Movie Review – Hot Rod

Director – Akiva Schaffer
Cast - Andy Samberg, Isla Fisher, Jorma Taccone, Bill Hader,
Danny R. McBride, Sissy Spacek, Ian McShane.

Without Napoleon Dynamite Hot Rod would not exist. So if Napoleon did not float your boat there is a pretty good chance you will find Hot Rod purile and pointless. For me however Napoleon Dynamite is one of the ten best comedies ever made. Like Napoleon Hot Rod’s premise is secondary to the characters. For what it’s worth the burning ambition of central character Rod Kimble played by Andy Samberg is to emulate his deceased stuntman father and garner the respect of his step dad Frank Powell played by Ian McShane. But when he has a heart attack and needs a heart transplant it looks like Rod’s chance for respect has gone, unless $50,000 can be found to pay for a heart transplant. I know what you’re thinking; he can raise the $50,000 by jumping 15 buses on a motorbike. Bingo!

A surprisingly accomplished cast signed up to Hot Rod including Isla Fisher, Sissy Spacek, Ian McShane, Will Arnett and Bill Hader and the film would not have succeeded without their absolute conviction and deadpan delivery. The dialogue is suitably quotable and surreal, and is both funny and baffling at the same time. Being a film about a wannabe stuntman is a great excuse for some slapstick and it doesn’t disappoint in this regard either. There are some memorable set pieces too including a Flashdance-esque punch dance in the forest that results in possibly the greatest fall down a mountain of all time. Another features possibly the greatest use of John Farnham’s You’re The Voice of all time! Even as I type I am smiling, Hot Rod is brimming with loveably dim simpletons that you can’t help but root for.

Apart from Andy Samberg looking a little overawed in the lead role the only problem with Hot Rod is the fact that I have now seen it and so am denied the delight of seeing it for the first time again. I am not saying it’s to everyone’s taste and not everyone was laughing in the cinema, in fact sometimes it was just myself, but if you’re in the form for an oddball comedy I reckon Hot Rod is worth a shot.

Concert Review – Crowded House

Venue – The National Stadium, Dublin.
Date – 26th of November 2007.

In the midst of so many high profile band reunions this year the return of Crowded House has been overlooked to some extent. While many other bands seemed to come back purely for financial reasons Neil Finn and Nick Seymour came back with an album fit to stand alongside their classic “farewell” album Together Alone. Time On Earth is drenched in melancholy dealing in detail with the suicide of troubled drummer Paul Hester. After a strong appearance on a rainy summer’s day in Marley Park this was a chance to see up close whether the band had gelled again, were still enjoying it as much as ever and whether in fact they had simply still got it.

Known as a band that blossomed live the new incarnation of Crowded House had set their own bar pretty high and after seeing their appearance on Later With Jools Holland a couple of weeks back I was a little nervous for them as the lights dimmed and an expectant hush fell upon the crowd. Looking healthy and relaxed the band began what in my opinion rivals the Dave Matthews solo show and Feist as the gig of the year. This European leg follows a successful American tour and the tightness of the band could not be faulted. The setlist was varied, placing newer songs alongside older classics as if to prove their metal. The band still seem to enjoy playing the older songs as much as ever which may be partially down to new drummer Matt Sherrod who is discovering these songs for the first time having admitted at his audition to not being a Crowded House fan. Hearing him drag the slow burning opener, Private Universe, to crescendo set the tone for the whole night.

A lifetime’s worth of hook filled songs makes great ammunition for any live act and thankfully the banter between the band bodes well for this being a long term comeback. Highlights included a speeded up version of Don’t Stop Now, the first single from the new album, a frenetic Locked Up, a tender Better Be Home Soon and a stunning Four Seasons In One Day squeezed in just before curfew at 11pm. At one point Finn asked if there were any requests and the result was an improvised Lester sandwiched between Recurring Dream and Everybody’s Talking. The highlight of the two-hour set though was the yearning and tragic ballad You Are The One To Make Me Cry that had Finn’s voice cracking and the Stadium quiet as a vacuum. The fact that a new song was the highlight says everything.

Movie Review - Into The Wild

Director – Sean Penn.
Cast – Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart, Catherine Keener, Hal Holbrook.

Sean Penn has arrived at this point in his career despite Shanghai Surprise, We’re No Angels and Madonna. Maybe that explains why he is so earnest and serious about his work. He has made the fair share of his mistakes already and seems to be driven by the fear of repeating them. In this respect he can rest easy about Into The Wild as it can most definitely be deemed a success.

