National Board of Review: Winners and Reaction

So the NBR have just announced and, as ever, they've come up with a list of mind-numbing pearlers. Here are the winners:-

Best Film: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Not at all surprising. The film with the biggest buzz at the moment.

Best Director: DAVID FINCHER, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Interesting. The NBR liked Button as we'll find out further down. I thought it might get shelved for some more conservative picks but apparently not.

Best Actor: CLINT EASTWOOD, Gran Torino

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. They like him too much.

Best Actress: ANNE HATHAWAY, Rachel Getting Married

This is a BIG boost. Majorly competitive now in this category. For a nomination, anyway.

Best Supporting Actor: JOSH BROLIN, Milk

Franco has trumped him in the early nominees lists so this is great for him.

Best Supporting Actress: PENELOPE CRUZ, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Not for Elegy? You sure? Lol. Pretty standard.

Best Foreign Language Film: MONGOL

Meh. Wasn't this nominated last year?

Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE

Fine. Not a shock.

Best Animated Feature: WALL-E

Duh.

Best Ensemble Cast: DOUBT

Well this plus the Top Ten snub confirms what I thought. Acting noms but no BP.

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: DEV PATEL, Slumdog Millionaire
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: VIOLA DAVIS, Doubt

Making sure people remember these two, who each have supporting bids.

Best Directorial Debut: COURTNEY HUNT, Frozen River

Ditto.

Best Original Screenplay: NICK SCHENK, Gran Torino
Best Adapted Screenplay: SIMON BEAUFOY, Slumdog Millionaire and
ERIC ROTH, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Boy did they like these three films.

Spotlight Award: MELISSA LEO, Frozen River and
RICHARD JENKINS, The Visitor

Seems to exist purely as a way to say, "We liked these Oscar. Don't snub them!"

The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression: TRUMBO

Top Five Foreign Language Films:
THE EDGE OF HEAVEN

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

ROMAN DE GUERRE

A SECRET

WALTZ WITH BASHIR

Top Five Documentary Films

AMERICAN TEEN

THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)

DEAR ZACHARY

ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD

ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED

Top Ten Films:
BURN AFTER READING
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
DEFIANCE
FROST/NIXON
GRAN TORINO
MILK
WALL-E
THE WRESTLER

Blows for Australia, Doubt, The Reader, and Revolutionary Road. Boosts for Defiance (even though it seemed likely cause of their previous Zwick love), Wall-E, and The Wrestler, which I didn't think would be their cup of tea but was wrong as usual. Burn After Reading is a good film, and it's probably a testament to the Coen Bros' outstanding popularity amongst awards bodies last year that this film has been remembered here.

Prediction Score: 5/10 or 6/11 and none of the winning Actors. Oh dear.

It's That Time Again: NBR Predictions

I did this last year, predicting eight of the top eleven films, but none of the four winning Actors (George Clooney, Julie Christie, Casey Affleck and Amy Ryan). This year it could be a familiar story. I feel as if the NBR will include most of the big films released in the past month, with maybe a couple of little films banded around in early nomination lists this week.

Predictions

Best Picture: The Reader

I think it's going to be this or Slumdog that wins. They went for Daldry in 2002 with The Hours, and although Reader doesn't have quite the same buzz it feels like a respectable winner. Something that needs championing as a realistic contender, anyway.

Top Ten:

Changeling

The Dark Knight

Defiance

Doubt

Frost/Nixon

Frozen River

Milk

Revolutionary Road

Slumdog Millionaire

The Visitor

I realise I've left out Benjamin Button, The Wrestler, Rachel Getting Married, Wall-E, Australia, Gran Torino etc. but there has to be casualties.

Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

I very nearly put Clint Eastwood but I think Boyle's direction is likely to be showy, and the film is popular, so why not?

Actor in a Leading Role: Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon

Or Di Caprio. The ones that look bland.

Actress in a Leading Role: Meryl Streep - Doubt

Slam dunk. Thank you very much.

Actor in a Supporting Role: Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Just guessing.

Actress in a Supporting Role: Kate Winslet - The Reader

Because she badly needs endorsing in this category, and the NBR really don't care for fraud.

Hottest Track: Official Secrets Act - So Tomorrow

Off and Running, Soon

It's difficult to believe that the Golden Satellites really represent much in the way of granting and dashing Oscar dreams. Sure it's nice to have your name on a nominees list in November, but the sheer number of categories and nominees within those categories makes the whole thing just a bit of a mish-mash of what we know already.

Here is the nominees list in full.

A few points...

Josh Brolin is nominated in the comedy/musical category. Are you kidding me? Are there people watching W and seeing it as some kind of satire? It's not kind to the man but seriously wtf (?!). I will be very unhappy if he's put into this category at the Globes.

Kate Winslet nominated in the leading category for The Reader. Do the Satellites just care more about category fraud (Hoffman's supporting nomination for Doubt suggests otherwise) or is it just too big a role to get away with campaigning as secondary? That they prefer this to the Revolutionary Road turn is problematic for the Weinsteins, although it appears that The Reader could be very big this year, couldn't it?

Penelope Cruz nominated in supporting for Elegy. Why? She's supposed to be lead and made much more of an impact among critics in her Vicky turn. I can only think that they like Elegy a lot more. With multiple nominations for The Visitor and Frozen River and lots of little films featured the Satellites have thrown out a few bones.

Did anyone know Cadillac Records was even coming out this year? The film always seemed a bit of a vehicle for Beyonce but it looks like it may have worked. A nomination above Viola Davis? It might be too soon after Hudson's Dreamgirls win but ya never know. Bet Mrs. Jay-Z wishes she hadn't done that remake now.

A double nomination for Mark Ruffalo. Ignore The Brothers Bloom, which looks meh at best. I'll put that down to a combination of Blindness (the film obviously not the condition), a shortage of comedy/musical options, and love for his other nominated performance in What Doesn't Kill You. The trailer looks pretty good but the film is gritty and I'm maybe thinking Rourke's already got that base covered this year.

The Visitor got so much love, but not for Hiam Abbas, despite a host of performances in lesser-loved small films included in the same category. Weird.

Horton Hears a Who nominated in Original Score. Yeeeeeeeeeeeee-ha! I'm convinced that's what made me cry towards the end of it. That or some kind of matinee hormones floating around. Anyhow it's very deserving.

The top ten is uninspired so I'm not even going to comment further on it. NBR is on Thursday, predictions to come.

Shaken, Stirred, and Still Sexy

Quantum of Solace

Directed by Marc Forster

Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton

Grade: B

Defiance may still represent a worthy 2008 farewell for Daniel Craig but it also plays a key role in his more renowned blockbuster, a second outing as James Bond, and the franchise's 22nd offering Quantum of Solace. While, prior to 2006's Casino Royale, many die-hard 007 fans were left outraged and panicked at the appointment of Craig in the part, the success of his Bond remains a rather double-edged sword. This man is packed with attitude, charisma, a ruthless edge that's much wilder than Connery, Moore et al. but achieves impact through a relative abandonment of the grace of his predecessors in favour of coarse, arrogant necessity. For some it may be a bitter pill to swallow but it's interesting how this man has shaped Bond, changed the nature of his world, and sought to make his filmmakers obedient recipients to his call. Daniel Craig didn't edit this film but you feel like every burst of action, chase sequence, explosion, is somehow a product of the volatility he has brought to James Bond.

Quantum of Solace doesn't do any backtracking from the path Casino Royale so brusquely lain, and neither does it make any attempt to create a tale as epic or glamorous. Instead it modestly builds upon Casino, beginning with the Bond tradition of a high-speed chase to represent the organisation's chasing of leads. But as soon as that's done we get a development; M is nearly killed by one of her own personal bodyguards, and we quickly learn that there's a major criminal organisation that the British Secret Service know hardly anything about. This admission, as it turns out, is a lot bigger than it at first appears. Solace is the picking up of the pieces, the entrails of the storm, the consolidation, and as such the leads are sparse and there isn't really a clear sense of the scope of the criminality Bond is up against.

Resultantly Solace can sometimes feel stingy and slight in its compactness, giving us a very lineated systematic storyline and barely ensuring that there's enough to think about. But the quality of its troublesome collection of characters; from vengeful Bond girl Camille (Ukrainian Actress Olga Kurylenko playing a Bolivian of all things), to Swept Away's Giancarlo Giannini returning to reprise his Casino role (this time on the side of good), and most notably Mathieu Amalric's excellent turn as a villainous third-world exploit artist, provide a more than hefty sense of notoriety for Craig to digest and decode.

At just under two hours this particular 007 installment feels like a bit of an excursion, an epilogue. The events of Casino has clearly left Bond's heart and pride sorely tested, and this only forces him to become more immersed in his work. But the problem is that his task is a vague and unfocused one. This film is cohesive but what it's detailing definitely is not. Quantum of Solace reads as a preachy and pedantic title yet emerges as pretty apt -- not because the film is as firm and definite as its name (it simply isn't) but because the solace is the main element to extract from it. James Bond is alive; sexually charged, laying the smackdown, doing his job even when his employers would prefer otherwise, shaken and stirred. But make no mistake, this man is recovering, and Quantum is just the sort of firecracking stop-gap he needs.

Terror... in 150 Minutes

The Baader Meinhof Complex

Directed by Uli Edel

Starring: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, Jan Josef Liefers

Grade: B-

The word "terrorism" injects fear into hearts and minds the world over, but "terrorism", contrary to what we're told, is a complex, deep, and really quite vague term. Uli Edel understands this, and at times dares to glorify it as a daring, exciting venture that acts as a challenge to the dominant oppressive social rule. He does this by exposing us to this straight away, and in more ways than one. The film opens on a nudist beach, cocks aloft (OK, not quite) and tits ablaze; exposure at its most natural and reputatively radical. That Edel endeavours (and seems to enjoy) waving this radicalism with the punch of patriotist flag-happiness is to an extent forgivable, and in fact allows the first half of the film to flourish.

Edel makes a dense subject magnetic and energetic, and the editing in this film often feels so vehicular and mammoth, Malick-style epic but within such a confined political study, and often confined setting. I loved the starkness of the film's pallette, which you can guage from looking at its poster, and significantly Edel guides the look and feel of the film without drawing attention to quite how radical he's being visually; often as radical as the politics Baader Meinhof is so keen to illustrate.

At 150 minutes though, you really have to wonder if this generous running time achieves a patient portrayal or lingers and drags like heavy machinery. I'm willing to concede that it's horses for courses on that point but, for me, the last hour was a slow one, unaided by a shift in tone towards the end that becomes a lot more resigned, both in terms of its characters and what fate will befall them and the realisation that their politics is becoming a lot less coherent. The treatment of the characters is also problematic. Their individuality gains importance in the film's final act but throughout The Baader-Meinhof group are depicted as just that: a group. The one character it does treat individually, Ulrike Meinhof (Gedeck), makes such a dramatic shift from working mother to gargantuan rebel that you just wish that there had been more about the characters (their background, social status, personality) to speculate on where this form of activism comes from, and the people that are drawn into it. Lord knows, there's time to do this, but there's an annoying reluctance to let us into the frey that mirrors the rigid unwillingness of society to acknowledge the roots of such a 'leftist' activist organisation.

I'll end with a likeness. Olivier Dahan's La Vie En Rose had the over-eagerness of a virile, horny teenager, itching to please, passionate, involved. The Baader Meinhof Complex familiarly rides a plaintive coaster, sticking to what it knows best but containing itself visually and thematically. There's wild abandon there; and one wishes that it shows as much fearlessness in its exploration of character as it does with its politics, but this all lurks beneath a sinister desire. If it was to be put in the context of the socialist radar Baader and Meinhof were undoubtedly a part of, this film is like the beginning of reform. Occasionally uncertain, but with penetrative direction and the very best of intentions.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...La La La

So here we are. It's that time of year again, although you wouldn't think it, would you? This year's Oscar race is frankly as flat as a pancake, and it'll take a lot of these unproven December releases to come up trumps to make this year's competition as juicy as last years. But still: a race is a race is a race, and it's time I made some official predictions.

