With 6 fugitives still on the run and 13 days left, will any of them evade the Hunters and win?
Last episode ended with former police officer and family man, Jamie Clark, narrowly escaping the Hunters after he risked everything to see his wife. We pick back up to see that the Hunters are pursuing him along country roads in Dorset. While Jamie is fleeing, a herd of cows flood onto the road and he has to ditch his vehicle.
He runs into the woods pursued by the Hunters and leads them on a merry chase through a stream and thick undergrowth. He tries to hide, but is caught eventually. Arguably the show's strongest contestant has been caught. Although thinking about it, in the past, the strongest contestants have never down that well. In series 1, frontrunner Ricky Allen gave up halfway through and in series 2, former soldiers Kirk Bowett and Jez Scarratt were the first fugitives to be caught.
With Joe and Dan making a very brief appearance in the Lake District, we then move onto father and son team, Bob and Alex Ayling. For me, they're quickly becoming hot favourites. Alex has Asperger's and resultingly has low self-confidence: the complete opposite of his outgoing father. However, Bob is devoted to his son and wants to do everything he can to help him.
But after 12 days on the run, their supplies and morale are running low and the Aylings know they need to make contact with the outside world. With Bob being a Freemason, he decides to make use of his Freemason connections, by contacting his associate Kevin Kemp - a pub landlord. However, the Hunters also determine this will be the Aylings' next stop and send a team to interview Kevin.
The Aylings make their way to Kevin's pub, where Bob decides to scope out first, before sending Alex in. The Hunters have long gone, but Kevin reveals that they were snooping around earlier, so instead the Aylings decide to hole up with another Freemason.
The Aylings are able to have two secure days here, but being only 25 miles away from home, they become to sorely homesick. As a morale booster, they decide they'll risk everything to try to touch home to see, wife and mother, Lynne Ayling.
But the Hunters have a similar idea. They're getting nowhere with the Freemason, so they decide to refocus their efforts on Lynne Ayling. They send a team to interview her and quickly determine that she is lying through her teeth. They also determine that Freemason associate, Graham Skelting, is connected to it all. They begin tracking his car through ANPR.
Meanwhile, Alex is becoming paranoid and he suggests that he and Bob split up to double their chances. Bob agrees and on day 16, Kevin drives Alex to safety, while Bob prepares his own escape route. However, the Hunters are just around the corner and Bob escapes through the skin of his teeth. Graham leaves them a taunting message, before we move onto the final fugitive of this episode: Majid Mah.
Majid Mah is the Deputy Lord Mayor of Sheffield and is also an extrovert that loves to stir up trouble. It's revealed that he is hiding in Manchester, gaining supplies, and is planning on escaping, but first he taunts the Hunters, through mocking tweets.
The Hunters interrogate one of Majid's closest friends and associates, Helen Milner and Milton Pennyfeather, while Majid returns to his hometown of Sheffield and stays with his associates in the Green Party. The Hunters note that there is a Green Party conference in town and they suspect with Majid's cheeky personality will make an appearance there.
They send a ground team to survey the conference, but it's revealed that Majid decided it was too risky to go to the conference. However, the Hunters identify one of Majid's potential associates, Helen Milner, as well as her house and car. The only problem? This is the associate Majid is staying with. They send a team to Helen's house and carry out surveillance.
On Day 19, Milton informs Majid via the phone that the Hunters are hiding and he drives Majid to safety. However, the Hunters track the phone call and are still tracking the car.
They unleash everything they have to catch Majid who is heading for the Peak District. They stop at a pub to gain their bearings, while the Hunters get a fleeting glimpse of them. The episode ends with the Hunters spotting them on the road. Will Majid be caught? We'll have to wait until next week to find out.
Top tips for going on the run:
1. Don't visit home. This is what caught out Jamie Clark.
2. Don't become overconfident. This could be Majid's downfall.
3. Be wary of burner phones. Even just using them once could be enough for the Hunters to track you down.
Friday, 26 January 2018
Downfall Review
Number 127 on top 1000 films of all time is the German WW2 film: Downfall.
Set in Nazi Germany, Downfall explores the last ten days of Adolf Hitler (Bruno Ganz) and other prominent Nazis.
As a Western viewer, it's always interesting to see WW2 films that are set on the side of the Germans. With Das Boot as an example, these films don't see to either romanticise or vilify the Germans, but rather objectively portray the war from their perspective.
Downfall also succeeds in this. With the Russians closing in from the East and the Allies from the West, Nazi Berlin will surely fall. Here we see the Nazi government, once so united, begin to implode. Paranoia starts to circulate and tensions rise. Some Nazis like Himmler give up and seek to escape Berlin. But others like Goebbels and Hitler himself refuse to surrender, even if that means losing everything.
Although Downfall portrayed Hitler at his most abhorrent, with him enacting a scorched-earth policy to punish the German people, whom he thinks have failed him, it also portrays him as completely human. Yes, Hitler is undoubtedly evil, but what Downfall does is complicate this. We see a man clinging desperately onto a dying ideology. The cracks in his facade appear, as he struggles to accept his reality. this is down to Bruno Ganz' excellent performance. He portrayed Hitler, as a multi-layered man.
As well as complicating Hitler, Downfall also complicates his Nazi leaders. Again, while they're definitely not romanticised, they are portrayed with shades of grey. While Hitler spits in the face of compassion, officials like Albert Speer plead for him to spare the German people. Although this isn't universal, some of them are as ruthless as Hitler, executing anybody who runs away. Other Nazis lynch innocent Germans to serve as a warning for the approaching Russians.
Downfall also explores themes of complicity and ignorance through characters like Traudl Junge, Hitler's secretary. The film is bookended with the real Traudl Junge explaining the guilt she feels for not doing enough to realise the truth of what was happening.
Interlinked with the main narrative are two subplots, one of a Nazi doctor who refuses to abandon his patients and another of a Hitler Youth, seeking to return to his family. Both of these subplots helped to ground the main action and added a more human touch to the film.
Although it wasn't a Holocaust film as such, Downfall definitely had its disturbing parts to it. Most notably, are the scenes where Hitler and Eva Braun discuss different suicide methods and Magda Goebbels poisoning her children. There were also large party scenes, as some of the Nazis refused to face reality. These different responses to grief also helped to nuance the film.
Downfall was an interesting film, which helped to colour in some very black and white characters. It was challenging watch, but a necessary one all the same.
Set in Nazi Germany, Downfall explores the last ten days of Adolf Hitler (Bruno Ganz) and other prominent Nazis.
As a Western viewer, it's always interesting to see WW2 films that are set on the side of the Germans. With Das Boot as an example, these films don't see to either romanticise or vilify the Germans, but rather objectively portray the war from their perspective.
Downfall also succeeds in this. With the Russians closing in from the East and the Allies from the West, Nazi Berlin will surely fall. Here we see the Nazi government, once so united, begin to implode. Paranoia starts to circulate and tensions rise. Some Nazis like Himmler give up and seek to escape Berlin. But others like Goebbels and Hitler himself refuse to surrender, even if that means losing everything.
Although Downfall portrayed Hitler at his most abhorrent, with him enacting a scorched-earth policy to punish the German people, whom he thinks have failed him, it also portrays him as completely human. Yes, Hitler is undoubtedly evil, but what Downfall does is complicate this. We see a man clinging desperately onto a dying ideology. The cracks in his facade appear, as he struggles to accept his reality. this is down to Bruno Ganz' excellent performance. He portrayed Hitler, as a multi-layered man.
