Verdict: Fresh Meat Series 1

Premièring on British television in the autumn of 2011, Fresh Meat is a fantastically witty and entertaining show about the horror of student life. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes stand-up comedian Jack Whitehall, ex-Inbetweener Joe Thomas and the perky Kimberley Nixon, Fresh Meat is more like a breath of fresh air that proves the quality British sitcom isn't an endangered species. 

Following the lives of six students who house share at Manchester University, Fresh Meat is one of the best new shows that I have seen in a while. A little slow on the uptake, I finally got around to watching the first series (eight episodes) of this delightful show over the last month.

What the show captures so perfectly is the varying personality quirks and traits present in the diverse social group. There's pompous and arrogant public school poshie JP (Jack Whitehall), the oblivious and unlucky in love Kingsley (Joe Thomas), the apparently prim and proper Josie (Kimberly Nixon), socially-bakward geology geek Howard (Greg McHugh), the desperately trying to be cool and funky Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie) and the straight-talking and head-strong Vod (Zawe Ashton).

Usually in a show like this there is an obvious weak link in the group that brings it down. Not so in Fresh Meat, with each and every cast member given their time in sun. Over the course of the eight episodes certain characters begin to steal the show (Josie and Kingsley's awkward will-they-won't-they pairing blows hot and cold across the series) but the writer's ensure that the focus is very much on the group as a whole. The observed writing is sharp and cool, each character being entirely believable and relatable, the charm of their idiocy and naivety evident from the get-go.

Supporting cast members add to the show's charm, Robert Webb's hilariously desperate geology teacher a particular stroke of genius. Whilst at first, the show may be comparable to The Inbetweeners or even Skins, over time the heartfelt and touching strands begin to come together in a much more serious way. Episode 6 for example touches on the idea of death and grieving, something we all have, or will have, experience at some point.

It's at this point that Fresh Meat singles itself out from the crowd and begins to elevate itself above the initial slapstick or cartoon comedy. By the end of the season, both the writers and the actors have gotten the delicate balance between drama and comedy just right, making for some pleasing results.

Fresh Meat is a real gem that is just waiting to be unveiled and cherished. Get onto it!

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Academy Awards 2013 Predictions

Always a great barometer of which the way the wind's blowing, this year's Golden Globes threw some real curveballs at us, upsetting the order in some of the major categories. Steven Spielberg's latest Lincoln  was expected to sweep the floor with all others but Ben Affleck's Argo shook the apple-cart by taking a surprise win for both Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director. Never one to make something easy for myself then, here is my picks for the major categories at the 2013 Academy Awards.* The winners are announced on February 24th 2013. 


My pick for the winner of that category is highlighted in bold and grey.

*Not 100% accurate. Probably not even 80%, 65% at best.

Ben Affleck's Argo

Best Picture

Amour
Argo
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Life Of Pi
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawerence - Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva - Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Naomi Watts - The Impossible

Best Actor

Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln
Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix - The Master
Denzel Washington - Flight

Best Director

Ang Lee - Life of Pi

David O. Russell's
Silver Linings Playbook

Michael Haneke - Amour

Stephen Spielberg - Lincoln

David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook

Behn Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Supporting Actor

Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master

Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook

Alan Arkin - Argo

Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Field - Lincoln

Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

Jacki Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook

Helen Hunt - The Sessions

Amy Adams - The Master

Best Animated Feature

Tim Burton's Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie

Pirates! Band of Misfits

Wreck It Ralph

Paranorman

Brave

Music (Original Score)

Anna Karenina - Dario Marianelli

Argo - Alexandre Desplat

Life of Pi - Mycheal Danna

Lincoln - John Williams

Skyfall - Thomas Newman

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Rank the Films #2: Star Wars

As any regular reader of feeling fuzzier will know, lists are pretty darn nifty. We have a profound appreciation for straight-up lists. This is the thinking behind Rank the Films, a regular feature that pulls apart the pros and cons of a series of films, ranking them in order of good to bad. 

In this second part we look at the Star Wars franchise. We've gone through all six Star Wars films (Clone Wars doesn't count) and ranked them from worst to best. Give it a read and leave me a comment letting me know what you think!

6th - Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes: 57%

Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor in The Phantom Menace

After so many years of expectation and build-up, The Phantom Menace can only be seen as none other than a big fat let down. With anticipation for a new foray into a galaxy far far away at fever pitch, the unexpected change of tone and direction for Star Wars left many fans out in cold.

Pacing, character development, script writing are all pretty shoddy at times in Phantom Menace. Whilst the concluding third is a visual treat and pretty exciting to watch, the middle chapter can begin to bore; one can only endure so many conversations about midi-chlorians and trade disputes before you begin to dream up inventive ways of killing off Jar Jar.

