Moli goes Inside Llewyn Davis…

I’ve had a long standing fascination for the directors, Joel & Ethan Coen.  Ever since Fargo in 1996 their writing and directing has always interested me.  Their characters are full of depth and always have a real sense of history and life in them. The stories they tell are often quirky and captivating and their 4 Oscars are a testament to their critical acclaim.

Inside Llewyn Davis

I was really excited to attend the screening of their new movie, Inside Llewyn Davis featuring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman. The film surrounds a folk singer that struggles to get his break as a solo artist. Isaac’s performance in both acting and singing are fantastic. The film has been described as a love letter to folk music, however, I’m not a fan of folk music and it wasn’t long before I found myself looking for the X Factor red buzzer. The film is very well photographed but the story just doesn’t go anywhere and has no real point of conclusion. I actually felt like I was given a window into a world, which I really didn’t care too much about and left me a little depressed that no matter how good your talent and potential, life will knock you down. Not a happy tale or one that ends with any satisfaction. The irony is that John Goodman’s talent is wasted on a character that brought nothing to the story and is easily forgotten which is a shame as his role ended as it was getting interesting. I’ll always have a soft spot for Carey Mulligan, ever since she stared in the fantastic Doctor Who episode ‘Blink.’ Her role was mostly abusive, cute and wasted once again.

Carey Mulligan

However, finally meeting her was a dream come true.

Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan & Oscar Isaac

As you can tell, I wasn’t impressed with the movie, which left so much unresolved and had no real point. The Coen Brothers reputation for making great and stunning films would allow them to get funding and make a deep and meaningful film about reading the telephone directory. However, if they get Carey Mulligan to read it, I’d probably watch that too.

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Moli meets Luther…

In 2010 the BBC commissioned a TV drama called Luther staring Idris Elba, which was about a detective of the same name. The detective plays by his own rules and the trailer on BBC One failed to sell it to me and I’ve ignored it ever since. I think it had the Marmite effect on a few people, as I only know a couple of people that actually like to watch it. Idris Elba on the other hand become a big star since the shows launch and has made several Hollywood films such as Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Guy Ritchie’s Rocknrolla. The second film I particularly loved. Elba also made his name playing Russell ‘Stringer’ Bell in US televisions The Wire.

Idris Elber

Idris Elber

This week I attended the launch and Q&A for Luther season 3. Sitting down with an audience to watch a television show is something we should all do. The laughs, screams and gasps are missed when you watch it on the small screen and the opening episode certainly gave us all those emotions and more. I would go as far to say that Luther isn’t just a drama series but also a horror story akin to those from the 1980’s but a lot less corny. The production is based around East London, which is presented in an honest way, dark and gritty. The production values are very slick and movie like in its own right with director Sam Miller doing an amazing job with some brave editing and shot choices. Now I’m converted and before the season starts this July, I need to catch up on the previous two seasons.

Idris Elber & Moli

The Q&A was informative and fun as always to listen to with a real interest from Elba in making a movie prequel of Luther. However this is still in the “wish it to happen” stage. Elba’s next highlighted project is called, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, which has Elber playing the role of Nelson Mandela. Can’t wait for that.

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Moli and The Iron Lady…

Moli Meets Meryl…

Which is was a great start to the year with my first Q & A for 2012 for the film, The Iron Lady…

The Iron Lady Poster

The film was always going to have the Marmite effect on the public opinion given the subject. Like many, I remember having a low opinion of Thatcher, as did much of her cabinet, which led to her ultimate demise. However, after nearly 22 years since she left office I find myself ambivalent to her and her history. I won’t deny that she had a major influence on British society and this film allows the viewer to bring their own memory of that impact by skirting around the political issues and focusing on the person. Anyone expecting to get any political insights or answers to her more controversial decisions will be disappointed. It’s not about politics. It’s more about the loss of oneself and the equality that we all have in old age and death. In essence, it’s a story about everyone. No matter who we are or were, we could all drop dead washing up a teacup.

Meryl Streep never met Thatcher in her preparation for the role and her performance wasn’t any worse for it. Streep captured the essence of the character without being comical or a spitting image caricature of Thatcher, she told us that she did get advice from Neil Kinnock, former Labour leader and unnamed people who were in her cabinet at the time in order to capture the person. The well researched make up and costume supported what was an award nominating performance. Listening to Streep talk about the role showed that she was a very smart and intuitive actress and to some large degree, much better than the quality of the overall production. Streep’s portrayal of Thatcher’s mental illness was based in artistic license, as this isn’t really known in detail. Only a book by Carol Thatcher, her daughter has given any insight into this and was certainly a catalyst for the movies theme. Therefore it is a weak premise for historical accuracy but fascinating as a subject matter.

Iron Lady Screening 2012, Meryl Streep & Phyllida Lloyd

Director Phyllida Lloyd whose previous work includes Mamma Mia and writer Abi Morgan (Brick Lane, Shame) chose to tell the story through flashbacks of her life. However, the flashbacks were primarily on her political life without going into any real detail and the hallucinations of the recently passed Dennis Thatcher played by Jim Broadbent. The appearances of Dennis were comical but all too distracting for me and took too much away from the torment of her inability to let him go.

The Iron Lady Screening 2012

The film didn’t touch on Thatcherism and the rights and wrongs of her career or her time as a Chemist and Barrister, which I feel would have added something to the story. Her desire to be more than a shopkeeper’s daughter is a rag to riches story that missed out her pre political life and her time at Oxford.

The film did nothing to change my opinion of Thatcher, which goes to show how balanced the screenplay was not to glorify or offend. It’s all too easy to demonise someone who, for many people is already demonetized and in contrast to this for some is worshiped and any critical approach would be unwelcome. However the film missed a chance to be something great and Streep was wasted in my opinion.

As always, I say go and see it and make your own mind up,

Moli