to the camera. "Grandpa were you a hero?" "No, I fought with heroes." 

Band of Brothers is one of the best shows created, ahead of its time (TV wise) with its gargantuan budget and gripping set pieces. 

Also check out : Schindler's List (1993)

Tue. 7th : The Funeral (1996)

DVD. 

Christopher Walken in a gangster film that doubles as a mediation on sin. Darkly shot, oppressively moody and so boring it makes my family dinner times seem rapturous. Move on.

Also check out : The Godfather (1972) - or any crime film for that matter. Chances are it will be better. 

Wed. 8th : Double Indemnity (1944)

DVD. 

Billy Wilder is an iconic director of the classical period with hits like Some Like It Hot (1959) and The Apartment (1960). But this might be his best. Double Indemnity is a neo-noir, namely a type of film that is focused on morally grey characters inhabiting the space between the black and white of the photography, which is usually lit by the mise en scene and not lighting rigs behind the camera. The story is this: a woman wants to kill her husband but wants to stage it in such a way as to get his money through the double indemnity clause. Slick, and probably the best film I saw this week. 

Thu. 9th : Casualties of War (1989)

DVD. 

During the Vietnam War there was an incident where a sergeant and his four men kidnapped a young Vietnamese woman to take with them on a long range patrol. The woman was repeatedly raped and abused in what the sergeant saw as a way of boosting his men's morale. One of the five morally objected and reported the incident to the higher authorities. This Brian De Palma war film is based on that story and is as hard to watch as the content suggests. Sean Penn is the sergeant; a scene-chewing, lust filled and morally bankrupt character so detestable that the film would not operate as well without him. His foil is Michael J Fox, the 'Nam newbie who has not been unhinged by the invisible enemy. Once adjusted to Marty McFly as a Vietnam soldier, the film gets going (109 minute run time makes it a breezy war film). The score is highly evocative of South East Asia and the camera work is dripping with confidence: one movement sees the earth consume the lens to reveal an intricate Vietcong tunnel directly below one of the characters. It may not reach the psychedelic fever dream of Apocalypse Now or the bluntness of Platoon, but this is a moderately good Vietnam War film. 

Watched throughout the week: 

Tiger King (2020)

Netflix. 

If people were still going to work then this would be the main conversation topic. A mass-watched meme goldmine, Tiger King is a seven part documentary series revolving around Joe Exotic, a gun toting big cat owner with two husbands. 'Exotic' barely covers it, he is a tour de force personality that feels like he was written by six year old. He walks around with loaded guns, owns hundreds of killer animals and has tattoos of bullet holes adorning his chest. The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction almost always has to make sense, because the events of this show do not come close. When perhaps the sanest person involved is a worker who returns to her job ONE WEEK after getting her forearm ripped off by a tiger, you know you have struck filmmaking gold. Each episode focuses on a different part of this zoo saga, eventually culminating in the case about Joe hiring (or not hiring?) someone to kill his rival, supposed animal rights activist Carole Baskin. As entertaining as it is, it does seem a shame that more people are discussing the 'disappearance' of Carole's ex husband (she 100% covered him in sardine oil) than are discussing the main issue: that there are more tigers in America captivity then there are in the world. It may be the closing remark of the show but all of the events and hypocrisies shown are a direct result of owning tigers, lions and snow leopards. It is a crippling illustration of American consumerism and their disregard for animals (and also workers). 

It is a classic Netflix show, released all at once for the world to 'binge' in a day or two, talk about online for a few more days, then slowly fizzle back out of the zeitgeist. Perhaps there would be more conversation about animal rights if the episodes were released weekly; allowing greater discourse and word of mouth to be promoted. Alas, if memes are the best society will get out of this eye opening series, then so be it. 

Westworld Season 3, Episodes 1-4

Sky Atlantic.

Post Thrones, Westworld established itself as my premier television show. Series 1 revolves around a symbiotic relationship between a Wild West themepark world and the technologically advanced future set in the 2050s. It satisfied my appetite for Western action and tropes with meticulous science fiction, all the while exploring consciousness and humanity. Season 2 continued ably, bringing in a Japanese world of samurai and a host of new characters. This third season is made up of eight episodes instead of ten, increasing the budget per episode (and it is obvious).

It seemed shaky at first without the powerful presence of Anthony Hopkins and Ed Harris (in a way that reminded me of Thrones when it lost Ned Stark and Tywin Lannister), but its footing has since been found. There is no WestWorld in sight, instead we are slap bang in the real world and all of its impressive advancements. Gone is the piano of previous seasons, for the synth as arrived. The vision of the future is clean and post-modern architecturally, fusing the world of Blade Runner with the science fiction of Alex Garland. The cast is expanded with Aaron Paul as a welcome addition whilst Thandie Newton and Evan Rachel Wood are still terrific as Maeve and Dolores.

Free will is the focus of this season, as well as motherhood, and there are the usual complex narratives, hidden meanings and ambiguous helpings of exposition. The fourth episode is among the show's best, no thanks to composer Ramin Djawadi knocking the roof off during a narrative convergence at an ostentatious party for the rich. This is the kind of television that gives me something to look forward to each week, and if it is the final season then it is shaping up for a grand ending. 

