I have seen a whole bunch of movies recently. Too many to go into in depth so I will write a line or two about each, and you can decide which to watch.
1)
Coco Avant Chanel - an intriguing story of her life before she was famous. We often take people for granted as being who they are as we know them and don't think of where they come from. This is a sharp reminder that dedication and passion mixed with a knob of talent win the day every time. What a great young actress Audrey Tautou is.
2)
Cherie - A delightful look at the houses and fashions of the time. This is a surprisingly heart-wrenching love story between a young man and an older woman.
3)
Young Victoria - Again, a great insight into the times with all the pomp and ceremony of being a part of the royal family. Victoria was a strong, wilful personality if the film is to be believed.
4)
500 Days of Summer - Great leads in a love story which isn't one, as it says at the beginning of the film. Seems light and fluffy on the surface but actually makes you think about the belief systems that we have and how they affect our relationships. There is some character growth by the end of the movie, which is always good to see.
5)
Ugly Truth - Umm, not sure I would recommend this unless you want a romantic comedy without a lot of substance. It pretends there is, but I wasn't so sure.
6)
The Taking of Pelham 123 - Fantastic actors - can't take away from that, and the story kept me glued to my seat but not loving some of the direction and out of focus, swooping filming that was supposed to indicate urgency and speed but just left me feeling nauseous.
7)
Funny People - Yuck! Why do comedians think incessant talk about genitals and copulation is funny?
8)
District 9 - Now we're talking. Very disorienting at the beginning but settles into a disturbing take on prejudice. It falters towards the end when Hollywood cinema takes over with the great heroic gesture, but overall great movie making. Not everyone will like this but I would recommend it so you can decide for yourselves.
9)
Inglourious Basterds - I usually avoid World War I and II movies like the plague. They upset me too much, but I do make some exceptions and I always knew this would be one. As expected from Tarantino, there is graphic violence, but it is a great story of the revenge of a strong female character, which never wavers into melodrama. This is a must see.
10)
Fame - I was so looking forward to this movie because I loved the first one way back in 1980. Well, if you're thinking of going to see it, don't bother. I have never been so disappointed by a movie. There were too many characters with no growth even though it spans several years. A couple of good dance and song scenes didn't make it worth the money. Stay away.
The last thing I want to say is that I have fallen in love with
Rupert Friend. I have included his photo here. He has such great bone structure. He was in both Cherie and Young Victoria - that's how I "met" him. He has funny hair in both of them but ignore that and look at his face - perfection. Well, that's my opinion anyway.
I am fascinated by this manmade beach on Kyushu Island, Japan. It's actually not far from the Pacific Ocean but obviously everyone prefers a crowded inside beach. This is the world’s largest indoor water park with a retractable roof. The air temperature is always kept around 30º C and the water temperature is kept at around 28º C. How 's that for improving on Nature?
I have seen a whole bunch of movies recently. Too many to go into in depth so I will write a line or two about each, and you can decide which to watch.
3) Young Victoria - Again, a great insight into the times with all the pomp and ceremony of being a part of the royal family. Victoria was a strong, wilful personality if the film is to be believed.
4) 500 Days of Summer - Great leads in a love story which isn't one, as it says at the beginning of the film. Seems light and fluffy on the surface but actually makes you think about the belief systems that we have and how they affect our relationships. There is some character growth by the end of the movie, which is always good to see.
5) Ugly Truth - Umm, not sure I would recommend this unless you want a romantic comedy without a lot of substance. It pretends there is, but I wasn't so sure.
6) The Taking of Pelham 123 - Fantastic actors - can't take away from that, and the story kept me glued to my seat but not loving some of the direction and out of focus, swooping filming that was supposed to indicate urgency and speed but just left me feeling nauseous.
7) Funny People - Yuck! Why do comedians think incessant talk about genitals and copulation is funny?
8) District 9 - Now we're talking. Very disorienting at the beginning but settles into a disturbing take on prejudice. It falters towards the end when Hollywood cinema takes over with the great heroic gesture, but overall great movie making. Not everyone will like this but I would recommend it so you can decide for yourselves.
9) Inglourious Basterds - I usually avoid World War I and II movies like the plague. They upset me too much, but I do make some exceptions and I always knew this would be one. As expected from Tarantino, there is graphic violence, but it is a great story of the revenge of a strong female character, which never wavers into melodrama. This is a must see.
10) Fame - I was so looking forward to this movie because I loved the first one way back in 1980. Well, if you're thinking of going to see it, don't bother. I have never been so disappointed by a movie. There were too many characters with no growth even though it spans several years. A couple of good dance and song scenes didn't make it worth the money. Stay away.
The last thing I want to say is that I have fallen in love with Rupert Friend. I have included his photo here. He has such great bone structure. He was in both Cherie and Young Victoria - that's how I "met" him. He has funny hair in both of them but ignore that and look at his face - perfection. Well, that's my opinion anyway.
