Antarctica: A Year On Ice [rating: 4/5]
If you’ve ever considered venturing to the mass of white down the bottom of the globe called earth, better watch this film before you put the money down! Antarctica: A Year On The Ice is probably the closest you’re ever going to get without actually setting foot there yourself – and it has some of the most incredible images of the Northern Lights and the night sky in general ever captured. That alone makes you want to trek down and brace the sub-zero temps. It presents an intriguing look into the isolated life that is working and residing on Antarctica from the viewpoint of Anthony Powell, a witty employee who knows the ins and outs of the place like the back of his hand. Any geography lovers or beautiful image enthusiasts will enjoy.
The Spectacular Now [rating: 4/5]
From the outset it seems The Spectacular now is just another little romantic tale with laughs, ups, downs, you know the drill – however this film surprised me with its maturity and realistic portrayal of a young relationship. The ridiculously charismatic Miles Teller plays Sutter – after recently being dumped by his perfect girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson), he goes on a bender which results in quiet ‘nobody’ Aimee finding him passed out on a neighbourhood lawn. The two soon strike up a relationship which you can’t feel entirely easy about – you never know whether Sutter, the master people person, is genuine in his feelings towards the impossibly innocent teen. The two are facing family issues, Sutter’s mother restricts his access to his father, and Aimee’s mother won’t let her leave for college. They seem perfect for one another, however there’s a dark side to Sutter which you can see uncomfortably worming its way in to naïve Aimee’s being. The brilliant performances of its two leads carry this film through unexpected waters, and it’s certainly not what you expect it to be from the outset. A pleasant surprise.
Muscle Shoals [rating: 4.5/5]
Oh man. To have lived in the age of Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones. They just don’t make music like that anymore, right? Well, what you might not have known is that a large amount of that incredible, soulful music emerged from a tiny studio in an equally tiny Alabama town called Muscle Shoals – started by Producer Rick Hall who stopped at nothing to be the best. Featuring interviews with Keith Richards, Aretha, Mick Jagger, Wilson Pickett and a host of other music hall of famers, it’s incredibly fascinating to hear how such a unique, incredible sound only seemed to be produced in the most random of towns – with all the musicians exclaiming their wonder as to why the sound could not be recreated anywhere else. As Bono puts it, “it seems like the music was dragged right out of the mud.” A must see for any fans of the aforementioned artists.
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