If Your Life Was A Movie, What Would the Soundtrack Be?

It's time to hit the shuffle button again.

Here's how it goes:
1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the 'next' button
6. Don't lie
7. Answers either on your own blogs (link) or in the comments

Here's mine:

Opening Credits: Testify, Common

Waking Up: The Next Big Thing, Vince Gill

First Day at School: When the Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Down, The Magnetic Fields

Falling in Love: Can I Live, Jay-Z

Fight Song, Territorial Pissing, Nirvana (LMAO)

Breaking Up: Fallin’, Alicia Keys

Prom: Waiting, Girls Aloud

Life’s OK: Lips Like Sugar, Echo and the Bunnymen

Mental Breakdown: Tumbling Dice, Rolling Stones

Driving: Home, Dixie Chicks

Flashback: Hours, TV on the Radio

Getting Back Together: Smile Like You Mean It, The Killers

Birth of Child: Take Off Your Cool, Outkast featuring Norah Jones

Wedding: Safe From Harm, Massive Attack

Final Battle: Hide and Seek, Imogen Heap

Death Scene: A Day in the Life, Sean Connery (How fucking perfect is that? Brilliant)

Funeral: Baby Watch Your Back, Nellie McKay

End Credits: Atlantic City, Bruce Springsteen

So join in folks...

(Finally) Theena's Music Q

1. CD or Vinyl?
Is this really relevant anymore? I can't remember the last time I used the former and I've never had the pleasure of using the latter. Ultimately, I'm not much of a purist so I'll go with CD.

2. An Album You've Been Meaning to Listen To?
Far too many to count. Off the top of my head, Pink by Boris, Get Lonely by The Mountain Goats, Silent Shout by The Knife and Sign O'the Times by Prince

3. Grammys- Important or load of bollocks?
Load of bollocks. The only thing that keeps me coming back to them is that I am an awards addict. Otherwise, I am routinely in awe of just how profoundly bad some of their choices are.

4. Your Favourite Album is?
Tough question. It's probably between Abbey Road by The Beatles, To Bring You My Love by PJ Harvey, Kid A by Radiohead, Nevermind the Bollocks by the Sex Pistols, and Surfer Rosa by the Pixies

scratch that- it's Astral Weeks, Van Morrisson. Perfection.

5. Invite 10 Music People for Dinner. Who are they?
Ok, Lennon, Thom Yorke, PJ Harvey, Prince, Phil Spector, Lou Reed, Bjork, Brian Wilson, Brian Eno, and David Bowie. phew.

6. Appropriate punishment for those who play Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ while pretending that its still 1998?
I'm gonna go with Asvi and say a patronizing pat on the back, but I would couple it with a stare that told them just how pathetic they are.

7. Choose your favourite instrument and its best player in your point of view.
This is a hard one. I don't play an instrument, see, so I don't feel like I could give an educated answer. I guess its between guitar and the voice. If its guitar it's Jonny Greenwood. If its voice, its either Tom Waits or Bjork.

8. One Piece of Music That Can Move You to Tears?
'Adagio for Strings' by Samuel Barber or 'Atlantic City' by Bruce Springsteen

9. You are an executive at a major label and have the power to green light one album a year. What would you do?
Fuck.

I would sit David Sitek and Thom Yorke down and try to get their heads together. Certainly ban any artist that tarnishes the good name of hip-hop (That's you 50 Cent/Black Eyed Peas/Busta Rhymes/Akon/etc.), get Jay-Z to record an entire album with Just Blaze. Get PJ
Harvey to pull out another awesome record. Slap the fuck out of Liz Phair until she realises that this 'pop exercise' is not working and try to get another Guyville out of her. Get Bjork and Timbaland to hurry the fuck up with that new album. AND FINALLY, get Lauryn Hill out of whatever fucking funk she is in and finally record a follow-up to that masterpiece of a debut.

Also, the Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, [insert any random rock band that British rock critics have hailed as the 'second coming'], Jamie Foxx and other random boring R&B artists will be banned from making new albums until they can craft anything that is remotely original, doesn't sound like a 1000 other fucking bands and/or fun.

Time Magazine Names Me the Person of the Year

I knew it was only a matter of time. Sure, I'd almost lost faith after numerous snubs, but they finally came to their senses. Read the full story here.

Thank You, Time Magazine!

Everyone Has to See This Film Right Now

wow.

2006: Year in Music - R&B

Best R&B Album
3121, Prince
B'Day, Beyoncé
The Breakthrough, Mary J. Blige
On the Jungle Floor, Van Hunt
Testimony, Vol. 1: Life and Relationships, India.Arie

the winner: B'Day, Beyoncé
This album really surprised me, a tremendous improvement on the scattered, overrated and only sporadically good Dangerously in Love. B'Day pulsates with big beats and one anthemic club track after another. But the moment you realise just how good the album is, is when 'Irreplaceable', one of only two slow tracks on the album, plays and it dawns that even the ballads are awesome.

Best R&B Song
Be Without You, Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan Michael-Cox and Jason Perry (Mary J. Blige) watch
Black Sweat, Prince (Prince) watch
Crazy, Brian Burton, Thomas Callaway, Gianfranco Reverberi and Gianpiero Reverberi (Gnarls Barkley) watch
Déjà Vu, Shawn Carter, Rodney Jerkins, Beyoncé Knowles, Makeba, Keli Nicole Price and Delisha Thomas (Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z) watch
Irreplaceable, A. Bjørklund, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Beyoncé Knowles, E. Lind, and S. Smith (Beyoncé) watch

Best R&B Male Vocal Performance
Being a Girl, Van Hunt
Black Sweat, Prince watch
King of the Game, Cody ChesnuTT watch
Save Room, John Legend watch
So Sick, Ne-Yo watch

Best R&B Female Vocal Performance
Alarm, Namie Amuro watch
Be Without You, Mary J. Blige watch
Beware of the Dog, Jamelia watch
Don't Forget About Us, Mariah Carey watch
Irreplaceable, Beyoncé watch

Best R&B Group or Duo Vocal Performance
Beautiful, Loved and Blessed; Prince and Tamar
Cruise Control, Teena Marie featuring Smokey Robinson
I Found My Everything, Mary J. Blige featuring Rapahel Saadiq
Love Changes, Jamie Foxx featuring Mary J. Blige watch
S.E.X., Lyfe Jennings featuring Lala Brown watch

Best Urban Alternative Music Performance
Bossy, Kelis featuring Too $hort watch
Crazy, Gnarls Barkley watch
Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry About Me), Outkast watch
SupaStar, Floetry featuring Common watch
That Heat, Sergio Mendes featuring Erykah Badu and Will.I.Am watch

Tomorrow: Music videos, songs written for films and producer of the year

I.Can't.Wait.

