I do not have the language to write about this movie. Not because is a German movie with English sub titles but because it is a kind of spy movie with surveillance and informers and communism etc. But it touched me as well, not because it won best foreign film at the academy awards but because there is a basic element that transcends its genre.
Eastern Germany before the Berlin wall came down. A lonely loyal agent of the eastern German government gets put on an assignment to survey a writer whose wife is having an affair with a Minister. The Minister would like to get the writer out of the way so that he can have the writer’s wife, also an actress, all to himself. As agent goes deeper into the surveillance he starts connecting with the lives that he is surveying mostly because they have what he does not have, love and someone to hold at night. His mission is to find evidence that the writer is actually an enemy of the state and he should be able to prove that by getting recordings of conversations that the writer is not suppose to have or stories that he writes that are ‘counter revolutionary’ etc.
Anyway, things happen that he is a witness to and it comes to a point where he needs to make a decision to expose the writer or let the writer get away with it. The words, “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing” come to mind and his actions and inactions basically lets good triumph.
So I’m watching this movie thinking ‘o lord what the hell did I get myself into’, and checking the time to see how soon this movie would end and surprisingly, the end comes and I am balling my eyes out!?
It is just such a touching movie and one has to ask oneself, is one a spectator in this life or should one get their hands dirty and get in there, get blood in one’s hands so to speak. S
Never mind all the political questions about power and questions about honour and fame and far one would go to attain these? For me it was about what WOULD YOU sacrifice for something you believed in. Is there something?
I give this one four spoons, the one spoon is lost because I just do not appreciate the genre.
On another note, I have been searching and searching for probably over a year and today, of all places, Ii finally found the soundtrack to Rent. If you’ve seen, the film adaptation or maybe lucky enough to have seen the actual production of this amazing musical, you will understand my yearning for hearing again and again, Seasons of Love! Before the movie started at the Waterfront Cinema Nouveau, I had to check out CD Warehouse to see whether they had Heroes, the complete first Season. Alas CD Warehouse was no more, it was now Musica (apparently they are both owned by Clicks and Clicks decided to rename the place Musica!). This just goes to show the incestuous links that there is in Businesses these days. I have far less respect now for CD warehouse and Click for thinking that naming it Musica it would attract more customers. When I walked into the CD warehouse the first time I was impressed and gave respect to this, I thought was an independent place that had its customer as king! Anyway, I am sure Musica has the same philosophy, seeing as it is the same bloody owners! To get back to my story, they, (CD Warehouse/Musica) only had series one Part one of Heroes and I figures that SABC 3 is probable far ahead of part one. So as I usually do I check for the titles that I have been unable to find anywhere else and go straight to soundtracks and there it was! RENT! Suffice it to say my drive home was electric as I listened to how one measures a year. For me in this time of my life, it is sadly, probably in cups of coffee! Will be listening to this one for some time to come. I am sure Gnarles Berkley will be glad to get a break!
Sunday, 21 October 2007
Sunday, 14 October 2007
Star Dust
It is worth it to see Robert Dinero play a ruthless Captain Shakespeare - who really is a screaming queen that likes dressing up - on a flying pirate ship.
It is worth it to see Rupert Everett for about 2 minutes as a gorgeous prince, only to be killed by being pushed out of a window of a castle that stands as stall as the mountain Gandalf got stuck in before he was rescued by that giant eagle. For the rest of the movie poor Rupert forms a part of a line of ghostly siblings that killed each other off to be king.
It is worth it to see the Michelle Pfeiffer’s boob succumb to gravity in a split second.
Mostly the movie is funny, good funny. It also has that fairy tale element that you struggle to buy into even when watching the movie. But it does its job in terms of escaping the real world even if it is just for 2 seconds.
That’s it, that’s all!
Three spoons.
It is worth it to see Rupert Everett for about 2 minutes as a gorgeous prince, only to be killed by being pushed out of a window of a castle that stands as stall as the mountain Gandalf got stuck in before he was rescued by that giant eagle. For the rest of the movie poor Rupert forms a part of a line of ghostly siblings that killed each other off to be king.
It is worth it to see the Michelle Pfeiffer’s boob succumb to gravity in a split second.
Mostly the movie is funny, good funny. It also has that fairy tale element that you struggle to buy into even when watching the movie. But it does its job in terms of escaping the real world even if it is just for 2 seconds.
That’s it, that’s all!
Three spoons.
Taken
Did I ever post how much I love dvd nuoveau with its amazing collection of thousands of classic, foreign and rare to find dvd’s? Well I do.
