Reviews

As one of the stronger pilots in a disappointing year, Flashforward has been critically lauded as the next big thing in the 2009-10 television line-up. We open with an image of a man, disorientated and injured, slowly realising the widespread chaos the surrounds him. A recognised leader in a mass of panic, we see him attempt to regain order while piecing together the events of a disaster, frantically dealing with massive destruction and screaming civilians from all angles. But hang on, haven't we seen this somewhere before? We even have the mysterious and inappropriate animal emerging before our male lead; not a polar bear, but a kangaroo.

Within ten minutes of viewing, all the comparisons between Flashforward and parent show Lost seem somewhat justified. Indeed, ABC have been open about their intent for Flashforward to replace the latter after its end date in 2010, a purpose they apparently thought would be best served by a show possessing the same level of intrigue, mystery and suspense. This is most obvious in the pilot episode with many elements directly mirroring those of Lost, including character archetypes, themes of redemption, a serialised narrative form and an ensemble cast.

The feeling you could take away is that this may be too soon. With Lost not yet meeting its conclusion, and audiences becoming more and more frustrated with the labyrinth of questions and mysteries it has posed, our patience may not be ready for more just yet, however well realised. The format demands a certain dedication from viewers, and this may have more readily given had the show been made sometime in the future. Lost achieved world-wide success because it was genre-breaking, something that can't exist in a TV schedule still in the wake of its inspiration and legacy.

But then again, this daring and ambition could and should be applauded. The show covers remarkable ground over its first few episodes, something that could be seen as an attempt to distance itself from the drawn-out tendency of Lost, while the finals moments of the pilot do make for captivating viewing. However, this attempt to detach itself from associations has also brought about a more dumbed-down unfolding of events – a kind of Lost-lite – and we are constantly bombarded with reused footage, repeated flashbacks and unnecessary exposition, presumably catering for the casual viewer so they aren't too confused.

And if we don't care about the characters, any plot becomes too detached and incoherent for an audience to follow. Many lack vital chemistry with each other, with some characters becoming less and less interesting or likable over time, their plights fading into the distance as the interweaving mythology threatens to take over. By the time we reach episode four, it all seems too much like a bad episode of Heroes, all meaningful looks but no substance. Although an established show with such a rabid fan-base may get away with this unscathed, it remains to be seen if a show in its freshman year can be so lucky.

You can be forgiven for thinking that Glee is simply another High School Musical knockoff designed for tweens and bored students to enjoy. What it is, however, is the single most strange, silly, heartfelt and addictive show to come out of America in a long time. From the creator of Nip/Tuck, Glee takes more from the comedy of Family Guy or Arrested Development than anything Disney could have dreamed of.

The show centres on Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), a bored Spanish teacher who tries to recapture his musical glory days by taking over the supervision of the school Glee Club, consisting of a bunch of misfits tortured by the schools jocks and cheerleaders. We have Rachel (Lea Michelle), the over-ambitious drama queen, Mercedes (Amber Riley), the equally talented diva of the group, Kurt (Chris Colfer), the effeminate male soprano, Artie (Kevin McHale), the wheelchair bound guitarist, and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), the shy goth girl. Soon dim-but-sweet jock Finn (Cory Monteith) is forced to join the team and along with him his cheerleader girlfriend, best friend and fellow football players are later introduced.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't for everyone. Television musicals have had a disastrous run in the past and the genre in general (especially when mixed with high school comedy) comes to people like a sledgehammer to the senses, a kind of media-marmite. Chances are, if you're not completely won over by episode three, or indeed by the closing montage of the pilot episode's 'Don't Stop Believeing' performance, you won't be returning to McKinley High in a hurry. The advice I will give anyone is to keep an open mind, after a shaky start following in the pilot's wake, it finally gathers some steam and emotional force in episode 4 'Preggers' and rarely lets you go from there. Among others, new and compelling details are added to the archetypal cheerleader and Goth characters, making the subsequent relationships seem more real as a result. Focusing on a group of outcasts is nothing new since the days of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but, with more media-conscious shows like Gossip Girl taking over the schedules of late, Glee is a refreshing journey back into this tradition. Although many are initially too broadly drawn to relate to in early episodes, soon enough each member is given a chance to shine and preconceptions must be discarded.

However, despite my infatuation, Glee is not perfect. It has been rightly suggested that without it's musical numbers and impressive production, it would simply be another mediocre high school show, dealing with the same issues we've seen time and time again, even in Ryan Murphy's own Popular. However, what this doesn't take into account are the many ways in which it takes stereotype and convention and turns it on its head, bringing what should have been a cliché ridden set-up firmly into the realm of contemporary teenage life. It seems to have enchanted the American audience with its charm and witty comedy but only time will tell if British audiences will welcome it as readily.