Thank God Lucas saw the need to include the heart-pounding pod-race, one of the saga's stand-out action set-pieces that goes some way to redeeming Phantom Menace from being a complete disaster.

5th - Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes: 67%

The Battle of Geonosis 

Time and repeat viewing have not been kind to Attack of the Clones in my opinion. Whilst there are certaintly some fantastic and imaginative visuals to delight viewers, Attack of the Clones suffers from many of the shortfalls that Phantom Menace does. 

Hayden Christensen as Anakin grates after about 5 minutes of screen time, whilst Natalie Portman is handed a script that coughs and splutters. By this point, Ewan McGregor has grown into his role as Obi-Wan whilst supporting cast members like Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee and Ian McDiarmid add then necessary gravitas. 

It is redeemed by the ending that promises greater things to come for the third prequel. Be honest, Yoda gave you the chills with that last line. 

4th - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes: 79%

Luke and Vader face the Emperor

Despite being the weakest of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi nevertheless stands heads and shoulders above Menace and Clones by some way. Bringing the entire saga to a close, Return of the Jedi is all about taking the fight the Empire and Luke confronting his father, Darth Vader. It brings together some fantastic action and adventure to end the saga in fine fashion.

In terms of pacing, ROTJ races past at lightspeed, the action barely easing-up for the entirety of the 133 minute run-time. Zooming from the wastelands of Tatoonie to the forests of Endor, the visuals in the final chapter of the original trilogy are impressive given when it was released.

3rd - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%

Natalie Portman as Senator Amidala

Possibly the most crucial film in the saga (in terms of storytelling), Revenge of the Sith struggles slightly by compressing so much into its two hour and twenty minute runtime. Covering enough story to cover two prequels, Revenge of the Sith sees young Anakin turn to the dark side of the Force in a desperate attempt to save his wife from death.

Being heralded as a fitting send-off for big screen Star Wars adventures at the time (at least until 2015 rolls around), Revenge of the Sith isn't by any means perfect and at times the scripting and dialogue feels every bit as forced (pun) as it did in Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

Lucas squeezes so much in during Episode III to the degree that Anakin's fall from grace is a little rushed and the enactment of Order 66 feels skated across too briefly. On the other hand, Revenge of the Sith doesn't disappoint in other areas. The Clone Wars look every bit as bloody as Obi-Wan makes them sound in Episode IV, whilst the final confrontation between Anakin and Obi-Wan is a full of emotional weight and trauma.

2nd - Episode IV: A New Hope (1979)

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Harrison Ford as Han Solo

The first, the original, the classic. The best? Not quite. Star Wars (retitled A New Hope in 1997), certainty is a fantastic film, its bold visuals and fun storytelling taking the world by storm at the tail end of the 1970's. It has been said that Star Wars forever changed the landscape of blockbuster cinema. It certainly left an indelible mark in our memories by introducing us to some fantastic characters.

From humble farm-boy Luke Skywalker taking his first steps towards the stars to Ben Kenobi providing wizened musings on the ways of the Force, Star Wars wasn't just a film; it opened up an entire universe of storytelling and adventure. Still endlessly entertaining and quotable today, Star Wars is only just pipped to first place by it's deeper, darker sequel The Empire Strikes Back.

1st - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

"I am your father"

A lesson in how sequels should be made, The Empire Strikes Back takes everything movie-goers loved about the original Star Wars and dialled it up to eleven. 

After laying the foundations of a wider universe and narrative in Star Wars, George Lucas and co. shocked everyone by flipping the entire story on its head at the climax of Empire Strikes Back with one mother of a cliffhanger. Luke left battered and bruised, Leia heartbroken, Han tortured and captured, the Alliance broken and shattered, Empire Strikes Back works simply because it doesn't have an ending. We are left open-mouthed as the film lives up to its title and our heroes are well and truly beaten. 

To say that Episode V is the best Star Wars film is underselling it. It is a contender for one of the best films ever, period. Empire Strikes Back was voted in at #3 on the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time by Empire Magazine as well as #8 by Total Film Magazine. Even if your not a fan of the Star Wars saga, it's well worth watching Empire Strikes Back. 

So there we have it, each Star Wars film rated and slated! Let me know what you think below!

Also, let me know below what you think about the news that Disney will be making several  Star Wars character spin-off movies using characters such as Han Solo, Boba Fett and Yoda. Could be a good thing idea but films based on singular characters from an existing series haven't always been amazing (X-Men: Origins Wolverine).

