Prometheus - Ridley Scott back to his best? (contains Spoilers)

Prometheus, 20^th Century Fox’s hotly anticipated summer blockbuster, exploded onto the big screen last weekend, amid a fanfare of publicity and following months of online speculation. There were many questions to be answered: Was this really the prequel to the original 1979 Alien movie and if so, would it be as good as that groundbreaking, low-budget chiller; the film that changed our understanding of science fiction forever? Would Prometheus be Ridley Scott at his glorious best or just a crashing disappointment?

A mouth-watering prospect for the Sci-fi faithful, Prometheus takes Scott back to his favourite stomping ground; directing a stellar cast, led by Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, and Michael Fassbender. This latest chapter in the Alien phenomena, is as much an event as a movie; and even those who generally prefer their cinema a little less techy, might be convinced by the hype.

So it was that I bought my ticket for the Manchester IMAX, and waited with bated breath to take my place before the largest cinema screen in the UK, with a barrel of popcorn in one hand and a pair of 3D specs in the other.  

  

The film opens on Earth in the ancient past. A spaceship of an advanced alien race is leaving the planet. One of the aliens is left behind and promptly sacrifices his body to become the first elements of DNA for human life.

Next, we are whisked forward to the late 21st century. Ancient cave drawings are discovered by archeologists Elizabeth Shaw(Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway(Logan Marshall-Green) in a underground chamber somewhere on the Isle of Skye. The images seem to contain a star map reminiscent of several other paintings from unconnected cultures. This discovery leads to the crew of the vessel Prometheus embarking on a scientific expedition, sponsored by the Weyland Corporation, to follow the map on a quest to discover the origins of mankind.

The Prometheus finally arrives at its destination, a moon many light years away from Earth. The mission is to explore the world of the ancient aliens who left the message on Earth. Shaw expresses a hope that a dialogue might be established with these extraordinary creatures, enabling the ultimate questions about their purpose in creating mankind to be answered.

Of course, in these type of situations, things rarely go to plan.

The expedition members venture out of the ship (notably this is the first Alien movie with genuine outdoor sequences- all the others were shot on a sound stage) and finding a massive temple-like structure, proceed to explore its interior. Here they discover among other things, the corpses of giant humanoid aliens.

This is when things get really interesting: If you’ve seen the original Alien, you may recall in the very early sequences the presence in the abandoned spaceship of a strange humanoid-corpse with a hole blasted open in his stomach. He has obviously been there for millennia. The corpses found in the Prometheus temple are clearly the same species, and so the link is forged to the first Alien film. (This is not a little ironic; apparently many years ago, in a desperate bid to slash the original Alien budget, studio execs demanded that Ridley Scott cut that fossilised creature from the script. After all, he bore no great function. The story goes that Scott fought to keep the ossified chap— the creature suggesting so much, and adding that tantalizing touch of mysticism. It is interesting that now in Prometheus, the studio are pinning all their hopes on the resurrection of this strange, elephantine creature.)

Needless to say, after this, things start to go wrong, and as with all the Alien movies, it gets very messy, very fast. I could give a blow-by-blow account, but then you won’t need to see the film at all, so let’s instead consider if the film lives up to all the expectation.

Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated return to science fiction does contain many of the director’s trademark stylings: the ethereal look, the visceral effects, his own intriguing blend of sci-fi and mysticism. No director immerses you in an environment quite like he does, and with a massive budget at his disposal, he has really gone to town with this one. The cinematography is breathtaking; glorious vistas sweep below you- awesome, snow-capped mountain ranges disappear into mist in the far distance, and yet, for some, this might be the film’s biggest disappointment. The original Alien film is a dark, raw experience; which starts slowly and builds to an excruciating climax. There is a steady accumulation of dread as softly it creeps up on you; a quiet, haunting film of twisting black corridors, concealing horrors, that are only hinted at in fleeting glimpses. The darkness is punctuated by a primordial soundtrack; Jerry Goldsmith’s inimitable score blending perfectly with the thrum of the ship’s engine, which throbs throughout the movie like a massive, beating heart. It is a stripped back, claustrophobic nightmare, which seamlessly crosses the genres of Sci-fi and horror; as an isolated, unprepared crew are systematically disposed of by the universe’s ultimate killing machine. Prometheus on the other hand is quite different. Without the financial constraints of the original, it is vast, light and majestic. There are no constricting corridors down which we will follow the crew into darkness and terror. Even within the labyrinthine “temple’ you never quite feel that oppressive moment of having nowhere to run and nobody to hear you scream. In Prometheus, in place of terror, we have awe: whereas in Alien you can’t wait for the torment to end, in Prometheus, the experience is so mind-blowing- both in the sumptuous visual detail and in it’s engrossing exploration of mankind’s ultimate philosophical questions; you don’t want it to end. The film is over two hours long and yet at no point did I feel bored or lose interest in the story.

There are some good performances in the film too. Noomi Rapace is totally convincing as the leading lady- an archeologist, struggling with her faith. She evolves, of course,  into a woman with an iron-will and the ultimate instinct for survival. Audiences are bound to compare her with Sigourney Weaver, and in doing so, might find her performance lacking.  Perhaps she doesn’t quite portray the innate determination to live as completely as Weaver did- but she makes up for it with impressive athleticism and raw physicality. Noomi Rapace is NOT Sigourney Weaver, but perhaps we shouldn’t expect her to be.

 Charlize Theron is also first-rate as the Weyland Corp’ executive, travelling with the crew to ensure everything goes smoothly. She’s a cold-hearted bitch who clearly has a hidden (and, of course, sinister) agenda.

But the most memorable performance is without doubt given by Michael Fassbender, who plays David; the softly spoken android whose unassuming, gentle manner belies a sinister cunning and a pitiless fervour to see through the less savoury objectives  programmed into him by the corporation. His performance is mesmerizing throughout and will surely be the final step on Fassbender’s path to becoming one of the hottest properties in Hollywood

There’s one more point worth mentioning: The original Alien movie might arguably be the most female-empowering movie of real significance there has ever been. Following Alien, Sigourney Weaver became an iconic representation of female strength over unbelievable adversity. Her desire to survive, and her ability to make the life-saving choices, whilst staring death in the face- were a recurrent theme in all the Alien films and again in Prometheus, Scott continues to promote the concept of the strong woman through the character of Elizabeth Shaw. Whilst Noomi Rapace is undeniably sexy and gorgeous, her role in the story is not simply as an object of desire or beauty. She’s a thinking, powerful woman, whose ability to act quickly and at times endure the unthinkable, might just be her salvation and perhaps even the salvation of mankind.

So for me, here is the thing- the mistake with Prometheus would be to compare it with the other Alien films, because if you do, you are sure to be disappointed. Of course, there are some points of similarity, but essentially the films are so different, you might as well compare darkness with light. Instead, regard Prometheus as something entirely unique- because as a stand-alone film it really works. It’s an epic, visually stunning movie, with an intriguing storyline and some great central performances. In Prometheus, Scott has again found some of the sterling form that earned him his rightful place among the great directors of the last century. Prometheus ends with many questions unanswered and for some that might be a disappointment. For me however, that can mean only one thing; a sequel and if the film to follow is even half as good as this one, I can’t wait to watch it.

