Here we go again - The Secret

I had a vision three times, of the red wax seal that is the cover of The Secret. I had a dream about it, do not remember the dream but I remember the seal, I walked into a book store and there it was again at the counter. Today after spending about half an hour in the video store I saw the red seal again and decided to take it. Eerie, well, my restless subconscious is maybe trying to tell me something.

If you knew me you would know ….that I am not gullible, in fact I am probably a very cynical person, about the world, about people and about my own self. So I take these motivational type, key to success and abundance, with a good dollop of salt.

D’you remember the What the Bleep do we know? You can say that The Secret is Part Deux of What the Bleep. Nothing new really, same premise, that we create our own reality.

It is difficult to live consciously. When you have to think about all your intentions instead of just reacting to your circumstances, that is difficult. I did not forget about What the Bleep, it is always at the back of ones mind but I have not tested it. I do think that we are responsible for our circumstances but I also believe that we also get dealt a hand, flip of a coin. It says that there is no such thing as luck, bad or good, we cause it. This makes me uncomfortable because there is just way too much pain in the world and I can not believe that those who are feeling it brought it on themselves.

What I was waiting for, what the secret could not tell me, was how do you change the next person’s life? How do you intend to make the next person richer and happier and fulfilled? If that secret exists, I would love to get it. And don’t tell me it all starts with me!

Oh, and the secret is ATTRACTION. Watch the first five minutes of the movie and you get the answer. Simple? Try it.

Dreamgirls

Jennifer Jennifer, Jennifer Hudson, the Oscar was so yours.

I obviously don’t know what the judges look for when they choose one person over another. For me, for what Jennifer made me feel watching her, the way she pulled me in, for her passion and her beauty, her fucking incredible voice, for all this and more she got the Oscar!!!

Usually we are pulled in by the story, but this story has been told so many times before, we are pulled in by CG screens, funny and intelligent scripts, this one was simple enough, we tend to be pulled in by beautiful people and incredible stunts.

Dreamgilrs had very little of the above, its saving grace Jennifer Hudson carried this movie on her back. I have never heard of this woman before today. What an utterly stunning performance. I cried.

Let’s go back to who she was up against,
Adriana Barraza in “Babel”
Cate Blanchett in “Notes on a Scandal”
Abigail Breslin in “Little Miss Sunshine”
Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls”
Rinko Kikuchi in “Babel”

Although the above were interesting performances, none of them won me over, I could not sympathize with Cate Blanchet, it was a difficult part, being a pedophile and all, the Babel characters were just weird; and as gorgeous and cute as that girl is in little miss sunshine, all they had to do was fatten her up and put nerdy glasses on her., my nine year old niece could have done just as good a job!

The thing about Jennifer, is that although you have the orchestra or the band supporting her incredible voice, the drums and the base guitar and the piano, and the camera work, she rose above all of these and sang her heart out and made us believe. Beyonce can sing but you can not get over the fact that she is as interesting as cardboard really. Jennifer, oh Jennifer.

Okay, I have thought about it a little bit more, about why I like her so much when she sang, her performance felt familiar to me! And one day, others will recognize!

Driving Lessons is hilarious - go see it

It's not often that I enjoy a movie as much as I did Driving Lessons. There's really two things that I look for - which I'm sure is what most people look for - it's gotta be a special movie and it's gotta be a great story. Various things add to this. But first, lets tell you what the story is about.

Ster Kinekor says: Described as a mix between The Graduate and Harold & Maude this is a coming-of-age story about a teenager whose staid world is upended when he is employed by a retired actress.

Ben (Harry Potter's Rupert Grint) lives in London with his stern and religious mother (Laura Linney) who allows him to do little more in his school holidays than attend Bible classes, learn to drive, and do his bit at an old-age home. But, when this son of a vicar finds a job (through the pages of parish magazine, 'Hello Jesus') with eccentric retired actress Evie (Julie Walters), his life takes a completely different turn.

Evie's unconventional and sometimes bizarre behavior challenges Ben's beliefs, and forces him to confront the very idea of who he wants to be. But, when it appears that his freedom is about to be whisked from under him as rapidly as it came, Ben has to choose whether to conform or live life as the individual that he has become.

Okay going back to what I was saying about it being a special movie and a great story. By this I mean that I'd much prefer to watch a movie who's story line I haven't seen before as opposed to something like the award winning the Departed which I swear has been written a million times before.
The stuff you'll find at Cinema Nouveau are usually winners. I love eccentric characters and Evie in this movie...I just loved her. She shapes the movie. Absolutely brilliant. I think I might just end up like her at that age. And then there's Ben, the supposedly unattractive (I thought he was so freakin' hart), virgin weirdo with an equally strange mother and father - is lovely to watch as he breaks out of his cocoon to become somewhat of a butterfly.

FOUR SPOONS