Yeah, it looks a little generic, but Amy Heckerling knows how to avoid the pitfalls of mainstream comedy (see Clueless and Fast Times at Ridgemont High)and this is THE RETURN OF LA PFEIFFER after FOUR long, cold years. It reminds me of 'Something's Gotta Give' but even cutesier. Which I'm ok with. After all, we all remember what happened to Diane Keaton for that film, right? What? I can dream, can't I?

2006: Year in Music - Country

and so it begins...one genre a day. winners in bold.

Best Country Album

American V: A Hundred Highways, Johnny Cash
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, Neko Case
Some Hearts, Carrie Underwood
Taking the Long Way, Dixie Chicks
You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker, Willie Nelson

Best Country Song (songwriting category)
8th of November, Big Kenny and John Rich (Big and Rich)
Goodbye to My Mama, Garrison Keillor (Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin)
A Love That Will Never Grow Old, Gustavo Santaolalla and Bernie Taupin (Emmylou Harris)
Not Ready to Make Nice, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robinson and Dan Wilson (Dixie Chicks) watch
Travelin' Thru, Dolly Parton (Dolly Parton)

Best Country Male Vocal Performance
Better Life, Keith Urban watch
He Was a Friend of Mine, Willie Nelson watch
Give It Away, Geogre Strait watch
God's Gonna Cut You Down, Johnny Cash watch
Settle for a Slowdown, Dierks Bentley watch

Best Country Female Vocal Performance
Before He Cheats, Carrie Underwood watch
Kerosene, Miranda Lambert watch
John Saw That Number, Neko Case
A Love That Will Never Grow Old, Emmylou Harris watch
Travelin' Thru, Dolly Parton watch

Best Country Group or Duo Vocal Performance
8th of November, Big and Rich watch
Boondocks, Little Big Town watch
Leave the Pieces, The Wreckers watch
Not Ready to Make Nice, Dixie Chicks watch
What Hurts the Most, Rascal Flatts watch

Best Country Vocal Collaboration
Jackson, Jaoquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon watch
Love Will Always Win, Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks watch
My Minnesota Home (The Old Folks at Home), Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin watch
The Reason Why, Vince Gill featuring Allison Krauss watch
When I Get Where I'm Going, Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton watch

Tomorrow: R&B

Awards Update

Helen Mirren is nominated thrice for this year's Golden Globes for The Queen and, for the television films, Prime Suspect 6 and Elizabeth I

Much has happened since my last update, with the big critics groups having announced their winners and the announcement of the Golden Globe nominations last night. Critics group wise, all you need to know is that everyone is split on the Best Picture race: the NY critics went for United 93 (which gives director Paul Greengrass a large push to get the lone director slot), LA critics repeated the Clint love for Letters but gave Greengrass their Best Director award. Scorsese took Best Director in New York. The Boston critics went crazy for The Departed and, surprisingly, gave their Best Supporting Actor award, not to Nicholson but, to co-star Mark Wahlberg (who's looking better and better for an Oscar nom). The Queen also recieved a major boost from the LA critics coming runner-up for Best Picture and winning awards for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score. Speaking of The Queen, Helen Mirren has now won every single Best Actress award bestowed so far. Forest Whitaker's no slouch either, his performance as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland has won all but one prize. That was a minor critics group but the winner also tied with Whitaker for the LA Best Actor prize: Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat, who could turn out to be a major spoiler.

Now that's done, let's move onto the Golden Globe nominees:

Best Picture-Drama
Babel
Bobby
The Departed
Little Children
The Queen

The Departed and The Queen lead the race here with Bobby and Little Children being the major surprises. Could Bobby suddenly gather up steam and overcome tepid reviews. It's doubtful and we should all be thankful for that. Babel also did well gaining the most nominations (7), but it seems like it's more of an HFPA film rather than one the Academy will eventually go for.

Best Picture-Comedy/Musical
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
The Devil Wears Prada
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine
Thank You For Smoking

Pretty good category. No surprises but it is a strong lineup, nevertheless. Dreamgirls should bag this one easily seeing as it's this year's big Oscar dog but the shocking Best Director snub tells me either Borat or LMS could upset.

Best Director
Clint Eastwood, Flags of Our Fathers
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, Babel
Martin Scorsese, The Departed

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! FUCK FUCK FUCK on Eastwood double nom. So. Fucking. Unnecessary. Marty will probably win and the Frears nom just adds more steam to The Queen's rather formidable engine.

Best Actor-Drama
Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed
Peter O'Toole in Venus
Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland

It's nice to see Leo get double nominations here but it worries me. All this indecision between his two films means that his chances of getting an Oscar nomination are deteriorating. And damnit, HFPA, is it too much to fucking ask for you to nominate Ryan Gosling? assholes. At least, his Oscar hopes aren't too damaged.

Best Actor-Comedy/Musical
Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat
Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Aaron Eckhart in Thank You For Smoking
Chiwitel Ejiofor in Kinky Boots
Will Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction

Boring category: Depp and Ferrell's noms are dull and unimaginative. Good for Eckhart-he's a brilliant actor. Cohen takes this in a cakewalk.

