![]() ![]() Released on 7 February in the US, 9 February in Ireland and 23 February in the UKĪnyone with an appetite for "foodie films" should tuck into this most lavish of cinematic banquets. It's also disarming in its absence of cynicism, unmistakably the work of a mature filmmaker thinking long and hard about the things that make life meaningful." "The director has crafted a film of deceptive simplicity," says David Rooney at the Hollywood Reporter, "observing the tiny details of a routine existence with such clarity, soulfulness and empathy that they build a cumulative emotional power almost without you noticing. ![]() It has been nominated for best international feature at the Oscars, and its star, Koji Yakusho, won the best actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival last year. Released on 2 February in the US & 16 February in the UK, Ireland and SwedenĪ quiet character study of a middle-aged man who cleans Tokyo's public toilets, and who spends his spare time tending plants and reading paperbacks? It may not sound like a must-see, but Perfect Days is a delightful return to form by Wim Wenders, the 78-year-old director of Paris, Texas and The Buena Vista Social Club. It should stand the test of time almost as well as its rugged hero." Arcel has "crafted a kind of Danish The Last of the Mohicans that's full of passion and political conviction. "The Promised Land makes for a gripping man-versus-wilderness survival story with unmistakable political undertones, but it's also nimble enough to allow romance to blossom under its slate-grey skies," says Phil de Semleyn in Time Out. But if the heath itself weren't hostile enough, he also has to contend with a spiteful local aristocrat (Simon Bennebjerg) who doesn't want this scruffy soldier encroaching on his territory. His plan is to cultivate a tract of supposedly unfarmable scrubland in honour of King Frederik V. The always-brilliant Mads Mikkelsen stars as a retired army captain who dreams of being seen as a nobleman. It’s not the newest turntable around, and the competition may be tough, but even after a few years it has proved that it’s still among the class leaders at this price.The Promised Land didn't get any Oscar nominations, but if Nicolaj Arcel's sweeping, gritty-yet-accessible 18th-Century epic had been in English rather than Danish, it would have won awards aplenty. Really, you can’t go wrong with the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. If we had to nitpick about something, we’d say the Rega RP1 Performance Pack offers more power, and a greater sense of authority in the low end – but then again it doesn’t have the impressive clarity of the Pro-Ject, nor it’s amount of detail. That’s not to say the Pro-Ject’s performance is clinical: it’s expressive, clearly displaying a good deal of subtlety and fairly wide dynamics. All the while, the deck keeps a firm grip on the musical structure, with a good level of rhythmic precision. It’s a clean, insightful sound that digs deep to reveal all manner of texture and nuance in the mournful guitar fiddling. The Pro-Ject is a fine-sounding package for the money. Time to jam, and it’s Closing Time for Tom Waits. And – for the Henry Fords of this world – one of them is black. The turntable is well made, and is available in seven high-gloss colours. The Debut doesn’t have any isolating suspension (unless you count a set of compliant feet) so make sure its support is as rigid and vibration-free as possible. ![]() Keep the deck perfectly level and well away from the speakers. The whole set-up process takes a matter of minutes, but you’ll want to pay extra attention to placement. Speed change is manual: you’ll have to take off the platter and move the belt by hand to go from 33⅓ to 45rpm. Oh, and the tonearm rest doesn’t have a proper locking clip, so you really don’t want to knock this turntable. It never feels like these parts are going to fall off, but it does feel precarious. Carbon-fibre tonearms are usually found only on decks far pricier than this ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |