If Neil Armstrong was your childhood hero, then First Man is probably not the movie for you

movie review

First Man

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Jason Clarke, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Ciarán Hinds, and Christopher Abbott
Directed by: Damien Chazelle

Of the many, many elements that NASA needed to get right to ensure the success of Apollo 11, perhaps one of the most crucial was the selection of the mission’s crew, particularly its commander. As it turned out, the American space agency couldn’t have possibly made a better choice than Neil Armstrong.

Armstrong was a remarkable man, ideal for the space program in every aspect, from his qualifications and experience to his temperament. His courage and composure before and during the lunar landing as well as his modesty thereafter have made him one of the most enduring icons of all time and the subject of a number of documentaries that have chronicled his life and/or the Apollo flights. Now Hollywood has – rather unsurprisingly – turned a part of his story into a big screen drama.

Directed by Damien Chazelle, First Man is technically a very competently made movie. With its focus on the Space Race of the ‘60s, the film offers a window into the efforts that made Armstrong the first man to walk on the Moon in 1969. Visually, the film impresses from start to finish. From the remarkable opening sequence of Armstrong’s struggling X-15 test flight to the Eagle’s eventual landing on the Moon and everything in between, it’s all very well shot. You’re constantly reminded that this is clearly the work of a skilled filmmaker, which doesn’t come as a surprise, given how well-received Chazelle’s previous projects – Whiplash (2014) and La La Land (2016) – have been.

The film is also well cast. You’ve got Ryan Gosling playing the famous astronaut and Claire Foy playing his first wife Janet, the duo together portraying a couple who has to repeatedly deal with death, first losing their young daughter to brain tumour and then seeing their astronaut friends perish in training accidents. You’ve got some serious talent in the supporting roles as well. Corey Stoll, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Ciarán Hinds, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, and Lucas Haas are among the actors who portray Armstrong’s fellow astronauts and NASA cohorts; invariably all of them are well-suited for their parts.

A compelling real-life story, an acclaimed director, impressive visuals, a good cast … First Man has so much going for it, which does not explain why the film is so underwhelming. You have extremely well-shot sequences that are somehow strangely bereft of drama. The film desperately wants to be emotional and goes as far as distorting reality and making up scenes just to tug at your heartstrings but still ends up oddly cold.

It’s all meant to be touching and poetic, but instead it feels slow and overlong. (Its running time is nearly two and a half hours and it feels even longer.)

First Man’s treatment of its enigmatic protagonist is also peculiar. The impression you’re likely to get of Armstrong if you listen to/watch his interviews or old footage is that of a cool and calm man, whip-smart and quietly competent. Here, however, he seems borderline autistic. The movie doesn’t quite capture his charm.

Content wise, First Man doesn’t explore anything new or revelatory. The movie is based on James R. Hansen’s 2005 book First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, but it’s not an all-encompassing biopic; the focus is only on one decade. And space exploration buffs will tell you that there is no shortage of documentaries about Armstrong and Apollo that cover more ground and are far more engaging.

If you watch First Man for the dexterity with which the movie has been shot then you will certainly be impressed. Plus those who like unhurried character studies will enjoy the movie. (And Hollywood clearly loves biopics so it will be no shock if this film gets quite a few mentions this award season.) Perhaps the film is more compelling if you don’t know much about its subject and the Space Race. But those who grew up with Neil Armstrong as their childhood hero might not be as captivated by Chazelle’s telling of the lunar odyssey through the eyes of the first man on the moon.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blog - 24th October, 2018 *

A little bit of Reese, just not enough

book review

Book: Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love & Baking Biscuits

By: Reese Witherspoon

Actress Reese Witherspoon has always seemed proud of her Southern upbringing, having paid homage to her roots in some of her acting gigs (Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Walk the Line (2005)) as well as her South-inspired lifestyle brand Draper James.

She now celebrates her Southern heritage in Whiskey in a Teacup, her first book, in which she shares the customs, traditions, and cuisine of the region where she grew up.