Best Actress-Drama
Penolope Cruz in Volver
Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Sherrybaby
Helen Mirren in The Queen
Kate Winslet in Little Children

Replace either Gyllenhaal or Winslet with Streep and you've got a good idea of who the final Best Actress lineup will be. This award already has Dame Mirren's name on it (the three nominations she recieved only helps her case). Unless the other Dame can get some last minute traction for, what is supposed to be, the best performance of her career.

Best Actress-Comedy/Musical
Annette Bening in Running with Scissors
Toni Collete in Little Miss Sunshine
Beyonce Knowles in Dreamgirls
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada
Renee Zellweger in Miss Potter

Golden Globe, meet your new owner, Meryl Streep. This is hers, and deservingly so. Unless, he HFPA give into their usual starfucking and give it to Beyonce, eh. Love that Toni Collete got in but the Breslin snub is puzzling.

Best Supporting Actor
Ben Affleck in Hollywoodland
Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls
Jack Nicholson in The Departed
Brad Pitt in Babel
Mark Wahberg in The Departed

Wierdly star-packed lineup. THRILLED that Wahlberg got in, he stole every fucking scene he was in. The Michael Sheen snub means nothing since Miramax submitted him in lead here and the LAFCA win has pretty much solidified his nom.

Best Supporting Actress
Adriana Barazza in Babel
Cate Blanchett in Notes on a Scandal
EMILY FUCKING BLUNT IN THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA!!!!!!!!!!
Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi in Babel

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!!!!!!!!!! Cannot believe they actually went for Blunt's wonderful work. Streep wasn't the only one working her ass off and it's good to see Blunt get the recognition after critics pretty much ignored her. The rest of the category is a snorefest and I wouldn't worry about the snub for Catherine O'Hara for For Your Consideration. After all both Amy Adams and Catherine Keener were ignored here last year and O'Hara's pretty much in the same position.

Screenplay
Babel
The Departed
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal
The Queen

Again, the Little Children love is surprising. All in all, this is a good category.

Best Foreign Language Film
Apocalypto
Letters From Iwo Jima
The Lives of Others
Pan's Labyrinth
Volver

The fact that Gibson and Eastwood were allowed to pass of their films in this category simply because their in a dead and foreign language, respectively, is utter bullshit. Letters will win unless the HFPA is feeling adventurous. Volver is divine and the other two films are said to be two of the best, if not the best, films of the year.

That's all for now, folks. Music year-end picks comes tomorrow.

Grammy Nominations

So the Grammy noms came out last night and...they weren't that bad? Yes, the Bob Dylan snub is unwarranted and the love for John Mayer, James Blunt and Stadium Arcadium is gross but I expected that, and the noms for the Dixie Chicks, Imogen Heap and Justin kinda make up for it? It's almost boring...

The noms in the big 4 categories are so:

Album of the Year
Taking the Long Way, Dixie Chicks
St. Elsewhere, Gnarls Barkley
Continuum, John Mayer
Stadium Arcadium, Red Hot Chili Peppers
FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake

The biggest shock here is that the supposed mortal-lock, Bob Dylan, didn't make it for Modern Times-the best reviewed album of the year. The Mary J. Blige snub is also odd, considering her great year, the album's huge success and the love she got in other categories. I cannot begin to express my happiness that FutureSex/LoveSounds made it into the lineup. As I've said before, the album is an absolute must-have. THRILLED that the Dixie Chicks received representation, not just here (where it was expected), but in all 3 of the major categories. The Chili Peppers gain their first grammy nomination in one of the major categories and, in true Grammy style, its for a boring and bloated album that no one should care about and pales in comparison to their previous LPs. The St. Elsewhere nom is nice but dull and VOMIT on the John Mayer nom. Anyways, its between him and the Chicks to grab the gold.

Record of the Year
Be Without You, Mary J. Blige
You're Beautiful, James Blunt
Not Ready to Make Nice, Dixie Chicks
Crazy, Gnarls Barkley
Put Your Records On, Corrine Bailey Rae

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....A strangely chart-free line-up. Its like they went out of their way to ignore the major hits of the year: Hips Don't Lie, Sexyback, Promiscuous, etc. 'Crazy' deserves to win this, hands down: It stands head and shoulders above the rest. The Dixie Chicks' nomination is nice to see, especially considering the way it had trouble charting because of country radio's refusal to give it airplay. The James Blunt nomination is completely predictable and disgusting. That man needs to die. I'm 'ok' with the other two- nice songs, but nothing much else, certainly not among the best of the year. Winner? They always go safe here so it's between Rae and Blunt, I guess.

Song of the Year (the songwriting award)
Be Without You, Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox & Jason Perry (Mary J. Blige)
Jesus, Take the Wheel; Brett James, Hillary Lindsey & Gordie Sampson (Carrie Underwood)
Not Ready to Make Nice, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison & Dan Wilson (Dixie Chicks)
Put Your Records On, John Beck, Steve Chrisanthou & Corinne Bailey Rae (Corinne Bailey Rae)
You're Beautiful, James Blunt, Amanda Ghost & Sacha Skarbek (James Blunt)

'Not Ready to Make Nice' is the only one that really deserves to be here and even it is a little obvious. American Idol Carrie Underwood had a great single in 'Before He Cheats' but 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' is laughable dreck, so of course it gets nominated. Rae's song is tepid and uninspiring, while Blunt's ubiquitous hit is just asinine. Alright it wasn't a great year for songwriting but if you can honour 'Crazy' in Record of the Year, why not recognize that its the best written song of the year, by far? I couldn't give a fuck who wins (unless its the Dixie Chicks, of course).

Best New Artist
James Blunt
Chris Brown
Imogen Heap
Corrine Bailey Rae
Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood becomes the first Idol to be nominated in one of the majors, I expect she'll join Kelly and become the only two to win (but not here, her success will come in the genre categories). FUCK YEAH!! on Imogen Heap's nomination. I don't even care that she's actually been around since 1998, I'm way too happy about this out-of-the-blue nomination. The rest is crap.

Some "highlights" from the rest of the nominations:

• Sexyback in Dance Recording is unexpected but nice. Also great to see Justin honoured in 4 categories and the Dixie Chicks in 5.
  
