This is going to be a long one but I don’t owe anyone conciseness, least of all
myself. I’ve always wanted to do a yearly review and the odd time have started
one, but abandoned it. I figure, if I’m not Charlie Brooker, I’m not likely to
give any interesting insight on the yearly situation and unless I’m consuming a
large amount of pop culture that year, I’m not necessarily qualified to discuss
it in any detail. Then again, Charlie’s not really doing his yearly wipe any
more and I’ve consumed more media this year than I have in virtually any other
year. Between chainwatching series, doom scrolling through Facebook/Instagram
reels, going to the cinema, theatre and a slew of great live gigs, ontop of my
own acting/voiceover/content creation/film making, I’ve almost certainly
consumed and produced more media in any year preceeding.
At this point in my
life, I also feel more qualified to critique media that I’ve ever done before.
However, a yearly review isn’t purely about media, though that plays a big part
of it. It’s also about worldly events, the overall vibe and in my case, a review
of my own life. Perhaps it’s an odd thing to review a chunk of your own life in
such an arbitrary chunk of time as the supposed full cycle around the sun, but
let’s face it, we’ve all said at some point “this has been a good year”, or
lamented about why the year was so bad. Unless doing this makes us more content,
then arguably it’s also a particularly un-stoic outlook.
On the other hand, I
think that I can attempt to eschew out a better plan for 2023, in order to feel
more focused and successful. Make achievable, reasonable, but still ambitious
goals and this may provide a great deal more satisfaction by the end of next
year. Ultimately, this review is like my own entry to a time capsule, which I
may come to read again in years to come, or I’ll just bore the unfortuante soul
who choses to read it.
The Political Landscape
It is very difficult to view the political landscape either global or on the
Pretanic Isles (that’s the UK/Ireland) as anything less than depressing. Britain
has cycled through a series of selfish and inept prime ministers, each seemingly
more incomptent and self-serving than the last. Any hope of an effective
left-wing opposition supportive of worker’s rights in any industry seems like a
far-away fantasy. Huge swathes of the population still appear to support the
likes of Boris Johnson, after years of him displaying a complete disregard for
the population all because of his Trumpian “Ahhh he’s a good lad” persona. In
the South of Ireland, the combined forces of Fine Gael and Fine Fail appear
content to combine forces to block their most popular competition from actually
taking part in government, all whilst selling off the country to American tech
giants. In the North of Ireland, the minority loyalist DUP party has blocked
Assembly from going ahead, in some pathetic childish throwing out the toys of
the pram routine because they didn’t like the outcome of the same Brexit they
pushed for. This has stopped all manner of day to day routine civil service
moves from going ahead. Do we talk about France, who narrowly chose a
centre-right party over a far right one? Or do we lament Italy’s decision to
bring back the same party of Mussolini’s grand daughter in power? The
Neo-Liberal Democrats, supposedly in charge of the US continuously fumble
through their seemingly-senile president’s term, backtracking on any of their
left-wing election positions, whilst handing more and more of the reins to
anti-abortion Republicans.
I do think we are in bleak times, heading to a deeper
and deeper climate emergency, as so many of the world’s citizens look to false
prophets such as Jordan Peterson, Elon Musk and even worse – Andrew Tate. The
“push-back” on “wokeness”, has seen homophobia and racism on the rise, evident
particulalry on the likes of Twitter, as Musk’s “freedom of speech” platform has
allowed the ghouls to emerge. It seems so easy to do too. The old game of bread
and circuses was as present as ever – the Queen of England’s passing only put
more eyes on the press’s favourite demons Harry and Megan. I can’t say I have
much love for another couple of mega-rich, hyper-priviledged goons who appear to
have played the victim card, but the constant attack on their character, whilst
Royal-nonce Prince Andrew goes relatively unscathed and protected from
prosecution by Mummy’s (read tax payer’s) money seem pretty unjust. It couldn’t
possibly have anything to do with Megan’s ethnic make up could it?
Any real
saving grace from any of this right-wing slide appear to come from comedians and
those members of the general populace, who see the world for what it is and are
able to dish out witty retorts and spicy verbal backhanders on social media
platforms. It’s a thin glimmer of hope in a world disgraced Health Secretary
Matt Hancock can engage in some strange psy-op/PR spin by appearing on a
gameshow and eating a few insects, only to have a legion of simpleminded fans
state “Ohhh he’s a really nice guy, really.”
If there’s anything that really
concerns me is a lack of accurate information about the Ukraine situation. There
is no doubt in my mind that Putin is a dangerous megalomaniac, but I’m not naive
enough to believe that the Neo-Liberal Western expansion, including the
supposedly “defensive” NATO developments are purely in the interests of the
people who lie before the boarders of Russia. Propaganda might be around us at
all times, but it is never more prevalent than at a time of war. We’ve been
presented videos of the conflict stolen from opening videos of computer games,
along with myths such as “The Ghost of Kyiv”, proven to not just be false but
ridiculous too.
We will soon be in a position where we are reading AI generated
political myths and undetectable deepfake videos are used to bamboozle us beyond
comprehension.
