Monthly Archives: February 2018

Film Review – I, Tonya

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I, Tonya begins with onscreen text stating that the film is based on contradictory and irony free interviews from those involved in the actual events. As a wry, blackly comic biopic of infamous American figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie), the film charts her tumultuous, frequently destructive relationships with her mother LaVona (Allison Janney) and her husband Jeff (Sebastian Stan). It also celebrates her achievements (via CGI enhanced skating sequences), but also looks in depth at the scandal that resulted in criminal charges and ended her career.

Director Craig Gillespie and writer Steven Rogers have taken the Rashomon path, by interspersing the drama with differing points of view, interviews and moments where the fourth wall is broken, as characters state “This didn’t happen” or words to that effect. This proves effective in some of the more shocking scenes of domestic abuse, particularly in one moment when the film abruptly cuts to Janney saying “Oh please… What family doesn’t have its issues?”

Outstanding, potentially Oscar-worthy performances from Robbie and Janney are the main reason to see this. Janney’s tough-love but also abusive approach is all the more heartrending for often being played for very dark laughs. As far as Robbie is concerned, her performance is a wonder, perfectly encapsulating the tough, tenacious nature of her character but also providing telling glimpses of vulnerability. One scene, where Tonya asks a judge why she isn’t getting top marks, proves particularly poignant. The judge explains that because she is a redneck and doesn’t have a “wholesome family image”, she is marked down, because they don’t want such a person to represent America. Genuinely bewildered, Tonya replies “Why can’t it just be about the skating?”

Of course, the shadow of the notorious incident with Nancy Kerrigan always looms on the horizon. Anyone familiar with the actual events will perhaps find their perspective challenged as to just how much Tonya herself was to blame. In addition to the afore-mentioned scenes of domestic violence, I should also add warnings for very strong language, for those who appreciate them.

All things considered, I, Tonya is a dark, savagely funny biopic, and well worth a watch.

Echo and the White Howl – Overview

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Over the past several weeks, I have been promoting my latest novel, Echo and the White Howl. An animal fiction story set amongst a wolf pack in Alaska, this book is a gripping and thrilling adventure for all ages.

Echo and the White Howl Cover 10 (FINAL)

Here is a summary of essential information about the novel, as well as links to articles exploring its different aspects:

Blurb from the back of the book:

When a wolf pack discovers humans lurking near their territory, Echo senses dark times ahead.

Despite the warnings and omens, Aatag, the pack Alpha, refuses to flee… leading to a cruel turn of events that forces Echo into exile, and a quest for revenge that will change the pack forever.

Character introductions

Click here for introductions to some of the main characters.

Excerpts

Tasters of the novel can be read here and here.

Cover

More about the cover design here.

The Writing Process

Click here to read about my experience writing animal fiction.

Influences

Which key texts informed and inspired Echo and the White Howl? Click here for more.

Research

Click here to find out what most fascinated me as I researched wolves, Alaska and so forth.

Themes

What is Echo and the White Howl really about? Click here for more.

Echo and the White Howl is out now. Click here for your Kindle download or paperback copy.

Film Review – The Shape of Water

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The Shape of Water is actually not the first time Guillermo Del Toro has explored an unlikely love story between a woman and an aquatic male humanoid. A subplot in Hellboy II: The Golden Army between Abe Sapien and Princess Nuala feels like something of a forerunner. To be fair, that was a very different film, and yes alright technically Nuala is an Elf, but nonetheless Del Toro has dipped his toe into these waters before. In addition, the film clearly draws influences from a wide bouquet of cinema history, in everything from Splash to The Creature from the Black Lagoon. There’s even a hint of Powell/Pressburger’s classic A Matter of Life and Death.

All that said, The Shape of Water feels unique. A quirky, surreal yet poignant adult fairy tale romance set at the height of the Cold War, the plot concerns Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute cleaner at a top secret government facility. Her routine of friendship with gay artist neighbour Giles (Richard Jenkins), egg-timer morning masturbation, bus journeys and keeping her head down whilst cleaning around government bigwigs is disrupted when a mysterious amphibian humanoid captured in the Amazon is brought to where she works. Said amphibian is tortured and generally ill-treated by security man Strickland (Michael Shannon), although his captive does occasionally bite back – literally. However, Elisa finds she is able to communicate with the creature, and the two form a bond.