• Good to see Madonna nominated. Also glad her Dance Recording nom is for the underrated 'Get Together' rather than 'Sorry' or 'Jump'. The snub for 'Hung Up' in Pop Female is odd though.
  
• NO TIMBALAND FOR PRODUCER OF THE YEAR!?!? Bullshit.
  
• WTF? Only one nom for Nelly Furtado?
• 'Not Ready to Make Nice' makes the lineup for Song of the Year but not Best Country Song? Also, Corrine Bailey Rae is nominated in 3 major categories but they couldn't fit her in the pop categories where she was submitted?
• Pink is nominated? WHY!!!!!!!!! That idiotic 'Stupid Girls' video coupled with the completely hypocritical video to 'U and Ur Hand' should be enough to banish her forever. On the other hand, nice to see Natasha Bedingfield get her first nom.
  
• Can we go through one year without noms for Sheryl Crow and Paul McCartney?
• Daniel Powter should die.
• LMAO about the Pussycat Dolls being Grammy nominees! For 'Stickwitchu' as well!
• The rock nominees are, as always, laughable. Coldplay? The Fray? U2 and Green Day? 'Dani California'? 'Chasing Cars'? VOMIT. At least the Raconteurs and Wolfmother get much deserved attention. Still, it isn't enough.
• Yay for Thom Yorke and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs but the Alternative Music Album category is in serious need of a shakeup. Arctic Monkeys? Don't be fucking silly.
• Can't believe I'm saying this but Beyonce didn't get nearly enough love. B'Day is a solid album and miles better than it's overrated predecessor.
  
• Lionel Ritchie? You've gotta be fucking kidding me
• Happy to see Prince copiously mentioned in the R&B categories and thrilled to see Mary J. Blige and Raphael Saadiq's 'I Found My Everything' get nominated.
• Glad to see noms for the criminally underrated Lupe Fiasco and, also for, T.I. and Chamillionaire.
• Eminem getting two nominations is just plain silly
• They had better right Oscar's wrong and give Dolly a Grammy for the wonderful 'Travelin' Thru' which, btw, is miles better than 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp'. Even Chuck D thought so.
  
• YES!! YES!! YES!! on OK Go's Best Video nomination for the brilliant 'Here It Goes Again'. My absolute favourite nomination.

The full list can be found here.

and the Awards Season Begins...

The National Board of Review kicked off awards season as always by announcing there winners on Wednesday. The NBR is a 'critics' group of 'elite' movie-watchers who usually give their awards to whichever studio buttered them up the most, so the winners need to be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, they have an impact on the race and officially start award season. The winners are:

Best Film: Letters From Iwo Jima (Warner Bros.)
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, The Departed (Warner Bros.)
Best Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland (Fox)
Best Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen (Miramax)
Best Supporting Actor: Dijmon Honsou, Blood Diamond (Warner Bros.)
Best Supporting Actress: Catherine O'Hara, For Your Consideration (Warner Independent)
Best Foreign Film: Volver (Sony Pictures Classics)
Best Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth (Paramount Classics)
Best Animated Feature: Cars (Buena Vista Pictures)
Best Ensemble Cast: The Departed (Warner Bros.)
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson (ThinkFilm) (!!!) Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: (2) Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls (Dreamworks) and Rinko Kikuchi, Babel (Paramount Vantage)
Best Directorial Debut: Jason Reitman, Thank You for Smoking (Fox Searchlight)
Best Original Screenplay: Zach Helm, Stranger Than Fiction (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Ron Nyswaner, The Painted Veil (Warner Independent)

The top 10 from the National Board of Review:

"Letters From Iwo Jima" (Warner Bros.)

"Babel" (Paramount Vantage)

"Blood Diamond" (Warner Bros.)

"The Departed" (Warner Bros.)

"The Devil Wears Prada" (20th Century Fox)

"Flags Of Our Fathers" (Warner Bros.)

"The History Boys" (Fox Searchlight)

"Little Miss Sunshine" (Fox Searchlight)

"Notes on a Scandal" (Fox Searchlight)

"The Painted Veil" (Warner Independent)

The results pretty much launches 'Letters' position as big Oscar contender and makes Warner's last minute decision to pull it into a 2006 release a very smart one. 'Letters' is, of course, the second part of Eastwood's ambitious WWII project, the first being 'Flags of Our Fathers', which flopped at the box office, prompting the studio to quickly pull the even more ambitious 'Letters', which tells the Japanese side of the battle of Iwo Jima and is entirely in Japanese, into a one week qualifying run this year. I can't say I'm thrilled that this incessant Eastwood worship does not seem to have stopped. Just when it seemed like Scorsese was finally the frontrunner to win (and for a great film), Eastwood comes chomping back for his third serving. Scorsese's win is promising and is, perhaps, a hint of how the year may turn out: with yet another Best Pic/Director split.

Whitaker's win also brings him as formidable force in the race. The actor needs all the awards he can get, if he wants to regain any of the buzz he had two months ago. Mirren's win was a foregone conclusion and simply assures everyone that she'll be holding that Oscar come February. The supporting winners are the big surprises here but they possibly won't make too much of an impact in the race as NBR is never really on the same track as Oscar when it comes to these two categories. Still, it's nice to see O'Hara mentioned and can only help her towards Oscar.

As for the rest, 'Dreamgirls' manages one meager win for former-American Idol Jennifer Hudson bringing her one step closer to that inevitable Oscar. Rinko Kikuchi gets some nice ink and Ryan fucking Gosling (!!) gets recognized for his superlative work in 'Half Nelson'. 'The Painted Veil' mention is a surprise but seems to hint at what I've suspected for a while, this may become a big Oscar player. The biggest impression the awards have made is in leaving out gung-ho frontrunners 'Dreamgirls' and 'The Queen' out of their top-ten, neither is brutally hurt by this but both will need major support from other bodies to back up their 'lock' status in the Best Picture lineup. What's even odder is that both films have been passed over for lack-luster efforts like 'The Devil Wears Prada', 'The History Boys' and 'Flags of Our Fathers'. But if you look at the studios, you'll notice that most every award is divided between Fox and Warner and their independent divisions... so, again, a grain of salt.