Lip Service v The L Word

Have you ever stopped to wonder what made The L Word such a massive success? Obviously it helps if you have a cast of gorgeous women, great story lines, sexy scripts, slick direction and if all the action takes place among the sunshine and glitz of downtown LA. But really, was that what made it so great? I'm not convinced. You see, for me, the thing I really loved about The L Word, was the cool group of women at its heart, who would hang out together at the Planet, drinking coffee, swapping stories, and occasionally falling in and out of love with one another. I really liked them all (with the notable exception of Jenny- who if she hadn't fallen to a watery death at the end, might possibly have met an even less pleasant end at my own crazed hands) and in my mind I had this lovely conceit that if I visited Los Angeles, and happened across The Planet, I could pop inside for a spot of lunch, and I would see them all sitting there: Bette would be on her laptop, Tina feeding the baby, Shane eyeing up the waitresses, and Alice would be recounting another crazy anecdote to a rapt audience. The lovely Helena would be paying the bill, of course. By some strange twist of fate, I would stumble into their company and they would recognise that I totally belonged there and before you could say fantasy island I would be their new best friend. I think that's why the show worked so well; because every single woman watching it felt the characters might be their friends. Then the terrible day dawned when the show ended, and the entire lesbian world went into mourning (not for Jenny, clearly) and there followed a long winter of discontent... Until eventually, spring appeared over the horizon and the BBC called it Lip Service.
But I have to be honest, that first series, fell short of the mark for me. (I'm sorry- I know I'll probably be lynched for saying this!) At times, it just felt as if the beeb were trying too hard to recreate The L Word in Glasgow- Frankie was a less cool version of Shane, Tess was our answer to Alice, Cat was a little bit too much like Bette etc etc. I realise my theory breaks down a little over Jenny, because Lip Service had no Jenny, but I can only say, thank f*** for that! Anyway, although the first series had some very definite high points, I still felt it was missing the mark. Whilst I have to confess to watching every single episode (some of them twice...Okay, okay... I watched one episode 5 times) I still always thought it could be better and I never felt that affinity with the characters that I did with the cast of L Word.

And then came series 2...

I know I've been saying this every week, so apologies for being boring and repetitive, but the new series of Lip Service just gets better and better.
In Friday's episode we saw Sam reluctantly agreeing to accompany the gorgeous Lexi to a wine tasting and boy the chemistry between those two positively sizzled!
Tess meanwhile, chaperoned Ed on a blind double-date with his new bitch-from-hell girlfriend, and a woman who turned out to be, shall we say, less than alluring. Sadie caused much chaos and hilarity as a cheeseboard waitress and later inadvertently stumbled into her secret lover's wife, who ended up offering her a job, and then finally, shock horror, Cat's possessions were released into Sam's care, and she pieced it all together. (Oh yes, and Lexi now has a stalker; a new and interesting storyline which I'm hoping will result in Sergeant Sam leaping to her rescue very, very soon.) So with Sam in complete meltdown, and Lexi all flustered over her stalker and  the growing attraction she feels for Sam, the episode reached a pretty hot climax, when Sam turned up at the house and made a desperate move on Lexi- only to be knocked back- which lets be honest girls, can't have been very easy for her.

As the credits rolled, and I sat there slightly stunned, I suddenly realised why Lip Service was now working for me at a whole different level. Yes, the story lines are great, the scripts are much better and, in actual fact, I think the quality of acting is at time astonishing, but it's not just that! The show is starting to capture some of that magic I was talking about earlier and all at once I really care about these characters. They feel real somehow, and I can actually imagine them in their time and place- a cool group of women, whose lives intersect by various twists of fate. The drama is electrifying and the interaction between the characters riveting and occasionally heartbreaking- but more importantly, I think they are starting to really connect with the audience. It's interesting, because it suddenly feels a lot more like the L Word, whilst in actual fact, it is developing it's own special identity. It's turning out to be a programme of substance and quality, the standard the BBC is famed for throughout the whole world and that makes me proud to be British... and a lesbian.

Interview with Indie writer, Rosen Trevithick

Best selling indie author, Rosen Trevithick, talks to me about her latest collection Seesaw, her influences and ambitions, and multi-coloured teapots. 

