Author: BRWC

By Naseem Ally. Manchester 2017. ’30 years on the yard’ – the words uttered from Oasis’s most infamous brother, Liam Gallagher.

‘Liam Gallagher: As It Was‘ is an intimate tell-all story of Liam’s career, post the Oasis breakup in 2009. Their breakup was part of a number of disputes over the years, that eventually erupted to a row backstage at a concert they were scheduled to perform in Paris.

Throughout the film it’s scattered with questions from an interviewer behind the camera, asking Liam about his thoughts on the breakup and where his mindset was post-Oasis. It makes for a fascinating premise, as you get to hear directly from the man himself instead of the typical ‘behind the music’ format where record execs, music insiders and those who ‘knew him from up the road’ chime in on what they believe to be fact.

The style of filming works. To me at least, it is reminiscent of the documentary ‘Tyson’ that premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. In it, Mike Tyson is interviewed by filmmaker James Toback, who gets Mike to reflect on his career post-retirement.

For those of you are who fans of video podcasts, I’d recommend watching Mike’s HotBoxin’ Podcast where he interviews a number of cool guests.

I’d personally love to see him interviewing Liam. Could you imagine that? Mike Tyson and Liam Gallagher in the same room. They’d get on like a house on fire. Isn’t that right Mario?

Anyway back to Liam.

In typical fashion, he drops some absolute gems with his Mancunian charm and swagger.

A few quotables come to mind. He professes about being glad he’s ‘staying alive, not being a f*cking casualty’. ‘I don’t think it’s gonna happen, lads, I’m gonna stick it out’.

Effortlessly cool. The parkas. The shades. What more could you ask for?

Liam is backed by a supporting cast of his inner circle in this film. His ‘other’ brother Paul, mum Peggy, sons Lennon and Gene, daughter Molly, former bandmate and drummer ‘Bonehead’ and his manager/girlfriend Debbie.

Liam is the heartbeat of this film and it’s interesting to see how his turbulent career, has influenced the people in his life closest to him as well as his international fan base.

There’s great cinematography in this film and it does a brilliant job of making you feel like your on stage alongside him, absorbing all the adrenaline of performing hit after hit.

I appreciated the variety of footage included in this film. Everything from the inner workings behind the scenes, to the fan footage from some particularly eye-raising moments in his career thus far. One being the Paris fiasco and the other, his impromptu acoustic performance in an Irish bar that went viral.

This film paints the picture of Liam the man, with all of his trials and tribulations laid out bare. The drone shots of his Manchester neighbourhood as he visits his Mum, being ‘off his coconut’ in Parma, Italy during a dark period for the frontman, all the way to being a dad.

Essentially, it’s showing us what makes Liam, Liam.

As you’d come to expect from a film on arguably one of the greatest lead singers of all time, not just in rock and roll, the score in this film is fitting.

There’s not much in terms of songs from Oasis for obvious reasons, but viewers do get a closer look to the penning of some his best work with Beady Eye. During some of the most sombre moments in the film, the subtle keys of the piano and strums of the guitar work beautifully. An example of this is when Liam’s questioned on his take of the events that occurred in the Manchester Arena in 2017.

For someone like Liam having had such a lengthy career to date, there must have been a huge archive of footage to pick from, and with this film, it goes all out. There’s a nice blend of escapades with the press, travels and encounters with fans which made for some great looking transitions and cutaways.

What surprised me, especially, was the warm reception he received in Argentina.

I don’t know of any Englishman that would receive that kind of love and admiration from the Argentinians considering the history between the two countries, but it just goes to show the stature of the man. Surely, we’ve got to give Maradona a break and embrace him with open arms – anyone?

If your not a fan of Liam or Oasis, then, I don’t know what to say to you – Liam would maybe have some harsher words. But, if your a music fan in general or just interested, then you could find some value in it if you also have the patience to stick it out, as this film is a slow burn.

There are an overwhelming amount of stories on Liam, that it would’ve been too much to add in this film. Many fans would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall during the cuts in the editing room, and see what had been left out as Liam’s got tales for days. This though is a great addition to the Oasis: Supersonic documentary.

I just hope in the future, if there ever is a biopic on Liam or Oasis that it follows a similar method to this film, of painting the whole picture of everyone involved rather than glossing over things. Not the standard routine of; struggling to make ends meet, performing open mics, getting signed, touring, booze, drugs, women, rehab, then make a massive comeback – end of the movie, cliches that we’re so used to seeing in music biopics.

