Frank Skinner: Man in a Suit - King George's Hall, Blackburn

After watching and enjoying the work of Frank Skinner for some time now (particularly appreciating his comedic legend status in the past year or so) I was indeed looking forward last night to watching him live at King George's Hall, Blackburn.

Initially however, I had slight cause for concern. A combination of factors including a venue only two thirds full, slightly off acoustics, and a lackluster support act (to which the crowd were little more than tolerant of) led me to grow nervous. I began to question slightly in the back of my mind whether this institution of stand up would be able to turn, and indeed wow the audience gathered.

I needn't have worried. At all. Straight from the word go, the relaxed, rapier-minded raconteur of comedy that is Frank Skinner fired out line after line in a laid-back, warm and approachable manner that had us in hysterics almost every step of the way.

What's more, his approach throughout was that of  a very likable, everyday guy who just happened to have the comedic magic touch. At no point did I feel he was trying to make anyone laugh. I suspect the combination of his reputation, his rosta of experience, his good spirit and his sheer talent was what made Frank Skinner look so effortless in delivering a bombardment of sheer comic genius.

OK occasionally a tangent, or a punchline did not go off quite as well as he hoped, and his flow was a tad marred by the interruption of a key group of hecklers (though at every turn he took them down swiftly, without mercy and in utterly hilarious style). Yet compare his act and reception to that of his support (or indeed that of many mainstream comedians) and you could quickly see that Frank Skinner is a stand up comedy god. What's more, he is a very lovable stand up comedy god. Happy to laugh at himself, inclusive and friendly with his audience, and able to twist and turn in a comedic dance with sheer awe-inspiring ease. 

I am truly thankful I was lucky enough to see this great master live. There is no doubt that he is a modern great. What's more in my opinion he will go on, if he hasn't already, to become known as one of the greatest stand ups of all time. Long may he reign!

Nino's 2.0 : Cliviger

Not too long ago I wrote a piece here about Nino's; the Italian restaurant that had provided myself and my family and friends with over a decade of great Italian food, welcome and atmospheric dining experience. I also ended that piece by saying that Nino's had done so well in recent years, they had opened a newly re-vamped second establishment, and that I was readily eager to give it a try. 

Well, tonight I visited Nino's of the Fighting Cocks Inn, Cliviger for the first time.

I don't really know what I was expecting, or if indeed I was specifically expecting anything. I just knew that with such positivity radiating from my time at the original Nino's, I had high hopes. Thankfully, the new version did not disappoint. 

Atmospherically, the place is a very pleasant constant stream of the traditional welcoming Nino's one knows and loves, plus a newly regenerated feel of the cozy, comfortable and relaxed. Yet it manages to do all this with a distinct air of elegance and refinement. Crisp, modern and tasteful decor combined with  a stunning outside setting and light, airy, well thought out spaces makes for a very nice place to be.

The flourishing standard and military precision of Nino's staff is still there, and what's more it has been kicked well and truly into overdrive. Highly attentive, highly dedicated staff came thick and fast all evening, in our case led by a very sweet, very accommodating and very charming waitress named Phillipa (who also certainly knew her way around a Kir Royal!). In terms of service - not much wrong at all.

Food-wise, again plenty of original Nino's favourites, techniques and styles, but also with a few new hits and hints to give it just enough of that originality. The presentation, taste and execution of what I experienced at least was all very agreeable and very welcome; an interesting Italian take on a fish chowder, a pork escallop pasta dish that was both very novel and delicious, and rounded off by a simply superb date sticky toffee pudding. 

It does seem that Nino's popularity is ever on the up, and now in stereo. Cliviger's Nino's was packed to the rafters, but with a great plethora of ages and different dining/non-dining groups. It even has an aspect, probably due to the pub aspect of its origin, whereby a number of people just come to drink socially. The result is hearty, modern , warming, and sublime, so much so that a great restaurant experience is almost always guaranteed whenever you go. At least that is the impression I was given.

I cannot really fault too much at all about this new Nino's, and I shall certainly welcome return visits. 