As well as complicating Hitler, Downfall also complicates his Nazi leaders. Again, while they're definitely not romanticised, they are portrayed with shades of grey. While Hitler spits in the face of compassion, officials like Albert Speer plead for him to spare the German people. Although this isn't universal, some of them are as ruthless as Hitler, executing anybody who runs away. Other Nazis lynch innocent Germans to serve as a warning for the approaching Russians.
Downfall also explores themes of complicity and ignorance through characters like Traudl Junge, Hitler's secretary. The film is bookended with the real Traudl Junge explaining the guilt she feels for not doing enough to realise the truth of what was happening.
Interlinked with the main narrative are two subplots, one of a Nazi doctor who refuses to abandon his patients and another of a Hitler Youth, seeking to return to his family. Both of these subplots helped to ground the main action and added a more human touch to the film.
Although it wasn't a Holocaust film as such, Downfall definitely had its disturbing parts to it. Most notably, are the scenes where Hitler and Eva Braun discuss different suicide methods and Magda Goebbels poisoning her children. There were also large party scenes, as some of the Nazis refused to face reality. These different responses to grief also helped to nuance the film.
Downfall was an interesting film, which helped to colour in some very black and white characters. It was challenging watch, but a necessary one all the same.
Monday, 22 January 2018
Hunted Episode 3 Recap
Nine days in and there are still seven fugitives at large. This episode features all of the fugitives except for Majid whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Firstly, let's pick up from on old university friends and self-confessed city girls: Sandra and Mella.
Last episode saw them trying to hitchhike their way from Edinburgh to Kent. Suspecting they may try this, the Hunters sent ont of their ghost agents to pretend to be a Good Samaritan, who'll then deliver them into the Hunters' hands.
Ghost agents are agents who remain anonynmous and can conduct surveillance, but can't complete captures. They are a new addition for this series.
Last episode ended on the question of whether Sandra and Mella were picked up by the ghost agent. This question was quickly answered with a yes. The Ghost Agent delivered them to Gretna Green Services and into the hands of the Hunters. Sandra and Mella are out after eight days on the run. This now means that the winner, assuming somebody will win, will be male, as Sandra and Mella were the last women standing.
From here we o to father and son team: Robert and Alex Ayling. Alex has Asperger's and is the plar opposite of his father. Where Alex is reserved, shy and logical, Bob is loud, brash and impulsive. Bob wants to make up for his failings as a father, after he was initially unreceptive to Alex and his Asperger's syndrome. This makes him very likeable for me and dare I say, a favourite to win.
Last we saw them, they were in the Peak Distict, where the Hunters still thought they were, but it\'s revealled that they've hitch-hiked their way to Hampshire. While trekking through a forest, we see their different sides come out. Bob messes around on a rope swing, while Alex is afraid of getting caught. We also discover that Bob is a freemason and plans to use his freemason connections to help them around the country. From Hampshire, they go to Bath to do just that.
However, the Hunters quickly figured out Bob's plan too and dispatch a ground team to interview Bob's fremason friend, Graham. But the interview is really just a pretense for them to hack into Graha's computer and install spyware. It seemingly works, although I am curious why Graham wasn' more supsicious of two Hunters snooping around his house.
Anyway, Graham receives an email, which th Hunters assume is from Bob. The email identifies a caravan that Bob and Alex might be hiding in. The Hunters quickly investigate only to find this is a decoy set by Alex and Bob who are now fifty miles away in the New Forest.
Now we move nto best friends, Joe and Dan, whom we've seen very little off. The pair areboth milkmen,but moonlight as wedding and pub singers. Their plan is to seek help forom the people who own the venues that they've performed at in the past.
The Hunters are stumped at Joe and Dan's whereabouts, so they decide to question their friends at the Hunter HQ. They even go so far as to pay fo their train tickets, but this is a trap. The Hunters have planted a Ghost Agent who eavesdrop on the friends' conversation and reports back tha Joe and Dan are in the Lake District, pulling odd js in exchange for food and shelter.
The Hunters quickly figure out Joe and Dan's plan and also identify their next safe harbour: the Pheasant Inn. Meanwhile, Joe and Dan are pulling pints and serving dinner in exchange for money and sheltr. The Hunter dend a team to investigate, but Joe and Dan are already leaving.
Lastly, we come to former police officer and family man, Jamie Clark. he went on the run leaving his heavily pregnant wife home in Dorset, but he risks it all to see her again. The Hunters identify through CCTV that Jamie could be in Dorset. Meanwhile. he leaves a coded message for is wife's best friend, Sarah Clark.
However, the Hunters have aso seen Jamie on CCTV back in Manchester, and suspect he may have hitched a ride back down south. Using License Plate Recognition, they identify a delivery firm whom might have helped him and quickly they dispatch a ground team who obtain valuable information.
Jamie goes to meet Sarah in a secluded forest who tells him that Lesley is extremely paranoid, but she'll still try to help them meet. The Hunters suspect that Lesley will lead them to Jamie and so a ground team tracks Lesley's car. While they lose her at traffic lights, they identify Sarah Clark as Lesley's best friend and instead go to her house. They find Lesley's car there and determine that she has gone to meet Jamie, and quickly deduce, that they will meet in the secluded forest. They go to catch Jamie.
Jamie and Lesley have an emotional reunion, before Jamie realises he needs to escape. Borrowing a vehicle from Sarah, he drives away from the forest and straight past the ground team who was sent to intercept him. He gives them a cheeky wave, before driving off. The chase is on but we have to wait until next week to see if they catch Jamie.
Top tips for going on the run
1. Be wary of hitch-hiking. You never know who you can trust.
2. As agonising as it might be, do not return home. The Hunters will be waiting.
3. Don't become over-confident. Overconfidence leads to mistakes.
Firstly, let's pick up from on old university friends and self-confessed city girls: Sandra and Mella.
Last episode saw them trying to hitchhike their way from Edinburgh to Kent. Suspecting they may try this, the Hunters sent ont of their ghost agents to pretend to be a Good Samaritan, who'll then deliver them into the Hunters' hands.
Ghost agents are agents who remain anonynmous and can conduct surveillance, but can't complete captures. They are a new addition for this series.
Last episode ended on the question of whether Sandra and Mella were picked up by the ghost agent. This question was quickly answered with a yes. The Ghost Agent delivered them to Gretna Green Services and into the hands of the Hunters. Sandra and Mella are out after eight days on the run. This now means that the winner, assuming somebody will win, will be male, as Sandra and Mella were the last women standing.
From here we o to father and son team: Robert and Alex Ayling. Alex has Asperger's and is the plar opposite of his father. Where Alex is reserved, shy and logical, Bob is loud, brash and impulsive. Bob wants to make up for his failings as a father, after he was initially unreceptive to Alex and his Asperger's syndrome. This makes him very likeable for me and dare I say, a favourite to win.
Last we saw them, they were in the Peak Distict, where the Hunters still thought they were, but it\'s revealled that they've hitch-hiked their way to Hampshire. While trekking through a forest, we see their different sides come out. Bob messes around on a rope swing, while Alex is afraid of getting caught. We also discover that Bob is a freemason and plans to use his freemason connections to help them around the country. From Hampshire, they go to Bath to do just that.
However, the Hunters quickly figured out Bob's plan too and dispatch a ground team to interview Bob's fremason friend, Graham. But the interview is really just a pretense for them to hack into Graha's computer and install spyware. It seemingly works, although I am curious why Graham wasn' more supsicious of two Hunters snooping around his house.
Anyway, Graham receives an email, which th Hunters assume is from Bob. The email identifies a caravan that Bob and Alex might be hiding in. The Hunters quickly investigate only to find this is a decoy set by Alex and Bob who are now fifty miles away in the New Forest.