I'll start by saying that Slumdog Millionaire looks like a frontrunner at this stage. It's got raves, positivity, a wonderful poster. Is is too Field of Dreams? Time will tell, but for now it's nailed on for the nomination. As is Milk, which could prove to be one of the few buzzed about films of the year that actually gets universal praise -- if early word on the other contenders is to be believed, anyway. The Dark Knight made gazillions, and feels like a pulpy Michael Mann film rather than a comic book movie, so I wouldn't put it far behind.

As for the rest, we'll see. Nothing save that batman film and Wall-E made any impact before Autumn and it's pretty much guesswork as to the other two BP slots. I'm going for Benjamin Button because it's gimmicky, has a good cast, a good director, and there's something about the trailer that's kinda Forrest Gump about it. With a hint of Golden Compass. I know, it's weird. Edward Zwick's mediocre late-year released Blood Diamond stole in to grab multiple nominations in a fairly weak 2006, and so what will his Defiance achieve in an even weaker 2008? I say it might just make a lasting impression with its New Year's audacity.

But there are other contenders; Aronofsky's The Wrestler seems incredibly heavy but no doubt popular, Revolutionary Road seems depressing but high-brow, and Doubt's trailer wails "take me seriously" with the force of a pissy banshee. Wall-E is the film I really want to triumph, and it could just become the second Animated Feature ever to be nominated in this category. Wouldn't that be lovely?

Other observations.... Eastwood's gonna get nominated somewhere. Sally Hawkins is seriously on the brink of being ousted by the star power of Anne Hathaway, unless Jolie's performance is too much for them, but I doubt it. Robert Downey Jnr. had a major year, and so a nomination for Tropic Thunder in a very weak category seems entirely plausible. Totally regretting not seeing that at the cinema now, by the way. Oh, and it's looking increasingly like Best Actor will be the most exciting race (Rourke, Penn, Di Caprio or Langella?) and Supporting Actress will be the most boring (surely Viola Davis is gonna grab that?).

Predictions follow in full. *** = lock ** = likely * = need to keep campaigning

BEST PICTURE

*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

**The Dark Knight

*Defiance

***Milk

***Slumdog Millionaire

Alternative: Wall-E

BEST DIRECTOR

*Darren Aronofsky - The Wrestler

***Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

*Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino/Changeling

**Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight

***Gus Van Sant - Milk

Alternative: David Fincher - The Curious Case...

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

**Leonardo Di Caprio - Revolutionary Road

*Daniel Craig - Defiance

**Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon

***Sean Penn - Milk

***Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Alternative: Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

*Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky

*Angelina Jolie - Changeling

*Kristin Scott-Thomas - I've Loved You So Long

***Meryl Streep - Doubt

***Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Alternative: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

*Josh Brolin - Milk

*Robert Downey Jnr. - Tropic Thunder

**Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt

***Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

***Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Alternative: Liev Schreiber - Defiance

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

***Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

***Viola Davis - Doubt

*Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

*Kate Winslet - The Reader

*Elsa Zylberstein - I've Loved You So Long

Alternative: Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case...

Hottest Track: Kevin Rudolf - Let It Rock

Improbably President, Improbably Interesting

W.

Directed by Oliver Stone

Starring: Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Burstyn, Thandie Newton

Grade: B

The very essence of "Dub-ya", a moniker we're encouraged to adopt when looking at the poster of W. (which gives us that uniform pronunciation at face value), is that George W. Bush is not just a name, and at the very least had enough humility for a nickname. Indeed, the beginning of W. feels so geared towards pushing this empathetic view of the man as an irresponsible, beer-swilling Jack-the-Lad in the 1970's that I did rather wonder if the film was a little heavy-handed in its attempts to create as rounded a portrayal as humanly possible. And in the end it feels almost as token as the dead brothers of Ray Charles and Johnny Cash in recent biopics, but I say almost because a) these scenes at least feel like a prelude to Bush Jnr's almost conciliatory delve into the political spectrum, and b) because as W. soldiers on it becomes less and less of a biopic than an examination of recent American governments and the true derivation of their aggressive foreign policy.

But that doesn't mean to say that W. spurns the traditional biopic hallmarks, letting a thoroughly bored Elizabeth Banks wander through this film in two-minute pockets and generally shedding very little light on Laura Bush or her marriage to George. It also hops back and forth in time restlessly, and there was a point towards the end that I began to think it was to its own detriment, but W. deserves credit for spanning thirty years and making each segment of time seem definitive, if visually rather plain. James Cromwell as Bush Snr. is more than a little stolid in a role that requires as much sternness as you'd expect from both a disgruntled father and an old-guard republican, and the repetitiveness of the father and son exchanges expose screenwriter Stanley Weiser's lack of insight as to just what on earth went on between the two, which feels like it ought to amount to something more sinister and a lot less bland. What we do learn is that "Poppy" was perturbed by his son's inability to hold down a job and find a suitable path in life, but W.'s familial vanilla is arduous to pore over, and the urge to purse your lips Miranda Priestley-style and exclaim "Am I reaching for the stars here?" is an increasingly overpowering one.

Still, routineness is perhaps a concession W. must and is certainly willing to make, and it's a blot on a largely successful canvas. This political drama manages to make an issue discussed to death (the Iraq war) feel as alien to us as all those pre-20th century empirical battles, where world leaders seemingly preferred quarrel to peace. Contemporary politics is hard to demonstrate, not least because we're so familiar with how it's perceived and presented - particularly in the media. For all of the fluency that Stephen Frears' The Queen exhibited it couldn't shrug off all those blatant stereotypes that we associate with the Royal Family and the government. But if life is a cartoon nobody told Oliver Stone, or the makers of W., or indeed the actors portraying the members of the presidential inner-circle, who (save Thandie Newton's hilarious face-pulling as a supposed Condoleeza Rice) carry off a debate that feels authentic and remarkably original. Its very presentness and the problems that that poses is indicative of how, in many ways, the entire setup of this film seems to work against success - not least because it's about someone who very few people like (twenty-odd percent of Americans according to opinion polls, and precious little outside of the continent). As it turns out, sitting around a table discussing weapons of mass destruction and, on occasion, the dreaded oil issue, feels a lot less self-conscious than you (or certainly I) might have imagined.