This weekend was spent watching the last three discs, about 9 hours, of Taken. Background: So Steven Spielberg gathered a few directors to direct this incredible mini series about alien abductions. It is not a documentary, although I am inclined to believe. It is a fictional interpretation of the Roswell phenomenon, it gives a fascinating story line that travels through four generations of people that were touched by the alien landing.
I suppose the first thing that grabbed me about the series was the fact that Stephen Spielberg produced it. I do not know how much creative control he had in making it but I could recognise some of his signatures. If you ever watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind you will know what I am talking about.
More than just the bizarre story line and special effects, the series grabs you, kinda like following the Thorn Birds only this time there is an extra alien element.
More than just about alien encounters, you get to know the characters and feel for them, you have an emotional connection that when the story carries on without them you miss them, but you also get to know and enjoy the new characters that have taken their place.
After one of the episodes I caught myself clapping and cheering and going woohoo! Okay, I do that sometimes like when I watching the Oscars or Heroes (when the hell is Heroes coming on dvd? I ache after each episode ends because I have to wait 7 days for the next installment). Taken is for all you X-Files junkies (myself included) out there, broken when it ended, broken when they last watched the final episode of Star Trek. There is hope there is Taken, and it will transport you to the Outer bloody Limits.
It is an amazing series and whilst watching the last episode, I could not help but remember the heartbreaking finale of Six Feet Under when Claire started driving away and the lives of those she left behind are concluded in a poignant, appropriate way, like there was no other direction their life’s journey could have possibly taken.
Watch this one with the ones you love.
Five spoons.
This weekend was spent watching the last three discs, about 9 hours, of Taken. Background: So Steven Spielberg gathered a few directors to direct this incredible mini series about alien abductions. It is not a documentary, although I am inclined to believe. It is a fictional interpretation of the Roswell phenomenon, it gives a fascinating story line that travels through four generations of people that were touched by the alien landing.
I suppose the first thing that grabbed me about the series was the fact that Stephen Spielberg produced it. I do not know how much creative control he had in making it but I could recognise some of his signatures. If you ever watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind you will know what I am talking about.
More than just the bizarre story line and special effects, the series grabs you, kinda like following the Thorn Birds only this time there is an extra alien element.
More than just about alien encounters, you get to know the characters and feel for them, you have an emotional connection that when the story carries on without them you miss them, but you also get to know and enjoy the new characters that have taken their place.
After one of the episodes I caught myself clapping and cheering and going woohoo! Okay, I do that sometimes like when I watching the Oscars or Heroes (when the hell is Heroes coming on dvd? I ache after each episode ends because I have to wait 7 days for the next installment). Taken is for all you X-Files junkies (myself included) out there, broken when it ended, broken when they last watched the final episode of Star Trek. There is hope there is Taken, and it will transport you to the Outer bloody Limits.
It is an amazing series and whilst watching the last episode, I could not help but remember the heartbreaking finale of Six Feet Under when Claire started driving away and the lives of those she left behind are concluded in a poignant, appropriate way, like there was no other direction their life’s journey could have possibly taken.
Watch this one with the ones you love.
Five spoons.
Thursday, 27 September 2007
interesting stories
No movies have inspired me to write about them lately so to keep the blog current, here are two stories that cought my eye today.
Archbishop: HIV-infected condoms sent to kill Africans
Mozambique's Roman Catholic archbishop has accused European condom manufacturers of deliberately infecting their products with HIV "in order to finish quickly the African people".
The archbishop of Maputo, Francisco Chimoio, told the BBC that he had specific information about a plot to kill off Africans. "I know that there are two countries in Europe ... making condoms with the virus, on purpose," he alleged. But he refused to name the countries.
He added: "They want to finish with the African people. This is the programme. They want to colonise until up to now. If we are not careful we will finish in one century's time."
His views have prompted outrage from activists trying to combat HIV/Aids and help sufferers. They described the statements as ridiculous. Medical specialists said it was impossible for the Aids virus to live inside condoms for any length of time.
Marcella Mahanjane, a prominent Mozambican activist, told the BBC that there was no evidence to back the archbishop's claims. "We've been using condoms for years now, and we still find them safe," she said. Nonetheless the archbishop's comments are likely to undermine the Mozambique government's campaign to educate people about the disease in a country where about one in six of the 19-million citizens are HIV-positive and about 500 people are infected each day.
Health specialists say that views contrary to scientific orthodoxy on HIV/Aids are frequently seized upon by people looking for a reason not to use condoms or by those reluctant to take the antiretroviral drugs.