Grudge Match

Fundamentally, this film presented me with a riddle. Not a particularly elusive, technical quandary of a riddle but something quite puzzling nonetheless. On its own the premise and the film itself is quite simple - two aging boxers, who failed to outdo each other in their prime, come together for one final bout decades on. Fine. But...this film is billed and was advertised as a "sports comedy".

A.- I never even knew there was such a category as "sports comedy", and B. - ...comedy?

I know I may not be that receptive to American comedy films and American comedy in general, but I can normally tell when they are at least trying to be funny (whether it moves me to laugh or not). But with this film I found myself quite perplexed as at almost every point, Grudge Match was devoid of anything remotely resembling a comedic moment in my eyes. 

What's more, I am at a loss to explain why. As I say the plot was relatively simple, if quite predictable and a tad mundane. Nowhere could there be any room for hidden "subtleties" of comedy, nevermind out and proud comedic moments. We just don't get that, or rather I just didn't get any of that when watching it. At a push I could guess that the reason they dubbed this film a "sports comedy" from the outset is that they had an inkling people wouldn't really take the idea of Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro doing an actual boxing movie at their age seriously. This might seem a tad unfair, as they have enough pedigree between them thanks to the likes of Rocky and Raging Bull, and it has to be said - the condition they are in is remarkable for anyone, let alone men in their 60s and 70s. I think, if anything that is where the slight comedic hit comes from - the initial concept; for the way in which the film was actually executed left me feeling comedically cold.

So what can we actually say about Grudge Match then? Well, if you take into account the two stars, their past reputations, plus the aforementioned pedigree and background they have - you could say it was quite tragic and mediocre at best (as many critics did and more at the time of the film's release). Supposedly humerous or not, in the end there is nothing special or different about this one; no surprises, no twists and nothing that moving. 

Stallone predictably was still fine with the boxing element, but in terms of acting ability had just enough to add the slightest tinge of depth to his character, but when he attempted to add anything more (which he often did) the results were just confusingly cringe-worthy.

Robert De Niro on the other hand, whom we know as an actor can be capable of legendary greatness, was also surprisingly suited to the role of an aging boxer, did his best to play light-hearted, but where you would expect him to be the one actor in this film to add that much needed quality; most of the time he sadly fell short. The two combined were believable enough, but only just. At times they did seem as strained and tired as the dialogue and the plot.

Other faces you might recognize? Well comedian Kevin Hart was raucous, loud and just plain annoying in my eyes, whilst iconic Kim Basinger mostly appeared tired and distinctly lacking in any serious acting ability for most of her time on screen. Relative newcomer Jon Bernthal was actually a welcome source of grounded edge, and sufficient counter-measure to Robert De Niro whilst convincingly playing his son. Another long-time legend Alan Arkin was again a welcome face and his character was solid enough (even though the cynic in me would say he broadly played a very similar character to that of which he has for the past few years now in each film he has done).

What I would say in summary, is that if all you want is a just good-enough boxing movie, with just enough tongue-in-cheek moments, and enough recognizable faces then go ahead and watch Grudge Match. It is not woeful by any means, but it isn't too far off if you're looking for anything more.

Doctor Who - Series 8

Well there you have it Whovians! By now you should have fully absorbed and hopefully enjoyed series 8 of the Time Lord's adventures, which culminated in a fantastic finale on Saturday. So, now that we have all had a few days to reflect, I thought I would offer my own take on the whole series; offering a few lines on each episode of Peter Capaldi's great debut as The Doctor (Yeah...for the non-Whovian faint of heart amongst you, I won't be too offended if you want to skip this one!).

(WARNING - POTENTIAL SPOILERS)

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DEEP BREATH

(For a more detailed review of this opener - see my BLOG ARCHIVE)

Ah yes, the big entrance, the show starter, the precedent that will set up for all that is to come. In short- Capaldi's Doctor made an extremely solid, quite ridiculous, and intrinsically wonderful debut.

New Doctor, new villains, old faces and an utterly bonkers story that nevertheless made for a fantastic series opener. One belter of an opening episode wasn't enough to render the series a full-gone conclusion, but Deep Breath certainly made for an impressive start.

INTO THE DALEK

In only his second episode proper, Peter Capaldi's Doctor came face to face with Doctor Who's most dangerous and most iconic villain. Yet this was not just a case of the new Doctor vs. a Dalek. Instead we were treated to a great sci-fi romp, a tinge of the human element, and new insight into the Doctor/Dalek mythology and relationship.

It might have been easy for the team to briefly rest on their laurels after such a strong start, but Into The Dalek once again fired off a powerhouse Doctor Who episode.

ROBOT OF SHERWOOD

If anything the respite, or at least the change of direction, came with episode three. The new Doctor was still something of an unknown element, but Robot Of Sherwood saw him start to settle into the TARDIS a bit, with a cheeky, swarthy and slightly stunted historical/legendary spoof.

There were elements to this episode I thought pushed things a bit, but overall it was still a worthy Doctor Who adventure that provided plenty of action, humour and excitement (quite a solid episode three repertoire really).

LISTEN

This was the first time that I was truly dissapointed with this series of Who. Again I think this is a sad case of Steven Moffat overreaching himself in trying to outdo himself. This episode had the distinctive feel of Blink (an iconic episode of David Tennant's era, penned by Moffat, and an episode that introduced the now terrifyingly classic Weeping Angels). I just feel that the overriding idea was to present a similarly classic and chilling villain/episode for Capaldi's Doctor, but sadly it was a concept that (sufficiently chilling though it may have been) eventually fell flat and was not crisply and clearly explained and fleshed out enough.

That being said, some of the sequences in this episode were superb, the acting was excellent, and the ending (whilst not really giving us a new Weeping Angel) did add a new and wonderfully nuanced string to the history and mythology of the Doctor which I loved.

TIME HEIST

Doctor Who's take on a bank robbery thriller. Odd but not totally without merit. This episode had a lot of style and an element of the "bank job", quite a unique monster and a delicious guest appearance from Keeley Hawes.

However in terms of its execution, I feel this episode slightly missed the mark. Again a Moffat trait, it threw everything it had into the opening ten minutes then failed to resolve things properly. Also I feel the idea of a Doctor Who episode focused around a bank job, whilst good in theory, was not put together with nearly enough flare and panache that it needed, and the Whovian elements of the episode were added rather limply which did seem to me to be a shame.

THE CARETAKER

To me this episode was all about the human elements of Doctor Who. The Doctor goes back to school, reclaiming the John Smith alias, and gets all up in Clara Oswald's business. The Caretaker was jam-packed full of wonderfully funny, very cheeky, and incredibly human moments. The Doctor-Clara relationship sizzled here, with great performances from Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman respectively. The emergence of Danny Pink and the monster of the piece (the quite ridiculously named Skovox Blitzer) were quite second string and second rate here, but it just didn't matter as the fact that the Doctor had a blistering adventure with real humanity in a very human setting made for a great episode to behold.

KILL THE MOON

This episode was a bit of a miss-match in terms of theme, concept, and what we eventually got out of it. The concept was quite superb, if a little silly, the theme was sort of that of a sci-fi horror, and the overriding factor that we ended on was a big leap in the new Doctor's development, but more importantly a big shift in his relationship with Clara.

Again great performances from Time Lord and companion, that of the companion possibly shining the brightest this time, as Jenna Coleman not only shone in this individual episode, but also effortlessly demonstrated how far she and Clara had come, and how far they had to go.

In the end I think Kill The Moon gave us quite a pivotal, if slightly misdirected middle episode. Strong enough to both celebrate and draw a partial line under what had gone before, and intruiging enough to tantalizingly hint at what was to come.

MUMMY ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

The major dissapointment of this episode for me happened within the first few minutes: after the shocking final scenes of the previous episode; Clara still remained with the Doctor on the TARDIS (thus starting a rather stunted recurring theme that would continue onto the final episode). I feel they missed a trick here (the cynic in me says its Mr. Moffat again attempting to be too clever by half) but apart from that I did enjoy this one. 

