Uncultured Critic

DVD Giveaway: Hick starring Chloë Grace Moretz

2013-06-14T16:19:00.003+01:00

Hick, starring Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick–Ass 1 & 2, Carrie) and Eddie Redmayne (Les Mis) is out on DVD in the UK on Monday 17 June.

To coincide with the release, I'm giving away 2 DVD copies of the film.

For a chance to win, simply leave a comment below telling me your favourite American road trip movie.

For a second entry, simply Tweet this:

Win a DVD copy of Hick starring Chloë Grace Moretz at Uncultured Critic! http://bit.ly/12tE9Ew via @robotnic

Terms & Conditions:

1. This giveaway is open to UK residents only.

2. You must be 15 or over. If you are under 18 pleaes ask permission from a parent or guardian.

3. Competition closes at 9pm, Sunday 23 June.

Good luck!

In the meantime, wanna see the trailer?

52 Books: May Reads

2013-06-01T14:00:00.000+01:00

It's time for another monthly wrap-up!

I finished 11 books this month, thanks to several slim volumes and a holiday. What did you read this month?

#20. The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
★★★★★ – Not for me. Full review(s) – video and podcast – here.

#21. Wallflower at the Orgy by Nora Ephron
★★★★★ – A selection of Nora Ephron's articles from 1968-9. While the subject matter of a few didn't interest me, overall this is another great collection of her work. Mush, a seething piece on bestselling romances of the time was a joy, along with a take-down of Ayn Rand and a somewhat uppity article on the ubiquity of the Frommer's guide. Fantastic.

#22. The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani
★★★★★ – Although it's set in the 1930s, this probably fits into the New Adult genre. I was expecting a boarding school novel and got an undercooked, naval-gazing family drama that's part romance novel. Full review here.

#23. The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness
★★★★★ – A retelling of the Japanese fable, set in modern-day England. Many of Ness' strengths are on display here: his great ear for dialogue, good characters and character development, and a lively tone. However as the story worn on this began to wane.

#24. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
★★★★★ – Excellent, award-winning middle-grade fiction. Lovely characters, good storytelling, but a bit saccharine for my taste. I appreciated this one more than I enjoyed it.

#25. Let's Discuss Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris
★★★★★ – Perhaps my favourite collection of Sedaris' personal essays yet. Language, travel, and family are the key topics here in an array of hilarious and at times visceral "real life" stories. A brilliant read.

#26. The Reader by Bernard Schlink
★★★★★ – An accomplished novel – a tad predictable but makes great use of undercut tension, understanding characters actions and emotions and actions that follow. What it lacks in plot it makes up for in fantastic use of metaphor and in raising ethical questions on a personal level. Despite a few reservations, it's a great, short read.

#27. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
★★★★★ – A novel in two parts, the first of which outshines the second. Great characters, fantastic dialogue. I really enjoyed the voices here, despite having reservations about the narrative style. At times it wanders into the technical, and the ending wraps up a little too neatly. Nonetheless a well-constructed first novel.

#28. For the Relief of Unbearable Urges by Nathan Englander
★★★★★ – For the relief of finishing a discarded short story collection, more like. Good stuff from Englander, if a little one-note subject-wise. I much preferred What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, but I'll definitely pick up his novel soon.

#29. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid
★★★★★ – Brilliant storytelling in second-person narration. World-wise and affecting. Full review here.

#30. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
★★★★★ – I don't know. I just couldn't get into it. It picked up considerably for me towards the end, so I was very late to the party in more ways than one. Maybe I'll read it again someday.

Book Review: How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

2013-05-28T10:00:00.000+01:00

Mohsin Hamid's third novel, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, is a novel in self-help form.

Narrated in second person (making the main character "you"), it places the reader within the story, transforming you into him, him into you. You never learn the character's name, nor those of friends, relatives, or crushes. (A fact that only crossed my mind as I came to write it.)

Many authors have used the second person to varying affects and degrees of success. Here it's the device of an omniscient narrator, writing me-to-you, insuring both scope and engagement. With enough distance not to become overbearing and sparing use of the word "you", it's a device that soon becomes seamless in reading.

For a novel about becoming filthy rich, money is described in relatable terms. Time seems to accelerate throughout, putting you in the shoes of the protagonist and hitting the gas – as, of course, in life. And we're in safe hands as Hamid's exploration of life, money, and relationships hit upon life's biggest challenges: the events which alter us, the places where we fritter away time versus those we ignored and inevitably live to regret. Touching romance is handled with the same eloquent touch as crushing disappointment (and are, at times, one and the same). Ambition, pride, anxiety, lust, blinding fear: it's all here.