Now we move nto best friends, Joe and Dan, whom we've seen very little off. The pair areboth milkmen,but moonlight as wedding and pub singers. Their plan is to seek help forom the people who own the venues that they've performed at in the past.
The Hunters are stumped at Joe and Dan's whereabouts, so they decide to question their friends at the Hunter HQ. They even go so far as to pay fo their train tickets, but this is a trap. The Hunters have planted a Ghost Agent who eavesdrop on the friends' conversation and reports back tha Joe and Dan are in the Lake District, pulling odd js in exchange for food and shelter.
The Hunters quickly figure out Joe and Dan's plan and also identify their next safe harbour: the Pheasant Inn. Meanwhile, Joe and Dan are pulling pints and serving dinner in exchange for money and sheltr. The Hunter dend a team to investigate, but Joe and Dan are already leaving.
Lastly, we come to former police officer and family man, Jamie Clark. he went on the run leaving his heavily pregnant wife home in Dorset, but he risks it all to see her again. The Hunters identify through CCTV that Jamie could be in Dorset. Meanwhile. he leaves a coded message for is wife's best friend, Sarah Clark.
However, the Hunters have aso seen Jamie on CCTV back in Manchester, and suspect he may have hitched a ride back down south. Using License Plate Recognition, they identify a delivery firm whom might have helped him and quickly they dispatch a ground team who obtain valuable information.
Jamie goes to meet Sarah in a secluded forest who tells him that Lesley is extremely paranoid, but she'll still try to help them meet. The Hunters suspect that Lesley will lead them to Jamie and so a ground team tracks Lesley's car. While they lose her at traffic lights, they identify Sarah Clark as Lesley's best friend and instead go to her house. They find Lesley's car there and determine that she has gone to meet Jamie, and quickly deduce, that they will meet in the secluded forest. They go to catch Jamie.
Jamie and Lesley have an emotional reunion, before Jamie realises he needs to escape. Borrowing a vehicle from Sarah, he drives away from the forest and straight past the ground team who was sent to intercept him. He gives them a cheeky wave, before driving off. The chase is on but we have to wait until next week to see if they catch Jamie.
Top tips for going on the run
1. Be wary of hitch-hiking. You never know who you can trust.
2. As agonising as it might be, do not return home. The Hunters will be waiting.
3. Don't become over-confident. Overconfidence leads to mistakes.
Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Ran Review
Number 126 on the top 1000 films of all time is the historical Japanese epic: Ran.
Adapted from Shakespeare's, King Lear, Ran is set in Medieval Japan. It tells the story of ageing emperor Hidetora Ichimonji, who in his decision to abdicate, divides his power and territory between his three sons Taro, Jiro and Saburo. However, he soon finds that the power corrupts them, as they begin fighting each other.
I always feel guilty about criticising a film on this list. I mean, it has to be number 126 for a reason, right? Well, I just did not get on with Ran. My main problem was its sheer length. At two and a half hours, the pacing was slow and there was far too much talking. Within ten minutes, I found myself losing interest.
Ran did receive critical acclaim for its costume design, as well as being the most expensive Japanese film for the time. Where this praise was well-deserved was its battle sequences. While they were few and far between, the sons do battle with one another. And I found these sequences to be the most engaging parts of the film, partially, because something was actually happening, but also because of how visceral the violence was. I was surprised by how real it felt.
As someone who has studied King Lear, it was interesting seeing the parallels between it and Ran, such as all of the character and scene equivalents. I enjoyed the part where Ichimonji wanders into the wasteland and succumbs to madness, only to be rescued by his jester and his loyal servant Tango. That notwithstanding, this wasn't the film for me. While the cast wasn't particularly large, it was difficult for me to distinguish between the characters. But more importantly, it was just too long to sustain my interest.
Adapted from Shakespeare's, King Lear, Ran is set in Medieval Japan. It tells the story of ageing emperor Hidetora Ichimonji, who in his decision to abdicate, divides his power and territory between his three sons Taro, Jiro and Saburo. However, he soon finds that the power corrupts them, as they begin fighting each other.
I always feel guilty about criticising a film on this list. I mean, it has to be number 126 for a reason, right? Well, I just did not get on with Ran. My main problem was its sheer length. At two and a half hours, the pacing was slow and there was far too much talking. Within ten minutes, I found myself losing interest.
Ran did receive critical acclaim for its costume design, as well as being the most expensive Japanese film for the time. Where this praise was well-deserved was its battle sequences. While they were few and far between, the sons do battle with one another. And I found these sequences to be the most engaging parts of the film, partially, because something was actually happening, but also because of how visceral the violence was. I was surprised by how real it felt.
As someone who has studied King Lear, it was interesting seeing the parallels between it and Ran, such as all of the character and scene equivalents. I enjoyed the part where Ichimonji wanders into the wasteland and succumbs to madness, only to be rescued by his jester and his loyal servant Tango. That notwithstanding, this wasn't the film for me. While the cast wasn't particularly large, it was difficult for me to distinguish between the characters. But more importantly, it was just too long to sustain my interest.
Monday, 15 January 2018
Hunted Season 3 Episode 2 Review
8 fugitives left and 18 days left on the run. Can any of them make the distance?
Episode 1 of Hunted finished with the Hunters converging on Robert and Alex Ayling. They have a drone with a thermal imaging sensor which identifies two heat signals.
And this is where episode 2 picks up. We find that the thermal imaging sensor has actually picked up the heat signal of two deer. This flip-up was enough to allow Robert and Alex to hitch a lift into Staffordshire.
This episode primarily focusses on Jamie Clark and Sandra and Mella, but let's quickly go over the last three fugitives.
Friends Joe and Dan, whom we've seen very little off, have escaped into the Peak District, while deputy Sheffield Mayor Majid has fled into Arndale.
But onto Jamie Clark. As well as being a former police officer, he is a family man with a heavily pregnant wife and young son at home. The Hunters realise this could be his Achilles' heel and dispatch a team to interview Jamie's wife, Lesley.
While she refuses to cooperate, the Hunters determine her due date is imminent and Jamie will not risk missing the birth of his child. Later, when the house is empty, the Hunters break in and search it.
They find Jamie's notebook and notice there are pages that have been torn out. It's explained that when you write on a notebook, you leave faint impressions on the pages that are underneath. These pages can then be treated with an electrical charge and black toner to reveal these impressions.
This is what the Hunters do with Jamie. They discover Lesley's due date and determine what hospital she will be attending.
Meanwhile, we learn that Jamie is still within the North-West, staying in the field of Good Samaritan, Dougie. However, it is obvious that he sorely misses his family and isn't prepared to miss the birth of his child, so he takes the massive risk of going to see them. Dougie has one of his delivery men agree to drive Jamie back home to Dorset, but firstly, Jamie sets a trap.
To make the Hunters think he's still in Manchester, he uses an ATM, making sure the Hunters see him on CCTV. They quickly spot him and dispatch a ground team, but Jamie has already left for the South West.
The last we see of him he has made it to the town of Tiverton and is figuring out his next steps.
From here, we move onto old university friends Sandra and Mella. Just like with Jamie, the Hunters quickly zone in on Sandra's family, interviewing her mother. She remains unhelpful and the Hunters search her home finding a letter addressed to a mysterious Robert Amule.
Previously unknown to the Hunters, they decide to focus on him. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Sandra and Mella and the other fugitives have been on the run for 8 days. Sandra and Mella are obvious city girls, ill-prepared for rough nights in the countryside. From Rochdale, Manchester, we see the girls have hitch-hiked their way to Edinburgh with the intention of staying with Sandra's Uncle Emmett within a block of flats.
