The September Issue: Movie review
The September Issue
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, Sienna Miller
Director: R J Cutler
Vogue's September issue of 2007 was, as editor Anna Wintour proclaimed, the
biggest ever. Over 13 million copies of the two kilogram tome were sold.
The September Issue chronicles the intensive process
of putting the fashion bible together. But much more pertinently, it offers
exclusive access into the hallowed halls of Vogue - the very offices notoriously
fictionalised in The Devil Wears Prada in 2006.
You
won't see traces of Meryl Streep's defiant Miranda Priestly here. Vogue's
infamous editor, Anna Wintour, is a whippet of a thing. She observes those
around her behind thick curtains of hair and only her sharp eyes and sly grin
belie her incisive intelligence. She approaches her work clinically, culling
collections and dismissing models in typically decisive style.
Faced with Wintour's reserve, director R.J Cutler
frequently turns to Wintour's colleague, creative director Grace Coddington, to
reveal Wintour's character. Coddington has by her own admission earned her place
at Vogue and isn't concerned with venting her frequent frustrations. It's Grace
who we empathise with when her meticulously planned shoots are dismissed with
the wave of a carefully manicured hand.
Grace is
the exception to the Vogue rule. Wintour surrounds herself with those who will
not test her resolve, who respect the power she wields. It's easy to forget that
the journalists and stylists at Vogue are at the top of their field, such is
their desperation to appease her. As Grace deftly observes of a male colleague,
"He won't say what he thinks in case he gets it wrong."
This is however a rare moment of cynicism. The September Issue is an
88-minute slice of Vogue life, from the often comical fashion shoots, to
cover-shoot wrangling and the editing process.
Those expecting a real life The Devil Wears Prada may be disappointed
as Wintour has no intention of allowing Cutler to create an expose of
Vogue. Instead, she offers a peek into her world without revealing anything of
herself - no surprise given she is the matriarch in a world concerned with
facades.
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Up: Movie Review
Up: Movie Review
Rating: 7/10
Voice Cast: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger
Director: Pete Docter
A Pixar film is always a joy to behold.
You know that animators have spent hours poring over every frame, ensuring every pixel is in place and every moment is perfectly crafted.
But with the level of excellence continuing to rise each time, it's inevitable somewhere that one film will fail to meet the mark.
That's not 100% the case with Up - but the problem with Pixar films, is you inevitably hold them to account with their predecessors.
And in this case, it was the fabulous combo that was Presto, the short tale about a magician's rabbit - and Wall-E, the robot.
Up is the tale of Carl Fredericksen, who, in the twilight years of his life, after realizing he never followed his (and his wife Ellie's dream) of taking a trip to Paradise Falls in South America, decides to do something about it.
So with the bulldozers literally knocking at his door to make way for a development, Carl unveils a roof full of balloons and heads for the skies as he relocates for good.
The trouble is, just prior to his leaving, Carl was visited by Wilderness Explorer, Russell, who's trying to earn his final badge - for helping the elderly - and who was near the house when it took to the skies.
With his unwanted companion, Carl and Russell head off for adventure - even if Carl doesn't want it.
Along the way, the duo cross paths with disgraced explorer Charles Muntz, who's trying to prove he's not a liar to the exploring world by trapping a rare bird and taking it back to civilization.
Will Carl sacrifice his dream to get involved in Russell's new quest?
Up is quite an adult tale - it's a yarn about accepting what's in your backyard and living life to the full; it has a winsome quality and has some truly touching moments.
The first sequence which fully illustrates Carl's life with Ellie before the present day is just beautiful, emotionally stunning. Quite how a 3 minute sequence of animation can reduce this reviewer to near tears is a testament to the human touch these computer animators haven't lost.
But I didn't feel the resolute joy with the rest of Up that I have done with similar Pixar releases - whether it's because this story didn't resonate with me, I don't know exactly how to pinpoint what it was- certainly there's no qualms about the animation and inventiveness on screen.
That said, I do love the fact that Carl loses his purpose in his life after the loss of Ellie - a rare quality for an animated film to portray - and by relocating and following what were his family's dreams, he rediscovers who exactly he is.