The spectrum of life is laid bare, providing plenty of opportunity for introspection. As a reader, one is led by the hand without having one's hand held – a safe, yet precarious position, and one handled with grace. Though placed front-and-centre, there is no room for your own ego, and you must bear the brunt of the narrator's choices for you, which makes for a curious yet utterly satisfying reading experience.

Some parts of the book zoomed out much further, lending context and keeping characters in mind, but foregrounding plot machinations in the process. A quibble, perhaps, but in an otherwise tight story this is one qualm that keeps this from being a 5-star read.

Buy How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia on the Book Depository | Amazon US | Amazon UK.

Book Review: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window & Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

2013-05-27T10:00:00.000+01:00

Quite a title, right?

I reviewed this book as a video (below). I also participated in a podcast review with the lovely people at Scottish Book Trust so you can listen to that here.

The Wayfarer

2013-05-14T16:38:00.001+01:00

I want to be The Wayfarer! Penguin is running this amazing competition for one lucky person to travel the Old Ways trails and beyond, all across the UK.

It's my absolute dream job and I've made this entry to be considered. Please give it a watch and I'd absolutely love your support.

Every like, comment, and retweet is very much appreciated!

If you'd like to learn more about the competition, visit http://ajourneyonfoot.com

Thanks for watching!

Book Review: The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton Disclafani

2013-05-13T10:00:00.000+01:00

Like many before her, Anton DiSclafani’s debut novel draws on her childhood. Initially set in her summer home of North Carolina, the author’s love of horseback riding backdrops part of this story of a high society teen at brink of the Depression. Sent away to The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, Thea Atwell’s family secrets and misdemeanours remain a mystery as her new boarding school life unfolds, her past slowly revealed amidst a tumultuous time coming to terms with her banishment.

Family, horses, and boys make up the revolving cast which concerns this bored teen as she balances riding school tensions and debutante drama with undercharged sexual encounters. Southern decorum rubs up against forays into romance that struggle to hit upon any meaningful suspense. Norah Ephron contended that women aren’t interested in the specifics of sex, but prefer to read about lust – a fact which initially works in this novel’s favour but becomes overused. DiSclafani’s prose is descriptive to a fault, overreaching, languid, and consequently dragging out a loose and often repetitive plot. The treacherous road to womanhood described here is unfamiliar and uninviting.

Review originally published by The List.

Buy The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls from The Book Depository | Amazon.

52 Books: April Reads

2013-05-01T10:00:00.000+01:00

It's finally time for April Reads!

I only finished a few books this month, but am half-way through a couple more. Here are my capsule reviews.

A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers
For a novel in which nothing really happens, I rather enjoyed this one. Alan is a washed up businessman who, with his former successes behind him, ships out to Saudi Arabia in order to present hologram technology to the Sheik. A long wait leads to physical anxieties, an unlikely friendship with a local driver, and a lot of drunken evenings in a solitary hotel room. A great read.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
The main question this book asks is, "What if black and white were reversed?" It's a simple allegory based around the Civil Rights Movement with a touch of the Northern Irish "troubles" – a valuable read for teens to introduce them to the concepts of race equality and empathy, but not one for me.

The Humans by Matt Haig
An alien comes to Earth and learns to live like a human. As a concept, it sounds trite. In execution, it was a hugely entertaining and uplifting read. As tongue in cheek as Hitchhiker's Guide and inspiring to boot.

Currently reading:
The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Wallflower at the Orgy by Nora Ephron

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani

Video wrap-up:

What did your read this April?

Aye Write: Patrick Ness & Matt Haig

2013-04-21T14:43:00.005+01:00

On Tuesday I was most pleased to attend the wonderfully titled Aye, Write! – Glasgow's book festival – to see Patrick Ness and Matt Haig at an in-person event.

I was never a fan of authors doubling up for these kinds of events because it seemed to take away time from the author I was there to see – but last summer’s event with Junot Díaz led me to Nathan Englander, and this event – which I attended for Patrick Ness – has introduced me to Matt Haig, so I'm going to have to admit defeat on this one. Turns out these events are actually kind of great.