The book serves as a memoir, a lifestyle guide, and a cookbook all in one, putting together recollections from Witherspoon’s life with beauty, style, and decoration tips as well as recipes from her family and friends.

The American performer recalls her idyllic childhood in Tennessee and what it taught her about family, hospitality, and togetherness. She talks about some of her favourite Southern traditions, ranging from “midnight barn parties to backyard bridal showers, from magical Christmas mornings to rollicking honky-tonks”. Her grandmother, Dorothea, is referenced throughout the book; she evidently helped shape Witherspoon’s personality and clearly meant a lot to her granddaughter.

The writer also details how she keeps her house and how she entertains, sharing some of her tips for everything from party planning and hosting a book club to her hot-roller technique and telephone etiquettes.

Accompanying all the childhood anecdotes and everyday guidelines are standard Southern recipes – many of them from Dorothea’s kitchen – for dishes like casseroles, pies, biscuits, cakes, teas, and salads.

Witherspoon’s sweetness shines as she lovingly pays tribute to her beginnings by taking a brief looks at the various facets of the South and how it influenced her life. But in trying to be so many things at once – a collection of personal reminiscences, a lifestyle manual, and a recipe compilation – Whiskey in a Teacup fails to do justice to any of these aspects.

Repeating well-known generalizations about the American South does not an interesting book make; you can probably learn more about the region by reading its Wikipedia page. Her lifestyle advice basically comes down to common sense. And if you want a Southern cookbook, you’d be better off getting a proper Southern cookbook.

Teacup doesn’t function as a comprehensive biography either. The anecdotes in the book are pleasant but mostly not very significant, and they don’t reveal much about Witherspoon. There are no real honest, frank discussions or confessions here. Her viewpoint comes from a position of privilege. The actress either doesn’t have an inspiring story to share or simply doesn’t want to share it. The career lulls and personal setbacks – like the end of her marriage to Ryan Phillippe and the infamous “Don’t you know who I am?” disorderly conduct arrest episode with her current husband Jim Toth – that she has been through don’t get a mention here. The book just focuses on maintaining the image that the actress has meticulously cultivated through her entire career. Even the catalogue-esque photos that accompany the text seem posed and staged instead of candid snaps; she has the same smile on her face in all of them.

If you want to read about Reese Witherspoon’s love for monograms, how she makes her casseroles, and why she feels pets are an important part of the household, then this is the book for you. The actress brings her Southern charm to the project but doesn’t bring any particularly original or creative content. The magazine-styled coffee table book reads like it was written by someone who didn’t want to have to write a whole book but wanted to publish one anyway. This quick read will entertain her fans but for the rest of us, there simply isn’t much depth here. A more detailed, nuanced look at the subject matter or a proper biography would have been a lot more interesting and rewarding.

- Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 21st October, 2018 *

My Teenage Years - Waleed Zaidi

interview: my teen years

Waleed A. Zaidi

Date of birth and star
31st July 1989; Leo.

The best thing about being a teenager was
Being the youngest sibling. Had its advantages in terms of extra love.

The worst thing about being a teenager was
 Being the youngest sibling. Had its disadvantages, being watched by multiple people apart from Abu.

I was always listening to
Pearl Jam.

I was glued to the T.V. for  
Full House as a kid in Jeddah. Anything entertaining after that. Even if it was Baywatch or Nanni Kaliyan.

My favourite movie was
The Godfather. I was an early bloomer because I had elder brothers.

My favourite actor was
Al Pacino.

My favourite book was 
The Big Friendly Giant by Roald Dahl.

My room was full of
It has always been empty like a hotel suite. I like the concept of living out of a suitcase.

My room walls carried the posters of
I had Kurt Cobain on at a time. I was a huge fan of punk rock growing up. Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etcetera.

My closet was full of
Clothes I never even tried on.

My friends were
Life. Still are. We're a group of 12 "kids" still as close as we were back in school.

My first crush/date was
I had a crush on this girl Christine in 1st grade. She had freckles. :)
My first date was probably when I was around 14 or 15. We went to Hot Spot. :)

What hurt me the most was
 It has to be some cricket match loss, since I'm a huge cricket fan.