It might look as if Oliver Stone is winding down with age, tackling tricky subjects with firm neutrality (see World Trade Center), but in this venture he's proven right. Contrary to popular belief "Dub-ya" is not the spawn of the devil and is in fact as clumsy as he sounds. Portraying George Bush as a simple, passive and often ignorant President is the best way to go, and it works. Do I feel like I know the most powerful man in the world a little better now? Maybe. Not an awful lot, that's for sure. But it at least makes him, and our current political climate, clear and accessible. I'm a firm believer that fictional roles generally offer a bigger challenge to actors, but it would take a lot to convince me that there's a bigger burden to bear for an actor this year than Josh Brolin's task as the detested Pres. Brolin has an admittedly modest gamut but, then again, it's difficult to believe Bush himself has vast emotional capacity, and so the real task is very similar to Mirren's turn as Elizabeth Windsor in that he has to get us to relate in some way to this political nightmare. He has the hot-headed exasperation of a young tearaway, and even when he becomes the familiar grey-haired awkward figurehead it feels like his early days have somewhat shaped him and in a way still linger in his blunt, decisive, even impetuous nature. He gives Bush an intricacy and depth (of development if not personality) that emerges as something surprising. Defiant really of the measured, uniform, and sometimes rigid format W. can't shake off.

As the wheels begin to come off of the Iraq War wagon we're given a metaphoric sequence. Bush is chasing a baseball hit to centre field, and as he pauses to measure up the catch the ball disappears entirely. He's lost it; his grip is gone, judgement forever tarnished. It's an unapologetically basic attempt to demonstrate the realisation of a complex and dire situation, but by that time is a more-than-fitting method of displaying the man's self-evaluation. Like "Dub-ya", what you see is what you get. Devoid of much in the way of artistic swagger it's the perfect way to tell this particular story. Brash, uncomplicated, together.

An American in Paris.... or Her Friend?

The Hottie and the Nottie

Directed by Tom Putnam

Starring: Paris Hilton, Joel Moore, Christine Lakin, Johann Urb, Adam Kulbersh, Greg Wilson

Grade: D+

If asked to describe Paris Hilton in three words (expletives excluded) one might come up with something along the lines of: superficial, shallow, self-important. The Hottie and the Nottie is all of these things -- the cast list is littered with characters such as "cheesy guy" and "extremely unattractive guy" for a start -- but it's not because of Hilton, who plays the routine and frankly passive character of the 'beauty' with a nonchalant smugness. Her presence in the film feels just that; a participation rather than a performance, and so she can hardly be at fault for what the film doesn't do right, which is rather a lot.

For all the accusations of anti-feminism and shallow politics (largely deserved) Hottie at least recognises its characters' prioritisation of appearance, and (dare I say it?) the vanity of the L.A. lifestyle. The first scene of the film contains an advertisement for abs-toning equipment for example, and is perhaps the closest it gets to satirising the pre-dominantly shallow goals of its hapless male would-be predators. But no, The Hottie and the Nottie is crucially unable to be as offensive an exercise in gender politics as you may have heard, because its men: the Hilton-obsessed Nate, his token overweight best friend Arno, and former model Johann, the chiselled threat to Nate's quest, all feel like lost puppies. It feels as if Hottie wants us to feel this collective sense of comradeship between the guys and it's probably a fault of the script that we don't, but both the "Hottie" and the "Nottie" (played by Christine Lakin) fulfill their roles in the title of the film by emerging as the surprisingly decisive members of the debacle.

Still, the tiny successes of the film remain a consolation to the filmmakers' inability to create a lively, interesting, flexible setting for its events. But whether it be a beach, boat, or yoga mat that has to be a part of Paris' pouting, the lack of a convincing or genuine romance is enough to deter even the most die-hard of rom-com fans from venturing near a Tom Putnam film again. His actors range from mediocre to ineffectual; the attempts at comedy are often grotesque (I'm talking infected toenails), and when the half-time "You're not who I thought you were" scene arrives, and Hilton's irritated Cristabel spits out the words "It's over" to a forlorn looking Nate, you'll hope she's talking about the film.

The simple design of Hottie's poster illustrates Hilton's half-naked posing as "hot" and Lakin's paper-bagged head as "not". Trust me, it doesn't pay to grin and bear it. The Hottie and the Nottie is best experienced under a cover of darkness, and preferably with earplugs.

Hottest Track: Florence and the Machine - Dog Days Are Over

Hottest Disc: Out of Control (A Commentary)

OK, so I couldn't really let Girls Aloud's new album, Out of Control go by without commenting on how insanely amazing its collection of tracks is. I proclaimed Tangled Up as my favourite album of last year but this is a markedly better effort, laced with pop classics and packed with attitude.

Here's a vague commentary:

Leading single The Promise, which I'm still not sick of after weeks of radio airplay (which is saying something) is interestingly not really representative of the album at all, which has a lot more going for it musically. The Loving Kind, which was written by the Pet Shop Boys (!) follows it and acts as an opium-style antidote to the sharp, addictive sound of the first track, numbing and captivating -- kind of like a more chilled out version of Call the Shots.

Rolling Back the Rivers in Time wakes you up, with its fierce vocal introduction and curious, plucky rhythm. I like it (especially in its latter stages) but it still remains one of my least favourite tracks on the album, and feels like one of the more generic 'pop' songs. Not a ballad but the closest you're gonna get to one on this particular CD. I also feel it should be towards the end of the album. But then the religious choir intro of Love is the Key adds yet another dimension to Out of Control, and the "oh oh oh, oh oh oh" backing (which I could literally sing to forever) and sassy, cutting beat provide one of the highlights of the album. "I'm mocha choco latte, you're more espresso shot" is also classic Girls Aloud.

Turn to Stone follows. It's at this point in the album where the electro really kicks in, and it quickly turns from a great, exciting effort to something seriously world class. Prickly, popping and with a lingering, gorgeous vocal tone it sets up the near seven-minute Untouchable, which is not a moment too long. "And in my dreams it feels like we are forty storeys tall" the girls swoon, and the track as a whole acts as the intoxicating, punch-drunk confession of love, even if seemingly flanked by songs which have the word in its title. But just as we're adapting the electro cuts out and we're treated to a fun, provocative R n' B number, Fix Me Up, which feels so horned-up. The delivery of the line "I got the bug. Feverish in the mornin'. Night or noon or evenin." is HOT.