You can view Rank the Films #1: Harry Potter by clicking on this link: Rank the Films #1: Harry Potter

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Film Review: Flight

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood
Runtime: 138 minutes

Now boarding is Flight, an entertaining film that examines the fatally flawed character of Captain Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington), an alcoholic pilot who is proclaimed a hero before his life plunges into an uncontrollable tailspin. 

Flight is an all-round good movie; from the acting, scripting and visual effects, everything comes together to put together a well-rounded and enjoyable film. It isn't perfect, but neither is its focus. The films' tale of not being a perfect person, of having weaknesses and flaws and of the desire to find redemption is a powerful one. It is carried across not one but several of its characters, the strongest being that of Captain Whitaker, our protagonist.

After saving the lives of 100 people in a sickening plane crash (more on that later), Denzel Washington's Captain Whitaker as heralded as a hero who 'will never pay for another drink as long as he lives'. His only problem is, is that had spent the night prior to the flight drinking heavily and taking cocaine. Regardless of how many lives he saved, Whitaker still faces prison time for his recklessness.

This notion of questionable morals and the ensuing dilemma is what is at the heart of Flight. Director Robert Zemeckis extracts some brilliant performances from his cast, Washington being particularly impressive as his character rapidly begins to crash and burn. Lurching and stumbling across screen, Washington's flawed Captain Whitaker is a hard character to side with at first as he is so irresponsible and arrogant. This changes over time however as he steadily mends his ways and owns up to responsibility.

Both thrilling and sickening to watch, the film's stomach churning set-piece that sees Flight 227 fall apart and out of the sky is a real triumph of visual effects. It'll most certainly have squeamish audience members reaching for the sick bag.

From that point on however, Flight does begin to drag a little, the subsequent character study on both Captain Whitaker's alcohol addiction and Nicole's (Kelly Reilly) heroin addiction spread thin across the 138 minute run-time. I felt myself wishing that things would hurry themselves up,  but instead Zemeckis pulls back on the throttle and slows things down.

When things do finally come to a close (in a neat and satisfying way I might add) at the end, you can't help but wish that Zemeckis has gotten there a little quicker. This slow pacing isn't detrimental enough to have you reclining your seat and reaching for the flight pillows however, just a slight criticism after such a pulsating and heart-quickening opening half an hour.

Don Cheadle and Bruce Greenwood are both fantastic as Captain Whitaker's legal team but a side plot concerning Whitaker's wife and son is underplayed.

On the whole, Flight is an enjoyable, entertaining and fascinating ride that is only disturbed by small batches of turbulence. It's an emotional character study on addiction as well as moral ambiguity and responsibility. A thrilling opening and satisfying conclusion more than make for a slightly padded middle third.

I give Flight: 7/10

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Verdict: Elementary

Prior to watching the first episode of CBS' new crime drama Elementary, I was held the opinion that American adaptations of British television shows are hit and miss, primarily the latter (see Opinion: Brits do it Better). 60 minutes later, it is still immensely tricky to shake off that opinion.


The main lesson to be learnt about Elementary is that you can't take something so distinct in image and ideal and try and make it something it isn't. You can't take something so quintessentially British and Americanize it without losing something. The thing about the Sherlock Holmes is that he comes laden with an associated set of these images that define any book, television show or film that he inhabits; the smoky streets of London, the contrasting characters of Holmes and Watson, Holmes' odd traits and addictions and so on.

The biggest misgiving of Elementary is that it takes these characters' and attempts to transplant them into an alien setting that is ill-fitting of the legend. The established characters and the new spin just don't gel, don't mesh together as neatly as other recent interpretations of the character have done. Had Elementary been the first television show to take Sherlock Holmes and place him in a modern day setting, then maybe it would have been pulled off with a little more success. As it is, Elementary feels like nothing more than a rehash of other ideas that worked better in first place anyway.

First off, let's talk about the man himself. Jonny Lee Miller's drug-addicted Sherlock isn't anything remarkable or memorable. He's patchy and inconsistent, veering from an ADHD-riddled brat one moment to smart, smug and arrogant the next. He doesn't play it cool, instead throwing tantrums and anger fits that lead to him deliberately ramming a parked car.

On the other hand, Lucy Liu acts Dr. Watson well. She doesn't overact it, instead playing it low-key and understated. If fact, she is probably the show's greatest draw card. Outside of the lead duo, the supporting characters such as Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn) are almost instantly forgettable, coming across as one-off Law and Order characters.

In fact, the entire show comes across as just another bland American crime drama. There is little to distinguish Elementary from Law and Order, CSI or Bones, except that the latter of those has some degree of genuine wit and chemistry between its two leads. The twists and turns in Elementary are weak and predictable, nothing out of the ordinary or remarkable. It washes over you with ease; hardly gripping or thrilling in the slightest.