My dream was to become 
Still trying to figure this one out.

I wish I had known then that
People will put their interests first, and rightly so (I guess).

Relations with siblings were
 Always great. I'm the youngest amongst us four brothers. Each has taught me a different aspect of life.

Relations with parents were
First class. Mom has always been extremely protective, and I think I get my sense of humour from my dad.

My school was
A lot of fun. Still miss it.

Ragging at college/university was
Not proud but I was a friendly bully, if that's even a term.

My favourite subject was
 History.

My least favourite subject was
Math.

I couldn’t stand
This math teacher who used to discuss his personal life and prejudices with us. If he reads this he will know it’s him.

My favourite hangout was
Malta. Lahoris know what that is.

My favourite food/dish was
Nihari. Still is.

My favourite superhero was 
 Batman. Always!

My favourite sport was
Cricket.
Used to play hockey in school. Got hit in the eye by another player. Could never play it again.

My favourite pastime was
Pranking people. Still is.

I learned that
[You should] get rid of biases. You'll be at peace.

- S.A.

Us Magazine, The News International - 19th October, 2018 *

New music: Good Cry, Nina Cried Power, and Binge reviewed

ep reviews

Artist: Noah Cyrus
EP: Good Cry

On her debut EP, Good Cry, Noah Cyrus struggles with the same problem that many young artists end up facing: the inability to distinguish themselves. The 18-year-old singer shares her heartbreak and sadness in these six songs, all co-written by the teenager herself. But while her work is emotional (you can hear her cry in the background of the set’s mellow opener ‘Where Have You Been’) and, at times, raw (the EP closes with the touching acoustic track ‘Topanga (voice memo)’), her sound isn’t particularly unique.

The songs, both vocally and sonically, feel too generic. Instead of standing out in the very busy pop music landscape, Cyrus instead blends in, mostly going for the standard, safe R&B-inspired style that is in vogue. You can put these songs on the album of pretty much any mainstream female popstar and they’d fit right in.

Also, there are instances where her style (which isn’t distinct enough to begin with) gets overshadowed when she is working with a collaborator, an issue most obvious on the EP’s highlight ‘Punches’, which is a collaboration with singer LP and basically just sounds like an LP song.

Good Cry doesn’t quite live up to the promise of Cyrus’s impressive debut single ‘Make Me (Cry)’ (which featured Labrinth). It’s a competently made, albeit unexceptional, set and while it does make it clear that the American singer has the ability to create emotional pop, it also shows that the youngest Cyrus sibling needs to work on her identity and vocals if she wants to be more memorable and join the ranks of pop’s most exciting newcomers.

Highlights: ‘Punches’
Rating: 3 out of 5

*****

Artist: Hozier
EP: Nina Cried Power

Four years after conquering the world of music with his monster hit ‘Take Me to Church’, Irish indie rocker Hozier returns with a four track EP that finds him picking up right where he left off.

The bluesy soulful set showcases his vocal range, varying from powerful in the socio-political protest anthem ‘Nina Cried Power’ (featuring the legendary Mavis Staples) to gentle in the moody, Yeats-referencing ‘NFWMB’. It’s to the singer’s credit that he shines in both instances, delivering a bombastic rocker in the former case and a standout enchanting ballad in the latter.

Musically, the singer doesn’t stray too far from the sound that earned him global fame but still offers considerable variety in this brief EP. A gospel choir joins him on the chorus of the aforementioned title track. Blues guitars adorn the upbeat ‘Moment’s Silence (Common Tongue)’. And the EP wraps up with the folksy ‘Shrike’.

Each song offers different textures and lets Hozier demonstrate different aspects of his talents as a singer, songwriter, and musician. And while it may be too short and it may not be particularly inventive, Nina Cried Power is still bound to impress fans and leave them wanting more.