The girls return with what is probably the best track of the lot, Love is Pain. Probably because the vocals are integrated so effectively within the song. The almost withdrawn, reluctant use of the line "It don't matter to me" catchy but (with the absence of any ballads) one of the most emotional moments of the album. It also ends with a resonant, fading chant of "Love is pain". Gorgeous.

If you think the five are broken by love though you're wrong, as track 9 is Miss You Bow Wow, and represents the parts of Girls Aloud we already love. Love Machine-esque with a lively beat and punchy, funny and inspired lyrics such as the hilarious, "I remember livin' the dream. Twenty minutes in a hotel bar, then I slip into your girlfriend's jeans". Who writes this shit? Love it. Revolution in the Head is next, a song I'm warming to but still don't enjoy that much. Its opening is undoubtedly very cool though. The last two songs are catchy. We Wanna Party has the lyric where "Out of Control" originates and is a fitting end to the album, but eleventh track Live in the Country is better, with the sound of bees buzzing, pigs snorting, and a chorus that ranks among the best Girls Aloud have ever produced.

Rating: A

You can listen to all of the tracks here

YAY

It's just been made official. Obama is president.

I won't pretend that I think the world is going to be an amazing place after this but it is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, and something I'll always remember as a significant part of history.

You Know It Makes Sense

Actress Profiles: Talullah Bankhead in A Royal Scandal (1945)

As the figurehead of any imperialist nation the monarch is supposed to be the person you live for, fight for, and die for. The role of the monarch, an increasingly less productive and passive one if you consider history, has seen its fair share of victims. Talullah Bankhead, as Russian Czarina Catherine the Great, is indeed one of those people worth living, fighting, and dying for, but is certainly no less ambivalent than your average Kaiser, Emperor, Queen, or otherwise and a great deal more honest in articulating just how little she does know (or really care) about her empire and the people in it. A Royal Scandal depicts an often trashy and frivolous comedy within the confines of an adorned part of Russian heritage, and refuses to show what life is like outside of this campy madcap palace. What it does do, however, is introduce an outsider, soldier Alexei, who proceeds to really shake things up, both through his strong political beliefs and his devilishly good looks, which make more than an impact upon the restless monarch.

It's twenty minutes before Bankhead makes an appearance in A Royal Scandal, the first portion of the film dedicated to Charles Coburn's absorbing, charismatic Chancellor, William Eythe's plucky and eager Liutenant, and Vincent Price's hilarious scene-stealing performance as a French ambassador. It's a smart move, because without these early exchanges there simply wouldn't be the sense of politics or cohesive network within the palace that is vital to the film's final act, and it would diminish the anticipation and subsequent satisfaction of being introduced to a woman that makes such a lasting impression with every flail and quip that it's almost a punishment when she's not on-screen.

If you've seen Lifeboat it's easy to guage that Talullah has a real gift for rattling off one-liners and being deliciously dismissive of people in bitchy diva-esque fashion. As a morally-questionable Russian leader she gets the opportunity to be this diva, and as in Hitchcock's wartime tale, not an infallible one. It's interesting though that A Royal Scandal flourishes so well as a piece of political satire despite exhibiting many of the hallmarks of the screwball style. Love triangles, sexual innuendo and a lot of farce litter this film, and if made ten years earlier the master of the screwball idiot, Ralph Bellamy, would surely have made a beeline for the role of Alexei. For Bankhead, however, it's something to think about.

The very nature of A Royal Scandal's approach to Catherine the Great -- portraying her as a rather willing damsel, swallowed by her own power and inability to utilise it effectively -- gives Bankhead a lot to work with, and she doesn't disappoint. The nature of her Catherine is strong, stubborn, charismatic, but rather insecure in herself (something contradictory of a true screwball heroine) and seemingly entrenched in a behind-closed-doors existence. She wants so desperately to perch herself on an incomparable pedastal but doesn't put this into practice, getting involved in silly trivialities in her court, unable to tear herself away from what she's supposed to be better than. It's rather sad in a way but Bankhead makes the Czarina such a flexible character; a very component of the rasping infrastructure that makes her position vulnerable in the first place, and someone whose bark and bite seem separated by a wave of intrigue. It works.

Rating: ****

Live Blogging: Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor (2)

I'm signing out. It's been fun.

10.47pm: You can already see them thinking up the "I can't be in the bottom two again this week" video for Scott. Simon sends Daniel home. Cheryl sends Scott home. What is she doing?! I feel like she's fallen hook, line and sinker for this wife thing. Danni votes Scott out. Louis sends Scott home as well. And cried in his explanation. Daniel wins on emotion but as a talent competition you really have to wonder. It won't be long before Louis is calling Daniel a pub singer once more. Sad and exploitative.

10.40pm: Scott's up first. I thought they'd leave Daniel's slushy memoriam to last. It'll take an amazing performance to sway one of the three though. Scott's giving a creditable showing. It's funny that I preferred him the first week when he was completely out of his depth. He at least had a bit of character whereas tonight it's all been plain and pedestrian.

Daniel's on. I have difficulty taking him seriously after they've caked him in such copious amounts of make up. I hope he doesn't cry. Oh, he did.

10.30pm: Here are the results... First through is Eoghan. Meh. Next: Alexandra. Two of the gazillion acts the judges championed. Ruth is through! Woohoo! I wasn't sure after last week but she must have solid support after all! JLS next. Excellent. Rachel is through. Was there ever any doubt after she closed the show and arguably stole it? Diana!!!!!!!!! Need I offer elaboration? Laura goes through. She wasn't good but she's popular. Scott, Austin or Daniel? It's Austin! Scott and Daniel in the bottom two. I got one out of two anyway. I hope Daniel goes.

They're singing again. Daniel's singing a Josh Groban song. He mentioned his dead wife. Call me a cynic but MEH. It's going to be cheese central. Scott's opted for George Michael's I Can't Make You Love Me. Like it. There's no way Daniel will survive this. Simon and Louis can't stand him and Cheryl has voiced her doubts already. He's toast but these final two performances will be interesting. Let the sing-off commence...

10.25pm: They were totally miming. I wasn't sure until Laura came on and really let the side down. Maybe she skipped the coaching session.