The only problem with this plan? The blocks of flats are covered with CCTV cameras. Luckily, the girls have an ingenious solution for this. They cover themselves with bin bags and head for Uncle Emmett's flat. Amazingly, this worked. Seriously, I don't know how the Hunters missed two people walking around in bin bags. But anyway, Sandra and Mella make it inside only for Uncle Emmett to tell them that the Hunters have grilled Sandra's mother, Grace.
Shaken by this news, they decide to leave Edinburgh, but, firstly, they call Grace on a burner phone, so Robert Amule can bring them supplies and money.
Meanwhile, the Hunters have tracked down Robert Amule, who is revealed to be Sandra's brother. Robert doesn't hold up well under the investigation, and the Hunters quickly discover the truth about Sandra's burner phone. Shortly after this, Grace calls Sandra and tells her that Robert has been compromised. The two girls decide to forget their original plan and instead hitchhike to Kent.
However, the Hunters have traced their call to Edinburgh. While they don't have any ground teams in Scotland, they dispatch a ghost operative. A ghost operative is an anonymous agent who can perform surveillance, but can't perform any captures.
Why the Hunters haven't used these ghost operatives before is beyond me, as is why they aren't using any more of them. But, anyway, the Hunters quickly determine that Sandra and Mella will be hitchhiking and decide to have the ghost operative pretend to pick them up and drive them to safety, when in reality he will drive them straight into the hands of the Hunters.
The episode ends with Sandra and Mella supposedly getting into the Ghost's car, but we'll have to wait until next week to see if the two have been truly hunted. Considering it's been eight days and only one fugitive has been caught, the Hunters will be looking very foolish, if they don't catch anyone else soon. And remember, don't comment your plans for going on the run. You never know who's watching.
Top tips for going on the run
1. DON'T PHONE HOME. Why am I always saying this? Even burners can still be traced.
2. Don't use bin bags as a disguise. How Sandra and Mella got away with this is beyond me.
3. Pick your time for going on the run i.e not when your wife is pregnant. How do you expect to fight against this temptation?
Episode 1 of Hunted finished with the Hunters converging on Robert and Alex Ayling. They have a drone with a thermal imaging sensor which identifies two heat signals.
And this is where episode 2 picks up. We find that the thermal imaging sensor has actually picked up the heat signal of two deer. This flip-up was enough to allow Robert and Alex to hitch a lift into Staffordshire.
This episode primarily focusses on Jamie Clark and Sandra and Mella, but let's quickly go over the last three fugitives.
Friends Joe and Dan, whom we've seen very little off, have escaped into the Peak District, while deputy Sheffield Mayor Majid has fled into Arndale.
But onto Jamie Clark. As well as being a former police officer, he is a family man with a heavily pregnant wife and young son at home. The Hunters realise this could be his Achilles' heel and dispatch a team to interview Jamie's wife, Lesley.
While she refuses to cooperate, the Hunters determine her due date is imminent and Jamie will not risk missing the birth of his child. Later, when the house is empty, the Hunters break in and search it.
They find Jamie's notebook and notice there are pages that have been torn out. It's explained that when you write on a notebook, you leave faint impressions on the pages that are underneath. These pages can then be treated with an electrical charge and black toner to reveal these impressions.
This is what the Hunters do with Jamie. They discover Lesley's due date and determine what hospital she will be attending.
Meanwhile, we learn that Jamie is still within the North-West, staying in the field of Good Samaritan, Dougie. However, it is obvious that he sorely misses his family and isn't prepared to miss the birth of his child, so he takes the massive risk of going to see them. Dougie has one of his delivery men agree to drive Jamie back home to Dorset, but firstly, Jamie sets a trap.
To make the Hunters think he's still in Manchester, he uses an ATM, making sure the Hunters see him on CCTV. They quickly spot him and dispatch a ground team, but Jamie has already left for the South West.
The last we see of him he has made it to the town of Tiverton and is figuring out his next steps.
From here, we move onto old university friends Sandra and Mella. Just like with Jamie, the Hunters quickly zone in on Sandra's family, interviewing her mother. She remains unhelpful and the Hunters search her home finding a letter addressed to a mysterious Robert Amule.
Previously unknown to the Hunters, they decide to focus on him. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Sandra and Mella and the other fugitives have been on the run for 8 days. Sandra and Mella are obvious city girls, ill-prepared for rough nights in the countryside. From Rochdale, Manchester, we see the girls have hitch-hiked their way to Edinburgh with the intention of staying with Sandra's Uncle Emmett within a block of flats.
The only problem with this plan? The blocks of flats are covered with CCTV cameras. Luckily, the girls have an ingenious solution for this. They cover themselves with bin bags and head for Uncle Emmett's flat. Amazingly, this worked. Seriously, I don't know how the Hunters missed two people walking around in bin bags. But anyway, Sandra and Mella make it inside only for Uncle Emmett to tell them that the Hunters have grilled Sandra's mother, Grace.
Shaken by this news, they decide to leave Edinburgh, but, firstly, they call Grace on a burner phone, so Robert Amule can bring them supplies and money.
Meanwhile, the Hunters have tracked down Robert Amule, who is revealed to be Sandra's brother. Robert doesn't hold up well under the investigation, and the Hunters quickly discover the truth about Sandra's burner phone. Shortly after this, Grace calls Sandra and tells her that Robert has been compromised. The two girls decide to forget their original plan and instead hitchhike to Kent.
However, the Hunters have traced their call to Edinburgh. While they don't have any ground teams in Scotland, they dispatch a ghost operative. A ghost operative is an anonymous agent who can perform surveillance, but can't perform any captures.
Why the Hunters haven't used these ghost operatives before is beyond me, as is why they aren't using any more of them. But, anyway, the Hunters quickly determine that Sandra and Mella will be hitchhiking and decide to have the ghost operative pretend to pick them up and drive them to safety, when in reality he will drive them straight into the hands of the Hunters.
The episode ends with Sandra and Mella supposedly getting into the Ghost's car, but we'll have to wait until next week to see if the two have been truly hunted. Considering it's been eight days and only one fugitive has been caught, the Hunters will be looking very foolish, if they don't catch anyone else soon. And remember, don't comment your plans for going on the run. You never know who's watching.
Top tips for going on the run
1. DON'T PHONE HOME. Why am I always saying this? Even burners can still be traced.
2. Don't use bin bags as a disguise. How Sandra and Mella got away with this is beyond me.
3. Pick your time for going on the run i.e not when your wife is pregnant. How do you expect to fight against this temptation?
Thursday, 11 January 2018
The Hunt Review
Number 124 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Danish psychological thriller, the Hunt.
Set during Christmas in a small Danish town, the Hunt focusses on, Lucas, (Mads Mikkelsen)a kindergarten teacher who is down his luck. He is separated from his wife who holds custody over his son. Just as it looks like his luck is improving, one of his students, Klara (Annika Wedderkopp) falsely accuses him of sexually abusing her, after he spurns her affections for him. Klara is also the daughter of Lucas' best friend, Theo. Lucas' life spirals out of control, as the lie takes hold within his close-knit community.
What makes the Hunt so good is how it tackles the idea of the modern-day witch hunt. Rather than shying away from the issue, it portrays it in raw and unflinching detail. The Hunt was released in 2012 in the wake of Operation and Yewtree and reports of paedophilia within the Catholic Church. However, it is just as relevant now, as it was then.
