Category: BReviews

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BREVIEW: Whisky Galore! @ Electric Cinema 16.05.17

Words by Damien Russell

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas….

Okay, perhaps not quite so much, but when sat in a room with The Lost Distillery Company – who ‘bring back the ghosts of whiskies past’, and The Birmingham Whisky Club – fine promoters of whiskies present, it’s easy to see how the festive vibe creeps in.

Tuesday might sound like a bit of an odd evening to be surrounded by such whisky pedigree, but the theme tonight is very much tasting and appreciating (over quaffing and getting squiffy). We’re at the Electric Cinema for a mixed event of whisky tasting and film viewing, with a Q & A with the film’s director, Gillies MacKinnon, at the end.

It’s the pre-screening of the 2016 remake of the Ealing comedy, cult classic Whisky Galore! – the tale of the SS Politician that ran aground off the coast of Scotland during the Second World War with a cargo of 28,000 cases of whisky. In reality, the ship sank off the north coast of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland; the island is known as Todday, which is a much funnier name (I am still that childish).

Whisky Galore! tells the tale of the island inhabitants who have already drunk their entire whisky supply and, with rationing being what it was, the drought has little end in sight. A ship crashing offshore with a cargo of whisky is therefore met with great delight and the slightly farcical romp that ensues – playing off Police, Military and Islanders – is light-hearted and fairly believable.

Naturally such a tale involves a lot of references to whisky; The Birmingham Whisky Club and The Lost Distillery took the excellent approach that such a tale deserved whisky in the flesh (so to speak) and not just on the screen.

And it’s hard to tell which takes the lead tonight, the whisky or Whisky Galore! But both take prominence in turn and if the stage is well shared, does it matter who the ‘support’ and who the ‘lead’ is? I feel, not.

The evening is started off with an introduction by Ewan Henderson (Global Brand Ambassador from The Lost Distillery Company) and a well organised distribution of whisky No1 Towiemore, based on a Speyside that would have been on the SS Politician when it sank. These Speyside whiskies are/were typically put into sherry casks giving them a sweeter note than some of their counterparts and a rich fruity finish. If you’re not into your peaty/smoky whiskies, it’s sherry cask for the win in my opinion.

I found the Towiemore a very palatable whisky, not overly strong of flavour but not suffering much for that. I also found more crisp flavours, like apple and peach, than the red fruit notes I’ve come to expect from many sherry cask whiskies, which was a nice and unusual touch.

It’s worth noting here that all of the whiskies served through the evening were blended. I’ve never been a believer in the ‘single malt is better’ approach personally and I feel that blending is an art. Which I suppose means that blending to get a whisky that has long since passed out of production must be some sort of Fine Art, but I digress…

After a joint Sláinte and some time to take in the flavours, the film began. I remember a bit about the original version and I did always like the tale, but the original presentation is certainly now dated and some of the themes and expressions don’t quite translate as well as they did, a consideration that has certainly been picked up and fixed in the new version. For example, back in 1949 women would not be portrayed as being part of exploration party whereas today it would be a matter of course that all comers are welcome to participate. Of course the island and the story can’t change too far out of recognition and the religious themes and the relationships between many of the villagers hold true: demanding parents, controlling priest etc. Without such vehicles the story wouldn’t move and while it does date the tale, the presence of military and the ship itself date it more obviously.

In fairness, I found Whisky Galore! slow to start. Not unreasonably, as there are a lot of people and relationships to introduce and a lot of groundwork to lay. But nevertheless when the film took a break and the second whisky was brought out, I wasn’t entirely unhappy.

The second whisky was Dalaruan, originally from Campbeltown, which had I not seen it written down I would have assumed was spelt Dalaroon. A west-coast whisky for a west-coast film and something like what the locals in Whisky Galore! would have been drinking regularly on the island, we are told. A slightly smoky and richer whisky, my favourite of the evening, it was just the right balance of flavour for my palate and balance is the word – it’s not middle of the road or any such boring description but Dalaruan comes well rounded and has a lot to offer. There’s a distinct salty finish to it that I liked (to my surprise) something further mentioned by Ewan Henderson in his tasting notes.