TV and Film
Beyond the “Doom scroll”, or endless games of Pokemon Showdown (a browser based
simulation of the battle engine in the main games), which I almost think is used
to “regulate” my potential undiagnosed ADHD, TV shows and films are undoubtedly
my favourite form of escapism. So much so, that I’ll even read perplexing
manuals on how to write the manuscripts. So what’s been the best and what has
been the worst?
The Best Top Gun Maverick
Given I’ve just ranted about self-serving right-wing dominance on the rise, it
may seem odd that I have full understanding why the most dominant blockbuster of
the year was none other than military-glorifying Star Wars-in-planes nonsense
Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel to a poorly-aged homo-erotic propaganda piece
which I was forced to watch before a casual sexual encounter twelve years ago
wasn’t something I expected to enjoy. However, it’s simple storylines, charming
performances from Teller, Connelly and (to a lesser extent) Cruise, well-timed
emotional beats including a throat-cancer surviving Val Kilmer along with the
decision to esche excessive CGI use in favour of actually flying the damn planes
was something which read incredibly well on-screen. TG:M isn’t a French
art-house Indy film that needs to be pulled apart and discussed for its beauty,
it’s just a very fun big screen flick.
Banshees of Inisherin
From my knowledge, neither the estranged brothers Michael nor Martin MacDonagh
have made a bad film and Martin’s Banshees was no exception. Whilst an argument
could be made that the script could have been more economic and the
cinematography whilst beautiful was occasionally a little bit self-indlugent,
the witty dialogue, delivered perfectly by Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry
Condon and Barry Keoghan was a perfect surface for something much deeper.
Arguably a mirror of Van Gogh’s life and also an allegory for the Irish Civil
War which saw brother fight brother and friend kill friend, it’s classic
MacDonagh examination of whether having a purpose in life actually matters is a
fanatastic film for its sheer ability to stir conversation.
The Bear
I’m a big fan of restaurant/kitchen based dramas, particularly those that
capture the highs and lows of the hospitality game well. Like 2021’s Boiling
Point, The Bear does a great job of showing the stress, whilst giving great
moment’s of satisfaction. It’s well acted, but with a slightly lacklustre ending
to its first season.
The Boys S3
The Boys has been one of my favourite shows on any streaming platform since it
first arrived. This anti-superhero superhero show which sees Anthony Starr give
his best “what if Trump was Superman” performance, opposite Karl Urban’s
brilliant but wonky-accented (to the point they literally have to write his Dad
being Australian and his mum being Cockney into the show) Billy Butcher is
immense fun, whilst giving visceral shocks, big laughs and a very fun plotline.
Reacher
Lee Child’s pulpy novel series inspired a bunch of TV shows over the years which
all centred on a kick-ass central character in the Southern states running
around kicking ass. For light watching, Banshee and Justified are super
enjoyable for their supply of sex, snappy dialogue and violence and for this
reason, Reacher was a joy. Given how good Alan Ritchon is, I’m not even annoyed
that I didn’t get past the first round of auditions.
Wu-Tang: An American Saga S2
This probably isn’t a show which would land that well with anyone who isn’t a
big fan of the quintessential ‘90s hip hop squad, but for me, this season built
off the good foundations laid in the first one and gave more time to the
semi-fictional versions of my favourite Staten Islanders. Who would have thought
a guy who co-named his production company “36 Chambers Productions”, after the
Wu’s first album would love this series that much?
Licorice Pizza
I love the visual style of Paul Thomas Anderson, especially when it's set in decades gone by. Boogie Nights is one of my favourite films of all time, even if its subject is much more depraved. Licorice Pizza has great performances and plays out as a super enjoyable feel good film.
Boiling Point
Boiling Point made a huge impact on me when I watched it for its realism, insane camera workk and great performances. The fact that I've worked in a Dalston restaurant before and felt that I was a combination of the bartender who flirts with everyone and the waiter/actor who was late due to an audition rang pretty true. I think it's a film which will have made a big impact on indy dramas to come.
Nightride
Nightride is another one-taker indy feature that was filmed entirely in Belfast. Much like Locke, it surrounds a central character trying to make sure things go to plan by having a series of stressful phone calls. Having spoken to a couple of members of the crew, I found out that the scene where the character is stopped by police wasn't intended to part of the script, they were actually stopped by the police and the lead actor had to improvise. The cops themselves are real and had to have their faces blurred out from the film, giving it quite a surreal quality.
Andor
A slow burning anarcho-communist manifesto which proves that Star Wars isn’t
just for kids. Whilst it arguably took a long time to heat up, the
characterization and attention to detail was unparalleled in any Sci-fi show
that I’ve seen in a long time. It’s eventual pay off was exactly what fans of
one of the best entries into the entire franchise needed.
Mid Tier Tyson
This unauthorized biopic show of the legendary and notorious heavyweight
champion was extremely watchable, but parts of it didn’t seem to sit
particularly right with me, particularly the handling of the rape case, which
whilst it attempted to give the due respect to Tyson’s victim, was arguably a
bit rushed and lacking.
