June 12th 2025
Hans Zimmer and Friends: Diamond in the Desert
The Wild Robot (Streaming on Netflix)
The Amateur (Streaming on Amazon Prime)
Music lovers had better not miss this extraordinary doco and concert about one of the world's most renowned film score writers. I loved it! Plus a couple more streamers to pass the winter nights.
Hans Zimmer and Friends: Diamond in the Desert
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© Sharmill - inspiring, energising, upliftiing -
simply brilliant. |
Sometimes we sit in a film and don't really notice the music. Other times it has a powerful effect. But when the music is taken out of the film and performed live with a 20-piece orchestra, the composer at the helm, and in an exotic setting - now you have something to really capture your attention. Shot over several performances, mainly in locations in Dubai, this extraordinary music concert is one of the best music docos I've ever seen. Hans and band perform his music from such iconic films as Lion King, Interstellar, Inception, Dune, Gladiator, Dark Knight, Man of Steel, Pirates of the Caribbean. The music takes on a new life, with top-notch talented musicians, and featuring several amazing lead solos from electric cellist Tina Huo, who simply jumps off the screen. In fact every musician here is memorable, and talent oozes from every pore. The joy they all show in performing with each other makes for a sublime experience, and the lighting effects, especially in the large arena, are gobsmacking. Music from Gladiator, sung by Aussie Lisa Gerard, and performed out in the Arabian desert, sends chills down the spine. When the band plays in the Al Wasi Plaza Dome (check out some images on the net!), it is glitteringly breathtaking. The whole musical experience is augmented with interviews, in which Hans talks of his creative process with people who have been involved in his movies: Jerry Bruckheimer, Pharrell Williams, Zendaya, Timothee Chalamet and more. These chats bring an unexpected intimacy to the entire proceedings, and give a deeper insight into the man, Hans Zimmer. On stage too we sense his generosity of spirit; he never grandstands, but shares himself and his genius with his fellow musicians. I will never take movie music for granted again! I don't have enough superlatives for this glorious film - uplifting, moving and simply awe-inspiring.5 - unmissable
The Wild Robot
Dir: Chris Sanders
Length: 102 mins
Streaming on Netflix - 2024
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| © Universal - a story with a real heart |
Nominated for three Oscars, including Best Animated Feature (and winner of many awards at other festivals) this is the sort of animation to delight folks of all ages. When a ship carrying a cargo of robots runs aground, one robot is washed up on the shore of a land where a diverse array of animals resides. After an accident with a bird's nest she becomes carer for a baby gosling, Brightbill (Kit Connor). Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), as she is known, programs herself to speak animal languages and sets about coaching the animals to get on better with each other, all the while training Brightbill, who is a runt, to be able to join in the great goose migration. All with the help of wily fox Fink (Pedro Pascal), who becomes her loyal friend. At the film's heart are the old-fashioned values of friendship, loyalty, trust, altruism and parenthood. The style is beautiful - not so much your slick modern animation, but something with a bit of a Miyazaki painterly feel to it. There is excitement, humour and pathos, and lead voice Nyong'o is simply terrific as she injects true personality into a machine! The voice cast. including Bill Nighy, Catherine O'Hara, Ving Rhames and Mark Hamill, all add to an excellent viewing experience.4 - highly recommended
The Amateur
Dir: James Hawes
Length: 122 mins
Streaming on Amazon Prime - 2025
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© 20th Century Fox - stretches believability -
but lots of fun |
Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) works for the CIA as a decoder (whatever that is!) When his wife is killed in London in a terrorist attack he decides he wants to be trained up as a killer - so he can take revenge upon the murderers. Yes, it's a pretty standard revenge plot, but what makes it a lot of fun is Malek, as a computer nerd who decides to move into a totally different field - and make quite a good job of it, thanks not to his fighting brawn, but his superior brain. The sheer number of ingenious devices, traps and killing methods that Heller sets keeps the audience on their toes. Plenty of terrific settings like Marseilles, Istanbul and Romania keep the pace up, but in the final analysis I find the plot a bit too unbelievable. But hey, these sorts of tall stories are sometimes just what one needs to divert and while away a wintry evening. (And Malek is always worth the watch, while it's good to see Laurence Fishburne back in action.)3 - recommended
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