Another sensationally silly concept (actually this time bordering more towards the silly) of an Egyptian mummified monster roaming a space-version of the Orient Express. We actually got just enough suspense and action to save the plot, not to mention a fantastic appearance from die-hard Whovian Frank Skinner; whose character Perkins was actually rather brilliant. 

FLATLINE

This episode was meant to be Clara-centric from the off, and whilst Jenna Coleman's performance was again excellent, the episode itself left me feeling rather cold.

The Doctor surely wasn't absent, but for most of the show he was in the background, which led to some unique humour and tongue-in-cheek moments, but the home-grown nature of this one (as opposed to The Caretaker for example) did not work as well. Some of the CGI sequences looked rather brilliant, but in terms of content, positive plot and character, Flatline did fall slightly and sadly flat for me. 

IN THE FOREST OF THE NIGHT

Quite a revolutionary concept opened up this one; namely the trees had taken back planet Earth. Stonking concept, and in the middle of it all the Doctor, Clara, Danny Pink and a load of unruly school kids - what could go wrong?

Well what went right was Peter Capaldi as, after a few episodes where Jenna Coleman shone, this was definitely his episode; all the right amounts of cheekiness, dour dry humour, and powerful drama exuded from his Doctor.

Also a few little nuances were added to the Doctor/Clara relationship at this point (a relationship that had sort of reached an impasse after the aforementioned lack of direction in previous episodes).

Yet again the Danny Pink elements, the plot points that relied on child-acting and again the round-up of the initially promising concept itself did fall flat towards the end.

Happily however, the over-riding feel of this episode was to me a case of Peter Capaldi's magnificent Doctor leading us through a classic adventure, and this alone managed to salvage this episode and indeed went on to give the right result.

DARK WATER

The penultimate episode of series 8 was, in my opinion, by a slim margin the best. Yes there were a few little niggles; such as the culmination in the Clara/Danny relationship (one that had failed to move me all series) which though vital to the plot, did not really add to the overall raw power of this episode. Yet again it was the relationship of the Doctor and Clara that really came to a twisted, unexpected and spectacular head. Heartfelt, heart-wrenching and truly shocking in places, this pair's chemistry is turned on its head in the first ten minutes, before being thrown right into a fantastically dark and superbly executed adventure.

Note-worthy too is the wonderfully chilling underlying concept of this episode; looking at what happens when we die. Throw into that the Doctor and things rapidly run rampant! We get all the fantastic elements of the new Doctor that we have come to know and love, a newly fleshed out Clara Oswald, the return of the Cybermen, plus a fantastically envisioned regeneration of another old adversary, and a wonderfully subtle and sublime cliff-hanger into the season finale.

DEATH IN HEAVEN

After a fantastic setup in Dark Water, this series finale gives us a no holds-barred fan-fare that broadly speaking does not disappoint. 

Sadly, even turning Danny Pink into a Cyberman did not fill me with that much excitement about the final acts of his and Clara's relationship. Throughout the series I have just found the character of Danny Pink, and to an extent the actor Samuel Anderson, just painfully one-dimensional and predictable; rendering his eventual "heroic sacrifice" a bit of something and nothing for me. So too was my opinion of the "problem of lying" arc that came attached to the Clara/Doctor/Danny story. This I feel had potential, but was not carried through enough and did fall flat in the end.

However all of this could not detract from what was a very pleasing finale. Missy/the Master (played by the masterfully evil Michelle Gomez) was a treat to watch in every scene, and the chemistry with Capaldi's Doctor was wonderfully palpable; I really hope that is not the last we have seen of her. The Cybermen were given a new chilling element (though yet another reference to the Brigadier did seem to be pushing it, even if it was a tad touching all the same). Action a-plenty, substance abound, plus we really and truly got to face Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, as he came to a realization of himself in spectacularly raw and joyous style. 

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So, in my view a very promising and very fulfilling first series for the new Doctor, and plenty more besides. Yes there were a few blips but that can be said of any past Who series, and don't forget this is down to a  certain extent to personal taste.

