Chimpomatic

Celeste & Jesse Forever

LA divorcecom. Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg try to stay BFs post-breakup. Nicely judged.

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#chimp71

23rd Dec 2012

In The Mood For Love

Another retread of the usual WKW themes compensated by great art direction and cinematography.

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#CSF

9th Dec 2012

Contagion

Exciting, ambitious, ensemble medical thriller from Soderbergh - hampered by a dodgy turn from Jude Law.

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4th Dec 2012

50 / 50

Ambitious cancer movie, with an original take and many powerful moments.

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18th Nov 2012

Like Crazy

Successful low budget indie, building a touching portrait of firstlove and a long-distance relationship.

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29th Oct 2012

Moneyball

Solid, if slightly underwhelming sports drama with decent performances.

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18th Sep 2012

The Help

Decent slice of Oscar-bait, with a scene stealing performance from Jessica Chastain.

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18th Aug 2012

21 Jump Street

Jonah Hill & Channing Tatum refresh the 80s babyface narcs TV hit w a good dose of dumb nerd/jock gags.

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5th Aug 2012

The Amazing Spider-Man

(dir. Marc Webb)

Decent reboot with Andrew Garfield's Spidey a skating loner at school, Emma Stone a great Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as The Lizard (so-so CGI, but some nuance in character makes him a bit less cartoony than the shouty villains in the last three films). Bonus points for the Gonz poster in Peter Parker's bedroom. Denis Leary, Martin Sheen and Sally Field all add class to a film that's balanced, remembers that being Spidey is fun, has some good 3D cityscape scenes and works despite the inevitable "climb up a sky scraper and FIGHT" boss level climax. Still not quite sure we needed to see the whole "how Spidey gets his powers" origin story again, but overall it's much more enjoyable than Tobey Maguire's webslinger. BTW avoid the 25 minute fan edit of all the trailers - it is basically the whole film, very odd that they'd give away so much online.

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#chimp71

26th Jun 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet

Sideways

This 2004 vintage indie smash has not aged particularly well, but it still has its moments.

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25th Jun 2012

Everything Must Go

Will Ferrell gets serious in this engaging drama/comedy - drawn from a Raymond Carver short.

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13th May 2012

50 / 50

Joseph Gordon Levitt adds warmth, depth to 20something cancer story. Seth Rogen adds dude lols.

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1st May 2012

The Avengers

Avengers smash GOOD

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27th Apr 2012

The Messenger

Thoughtful, gut-wrenching, post-war drama with powerful performances from Ben Foster and Harrelson.

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15th Apr 2012

Captain America

The First Avenger

Enjoyable, old fashioned actioner, with plenty of nice comic book moments.

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2nd Apr 2012

Joan Baez

Poole Lighthouse

We were forewarned:- there were signs in the foyer that there would be no warm-up act and no interval, just a straight performance. And that was exactly what we got – just under two hours of Joan Baez. The years have been kind, and at 71 she walked on stage looking as slim and elegant as ever. The hair is now cropped and the colour is silver, but then that applied to most of the audience as well.

The stage was bare apart from a comfy sofa and a standard lamp, and she was accompanied for most of the evening by her son Gabriel Harris on percussion and the talented Dirk Powell on mandolin, accordion and just about everything else.

The atmosphere was relaxed and the songs were a mixture of old favourites and the not so old – Farewell Angelina, God On Our Side, House of the Rising Sun, and Diamonds and Rust, a reference to her relationship with Bob Dylan. We also got John Lennon’s Imagine and Donovan’s Catch the Wind, and the evening finished with The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and Blowin’ in the Wind. Her voice is still haunting although she avoids many of the high notes now, and I did think that the tempo of some of the songs (particularly House of the Rising Sun) was a bit slower than it used to be. But she can certainly still sing. And she still believes in what she sings.

We went home happy, and although the singer is still a protester I wondered how many of the audience still are?!

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#Gig
#DC

26th Mar 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet

The Descendants

Convoluted melodrama, with a decent central performance from George Clooney.

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23rd Mar 2012

Galaxy Quest

Entertaining post-modern comedy, effectively riffing and paying homage to the geek-fest of \#StarTrek.

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4th Mar 2012

Black Mountain

Year Zero OST

5 unreleased tracks make this unmissable. Mary Lou will blow your socks off

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1st Mar 2012

The Company Men

Thoughtful unemployment drama, filled with solid performances and classy cinematography.

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25th Feb 2012

127 Hours

Bold, confident filmmaking from @DannyBoyleFilm. 57 Hours might have worked better.

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23rd Jan 2012

Limitless

Well-shot, pacy NYC fantasy about a wonder drug that gives you ultra clarity/turns everything into fisheye.

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15th Jan 2012

Fallen Angels

WKW's Chungking Express follow-up sacrifices charm for extremist style that has rarely been equalled.

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11th Jan 2012

Finding Nemo

Charming animated aquatics from Pixar. Lacking the emotional sucker punch of their other efforts.

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23rd Dec 2011

Off!

- First Four EPs. Keith Morris' punk supergroup provide a welcome punch in the face for tired music.