‘Liam Gallagher: As It Was‘ is a refreshing portrait of a musical icon told in a manner that is not just flattering to the artist in question, but an honest assessment of their life thus far. Going back to the earlier comparison of the film ‘Tyson’, Liam Gallagher speaks with the same openness and vulnerability, that this film could have had so much more to uncover, but of course, it wouldn’t be feasible.

In a similar style to Mike, it would be great if Liam did a tell-all account of his life in the form an autobiography.

I can picture it now – #1 Best Seller on Amazon – Liam Gallagher: Because Maybe…

By Naseem Ally. The Laundromat is the latest original film from the streaming giant Netflix. With an all-star cast, Netflix has pulled out all the stops to have another crack at the award season following Roma’s acclaim. It’s a financial expose film on a ‘shell’ company in Panama, claiming to provide clients with the wealth management they deserve. However, in four different scenarios, the truth behind these claims unravels. 

Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast, rubbing shoulders with Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas and David Schwimmer.

The film opens with the face of Benjamin Franklin, setting the tone, that this film is all about the Benjamins, baby! The dapper duo of Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas casually stroll at exotic hotspots, narrating about the necessity and pitfalls of money over the course of the film.

There is an ongoing theme of rules, that get introduced one by one with some superb animations. It felt as if, they were giving an interactive walkthrough of their very own version of the 48 Laws Of Power.

Rule 1. ‘The Meek Are Screwed’.

Ellen, played by Meryl Streep, is a retiree who goes on vacation with her husband that unfortunately ends in turmoil. As a result, she’s now left as a widow. Ellen investigates the will left, with an insurance firm, who informs her that her late husband had been conned into a fake insurance policy. If there’s supposedly nothing she can claim, what’s her alternative?

There were some great locations for the shooting of this film. Gary and Antonio did not look out of place during their strolls in what seemed like the Nevada Dessert, in their cream suits waxing so poetically about money.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the set and costume designers for this film receiving numerous nominations, come award season. The film really portrayed the contrast of the worlds between the uber-wealthy and the ‘meek’.

The bright, extravagant Versace silk shirts and California sunshine on one end of the spectrum, contrasted by the dark, deep blues of a fisherman’s attire as he toils on a stormy front.

In the eyes of the insurance firm, the working class’s efforts are all pointless. All their hopes and dreams that they’d put into their retirement plans, are nowhere to be seen. They are all ‘shells’ in non-existent firms.

A noticeable feature, in at least some of the most recent financial expose films, such as The Wolf Of Wall Street or The Big Short, is that as well having a heavy emphasis on narration, visually, it’s very loud.

The Laundromat follows this trend. But, it works.

It really paints the picture of how the other half lives.

As well as The Laundromat having a comedic tone, it’s also somewhat philosophical. The Biblical references, such as ‘the meek shall inherit the earth’ is a topic that Meryl’s character touches on in her internal dialogue towards the latter part of the film.

After watching a film like this, it leaves you pondering your own internal dialogue on the world of finance. How do the wealthy wriggle their way through these financial loopholes? Why don’t schools teach students about offshore companies as part of the national curriculum?

In the news, it’s common to see the debate on economic inequality and how the rules do not favour the many, but the few.

This ends up being nothing more than a pressing issue for the moment, as people get caught up in the usual trivia of day to day life, that when they are presented with an agenda like this, it reignites that disdain for the 1 percent.

But, before you know it, there’s a new shiny gimmick that captures the imagination, and the cycle repeats.

The Laundromat may leave you feeling conflicted, as this film projects the notion of it wagging its finger at you for not being disappointed by how unfair it all is, and how the common folk should rise up and fight against austerity.

However, in all honesty, it feels like a rallying cry in vain.

By Naseem Ally. Amalgame is a French film based on the 2015 attacks in Paris. It centres around a woman, Marie, who in the aftermath of the attacks fears for her safety after watching the shocking scenes on the news, which takes its toll on her.

Very quickly, Marie becomes self-aware of her thoughts during a taxi ride from an Arab driver and is now in conflict with what she’s seen on the news, and what her gut feelings are telling her.  

In the political climate we’re living in today, it’s refreshing to see a film covering this kind of social commentary.  

Amalgame is a short film, with the story being told in a concise 15 minutes.

In a day and age, where we’re bombarded with 2 hour-long superhero movies and lengthy tv series, it’s great to watch a film from start to finish in a short amount of time.

It’s definitely nice for a change.

This film has a small cast – 3 characters, to be exact, however, it works and puts the focus on the narrative being told. It shows what actually goes through the minds of people that are affected by tragic events like this, whether directly or indirectly. 