In the end though I, along with many other Whovians I'm sure, am brimming with confidence regarding Peter Capaldi. To me he is already a great Doctor, and long may his time on the TARDIS continue!

RIP Warren Clarke

1947-2014

The Internship

I would like to make it completely plain that I normally do not like this type of American comedy film. I often find (sadly in the case of most American comedies) that whilst they might be "watchable" the attempted humour is just too brash, too abrasive and completely without subtlety, which often just doesn't sit well with me.

Yet after quite a drawn out, perforated period of exposure, I finally watched The Internship from start to finish. I'm not quite sure what, but there is something about it that sets it slightly apart from the pack for me. Maybe it's the unusual setting/premise (the film focusing on two middle-aged washed out salesmen who become interns at Google - Google being used as a lot of the backdrop and setting here) or maybe there was just enough of a fresh tinge to make it interesting.

The Google thing is interesting. How much is based on fact is uncertain, but Google clearly have given enough licence and guidance for the filmmakers to play, and what they have done is done with enough quality, respect and also light-hearted crispness. So much so that the whole "Google feel" of the film, which is certainly a presiding factor, may well be in underlying-theme terms, its actual saving grace.

For in performance terms, the two Interns in question do not always sit well with me either, and so to in this film. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are quite chalk and cheese-esque for me, and not in a positive opposites-attract fashion. To my mind, Vaughn is clearly the poorer actor by far. Every other performance I've seen from him over the years has either rendered me rigid with boredom or made me want to slap him. His really does seem to me to be a case of an actor who only knows how to play one part, and he plays it very loudly, very brashly and very unabashedly. Though clearly I am in a minority, as I cannot deny the massive success he has had, but to my mind it is something of a mystery as to how he has achieved such longevity. 

I will concede that there are times that Vaughn drops the apish buffoonery, and tries for a smidge of emotion. This helps, but not nearly enough to excuse Vaughn's overbearing, presumptuous, and sadly clownish presence in this film.

Owen Wilson I can and historically have appreciated more. Yes there have been films of his I have cringed at (You Me and Dupree springs to mind) but there are films he has featured in that I am quite a staunch fan of, such as the Night at the Museum series or Shanghai Noon/Knights.

In The Internship, he to me is easily the better of the star pair. Comedically he is a lot more measured, he is much more focused on his character, and he is much more capable of attempting to convey ranging emotions. Yes, a few times things fall flat and for the first time, certainly in my experience watching Wilson's films, there were a couple of moments (e.g. when watching Wilson's romantic role in this film) where I found myself thinking - "is he getting a bit past this?" Please don't get me wrong- there are times, within the Internship and otherwise, I think Owen Wilson to be great, but I just got a hint of the beginning of age catching up with him and what he is normally used to delivering.

There is no doubt that the Vaughn/Wilson partnership is meant to override any others in The Internship, but the whole idea of them being two in a sea of Google interns/staff does lead to the potential of a supporting ensemble at the very least, and I found theirs to be a very varied set of performances. 

I'm afraid again the negatives outweighed the positives. The presence of Hollywood icons John Goodman and Will Ferrell (however brief) were a complete and utter flop, just solely done for the sake of it. Young actor appearences fell short for me too, such as that of Tobit Raphael who in trying to capture a nervous Asian neurotic over-achiever just bombarded us with woefully executed clichéd and tortured lines and expressions every second he was on screen. Fellow youngster and intern Dylan O'Brien's character was at least intended to be a wayward, apathetic upstart, but he actually seemed to show as little interest in his character as his character did in the plot. Some might say this is great, but I say there is a subtle difference between an actor who tries the utmost and succeeds in appearing not to care, and an actor who just doesn't care. Then there was the "villain" of the piece - Brit Max Minghella who again presented such a lack of conviction it was quite disconcerting, and Rose Byrne who I have enjoyed greatly in other films, but here gave of a horribly exasperating and distinctly over-exaggerated character who verged into the realm of panto in almost every scene she was in.

