Thursday, 31 May 2012
REVIEW: Moonrise Kingdom (12A)
There are those who will dismiss Wes Anderson's latest movie, Moonrise Kingdom, as a pointless periphery - quirkiness for the sake of it, rather like the briefly amusing, but ultimately irritating, Stella Artois Cidre adverts ("C'est Cidre not cider").
Moonrise Kingdom is a celebration of young love in the naively innocent America of the mid-1960s. It is both charming and exquisitely filmed giving a sense of period and a picture postcard view of the islands where it is set. There are plenty of Wes Anderson's trademark panning shots - moving from one room to another - and clever use of texts and letters that show an awareness of the possibilities of cinema without having to resort to CGI effects or 3D to achieve visual interest and effects.
Moonrise Kingdom is set in New Penzance, a small New England coastal town, in 1965, in a little coastal town in New England called New Penzance. Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward) are two bright but unpopular kids who fall in love. Sam, an orphan, is a member of the Khaki Scouts. Suzy reads sci-fi and the music of Françoise Hardy on her brother's portable record player. She spies on people - her parents and their friends - using a pair of binoculars.
Sam and Suzy decide to run away together and the ensuing crisis highlights the problems in the lives of Suzy's lawyer parents (played by Bill Murray and Frances McDormand). Ed Norton is the ridiculous leader of the scout troop, and Bruce Willis is the lonely police chief, but they all pull together in fear and of the social services officer (Tilda Swinton) who is overly keen keen to pack Sam away into an orphanage.
The movie is gently comic throughout, with touches of the absurd and the exaggerated. There are few outright belly laughs, but they wouldn't seem at home amongst the quirkiness and oddity of Anderson's cinematic style - full of small town America and simple lives torn apart by more modern events and sensitivities all of which seem awkward and alien to the world of New Penzance.
The soundtrack is a fascinating mix of, amongst other things, period songs by Hank Williams and a variety of pieces by Benjamin Britten (including his Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Simple Symphony and Noye's Fludde - which becomes particularly significant towards the end of the movie).
I thoroughly enjoyed Moonrise Kingdom - it is simple storytelling at its best, with some fantastic performances from all involved (but notably the two young stars in their first movie). Sadly, as is so often the case with the slightly off-beat, it has had a limited release and will be forgotten amongst the Special FX of all the blockbusters being released this week and next.
Moonrise Kingdom is a celebration of young love in the naively innocent America of the mid-1960s. It is both charming and exquisitely filmed giving a sense of period and a picture postcard view of the islands where it is set. There are plenty of Wes Anderson's trademark panning shots - moving from one room to another - and clever use of texts and letters that show an awareness of the possibilities of cinema without having to resort to CGI effects or 3D to achieve visual interest and effects.
Moonrise Kingdom is set in New Penzance, a small New England coastal town, in 1965, in a little coastal town in New England called New Penzance. Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward) are two bright but unpopular kids who fall in love. Sam, an orphan, is a member of the Khaki Scouts. Suzy reads sci-fi and the music of Françoise Hardy on her brother's portable record player. She spies on people - her parents and their friends - using a pair of binoculars.
Sam and Suzy decide to run away together and the ensuing crisis highlights the problems in the lives of Suzy's lawyer parents (played by Bill Murray and Frances McDormand). Ed Norton is the ridiculous leader of the scout troop, and Bruce Willis is the lonely police chief, but they all pull together in fear and of the social services officer (Tilda Swinton) who is overly keen keen to pack Sam away into an orphanage.
The movie is gently comic throughout, with touches of the absurd and the exaggerated. There are few outright belly laughs, but they wouldn't seem at home amongst the quirkiness and oddity of Anderson's cinematic style - full of small town America and simple lives torn apart by more modern events and sensitivities all of which seem awkward and alien to the world of New Penzance.
The soundtrack is a fascinating mix of, amongst other things, period songs by Hank Williams and a variety of pieces by Benjamin Britten (including his Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Simple Symphony and Noye's Fludde - which becomes particularly significant towards the end of the movie).
I thoroughly enjoyed Moonrise Kingdom - it is simple storytelling at its best, with some fantastic performances from all involved (but notably the two young stars in their first movie). Sadly, as is so often the case with the slightly off-beat, it has had a limited release and will be forgotten amongst the Special FX of all the blockbusters being released this week and next.
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
COMMENT: Why no memorial for Emily Davison?
This weekend, alongside the ubiquitous Jubilee "celebrations", Epsom racecourse will host the Derby. One of the pinnacles of the horse racing calendar made all the more significant by what happened 99 years ago.
On Derby Day in 1913, Emily Wilding Davison stepped out from behind the railings at Tattenham Corner into the path of Anmer, one of the king's horses as part of the campaign for "Votes for Women". She died four days later from her injuries. Davison was the only suffragette to die in pursuit of the campaign.
Shockingly the Epsom racecourse has no memorial to Emily Davison - no plaque or statue, nothing to identify the place where she stepped out in front of the galloping horses. Her selfless act of protest, and one of the most significant acts of protest in recent British history, is forgotten by the race horsing community, the racecourse owners or even Epsom council. and yet there are statues of horses that won the Derby (including one who won the race as recently as 1991 and whose statue was erected in 1995).
I used to live near Tattenham Corner and find it shocking that so much money was pumped into the tiny, under-used rail station (because the Queen uses it once a year) and not a single penny was put towards anything to mark the 1913 protest.
Surely it's time for a monument at Tattenham Corner? A blue plaque perhaps? Something to mark one of the most heroic acts of campaigning for civil rights this country has ever seen.
