OneRayHill

The Muppets

2012-01-15T21:41:00.002+11:00

There really aren't any great surprises in the first Muppet movie since 1999, The Muppets , but that's quite okay because it is familiarity that is at the heart of the movie.
Gary (Jason Segal) and his 'brother' Walter (Peter Linz) have grown up together and are inseparable, a little to the disappointment of Gary's 10-year girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams).
Walter has never felt that he fitted in and it is only when he sees The Muppet Show for the first time that he finally finds something that gives him a sense of belonging. He also idolises Kermit.
Gary, Mary and Walter travel to LA to see take the Muppet Theatre tour only to find that it has been run down and on the verge of closure at the hands of an evil oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper).
The trio set out to find Kermit and with their help our favourite frog sets out to reform the muppets and raise $10 million to save the theatre.
There are heaps of cheesy songs, nods to previous Muppet movies, celebrity cameos (including an hilarious one by Jim Reynolds, who is best known as Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory) and, of course, the Manah Manah song.
I think while this will appeal a bit to kids it will certainly resonate with the big kids, such as myself, who grew up when the muppets were massive. What this movie shows is that they still are and, really, the wholesome brand of humour is what's missing in the world in 2012.
You'll have a great time and guaranteed to have a laugh and leave the cinema feeling good. That's what the Muppets are all about.
A 7.5 out of 10.

A better life

2012-01-15T21:04:00.003+11:00

When I was a teenager I'd often wonder what other people's lives were like as I walked past houses, particularly ones that looked better than mine.
I also daydreamed about living in the USA, I'd imagined that over there a better life was certain. That idea largely came from the fact that my TV died comprised a lot of American dramas - 90210, Party Of Five etc.
I think that wondering has stayed with me because I still look at other people and surmise that their lives must be better. Sure that is a very superficial assessment.
I don't have it bad. In fact I'm sure that there are a whole heap of people who would like to have had the opportunities that I have.
Small comfort, sometimes, though.
Then I think, what would it be like now if I had done some things differently. What if I'd decided to start working out when I was 16?
What if I had gone to a different university and done a different course? (That one would change things considerably I would suggest, but I have to say I do enjoy my job!).
I could keep listing questions and dwelling over possible 'sliding doors' moments. It won't get me anywhere.
If I want things to change I have to instigate them, take control of where I am heading as best as one can.
At least then I can't sit back and wonder what might have been.....

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

2012-01-13T18:53:00.002+11:00

Sequel-itis strikes again despite the best efforts of a few cast members in Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows which simply goes too far trying to top what was a very entertaining 'original'.
As shown at the end of the first film, Holmes' foe in this sequel is the evil genius Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) and he is really one of the stand out performances in the film, alongside Jude Law's Dr Watson.
In true Robert Downey Jr style, Holmes hijacks Watson's stag party and wedding, and honeymoon, in the name of pursuing Moriarty and solving his case.
The trouble is, in this context it really didn't work for me like it has in other films. Holmes is a detective, not a common street thug. And while some of his insightful fight scenes were interesting in the first film I thought the inflated number of fight scenes was excessive for someone whose real talent is in his mind.
Along for the ride is Noomi Rapace (from the original Dragon Tattoo movies) as a gypsy Simza who is drawn into the hunt for Moriarty.
There are entertaining elements to this film, don't get me wrong. But I went in expecting some development from the first one and it was just a mish-mash of fights and Holmes pestering the life out of Watson - though their bromance was pretty clearly highlighted.
The chess scene towards the end with Holmes and Moriarty was an example of the type of psychological battles the two enemies have and there wasn't nearly enough of that with the writers resorting to mindless, though well choreographed, action.
Stephen Fry, as Moycroft Holmes, does supply a few comedic moments, albeit one rather embarrassing one included, but overall the film was disappointing.
SPOILER!
Given that Watson types The End on his manuscript at the end of the film, to also signal the film is finished, Holmes types a ? leading us all to believe another sequel will be on the way. I know they do this in just about every film series (I'm surprised they didn't try it with Harry Potter just to keep the franchise going) but it was unnecessary.
A 6 out of 10.

The Iron Lady

2012-01-06T18:11:00.002+11:00

A lot has already been said about the performance of Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady and the only thing I can add is to say it is one of the most stirring performances I have seen in a film.
It can't be easy to portray such a famous, real life, person but Streep is simply stunning as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, dubbed the Iron Lady because of her tough approach to tackling the man's game of politics.
Given that during Thatcher's 11 years as PM I was between the ages of 4 and 15, or thereabouts, I don't have an intimate personal understanding of how the world saw her. So other than knowing who she is - first female PM, etc - I didn't have any strong feeling either way about her.
However, I am aware that she was a leader that polarised people. You either loved her or hated her.
I think this may have helped because it is one of the finest films I have seen in a number of years.
But it isn't an easy ride. Thatcher is presented at the beginning as an aging, possibly dementia-ridden, powerless woman and it is quite sad, knowing who she is, to watch her struggle.
It is as the elderly Thatcher that Streep will just knock you out. While as a younger woman it is obvious that it is Streep playing the role but there are times when you have to double take looking at the elder version. And she nails her voice.
Her story, her rise to power in the UK, is told in flashbacks. And she is always accompanied by her late husband Denis (Jim Broadbent) who she hasn't been able to let go of emotionally.
While the film wasn't perfect I think that Streep's presence and portrayal really make you see past any flaw it may have. Really, though, the only thing I felt was missing was that bit at the end of the film, when the movie is about a real person, that tells you a bit of real life context.
I know there may have been some great performances in the lead up to the Oscars but, really, if Meryl Streep doesn't win best actress then the Academy is a joke.
She embodied everything in a 'best actress' turn - she consumed the role, she commanded your attention and she made you feel something (whether positive or negative) about the character. And she was flawless.
Bravo, Meryl. A 9 out of 10.

Tower Heist

2012-01-03T22:38:00.002+11:00

You don't realise just how ridiculous the idea of robbing someone of $20 million is until you see Tower Heist .
Sure movies like the Oceans series suggest it can be done but we're talking about a bunch of disgruntled former hotel employees and a petty thief trying to access a safe in a penthouse which is guarded by the FBI.
But that's what Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) decides to do when billionaire Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) squanders all of the employees' pension fund.
With a motley crew of accomplices - a con Slide (Eddie Murphy), his brother-in-law Charlie (Casey Affleck), failed investor Mr Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick), ex Burger King employee Enrique (Michael Pena) and Jamaican maid Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe) - they attempt to steal back the money they are owed.
Also caught up in the madness is Agent Claire Denham (Tea Leoni), who inadvertently gives Kovacs the idea to rob Shaw.
Reality pretty much has to be left at the door when you walk in but it is a pretty fun ride.
Stiller is in his element here, he's not trying to be an outrageous character. In fact, he's pretty much the straight man once Murphy is involved.
It's an interesting bunch of casting as well but it seems to gel, with Matthew Broderick playing a bit of a Ferris Bueller all grown up but now bankrupt character.
There are several quite amazing scenes and in one particular scene all I could think is 'there is no way anyone could get away with this is real life'. Anyway, if you're looking for a bit of light hearted escapism then this isn't a bad one. A 7 out of 10.

The 2011 Raymo Awards

2012-01-02T17:29:00.002+11:00

It's that time again and in 2011 I saw a total of 40 films at the movies, and I have to say that the overall quality was very good.

We had three 9/10s, one 8.5 and 11 8/10s so that's pretty good. There were also a few very low scores with eight scored of 6.5 or lower (down to a 2/10).

A bit like in 2010, the real highlights came in some stunning performances, particularly from Ryan Gosling who as far as I'm concerned put in two five-star efforts in two very different films. Anyway, here is my 2011 in review....

1. 127 Hours
This is the true story of adventurer Aron Ralston who was forced to sever his arm to free himself from being trapped in a cave. It's in some ways a gruesome tale but a brilliant performance by James Franco as Ralston keeps you fixated on the story. It was a believable portrayal of a story that is both shocking and inspiring. A narrow, but deserved, winner.
2. The King's Speech
This was actually the first film I saw in 2011. The story of King George VI (father of Queen Elizabeth) and his struggle with public speaking due to a rather embarrassing stutter and the man who helps him overcome it. Again, a great cast with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter and also Guy Pearce. At the start of last year I raved about this as the likely film of the year but it has been topped, just, by Franco's star turn.
3. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Another one with James Franco as the star. He plays a scientist working on a cure for Alzheimer's, in order to cure his father (John Lithgow) of the disease. His treatment, when tested on apes, has surprising results but also grave ramifications for the population. This prequel to Planet Of The Apes was one of the surprises of the year for me, having been underwhelmed by the remake of the original a few years back. Franco is again excellent and Lithgow, as usual, is a scene stealer. Loved it and clearly one of the best of the year.
4. Unstoppable
When I looked back through my ratings I was surprised that this one made the top five but it is better than the average of its type of film. With Denzel Washington and Chris Pine, this one carried a pretty simple premise - runaway train heading for disaster - but was so well executed it was riveting and the two stars were magnetic. With a soundtrack that kept up the tension it was one of the more enjoyable movie experiences.
5. The Ides Of March
Ryan Gosling is headed for an Oscar, surely, this year. In this political drama, Gosling plays a strategist on the campaign for president by George Clooney's Governor who is both the player and the played in an under rated film. Not high on tension, its strength is in the performances of the outstanding cast with Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman (two personal faves) fantastic as always. Gosling puts in a five star performance, as he did in the movie Drive which just missed out on the top five.

Honourable mentions: Drive (deceptively understated), Captain America, The Smurfs, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2, Tintin and Scream 4.
Surprise Of The Year: Burlesque - I expected a 'bad but good' musical and instead found it to be one of the better musicals in recent years. Have to mention The Inbetweeners Movie - outrageous but very, very funny and I really expected it to be crap (though wouldn't have if I had seen the TV show first).
Flop Of The Year: Jack & Jill - Dear Adam Sandler, please realise we are no longer in the 1990s and you can't get away with the same old jokes any more.
I was also disappointed with Cars 2 while Immortals is the new record holder for lowest score getting a huge 2 out of 10.

This year promises to be very interesting. What I'm looking forward to the move are the finale to the Twilight series, the next Batman film and The Avengers. Hopefully there will be a few surprises in store and some more unforgettable acting. See you at the movies....

Resolution

2011-12-30T22:29:00.003+11:00

I rarely make New Years resolutions but I think that it is important that I start 2012 in the right way and make an effort to change a few things.
I have alluded to this already.
My resolution is to give up all forms of gambling, be they racehorses, machines etc, until Golden Slipper Day which is Easter Saturday this year in early April.
I think three months is a good starting point. It will allow me to save a bit of money and get back onto the right trajectory financially.
When I say save money, obviously gambling has its risks and lately I haven't been very sensible with my gambling. Hence the urge to stop and shake off the reckless spending.
I hope to save quite a deal of money in 2012 and I have even drawn up a budget to help me work out where my money is going.
I have to finalise that in the next couple of days.
I also need to find a couple of extra activities to take the focus off the gambling which is important because of my job.
So, here's to a 2012 that will see plenty of positive growth.

We Bought A Zoo

2011-12-30T22:11:00.003+11:00

I guess the title takes away any need to guess what the movie We Bought A Zoo is about!
Matt Damon plays widower Benjamin Mee, a man struggling to move on from the death of his wife and raise their two children Dylan (Colin Ford) and Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones).
Looking for a new start, Mee searches for a suitable new residence and the one house that speaks to him happens to be attached to a zoo.
If he buys the house he buys the zoo and the responsibility for reopening it - and against the advice of his brother Duncan (Thomas Haden Church) he takes the leap.
The zoo has its own motley crew of employees led by the beautiful Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johannson), who isn't entirely certain that Benjamin knows what he has got himself into.
In the wrong hands this could have been a depressing movie - Damon's character spends a lot of time grieving (though not obviously a lot of the time) over his wife - but there's plenty of optimism there as well. His relationship with his two children is a focus and they are very different connections, as you'd expect when one is a teenage boy and the other is an innocent seven-year-old girl who, SPOILER, still believes in the Easter Bunny.
What We Bought A Zoo does right is in the chemistry the characters have with each other, and that includes the animals - the 17-year-old tiger Spar is a major player in the film.
It's a strong cast, Matt Damon playing a father of a teenager makes you feel a bit old, and with Scarlett in there as well there's the added glow she contributes to her movies as well. Seriously, her character is quite sweet.
It's not a drop everything and rush to the cinema type of movie, but it is well done, has an appealing cast and a poignant story. A 7.5 out of 10.