Rosen Trevithick is one of a new breed of author; talented novelists who have turned away from the big publishers and struck out on their own.  A proud indie writer, Rosen is passionate about her work and has achieved some remarkable early success; publishing her own work and hitting the top spot in the Amazon rankings numerous times.

Rosen has so far written two novels and a selection of short stories, which she has recently brought together in a brilliant collection, Seesaw.

A Cornish writer, now living in Devon, Rosen’s life ambitions are to write a worldwide bestseller, own a rainbow-coloured teapot and have her own cat. She claims to have achieved two of these.

Rosen, Your new collection of short stories Seesaw is doing very well in the UK charts right now. Tell us a bit about it?

Originally, I wrote a couple of novels, such as the bisexual comedy romance, Straight Out of University. I wrote a series of short stories to grab the interest of new readers. However, the short stories ended up popular in their own right, so I put them together in a collection, called Seesaw.

Did you always want to be an author?

Yes, I think I did. There were brief interludes during which I was momentarily distracted by dreams of being a Radio Cornwall presenter or a forensic psychologist, but my heart always ended up heading back to writing.

Who or what has been the greatest influences on your writing?

Roald Dahl was my favourite author as a child. He taught me how much fun books can be. Aside from that, I would say I'm more influenced by experiences than other writers. When interesting things happen, I feel a strong desire to make them into stories.

How would you characterise your work?

My work varies a lot. I've written some serious psychological fiction, but I feel most comfortable when I'm writing comedy. I'm quite an opinionated person and there's often a political undercurrent, for example raising awareness about bisexuality, challenging our perception of what is an acceptable form of love, or de-stigmatising mental illness.

Which piece of writing are you the most proud of and why?

I'm proud of different pieces for different reasons. Perhaps London, the Doggy and Me is the funniest, but there will always be a special place in my heart for Footprints because it was my first novel, and then there's Seesaw, which is my only paperback. There's something about holding your own paperback in your hands, which is hard to rival.

What kind of books do you like to read?

At the moment I'm reading books by other indie writers. I've read a few books with a lesbian theme such as A Hole in the World and The Lost Resort. I'm also reading highly recommended Kindle books from a variety of genres, such as those by Steve Robinson, Shaun Jeffrey and David Wailing.

Are you working on anything at the moment?

I'm currently writing a humorous mystery novel about a group of indie writers who go to a writers' retreat and afterwards, find that the plots of their stories start to come true. It will be available later this summer.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers hoping to get published?

I'd take the focus off getting published and empower them to put themselves out there as an indie. The market is changing. You don't need a publisher to get your work read these days. Aspiring writers should focus on getting at least one idea down on paper, and once they're happy with it, try sharing it with friends. If they like it, why not self-publish an eBook? It's not an all or nothing publishing world anymore.

What do you think are the greatest challenges facing a writer today?

Getting noticed is the hardest part. There are so many books out there, that even if your writing is superb, unless you do an awful amount of promotion and have a great amount of luck, people might not even notice that your book is there.

It's also very difficult to earn a living from writing. Authors usually get a very small cut from a paperback sale, and eBooks tend to be so cheap that even a writer selling ten thousand copies a year, might not be earning equivalent of the minimum wage.

What is it that really motivates you as a writer?

I just really love writing. Getting feedback from other people is motivating, but I was writing long before I was sharing.

Rosen’s published works are listed on her website http://rosentrevithick.co.uk/

Lip Service Episode 3- An Acting Masterclass from Heather Peace

Yet again, the producers of the new Lip Service have forced me to eat my words and I'm now feeling very humble over my initial misgivings about this show.