Highlights: ‘NFWMB’
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

*****

Artist: Machine Gun Kelly
EP: Binge

In a transparent bid to capitalize on the attention he has received because of his ongoing (manufactured?) feud with Eminem, American rapper Machine Gun Kelly has hastily put together an EP, hoping to use the momentum he has gained to reach new listeners. But he won't be able to retain the newcomers with Binge, which fails to make the best use of the rappers skills.

Including his Eminem diss track ‘Rap Devil’, his recent claim to fame, on this EP has both its merits and its downsides. The song is perhaps the finest instance of MGK’s lyrical prowess and flow, but then again, it basically felt like a good effort till Em came back with ‘Killshot’ and proved yet again that it isn’t easy to beat the real Slim Shady at his own game.

Elsewhere, there is nothing particularly exciting about these tracks, most of which are quite short. The set comes off as a random hodgepodge of themes and ideas, offering clichéd bravado one minute and dissecting childhood traumas the next. His lyrical content is more interesting in the latter, more personal moments when he discusses his roots (‘Lately’) and addiction (‘LiveFastDieYoung’). But Binge mostly feels too rushed, unwilling to spend time taking a proper look at anything meaningful.

There isn’t much substance to most of these 9 tracks. And between the unexceptional beats and unnecessary autotune, Binge isn’t going to help him make the most of his moment in the spotlight.

Highlights: ‘Lately’
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 14th October, 2018 *

Vice - an unrecognizable Christian Bale leads a very talented cast

trailer review

You aren’t very likely to recognize Christian Bale in the trailer for Vice, the upcoming biographical comedy drama about U.S. vice president Dick Cheney. You’d even be forgiven for thinking that was Jeff Daniels or Chevy Chase in the titular role; it certainly looks more like either of them than Bale.

The chameleonic actor is simply unrecognizable here. His extreme makeover, the latest in a string of incredible physical transformations, sees him take on the role of the controversial politician who served as George W. Bush’s second-in-command for eight years.

The film charts Cheney’s political rise and invites us to “discover the untold true story that changed the course of history forever”.

In the trailer, a reluctant Cheney is being courted by Bush (portrayed by Sam Rockwell) to be his running mate, but the potential VP is shrewdly after more power. “The vice presidency is a mostly symbolic job,” he says. “However, if we came to a ... different understanding…”

That “understanding” helps him quietly became the most powerful American vice president in history with the influence to reshape his country and the globe.

Bale has teamed up once again with Adam McKay, having worked with the director previously on the critically acclaimed The Big Short (2015). And if that pair isn’t impressive enough, the supporting cast proves just how potentially award-worthy this project is. The brilliant Rockwell stands out in the trailer with his terrific, amusing Bush impression. Amy Adams plays the protagonist's wife Lynne Cheney, and Steve Carell portrays Donald Rumsfeld, and, given their resumes, does anyone have the slightest doubt they will both be amazing in the film? Whoever was in charge of casting deserves immense props!

The movie arrives at a time when America seems more divided than ever and it will be interesting to see how it is received by viewers on both ends of the political spectrum; its plot could even help us understand how the U.S. ended up with such strong political polarization. Positive critical reception, though, is almost a guarantee. With a capable director and a lot of very, very remarkable acting talent, this project could emerge as a potential contender this award season.

Vice arrives in cinemas on Christmas this year.

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blog - 11th October, 2018 *

A whole lot of covers

album reviews

Artist: Cher
Album: Dancing Queen

Have you ever wanted to hear Cher do ABBA karaoke? Then you’re in luck, because the singer has released not a single, not an EP, but an entire darn album of ABBA covers. Unimaginative, uninventive ABBA covers. Naturally her fans will love every minute of it.

Musical projects don’t get any lazier than Dancing Queen. The American singer has delivered faithful renditions of 10 of the Swedish group’s best-known songs without employing any imagination or creativity in the process. The arrangements remain more or less the same for much of the record. Just replace Agnetha and Frida’s sweet, sugary harmonies with Cher’s deep, gravelly voice and that’s about it.

