Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty was recommended to me by a friend and as it had the intrigue that I enjoy in fiction, it seemed like a good choice for my next read. The story centres around Yvonne Carmichael, a successful scientist with a seemingly happy marriage and great life. However one encounter with a stranger was to change her life; she embarks in a passionate affair with him and initially the split life seems an easy task but then one incident finds her on trial for murder.

The book has been shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger for Best Thriller and the Specsavers National Book Awards Crime and Thriller of the Year. I can certainly see why these accolades have been bestowed as it is a very tense read and very unlike any book I have read before. The style of writing is initially difficult to grasp as Yvonne is essentially narrating and ‘speaking’ to her lover throughout making it quite intimate. Doughty is clearly an expert in creating suspense as it builds at a pace which is manageable as a reader but then creeps up on you. It twists and turns and never gives you chance to feel comfortable – very intelligent writing.

There are many different genres that Doughty has drawn from to create the novel making it suitable for a wider range of readers. It does not hit you in the first few pages but once you get past a few chapters, you will be drawn in.

****

Ascension is a high budget sci-fi mini-series currently showing on Sky One. A fascinating concept surrounding the 600 people onboard ‘Ascension’ who believe they are orbiting space and going to begin life on a new planet following a warning from President Kennedy in 1963 that the Earth would soon self destruct. Humans are born and die onboard and don’t know about life outside of their present surroundings. We join them half way through their journey to see how life really is on ‘Ascension’.

In the first episode, a woman is found dead and it opens up a murder enquiry. What the inhabitants of Ascension are not aware of is that they are part of an sociological experiment, very much on Earth. The founder of this concept is terminally ill and therefore his son is taking the helm. There has never before been a murder so a woman from outside is brought in to investigate. Another story thread is a young girl who is suspicious of events happening around her and seems to be able to forsee the Big Brother style methods.

There are no household names in the programme necessarily – it doesn’t need it – but many of whom I’m sure we will see again in the near future. It really is a fascinating watch and there is only one episode left. It will be interesting to see how the loose ends are all tied up – can’t wait!

Extant had its UK premiere this week on Syfy. The series features Halle Berry as Molly who has been in space on a solo mission for the last 13 months. She finds readjusting back into society difficult, no more so when she finds out that she is pregnant. Molly has lost colleagues over the years but is suffering from hallucinations making her question her sanity. Are they real or not? This is the main thread throughout the episode but nothing much is really elaborated on apart from the ‘diagnosis’ of her pregnancy from her doctor.

Another element to the plot is Molly’s husband, a scientist who has designed the first prototype of a human robot – their ‘son’ Ethan. Molly is allegedly infertile and therefore this is the only way of them having a child. John is trying to get funding for his work but trying to get people to grasp the longevity of the project is more difficult than he thought. There are also questions on whether Ethan is straying from the programming installed on conception.

The plot is an interesting one and I’m hoping it can really go places. The writing, based on the first episode, isn’t revolutionary; not a great deal is gained by the pilot. However I’m willing to stick with it in the hope that it takes off and becomes a really solid sci-fi series. Watch this space!

Birdman looked like my cup of tea from the outset. Filmed in a theatre with a high calibre cast and finding out it has been nominated for countless awards; you can’t go wrong. The film focuses on Riggan Thompson, a washed up actor who was famous for playing fictional character ‘Birdman’ over 20 years previously. He is now trying to justify his self-worth by writing, directing and starring in a play at the beautiful (although it doesn’t look it in the film!) St James Theatre on Broadway. The play is an adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story entitled ‘What We Talk About When We Talk About Love’. The film is slightly farcical with one thing after another going wrong in the lead up to opening night including the other male lead being injured by a falling parcan, the actor that they bring in to replace him believes that the only time he is not pretending is when he is ONstage and alongside this, Riggan is hearing voices from his alter ego and has superpowers (?) It’s very much a black comedy!