This week's episode featured another acting masterclass from Heather Peace, who stole the show with her sensitive portrayal of a woman who won't allow herself to grieve and who is suddenly plagued by doubts, flashbacks and panic attacks. Peace's affecting, believable performances have been the highlight of the series so far and I'm delighted that she has been given more quality material to showcase her prodigious talent.
It was quite a surprise to say farewell to Frankie so early on, and I couldn't help but wonder if the production team are trying to inject  some life into the second series, by moving on one or two familiar characters in order to make way for the new new and potentially more interesting ones. I suppose not everyone will approve of Glasgow's answer to Shane hopping on a plane back to the Big Apple, but I suspect it's a positive move for the show, particularly when we have new, interesting characters to enjoy and when characters like Sadie and Sam are getting more of the limelight.  Lexi, in particular,  is a fresh and rather exciting introduction (is it just me or is that girl totally gorgeous?) and I do love Sadie's survival instinct and her insatiable appetite for hedonism. (Strawberry Jam? Interesting.)

I'm slightly worried where they are taking Tess's story and have to confess to finding the scenes with her dreadful thespian colleagues quite interminable. Obviously Ed is going to shag the bitch-from-hell, who is clearly only after his money (no offence Ed) and I suppose that could lead to a bit of drama- but beyond that, I'm not convinced that strand of the series is working at all and it seems a shame for Fiona Button- because she too is an awesome talent who currently isn't getting the right material to play with. Having said that, she definitely had the best line of the episode on Friday when she noted, "I must have missed the memo about last night's house shagathon." Brilliant!
Anyway, the burgeoning romance between Sam and Lexi is heating up and I for one can't wait for the shit to hit the fan when Cat's phone finally turns up. (What happened to that anyway?) Other questions worth pondering are: Where is the silver bracelet? Will Sam ever be able to get over Cat's death sufficiently to bed the gorgeous doctor? (because if not.. er ...I'll just leave it at that I think)...  Will Tess be arrested for receiving stolen goods? and why did Sadie's yoghurt change flavour between the kitchen and the front door? ( I know! I know! It's sad that I notice that stuff.)

Flippancy aside, I'm really looking forward to episode 4 of a series that seems to be going from strength to strength.

Go girls!

Albert Nobbs- A Gentle, Touching Drama

Glenn Close first played the title role of Albert Nobbs in an off-Broadway adaptation of the George Moore novella almost thirty years ago and has been trying to bring it to the screen ever since. This is a gentle, touching film, set against the harsh backdrop of 19^th century Dublin, and follows the story of Albert Nobbs, a woman who has been posing as a man for many years, to escape from abuse and abandonment and ultimately find employment in a male-dominated world.

When we first encounter Albert he is working as a waiter in Morrison’s, not the supermarket, but actually a small Dublin hotel, frequented by a company of upper-class misfits and outsiders, all of whom we gradually learn are hiding behind one deceit or another. The hotel staff are equally mired in a world of deception, whether it be secret drinking, sexual deviance or well-hidden illiteracy. Albert’s deceit is of course his true gender, and he believes he is alone in the lie, until he happens across Hubert, another woman posing as a man, who, whilst employed to decorate the hotel, inadvertently discovers Albert’s secret and quickly reveals that she too is a woman. Albert, whose life until that point had been unrelentingly miserable, is revitalized and sets about finding out all about Hubert and the happy life he has built with his “wife”, Kathleen. For many years Albert has been saving his tips; counting them night after night and hiding them under the floorboards and he is suddenly seized by the notion that he might leave the hotel and open up a small tobacconist, perhaps with a wife by his side. So begins his courtship of Helen, an attractive young maid, also employed at Morrisons. But she is in love with another and her motives toward Albert are not entirely honourable. As the story unfolds, and Albert’s vulnerability to the girl becomes increasingly pervasive, the audience is slowly drawn towards a nail-biting climax, which at times can be difficult to watch.

Albert Nobbs is an affecting, attractive film that sensitively explores the issues of isolation, abuse, sexuality and deception, whilst also considering the circumstances and interactions that ultimate shape and influence character.