Think of the sexual abuse scandal in Hollywood and how some celebrities were more quickly condemned than others. Harvey Weinstein was torn apart instantly, but people were more hesitant when it came to Kevin Spacey. Online, I found plenty of people who were ready to defend him. It's interesting who we choose to condemn and who we don't.
And this context is what makes the Hunt such a powerful film. Even after, the police determine Lucas' innocence, he continues to be ostracised by his community. This culminates with his house being bricked, his dog being killed and him being beaten up and ejected from his local supermarket.
As we're aware of his innocence, this was painful to watch. Lucas is a sympathetic character, as we know he is a good man who would never do what he has been accused of, yet it is a little girl's word against his. While our justice system claims to be innocent until guilty, this is almost never the case, as people's emotions cloud their judgement. This is only worsened by how it is a little girl accusing her male teacher.
If we're going to discuss gender inequality in the workplace, then let's consider how teaching, especially of younger children, is dominated by women. This is because people just aren't comfortable with men being around young girls, while forgetting that women can and do abuse boys. These women often go unpunished and if they are, they receive a fraction of the punishment that men do. For some men, their lives can be destroyed over baseless accusations, and some do take their own lives.
While this doesn't happen to Lucas, his experiences are still troubling to watch, as it is scarily believable. Mads Mikklesen was great, as the tortured Lucas. I felt very sorry for him, as he struggled between the truth and the lies.
If the film falls down anywhere, it would be the ending. After Klara realises the consequences of her actions, she protests Lucas' innocence, but nobody believes her. This is until the ending, where Theo realises the truth and brings Lucas, Christmas dinner, as a way of making amends.
The film then jumps forward by a year, where we see that Lucas has been accepted back into the community, which I thought was unrealistic. As previously mentioned, some men's lives are irreparably damaged from unfounded accusations, and so a year seemed too quick for Lucas to be forgiven. That is until he and his son, Marcus, go on a hunting trip in the woods. A stranger fires at Lucas and we only catch a glimpse of him, as the film ends. Whether this stranger was real or imaginative, is unclear, but it's obvious that not everybody has forgiven Lucas.
I think the film should have ended either with Theo and Lucas making amends or with the hunting scene, as that would have created more ambiguity. Having Lucas being forgiven felt like too clean of an ending for situations which end anything but.
But this is a minor criticism for what was an enthralling film. Mikklesen is great as Lucas and the Hunt engages important issues in a sensitive, but poignant manner. It's a definite, must-watch.
Set during Christmas in a small Danish town, the Hunt focusses on, Lucas, (Mads Mikkelsen)a kindergarten teacher who is down his luck. He is separated from his wife who holds custody over his son. Just as it looks like his luck is improving, one of his students, Klara (Annika Wedderkopp) falsely accuses him of sexually abusing her, after he spurns her affections for him. Klara is also the daughter of Lucas' best friend, Theo. Lucas' life spirals out of control, as the lie takes hold within his close-knit community.
What makes the Hunt so good is how it tackles the idea of the modern-day witch hunt. Rather than shying away from the issue, it portrays it in raw and unflinching detail. The Hunt was released in 2012 in the wake of Operation and Yewtree and reports of paedophilia within the Catholic Church. However, it is just as relevant now, as it was then.
Think of the sexual abuse scandal in Hollywood and how some celebrities were more quickly condemned than others. Harvey Weinstein was torn apart instantly, but people were more hesitant when it came to Kevin Spacey. Online, I found plenty of people who were ready to defend him. It's interesting who we choose to condemn and who we don't.
And this context is what makes the Hunt such a powerful film. Even after, the police determine Lucas' innocence, he continues to be ostracised by his community. This culminates with his house being bricked, his dog being killed and him being beaten up and ejected from his local supermarket.
As we're aware of his innocence, this was painful to watch. Lucas is a sympathetic character, as we know he is a good man who would never do what he has been accused of, yet it is a little girl's word against his. While our justice system claims to be innocent until guilty, this is almost never the case, as people's emotions cloud their judgement. This is only worsened by how it is a little girl accusing her male teacher.
If we're going to discuss gender inequality in the workplace, then let's consider how teaching, especially of younger children, is dominated by women. This is because people just aren't comfortable with men being around young girls, while forgetting that women can and do abuse boys. These women often go unpunished and if they are, they receive a fraction of the punishment that men do. For some men, their lives can be destroyed over baseless accusations, and some do take their own lives.
While this doesn't happen to Lucas, his experiences are still troubling to watch, as it is scarily believable. Mads Mikklesen was great, as the tortured Lucas. I felt very sorry for him, as he struggled between the truth and the lies.
If the film falls down anywhere, it would be the ending. After Klara realises the consequences of her actions, she protests Lucas' innocence, but nobody believes her. This is until the ending, where Theo realises the truth and brings Lucas, Christmas dinner, as a way of making amends.
The film then jumps forward by a year, where we see that Lucas has been accepted back into the community, which I thought was unrealistic. As previously mentioned, some men's lives are irreparably damaged from unfounded accusations, and so a year seemed too quick for Lucas to be forgiven. That is until he and his son, Marcus, go on a hunting trip in the woods. A stranger fires at Lucas and we only catch a glimpse of him, as the film ends. Whether this stranger was real or imaginative, is unclear, but it's obvious that not everybody has forgiven Lucas.
I think the film should have ended either with Theo and Lucas making amends or with the hunting scene, as that would have created more ambiguity. Having Lucas being forgiven felt like too clean of an ending for situations which end anything but.
But this is a minor criticism for what was an enthralling film. Mikklesen is great as Lucas and the Hunt engages important issues in a sensitive, but poignant manner. It's a definite, must-watch.
Unforgiven Review
Number 123 on the top 1000 films of all time is Clint Eastwood's swan song to the Western genre: Unforgiven.
Directed, produced and starring Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven tells the story of William Munny (Eastwood), once the most fearsome outlaw in the Wild West, now an ageing pig farmer. He's brought out of retirement by young upstart "The Schofield Kid" (Jaimz Woolvett) who wants to partner with Mummy, so that they can kill two cowboys who slashed a prostitute's face, within the town of Big Whiskey, Wyoming. Munny agrees, and he, the Schofield Kid, and Munny's old partner, Ned Logan, (Morgan Freeman) go to exact vengeance.
When making this film, Eastwood wanted to honour the likes of legendary directors, such as John Ford and Sergio Leone, who of course, launched Eastwood's career, within the Dollar's trilogy. The first way Eastwood succeeded in his mission was through his superb cinematography.
There were many camera shots that reminded me of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. There were sweeping master shots of he desert landscape, but also plenty of tight close-ups, especially within the initial sequence, where the poor prostitute has her face cut up. And there was also a great shot of Munny and Logan, silhouetted, as they rode past a gorgeous sunset.
Eastwood also captured the tension that was present within the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Some of the best scenes including the film's concluding and opening scenes, were shot with low lighting and tight camera angles. This kept the tension high by keeping the audience guessing.
To keep comparing Unforgiven to Leone's work might imply that it isn't a good film in its own right, which would be a terrible disservices. Eastwood is great in the lead role, as well as within the director's seat. Beginning as a reluctant antihero, struggling to escape the demons of his past, his gradual transition back into his old ways was compelling to watch. And it is a transition and not a devolution, as Unforgiven does explore themes of morality and vigilante justice. Is Munny a hero because he kills men worse than him or is he an antihero because he is a killer?
His tipping point is when *SPOILERS* Ned Logan is captured by the corrupt sheriff of Big Whiskey, and kills him, as a warning to any other would-be assassins. This is enough to push Munny completely over the edge and to massacre a good portion of the town's police force. To see him become so ruthless after so much indecision was great to watch. Although a small criticism would be how they didn't show Logan's death on-screen. I think it would have been much more powerful, if we had seen how Denny had died.