In light of the attacks, her boyfriend Hugo comforts her. Marie is clearly shaken up by the events but is too distracted by the news, that she loses sight of the fact that there is an exam to study for.

Marie cannot put this tragedy to rest and frequently lets it cross her mind, so much so Hugo has enough and resorts to turning the TV off. A valid point he raised in the film, was that ‘the media feeds themselves on stories like this – that’s how they sell’. This is very true, especially since the wake of the shocking scenes in New York on 9/11 the media’s focus towards terror has amped up tenfold.

Hugo played by Hector Manuel is a key catalyst in this film. Even though he sympathises with a distraught Marie and tries his best to console and put her fears to rest, he won’t allow her emotions to be manipulated by the consumption of mass media. This is all too common nowadays, especially with the constant stream of news feeds we receive on our phones. 

Hugo brought some insight and perspective into this film. In terms of affairs pertaining to us here in the U.K, the majority of the news we are seeing as of late frequently revolves around a number of specific topics.

In particular, the two obvious ones being Brexit and immigration.  

The constant circulation of news the media ‘feeds’ us, seeks to create a dreaded sense of doom and fear among the public that an imminent attack is right around the corner, heading for our doorstep. 

It’s no surprise that immigration was the key selling point of the referendum, with the notion that the UK needs to close the borders to stop immigrants coming over from European shores. 

I’m sure you’re all aware of what this resulted in – a Brexit campaign that led to a referendum where the majority voted to leave the EU. In 2016. 

Here we are in 2019, still with no result, holding our breath like a contestant on Deal or No Deal, with protestors outside the Houses of Parliament who want a second referendum to overturn it. 

What a shambles. Does anyone remember the ‘Go Home Van’?  

‘Go Home or Face Arrest’. Unbelievable, Jeff. 

All of these actions and campaigns have not helped at all. It continues to raise tensions and hostility, supplemented by endless dialogue in the aftermath of attacks such as the one in Paris.

These tragedies are usually followed by ‘celebrities’ and MP’s sending out somewhat questionable tweets on their thoughts and prayers to those affected. #PrayFor (insert city name and national flag emoji here)

After this, a number of think pieces are shared online from major news and blog outlets on what we need to do as a society to tackle radicalisation or, the buzzword of the minute – toxic masculinity.

It never ends. Jordan B. Peterson save us all!

This short film has managed to convey more thought on this topic, then your average 3 pm debate on Sky News anchored by a certain Miss Burley that ends up going nowhere. I think it would be great to see more prominent film producers and directors, create films of a similar ilk that focus on social commentary and are a lot more concise.

However, a concept like this would be highly unlikely to be produced by a major studio as it wouldn’t necessarily be profitable to make a film like this, which is a shame. This type of narrative is more commonly explored by indie or student filmmakers. 

Marie played by Pauline Deshons held her own in this film and gave a solid display of a character torn between her perception of a certain group of people, based on what she’s seen on TV and how her own personal interactions with them, don’t reflect what she sees on her screen. 

She is stuck at a crossroads. This sense of realism is brilliantly done and can be applied to any group of people or race. 

Take London for example, where there is a particular focus on knife crime among young people, and predominantly BAME inner-city youths, who are frequently covered in the media. Whether consciously or sub-consciously this is making people in London feel a sense of unease on a day to day basis.  

Just pick up a copy of the Metro or Evening Standard at the station and see for yourself.

With Marie’s intellect, she is wary of making any negative assumptions during her cab ride, but with the stream of news that plays on the cab radio, she feels very anxious. What if she could perhaps be the next victim? 

This film does force yourself to ask some hard-hitting questions as to how influenced you are by mass media.

The frantic news footage in the film of the armoured police trucks, ambulance, and victims climbing out the Bataclan really reinforces the idea about the power that the consumption of media has over us. 

To the point of making people fearful to congregate in public with friends and colleagues keeping us locked in our personal spaces like Marie, listening intently to narrations like ‘scenes of panic, carnage in different places frequented in the capital’ being spouted from a TV screen.

Amalgame is very minimal and simple in it’s aesthetic but it tells a story extremely well.

The cutaways of Paris, with the added chimes from a church bell in the distance, created an eerie ambience that leaves you to ponder how people are truly affected in the aftermath of such events.

Amalgame opens up the conversation on topics like multiculturalism and immigration, and how it all trickles down to our day to day lives. Tighter security measures at airports, location and privacy settings on smartphones, are just a few examples of this. 

We are living in one of the most difficult political and social climates in history, and it doesn’t look like things are going to change any time soon. 

Amalgame is a great social commentary piece and it is very much relevant today. All done in 15 minutes.