Manakamana

Out on DVD and VOD from 9th February 2015 from Dogwoof, Manakamana is a stunningly original cinematic experience.  The film follows pilgrims as they make a journey to an ancient Nepalese temple by way of cable car to worship.

The journey up and down takes a total of 11 minutes, therefore the directors Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez, take the approach of positioning a stationary 16mm camera in front of the varying commuters.

 

From an ageing grandfather and his grandson, to a young married couple, to a trio of elderly women who tellingly comment on how much things have changed, 'It used to take me three days to get up here'; to a herd of goats.  The first half of the film follows people going up, and the second half follows travellers going down with an eventual selection of passengers to book end the film.

Some critics have commented on the cyclical nature of the cable car being documented in this film, whereas I would prefer the more appropriate gesture of the film being literally about how life can be up and down, and how easy it is to forget to enjoy the ride.

Reminiscent of artistic installations but another step forward in the work offered by James Bening (13 Lakes/ RR) this film is nevertheless just as meditative in forcing the audience to accept the period of quiet and contemplation in a dark space.

At the start of every 11 minute segment, there is a moment of dark when the cable car is being loaded up with next passengers and as it pushes out into the light we are blinded by the light and then have to adjust to the new characters presented towards us; these changes initiate a response in the audience to participate in the journey.  Sometimes though the journey is reward in itself.

This is an intelligent movie that coupled with stunning landscape cinematography must be seen to be believed.

Manakamana is out on DVD and VOD from Dogwoof from Monday 9th February

Supposed Super Bowl

Following the divisional round of play off matches over the weekend where only one road team won but nevertheless every game was tight and entertaining. We are two games away from the Superbowl, the mecca of American Football, fittingly taking place in a desert.

For all four teams left - Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts - are just one game away from the game of immortals. I'd like to take this moment to size up the possible games we could have at Glendale, Arizona on Sunday 1st February.  What possible storylines could we envisage and forsee occuring?

Seattle Seahawks v New England Patriots
The team that is on the cusp of greatness goes up against the current dynasty of the NFL.  The defending champion Seahawks go up against the last team to repeat as Super Bowl champions when the Patriots did it in 2004 for their third Lombardi trophy in three years.  Russell Wilson v Tom Brady is not so much the storyline as others but more that defence against an offence that can adapt and offer variations.  The last time these two played was two seasons ago when a Richard Sherman interception stopped a possible Brady game winning drive.  The handshake and exchange of pleasantries cemented Sherman's reputation as someone who can back it up off the pitch as well as on it, Brady would be wanting to put the record straight. And winning his fourth ring might just do it. And to think of West Coast muscle versus East coast brain power in the guise of Carroll v Belichick; the tan versus the hoodie.

Seattle Seahawks v Indianapolis Colts
Two of the three top quarterbacks taken in the 2013 draft, Russell Wilson v Andrew Luck.  The champion v the blueprint.  Luck was supposed to win a Super Bowl first but Wilson got to it first.  This would be Luck's legacy on the line, it would not be his last appearance and to spare the continual comparison to Peyton Manning he might want to win his first Super Bowl appearance.  Yet in terms of match up, with no running game to speak of, can you imagine Luck having to throw against this secondary and try to win the game.

Green Bay Packers v Indianapolis Colts
A gimpy Aaron Rodgers against a fast improving Colts offensive line with Jonathon Newsome off the edge and Cory Redding.  The only drawback of the Colts win in Denver was the tackling or failure to of CJ Anderson who gained yards when he should have been stopped, imagine a better runner like Eddie Lacy whose workload will be elevated based upon Rodgers fitness.  Luck would prefer to throw on this secondary and if it is a shootout would you not rather have a gunman with two legs.

Green Bay Packers v New England Patriots
The two best quarterbacks of the season going head to head for all the marbles.  Rodgers going for his second Super Bowl, Brady going for his fourth to join his idol Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw in immortality. Should Brady get that elusive fourth ring, remember he has lost the last two Super Bowl appearances, it should put to bed the arguments over the GOAT debate. Brady with a compotent offence may appear to be overly reliant on Rob Gronkowski but that is the beauty of having a beast, try and match up with him which secondaries may do and that leaves options open in the form of Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola. Never mind Shane Vereen and LaGarrette Blount in the backfield. And the defensive line of New England led by Vince Wilfork will match up well against Lacy and welcome the chance to reverse the scoreline 26-21 at Lambeau back in Week 13.