The archbishop is widely respected in Mozambique, in part because of the leading role he played in brokering a peace deal to end a 16-year civil war in 1992.
The Catholic church has resisted pressure to amend its opposition to the use of condoms despite the HIV/Aids pandemic. Chimoio told the BBC that abstinence was the best way to fight HIV/Aids.
"If we want to change the situation to face HIV/Aids it's necessary to have a new mentality. If we don't change [that] mentality we'll be finished quickly," he said. "It means marriage, people being faithful to their wives ... [and] young people must be abstaining from sexual relations."
The archbishop's comments echo the scepticism over HIV/Aids found among leaders in other parts of Africa, notably neighbouring South Africa where President Thabo Mbeki has questioned the link between HIV and Aids and suggested that antiretroviral drugs are so poisonous they are more dangerous than the disease.
Aids education has been undermined in other parts of the continent by leaders who back cures that show no signs of overcoming HIV. The Gambia's President, Yahya Jammeh, claims to be able to cure the disease by rubbing a green herbal potion into people's bodies. Patients have been referred to the president by the country's health ministry. A United Nations Aids official who criticised Jammeh's claims was expelled from The Gambia. - Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2007
Dinnertime tale lands Fox pundit in race row
One of Rupert Murdoch's leading pundits on the Fox News television channel, Bill O'Reilly, has become embroiled in the latest public row over the depiction of black people in the mainstream media.
O'Reilly, who describes himself as a populist and traditionalist, has been accused of "velvet racism" for comments on his radio show about the famous Harlem restaurant Sylvia's. The remarks referred to a dinner the commentator had enjoyed there with the Reverend Al Sharpton, the black preacher and political leader.
The dinner itself passed off uneventfully, by all accounts. But when O'Reilly reminisced about the evening he portrayed it in a way that set alarm bells ringing across the blogosphere.
He started out by praising the staff and largely black clientele of the restaurant for being "very, very nice" and "tremendously respectful". Warming to his theme, he said: "I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks."
To compound matters, in a separate radio broadcast he referred to the dinner again. "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, 'M-Fer, I want more iced tea.' You know, it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb. People were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all."
O'Reilly insists he was making positive points about the American melting pot -- a common theme of his radio and television shows in which he frequently lambasts "race-based" activists such as Sharpton. But the tone of surprise in his voice, and the implication that he had previously assumed black restaurants to be less civilised than their white counterparts, has caused outrage. As a black law professor, Anita Allen of Pennsylvania University, put it to ABC News: "He doesn't realise dinner can be a civilised affair and we do use table napkins."
The furore is the latest evidence that previously untouchable right-wing talkshow hosts are now vulnerable to scrutiny as a result of blogs. The pundit's comments were publicised by the liberal monitoring website Media Matters, which pointed to previous O'Reilly remarks including a 2005 broadcast in which he said many poor residents of New Orleans failed to evacuate the hurricane-stricken city because "they were drug-addicted".
O'Reilly will be aware of the fate of his fellow right-wing controversialist Don Imus, who was sacked by CBS five months ago when he referred to a black women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos". Imus, who was also exposed by new media activists, has yet to be taken back on air.
The issue of how black people are represented by the media, as well as by themselves in terms of racial slurs by black rappers and comedians, reached Capitol Hill this week when a congressional committee opened a hearing entitled From Imus to Industry: the business of stereotypes and degrading images
A senior Fox executive said the latest row was "nothing more than left-wing outlets stirring up false racism accusations for ratings". O'Reilly himself sought to dampen the row by claiming his words were taken out of context.
Paul Waldman of Media Matters fired back: "If Bill O'Reilly got caught robbing a bank he would say he was taken out of context." - Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2007
Archbishop: HIV-infected condoms sent to kill Africans
Mozambique's Roman Catholic archbishop has accused European condom manufacturers of deliberately infecting their products with HIV "in order to finish quickly the African people".
The archbishop of Maputo, Francisco Chimoio, told the BBC that he had specific information about a plot to kill off Africans. "I know that there are two countries in Europe ... making condoms with the virus, on purpose," he alleged. But he refused to name the countries.
He added: "They want to finish with the African people. This is the programme. They want to colonise until up to now. If we are not careful we will finish in one century's time."
His views have prompted outrage from activists trying to combat HIV/Aids and help sufferers. They described the statements as ridiculous. Medical specialists said it was impossible for the Aids virus to live inside condoms for any length of time.