The direction of the film by Alejandro González Iñárritu is incredibly interesting and an intriguing watch as it is so different from any direction I have seen before. The film is recorded as one long shot which sweeps down theatre corridors and around the actors choreography. There are transitions reflecting the time of day or location which is clearly the break up between scenes but they are edited so flawlessly that it still appears as one shot. It must have been a challenge for the actors having to sustain pages and pages of dialogue/action between takes because although many of them have performed in stage productions, films are very much a different artform. With this method of direction, the film was completed in a month with only a couple of weeks editing on top. Birdman is a real tour de force direction-wise.

Michael Keaton gives an excellent performance as Riggan Thompson, he is clearly very troubled. You can only feel sorry for him for feeling he has to prove himself; he has put the play on a pedestal and NEEDS to succeed. It is only really his daughter Sam – played by the beautiful Emma Stone – who can make her father realise how he is behaving and how he can become a better person due to his poor attempt at being a dad when she was growing up. Edward Norton gives a fantastic turn as Mike Shiner, the arrogant Broadway actor who has a lot of anxieties himself. Naomi Watts is perhaps a little underused as Mike’s partner, Lesley, who is so thankful to be performing in a Broadway show full stop.

My only quandary about this film is the heightened sense of intrigue. It is great to have that captivating nature but I did come out of the cinema confused about what was real and what wasn’t. On reflection I did undermark on IMDB but it wasn’t quite perfect on all levels. However I sincerely hope that Alejandro González Iñárritu gets an Oscar as Best Director as it truly is very distinctive.

9/10

Call The Midwife started its fourth series on Sunday evening, much to the joy of those who enjoyed the Christmas special. Although the series is based on Jennifer Worth’s memoirs, these have no doubt been exhausted now and we are crossing into the screenwriters realm. As my boyfriend says, “it’s the same every week”; to a point, true. However the regular characters are the ones we love and the strength of their roles are the reason for its success.

This series sees a new midwife starting, Barbara, who is overly enthusiastic and somewhat clumsy. She assists a woman separated from her baby whilst the child receives additional care by taking her breast milk to the baby every three hours – a good deed which provides her with brownie points from the other nuns at Nonatus House. Trixie – played by the beautiful Helen George – is proposed to by vicar Tom which is the light relief during the episode, although she experiences a emotional time with a group of four young children suffering with malnourishment and neglect.

Chummy (Miranda Hart’s character) is only featured briefly at the start of the episode because – as per the Christmas special – she is off to work in the country for a mother and child’s home. She will be greatly missed so hopefully this is not long term. Sister Monica Joan is ever a loveable character but we do feel sorry for her with her spells of dementia. It also seems Pam Ferris’ character, Sister Evangelina, is unwell and as viewers we genuinely care about these kind-hearted characters.

It all seems doom and gloom admittedly but what can you expect from a run-down part of East End London in the 1950s/60s?! However there is plenty in there to make it an enjoyable watch.

Now, I’ve only just discovered Broadchurch this series. Many told me that I needed to watch the first season in order for me to understand as it is a continuation of the last. However, being dubbed as one of the best crime dramas on the TV, I didn’t want to miss out any longer. I read a synopsis so I got the jist of what had previously happened and was suitably intrigued.

As warned, it is a continuation and doesn’t give you much opportunity to catch your breath but I am now on episode 3 (I think) and am hooked. There is a secondary case that is running alongside Danny’s murder about the disappearance and death of two girls at Sandbrook. David Tennant’s character, Alec, is sheltering Claire in an unofficial witness protection safe house as her husband (Lee) is the main suspect. DS Miller, played by Olivia Colman, is very much between a rock and a hard place being the wife of the man on trial for killing Danny and her crumbling relationship with the boy’s family. Alongside this, she has been roped into assisting Alec with getting information out of Claire. Phew!