The Adventures of Tintin

2011-12-28T22:06:00.003+11:00

Having not been a follower as a younger person I approached The Adventures of Tintin with a fair deal of optimism based on some good reviews and the impression from the trailer.
With Steven Spielberg as the major driving force behind it there was never really any concern and I'd certainly recommend Tintin to those who like a bit of fun and adventure.
Tintin (Jamie Bell) is a journalist who stumbles upon a rare model of a pirate ship called the Unicorn and soon discovers there is a secret behind it as several shady characters seek to purchase, then steal, it from him.
With his trusty dog Snowy (easily the coolest animated dog since Gromit) by his side Tintin follows the trail via all kinds of unlikely means and that leads him to Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis), the lone descendant of the captain of the Unicorn.
Of course there are bad guys. Mr. Rackham (Daniel Craig) will stop at nothing to get his hands on all three models to unlock the secret of the Unicorn and, as we find out, settle a personal score.
Aside from the almost faultless animation, Spielberg has given us a very accessible and entertaining couple of hours and in doing so established a viable series. It's filled with mystery, adventure and comedy and the irresistible Snowy steals a lot of the scenes.
I saw a 2D session, mainly because I think 3D is over rated and has rarely added to the cinematic experience.
I saw this with my 10 year old nephew and he enjoyed it and didn't seem to be over his head at all. So that's a positive and I wouldn't hesitate in taking a youngster to see it. An 8 out of 10.

Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol

2011-12-27T18:48:00.002+11:00

I tend to just brush over Tom Cruise movies these days. I can't say exactly why but he just doesn't seem to do it for me anymore, for want of a better way of putting it.
After butchering the talents of Philip Seymour Hoffman in MI3 I did approach Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (don't know why they couldn't have just called it MI4) with a little bit of caution.
Happily, Tom Cruise delivered here going back to the role of super spy Ethan Hunt. What makes him likable is that he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously and seems like he's having a bit of fun.
With movies like the Bourne series and the new James Bond movies surpassing what Cruise did in the first two films, therefore making his effort in the third one look ordinary, he has definitely paid attention and the writers have gone all out to try and at least match those films.
A solid support cast helps and plenty of 'no-way' action scenes (the one on the Burj in Dubai comes to mind) make MI4 quite entertaining.
When the IMF is closed down by the US president Hunt and his team are forced to go rogue to stop a terrorist called Hendricks (Michael Niqvist from the Swedish Dragon Tattoo series) the gathers his small team and travels the globe to fulfil their mission. The team consists of a long time tech-turned agent Benji (Simon Pegg), who provides a lot of the comic relief, and agents Jane (Paula Patton) and Brandt (the excellent Jeremy Renner).
There are a number of spectacular scenes - the aforementioned Burj scene, the sandstorm chase is pretty cool if completely unbelievable, the Kremlin blowing up... to name a few.
I'd have to say even if you have cooled on Tom Cruise in the past few years but enjoyed the original couple of movies then you'll be in for a treat. A 7 out of 10.

Jack and Jill

2011-12-06T22:07:00.003+11:00

If I needed convincing that Adam Sandler's laugh out loud comedy days are over then Jack and Jill pretty much sealed it.
It's not that there isn't the odd laugh here and there, it's more that Sandler is still pumping out the same comedy now that he was in the 90s and it is simply not funny any more.
His latest retread sees him play twins Jack and Jill Sadelstein. Yep, he's going drag.
Jack is a family man with a wife and two children and he works, successfully, in advertising. In short, he has it all.
But his blissful life is interrupted on a yearly basis when his twin sister Jill visits for the holidays and always overstays her welcome.
Playing both characters is fair enough but Sandler really doesn't try being even a little feminine when it comes to being Jill.
After a series of embarrassing mishaps Jack invites Jill to the basketball where he has courtside seats and is trying to convince Al Pacino to appear in a commercial for him. Probably the highlight of the movie, the cameo of Johnny Depp, comes in the basketball scene.
Somehow Pacino is taken by Jill and relentlessly pursues her. Jack tries to seize the opportunity to secure his services for the commercial and goes to many lengths to seal the deal.
You can't help but shake your head and wonder why Al Pacino chose to be in this movie, as himself - this is no Being John Malkovich. He comes off looking pretty ordinary, which is a shame.
I need go no further. Sandler's comedies are now on the refuse list until he produces something that gets rave reviews. I just can't believe this is the same guy that produced a stunning performance in Reign Over Me a few years ago. It's not funny and I'd be steering clear of this one unless you really, really must see it.
A 4 out of 10.

The first step

2011-12-05T23:31:00.003+11:00

OK, so I have a problem.
It started fairly innocently really. I was at my aunt's funeral a couple of years ago and dad gave me $50 to have a few bets on the horses.
After looking over the race fields I decided to head to the poker machine (or slot machine for anyone in the USA) area and spend it there. Guess what? I ended up with about $150.
They don't call it beginner's luck for nothing.
Technically, I wasn't a beginner. When I turned 18 I decided it was something of a rite of passage if I played the machines - so I invested $20 and played for a while and wound up collecting $20. Harmless, really.
Somehow after that experience in Orange I started to play the machines a bit more. I'd put in $20 here or there. Again, harmless fun if I lost.
Over time it grew to putting in $50 at the start and increasing the wager. I've never gone higher than that as a starting point but quite often I haven't stopped at that initial outlay.
Somewhere in the human brain is a switch that seems to stop the common sense part of your mind and allows you to think that you can win your money back and then some. Even though you know that at best it comes down to random luck and at worst it is geared towards you losing, you still think that.
I don't know how else to explain it. I know you can't win in the long run. The short term you can get some wins but you're kidding yourself if you think it can be sustained.
Out of nothing this habit has become a problem. I vow that it won't have any further negative effect on me, it's not fun and I can see that it has the potential to grow into a bigger problem.
Why bet on pure chance with a machine when it is designed for you to lose? I've spent most of my professional life working in the horse racing industry and I know all about risk. With the horses there are factors that can eliminate certain outcomes, with the machines you have no control - it's all down to pure chance and, as they say in casinos, the house always wins.
So I have taken the first step - this is a problem that can be fixed.
Stick with what you know and back yourself, not a machine.
I must be strong in keeping myself in line and then what has become a bad habit can return to something that I tried once and moved on, once again.
Why is it, though, that a habit (particularly a bad one) is so easy to start but so difficult to finish?

The Ides Of March

2011-11-30T08:17:00.003+11:00

If there is an actor who is at the top of him game at the moment it is Ryan Gosling and he serves up another stunning performance in political drama The Ides Of March .
Gosling plays Stephen Meyes, the brains behind the presidential candidate Mike Morris (George Clooney). He's a relative newcomer to the cut throat world of politics.
This is seen pretty early when we meet the campaign managers for the two democratic candidates - Paul Zara (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) - who are both more than experienced at playing the game.
Both know Meyers is good but they are also aware he's a bit wet behind the ears and make use of reporter Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei) to prove the point.
It's a bit of who is playing who as each tries to outmaneuver each other.
The pressure is well and truly put on Meyers when he discovers a scandal involving intern Molly (Evan Rachel Wood) that could easily end the campaign for Morris.
Gosling really stands out here and that's a bit of a call considering the company he is in - Giamatti and Hoffman are outstanding actors - and coupled with his performances in Drive and Lars And The Real Girl a couple of years back he's a star well and truly on the rise.
(I also have to confess to a bit of a man crush here too!!)
As far as the overall film goes there are probably better political dramas or thrillers out there but The Ides Of March is well worth a look. There are a few, I wouldn't call them twists, interesting turns and you have to wonder if there really are any winners.
I enjoyed it, and with such a great cast it would be disappointing if I didn't. 8 out of 10 and I'd expect there has to be an Oscar nomination for Gosling coming up pretty soon.

The Inbetweeners Movie

2011-11-29T16:45:00.002+11:00

I must admit I had never heard of The Inbetweeners before this movie came along and in some ways that may have helped. I didn't really know what to expect.
So called because they sit in between the cool people and the freaks in the high school pecking order and are left to awkwardly pursue life with that role.
The best comparison that can be given, as far as the film's standing goes, is it is like a British American Pie (quite appropriately the trailer to the new American Pie film, Reunion, was shown in my screening). But be warned as this makes the AP films look PG-rated.
Our four hapless heroes are Jay (James Buckley), Neil (Blake Harrison), Simon (Joe Thomas) and Will (Simon Bird) who take off after graduating for a schoolies-type holiday in Greece. As you do.
Their plan, or maybe Jay's, is for them to basically get as much action as physically possible.
Looking at them you can guess how that is going to go, at least in the short term.
I had no real prior knowledge of the characters from the TV series but I thought Will was a particularly well rounded character and was played with plenty of humility by Simon Bird. He's basically the narrator and despite having possibly the best in the physical stature of the quartet is very much self deprecating when it comes to girls.
I do have to say that there is very little left to the imagination as we go through the movie. There is plenty of coarse language, plenty of nudity (strangely mainly male) and at times it can be seen as quite offensive. But it depends on what you expect and how you take it.
Personally, I haven't seen a funnier movie in quite a while. Sure, it was inappropriate and crass and at times very juvenile but I couldn't help but chuckle just about the whole way though, with several really, really funny moments.
Not for the prudish in any way, The Inbetweeners Movie is very good fun. A 7.5 out of 10.

I won't give a full review of Immortals (3D) but it now holds a new record low score for a movie since I've been keeping scores. A 2 out of 10. If you've got nothing better to do then knock yourself out but if you must see it Mickey Rourke isn't a bad villain and the lead guy, who will be the next Superman, is good in his role but they all had nothing to work with. Avoid.

The hollow man

2011-11-27T21:06:00.003+11:00

In the middle of everything that is going on in the world something occurred to me recently that in some way shocked me and in another way came as no surprise.
I can't feel anything.
No, I haven't been suddenly struck numb. I haven't lost my sense of touch but I think my inner sense of feeling has been eroded.
When it comes to myself I can feel all things. When it comes to external things it seems all I can come up with is what amounts to 'meh'. I know when something that is supposed to elicit some kind of emotion happens I can acknowledge it but am rarely physically affected.
It's almost like I've been desensitised to anything outside my existence. It's also a very scary thought.
The best way to describe it is kind of a hollow feeling.
I've discovered this, I guess, through a number of pretty hollow pursuits over the past few months. Among other things.
As I sit here and type I can feel all manner of things going on inside me, some I have become accustomed to and some I am perennially tortured by, but when it comes to the mind and the heart they are seemingly indifferent.
No small part of this has to be a result of a number of years on anti-depressants. These little white pills are very effective is getting you down to a moderate level and keeping you there. But that's the trouble, you're in this seemingly endless pattern of no real highs and no real big lows and it is really ticking me off.
I have tried a couple of times to taper off them but so far they have won. Seemingly I struggle when I reach a certain level and just can't seem to get beyond it.
If one thing is for sure - I don't want to be hollow.

Breaking Dawn part 1

2011-11-24T19:24:00.002+11:00

So we're into the final book of the Twilight Saga and it's definitely the one which was going to be the trickiest to translate to a movie.
Breaking Dawn part 1 rejoins the story as Bella and Edward prepare for their wedding.
A lot of time is spent setting up part 2 as we meet a number of friends of the Cullen family who will play a role in the conclusion to the story next year.
The wedding does take up a bit more time that it probably should and we get the warning from Jacob that once she is married Bella will become the enemy. Bella tells Jacob that nothing will change and she isn't planning on becoming a vampire for at least a year.
Things change quickly once the newlyweds reach their honeymoon destination, Isle Esme somewhere off Rio de Janiero. After being warned that consummating the marriage would kill Bella they eventually give it a go, with a few somewhat hilarious scenes.
As the trailer to the movie has given away - and I think they made a mistake there for people who hadn't read the book - Bella miraculously falls pregnant and the baby is a fast grower.
They return to Forks to try and work out what it is that is growing inside her and what threat it might pose. When the wolves decide that the baby poses a threat it forces Jacob to choose between the wolves and the Cullens.
The point in which they split the book was predictable to those who have read it and pretty satisfying really. There is also an extra scene midway through the credits which gives us some direction for the finale.
Look, the Twilight series isn't high art and it has been made with the fans of the series in mind and on that score it is very well done. Like all the other ones there are flaws but with the knowledge of the books you don't notice so much.
A 7.5 out of 10 and hoping that the finale is a 9!

