Category Archives: Film

Circle of Revenge | Film Review

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Circle of Revenge started as a web series, and was so popular that it has now been made into a feature film. I went to the screening at The Electric on Portobello Road without seeing any of the web series. The film is a low budget British feature film. Shot on a Canon 60D (which is the same camera I am making my film Prose & Cons on) and a shotgun microphone, what the crew and cast lack in resources and money, they make up for in enthusiasm and talent.

A true depiction of urban life in South London, Circle of Revenge has a strong cast and a sleek, gritty, real-life feel to it. Circle of Revenge has all the makings of a cult classic.

Circle of Revenge The Movie is based in the urban jungle of London bringing what happens on the streets to the big screen. Revenge is a vicious circle that often involves violence, drugs, guns, gangs, the police and the disloyalty that they can generate. Many can relate to the situations in Circle of Revenge. Now their story will finally be told.

J. Valentine & D. Adams directed and also star in the film, a common theme in the film as producers Darren Baba and Katherine Evans, as well as the assistant to producers, Sue Henry, also have roles. This does not mean the roles have been filled in by non-actors though. The parts are played very well. Darren Baba in particular has a very good supporting role and is great in his role. Though it is not really fair to single a cast member out as everyone is great in their role.

Circle of Revenge is a very good British film by a talented production company who have something to say. Go see.

@circleofrevenge @officialbantah

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet | Film Review

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This documentary is about something that you would think is a depressing subject: one of the best guitarists in the world, with a glittering career ahead of him full of fame and fortune instead gets what is possibility the worst disease a person can get with has a staggeringly high fatality rate attached; Lou Gehrig’s Disease, an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disease. But the documentary is far from depressing, instead what you get is a film of hope, and perseverance against all of the odds.

When I put the screener into my computer I braced myself, I though the film would be very sad, and there is sadness in it of course, but Jason Becker and the people around him are the best that humanity has to offer. Jason looks great and his father came up with an eye sign language so he could communicate with his son. For someone who had such riches in front of him he does not seem bitter, he just seems like an incredibly talented man who has made the most of his life, who has an amazing family and who did not let a terrible disease stop his talent for making music.

Jason was told he would not make it past his 25th birthday, but he is still alive 22 years later.

This film should be seen by everyone who thinks there life is hard, and definitely seen by anyone who is full of self-pity. A wonderful, joyous film that should be seen by all. I hope it becomes a classic.

‘Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet’ is a feature-length documentary that tells the extraordinary story of Jason Becker, a musical prodigy and guitar legend, who has been battling with ALS for 22 years. A paralyzing, terminal illness with no cure, the disease has trapped Jason inside of his body rendering him completely paralyzed. Using an eye communication system invented by his father, Jason is able to escape the confines of his body and release the music that is trapped inside of his mind. ‘Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet’ is a story of dreams, love and the strength of the human spirit.

The year is 1989, and all the dreams of Jason Becker, a down-to-earth teenager from
California, have just come true. Jason has just landed himself the biggest rock guitar gig
on the planet. He’s on the cover of every rock guitar magazine and is being hailed by
critics as a musical prodigy in line to become one of the all-time greats. Jason and his
family have found the American dream and are about to start living it.
One week from now, during an examination of his leg, their dreams will turn into a
nightmare when Jason is diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and given just 3-5 years to live.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) is an incurable and
fatal neurodegenerative disease. In just a short time, victims of ALS become completely
paralyzed while their minds remains 100% in tact; essentially trapping them inside their
own bodies. In most cases, ALS affects people in older age but Jason was just 19 when
he was diagnosed. There is neither a cure nor any real treatment available, and the
majority of sufferers die within 2-5 years. Jason was diagnosed with ALS 22 years ago
and is one of the longest known survivors.

Jason Becker grew up in an artistic family from Richmond, California, a lower income city
located in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his parents Gary and Patricia Becker
nurtured his interest in music. Jason started playing guitar at the age of 5 and his rare
talent immediately began to show. Jason’s true brilliance became apparent when he was
able to play Eric Clapton solos note for note at the age of 12 and was shocking audiences
at his school and local open mic shows.

At the age of 16, Jason answered a call for demo tape submissions by local Shrapnel
Records label founder, Mike Varney, who was looking for the best new guitar talent.
Mike was blown away by Jason’s tape and gave him a recording contract. Jason
graduated from high school early to record his first record and to tour the US and Japan
where he dazzled audiences with his incredible guitar playing. After releasing three
groundbreaking and influential records for the genre, Jason began looking for his next
big challenge.