When even the studio doesn't know what to do with your movie, it may be a sign that you may have stumbled upon something truly unique. Although many doubters may contest this fact, this is exactly what Paranormal Activity is. Using the now familiar 'found footage' device seen so often in the horror genre since the seminal Blair Witch Project (Cloverfield, Rec), the film mines its conventions to their full effect, challenging and destabilising those age-old haunted house tropes along the way. What follows is a masterclass in subtlety and minimalism, accompanied by a brutally slow build up of tension that will satisfy even the most experienced horror fan.

Made over seven days on a budget of $11,000, the film tells the story of couple Katie and Micah's attempts to capture their suspected haunting on film, with an ever-escalating sum of spooky encounters putting pressure on their relationship and placing their lives in danger at the same time. Once they discover that the haunting is not a ghost after all, but a malevolent demon after our heroine, things start to get really hairy and the film barely lets up from here. And in fact, Paranormal Activity dispenses with any concept of complicated storyline or plot, simply using a repeated situation and a terrifyingly mundane static bedroom shot to exert a relentless psychological grip on the viewer that will never let go.

And it is in this particular shot that the bulk of the film's unquestionable powers lie. As well as serving to violate the formerly safe refuge of the bedroom, the unwavering focus on such a familiar space encourages us to inspect every shadow and crevice in such detail as to heighten the impact of the slightest noise or movement. On reflection, the minimal budget allows for our imaginations to run wild, making the film inhabit our own fears and nocturnal phobias, rather than having it spoon-fed like in so much modern Hollywood product.

The reason for the film's phenomenal impact on audiences (it made $9.1 million in its first week of release, despite only being released in fewer than 200 US cinemas) could well lie in our boredom of the overwhelming volume of 'torture-porn' movies we have been faced with lately, and the fact that it has out-grossed the recent Saw VI says a lot for its commitment to be different. However, even with its authentic edge, Paranormal Activity is still a horror movie, with much of the character development and slow-burning tension abandoned in favour of a spectacular conclusion. As a result, the film doesn't pack as much as punch as it deserves.

While no doubt an outstanding addition to the canon of noughties horror film, like so many other movies the colossal hype may hinder more than help. It definitely benefits from a theatre environment, where every chill is multiplied by the tense figures all around you, but it is this violation of the domestic space that is the real clout of the film, making a home-viewing interesting to imagine. Like Katie, we are torn between closing our eyes (or stopping the camera) and continuing to witness, and we pay a grave price.

In recent times, an original idea for a science-fiction movie is a rare thing. With little more than the endless rehashes of the classics and outrageous, over-elaborate nature-docs courtesy of M. Night Shyamalan to quieten our inner geek in 2008, it seemed the genre could be beginning to die out, leaving the comic-book hero sub-genre to hit its stride and take the helm for a while. However, with the throwback to classic sci-fi in the form of Moon, a brand new Star Trek movie, and the success of District 9 having since emerged, 2009 looks set to see an unprecedented resurgence in the genre.

In 1982, an alien spaceship arrived over Johannesberg, bringing one million alien lifeforms to earth with it. Leaderless and malnourished, the aliens were initially offered asylum, but were quickly overpowered and crowded into District 9, a segregated and highly-policed slum. After receiving public pressure, the Multi-National United Corporation are forced to relocate the aliens – dubbed 'prawns' due to their similar appearance – to a new camp further afield and we follow Wikus (Sharlto Copley) as he enters the town to hand out eviction notices. After encountering a mysterious black liquid in one of the shacks, he discovers his superiors' desire to examine him for use of alien technology and is forced to become a fugitive, befriending prawn Christopher Johnson along the way.

At first glance, District 9 is a straight-forward man on the run film, an updated version of North by Northwest or a hybrid form of Alien Nation/The Fly. On closer inspection however, it attempts to form an allegory for the events of 1970s Africa, combining the events of apartheid with an otherworldly spin for a modern western audience. When the visuals are good, they are outstanding. The state of the art special effects are simply beautiful, effortlessly merging the real with the unreal, and rooting the story within a world that will seem as real to a post-reality TV audience as anything you'll see in a documentary; posing the unsettling idea that this could all too likely happen. Its unique visual style is fast-paced and exciting, taking us along for the ride and delicately crafting every scene to enhance the story. Protagonist Wikus is a wonderful concoction of flawed personality and skewed moral judgement, with a driving force of panic and desperation still managing to capture the audience along with him.

While the film achieves in many areas, the first time director's success seems hit and miss at times. An engrossing documentary set-up introduces the film, only to be abandoned and picked up at various points, creating a jarring effect and hence losing a great sense of the realism it so painstakingly strives for. Thrilling, thought-provoking and oh so much fun, District 9 is nonetheless destined to become a sci-fi cult classic and, judging by Blomkamp's recent comments, a long and successful franchise. Although a flawed film in many ways, its sheer ambition cannot be faulted and the director seems to be one to watch in the future. The game has changed, playing with our expectations in an unwavering dedication to real world issues, and leaving us with the feeling that, in times of panic in the face of the unknown, we may just revert back to the mistakes of our past.