On Friday I decided to go to Edinburgh and cunningly combined two different reasons for going. Firstly I wanted to see The Road; the film based on the book of the same name by Cormac McCarthy and starring Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron and newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee as 'Boy'. For some reason the film had not made the schedules of my local Odeon, hence the need to see it in Edinburgh. I haven't read the source novel but I had read some good reviews about the film and I've been a fan of Mortensen since his outstanding performance as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I'm not sure if you can really say you enjoyed this film, enjoy isn't really the right word somehow. Set in a post-apocalyptic world (although we are never party to what actually caused the apocalypse) and told partly in flashback, the film follows and man and his son as they struggle to survive whilst following the road South in the hope that something better awaits them there. The film is harrowing to say the least and at some points I was genuinely scared (which is unusual for me). The young Smit-McPhee is excellent as the un-named 'Boy' and Mortensen gives the kind of believable performance we have come to expect. I certainly hope this film gets the Oscar nominations it deserves and if you haven't seen it I recommend you do.
In fact, while I'm at it, if you want something a bit more uplifting I would also recommend you see the latest from George Clooney; Up In The Air. From the director of Juno (which I also loved), this is a film about a man who travels the US firing people for a living and what happens when he has to take an young upstart on the road with him. Clooney is on his best charming form and is ably supported by relative unknowns Vera Farmiga (as the ballsy love interest) and Anna Kendrick. I've heard a few mixed opinions about this film but I loved it; it's ultimately uplifting without being cheesy and in the same vein as Juno, makes you think a little bit about how life can affect us all.
And so, to the other reason for my trip to Edinburgh. One of my favourite comedians, Robin Ince, was on the bill at The Stand and having recently seen two of Robin's excellent Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People shows I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to see him in a very different setting. The Stand was busy as is usually the case on a Friday night and I managed to grab one of the last seats in the house. First on to the stage was the compere for the evening, Bruce Devlin. Now I've never seen Devlin before but unfortunately I have to say I wasn't impressed. Now, I'm well aware that part of a compere's role is to engage with the audience, but for me there's really no need to do this by being mindlessly offensive...for a whole 15 minutes! Add to that the extremely camp 'look at me, I'm gay don't you know' persona and it's safe to say I will be avoiding this comic in the future.
However, all was not lost. The first act on the bill was Irishman Jarlath Regan. In contrast to Devlin, Regan was incredibly likeable and entertained with tales of his newly-married life. There weren't many belly-laughs to be had in Jarlath's material but plenty of giggles and I would have been happy to sit through another 15 minutes. After the first interval, and a mercifully brief introduction by Devlin, Rick Molland was the next comedian on. Molland's 10 minute set dealt with the relatively topical subject of the BNP and despite agreeing with the point he was trying to make I felt he was a bit heavy-handed in his delivery. Perhaps it because he was trying to make his point in a short set, or because he was following the gentle amiability of Regan, but I just didn't warm to Molland. However, I'm usually a fan of political comedy and would be willing to give this fella another shot.
The next act was Ro Campbell - an Australian who has been living in Scotland for the last six years. Campbell is clearly and experienced comedian and knew exactly where to pitch his material for the Friday night crowd. With a mixture of local observations and personal stories it was an enjoyable 20 minutes from Ro. I particularly enjoyed his stories of the year he spent being employed to hold the 'Golf Sale' sign on Princes Street - and if you've ever been to Edinburgh you'll know exactly what I'm talking about! Campbell wasn't breaking any new ground with his comedy but he was providing plenty of laughs and that's what it's all about.
After another interval it was time for the man I'd come to see; Mr Robin Ince, complete with brand new (but second-hand) ubiquitous brown cardigan. I've seen Robin a few times recently but Friday night in The Stand is a very different audience to a theatre full of science nerds, and I was very interested to see what sort of material we would get. I love Robin's shambolic, rambling style; it's like his head is so full of ideas that he wants to get them all out at once. He'll regularly start down one track then get distracted and head off on a tangent, never quite making it back to his original point. On this evening we were treated to insights into Robin's life with his two year old son, the joys of charity shops, a bit of politics and finally, despite saying he was steering clear of science for the evening, just a little bit snuck in. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed Robin's set. I've heard bits of it before but it's always great to try and work out where he's going to go next. I don't know what you would make of Robin if you had never seen him before and didn't know what to expect; the audience seemed a bit baffled at times but mostly they came along for the ride and I was definitely glad I hadn't missed the chance to catch Mr Ince while he was in town.
So, that's the reviews out of the way. Tomorrow I'm going back to school for my initial visit to my next placement school. Placement proper doesn't start until the following week and before that I've got my London trip to look forward to - and despite the Los Quattros Cvnts gig now being cancelled I'm very much looking forward to meeting everyone for what may well prove to be a very messy night in the pub - I've only had one vodka since New Year's Eve and I'm really looking forward to drinking again...I have a reputation to live up to after all! Until next time then...
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