Post on the Grammy nominations later today...

do you know these odd bods?

Helen and Kieron show us how its done

One of the Greatest Filmmakers Ever Died Today

I'm in shock right now...Robert Altman passed away today. We have lost one of the greatest talents in cinema today. It breaks my heart thinking about his speech, when accepting a Lifetime Achievement Oscar earlier this year, where he spoke about his new heart and new lease on life. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch Prairie Home Companion without crying my eyes out. This man is a legend.

Do yourself a favour and go out and buy an Altman film. Nashville, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Short Cuts, Gosford Park, The Player, M*A*S*H*, 3 Women and The Company are all masterpieces. Glad that he went out on a high note with this year's remarkable Prairie Home Companion.

R.I.P.

Movie Questionnaire

Nathaniel over at the Film Experience is passing these round. Thought I'd join in...


1. Popcorn or candy?
Popcorn. Always.

2. Name a movie you've been meaning to see forever
There's tonnes of these, but right now-sitting on my shelf is Scenes from a Marriage staring right back at me.

3. You are given the power to recall one Oscar: Who loses theirs and to whom? So so many...I'm going about this by process of elimination. First, elimanate those too recent: so bye bye to last year's debacle. Secondly, ignore those horrific snubs that are well known: Citizen Kane doesn't really need that Oscar, does it? The film itself is legend enough. Thus, I'm landing on my favourite obession: La Pfeiffer. Get that bitch Jessica Tandy's family to give back her Oscar for Driving Miss Daisy and give it to the rightful owner. You know that she deserved it for The Fabulous Baker Boys in 1989. Also, i'm cheating here, but make Robert Redford and Kevin Costner give their Best Director trophies to the God that is Martin Scorsese.

4. Steal one costume from a movie for your wadrobe. Which will it be? Err...not too much of a costume guy, so...I'll go with that yellow t-shirt with the bull on it from Elephant. So cool.

5. Your favorite film franchise is...
Not really a "franchise" per say but Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are near and dear to me. If not then the Burton Batman films or LOTR will do.

6. Invite five movie people over for dinner. Who are they? Why'd you invite them? What do you feed them?
Ok...first things first: I'm only inviting people who are alive (simply to narrow things down). We've got Martin Scorsese, because he's a genius, approachable and would make great conversation; Jack Nicholson, so that his coolness will rub off; Meryl Streep because she's super-smart and a riot; Naomi Watts so that I could pry her with liquor and convince her to leave Liev Schreiber for me and Paul Thomas Anderson, because he is just too damn cool and I'd expect we'd get along. I would serve them a cuisine of french toast, pasta with pesto and mash potato because that's all I can make and truckloads of liquor and coke to get the party started.

7. What is the appropriate punishment for people who answer cell phones in the movie theater?
Death. Slow and painful. Perhaps having their hands and feet tied to four wild horses who are then made to run in four different directions so that the person can slowly be ripped apart. Yes?

8. Choose a female bodyguard: Ripley from Aliens. Mystique from X-Men. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2. The Bride from Kill Bill. Mace from Strange Days
All the ladies are great but the Bride is the bitch you wanna have by your side-that woman can rip anything apart. Always and Forever.

9. What's the scariest thing you've ever seen in a movie?
This is actually pretty hard- for the life of me, I cannot think of anything substantial. So when in doubt I revert to my childhood and remember that the last scene in the godawful I Still Know What You Did Last Summer where Jennifer Love Hewitt gets pulled under her bed scared the fuck out of me.

10. Your favorite genre (excluding comedy and drama) is?
Does family domestic dramas/comedies count? I suppose it's a sub-genre. More than any other genre of film, I always get excited about these. No matter how many times I've been burned (I'm looking at you Little Children!), I just keep coming back.

11. You are given the power to greenlight movies at a major studio for one year. How do you wield this power?
First of all, I disallow Paul Haggis from ever working again. Then I greenlight any and all pictures helmed by Martin Scorsese, Wong Kar-Wai, Wes Anderson, Todd Haynes, Paul Thomas Anderson, Hou Hsiao-hsien and David Cronenberg among others. Try to speed up Wong in the filmmaking process and insist that Julianne Moore and Michelle Pfeiffer get first choice in the casting of every.single.film. Yeah, that's about it.

12. Bonnie or Clyde?
Bonnie

13. Who are you tagging to answer this survey?
Alright Suba, Asvajit, Yanik, Naz and Indi: you're it.

Best Lead Actress of Every Year: 2005 - 1927

05: Joan Allen, The Upside of Anger

04: Julie Delpy, Before Sunset

03: Uma Thurman, Kill Bill, Volume 1

02: Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven

01: Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive

00: Björk, Dancer in the Dark

99: Kate Winslet, Holy Smoke!