Unforgiven earnt Eastwood the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars which were well-deserved. This was a great homage to the Western genre, one Sergio Leone would have been proud to watch.
Directed, produced and starring Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven tells the story of William Munny (Eastwood), once the most fearsome outlaw in the Wild West, now an ageing pig farmer. He's brought out of retirement by young upstart "The Schofield Kid" (Jaimz Woolvett) who wants to partner with Mummy, so that they can kill two cowboys who slashed a prostitute's face, within the town of Big Whiskey, Wyoming. Munny agrees, and he, the Schofield Kid, and Munny's old partner, Ned Logan, (Morgan Freeman) go to exact vengeance.
When making this film, Eastwood wanted to honour the likes of legendary directors, such as John Ford and Sergio Leone, who of course, launched Eastwood's career, within the Dollar's trilogy. The first way Eastwood succeeded in his mission was through his superb cinematography.
There were many camera shots that reminded me of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. There were sweeping master shots of he desert landscape, but also plenty of tight close-ups, especially within the initial sequence, where the poor prostitute has her face cut up. And there was also a great shot of Munny and Logan, silhouetted, as they rode past a gorgeous sunset.
Eastwood also captured the tension that was present within the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Some of the best scenes including the film's concluding and opening scenes, were shot with low lighting and tight camera angles. This kept the tension high by keeping the audience guessing.
To keep comparing Unforgiven to Leone's work might imply that it isn't a good film in its own right, which would be a terrible disservices. Eastwood is great in the lead role, as well as within the director's seat. Beginning as a reluctant antihero, struggling to escape the demons of his past, his gradual transition back into his old ways was compelling to watch. And it is a transition and not a devolution, as Unforgiven does explore themes of morality and vigilante justice. Is Munny a hero because he kills men worse than him or is he an antihero because he is a killer?
His tipping point is when *SPOILERS* Ned Logan is captured by the corrupt sheriff of Big Whiskey, and kills him, as a warning to any other would-be assassins. This is enough to push Munny completely over the edge and to massacre a good portion of the town's police force. To see him become so ruthless after so much indecision was great to watch. Although a small criticism would be how they didn't show Logan's death on-screen. I think it would have been much more powerful, if we had seen how Denny had died.
Unforgiven earnt Eastwood the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars which were well-deserved. This was a great homage to the Western genre, one Sergio Leone would have been proud to watch.
Friday, 5 January 2018
Hunted Season 3 Episode 1 Review
Hunted, the English TV show where 9 ordinary men and women go on the run from the government for 25 days, has returned to our TV screens for a third season.
I reviewed the first and second seasons, so it's only natural that I review the third season too. But before I begin my review, let's explore the concept a little more.
As mentioned before, nine ordinary men and women from all ways of life- marketing executives, electricians, grandmas and deputy mayors, become fugitives from the British government for 25 days. They are allowed to use any means as possible, as long as it's legal and they don't leave the British mainland. If they escape detection for 25 days, then they will win a share of £100,000.
However, hunting them down is a crack team of government hunters headed up by former Scotland Yard Detective and perhaps the most Cockney person ever: Chief Peter Becksley. Rounding out his vast team are Julie Clegg - an intelligence specialist, Donna Young - a behavioural Psychologist and Ben Owens a former military sniper, as well as a whole host of former police officers, hackers, techies and analysts.
They have all of the powers of the state at their disposal from mobile tracking to ANPR to drones with thermal imaging cameras. In the first series, 4 fugitives escaped detection and in the second series, this halved to two. Will any fugitives make the distance in this series?
While the series cuts to all of the different fugitives teams, they also focus specifically on two to three teams per episode. I'll be taking a similar approach, but before I begin delving into the three teams that this episode focusses on, let's quickly look at the 9 different fugitives.
Team 1: James Clark, 37, - a former firearms police officer with counter surveillance experience.
Team 2: Magid Mah, 27, Deputy Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Somalian refugee
Team 3: Sandra Canron 30, Marketing Executive and Mella Mwama, 28, full-time mother
Team 4: Robert Ayling, 60, electrician and his son Alex Ayling, 26, postman
Team 5: Joseph Appleton, 29, and Daniel Murphy, 33,
Team 6: Carlene Crowe, 67, retired college tutor
The nine fugitives are driven in a van to St Peter's Square in Manchester, where they all bail out and immediately go on the run, with no chance to plan their escape. This episode focusses on Magid, the Aylings and Carlene Crowe and we see little of the other teams.
We see James Clark being pursued by the Hunters' helicopter through Manchester city centre and struggling to remain calm. He gets in a taxi to Salford, where he is last seen. From there, we jump to Joseph Appleton and Daniel Murphy who get a taxi away from Manchester city centre. Sandra and Mella go for a similar tactic, getting a taxi to Preston, with the intentions of roughing it.
Where all of the fugitives are in non-distinctive black clothing, Magid is in a noticeable blue coat. This meant that he stood out like a sore thumb and he immediately gained the attention of the Hunters. Magid ducks into a Subway and some of the Hunters wonder whether he has already screwed up, but the wilier ones think he is setting a trap. And that's exactly what he's doing. He takes off his blue coat and gives it to a stranger who reluctantly agrees to wear it and then leave the store, as a decoy. While this is happening, Magid asks whether he could leave out of the back exit, which he isn't allowed to do.
Meanwhile, the decoy leaves the store and the Hunters takes a few seconds to realise that it isn't Magid. The decoy has a different build, but, more importantly, he isn't the same rushed, panicked person, which ran into the Subway store. However, these few seconds they spent concluding this was enough time for Magid to give the Hunters the slip. We last see Majid trekking through the forests.
From here, we go onto Carlene Crowe, a 67 year old retired college tutor and grandmother. She's competing in Hunted, so she can have one last adventure, but also to prove that age shouldn't be any barrier, and I applaud this goal. I think, as society, we do tend to write off the over-60's as weak and feeble, which is far from the truth.
She begins her escape in a very different way to the other fugitives. While the rest of them are scrambling to safety, she calmly walks out of the van, which is a smart way of doing things. Obviously, running brings a lot of attention to yourself and, by walking, Carlene was able to blend into the crowd more effectively. But she also chose to walk, as she was too dignified to run.
She then makes her way to Manchester coach station, where she intends to get a coach to Milton Keynes. With CCTV at their disposal, the Hunters quickly spot her and identify the coach she is travelling on. But Carlene continues to play it smart by putting on a disguise. She dons a silver wig and puts her big rucksack into a carrier bag. Continuing to play it cool, she boards the coach. Although the Hunters have CCTV in the coach station, they're unable to get a positive ID on Carlene. Amusingly, just by coincidence, there is a passenger wearing a massive sombrero, but the Hunters quickly rule this person out.
Unsure of whether Carlene is on the coach or not, the Hunters decide to risk it and send a ground team to intercept her coach in Milton Keynes. And this is where after beginning well, Carlene begins to make mistakes. She starts talking to another coach passenger, telling him her name and giving him her mobile number. Mistake number 1: never trust anybody on the run. She then begins to worry that the Hunters might be waiting for her at Milton Keynes and asks the coach driver whether they could bypass Milton Keynes and instead go straight onto London. As the driver doesn't have any pickups or dropoffs, he agrees and they continue to London.
This was another clever tactic, which helped to throw the Hunters off the trail, although they quickly recover and continue pursuing the coach to London, with the intention to intercept it at Marble Arch. Carlene's coach stops at Marble Arch and she departs it without any real strategy, while also continuing to wear her disguise. She dithers a little, before deciding to get a taxi. While she is nonchalantly walking off, the Hunters spot her and quickly catch her.