Marcella Mahanjane, a prominent Mozambican activist, told the BBC that there was no evidence to back the archbishop's claims. "We've been using condoms for years now, and we still find them safe," she said. Nonetheless the archbishop's comments are likely to undermine the Mozambique government's campaign to educate people about the disease in a country where about one in six of the 19-million citizens are HIV-positive and about 500 people are infected each day.
Health specialists say that views contrary to scientific orthodoxy on HIV/Aids are frequently seized upon by people looking for a reason not to use condoms or by those reluctant to take the antiretroviral drugs.
The archbishop is widely respected in Mozambique, in part because of the leading role he played in brokering a peace deal to end a 16-year civil war in 1992.
The Catholic church has resisted pressure to amend its opposition to the use of condoms despite the HIV/Aids pandemic. Chimoio told the BBC that abstinence was the best way to fight HIV/Aids.
"If we want to change the situation to face HIV/Aids it's necessary to have a new mentality. If we don't change [that] mentality we'll be finished quickly," he said. "It means marriage, people being faithful to their wives ... [and] young people must be abstaining from sexual relations."
The archbishop's comments echo the scepticism over HIV/Aids found among leaders in other parts of Africa, notably neighbouring South Africa where President Thabo Mbeki has questioned the link between HIV and Aids and suggested that antiretroviral drugs are so poisonous they are more dangerous than the disease.
Aids education has been undermined in other parts of the continent by leaders who back cures that show no signs of overcoming HIV. The Gambia's President, Yahya Jammeh, claims to be able to cure the disease by rubbing a green herbal potion into people's bodies. Patients have been referred to the president by the country's health ministry. A United Nations Aids official who criticised Jammeh's claims was expelled from The Gambia. - Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2007
Dinnertime tale lands Fox pundit in race row
One of Rupert Murdoch's leading pundits on the Fox News television channel, Bill O'Reilly, has become embroiled in the latest public row over the depiction of black people in the mainstream media.
O'Reilly, who describes himself as a populist and traditionalist, has been accused of "velvet racism" for comments on his radio show about the famous Harlem restaurant Sylvia's. The remarks referred to a dinner the commentator had enjoyed there with the Reverend Al Sharpton, the black preacher and political leader.
The dinner itself passed off uneventfully, by all accounts. But when O'Reilly reminisced about the evening he portrayed it in a way that set alarm bells ringing across the blogosphere.
He started out by praising the staff and largely black clientele of the restaurant for being "very, very nice" and "tremendously respectful". Warming to his theme, he said: "I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even though it's run by blacks."
To compound matters, in a separate radio broadcast he referred to the dinner again. "There wasn't one person in Sylvia's who was screaming, 'M-Fer, I want more iced tea.' You know, it was like going into an Italian restaurant in an all-white suburb. People were sitting there, and they were ordering and having fun. And there wasn't any kind of craziness at all."
O'Reilly insists he was making positive points about the American melting pot -- a common theme of his radio and television shows in which he frequently lambasts "race-based" activists such as Sharpton. But the tone of surprise in his voice, and the implication that he had previously assumed black restaurants to be less civilised than their white counterparts, has caused outrage. As a black law professor, Anita Allen of Pennsylvania University, put it to ABC News: "He doesn't realise dinner can be a civilised affair and we do use table napkins."
The furore is the latest evidence that previously untouchable right-wing talkshow hosts are now vulnerable to scrutiny as a result of blogs. The pundit's comments were publicised by the liberal monitoring website Media Matters, which pointed to previous O'Reilly remarks including a 2005 broadcast in which he said many poor residents of New Orleans failed to evacuate the hurricane-stricken city because "they were drug-addicted".
O'Reilly will be aware of the fate of his fellow right-wing controversialist Don Imus, who was sacked by CBS five months ago when he referred to a black women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos". Imus, who was also exposed by new media activists, has yet to be taken back on air.
The issue of how black people are represented by the media, as well as by themselves in terms of racial slurs by black rappers and comedians, reached Capitol Hill this week when a congressional committee opened a hearing entitled From Imus to Industry: the business of stereotypes and degrading images
A senior Fox executive said the latest row was "nothing more than left-wing outlets stirring up false racism accusations for ratings". O'Reilly himself sought to dampen the row by claiming his words were taken out of context.
Paul Waldman of Media Matters fired back: "If Bill O'Reilly got caught robbing a bank he would say he was taken out of context." - Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2007
Sunday, 26 August 2007
Transformers
I was duped into believing that this was an adult movie. I went to see it with a friend who is also swimming comfortably in her thirties and she enjoyed it so maybe it is just borderline.