With such a bizarre premise, the film really shouldn’t work. Yet somehow it does – brilliantly. Performances are all terrific, especially from Sally Hawkins. It’s also worth giving a special mention to Octavia Spencer and Michael Stuhlbarg, who crop up in key supporting roles – the former as a friend and colleague of Elisa, and the latter as a Russian agent working undercover at the facility. Dan Lausten’s cinematography is strikingly beautiful, visual effects are very well done, and Alexandre Desplat contributes a fine music score.

Although Del Toro is as monster obsessed as they come, here, as in many of his films, the true monster is human. Strickland is a necessarily unredeemable fairy tale villain, whose delusional belief in 1950s Apple Pie Americana propaganda leads him to commit horrible acts. By contrast, Elisa exhibits intelligence, understanding, compassion and tremendous bravery.

Some misguided Christians have absurdly claimed that the film promotes bestiality, but that is to wilfully misunderstand the metaphors. Yes, some Christian audiences won’t be able to get past the swearing, violence, gore and sexual frankness on display here, but underneath all that, this is essentially a variation on Beauty and the Beast, with humane things to say about loneliness and being different.

Quite honestly, I loved it. I’m not sure it’s quite as good as Pan’s Labyrinth, as some critics claim, but nevertheless The Shape of Water is a wonderful, beguiling romantic fantasy.

Echo and the White Howl – Brexit allegory?

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I have been asked on a number of occasions how my latest novel Echo and the White Howl should be interpreted. Is it an historic allegory? A contemporary political allegory? A spiritual allegory? Someone suggested the story alluded to Stalin’s Russia and the way he created famines. Someone else even suggested the story might be about the European Union and Brexit.

Quite honestly, the primary motivation for writing the novel was simply to create a gift for my youngest son, who asked for an adventure story about wolves. If readers want to interpret the book in any other way, they are most welcome to, but certainly there is no intentional message of any kind in the story. Indeed, I take that approach with all my books. I believe that the more one tries to put a message in one’s writing, the more preachy it will sound.

What I do believe, as I have often stated on this blog, is that when one writes purely to tell a story and not deliver a message, what is important to the author will be inherent in the text, and thus be far more palatable and persuasive. So yes, it is possible, perhaps even inevitable, that some of my political and spiritual views are lurking beneath the surface of Echo and the White Howl. I shan’t get into what they might be, as I prefer to leave that to readers to interpret (inaccurately or otherwise). However, some of the themes present in my other works – abuse of power and corruption for example, not to mention the metaphysical elements – appear again here.

Echo and the White Howl is out now. Click here for your Kindle download or paperback copy.

Film Review – Black Panther

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The latest from Marvel is an absolute blast – a wild, giddy, colourful thrill ride which gives superhero Black Panther a fabulous standalone film, having been introduced so effectively in Captain America: Civil War.

The story takes place mostly in the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda – a secret world of highly advanced technology, thanks to their supply of vibranium, an incredibly powerful and versatile metal. Having lost his father, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) succeeds to the throne of Wakanda, and inherits the title and mystical powers of the Black Panther. But T’Challa faces an immediate challenge from Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) and the mysterious Killmonger (Michael B Jordan).

The cast, which also features Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Forest Whitaker, Daniel Kaluuya and Martin Freeman, are all excellent. The screenplay does a good job of making us actually care about the characters, and Creed director Ryan Coogler stages the thrilling action scenes with great aplomb, making great use of his Jules Verne-esque visuals in Wakanda, as well as the occasional non-Wakandan locations (for example, one jaw dropping car chase in South Korea). It goes without saying the special effects are terrific.

There are some interesting themes and subtexts – a wealthy nation’s responsibility to the less well off (neatly inverting concerns about western responsibilities to the Third World), learning to be true to your own ideals as a leader, the folly of self-appointed revolutionaries wishing to mete out punishment for colonialism – and obviously this is culturally significant as the first major superhero film with an almost all black cast. That said, nothing feels preachy, and the most important thing to be delivered – a first-rate superhero movie – is achieved with great success.

