14 metrolife Friday, January 15, 2010 D About Town THE HOTTEST TICKETS IN TOWN We have three pairs of tickets to see MAEVE HIGGINSS BLABBING AWAY Jan 29 at Axis Ballymun, 8.30pm For a chance to win, e-mail your answer to the question below to life@metroireland.ie by noon today with Hot Tickets in the subject line. With your answer, please include your name, address and a number where you can be contacted between 1pm and 3pm. Strictly one entry per person; entrants must be age 18+. Q. Higgins has a regular spot on Today FM with which DJ? A Ray Foley B Ray DArcy The winners of yesterdays tickets to the 6th Veronica Dunne International Singing Finals are: Davin Larkin & Jane Kelly Pendulum New York based quartet led by Norwegian guitarist and Thelonious Monk Prize winner Lage Lund (pictured), and alto sax player and Mingus Big Band regular, Londons Will Vinson perform at this weekly jazz session Sun, JJ Smyths, 12 Aungier Street D2, 8pm, 12. Tel: (01) 475 2565. www.myspace.com/markmcknightjazzmusic Downhill Theyve grafted at venues such as TriPod and The Village, and supported the likes of Wonder Years (US) and The Story So Far (UK). Tomorrow, this Dublin pop- punk five-piece play their first ever headline gig Tomorrow, The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street D1, 2pm, 11.60. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.myspace.com/downhillirish Its back to the day job for stand-up stalwart Maeve Higgins, seen recently with her sister on RTs Fancy Vittles mixing up cocktails of food and funnies. Blabbing Away is her new live show which guarantees her trademark observational wit that is often subversive yet always sincere. Ms Higgins has been around the comedy block of course, having appeared a multitude of times at the Kilkenny Cat Laughs, Edinburgh Fringe and Melbourne International Festival Jan 29, Axis, Main Street, Ballymun D9, 8.30pm, 15. Tel: (01) 883 2100. www.maevehiggins.com First Fortnight Charity fundraiser gig presenting Citizen (pictured), Hitman Lord, Pearse McGloughlin, Martin Staunton, Lost Parade and visuals by artist Neal Burns, with all proceeds going towards Mental Health Ireland Tonight, Andrews Lane Theatre, 9-17 Andrews Lane D2, 9pm, 10. Tel: (01) 478 0766. www.andrewslanetheatre.ie Book Now Maeve Higgins metrometro lifeStaying In & Going Out PLANET CELEB Welcome To The World Of Myleene Klass Going out Films Snore, I thought, not another intimate, art house family reunion drama. Well, shame on me. Because this masterfully- told study in understatement is a real grower. Three generations of a Japanese family dutifully reunite at the ageing grandparents house for the annual remembrance of their youngest son, Junpei the family golden boy who died 15 years ago while saving a boy from drowning. The oldest son, whos already disappointed his stern father by not becoming a doctor, has now disappointed his doting mother, by remarrying a widowed single mum and showing no inclination to produce his own sprogs. Meanwhile his sister is desperate to move her family in, while grannys less than enthusiastic. Slotting into their well-worn roles, everyones tensely polite, while clearly not wanting to be there. Sound familiar? Yet director/writer Hirokazu Kore-eda (After Life) draws a beautiful, complex resonance from whats an utterly ordinary slice of family life. A semi- autobiographical piece, it was inspired by Hirokazus own regret, upon his parents death, of being a neglectful son. Yet its by no means mournful; rather sunny, exquisitely attuned, and profoundly humane. An arthouse gem well worth hunting out. LI-Z Still Walking (no cert) Running time: 114min The Book Of Eli (15A) Running time: 118min All About Steve (12A) Running time: 99min A post-apocalyptic actioner for those who think The Road looks like too much hard work. Denzel Washington (pictured below) is Eli, a lone traveller trudging the barren land 30 years after a war has ripped a hole in the sky, blinding and burning a broken population. Because Eli has a superhero- like ability with martial arts, this veers between bleak survival drama and cartoon action, until Eli hits a Western- style town run by Carnegie (Gary Oldman). The face-offs between these two are enjoyable and numerous, especially after Carnegie discovers Eli is in possession of the one thing he most wants: a Bible. At this point, the films religious message becomes very clear. Eli is a Christ-like figure who has the last-ever copy of the good book (all the rest have been burned). Its a conventional, Bible- bashing approach to religion and spirituality, with dialogue that feels simplistic and preachy. It does have a heart, though, in part thanks to Washingtons sympathetic performance. Theres also a diverting turn from Mila Kunis as a kind of tooled-up Mary Magdalene. Think The Da Vinci Code meets Mad Max with all the pros and cons that implies. Anna Smith Sandra Bullock is pretty good at making a silk purse out of a sows ear, but shes got her work cut out with this would-be quirky comedy. Shes Mary Horowitz, an eccentric single woman who makes a living writing crossword puzzles for a single newspaper. She still lives with her parents, who fix her up with a friends son, news cameraman Steve (The Hangovers Bradley Cooper), whom the socially inept Mary falls for. Aghast, Steve tries to ditch her, driving off on an assignment. She misreads his ambiguous let-down and pursues him. A few laughs follow as Steves mischievous news reporter pal (Thomas Haden Church) encourages ominated for six Golden Globes and likely to get as many Oscars, this smart, sexy, slickly-edited comedy from the director of Juno runs the risk of being over- hyped. But ditch the weighty expectations and you wont be disappointed. Determinedly a film of the moment, it stars the ever-gorgeous George Clooney as Ryan, the smooth-talking consultant hired to come in and axe staff (here touchingly played by real, recently fired people), when companies are too squeamish to do it themselves. Yet Ryan has his mind on higher goals namely that of being the seventh person ever to clock up 10million frequent flyer miles. But his aim becomes threatened when his own company employs a 23-year-old efficiency expert (Anna Kendrick, rightly nominated for every Best Supporting Actress gong going) who is not only amusingly unseduced by Ryans charm I so dont think of him that way hes old but proposes cutting costs by grounding him and training a team of Terminators to fire people via scripted video conferencing instead. A recession comedy admittedly sounds like a real downer particularly if youve recently been made redundant yourself. Yet this isnt. Partly because its a brilliantly astute twist on the romcom format that sparkles with spiky one-liners and outstanding performances, including Vera Farmigas love interest, and partly because only Clooney could make this shallow commitment-phobe warm and appealing. Exuding the old Hollywood charm of Cary Grant, he pokes fun at his own perma- bachelor image, generously encouraging us to pity rather than envy his characters glitzy, yet hollow, jet-set lifestyle. In fact, you leave feeling weirdly consoled that hey, at least Im better off than George Clooney. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh N George keeps flying Up In The Air (15A) Running time: 109min The controversy surrounding Myleenes ticking-off by the Old Bill rages on with UK Conservative Party leader David Cameron adding his two pennorth to the debate. The scenario goes something like this: Middle Britains sweetheart is home alone practising her scales, when she spots two menacing figures lurking in her idyllic southern English garden, presumably up to no good and maybe planning worse. Be off with you, you scallywags! she exclaims, instinctively grabbing a kitchen knife to wave at the rapscallions. Wrong move. Nowadays, British law decrees that intruders be met with an invitation to afternoon tea and a preview of Ms Klasss thrilling new light entertainment TV show, Popstar To Operastar, in which Danny from McFly and Bernie Nolan tussle with Tosca and other operatic delights. This, rather than brandishing a well-polished Sabatier, is how to send potential rapists/ murderers screaming for the hills in Gords promised land, apparently. Keith Barker-Main index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html