STACK NZ Jun #63

REVIEWS

BEST OF

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DVD of the MONTH

FOXCATCHER Wearing a rubber nose doesn’t necessarily

by wealth, drugs and success recalls both Boogie Nights and Behind the Candelabra , and a disturbing and uncomfortable tone saturates this intense character study; a mood heightened by Carell’s incredibly creepy portrayal of a man stewing in his own emotional repression. While Carell’s transformation is a highlight, Channing Tatum undergoes an equally impressive metamorphosis from hunky rom-com regular to brooding and bitter former champion consumed by a similar sense of self-loathing. Ruffalo (always good) received the film’s supporting actor Oscar nom, but it was Tatum who really deserved it. Foxcatcher offers much more than just watching two stars playing against type – it’s the antithesis of all those feel-good, formula American sports films, and that alone is worth the price of the disc. Scott Hocking

guarantee you an Oscar. Nicole Kidman got one for her prominent proboscis as Virginia Woolf, but Ian McKellen didn’t as Gandalf. Neither did Steve Carell, whose beak-like hooter in Foxcatcher helped transform him from funny to frightening. Nasal jokes aside, it’s Carell’s spellbinding performance as eccentric millionaire and wrestling coach John du Pont that makes Bennett Miller’s tragic, true- life sports story an absolute must-see – we’ll leave you to discover the grim details of what transpired on the Foxcatcher ranch, when du Pont secured the services of Olympic Gold Medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) and his brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo) to train a team for the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The theme of a naive youngster being seduced

ALBUM of the

JAMIE xx IN COLOUR It’s tempting to lazily tag Jamie Smith (AKA Jamie xx) as the latest wunderkind. But both his production track record (Radiohead and Florence remixes, the honour of re-working Gil Scott- Heron’s final album) and the thrilling nature of new solo album In Colour mean the epithet fits. One third of UK band The xx, Jamie spent three years completing this love letter, of sorts, to the better elements of England’s dance scene of the last 25 years. By no means simply a disparate collection of strong ideas, In Colour is best experienced from start to finish – because it’s an energised, assured and compelling rush that should beguile, engage and exhilarate anybody with a genuinely curious ear and an eye on new directions in music. It’s also a quintessentially, and quite deliberately, British record. Jamie bathes proudly in fragmented strands of UK dance culture, dipping into everything from

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post-jungle dissonance to urban soul, scattering disembodied samples of English street and club life throughout. But what makes In Colour really captivating is the ease with which it skates around clichés; it’s a skillfully-danced tightrope between the soulful and the melodic that avoids overloading the empty spaces, and talks to those who live the experiences of the culture it comes from. It’s a real music lovers record, about being who you want, if only for a night. It’s Oliver Sim’s beautiful vocal turn on Stranger in a Room that sums up In Colour , his voice hanging in the song’s delicate space:“You want to disappear in a crowd/ just a stranger in a room/ change your colour/ just for the night.” It’s got a digital heart and an analogue soul: a dance record few will move to, but a captivating journey through pure music to be enjoyed. Jonathan Alley

GAME of the MONTH

The witcher III: Wild Hunt You wake up in your keep, walk to the balcony and look out over a mountain range more picturesque than anything you’ve seen in a video game since Skyrim. Welcome to The Witcher III . They told us it would be big, but we never expected this. CD Projekt Red’s latest redefines the term “open-world role-playing

acute Witcher senses to take on the ravages that the game world throws at you. The combat system works seamlessly with its newly-implemented dodge mechanics, and the Witcher signs will prove invaluable when you need to turn the battle in your favour. Being a professional never looked or felt so satisfying. When you’re not following the main quest, there are a plethora of side-quests – which don’t simply ask you to be a courier – with the potential to keep you occupied for hours. The vibrant environment in which you find yourself begs to be discovered and a compelling narrative will have you thinking about the game long after a session has concluded. Why this game is so appealing is difficult to put into words. If you’re a fan of RPGs, The Witcher III is simply a must-buy. Paul Jones

game”, where choice plays such a dominant role. Faced with a world where good and evil aren’t necessarily obvious, you find yourself fretting over the choices you make, and worrying about their potential impact on the world around you. The Witcher III offers a realm of limitless exploration. Tasked with searching for protagonist Geralt’s adopted daughter Ciri and partner Yennifer, players must use their monster-slaying skills and

JUNE 2015 JB Hi-Fi www.jbhifi.co.nz

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