Amsterdam (2022) Film Review

Originally printed in Gair Rhydd

Never before has such a cast amounted to so little. Amsterdam is the latest film from Oscar-nominated and subsequently-Oscar-chasing director David O. Russell. It features three friends: a doctor, a lawyer, and a nurse, all linked by the First World War, who find themselves caught up in “the Business Plot”, a real 1933 political conspiracy in the States, after a mysterious murder of a retired US general. Sound good? It’s lost 20th Century Studios $97 million. Whoops. Its box office failure has done nothing to stifle industry fears that the pandemic has done irreversible, catastrophic damage to the cinema-going habit, and Disney’s apprehensions on how to market films under its latest studio acquisition.  

Back To The Future - The Musical Review

Originally printed in Gair Rhydd 

Back To The Future: The Musical at London’s Adelphi Theatre is another instalment in the series of unusual pairing with theatre of beloved cultural institutions. Just down the road is Great British Bake Off The Musical, not far off is Only Fools And Horses, and Peaky Blinders, though only all-dancing and not so much all-singing, came to Cardiff in March. Yet this adaption of an outright classic film pays dividends to its magic.  

Act One Society Pantomime 2022 Review

The Act One Society panto has become a mainstay of the run-up to Christmas in Cardiff. Laden with crude jokes and innuendo, it’s for adults only, and this year it is entitled ‘Jungle Juice’, a hint towards it’s reworking of the Jungle Book - I was very excited for the pantomime having already enjoyed the Wizard of Oz panto put on by Act One in the same venue the previous year. This time the script is written by Joe McCartney and Austin Hampshire, the former of which also co-directs the proceedings with Sian Howells. It all took place in Pulse, and with its free-flowing bar, the audience settled in their seats for a night of gaudy entertainment. 

Review – De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising - Classic reissued and finally available to stream

Originally printed in Gair Rhydd

At the approach of the 20th century’s conclusion, America’s anxieties were reflected within hip-hop. 1988 had seen the genre firmly enter the mainstream with stunning, no-holds-barred records, notably Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A and It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy, yet a New York fringe movement was quickly gathering pace. It prioritised the optimism in Afrocentrism over violent imagery of guns, drugs, and crime. This positive self-expression style would be coined by De La Soul as “The Daisy Age” and perfectly encapsulated in their masterpiece LP, 3 Feet High and Rising, now finally reissued and available to stream.  

"Moonage Daydream" Film Review

A cinematic David Bowie experience that proved he was more than just a rockstar. As a big Bowie fan, I had high hopes for Moonage Daydream, a documentary-slash-art-piece directed by Brett Morgan. This isn’t a simple picture-show of music videos and talking heads: it’s a constant cacophony of sight, colour, and sound, a dramatic representation of his influences, his work, and his inspirations, punctuated only by his voice: all Bowie, all the time. 

"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story" - Film Review

 Originally printed in Gair Rhydd

As Daniel Craig drawls on “the densely layered, mysterious and inscrutable” case in his latest turn as detective Benoit Blanc, Glass Onion, his outrageous southern dialect teeters on the point of absurdity. It’s still good value. Knives Out was the cosy lockdown hit picked up by Netflix, registering excitement for a long series of Benoit Blanc films, but to be a credible competitor for Disney+’s glut of franchises they have to get the things out. I like director Rian Johnson – he clearly loves cinema, and he gave us the most daring, exciting and inventive interpretation of Star Wars in some time in The Last Jedi. Glass Onion is of course good entertainment with the skilled director and star carried over, yet it feels rushed, with an eye waning on the films to come instead. 

National Museum Wales - BBC 100 Exhibition

 Originally printed in Gair Rhydd

Nestled in the corner of Cardiff’s National Museum is a brand-new exhibit that celebrates a century of BBC broadcasting in Wales. It’s completely free and well worth a visit. It explores every aspect since it’s very beginning, particularly as radio and then television.