Film Review: A Hijacking (15), (Denmark 2012) (Director: Tobias Lindholm) (English, Danish & Swedish  With English Subtitles), Saturday 11.05.2013 15:45, The Cameo Cinema, Screen Two, Edinburgh

This is a film based around actual happenings and is from the writer of Danish T.V.'s 'Borgen' & 'the Danish film 'The Hunt' released here in the U.K. late last year. The plot is not particularly revolatory. A sea vessel belonging to a Danish company is boarded by Somalian Pirates in the waters of India and demands for money are made.

What marks this out from lesser quality fare is the fine balance of focus continually shifting back and forth between the situation aboard the vessel and the Danish company attempting to manage the negotiations along with the affect upon family members anxiously waiting upon the outcome.

The pacing and plot development keeps the progression suitably taught without over-spilling into gung-ho behaviour. The desperation of the hostages situation is finely portrayed by Pilou Asbaek (Kasper Jull the spin-doctor in Borgen) as the vessels cook. There is a twist close to the end, which speaks of the need to tread carefully even when it appears as if a resolution has been reached. I found the film tensely compelling, while also leaving room for thought at the end as all was not wrapped up neatly.

Rating: 08/10.

Film Review: Fuck For Forest (18), (Poland/Germany 2012) (Director: Michal Marczak) (English, German, Spanish & Norwegian with English Subtitles) Wednesday 08.05.2013 20:55 The Filmhouse Cinema, Screen Three, Edinburgh 

The title of the film is the title of a charity based in Berlin of the same name. The charity is based upon the idea of raising funds for ecological causes by producing and selling homemade pornography. Knowing this I was very intrigued as sounded as though it could contain some very interestingly bizarre people.

The first half of the film focuses upon the group/charity and their activities in Europe. The second half follows the group to an area within the Amazon, to meet with tribes who they have said they would give funds to, to support their living on that land. The first half has to be the funniest stuff I have ever seen in a cinema. The second half is a very interesting portrayal of two alien cultures not being able to penetrate each other.

Those involved in the charity are very well meaning though naive hippies and appear to exist in this bubble cushioning them from the rest of the world. If you thought Britain was a good source of eccentrics...

Some of what occurs in the first half is absurd beyond belief to the extent that I was left wondering how some of these people have managed to live as long as they have. I laughed so hard that I was physically sore afterwards for the rest of the evening. For example there are wonderful scenes where these weird freaks (in the nicest possible way) approach people in the street asking if they would consider being involved in making mucky stuff that could be used to raise funds - apparently one in ten agree!

The second half is quite touching, as the hippies appear a lot less chaotic when in the Amazon area, and appear genuine in not seeing their offer of support as an investment they will come to want a kick-back from. Though the locals don't trust them and suspect ulterior motives, while they listen with trust to a man showing them the latest chainsaw.

I did like though that the tribes people were quite open in belittling the charities 'cause' of liberated public non-sexual nudity. They impressed on the hippies that the tribes people struggle for life from day-to-day and don't have the time to treat seriously such a trivial and decadent fight.

I wen't to see this due to curiosity, though came away thinking it is a fascinatingly enjoyable film. Considering the title of the piece, there is surprisingly little mucky stuff, which leads to me feeling I would happily recommend this to anyone who enjoys finding out about the more bizarre elements of life. This is a truly wondrous and beautiful film.

Rating: 10/10. 

Live Performance Review: Pink Martini feat. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Tuesday 07.05.2013, 19:30, The Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Pink Martini are a very classy and able ensemble, though impossible to pigeon-hole. All on stage appeared to be very talented, though there is no escaping the fact that the focus apart from falling on the extremely talented Thomas Lauderdale (Bandleader/Pianist) was consumed by the sublime China Forbes (Singer). Her singing of 'Sympathique' had me in floods of tears by not long after she started; It was so beautiful that I rushed past controlled leakage. There were numerous songs they performed that caused goosebumps, though this was usually in direct response to particular vocal performances from China. I have no qualm with any element of the performance, and would happily pay again to see such mastery.

Rating: 10/10.  

Live Performance Review: Derren Brown: Infamous, Monday 06.05.2013, 20:00, The Playhouse, Edinburgh

This was the third time I have been to see Derren perform. I went to performances of his last two tours 'Enigma' & 'Svengali', both of which I greatly enjoyed, though they were not as good as this one.

This is a very difficult review to write, as Derren requests (+ I would only feel it to be fair anyway) that the contents of the show is not revealed, so as not to spoil it for any one else going to see it.

Derren is a master of understanding the minutiae of communication, enabling being able to grasp what someone is thinking without their speaking, as well as using this to manipulate and communicate to get people to respond in a way that he wishes. The abilities he has developed and his quest to do so, I feel serves as an example as to the what it is possible to do with the mind.

For most of the second half I was sat gawping. There were feats he was demonstrating/performing that were just beyond comprehension, one after another, building to a crushendo at the end where he had multiple challenges he was to manage in a count-down from eight minutes. I feel there is something admirable about such open unabashed displays of such extreme idiosyncratic geekeshness.

I feel it is difficult to explain the attraction to others who have not seen him perform. Derren is a case where I feel that to be able to grasp the wonder of what he does, you have to have seen him. A fascinating performer and man who I would happily watch for hours on end.

Rating: 10/10. 

Film Review: Gangs of Wasseypur Part I (15) & Gangs of Wasseypur Part II (18), (India 2012) (Director: Anurag Kashyap) (Hindi with English Subtitles) Sunday 05.05.2013 16:30 & 20:00 The Filmhouse Cinema, Screen Three, Edinburgh 

This is epic length piece, the two films together come to 5 Hours & 20 Minutes, or 2 Hours 40 Minutes each. It focuses upon a rivalry between two families spreading across a seventy year period. This allows a broader focus upon this particular area of India across this span. The film is quite fascinating and exotic. Reading Hindi for five plus hours is a chore though the film never drags, which is quite feat at the length it is. The film allows a nice amount of focus upon characters which enhances a sense of depth to the piece. The film is very complex in the amount of relationships it covers and the film overall demands concentration. The film is a very satisfying watch and I would happily recommend to those who can handle that amount of subtitles.

Rating: 09/10.

Live Performance Review: Death Grips, Tuesday 30.04.2013, 19:00, SWG3, Glasgow

This is a group I was aware of since last summer. From the first I heard about them I knew they had a reputation for extreme live performances. The album that they released (for sale) last year 'The Money Store' is an incredibly intense, hardcore industrial hippity-hop offering, which greatly appealed to me. It is not often I go for music that sounds this ominous, though every now and again I surprise myself by some of the sounds I am drawn to.

The gig itself...there was a support act. I don't know what they were called, though it does not matter as they were crap.

Death Grips was quite possibly the greatest sustained aural and visual assault I have ever been witness to; my hearing was not right for the whole of the next day. The lighting and in particular the use of strobe was extreme, to the extent that it appeared as though I was surrounded by changing photo stills while the music continued very loudly and the cumulative effect of all of this was to cause me to feel as though I was in a bubble.

The vocalist, MC Ride, was a very powerful performer and sustained the audience in a frenzy throughout. There was no let-up regarding the intensity and loudness of the music, so it could be said that the performance was one-tone, though then you don't go to a Death Grips show expecting ballads. The only show I have been to which was comparable to this in terms of sheer intensity was Rage Against The Machine at Glasgow Barrowlands in 1996. That Rage gig was one of the most memorable I have ever been to, only time will tell if I look back at the Death Grips show in a similar light.

Rating: 10/10.