In 1989, ex-Van Halen singer David Lee Roth was looking for a new lead guitarist for his
band. Mike Varney played Jason’s demo tape for Roth over the phone who immediately
sent Jason a plane ticket to come audition in Los Angeles. Shortly after the audition,
Jason was offered the biggest rock guitar gig on the planet. At the age of 19, Jason was
set to become the hottest guitarist in the world.

A week later, Jason went to the doctors to have them check his left leg that had been
limping for the past few months. After a series of painful tests, doctors confirmed that
Jason had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and gave him just 3-5 years to live. Jason’s
parents were devastated but Jason shrugged off the diagnosis as he had big plans for his
future. He was going to tour the world and live out his dream of being a rock star. But
during the course of recording the new album for Roth, the limp feeling in Jason’s leg
worsened and began to spread to his hands making it difficult to play. Luckily Jason
finished the album (which went Gold) but he was unable to make the tour and had to
leave Roth’s band

Jesse Vile, the director says: I’ve wanted to make a film about Jason Becker since I was a 15-year-old kid trying to learn, rather unsuccessfully, all of his songs on the guitar. Jason is the most amazing
human being I’ve ever known and, like many others around the world, he has been a
personal source of inspiration for me for many years. I’ve always felt that his unique
and powerful story needed a much wider audience and I felt compelled to be the one to
tell his story.

Although I’m a fan of Jason’s music, I didn’t want to make just a fan film as I think that
would be selling his story short. I wanted to make a film that was universal and that had
a human story at its core that many people could identify with. Jason’s story is an
interesting one in that it isn’t your typical rock star tale. It isn’t a “musician-becomes-
famous-gets-hooked-on-drugs-nearly-dies-and-then-redeems-themselves” kind of story
you hear so often. Those are all fine but Jason’s story goes so much deeper than that. It
is really a story about love, family and the strength of the human spirit.

This film is also a chance for Jason to tell his story and to show the man behind the
legend. This is an authorized documentary and a collaborative project with Jason and his
family. Their involvement has been key to the film’s success

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet [DVD]

http://jasonbeckermovie.com
Facebook/JasonBeckerMovie
@JasonBeckerFilm

9 Bar | Food Review

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I am on the go a lot so I like to have some snacks in my bag. Cereal bars are a particular favourite.
9bar have re-launched with a sleek new makeover and I tried their 5 varieties – Original, Nutty, Pumpkin, Flax and Organic. 9bars are gluten, dairy and wheat free. 9bars are handmade in Wales.


Original

The original bar is crunchy and delicious. It is also very filling. A brilliant snack. This bar is substantial and not too sweet.

Nutty

This bar is filled with nuts and seeds. Really good cereal bar, and with chocolate on top. Yum.

Pumpkin

I love pumpkin seeds. This bar also has a brilliant carob coating. You can see all of the seeds. It tastes sweet and is filling.

Flax

Flax seed is very popular with the health conscious. Flax seed is a super food, making these bars even more healthy. Tastes brilliant too.

Organic

This organic bar is tasty and pure organic heaven. Topped with chocolate and full of seeds. The perfect on the go bar.

The 9bar range is available from Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Morrison’s, Holland & Barrett and independent health food stores nationwide. All varieties are available in 4 x 40g multi packs, RRP £1.89, and in 50g singles, RRP 70p.

Robert Pattinson Confirms 50 Shades Of Grey Role?

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Robert Pattinson confirms 50 Shades role to MSN?

Could Robert Pattinson’s next role indeed be that of Christian Grey? In an exclusive live web chat with MSN.co.uk, he playfully alluded that he will take on the role in the film adaptation of the book, Fifty Shades of Grey. When asked if he would consider the role he said: “I’m playing that part!” He also said he would like to experience one day as a woman.

To read the full web chat click here

Argo | Film review

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Just under a decade ago, it seemed that it was nearing the end for Ben Affleck. Having climbed to immediate fame with an Oscar win for the script to Good Will Hunting and engaging performances in the films of Kevin Smith, Affleck appeared in several critical flops that tarnished the golden boy image. The most notable examples were Michael Bay’s excruciatingly saccharine war drama Pearl Harbour and the tonally misjudged crime comedy Gigli which occurred at the same time he found himself caught up in the hysterically inane media frenzy referred to as ‘Bennifer’. It seemed that the talent had been squandered and it was only a matter of time before he was swallowed up by obscurity, another casualty on Hollywood’s walk of fame. But some refuse to go down without a fight and over the last few years Affleck has slowly been building up his resume as not just an excellent actor but a filmmaker. His 2007 debut Gone Baby Gone won critical acclaim and the follow up The Town proved to be a solid if unremarkable effort that performed well with audiences. Affleck showcased an unfussy, clear and stark directorial style that convinced many that his future now lay behind the camera rather in front of it. Now he stars in and directs a new project that both (cautiously) bites the Hollywood hand that feeds but also offers up a true story that seems so unbelievable upon first listen but proves to be a fruitful subject for a thriller.