Glenn Close’s performance in the film has been highly praised and even earned her an Oscar nomination, but I have to confess that the highlight for me was the quite astonishing supporting performance from Janet McTeer, as the irrepressible and adorable Hubert. The film lifted each time she stepped onto the screen, and she was utterly compelling as the brash, barrel-chested Dubliner, completely content in his own skin. Close, on the other hand, was singularly less convincing as the timid and inexperienced Albert and, whilst it mustn’t be forgotten that it was principally her efforts that brought this beautiful story to the screen in the first place, I couldn’t help feeling that she was also the film’s biggest issue.  Her vocals generally felt wrong and made me uncomfortable and her portrayal of Albert was at times affected and misplaced, particularly when set against the superb, performances going on all around her. Pauline Collins was also a revelation as the horribly ruthless hotel owner, with ideas well above her station.

I would recommend this film with a worthy 7/10 and a thumbs up. It is refreshingly different and well worth the price of the ticket for McTeer’s performance alone, which I predict will happily linger in your memory for quite some time to come.

Summary - 7/10

Highlight- Janet McTeer as the irrepressible Hubert

Lip Service Episode 2- I didn't see THAT coming (and apparently neither did Cat)

Okay okay... I know what you're thinking... Perhaps I was a little harsh with my comments about episode one of the new series of Lip Service. But hell, I can admit when I'm wrong and let's be honest,  episode two was a bloody revelation! (Pardon the tasteless pun). I for one did NOT see that coming!
So there I was, settling down to another episode, willing it to be better than the first, when all of a sudden, whammo! Cat, reading a text from her secret lover Frankie, steps out into the road and ...well, you know the rest!
So with Cat meeting a rather grisly end, all that remained was for Sergeant Sam to organise and attend the funeral and for Frankie to get shit-faced and have a kip in the graveyard.
Seriously though, the acting and script in this episode were of the highest order and I was gripped from start to finish.  Heather Peace in particular delivered a flawless and totally convincing performance, so much so in fact, that at times, her grief was almost too difficult to watch. Fiona Button was also excellent (but isn't she always- my word that girl can act) and Ruta Gedmintas was also spot on, with her handling of some very sensitive subject matter. The dialogue too was a vast improvement on last week; believable and moving throughout, without ever once drifting into the realms of cheap sentimentality.
I should probably mention that I did notice the odd strange edit and on one occasion I completely lost the plot, when we skipped from one scene to another in what felt like a completely nonsensical way, but really I'm clutching at straws.
All in all, a terrific episode, with a tight script, solid direction and some thoroughly heartbreaking performances. In fact, I'd go as far as saying I think it's the best one yet.

Very well done Lip Service. Lots more like that please. :)

T x

Albert Nobbs- A Jaw-dropping Performance by Glenn Close

Today, Glenn Close's new movie, Albert Nobbs, goes on limited release across the UK. The film is described as, "a moving period drama about a woman driven by tragedy to disguise herself as a man."

The film has received some mixed reviews, but critics generally agree that the central performances from Glenn Close and Janet McTeer are wonderful. In fact, both were nominated for the Academy Award in the categories of Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. They also received Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Aware nominations. (Perhaps if Meryl hadn't been doing her thang, 2012 might have been Glenn's year.)

In brief, Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) is a woman living as a man in order to find work in the cruel environment of 19th Century Ireland. Viewed with suspicion by his contemporaries, Albert has lived as a man for thirty years and works as a hotel waiter, but dreams of saving enough money to open up a business, ideally with a wife by his side. 

Albert's life is turned upside down by the sudden arrival of Hubert Page (Janet McTeer) a house-painter hired by the terrifying Mrs Baker( Pauline Collins) the hotel owner. 

Pictured- Janet McTeer, whose performance as Hubert has earned plaudits and nominations.

This heartbreaking performance earned Glenn Close her sixth Oscar nomination, taking on a role that she first played on stage over 30 years ago.

It's out today, so get yourself a ticket- if you can find a cinema where it's showing. I can confirm the Odeon, at the Manchester Printworks is showing it from tonight  :)