The special effects are great although could not always see what machine was doing what to who, it was interesting to watch. It was also funny but I have to put it in context around the other movie I watched this weekend.
Hot Fuzz. British comedy which makes fun of buddy cop movies, special focus on Michael Bay and his Bad Boys. They used the shots from the Bad Boys scenes where they jump through the air shouting and shooting at the bad guys. The line, ‘this shit just got real’ was thrown around like a cheap prostitute. It was funny and replicated some of the Michael Bay typical stunts and dialogue very funnily!
Now, having watched this movie on Friday night, it had some effect on my enjoyment of the Transformers, which I did enjoy but could pick up those typical Michael shots, the slow motion shot when Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are running along the street and fall and get up and looking all sweaty and manly etc. I saw those in Transformers and laughed out loud.
I suppose I had a problem with the clear cut good guys vs bad guys, or good robot vs bad robot of it all. Like War of the Worlds (and I mention this because Spielberg produced this movie as well, the whole reason why I wanted to see it), it seemed like the aliens were just too strong and could not be beaten. But somehow they are and you do not totally understand how.
Another problem I had with this movie was that it came across as a huge multi million dollar adverting campaign for American cars and global companies. You could not sit through a scene without some company being given a hands-up, (Deloittes, City Group, and like General Motors etc).
All in all, your children will love this movie, maybe you will love watching them watch it.
Two spoons
The special effects are great although could not always see what machine was doing what to who, it was interesting to watch. It was also funny but I have to put it in context around the other movie I watched this weekend.
Hot Fuzz. British comedy which makes fun of buddy cop movies, special focus on Michael Bay and his Bad Boys. They used the shots from the Bad Boys scenes where they jump through the air shouting and shooting at the bad guys. The line, ‘this shit just got real’ was thrown around like a cheap prostitute. It was funny and replicated some of the Michael Bay typical stunts and dialogue very funnily!
Now, having watched this movie on Friday night, it had some effect on my enjoyment of the Transformers, which I did enjoy but could pick up those typical Michael shots, the slow motion shot when Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are running along the street and fall and get up and looking all sweaty and manly etc. I saw those in Transformers and laughed out loud.
I suppose I had a problem with the clear cut good guys vs bad guys, or good robot vs bad robot of it all. Like War of the Worlds (and I mention this because Spielberg produced this movie as well, the whole reason why I wanted to see it), it seemed like the aliens were just too strong and could not be beaten. But somehow they are and you do not totally understand how.
Another problem I had with this movie was that it came across as a huge multi million dollar adverting campaign for American cars and global companies. You could not sit through a scene without some company being given a hands-up, (Deloittes, City Group, and like General Motors etc).
All in all, your children will love this movie, maybe you will love watching them watch it.
Two spoons
Sunday, 12 August 2007
Smokin’ Aces
Watched this one three times in one go. Watched twice normally and once with director and editor’s commentary. I suppose comparing movies to other movies is the lowest form of deciding whether you like a movie or not. And I do that quite often. Before spoiling this by comparing it to some other great movie I will tell you what I thought.
First, the cast. This dude that use to do that inane sitcom, Two Guys a Girl and a pizza place, and went on to do some other movies that I have not and do not care to watch, was just surprisingly brilliant. It is true that comedians also have a great understanding and capacity to do drama (Robin Williams is a case in point). Anyway, this dude whose name, I think is Ryan somebody, plays an FBI agent opposite Ray Liotta (his laugh freaks me out) who are going after a Vegas type performer (Jeremy Piven) who is in the process of becoming a state witness against a big mob boss. There is a contract out on his life and a few contract killers are dispatched (including Alicia Keys if you can believe that!). There is a bail bonds man whose also been dispatched to find him and a few other very interesting characters are thrown to keep the whole thing interesting.
I have to mention Jason Bateman. I do not remember what 80’s sitcom he was on but his recent resurgence is just wonderful. He has a small part (characters in this movie) but he is just hilarious.
The soundtrack was also something to write home about. The last scene of the movie plays to that song, I do not know what it’s called or who composed it or which original movie it was made for but do you remember the trailers to Lord of the Rings (I think it was the Return of the King or all three) and the song that went with that. Epic! Epic! Epic! If somebody know and can tell me please please please do. It is difficult to describe a piece of music, especially if you do not have the vocabulary but I’ll try. There were violins, and it goes somin like, do do do do doo, do do do do doo, do do do do do do do do do doo. No? Oh well I tried. Anyway, the last scene plays to that and it just elevates that scene to a whole ‘nother level. Amazing.