Up may not appeal across the spectrum too - it's very wordy at the start (so much so, one poor little darling in the screening shouted "Boring") and there's very little real action until the final 30 minutes of the film - but it's the closest Pixar have ever really gotten to reality - and for that it deserves to be treasured.
However, for every moment of minor misses, there are 1001 visually stunning moments on Up - and at the end of the day, when you're watching animation on the bigscreen, sometimes it's more than enough to simply look up and be impressed.
Rating: 7/10
Voice Cast: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger
Director: Pete Docter
A Pixar film is always a joy to behold.
You know that animators have spent hours poring over every frame, ensuring every pixel is in place and every moment is perfectly crafted.
But with the level of excellence continuing to rise each time, it's inevitable somewhere that one film will fail to meet the mark.
That's not 100% the case with Up - but the problem with Pixar films, is you inevitably hold them to account with their predecessors.
And in this case, it was the fabulous combo that was Presto, the short tale about a magician's rabbit - and Wall-E, the robot.
Up is the tale of Carl Fredericksen, who, in the twilight years of his life, after realizing he never followed his (and his wife Ellie's dream) of taking a trip to Paradise Falls in South America, decides to do something about it.
So with the bulldozers literally knocking at his door to make way for a development, Carl unveils a roof full of balloons and heads for the skies as he relocates for good.
The trouble is, just prior to his leaving, Carl was visited by Wilderness Explorer, Russell, who's trying to earn his final badge - for helping the elderly - and who was near the house when it took to the skies.
With his unwanted companion, Carl and Russell head off for adventure - even if Carl doesn't want it.
Along the way, the duo cross paths with disgraced explorer Charles Muntz, who's trying to prove he's not a liar to the exploring world by trapping a rare bird and taking it back to civilization.
Will Carl sacrifice his dream to get involved in Russell's new quest?
Up is quite an adult tale - it's a yarn about accepting what's in your backyard and living life to the full; it has a winsome quality and has some truly touching moments.
The first sequence which fully illustrates Carl's life with Ellie before the present day is just beautiful, emotionally stunning. Quite how a 3 minute sequence of animation can reduce this reviewer to near tears is a testament to the human touch these computer animators haven't lost.
But I didn't feel the resolute joy with the rest of Up that I have done with similar Pixar releases - whether it's because this story didn't resonate with me, I don't know exactly how to pinpoint what it was- certainly there's no qualms about the animation and inventiveness on screen.
That said, I do love the fact that Carl loses his purpose in his life after the loss of Ellie - a rare quality for an animated film to portray - and by relocating and following what were his family's dreams, he rediscovers who exactly he is.
Up may not appeal across the spectrum too - it's very wordy at the start (so much so, one poor little darling in the screening shouted "Boring") and there's very little real action until the final 30 minutes of the film - but it's the closest Pixar have ever really gotten to reality - and for that it deserves to be treasured.
However, for every moment of minor misses, there are 1001 visually stunning moments on Up - and at the end of the day, when you're watching animation on the bigscreen, sometimes it's more than enough to simply look up and be impressed.
Monday, 7 September 2009
Due South: Season 3: DVD Review
Due South: Season 3: DVD Review
Due South Series 3
Starring: Paul Gross, Callum Keith Rennie, David Marciano, Leslie Nielsen, Gordon Pinsent
Rating: M
Released by Madman Entertainment.
Cult shows from my youth don't come finer than this - or is it just nostalgia?
Back in the mid 90s, I remember stumbling across Due South, the comedy crime drama series which saw a Canadian Mountie Benton Fraser (Paul Gross) head across the border to Chicago to track his father's killer.
Paired with a cynical cop Ray Vecchio (David Marciano), Fraser, along with his deaf wolf Diefenbaker and dead father who haunted him from the next world, had a series of adventures and cracked crime on the way.
It was quirky, offbeat and centred around the good nature of the Canadian Mountie who used his manners (oft found saying Thank You Kindly) to appeal to the better nature of the crims involved.
Due South Volume 3 collects together the final 26 episodes of the show's last two seasons which brought the curtain down on the gang.
But the last season was a tumultuous one - dumped from US TV because it bombed in the ratings, this Canadian dramedy (created by Paul Haggis who wrote Crash and Million Dollar Baby) did phenomenally well abroad and that saw it commissioned for a final run by a multi national conglomerate of partners (including the BBC).
