TV Review: This Is Jinsy

“We’re dealing with a back combed asymmetric bouffant the size of a cow, what do you want me to do give it a shampoo and set?” with this cry Stephen Fry sets the tone for the whole second series of This Is Jinsy. Jinsy is a place of weirdness, whimsey and wonder with a dark underlying tyrannical streak, it is a place with feral accountants, singing obituaries and Sandy’s Choice – a talent show judged by a dog. 

With a pilot put out by the BBC This Is Jinsy was eventually picked up by Sky Comedy and is now in it’s second series, perhaps a little too off the wall for the BBC since the inevitable demise of the brilliantly offbeat The Mighty Boosh; Sky has definitely hit gold with this thoroughly British comedy series. The potential love child of The League of Gentlemen  and Monty Python, This Is Jinsy  is the next in a long, orderly queue of bizarre British comedies. 

Set on an island, loosely based on Guernsey the home of the two writers Chris Bran and Justin Chubb, This Is Jinsy’s whimsey takes place in 20 minute long independent stories. While it is not a sketch show there are elements of the genre in the short snippets of the islands TV that we are treated to. In these interruptions to the story we are gifted with such musical numbers as “Vegetable Tricks” and “This Mock Fireplace You Gave Me”, as well as the show Extreme Etiquette for Girls.

Film Review: Kelly + Victor

Many a film has been dubbed the anti-500 Days of Summer, but none has been so deserving as the tale of a torrid love affair that is Kelly + Victor. Based on the 2002 Naill Griffiths novel of the same name Kelly + Victor is the dark cousin of the romantic comedy, when Kelly and Victor meet in a club in Liverpool the attraction is instant but neither of them could anticipate the twisted path their relationship would take.

With a thoroughly unsentimental take on new love British director Kieran Evans is able to create a relationship that is both real and bizarrely twisted. When Kelly unlocks a sexual dark side in Victor neither of them is able to leave the other and while their relationship falters and recovers in waves throughout the 90-minute film there is never a doubt about their ultimate compatibility.

It is not only their relationship that is portrayed in a refreshingly down-to-earth way; the characters that surround the couple are instantly recognisable as real, familiar personalities. Despite the extreme actions taken by some of the supporting characters the brilliant direction and dialogue ground Kelly + Victor very much in the real world.

See more at TQS Magazine 

Out on DVD now. 

TV Review: Sherlock, His Last Vow

So that’s it, our winter fling with Sherlock is over! But what a finale, “His Last Vow” has everything; intrigue, misdirection, revelations and mystery. After last week’s episode which received mixed reactions from fans, Episode 3 sees Sherlock back at the height of its powers.

We finally venture inside Sherlock’s mind palace in this episode in a dream sequence to rival David Lynch, the place where Sherlock keeps all his memories and knowledge stored away in rooms is not always the sanest of places. Here we not only encounter his younger self, but his childhood dog, a much more malevolent version of his brother Mycroft and most disturbingly Moriarty enclosed in a padded cell but very much alive and as mad as ever. This whole sequence takes place in the 3 seconds of consciousness Sherlock has after being shot, it is a brilliant mixture of science, humor and Sherlock brilliance. Stylistically it is great with Molly appearing as the scientific version of his psyche and Mycroft popping up to remind him how stupid he is being, all this is done with an effortless cinematography that reflects the erratic nature of Sherlock’s mind. His descent down the staircase of his mind palace intersperses these scenes and it is only when in the hospital, when agonizing each step back the winding Parisian flight of stairs corresponds with a heartbeat, that you can appreciate how hard Sherlock is willing to fight to save his friend John Watson.

To the biggest reveal of the episode and even the series … look away now if you have yet to watch it!

There’s something about Mary. Mary Watson nee. Morstan is not what she seems; the clues were always there, she recognized the skip code, she has no family, and she can rival Sherlock keeping up with his weirdness. Even so, this was one mystery the audience was not really trying to solve. The writers have so cleverly introduced Mary into our hearts, she was perfect for John and a brilliant witty rival to Sherlock that it almost feels like she has betrayed us as we see her standing there gun to the head of Magnussen. We still don’t really know who or what she was, assassin seems the most logical profession given what Magnussen sees in his file but nothing is spelled out. The knowing and not knowing is used brilliantly to maintain and even increase our respect for Mary as she runs from this dangerous past life, had the facts been spelled out plainly it would lend her character a more controversial edge that wouldn’t really suit the tone of the program.

