TV: Homeland (S2) (8/10)

Why did I watch it?

I really enjoyed the first season of Homeland although I did have some doubts as to how long the show could keep up the cat and mouse action between Carrie and Brody.

What's it all about?

Brody, a marine recently returned from eight years of captivity by al-Qaeda, is now a US Congressman approached by Vice President Walden to be his running mate for the forthcoming presidential election. Following her humiliation at the end of the last season, Carrie's health is returning and no longer working for the CIA, her life is beginning to return to normal until evidence appears proving her theories regarding Brody's true intentions.

Should you watch it?
Homeland is one of the stronger shows on TV at the moment. The second season takes a few episodes to finds its groove again and suffers throughout from instances of Carrie's hotheadedness and inability to follow orders. I really struggle to believe that such a liability would be employed by the CIA, but hey it's just TV.

The events of the first episode The Smile are just about as contrived as possible to bring Carrie, who finished the previous season having electroshock therapy, back into the fold at the Langley. Once Carrie is back, the momentum of the show shifts hugely, one of two shifts in this season, as evidence comes to light that Brody is a terrorist and more importantly that Carrie's theories were correct. Considering the events of the first season and also Carrie's flirtation with suicide in State of Independence, this is a pretty major change in direction for the show as Carrie is no longer alone and frustrated and receives the support (and apologies) of Saul and Estes. The second change in momentum is perhaps even greater and brings Brody into the CIA operation to target Abu Nazir. These shifts keep the show fresh and intriguing and both are delivered in true dramatic Homeland style. The episode Q&A features some great scenes between Carrie and Brody, delivered with great intensity by Claire Danes and Damien Lewis. Even following Brody's switch, the writers manage to retain a sense of distrust and ambiguity over Brody's actions to drive the show forward. He clearly gets away with one act of terrorism during the final episodes but is he responsible for another?

"Tell us a bit about yourself"

Carrie's health demons play less of a role this time around, instead her relationship with Brody picks up a few gears and there are certainly shades of Romeo and Juliet, as two star crossed lovers who can never truly be together. Mandy Patinkin's understated Saul is one of my most favourite characters on TV.

Steering into 24 territory (unsurprising considering the show's writers), the season ends with a big bang in the fantastic finale The Choice with major consequences for all the major characters.

BOOK: Patriot Games, Tom Clancy (7/10)

Why did I read it?

The continuation of my Tom Clancy odyssey. Book two of the Jack Ryan universe.

What's it all about?
Set prior to the events of The Hunt for Red October, Professor Jack Ryan, a former marine, interrupts a terrorist attack on the Prince of Wales and his family outside Buckingham Palace. Following the attack, Ryan and his family find themselves the target of a revengeful member of the fictional ULA, a small violent, splinter group of the Provisional IRA. Ryan assists the CIA and their British counterparts as they attempt to stop the terrorists from striking again.

Should you read it?
Fans of the film or of the Jack Ryan character will enjoy this book. A shorter and easier read compared to Red Storm Rising. It differs from the previous two Tom Clancy books, in that the level of military detail is missing, replaced with far greater emphasis on both the personal nature of the story and also the intelligence community. Fresh from two books dealing with US/Soviet relations, Clancy turns to the world of the terrorist in Patriot Games, selecting the troubles between Ireland and Britain, a relationship which has always held interest on the other side of the Atlantic.

Worth looking out for the different ending to the book from the 1992 film. Clancy disowned the film adaptation after the ending was changed to give the audience more of an emotional pay-off.

FILM: The Expendables (5/10)

Why did I watch it?

Borrowed the DVD from my brother. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

What's it all about?

Sylvester Stallone leads a team of mercenaries including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren and Randy Couture up against rogue CIA operative Eric Roberts who is using the national army to enforce a brutal dictatorship on a South American island. 

Should you watch it?

Yes, it probably is the 'most awesome action cast ever assembled' but unsurprisingly it's far from the most awesome action film. Many years have past since some of these guys were at their peak and they certainly haven't spent that time in acting classes. Dolph Lundgren wins my vote for the worst performance, just don't tell him I said that.

