Saturday, January 19, 2008
After the shittiest of shit days at work yesterday, I got home and found that I was too tired to be bothered to do anything. So I vegetated in front of the TV to the following.
The repeat of the last episode of "Doctor Who" season 3.
A documentary on Marc Bolan.
Another documentary, which was a potted history of British pop music taking in Punk Rock, New Wave, New Romantics, late 80's production line pop (PWL and Stock Aitken Waterman), Britpop, the rise of boy band svengalis and their bands (Nigel Martin Smith - Take That, Tom Watkins - East 17 and Louis Walsh - Boyzone) and then the rise of Simon Cowell and his stable of popstars chosen by the public through the likes of "Popstars", "Popstars - The Rivals", "Pop Idol" and "The X-Factor".
Very interesting documentary, that second one, but the rather snobby attitude that anything produced off a pop production line was crap really pissed me off. Just because a tune is written and performed by a tortured artist in a squat, does not make it a better or more valid tune than one written by a multi-millionaire professional songwriter at their house in L.A. and sung by a white teethed popstrell. A good tune and a good record can come out of any set of circumstances. I can and I will defend "Flying Without Wings" by Westlife, "Back For Good" by Take That and "Stay Another Day" by East 17 as being superior pop records and as good as anything produced by a serious artist.
Phew! Credibility blown. Finally. Thank God for that.
I went to the MAC today to see "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford".
Simply put, I thought that "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" was a cracking piece of work. Serious, poetic and a beautifully shot western, built on excellent central performances by Brad Pitt as Jesse James and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford respectively.
Brad Pitt's Jesse James is hardly an American folk hero. He is a nasty piece of work. Unstable, unpredictable, tormented and ruthless. A dominant personality. People are afraid of Jesse James and rightly so. It is one of the best performances of Pitt's career. Forget Pitt as A-lister and tabloid fodder and think about Pitt as the great character actor that he undoubtedly is.
As good as Pitt is, the true revelation here is the performance of Casey Affleck. I have only ever been aware of Affleck as Ben's brother and as the comic relief in "Ocean's Eleven", "Ocean's Twelve" and "Ocean's Thirteen". There is nothing in those films that could prepare you for his work in "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford". Just outstanding. If he does not get a Supporting Actor nod at the Oscars next month, I will be very much surprised.
Casey Affleck's Robert Ford is a slightly creepy, slightly dislikeable man who is trying way too hard. He is very much a small man trying to be a big man and in the process manages to get in way over his head. His initial hero worship of Jesse James turns into something disappointing, destructive and tragic.
"The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" is a great film. Quite a long film, but engrossing throughout. The hours just shot by. It is early days yet, but I think it is my film of the year so far.
The repeat of the last episode of "Doctor Who" season 3.
A documentary on Marc Bolan.
Another documentary, which was a potted history of British pop music taking in Punk Rock, New Wave, New Romantics, late 80's production line pop (PWL and Stock Aitken Waterman), Britpop, the rise of boy band svengalis and their bands (Nigel Martin Smith - Take That, Tom Watkins - East 17 and Louis Walsh - Boyzone) and then the rise of Simon Cowell and his stable of popstars chosen by the public through the likes of "Popstars", "Popstars - The Rivals", "Pop Idol" and "The X-Factor".
Very interesting documentary, that second one, but the rather snobby attitude that anything produced off a pop production line was crap really pissed me off. Just because a tune is written and performed by a tortured artist in a squat, does not make it a better or more valid tune than one written by a multi-millionaire professional songwriter at their house in L.A. and sung by a white teethed popstrell. A good tune and a good record can come out of any set of circumstances. I can and I will defend "Flying Without Wings" by Westlife, "Back For Good" by Take That and "Stay Another Day" by East 17 as being superior pop records and as good as anything produced by a serious artist.
Phew! Credibility blown. Finally. Thank God for that.
I went to the MAC today to see "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford".
Simply put, I thought that "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" was a cracking piece of work. Serious, poetic and a beautifully shot western, built on excellent central performances by Brad Pitt as Jesse James and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford respectively.
Brad Pitt's Jesse James is hardly an American folk hero. He is a nasty piece of work. Unstable, unpredictable, tormented and ruthless. A dominant personality. People are afraid of Jesse James and rightly so. It is one of the best performances of Pitt's career. Forget Pitt as A-lister and tabloid fodder and think about Pitt as the great character actor that he undoubtedly is.
As good as Pitt is, the true revelation here is the performance of Casey Affleck. I have only ever been aware of Affleck as Ben's brother and as the comic relief in "Ocean's Eleven", "Ocean's Twelve" and "Ocean's Thirteen". There is nothing in those films that could prepare you for his work in "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford". Just outstanding. If he does not get a Supporting Actor nod at the Oscars next month, I will be very much surprised.
Casey Affleck's Robert Ford is a slightly creepy, slightly dislikeable man who is trying way too hard. He is very much a small man trying to be a big man and in the process manages to get in way over his head. His initial hero worship of Jesse James turns into something disappointing, destructive and tragic.
"The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" is a great film. Quite a long film, but engrossing throughout. The hours just shot by. It is early days yet, but I think it is my film of the year so far.
Labels: Movies, Music, Television
# posted by Pynchon @ 9:14 pm 
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I can't get into Brad Pitt. I know, as a woman, I'm supposed to think he's fabulous...but I just can't.
Obviously something wrong with you, Jen.
Then again, as a non gay male darling!, I would probably prefer George Clooney myself. A real man. Not a girly man.
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Then again, as a non gay male darling!, I would probably prefer George Clooney myself. A real man. Not a girly man.
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