Magnussen is perhaps the biggest red herring the program has ever attempted to slip by us, and it worked! Built up as a Moriarty type figure, brooding in the background and controlling the attacks on Sherlock and John, but as it turns out he was simply fodder to bring out the amazing truth about Mary. While he is certainly important to the plot, he is mainly there as a distraction and a conduit for action. Clearly set up as a Rupert Murdoch figure, he is designed to be hated. With files on every important person in the country, Magnussen even has Mycroft running scared. It is with Magnussen that the shows real twists and turns manifest themselves, with          Sherlock gambling his freedom and the security of the state on Magnussen’s “vaults”.

While this episode was certainly high in drama, it didn’t lack comedy. Curve balls including Sherlock having a girlfriend, and perhaps less shockingly being found in crack den serve to lighten the tone of the show. The introduction of Sherlock’s thoroughly ordinary parents was a stroke of genius and Christmas at the Holmes’ is quite a treat.

“His Last Vow” has been known to fans for a while as “His Last Bow”, leading internet theorists to conclude this would be the final series but happily they were mistaken. With the reappearance of Moriarty on every TV screen in the country Mycroft his forced to call Sherlock back from his exile after the events surrounding Magnussen’s “vaults” setting us up nicely for another series.

This third series of the show came back with a bang, faltered slightly in the second third but then came through for a triumphant finish in a finale to rival “The Reichenbach Fall”. As usual every episode was brimming with English acting talent, comedy and drama and even Episode 2 which was commonly held to be a little below standard was brilliant compared to other trudging crime dramas. Just a year wait this time, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a long year with the mystery of Moriarty hanging over us!

 

TV Review: The Tunnel

From the makers of Broadchurch comes The Tunnel a smart, stylish and thoroughly European take on the murder mystery. When a body is discovered in the service tunnels of the Channel Tunnel a Anglo-French investigation begins into to the person later dubbed the “Truth Terrorist” or the “Terroriste Vérité” depending on which side of the channel we are on. This cleverly constructed crime thriller effortlessly spans the 21-mile stretch of water with subtitled passages running smoothly alongside the English-speaking scenes.

Elise (Clémence Poésy) and Karl (Stephen Dillane), the French and English officers on the case, are thrown together in difficult circumstances and have an uneasy relationship, but predictably his wise cracking English personality somewhat melts her icy, almost sociopathic, front to build an unlikely friendship. So far so predictable, but this slow moving drama builds cleverly with each episode always leaving you wanting just a little more information. The controlled pace allows mysteries to build and unfurl over several episodes rather than granting the quick gratification and neat endings we often expect from a police drama.

With star turns from the likes of Keeley Hawes and Joseph Mawle it is needless to say that the level of acting talent is very high, however sometimes the dialogue can be a little clunky. This is a shame as is distracts from the fairly sophisticated plot, but the intriguing nature of the “Truth Terrorist” and the slow coming together of disparate plotlines is enough to keep you watching over the 10, 45-minute episodes.

Read more at: TQS Magazine 

DVD released: 13th January.

TV Review: Sherlock, The Sign of Three

The second episode of Sherlock focused more on comedy and the building of characters and character relationships than any episode thus far. Based around the wedding of Watson and Mary, the show has chosen to shake up its format slightly; rather than the linear storyline that we usually enjoy The Sign of Three is formatted around a series of flashbacks to previous cases all presented by Sherlock during his best man speech. While it is admirable that Stephen Thompson has the courage to try something new with a TV show that has such militant fans, he unfortunately fell a little short this week.

Somehow the flashback sequences weren’t strong enough to carry an audiences attention in the same way the usual story-arc can; the use of multiple short stories is definitely strong in the history of Conan-Doyle’s detective but these stories just didn’t come together in a clever enough way to countenance such a radical change in formula.