I haven't seen all that many 80's action films that The Expendables may be a throwback tribute to so perhaps I'm not amongst the audience likely to enjoy this film. A large part of the film is shot in the dark, and it does makes it a little difficult to work out which beefcake action star is talking trash or more likely shooting at an other. The plot is simple, no problems with that. Statham's girlfriend issue brings no value to the film or character and is a see-through attempt to add some 'character development' somewhere, anywhere. When Jean Claude van Damme turns down a role citing lack of substance to a character you know you are in trouble.

"One, two, three.....give me your tough faces"

There are some nice touches in the film, the short scene with Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Willis being worth watching the film for. Schwarzenegger commenting that Stallone 'loves playing around in the jungle' certainly made me chuckle. Also, wrestling stars Stone Cold and Randy Couture going head to head at the end was a treat for sports fans.

The Expendables is what it is, an over the top action film, definitely nothing more and probably even a little less.

TV: Girls (S1) (7/10)

Why did I watch it?

Remember mentioning this to my other half, who is a massive Sex and the City fan, that Girls was supposed to be a modern, more offbeat take on the lives of New York's young women. And that was enough. Oh and Judd Apatow's name was attached to it.

What's it all about?

Four twenty-something girls, Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna deal with a variety of everyday issues individually and collectively as they each look to make their way in the Big Apple.

Should you watch it?

Remember the four Manhattan based women on Sex and the City? Splashing the cash to keep up with the fashion and attending NY's most glamorous parties? Forget them. Four girls in New York is where the similarities end. These girls live in Brooklyn, struggle to pay rent and are more likely to attend parties in warehouses.

Based on some of her own experiences, Lena Durham (who plays lead character Hannah) created and wrote the show, as well as directing five of the ten episodes. She deserves credit for writing such a fresh take on the 'girls story'. The girls in question are not always at their glamorous best, crude, promiscuous and are supported by a witty and often hilarious script. Their day to day issues are largely trivial, Hannah's parents cut her off financially, Marnie's boyfriend is too perfect, Shoshanna is a virgin and Jessa returns from travelling unhappy at adapting to the real world. Despite this, the script makes these trivial storylines more than amusing and the pure oddness of the supporting characters, mainly Adam (Adam Driver), really helps. One guy decides not have to have sex with Shoshanna when he discovers she's a virgin because "virgins get attached. Or they bleed.". To which she replies, "I'm a totally unattached bleeder". Chris O'Dowd makes a hilarious cameo in a later episode as a wealthy businessman who gets agonisingly close to having a ménage a trois with Jessa and Marnie, only for it to fall apart before his eyes and actually be more annoyed that the girls spilt wine onto his expensive rug.

FILM: Skyfall (8/10)

Why did I watch it?

It's James Bond. It's the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film.

What's it all about?

Without giving too much away, Bond returns from a period of  absence to investigate an attack on MI6 and protect M (Judi Dench) from former MI6 agent Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem).

Should you watch it?

Skyfall is the best Bond of the Daniel Craig era, just nudging past Casino Royale. The film begins with a deeply troubled Bond, warts and all, something Craig pulls off with much greater success than Brosnan (in Die Another Day) and ends with him staunchly defending M from her pursuers.

Skyfall's writers took a different approach to the story in comparison with Bond films over the years. Rather than have Bond flung to all corners of the globe chasing a terrorist threatening world peace, the majority of the Skyfall, especially the important scenes, take place in the UK with 007 on the defensive, back to the wall running out of safe places to protect M. Also, for the first time in the history of MI6, the question of the relevance of MI6 and its traditional network of agents and spies is being asked. In the day of the modern terrorist, is Bond still relevant?

The film is full of nods to past Bond films but while paying tribute to the franchise, director Sam Mendes ensures the tributes are made in the style of the new Craig-era Bond. The best example of this is Bond having a medical before returning to active service. Mendes cuts to the heart monitor screen and Bond's head can be seen moving back and forward out of focus at the edge of the shot. My first thought was that Bond was giving the doctor a good seeing to as Brosnan once did but Mendes reveals Bond is actually running on a treadmill and giving the medical his all. 

Javier Bardem meets expectations as the film's villain, creepily camp, psychotically jovial and deranged. The traditional Bond girls are kept to a minimum, as the focus is kept on Bond and M but I enjoyed Berenice Marlohe's turn as Silva's Macau casino presence.

TV: Boardwalk Empire (S3) (9/10)

Why did I watch it?

I watched the previous two seasons, and although it isn't my favourite show on TV, the show is close to being great and considering the involvement of certain characters can only be expanded on, in particular Lucky Luciano and Al Capone, its potential is in reach.