Secret Codes and Battleships

2011-11-15T17:43:00.003+11:00

Let me start by saying that this is, without any doubt at all, THE album of 2011.
Being a long time Darren Hayes/Savage Garden fan I was always going to get his new album Secret Codes and Battleships but, to my surprise, it blew me away. Easily the best thing he's done since Savage Garden (though he has made some very good music) and every bit as good as SG's debut album (but just below Affirmation).
Somehow Hayes has managed to find the balance between the slightly electric pop he has been dabbling in and classic SG-style pop - and it works to an extent that all 12 songs on the album proper are brilliant.
It's a rare thing that you can get a CD and not need to skip tracks, happily listening to it from track one to the end. I've done that a lot in the couple of weeks since I bought it.
Standouts? Well, I keep coming back to the opening track Taken By The Sea, closely followed by Hurt, Roses (where he seems to make reference to his 'previous' life and divorce) and Stupid Mistake.
The two songs most talked about are Black Out The Sun, which he originally wrote for Leona Lewis but thankfully kept for himself, and Bloodstained Heart. The latter is quite a stunning song.
I'd say the lead single Talk Talk Talk is probably the weakest of the 12 but I still listen to it without any problem.
Unfortunately, this album is likely to be largely ignored by the music buying public who are more interested in inane, trashy pop by the likes of Lady Gaga and her contemporaries but, take it from me, this is a cut or two or three above that. This is first class, intelligent, modern pop with a hint of a throwback to the Savage Garden days.
As I noted as the start - best album of the year, easily. Well done Darren.

Regression

2011-11-07T17:44:00.003+11:00

If there is one thing I don't want it is to go backwards.
Without question I have come a long way in the past few years but what seems clear is that my reaction to certain things seems to be the same.
Or at least very close to the same, the over reaction that allows my mind to run away with itself before considering more logical explanations.
I know I have learned a lot, not only about myself but also practical things that can be used in situations where over reaction is possible. I have pushed myself, tried things I had been afraid to try before and travelled when only a few years ago I had very narrow boundaries.
In some of these things I have gained the confidence to continue - but there were a few moments last Friday where I admit I thought I could be back at square one.
Not only was that a scary thought at the time the prospect of going back there is, quite frankly, haunting. But as I said previously, I am tired of being afraid.

Half living

2011-11-06T19:21:00.002+11:00

'A life lived in fear is a life half lived'.

It's a quote from the movie Strictly Ballroom, a classic film in its own right and a line that could not be any truer.
Particularly for me.
I am tired of living in fear. It's easy to say that you should just not be afraid any more but that is far too simplistic.
What am I afraid of? That is something that is hard to define - I am afraid of losing my freedom, that my health scare of six years ago now is just waiting to come back and get me.
I had a startling reminder of this a few days back.
I thought I had passed blood in the bathroom and I kinda went cold and numb for a second at the thought of it and what it would mean.
Long story short it wasn't blood but jam that had been discarded in the bowl and had not flushed completely away. It was a massive relief to say the least but the feeling has stuck with me to an extent.
It was an illustration that what happened there is a possibility, though not a likelihood at this stage, that it could one day be a reality.
A bout of what I think was food poisoning a day earlier didn't help, either.
I fell back to old habits, thinking that if it were real then there were all these things I had planned that I wouldn't be able to do - things I had been looking forward to.
Anyway, I will get a clearer picture on where all that stands at the end of the month when I have my about 2-yearly look through assessing my inner health - you know what I mean.
Now the last two of those have been excellent and, really, there is no reason why I should think that this time will be any different. I could get picky about a couple of small things but, largely, I am doing pretty well.
Having committed myself to go to the gym as much as possible is also helping and I have noticed some differences. Hopefully as my physical body strengthens my mind can as well.
I often think it is funny that what scares me are things from within and not external things. It's almost like my phobia about magpies.
But that's another story.
I have taken some rather large steps this year and another one will be taken later this month, an achievement that I thought impossible a few years ago is now something I am looking forward to with some vigor.

Drive

2011-10-29T07:01:00.002+11:00

Here's a film that isn't for everyone but stands right out among a lot of the generic Hollywood films that are pumped out every year.
Drive is not your average movie. And Ryan Gosling puts in a performance that you don't see too often either.
What makes Drive so different is that it requires the viewer to do a bit of work, it doesn't lay everything out in front of you.
Gosling's character doesn't have a name, occasionally he's referred to as 'Kid' but that's the only help we get.
He's a part-time stunt driver who gets involved in robberies as the driver, who gives his accomplices five minutes of help before he takes off and evades the authorities.
His simple world becomes complicated when he strikes up an odd friendship with his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) and when a heist goes wrong a contract is put out on him placing everyone around him in jeopardy.
There's a pretty solid support cast including Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman but Gosling is the star.
His character, while being the lead, probably has the least amount of dialogue. He speaks only when it is needed but you can almost read his mind when he says nothing. There are awkward moments, sweet moments, brutal moments, but it is all Gosling's film.
There are a few scenes that will shock you and will shatter any impression you have of Gosling's character, showing that he is not the detached outsider that he appears.
In some ways Drive is a masterpiece but it also has an unsettling undertone and that makes it a bit uncomfortable.
Having said that this is my type of film and Gosling puts in a brilliant performance.
An 8 out of 10.

The Cup

2011-10-21T20:51:00.002+11:00

Making movies of true stories can't be easy, particularly when the true story happened less than a decade ago.
This was the main problem I had with The Cup which is the story of jockey Damien Oliver (Stephen Curry) and the tragic death of his brother Jason (Daniel Macpherson) just a week before the 2002 Melbourne Cup.
Given I still remember the time pretty clearly when all this happened watching it unfold on screen with people who obviously don't look like the real people was going to be difficult. (Although Curry doesn't look too different).
Another tricky element is the fact that horse racing movies aren't easy either - getting the races looking authentic requires a lot of work. In some respects they get the racing scenes pretty close. The bonus though is at times they do splice in some real footage.
Anyway, the story. Oliver is introduced as the top rider of the moment (and he was) and we see the relationship he has with his brother who is also a jockey.
He is asked to ride for Irish trainer Dermot Weld (Brendan Gleeson), at the time the only Northern Hemisphere trainer to have won the Melbourne Cup. After riding Media Puzzle to win at Geelong and qualify for the Cup Oliver's world is rocked when his brother Jason is killed in a freak accident in a barrier trial in Perth.
Overall the movie is well done, there are some errors that racing enthusiasts like myself will notice quite quickly whereas other won't. Some of the casting was a bit odd but, as mentioned, I feel the movie might have been made a bit soon and that made the actors playing real life people who are still active in the racing industry seem a bit wrong.
There are some great moments in the film and it really does pick up as it goes along. Director Simon Wincer (Phar Lap) probably errs a bit in trying to explain a lot of things that might not have needed to be so explicit but, it was still very enjoyable.
The speeches at the end of the film, with the real footage used, add a nice touch. It isn't the greatest racing movie around - that honour still rests with Phar Lap - but it is well done, if just a bit cheesy. A 7 out of 10.

The Smurfs

2011-09-17T08:26:00.002+10:00

Recreations of classic cartoons from my childhood have been hit and miss (eg Transformers was awesome, Astro Boy sucked) but The Smurfs is definitely a hit.
Why did I like it? I guess it had just the right mix of adult and child humour and, you have to admit, the Smurfs are so damned cute!
Thanks to Narrator Smurf we are told the backstory, that Smurfs are three apples high and live in a secret village where they are safe from the evil Gargamel (Hank Azaria).
When he attacks the Smurfs run for cover and six of them, thanks to Clumsy Smurf, are sucked through a rare portal and wind up in New York City.
The Smurfs encounter advertising executive Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris), who is soon to be a 'Papa', and his wife Grace (Jayma Mays) and their presence changes their lives. Gargamel pursues the Smurfs through the portal and sets out to capture them.
I just had a ball watching this. Call me a big kid if you like but it was hilarious, from Gargamel's obsession with emerging from clouds of steam, the Smurfs rocking to Walk This Way, I could go on.
I reckon little kids will enjoy all the blue but won't get a lot of the references.
For example, Smurfette was voiced by Katy Perry and at one point she said 'I smurfed a girl and a liked it' which is a reference to Perry's song 'I Kissed A Girl'.
I also liked a couple of the Smurfs that were mentioned, Complementary Smurf (who 'always has such nice things to say') and Passive-Aggressive Smurf who for some reason Smurfette missed while in New York.

Probably not for everyone, but I loved it. An 8 out of 10.

Ten years ago

2011-09-11T20:22:00.003+10:00

Just like most people, I'm acutely aware of what I was doing 10 years ago when the world changed.
It wasn't anything particularly important, so I thought. I was with a friend and we were watching my appearance on Wheel Of Fortune, that he had missed, having spent the earlier part of the evening listening to a talk on 'Significant events of our time'. True.
How could we have known that easily the most significant event of our generation, and I'd say a few before us, was about to unfold before our eyes.
Half way through an episode of Wheel my friend received a phone call - 'turn on the TV' was the message. We didn't turn it off for hours.
Part of me wanted to rush into the newsroom to watch it unfold but, of course, you couldn't look away and a 40 minute drive wasn't going to happen.
I still don't know how I feel about the whole event even 10 years later. It has been called 'The Day Reality Changed Forever'. Certainly the world is not the same place. People feel less safe, like there is always something around the corner waiting to strike again.
I sincerely hope nothing strikes.
I'm afraid of a number of things but I can't imagine what was going through the minds of the people stuck in the towers - some of whom chose to jump out of windows - and if they even got a chance to comprehend what was happening.
I hope I never see such a callous act of inhumanity again.

Ultimate Roxette set list

2011-08-27T09:23:00.002+10:00

Been listening to a lot of Roxette lately, since I bought tickets to their Sydney concert coming up in February.
It got me thinking about what songs I'd like to see them play, bearing in mind they will play a number of tracks from their latest album.
I know there are a few that they are very unlikely to play but this is my ultimate set list....

Joyride
Dressed For Success
Way Out
She's Got Nothing On (But The Radio)
It Must Have Been Love
Dangerous
Speak To Me
Fading Like A Flower
Listen To Your Heart
Almost Unreal
Sleeping In My Car
(Do You Get) Excited?
Dream On
Spending My Time
Crash! Boom! Bang!
How Do You Do
Only When I Dream
Milk And Toast And Honey
Come Back (Before You Leave)
After All
Love Is All (Shine Your Light On Me)

Encore
The Look
Salvation
The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye
Sitting On Top Of The World

Interpretations

2011-08-25T17:31:00.003+10:00

I was having a conversation with someone recently relating to following what the Bible says.
While I am very much on the other side of the church fence at the moment it's always been my belief that, while some interpretation can be made, if you are a believer then you follow the word of God.
What surprised me was the view that just because it says something in there you can interpret it pretty much to suit yourself.
What puzzles me is if that is true then what importance does the word of God have to you?
If you believe the Bible is the word of God but that it can be twisted to suit yourself then what are you actually believing in - some kind of user-friendly deity that makes you feel better that you can say you follow without having to commit to it?
Sounds a bit dodgy to me.
Now I must say that I don't think the person I was talking with about this believes in this way and I think I made a valid point.
If the Bible says you shouldn't steal and you believe the Bible is the word of God then it follows that you shouldn't steal. You can't get around that.
Sure there are plenty of contextual things in the book but if everything is open for interpretation then what are you actually supposed to believe?

Cowboys & Aliens

2011-08-24T20:36:00.002+10:00

It's the genre clash that I guess was always going to happen.
Cowboys & Aliens brings together two widely used film genres and asks: what would happen if they met?
Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the middle of nowhere with a thick metal bracelet attached to his wrist and no memory of who he is. After beating the crap out of three guys who try to rob him he rides (on one of their horses) into town.
After causing the town spoilt brat to be arrested he also winds up in jail and the kid's father Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) arrives to get him out.
At the same time aliens attack. As they do.
This isn't rocket science, and it is hard to take it too seriously given the ridiculous mismatch between the cowboys and the aliens, who quite amusingly lasso their prey.

Basically, it's up to Lonergan and Dolarhyde to team up and take on the aliens, and rescue those taken in their attacks.
If you get past the fact that this is a silly premise you find it has been pretty well done, a bit tongue in cheek and obviously done for amusement - even though the script is fairly straight.
I enjoyed it but my expectations weren't overly high. The casting of Sam Rockwell also helped, he's always good value.
A 7 out of 10 and not bad considering everything.