Continuing on the whisky, for a moment, the third and final dram of the evening was Lossit, an Islay from the era of rural farm distilleries. Almost like a Scottish moonshine in some ways. Reputed to be smokier than the Dalaruan, I actually found it less so, with a higher alcohol hit and a less rounded flavour. An interesting taste of what local whisky might have been like but not one I would rush to try again.

After the first break, Whisky Galore! picks up momentum and the stellar cast (Gregor Fisher, Eddie Izzard, Ellie Kendrick and Sean Biggerstaff to name a few), make it enjoyable viewing. The humour builds, the relationships develop, and it’s a good showing all round.

I would have said that at times it was a bit too farcical for me, but then if my ailing memory serves me the original is very similar so maybe I’m just grumpier in my old(er) age. And in fairness there are some tense moments to keep Whisky Galore! edgy, brining some balance so it never goes 100% over the top. I was left with that warm feeling that a well done cutesy film can instill and as the credits rolled, the audience applauded. Director in the room or not, if you can get an audience to applaud a film I think you’ve done well.

The Q&A was a mix of interesting, intelligent questions and the usual ‘advice’ type questions. One man who seemed to think it was Gillies MacKinnon’s job to bring films back to small cinemas (which of course it isn’t) but our guest director was a patient and eloquent interviewee. Listening to him tell us about Whisky Galore! being made, alongside other stories about the film and the cast, made for a lovely end to the evening.

And as for the drinks at hand, The Lost Distillery Company are the ones for the whisky but The Birmingham Whisky Club are the ones for the events. I’m keeping an eye out for the next ones from both.

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For more on Whisky Galore! www.whiskygaloremovie.com

For more on The Lost Distillery Company, visit www.lost-distillery.com

For more on The Birmingham Whisky Club, visit www.thebirminghamwhiskyclub.co.uk

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For more from the Electric Cinema, including full film/event details and online ticket sales, visit it www.theelectric.co.uk

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BREVIEW: The Levelling

Words by Ed King

N.B. Birmingham Review would like to thank the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) for inviting us to the screening of The Levelling at Everyman – The Mailbox. Click on the highlighted links for more from both.  

The Levelling will be next screened in Birmingham at mac on Mon 11th June (7pm) and Tues 12th June (8pm). For direct info and online ticket sales, click here.

When you grow up without trust you build a selfish shell behind the facade – a subtle barricade; a wall to keep out the corrosive, stagnant waters. A flood defence if you will. But all rivers lead to the sea and subtly, especially within families, seldom goes unnoticed.

Hope Dickson Leach wrote and directed The Levelling, her first feature film after an impressive portfolio of shorts, and marches us up the path and through the gate to the zenith of dysfunction. Set in rural Somerset, The Levelling tells the story of the Cato family – as sister Clover (Ellie Kendrick) returns to the washed out, literally, homestead after bother Harry (Joe Blakemore) dies at the end of an ambiguous shotgun. Father Aubrey (David Troughton) is convinced “it’s just a stupid bloody accident” but in the community of silence that surrounds them, that at times both supports and smothers them, no one argues or agrees. That’s our job.

Beautifully shot: long stills of an empty working farm, raw brutality left on the grill, a muddy princess slipper forgotten every time we walk past it – Leach knows how to point a camera. The soundtrack is cherry picked too, with Hutch Demouilpied’s pivoted score taking us from the lamented strings and sporadic keys of a house revisited, to the white noise nightmare of the film’s most (for me) harrowing scene. Audio and visual are wonderfully tied together.

Focused on the frayed relationship between father and daughter, the narrative of The Levelling is an extrapolation of explanation; a painful question asked over and over yet always unanswered. Initially we’re backing Clover – the estranged daughter who navigates the clipped emotions and quip deflections of a man strong enough yet unable, or unwilling, to deal with the reality around him. A man who could have some answers about the death of his son; a man who should hug his daughter.

