WeatherGirl’s Station

Brilliant. This was another film I’d been nervous about seeing because, well, the subject matter didn’t sound that interesting. Mostly I’d heard it was a Blair/QEII pas de deux and that didn’t strike me as hugely engrossing.

Amazingly, I loved it. The movie was engrossing and even though I knew how it all worked out I still experienced the tension of will-she-or-won’t-she. This is no hack job on either of the main characters. They are both fully realised real people with all their humanity intact. Helen Miren just rocks. I’ve admired her since Prime Suspect 1 and she just keeps getting better and better with every project she works on. The 2007 best actress Oscar was well deserved.

Go. See. Watch. Adore.

Current temperature 34F/1C

Brilliant. A great story that grabs you right from the word go and never lets up. A whole slew of wonderful performances that drag you into this future world. It’s so enjoyable to watch a movie that assumes its audience has a brain and doesn’t need to be spoonfed and beaten over the head with giant signs about what is going on.

There is a short sequence towards the end as a baby is carried out of building that has got to one of the most pointed commentaries on the human race and war. If you don’t weep you’re not human.

Current temperature 28F/-2C

As you can probably tell I’m way behind on posting. Today, the sun is out, the snow has melted and the weather is freaking me out. So I’m going to prattle on a while, using strong language and irony, about a recent controversy that has probably been and gone in your neck of the woods.

We host an annual Super Bowl party, the primary purpose of which is to gather with friends, eat, drink and watch the commercials. Oh, and if we’re not too distracted, perhaps enjoy a little American football. For us this is the only game in the season we actually make any effort to see.

For the last few years the commercials have not been that impressive. There’s been the odd one, now and then, but somehow the talents of Madison Avenue have waned. (Consequently the race for TiVo and the joy of advert avoidance. ) This year was no exception to the trend but I did have a soft spot for the Snickers ad, a product I can’t even eat. In fact, it was hysterical. I rewatched it multiple times. I laughed manically. It warmed the cockles of my radicalised feminist heart.

Later in the week I started reading on-line how controversial the ad was and how it reeked of homophobia. At which point my brain did a double take, screeched to a halt and went wtf???? I made a point of rewatching the ad. Maybe I’d missed something? No, it was still the same taking the piss out of the straight guy ad I’d initially reacted too.

Clearly I was seeing something very different to those raising their voices against this ad. For the record, I see straight guys being dissed. What on earth could be construed as manly about ripping the hair from your own chest? What’s wrong with two guys coming into physical contact? It screams, at least to me, aren’t these a pair of dumb asses for what they’re doing?

I’m of the female persuasion and I spend my life watching media that does nothing but put my gender down. So when big media spends a few seconds putting straight guys down, I laugh heartily and gird my loins for the misogynistic crap that’s just around the corner and is promoted 99% of the time. Like the godaddy ad that featured during the said same Superbowl but no body seems to have batted an eye at. Then again, Prince can parade around on stage with a huge phallic like symbol to little comment whereas a brief glimpse of Janet Jackson’s breast leads to the collapse of civilisation.

Perception is very much in the eye of the beholder. Check out Phi’s here.

Current temperature 28F/-2C

Weird. So you’ve never heard of this film either? Well that makes two of us. It does have several positive attributes. There’s Joaquin Phoenix and Claire Danes for two and some of the imagery is quite stunning. I especially loved the shots of the aircraft flying and the hotel corridors, especially the framing of images through corridors. But then there’s the rest of the movie.

WTF is it all about? I watched very carefully from beginning to end. I kept waiting for the penny to drop, for the big reveal to happen but it never did. And who on earth thought making the female lead a world famous ice skater made any sense? Pianist I could buy, but ice skater? Plus the accents sucked big time and made no discernable difference to anything.

If you must, watch for the pretty and if you work out what on earth is going on please let me know.

Current temperature 43F/6C

Went to see a UMM production of this play by Carlo Goldoni this evening. Lots of bawdy humour, modern slapstick, amusing dialogue and great acting. The production was performed in the round, with minimal scenery, which suited the nature of the piece. A very enjoyable evening.

Current temperature 14F/-10C

Must see. Yes you must! This movie rocks! Not only does it feature Tony Leung, one of my all time favourite Hong Kong actors but there are stunning high rise views of the city that just blow you away. The basic premise is there’s a cop undercover as a criminal and a criminal undercover as a cop. I won’t say more about the plot as there are some great twists and turns along the way and it is so satisying to be surprised.

One weakness: The female roles are inconsequential. I suspect much footage ended up on the cutting room floor.

Two notes: The cover on the dvd is bizare and has nothing to do with the movie. Just ignore it, hopefully next time they reissue they’ll fix the art work. The dvd was rated R in the US. This rating is incorrect. This movie is no more than a PG13. The MPAA has no clue and quite frankly drive me nuts with their inappropriate ratings.