The press have been saying that the series is losing viewers rather than gaining them though unfortunately, due to gaping holes in the plot. It is always difficult to sustain the writing at such a high level, especially when it runs for longer than expected. Perhaps it would have been better to purely focus on the new case and put the other one to bed for series 2? Or likewise, finish off Danny Latimer’s case solely. I can see why this would be better realistically but nevertheless, I’m gripped!

It seems only right that Britain’s biggest pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, features at Birmingham Hippodrome, a stage for the best in the world. This year’s QDOS production is up to its usual sky high standards and having been to the majority of their Christmas shows over the last decade, this one is definitely up there with my favourites. Dazzling sets, stunning costumes and magical special effects are consistently delivered including a helicopter, a beanstalk that grows before your eyes and a comedy disaster scene where even the stage crew get their starring moment onstage!

There are a few cast members who featured in last year’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves – Gary Wilmot, Paul Zerdin (and Sam) and the absolutely hilarious Matt Slack. Dab hands at the art of panto, all were incredibly popular last year hence guaranteeing them another contract this time around. Wilmot is a wonderful Dame as always and I loved the musical number with the farm animals (those costumes!); although I did miss the Birmingham Balti song! Matt Slack is incomparable to any other comedian I’ve seen before and he literally made me cry with laughter on many occasions. Whether he is climbing into giant balloons in his underwear, miming along to ‘Mr Boombastic’ or cosying up to Duncan James; the man can do no wrong! I love Paul Zerdin but it was a shame that his act was virtually the same as last year. He’s a great entertainer but it would have been nice to see something a little different.

New performers this year include Duncan James from boyband Blue, Jane McDonald and Chris Gascoigne from Coronation Street; all of whom I was very impressed with. Proving you should never assume, I believed James was going to be very cheesy and over the top but I could not have been more wrong. He embraced the heartthrob status but seemed very shy about it, even if he did take the opportunity to get his shirt off! His distinctive voice was also showcased well in the musical numbers. Jane McDonald too shows her vocal prowess and looks like she is having a great time, especially in the ’12 Days of Christmas’ segment…yes, Christmas remains until the 1^st February at the Hippodrome! Chris Gascoigne is a competent baddie and although he speaks through his songs, the characterisation is spot on.

As always, the perfect panto *****

Gutted to hear about the death of Anne Kirkbride who has played Deirdre Barlow in Corrie for the past 40 years. Following a short illness, it has been reported that she passed away in a Manchester hospital last night. She hasn’t appeared in the soap for a little while so it will be interesting to see how the writers deal with also losing the character in the programme. I’d imagine it will be very upsetting for those who work on the show but it seems that because she is such a well-loved character, she deserves a proper send off and not just a mention of her passing.

This sad news came off the back of last night’s dramatic episodes whereby the minibus carrying Underworld staff to Carla’s awards ceremony swerved off the road, flipped and ended up hanging off a cliff edge – giving a whole new meaning to the term ‘cliffhanger’! Very well filmed and managed by the production team, viewers are now left wondering if Carla will survive and will Tracey help her? Corrie has been flagging a little bit of late but these scenes will have many tuning back in to see what happens.

Stephen Sondheim’s hugely successful 1987 production of Into the Woods has had the Disney treatment and been adapted for screen. This has been a work in progress for years but it has never fully materialised. With an all-star cast and award-winning Director Rob Marshall on board, now was evidently the right time with the popularity of movie musicals at its peak.

Based on the Grimm tales, Into the Woods is an amalgamation of all the popular fairy stories such as Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk. They are all linked together by the Baker and his wife whom are desperate to have a child. Due to a curse put on their house by a witch years before, the Baker’s wife has been unable to conceive. However the witch is willing to lift the curse if the couple bring her four items. The first half of the musical is very magical and stereotypically fairy tale but the second half begins to represent a more realistic view. Hardcore fans of the musical will soon realise some differences between the show and film as it has most definitely had the Disney treatment to make it suitable for families. The musical is a lot darker and more adult and hence some viewers believe that the film is not a true representation of Sondheim’s work. I understand this opinion but at the same time, can appreciate the adaptation for what it is.