Effort hasn’t even gone into the song selection. The singer didn’t dig into the ABBA vaults to rediscover some forgotten gems and then reinterpret them. No. These are the Scandinavian group’s biggest hits – ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’, ‘SOS’, ‘Waterloo’, ‘Mamma Mia’ – the ones you’ve heard countless times before and that have been resung by just about every other pop artist on the planet already. Heck, we just got a whole album worth of these covers mere months ago in the form of the (marginally more enjoyable) soundtrack to the film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Cher’s pointless appearance in which led to this pointless set).

Dancing Queen basically just leaves you wishing that Cher – who has an impressive back catalogue of original songs that are much better suited to her voice – had come up with her own music instead of revisiting these familiar, beloved classics. There are moments on this record where Cher’s vocals do work well with the tracks, particularly on the more poignant songs like ‘One of Us’ which she imbues with tender heartache. But the fact that her delivery simply doesn’t improve on the pop perfection that is the original material clearly doesn’t seem to matter to anyone involved with this project.

But this is Cher and she is an icon and she can do whatever she wants and her ardent admirers will still love it, no matter how uninspired it may be. So yes, they will love Dancing Queen too.

Recommended to fans of campy nostalgia, excessive use of vocoders, and utter pointlessness.

Highlights: ‘One of Us’
Rating: 2 out of 5

*****

Artist: Josh Groban
Album: Bridges

Speaking of unnecessary covers, there are three in Josh Groban’s new album Bridges. The operatic pop singer offers his take on Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’, Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’, and Celine Dion’s ‘S'il suffisait d'aimer’, but none surpass the original or add anything exciting to his record.

The rest of Bridges, more promisingly, gives us new material, co-written by Groban with the help of several songwriters, primarily Bernie Herms and Toby Gad. But while there are a few lovely melodies on the album (‘River’, ‘Won’t Look Back’), the ballads here are mostly very safe and unexceptional. This is a collection of well-made, pleasant tracks that are nonetheless quite bland. The only song that really stands out is ‘Musica del Corazon’ while owes much of its flavour to the brilliance of Spanish virtuoso guitarist Vicente Amigo, although it does feel a little out of place on this otherwise beige set.

Other guests on the record include Andrea Bocelli on the classical crossover ‘We Will Meet Once Again’, Jennifer Nettles who appears on the duet ‘99 Years’, and Sarah McLachlan who sings on the aforementioned Snow Patrol cover.

Groban’s powerful voice is still special and his ability to sing in various languages – English, French, Italian, Spanish – is endlessly impressive, but his work is too safe, and given how saturated the adult contemporary landscape has become, his style just isn’t that unique anymore. A singer with Groban’s vocal talents can create something much more impressive than Bridges if he’d just be willing to get out of his comfort zone and take a few risks.

Highlights: ‘River’, ‘Musica del Corazon’, ‘Won’t Look Back’
Rating: 3 out of 5

*****

Artist: Loretta Lynn
Album: Wouldn’t It Be Great

The Queen of Country Music has decided to revisit some of her own classics on her forty first (!) album Wouldn't It Be Great, a mixture of new songs as well as new versions of some of her old hits.

Postponed last year while the 86 year old recovered from health issues – a stroke, a fractured hip – the record finally hit the shelves last week and shows just why Lynn is one of the most successful country musicians of all time.

Backed by fiddles and guitars, Lynn sings about loneliness (‘I'm Dying for Someone to Live For’) and sorrow (‘These Ole Blues’), and offers some honky-tonk feistiness (‘Ruby’s Stool’) on the new tracks which showcase her songwriting prowess and her strength as a compelling storyteller. She also delivers updates on some of her older tunes, including the autobiographical ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’ and the cheeky ‘Don't Come Home a Drinkin’’; while some of the revivals feel a bit redundant, there are other – like the stellar title track – that benefit from the revisit.

Produced by her daughter Patsy Lynn Russell and Johnny Cash's son John Carter Cash, Wouldn’t It Be Great, may not be as exciting as the 2004 Jack White-produced masterpiece Van Lear Rose, but it proves yet again that the return of this country legend is always good for the genre that has been overshadowed by its tepid pop offshoot.

