>> DVD REVEIWS
MUSIC AND LYRICS
Release date 4th June
Director Marc Lawrence
Starring Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Kristen Johnston
Opening with a brilliantly cheesy
and comically accurate take on
early ‘80s pop acts - complete
with Hugh Grant sporting bad hair
and even worse dance moves -
Music and Lyrics starts on a high
note it doesn’t quite manage to
sustain. When faded ‘80s pop star
Alex Fletcher discovers the lyrical
prowess of his substitute plant-
feeder Sophie Fisher, the pair team
up to write a song for hot young
songstress Cora Corman. Obeying
rom-com conventions, the creative
duo rapidly becomes a romantic
one, but the pairing of Barrymore
and Grant – 15 years her senior –
isn’t quite believable. However, the
questionable pairing doesn’t mar
enjoyment of what is an admittedly
saccharine but strangely satisfying
rom-com, with enough laughs and
‘80s send ups to entertain those of
you old enough to remember the
decade that taste forgot.
Beccy Matthews
THE ILLUSIONIST
Release date 9th July
Director Neil Burger
Starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell
Released in the wake of a series of
magic-themed films, The Illusionist
needed something compelling up
its sleeve to satisfy arguably jaded
audiences. A pacey drama, an
epic romance, well-constructed
characters and a captivating
illusion do the trick. Celebrated
magician Eisenheim (Edward
Norton complete with grating
Austrian accent) wows audiences
in turn of the century Vienna
with his astonishing illusions. On
being reunited with his childhood
sweetheart Sophie, the pair
rekindle their romance despite her
speculated marriage to the brutal
Crown Prince Leopold. In their
determination to be together, they
must elude Leopold and his Chief
Inspector Uhl – and so begins an
engrossing game where Eisenheim
mystifies both his pursuers and
viewers. Embracing the drama of
a classical historical romance and
the twists and turns of a first-rate
thriller, this film of trickery is a treat.
Beccy Matthews
HOT FUZZ
Release date 11th June
Director Edgar Wright
Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine
This is spoofy proof that us self-
deprecating Brits do comedy as
exceedingly good as Mr Kipling
does cakes. With a decent dollop
of spookiness slung in, it’s an
appetizing crime-buster set in
apparent sleepyville, Sandford.
Dodgy Westcountry accents aside
(we all know how proper we sound),
it’s a cracker of a film and a great
follow-up to 2004’s zombie comedy
Shaun of the Dead. Simon Pegg
stars as cop-action extraordinaire
Angel, relocated from his top fuzz
position in the big smoke when
his superiors tire of his unwavering
crime-fighting sprees and heroic
adulation. Partnered with porky
PC Danny Butterman and sent on
missions to retrieve AWOL swans,
life equals despair for Angel, who is
self-styled cop icon of the hottest,
most covert, variety. However,
when a series of bizarre murders
arouse his suspicions to fever pitch,
he’s hot on the tracks of more
sinister goings on beyond the yokel
idyllic façade… Get set to replay
the classic village centre shootouts
and hedge jumping scenes,
amongst others.
Hannah May
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Release date 4th June
Director Richard Eyre
Starring Dame Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy, Andrew Simpson
Will Dame Judi ever present the faintest trace of mediocrity? In Notes on a Scandal she treats us to an utterly compelling performance as Barbara Covett, an embittered journal-writing schoolteacher who develops an obsession with fellow teacher Sheba Hart, played by the similarly fabulous Cate Blanchett. Barbara’s fascination grows when Sheba invites her into the home she shares with her husband and two children. But when she discovers Sheba’s affair with a 15-year-old student, the older teacher slyly uses the information to wield greater power over the object of her obsession. Based on Zoe Heller’s super-successful novel, Notes on a Scandal is a superb study in character, the model of a tightly paced drama, but most of all, the scintillating showcase of one of Britain’s finest acting talents.
Beccy Matthews
BLOOD DIAMOND
Release date 18th June
Director Edward Zwick
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, James Purefoy
I was fortunate enough to have
seen this stateside, comfortably
perched on a spacious sofa-sized
seat for one with a portion of
popcorn big enough for the whole
movie theatre - so let’s just say that
conditions were favourable.
However, I’m certain that if I
had seen a pirated copy sat in a
swamp or some place equally as
undesirable, the difference in effect
would have been negligible. This
is top-notch entertainment and
a thrilling watch. On a superficial
level, it’s a stunning location (set
in Civil War ravaged ‘90s Sierra
Leone) with pretty leads, sexual
tension and violent action. Beyond
that, there’s moral, social and
cultural issues in play, sparking the
consciences of both characters and
audience. What drives the human
condition - love, money, politics
- metaphorically represented by a
pink diamond, is dealt with both
tenderly and brutally, and DiCaprio,
Hounsou and Connelly are all in
fine form to explore all this and
more.
Hannah May