5 posts tagged “annie griffin”
I see a lot of mags/sites are breaking out their “Best of the Decade” lists, but I can’t be doing with that. Amélie remains my favourite film of all time, so it follows that it’s my fave of the decade... beyond that, there are too many likely candidates to calculate. Still, I think I can just about manage a “Best of the Year” list...
Film: Inglourious Basterds
I’ve been a Tarantino fanboy ever since I first saw Reservoir Dogs at the cinema, back when it was still banned from video release in the UK. Hard to imagine in our post-Saw, “torture porn” era, but the censors seemed to think that a scene (sort of) showing a policeman getting his ear cut-off was the height of horror. All I remember is thinking how cool and funny Steve Buscemi was, and to this day I maintain that Mr Pink made it out alive. Until I see a body, I’m counting him as the sole survivor, so nuts to you. It’s hard to say if QT has grown much since those days... he still has a taste for tense stand-offs, and if anything his stories have gotten a little sloppier. But he has broadened his cultural/historical frame of reference, and when it comes to arresting images and colourful dialogue, he always delivers. This flick didn’t turn out to be quite what I’d been expecting from the trailer, which suggested a Jewsploitation take on The Dirty Dozen... there are certainly elements of that in there, but the “Basterds” aren’t the sole focus of the story, and the other characters make for a more expansive experience, although the incidental scenes do tend to drag a little. Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) still impresses as a strong, smart heroine, even if she does forget a golden rule of dealing with movie villains. One thing you can always rely on with QT, even as the clones try to play catch-up, and the accusations of his own pop-cultural pilfering come flying, is that there’s no one else making movies like him right now... and that’s a shame.
Honourable mentions: Star Trek and Drag Me To Hell, both of which were big, pulpy fun. I had high hopes for Marina de Van’s latest, Don't Look Back (Ne Te Retourne Pas), starring Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci... but when it was screened out of competition at Cannes, it dropped like a lead balloon, so it’s unlikely to get a big release in this country.
Album: It’s Not me, It’s You by Lily Allen
Some of the lyrics may have proven to be slightly less sardonic than they first sounded (she’s since gone topless for a magazine photo shoot, making the “I’ll take my clothes off” line from ‘The Fear’ a bit prophetic), and its hard to sympathise with a pop-star who buys a beach and then complains that she isn’t making enough money, but I’m still impressed by how biting and satirical her deceptively cheerful ditties can be. I haven’t heard any other artists drop the F-Bomb with the sugar-coated venom Allen does on “F*ck You”, which puts most modern punks to shame. Not every track is a keeper, but then with today’s technology it’s easy enough to swap some of the syrup out for caustic B-sides like ‘Kabul Shit’. And no one romanticises the mundane details of dating like Lily does, bless her.
Honourable mentions: Jigsaw by Lady Sovereign, which was quite catchy but lacked the spiky spontaneity of her debut (and had far too much auto-tune on it for my liking) and Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful? by Paloma Faith. 21st Century Man by Luke Haines would probably be a strong contender for the top spot too, but it only came out the other week, and I haven’t heard it enough times to really comment.
Book: Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse
True, it was first published way back in 1927, but I don’t read a lot of new books, and this nifty little novel deserves a nod for achieving the seemingly impossible task of making me feel like an upbeat, adventurous optimist! It didn’t last, but for a few days there I was flying. Along with the Bhagavad Gita and Teach Yourself Happiness, this has been a pretty positive year, reading-wise.
TV: Coming Soon
Sad to say, but the best television I saw this year was actually from 1999, namely the three-part series Coming Soon by Annie Griffin. Her latest offering New Town could have been a contender too, of course, but it was aborted after only one episode, so who knows how it would have turned out?