In its final year, the original Ray Vecchio went undercover, leaving Fraser with a new partner Stanley Kowalski (Callum Keith Rennie, recently seen in Battlestar Galactica and Case 39 on the big screen) who had to adapt to Fraser's way of working.
The joke with Due South has always been a sly nod and wink to the ongoing relationship between the Canadians and the Americans - with the USA seeing them as being a bit slow and Canada exploiting this to their own ends.
Those quirks continue in Series 3 - and finally wraps up some of the long running plot threads - including the riddle of the murder of Fraser's mother.
It's fair to say the cracks were starting to show in the production of the show's final year - and while the partnership between Kowalski and Fraser works well, it never really transcends the tenderness between Vecchio and Fraser which gave the series so much of its appeal. However, that said, it still remains a rare show in that it has family values (which are never preached) and can be watched by all.
The 7 disc set itself is a bit of a mixed bag - it would have been great to have some form of extras or perhaps a doco which show why Due South is so loved nearly 10 years after its release - instead, there's nothing but the bumper 26 episodes (along with Leslie Nielsen's flatulent Mountie Buck Frobisher).
And while that's great, it's just a shame the show which is ardently cared for by fans who view it isn't given the send off that it deserves.
Still, it is great to be able to have the final set released after a long, long wait.
To Madman, I say: Thank you, kindly.
Rating: 7/10
Due South Series 3
Starring: Paul Gross, Callum Keith Rennie, David Marciano, Leslie Nielsen, Gordon Pinsent
Rating: M
Released by Madman Entertainment.
Cult shows from my youth don't come finer than this - or is it just nostalgia?
Back in the mid 90s, I remember stumbling across Due South, the comedy crime drama series which saw a Canadian Mountie Benton Fraser (Paul Gross) head across the border to Chicago to track his father's killer.
Paired with a cynical cop Ray Vecchio (David Marciano), Fraser, along with his deaf wolf Diefenbaker and dead father who haunted him from the next world, had a series of adventures and cracked crime on the way.
It was quirky, offbeat and centred around the good nature of the Canadian Mountie who used his manners (oft found saying Thank You Kindly) to appeal to the better nature of the crims involved.
Due South Volume 3 collects together the final 26 episodes of the show's last two seasons which brought the curtain down on the gang.
But the last season was a tumultuous one - dumped from US TV because it bombed in the ratings, this Canadian dramedy (created by Paul Haggis who wrote Crash and Million Dollar Baby) did phenomenally well abroad and that saw it commissioned for a final run by a multi national conglomerate of partners (including the BBC).
In its final year, the original Ray Vecchio went undercover, leaving Fraser with a new partner Stanley Kowalski (Callum Keith Rennie, recently seen in Battlestar Galactica and Case 39 on the big screen) who had to adapt to Fraser's way of working.
The joke with Due South has always been a sly nod and wink to the ongoing relationship between the Canadians and the Americans - with the USA seeing them as being a bit slow and Canada exploiting this to their own ends.
Those quirks continue in Series 3 - and finally wraps up some of the long running plot threads - including the riddle of the murder of Fraser's mother.
It's fair to say the cracks were starting to show in the production of the show's final year - and while the partnership between Kowalski and Fraser works well, it never really transcends the tenderness between Vecchio and Fraser which gave the series so much of its appeal. However, that said, it still remains a rare show in that it has family values (which are never preached) and can be watched by all.
The 7 disc set itself is a bit of a mixed bag - it would have been great to have some form of extras or perhaps a doco which show why Due South is so loved nearly 10 years after its release - instead, there's nothing but the bumper 26 episodes (along with Leslie Nielsen's flatulent Mountie Buck Frobisher).
And while that's great, it's just a shame the show which is ardently cared for by fans who view it isn't given the send off that it deserves.
Still, it is great to be able to have the final set released after a long, long wait.
To Madman, I say: Thank you, kindly.
Rating: 7/10
The Soloist: Movie Review
The Soloist: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander
Director: Joe Wright
Robert Downey Jr plays LA Times columnist Steve Lopez in this true life story about Nathaniel Ayers (played by Jamie Foxx), a musical prodigy whose life didn't go the way he was expecting.
