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19 Shades of bland
If ‘‘more’’ is the name of the game for new film Fifty Shades Darker ,it shouldn’t have been the case for its music. At a staggering 19 overwrought songs, the soundtrack committed itself to death by numbers and homogeneity. Too many stars and not enough spark is the problem that plagues this purportedly sexy and romantic offering. Jewel of the crown, ZAYN & Taylor Swift’s I Don’t Wanna Live Forever ,is catchy enough in itself, but the anthemy chorus spoils the illusion of sexual tension and drama. The tracks, even when of dissimilar genres, are all glazed with the same brush dipped in a broth of conventional beats. – Cristina Jaleru, AP
Alexander the great
How do you explain a phenomenon like Joey Alexander, who at the tender age of 13 has just produced his second album, Countdown (★★★★) and to all intents and purposes, it is an absolute winner? Let’s take just one track, that of Thelonious Monk’s Criss Cross. Alexander plays it with true confidence, his age and smaller hands betray him slightly, yes, yet his belief and courage to play such a piece is to be praised rather than scorned. – Colin Morris
Drama’s new high-water mark
Filled with dramatic tension, complex characters, rich, memorable dialogue and uncomfortable reflections of the plight of many modern-day Americans, David Mackenzie’s contemporary western Hell or High Water (★★★★ compelling watch from go to whoa. Much of the credit must go to Taylor Sheridan’s script. Boasting terrific performances from Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges, this delivers a political message on institutionalised poverty with chutzpah, brio and humour as dry as a gulch.– James Croot
Kiwi-shot film a mixed bag
Looking windswept, interesting and sumptuous in equal measures, Coastal and Central Otago and Marlborough are a suitable evocative backdrop to the intimate epic of a melodrama that is The Light Between Oceans (M, Based on ML Steadman’s muchloved 2012 novel, director Derek Cianfrance brings the same level of emotional intensity and visual acuity that punctuated his critically-acclaimed 2010 film Blue Valentine. However, despite the undoubtedly heart-wrenching storyline, the presences of actors like Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz, and some surprising twists and turns, Oceans just seems to be missing something that prevents audiences from being swept away on a tide of emotion. – James Croot