Episode 93 : Unconventional Spider Sifting Devices

  • Podcast image
  • Podcast image
  • Podcast image
  • Podcast image

Download mp3! (23:48 minutes, 10.9 Mb)

Subscribe via RSS!

Subscribe in iTunes!

Added on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 10:30:39 -0700.
Email us your comments or suggestions!

Hello again and welcome back. And may I just say how nice you're looking today? Being the person of exquisite taste that you so clearly are, you have no doubt returned to theOneliner for some more fact-bombing on the latest films, which this episode are The Amazing Spider-Man, Killer Joe, The Angels' Share and Detachment. So, bombs away.

Sam Raimi having parted ways with Sony Pictures, the studio decided to begin all over again with the webslinger, and The Amazing Spider-Man sees Andrew Garfield pull on the famous red and blue lycra to fight crime. While well-paced and continuously entertaining, the film brings nothing we haven't seen before, particularly in Raimi's original Spider-Man which, lest we forget, was released only 10 years ago. Still, with a good sprinkling of humour throughout and a considerably more engaging female lead than its 2002 counterpart, it's a very decent way to spend a couple of hours away from all of this miserable rain.

Directed by William Friedkin, who hasn't helmed a good movie since, or indeed before, The French Connection, Killer Joe is a comic-thriller that makes the bold move of being neither funny nor thrilling. The titular Joe is played by Matthew McConaughey, and while this is one of the stronger McConaughey performances that's hardly a glowing recommendation. While there are hints of something interesting in here, and a reasonably charismatic supporting performance from Thomas Haden Church, it's simply too bland to recommend.

The Angels' Share sees Ken Loach take his trademark social drama and marry it to a crime caper in a film that has absolutely no right to work as well as it does. Introduced to the world of whisky-appreciation by a kindly social-worker, a violent young man unexpectedly finds his new hobby affording him an opportunity to leave his old life behind him. The transition from a portrayal of a life filled with an endless cycle of violence to light-hearted heist isn't without awkwardness, but likeable performances and a strong vein of humour earn The Angels' Share a lot of leeway here.

Ostensibly about a broken education system, Detachment is as much about the educators as the students they teach. While this is yet another portrayal of an American school that is totally alien to us, uniformly excellent performances from the cast make it a believable and compelling one. Loath as we are to use the nebulous term 'powerful', its use is entirely apposite here, as are the words 'bleak' and 'depressing' but fortunately also 'rewarding' and 'recommended'.

That's it for this episode. While we know we've failed before with our grand plans to keep to a regular schedule, this current attempt seems actually to be working so you can expect to hear from us again soon. Until then, farewell from theOneliner crew, and Richard Vranch at the piano.