The whole sequence of the movie is just clever and interesting, I had to watch it three times to actually understand. And I wanted to understand. On the third try you kind of figure out that this is not the greatest movie ever made just very clever film making. Things like the transitions from one scene to another (very purposeful), the restraint of the big name actors (one gets tired of seeing Andy Garcia in every second movie that comes out) to allow others to shine, and the comic bloodiness of it all make this a fun escape.
I’ve now decided on not mentioning other movies that it reminded me of. I will leave that to the comments.
This is a good movie, actually worth owning as part of a dvd collection in case you can’t watch it three times at one go. The bonus features, on their own, will take another hour to watch.
Three and half spoons.
First, the cast. This dude that use to do that inane sitcom, Two Guys a Girl and a pizza place, and went on to do some other movies that I have not and do not care to watch, was just surprisingly brilliant. It is true that comedians also have a great understanding and capacity to do drama (Robin Williams is a case in point). Anyway, this dude whose name, I think is Ryan somebody, plays an FBI agent opposite Ray Liotta (his laugh freaks me out) who are going after a Vegas type performer (Jeremy Piven) who is in the process of becoming a state witness against a big mob boss. There is a contract out on his life and a few contract killers are dispatched (including Alicia Keys if you can believe that!). There is a bail bonds man whose also been dispatched to find him and a few other very interesting characters are thrown to keep the whole thing interesting.
I have to mention Jason Bateman. I do not remember what 80’s sitcom he was on but his recent resurgence is just wonderful. He has a small part (characters in this movie) but he is just hilarious.
The soundtrack was also something to write home about. The last scene of the movie plays to that song, I do not know what it’s called or who composed it or which original movie it was made for but do you remember the trailers to Lord of the Rings (I think it was the Return of the King or all three) and the song that went with that. Epic! Epic! Epic! If somebody know and can tell me please please please do. It is difficult to describe a piece of music, especially if you do not have the vocabulary but I’ll try. There were violins, and it goes somin like, do do do do doo, do do do do doo, do do do do do do do do do doo. No? Oh well I tried. Anyway, the last scene plays to that and it just elevates that scene to a whole ‘nother level. Amazing.
The whole sequence of the movie is just clever and interesting, I had to watch it three times to actually understand. And I wanted to understand. On the third try you kind of figure out that this is not the greatest movie ever made just very clever film making. Things like the transitions from one scene to another (very purposeful), the restraint of the big name actors (one gets tired of seeing Andy Garcia in every second movie that comes out) to allow others to shine, and the comic bloodiness of it all make this a fun escape.
I’ve now decided on not mentioning other movies that it reminded me of. I will leave that to the comments.
This is a good movie, actually worth owning as part of a dvd collection in case you can’t watch it three times at one go. The bonus features, on their own, will take another hour to watch.
Three and half spoons.
Friday, 10 August 2007
Without Anthony Hopkins there is no Hannibal.
Pictured above is a younger Hannibal Lecter, played by Gaspard Ulliel (courtesy of IMDB), in the prequel to Red Dragon Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal - Hannibal Rising.I'd grown to love the man eating Lecter after the three movies that are based on Thomas Harris' novels.
I suppose it is unfair to compare Anthony Hopkins, who plays Hannibal in the other three movies, to Ulliel's performance in this last movie.
Hopkins is a brilliant performer and portrayed this cannibalistic doctor as a classy man eater. Whereas I felt Ulliel's portrayal of a younger Lecter was just too raw for my liking.
But it is understandable, after all he does player a younger Lecter.
The story tells of how Lecter grew in to this cannibalistic character and I found it rather predictable really. War, parents killed, left to look after himself and his sisters, enter looters and when there's nothing to eat...
The story of Hannibal Lecter got better and more gripping with each movie. Until this movie. would have rather been a great starting point. Release this movie first and then the rest...
Three spoons.
My woman's day
I was keen to watch Mr Bean goes on holiday, mainly because three weeks have passed without me seeing any DVD’s or movies. So when I went to the video store I was excited at the number of titles that had come in and had not seen.
So my woman’s day was spent on the couch with bacon and eggs for brunch and pasta for dinner and a lot of bits and goodies in between. This is my ultimate way to recharge my batteries and it works wonders!
Of all the titles I had not seen, that were released during my involuntary movie fast, Mr Bean was one and I saw, Ghost Rider, Stranger than Fiction and just for good measure I threw in Grimm Love.