98: Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth

97: Pam Grier, Jackie Brown

96: Frances McDormand, Fargo

95: Elisabeth Shue, Leaving Las Vegas

94: Isabelle Adjani, Queen Margot

93: Holly Hunter, The Piano

92: Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns

91: TIE: Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise

90: Anjelica Huston, The Grifters

89: Michelle Pfeiffer, The Fabulous Baker Boys

88: Carmen Maura, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

87: Glenn Close, Fatal Attraction

86: Sandrine Bonnaire, Vagabond

85: Whoopi Goldberg, The Color Purple

84: Kathleen Turner, Crimes of Passion/Romancing the Stone

83: Meryl Streep, Silkwood

82: Meryl Streep, Sophie’s Choice

81: Susan Sarandon, Atlantic City

80: Sissy Spacek, Coal Miner’s Daughter

79: Sally Field, Norma Rae

78: Ingrid Bergman, Autumn Sonata

77: Diane Keaton, Annie Hall

76: Faye Dunaway, Network

75: Louise Fletcher, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

74: Gena Rowlands, A Woman Under the Influence

73: Liv Ullman, Cries and Whispers

72: Cicely Tyson, Sounder

71: Julie Christie, McCabe & Mrs. Miller

70: Glenda Jackson, Women in Love

69: Jane Fonda, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

68: Catherine Denueve, Belle de Jour

67: (tie) Bibi Andersson/Liv Ullman, Persona

66: Elizabeth Taylor, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

65: Anna Karina, Pierrot le Fou

64: Anne Bancroft, The Pumpkin Eater

63: Shirley MacLaine, Irma la Douce

62: Jeanne Moreau, Jules and Jim

61: Sophia Loren, Two Women

60: Emmanuelle Riva, Hiroshima Mon Amour

59: Marilyn Monroe, Some Like it Hot

58: Elizabeth Taylor, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

57: Giulietta Masina, Nights of Cabiria

56: Maria Schell, White Nights

55: Grace Kelly, To Catch a Thief

54: Dorothy Dandridge, Carmen Jones

53: Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday

52: Jennifer Jones, Ruby Gentry

51: Vivien Leigh, A Streetcar Named Desire

50: Bette Davis, All About Eve

49: Katharine Hepburn, Adam’s Rib

48: Rita Hayworth, The Lady From Shanghai

47: Deborah Kerr, Black Narcissus

46: Ingrid Bergman, Notorious

45: Joan Crawford, Mildred Pierce

44: Barbara Stanwyck, Double Indemnity

43: Greer Garson, Mrs. Miniver

42: Ingrid Bergman, Casablanca

41: Bette Davis, The Little Foxes

40: Joan Fontaine, Rebecca

39: Vivien Leigh, Gone With the Wind

38: Katharine Hepburn, Bringing Up Baby

37: Greta Garbo, Camille

36: Louise Rainer, The Good Earth

35: Ginger Rogers, Top Hat

34: Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night

33: Mae West, She Done Him Wrong

32: Marlene Dietrich, Shanghai Express

31: Norma Shearer, A Free Soul

30: Marie Dressler, Min and Bill

29: Luise Brooks, Pandora’s Box

28: Renee Maria Falconetti, The Passion of Joan of Arc

27: Janet Gaynor, Sunrise

Best Picture of Every Year: 2005 - 1927

05: Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee)

04: Before Sunset (Richard Linklater)

03: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Peter Jackson)

02: Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes)

01: In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai)

00: Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier)

99: All About My Mother (Pedro Almodóvar)

98: Festen (Thomas Vintenberg)

97: Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami)

96: Fargo (The Coen Brothers)

95: Dead Man Walking (Tim Robbins)

94: Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino)

93: The Piano (Jane Campion)

92: Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood)

91: Thelma & Louise (Ridley Scott)

90: GoodFellas (Martin Scorsese)

89: Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)

88: Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders)

87: Broadcast News (James L. Brooks)

86: Blue Velvet (David Lynch)

85: Ran (Akira Kurosawa)

84: Amadeus (Milos Forman)

83: Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman)

82: Blade Runner (Ridley Scott)

81: Body Heat (Lawrence Kasdan)

80: Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese)

79: Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola)/Manhattan (Woody Allen)

78: Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick)

77: Annie Hall (Woody Allen)

76: Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese)

75: Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet)

74: Chinatown (Roman Polanski)

73: Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky)

72: The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola)

71: A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick)

70: M*A*S*H (Robert Altman)

69: Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone)

68: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick)

67: Persona (Ingmar Bergman)

66: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Mike Nichols)

65: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Jacques Demy)

64: Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick)

63: 8½ (Federico Fellini)

62: Jules and Jim (Francois Truffaut)

61: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Blake Edwards)

60: Breathless (Jean-Luc Goddard)

59: Some Like it Hot (Billy Wilder)

58: Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock)

57: Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman)

56: The Searchers (John Ford)

55: The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton)

54: The Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa)

53: From Here to Eternity (Fred Zinnemann)

52: Singin’ in the Rain (Stanley Donen/Gene Kelly)

51: A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan)

50: Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder)

49: The Third Man (Carol Reed)

48: The Bicycle Thief (Vittorio De Sica)

47: Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau)

46: Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock)

45: Les Enfants Du Paradis (Marcel Carné)

44: Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder)

43: Heaven Can Wait (Ernst Lubitsch)

42: Casablanca (Michael Curtiz)

41: Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)

40: Fantasia (James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe, Norm Ferguson, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts and Paul Satterfield)

39: The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir)

38: Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks)

37: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Walt Disney and David Hand)

36: Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin)

35: The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale)

34: It Happened One Night (Frank Capra)

33: King Kong (Merian Cooper and Ernest B Schoedsack)

32: Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer)

31: City Lights (Charlie Chaplin)

30: Under the Rooftops of Paris (Rene Clair)

29: The Man with the Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov)

28: The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer)

27: Metropolis (Fritz Lang)

Oh.My.Fuck.

Sorry...

I've been ignoring the blog for a couple of days and I AM sorry. Had a Halloween party on Friday where I dressed up as a hunchback with a hook (I know-awesome) where by around 2 o'clock in the morning I found myself scaling the fence at a children's park. Also went to a Metronomy concert on halloween at Goldsmiths and had an awesome night.

Also went to see Borat with Kieron and Chloe the day before and nearly pissed myself laughing.

Can't believe I'm coming home on Thursday- I've been here for 5 WEEKS!! I'll see you all n Friday..

Love

Arun

Madonna, Tom, Cyndi and Michael

Just got back from 80s themed partay...

l-r: helen, tom, mon and arun


having an awesome time/ma gets here tuesday morning/hope flake did awesome at onstage

Un/Lucky - Friday the 13th

mon and ralph (the boyfriend)


arun and lucy


the dragon


sam, mon, riffa and tom


simon, ralph, mon and fred


chloe and arun


drunken tash


nina's "arse"


drunken arun


the pink flamingo

hey bitchez

at greenwich market; l-r: kieron, arun and lucy

Hey guys...

chilling out here in Chloe's room cos my internet is currently fucked. Am very sorry that the posts aren't coming like they should be but I thought I'd bring everyone up to speed...Also, I'd like to apologise in advance for the staccato nature of the post but I'm having trouble putting my thoughts together with a tremendous hangover weighing me down.

