Reviews

Early Peter Greenaway movie ('85), from when his undeniable visual genius wasn't yet smothered by pretentiousness. Zoologist twin widowers (!) mourn their wives but begin an affair with a survivor of the crash which killed them, whose leg's been amputated. And set the animals free from the zoo. Homages to Vermeer, a Michael Nyman score, and relentless perversity with a point. Exhilarating!

Shekhar Kapur directed this third version of AEW Mason's regimental romance about the Sudanese war. Unfortunately, his ambitions to turn it into a critique of British imperialism are drowned under James Horner's glutinous score and colourless performances from the vapid Heath Ledger and chums. Notable exception—Djimon Hounsou, as the noble nomad who saves our brave English boys from a fiery desert hell. There's also one great battle scene.

Alter-ego of The Be Good Tanyas' Trish Klein and Montreal's ex-Fear Of Drinking singer Allison Russell, Po' Girl dish out an invigorating mess of blues-jazz and country grit. There's enough hair in the harmonies and a looser approach to distinguish the duo from the Tanyas' buffed-up chirpiness, plus plenty of silver-spun beauty. Klein's voice sounds folk-mountain fresh throughout, while Russell drizzles the likes of "Wheels Are Taking Me Away" with sleepy clarinet.

Many are now admitting that the title may have been the funniest thing about Christopher Guest's latest piss-take of the earnest. Problem being that its chosen genre of cheesy '60s folk is barely remembered in the UK: Dylan and co presumably blew away the artists Guest is targeting. Also, he clearly nurtures an affection for these nerds.

They're comprised of Chris Abrahams (keyboards), Lloyd Swanton (bass) and Tony Buck (drums), and have been in existence on and off since 1987. You might think "jazz trio", but this remarkable group goes far beyond that. Their methodology is to improvise slowly on and gradually develop melodic and rhythmic motifs.

Ardent art-rockers with a preacher's conviction

Two original Mercury LPs from '60s one-hit wonder. But what a hit

Timely reissue on Aphex Twin's label

Efficient tale of fractured family set in the Old West.

The American newspaper heiress' kidnapping and brainwashing by the self-styled urban revolutionaries of the Symbionese Liberation Army, as retold by Paul Schrader. In the title role, Natasha Richardson goes through the trauma with committed desperation, but, despite being based on Hearst's own memoir, you never feel any closer to her, even if Schrader's film is often as claustrophobic as the cupboard in which she was imprisoned for 50 days.