Ayers was on course to make a splash in the music world and was studying at the prestigious Julliard school of music when he developed schizophrenia and ended up homeless on the streets of downtown LA.
Lopez was the journalist who, amid the possibility of cuts on the LA Times and reporter lay offs, ended up finding Ayers (after looking for a story) and forming a friendship with him.
The Soloist is their story - and details the highs and lows of living with mental illness.
Both Downey Jr and Foxx are pretty damn good in their respective roles - Downey Jr continues to cement his reputation as a comeback king with this role which is imbued with humanity and warmth; Foxx manages to expertly convey the reality of living with the condition of paranoid schizophrenia - but it's director Joe Wright who somehow manages to fudge this film and stops it from soaring (even though it does feel at times like a showreel for the 2010 Oscars)
Whereas there are subtle moments which show the toll an illness takes on those around them, there are some moments where it feels like Wright's direction is beating you over the head with a hammer to make a point.
At one key juncture, Ayers is shown to be consumed by his music and transported by his passion (he views Beethoven's music as a series of coloured dots dancing on the black screen) - these are the moments which make you appreciate what Ayers' character is truly like- as opposed to a scene where Ayers is playing cello and a pair of birds soar through the sky and swoop back and forth amongst the cityscapes.
It's at times like that that Joe Wright manages to plumb the stereotypes and drag the overall film down.
It's a very human approach to schizophrenia and manages to work because it doesn't show Lopez having all the answers (and even struggling to realize what exactly he's got himself into)- in fact one of the key moments sees a social worker telling Downey Jr's character that Ayers doesn't need curing or help, he simply needs a friend.
Lopez is an odd character - he simply befriends Ayers to start off with because it makes good copy and sells papers as well as filling column inches - and at times, he manages to come across as naïve as he suggests Ayers needs medicating.
On reflection though, it occurs to me that Lopez's reactions are those of every human being who's a little uneducated to what they've witnessed.
Foxx is heartbreaking to watch as the demons start to set in while at college - these scenes are effective as the whispering voices nag at him and start to overwhelm him.
Even in his moments of clarity, Ayers is still dangerously close to the edge - and Foxx manages to convey it in a haunting and affecting way.
It's thanks to the virtuoso performances of the two lead actors that this film manages to succeed - but it's sadly due to the director that it doesn't soar as much as perhaps it should.
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Jamie Foxx, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander
Director: Joe Wright
Robert Downey Jr plays LA Times columnist Steve Lopez in this true life story about Nathaniel Ayers (played by Jamie Foxx), a musical prodigy whose life didn't go the way he was expecting.
Ayers was on course to make a splash in the music world and was studying at the prestigious Julliard school of music when he developed schizophrenia and ended up homeless on the streets of downtown LA.
Lopez was the journalist who, amid the possibility of cuts on the LA Times and reporter lay offs, ended up finding Ayers (after looking for a story) and forming a friendship with him.
The Soloist is their story - and details the highs and lows of living with mental illness.
Both Downey Jr and Foxx are pretty damn good in their respective roles - Downey Jr continues to cement his reputation as a comeback king with this role which is imbued with humanity and warmth; Foxx manages to expertly convey the reality of living with the condition of paranoid schizophrenia - but it's director Joe Wright who somehow manages to fudge this film and stops it from soaring (even though it does feel at times like a showreel for the 2010 Oscars)
Whereas there are subtle moments which show the toll an illness takes on those around them, there are some moments where it feels like Wright's direction is beating you over the head with a hammer to make a point.
At one key juncture, Ayers is shown to be consumed by his music and transported by his passion (he views Beethoven's music as a series of coloured dots dancing on the black screen) - these are the moments which make you appreciate what Ayers' character is truly like- as opposed to a scene where Ayers is playing cello and a pair of birds soar through the sky and swoop back and forth amongst the cityscapes.
It's at times like that that Joe Wright manages to plumb the stereotypes and drag the overall film down.
It's a very human approach to schizophrenia and manages to work because it doesn't show Lopez having all the answers (and even struggling to realize what exactly he's got himself into)- in fact one of the key moments sees a social worker telling Downey Jr's character that Ayers doesn't need curing or help, he simply needs a friend.
