Arsenal and Man City played out a draw to leave Liverpool a glimpse of the title.
The draw at the Emirates saw goals from Manchester City's David Silva in the 18th minute and Flamini's equaliser in the 53rd minute. The game, by no means a classic, saw Arsenal finish stronger and seemingly more energetic than Man City, who were far from their passing, interlinking best. The most exciting thing about this game, which was certainly not a heavyweight classic, was the opportunity handed to Liverpool, who play Spurs tomorrow in the cauldron of Anfield. Liverpool lie in second behind the leaders Chelsea and a win tomorrow will take them to the top of the table. Brendan Rodger's transformation of Liverpool has been incredible and way ahead of the 'five year plan.' Can he really restore Liverpool to title winners after so many years?
They are certainly playing the most exciting attacking football, with the enthusiastically-toothed Suarez and the curious dancer Sturridge forming the best double act since Cole and Yorke, Shearer and Sutton, or Lineker and Beardsley. The neutral can only hope Liverpool keep up the pressure tomorrow with a win over Tottenham, to make the title run in incredibly exciting.
The violence, beauty and originality of Scandinavian cinema
'Can I flick your face?' asks the icily sociopathic Charles Augustus Magnussen, played by Lars Mikkelsen. It's one of the oddest, most compelling scenes of the Sherlock season 3 finale.
Mikkelsen is an actor of unusual presence, appearing in Scandinavian TV show The Killing, and is the brother of Mads.
He steals the screen. A sweaty-palmed, manipulative genius, urinating in 221B Baker Street's fireplace; his performance but a mere drop in the river of Danish and Swedish film-making talent.
Such actors are the reason I have recently found fascination in the frosty, fairisle-strewn atmosphere of Scandinavian cinema. Add to that the beautiful, otherworldly locations and a sense of realism absent from most Hollywood fare. I've compiled a small list of my recent favourite discoveries in Scandinavian film. Even if you have no love for subtitles, I urge you to at least try one.
The Hunt (2012)
Starring Mads Mikkelsen, who was breaker of Bond's balls, literally, in Casino Royale and likes to sup chianti with spleen in Hannibal the TV Series. Mikkelsen plays a primary school teacher accused of a terrible crime of sexual abuse and its subsequent effect on the community. Nominated for Best Foreign Film at this year's Oscars (2014). A powerful, unflinching look at a subject that makes Hollywood's blood run cold (save for a few films, such The Woodsman, starring Kevin Bacon, that take on this subject matter). The film explores accusations of paedophilia and the ensuing witch hunts that occur in our media and communities at near hysterical levels in these modern times. Despite the subject matter, incredibly watchable, touching and a magnetic main performance.
Ondskan (2003)
A fantastically brutal, unrelenting study into the nature of violence, both physical and psychological,and the abuse of power. Set in a boys' boarding school, this is like Dead Poets Society with a knuckleduster. Blood splatters the camera frequently and the levels of violence involving children go harder than most would dare. The real horror, however is the controlled abuse of the protagonist's stepfather and the school prefects who give out punishments and the wilful ignorance of this by the teachers.
King Of Devils's Island (2010)
Based on a true story, a 'borstal' style boys island prison in the 1930s is home to beatings, humiliation and forced labour. Powerfully touches on the themes of sailing, escapism and the class system.
The Keeper of Lost Causes (2013)
Based on the Department Q novels by Jussi Adler-Olsen, this is a thrilling and nasty police procedural thriller. Detective Carl Mørck and his assistant take up the 'cold case' of a politician's disappearance - a case that takes them deep into the undercurrent of abuse and malice that lurks beneath the polished surface of Scandinavia. Featuring a truly unpleasant nemesis with a gruesomely inventive 'method' that involves the worst use of diving equipment imaginable, this is really compelling and the ending points towards further film adaptions of the novels.
Of the 'remade for America' Scandinavian movies, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is far superior in its original, TV movie extended form, despite David Fincher's slick remake: Naomi Rapace defines the role of Lisbeth Salander and the full depth of the trilogy can be appreciated. The trilogy is currently around £12 on Amazon, a great package for about 10 hours of drama. Let The Right One In is also far superior in its original form, retaining more of a sense of innocence and otherworldliness, which suits the melodic twists of the Swedish language perfectly.
The increased success of its actors and directors in Hollwood, particularly Nicolas Winding Refyn, who brings an art-house mentality to mainstream cinema, shows that Scandinavian cinema is becoming more interesting to us and to studios who are prepared to experiment a little more. This can only be a good thing. Watch some of the trailers above, see if any capture your interest, comment below.
Funny cat memes will save us all from destruction.
My blog over at http://thepaintedsmile.wordpress.com hasn't quite had the views I hoped it would thus far, even though i've interviewed some reasonably big names in the world of politics and crafted a heartfelt piece on Scandinavian cinema.
Because of this, I feel it appropriate to conduct an experiment and give the mass ignorant swathes of the internet-browsing public just what they want.
A funny cat picture.
Look at it! It's almost human in its characteristics. This cat is doing something that a human being might do. It's doing a little dance, the furry f*ck. Some comedic genius has taken it upon themselves to grab their smartphone and snap their apathetic, mouse-murdering companion in the act.
Even more side-splittingly, someone has written an amusing caption in the style of one of those crazy memes that go around Facebook and your work email. That is if you're privileged enough to have access to IT equipment at work. I am not. They have used the cheapest, nastiest font possible: as if they are speaking in Jim Davidson's voice. Or maybe Bernard Manning's, before he became deaded.
I bet this gets more views than any of the other stuff i've done.