But as we pick through the silent deceit of a family who don’t communicate we are introduced to a wider culpability – the selfish escape, the tacit support of someone clearly out of their depth, the community celebration of a broken toy, the alcoholic exoneration of abuse, and the focus of your biggest concern at the most crucial of moments being on yellow, fucking, flowers. A blanket ban on anything of substance – a world quietly prepared to fall in on itself, to “put your family in the ground one by one and not give a shit”. I call it ‘the poison’. Leach doesn’t give it a name but every rose draws blood if you hold it hard enough.

You can count the main cast list in The Levelling on just over one hand, and Hope Dickson Leach makes rich use of her principals – telling a difficult story through a series of duplicitous and intimate interactions. Delivering most of the script, the muted affection and vocal sparring between Clover and Aubrey is particularly frightening; always on a razor edge, we’re left waiting for someone to finally break down or lash out with brutal regret. The scene where father and daughter reminisce through a dusty attic is particularly poignant, whilst the late night drunken cupboard slamming/search will have some audience members curled up in memories and fear.

Harry’s closest friend, James (Jack Holden) is superb – balancing his love, fear and stilted anger as the Catos rip themselves to shreds and stamp their feet asking everyone else “…what happened?” Whilst the ancillary interruptions – the Tupperware band aids, the police sergeant who eventually remembers to take of his hat, the adventurously blunt vicar – serve to bolster both the determined pretense of the principals and the dangerously rose tinted world they are now at the centre of. And don’t be dazzled by the magpie machinations of a silver screen story, communities like this are just as real, just as frightening, and just as inevitable as The Levelling portrays; there will be countless more horror we’ll never see on film.

It is, perhaps, the high calibre of The Levelling that brings its only downfall: there’s arguably too much going on. Bear with me here. And just throw the prefix ‘to me’ around as much as you need to. But the essence of the story is a warning – learn to open up to those you love, learn to share your emotions, learn to be truthful, or you’ll end up surrounded by “stupid bloody animals” whilst burning a calf in a wheelbarrow.

There were points in The Levelling’s narrative that added layers without allowing enough time for them, or their context, to match the same level as the rest of the film. The digging army, Mrs Cato, the gasoline in the kitchen, boarding school, Lady Macbeth hands, the world’s most terrifying Sheppard Pie. Even the funeral. But the irony of The Levelling’s success – namely telling a story of repression through repression – made these plot points arguably unnecessary; the punch had already landed. Plus the ending is too forgiving. Although that may say more about me than it does about the film.

The Levelling is a superb piece of cinema though. And whilst I don’t know how much money was behind the production, God knows there’s a few partners and ‘special thanks to’ as the credits roll (Vegetarian Shoes being my personal favourite) it represents a cast and crew who should be given buckets loads to do it again.

I, for one, will be doing my bit to support this and the rest of the British independent film community, buying several copies of The Levelling DVD when it comes out on 17th July. The Levelling is also available on demand and still showing in cinemas across the UK, so you can get a copy of it whenever you want. But it’ll make an excellent Christmas present for some people I used to know.

The Levelling was produced by Wellington Films, with the support of BFI, BBC Films and Creative England – through iFeatures.

The Levelling (cert 15)

The Levelling comes to the Everyman cinema in The Mailbox on Tuesday 23rd May, for a one off screening – as presented by the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA). For direct event info and online ticket sales from BIFA, click here.

For more on The Levelling, visit www.thelevelling-film.com

For more on Hope Dickson Leach, visit www.hopedicksonleach.com

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For more from Everyman – The Mailbox, including full show times and online sales, visit www.everymancinema.com/mailbox-birmingham

For more from the British Independent Film Awards, including more details of previews and screenings, visit www.bifa.film

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BREVIEW: My Country; a work in progress @ REP 16-20.05.17

BREVIEW: My Country; a work in progress @ REP 16-20.05.17 / Sarah Lee

Words by Charlotte Heap / Production shots by Sarah Lee

My Country; a work in progress – the new play from Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, and director of the National Theatre, Rufus Norris – was clever from the first scene. The audience is immediately involved as Britannia herself dances to 80’s classic ‘When Two Tribes go to War’, while preparing a village hall set for a meeting with her regional representatives. It was clear that Duffy’s dry humour would feature heavily.