What's it all about?

Fresh from cleaning out his own house at the end of season two, Nucky cements his relationship with Arnold Rothstein by announcing their exclusive business partnership. This angers new character Gyp Rosetti (Bobby Carnavale), a Sicilian bootlegger so hot headed he could rival Joe Pesci's Tommy in Goodfellas, leading to battle lines being drawn around Atlantic City. This forms the central storyline of the season as Nucky scrambles for support from his allies in New York, Washington and Chicago. Meanwhile, Eli returns from prison, Al Capone's influence in Chicago grows and Margaret and Owen's dangerous affair is rekindled. 

Should you watch it?

Starting with the positives, Boardwalk Empire's third season is it's greatest so far. In a similar manner to the previous seasons, it builds slowly from the start but accelerates to top gear by the fourth episode and while there are some slight dips in between, the momentum is largely maintained, sometime single handedly by Rosetti, to the final four episodes, from which point on the season is outstanding.

Season three probably featured more of Rothstein, Luciano, Lansky (at a cost to Chalky White and van Alden) and Capone than before, and with the additions of Rosetti and NY boss Joe Masseria, meant the season had a truly mob feel to it. In my eyes this was greatly needed as Nucky and his Atlantic City team of politicians and bootleggers just don't have the cool factor and threat of the Italian Americans. In part this is down to Steve Buscemi, after three seasons you would think I would have made my mind up about his casting as the Atlantic City crime boss but I still can't quite decide. The tagline of the season is 'You Can't Be Half A Gangster' but it still feels like Nucky is just that, especially in comparison with the representatives of New York and Chicago. The dips in momentum during the season are usually due to Nucky's relationship with his new mistress, actress Billie, or his political scheming. These distractions serve a purpose, in the first instance to Nucky's mindset after the attempt on his life at Bebette's, and in the second in giving Nucky options other than violence but they don't half leave you craving for a scene where someone upsets Rosetti.

Such are the abundance of great characters in the show that it isn't until you stop and think about it that you realise how much Michael Williams' Chalky White and Michael Shannon's van Alden are underused and marginalised respectively. Thankfully both appear likely to continue into the next season, following changes for both in season three. The writers pen some fantastic lines, with Al Capone being given the line of the season when he turns up in Atlantic City, "I've been on the road for 18 hours. I need a bath, some chow, and then you and me sit down, and we talk about who dies."

Gyp Rosetti - "Everything of mine is bigger than Nucky's"

Season three really gets going in episode four, Blue Bell Boy, an episode which reminded me of The Soprano's episode Pine Barrens where Paulie and Chris end up lost in the woods (an episode written by Boardwalk creator Terence Winter and regular director Tim van Patten and directed by Steve Buscemi). Nucky and Owen are trapped in a cellar for the entire episode and Nucky's discomfort and jealousy in Owen's role in his operation becomes uncomfortably apparent. While trapped and out of the decision making process, Mickey delivers a shipment straight into Rosetti's ambush, Joe Masseria is introduced and Al Capone takes out his anger  over his deaf son's bullying on a local rival.   

The final four episodes deal with alternated attempts on the lives of various characters, culminating in a Goodfellas style montage of a full scale gang war in Atlantic City at the beginning of the fantastic final episode Margate Sands.

BOOK: Red Storm Rising, Tom Clancy (5/10)

Why did I read it?

After finishing The Hunt for Red October, I decided to begin a Tom Clancy odyssey starting with his next book Red Storm Rising.

What's it all about?

Islamic terrorists destroy a major Soviet oil production facility. Soviet oil production rates are severely damaged and anticipating that the US may take the opportunity to apply pressure with the Soviet military under supplied, the Soviets plan to invade the Persian Gulf to seize oil. First, the KGB frames Germany for a terrorist attack on the Kremlin to permit an invasion of West Germany and war with NATO. The story of what in reality becomes the Third World War is told from both sides across Europe and the North Atlantic.   

Should you read it?

Reading Red Storm Rising is like reading an account of a 20th century game of Risk taking place across Europe on land, in the air and on the seas. Tank divisions meet in West Germany, Iceland is fought over for control of the Atlantic as US convoys try to cross it to support the NATO cause. Unfortunately, once Clancy has narrated the war's outset, beginning with the Soviet KGB operation and culminating with US intelligence realising a Soviet offensive is coming, the story becomes less of a thriller and more of detailed story of modern day warfare seriously lacking in intrigue. Over 800 pages long in some editions, to be honest it became a bit of a chore towards the end. Only at the end does the story really return from the battlefield and become more interesting, even if I did find the ending slightly unfulfilling. 