While the format was clunky there were some stand out sequences, particularly the stag night. Sherlock . . . on a stag night – it’s better than you could ever imagine. What starts out as a night driven by a mathematically worked out alcohol intake ends with Sherlock and Watson drunkenly out on the case of a ghostly boyfriend. Cumberbatch and Freeman are hilariously accurate as a drunken duo, their bleary eyed concentration matched only by the brilliant composition of the shots with half the screen often out of focus, fading in and out in line with the duos drunkenness.

Despite his self proclaimed “high functioning sociopath” status Sherlock rises to the challenge of being best man admirably: YouTubing napkin designs, arranging seating plans and interviewing (and intimidating) ex boyfriends. All of which is done which the usual Sherlock awkward brilliance.
The Sign of Three is one of the funniest episodes of Sherlock so far, so it’s a shame that the dramatic elements fell so flat with a frankly weak murder plot made even weaker by the fact that 40% of the people I watched it with got it way before Sherlock!

Mary Marston, however, really came into her own in this episode, Abbington’s flawless (and unsurprising) chemistry with real-life partner Freeman made the episode for me – perhaps overtaken by Mary’s effortless manipulation of both Sherlock and Watson, always in their best interests of course! Her easy charm and unflappable nature make her a more that welcome addition to the team.

Though episode two was more patchy than usual, a strong comic stream runs through the whole episode and the style of the whole piece is as innovation and intriguing as ever but the flashback formula just didn’t gel. While the seemingly inconsequential anecdotes Sherlock throws out in his best man speech do come together to form a bigger picture, the writer has perhaps not been clever enough neglecting to lay the breadcrumbs for the audience to follow. While the bigger, more obvious murder plot is playing on the audiences mind the less interesting ones fall away leaving the big reveal with a feeling of unwelcome familiarity – none of the information is entirely new. The whole episode was very much like having a McDonalds meal – thoroughly enjoyable while eating but twinged with a sense of disappointment after you’ve finished. While the episode was very entertaining, the unraveled murder plot left more than a few questions unanswered when looking back.

SHERLOCK IS BACK!!!

Ok so before my review proper I need to have a little fan girl moment to say “Arghhhhhhhhhhhh Sherlock is back!!!!” . . . OK overexcited moment over on to the professional bit.

**Spoilers**

Sherlock’s back in with a bang in the first episode of this the third and much awaited series of the BBC drama. Everything we once loved about the great detective has returned to our screens, seemingly empowered by his 2 year break Sherlock bursts into our living rooms in a whirlwind of fan theories and swishing overcoats. Embracing the MANY theories as to how Sherlock survived his “Reichenbach” fall “The Empty Hearse” tantalizes audiences by dramatizing a diverse cross section of the theories from the plausible to the more outlandish, fan-fiction inspired but never really revealing the truth about his fall.

This device of drawing the audience into a theory before trashing it is used through out the episode and never gets old, each time the audience willing it to be the big reveal. Writer Stephen Moffat cleverly avoids disappointing anyone by letting the fans dictate what might have happened; he has said in many an interview that the fan theories are far more elaborate and interesting than the truth – so why not embrace that creativity!

The writers of “The Empty Hearse” have us wait a full 10 minutes to see that face, but when we do that little smile of his is enough to wipe away the last 2 years of waiting, wondering and theorizing.

Of course Sherlock is not only returning to us but to John Watson, having grown a grief moustache and moved on with his life Watson is not as pleased as Sherlock would have had him at his triumphant return. In a nice slapstick routine Sherlock dressed as a waiter reveals himself to John only to have John not recognize him. This is followed by a brilliant sequence in which Sherlock is attacked by John in multiple restaurants of descending quality; each of which they are thrown out of before ending up in the street, Sherlock with a broken nose.

Having decided to return to his previous position as Sherlock’s medical consultant/sidekick Watson returns to Baker Street only to be thrown in at the deep end as he is kidnapped and placed in a burning bonfire. Based around Bonfire Night, “The Empty Hearse” features an attack on Parliament and a lot of explosives. 5^th November, now known as Bonfire Night is the night in 1605 when Guy Fawkes, a Catholic member of the Gunpowder Plot, placed explosives under parliament in an attempt to kill the Protestant King James I. To celebrate the capture of the terrorists people lit bonfires around London, and so people around Britain still light bonfires and set of fireworks on 5^th November. The more sinister use of the bonfire as a live funerary pyre is sure to scar some kids at next year’s celebrations!