I haven't read any of Matt Haig’s books yet, but I’ve spent the past week poring over his brilliant blog on the Book Trust website. His title is ‘online writer in residence’ – which is basically my dream job.

Patrick Ness is the author of the wonderful A Monster Calls (which I reviewed here) and the Chaos Walking trilogy (of which I’ve read the first so far).

Both authors new books out, published by Canongate, and since they’re contemporaries and share a publisher, it seemed pretty natural for them to be teamed up. They each write adult and YA novels, contemporary with a fantastical bent, and neither are enamoured with that distinction. Haig's concerned with the state of snobbery within literary fiction, while Ness is anti-snark and pro-wonder. It was great to hear about their experiences in writing and publishing, as well as more about their upcoming books.

I've uploaded a recording of the whole hour, which you can download (right-click, save-as) or stream (just click) here.

I brought along my copy of The Crane Wife to have it signed, and we were able to pick up an early copy of Haig’s The Humans, which is released next month – so I had that signed too.

I've just started The Humans and plan to dig in to The Crane Wife next – so I'll have reviews of both up soon.

Here's a link to my latest video. What are you reading this weekend?

P.S. You can now follow my blog with Bloglovin'.

World Book Night: Book Giveaway!

2013-04-16T14:25:00.001+01:00

World Book Night is an initiative to share the love of reading taking place on 23 April 2013. Every year they give away 1 million books, and this year I have volunteered as a giver.
You can read about my experiences as a World Book Night giver in previous years here and here.
I'm giving away 3 copies of Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman on my YouTube channel.
HOW TO ENTER: 1. Subscribe to http://youtube.com/robotnic 2. Leave a comment on this video telling me why you love reading, or how you share your love of reading 3. If you're under 18, please ask permission from a parent or guardian
Winners will be chosen at random and announced and contacted on World Book Night, 23 April 2013. If you are a winner, I will message you via YouTube.
Read more about World Book Night on their website.

Radio Reviews: Oblivion & The Place Beyond the Pines

2013-04-11T10:00:00.000+01:00

Today I will be making my first appearance on BBC Radio Scotland's new arts show: The Culture Studio with Janice Forsyth.

Listen in 3-4pm when Paul Gallagher and I review Oblivion, The Place Beyond the Pines, Schindler's List (20th Anniversary BluRay release), and discuss event cinema.

The programme airs every weekday, 2-4pm, and features arts and culture chat along with music. It replaces The Culture Café, The Book Café, and The Movie Café (to which I used to contribute).

Listen live, catch-up, and find out more on the BBC website.

Book Video: Brief Encounters With Short Stories

2013-04-10T09:00:00.000+01:00

Brief Encounters | Short Stories & 1-Book Haul
Do you read short fiction? What do you like/dislike about it?

Tell me your recommendations!

Please also click through and subscribe for upcoming giveaway and more videos.

Book Review: Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

2013-04-03T09:00:00.000+01:00

When 15 year-old Bee's mother, Bernadette, goes missing, she begins a project to work out where she went.

This book is a collection of correspondence between Bernadette and her Indian virtual assistant, Manjuela; bitchy neighbours Soon-Li and Audrey; father x and his secretary. Semple skilfully unravels each note, slowly unveiling a cast of characters with unique voices and surprising range for growth. Filled with the hilarious, the loveable, and the loathsome this supporting cast become integral to the story interweaved with Bernadettes exceptional rants.

Subtle developments are enough to keep you guessing as the cast of characters keeps you entertained. This book is not without its flaws: sometimes the boundaries of letters are pushed towards narrative convenience and effect but, for the most part, this can still be overlooked. Sticky situations are also avoided by skipping past some difficulties that the intricate plot reveals, leaving a couple of plot points at loose ends.

Despite these faults, this is a story with a huge heart, often as sweet as it is funny. Exemplary character development and skilfully overblown dramatic turns make this a hugely entertaining read. I highly recommend it.

Buy Where'd You Go, Bernadette from The Book Depository.

Have you read this book? What was your take?

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Film Review: The Host

2013-04-02T09:00:00.000+01:00

The Host's aliens are amorphous white globs sprouting tentacles like one of those globes with the light that licks your fingers. Their world is slick and sterile, a "perfected" version of the world as we know it today. The human race has been inhabited – literally – by these spindly beings: pacifist, kind, and overflowing nice intentions; excepting, of course, the requirement that native species die in order that they live, using their bodies as a vessel. So far, so creepy.