Lopez is an odd character - he simply befriends Ayers to start off with because it makes good copy and sells papers as well as filling column inches - and at times, he manages to come across as naïve as he suggests Ayers needs medicating.
On reflection though, it occurs to me that Lopez's reactions are those of every human being who's a little uneducated to what they've witnessed.
Foxx is heartbreaking to watch as the demons start to set in while at college - these scenes are effective as the whispering voices nag at him and start to overwhelm him.
Even in his moments of clarity, Ayers is still dangerously close to the edge - and Foxx manages to convey it in a haunting and affecting way.
It's thanks to the virtuoso performances of the two lead actors that this film manages to succeed - but it's sadly due to the director that it doesn't soar as much as perhaps it should.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
The Young Victoria: Movie Review
The Young Victoria: Movie Review
Rating: 8/10 for females... 6/10 for males
Cast: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Produced by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and Academy Award winners Martin Scorsese and Graham King, The Young Victoria is something I've waited a long time for - a decent costume drama.
And one without Ms Knightley in it to boot!
The Young Victoria , much like the title suggests, tells the story of Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne, her shaky first steps as Britain's monarch, and the courtship that eventually led to one of the most famous romances of all time.
Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt) is a headstrong young woman wary of being manipulated, who is unsure who to trust in the first years of her rule.
When her cousin, Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), counsels her to learn to play the political game better than those who seek to use her, the audience gets its first hint that this gentle, logical man may be the perfect match for the feisty queen.
But standing in his way is Victoria's heavy reliance on the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany), for guidance.
Blunt's nuanced portrayal of Victoria manages to balance great strength of character with an underlying vulnerability, giving the queen an accessibility that immediately endears her to the audience.
Friend also impresses with his inherently likeable interpretation of Albert. He has the audience in the palm of his hand from the moment he advises Victoria to "...find [a man] to play [the political game] with you, not for you."
Even though this story's outcome is pre-determined, The Young Victoria is no dry dusty plod through the history books. There is plenty of humour and joie de vivre, as well as a surprising amount of suspense.
It's at this point that I have to admit to being genuinely worried that Victoria wouldn't end up with Albert, even though my general knowledge was telling me otherwise...
But please don't think this is just another sweeping romantic saga in fancy dress, although the costumes are exquisite.
The real focus is on Victoria's coming of age, and her struggle to find the best way to serve her people and her country. And since Fergie is a producer, I can't help but believe that this movie is fairly accurate in its depiction of the behind-the-scenes politics faced by the British Monarchy.
Also adding to the film's royal connections is a rather unusual extra - Princess Beatrice, who has a 'blink and you'll miss it' non-speaking role as one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting.
So what are you waiting for?
The Young Victoria is hugely enjoyable, visually opulent, and has a fabulously talented cast who are a delight to watch.
Rating: 8/10 for females... 6/10 for males
Cast: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Produced by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and Academy Award winners Martin Scorsese and Graham King, The Young Victoria is something I've waited a long time for - a decent costume drama.
And one without Ms Knightley in it to boot!
The Young Victoria , much like the title suggests, tells the story of Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne, her shaky first steps as Britain's monarch, and the courtship that eventually led to one of the most famous romances of all time.
Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt) is a headstrong young woman wary of being manipulated, who is unsure who to trust in the first years of her rule.
When her cousin, Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), counsels her to learn to play the political game better than those who seek to use her, the audience gets its first hint that this gentle, logical man may be the perfect match for the feisty queen.
But standing in his way is Victoria's heavy reliance on the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne (Paul Bettany), for guidance.
Blunt's nuanced portrayal of Victoria manages to balance great strength of character with an underlying vulnerability, giving the queen an accessibility that immediately endears her to the audience.
Friend also impresses with his inherently likeable interpretation of Albert. He has the audience in the palm of his hand from the moment he advises Victoria to "...find [a man] to play [the political game] with you, not for you."
Even though this story's outcome is pre-determined, The Young Victoria is no dry dusty plod through the history books. There is plenty of humour and joie de vivre, as well as a surprising amount of suspense.
It's at this point that I have to admit to being genuinely worried that Victoria wouldn't end up with Albert, even though my general knowledge was telling me otherwise...