With it taking place in the desert not far from the Old West, what finer sight than to see Brady and Belichick head into the sunset with a fourth trophy on their back.

Mortdecai - New TV spot

With less than two weeks to go before its release on January 23rd, Lionsgate Films are pleased to release a new TV spot for consumption of Mortdecai starring Johnny Depp.

The film based on the novel 'Don't Point That Thing at Me' by Kyril Bonfiglioli is directed by David Koepp (Secret Window, Premium Rush) with a screenplay by Lee Aronson, stars Depp as the eponymous British spy with Gwyneth Paltrow playing his beautiful wife along with Ewan McGregor, Paul Bettany and Jeff Goldblum.

The film seems to be glitzy and full of glamour, but this reviewer has the unnerving feeling that it bares a more than striking resemblance to Johnny Depp doing a Johnny English impression, with a moustache added for comical effect.  Although the running gag of Depp and Paltrow kissing with her gagging as she hates it, and he replicating the action as a reflex is funny, meaning the film may rely more on the chemistry between the principals than any semblance of plot.

Mortdecai is out in UK cinemas on January 23rd from Lionsgate films

How to beat Kentucky Wildcats?

John Calipari is at it again. He has assembled another great group of talented young men in Lexington who although merely stopping by en route to the NBA, yet this group in his much discussed platoon system have the potential to go 40-0 in the season, a feat never accomplished in NCAA history.

However, in their first game of conference play in the SEC at home in the Rupp Arena against Ole Miss, the Wildcats got a scare only overcoming them 89-86 in the dying moments when Ole Miss' best player Stefan Moody who had 25 points succumb to cramp and fatigue.

In part Moody fell victim to the style of game that nearly garnered the upset but will actually serve as a blueprint for the rest of the SEC to get that victory that will stutter history and possibly ensure a tournament appearance with such a big win on any resume.

The Rebels played hard in terms of tempo and attacking the big defenders of Kentucky. By having small guards and players who short in stature like Jarvis Summers but big in game meant that big forwards like Aaron Harrison (6' 8") found it difficult to defend against quickness.  Kentucky conceded the most points in one game and that was also helped by Ole Miss scoring 9 3-pointers, and yet even those 27 points were not enough.

 

So which teams in the SEC can score quick, score a lot and convert 3-pointers as well as defend against those bigs in the paint and on the perimeter.  The Wildcats are not exceptional from the field in terms of FG percentage nor from behind the arc.  They are not as outstanding nor formidable as the Kentucky aide led by Anthony Davis that won the National Championship and perhaps this close victory at home will galvanise the team and realise how big that bullseye is on their chest. As the big dog in the SEC, they can expect to get everyone's best shot, so long as it's taken quickly and from downtown.

One team who may have the answer could be the Arkansas Razorbacks, a team currently 12-2 (both losses came on the road at Iowa State and Clemson - two teams from stronger conferences) and yet they have the highest scoring backcourt in forward Bobby Portis and guard Michael Qualls.

 

Sophomore Portis shows great touch for a 6' 11" guy in the paint off of both hands averaging 17.1 ppg and 7.6 rebounds whilst Junior Qualls offers the dynamism on offence and the hounding on defence around the perimeter averaging 15.5 ppg and 5.3 rpg.

As a team they are ranked 8th in the nation in points per game (84.1) and 3rd in assists (18.4) have a high free throw percentage and are decent from distance. Kentucky average 76.3 points per game but are big in the rebound statistics 41.4 in comparison to Arkansas' 38.1, that is in part due to the length of the team.  The only downside is they have to go to Kentucky on 28th February and also on the road to these Ole Miss Rebels on Valentines Day.

The SEC may have a king of the castle but there are sure going to be some more bumpy roads for Kentucky along the way to their supposed place in the Final Four with tricky road trips to Alabama, Florida and LSU to contend with.  If an athletic opponent can surprise and attack an up tempo game against these Wildcats then it might not be Kentucky purring during conference play.

How to save the FA Cup

 

The third round of the FA Cup is traditionally one of the great weekends in the sporting calendar. A great way to start a new year where giant killings can occur as equally as cricket scores on the football pitch take place.

However, the third round of the 2014/15 edition of the world's most famous cup competition had a somewhat poor showing on all fronts. Poorly attending matches, poor match ups and predictable television coverage meant that the magic of the cup is again put into question. Who to blame though?

Can you blame Premier League sides from ringing the changes after four league matches in quick succession over the Christmas period with many playing on New Year's Day and then again two or three days later.