This true story centres on an idealistic and pig headed teenager whose world-view is skewed as a result of his parent’s fraught marriage and materialistic way of life. As soon as he has graduated from college he sets off on an open-ended trip looking to discover as much as he can about the United States and himself.

The first half an hour grates due to the smugness and cockiness of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) as he begins his trek across America and as far away from his family as possible. I must admit that at this point I was rooting against McCandless. When the central character in the film is so difficult to empathise with it is left to the incidental characters to fill the void and this is where the Into The Wild succeeds in a big way. Being essentially a road movie we are treated to a variety of interesting sub stories and wise characters that try and impart some of their wisdom to him. We have the pleasure of meeting the wheeler-dealer with a heart played by Vince Vaughan, the maternal hippie played by Catherine Keener and the kind and lonely old man played by veteran Hal Holbrook. Unusually these are the characters that drive the film and I felt more for them than I did for the central character himself.

There are some incredibly poignant incidental scenes that show that the human race is still capable of selfless acts. A scene where McCandless gives the quarter he was going to use to call home to an elderly man so the man can continue begging his wife on a payphone for one last chance is heartbreaking.

Sean Penn manages to drag a powerful performance from relative newcomer Emile Hirsch and keeps everything moving along at a fair pace. Like Christopher McCandless he is something of an environmentalist himself and as a result we are treated to seeing pockets of America that are still relatively untouched and beautiful. A mention must go to the soundtrack by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder that is quietly inspiring.

All in all the body of the story is basically that of a selfish and immature boy punishing his parents in a way that allows him to be grandiose and patronizing at the same time. The friends he makes and the people that care for him are the real inspiration here.

CD Review - The Guillemots – Through The Windowpane

The Guillemots have garnered many plaudits for this album. No doubt their name has suddenly popped up in office and pub conversations having been surprisingly nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Award. Having seemingly come from nowhere now the question is, “Are they actually any good?” The answer is not so straightforward.

Formed in November 2004 by eccentric front man Fyfe Dangerfield, the band comprise of MC Lord Magrão on guitar, Aristazabal Hawkes on double bass and Greig Stewart on percussion. The band hail from Scotland, Canada, Brazil and England respectively and each members’ musical heritage plays a significant part in defining The Guillemots sound, though never does any influence dominate too much. The mix works well and occasionally stunningly so on standout tracks such as “Trains To Brazil”, “We’re Here” and current single “Made-Up Lovesong #43”. These three songs are unashamedly uplifting and will have your head nodding and your heart beating in your ears.

However it’s not all good - there are hints of self-indulgence throughout and every once in a while Dangerfield’s voice sounds not just a little out of tune, but way off. Bizarrely enough this lends the album a kind of endearing quirkiness that gives it a sweet and innocent feel.

A special mention must go to the monstrously fantastic final track “Sao Paulo”. Full of baffling nonsensical lyrics this twelve minute emotional tornado perhaps sums up The Guillemots in one epic foul swoop. At times a heartbreakingly tender ballad where Dangerfield’s trembling voice seems barely able to go on, it catches you completely unawares by erupting into an orchestral nuclear bomb filled with spite and joy and venom and rapture!

As albums go “Through The Windowpane” is not perfect and you get the feeling that is exactly the way the band wants it to be. Slightly ragged, sometimes off tune but real, very real and bursting with energy, soul and vibrancy. Add to that soaring melodies, innovative arrangements and Dangerfield’s flawed, yet spookily expressive voice and you’ve got something very exciting. This band should be tingling spines for the next thirty years if there is any logic in the world at all.

It won’t win the Mercury Music Award but it has the warmth of the sun and for that reason alone it should.

Movie Review - The Brothers Solomon

Director – Bob Odenkirk.

Cast – Will Arnett, Will Forte, Chi McBride, Kristen Wiig, Malin Åkerman, Lee Majors, Jenna Fischer.

The Brothers Solomon grossed less than $1.000,000 in the United States so it was somewhat of a surprise that it got a European release at all. This was more than likely down to the fact that it stars Saturday Night Live’s Will Arnett in his first lead role after many supporting roles playing the bad guy.

The basic premise is that of two brothers raised solely by their doting father after their mother’s premature death. Their father’s eagerness to compensate for the absence of their mother by granting them their every wish while remaining zealously optimistic results in the brothers becoming over protected man-children. When their father falls ill and slips into a deep coma the boys are lost until they decide that in order to rouse him the need to provide him with a reason to live which of course (!) is to have a baby.
The socially inept brothers are incapable of finding anyone from the opposite sex that will see them after the first date, let agree to have a baby and so they set about finding a surrogate mother.