Uninhabited humans are exiled, on the run from the alien race and fighting to keep their autonomy. After being caught, our typically "feisty" heroine Melanie's (Saoirse Ronan) body is implanted with a host named Wanderer. In a rare case, she is able to fight against and manipulate the new form that has invaded her body – all of which is acted out through a series of echoey, clumsy, and embarrassingly poorly-written voiceovers. As the aliens, led by Seeker (Diane Kruger), attempt to raid her memories and find the whereabouts of the human resistance, Melanie somehow co-opts her host into an escape plan, before being systematically stripped of her personality in order that we might enjoy the simperings of her host.

Saoirse Ronan, looking serene and perfected in Host-buffed skin, does her best with a bad script. The story is a wandering, aimless mess, its sprawling chase elements over-complicated by the worst love triangle in recent years. Too many hot boys really spoil the broth: almost threesome kissing scenes, even moreso. Melanie receives numerous unnecessary kisses and slaps in the face, keeping the run-time ticking upwards and ratio of scenes with plot development ticking downwards. Meanwhile, overblown dramatic losses and repetitive poetic love-heals-all speeches work together with a complete lack of pacing to make this a resistance and a folly that seems to last an eternity.

Much like these host figures, the film is a shapeless mass of good looks and empty meanings. The result is stupid, ridiculous, and – worst of all – boring.

Film Review: The Odd Life of Timothy Green

2013-04-01T09:00:00.000+01:00

Aimed squarely at Middle America yet with no audience in mind, The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a modern Pinocchio story so boring it's set in Stanleyville: a fictional town specialising in pencil production.

Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton star as Cindy and Jim Green, a couple who cannot conceive and are advised to pursue adoption. Before throwing in the towel, they compile a list of traits for their non-existent child, which they bury. A mythical rainstorm follows and hey presto, Timothy Green (CJ Adams) is "born". With leaves on his legs and a (thankfully not literal) song in his heart, the picture book story that follows is a criminally bland series of events in the life of this happy-go-lucky fairytale boy.

In a world filled with 2-dimensional Stanleyvillains, the film's entire premise is hung on an icky cuteness that doesn't last as the plot drags its heels through an Indian summer of typical middle-American set pieces. Sadly Peter Hedges' uninspired script didn't wither and died with the autumn leaves, but the film's box office presence is likely to.

Save your cinema visits for a kids' film that won't bore the pants of children and adults alike.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green is released in UK cinemas on 4 April 2013.

52 Books: March Reads

2013-03-29T16:26:00.001Z

It's time for March Reads! It's been a busy month, dragging myself out of the relative reading slump that was February and finally getting around to some books to read for fun. (Click through for February Reads, January Reads.)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Part three of The Hunger Games trilogy. I hated this the first time around, but upon re-reading and knowing what to expect I got more out of it. If you've ever been intrigued by this series, I recommend that you read it.

Buy it from The Book Depository.

The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje

A nice wee story from the author of The English Patient (which I haven't, but know I need to, read). It's the story of a 10 year-old boy's 21-day journey by ship narrated by his older self. As a memoir of a journey and the characters he travelled with, it was lovely. As it became the philosophical thoughts and fears of a middle-aged man, I was less enchanted.

Buy it from The Book Depository.

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

A great read about a lost diary and the hands into which it falls. This has a hook that will keep you guessing: is it entirely fiction, or only in part? There are 3 or 4 ways to slice it, and I enjoyed everything about getting there.

Read my full review here, or watch my review on YouTube here.

Buy it from The Book Depository.

After the Apocalypse by Maureen F. McHugh

Short stories from after a (hopefully) fictional, near-future apocalypse. A bit of a mixed bag, really: some of these really stuck with me while others completely passed me by. As is common in the sci-fi realm, these are definitely stories of ideas over style, but also brought me out of my comfort zone.

Buy it from The Book Depository.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
I loved this book. Flawed but fabulous, it's a collection of correspondence compiled by a teenaged girl after her mother, Bernadette, disappears. Many great voices, exceptional rants, and subtle developments make this a hugely entertaining read. I highly recommend it.

Buy it from The Book Depository.

Currently reading:
A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers
I haven't read the blurb, but so far this is the story of an American businessman in Saudi Arabia, pitching to build a city for a King. I'm about 20% of the way into this one so far, and quite enjoying it.