The musical version is completely sung through, whereby the film has added dialogue in between musical numbers. This said, the flow of the material is still smooth and the songs do not appear random. The music was all recorded before filming began, however on certain takes, Marshall asked the company to sing live which definitely adds another dimension and challenge for the actors no doubt. Sondheim’s material is notoriously difficult to deliver with all of the harmonies and overlapping of lyrics so it must have saved a lot of time by rehearsing the company a month before filming began. The company are very much a group of actors who can sing – flaws can appear in film musicals when singers are employed who cannot act, of which we can all think of a few!

Although it is an ensemble, James Corden and Emily Blunt as the Baker and his wife are the lynchpin of the whole film and both give very endearing and confident performances. Meryl Streep is fantastic as the Witch; her costumes and make-up are fabulous and her rendition of ‘Children Will Listen’ is remarkable. She is definitely one of the best actors in the world without a doubt but is this particular one Oscar award-winning? Perhaps not this time judging by the category she is in. Anna Kendrick plays Cinderella and her vocals are particularly stunning – I can’t wait to see her in Jason Robert Brown’s The Last 5 Years. Her counterpart, Chris Pine as Prince Charming, does however leave a lot to be desired. Admittedly he is meant to be suave and not very bright to say the least but his character is incredibly annoying! He is very funny during ‘Agony’ with Billy Magnusson though as it is completely overbearing and exaggerated. The children cast as Jack and Little Red Riding Hood – played by Daniel Huttlestone and Lilla Crawford respectively – give very competent performances and more than keep up with the adult cast.

There are many other smaller roles featuring big names such as Johnny Depp, Christine Baranski and Lucy Punch along with theatre names like Simon Russell Beale and Joanna Riding. It is a film that keeps on giving and I would happily go and watch in the cinema again.

10/10

American Sniper is the new war based blockbuster from director Clint Eastwood. The film is based on the true story of Chris Kyle, a Navy Seal who was rapidly dubbed a “legend” due to his focus and precision on the warfront. He saved countless lives and is now thought of as the most lethal sniper in US military history. Previously a Texan cowboy, Kyle soon realised he wanted to put his skills to real use and help fight the war against terrorism for his country. He undergoes four tours of Iraq following his recent marriage to Taya with whom he fathers two children. Kyle struggles with the reality of war and more so, how he handles it when he comes home to his family.

Bradley Cooper looks considerably different in this role as he has had to bulk up by over forty pounds for the character. He clearly had a close connection with the screenplay as he also produces the film. Originally this was going to be the height of his involvement and another actor was lined up to play the lead character, however Cooper felt he needed to completely embrace the story and play Kyle himself. The emotion he expresses throughout is generally quite muted and restrained but as a viewer, you know it’s there. This said, he is not cold; he is incredibly caring and regards his unit as his family as well. Cooper is an excellent actor and it is great to see him undertake such a challenging role.

Chris Kyle’s wife, Taya, is played superbly by Sienna Miller. She is sceptical about ‘dating’ a Seal from the outset but Kyle sweet talks his way round her and they soon marry. On their wedding day, they get the news that he will be going to Iraq on a mission and Taya – as any wife would do – is sick with worry, especially when he calls her from the front and all she can hear is gunfire. Taya tries to convince Chris that she needs him at home with her but the draw of war keeps enticing him back. However after the fourth tour, he decides enough is enough and is ready to go home. There are clear signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in his character when he gets home so with some medical help and encouragement to help wounded soldiers, he finds a purpose back in America. His untimely death following this is therefore incredibly sad and ironic.

Following a massively successful opening at the US box office, American Sniper has had some bad press regarding it not being entirely based on fact. It is always a delicate matter when honouring someone’s memory but at the same time, filmmakers need to infuse drama to keep the viewers’ interest. I do not feel that the screenplay has damaged his reputation in any way, although others have been taking a stronger view.

9/10