Reviews.

This is my reviews page. I'm reviewing books, CDs and films here, but that's subject to change if I feel like it. I'll be updating it now and then so keep checking back.

On to September already. It hardly seems like yesterday I was back for summer with lots of plans. Oh well. I still haven't been to the cinema, but I wouldn't mind seeing Reign of Fire (X-Files connection - Rob Bowman directing!) and Signs. Myabe there will be time in the next 3 weeks, but I don't know when I'll get round to reviewing anything again. On with the show.

• Album Review: Dances With Wolves by John Barry

I'm so glad I finally got round to buying this. I can't remember when I first saw the film, but I do remember being struck by the brilliance of the score. Anyone who knows me will know I'm a huge fan of film music, and John Barry is up there with John Williams and Michael Nyman as one of my all-time favourite film composers. I struggle to find any fault in the work he does. I have one track from another film he has done, Enigma, and that is just as good. If I had to find a criticism it would be that his work can be a bit similar, as I couldn't remember which piece was the Enigma one and which were from Dances with Wolves. He does, however, have a distinctive sound that distinguishes him from other composers. He uses brass in his accompaniment more than others, which normally I wouldn't like, but it works very well for Barry. He use of harmony and melody is both moving and haunting. My favourite tracks are those centred around the character of Two Socks, the wolf. That, and the John Dunbar theme, have beautiful melodies and accompaniment. I also have the image for the Two Socks tracks of the wolf reaching for the meat from Dunbar in the film, which was a beautiful moment, one of my favourites. I think Barry's strength lies in the more lyrical and peaceful music. His battle pieces and his use of rhythm did not have quite the same effect as those in Gladiator, but his slow music is amazing. It has great power and ability to convey images of the immense landscape and breathtaking scenery. The Journey to Fort Sedgewick is a particular favourite of mine. I could go on, as I always do with film music, but I should leave it there and say that this amazing soundtrack gets a well deserved 10 out of 10.

• Film Review: The Green Mile

I really enjoyed this film, and I would have liked it even more if I'd seen it all in one go instead of being fragmented. Despite watching it in parts, I still felt strongly the mood pervading the whole film, and it was very powerful. With graphic execution scenes, this film is not for the squeamish. I thought the acting was superb by all in this film. Doug Hutchinson once again gave a startling performance as a bad guy, and I will have trouble believing him as a good character after Tooms in The X-Files (one of my all-time favourite villians) and now this. Tom Hanks deserves a mention, as do so many of the others whose names I don't know. The man in the centre of it all, playing Tom Coffey, was wonderful, but I only know his first name is Michael. I would love to know how tall he actually is in real life! This is a very moving film, and extremely well put together. In case anyone doesn't know, the Green Mile is death row, normally called the last mile. The film centres around this wing of the prison, touching on the lives of the inmates and the prison officers, and is centred around Tom, a simple man who possesses powers which are gradually revealed throughout the film. It is told in flashback by Tom Hank's character. I found the scenes with him as an old man very effective, particularly the revelation that his relationship with Coffey has had such a dramatic effect on his life. I don't know what genre this film would be classed in as it contains hints of the supernatural along with violence, mystery, humour and poignant moments to soften the hardest of hearts. It's well worth seeing, and I give it an 8 out of 10.

• Book Review:Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

As usual I was stumped for a book to review. This month I'm recommending what not to read! This book does have merit, but you have to be very determined to get through it. Perhaps this is most suitable for those familiar with Woolf's style. I had never read anything previous to this, and I found it tough going. Some of the innovations of 20th century prose breathe fresh life into the art, such as Joyce's Dubliners, which I enjoyed when I completed it a few weeks ago. This, however, is made challenging by the continuous style of narration. There are no chapters, or breaks of any kind, in the narrative. It is like a film with only action and no quieter moments to catch your breath, or music without cadences (although that sometimes works well). If you persevere with Mrs Dalloway, it is partly rewarding, as a picture of London post WWII is formed. I just found the relentless pace, particularly crammed full of psychology as opposed to anything really happening, somewhat tiring. Reading this book is akin to being inside someone's mind, which jumps from subject to subject, endlessly wondering and questioning without a break. I get the feeling there were many important questions posed and, perhaps answered, which I missed whilst struggling to get a sense of the history of the various characters and their thoughts. I also felt the ending was very inconclusive, if it can be called an ending at all. For me, it seemed to just stop. However, I am very new to this form of modern literature, and perhaps after hearing lectures on this book I might come to appreciate it more. After all, I couldn't understand a word of T. S. Eliot when I first read him, and now I am a huge fan of The Waste Land and much of his other work. Compared to the other work on my reading list this summer, this is probably my least favourite in style, if not necessarily content, so it gets a mere 6 out of 10. I may be reviewing it again by Christmas though!