What kind of example is this setting?

10.20pm: So they just did the slushy war hero tribute and now they're singing Hero. How they can ever expect to top Mariah's version is anyone's guess. It looks like they're miming, actually. Eoghan was in tune anyway. Yes, I'm a bitch.

My X Factor Scores

Diana - 8/10
Rachel - 8/10
JLS - 8/10
Ruth - 7/10
Austin - 7/10
Alexandra - 6/10
Scott - 6/10
Eoghan - 6/10
Laura - 5/10 (!!)
Daniel - 5/10

9.20pm: Simon says it's the best performance of the night. He may well be right (for once) but it's for the public to decide. She should be alright this week. Lol. Rachel is so funny. I love her humility. Her outburst of "rock on Nigel" reminds Simon to thank the orchestra who performed much better than the contestants. On Strictly Bruce thanks them before they've touched an instrument. Go figure.

So the night is over and it's been mediocre. The last three performances were way the best and rescued a disappointing night. Something tells me that Ruth may not have done enough to win over the people who seemingly neglected her last week. Scott went first and didn't make much of an impact, so as much as it pains me I predict that Ruth and Scott will be in the bottom two. Results show is at 10.10pm and includes a performance of Hero by the final twelve. Wonders never cease.

9.15pm: Rachel is last. She's singing Feeling Good. Major parallels to Beverley, who sang this last year at the end of the night and walked away with the plaudits. Her dress is hideous. Very reminiscent of the aquamarine one thingy wore earlier... *scrolls down*... Erin. She's got attitude singing this. A knowing look and a little wink. Love it. 8/10.

9.12pm: She gets rave reviews. Cheryl is right. She's mesmerising. I'm beginning to wonder, however, that it might be better if she doesn't win this. She's better than a recycled ballad that's number one for three weeks over christmas. I adore her.

9.09pm: She's on a swing with the cutest hat on that you've ever seen. Singing Smile her tone of voice suits it. Somehow they've made this work. I like that her voice is fragile and seems to linger with you for so long. 8/10.

9.06pm: Diana next. Love this girl. She reminds me of Kate Bush. I'm a bit worried for her this week. She's not a big band type.

9.00pm: Simon has a nerve to criticise JLS for their vocals after Eoghan's occasionally shambolic effort. The urge to chant "You don't know what you're doing" is getting ever more prominent.

8.57pm: They're singing. Finally. Aint That a Kick in the Head. Good song. They're singing it well. The lil' guy is good. Bags of style. I like the choreography as well. It's been a long time coming but the night is finally alive. 8/10.

8.55pm: JLS are next. One of their mothers has multiple sclerosis. Quite frankly I don't care. Are people incapable of saying "no" to these emotionally manipulative techniques?

8.51pm: He gets rave reviews. I said there was a pattern. He was good though so it isn't that much of a travesty. As long as he doesn't speak or cry I'm down with it.

8.48pm: Austin's singing Mack the Knife. I've heard it a million times. Great suit. I feel like even Gareth Gates did this better all those years ago (seven now, can you believe it?). He's sat on the judges desk. Hmm... He's animated enough. Vocally it's better than all of the other boys. 7/10.

8.40pm: She gets raves. It's become a pattern tonight, despite none of the performances impressing me in the slightest.

8.35pm: Cheryl never seems to say anything that isn't on the fence. She's supposed to be more feisty than this. Alexandra next. She's singing Candyman. Another XTina. It's hardly a vocal showcase but they've gone the whole hog with the set design. She looks good but is it enough? Maybe. It just feels a bit like karaoke. 6/10.

8.33pm: Ruth warns Simon not to forget her name. He says it's her best performance. Bar Purple Rain he's right.

8.30pm: She's singing Summertime. They're compensating for the refusal to sing in Spanish by dressing her like a flaming senorita. It works. Sexy hips! Her sultry tone works well with the style. She's got guys in berets alongside her. Spain and France amidst the classic American swing. Not sure it works. Don't love the song but she did it well. 7/10.

8.27pm: Is it me or does Dermot feel like such a sell-out these days? I'm glad he doesn't take the whole thing as seriously as Kate Thornton seemed to but this primetime slot has swallowed a lot of his personality. Still a cutie though.

It's Ruth next. Her performance of Purple Rain last week was AMAZING. She's not singing in Spanish so Simon will probably slate her again. I don't think it really worked anyway. Here we go...

8.24pm: He gets rave reviews. Eh? I honestly think these four have no idea what they're talking about. Something tells me Simon may have picked up on the vocal problems had it not been his own guy up on the stage.

8.22pm: Eoghan's singing L.O.V.E. He's flat on a fair chunk of the song. I hope they notice. His performance of it is pretty good. 6/10.

8.20pm: Laura gets rave reviews from the judges. Eh? Maybe they could actually hear it in the studio. I didn't get it. Eoghan next. His rendition of Ben last week was like sandpaper grating at my eardrum, but then again it's probably the worst song ever written. The build-up says he's doing an up-tempo number this time. I'm glad. This could be good.

8.10pm: Laura's turn and she starts lying down on a white rug. She looks lovely. Hot shade of lipstick. Her vocal is kinda dodgy. I can't tell what she's singing and I don't recognise the song. The band is too loud for her. In the build-up they were talking about the note at the end having to be great and it is. That vocal woman is so annoying though. I didn't like it. 5/10.

My Strictly Scores

Rachel and Vincent - 9/10

Austin and Erin - 8/10

Cherie and James - 8/10

Tom and Camilla - 7/10

Lisa and Brendan - 7/10

Heather and Brian - 7/10

Jodie and Ian - 6/10

John and Kristina - 5/10

Christine and Matthew - 5/10

Andrew and Ola - 5/10

Mark and Hayley - 4/10

8.00pm: Daniel is singing The Lady is a Tramp. I find him so bland. His voice is average. I think old people are voting for him. He has a nice smile at least. This week was always going to suit him more, with it being non-contemporary. Am I being too harsh? 5/10. Jodie and Ian get 26 out of 40.