There were happily however a few choice positives in the cast rosta as well. Stand out intern apart from Wilson for me was Tiya Sircar who was just the right blend of humble, sexy and sassy as Neha Patel. Aasif Mandvi gave a welcome air of quality, and Josh Gad was a surprisingly welcome addition as he was perfectly timed and well executed within the plot.

As I say, if your taste is anything like mine, and if you actually take the time to look at all the different aspects of The Internship then there is a lot to dislike. However as I also say, the general overriding feel of the plot, one that I think is comprised of an unlikely team bonding story, bromance and "Googleiness" does shine through most of the time. I would not blame you if you either disregarded this one as a bad job or stuck with it and declared your allegiance. It is a tough one but I think on balance, I would have to say that I would just about reccomend this film more than I would be inclined to denounce it.

Again another look back at a good 'un - Alice in Wonderland

Admittedly 2010 is not looking back that far, but Tim Burton's dazzling interpretation of this truly classic tale is surely well worth looking at again.

Beautiful, beguiling, bamboozling; this really is one of my most favourite films of recent times, and one that I and many others will surely hold dear for years to come. I am sure that, in the canon of Alice in Wonderland films or otherwise, this is already a surefire classic.

Sheer and joyous visual, auditory, digital and cinematic majesty aside, this wonderful version of Alice in Wonderland is above all else in my view, a corking ensemble piece. Almost every talented actor or actress giving full-on, full-bodied, unique powerhouse performances and interpretations of these characters we know so well, to terrific effect.

So let's get to it, and predictably, but no less importantly, we start with Alice herself - played by Mia Wasikowska. Straight away we see the welcome impenetrable mark of stark and powerful individualism, as this Alice immediately comes off as strong, independent and likable. A bit of an unlikely heroine in my view, Wasikowska's approach however still  results in an Alice that is quietly dependable and subtly lovable; the process is slow, but by film's end we can relate and warm to this Alice. Occasionally we get the odd shallow moment and/or cliché, but overall the integral part of Alice is encapsulated well in the form of Mia Wasikowska.

On the opposite end of the scale, the villainess of the piece comes in the form of none other than the delicious Helena Bonham Carter as the force of nature that is The Red Queen. Tyrannical, toddler-esque and terrifyingly fantastic in every second on screen; this is certainly a case of a role an actress was born to play. Incredibly fun and funny one minute, then chillingly insane the next - this for me is verging on the perfect film antagonist, played by a virtually perfect talent.

On the other end of the scale character-wise, we have Anne Hathaway who plays the serene White Queen, sister to Bonham Carter's Red. Serene she certainly is, but beneath that she is also a mish-mash of darkly unhinged, tantrum-prone too (just more used to getting her way) and occasionally manipulative. Sounds like an odd mix but Hathaway delivers to great effect, resulting in a character we can get behind. Unfortunately for me the near-perfect character slips a tad here and there as some of the White Queen's moments appear incredibly shallow and expected. But again massively individual and greatly appreciated.

One performance and character that did fall sadly flat for me was Crispin Glover as Stayne the Red Knave. Not bad by any means, and just good enough to fit into the narrative, but a lot of the time it seemed very forced, and oddly camp; bordering on Alice in Wonderland evil panto.

We are also treated to some very unique and welcome voice roles too; ones where the actors in question almost always fit effortlessly into their iconic characters. For me personally there were again a few so-so flops such as Barbara Windsor as Mallymkun the Dormouse (again OK but nothing to write home about). But broadly we are treated to a smorgasbord of vocal treats. We have the great Michael Sheen as the White Rabbit, the hilarious Paul Whitehouse as the equally hilarious March Hare, very welcome roles for the supreme Timothy Spall as Bayard the Bloodhound, Alan Rickman as Absolem the Caterpillar, the legendary Sir Christopher Lee as the monstrous Jabberwocky and the superb Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat.

As I say, this Alice and Wonderland truly is a superb ensemble film. However if I had to pick out a star performance (and it is a big if) it would have to be the incomparable Johnny Depp and his truly stunning, layered, intrinsically magnificent Mad Hatter. 