Highlights: ‘Wouldn't It Be Great?’, ‘I'm Dying for Someone to Live For’, ‘Another Bridge to Burn’
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 7th October, 2018 *

A Simple Favour - not the most riveting mystery but still captivating enough

movie review

A Simple Favor

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, and Andrew Rannells
Directed by: Paul Feig
Tagline: Can you keep a secret?

Ever since David Fincher’s Gone Girl captivated viewers with its dark and twisted web, a number of other, similar big and small screen projects have been trying to replicate its success but have invariably paled in comparison to the 2014 thriller. The latest in line is A Simple Favor, a new mystery thriller built around flawed, complicated women that will find it hard to avoid comparisons to its more impressive predecessor.

Based on Darcey Bell’s 2017 novel of the same name, the movie follows the story of a vlogger who tries to solve the disappearance of her mysterious new best friend.

Stephanie (portrayed by Anna Kendrick), a widowed single mother who runs a mom vlog, unexpectedly befriends fellow mother Emily (Blake Lively), a stylish PR director for a fashion company. The women get to know each other and share secrets. To Stephanie it feels like they have developed a bond; to onlookers, it seems like Stephanie is working as Emily’s unpaid nanny.

One day, after asking Stephanie to pick her son up from school citing a work crisis, Emily fails to show up to collect her child from her friend’s house. Concerned about Emily’s wellbeing, Stephanie contacts the missing woman’s husband, struggling writer Sean (Henry Golding), and they call the police.

As detectives try to unravel the mystery of Emily’s disappearance, Stephanie starts to do some digging on her own, and ends up uncovering shocking dark secrets.

The spectre of Gone Girl looms large as the movie swerves from one direction to the other. The twists and turns in the tale range from exciting to ludicrous. At times the developments are imaginative, at other times clichéd. It’s this unevenness that keeps A Simple Favor from truly gripping the viewer and creating a properly thrilling episode.

The inconsistent tone doesn’t help either. Director Paul Feig – who is best-known for helming comedy films like Bridesmaids (2011), The Heat (2013), Spy (2015), and Ghostbusters (2016) – keeps shifting the focus between the mystery, thriller, comedy, and drama elements, unable to do proper justice to any one of them. There are moments of intrigue that are suspenseful; there are bits of sarcastic or dark humour that work; and there are pieces of drama that occasionally connect. But overall A Simple Favor isn’t as suspenseful, funny, or affecting as it variously wants to be.

The reason that the movie stays fun and entertaining even when the script is flirting with unbelievability is the acting talent. Kendrick is quirky and charming while Lively is darkly amusing. The latter in particular is a revelation. After wowing in 2016’s The Shallows, Lively proves yet again that she isn’t just a pretty face and demonstrates her acting skills in a fascinating turn quite unlike anything she has done before, playing the sharp, chic, and deceptive Emily. Plus both the actresses are immaculately dressed, for which the stylists and costume designers deserve props. But while they both work very well together, their “best friends” status never rings true, partly because of the way the film handles its timeline and partly because of the way the characters are written.

With the focus firmly on its principal leading ladies, the supporting players don’t get enough screen time. Golding is the only secondary actor with a considerable presence, but he and Kendrick don’t have the kind of chemistry that would make their eventual relationship believable. The surprisingly amusing Rupert Friend is wasted in the brief part of Emily’s boss. The always terrific Andrew Rannells deserves so much more than his small role as a fellow parent, as do Linda Cardellini (who was the star of Feig’s Freaks and Geeks nearly two decades ago) and Jean Smart who portray people from Emily’s past.

A Simple Favor could have done so much more with its supporting cast, but focusing on the leads does give the women the opportunity to shine as they drive this vehicle and take us on an unpredictable journey. It may not be the best, most riveting mystery ever made, and it may repeatedly remind you of a certain Gillian Flynn novel and its cinematic adaptation, but A Simple Favor is still interesting enough to keep you invested in the drama for its nearly 2 hour running time.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blog - 3rd October, 2018 *