But please don't think this is just another sweeping romantic saga in fancy dress, although the costumes are exquisite.
The real focus is on Victoria's coming of age, and her struggle to find the best way to serve her people and her country. And since Fergie is a producer, I can't help but believe that this movie is fairly accurate in its depiction of the behind-the-scenes politics faced by the British Monarchy.
Also adding to the film's royal connections is a rather unusual extra - Princess Beatrice, who has a 'blink and you'll miss it' non-speaking role as one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting.
So what are you waiting for?
The Young Victoria is hugely enjoyable, visually opulent, and has a fabulously talented cast who are a delight to watch.
Saturday, 29 August 2009
Battlestar Galactica S4 Pt 2: DVD Review
Battlestar Galactica S4 Pt 2: DVD Review
Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Part 2
Starring: Tricia Helfer, James Callis, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber
Rating: Restricted to Over 13
Universal Home Video
After four seasons of tumultuous acclaim and critical praise, the updated version of Battlestar Galactica comes to an end.
Trouble is, how do you end a show which has been such a part of the blogosphere and sci-fi world for so long?
Well the answer it appears is in a slightly disappointing manner. (But to be fair, it was never going to satisfy everyone)
The final ten episodes wrap up the saga - after the last surviving humans found what they believed was earth and discovered it was ravaged by nuclear radiation, they set back out - along with their foes and uneasy allies, The Cylons - to find somewhere new to call home.
However, the psychological toll of nearing ultimate destruction and failing to locate what was believed to be Earth sees the survivors ripped apart by civil unrest as they all try to come to terms with uncertain times.
Can they find a place to call home and reconcile with their arch nemeses?
This 4 disc final season set of BSG had a lot of the weight of expectation and the hope of the resolution of the show's mythology on its shoulders.
As with many shows of this genre, it's never going to satisfy the hard core fans - although in fairness, these last 10 wrap up some of the threads which have been dangling since the start of Series 1 (who is the fifth Cylon? What exactly is the deal with Starbuck?) - and some of them are tidied up neatly while others are left without definitive resolution.
The only major disappointment with this clutch of episodes is how exactly they choose to end it - I guess there's some kind of poetic justice that the fate of the human race depends on a hybrid of a human and Cylon - but an awful out of nowhere kidnapping seems to have been shoehorned into the plot to help it finish.
That said - as a fan of the original series, it's very cool to see old school Cylons battling new school Cylons.
And for a series with a long term plan, this has stayed true throughout and never changed what its creators wanted for it.
Where I think BSG will be remembered is in its look and feel - all of the characters have a weariness about them and a humanity which has seeped through the writing all through out - as a show in its entirety it developed deep themes about man, gods, fate, destiny and saw them through to the bitter end.
It will be frakking missed.
Extras: Unrated version of episode A Disquiet Follows My Soul, A sneak peek at Caprica (the show's prequel), Video blogs, a doco
Rating: 7/10
Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Part 2
Starring: Tricia Helfer, James Callis, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber
Rating: Restricted to Over 13
Universal Home Video
After four seasons of tumultuous acclaim and critical praise, the updated version of Battlestar Galactica comes to an end.
Trouble is, how do you end a show which has been such a part of the blogosphere and sci-fi world for so long?
Well the answer it appears is in a slightly disappointing manner. (But to be fair, it was never going to satisfy everyone)
The final ten episodes wrap up the saga - after the last surviving humans found what they believed was earth and discovered it was ravaged by nuclear radiation, they set back out - along with their foes and uneasy allies, The Cylons - to find somewhere new to call home.
However, the psychological toll of nearing ultimate destruction and failing to locate what was believed to be Earth sees the survivors ripped apart by civil unrest as they all try to come to terms with uncertain times.
Can they find a place to call home and reconcile with their arch nemeses?
This 4 disc final season set of BSG had a lot of the weight of expectation and the hope of the resolution of the show's mythology on its shoulders.
As with many shows of this genre, it's never going to satisfy the hard core fans - although in fairness, these last 10 wrap up some of the threads which have been dangling since the start of Series 1 (who is the fifth Cylon? What exactly is the deal with Starbuck?) - and some of them are tidied up neatly while others are left without definitive resolution.