The Quarantine Collection: Week 2

One morning of snow but five glorious days of sunshine that we can only enjoy through a window. The nightly viewing continues.

Fri. 27th : Band of Brothers, Episodes 3-4

DVD.

My dad and I cracked on with this stellar bit of filmmaking as the story moves into Holland. The third episode has a slight focus on Private Albert Blythe who experiences shock, temporary blindness and some intense conflict. The usage of German tanks is borderline frightening and the central scrap is tautly directed. 

Episode 4 details Operation Market Garden, the ambitious, colossal deployment of paratroopers in Holland which aimed at securing bridges in order to create an easier route into Germany. The action is just as riveting and frustrating as ever; one US tank shot early on could have averted the subsequent carnage if not for military protocol. The soldier in focus for this episode is Sergeant Bull Randelman, a cigar smoking, thick shouldered and capable soldier who ends up trapped alone in a German occupied village. It is inevitably a sequence that is wrung out for all the suspense it can produce. And yet despite the chaos, the episode still finds time for a little heart; a soldier giving a little Dutch boy chocolate leads to one of the most heartwarming shots I have seen as the boy eats away with the biggest smile on his face: we are told by his father that it is the first time he has tried chocolate. Now knee deep in this tv show, it is clear that the format is based around important military events but told through the eyes of a different soldier of Easy Company each time. 

Also check out : A Bridge Too Far (1977) for Operation Market Garden with one of the most legendary acting ensembles going. 

Sat. 28th : A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Blu-ray.

Before Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany navigated the Napoleonic seas in 2003's Master and Commander, they were navigating university together in this Best Picture winning bio-pic. I went in with the preconception that this was just Russell Crowe doing mathematics, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the narrative twists and turns that emerge in the second act. Crowe is pretty phenomenal as John Nash; indeed his output between 1997 and 2007 makes for a considerable decade: L.A Confidential, The Insider, Gladiator, Master and Commander, 3:10 to Yuma, American Gangster and this. It may have a conventional Oscar-friendly musical score, but this is a well shot (Roger Deakins) and inspiring story. There are some wholesome jokes and the film also treats the wife, Jennifer Connolly, with suitable care, something which true stories too oft forget. She is as vital to the true story as John Nash is himself. Ed Harris also stars as a black hat wearing William (*WestWorld bells ring*) who recruits Nash for Soviet code breaking. A Beautiful Mind is directed by Ron Howard who has certainly made some very good films over his career, but this is probably his best.

Also check out : Master and Commander (2003)

Sun. 29th : Public Enemies (2009)

Netflix.

Michael Mann is a repeatedly overlooked director. One of my favourites, he is responsible for three of the 1990s best pictures: The Last of the Mohicans ('92), Heat ('95) and The Insider ('99). 2004's Collateral is also fantastic but 2006's Miami Vice is a massive drop off. Public Enemies continues the Mann tradition of being crime centered with two high profile male leads. But rather than Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, or Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, Mann uses Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. This Prohibition era crime film revolves around true bank robber John Dillinger (Depp) and his gang enjoying their repeated success, whilst Christian Bale's FBI agent is hot on the heels. Now I do recommend this film for those that have not seen Heat; the blazing Tommy gun action and performances are probably worthwhile enough. But if you have seen Heat, then you will be dismayed to discover that Mann is simply remaking that story but with a Prohibition jacket. One of the characters is a bank robber who finds love; promising them that they will leave after one last score. The cop is hot on his heels, eventually gunning down most of the other crooks until it is just the leader left. But whereas Heat is a muscular, electrifying thriller with stunning set pieces and legendary performances, Public Enemies is an overload of information and characters that strains the two and a bit hour runtime. Depp takes a while to get used to as this mastermind crook, lacking the physicality and intimidation usually required. But once he gets going and the cocky charm reveals itself he is pretty magnetic. Bale on the other-hand is short changed with a role that is given next to no depth. His character is bland, uninspired and without an emotional drive. We don't even get a reaction from him when Depp escapes prison. On a positive, the final 45 minutes actually becomes engrossing, and the final fifteen is admittedly magnetic filmmaking. But to wade through so many boring characters and lackluster action scenes to get to that does not seem fair. 

Also check out : Heat (1995)

Mon. 30th : Band of Brothers, Episodes 5-6

DVD.

Damien Lewis gets the spotlight in the fifth episode, battling his conscience after shooting a very young SS officer, as well a whole batch of Germans in what can only be labelled as a massacre. Tom Hanks is the director of the hour, hence the typewriter pornography. It is a wise move as this is relatively quiet in terms of action and choreography, allowing Hanks to develop his skill with criss cross editing and an intriguing look at Lewis' Winters, the closest the show has to a leading man. Despite being an American production, it is pretty impressive that the British Lewis was cast as Winters. But there is an enigmatic appeal to his sharp face and husky tones that makes him ideal for the well trained, immensely consistent lieutenant turned captain. The episode ends with Easy Company being set into the frozen woods of Bastogne. An ominous end as troops are seen walking back from the front-line, heads lowered in silence. 