This was a sad end to what was an early favourite for me. Carlene reminded me a lot off Nick Cummings, winner of the second series. Nick was your stereotypical, bumbling Englishman who started as the joke contestant, but finished as anything but. Just like Carlene, he was endearing and had a warmth that made him completely likeable.
However, unlike Nick, Carlene was perhaps too nonchalant throughout. She made a mistake by boarding a coach, which the Hunters could easily intercept. And while the disguise was a clever move, she should have taken it off, after she left the coach. The Hunters knew to look out for it. Finally, she should have had a plan when leaving the coach. The few seconds she spent dithering was enough for the Hunters to catch her.
Anyway, onto the final team of fugitives: Robert and Alex Ayling. This father and son team are also early favourites for me, because of their evidently strong relationship. As a child, Alex was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and as such has low-self confidence. When looking at his Facebook page, Hunter, Donna Young, a psychologist, notices he has posted lots of imagery relating to failed relationships, depression and struggling to face the outside world.
However, Robert is the polar opposite of this. Robert is your typical happy-go-lucky, Jack-the-Lad, man's man type. Despite their differences, Robert is fiercely protective of his son, claiming that he is competing in Hunted, not for the money, but for Alex. Robert wants Alex to realise that he is more confident and intelligent than he gives himself credit for.
While the Aylings aim to win, the Hunters are not going to make things easy for them. They immediately start tracking Lynne Aylings (Alex's mother) phone, as well as the Aylings' bank account. This was a smart tactic, which already led cracks to form. Robert goes to an ATM to withdraw money and quickly becomes flustered and panicked, when it begins to play up. They then get a taxi to Wilmslow with the intention of heading to the Peak District via the countryside.
While in the Peak District, they stumble across a tiny, unlocked parish church, where they begin making serious blunders. Worried about running low on samples, they decide to call Lynne, so that she can deliver more equipment. They call her on a pre-pay, burner phone, thinking the Hunters won't be able to detect this. This is a grave mistake, as the Hunters can track anything which gives off an electrical signal, and thus, they hear the entire conversation, including when Alex tells his mum his exact location and what road to take to get there.
Although, the Hunters are suspicious of this being a decoy, they take it at face value and dispatch a team to intercept them. The Aylings then become heavily worried that they've turned themselves into "absolute fucking sitting ducks," to quote Robert Ayling, (which they have) and debate whether to leave the church or not.
Meanwhile, the Hunters have dispatched a ground team and their remote-controlled drone. However, when they arrive, they find that the Aylings have already left, leaving behind some snacks and water and a taunting note reading "cheers. Don't look too hard." While, it might be tempting to taunt your Hunters like this, I can't help, but think that you're going to need this food later.
The Hunters do not take this taunt lightly and release their most terrifying weapon: a remote-controlled drone with a thermal-imaging camera. The episode ends with the drone having potentially spotted the Aylings. We won't know whether they've been caught until next week.
So, one day into it, and one fugitive has already been caught: Carlene Crowe, but with eight fugitives left, perhaps we'll have multiple winners yet again.
Top Tips for going on the run:
1. Always change disguises: Carlene Crowe went wrong, as she didn't remove her first disguise.
2. Always have a plan. Carlene also went wrong by not having a clear strategy. You cannot wing this.
3. DON'T PHONE HOME. I feel like I say this every series and this moment had me screaming at the TV. And if you have to phone home, then don't say your exact location and the route there.
I reviewed the first and second seasons, so it's only natural that I review the third season too. But before I begin my review, let's explore the concept a little more.
As mentioned before, nine ordinary men and women from all ways of life- marketing executives, electricians, grandmas and deputy mayors, become fugitives from the British government for 25 days. They are allowed to use any means as possible, as long as it's legal and they don't leave the British mainland. If they escape detection for 25 days, then they will win a share of £100,000.
However, hunting them down is a crack team of government hunters headed up by former Scotland Yard Detective and perhaps the most Cockney person ever: Chief Peter Becksley. Rounding out his vast team are Julie Clegg - an intelligence specialist, Donna Young - a behavioural Psychologist and Ben Owens a former military sniper, as well as a whole host of former police officers, hackers, techies and analysts.
They have all of the powers of the state at their disposal from mobile tracking to ANPR to drones with thermal imaging cameras. In the first series, 4 fugitives escaped detection and in the second series, this halved to two. Will any fugitives make the distance in this series?
While the series cuts to all of the different fugitives teams, they also focus specifically on two to three teams per episode. I'll be taking a similar approach, but before I begin delving into the three teams that this episode focusses on, let's quickly look at the 9 different fugitives.
Team 1: James Clark, 37, - a former firearms police officer with counter surveillance experience.
Team 2: Magid Mah, 27, Deputy Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Somalian refugee
Team 3: Sandra Canron 30, Marketing Executive and Mella Mwama, 28, full-time mother
Team 4: Robert Ayling, 60, electrician and his son Alex Ayling, 26, postman
Team 5: Joseph Appleton, 29, and Daniel Murphy, 33,
Team 6: Carlene Crowe, 67, retired college tutor
The nine fugitives are driven in a van to St Peter's Square in Manchester, where they all bail out and immediately go on the run, with no chance to plan their escape. This episode focusses on Magid, the Aylings and Carlene Crowe and we see little of the other teams.
We see James Clark being pursued by the Hunters' helicopter through Manchester city centre and struggling to remain calm. He gets in a taxi to Salford, where he is last seen. From there, we jump to Joseph Appleton and Daniel Murphy who get a taxi away from Manchester city centre. Sandra and Mella go for a similar tactic, getting a taxi to Preston, with the intentions of roughing it.
Where all of the fugitives are in non-distinctive black clothing, Magid is in a noticeable blue coat. This meant that he stood out like a sore thumb and he immediately gained the attention of the Hunters. Magid ducks into a Subway and some of the Hunters wonder whether he has already screwed up, but the wilier ones think he is setting a trap. And that's exactly what he's doing. He takes off his blue coat and gives it to a stranger who reluctantly agrees to wear it and then leave the store, as a decoy. While this is happening, Magid asks whether he could leave out of the back exit, which he isn't allowed to do.
Meanwhile, the decoy leaves the store and the Hunters takes a few seconds to realise that it isn't Magid. The decoy has a different build, but, more importantly, he isn't the same rushed, panicked person, which ran into the Subway store. However, these few seconds they spent concluding this was enough time for Magid to give the Hunters the slip. We last see Majid trekking through the forests.
From here, we go onto Carlene Crowe, a 67 year old retired college tutor and grandmother. She's competing in Hunted, so she can have one last adventure, but also to prove that age shouldn't be any barrier, and I applaud this goal. I think, as society, we do tend to write off the over-60's as weak and feeble, which is far from the truth.
She begins her escape in a very different way to the other fugitives. While the rest of them are scrambling to safety, she calmly walks out of the van, which is a smart way of doing things. Obviously, running brings a lot of attention to yourself and, by walking, Carlene was able to blend into the crowd more effectively. But she also chose to walk, as she was too dignified to run.
She then makes her way to Manchester coach station, where she intends to get a coach to Milton Keynes. With CCTV at their disposal, the Hunters quickly spot her and identify the coach she is travelling on. But Carlene continues to play it smart by putting on a disguise. She dons a silver wig and puts her big rucksack into a carrier bag. Continuing to play it cool, she boards the coach. Although the Hunters have CCTV in the coach station, they're unable to get a positive ID on Carlene. Amusingly, just by coincidence, there is a passenger wearing a massive sombrero, but the Hunters quickly rule this person out.
