DVD Review - ADELE

Okay well this is a little different, i never really expected when I started this blog that I would be reviewing music DVDs, but a lonely Wednesday night led to me being curled up on the sofa with a cup of green tea and a copy of Adele at the Royal Albert Hall, and with want of something better to do, I gave it a try. Being a fan of Adele, i knew in advance that the DVD wouldn't be too repulsive! Any Londoner should know the importance of the setting of this concert, it was filmed at the Royal Albert Hall, site of famed concerts such as the Proms. The DVD was filmed after the release of 21 and features material from both her albums as well as some covers.

Being a Londoner myself, this DVD was intriguing to me, Adele is a fantastic performer, and this really comes through on the DVD, with the performances really allowing her vocals and the poignancy of her songwriting to shine, the film also puts her theatricality on display, with the show opening in front of a huge scrim, featuring a silhouette of the London skyline, as she sings Hometown Glory, one of my personal favorites! Adele banters throughout the show, giving insights into her songwriting and into the history and true life experiences behind her songs. Adele seems sincere throughout these moments and on many occasion managed to crack me up with her honest yet humorous wisecracks, and her accent is adorable!

Of the many covers she sings, only two of them I actually knew, yet they show off Adele's vocals superbly, and Adele's cover of Make You Feel My Love, used as a tribute to one of my heroines; Amy Winehouse, is simply breathtaking. The film is beautifully shot, and makes use of obscure and unusual camera angles, which not only showcase the superb architecture of the Royal Albert Hall, but which also add interest to the film, and make each song into a beautiful montage, using pans, swoops and racking focus to add interest.

Now we come to the negatives, despite this being a superb show, and beautifully performed, one could question it's suitability for transferal to this kind of media, and ask oneself whether a live album might not in fact have been a better choice, i had intended to watch this solo, yet found myself looking for something to do whilst watching it. One could negatively compare this to Lady Gaga Presents The Monster Ball Tour by HBO, as despite the fact that Adele is a superior vocalist to Gaga, I found the latter more entertaining, and it stands more as a long form music video, or a musical, as the story arc and the sheer theatricality and stunning visuals make it a more interesting ride.

In short this DVD is for strict superfans only, anyone else will surely be bored, despite the stunning vocals, and i found myself playing this in the background almost as a CD, which makes one wonder if it would have been better as a live album. Rating: B