FILM: District 9 (9/10)

Why did I watch it?

Heard good things about this after its release on DVD so felt the need to jump aboard the bandwagon. Also, its about aliens...one of my favourite topics.

What's it all about?

Thirty years prior to the action a gigantic spaceship stopped above Johannesburg. No-one knew why. The aliens, referred to as 'prawns', were removed from the ship and placed in impoverished immigration holding camps by the South African government and private military contractor MNU. Crime is high, the locals are angry, and the day comes where the aliens are to be relocated to another camp outside of Johannesburg. The film follows Wikus van de Merwe, an Afrikaner MNU employee, charged with leading the deportation. 

Should you watch it?

District 9 can be broken down into two halves, the situation and characters are introduced through a combination of documentary style interviews, both present and retrospective, and news reports. This approach serves first time director Neill Blomklamp well, as not only is it intriguing and different, but its a fairly cheap method (the films budget was only $30 million and it took in over seven times this at the box office). Following the introductory first half, the action switches to following Wikus as his troubles begin to increase.

 

Just sign here Mr Prawn



The social commentary (calling it an undertone would be to pretend it is discreet) of the film is evident and could be transferred to any group of 'outsider's in any population. The issue has been covered by many reviewers far better than I could attempt to do so I'll just leave it at that.



Blomkamp deserves credit for his unique take on the alien's arrival to Earth. So often potrayed as violent, destructive and more importantly, the dominant species, Blomkamp's aliens are food deprived, malnourished and although restless, they are successfully policed by the humans and treated as a species (or race, there goes that social commentary aspect again) with basic human rights. Consider Ridley Scott and James Cameron's Aliens being politely asked to sign a deportation order for relocation to another camp.



Keep out



The main protagonist Wikus is played by little known South African actor Sharlto Copley. Copley's performance and transformation of Wikus from a vain and smug executive to hunted, desperate and sacrificing fugitive are tremendous and he deserves the recognition for his role as actor and also producer of the short film Alive in Joburg upon which District 9 is based. I found the final act of the film, culimanting in the final scene, genuiely emotional, which considering that the previous twenty minutes had become a bit of a gunfest is credit again to Blomkamp.

FILM: The Abyss (8/10)

Why did I watch it?

Recorded this some time ago but having read The Hunt for Red October and watched some of the TV show Last Resort of late, I'm a little subsea crazy at the moment so the timing seemed perfect.

What's it all about?

A US submarine crashes in mysterious circumstances near the Cayman trench and a nearby prototype deep sea drilling platform is commandeered by US Navy SEAL team to investigate. Upon finding the stricken sub, the platform workers and SEALs come across an alien lifeform in the extreme depths.

Should you watch it?

The plot of James Cameron's fourth film shares many similarities with his third film, Aliens. Teams of armed forces with ultimately ulterior motives sent in to claustrophobic and isolated environments to investigate missing groups. Oh and those environments are occupied by aliens.

Here Alien, Alien, Alien....

Three-quarters of The Abyss are great as the ever-present dangers of deep sea isolation coupled with Michael Biehn's stir crazy SEAL ratchet up the tension to a decompression sickness-causing level . As the mission begins to fall apart, the greater fear factor is provided by the underwater drama, cut off from the surface in a damaged platform with decreasing oxygen levels rather than the alien presence. This is a little disappointing considering the film followed Aliens, in which there was no doubt what was responsible for the suspense. Cameron obviously felt like giving the Abyss aliens a more mysterious rather than menacing persona. 
This leads to a slightly disappointing finale as the alien presence is gradually revealed and all threat along with it. It all becomes a little unnecessarily enchanting.

Ed Harris leads the cast and gives an another excellent performance. Has this guy ever turned in a dud one? Mary Elisabeth Mastrantonio gives an equally assured performance as Harris' estranged wife and platform designer. The rekindling affection between the two is key to the film's success and the scene following Harris' return to the platform with Mastrantonio's body is genuinely emotional and fantastically performed by Harris.

For it's age, The Abyss still looks great and remains a good to great sci-fi thriller.