In creating My Country; a work in progress, Duffy and Norris have interwoven real quotes from people across the country, verbatim, with political soundbites and Duffy’s own poetic prose – resulting in a razor sharp script, distilling the emotional, conflicting, and at times extreme range of views currently dividing our understanding of ‘Britishness’. Much focus is given to a young interviewee’s love of his hometown and his hope for happiness: a naive but pure viewpoint which both amused and endeared. Careful editing further delivers a debate which escalates to a seemingly unsolvable disagreement, purposely mirroring where society is now: a country divided by issues such as race and immigration, but united by sarcasm and wit. Duffy’s voice appears at welcome interviews, poignantly delivered by a hopeful Britannia.

Inventive choreography and staging (using just chairs, tables and ballot boxes) complimented the slick dialogue. Deftly reflecting stereotypes so ingrained in British culture with minimal props, music was also used masterfully. From the aforementioned Frankie Goes to Hollywood to a hymn sung hauntingly by the cast, My Country took the audience from amusement to sorrow and back again.BREVIEW: My Country; a work in progress @ REP 16-20.05.17 / Sarah Lee

Britannia’s accurate impersonations of the key political characters of the referendum campaign raised some of the biggest laughs of the evening; the authors selected the most ironic quotes from the likes of Boris Johnson and David Cameron, which were savagely brought to life ‘Spitting Image’ style. The actors representing the six regions on stage also delivered their residents’ words with fluidity and comedic timing.

However the cast struggled with a major issue; for a play that seeks to promote listening, discourse and understanding, what this piece benefited from in humour it lacked in balanced representation.

Rufus Norris set out to challenge the ‘liberal echo chamber’ of theatres, identifying society’s reluctance to empathise in a recent interview with The Guardian: ‘With the death in belief of the great them – whether they are politicians, kings and queens or experts – what do we believe in? We believe in ourselves.’

Yet the authors of My Country chose some of the most nonsensical or extreme views held within the transcripts and political posturing: viewpoints which could be amusing, but not necessarily sympathetic to the wider debate. Disappointingly, there was a lack of rational argument represented in the text. An editorial decision which meant that while the play entertained, it perhaps didn’t do enough to persuade either side to listen the other’s reasoning.

BREVIEW: My Country; a work in progress @ REP 16-20.05.17 / Sarah LeeMore importantly there was a lack of representation on stage. And as talented as the actors in My Country are, when seeking to portray the spectrum of society you need more than a solitary British Asian person surrounded by white faces. Britain is multi-cultural; a fair representation of Britain should be cast to reflect that. Delivering the voices of widespread cultures and ethnicities a tricky thing to navigate respectfully, and something that My Country; a work in progress should re-examine in both casting and rehearsals.

Having set out to capture and challenge the zeitgeist of an important moment in our political history, My Country; a work in progress is theatrically still exactly that – unfinished. Although the most hopeful and uniting moments in the play, provided by Duffy’s powerful poetry, remind us that the British people are linked by many commonalities despite our current rifts.

Politically in Britain, what happens next will remain to be seen. But for My Country; a work in progress to become the complete article, it needs to examine the way it delivers its important message to resonate with all sections of our society.

My Country; a work in progress – full trailer

Audience reaction to My Country; a work in progress

My Country; a work in progress runs at the Birmingham REP from Tuesday 16th to Saturday 20th May, as presented by the National Theatre.

Evening performances will be held daily at 7:45pm, with matinees at 2:45pm on Thursday 18th and Saturday 20th May. For direct event info – including full venue details, show times and online tickets sales, click here.

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For more on My Country; a work in progress, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/my-country

For more from the National Theatre, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

For more from the Birmingham REP, including a full event programme and online ticket sales, visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

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BREVIEW: La Strada @ REP 08.05.17

BREVIEW: La Strada @ REP 08.05.17 / Robert Day

Words by Damien Russell / Production shots by Robert Day

A road never truly begins or ends.

I’ve searched it and it’s a genuine quote from yours truly, which is a nice change from something I’ve heard in passing or on the T.V and accidentally claimed as my own.

In a conveniently representative way, the story of La Strada never truly begins or ends either.

For those who aren’t aware, the story starts as our protagonist (it’s early and I’m not feeling generous enough for ‘heroine’), Gelsomina, is sold to the (technically antagonist, but not quite) strong-man Zampanò. But there’s already history between them, with a missing sister (deceased) as well as some back story around an absent father (also deceased). Not exactly your ‘once upon a time’ beginning. The two have a dysfunctional relationship centred around Zampanò’s sense of superiority and power, alongside Gelsomina’s struggle to find useful skills and her devotion to a man who is, in a sense, abusive.

The story ends as abruptly as it begins, with Gelsomina leaving Zampanò. We follow his journey to the point where he finds out what happened to her – leaving him in a sadder, guiltier place than where we started, but still otherwise intact. So ‘happily ever after’ it certainly is not either.

Resolution and finality were never on the cards with La Strada. Luckily I have no problem with this since Waiting for Godot entered my life by accident some years ago; it’s something I’ve come to expect from a certain type of work from that era. I say ‘era’ as I’ve struggled with the definition of neorealism and why certain works of the time ‘are’ and some ‘are not’, so I shy away from the labels and go with my gut.

BREVIEW: La Strada @ REP 08.05.17 / Robert DayEqually, I have come to expect little in the way of major character analysis. The idea of that style seems to be the presentation of snapshots of life, events and the characters therein, with the rest discarded as irrelevant. So with that in mind, I also expected the actual content of the script to be quite fixed without any huge deviations from the original film.

I approached this latest representation of Fellini’s classic work hoping for innovative staging, with good character interplay through stage presence, lighting and direction. I also hoped for a good score, as I know the score for this version of La Strada was produced specifically for it. I was happy to see that all three things were present and correct.

The first thing before us as we sat and settled, was the stage. Stark wooden flooring containing a number of wooden boxes (reminiscent of old fruit boxes) and two telegraph poles, one front – stage right, one back – stage centre. Those, and the instruments, were all that were present and all that was needed. Any further scenery was provided by the clever staging and the cast members themselves playing the lead, support, orchestra, and setting as required. Naturally the odd tablecloth, light, bowl etc came into play, but the setup was minimalist.

The use of the stage was well thought out and through the flow of people (and the few props) they created open space, movement and separation in turn. I was particularly impressed at some of the scene changes and at the way so few cast members could bring fluid movement and change. I loved the fact that the stage itself had been left largely bare to keep space for the actions and people – and through those actions, they rendered additional staging redundant.

And while I mention fluidity, it’s worth saying that I found the transitions between prose and song to be very smooth indeed. I had expected musical pieces, but I’ve often seen musicals make stark changes leaving the audience wondering why that person had suddenly burst into song and spoiling the flow of the show. I never got that feeling in this production of La Strada; I was also impressed by the score itself, feeling both contemporary and appropriate to the setting. Excellent instrumentation (but then a double-bass and cello are a dead cert for me) and skilled musicians added to an unexpectedly positive element.BREVIEW: La Strada @ REP 08.05.17 / Robert Day

The cast themselves were the sort of people I like to call ‘annoyingly talented’. A full suite of vaudeville skills were displayed by all, and whilst some cast members were better at some skills than others nothing ever came across as being ‘bad’. My only criticism was that in some instances the acting itself was a little more wooden than I would have liked. However this may have been in part due to the multi-lingual cast and script; we saw English, French and Italian at various points, and I in particular loved the nod toward the play’s Italian origins.

A brief note on the direction and script use; I was pleased and surprised in equal measure to see that this production of La Strada followed in the fashion of a ‘no holds barred’ approach. There were sections including swearing (often humorously added), violence (less humorous) and sexuality, whilst the underlying theme of domestic abuse wasn’t undersold. I’m not entirely sure if the parents sat to my left regretted bringing their young daughters or not, but the kids themselves seemed engaged with the play. So all’s well that doesn’t bug the hell out of me, bleating or rustling sweets.

