WeatherGirl’s Station

Dull. Yeah, so this was a huge disappointment and didn’t pass the WeatherGrrrl sleep test. Luckily I don’t live in the real world where ticket prices are obscene so my little nap didn’t cost the earth. Popcorn and soda were tasty though. You could definitely see the budget up there on the big screen, shame they didn’t save anything for the script. I have a brain. It needs to be engaged. This failed completely. I’d also love to see some female characters who have, um, a character, and aren’t just part of the scenery for the adolescent-boy part of the audience.

Current temperature: here 63F/17C, there 17C/63F

Tense. So these kind of movies always make me incredibly tense and this one is no different. As the movie unfolded the question that came to mind was, ‘wtf is the west doing in Iraq?’ The entire situation makes no sense and the insanity of being there is clearly played out in this movie. Definitely a must see but in no way could it be described as enjoyable. As an examination of male addiction to war it is quite exemplary.

Current temperature: here 77F/25C, there 9C/48F

Brilliant. This has to be one of the most gorgeous movies of all time. The images are stunning and beautifully represent the emotional journey of the main character over a single day. Colin Firth is amazing and fully deserves his Oscar nomination. I was a little nervous about where they were headed with one of the relationships (professor/student) but it did not resolve inappropriately so that was a relief. Definitely a must see.

Current temperature: here 37F/3C, there 10C/50F

Overrated. All the money is clearly on the screen, shame they didn’t spend any on the script. I so wanted this to be good and kept hoping to be drawn in and absorbed by the story but you really do need more that kick arse special effects to engage the entire human brain. There were a lot of tired old tropes present in this retelling of Pocahontas. You’d think by now, with the revolution of thought that has happened in the last one hundred years, the lone white guy wouldn’t get to save the day by out nativing the natives for the umpteenth time. Really?

Current temperature: here 9F/-13C, there 3C/37F

Erratic. Well, this movie sure is all over the shop, from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again. It doesn’t seem able to make its mind up what on earth it is. Paul Bettany has never been better lit and has my full attention every moment he’s on screen. *ahem* Ocassionally there are subtle interesting images and a real sense of the oppression and desolation of the desert. Mostly though the trite music queues tell us exactly what every one is thinking and feeling and Dennis Quaid gives one of the worst acting performances ever. Ever! At least Charles S. Dutton looks like he’s having an absolute blast, which is the only way to deal with a mess of a project like this.

Current temperature: here 7F/-14C, there 4C/39F

Sweet. It’s not often these days that a movie is made with younger children in mind. This is such a movie and very pretty it is too, which is not surprising given that it is the Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki at work. While it did get a little preachy in places and Liam Neeson’s character was a mite annoying, the visual representations of the sea and its inhabitants was spectacular. Definitely worth seeing even if you don’t have little ones.

Current temperature: here 81F/27C, there 13C/55F

Underwhelms. So, yeah, there are lots of explosions and action and speed but as a whole I was not wowed in the slightest. Where was the sharp snarky script? The super scary evil evol villan planning world domination? Or the hot half naked men? *sigh* The script was so blah and limp, I was not surprised to see it was written by committee. Channing Tatum did not do a thing for me and had zero rapport with Marlon Wayons which led to a queasiness about how their relationship was being portrayed.

Current temperature: here 73F/23C, there 16c/61F

Beautiful. I’m sorry I didn’t get to see this on the big screen as visually this movie was quite stunning. I also think it has a lot to say about self-deceit and the ability humans have to distract themselves from the ills of the world by hiding out in a self imposed bubble of excess. And the catastrophic consequences. (See Nero and modern day bankers.) Loved the use of ’80s punk music, the clash between sound and visuals was brilliant.

Current temperature: here 66F/19C, there 14C/57F

Watchable. I will always go and see a Michael Mann movie because you know there is a brain at work behind the camera and even when he fails he still manages to produce better movies than most of the crap being produced by Hollywood’s in-boys. This had a lot going for it and I especially enjoyed Johnny Depp’s performance. (He is always so watchable.) I actually like the use of hand held camera work here as it gave the feeling of watching events as they are happening rather than a historical re-enactment. My main problem was that I had a hard time telling who every one was. (Maybe some of that was down to the poor quality of our theatre’s sound system.) It was almost like we were expected to know who everyone was after the briefest of introductions.

Current temperature: here 68F/20C, there 15C/59F

Enjoyable. Not to be taken as good model for adolescent female behaviour however. It certainly doesn’t stand up to an serious feminist examination but as a fantasy it’s quite fun. The specially effects are pretty awful which is a surprise in this day and age. My favourite part was the father/daughter relationship, each trying their best to maintain the bond and demonstrating the strength of their affection.

Current temperature: here 73F/23C, there 18C/64F