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Day: 28 June 2017

Review: The Red Turtle

Written by Jamie McEvoy on . Posted in Film.

Studio Ghibli time and time again have produced some of the most beautiful and captivating not just animated features, but films in general since its birth in 1985. Spirited Away (2001), Princess Mononoke (1997) are but two shining examples of the studio’s outstanding track record, however, following the retirement of Ghibli stalwart Hayao Miyazaki, it was thought the end was nigh for the company.  The Japanese auteur had been so integral to the studio’s success and reputation that it seemed the departure of Miyazaki marked the end of an era.

Yet, despite the apparent swansong of When Marnie Was There in 2014, the studio has resurfaced in a co-production with European company Wild Bunch.  Resembling the art work of Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin more than anything, The Red Turtle shares little physical similarity with previous features by Ghibli.  Yet those familiar with works such as Mononoke and My Neighbour Totoro (1988) will quickly recognise the charm and beauty the Japanese studio is renowned for injecting into its films.

Directed and written by Dutch director and animator Michaël Dudok de Wit (Father and Daughter – Academy Award winner of Best Animated Short Film in 2000), The Red Turtle is a Crusoe-esque tale of a man who, following a savage storm at sea, finds himself stranded on an eerie yet beautiful island, teeming with smaller life forms such as crabs, various creepy crawlies, and sea-lions.

However, as he attempts to leave the island in a make-shift raft, his escape is thwarted by the island’s largest resident – the eponymous red turtle. After several attempted getaways where his vessel is destroyed by the marine giant, the man eventually finds the creature on land, basking in the sun on the shore.  In a fit of rage, the protagonist flips the turtle on its back, rendering it helpless, marooned on the beach.  What follows is a tale of guilt, transformation, love and solace.

At first glance, the film may sound to some like an animated re-hashing of Daniel Defoe’s classic novel, or Robert Zemeckis’ Cast Away (2000), but this could not be more of an erroneous judgement.  The Red Turtle is quite simply an absolute masterpiece.

Scored impeccably by French composer Laurent Perez del Mar, it is a story which in a mere 80 minutes manages to act as a meditation on life, death, the history of man, and familial love.  Adhering to the fantastic genre, just as the majority of Studio Ghibli’s features do, the ambiguity between the real, surreal and the magical truly absorbs the viewer into the dream-like serenity of life on the island.

A key factor of the film’s potency is the complete lack of dialogue.  The silence created by the speechless nature of the film accentuates both the alien and familiar sounds of the island biome, as well as the aforementioned exquisite soundtrack by Perez del Mar.  For many, the absence of dialogue may cause hesitation and concern, but this choice by Dudok de Wit has proved integral to the emotional power which the film holds.

On a limited release, it may be hard to track down a chain cinema which is showing The Red Turtle, but I cannot recommend highly enough seeking your nearest independent cinema (HOME in Manchester, for example) and going to see for yourself how outstanding this latest project from Studio Ghibli really is.

Visually stunning, melancholic and breath-taking, The Red Turtle is an encouraging reminder that, despite the dominance of 3D and CGI in the modern world of animated film, simple hand-drawn picture still has a place at the heart of cinema.

5/5

Festival preview: Reading and Leeds

Written by Katie Shepherd on . Posted in Music.

Festival season has well and truly begun and the excitement is rife as people across the country drag out their tents from the attic, pull on their shorts-and-wellies combo and bulk buy 12-packs of Kopparberg.

But Reading and Leeds, one of the most anticipated festivals of the year, is also one of the latest, leaving fans waiting until the tail-end of the summer to set up camp. Once again, however, the line-up promises to be wholly worth the wait.

This year, the main stage is showcasing one of the most musically diverse line-ups in the festival’s history. R&L regulars Muse are joined by Kasabian and Eminem, instantly ticking three boxes on the ultimate live band bucket list.

These headliners are joined by Bastille, who late last year took on arenas across the country with exceptional energy and a captivating performance, whilst Circa Waves and Two Door Cinema Club promise to have crowds swarming the main stage for some indie rock magic. Jimmy Eat World, meanwhile, provide the pop-punk nostalgia we all secretly crave, and Rat Boy has quickly accelerated up the list ready to bring his contagious energy back to the festival.

