"Now Is Good" on BLU RAY - A Review Of The 2012 Film And Which Version To Buy ...

 "...There Has To Be Some Perks To Being Terminally Ill..."

Tessa Scott is a normal 17-year old girl living in the South of England in the coastal town of Brighton. Her slightly older pal - the gorgeous and effortlessly sexy Zoey has no problems with 'doing' her boyfriend Scott - she's just not so good at keeping what his young loins have deposited (nicely played by Kaya Scoldelario). Tessa hasn't been so naughty yet but she wants to be. She wants to have sex, swill beer, pop a few pills, hit a racist, ride a wave in Hawaii, ski down a mountain and on a boring weekday maybe even engage in a bit of shoplifting in the mall (breaking the law). The only problem with Tessa's 'bucket list' of moments is that she's running out of time because she has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Worse Tessa couldn't stand the chemotherapy for such an aggressive cancer and has chosen to opt out - so now she desperately wants to fulfill her list ("as much as I can...as fast as I can...").

Her father and mother (a superlative combination of Paddy Considine and Olivia Williams) are separated and poles apart. Uber-responsible loving Dad cares too much - suffocating Tessa with his need to control every part of her life in a bid to protect her from pain - while flighty Mum can't even seem to turn up on time for a crucial hospital appointment. Her 9-year old younger brother Cal worries too in his own soppy way (Edgar Canham) "are you gonna haunt me..." But then hope arrives in the shape of a handsome and genuine English lad who literally moves in next door with his Mum (Jeremy Irvine generously giving the screen and movie to Fanning). Adam's father has died the year earlier and Tessa and Adam's initial meets are awkward and even reluctant (occasionally funny) but then the two slowly move towards each other despite their pasts and her lack of a future. And on it goes. This is a girl wanting love and finding it - wanting to matter - and realizing that she actually does...

Written and Directed by Ol Parker (adapted from Jenny Downham's book "Before I Die") - "Now Is Good" is a bit of a weepy for sure - but what makes it life-affirming and special are the beautifully realized performances by all of its lead actors (especially the phenomenal Dakota Fanning who never once lets that American accent slip and maintains a perfectly judged calmness throughout) and the depth in the script. As you can imagine material like this could be mawkish if handled badly - but "Now Is Good" never feels manipulative. The sentimentality is kept in check by candid and at times brutal exchanges between Tessa and her father and the new visiting home nurse Phillippa (superb work by Rayke Ayola).

"Now Is Good" is also that rare thing - tender and observant - full of great moments - seeing a daughter and mum at the front door of their home connect ("don't be afraid..."), sitting on a bench in the sunshine overlooking the White Cliffs of Dover, holding her first proper boyfriend on the bus home, fireworks at night in the garden with family, cooking breakfast for Dad ("who are you and what have you done with my daughter..."), Adam carving a snow angel in the ground, horses running free beside a set in railings in a park as they return home from Dover once more on a motorbike, Nurse Phillippa humanely describing to Tessa how the end will come...

Special mention should also go to the exceptional music by Dustin O'Halloran that fills so many scenes with emotion - fun and flighty one minute - aching and broken the next - an amazing piece of work.

A BLU RAY of "Now Is Good" is not available in the UK or USA. My copy is a German issue that I purchased on the GERMAN AMAZON SITE (use Barcode Number 887654313492 in their Search Bar). For some reason this reasonably priced version is not for sale on Amazon UK? When you do get your copy - as the movie starts - you will need to go to the Audio button on your remote and actually seek out the English 5.1 DTS-HD Audio track - or it'll play the film overdubbed in German.

Defaulted to 2.35:1 aspect ratio (bars on top and bottom) or even stretched to full screen - the picture quality is absolutely beautiful throughout and as already mentioned - the audio is warm, full and gorgeous.

The extras feature interviews with all the lead cast filmed in Hi Def (how they approached the roles and working with the other actors) and Director Ol Parker heaping praise on his cast (especially Dakota Fanning 'going for it'). There's also Deleted Scenes and a very long behind the cameras B-Roll segment with the actors and crew (shots of Brighton Beach and Town, White Cliffs Of Dover, Epping Forest, Leyton Ice Rink).

Like many - I came to this movie not expecting much and was more than surprised - I was moved. Using the parlance - "Now Is Good" is smart enough to keep it real - and by doing so - has captured in film and sound a loveliness that is rare. Well done to all involved.

“Flashbacks Of A Fool”. A Review Of The 2008 Film on DVD.