Unsure of whether Carlene is on the coach or not, the Hunters decide to risk it and send a ground team to intercept her coach in Milton Keynes. And this is where after beginning well, Carlene begins to make mistakes. She starts talking to another coach passenger, telling him her name and giving him her mobile number. Mistake number 1: never trust anybody on the run. She then begins to worry that the Hunters might be waiting for her at Milton Keynes and asks the coach driver whether they could bypass Milton Keynes and instead go straight onto London. As the driver doesn't have any pickups or dropoffs, he agrees and they continue to London.
This was another clever tactic, which helped to throw the Hunters off the trail, although they quickly recover and continue pursuing the coach to London, with the intention to intercept it at Marble Arch. Carlene's coach stops at Marble Arch and she departs it without any real strategy, while also continuing to wear her disguise. She dithers a little, before deciding to get a taxi. While she is nonchalantly walking off, the Hunters spot her and quickly catch her.
This was a sad end to what was an early favourite for me. Carlene reminded me a lot off Nick Cummings, winner of the second series. Nick was your stereotypical, bumbling Englishman who started as the joke contestant, but finished as anything but. Just like Carlene, he was endearing and had a warmth that made him completely likeable.
However, unlike Nick, Carlene was perhaps too nonchalant throughout. She made a mistake by boarding a coach, which the Hunters could easily intercept. And while the disguise was a clever move, she should have taken it off, after she left the coach. The Hunters knew to look out for it. Finally, she should have had a plan when leaving the coach. The few seconds she spent dithering was enough for the Hunters to catch her.
Anyway, onto the final team of fugitives: Robert and Alex Ayling. This father and son team are also early favourites for me, because of their evidently strong relationship. As a child, Alex was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and as such has low-self confidence. When looking at his Facebook page, Hunter, Donna Young, a psychologist, notices he has posted lots of imagery relating to failed relationships, depression and struggling to face the outside world.
However, Robert is the polar opposite of this. Robert is your typical happy-go-lucky, Jack-the-Lad, man's man type. Despite their differences, Robert is fiercely protective of his son, claiming that he is competing in Hunted, not for the money, but for Alex. Robert wants Alex to realise that he is more confident and intelligent than he gives himself credit for.
While the Aylings aim to win, the Hunters are not going to make things easy for them. They immediately start tracking Lynne Aylings (Alex's mother) phone, as well as the Aylings' bank account. This was a smart tactic, which already led cracks to form. Robert goes to an ATM to withdraw money and quickly becomes flustered and panicked, when it begins to play up. They then get a taxi to Wilmslow with the intention of heading to the Peak District via the countryside.
While in the Peak District, they stumble across a tiny, unlocked parish church, where they begin making serious blunders. Worried about running low on samples, they decide to call Lynne, so that she can deliver more equipment. They call her on a pre-pay, burner phone, thinking the Hunters won't be able to detect this. This is a grave mistake, as the Hunters can track anything which gives off an electrical signal, and thus, they hear the entire conversation, including when Alex tells his mum his exact location and what road to take to get there.
Although, the Hunters are suspicious of this being a decoy, they take it at face value and dispatch a team to intercept them. The Aylings then become heavily worried that they've turned themselves into "absolute fucking sitting ducks," to quote Robert Ayling, (which they have) and debate whether to leave the church or not.
Meanwhile, the Hunters have dispatched a ground team and their remote-controlled drone. However, when they arrive, they find that the Aylings have already left, leaving behind some snacks and water and a taunting note reading "cheers. Don't look too hard." While, it might be tempting to taunt your Hunters like this, I can't help, but think that you're going to need this food later.
The Hunters do not take this taunt lightly and release their most terrifying weapon: a remote-controlled drone with a thermal-imaging camera. The episode ends with the drone having potentially spotted the Aylings. We won't know whether they've been caught until next week.
So, one day into it, and one fugitive has already been caught: Carlene Crowe, but with eight fugitives left, perhaps we'll have multiple winners yet again.
Top Tips for going on the run:
1. Always change disguises: Carlene Crowe went wrong, as she didn't remove her first disguise.
2. Always have a plan. Carlene also went wrong by not having a clear strategy. You cannot wing this.
3. DON'T PHONE HOME. I feel like I say this every series and this moment had me screaming at the TV. And if you have to phone home, then don't say your exact location and the route there.
Thursday, 4 January 2018
China Town Review
Number 121 on the 1000 greatest films of all time is the films that launched Jack Nicholson's career: Chinatown.
Directed by Roman Polanski, Jack Nicholson plays P.I Jake Gittes. Initially hired by Evelyn Murray to survey her husband, he soon realises that there is a bigger mystery at play. As Gittes seeks to discover the truth, he becomes embroiled in a plot involving incest, corruption and murder.
This film is a quintessential "one man against the system," with Nicholson playing the roguish Jake Gittes. Initially beginning as a selfish, self-interested character, he develops into a hero, as he seeks to discover the truth. Nicholson is well-known for playing characters who rebel against authority, with the best example being One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and I think that it was China Town, which first established him as such. He is convincing in the role and his arc was entertaining to watch.
When fighting against the system, Gittes is fighting it at the highest possible level, as he discovers a plot by Noah Cross, (John Huston) the partner of Evelyn Murray's father, and powerful business man, to buy up the Californian Northwest Valley and the according reservoirs, to monopolise the water supply. And Noah Cross is ruthlessly corrupt, having already killed previous investigators.
What this film does best is tackle corruption. *SPOILER ALERT* Chinatown concludes with Evelyn Murray shooting Noah Cross in the arm. As she flees, the police then shoot her dead. When Jake Gittes demands vengeance, he is told to "forget it. It's Chinatown." In just one line, the corruption that is present within high-level organisations is utterly encapsulated.
People are completely resigned to it, as they think that it is the order of things. The police are in the government's pocket and people are afraid to speak out. And this is just why Jake Gittes is such an important character. Rather than looking the other way, he stood up and fought for what he believed was right.
Directed by Roman Polanski, Jack Nicholson plays P.I Jake Gittes. Initially hired by Evelyn Murray to survey her husband, he soon realises that there is a bigger mystery at play. As Gittes seeks to discover the truth, he becomes embroiled in a plot involving incest, corruption and murder.
This film is a quintessential "one man against the system," with Nicholson playing the roguish Jake Gittes. Initially beginning as a selfish, self-interested character, he develops into a hero, as he seeks to discover the truth. Nicholson is well-known for playing characters who rebel against authority, with the best example being One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and I think that it was China Town, which first established him as such. He is convincing in the role and his arc was entertaining to watch.
When fighting against the system, Gittes is fighting it at the highest possible level, as he discovers a plot by Noah Cross, (John Huston) the partner of Evelyn Murray's father, and powerful business man, to buy up the Californian Northwest Valley and the according reservoirs, to monopolise the water supply. And Noah Cross is ruthlessly corrupt, having already killed previous investigators.
What this film does best is tackle corruption. *SPOILER ALERT* Chinatown concludes with Evelyn Murray shooting Noah Cross in the arm. As she flees, the police then shoot her dead. When Jake Gittes demands vengeance, he is told to "forget it. It's Chinatown." In just one line, the corruption that is present within high-level organisations is utterly encapsulated.
People are completely resigned to it, as they think that it is the order of things. The police are in the government's pocket and people are afraid to speak out. And this is just why Jake Gittes is such an important character. Rather than looking the other way, he stood up and fought for what he believed was right.
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