Green Lantern

2011-08-16T15:53:00.002+10:00

Yet another superhero film comes off the Hollywood production line and it's an acceptable piece of escapism and a chance for Ryan Reynolds to show off in more ways than one.
Green Lantern is not up there with your Spider-Mans, Supermans, Batmans, X-Men or Avengers flicks but it does entertain.
We meet the Lanterns on the planet Oa and discover that they are battling a force fuelled by fear, Parallax, and have just lost several Lanterns in the fight. One, Abin Sur, is mortally wounded and releases the ring to choose a successor to carry on the fight.
The ring chooses fighter pilot Hal Jordan (Reynolds), a man whose best attribute is his ability to walk away when things get tough. Yep, he's the perfect anti-hero who is actually a real hero underneath - he just hasn't discovered it yet.
Abin Sur is discovered by the government and his body is taken away to be studied. Scientist Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) is chosen to examine the alien and he becomes infected with a secondary piece of the alien's DNA and he becomes Parallax's man on earth who must rid the planet of the Lantern in order for Parallax to consume it.
Blake Lively plays the obligatory love interest, Carol Ferris, and she does get one of the better lines in the film. When she realises that Hal is the Green Lantern that saved her and he tries to deny it she says - ''I've known you since I was 11, I've seen you naked, do you really think that because the mask hides your cheekbones I wouldn't know it is you!'. Great call and an obvious nod to the Superman story.

Green Lantern relies a lot on CGI, which is pretty impressive on the whole, and the charm of Ryan Reynolds. It's a bit cheesy but overall it is good harmless fun.
Beware that there is an extra scene after the first half of the credits. A 7 out of 10.

Holidays

2011-08-15T12:26:00.002+10:00

After a whirlwind trip to Melbourne I have a couple of weeks off which is great.
Decided to catch the train this time up to visit the family for close to a week instead of driving - which should be relaxing.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

2011-08-05T22:08:00.003+10:00

As a general rule, prequels are pretty ordinary but I was very pleasantly surprised by Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes particularly since I didn't really like the original or the remake of the original.
Set in present day San Francisco, Will Rodman (James Franco) is working on creating a cure for Alzheimer's, which his father is inflicted with, and is testing his drug on chimps.
One particular chimp is showing amazing signs of cognitive development but in a frenzy escapes from the cage and runs amok before being killed.
It turns out the chimp was only protecting her baby, and Rodman ends up taking the infant home.
It quickly becomes apparent the young one is very smart, a side effect of the drug testing on his mother.
As he grows, Caesar keeps learning and becoming more intelligent.
Unfortunately, Caesar intervenes in a scuffle involving Rodman's father (John Lithgow) and is impounded - something the chimp takes very hard and, in the end, very personally.
In an effort to escape from his prison Caesar goes to extraordinary lengths to mobilise his fellow apes and march towards freedom.
Setting the movie in the present was a masterstroke. The original Planet Of The Apes wasn't as accessible or easy to relate to, but you can't help but feel for Caesar.

My expectations were about medium because the trailer did look reasonable, but I have to say I can't recommend this highly enough. It's cute, entertaining at times, but also very clever, very unsettling and very ominous.

Most of the apes look pretty realistic and the face work with Caesar is amazing, you can really tell what he's feeling. Fortunately the film does give you a direction as to how things progress (naturally being a prequel we know where it is heading) and it is a very interesting development indeed.
Thoroughly enjoyed it, one of the best films so far this year. 9 out of 10.

Captain America

2011-07-30T08:38:00.003+10:00

Chris Evans was always going to be Captain America when you really think about it. He's built like the all-American hero and in some ways it's just not fair.
But that's really got nothing to do with the film.
The story of the 'First Avenger' is the last movie to be made before next year's Avengers movie, and if you stick around through the credits we get a taste of what to expect.
In 1942 Evans is Steve Rogers, the little man with a big heart who is desperate to join the army but keeps getting knocked back. (It's a bit weird to see how they imposed Evans's head onto a much smaller body double for the first half hour or so).
After being selected for an experimental procedure Rogers is transformed into Chris Evans as we see him on the posters, a strong, buff, perfect specimen but also enhanced in every way. He's fast, ridiculously agile but retains the heart of a little guy.
There are other areas of plot but basically he goes out on his own to rescue soldiers, including his best friend 'Bucky' Barnes (Sebastian Stan) from the clutches of Red Skull (Hugo Weaving, who can play a bad guy). We also have the token love interest in Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Attwell).
Considering this is set in World War 2 there is a lot of technology around at the time - some of which is being pioneered by Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) who happens to be the eventual father of Tony Stark, better know as Iron Man.
I think Captain America is very enjoyable, sure it is a bit corny but you'd expect that (especially when Rogers becomes chief recruiter for the army and dons a silly costume that he grows a bit fond of).
The question I had was how were they going to bring a character from the 1940s into the present day to be part of The Avengers movie, and we get than answered fairly implausibly but, hey, this is a universe of superheroes.
Can't wait for the Avengers movie in May. The Captain gets a solid 8 out of 10.

Experience

2011-07-25T21:27:00.002+10:00

Sometimes you need to do things that aren't exactly smart or out of your comfort zone.
I get noticeably nervous, at times, when I try this.
I've accused myself of playing it too safe a lot of the time so by stepping away from the norm should, theoretically, alleviate those nerve.
So far no good though.
Now I haven't gone out and become a daredevil. Or reckless. I would never do that.
But I have become more comfortable with travelling and exploring new places and meeting new people. In those 'new people' I have met some truly awesome new friends.
Experiencing a few new things is proving to be interesting. I also don't want to regret not getting out there a bit. Sooner and hopefully rather than later I'll be less nervous in these situations.
I guess when you're used to playing it super safe for so long stretching the boundaries can be easier said than done.
But I'm doing it.

Adventures

2011-07-24T20:58:00.002+10:00

I've tried a few things lately with mixed results.
Overall I have to say that I have learned a lot, and not only about myself.
Sometimes when you attempt to improve yourself you don't expect things to be difficult - I'm not naive enough to believe that significant change is easy but when there are chemicals involved you have to take things steady (I am talking, in part, about prescription medication).
On the plus side I've become used to heading to the gym a couple of times a week and am almost comfortable there. That is something I didn't think possible.
Also a plus is that I have noticed the difference this type of regular exercise is having.
Perhaps a bit short sightedly, I decided to try and reduce the medication and this was a shade premature I think. So I had to stop and concede that I'm not ready yet, even though in some way I am very ready.
I'm not giving up on that quest, just postponing it.
I've also been a little more adventurous lately and, among other things, finally decided to book a trip to Perth which is something I had in the 'want to do but too hard basket' for quite a while.
That's happening in November and I have a couple of trips to Melbourne coming up before then. Who would have thought a few years ago that I would become such a jetsetter!

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2

2011-07-14T17:07:00.007+10:00

Well, this is it....

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 hits the ground running as we rejoin Harry and co in their search for Voldemort's horcruxes.
Those who have read the books will know where the story heads so explaining the plot is redundant - especially as it is a continuation of the previous film (hence the Part 2).
As someone who hasn't read the books and didn't know how it ended I found it a satisfying conclusion to a series that has spanned 10 years on film.
Amazing, to think I can recall heading off to see the first one. Overall the eight films were very entertaining with only one or two of them being a bit below par (Half-Blood Prince was one).
When Harry finds his way back to Hogwarts, via Albus Dumbledore's brother, the final battle looms quickly. Along the way we reacquaint with several characters and find that many things have changed, particularly with Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis).
We also lose some beloved characters.
As someone who is a fan of Alan Rickman (I love his dry manner) I was pleased to get plenty of background into Professor Snape which allowed Rickman to shine.
I can't go without mentioning Helena Bonham Carter, as Bellatrix Lestrange. She's at her wacky best here and adds further class to the cast which is already pretty impressive.
We've watched Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson grow up over the last 10 years and that's one of the great things about the Harry Potter series - they had continuity of cast throughout the 8 films (aside from having to replace Dumbledore due to the actor dying).

SPOILER

The end is a little cheesy but it also wrapped things up nicely. An 8 out of 10 - Part 1 was a better movie overall I thought, but Part 2 was a very good ride.

Mr Popper's Penguins

2011-07-12T18:18:00.003+10:00

As a huge Jim Carrey fan I was always going to see Mr Popper's Penguins but savaging reviews did make me hesitate just a little.
Then again, Jim Carrey has rarely received rave reviews which is an occupational hazard when you make as many outrageous comedies as he has.
MPP is not in the 'outrageous' category - it is not Dumb & Dumber, Liar Liar or Yes Man - it is very lightweight and family friendly (note the G rating) but it is still pretty funny.
Carrey is Tom Popper, a career obsessed businessman who is the product of a father who was never at home and communicated with him via shortwave radio from all over the world.
He's divorced and sees his two kids on alternate weekends. Just as he is about to attempt to buy a prime piece of real estate a package arrives that contains a live penguin, a bequest from his father.
A mix-up in trying to get the penguin returned sees five more arrive and they take up residence in Popper's apartment, much to to delight of his children.
As he tries to fend off a creepy zookeeper who has sinister plans for the penguins he finds their presence the key to winning back his family's love.
There's not much more to tell. The penguins are largely CGI (though apparently some scenes use real ones) and there's a funny disclaimer at the end saying 'no penguins were harmed in the making of the movie but Jim Carrey was pecked mercilessly - but he had it coming!' Nice.
It's an enjoyable, kid friendly, movie with some good clean laughs and a pretty solid cast to help it along.
Angela Lansbury pops up as Mrs Van Gundy, the owner of the business Popper is trying to buy, and Ophelia Lovibond (who looks an awful lot like Melissa George) is quite amusing as Pippi, Popper's assistant with a penchant for popping the letter 'P'.
This isn't high art but if you're a Carrey fan it's a nice distraction for a while. 7 out of 10.

Take a chance

2011-07-09T21:45:00.002+10:00

Take a chance
Let down your guard
Try something new
Trust in a stranger
Believe in chance encounters
Satisfy a longing
Give in to temptation....almost

Misled and cheated
Confusing and messy
What to believe?
Distraction, disruption, disinterest
Picture of deceit
Shattered dream of future life
All from taking a chance

First or second

2011-07-09T21:29:00.003+10:00

There is something to be said for knowing when you should put your needs first or consider others before yourself.
This is the dilemma du jour.
I guess I have felt this way for a while but chose to ignore, for want of a better description, the thought.
It keeps returning. Every now and then something will happen and I wonder why I don't just bite the bullet. It would require a fair bit of diligence and care to actually make that change but I have done it before, many years ago now.
I'm not in any danger of making any snap decisions about it but there is nothing wrong with keeping my options open a bit on the subject.

Wounded

2011-07-07T21:33:00.002+10:00

I think I really hurt someone this week.
It was the right thing to do, I am certain of that, but I don't feel good about it. And don't get me wrong, I feel hurt too.
When it comes to another person's feelings there is no way to cushion a blow if it hits them right in a sensitive spot. I know this now. It was something I guess I suspected but when you don't allow yourself to expose the sensitive spot it can't get hit.
Distracted doesn't go far enough to describe how I was yesterday. I had one subject on my mind and it just wouldn't relent, it wouldn't let me go.
Even having dealt with the issue it still lingers a bit.
I get easily haunted and at the moment there is a song that is haunting me and it is somewhat related to what's been going on.
The trouble is, it is an amazing song and I don't want to stop listening to it.
I have learned a lot from the experience of this week.
I have learned about myself and I have discovered that there are things I might have to offer that I didn't credit myself for.
Still, I don't like the fact that out there in the world is someone who is feeling angry, a little I'd say, hurt and disappointed.
I couldn't help but feel cheated so that's why I took the action I did. I don't regret it because it was undoubtedly the best thing to do.
Like most lessons, this one has been learned the hard way but at the same time it has opened a door or two and that's both exciting and a bit scary.

Words and Pictures

2011-07-03T20:52:00.003+10:00

If I were to say this isn't real it wouldn't make it true
If I tried to deny that something has changed
You could call me a liar
If I could separate thoughts from feelings
If I didn't want to take a chance
You could call me a fool
But I don't see what you can see
And you can't tell when I'm afraid
And you can't see what I see
And I can't help but wonder

What am I supposed to do when words are all I have
How do I explain it to myself let alone the whole wide world
Would a picture make a difference or would it all get confused
Are the words in my head pushing me forward or back
Would a picture tell me something I don't already know
If a thousand words are worth a picture
Then why are some things so unclear?

