It's watch-a-load-of-stuff day!

Every once in a while there comes opportunity for a day of rest. Everything kind of lines up for you - no ties or commitments; just time to yourself. Today was one of those days. The weather was shitty, I had no money so I couldn't go out and I had (and have) an entire backlog of films and t.v shows to watch. What with the BAFTAs just gone and the Academy awards fast approaching, I figured it was time for me to make my way through this year's frontrunners. 


I'm just guna put this out there - I hate Colin Firth. I hate that whole snivelling, bumbling English buffoon facade put across from him and Hugh 'dickface' Grant. 'Bridget Jones' is a horrendous, sexist, degrading piece of matriarchal propaganda (that may or may not be an exaggeration) in which, men are made to look like either bigamists or dopes. I hate Colin Firth. I hope I've put that across adequately. So it was with furrowed brow and nervous constitution that I approached 'The King's Speech'. The film tells the story of George VI, played by Mr Firth, and his struggle with a speech impediment. He teams up with therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey 'holy-fuck-is-that-Captain-Barbosa' Rush), in an attempt to overcome his affliction and find his voice (in more ways than one). You can see why it's been nominated and praised the way it has. It paints 1930's Britain in a beautiful hazy light. The whites and blues of spring in Scotland; the reds and golds of Royal premises, the browns and grays of the middle class. The past never looked so pretty. The cast is stellar, it seemed to be very much a team effort. They all sort of work off each other with Mrs Burton and Peter Pettigrew consistent as always; providing a backdrop for the forerunners of Firth and Rush. It's nice to watch really. I know nice isn't really the most exciting of adjectives for me to have used but I think it fits. It's nice to see George develop, it's nice that there are moments where we laugh with the characters, it's nice there's a start and a middle and an end. It doesn't come across as pretentious or trying too hard or over-the-top. It's simple, charming and well-made. 

'Boy A' came to my attention on release in 2007. The film tells the story of Jack Burridge, a young man newly released from a prison sentence for a murder he committed as a child. It sort of went under the radar, an independent movie that never really got a lot of recognition, in spite of positive reviews. I didn't get the chance to watch it back then so I kinda forgot about it up until recently. Andrew 'soon-to-be-Spiderman' Garfield, was for me, the best of the bunch in Fincher's 'The Social Network'. So after watching his performance in that a couple of weeks ago, I looked up what he'd done before. Sure enough, his handsome mug was the leading role in 'Boy A' so I looked that little fella up and downloaded it. It's pretty dark, I'll put it out there. Our boy Jack seems to have alot of issues. The whole thing's filled with flashbacks of his youth and what occurred in the build-up to the actual incident, as well as his somewhat unpleasant experiences in prison. It all sort of piles up on top of the poor lad, who seems to just want a fresh start. It's difficult to place yourself as an audience member. We never really know whether we should sympathize with him; it's difficult to know what to think when your protagonist is a murderer. But all that sort of works in the film's favour, it's up to you to decide what you think of him, up to you decide what's right or wrong. Empathy seems to be key here; if you put your feet in Jack's shoes, you'll appreciate the film alot more than if you don't. 


I fucking love American television. Sorry England, 'Dr Who' is great, but 'The Sopranos' pisses all over the tardis. After committing a billion plus hours of my life to the likes of 'Six Feet Under' and 'Dexter', next up was always going to be 'The Wire'. The critically acclaimed show follows the Baltimore drug scene, seen through the eyes of both drug dealers, and law enforcement. I've only just watched the first season (of five) but thus far I can honestly say that it is most definitely the dog's bullocks. It's deep, it's clever, it's engaging and perhaps most importantly, it's consistent. Watch it, but be warned; you will lose many, many hours of your life.