At its core, in all the iterations of this tale, the character of the Mad Hatter is simply and one-dimensionally mad. Depp cracks this instantly and easily, and then some. In terms of sheer lunacy - this Mad Hatter trumps all others hands down. But there is so much more to this Hatter than that. Again with apparently little effort, Johnny Depp uproots and displays with minimal fuss such a truly wonderful character to us. A damaged character, a flawed character, a dangerously schizophrenic character one may say, but ultimately one that is totally and utterly lovable. In terms of look, accent, and mannerism, Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter is truly a marvel to behold. Hilarious, witty, charming, eerie, formidable and powerful. Everything and anything you could ever want in a Mad Hatter (and a lot more besides) Johnny Depp delivers in spades.

So yes, this youngest version of Alice in Wonderland is surely my favourite. Yes it tails off in places and loses occasional grip of a couple of characters, but all this is dwarfed by the masterful way in which this stunning tale is regenerated and served up to us. As I say, a complete future classic, if not a modern classic already in my view.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Another Sky Movies showing here. This time it is The Wolf of Wall Street - the film based on the true story of Wall Street player Jordan Belfort, and his highly excessive, highly lucrative and highly illegal lifestyle. 

Another collaboration between Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese. Both legendary names, both legendary talents - and in reputation this film already had quite the impact from the off so I was looking forward.

I think a major theme and issue with The Wolf of Wall Street from start to finish, is that it was always designed and thus delivered as being incredibly raw. In bombarding the audience with these insanely flawed and insanely indulgent characters within their insanely insane world, at no point did I feel that any subtlety was considered. Or at least if it was considered, it was quickly disregarded 99% of the time. Even when attempts are made to deliver moments of intrinsic, and powerful emotion (of which there are a few) it is always done in a very forceful, whirlwind of a sequence. Don't get me wrong, as this often fits in very well with the whole feel of the film - often heightening the satire and the lunacy. I just feel that with such a powerhouse wrecking ball of a film, there is very little opportunity for The Wolf of Wall Street to showcase any measured and crafted elements. Oddly the only way you can appreciate the craft and talent here is when you admire the crafted talent of the film's gratuitous assault on the audience's senses. Whether or not in this case that is a positive or a negative thing, I feel the jury may still be out.

Performance-wise this is reflected too. No doubt about it - DiCaprio has clearly worked incredibly hard to encapsulate Jordan Belfort, but as an actor I cannot really praise him much more than that. The main character reflects the film itself - you can appreciate what is going on, but after 180 minutes it does become a little jarring.

Likewise relative newcomer Margot Robbie does indeed smolder and sizzle fantastically as Naomi Lapaglia (and the chemistry between her and DiCaprio is palpable) but the appeal is quickly lost, or rather is not retained as it should be. In Robbie's case the problem is there to a slightly lesser extent admittedly, but I cannot decide whether that is due to her slightly one-dimensional quality as an actress, or the fact that her character isn't as heavily featured throughout the film.

Jonah Hill is a bit of a dissapointment for me. Again the hard work to become Donnie Azoff is there, but beneath that I didn't get the sense of much at all. Every moment, movement or mannerism Hill presents always comes across as very flippant or so heavily embellished that it's bordering on panto. 

It may be that I am just being harsh here, or maybe I just don't get what these performances are trying to achieve. I know that these very loud, less-than-subtle performances were deliberate and that they were done in an attempt to tune in with the overall film, but I also know that there is a way to deliver loud and direct characters and sustain them and their appeal throughout a film, and for me most of the time The Wolf of Wall Street just did not deliver.

It seems to me that most of the best character moments came in the form of those who weren't on screen for that long - such as Matthew McConaughey as the very eccentric Mark Hanna. 

There is no denying that there is creative skill and talent to be found within The Wolf of Wall Street. I just think that it is delivered in a very ham-fisted, half-baked way, and that so much more could have been made of the potential that is abundantly present. In a way I feel cheated as I believe this film could have been better, but I also can see the point of view of those who are very happy with the actual end result.