The quickly unraveling plot is full of the brilliant stylistic markers we have come to expect from the previous 2 series, the sharp editing, use of overlapping images and above all the fantastic transitionally pieces. The plot is fast paced and moves between emotion, pathos and action effortlessly, a brilliant return for the famous detective.

The 2-year wait has more than paid off; the plot, characters and music all seem like old friends that have been given a new lease of life. The franchise seems reanimated and refocused, and even though the whole thing will be over again in 17 days it’s sure to be a rollercoaster ride of a series with many a new mystery to obsess over.

TV Review: Atlantis, A Girl By Any Other Name

Episode two of the BBC’s new family entertainment show, Atlantis, is such an improvement on the pilot that I am almost willing to forgive the terrible acting of the first episode. The key to this episode’s success is simply less Jason more Hercules; Mark Addy’s easy charm, and brilliant comic timing raises this episode from mediocre children’s show to genuinely enjoyable adventure show.

“A Girl By Any Other Name” sees Jason and the gang’s infamy as the slayers of the Minotaur spread; approached by the father of a girl who has disappeared from the palace kitchens they decide to take on the investigation. After some inquiries they find that the Maenads, the followers of Dionysus, may have abducted her. With a temple set deep in a creepy forest, guarded by man-eating Satyrs, the boys should have no trouble getting in and rescuing the girl, right? Well not so much.

Read full review 

Danny Boyle’s Trance released on DVD today

Danny Boyle’s first post Olympic offering, Trance, is released on DVD today. Thinking about buying or renting it?

Check out my review here first!

New Doctor Revealed

So it’s been a while since I posted something, and apparently it takes something as momentous as a new Doctor Who being announced to stop me being lazy!

So with Matt Smith leaving the show after the Christmas Special at the end of this year we see, after a live BBC1 show, that Peter Capaldi (of Malcom Tucker fame) will take over as the shows lead.

With Steven Mofat, the show’s all round creative director, only giving the clue that the new Doctor would be “Different from Matt”; Capaldi seems set to lead the franchise into a whole new era. While personally I was a huge Matt Smith fan, Capaldi’s more advanced years may lend a gravitas to show that will bring back fans alienated by Smith’s more exuberant performance. With a Doctor Who appearance already in the bag (Capaldi appeared in the Fires of Pompeii) the actor must already be familiar with the scale and workings of the show.

While an audition in Mofat’s own home secured him the role, the actor says “I’m like the Doctor himself I find myself in a state of utter terror and delight.”

So overall it’s a thumbs up from Jackanory Reviews, can’t wait for the 50th anniversary now!

Film Review: Confine Dir. Tobias Tobbell

Confine is a tense psychological drama from British director Tobias Tobbell. Tobbell’s previous experience in short films is more than evident in the slick handling of this feature length offering. With a small budget to contend with Tobbell has utilised the confined surroundings of a single apartment to create a contained setting. Using tracking shots and a brilliantly styled background he creates an air of sophistication and elegance in what could otherwise have been a slightly underwhelming film.

The basic premise sees Pippa (Daisy Lowe), a former model with facial and psychological scarring, trapped in her apartment by her own agoraphobia and then latterly by a psychotic burglar, Kayleigh (Eliza Bennet).

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The full review can be found at TQS magazine.

Confine is on selected release in the UK from 28th July.

Confine Trailer

A pyschological thriller from British director Tobias Tobell, Confine is the model Daisy Lowe’s first foray into film acting. The trailer makes for an interesting watch, giving little away about the central plot and setting up the sense of confinement and uncertainty in which the film appears to take place.

I have been offered a preview of this film and so will be posting a review prior to it’s release on the 1st July 2013, exciting stuff here at Jackanory Reviews!

So take a look at the trailer and let me know your thoughts!

Film Review: Byzantium Dir. Neil Jordan

Neil Jordan extracts the gothic from the mundane as he returns to the genre that made his name nearly 10 years ago, in new Vampire thriller Byzantium.  Set in the sleepy seaside town of Newhaven, Byzantium sees Clara (Gemma Arterton) and Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) fleeing the mysterious brethren, a sinister group of male vampires who refuse to accept the existence of females in their midst.