Mr Bean works in 30 minute bits. That’s it that’s all. I adore Mr Bean but if you have seen all the seasons on TV, then you have seen this movie. Nothing new. I think actually one of the episodes was entitled Mr Bean goes on holiday where he goes through the trouble of changing from his pants to his swimming trunks (trying not to expose himself) only to find out that the only other person on the beach is blind and would not have seen his private bits if he exposed them. Mr Bean was made for short bits on TV and if he is going to make movies then he must stick to short roles like 4 weddings and a funeral.
On to Stranger than Fiction. Loved the cast and love the fact that Will Ferrell is going a little more into cerebral humour. I like Will, falls into my Jim Carrey and even the Farrelly Brothers category. They make me laugh out loud and I will take that any day! Stranger than Fiction itself was not fresh enough I think, it was entertaining and you have to sit back and just enjoy Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman. It reminded me of Adaptation, this is not a bad thing, it reminded me of the Truman Show which is also not a bad thing. But I suppose one does not want to be reminded and be comparing movies to other movies. I say again, there is finite number of original ideas in the world and all we can do is shift the perspective a little.
Ghost rider. Nicolaas Cage looks anorexic in this one. Besides that little fact, do not see it, it is just bad.
Then came Grimm Love. You will find this title in the dark corner of the new releases, where it should stay. I am sure you remember the recent story of the guy that ate his lover? Do we really want to know why? I thought I did. After seeing the movie I don’t know why and actually, now I know that I do not want to know.
So Beenz, if you have not seen any of the above yet, go with Stranger than Fiction. Everything else is crap!
So my woman’s day was spent on the couch with bacon and eggs for brunch and pasta for dinner and a lot of bits and goodies in between. This is my ultimate way to recharge my batteries and it works wonders!
Of all the titles I had not seen, that were released during my involuntary movie fast, Mr Bean was one and I saw, Ghost Rider, Stranger than Fiction and just for good measure I threw in Grimm Love.
Mr Bean works in 30 minute bits. That’s it that’s all. I adore Mr Bean but if you have seen all the seasons on TV, then you have seen this movie. Nothing new. I think actually one of the episodes was entitled Mr Bean goes on holiday where he goes through the trouble of changing from his pants to his swimming trunks (trying not to expose himself) only to find out that the only other person on the beach is blind and would not have seen his private bits if he exposed them. Mr Bean was made for short bits on TV and if he is going to make movies then he must stick to short roles like 4 weddings and a funeral.
On to Stranger than Fiction. Loved the cast and love the fact that Will Ferrell is going a little more into cerebral humour. I like Will, falls into my Jim Carrey and even the Farrelly Brothers category. They make me laugh out loud and I will take that any day! Stranger than Fiction itself was not fresh enough I think, it was entertaining and you have to sit back and just enjoy Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman. It reminded me of Adaptation, this is not a bad thing, it reminded me of the Truman Show which is also not a bad thing. But I suppose one does not want to be reminded and be comparing movies to other movies. I say again, there is finite number of original ideas in the world and all we can do is shift the perspective a little.
Ghost rider. Nicolaas Cage looks anorexic in this one. Besides that little fact, do not see it, it is just bad.
Then came Grimm Love. You will find this title in the dark corner of the new releases, where it should stay. I am sure you remember the recent story of the guy that ate his lover? Do we really want to know why? I thought I did. After seeing the movie I don’t know why and actually, now I know that I do not want to know.
So Beenz, if you have not seen any of the above yet, go with Stranger than Fiction. Everything else is crap!
Sunday, 8 July 2007
Pan’s Labyrinth
This movie will catch you off guard and make you believe that magic lives, at least in a child’s imagination and what could be stronger. What is stronger than the imagination of a child not yet jaded, a child who sees realities of the world but still has a cache of magic to draw power from. What is more magical than when that reality of the world comes crashing down, that the child has this magic to hang on to and that magic is true for this and the next world.
There is no movie to compare this to! Not the Chronicles of Narnia or Alice in Wonderland. They are children’s movies which adults can enjoy.
Pan is not a kid’s movie. It is violent and scary but these are the realities that kids are exposed to. Never mind the Spanish Civil War. Kids everywhere (those who are lucky) are dodging bullets and abuse and being orphans. Think about Kabelo Duiker’s the Hidden Star, or even Thirteen Cents. You don’t really even have to go that far. Open the Cape Times and you will read about what children have to escape on a daily basis.
See this one and vow to be the Mercedes in other children’s lives and pray that you don’t get there before it’s too late.