Honourable mentions: Lost (S5) and Ugly Betty (S3) both had their high points, but they also had plenty of lows. The way the Lost writers have treated Locke since the second season is disgraceful, and that resentment taints everything else that happens around the poor sod. Boo, I say! Ugly Betty has become so predictable with its tragedy and melodrama... “Oh look, a new girlfriend for Daniel... wonder how long she’ll last?”, “Oh, a fancy job offer for Betty... wonder if that will fall through somehow?” The whole thing would work much better as a family/workplace sitcom, imho. Make it so! I really wish I’d watched Misfits from the beginning, because that looks like it could be pretty good... I only caught the first half-hour of the third episode, but I already have a slight crush on Lauren Socha (love at first head-butt, you might say!). The premise of a gang of random juvenile delinquents gaining superpowers is a strong one, and they seem to have a great cast for it. I’m strongly considering taking a blind punt on the DVD, which is a very rare impulse for a miser like me. Meanwhile, I’m still addicted to Judge Judy, but let’s not talk about that.
And if you read all of that, give yourself a cookie. You earned it. :)
Huzzah! Even though Griffin's latest pilot, New Town, wasn't given a full series by the BBC, it did pick up a brace of nominations for the BAFTA Scotland awards, and last night took two of the shiny mask thingies home! One for "Best TV Drama", and one for "Best Female TV Actor" (Daniela Nardini)... apparently one of its younger cast members, Rose Leslie, also picked up a New Talent Award for her role, earlier this year. So... yay!!! Note: Awards only matter when they go to the right people. :)
These days, you’d probably have to pay a king’s ransom to get Billy Boyd, Julia Davis, Omid Djalili, Ben Miller and David Walliams in a production together, but back in 1999 they all appeared in a three part comedy for Ch4 called Coming Soon, by the writer/director (auteur?) Annie Griffin.
The story follows a rather self-involved, and self-important “devised theatre” group who spurn the tyranny of the scripted word in favour of trust exercises and endless workshopping. Their disdain for writers is both vocal and unequivocal... as they follow the example of their improvisatory idol (Julia Roth, ironically played by Griffin herself) and prize the process over the production. They do, however, still require funding, and are forced to recruit a famous Scottish singer looking to break into movies, in order to qualify for a grant offered in honour of cross-border co-operation between England and her homeland. Needless to say, her populist appeal rubs the pretentious “artistes” up the wrong way, and gradually threatens to undermine the entire enterprise. To be fair though, it wasn’t the sturdiest of ships to begin with, as all the founding members of the group have their own selfish idiosyncrasies and agendas, especially when it comes to recruiting (and grooming) new cast members.
On the DVD commentary for her later sitcom The Book Group, Griffin stated the belief that characters don’t have to be especially sympathetic for the audience to want to follow their story. I’d agree, with the proviso that it depends on how well the characters are written and played. Vikki Pepperdine’s “Jen” is a classic example... as the group’s director she spends the majority of her time being unapologetically arrogant, antagonistic and verbally abusive, and yet there’s something so endearing about her obliviousness, that when she finally does crack, you can’t help but care. Her utter conviction in the face of total apathy from audiences (and the world in general), is equal parts admirable and absurd.
Julia Davis’ character (Kim) spends most of the series off in her own little world, as one of the naive new recruits to the group. At first she just seems shy and gawky, but we soon realise that she may be a teeny bit “f*cked”, as Elaine C Smith so delicately puts it, during a somewhat one-sided “co-counselling” session. It’s a role that really plays to Davis’ strengths, as she works through different accents and personas, dances crazy, and unleashes her inner demons.
Still, for me the stand-out has to be Mabel Aitken, in her largest role to date, as Fiona, the relentlessly perky Scottish fiancée of Walliams’ sleazy suit, and cofounder of the Trans-Ecosse scheme which is funding the folly. Not only does Fiona manage to keep smiling through Jen’s glowering rebukes, she openly admires her moxie, and even offers to set her up on a blind date with her brother! Bless. In many ways, she is my ideal woman... a cute suit, who’s organised and ambitious, but tolerant of the so-called “artistic temperament”. We might have to have words about the whole “getting drunk and dancing topless on tables” thing, but other than that she’s a darling...