Meanwhile, the NME stage features a headlining set from last year’s secret act, You Me At Six, a band at the forefront of modern British rock, alongside American rock band Haim and Flume, who this year won a Grammy for his latest album, Skin. Other highlights include Loyle Carner, Reading’s own Sundara Karma and Halsey, whose intoxicating vocals bring a highly anticipated set.

Whether you’re a massive fan of dance or you’re at the festival for its rock roots, the dance stage always proves to be an unmissable experience, made even more so by the likes of Fatboy Slim, Jax Jones and Charli XCX. Over on the other side of the festival, however, The Pit hosts a number of the biggest names in rock, with While She Sleeps and Neck Deep fronting a headliner-packed line-up, including the Japanese One Ok Rock who have captivated audiences across the world and The Amity Affliction whose cathartic song craft will certainly make them one to watch.

A tent I have tended to overlook in previous years, the Festival Republic stage, this year gives platform to some of the most exciting names in the industry. Names like The Hunna, Cigarettes After Sex and The Japanese House are joined by The Amazons and Eden, both of whom have been gathering an increasing amount of attention over the past year.

It is, however, the BBC 1Extra stage that features one of the acts I am most excited for this year: rapper and poet, Watsky. If you see one artist this year that you’ve never heard of before, make it Watsky. You won’t regret it.

Of course, the music isn’t the only reason Reading and Leeds is one of the most enjoyable festival experiences; the alternative stage has a history of featuring some of the greatest comedic acts around, and this year we have sets from Katherine Ryan and the internet’s favourite satirical news reporter, Jonathan Pie.

Tickets are selling fast for what has proven continually over the years to be the ultimate festival experience, so if you haven’t already, get securing yours.

Reading and Leeds takes place on August Bank Holiday weekend, 25th – 27th.

Weekend camping and day tickets are available for both Reading and Leeds via Ticketmaster here.

Interview: Christina Martin

Written by Rebekah Shaw on . Posted in Music.

Having just finished a series of shows in her Canadian home-turf, Christina Martin didn’t have long to rest before starting her UK tour. This Friday, Manchester hosts Sonder Festival, which presents a combination of exciting new music, comedy and arts performances, and Martin is excited to continue the momentum she’s built up, although she admits that she is feeling “pretty fucking exhausted” – and no wonder.

She’s been playing as a solo artist since 2002, built her own music label Come Undone Records from 2011, and has won multiple ECMA and Music Nova Scotia awards – and Martin is no stranger to long bouts of touring. She’s looking forward to returning to familiar British venues, such as Little Rabbit Barn, The Bank Eye, and The Latest Music Bar, as well as trying out new places such as The Sound Lounge and Sonder Festival.

Speaking about the pros and cons of stripped-down shows, as she will be playing at several venues, Martin has mixed feelings. Although she misses the rhythm section and playing electric guitar, she sees these shows as an opportunity to really “share a bit more of my stories” in such an intimate setting.

Martin’s music has strong influences of Americana and rock, largely inspired by her early music career in Nashville: self-penned, full of emotion and heavily reliant on guitar. Her most recent single, ‘Lungs Are Burning’, is exemplary of her personal writing style and background in addressing social issues of mental health through music.

“The song was a response to reading about the Fentanyl crisis in Canada,” she explains, “I’m sensitive to the issue because I lost my brother to an opioid overdose in 2013.”

With such personal connections to what she is singing about, Martin chooses to disconnect from these when workshopping songs such as ‘Lungs Are Burning’. She describes this as being on “automatic”, drawing on her writing experience as a professional musician for the past 18 years so as not to become overwhelmed by the emotional content in the studio.

The social responsibility of music artists is a very relevant topic of discussion today, particularly acknowledging Simon Cowell’s recent collaboration of “Artists for Grenfell” on a cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ in order to raise money for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Although Martin doesn’t believe that that artists have a definitive responsibility to do anything other than create music, she does state that “music can be a great way to build connections and raise awareness.” She herself attempts to raise awareness for CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation) by sharing her personal experience – “stories have a great healing power,” she says.

Lastly, when asked about earlier tour experiences, Martin particularly relishes a high point in 2009 performing for the Queen in Ottawa. In typical musician fashion, however, when further pressed Martin admits “I can’t tell you the other memorable road stories, for confidential reasons”, ending our interview with mysterious winking emoticon. I guess we’ll never know.

Christina Martin will be playing at Sonder Festival on Friday 30th June 2017. Sonder Festival runs this weekend in Manchester from 30th June – 2nd July.