If you want to keep up with what I'm reading you can visit my 52 Books page, or add me as a friend on Goodreads.

I've also started a YouTube channel for reviewing books. You can watch and subscribe at http://youtube.com/robotnic

What are you reading?

Book Review: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

2013-03-23T17:10:00.001Z

Whether you are in search of lost time or a time being to share it with, this fine novel from Ruth Ozeki is a good place to start.

Part diary, part narrative, the story reproduces the pages of teenager Nao's journal, scribbled on the insides of a hacked French copy of Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time). Across several years and an ocean, forlorn writer Ruth is its finder. After a few pages, it becomes clear that the book itself is Ruth's experience of finding the diary, attempting to understand its deeper meanings, and making footnotes to explain its many Japanese words and phrases.

As readers, it is our job to decide whether Ruth is, in fact, a not-so-subtle stand-in for the author herself. She is a woman trying desperately to understand Nao and her world, to find out where life took her after the tsunami took the diary she has left behind. Did she really exist? Are these words truth or fiction?

Nao is a curious character, full of life despite her struggles with bullying peers and a suicidal father. She's smart and engaging, at ease with technology and at once loving and becoming frustrated by her family. Some of her best moments are spent with her great-grandmother, a Buddhist priest named Jiko, in her temple, or reading, second-hand, her father's favourite Western Philosophers. All of these concepts build towards a greater thematic arc.

Ruth is leaner as a character, filled with self-doubt and frustration in the face of writing difficulties and a keenly felt intellectual and physical imprisonment. Her husband, Oliver, has had to move to a remote Canadian island for health reasons. Their physical and emotional distance from the outer world is brought into sharp relief as they go about their simple lives on this hostile rock, hemmed in by storms, waves and wolves: all of which makes their story more remarkable. Like her or not, Ruth is the lens through which we learn about Nao, an integral reader within the story.

Often they are overused as a conduit to the writer's journey, there is lots to learn through these two, particularly Oliver, but their expositional conversations are at times over-stretched. Intentionally or otherwise, there is little warmth between them. An inversion takes place: as Ruth, as a character, becomes less believably human, her obsession with Nao's story becomes all the more immediate.

Ozeki's storytelling is masterfully precise, weaving storytelling elements which reappear or transform later in the book, keeping the reader on their toes. At some points these are a little overwrought: this is not a larger-than-life story; however the rest of the story makes up for these concessions.

The simple, delicate prose and gradual build of Nao's personality are the real gens of this novel. It is not until towards the end that Ozeki really plays with the idea of authorship, but her writing will guide you there. You can never be certain what you're reading in this book; all its characters and its author are constantly tugging the rug beneath your feet. And that's what makes it truly refreshing.

Buy A Tale for the Time Being at The Book Depository.

Video review:

52 Books: February Reads

2013-03-03T16:11:00.003Z

This year I'm making a concerted effort to track what I read and write capsule reviews close to the time of reading. I'll be updating with a post like this one each month. (Click here for January reads.)

It was a slim month, partly because I was also launching my own book! World Film Locations: Glasgow is now available and the launch at Glasgow Film Festival was a blast. You can pick up a copy at The Book Depository | Amazon.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
Full review here.

Buy it at The Book Depository | Amazon

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
One of the more exciting YA dystopias I've read. Great world-buidling, drops you into the action via a very curious lead character. For me the pacing was a little off and I got a bit fed up with every chapter ending on a cliff-hanger, so the high tension all the damn time thing ended up meaning that it took me longer to get through this. Misgivings aside, definitely one of the good ones.

Buy it at The Book Depository | Amazon

The Hunger Games (re-read) by Suzanne Collins
If you hadn't guessed by now, I've been researching the whole YA dystopia genre in anticipation of a re-read of this little darling. I'm in the midst of a big project based around The Hunger Games – notably its fandom. This is the third time I've read The Hunger Games (book 1) and it's as fresh and exciting as ever. Worth a read if you haven't caught up with it yet.

Buy it at The Book Depository | Amazon

Catching Fire (re-read) by Suzanne Collins
Isn't it strange when your memory of a book doesn't match up with the reality? I remembered this as my favourite book in the series. On reflection, what I'd thought was a few chapters of homecoming was in fact almost half of the book. I'd revise my favourite to book 1 now, and the second half here isn't as exciting when you know what's coming, but still a fun read nonetheless.