Do you blame the clubs who scheduled their games on Sunday or a Monday in the case of Burnley v Tottenham that was so poorly attended they closed a major stand as pictures will attest to.

Do you blame the television companies for picking obvious big name teams no matter who they were playing.  Yes it was a repeat of the final in May, but did we really need to see an all Premier League tie in  Arsenal v Hull on a tea-time Sunday night slot when Wimbledon v Liverpool or Everton v West Ham would have been more appealing. Why did the BBC who have first choice pass over Yeovil v Manchester United, admittedly they clawed for the 1988 repeat yet the scheduling of that game on Monday night did no favours.

Wimbledon v Liverpool was a showpiece event, but for Steven Gerrard would have garnered the giant killing the competition so desperately needed. Yet the BBC who have put the main round proper draws on Monday night to increase awareness and attention decided to screen the draw live from Wimbledon in the main clubhouse, thus belittling the draw from the professional and formal occasion it deserves to that resembling a church raffle.

Why pass over the chance to screen Sheffield United away at QPR, a known cup entity in Nigel Clough's side from Yorkshire versus Harry Redknapp's strugglers. Many knew Redknapp would play a reserve side and focus on Premier League survival, gifting the Blades another top flight cup scalp.  Perhaps United are guilty of their own success, they are on televison twice later this month playing Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-final of the Capital One Cup, so maybe schedulers felt why give them anymore exposure than they are already getting. Yet United held up their part of the deal by eliminating QPR easily in a 3-0 victory, chance missed for programmers.

My biggest gripe is the positioning of replays for the competition. The tournament's history has been flooded with great memories in replays down the years but this is a knockout competition, lets make it knockout competition, one game to a finish on the day with extra time and penalties.  As much as we hate them, penalty shoot-outs bring added drama to proceedings and for all those travelling fans and home supporters who have to fork out so much for their ticket post Christmas; I feel the bonus of seeing a final result will instigate a renewed interest and fervour in proceedings. This alteration will save our eardrums from the constant moaning of managers about fixture congestion and fatigued players

The argument will be that lower league sides will relish the opportunity of drawing the first match to get a bigger share of gate money in the replay.  Yet those games are replayed in midweek, an immediate precursor of lower attendances and if there are not many replays will more than likely get screened on commercial broadcasters; the teams split the gate money anyway during cup games so as much as it was great for Cambridge to draw Man United at home in the fourth round, do not be fooled into thinking Cambridge would not mind an away draw at Old Trafford with all those receipts coming their way. The television fee for the tie will help swallow that pill for certain.

A resolution to the problem of teams missing out on big away days and also the big clubs always being drawn at home, would be to follow the Davis Cup method of drawing.  In that tennis competition, the home nation take turns in playing host due to the long gaps in playing opponents.  For instance, Great Britain had to play away at Italy last year as they hosted the Azzurri the last time they were drawn together many years previously.  A similar sort of method in football would mix it up and avoid such issues as Arsenal playing at home in every round as they did last season and remove the big boys from their comfort zones; and once the draw is done throw more intrigue into the competition.

These are merely ideas and this writer does not envisage anything changing drastically but changes must occur if the competition is going to keep its allure for years to come.  The FA itself needs to be stronger and not allow games to be played over five days as we had in this round and restrict it to Saturday to Monday play only; otherwise the competition will fall even further down the pecking order of priorities behind the race for Top four and the need for Premier League survival.

Erebus: Into The Unknown

Out in selected cinemas on 9th January and available DVD/VOD from 12th January, Erebus: Into the Unknown tells the true story of the men who came face to face with one of the world’s worst aviation disasters and became part of one of the most extraordinary police operations in history.

On November 28th 1979, a jet with 257 passengers went missing during a sightseeing tour over Antarctica. Within hours eleven ordinary police officers were called to duty to face the formidable Mount Erebus. But as the police recovered the victims an investigation team tried to uncover the mystery of how a jet could fly into a mountain in broad daylight, did the airline have a secret they tried to bury?

Directed by Charlotte Purdy, who cleverly mixes the format of documentary and factual cinema, she uses face to face interviews with key men from the search and rescue team - Stuart Leighton, Greg Gilpin, Mark Penn and leader Robert Mitchell. Mitchell led the team from the ground while the three other gentlemen along with other policeman, mountaineers and volunteers led the investigation of the crash site to save bodies.  Of the 257 passengers, 214 bodies were brought home for burial, this remains the highest percentage return from an aviation disaster.