Obi-Wan
Another entry into the Star Wars mythos, the show allowed Ewan McGregor to
reprise his role as the troubled Jedi master and give a compelling portrayal. It
also had moments where it showed Darth Vader to be the truly horrifying villain
that he really is. Unfortunately, it faltered in a few areas – lightsabers not
doing what they’re supposed to do, an irritating child character and a series of
scenes which only appeared to cause plotholes within the original and best
sci-fantasy trilogy. Its end battle was the most emotionally charged and somehow
moving show yet.
SAS: Rogue Heroes
Peaky Blinders showrunner Steven Knight has a WWII romp not too far from the
vein of Peaky. It's fine. Mildly entertaining at times. I'm just irked and made
jealous that mad alcoholic Northern Irish Nazi-puncher, Blair "Paddy" Mayne was
played by middle-Englander Jack O'Connell. Whilst O'Connell was presumably
selected because of his name and existing portfolio of work, there are literally
dozens of Northern Irish actors who I think would have done a superb job. Again,
Jacky-boy isn't terrible, but at times he felt like was giving a Tom Hardy-lite
performance and his accent wasn't exactly crisp. Particularly as Mayne would
probably have had that North Down '40s Trans-Atlantic affection more akin to
posh English than the hardman East Belfast twang given. O'Connell is also in the
bad books of a good Derby-based mate of mine, for having a bunch of racist
mates, so that's always in the back of my mind when watching him.
The Bad The Entire MCU
I’ve been a fan of Marvel comics since seeing a dreadful but enjoyable
made-for-TV Captain America film in the early ‘90s. It was a devotion which was
further solidified by the animated X-Men and Spider-men shows and finally the
live action franchise starting with the experimental 2008 hit, Iron Man. Alas,
after 30 odd films, and half a dozen live-action TV shows, the excitement of the
MCU is fading rapidly. In some ways, it’s to be expected. Comics themselves have
had 80 years of characters being imagined, reimagined and ret-conned in and out
of existence ad nauseum. At some point the films would have to do the same and
whilst Guardians of the Galaxy had turned lesser-known characters into massive
hits, the attempt to do the same with a bundle of new characters, alternative
versions and Z-list characters has not been a great success.
Since Avengers:
Endgame, only Shang-Chi and Spider-man: No Way Home have been particularly good.
For me, NWH was phenomenal, but this has been much more to do with unadulterated
fan-service, which nearly had me choke up with tears on three separate
occasions. Shang-Chi did a great job of mixing the superhero genre with comedy
and classic Hong Kong-style martial arts action. Thor 4, Doc Strange 2, Black
Panther 2 have all had moments, but ultimately fallen flat due to poor plotting,
dialogue and the decision to undermine any moment of real threat with
cringe-inducing comedy. It’s a problem which was also seen in several of the
Disney Plus TV shows, further speared by lack of congruity between titles.
Anything exciting about Wandavision was quickly undermined by DS:MOM for
instance.
At times, the shows seemed rushed and in the case of She Hulk, I am
genuinely baffled how they managed to spend $25 M an episode on mediocrity.
Again, this show had potential, but felt rushed at times and whilst the ending
was ripped straight out of the comics, felt deeply unsatisfying, so much so that
I found myself angered to be agreeing with the whining alt-right incel
snowflakes. It is worth remembering though, that not everything has to be made
to suit a cis-gendered middle class white male. She-Hulk is supposedly made by
women for women, but I'm slightly dubious how many women are really enjoying it.
It's not without its fans, but if there's ever a show to polarize the MCU
fanbase, it's one of them. Ultimately, what is going to make the MCU lose any
real importance is that now the universal threat of Thanos has been dealt with,
it’s going to be difficult to build a villain up to be as scary or dangerous.
Whilst I can see a good attempt being made at Kang played by the great Jonathan
Majors being built up, knowing that characters can be “resurrected” by dragging
out alternative timeline versions from the multiverse will undermine any danger
of them being killed or lost.
Not to mention, putting the most powerful
artifacts in the universe into a drawer like they are cheap souvenirs means
we’re just waiting for a new macguffin or series of macguffins to be brought out
and paraded in front of the audience as a deus ex machina device.
Peaky Blinders S6
Whilst there have been years that I've enjoyed the style-over-substance British
gangster period piece, this season was particularly poor. The lack of the late
great Helen McCrory showed how one-dimensional the show really is. I'm not sure
why we've not seen more parodies of its "slow motion walking to indy music in
front of industrial backgdrops", drawn-out-staring-quietly-whilst-smoking shots
and over-the-top yelling is something often deserving of ridicule and this
season was no different. The most poignant moments were of course the ones
featuring the incredible Stephen Graham, who would probably steal the show from
virtually any actor on the planet.
Purple Hearts
I am as baffled as you are as to why I watched this cheesy propaganda-piece
romcom. Even more baffled as to why I watched it than as to why I watched Top
Gun. It’s a paper thin plot led by two leads who can act but never really seem
to properly connect. Left wing, vs Right wing, but hey.. AMERICA! Part two is
going to be about music, fashion and I’ll start digging into my own wins and
losses.
Part two about music, fashion, the stage and sport is here
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