I’ve long since given up trying to figure out why certain actors/shows/films/bands become popular, while others are left to sink sadly into obscurity. I think Griffin’s writing is incredibly smart, sharp, and savagely satirical... but at the same time, there’s something very humane about the way in which she exposes and indulges her characters' follies and failures. In this case, she even allows her characters a “happy ending” to be going on with, even if they aren’t all where they wanted to be at the start of the run. In a contemporary review from the Guardian, the critic suggests that potential viewers may have been turned off by the setting and focus of the series... I guess it’s the reverse Office-effect, in that almost everyone has worked in an office environment at some point, and can more easily relate to the premise than they can to a show about a cliquey, close-knit theatre group... and maybe I’m biased by the fact that I’m an arty-type myself, but I’d still maintain that the performances and jokes are funny enough to warrant a wider audience, regardless.
Some kind soul has uploaded a taster session with the Le Jeu Theatre Company to YouTube, viewable here. Warning: Clip may contain strong swearing and smugness.
I think I first started paying attention to the Canadian actress Meredith MacNeill when I forced myself to sit through the Brit comedy flick Confetti. The review aggregate sites rate it at about six-out-of-ten, and I think that's fair enough... but with the cast they had, you'd be forgiven for expecting a much higher rating. Jessica Hynes, Martin Freeman, Stephen Mangan, Meredith MacNeill, Robert Webb, Olivia Colman, Julia Davis.... that's a solid Britcom All Stars line-up right there... drawing from Spaced, Green Wing, Peep Show, The Office, and Nighty Night. The concept of three couples competing to win a dream home, by entering a bridal magazines competition to find the "Most Original Wedding" is pretty solid. Unfortunately, I've never been a big fan of semi-improvised mockumentaries, so I can't help feeling that this DVD would make a useful rough draft for a really great scripted comedy... but I doubt you could get the same cast to go back for another swing at it, sadly. It's a shame because there are so many story strands that are simply left to fray in the wind, and some very brave and funny performances, which go to waste amongst all the clutter. The whole way through I was rooting for the Tennis Couple (Mangan/MacNeill) to win it. Not only because they were the funniest, but also because their ceremony was the most genuinely original and bizarre. It was like a piece of devised theatre! I think their characters had the most interesting arcs, and the best jokes... the self-deprecating sub-plot about MacNeill needing a nose job before the big day was especially admirable on her part... and would get much more play in my hypothetical re-draft of the original. Nevertheless, Hynes and Freeman make such a sweet on-screen couple, and their segments have such emotional weight to them, they could easily have carried a rom-com all on their own.
Mangan and MacNeill also crop up, separately, in Annie Griffin's Festival. It's probably not fair to compare the two, but Griffin's work also seems to be semi-improvised, even if it isn't... the difference being that she can encourage her cast to bring a natural flow and energy to their performances, but also knows how to tell compelling stories, with deviate in strange and dark ways. Overall, it just makes for a more satisfying experience, even though the "resolution" to her characters' arcs are often equally ambiguous. In this tale of various performers, on vastly different rungs of the success ladder, plying their "Art" at the Edinburg Festival, MacNeill is part of an experimental Canadian theatre troupe. The trio spend much of the film looking either stoned or jet-lagged, but it's great to see them pull it together for their big performance... it would have been easy to get cheap chuckles out of them being as dopey on-stage as they are off it, but they (and Griffin) clearly take their craft seriously, and it almost made me wish I was there in the theatre to experience it myself.
Most recently, MacNeill was a member of the ManStrokeWoman cast. At first I avoided this sketch show, because it seemed too tightly focussed on the dating woes of thirty-something urbanites... which was deliberate on the part of the writers and producers, but I'm not sure it was to their credit... but after picking up the DVDs cheap, and giving the show a chance, I found there was a lot there to enjoy. Still a little too reliant on catchphrases and running gags for my liking, but with such a spirited and talented cast, it's hard to be too curmudgeonly about it. My favourite MacNeill "runner", for rather obvious reasons, was the one where she and Nick Frost play a couple experimenting with role-playing... the set-up involves MacNeill entering the bedroom in a succession of sexy costumes, and then taking the role she's playing far too seriously... such as when her "nurse" diagnoses Frost's "patient" with cancer. "Is it... naughty cancer?", he asks hopefully. No. No, it's not.
