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DVD Review: The Arbor

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Clio Barnard’s incredible documentary The Arbor explores the life and legacy of playwright Andrea Dunbar. Concentrating its gaze on the run down estate in Bradford where Dunbar lived, the film comes to focus on the tumultuous life of her daughter, Lorraine, who was left alone at the age of 10 when her mother died in 1990 (aged only 29). Barnard tells this tragic story through a unique and genre-defying reconstruction.

Taking audio interviews of members of the Dunbar family and their neighbours, the director has the actors lip-sync with the recordings to create this mind-bending film filled with discordant yet complementary images. Beautifully shot, The Arbor intercuts performances of Dunbar’s plays, archive footage, and re-enacted real life situations, to create a dynamic and powerful mix of measured takes and varied perspectives. An affecting yet slick rendition of history, its striking authenticity of voice makes this one of the most interesting releases of the year.

The Arbor is released on DVD in the UK on Monday, 14 March.

Review: Heartbeats (Glasgow Film Festival)

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21 year-old actor-director Xavier Dolan returns to the festival circuit this year with his second feature, Heartbeats (Les Amours Imaginaires). Set in Quebec, it follows the friendship of Marie and Francis and their infatuation with a mysterious newcomer, the cool and insouciantly handsome Nicholas. Opening with a recurring set of interviews with scorned young women, Heartbeats lays down a tone of 20-something sarcasm communicated through tongue-clicks, snide smirks and eye-rolls galore.

Bright young things jaded by love, Marie and Francis’ nervous, quick-fire word vomiting sessions are followed by artful moments of introspection. While their fluffed phone-calls and self-reproaches in mirrors are by no means original, the theatricality of their unlikely rivalry is refreshing. Making use of unusual angles and itchy-handed camerawork, Heartbeats overall aesthetic matches the tone of casual très cool. Beautifully shot with a striking yet limited palette, it hits all the notes of unrequited love to the tune of Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) and Bach’s Suite No 1 on cello.

World Book Night

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Yesterday was World Book Night, in which 1 million books were released to the UK public via thousands of book givers, all in the name of spreading the love of reading. I signed up to become a giver back in January, and thought I’d share my experience!

Although I wasn’t chosen during the first selection, the lovely folk at World Book Night kept my details on file and contacted me last month inviting me to join the reserve givers. Incidentally, the book that was delivered for me was Alan Bennett’s A Life Like Other People’s – my initial first choice. After setting some aside for my Mum’s book group, assorted friends, and a Quotables giveaway, I met up with my friend Holly, who was giving away Stuart: A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters, and we hit the streets of Glasgow to distribute our freebie goods to potential readers.

Readers are more difficult to spot on a Saturday afternoon than at any other time. Though I’m a fan of surreptitious peeks at fellow readers’ paperbacks on my daily commute, there are many, many fewer readers chilling in coffee shops – our first line of attack – at prime hours. However, our first stop was Costa at Buchanan Galleries, which was heaving but provided us with some receptive first book recipients. We quickly found our best customers were people between our age and mid-40s, along with a few blokes at the GFT already disguising their noses in a literary face sandwich. The GFT was probably our best crowd, with a few muscling in from nearby tables and requesting additional copies. “Gladly!” said we.

Although I’m not even quite done giving mine away, I handed out most of my 48 to some very pleased people, and as an avid reader it’s lovely to share a love of literature with strangers, even for the briefest of moments.

I hope you all had a lovely World Book Night, and if you were approached by any givers yourself I’d love to hear about it! If you’re in the UK and would like a copy of Allan Bennett’s book, leave me a comment!