 

Film Review – The Greatest Showman

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Tonight I caught up with The Greatest Showman, which received mostly poor reviews from critics, yet audiences have loved it. Did I love it? No. Frankly, I think the critics are right.

Ostensibly a fast-and-loose with facts musical based on the life of show-business pioneer PT Barnum, the film isn’t exactly terrible. It’s competently directed by Michael Gracey, but lacks the flair of, say, Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge. It features the odd good bit of choreography and music (courtesy of John Debney and Joseph Trapanese, and songwriters Paul and Pasek), and a fine cast, including Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, and Rebecca Ferguson. However, the screenplay is predictable, episodic, and ultimately unconvincing in its preachy, depth-of-a-teaspoon attempts at celebrating diversity (via dwarfs, bearded ladies, giants et al).

The first act, in which we see Barnum’s early struggles and successes, works reasonably well. However shortly after that, the plot goes off the rails (particularly in an excruciating scene featuring Queen Victoria). This is a shame, because the subject matter certainly had potential. Barnum was an interesting character, but despite attempts at grappling with themes of class prejudice, racism, ambition versus family, the temptations of being on tour, and so on, the film feels glossy but superficial. At no point does it surprise, and its moral conclusions have been explored far more satisfyingly and convincingly in other works.

Much like the newspaper critic in the film, I’m left rather scratching my head as to why The Greatest Showman has been so successful. To be fair it isn’t as bad as, say, the inexplicably popular Mamma Mia. That film really was a pestilential pimple from the cleft of Satan’s buttocks, whereas this one is, at best, an adequate entertainment.

Simon Dillon, February 2018.

Writing Echo and the White Howl

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Animal fiction is a notoriously difficult beast. I had never intended to write any, until last summer, when my youngest son begged me for a story about wolves. I initially said no, but then I had an idea that nagged and tickled, and the voices in my head would not be silenced until I had put them on paper.

Writing for my son proved a very good motivator, and despite my trepidation I pushed ahead with what eventually became Echo and the White Howl. It was not an easy novel to write for several reasons. For one thing, one has to make sure the reader suspends disbelief. That means walking the tightrope between assigning human attributes to animal characters to make them relatable, and yet at the same time making sure their knowledge doesn’t exceed their natural awareness. Wolves would have no understand of things like helicopters for instance (in the novel they are referred to as giant flying metal insects).

Turns of phrase can prove problematic. In the first draft, I often caught myself writing things like “Echo couldn’t put his finger on the problem” when he has paws, not fingers. On top of that, I had to decide which facts from my research should be incorporated into my story, and what should be left out. So for example, how a pack hunts, challenges to the Alpha and so forth are all woven into the narrative, whereas the fact that wolves supposedly only see in black and white was ignored. Poetic licence is important, and to have included the latter point would have been as foolish as insisting space battles in Star Wars feature no laser sound effects due to the vacuum of space.

Finally, I made a very conscious decision that this novel would not patronise children. I absolutely cannot bear children’s fiction which talks down to the reader. Whilst Echo and the White Howl is suitable for all ages, it does contain some frightening and upsetting moments. Nor does it skimp on blood and gore in both hunt and fight scenes. I honestly believe none of this material is gratuitous or out of place. Indeed, to have censored or left it out would have been fundamentally dishonest. In the main the novel is a thrilling adventure story with an ultimately reassuring outcome, but the fears, doubts, moments of despair and tragedies experienced by Echo and Saphira on their journey are not glossed over either. I believe this is in keeping with the traditions of the very best animal fiction, in the likes of Watership Down, The Jungle Book and Bambi.

Echo and the White Howl is out now. Click here for your Kindle download or paperback copy.

Film Review – Phantom Thread

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Every so often I see a film that reminds me why I fell in love with the cinema. PT Anderson’s Phantom Thread is one such film. Ostensibly an oddball love story set in 1950s London, this is a more twisted tale than it first appears, with ghostly, oedipal undertones seeping from every meticulous frame.