7.56pm: Scott got a bit of a grilling. Jodie and Ian are doing the Paso Doble. She's in a white sequined dress that rivals Lisa's earlier. They're dancing to Blur's Song 2. It's grungy so I'm not sure why they're wearing white. Too much revolving and a bit ragged. 6/10.

7.53pm: Oh. John got 21 by the way. I think he'll make it through again tomorrow. People love him. Rachel and Vincent's waltz is gorgeous. But not as gorgeous as her prom dress. I can't believe she's 30. It makes me feel so old. 9/10. Scott is first on The X Factor. He's singing That's Life. Cute suit. He's quite charming but I'm not sure he's got enough confidence for this. Big Band night will suit the boys but I'm not sure it's gonna suit anyone else. I'll give him 6/10 for singing it well. Generally a bit of a damp opener.

7.50pm: The X Factor just started but we've got a couple minutes. Rachel and Vincent must be doing the waltz. I think they're the final couple. I hope they are. This is getting hectic.

7.46pm: He's stomping around quite a lot. Her dress is fun. I don't think he has the gumption for this dance but it was a decent effort. As usual she did all of the work. 5/10.

7.43pm: Oh god. John and Kristina are doing the Paso Doble. If this is good I'll run naked around the block. It's bound to be excellent comedy value, though.

7.42pm: Camilla is my favourite of the female dancers. I think she's beautiful. I can't believe Brendan dumped her. The fiend. They get 32 altogether and will surely return next week.

7.38pm: Tom and Camilla now! He got married last weekend. I sound like such a horny teenager but he's so dishy. I saw yesterday that they've trained the least amount of hours this week, so I hope they've managed to get this Viennese Waltz somewhere near decent. They're dancing to Elvis. His hair has too much gel. She's wearing cute pink ruffles. His head is bobbing around a bit. He reminds me of Marty Mcfly's dad in Back to the Future. Not a good look. I wasn't blown away. 7/10.

7.34pm: Craig called him a stick insect on acid. Lol! He's also been called a geek and "grotesque". Not a night to remember, I'm afraid. I feel a bit sorry for him. Len says he has body shape. A token comment. You know things are bad when even he hasn't got a good word to say. This is ominous.

He's promising to wear swimming trunks if he gets to the final. Salivate is too mild a term.

They get 16, including a 2 from Craig. I think he could be out this week.

7.30pm: Mark really needs to do well this week. He's on a bad run. He and Hayley are doing the Paso Doble. Woohoo! We might get to see Mark being powerful and aggressive. Bonus points for the pecs being out again! They're dancing to the crazy choice of Kelly Clarkson's Since You Been Gone. He hasn't got the presence or the moves for this. Pretty dreadful, actually. This is what pause buttons were created for. 4/10. For the pecs.

7.27pm: Everyone liked it but Craig. The other judges give him evil looks. Heather isn't Ginger Rogers but she doesn't deserve a 5 for that. They get 27. Her highest score yet. A little Moving On Up reference there. Love that song! She's slightly less sassy than I remember at the time though. Maybe that goes with age.

7.24pm: Heather and Brian now. She was horrendous last week so if this isn't good she might get a bit of a grilling. She's opted for hot pink, which seems both brave and odd since she's dancing the waltz. She's a ragged dancer but I didn't mind the routine. 7/10.

7.19pm: If given the chance to spend a night with any one of these dancers James would be totally the top of my list. He's fiery. Yummy. She says she went all wrong at the beginning of the dance. I didn't have a clue. I suppose that's my judging credentials extinguished. They get 31. Pretty average by Cherie's lofty standards but I'm sure they'll be back next week.

7.16pm: Cherie and James with the Paso Doble. It feels much more authentic than the others. I really like this. 8/10. Cherie looks a bit like a gypsy though.

7.12pm: I do love Len. A bit kind with his scores at times but he's so no-nonsense it's funny. He looks really smart tonight as well. Austin and Erin receive 34 points. Top of the leaderboard but there's a few to go. I'm gonna need some wine soon.

7.08pm: Austin and Erin's turn. They're doing the Viennese Waltz. Erin's wearing a horrendous aquamarine colour. Points for the shoes though. It's lovely and fluid. Unsurprisingly much better than Andrew's effort. Cute. I'll give it 8/10.

7.05pm: Loving Christine's eye shadow and the whole green theme, although they're a long way away from Lisa and Brendan, undoubtedly the best-dressed couple so far. A three from Craig. Ouch! 22 altogether and they're dead last so far.

7.01pm: Christine and Matthew now. They're dancing to Christina Aguilera's Fighter, sung very shakily it has to be said. Calum, behave. It's not The X Factor yet. It's not dramatic enough. Disappointing. Although Christine's dress rivals some of XTina's outfits in that particular video. 5/10. I didn't like it at all.

6.58pm: I already feel guilty about the ice cream. Tess is really pushing the cleavage tonight. Andrew gets 24. Probably enough to get through on all the votes he gets from lusty housewives. He's the wrong side of clean for my liking but I can't deny he's very pretty.

6.55pm: Andrew and Ola next. Ola always picks the worst outfits. She either looks like a prostitute or a Hungarian bride -- depending on whether she's doing latin or ballroom of course. I was bored. 5/10. He stumbled halfway through it as well.

6.51pm: Lisa and Brendan get 29. About right, I'd say. A word on Merlin, which was on before this. Does anyone actually like it? I don't get it at all. But then again I don't get Doctor Who either. Does it pay to be ambitious and fail? It just all looks so cheap and amateurish. Camp and fun but hardly awards-worthy.

6.47pm: Lisa and Brendan were first. Lisa looks stunning. Dare I say "George, eat your heart out"? The dance itself was very 'style over substance'. Am I wrong for fancying Brendan? I give them 7/10. Oh I've just noticed Lisa's earrings. Lush!

6.44pm: Great joke about The Generation Game. The old codger hasn't lost it yet. So The X Factor starts at 7.45pm and Strictly ends at 8, so there'll be a bit of a crossover. Not as bad as last year thank god. I'm armed with bananas, chocolate and baked alaska ice cream. Oh, the guilt! No alcohol as of yet but I'm not ruling it out.

6.40pm: Am I wrong for loving Bruce and Tess' little dance every week? She looks so uncomfortable with him in it but I still don't care. They're discussing reports Bruce was to quit Strictly. It wouldn't be the same without him, would it? Can't wait for his dodgy jokes. Tess rarely gets her outfits right but she's having a good week. Lovely purple colour.

Glutton For Punishment

Point #1

I'm in the middle of watching The Happening when I realise that a) Mark Wahlberg should never be a protagonist, b) Nobody knows how to make characters in action films convincing anymore, and c) M. Night Shyamalan is one of the most over-rated people the world of cinema has ever welcomed into its hearts. It's now paused at 38 minutes and 43 seconds and features Wahlberg's wife (whoever the Actress is she needs shooting) and best friend's daughter, who I suspect is going to be involved in some suspect plot twist in the next ten minutes. On the bright side, it's unintentionally quite hilarious.

Point #2

I'm going to be live-blogging Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor tonight. Yes, I did this last year and burned my fingers out switching between the remote and keyboard, and almost drunk myself to death on Magners. Looking back though, it was fun.

Coming Soon @ Ultimate Addict:

A Post on Talullah Bankhead

First Oscar Predicts of the year

Hottest Track: Grace Jones - Williams' Blood

Hottest Track: Sneaky Soundsystem - UFO (Van She Tech Mix)

Mo Ga Mbo

Mogambo (1953)

Directed by John Ford

Starring: Ava Gardner, Clark Gable, Grace Kelly, Donald Sinden

Grade: B -

While Gone With the Wind saw Clark Gable's Rhett Butler enjoy an emphatic sparring of hard-to-get with Southern Belle Scarlett O'Hara, in John Ford's Mogambo his safari leader, Victor Marswell, has to make significantly less effort to hold a woman's gaze. The years may have piled on but Ava Gardner's Eloise Kelly is infatuated with him a mere twenty minutes into the romantic adventure, and it's an infatuation that does not die down. But if ever you found yourself torn between the talons of two women (a frightening thought in itself), you'd be hard pushed to find two better birds than the fiery Gardner and the precious Grace Kelly, who find themselves consigned to the bottom end of a truly memorable love triangle.

Eloise and Victor's early chemistry and brief clinch are halted by the introduction of animal-lovers Donald Nordley and his wife Linda, to whom Gable's familiar insensitive brute takes more than a fancy to. The attraction is mutual, but with Eloise stranded on the wildlife range indefinitely, and increasingly left out in the cold by the besotted Victor, her sharp wit and bold outspokenness threaten to escalate the situation further. Ava Gardner, who I'd only previously seen in Stanley Kramer's drone, apocalyptic On the Beach, is one of the few reasons the film is enjoyable. Her charisma, executed wildly in head-flicks, eye-rolls, and the occasionally cheeky smirk, reveals the dark and daring incisiveness to a dangerous and exciting character. Her brashness is apparent -- humour spearheaded, red lipstick smeared, bosom ablaze -- and so Eloise is the passionate, tarnished harlot to Linda's graceful, wouldn't-say-boo-to-a-goose purity that makes them counterparts in both love and life.

As Mogambo presses on it becomes clear that Eloise is really the only interesting character in the film (or at least Gardner's is the only performance that digs deep enough into her character), but that doesn't stop the love triangle from keeping your attention, or indeed from encouraging you to draw conclusions from it. The confrontation of such an awkward group dynamic feels in itself rather cavalier, and as the plot unravels further Mogambo acknowledges that sex, passion, deception, can manifest itself in the strangest and most unpredictable of eventualities. The limited number of characters in the film, and its compact setting, makes the infidelity all the more lewd, absurd, but dare I say it naturalistic; a flicker of nature within the midst of nature, if you will. But that really is as far as Mogambo endeavours to explore the reasons for its African wilderness, which become ever more isolated as a part of MGM's fanciful, technicolour extravagance. A word of thanks to the Kenyan government precedes the film (a self-congratulatory pat-on-the-back if ever there was one) but there's minimal exploration of African culture, showcasing a plethora of wildlife but very little else, and the use of Kenya as a base for Mogambo's action translates as disingenuous theatre.

The entire debacle may come across as a misogynistic venture, and this is an accusation largely warranted. Gable has all the power and authority, stemming from his position as leader of the safari and superior knowledge of this outdoor setting, and so his ease of assertion in the film, particularly in terms of his relationships with the two women, are understandable to a point. It's interesting that both Eloise and Linda (different as they are) emerge as rather daring characters, both willing to spurn their Western world for a holiday romance. Kelly's Linda is bored and repressed, and convincingly swept away by a man and climate relatively alien to her, but Gardner's Eloise is a different proposition altogether. Oozing with confidence, sex appeal, and general worldliness her loose cannon struggles to accept Victor's feelings for Linda, but confusingly ends up sanctioning his predatory behaviour at the end of the film.

Mogambo ultimately feels like a bit of a cop-out. With snippets of culture and bites of common sense, too much of the film feels token and frivolous. And when attempting to make light of its moody, jealous, contemptuous relationships, it just doesn't cut it. But for a story that never needed Kenya the women in it need this elder Rhett Butler like a dog needs a bone, and their cravings make for mighty juicy viewing.

Hottest Track: Britney Spears - Womanizer

Were the Nineties Really That..... Gay?

Just a few words about BBC's brand new sitcom, Beautiful People, which aired earlier tonight on BBC2 at 9.30. It tells the story of Simon, a thirteen-year-old gay kid living in Britain in the late 1990's, and his dysfunctional Northern working-class family. I'm not sure how it worked on a gay-level. I personally didn't really register with his character (perhaps cause I was a relatively late bloomer in that regard), but I do think that it has such a wonderfully nostalgic feel about it. I'm already loving the soundtrack (Baccara, Katrina & the Waves, Spice Girls, D:Ream and Jolene in just the first episode), and the emergence of Labour and Tony Blair is undoubtedly a part of history that I register with and acknowledge the importance of. The History Boys' Samuel Barnett plays an elder, successful, New York-dwelling Simon, looking back on his British childhood. I'm still unsure as to whether this is a necessary element of the setup but it does crucially add to the retrospective glimpse of the nineties and the liberation that girl power and people power really provided. Things can only get better for Beautiful People.

Hottest Track: Janelle Monáe - Many Moons

This tune is banging!