Buy it at The Book Depository | Amazon

Currently reading:
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
My least favourite in the series, but already different than I'd remembered.

The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje
My book club pick for the month.

If you want to keep up with what I'm reading you can visit my 52 Books page, or add me as a friend on Goodreads.

What are you reading?

Book Review: Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

2013-03-02T12:22:00.002Z

In this literary coming-of-age debut set against the height of the AIDS epidemic, we follow 14 year-old June, a refreshingly under-self-aware protagonist tasked with discovering her beloved, recently-departed uncle Finn’s past. The once-famous artist’s final portrait of June and sister Greta becomes the still centrepiece of her emotionally tumultuous life: petrified yet ever-changing to the beholder.

Brunt captures sibling rivalry with almost terrifying aplomb to paint the picture of a weird wee sister striving for approval. Self-doubt mars June’s attempts to read the complex portrait of her family’s conflicted grief; meanwhile Brunt lays subtle hints to gather beyond June’s first-person narration.

Unspoken tensions and a gradual uncovering of characters’ secret pasts build, making the novel an intriguing slow-burner with enough substance to back it up. At times too keen for big resolutions, this is nonetheless a solid effort that elevates the bildungsroman beyond today’s love-triangle-filled world of YA fiction.

Buy Tell the Wolves I'm Home at The Book Depository | Amazon.

Review originally published by The List magazine.

Robot & Frank: Real Steal

2013-02-28T10:00:00.000Z

Robot & Frank sees old film school friends, first-time feature director Jake Shreier, and writer Christopher D. Ford, team up with Frank Langella on a one-of-a-kind project of digital versus paper and motherboard versus heart.

Set in a near but undefined future, ageing retired thief Frank (Langella) lives a solitary life as he slips slowly into the grips of dementia. At first it may seem like your typical crotchety Grandad finds love story, but Frank has a darker past, and his fondness for visiting the library - and its last remaining human librarian, Jennifer (Susan Sarandon) - is more than a simple subplot. This is a film about being put out to pasture and the loss of tangible things.

Tired of dealing with Frank's foul temper, son Hunter (James Marsden) installs a caretaker robot in his father's home, much to the chagrin of Frank and distant daughter Madison (Liv Tyler). The machine voiced by Peter Sarsgaard, what follows is a sweet, subtle tale of friendship. Wry wit and a twist on the old buddy caper formula veers this away from a treatise on ethics, though the subject is used to comic effect, as one man and his selfless robot find their feet in a mutually agreeable friendship. As Frank revives past loves, thievery and otherwise, the story develops into a heartfelt exploration of memory and time.

Lead actor Frank Langella has spoken about working with first-time directors, Robot & Frank being the latest of his six collaborations with new filmmakers in the past ten years. "There is something terrific when you get to be my age to be gained by thinking you don't know anything. I was once a 26 year-old actor… I like to give young people a piece of rope. If they hang themselves, they hang themselves. But none of them have."

In fact, Langella worked closely with the filmmakers on the script forRobot & Frank. "It was one of the most original scripts I've been offered, [but] it still needed to go somewhere and relate to a man of my age, so I sat down with the writer and the director and we talked about what a 70 year-old man is feeling – because they couldn't possibly know. They incorporated a lot of that into the movie."

"I thought the premise, the characters, and that sort of sad, sweet, funny goal of the picture was so original. They just don't come along that often."

Robot & Frank is released in UK cinemas 8th March 2013.

Glasgow Film Festival Review – IndieGame: The Movie

2013-02-14T10:00:00.000Z

IndieGame: The Movie – as the title suggests – an indie movie for indie video game addicts. While teams of hundreds toil away on big-name releases like Call of Duty and L.A. Noire, a team of two sacrificed their social lives to create Super Meat Boy. Meanwhile Phil Fish, creator of the much-anticipated video game Fez, spent 4 years designing, re-designing, and lawsuit-battling to retain creative control and a timely release of his personal indie playpen. Braid creator Jonathan Blow also chips in with tales of success and internet comment evisceration.

Made possible through crowd funding, the film, directed by Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky, is comprised of interviews interspersed with gameplay. Capitalising on simplicity, they capture the influences and passions of these sometimes life-long creators. Driven by the desire to make something deeply personal, the film aptly demonstrates just how much they are willing sacrifice to that end, bearing hardship and lives on pause to reach that goal of a completed game.

IndieGame: The Movie screens at Glasgow Film Festival on 19 and 22 February. Buy your tickets here.