In a refreshing shake up to the genre Clara and Eleanor seem to lack the all consuming desire for blood which defines their predecessors, and instead of fangs these modern vampires kill through the use of a extendable ‘claw’ on their thumb. These changes are a welcome reboot to what has become an almost cheesy genre; it is a vampire film so we can’t escape the spectre of Twilight. Gone are the Mormon values, replaced with good old-fashioned seductive vampires who use their sex appeal to lure and kill.

To read my full review visit TQS magazine or Click Here

To see the trailer follow this link.

Highlights Of Last Nights BAFTA’s

The night was full of surprises, but something that surprised no one was Olivia Coleman’s win of 2 BAFTA’s and her graceful and comedic acceptance of both.

Here’s a breakdown of the main winners:

• Actor – Ben Whishaw (for Richard II)
• Actress – Sheridan Smith (for Mrs Briggs)
• Female comedy performance – Olivia Colman (for Twenty Twelve)
• Male comedy performance – Steve Coogan (for Welcome to the Places of My Life)
• Supporting actor – Simon Russell Beale (for Henry IV Part II)
• Supporting Actress – Olivia Colman (for Accused)
• Drama series – Last Tango in Halifax
• Sport and live event – The London 2012 Paralympic Games
• News coverage – Hillsborough – The Truth at Last (Granada Reports)
• Current Affairs – The Shame of the Catholic Church
• Sitcom – Twenty Twelve
• Soap and continuing drama – EastEnders
• Audience award – Game of Thrones

The BBC walked away with a total of 15 awards, Channel 4 left with 4, Sky with 3 and ITV with 2.

Byzantium Trailer

Been trawling the internet for up coming films I may have missed and I can’t believe this one passed me by. A English take on the Vampire story, perhaps a little darker than Twi-hards may be use to, Byzantium sees Neil Jordan return to direct in the genre that made his name. His previous foray into the murky world of the Vampire Thriller was in 1994 with Interview With A Vampire. 

With a great cast Gemma Arterton (Tamara Drew), Saoirse Rohan (The Host/Hanna) and Sam Riley (Control/On The Road) this film has the potential to be the great British film of the Summer.

UK release date: 31st May 2013

BBC One’s Victorian Cop Drama Surprises

The first episode of Ripper Street left much to be desired, the plodding script, Sherlock-esque music and clichéd opening sequence marked it out as unoriginal and dated. But it just got better and better, becoming an essential part of the Sunday night schedule.

What at first appeared to be one-dimensional characters pull straight out of a bin the BBC’s creative department become fully-fledged personalities with complex backgrounds and tortured lives. Each episode revealed more and more of the main figures; the American’s Pinkerton past, the Sargent’s loving heart and the Detective’s lost child. While these may not necessarily seem like the most original facets but performances like that of Matthew Macfadyen (Mr Reid) with his sympathetic portrayal of loss and its all-consuming power gave the whole series a distinctively ‘tender’ feeling. As the series progresses the other characters also reveal their pasts and vices, which were once hidden under a veneer of Victorian propriety at first.

The dialogue effortlessly combines Victorian slag with modern vernacular, creating a warm mix of genres which interests and involves the audience. The endearing characters get in and out of trouble as crimes are committed and solved, again it doesn’t sound too inspiring, but the basis in history adds a new element to a well worn genre. The docker’s strikes, the opening of the underground and, of course, Jack the Ripper are all happening as the individual stories and crimes whisk the audience through Victorian Whitechapel.

The visuals are brilliant; the costumes mix Victoriana with a slight modern element while Whitechapel is recreated in all its grimy glory. The smoggy streets and slums create a perfect background to the stories; we see evicted families, houses knocked down in the name of progress, streetwalkers and urchins all giving a sense of the tumultuous and uncertain times to which we are being transported.

The long thread of revealed secrets which runs through the series turns what could have been a clichéd period-detective-drama, into a truly engaging and unmissable human drama with many twists and turns that’ll keep you guessing all along the journey.

All episodes available on BBC iplayer