2019-07-01_Uncut_UK

JULY 2019 • UNCUT• 113

BACHMAN: SPECIAL EDITION

MVD

7/10

Tender tribute toCanada’sfirstrockstar
Painstakingly
researchedand
smartlyassembled,
JohnBarnard’s
98-minutein-depth
RandyBachmandoc
coverstheCanadian
rocklegend’searlylife
raisedina Mormon
family,histimeinTheGuessWhoand
Bachman-TurnerOverdriveandontohis
stillthrivingsolocareer.Insightful
contributionscomefromfriends,family,
bandmatesandsuper-fanNeilYoung,
whohasknownBachmanfor 55 yearsand
generouslycallshimhis“biggestinfluence”.
Extras:6/10.Additionalinterviewswith
Youngandothers.NIGELWILLIAMSON

THEBESTOFBRITISH
TRANSPORTFILMS:70TH
ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
BFI

7/10

Richandpoignantarchiveofrail
documentary
Thoughlesslionised
thanJohnGrierson’s
GPOfilmunit,British
TransportFilms,headed
byGriersonprotégé
EdgarAnstey,diligently
documentedthebirth
anddeathofnationalised
railintheUK,nowhere
betterthaninGeoffreyJones’awesomeshort
Rail, nowin4K,proceedinginwordless
rapturefromcathedral-likestationsto
steamtrainsvoyagingmagnificentlyacross
Victorianviaductsthroughtotheswinging
arrivalofelectrification.Theunitalsogave
a firstbreaktoa youngJohnSchlesinger,
whoselyricalTer minu s(1961)findsall
humanlifeina dayatWaterloostation.
Extras:6/10.Introductions by Edgar Anstey.
STEPHENTROUSSÉ

GONKS GO BEAT
NETWORK

5/10

Future rock godscameoin cultcurio
Amisfiringscience-
fictioncomedyfrom
1965 starringKenneth
Connorasa bumbling
intergalacticpeacemaker
senttoEarthtounitethe
warringpopulationsof
“Beatland”and“Ballad
Isle”.Asanattemptby
theBritfilmindustrytotapintotheyouth
market it’s woefully inadequate, although

thepassingoftimehasgivenit a modicum

ofquaintcharm.Laughsareinshortsupply,

buttherenotablemusicalinterludesfrom

theGrahamBondOrganisation(featuring

GingerBakerandJackBruce),Nashville

Teensanda 16-year-oldLulu.

Extras:7/10 .Twoaudio CDs.

TE R RYSTAU NTO N

HOW I WON THE WAR

BFI

6/10

JohnLennonstarsin awkwardly

absurdist ’60ssatire

Havingtackledsex

(inTheKnack...) and

rock’n’roll(inHelp!),

withHowI WonTheWar

(1967)RichardLester

andscreenwriterCharles

Woodlookedtoconclude

a high-concept,high-’60s

trilogy.Followinga

ramshackledelusionalBritishunitthrough

northAfrica,thefilmhaselementsofDr

StrangelovesatireandCatch-22absurd it y,

buttheuneventonefeelsmoreMichael

BentinethanBertoltBrecht.

Extras:7/10 .Plod(long-lostScaffoldshort),

1950santiwaranimations,RichardLesterin

conversationwithStevenSoderbergh audio

feature.STEPHENTROUSSÉ

THEROLLINGSTONES

BridgesTo Bremen

EAGLEVISION

8/10

Back in the lastcentury...

This150-minuteconcert

filmtransportsusback

21 yearstotheBridges

ToBabylonTour,when

Jaggerandcowerestill

50-somethingstriplings.

FilmedinGermany

towardstheendofthe

year-longjaunt,the

22-tracksetincludesallthefaves,a frankly

over-generousfivetracksfromthethen

currentalbumplusa tasty“MemoryMotel”,

selectedbyfansviatheband’swebsite,and

thefunkiest“MissYou”you’veever heard.

Extras:7/10 .Twoaudio CDs.

NIGEL WILLIAMSON

THE VIRTUES

ChANNEL 4

8/10

Damageddadtackleschildhood

demons in gritty TV drama

I

T’SfairtosaythatShaneMeadowsis notmessingaround

withTheVirtues. It’shardtorecalla moregruelling

openinghourina populartelevisiondrama,asourhero

Joseph(StephenGraham)findshimselfinanemotional

collapsethatleaveshimbruisedandsick,andbegging

SinbadfromBrooksidefora ferrytickettotakehimfrom

LiverpooltoIreland.Grahamhasbeenherebefore,ofcourse.

IntherecentLineOfDuty, hisvengefulundercovercop,John

Corbett,wasa LiverpudlianwithNorthernIrishroots,a lineage

thathelpedexplainhischaracter’ssuddendescent.Here,the

tangleofimpulsesis nolesstragic,thoughit existsata domestic

level,andfindsexpressioninself-destruction.

Thewarningsaretherefromthestart.Josephis ina van,

cominghomefromhisjobasa painter.Hestaresblankly.He

looksspent.Ashegoesintohisflat,a distantsirenwails.He

runsa bath.Thekettleboils,hecries.

Theactiondoesnotproceedwiththeusualenergyofa Shane

Meadowsproduction;it feelsclosertoa JamesKelmannovel.

WhileGrahambroughtmaligncharismatoThisIs England

astheracistCombo,hereheis punctured.It’sa boldopening,

becauseit is sohardtowatch.TheincidentthatpromptsJoseph’s

emotionalcollapseis thelossofhisyoungson,whois movingto

AustraliawithJoseph’sexandhercurrentpartner.Josephgulps

downhismilkata farewellmeal,andgivestheboypermission

tocallanothermanDaddy.Heembarksona massivebender,of

pintsandvodkaandtoiletcocaine,fightingwiththehand-dryer

andontoa waywardjourneyhome,filmedfromtheviewpoint

ofa pissedshoppingtrolley.Thenhewakesup,coveredinvomit.

Hasourherohitrockbottom?He’scertainlyreachedthepoint

wherehefeelstheneedtotravelhometorediscoverhislong-lost

sisterAnna(HelenBehan),andtograpplewiththechildhood

memoriesthatkeepblurtingintohisconsciousness.Thedrama

takesa morefamiliarshapeonceit reachesIreland,andJoseph

startstoachievesomekindofaccommodationwithhispast.

There’sa hintofromancewithAnna’spugilisticsister-in-law

Dinah(NiamhAlgar),thoughshetoohasrepressedtroubles.

Andthere’sCraigy(MarkO’Halloran),whoremembersJoseph

frombefore.

Itallproceedslikea documentary,andwhiletheensemble

addscolourandcontext,thisis Graham’sshow.Thetitle(with

a crucifixinthemiddle)givesfairwarningthatbiblicalthemes

areafoot,andMeadows(andco-writerJackThorne)justabout

remembertoofferhope.PJHarvey’ssoundtrackemits flickers of

alarm, and hints of a reckoning.ALASTAI R M c KAY

Offtherails:

Stephen

Grahamas

Josephin

The Virtues

GonksGoBeat:

tub-thumping

’60s kitsch