In 1979, the American embassy in Tehran was overrun by revolutionaries furious that America had given sanctuary to the recently exiled Shah. Over fifty American diplomats and military personal were taken hostage in a crisis that lasted over a year and saw a collapse in diplomatic relations between America and Iran and left geopolitical aftershocks that can still be felt today. The crisis itself kept the nation on tenterhooks yet the story here concerns something not made public at the time. Six Americans managed to escape the embassy before its downfall and took refuge at the Canadian ambassador’s residence. Realizing that their discovery would result in capture and possible death, the CIA struggled to come up with a plan to get them out of the country safely. This where Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes into the story. Having exhausted all other ideas, Mendez proposes an idea as bizarre as it is dangerous; they will pass the six off as a Canadian film crew scouting ‘exotic locations’ for a science fiction B-Movie called Argo including setting up a fake production company and a script to make the ruse as believable as possible.

From the opening shot of the classic seventies Warner Bros logo and through its tense, frenetic opening act it’s clear that Affleck has done his homework. Handheld cameras, saturated filters and even replicated scratches on the digital print all combine to make Argo appear to be a genuine political thriller made in the era of its setting. There’s a visual tone and atmosphere that recalls the likes of All The President’s Men and The Parallax View though certainly not without its own visual sheen that thankfully never becomes to on the nose. Affleck’s proven he’s got the gritty chops in his previous endeavours but what really impresses in this latest outing is his control over the tone of the story. It’s a work which crosses over the line between humorous incredulity and genuine life or death tension. The first half of the film is filled out with Mendez’s exploits in Hollywood as he recruits Oscar winning makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (a scene stealing Alan Arkin) to painstakingly set up a production they have no intention of making. As Chambers puts to Mendez, ‘You want to come to Hollywood, flash some money and not do anything? You’ll fit right in!’ It’s playful, light satire that doesn’t stray into the more cynical depictions of Tinseltown we’ve seen in the past but it provides a sharp relief from the darker tones of the drama. Thankfully there is no awkward transition; when Mendez heads out to Iran the tone of tension and claustrophobia is simply unrelenting. Narrative events clearly drift into dramatic license toward its final set piece but when the execution is this good then that is forgivable. I was reminded of Ron Howard’s Apollo 13, a film that drew every bead of tension available from an inevitable conclusion.

Whereas in The Town Affleck seemed a little stiff in front of the camera, he feels much more relaxed here. He fits the dual role of spy and every day practical man rather well and sells the urgency of his character’s predicament without ever resorting to an over the top performance. A subplot involving Mendez’s separated wife and son feels quite unnecessary but is thankfully kept to a bare minimum. It is a film that favours its ensemble cast rather than one particular performer and this works all the better for it. Goodman and Arkin are a safe pair of hands and handle the comedic aspects of the Hollywood scenes with aplomb while Bryan Cranston is reliably grouchy in the role of Mendez’s CIA boss. If there is anyone to single out and praise it is the six who portray the American refuges. Established character actors rather than big name stars, they convey fear, resilience, scepticism and compassion that stays clear of melodrama and makes you genuinely care about their predicament and fate. Scoot McNairy in particular continues to build on a strong filmography that includes his superb turn in this year’s Killing Them Softly. Some commentators have criticised the films portrayal of Iranians, claiming it confuses the actions of the government with the general population and reduces them to a mass of simplified, chanting antagonists. I personally disagree with this; I found it much more even handed with sympathetic portrayals of certain characters and the grounding in historical fact. There is one wry scene where an Iranian official berates Mendez, undercover as a producer, for portraying Iran as ‘a land of flying carpets and snake charmers.’ There is certainly room for discussion though given the recent flowering of Iranian cinema in to western audiences and the complicated history between the two nations.

Argo is certainly not a classic but is an astonishingly well made, confident and brisk thriller that walks a fine line between its two sides of the coin and stands as Affleck’s most assured directorial work to date and a front runner for upcoming awards season. It will be fascinating to see where he goes next.

Skyfall: The Best Bond Film Ever?

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The new Bond film, Skyfall, has had a wave of good publicity. It is now the highest-earning Bond film ever, making £32.7million in its first seven days in the UK, and that is even before it opened in America.