Transformers 3: Dark Of The Moon

2011-07-02T08:23:00.002+10:00

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon is not as bad as the reviewers will have you believe - it is just silly.
While the second film was very poorly edited, Dark Of The Moon seemed to flow a lot better but they really ramped up the corny-ness factor and very much overdid the American patriotic thing.
Anyway, we rejoin Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) as he searches for a job having finished college and been given a hero medal by President Obama (in quite a funny scene). He's also ditched, or been ditched by, Megan Fox's character from the previous two films and shacked up with Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) who is far too glamorous to make going out with Sam even remotely realistic but, hey, we're talking about a film with alien robots.
It seems the Decepticons have been in hibernation for a while as the Autobots have taken to helping America in the Middle East.
Sam finally finds a job working for the very odd Bruce Brazos (John Malkovich) and is made aware of a plan by the Decepticons to take over the world by the screwball Jerry Wang (The Hangover's Ken Jeong) who was involved in a cover up of an incident on the moon in 1969. Or something like that.
Cue the return of the Decepticons and all hell breaks loose.
This isn't Shakespeare but it is a great deal of fun. The casting helps a bit, with Frances McDormand, Alan Tudyk and Patrick Dempsey particularly good in their roles and the aforementioned Malkovich is just a genius.

It's not as witty as the first film but it does run rings around the second. So sit back, laugh and enjoy the outlandish destruction of Chicago and the probably-not final battle. (You just never know with Hollywood and their sequels). A 7 out of 10.

Cars 2

2011-06-27T19:15:00.006+10:00

It really, really pains me to say this but I think Pixar have made their first stumble and it couldn't have been with a more unfortunate franchise.
Cars 2 is not a worthy follow up to the original and I really have to wonder what the people at Pixar were thinking.
We pick up after Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) has won yet another Piston Cup and has returned to Radiator Springs to relax and reconnect with his friends. Mater (Larry The Cable Guy) is particularly keen to get up to no good and have some fun.
McQueen wants some of that and also to hang out with Sally at the diner. It's there that he's coaxed into participating in a world racing championship.
While all this is going on secret agent Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) has uncovered some weapons he suspects will be used to attack the races in the WDC and meets up with agent Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) at the championship launch to gather further evidence from an American spy Rod Torqueline. Yada yada yada the evidence ends up attached to Mater.
There's also a sub-plot about a clean alternative fuel which doesn't really help the overall story, depending on who they are trying to appeal to.
The main beef I have with Cars 2 is that it is far too serious. It's about spies and plots to blow up race cars and there's far too much of Mater taking centre stage. If you look at Cars it's a simple, whimsical story that's fun and entertaining and accessible to all ages.
Cars 2 is none of those things. It's a complex story and I don't see how kids will follow it, though they will enjoy the animation which is top notch.
It wasn't a terrible movie, it certainly had some fun moments and as mentioned it was very well drawn and scored. But it's not a great movie either, nowhere near the standard I come to expect from Pixar and I really hope they do a Cars 3 to right this wrong.
A 6.5 out of 10, by far the lowest a Pixar movie (which tends to get 8s minimum) has scored.

Learn to live

2011-06-18T09:03:00.003+10:00

'The hardest thing in this world is to live in it'.
It's a line from the musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer - it sounds so very true, doesn't it. But we all know that it shouldn't be the case.
The world is amazing place and we shouldn't let our trials crush us, and lead to the perception that life is tough. We all have troubles, we all get sick, we all get injured in some way, we all go through periods of happiness and sadness.
Yes I am being very philosophical - it probably isn't my nature which tends to be more negative I guess (to my detriment).
The challenge for me is to acknowledge that I have troubles and to do my best to deal with them. My troubles are mine and it is up to me to live the best way I can. I let them dominate my thinking and that is wrong.
Like any habit, the more you do it the easier it becomes. Cruelly, bad habits get easier very fast and good habits always tend to be harder to form. Probably because they require more effort and willpower.
I know that I am costing myself plenty of enjoyment at times by letting the negative thinking get inside the head when it does it tends to go for a pretty long run.
I am trying, but I guess not quite hard enough at this stage.

Super 8

2011-06-16T17:37:00.002+10:00

I will admit to being very negative towards Super 8 based on the trailer but gave it a go anyway.
Happily, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought it would - though it did have a bit of a cheesy ending.
The film is set in 1979, a time when kids had to find constructive things to occupy themselves, and centres on a group of teenagers who are making a film (on a Super 8mm camera, hence the name) when a train spectacularly crashes around them.
From there all manner of strange things start to happen and when the US Airforce turns up to clean up the mess people start to wonder. Particularly Joey (Joel Courtney) and his film-making friends.
As Joey's dad Jackson (Kyle Chandler), the deputy sheriff, investigates the kids make the most of the situation to make their movie and work out what is going on.
It's definitely in the sci-fi genre as something begins picking off residents and soldiers. In a style not seen often in similar films in recent years, you don't get a good look at what is attacking the town until very late in the piece. I think that's a great thing. I remember Alien 3 having very little suspense because you saw the alien pretty early on so had nothing to creep you out like in the first couple.

Anyway. if Super 8 is similar to another film I'd have to say it is The Goonies. It just has that feel. A bunch of kids on a quest to save the town run into an extraordinary situation. There's no Truffle Shuffle, but that's the basic feel.
As said I enjoyed Super 8 quite a bit, though I felt they needed an extra couple of scenes to tie things up a bit bitter. It ended abruptly and quite cheesily.

A 7 out of 10.

Trust

2011-06-13T21:45:00.003+10:00

There comes a time when you have to believe some things to be true and some things to be false.
I wonder, when it comes to myself, why I can't seem to trust what I know to be true because I feel a few odd things?
I can feel quite good in general yet have some little thing going on somewhere else and that dominates. Whether it is a twinge in a muscle (I get back issues now and then) or an odd feeling in sensitive areas, I just jump off the cliff before considering that the cause is likely to be minor, transient, and not worth getting worked up about.
But, no, to me it can be this huge, life threatening danger and it overtakes me, distracting me from whatever I'm doing, or supposed to be doing.
I think I've said it before, it's almost like looking for something to be wrong.
How much panic or anxiety contributes to what I feel is hard to measure - so I will say to myself this....all the tests you've had recently have been excellent.
That is something I need to trust in.

Spooked

2011-06-12T20:51:00.002+10:00

One of the things that bugs me about myself these days is how easily spooked I am.
I'm not talking about scary things like walking down a dark alley in Redfern in the middle of the night with a wad of cash on me....though I probably would feel pretty uneasy doing that.
What I'm referring to is how I have this tendency of jumping to bad conclusions.
Particularly when it comes to health issues. Medically, it would be referred to as 'health anxiety'.
That problem to the side, the troubling this is that when I am 'spooked' I can shut down a bit and not want to do things - just in case.
Committing to doing CBT to try and overcome it is not as easy as it sounds either. I don't know why, though.
The solution could well and truly be in my worksheets and CBT book yet it doesn't get the workout that I should be giving it.
OK, so I admit I have a problem here.

Progress

2011-06-09T17:24:00.002+10:00

I'm happy to say there has been progress in the challenge of getting to the gym.
Unfortunately I didn't get there today but have been three times in the past 10 days. The plan is to be there tomorrow just for a bit of a lighter session as my shoulder blades feel like they have a steel bar shoved through them.
More stretching is required to ease that issue.
I have to say that in general I feel a little better having been more active in the past couple of weeks. I still get troubled by little things that my mind can turn into larger things but that is a work in progress as well.
So the plan is a cardio session for Friday with a bit of weights then a similar session on Monday before hopefully getting back into the routine this time next week.
Also looking forward to another trip to Brisbane in a couple of weeks time. Haven't been there properly since I was a teenager and the two times I have been there since then I saw the airport and the racecourse and Moreton Island.
So it will be cool to have a look around and hopefully meet some new people and catch up with some new friends up there.

It's a start

2011-06-05T17:35:00.002+10:00

I am rather proud of myself for making it to the gym twice in the past week.
That probably doesn't sound like much to some people but my history has been go once then don't go again for months and months.
My arms do feel like they could fall off! A lot of stiffness there from using muscles I'm sure I didn't know I had (and still don't have just yet to be honest). A big plus has been finding a buddy to go along with and that's encouraging, plus I have someone who knows what they are doing a lot more than me.
The big challenge coming up for me isn't so much to keep going - it is the fact that I will inevitably lose a bit of weight from actually working out properly a couple of times a week. And while that is something I very much want (a few kgs, not 10), losing weight is a bit of a tricky subject for me because it has been embedded in my mind that weight loss is bad.
Long story.
Feeling fitter and better about myself is a big positive so hopefully I can keep the crazy thoughts about dropping a kilo or two in perspective.
But anyway, I'm off to a good start.

X-Men: First Class

2011-06-04T07:59:00.003+10:00

'Origin' movies are interesting because they presume the audience knows a bit about the characters.
X-Men: First Class is no exception and while it isn't as action-packed as the other films in the series it is a quality introduction to the X-Men.
A large part of what makes this one watchable is an excellent cast and, particularly with the two leads, you could see them growing up into the characters of the original trilogy.

James McAvoy, one of my favourites, is Charles Xavier who is a rather cocky character and an expert on genetic mutation. We also see how he ended up in a wheelchair.
Michael Fassbender, who I admit I wasn't familiar with, was excellent as Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto).

We're shown how Erik came to be such an angry and vengeful character and why he adopted his 'us and them' mentality about mutants. Xavier had a much more prim and proper upbringing and it was interesting to see that it was he who befriended Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) before she turned to Magneto's side.

We're introduced to a number of new mutants (and a couple we already know, including a juicy cameo) on both the good and bad side of the equation.
Kevin Bacon seems to relish playing Sebastian Shaw, the man responsible for Erik's anger while Mad Men's January Jones does what she does best as Emma Frost.

I thought Nicholas Hoult was exceptional as Hank McCoy (Beast), who we saw in X-Men 3 played by Kelsey Grammar. Hoult of course is the kid from the fantastic film About A Boy.

It seems likely that there will be more X-Men films to follow from this cast so where they head will be of plenty of interest.

I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would when I first heard about it, the cast does help it along when there is a lot of plot and less action than you'd expect from an X-Men film. An 8 out of 10.

Gamblor

2011-06-03T17:29:00.002+10:00

It's been in the news lately about the Government attempting to cap the amount people can lose on poker machines and I'm starting to see why.
A couple of years ago, while at the wake from my aunt's funeral my dad gave me $50 to spend and after looking at the horses I decided to throw it in the pokies.
As almost always happens when you do something like that which you don't normally do, I won about $100. They call it beginner's luck.
After that I started throwing $20 in now and then. Eventually this rose to starting at $50.
Yada yada yada, you get the drift.
Now I need to get out of the habit of doing it. I know that you can't beat the machines, you might get lucky and have a win now and then but in the end you will lose.
That is why there are so many of them around.
I love having a bet on the horses and that is a lot more a game of skill than the pokies. While surprises to happen in racing there are elements you can take into consideration to rule horses in or out and make educated gambles.
There is an episode of The Simpsons where Marge gets hooked on the pokies and Homer describes to the kids that she has been consumed by a monster called Gamblor. We all laugh but it is so true that this can take you over.
I don't know what it is about them, the flashing lights, the cool features that promise the chance to win large-ish amounts, the jackpots that are attached to the machines. Again, I don't know.
Whatever the reason people get addicted I need to stop using them - it's not even fun any more, it used to be just throw in 20 and hope you come out with 30 - before it gets to being a big issue.
So here I go - I know it will take a bit of willpower but I vow to stop playing them from this moment.
I like to think I can keep a promise to other people - now I need to prove I can keep a promise to myself. Money is far too important these days to be throwing it away on pure chance.