“I Would Do Anything For You…I Would Walk A Thousand Miles…Read You My Secrets…”

Having just had a threesome with two luscious naked babes in the silk sheets of his bedroom (itself the size of Terminal 5) and having just stuffed up his hooter enough pharmaceuticals to paralyse the entire population of Vancouver, Daniel Craig then stands on the balcony of his multi-million-dollar Malibu home overlooking the Pacific ocean in his linen strides – and sighs – where did it all go wrong???

Some people think it started here…because some folks have asked how this film even got made. Reactions to “Flashbacks Of A Fool” have been very mixed – some calling it utter tosh - while others have been deeply moved by it and awarded it 5 stars. Personally I enjoyed the movie immensely – not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination - but there was an awful lot in “Flashbacks Of A Fool” to enjoy and nice to see a varied troupe of young and more experienced actors given real meat to work with – and rising to it – all are uniformly excellent.

Freed of the acting constraints of Bond, Craig is a revelation - fantastically different as the fading Joe Scott. All twitchy, needy and in his late 40’s, Joe is a one-time famous movie star who has lived his life to excess at all times and is now growing ever more dependent on his bored black maid and packets of powder from visiting white ‘friends’. Joe Scott is all egomania and awash in the nasty distant side of himself that goes with addiction and endlessly appeased self-praise.

Then he receives some news from his ageing mum (Olivia Williams) by long distance phonecall. His young adolescent past – especially his relationship with a compliant mate called Boots (understatedly played by Max Deacon) are now coming back to haunt him. As well as Boots - whom he left in the dust so that young Joe Scott (played by a superb and visually similar Harry Eden - pictured with Craig below) could seek fame and fortune in the USA - there are also intense feelings for his first true love - Ruth Davies - played by the lovely Felicity Jones - and how he eventually treated Ruth…


Other actors include Mark Strong who has a great piece as Joe’s now impatient Hollywood agent - and the actress Eve who plays her character Ophelia Franklin, Joe’s ever-supportive but wary maid convincingly well. Jodhi May is also superb as Evelyn, a friend to Joe’s mum who is always in the Scott family kitchen with her lustful married eye on the sexually naïve, but handsome and lithe young Joe.

There’s also a particularly brilliant sequence - which many have already commented on – where young Ruth and Young Joe are dancing to Roxy Music’s “If There Is Something” from the band’s 1972 debut album “Roxy Music” (lyrics above). As young Ruth places the needle into track three of Side One, we see the pink-rim palm-tree Island label of an original vinyl LP pressing…and off she goes. She sings the words and mimes the movements of Bryan Ferry. Young Joe follows suit - falling hopelessly in love - under her magic spell - and loosing him self to a moment that will haunt him for the rest of his makeup bound life. Although its just them dancing to a Seventies song - the lyrics and the music make it intensely moving - and nostalgic too – and all of it imbibed with men’s inexplicable love for Bowie and Roxy Music and Mott The Hoople and T.Rex and…well, any music from that magical period really (Felicity Jones as Ruth and her older self played by Claire Forlani are pictured below).


The story then goes on to teenage lust, family squabbling and a terrible tragedy that wasn’t avoided by a busy-body old neighbour who’s shouting wasn’t heard (played to perfection by Miriam Karlin)…

Although the ‘flashback” sequence is very long – I thought it was brilliantly realised – especially young Joe’s awakening to the effect he has on the opposite sex – which of course is carried on into his film star years as Daniel Craig character. And although he’s a bit of an obnoxious git really and therefore difficult to like – Craig to his credit plays his character true all he way – whether he grows or not. There’s also a very satisfactory reconciliation scene with an emotionally blocked, but still very beautiful Claire Forlani…the grown-up Ruth.

Written and Directed by Baillie Walsh, the cinematography also features lovely South Australian locations dubbing as Summertime coastal Britain and original music by Richard Hartley in between the 70’s tunes.

'Growing up' has been done before so many times, so it’s hard to get a new or even fresh angle on it, but it was cleverly realised and brilliantly acted in “Flashbacks Of A Fool”. And while some have complained that Craig is only on screen for 30 minutes – man what a great half hour it is – a lot better than the half-assed crap that was the last Bond outing where I felt his heart wasn’t in it at all. Well on this film his acting is. And as the brilliant and evocative “It Ain’t Easy” by David Bowie played out the credits, I was compelled, moved and grinning from ear to ear.

Put “Flashbacks Of A Fool” high on your rental/to buy list – highly recommended.