Next year is the centenary of Davison's death, the lack of appropriate recognition is something that needs to be addressed in time for that anniversary.
On Derby Day in 1913, Emily Wilding Davison stepped out from behind the railings at Tattenham Corner into the path of Anmer, one of the king's horses as part of the campaign for "Votes for Women". She died four days later from her injuries. Davison was the only suffragette to die in pursuit of the campaign.
Shockingly the Epsom racecourse has no memorial to Emily Davison - no plaque or statue, nothing to identify the place where she stepped out in front of the galloping horses. Her selfless act of protest, and one of the most significant acts of protest in recent British history, is forgotten by the race horsing community, the racecourse owners or even Epsom council. and yet there are statues of horses that won the Derby (including one who won the race as recently as 1991 and whose statue was erected in 1995).
I used to live near Tattenham Corner and find it shocking that so much money was pumped into the tiny, under-used rail station (because the Queen uses it once a year) and not a single penny was put towards anything to mark the 1913 protest.
Surely it's time for a monument at Tattenham Corner? A blue plaque perhaps? Something to mark one of the most heroic acts of campaigning for civil rights this country has ever seen.
Next year is the centenary of Davison's death, the lack of appropriate recognition is something that needs to be addressed in time for that anniversary.
Monday, 28 May 2012
Opinion: Let's leave FIFA and UEFA
Nobody was happy that Qatar, a nation without a single football stadium, was awarded the 2022 World Cup and there are many questions about bungs and corruption. Similarly, many questioned the extent to which the Russian oligarchs helped win their country the 2018 tournament and, after this evening's BBC Panorama programme, many now wonder how on earth Poland and Ukraine were given the right to host next month's Euros.
The solution is simple...
We should leave FIFA and UEFA and set up a new organisation, with rival tournaments and rival administration that aims to eliminate corruption, racism and everything else that's wrong with football at the moment.
It might only take one nation with guts and principles and the rest would follow - as long as they met strict suitability criteria.
Then countries can choose to take part in the clean or corrupt tournaments - they can join in the World Cup of hate or the friendly World Cup.
And please, don't think the UK is any better than Ukraine or Poland. We may have fewer racists on the terraces but the FA isn't anywhere near harsh enough with the racists and drug cheats on the pitch. Racism, cheating and corruption must be eliminated everywhere. Consistency is vital.
Sadly, I doubt the FA is sufficiently robust to stand up on principle, but I live in hope. I'd happily accept we miss a tournament occupying the international wilderness waiting for sufficient others to join.
The solution is simple...
We should leave FIFA and UEFA and set up a new organisation, with rival tournaments and rival administration that aims to eliminate corruption, racism and everything else that's wrong with football at the moment.
It might only take one nation with guts and principles and the rest would follow - as long as they met strict suitability criteria.
Then countries can choose to take part in the clean or corrupt tournaments - they can join in the World Cup of hate or the friendly World Cup.
And please, don't think the UK is any better than Ukraine or Poland. We may have fewer racists on the terraces but the FA isn't anywhere near harsh enough with the racists and drug cheats on the pitch. Racism, cheating and corruption must be eliminated everywhere. Consistency is vital.
Sadly, I doubt the FA is sufficiently robust to stand up on principle, but I live in hope. I'd happily accept we miss a tournament occupying the international wilderness waiting for sufficient others to join.
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises (a piano sonata)
Here's a new piano sonata "what I wrote"!
The title comes from Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and will also be the inscription on the bell at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The sheet music is available from: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/126960.html
The title comes from Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and will also be the inscription on the bell at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The sheet music is available from: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/126960.html
Saturday, 26 May 2012
366/147 - Pool Balls
Click here for today's Project 366 - which includes my favourite if this year's Eurovision Song Contest entries...
Friday, 25 May 2012
Hoe Down - for piano
A little piano piece I wrote this evening.
Yee-Ha!
The sheet music is available from: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/126793.html
Yee-Ha!
The sheet music is available from: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/126793.html
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Rain - for solo piano
Today's the hottest and sunniest day of the year so far...
... so this morning I wrote this piece for piano called "Rain".
The sheet music is available from: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/126705.html
... so this morning I wrote this piece for piano called "Rain".
The sheet music is available from: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/126705.html
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
My Score Exchange page!
I've now got lots of new (ish) pieces available for digital download on Score Exchange.
Just CLICK HERE and take a look at the catalogue.
There's songs, piano pieces, solos for flute, clarinet, violin, a brand new piece for orchestra and a new rock number for brass band.... and much, much more!!
Just CLICK HERE and take a look at the catalogue.
There's songs, piano pieces, solos for flute, clarinet, violin, a brand new piece for orchestra and a new rock number for brass band.... and much, much more!!
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Lulla, lulla, lullaby - for SSA choir & piano
A new Christmas carol - for SSA choir and piano.
Score is available from: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/126581.html
Score is available from: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/126581.html
Monday, 21 May 2012
Talány - for percussion duo
A duet for multi-percussion.
Each player has their own pair of bongos, a snare drum and a glockenspiel.
The 2 performers face each other and must be in reach of each other so that the stick hitting can be done!
All the rhythms derive from the Morse code of the names of the 2 performers for whom it was written. These rhythms are then taken through various transformations - moving their position in the bar, retrograde, etc.
The score is available from: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/126523.html
Each player has their own pair of bongos, a snare drum and a glockenspiel.
The 2 performers face each other and must be in reach of each other so that the stick hitting can be done!
All the rhythms derive from the Morse code of the names of the 2 performers for whom it was written. These rhythms are then taken through various transformations - moving their position in the bar, retrograde, etc.
The score is available from: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/126523.html
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