I'm not sure what first prompted MacNeill to come to our shores, but I'm very grateful that she did... it's just a bummer that she doesn't seem to have found a "breakout" role yet. I'd happily watch (or write for) a sitcom with her in the lead role, but I accept that there may be others out there who don't share my passion for crazy and cartoony comediennes. That said, she did put in a decent dramatic turn as the girlfriend of a suspected terrorist, in the meat-headed military drama Ultimate Force... and she picked up very good notices for her starring role in a play called Trance. In fact Time Out: London called her performance "the best thing about the production... there’s a lovely, believable contrast between her gawky off-duty persona, bumbling towards self-assertion, and the authority of her professional identity. The contrast serves the play well."
It’s quite bracing to watch Wedding Belles, shortly after catching up with the first series of Mistresses. Both focus on the ups and downs of a group of four female friends, but the latter is a glossy, glamorous romp compared to the gritty, crack-chic of the former. No surprise that it was co-written by Irvine Welsh, the filthy brain box behind Trainspotting... one of the most successful and popular British films in recent memory, and one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. Belles brought him back into the orbit of Michelle Gomez, who had previously appeared in an adaptation of The Acid House, and Shirley Henderson, who appeared in Trainspotting as Spud's girlf (“Shopping!” “Football!”). If I had any say in the matter, both of these women would be designated as national treasures, but I’m not sure the Scottish would appreciate me trying to co-opt their talent.
Gomez has absolutely exquisite bone-structure... but thankfully she hasn’t allowed her beauty to hamper her career as an extremely funny physical comedienne. She first came to my attention as the scene-stealing Sue White, in surreal medical dramedy Green Wing... which led me back to the previously overlooked Book Group, and then on to the criminally underrated Beeb sitcom Feel the Force. She’s the sort of performer who can make me laugh just by stepping over some crime-scene tape... and when she motions as if to head-butt random old ladies in a church, or line-dances around her bedroom in a bustier, I can’t help crushing on her. She is fierce... so no surprise she was cast as Kate in the most recent RSC production of The Taming of the Shrew... but she also has the skill to sell the quieter beats in Wedding Belles, which make it such a heartbreaking and hilarious ride. She can play it big, or she can play it small, and most importantly of all, she can slip seamlessly between the two.
Henderson has also been a “shrew” in her time, having starred in the BBC’s ShakespeaRe-Told update of the same story. For some reason it’s always funny to see short people raging against much taller people, and watching Henderson tear up the scenery and bully poor David Mitchell was a particular delight. She is perhaps best known to international audiences, rather bizarrely, as Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films... I say “bizarrely” because Henderson was well into her 30s when she was cast as the ghostly schoolgirl. Apparently she dug the “eternal youth” idea, because I’ve seen trailers for a new TV show (May Contain Nuts) in which she tries to pass herself off as her own eleven year old daughter (!?), to sit an important exam. Her second most recognisable role would probably be Jude, in the Bridget Jones films, which are great comfort-viewing... but in Belles she gives a fantastically spiky performance, and seems to relish every opportunity to spit out one of my favourite curses: “Get tae f-ck!” And an honourable mention should also go to Mabel Aitken, who appears as a nurse in Belles. She had a much larger role in Annie “Book Group” Griffin’s Coming Soon, alongside David Walliams, but since then has only been spotted in supporting roles. :( Overall, I can’t understand why this film was never given a full theatrical release, but there’s no shame in going straight-to-TV I suppose. I’ve watched my old VHS copy a good few times, but I’m glad I have it on DVD now, for the deleted scenes and extra interviews. A number of reviews suggested that the main characters were simply Renton and his pals in drag, but that’s clearly nonsense. Even if they are a bit rowdy at times, there’s far more compassion and understanding shared between the leads here... suggesting that they actually, y’know, like each other as people, rather than simply share a drug habit. There is talk in the extras about a series spinning off from the film, and I can certainly see that having legs, in the Mistresses mould... although you’d probably have trouble getting that stella cast back together again for long enough to knock out six or more episodes.