The Hangover Part 2

2011-06-02T18:30:00.002+10:00

What do they say in Scream 2 - sequels are never as good as the original. That is certainly the case with The Hangover Part 2 but that doesn't mean it isn't funny.
We pick up the action two years after the mayhem in Las Vegas where Doug (Justin Bartha) was misplaced following his bachelor party.
This time it is Stu (Ed Harris) that is getting married, properly, and all are well aware of avoiding another night like they had in Vegas. So much so that Stu invites Doug and Phil (Bradley Cooper) to what looks like a Macca's type restuarant for his 'bachelor brunch'.
He even covers his juice with a napkin so nobody can spike it.
Doug and Phil are invited to the wedding but Alan (Zach Galafinakis) is not, until Doug's wife urges him to secure an invite for her brother.
Reluctantly Stu agrees and everyone jets off to Thailand for the wedding.
After some awkward speeches the guys retire to the beach for one beer before hitting the sack and they take Stu's soon to be brother in law Teddy (Mason Lee) with them.
Then they wake up in a strange hotel room, Doug is safely back at their resort but Teddy is missing and the only trace of him is his finger.
Further mayhem ensues and this time it is a lot more R-rated than the original.
As I said this sequel is quite funny but when you have a film as original as its predecessor it was always going to be hard to top. Unfortunately they didn't try to top it, they just basically copied it.
In some ways it's not a completely bad thing - you know what to expect right down to the inevitable bunch of photos taken explaining what happened on that wild night.

If you enjoyed the first movie then you'll have a laugh. Nothing new here, a 7 out of 10.

Commitment

2011-05-29T22:34:00.003+10:00

OK, it is getting to the end of another month and I haven't gone a lot forward. Going to Brisbane for the first time was a step, I will admit, but it seems a lot more manageable than perhaps I thought it might.
Gonna test that one out again.
The gym clothes are in the bag for tomorrow so I'm going to commit to going after work and hopefully get the ball rolling. If I pull up well I'll go again Thursday or Friday.
Here goes....

Air of change

2011-05-26T18:29:00.002+10:00

Snap decisions aren't really my forte so this is something I'll mull over for a while...
I've been getting the sense for a while now that things need to change in some areas, not necessarily internally because we all know that's gotta happen as well.
There isn't any particular reason for these thoughts and it's not the first time I've considered them either, but maybe this year is the year to act.
Again, I'm not really sure.
I could easily change my thinking on it, that can happen as well. Which is why snap decisions aren't a good idea.
Definitely need more of a positive aura around me.
Maybe it could be counter-productive, maybe it could be exactly what I need.
Perhaps the first thing to do would be to work harder on changing my way of thinking because that's screwing me around more than anything else at the moment.
I seem to be all over the place and at the whim of my (usually unhelpful) thoughts.
Around in circles is the usual pattern, if only I reach the day when I can break out of the circle.

Snowtown

2011-05-23T17:06:00.003+10:00

A fairly good knowledge of the true story behind Snowtown is a must if you are going to even come close to repeating some of the phrases on the poster.
While I was aware of the story, I guess I wasn't quite as well versed as the movie requires you to be.
It's the story of South Australian serial killer John Bunting (Daniel Henshall) though it is told through the eyes of 16-year-old Jamie Vlassakis (Lucas Pittaway) who became involved through John's relationship with his mother.
I'm not going to delve into too much detail here. The cast is made up of largely unknown actors and it does show a bit.
More of a concern, though, is the disjointed nature of the film. It attempts to build the tension but doesn't have the substance on the screen to match the music that pumps through your mind.
There are also a number of very graphic scenes from disturbing nudity to rape, child exploitation and the gruesome murders that I'm told were watered down quite a bit for the screen compared to the detail in real life.
It's all fine to tell the story from Jamie's perspective, or focusing on him, but he is hardly an accessible character and you get no sense of what he is feeling or going through, for the most part, as he is subject to and witnesses some of the confronting scenes.
I feel there is a really tense and gripping movie in this story but for me it just didn't work. It was not accessible at all and in the first half, when it wasn't bordering on boring, things seemed to happen randomly and for no apparent reason.
Can't go any higher than a 6 out of 10 and I'm disappointed because it was a film that received rave reviews.

The big H

2011-05-21T22:55:00.004+10:00

We all have things that irk us from time to time, call them pet peeves or those little things people do that rub you up the wrong way.....
Well, one of mine is hypocrisy.
Particularly when it comes to a person's core beliefs or public persona. In politics they often call it a 'conflict of interest' to make it sound a bit less severe.
Most of the time it is related to actions that are highly acceptable in general but when compared with the public profile seem against one's perceived agenda.
Like white lies, I guess, some hypocrisy can be meaningless. I have to stick my hand up and say I have erred on the side of the big H. For example, I was actively against Facebook but eventually fell under its spell and quite enjoy using it.
Sure, it was a shade hypocritical but nobody was hurt.
But this isn't the pot calling the kettle black. More like apples and oranges.

Your Highness

2011-05-21T08:42:00.003+10:00

Sometimes there is a place for the silly comedy.
Films like Dude, Where's My Car, Road Trip and even The Hangover fall into that category and, done right, can be very entertaining.
Your Highness is in this vein and I have to admit to having a pretty good laugh despite there being some very crude and inappropriate scenes, even for the type of film it is.
The always likeable James Franco plays Fabious, the celebrated Prince, who must lead a quest to rescue his bride to be Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) from the evil Leezar (Justin Theroux) who is bent on creating a dragon through a union with the maiden (yep!) and taking over the kingdom.
There's also the younger brother, Prince Thadeous (Danny McBride) who is very much in the shadow of his brother and has never been on a quest to earn the respect of the people.
Thadeous is required to accompany his brother on the quest to rescue Belladonna and he does so reluctantly.
Along the way they encounter the beautiful Isabel (Natalie Portman) and they set out to defeat Leezar.
It's all very silly, there's ridiculous dialogue at times but it seems to fit well, Franco has a silly lisp, there's robotic bird sidekicks, three evil witches, an arena fight with a five fingered snake monster and an even sillier encounter with a minotaur (I'll leave that one alone).
I didn't expect an awful lot from Your Highness but I must admit to enjoying myself. Possibly not quite as much as, say, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, but it was fun.
I wouldn't necessarily say rush out and see this on the big screen but if you get a few of the guys around it's good for a laugh.
A 6 out of 10.

From one side

2011-05-20T17:33:00.004+10:00

From one side you are perfect
Wide eyed, strong and pure
I'm blinded by the light
Stopped by your gaze
When you look and smile and wink
When you give me secrets
Trust is absolute
From one side it's an image
An ideal
Too good to be true but it's very real
It's right there in front of me
Granted definitely not taken
But there's never enough time
Never enough space
From this side I need to get into the race

Power of fear

2011-05-20T14:03:00.003+10:00

It's become a pattern over the years and it has really just only occurred to me.
Fear has been the ruling power in my life for the most part and stopped me from doing all sorts of things. Some of those things I may have regretted, sure, but I've reached the point where I almost regret not taking the leap.
Even back in high school I was afraid of one thing or another - whether it was the kid trying to get me into fights I didn't want to be in or things as semi-serious as relationships. I remember backing out of the date I'd asked to the high school formal because I just wanted to go 'as friends'.
The solution isn't completely clear but going out and doing things I will certainly regret definitely isn't the answer.
I know that I can't continue to be ruled by this general fear - is it a fear of living or a fear of failure or rejection? I don't know exactly.

Insidious

2011-05-18T23:28:00.002+10:00

Points for trying, but in the end Insidious fails to get off the ground as an old school scary movie. In the tradition, I guess, of the likes of Poltergeist, Insidious is focused on the Lambert family, particularly their son Dalton (Ty Simpkins).
After exploring the attic and having a fall, Dalton fails to wake up in the morning. It's assumed he's in a coma but months pass and he's unresponsive.
Parents Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) struggle to come to terms with it, particularly Renai who begins hearing and seeing strange things around the house. Eventually she refuses to live in their new house any more and the family moves. Trouble is, the same things continue to happen.
Eventually we find out that Dalton isn't in fact in a coma, his spirit has left his body and is trapped in a realm called The Further with all sorts of nasty parasites trying to inhabit his vacant body and cause trouble in the world.
Yep, we're talking about the same movie.
Look, basically this is a real good college try at a scary movie and I will admit it made me jump once or twice and left me with that uncomfortable rippling feeling in the body now and then.
There was no gore but old school shocks and surprises and lots of suspense.
I think the trouble was the second half of the film was far too different from the first half and it just doesn't always work well that way (From Dusk Til Dawn did but that's an exception to the rule).
On the positive side, the cast is likeable and that will take you a fair way into giving it a go. Can't go any higher than 5 out of 10. Nice try, but meh.

Source Code

2011-05-07T09:29:00.003+10:00

Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up on a commuter train heading for Chicago but the woman sitting across from him calls him Sean.
In an interesting twist on the time travel theme, Source Code is a kind of PG thriller where Stevens must relive eight minutes as Sean in order to find the bomber of the train.
At the end of his eight minutes the train will explode and Stevens returns to his own body inside the Source Code, a piece of technology being trialled for use in preventing major disasters.
It also messes with his head quite a lot - being blown up repeatedly - and trying to make sense of who he is and how he came to be inside the Code.
Everything isn't as it seems.
As he repeats his eight minutes trying to find the bomber he becomes attached to Christina (Michelle Monaghan), so much that he eventually wants to try and save her, even though he is told that he can't change the past.
We'd all love to change the past and Stevens, torn between his military training and his growing affection for Christina, is no different. He has a past that is slowly revealed and a big reason for wanting to influence it.
I loved director Duncan Jones' first film - Moon - and Source Code is a worthy follow up. A bit Groundhog Day (though not as funny!) and with clear influence from recent films like Inception, this is an entertaining film, just on 90 minutes so not overly long, and definitely worth a watch.
A 7.5 out of 10.

Stocktake

2011-05-01T20:31:00.002+10:00

At least I have made an effort in some respects to change things.
I actually went to the gym last week. It's a completely foreign environment to me but fortunately the other people that were there at the time (in the work gym) were people I know to a reasonable extent so it wasn't so bad.
It was a good start. The bad thing about the gym is that you feel great for the rest of the day then sore for a day or two afterwards! No pain no gain, hey.
I am also trying to rein in a couple of other habits that are becoming troublesome. One more than the other.
The big issue remains the same - fear. Though, I am still not sure what the fear is of exactly.
I once described it as a fear of living.
I don't know whether it is this general feeling of unease that is actually causing more issues than anything else. It's clear that my tolerance for some things is very low.
Whenever I feel something strange it's usually in the stomach area and then I'll jump to a conclusion that it has to be something serious and, potentially, life threatening.
As you can see this is not a very helpful way to think.
Like most people in our world today, I want things to be fixed straight away. We're an instant gratification society and patience is hard to grasp.
It's not only that I need to change. I want to change, I want things to be different.

Thor

2011-04-22T21:54:00.005+10:00

The latest in the Avengers series is Thor and it is one of the more accessible despite being about a legendary Norse god cast out of his own realm and banished to Earth.
Aussie Chris Hemsworth plays the ample bodied Thor who must learn humility and other attributes of a ruler after his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins kicks him out of Asgard for starting a war.
His brother Loki (Tom Hiddleson) assumes the throne when Odin falls ill and, after being overlooked all his life as heir, sets out to fulfil his own agenda.
On Earth, Thor is discovered by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) who is studying strange occurrences in the sky. Thor's arrival is one such occurrence.

If you enjoy the Avenger movies to date - Iron Man, Incredible Hulk etc, then this is your cup of tea.
Like a lot of 'origin' movies, it feels like Thor is a bit short because we have to get through the context before we get to the guts of the movie. But the back story is interesting in itself. I also enjoyed seeing the bonus scene from Iron Man 2 fit into the story nicely too.
It's a movie I feel like I need to see again, which is a good sign I enjoyed it. Next up in the series is Captain America then it is on to The Avengers next year.
An 8 out of 10, and stick through the credits for an important extra scene.

Fast & Furious 5

2011-04-21T20:42:00.005+10:00

Say what you like about the franchise but it pretends to be nothing more than a bit of fun and action and fast cars.
Welcome to Fast & Furious 5 and easily the most entertaining of the five films.
Probably not the best, I think that has to go to the original.
Fast 5 as it is known in the USA brings together major and minor characters from all the movies to date (that was a masterstroke by the way) as Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) attempt to take down the ruler of underground Rio.
They are fugitives, though, as they were wrongly accused of killing three police officers so the FBI has dispatched Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) to round them up and put them away.
Of course Mia (Jordana Brewster) is there and is now pregnant while we are reacquainted with Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) from 2 Fast 2 Furious and Han (Sung Kang) from Tokyo Drift).
And, of course again, there are hot cars and hotter chicks.