 

The film makes clear though that due to the cold climate there was a greater chance of reclaiming more bodies, however, the harsh reality of the elements come to the fore in the recreated scenes and the testimonies of the heroes.

Leighton was 22 when he went to Antarctica, and you can still see the fear in his eyes when he recounts the memories.  Gilpin was fearful of never seeing his two daughters again, while Penn was the gun ho individual who saw it as a great opportunity for his career.  Many people reacted to things differently, even when facing the same challenge of constant daylight, huge emotional turmoil and the chattering of birds that keep you awake.

Purdy does take moments to reflect upon the beauty of the surroundings by having characters sit and look upon the landscape and juxtapose the devastation of the crash site with the beauty of the snow, there is some poetic lyricism somewhere out in the wilderness.

However, the methods used in the middle of nowhere by Mitchell and co-ordinated by Gilpin led to those same methods to be used in crash sites from there on. The work led to some answers for the bereaved families and the discovery of the pilot's log led to the realisation of the wrong co-ordinates being relayed.  

Hence, this could be considered the first big business cover up of an aviation disaster.  And in this day and age of airplanes missing and more answers required for more bereaving families, this film could offer hope to those related to the crashes involving Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and Air Asia QZ8501.

EREBUS: INTO THE UNKNOWN is in cinemas 9 January and DVD/On Demand 12 January

The cinemas the film will be showing in are the Genesis Cinema, Mile End and Lowen Cinema, Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire

In praise of...Steven Gerrard

End of an Era
With the sad news of Steven Gerrard choosing to leave his only club Liverpool at the end of this his 17th season, it is another indicator of a player not being able to end his career on his terms. Unlike his team mate, Jamie Carragher who chose to call it a day by not wanting to play for anyone else; Gerrard still feels he can play a part at some level of football. The initial intention is that this means he is heading for the pasture of MLS in America like Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane, however, could he do what Frank Lampard did and come back to the Premier League on a loan move which ultimately upsets more people yet still maintains his desire to play at a high level.

What does it mean for Gerrard? Already this season, you have seen Gerrard slowing down or unable to play the two games a week needed for a Champions League outfit. At the start of the season, he was playing his number four or deep lying midfielder allowing him to spray passes to sprinting forwards. Yet due to transfer dealings and player injuries, Gerrard has had no outlet for his creative input. His best game this season came in early December away at Leicester where he played as a number 10 behind the front man of Rickie Lambet. His link up play was good and his cut and thrust led to chances aplenty. 

Perhaps, Brendan Rodgers cannot find a position for him or the fact that Rodgers dropped him regularly meant Gerrard could not commit to a club where he could not start every game, yet maybe Gerrard needed to accept the advancing of time.  His legs were effectively shot at the World Cup after the gruelling culmination of a potential championship season.  The image of Gerrard slipping and handing possession to Demba Ba to score for Chelsea at the Kop End will be an indelible image yet should not be considered the only reason Liverpool did not win Gerrard's only league title.

Like his contemporary, Frank Lampard, Gerrard needs to find a space and role in a team going forward where he can be creative and integral to the team performance. How ironic that on the day Gerrard made his decision, Lampard was scoring his fifth goal of the season for Manchester City with his first touch when coming on as a substitute with 20 minutes remaining in a 2-2 draw with Sunderland. Lampard had the last word. Gerrard did score two penalties for Liverpool in a disappointing home 2-2 draw with Leicester. Apart from those two goals, Gerrard's impact was minimal and deflating.

Whereas, Lampard has the engine and fitness to run all day, Lampard seems enthused by the idea to become a veritable super sub as he showed when scoring against Chelsea earlier in the season. Gerrard's modus operandi is having an influence on the game from the outset means it may take longer for him to realise and adjust. Based on form alone this season, would Gerrard start for any team in the top six should he become available. And would he want to play for anyone else. Can you imagine Gerrard playing for either Manchester side or even Arsenal?

In a sport where money is no object seemingly, the price of loyalty has diminished and the opportunity for any player to depart or leave the scene on his own terms has vanished. Unlike Ledley King who had to retire due to injury as a one club man, the loyal servant of football like Carragher or Paul Scholes has gone.  

If Gerrard had lifted the Premier League trophy in May instead of Vincent Kompany it may well have given him the perfect ending to a glittering career. Instead, Gerrard becomes that very typical modern footballer, a talent who has become a nomad. That is no way for any talent to end. With no direction or clue of the journey that he has navigated so proudly ending.