The following episode takes us into the Battle of the Bulge and this is an ordeal of a watch. The audience surrogate is Eugene, a medic. In terms of gore and wounds, this is a ferociously bloodthirsty episode. It gives a detailed look at the difficulties of being a medic: having to run to crippled casualties as bullets shred the landscape around you. Eugene also befriends a local Belgian nurse who supplies him with chocolate and someone to talk to as the psychological effects start tightening the grip. The woods of this front-line are draped in fog and snow, turning the battlefield into a claustrophobic huddle whilst fending off Germans and frostbite alike. The command is in the hands of Lieutenant Dike, a useless, head-in-the-clouds officer who inhabits his foxhole rather than maintain morale or check on the dwindling supplies. This is the episode that showcases another horror of the war: the outdoor waiting. Improperly clothed and supplied, the survivors of the Bulge are not the same men as when they entered those woods. 

Tue. 31st : She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949) 

DVD. 

John Ford's second film in the so called 'Cavalry' trilogy is the best of the bunch, though it isn't much of an achievement. The three films (Fort Apache and Rio Grande came out a year before and after) document John Wayne as some sort of captain in the US cavalry doing battle with Native Americans, who for the most part are ill-represented and are depicted as vicious killers. Oddly, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon would have been better off as the third film. Wayne plays a captain who, in the last six days of his service before retirement, has to escort a young lady away. It is a typical mission film, but this soon falls apart and becomes the plot soon starts orbiting character over action. It is a rare performance from Wayne in that he is actually pretty decent and likable; a weary man longing to retire but also feeling his men still need his experience and leadership. The theme of the changing of the guard would have been more potent if it was the third film, as well as the fact that this is the only one shot in colour (and it looks grand). A reasonably good Western, even if the set pieces are familiar and unexciting. 

Also check out : Hostiles (2018)

Wed. 1st : Band of Brothers, Episodes 7-8

DVD. 

For 2001, the budget and production values of this show continue to stun. Episode 7 contains an overwhelmingly ferocious bombardment on the men of Easy Company as they struggle to find cover. The pyrotechnics display and the shaky, documentary style camera work makes an immersive sequence that shakes the very room with its sound design. The frozen woods are still the setting for another violent hour. This time Sergeant Lipton is the 'lead', narrating the events of the offensive capture Foy. The narration is not perhaps always needed, and it is jarring to suddenly have it seven episodes in, but the decision to focus on Lipton is inspired. This is one of the darkest hours for Easy Company; two of the best men get their legs blown off in another hideous display of the show's make-up team, hopeful future leader Buck is demoralised and taken off the front line and Lieutenant Dike continues to be frustratingly ineffective, in a short time joining Joffrey and Dolores Umbridge as a character who I just want to see brought down. The finale deals with Dike leading the offensive whilst Winters has to watch on powerlessly as his men get gunned down. There is fantastic moment where Winters grabs a gun and goes to run in, but is reprimanded by the higher powers. Lieutenant Speirs is sent instead, successfully taking Foy. Episodes 6-7 make for a bleak double bill in the frozen landscape, but the intensity rivals and even surpasses Saving Private Ryan. 

Episode 8 is a more upbeat episode with young Private Webster returning, as well as an ultra shiny and young new Lieutenant, desperate to see action. Through Webster's eyes we see Easy Company with a fresh lens: the men that remain from the start are unfriendly to those who did not fight at the Bulge or Foy and the brotherhood is now more closed off. The main focus on this episode is a raid into a German outpost to capture some prisoners. Whilst tense, the episode is relatively light on bloodshed and violence and instead focuses on the people and how the men are now seen. Despite the somewhat happy ending, the title cards at the end lay the show's endgame in sight: Germany is next.

Thu. 2nd : Absolute Power (1997)
DVD.
Having previously directed himself and Gene Hackman to Oscar glory in the almighty Unforgiven (1992), Clint Eastwood has another crack with this late-90s thriller. The plot is intriguing: Eastwood is stealing from a billionaires house when he witness an attempted rape followed by a killing. Escaping with a piece of evidence, Eastwood is hunted by those seeking to remain innocent, namely the President of the US (Hackman). Despite William Goldman's credentials on the screenplay, the dialogue does come off as ham-fisted and forced, with exposition laid on thickly. Luckily the bombastic story and sprightly, youthful performance by Eastwood keep things fun. Ed Harris also stars and there is something quietly comforting about his presence; I am not sure if it's because of the same balding resemblance to my father or his smooth diction and understated acting. Hackman, one of my favourite American actors, is reasonable as the President, though there is a ridiculously flamboyant sequence where he dances with his Chief of Staff, discussing the crime and what to do in a room full of people watching them. With constant cheesy smiles to the crowd, it belong in an 80s blockbusters and not a 90s political thriller. But this is an entertaining watch with enough thematic depth on voyeurism to keep the brain stimulated. Thanks for the recommendation Grandad!
Also check out : Unforgiven (1992)