Preview: Mad Men Series 3

Images courtesy of amctv.com and theguardian.co.uk

What: TV Series.
Created/Produced: Matthew Weiner.
Actors: Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss.
Where: Wednesdays, 10pm, BBC4 (from 27th Jan 2010).

Reality isn't what it used to be. We're nearly a month into this new decade and nobody can come to an agreement as to what we should call the last one! There was a time when this would never be a problem. It was a time before politically correct and my god this time was special.

The BBC have offered us a chance to get out of 2010 and go back to these 'glory days' as tonight they begin screening an episode of Mad Men Series 3 every week until we've seen all 13 episodes. To say I'm excited is a huge understatement.

I wanted to go into this new series fully detoxed and fighting fit. That went out the window when the second series was screened again earlier in January. The Habitat sale sold out of whiskey glasses within 40 mins and once we'd bought all of those we were straight down the 7-11. "A bottle of JD and 20 Marlboro Lights please". We were still spotting decor and subtle clothing accessories we'd missed on the two previous viewings. How much depth can 1 TV series have?

And then, just when we'd thought we had calmed down a little Christina Hendricks rocks up to the Golden Globes last Sunday 100% in character. There's no way she lives in the 21st Century, it's no where near cool enough.

So enjoy. The guardian recently voted this the 4th best TV series ever. I'd have it a little higher. For me, there is no better getaway than Madison Avenue in the (supposedly unfashionable) early 1960's. This is the real Sex and the City but with cigarettes, whiskey and er....more cigarettes.

Up in the Air

Image courtesy of truetwilight.com

What: Film.
Director: Jason Reitman .
Actors: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick.
Where: Tottenham Court Road Odeon, London.

Last Sunday in the Observer Philip French described this not only as Clooney's 'best role' but also his 'best performance yet.' Big praise indeed and not far from how TGD viewed the work of the lead actor in this amusing and entertaining directional follow-up to Juno for Jason Reitman. Even the stiff seats and this drab cinema couldn’t put us off this one.

Many (including the Coen Brothers) may argue that Clooney’s involvement in O Brother, Where Art Thou? should feature as high on his list of best performances. Anna Kendrick supports superbly as a colleague and fellow 'Corporate Downsizer' who travels around the US with Ryan Bingham (Clooney) sacking people.

Although the two start as enemies they grow closer after Kendrick’s character begins to realise what’s involved in the soul destroying occupation and also experiences some personal heartbreak of her own. Happy singleton Bingham starts to fall in love with a women who seems to be his female equivalent and they continue a casual relationship meeting in hotels in various parts of the country.

Although the film ends with clips suggesting that however bad life gets, you can get by with a little help from your friends (or your family in this case), it’s not necessarily a parable that solely reinforces the strength of married life. That might be too one-dimensional for Reitman and in a couple of scenes the sour side of married life is left exposed for all to see. With this in mind, casting George Clooney as the successful, but also sensitive, bachelor is the real master-stroke here.

Rating: 8/10

Comments: Not quite of the standard of Juno but a great follow-up. It's impossible not to enjoy Clooney's interpretation of this character.

A Prophet

What: Film.
Director: Jacques Audiard.
Actors: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif.
Where: Curzon Renoir Cinema, London.


Image courtesy of incontention.com

Since A Prophet received the Grand Prix prize at last years Cannes Film Festival the hype around both the film itself and the performance of it’s star, Tahar Rahim, has been huge. This kind of praise can work both ways and watching films on the sun drenched Riviera after a champagne fuelled lunch in May is never the same as watching a film in Olde London Town in January.

The Renoir cinema in Bloomsbury however, provides a great setting all year round and with the sun making an appearance on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, Cannes didn’t feel all that far away.

The viewer warms instantly to Rahim’s credible character and remains attached to him and understanding of the decisions he makes throughout the film. This is the real achievement of this work and despite some hard-hitting moments it’s impossible to shift allegiance as you watch him play out his 6 years in this Parisian prison.

This isn’t always the case with Vincent Cassel’s character in last years Jacques Mesrine films which is the obvious recent comparison to A Prophet. Niels Arestrup plays the leader of a Corsican gang who run the prison with almost equal intelligence.

As a film, it’s not as glossy or entertaining as the Killer Instinct or Public Enemy No.1 but the acting and the film score is superb. We‘ll be seeing more of Tahar Rahim and, during one scene, ‘Bridging the Gap’ by Nas works perfectly as a backdrop to this iconic gangsters contemporary look.

Rating: 7/10

Comments: The latest confirmation of the current strength of French gangster films.

The Road

What: Film
Director: John Hillcoat

Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron.
Where: Curzon Soho Cinema, London

Transforming what many believe to be 'the book of the last decade' into a feature film comes with it's obvious advantages but, on the flip side, you can't avoid the comparisons with the original text. However, the screen version of The Road fights hard. It stirs the darkest emotions with it's epic, bleak and, at times, chilling portrayal of a dark, deadly world. It grabs hold of you and doesn't let go for 110 minutes.

It centres around the journey of a father and his son through a dying world torn apart by a mysterious disaster. The film assumes the worst in human nature as the majority of the other survivors embark on a anarchic, murderous spree where rape and cannibalism come hand in hand.

Hillcoat's creation pushes the viewer to examine their own world and it's interesting how everyday sights and sounds can provoke extreme emotions in this hostile environment. The introduction of dogs, for example, causes panic and reassurance in equal measure at various stages of the film.

In a brief spell of comfort and feasting for the pair, the man enjoys a Jack Daniels with a cigarette to the boys bemusement. 'You think I come from another world, don't ya?' claims the man. Coming of age is a short process for this boy and it isn't long before he is thrown head-first into this very adult world.

Rating: 7/10

Comments: Mortensen and especially Smit-McPhee shine in this spectacular but depressing, grey creation.