Glasgow Film Festival Review – Margaret Tait, Film Poet

2013-02-12T10:00:00.000Z

Margaret Tait: Film Poet from Glasgow Women's Library on Vimeo.

This short film from Glasgow Women’s Library is a short and sweet introduction to Scottish filmmaker and poet Margaret Tait. After her death in 1999 at 80 years old, her name has become synonymous with experimental and innovative filmmaking.

Glasgow Film Festival-goers will be familiar with the name, if not her work, as she lends to an award that supports new filmmaking talent. The partnership between GFF, Creative Scotland and LUX is one way that the country supports and partners with new artistic talent, and this screening will open with Margaret Tait Residency Film by Sarah Forrest. Margaret Tait, Film Poet demonstrates that impact and reveals its roots.

Interviews with Tait’s family expose the passionate life of the enigmatic filmmaker and her methods. Stills from her films and shots of her homes in Edinburgh and Orkney evoke the sense of place that was so central to her work, making the seemingly obvious but important distinction between her “poems” (films) and her “poem poems”. In sum, a fantastic free, short documentary for fans and the unfamiliar alike.

Margaret Tait Residency Film and Margaret Tait, Film Poet will screen at a free, ticketed event at Glasgow Film Festival on Friday 15 February. More info here.

World Film Locations: Glasgow – Launch Details

2013-02-11T15:00:00.000Z

There will be two launch events taking place as part of Glasgow Film Festival...

1. On Saturday 23 February at 5pm, I'll be hosting an event GFF Festival Club at CCA:

Cinema City: Glasgow's Film Locations
Saturday 23 February (17.00), Free

Celebrate the launch of book World Film Locations: Glasgow with this discussion about our Cinema City. Join World Film Locations series editor Gabriel Solomons, Glasgow volume editor Nicola Balkind, and other contributors to find out how Glasgow became a Hollywood film location for the likes of Cloud Atlas and World War Z, and about the city's heritage as a filmmaking — and a filmgoers' — city.

2. On Sunday 24 February, Series Editor Gabriel Solomons and I will be introducing Living Apart Together in partnership with Park Circus Films:

Living Apart Together
Sunday 24 February, 13:15

The late Charlie Gormley was one of the adventurous spirits who helped put Scottish filmmaking on the map in the 1980s. Living Apart Together was his first feature as a director and has virtually disappeared from sight in recent years. Now it has been lovingly restored, and re-released, by Park Circus with support from Creative Scotland and Film4 and is back to reclaim its rightful position in our affections. BA Robertson is well cast as a singer/songwriter who returns to Glasgow for a friend’s funeral and struggles to make sense of a broken marriage and a life of regrets. A lovely sense of Glasgow, a fantastic soundtrack and a cast peppered with familiar faces from Jimmy Logan to a young Peter Capaldi.

The Living Apart Together film screening will coincide with the book launch for World Film Locations: Glasgow which explores Scotland’s biggest city and the many locations in which its films are viewed, set, and shot, taking in the important moments and movements in its rich cinematic history. Published by Intellect and edited by Nicola Balkind, the book is the latest addition to the World Film Locations series and will be introduced both by the book’s editor and by series editor Gabriel Solomons.

I'll be at both events to talk about the book and Glasgow on film in general – so please do come along and say hello! We'll also be selling copies of the book in person.

If you want to preorder your copy before 15 February, you can do so here.

Press queries? Please email me at nicola@unculturedcritic.com

Thank you for your support!

We Are Northern Lights

2013-02-11T08:00:00.000Z

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to an early screening of We Are Northern Lights – Scotland's first feature-length, mass-participation documentary film.

Much like Kevin MacDonald's Life in a Day and BBC's Britain in a Day, the production crew asked the public to take out their cameras and record personal videos about Scotland’s past, present and future. Unlike the aforementioned films, project submissions were open from 20 March to 21 June 2012 and was open for contributors to make as many video submissions as they liked.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was also lucky enough to work on this project last Spring, during the submissions period. I was involved with the initial stage, acting as Website Editor to write blog posts and newsletters, and to get people involved via social media. Workshops also took place across Scotland to facilitate discussion and actively allow the public to participate in the project.

The final result is a film that captures a vision of Scotland in 2012 from the border to the Isle of Eigg and everywhere in-between. 1500 respondents became 121 co-directors and the film is filled with gorgeous panoramic shots of Scotland's scenery and a handful of the interesting characters who dwell in and around it.