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14th Dec 2011

June Tabor & The Oyster Band

Ragged Kingdom

Check Bonny Bunch of Roses, Dark End of the Street and more. \#Puskas

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4th Dec 2011

A$AP Rocky

LiveLoveA$AP Mixtape

Still bitches and money but spat with plodding intelligence. Totally fresh.

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#BC

28th Nov 2011

White Denim

Takes Place In Your Work Space EP

Don't ever accuse these productive boys of filler. All killer. Ish.

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10th Nov 2011

At Close Range

Well handled, tense 80s angst classic, with Penn(s), Walken and Glover amongst the rogues gallery.

Halliwell says: Relentlessly brutal, dispiriting and quite pointless melodrama, even with the saving grace of a factual basis.

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#Halliwell

4th Nov 2011

John Mayall

Poole Lighthouse

This was our second John Mayall concert - the first was in 1967 (UCL Union); so only a wait of 44 years in between. In that time John, who remains one of the godfathers of British blues, has made many albums, lived a life of constant touring and launched the careers of many rock & blues legends - Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and John McVey to name but a few.

This was the 6th night of a 25 date British tour that ends 18th November. The band retains a traditional line up of Rocky Athas - lead guitar, Greg Rzab - bass guitar, Jay Davenport - drums. Remarkably, Mayall did all the vocals, played keyboard and/or harmonica on all numbers apart from one, when he played guitar - not bad for a 77 year old!

The programme consisted of many standard rhythm and blues pieces, which were all played at a high technical level with a lot of feeling. Particularly memorable were “All Your Love” and “Parchment Farm” from the Blues Breakers (the Beano) Album.

Supporting act was from the Oli Brown Band.

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#Puskas

3rd Nov 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet

Easy A

Sparky high school riff on The Scarlet Letter, as Emma Stone fake-tramps her way to notoriety.

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26th Oct 2011

Misfits S3E1

Cracking opener for UK's premiere asbo-superheroes. Newbie Joe Gilgun has the energy to fill Nathan hole.

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12th Oct 2011

A Prophet

Well handled but slightly shapeless French take on 'Scarface'.

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8th Oct 2011

Homeland

Clare Danes makes surprise Jack Bauer material in plotty CIA war on terror thriller with potential.

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5th Oct 2011

Girls

Father, Son, Holy Ghost

This band just keeps getting better. More muscle, more romance, more great songs.

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27th Sep 2011

Sin Nombre

Slow, but stylish and well handled Central American indie favourite. Like 'Monsters' without monsters.

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15th Sep 2011

Mesrine

Killer Instinct

Stylish, French thriller, heavily indebted to Goodfellas. Expecting Part 2 to ape Casino.

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13th Sep 2011

Funny People

Engaging, accomplished comedy, blending fiction with the real world. Until it goes right off the boil.

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7th Sep 2011

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Star studded, self-conscious, compelling Cold War remake. Still slow and complicated.

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6th Sep 2011

Beirut

The Rip Tide

Another joyous installment from Zach Condon. Not a whole lot of change but who cares.

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#BC

1st Sep 2011

Red Hot Chilli Peppers

I'm With You

The focus has shifted post @JohnFrusciante but the band step up admirably.

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31st Aug 2011

Whatever Works

Larry David is seamlessly transplanted into the role of Woody Allen, in Woody's best film in years.

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15th Aug 2011

Captain America

Gung-ho zip through Cap's WW2 wimp-to-GM super soldier origins. Glib evil+ Nazis. Flavours inc Raiders, Doc Savage, Inglourious Basterds.

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#chimp71

22nd Jul 2011

The Hour

Classy period 1950s detail. McNulty well-cast as bit of an arse. More TV news + conspiracy than "UK Mad Men"

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10th Jul 2011

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Warm, surprisingly muted end to Hogwarts lil orphan wizard saga.

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10th Jul 2011

Singing Adams

Everybody Friends Now

Records Records Records

With the Broken Family Band finally broken for good, lead singer Steven Adams has moved forward, assembling a new band going by the name of Singing Adams - though confusingly Adams put out a solo record under that name in 2005.

The casual country tinge of BFB has given way to a more focused sound, coupled with great production. There's a more soulful edge to the delivery here too, though have no fear - the same charmingly-delivered-but-downbeat lyrics are still here, giving David Gedge a run for his money both in the lyrics-about-break-ups stakes and even with the furious guitar workouts that highlight many of the best tracks.

Good to have you back. Welcome home losers.

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#CSF

28th Jun 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet

The Crimson Rivers

Gripping French thriller as two cops investigate some mountain murders. Better than Wexford.

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25th Jun 2011

Philadelphia

Dated and bizarrely directed Jonathan Demme landmark courtroom drama that still packs a punch.

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19th Jun 2011

The Crimson Rivers

Decent French crime mystery, Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel on grizzly form. Bonus Street Fighter nod.

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#chimp71

19th Jun 2011

The Terminator

Well-paced suspenseful original as Arnie's relentless cyborg hunts its target, spawning a franchise.

Halliwell says: Slick rather nasty but undeniably compelling comic book adventures.*

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#CJ
#Halliwell

17th Jun 2011