Some fantastic action comedy and completely ridiculous chase scenes ensue as they try to outrun Hobbs and take down Reyes (Joaquim de Alimeda) at the same time.

I'm not really 'into' cars as such but for some reason I really dig these movies. I don't know what it is. They are just really entertaining and largely mindless fun.

So if you are a fan of the series you are going to have a ball. If you aren't then why are you bothering to watch it?

One word of warning. If you stick around during the credits there is a bonus scene. Having seen it I'm not sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. You'll know what I mean, and you might be looking back at the fourth movie afterwards as well. An 8 out of 10.

Scream 4

2011-04-15T21:15:00.002+10:00

I'm a huge fan of the original Scream trilogy and it was with some excitement, and a little nervousness, that I approached Scream 4 . But I had nothing to be concerned about. With Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven involved and the stars of the franchise returning this is a winner. It's 10 years since Scream 3 and Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has moved on from the events in Woodsboro and is the author of a book detailing how she came 'out of the darkness'.

She's back in town touring with the book when two teenagers are knocked off by the ghostfaced killer. We learn that Dewey Riley (David Arquette) is now the sheriff and is married to Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox - talk about art imitating life) who is no longer a reporter and is struggling to write a new book. There's a host of teenage characters here and it really is an interesting mix. Neve Campbell looks sensational while age has caught up with her Scream regular co-stars quite noticeably. This all doesn't matter. While Scream poked fun at the horror genre, Scream 4 now has a crack at the remake, or reboot, as we are seeing these days and it is done very cleverly. There is no way you can't enjoy Scream 4 if you were a fan of the original and its sequels. There's also a few cool cameos for good measure. Very well made, witty and funny - and easily an 8 out of 10 - and a nice way to bring an end to the series.

Something special

2011-04-09T21:44:00.003+10:00

I was fortunate enough to be at Randwick today to see a truly super racehorse, Black Caviar, make a very good field of sprinters look second rate. 12 starts for 12 wins, unbelievable. It was a very special day. There have been some awesome moments at Randwick over the years I have been going there - Octagonal in 1996, Lonhro's farewell, Takeover Target's big wins including the TJ Smith. It's hard to say whether Black Caviar tops those moments, which were all special in their own times, but she is nothing short of a champion.

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest

2011-03-28T18:52:00.003+11:00

One thing was clear when watching The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest and that was the fact that if there was an editor of this film he was clearly not doing his job. What should have been a fast-paced, dramatic conclusion to the Millennium Trilogy was a slow, though at times compelling, limp to an ending that you could see coming a mile off. (I haven't read the books.) Not that every movie needs to have a shocking end, or anything like that, but it was so obvious where things were going. It's a shame really because The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was simply outstanding, and the sequel The Girl Who Played With Fire was solid without being particularly awesome. I was expecting a lift from the second film, but what you get is a movie that is far, far too long, especially when you have to contend with subtitles. That wasn't as much of an issue in the first two movies but it was noticeable here. The second half of the movie was excellent but you have to wait about an hour to 90 minutes before things get going. This is not acceptable, and I don't care how acclaimed the first movie was. That gripe aside, I think the series was a good one. However, I see it as a waste of time for Hollywood to me remaking this series. It's far too controversial in parts for mainstream Hollywood and having it in English won't really change an awful lot. Noomi Rapace was excellent as Lisbeth Salander and Michael Nyqvist equally good as journalist Mikael Blomkvist. A 6.5 out of 10 for the final film in the series, though, and that's disappointing given the first one was easily an 8.

Red Riding Hood

2011-03-26T18:41:00.003+11:00

Hats off to the people who made the trailer for Red Riding Hood because they made something that was pretty average look really good.

It's a shame, actually, because this could have been a decent film but it suffered from trying far too hard to be Twilight.

Probably shouldn't be surprised at that given it has the same director.
The casting people must also have been Twilight fans because they found two so impossibly good looking guys they are kind of distracting who also look just enough like Robert Pattinson to be Edward Cullen-like.

Then there is Valerie (Amanda Seyfried). She lives in a small village that has been terrorised by a wolf for many years. When her sister is killed by the wolf the townspeople decide to hunt it down once and for all, without success and with a further casualty.
Enter Father Soloman (Gary Oldman) who arrives promising to rid the village of the wolf.

To further complicate things, Valerie is in love with Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) but is promised by her parents to marry Henry (Max Irons).

When the wolf attacks and confronts Valerie, urging her to run away with him, the number of possible suspects narrows pretty quickly. Who is the wolf?
It couldn't be Red Riding Hood without a trip to grandmother's house, and it is her grandma (Julie Christie) who gives Valerie the red outfit.

I have to say this fell into the 'so bad it is almost kinda good' category of films. As I said, it suffers from wanting to be Twilight, right down to the way Peter strokes Valerie's face, just as Edward does to Bella.

A 5 out of 10, not a complete stinker but not overly brilliant either. But it might keep those tween girls who can't wait for Breaking Dawn busy for a while.

Limitless

2011-03-24T20:56:00.002+11:00

Limitless is one of those 'what if' movies and it certainly does a very good job of getting you thinking.
Bradley Cooper plays Eddie, a writer who hasn't been able to write a line despite somehow being given a book contract. He looks pretty much homeless, has just lost his girlfriend and is going nowhere.
By chance, as you do, he runs into his ex-brother in law who gives him a taste of a new drug that promises to blow his mind.
Basically, it opens up the parts of the brain you aren't using and you become a highly intelligent, focused and driven person able to achieve anything.
When Vern is killed, obviously by someone looking for the drug, Eddie finds his stash and goes about changing his life.
He wins back his girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) and goes about earning money in record time - he finishes his book in a matter of days and becomes a stock market player.
He attracts the attention of Carl van Loon (Robert de Niro), a business mogul, who employs Eddie and watches him climb the ladder in amazement.
Pretty soon other people who have tried the drug, which is horribly addictive and potentially fatal, circle Eddie in order to get their hands on it.
Limitless is a very good idea - what if you could reach your full potential by popping a pill?
Even better is when Lindy tries it she decides she doesn't want the tunnel vision it can give you - namely a distance from your own feelings.

It's very well made, and there are a few scenes that are quite a spin out to watch as Eddie gets hooked on both the feeling of clarity and the life it is giving him.

There are better movies out there but Limitless is interesting, has a largely likeable cast and isn't too long either. A 7.5 out of 10.

Positives

2011-03-19T09:40:00.002+11:00

I had a pretty big week, work wise, this week - so much so that I was really feeling it come Thursday afternoon. I think I did a good job of recovering that evening, with a lot of relaxation happening.
It is a real positive that I can come through something like that in good shape, similar to the week where I travelled interstate three times in six days.
The next big positive I am after is the results of my latest tests later next week. They've never been overly alarming but I have noticed a few different things this time around. Perhaps they are insignificant and can be explained simply.
There is always the lingering fear that there is something really serious (that I don't already know about) lying undiscovered and that fear is screwing my head up something royal.
My exercise plans have so far been unrealised, I do sporadic bouts but nothing as consistent as I had hoped - and that is to my own detriment. I really must do more things that are good for me in general, like going for walks, instead of things that feel good in theory but in practice just make you feel worse.
Committing to being good to yourself shouldn't be so hard, should it?

Adelaide for a day

2011-03-12T09:28:00.003+11:00

A couple of weeks back I took a day trip to Adelaide.
Yes, Adelaide is a bit far to go just for one day but there was a purpose and after that purpose was taken care of I had a few hours to wander around and check out the city.
They say Adelaide is a bit like a big country town. That may be underestimating it a bit but from what I saw it is a very pretty city, especially when the weather is perfect.
Among my meanderings I took in some of the cultural activities going on, checked out (and thought about crashing) the uni o-week stuff which included a large sized chess game (which I kinda always wanted to play), walked along the Torrens River and saw some cricket at the Adelaide Oval.
It'd be interesting to see what the city has to offer when you have more than three hours.

How to take control

2011-03-04T22:08:00.002+11:00

Something has to change and it has to start changing now.
I have a lack of control, a lack of focus and a lack of stability and that has to stop and stop now.
It all sounds so easy to turn things around in theory - I know that it is far from easy in practice.
I believe I have to take a few small steps in order to regain some stability and some control over life (well the things I can control anyway).

This is what I have in mind.
1. practice some form of relaxation or meditation daily. Doesn't have to be hours but at least 10 minutes of reflection and calming.
2. exercise daily, a 30 minute walk at the least.
3. make sure I get enough sleep, 7 hours would be ideal as a base.
4. rein in the unhelpful thoughts. Replace with more logical or positive thought patterns.
5. stop having unrealistic expectations about myself.
6. have some fun and try to enjoy things more.
7. stretch daily.

Habits are hard to break but they are harder to form. Hopefully I can get into some if not all of these good habits fairly quickly. Wish me luck.

Conviction

2011-03-03T09:50:00.004+11:00

The fact that Conviction is based on a true story helps it get across the line as far as watchability goes.
Hilary Swank plays Betty Ann Waters, a divorced mother of two who devotes 20 years of her life to proving her brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) was wrongfully convicted of murder.
In what can be described as one of the dodgiest trials I've ever seen, Kenny is found guilty of murder through largely circumstantial evidence that would be laughable at the very least today.
It is made pretty obvious that he has been framed and Betty Ann vows to get justice served. So she goes back to school to become a lawyer in order to take the case that no-one else will.
The key point in her investigation comes when she discovers the use of DNA technology that wasn't available when Kenny was tried to clear people wrongfully convicted.
So Betty Ann sets out to find the old evidence so she can have him cleared. Naturally she comes across more than a few roadblocks.
It's a well named movie about loyalty and can be filed in the Erin Brockovich section of movies. Swank puts in her usual strong performance, Rockwell is odd as ever (his character was really stretching it on the likability scale though) and there is good support from Minnie Driver and Melissa Leo among others.
My problem with Conviction is that it is a very good story but not an overly brilliant movie. It felt disjointed and there was very little opportunity to empathise with Kenny. Maybe that was true to life, I don't know.
Anyway, a 7 out of 10 and I'd have to say I'm a bit disappointed because there could have been a cracking movie in this story.

Black Swan

2011-03-01T17:10:00.003+11:00

It was definitely disturbing, Natalie Portman was excellent but was Black Swan a good movie?
Portman, who won an Oscar for Best Actress for this role, plays Nina Sayers, a ballet dancer who is cast as the lead in a production of Swan Lake.
She's described by her director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) as the perfect White Swan but wants her to embrace the Black Swan to really shine in the role.
Enter the competition - the perfect Black Swan Lily (Mila Kunis), the anti-Nina as such, threatens to win the role through Nina's difficulty in letting go of the White Swan inside her.
Adding to Nina's complicated situation is her mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who still treats her like a 12-year-old wannabe ballerina with chilling effect.
As the pressure builds with the announcement that Nina will replace the company's prima ballerina Beth (Winona Ryder) she, to use a Star Wars phrase, begins turning to the dark side.

She tries so hard to embody the black swan she begins to lose grip on what is real and what isn't.
As I said, I'm not sure how to react to this film.
Portman certainly excelled herself in getting into what was effectively a dual role and probably did deserve the Oscar.
Overall, though, it is a very disturbing movie with a few scenes that are sure to shock some viewers. What I will say is that the music was outstanding, it made me a bit uncomfortable, it dazzled me and it fit so well with the story (and so it should given the Swan Lake focus).
I expected to be blown away, but I wasn't so I'm going 7.5 out of 10.
Make up your own mind!

Charm School

2011-03-01T08:45:00.003+11:00

Reviewing a new Roxette CD isn't something I expected to be doing again but here we go.
Charm School is Roxette's first new album since Room Service in 2001 (an album that had some awesome songs but was overall disappointing) and as a long time fan approached it more hopeful than anything else.
It does take a few listens, and is very much stuck in the early 90s, but I have to say I like it - so much so that I can happily listen to the entire CD straight through (though there is one track I don't particularly care for and occasionally skip it).
The catch with Charm School is I think you need to be a fan. I don't see any 18 year olds picking this up and loving it.
Unlike most Roxette albums this one seems to be fairly evenly split between Per and Marie for lead vocals.
The opening song Way Out got stuck in my head there for a while and that's a great sign. The album is also a fairly even mix of up tempo and slow songs with Per specialising on the up tempo and Marie the ballads. And that's the way it has always been, pretty much.
Top five songs on the album are as follows: Only When I Dream (a sort of Coldplay-esqe feel), Speak To Me (a rare slowish song led by Per), Way Out, Dream On (whimsical sound) and Sitting On Top Of The World (a bittersweet closer sung by Marie).
It's great to have a new bunch of Roxette songs, particularly since it looked like there would only ever be repackaged hits albums for a while. They aren't as great as the classics but, in a way, Charm School is a throw back to the late 80s-early 90s when you could have a bit of fun.