For Scots it's a journey around the homeland to places close to home and far afield. Although this lowlander has traveled very little, the striking green landscapes, blue seas, and biting wind felt intimately familiar. As, of course, did the midges – a plague upon many a co-director's filmmaking ventures to eventual comical effect.

Most fascinating to me were the returning characters who, for the most part, were not extraordinary people leading extraordinary lives, but the kinds of folk who I might say hello to on the street, or equally pass and never meet. Sometimes this could be for reasons of distance, like the friendly-sounding woman rediscovering a quiet life with the aid of a cochlear implant, or the farming family on Eigg who spoke of how difficult it is to make a stable living and how they bring big city culture to their wee isle. Or it could be for wildy different reasons, like the traditional older woman who spoke of the country's feudal history – or, at the other end, heroin users who happily rattle if the weans need shoes. Or, indeed, the man in the trailer who I felt spoke to me directly upon asking of I was "a Starbucks person". Guilty as charged.

Over 300 hours of footage is edited down to 90 minutes in this local epic; a tale that could not be told simply through the hours of YouTube video clips. It documents our landscape, portrays the Scottish people as we see ourselves, and how we'd like others to see us: unremarkable, friendly, as country ramblers and city dwellers with ties to the land.

It's a project that I'm proud to have been a part of, and which has created a remarkable vision of my beloved wee home country in the year 2012.

We Are Northern Lights premieres at Glasgow Film Festival this Saturday 16 February. Buy your tickets here!

For those elsewhere in Scotland, regional screenings will take place in March – details can be found here.

Follow We Are Northern Lights on Twitter (#wernlights) and Facebook.

52 Books: January Reads

2013-02-03T15:45:00.006Z

This year, as in previous years, I'll be aiming to read 52 books.

I've always updated the 52 Books page for this purpose – this year I'll be doing the same, as well as posting a monthly round-up blog.

Double On-Call and Other Stories by John Green
This ebook was released as a reward for donating to the Project For Awesome. I imagine John Green wouldn't be happy to see a rating applied to this book, especially since it's so unusual for an author to share early work, and work that is unfinished.

I liked the third story, The Sequel. The others were clearly flawed but fascinating to read, particularly with Green's analysis in the final section. Many authors aren't great at critiquing their own work (at least in terms of readers' vs author's opinion) but this was a great insight into his writing process and growth as an author.

Harry, a History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon by Melissa Anelli
I'm currently working on a volume which will be part of the Fan Phenomena series by Intellect Books. Anelli's book on the Harry Potter phenomenon is heralded by fans and seemed like the perfect place to begin my research. This is part journalism, part memoir, which suited my purposes but at times wandered into nostalgia and extraneous detail. That being said, it is a must for those fans of JK Rowling's series who want their story to be told.

The Panem Companion by V. Arrow
More research, and what luck! This is a goldmine of Hunger Games trivia, including fandom theory, story deconstruction, and lexicography. I imagine this one has a very specific audience, but V. Arrow has catered to it incredibly well.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Tumbling deeper into the rabbit hole of YA post-apocalyptic literature, I knew I'd be remiss if I passed this one over. Inasmuch as there can be a classic of the genre, this is one. Well liked as it is, I wasn't crazy about this one. It relies a little to heavily on ah-ha moments and convenient plot resolutions. Generally, though, it held my attention well enough and well-paced action sequences kept this one ticking over.

The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Sometimes a girl needs a little Steinbeck. You know how it is.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Middle-grade dystopia and, with its intended audience in mind, a good one at that. More of a slow and creepy pace, but still climaxes into something of a chase – which is becoming a personal bugbear with this genre. Gentle, clever, and not too demanding.

The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps by Michel Faber
This was a book club read. Despite being listed as 300 pages or so, it's a novella – and a quick one at that. Following an archaeologist at a small-town English dig, her inner torments, and a friendship with a recently bereaved Londoner and his dog, there isn't a whole lot to get into. I enjoyed the prose style but thought the more spiritual elements fell flat. Not something I'd have picked up myself, but a nice enough wee read.

In progress:
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Appropriate author name, don't you think?

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
I'll be reviewing this one in the coming week, so stay tuned for that.

If you want to keep up with what I'm reading you can visit my 52 Books page, or add me as a friend on Goodreads.

What are you reading?