The hard truth is, is that after half an hour, I was longing to watch the BBC's Sherlock rather than intrigued to watch any more of Elementary. Taking a fairly standard American crime show format and simply naming your lead characters Holmes and Watson doesn't make it brilliant. Give Elementary a whirl if your a die-hard fan of Law and Order and CSI: New York. Other than that, I highly recommend you watch Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in the BBC's Sherlock, a show that is simply genius on every level.

Click on the links below for my episode reviews of Series 2 of the BBC's Sherlock.

Episode 1: A Scandal in Belgravia
Episode 2: The Hounds of Baskerville
Episode 3: The Reichenbach Fall
Opinion: Reinventing Sherlock

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Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Director: David O. Russell
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver
Runtime: 122 minutes

Silver Linings Playbook is a beautifully crafted tale of two damaged and down-on-their-luck people who find themselves searching for that 'silver lining' in one another's lives. Sometimes emotional and raw, Silver Linings Playbook takes a sensitive topic and injects a dose of heart that will win audiences over.

What the film nails is it's representation of bi-polar and OCD personalities. Director David O. Russell doesn't hold back in showing the subtle and not so subtle intricacies of both disorders. The effect is sometimes surprising as characters such as Pat (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) arcing back and forth  between elation and depression.

Where the film finds its true voice is the on-screen chemistry between its two leads. Cooper and Lawrence handle the confronting and sensitive subject matter with delicate care that adds both heartfelt emotion and levity. Pat, with his overwhelming obsessions and idiosyncrasies is trying to overcome his disorder to win back his wife whilst Tiffany is looking for an escape from her past mistakes.

They find what they are looking for in one another, the two of them working together to move on with their lives and start a new chapter. The majority of the scenes the two share with one another will not fail to bring a smile to your face as their unconventional social skills can be hugely funny at times.

This however does not mean that Silver Linings Playbook is a romantic comedy that pokes fun at its subject matter. On the contrary, the flipside of the film shows the emotional trauma and heartbreak at suffering from such a disorder. Walking this delicate tightrope of sensitive subject matter could have sunk the film but the well-acted characters proves otherwise. The film is perfectly perched on the line that divides romantic comedy from psychological drama.

The films supporting cast is impressive as well with Robert De Niro possibly stealing the show with his portrayal of Pat Snr. who suffers from OCD and is obsessed with his football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Meanwhile, Jacki Weaver is great as caring and loving mother Dolores who is always there for her whole family.

Silver Linings Playbook is a film that has been drenched with Academy Awards nominations (Cooper, Lawrence, De Niro and Weaver are all nominated for best actor/actress awards) and it is easy to see why. There is really nothing of note that I can pick out as a downside from Silver Linings Playbook. It should most definitely be seen by anyone who is one the hunt for a touching and well-crafted tale of human emotion, imperfections and love.

I give Silver Linings Playbook: 9/10

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Quotes Corner: Karl Pilkington #2

Stephen Merchant, Karl Pilkington and Ricky Gervais

Karl Pilkington. A man with no qualifications, very little education and who is now known the world over as a man who has a head shaped like a f**king orange. As a long time fan of Karl and his hilarious discussions with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, I've compiled together a quick list of some of the best quotes uttered by the man himself. 


On Eygpt
"You don't see that in the brochure. Shitty old nappy whizzing through the air. They tend to leave that out"

On the Pyramids of Giza
"It's like a massive game of Jenga that's got out of hand"

On the Amazon jungle
"What's so good about the Amazon? Can't be that good; there are things in it that would rather live in me knob"

On the difficulty of being a stick insect
"Imagine being a stick insect walking about. You'd forever be going, "Is that whats-his-name?" And you'd have to walk all the way up to the twig and you'd go, "Oh, it's just another bloody twig again.".

On China
Ricky Gervais: "You are the strangest man on the planet"
Karl: "You haven't been to China"

On Gremlins
"What were those things in Gremlins called?"

On cavemen
"Even cavemen had little pants on when you see footage of them"

On socks
"I don't like socks, they just cut off your freedom"

On the French
"If a French woman was talking to me, I'd say "I don't know what you're talking about love but it sounds good"

On problems
"A problem solved, is a problem caused"

On inventing
"If an idea isn't daft, it isn't worth thinking about"

On romance
"Suzanne says to me 'Do you love me' an' I go, 'Yeah, you're alright"

On living without thumbs
"I did a bit of an experiment, it's my job at home to do the washing up. I thought to make it interesting and stuff, I wondered if I could do it if I didn't have any thumbs. So I just sort of held them in and it's amazing how it took me ages!"

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