Enchanted five spoons
This movie will catch you off guard and make you believe that magic lives, at least in a child’s imagination and what could be stronger. What is stronger than the imagination of a child not yet jaded, a child who sees realities of the world but still has a cache of magic to draw power from. What is more magical than when that reality of the world comes crashing down, that the child has this magic to hang on to and that magic is true for this and the next world.
There is no movie to compare this to! Not the Chronicles of Narnia or Alice in Wonderland. They are children’s movies which adults can enjoy.
Pan is not a kid’s movie. It is violent and scary but these are the realities that kids are exposed to. Never mind the Spanish Civil War. Kids everywhere (those who are lucky) are dodging bullets and abuse and being orphans. Think about Kabelo Duiker’s the Hidden Star, or even Thirteen Cents. You don’t really even have to go that far. Open the Cape Times and you will read about what children have to escape on a daily basis.
See this one and vow to be the Mercedes in other children’s lives and pray that you don’t get there before it’s too late.
Enchanted five spoons
Saturday, 7 July 2007
Is the romantic comedy dead?
Or is it in intensive care. Do you remember the way that they used to make them? Think, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey, think, When Harry Met Sally, think Moonlight and Valentino, think Chasing Amy, As Good as it Gets. Annie Hall, even Pretty Woman and an Officer and a Gentleman? What (the f) have you seen recently that measures up?!
I rented Music and Lyrics the other day and I started thinking when last did I watch just a feel good romantic comedy. Not Sna/itch with Will Smith spreading non truths, or Jennifer Aniston looking puzzled. I am not talking about 101 ways to lose a guy or stupid David Duchovny trying to woo Mienne Driver who is dying of some other disease. Not Charlize Bloody Theron trying to get Keanu to get his freak on. What the f, has happened to just… ahhhh.
Anybody watch Fever Pitch/Perfect Match with the comically attractive Jimmy Fallon. Now that! Was one in a million! It was great but it is pity that one has to wait so long before you find that oh so funny! fantastic love story like Fever Pitch. One has to go through bloody, Music and Lyrics. Now that was (I thought) a good idea. When I saw the trailer I thought, hhhmmmm maybe that will do it for me.
Stay away from it. It is bad, it is so bad that I wonder about Drew and Hugh. Drew was excellent in Fever Pitch. Love Actually was actually quite good with Hugh and his weird dancing. You also have to give props to Four Weddings and a Funeral and Nottinghill.
But lately I have just been deprived of what could be. Romantic comedies is where I go to when I lose hope, when I think, argh, there is nobody there for me?! I go to the video store and rent somin', somin' and it is all right with the world. But the latest releases just do not measure up.
What is your ultimate romantic movie. What do you rent when you need to restore faith in Cupid? Let me know because I am running out of ideas, as always!
Or is it in intensive care. Do you remember the way that they used to make them? Think, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey, think, When Harry Met Sally, think Moonlight and Valentino, think Chasing Amy, As Good as it Gets. Annie Hall, even Pretty Woman and an Officer and a Gentleman? What (the f) have you seen recently that measures up?!
I rented Music and Lyrics the other day and I started thinking when last did I watch just a feel good romantic comedy. Not Sna/itch with Will Smith spreading non truths, or Jennifer Aniston looking puzzled. I am not talking about 101 ways to lose a guy or stupid David Duchovny trying to woo Mienne Driver who is dying of some other disease. Not Charlize Bloody Theron trying to get Keanu to get his freak on. What the f, has happened to just… ahhhh.
Anybody watch Fever Pitch/Perfect Match with the comically attractive Jimmy Fallon. Now that! Was one in a million! It was great but it is pity that one has to wait so long before you find that oh so funny! fantastic love story like Fever Pitch. One has to go through bloody, Music and Lyrics. Now that was (I thought) a good idea. When I saw the trailer I thought, hhhmmmm maybe that will do it for me.
Stay away from it. It is bad, it is so bad that I wonder about Drew and Hugh. Drew was excellent in Fever Pitch. Love Actually was actually quite good with Hugh and his weird dancing. You also have to give props to Four Weddings and a Funeral and Nottinghill.
But lately I have just been deprived of what could be. Romantic comedies is where I go to when I lose hope, when I think, argh, there is nobody there for me?! I go to the video store and rent somin', somin' and it is all right with the world. But the latest releases just do not measure up.
What is your ultimate romantic movie. What do you rent when you need to restore faith in Cupid? Let me know because I am running out of ideas, as always!
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