Films seen so far:
The Departed
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
Volver

thoughts on all of them will follow after I've spoken to my editors at LT on which they want for the magazine, etc.

Am coming off a very big hangover after the housewarming party here on Friday. The house was one big haze of smoke, booze and very excellent company. Seriously have not hung out with so many like minded people ever in my life. Everyone is just so cool (what can you expect? They're all art students)- met so many great people on Friday: everybody was so great to talk to.

Also should give you a lowdown on the housemates: Mon lives with Tom, Chloe, Lucy and Helen. The other half of her group live in a house closeby: Kieron, Ralph, Jon and Fred.
A far more detailed post about ALL the friends is in store.

I'm cutting down on my smoking some since I can't smoke in the house and Tash is determined to make me cut my intake in half by the end of the trip.

Missing all you guys and wishing, as I always do, that you all could be here. Will hopefully meet up with Westy and family next weekend.

Mostly been spending my trip lounging around, going out to parties and bars, and at the movies. Having a great chilled out time and very excited abt the Film Festival that kicks off on Wednesday(!).

Tried some new things that I can't divulge on the blog but that I'll share with the group when I get back.

Having an awesome time and i'll see you all in a couple of weeks...

london baby

hey folks...

Writing from an internet cafe near Mon's since she doesn't have a connection yet. Did manage to steal a couple of minutes of surfing earlier by enjoying somebody else's Wi-fi that just popped up on the laptop. As E said 'illegal is best'...

Not much to say-got in at 6:15 and then took the train to Paddington. Then took the train with Mon and Ralphie to the house and capped the night off by going to Goldsmiths, the student bar. Alright night (great music-especially compared to the clubs back home) but I did not get anywhere near as drunk as I wanted (i.e. needed) to truly make an arse (that's right arse, I'm in England now) of myself. Will give lowdown of friends later.

The Departed opens tomorrow!!!

sorry...reviews start tomorrow and the wheels slowly start to move

Expect Asvajit to get off his arse and do his job as guest blogger sometime soon

Do you know how this beat is made in fucking London?

Couple of changes coming to the blog since I'll be leaving for London in the early hours of tomorrow. Firstly, London blogging- I'll be keeping you updated on my trip and (if I can score tickets today) keeping you updated on the films at the London Film Festival. This means capsule reviews on most every big film this year, so expect word on The Departed, Little Children, Bobby, Venus, The Queen, Little Miss Sunshine, Still Life, For Your Consideration and Half Nelson, among others (and hopefully Breaking and Entering and The Last King of Scotland).

Also for those of you who know me, will do update (hopefully with pics) of Stewart, Rachel and baby Ella and also The Dwarf of Edingburough.

Secondly, two guest bloggers will be making the rounds here: Asvajit and one to-be-determined will be keeping you warm when I'm not around.

So I'll be trying to keep it busy on this blog for the next month...next update will come from Mon's house in New Cross Gate

We three kings be stealin' the gold...

Tell Me Which Way You Like That

Over the past few weeks I've been going around, risking any reputation of good taste I have/had, telling anyone who'd listen that the best album of the year thus far is none other than everyone's favourite N'Sync-er Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds. That's right- I said it. Now before you scoff and hit the back button, take a moment and open yourself up to the idea that just maybe this is indeed possible.

FutureSex/LoveSounds is an album that requires at the very least 2 listens. The first time, you will undoubtedly be turned off by the album's lack of warmth and the lack of traditional song structure. On the second listen, everything comes together and suddenly all of the beats make sense, you can't help but move and you realise you're enjoying yourself. On the 3rd try- you begin to notice Timbaland's rich and textured production (his best in years) and that Timberlake has finally grown into his persona of a playa and it actually feels natural. Unlike in his last B grade album, Justified, where the persona came off as forced and awkward at best, here the pop star comes into his own, as if he himself is finally convinced and therefore you should be two.

1. FutureSex/LoveSound 4:02 A +
The title track on the album is perhaps it's shining moment: It grooves along to a bassline that dictates to the rest of the song as Timberlake whispers along into your ears. It all blows along on that groove until the chorus where Timbaland changes it up ever so slightly while Justin sings that "She's coughed up for me/I've got her in my zone/Her body's whistled for me/I think she's ready to blow". The short blast of change quickly retreats to a hook that is to die for as Timberlake (with his vocals multitracked) as he coos "Tell me which way you like that" and it all comes together. The whole song is compact, the shortest on the album, giving you just enough and leaving you wanting more. It's quite possibly perfect and by the end, you've completely zoned out just moving your body and whispering that line over and over again.

2. SexyBack 4:02 A-
The title track suddenly stops to give way to the that noise and you know exactly what you're listening to. The song has divided both the public and critical community, mostly because it is rather unapologetic in it's lack of traditional melody. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who enjoyed it on first listen but in the 2 months it's been out its grown on me (and most everyone seeing as its number 1) and now the 'chorus' where Justin and co repeat the call and answer bit with Timbaland chanting "Go ahead be gone with it" over drums and synths slowly builds into a crescendo going higher and higher and then leaving you hanging. Sure, the lyrics are terrible but who the fuck listens to Justin Timberlake for the lyrics?

3. Sexy Ladies/Let Me Talk to You Prelude 5:32 B/B-
'Sexy Ladies' is possibly the least distinguished track on the album, content to be an average club song resting on a minimal slap bass and synth. That said, it is perfect to dance to and works in the capacity of a simple club track. The song gives way into the staple of the album- the interludes that play between songs. I usually hate interludes- they seem like unnecessary filler material, but on this album some of the best moments come from these interludes and also help to make the transition from one track to next smooth. The 'Let Me Talk to You Prelude' is crazy- a batshit insane cowbell and where Timbo and Timberlake spar on with abandon and flows perfectly into...