The plot concerns renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis), whose routine-based life is disrupted when he meets and is instantly attracted to waitress Alma (Vicky Krieps). Reynolds’s sister Cyril (Leslie Manville), who runs the business and facilitates his fastidious whims, at first believes Alma will prove merely the latest in a line of muses to be later discarded. However, gradually Alma becomes a more permanent fixture. The memory of Reynolds’s beloved mother looms like a shadow over proceedings, along with hints that Reynolds might be somehow cursed. As their fragile relationship threatens to crumble, Alma resorts to increasingly desperate measures to maintain her position.

Pointing out that the performances are fantastic feels like an exercise in redundancy. Day-Lewis is quite brilliant in what is supposedly his final ever role, and Krieps is a wonder, adding a quiet, subtle magic that brings real chemistry to their curious relationship. The superb screenplay features sparse, clipped dialogue that is often darkly funny, yet it is in the nuanced looks and gestures that the greater depths are added. Scenes featuring Reynolds’s distaste for loud eating are undoubtedly comic, but despite beautiful visuals (and costumes), the overall tone is bleaker, with even spectral apparitions adding to the air of profound melancholia.

Despite such prestigious cinematic influences as Hitchcock’s Rebecca and the films of Powell and Pressburger (especially The Red Shoes), Anderson’s film is unquestionably singular. A sublime music score from Jonny Greenwood stitches the drama together, adding layers of wistful nostalgia for a bygone cinematic era. Here I must add the usual warnings for strong language, though the swearing felt by no means gratuitous.

Themes of obsession, control, guilt and masochism are bound up within this rich tapestry of a film, and whilst it certainly isn’t for everyone, I have to say I absolutely loved it. Haunting, gripping and strangely moving, Phantom Thread is a dark romance that will definitely get under the skin of anyone with a serious interest in cinema.

Researching Echo and the White Howl

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As with all my books, my latest, Echo and the White Howl, involved a considerable amount of research. I have not ever been to Alaska (alas), but nonetheless I had to find out a great deal in order to generate a convincing, atmospheric, dirt-under-the-paws level of realism for the novel.

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For a start, I had to learn a great deal about wolf packs and their habits. Everything from how cubs are raised, to how lone wolves are sometimes adopted into other packs. Mating, digging dens, pack pecking order, territoriality and hunting were topics I studied extensively in books, online and in documentaries. Much of this provided useful information with which I could punctuate the narrative.

Regarding the issue of hunting, how a pack take down large and small prey proved particularly instructive. There are a number of hunts in the story at key points, some of which coincide with vital character development moments, so it was important to get these details right. For example, following a hunt, the pecking order in a pack determines the order in which the wolves feed, with the Alpha male and female first, and so on. Having studied this, I was able to generate drama around post hunt feasting in the very first chapter, with certain wolves resentful and envious of others, setting up conflicts to come.

I also researched a great deal about Alaska itself, especially the wilderness where these wolf packs reside. Everything from the kinds of trees to flora and fauna were looked into, although I tried not to overdo the references in the novel itself. After a certain point, landscape description just becomes tedious. Indeed, I had to trim it back in earlier drafts.

Another key element woven into the story are the seasons, including perpetual sunlight and perpetual darkness, depending on the time of year. Again, I was able to use this to my advantage in the story, as the amount of daylight proves significant in a key moment at the end of act one.

Other animals had to be researched as well, including Orca whales, eagles, bears and racoons. Originally all four species played a key role in the story, although in the end the Orca subplot was cut as I considered it too outlandish. In the final draft, these whales do appear briefly, but only in passing.

Finally, the most fascinating thing I learned in my research – which didn’t have a direct bearing on the novel – is just how unfairly reviled wolves have been throughout the centuries, and how they have been needlessly and cruelly hunted down by humans, when in fact they pose no significant threat to us. Where wolves have been deliberately reintroduced into the wild, such as in Yellowstone Park for instance – entirely ecosystems have radically recovered as the balance of nature has been restored in an extraordinary domino effect. Check out this short video here.

Echo and the White Howl is a thrilling animal adventure for all ages. Click here for your Kindle download or paperback copy.