This movie was almost universally panned by critics in the U.S. so I was expecting very little but while it won’t change your life I have to say I found myself rooting for the brothers and laughing along throughout. It plays like another Dumb and Dumber and because of this feels a little dated. After years of playing the bad guy it is nearly impossible to believe in Will Arnett as the sweet, innocent John Solomon. The Ronseal Woodstain complexion and frighteningly white teeth don’t help either. Writer and co-star Will Forte is fine as the other brother and Lee “Colt Severs” Majors is wasted as their father spending practically every non-waking moment on screen in a coma.

Malin Åkerman from The Heartbreak Kid features as the brothers beautiful but unattainable neighbour and is involved in one of the best scenes in the movie that is soundtracked by the cheese-tastic classic St. Elmo’s Fire. In fact somebody involved is obviously a fairly huge fan of the song as it is heard throughout the movie. For me St. Elmo’s Fire is a little bit of a guilty pleasure and to a certain extent the same goes for The Brothers Solomon.

Movie Review - Balls Of Fury

Director – Robert Ben Garant.
Cast – Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, Maggie Q, George Lopez, Aisha Tyler.

Balls Of Fury is that rare film that will divide moviegoers based purely on the title alone. I myself am all for films that feature both fury and balls, especially when they star the unhinged, but still slightly scary, Christopher Walken. Not very surprisingly he plays the baddie here who stages an underground table tennis tournament every five years where the best players from all corners of the globe come to see who is the one true champion. It is sudden death, literally, so the last man standing wins.

You are probably wondering how a concept as foolproof as this might fail especially as Will Ferrell has taken it upon himself to revitalise the sports comedy genre with Talledega Nights, Blades Of Glory and the upcoming Semi Pro but unfortunately it’s a missed opportunity. Which is a huge shame as Christopher Walken is a tornado of bizarreness in every scene he steals.

Many of the scenes feel rushed and the jokes-per-minute quotient is just not high enough. Allied to this is that lead actor Dan Fogler is not Jack Black which is a gigantic problem as the part was blatantly written for Black. Half an hour watching a charisma-free Jack Black clone hammers home just how amazing School Of Rock and Nacho Libre actually are. And as the Tenacious D movie proved even a genius (you heard me!) cannot compete against a lazy script.

Not that Balls Of Fury is all bad, apart from Christopher Walken and his completely off kilter delivery the very, very highly-strung East German player, played by Thomas Lennon from Reno 911 is fantastic and the table tennis scenes are entertainingly ridiculous and ridiculously entertaining. I was looking forward to Balls Of Fury and while I was disappointed I can think of worse ways to kill an hour and a half.

Movie Review - The Darjeeling Limited

Director – Wes Anderson.
Cast – Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston.

Wes Anderson is a director who seems to have it all. Mainstream success with indie style films featuring some of the greatest actors of this and previous generations. There must be a reason why everyone from Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, Bill Murray, the Wilson brothers, Adrian Brody, Jason Schwatzman among others keep finding time in their schedules for Wes.

Since Bottle Rocket, his endearingly innocent first film, his stock has risen exponentially to the point where with The Darjeeling Limited has a certain expectation attached to it. It is difficult to say whether this latest offering meets the expectation. It certainly fulfils all the criteria of a typical Wes Anderson feature - quirky characters, dysfunctional family, a very particular palette of colours and dialogue that would never be part of a conversation outside of a Wes Anderson movie. But it never captures the imagination like Rushmore or The Royal Tenenbaums and maybe the reason for this is the very fact that it ticks all the Wes Anderson boxes. It’s all a little predictable now and the surprise at seeing strange people in strange settings and hearing strange answers to strange questions is no longer there. I wonder if Wes is in danger of being too conscious of being Wes Anderson.

The sense of development from Bottle Rocket to Rushmore to The Royal Tennenbaums stopped dead at the plain boring and slightly pretentious Steve Zizou And The Life Aquatic and I was interested to see if Darjeeling would signal a return to form. While it is a comeback of sorts it is still full of too many self-indulgent scenes that do not seem to progress the story in any way. There are only so many scenes with no dialogue a film can take. We can appreciate the mood of a film without it being forced down our throat with faux poignant close ups and slow motion sequences.

The characters from all of his films are interchangeable and this is both a blessing and a curse. They are so familiar at this stage you can almost finish their sentences and while contempt may be too strong a word the familiarity is definitely breeding a kind of boredom.