The only major disappointment with this clutch of episodes is how exactly they choose to end it - I guess there's some kind of poetic justice that the fate of the human race depends on a hybrid of a human and Cylon - but an awful out of nowhere kidnapping seems to have been shoehorned into the plot to help it finish.
That said - as a fan of the original series, it's very cool to see old school Cylons battling new school Cylons.
And for a series with a long term plan, this has stayed true throughout and never changed what its creators wanted for it.
Where I think BSG will be remembered is in its look and feel - all of the characters have a weariness about them and a humanity which has seeped through the writing all through out - as a show in its entirety it developed deep themes about man, gods, fate, destiny and saw them through to the bitter end.
It will be frakking missed.
Extras: Unrated version of episode A Disquiet Follows My Soul, A sneak peek at Caprica (the show's prequel), Video blogs, a doco
Rating: 7/10
The Counterfeiters: DVD Review
The Counterfeiters: DVD Review
The Counterfeiters
Madman Entertainment
Rating: R13
Based on the true story of the largest counterfeiting ring (Operation Bernhard) set up by the Nazis in 1942, The Counterfeiters is a horrifyingly tense tale.
It centres around the story of Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch, who after being arrested by the Germans is thrown into a concentration camp.
The former counterfeiter extraordinaire is coerced into helping them create fake US and UK money which would have been used to flood the British and American economies and bring them to their knees.
But Sorowitsch finds his life complicated by moral obligations to his fellow prisoners and work mates - as well as being given the personal challenge of creating a perfect copy of the US dollar - a currency he's never been able to perfect as a counterfeiter.
The problem is the moment the Counterfeiters manage to succeed, they'll be wiped out as their usefulness will have expired.
And so begins a cat and mouse game between both sides - but as the pressure builds, the stakes become ever higher&.
The Counterfeiters is a truly engrossing and horrific film - as any war time film is wont to be.
There are real contrasts within - from the opening moments where Sorowitsch loses all his money at a casino to the terrifying lows of being given shoes which don't fit properly and former prisoner's clothes when he's put in the concentration camp, to moments where the prisoners realize they have to co-operate or they'll be killed - either by the guards or by the other prisoners who're jealous of the relative luxury the workers live in.
A tense and deeply taut thriller, The Counterfeiters is compelling viewing.
Extras :- Interview with Adolf Burger (whose memoir formed the film)
- Adolf Burger artifacts
- Interview with actor Karl Markovics (Salomon Sorowitsch)
- Interview with director Stefan Ruzowitzky
- Theatrical trailer
Rating 8/10
The Counterfeiters
Madman Entertainment
Rating: R13
Based on the true story of the largest counterfeiting ring (Operation Bernhard) set up by the Nazis in 1942, The Counterfeiters is a horrifyingly tense tale.
It centres around the story of Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch, who after being arrested by the Germans is thrown into a concentration camp.
The former counterfeiter extraordinaire is coerced into helping them create fake US and UK money which would have been used to flood the British and American economies and bring them to their knees.
But Sorowitsch finds his life complicated by moral obligations to his fellow prisoners and work mates - as well as being given the personal challenge of creating a perfect copy of the US dollar - a currency he's never been able to perfect as a counterfeiter.
The problem is the moment the Counterfeiters manage to succeed, they'll be wiped out as their usefulness will have expired.
And so begins a cat and mouse game between both sides - but as the pressure builds, the stakes become ever higher&.
The Counterfeiters is a truly engrossing and horrific film - as any war time film is wont to be.
There are real contrasts within - from the opening moments where Sorowitsch loses all his money at a casino to the terrifying lows of being given shoes which don't fit properly and former prisoner's clothes when he's put in the concentration camp, to moments where the prisoners realize they have to co-operate or they'll be killed - either by the guards or by the other prisoners who're jealous of the relative luxury the workers live in.
A tense and deeply taut thriller, The Counterfeiters is compelling viewing.
Extras :- Interview with Adolf Burger (whose memoir formed the film)
- Adolf Burger artifacts
- Interview with actor Karl Markovics (Salomon Sorowitsch)
- Interview with director Stefan Ruzowitzky
- Theatrical trailer
Rating 8/10
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