I walked into the REP excited but uncertain: knowing that a stage production of La Strada had a lot to live up to, knowing that we had been promised much, and hoping that the delivery would be half as good as it needed to be.

I left the REP surprised and pleased, thoroughly entertained and impressed by this production of La Strada. Absolutely recommend. Not necessarily for less worldly wise children.

The Belgrade Theatre Coventry’s Production of La Strada is presented by Kenny Wax Ltd, in association with Cambridge Arts Theatre & Bristol Old Vic. For more on La Strada, including details of the full UK tour, visit www.lastradalive.com

For more from the Birmingham REP, including full event programme and online ticket sales, visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

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BREVIEW: Alien: Covenant @ The Mockingbird – midnight 11/12.05.17

Words by Ed King

I thought there’d be more people here. I thought there’d be more Aliens; apart from a beautiful but woefully unsupported bust on the counter, this could have been any other bar on any other night – complete with the ‘80’s New York drunk’ that staggered by the pumps. Where’s a murderous Xenomorph when you need one. But it’s a shame; this was a pat on the back idea. I thought more people would have shown up to agree.

I loved Alien, and, as teenage appreciation took hold, Aliens. Tonight is my Star Wars. I’ll probably say something similar when the new Blade Runner is played on screen, but for tonight I’m childish with excitement. Plus the writer and professional (excuse) hat I wear gives me carte blanche to pick, this, to, fuck (did I say, ‘excuse’?). And with pen in my hand that’s what I set out to do.

I don’t. At least, I don’t step by step. My overriding response is ‘job well done’; they give the studio what they want in the last twenty minutes, but my knee jerk is ‘good save’. It brings the de facto blue collar slaughter in line with an elevated premise, or question at least. Like a Scotameron baby ran away with the notebook. I watched Prometheus on Sunday, for the second time, and the infantile handling of any even remotely acceptable narrative (let alone the garrulous approach to inter-planetary anthropology) made me curse. And made me curse Ridley Scott. Which just felt wrong, and a little like an overzealous school teacher. But also right, like an overzealous school teacher. And whilst I enjoyed it more than the first time, when you sit down you to write Covenant…

So, bog standard, everyone dies – quicker than you’d think, later than you’d think, and eventually as you’d think. Good luck with that. The Engineers get a satisfactory, albeit a film in itself, explanation. And the beauty of twisted morphology gets a lovely slide by slide. Although various crisp fucking audience members (it’s all I can imagine they were doing to create such a sound) were apparently less than impressed. But they stimulate snacks; not my bastion of reasoned opinion.

Better script writers tie up some of the fumbled loose ends from Prometheus, whilst allowing for a (possibly self defeating) start to the final in this triptych. Whilst Michael Fassbender takes what Ian Holm started and marches one more step down the macabre, bleeding Lawrence of Arabia into the mind of a genocidal killer. Like Lawrence of Arabia. There’s also a warm nod to the first ship’s overriding/controlling computer, as well as the ship drops in the second. Not overdone, but a handshake to homage.

We are given a starting point. We are given an end. Alien: Covenant delivers a well carried, and narrative following, plot. And I promise you Charlize Theron won’t say “…father”.

I’m re-engaged with the franchise now, but when you’ve sent the body blows that were Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection you’ve still got some apologies to make. But Alien: Covenant serves as the film Prometheus wanted to be, but for some reason wasn’t. If they nail Round Three we’ll all be golden.

So feel safe, go and watch Alien: Covenant – you’ve got just under two weeks to see it at The Mockingbird. There are some great set pieces and Michael Fassbender does his work, twice, with aplomb. Just switch yourself down during the penultimate twenty minutes. But back up for the last five. Enjoy.

DROP IN T MINS 20… 19…

Alien: Covenant (official trailer)

Alien: Covenant (extended trailer)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX7URpWBNKE

Alien: Covenant will be screened daily, except on Sunday, at The Mockingbird Cinema & Kitchen until Thursday 25th May, For more from The Mockingbird Cinema & Kitchen, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.mockingbirdcinema.com

For more on Alien: Covenant, visit www.foxmovies.com/movies/alien-covenant