1°C, clearing to ice
Film: 44 Inch Chest: more like a play with fine acting from established British actors like John Hurt. It was all atmosphere and dialogue a story about a group of London old criminals. My fellow audience were non-plussed, but I liked it.
13°C, clear, fresh colourful
You know a good film when you talk about it on the way home, a great film has you chewing over it all of the next day too. We Need To Talk About Kevin had this effect on me today. We saw it at FACT in Liverpool last night. A very nice Cinema, but sorry Liverpool, it’s not as stylish as The Electric in Birmingham. Immediately, I was struck by how clear and sharp the picture is on these modern digital screens, especially on the adverts oddly. The films idea is well documented on the web, and in many places, more articulately explained than I could. I am, however, glad that I didn’t ready many reviews before going, the final culmination of the plot revealed itself to me in the film, not in the papers beforehand.
The best thing for me was that I didn’t feel patronised by this film. The plot appeared in small clues, amid pictorial sequences and focus on details of the characters’ lives. Each of those pictures would have stood as a ‘short’ in itself. The tension slowly built up throughout, images added on top of images seen earlier in the film. The whole story was fed to us, no need to spell out the plot and tell us what each bit meant. We worked it out for ourselves.
14°C, grey sky.
Film: Animal Kingdom. Review. It had all the tension of a David Lynch film, I was gripped and genuinely anxious about what would happen next. The film contained violence but didn’t indulge in a butcherfest as some films do. It met my need for fine cinematography, sound-scapes and therefore mood. I recommend.
However, I’m having trouble with this TV set because it makes that high pitched transistor whine. It reminds me of those mosquito alarms.
17C, rain then bright.
Just a quick note this time. I know most of my posts are short, terse even.
Film: Four Lions, a comedy about some none too bright would-be suicide bombers from Sheffield. I say ‘comedy’ since that’s what it says on the label, but I didn’t notice that many funny bits. It did get better towards the end. It reminded me of Citizen Smith, the TV series from the early 80s, unfortunately it shared a similar characteristic where the parody was expressed through characters who were rather dim witted. A pretty feeble way to get laughs I’d say.
14°C+, getting warmer.
Film: True Grit (Cohen brothers). Good to see that dreadful John Wayne western based on a Charles Portis book has been updated with one that really is based on the book. Why was John Wayne ever famous? The lead role, Mattie Ross, a strong and articulate character made her way through the story, much to my relief, unharmed. Is it conditioning that led me to fear something dreadful would happen to her?
This film was interesting for the usual Cohen reasons, but more so because of the language. Despite struggling with the clarity of the dialogue, the characters were not just articulate- more eloquent I would say. Phrasing and vocab were of the period and intriguing to me. shame the sound wasn’t really that clear on the screen I watched it on. Finally, was it just me that failed to spot Matt Damon until the credits rolled?
Heavy rains & light suns
Film: the story of a diamond smuggler in Africa. At times compelling, at others cringe-some, clichéd and often peppered with an enormous body count. The scenery was stunning and Djimon Hounsoue’s acting was unflinching. Di Caprio was given the corniest lines which threw me in towards the end. Overall I would not recommend this film.
Clint Eastwood again, he’s on familiar ground with this one- vigilante, old damaged soldier in his last days struggling with a world that has moved on. He strikes up an unlikely friendship with an immigrant lad in a neighbourhood blighted by gangs. Fairly normal stuff for films of this genre, but there is an interesting relationship growing with cantankerous jousting. I kept going with the thread about soldiers living with ugly memories from war. I’ve always wondered how they do that.
I liked it enough.
Wind howling down the chimney, I can see rain out there.
RottenTomatoes, they cover much of what’s to be said about this. My impression? Violent, reasonably well shot, long, but I missed a character that I could like. Perhaps there was one or two, but even so, the lead men left me wishing something bad would happen to them. But hold on, something does!
Now for some peaceful gardening- A peony, and 4 others in a bag that means I can’t remember which is which. Each is just a muddy rootball wrapped in plastic. I dunno.
11°C, sunny bits, few wet bits.
This film had something in common with The Matrix; I started with much hope and left feeling cheated, annoyed and hating it. The lead character was fine but she threw the others into sharp contrast with their terrible over-acting. Was there some kind of competition to fill the film with every cliché of the genre? The scene with the emotional pleading in pouring rain on the bridge in London would have seen me leave the cinema had I been in one. the last time I felt such loathing for a film was The Matrix, shallow stereotypical characters, absurd but easily predictable plot.
Avoid.
4°C, grey, with traces of fog.
Running a trial of the newest Norton Internet Security suite. Nothing had changed over the years- it still slows the laptop down appallingly. At this rate, my patience will run out before the trial does, so will remove it.
Micycle 