I thought Skyfall was one of the best Bond films I have ever seen. My other favourite being Casino Royale. Bond’s relationship with ‘M’ in the movie, played by Judi Dench, is wonderful and multi-layered. The scenes in London are shot beautifully, as are the ones in Scotland.

This side of Bond is more human. Sure Javier Bardem as the villian is camper than a row of tents, but a lot of the Bond villians have been quite outlandish, it only adds to the movie experience. If anything it is a nod to past Bond films. I have always liked Daniel Craig as an actor, he really is one of our best, and I think he makes a great Bond. This film is a more human side to Bond.

Skyfall is a much more modern take on the Bond franchise. It also goes much deeper than previous films, letting us know about Bond’s past. Skyfall is sleeker, more human and full of depth. Sure it is entertaining and full of action- it’s a Bond film- but Skyfall gives you even more: an action film with something to say. I think Sam Mendes has done a great job. One of the themes of Skyfall is the loss of youth. We see that Bond is not invincible. The feels like a changing of the guard.

I know some people have complained that Skyfall is sexist BUT complaining that a Bond film sexist is a little like going to a violent film and complaining that there is blood: it just makes you look silly. Ian Fleming’s book are hardly feminist textbooks. Just watch the film and enjoy. It is a fun ride.

The 16th UK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

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this year’s UK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL (November 1st-18th) which opens in London and Manchester on November 1st with the UK premiere of PARIS-MANHATTAN, the debut of French writer/director Sophie Lellouche. A delightful romantic comedy inspired by the philosophy and comedy of Woody Allen, PARIS-MANHATTAN stars Alice Taglioni and Patrick Bruel (left with Sophie Lellouche) and features a cameo by Woody Allen himself.

This year’s UK Jewish Film Festival rolls out simultaneously to Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and Glasgow for the first time since Executive Director JUDY IRONSIDE founded the festival in Brighton in 1997. More than 70 feature films, shorts, documentaries, and TV programmes will be shown at this year’s festival including the hotly tipped ZAYTOUN starring Stephen Dorff; the highly anticipated YOSSI, Eytan Fox’s follow-up to his Tribeca winner, Yossi & Jagger; HIS PEOPLE, a poignant, funny black and white silent film made in 1925 which will screen at the Barbican with a live score performed by SOPHIE SOLOMON; the riveting documentary GAINSBOURG ON GAINSBOURG: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT; the absorbing SIMON AND THE OAKS by award winning Swedish director Lisa Ohlin; SHARQIYA an absorbing story about the plight of a family of displaced Bedouins; ROMAN POLANKSI: A FILM MEMOIR; MY DAD IS BARYSHNIKOV the uplifting tale of a misplaced ballet pupil in the pre-Perestroika Bolshoi Ballet School; and many more.

Events include THE SHARPEST CUT in which David Baddiel, Norman Lebrecht and guests discuss the portrayal of Jews in TV and film; EMERGING FILMMAKERS day with workshops by the likes of Michael Kuhn and Tim Bevan; TEL AVIV ON FILM which celebrates the way the city has been captured on film; PEARS SHORT FILM EVENT which will screen the two winning films and lots of Q&A sessions with filmmakers throughout the festival.

Uggie, Hollywood Canine Superstar, releases “My Story”.

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On the 30th of October 2012 Uggie attended his book launch at the London Kensington Waterstone bookstore.

‘My Story’ is a must read book, autobiography of ‘The Artist’ Oscar winning film canine star Uggie which went from originally abandoned and later adopted dog to spoiled celebrity Hollywood Icon.

 

Credit: Tenee Attoh


Uggie, recently retired from movies work, is the first dog in history that had his own paws put in cement at the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, planting him next to the handprints of Hollywood’s royalty.

 

Uggie – adopted by animal trainer Omar von Muller, which is also Uggie’s manager -wrote his book with the human help of, English celebrity biographer, Wendy Holden.

 

Credit Simone Lezzi

The book, published by HarperCollins, has been sold to America, France, England (where it can be found in Waterstones and WH Smiths bookshops) and, in 2013, will be published also in Italian.

 

Since Uggie was adopted and became a star, he wants to let people know they should

adopt a dog rather than buying one. Even if the dog will not became a big star on the

screen, he will still be a big star in the house, within the family. If you need to buy, buy a book, Uggie says!


Find out more about the book writer at: www.wendyholden.com/

Find out more about Omar von Muller at: www.miamioffleash.com

 

Article written by Paola Berta
Photography by Simone Lezzi and Tenee Attoh