4. My Love (featuring T.I.) 4:36 A+
Timberlake is full falsetto mode with his voice in his highest register and Timberland employing a human beat-box for percussion. By the chorus where your ears are dripping in sound and the whole thing has turned symphonic. 'My Love' is like honey dripping out of your ears. The other great thing about the track is T.I. who manages to come in at the bridge and fall perfectly in line with all the other elements of the track- unlike most rap/sung collaborations where the two elements are at odds and take attention to themselves, T.I.'s rhymes are fucking melodic easily settling in with the rest of the song. Exquisite.

5. LoveStoned/I Think She Knows (Interlude) 7:24 A/A++
Words can't really express how LoveStoned works so well but Tom Breihan comes pretty close in The Village Voice of explaining just how the song snakes onto you: ""Love Stoned" starts out on some Medulla shit, with Timbaland building the track almost completely out of layered vocal noises: wicky-wicky cartoon-scratches, a hummed bassline, rhythmic breaths, all converted into a totally convincing club track. Then, on the chorus, a great Quincy Jones string flourish comes in and makes everything feel lighter than air while an awestruck Timberlake sings about clubbing as something like a religious experience: "Those flashing lights come from everywhere / The way they hit, I have to stop and stare." And everything keeps mutating and evolving; the Nile Rogers guitar-scratches and Latin-funk congas don't even hit until around the three-minute mark." That's right.

Then comes the interlude- where the thumping club track suddenly transforms into the most elegiac moment on the album. A guitar strums solemnly as Timberlake repeats the line from 'LoveStoned' but this time with an aching vulnerability. By the time he singing "I think that she knows" you are hopelessly hooked. The song is fucking ethereal. Timbaland and, especially, Timberlake work to create this gorgeous moment out of nowhere and by 6:32 where the strings go on and Timberlake simply hums over them, you are totally swept away.

6. What Goes Around...Comes Around (Interlude) 7:28 A+
This album's 'Cry Me a River', Timbaland employs a trick he knows well: the vaguely eastern synth. But instead of using it to for a club track- he uses it for this song where JT admonishes a cheating lover. The song comes off as average until the chorus kicks in and the Timberlake's voice on an overdrive of multitracking sweep you up creating something entirely unique: A slow number on an R&B record that actually stands up to (and in some cases, above) the fast tracks. The song flows seamlessly into the interlude where it the situation has worked itself around and now the cheating girl is being cheated on herself and the song aptly moves the tempo up a notch and Timbaland takes over the chorus over an ominous choir and Timberlake's taunts. In this case the song and interlude are clearly one and work together to create a brilliant, verging on epic, moment on the album.

7. Chop Me Up (featuring Three Six Mafia and Timbaland) 5:04 B
...And we're back in the club. Here Justin's joined by everyone's (or at least Paris Hilton's) favourite Oscar winners. The chorus with Timbaland ending each line up with his voice slowed down is all kinds of awesome and it actually namedrops Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives -which, you know, is something. The song works best when it's grimiest and dirtiest- a mode that Three 6 Mafia often work well in. It takes a little while to settle into itself but when it does it can trump most anything on the radio.

8. Damn Girl (featuring Will.I.Am) 5:12 B +
One of the few tracks on the album not produced by Timbaland, here Will.I.Am takes the reigns and the change is obvious. Gone is the tight, dark and sexy production, instead replaced with a more buoyant and colourful sound. The song works thanks to the space Will.I.Am gives to the production and the hook does make you want to sing along. Of course Will has to fuck it up by doing a guest verse which almost takes down the whole thing-luckily its a short one. Anyone else feel the similarity to 'Touch the Sky' by Kanye West?

9. Summer Love/Set the Mood Prelude 6: 24 C/C+
Summer Love is one of the of the few filler tracks on the album. At best, it can get you moving and is catchy. At worst, its uninspired and a little insipid. The handclaps and synths work well on the verse, as does the chorus, but again none of this is particularly new or interesting resulting in a rather dull track. 'Set the Mood' is a good track and does its job in setting us up for the shift in mood for the remainder of the album- not much else.

10. Until the End of Time (featuring the Benjamin Wright Orchestra) 5:22 C+
It has to say something for an album, when I don't want to shoot myself the moment everything gets gooey and romantic. 'Until the End of Time' doesn't tread new territory but it is completely inoffensive. The hook works well and Timbaland's production is languid and calming. The call and response at the bridge also helps to undercut the somber tone and by the song where three or four Justin's sing one last line, it's actually managed to sneak under your skin.

11. Losing My Way 5:22 A-
This song is quite possibly the testament to the album's success. Here Justin does what every pop star has done at one time or another- the song where the heart bleeds for those less fortunate. You know it- its the 'Another Day in Paradise' or 'Heal the World' of the album and somehow--somehow it doesn't make you want to vomit all over everything you own. The lyrics are heinous ("Hi my name is Bob/And I work at my job/I make 40 dollars a day" "Now I got a problem with that little white rock/See I can't put down the pipe") but Timberlake manages to sell it in his delivery. He's hopelessly earnest and the song never comes across as crass. Timbaland is the song's real hero, for he is the genius that decided to take this track and play it over a loop of him humming, drums and strings. Creating possibly the most sexy 'save the world' track ever. Towards the end of the song the choir jumps in and starts singing the chorus- which should be the point where you go to the bathroom and lean over the toilet. But Timbaland's got you hooked and by the time the choir kicks in, you're singing along like a fucking idiot...and enjoying it all the while.

12. (Another Song) All Over Again 5:49 C
Not too sure about this but I believe this is produced by Rick Rubin. The minimalist production is nice and the song itself is pleasant but it's a whimper of an end for a firecracker of an album.

Overall, the album is far from perfect and, indeed its position on my list has quite a bit to do with a rather disappointing year for long players, but it is certainly worthy of high praise. Timberlake is an ambitious artist and while FutureSex/LoveSounds doesn't reach its full potential, it gets pretty damn close and is proof that he has much more to offer as an artist. Also mark one more down for the Timbo comeback.