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.

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.

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.

+5C, same fog.

Tilda Swinton plays a slightly different role in Julia. I liked this one, despite the rather frantic endless feeling of peril. Go and see it.

Chronic Tendonitis: says the doctor. It’s worse right now, because, I think, I have a cold. I mean that there is a repeated coincidence where aching tendons occur when I have a cold. Is there a link? Does the virus attack membranes in joints at the same time as all that action in the nose & throat?
The doctor didn’t think so, but I will still look out for and studies on this. You have ot be careful about this sort of thing because as human nature- we are prone to look for patterns, sometimes where none exist.

13°C, cloudy and dark grey

This new house is all clean and white, no dust anywhere.
I’ve left thoughts unblogged recently, and now I find Microsoft are offloading their blog service here.
I don’t mind this; here things look a bit more grown-up to me.