If you liked them don't be afraid to try this one out.

Talk hard

2011-02-28T22:50:00.002+11:00

Communication isn't as easy for some people as it is for others.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that is the industry I work in, outside of work I find communication to be very difficult.
I don't know whether it is that I think I have nothing to say, or whether I don't know how to express it, or if I'm too concerned about what's going on inside my head to be able to articulate it.
Sometimes talking is just not that simple.
I know people who can just talk to anyone. I don't know if it is an innate confidence thing, a personality thing or what it is. Whatever it is it seems I don't have it. Or at least I'm not willing to see if I have it.
There's a move from 1990 called Pump Up The Volume, it stars Christian Slater as a teenager (who looks well and truly in his 20s) who has moved to a new town and has no friends, finds it hard to connect with people and comes across to his parents and depressed and detached.
He starts broadcasting on short wave radio and his on air persona builds up quite a following.
It's easy to talk when you think nobody is listening.
I think this quote from the movie sums up a lot of us:
''We are all really scared to show who we really are. I am not perfect, I have just been going through the motions of being perfect, and inside I am screaming.''

The problem for me is that I'm not a teenager struggling to fit in.
It's true, though, it is the fact that I'm scared that is holding me back. Scared of all sorts of things that make seemingly simple things that much harder.
Talking is hard, even when I try to explain how I am feeling. Even when I am comfortable with the person I am talking with.
It has occurred to me that it might not be external things that are holding me back, but rather an internal fear that changing something is a bad thing. I don't know exactly.
Talk hard. It's a phrase used in the movie that I think is meant to say that you have to just get it out. Here goes.....

Unscheduled outage

2011-02-24T22:50:00.003+11:00

I had intended to do this regularly but have been side tracked for one reason or another.
Will get back to it shortly, in the meantime enjoy some valuable silence for at least a few days.

127 Hours

2011-02-11T20:47:00.002+11:00

There has been a lot of attention on the gore on screen in the scene where Aron Ralston cuts his arm off to save his life. Yes, we all know this is central to 127 Hours but it is in no way the whole story.
I became aware of Ralston's tale a few years back when he was a guest on Andrew Denton's Enough Rope (easily one of the best interview shows ever made in Australia).
It's not a surprise in the least that it has been made into a feature.
Ralston (James Franco) is your typical carefree soul who heads out for a weekend of adventures canyoning in Utah.
Of course we all know the story - he slips and his arm is wedged tight by a boulder and it isn't budging.
As the realisation sets in that he is going to die in this remote canyon Ralston uses his video camera to record his thoughts, some of which are a hilarious attempt to make light of his situation but also give an insight into the man.

He tries to chip away at the boulder crushing his arm and eventually comes to a gruesome conclusion.
James Franco is absolutely amazing as Ralston. Much like Ryan Reynolds in Buried, he has to carry the film, you have to sympathise (well you don't have to) with him, you have to believe in what he is going through.
OK, some of the setting does look a bit fake and constructed - but this isn't a major surprise. And in the end 127 Hours is not a story about a guy who cuts his arm off. It's a story about the human condition, the human spirit, and the precious nature of life. It's about people and it is bloody good.
Yes, you have to stomach a bit of blood and watch a guy sever his arm. That isn't easy. But it is in no way gratuitous and every bit vital to Ralston's character.
If you can handle it this is a must see. Brilliant, gripping, funny at times and very moving. A 9 out of 10 and take a bow James Franco.

Thoughts for the day

2011-02-10T22:24:00.002+11:00

I'm not very good at helping myself out when it comes to thinking constructively.
On and off over the last few days I have had some odd stomach aches, not pains and not sharp ones and maybe it is some bloating. That's the best I can come up with. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it.
When it comes to tummy issues I am super-hyper-sensitive and it really screws with my thoughts. As a regular thing I will jump to the worst possible conclusion first.
Like a lot of people the thought of any type of cancer is a scary one.
However, I have no symptoms of anything even remotely like that yet it still crosses my mind a few times a day at least.
By worrying about that at times it can do my head right in for a while.
What I have felt this week is not unlike something that occurred about five months ago and it came and went after a time. There is nothing to suggest that this isn't similar.
I have little tolerance for illness - it's like I think that I am not supposed to be unwell at all ever. I'm no different to anyone else, and will contract bugs and colds etc from time to time. Maybe it is all compounded by being a guy - we're apparently sooks when we get sick.
So instead of dealing with the minor issue at hand I seem to have to try and deal with a major issue that is a distant, remote possibility at the very, very worst.
How is this helping me? It isn't. Changing the way you think is not an easy one - I have been trying for a few years now and am obviously going to have to work harder and be much more vigilant.
It's like that add that describes building willpower as being like building muscles. The more you exercise them the stronger they get. I must exercise correct and more positive thoughts if I am to get any stronger.

Willpower

2011-02-05T23:40:00.003+11:00

I've recently demonstrated to myself a high level of willpower in one aspect of life but now I am failing in a related area.
So now it's up to me again to refocus that willpower and rectify a potentially harmful trend that is occurring. The good thing is, having already won a battle I can move on to this one knowing it can be done.
Challenge extended....

How Do You Know

2011-02-03T20:10:00.003+11:00

Expectations weren't super high for How Do You Know but thanks to a largely likable cast it is definitely above average.

Reece Witherspoon plays Lisa, a pro-softballer who finds herself in unfamiliar territory when she is cut from the team. She's casually seeing Matty (Owen Wilson), a baseballer, who is self centred but fun.

Not far away George (Paul Rudd) discovers he is the centre of a federal legal case into fraudulent activity within his firm - while he is calling Lisa to organise a blind date after being given her number.
George's dad Charles (Jack Nicholson) attempts to control the situation and protect his own interests at the same time.

It turns out that Charles and Matty live in the same building and Lisa and George meet following a disastrous first date and he starts to fall for her.
Thus begins a love triangle.
The story isn't a new one really but it is the cast that brings it to life. Witherspoon and Rudd are very likable while Wilson is a bit annoying and may be miscast. Nicholson, as always, commands your attention and steals every scene.
Rudd is the centre of the movie and his character is perfect for him, and you've really got to feel for him at times.

A couple of the side characters are fun and add to the light hearted moments.
This is probably more of the sort of film you'd watch at home rather than in the cinema, it's not a must see but I enjoyed it. A 7 out of 10.

The sum of my fears

2011-01-31T22:49:00.003+11:00

I got to thinking that in order to overcome some, if not all, of my fears a good start would be to write them down.
While it is an obvious thing, it was only when reading Adam's blog (where he wrote his down) that it occurred to me to do it.
I'm going to be as specific as I can but in no way graphic.

1. Like a lot of people - death.
I guess it isn't so much dying, as that's out of our control, but it is the not existing, the missing out on all the wonderful things that life allows. There's also the lack of closure and I also wonder how I will be remembered. As a kid I was afraid of death, I used to get nightmares and get quite worked up about it even though at the time I had never experienced anything more than a pet passing away (and we had hundreds of cats who didn't realise that living on a busy street could cost them more than nine lives).
2. Illness
Since being diagnosed with a chronic illness some six years ago I have developed a fear of illness - both the chronic illness in question and also of feeling unwell. I got it into my head that if I felt a little sick that it meant something massive, like a recurrence, was going to happen. I became intensely afraid of losing weight to the point where now I actually need to lose some because I never considered what putting it on would do. I'm now essentially living in fear of illness, even though for the last four years I haven't had any major (or even minor) anomaly in any of my tests aside from one thing that is being treated.
3. Love
I try my best to let the people I love know it, and that's in a 'I care about you' way not an 'I'm in love with you' way. And while I'd like a few more people in my life to be the same way the bigger issue is when it comes to letting down your guard and opening up to the possibility that someone can love me. That sounds silly I know. I'm not sure how it got to this point but I'm almost oblivious to it and if someone has come along in the past few years I haven't noticed. It's so far off the radar I wonder if it has been put there on purpose by my subconscious. We all want to feel loved and I am no different but sometimes I wonder if I can feel it at all. And that's something to fear.
4. Magpies
This is an irrational fear, or phobia, but it is one that has stuck with me for a while despite the fact I haven't been a victim for more than a decade at least. This fear tends to keep me indoors a bit in spring. I really need to beat this fear.

Funnily enough, aside from the need for self preservation, most of the things I fear are internal issues. I'm not saying I'm comfortable strolling the streets of Redfern at midnight but few things out in the world scare me. It's all internal, unknown, things that cause the most anxiety. I'm my own worst enemy and this really needs to change.
Now I just have to have the courage to change the things that I can change.

The consistency paradox

2011-01-29T08:40:00.003+11:00

Consistency is something I find appealing in a person.
In general, I think consistency in other aspects of life can be dangerous or at least counter productive.
If you're careful you become too comfortable and then resistant to change. Especially when there are areas that need a change, or at least a shake up.
A friend of mine made a comment to me last week, and it wasn't the first time he's said it, that there is a lot of same-ness in my life and it would do me good to change things.
In a way this is very wise. For me, the most important change would be if I can mentally toughen up and resist the negative and worrisome thoughts that come along now and then.
Mental exercise is a lot harder than physical exercise because it is so easy to let a thought run away with you.
As much as physical fitness appeals to me, and I'm not overly good at that, I reckon mental fitness is far more important. That's not to say you shouldn't practice both, because you should and I definitely should.

The Fighter

2011-01-22T11:34:00.002+11:00

Yet another film that universal praise had made difficult to approach but thankfully The Fighter gets pretty close to living up to the hype.
Based on the life of 'Irish' Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his rise to world light welterweight champion.
Ward has always lived in the shadow of his half-brother Dicky Eckland (Christian Bale) who was a successful boxer before his life deteriorated through drug use.
Eckland took on the role of Ward's trainer but he never realised his potential under his brother's guidance and his mother Alice's (Melisso Leo) management.
When Dicky is thrown in jail and publicly embarrassed through a documentary, Micky is given the chance to sever ties with his family's management and take the shot at a title before it is too late.
Good performances from Wahlberg and Bale, and Amy Adams as Ward's love interest Charlene help keep The Fighter's early documentary-style from completely annoying you until they get into the nitty-gritty of the story.
I have to say Bale was very good in the role that has so far won him a Golden Globe but his character is almost unbearable at times - he never shuts up, is all over the place physically and you just want to belt him. That's probably the point and aside from the fact that Bale has again lost a heap of weight to get into a role (as he did with The Machinist prior to his Batman days) all this will probably win him an Oscar.

Wahlberg was always made to play a boxer - his body has hardly looked any different since his Marky Mark days so it wasn't a real stretch for him to get the physical side convincing. He is an under rated actor at times and while some of his roles are a bit puzzling (e.g. The Happening) he's a pretty solid performer these days.
The Fighter is a very good film, overall. There were things that didn't sit well with me but it is apparently an authentic look at living in a place like Boston and the extended Ward family will both amuse and frighten you.
An 8 out of 10, I don't think it was nearly as good as The King's Speech but, having said that, they were different types of movies. Well worth seeing.

Jumping off cliffs

2011-01-20T21:35:00.002+11:00

Of course it is a metaphor, but I really need to learn to stop jumping off the cliff when something seemingly minor comes along.
I tend to have a very low tolerance for a few things and when they occur I always head straight for worst possible scenario. And it really does the head in sometimes.
It doesn't help being your own worst enemy when it comes to your mental health, let alone physical. I've found that when the first suffers then the second suffers but, more alarmingly, it is when the second suffers first that it really hits the first. If you follow that logic.
Gotta change.....

Burlesque

2011-01-15T09:00:00.002+11:00

I was expecting 'so bad it's good' when I sat down to watch Burlesque but it quickly became apparent this musical was going to be much better than that.
Considering it stars Cher, who despite being an Oscar winner isn't noted for her acting, and Christina Aguilera in her film debut this is a pretty decent surprise.
Christina is Ali, a girl from Iowa who leaves for LA because she didn't want the life of anyone in her home turn. We discover early she can sing, and sing pretty damn well.
When she arrives in LA she looks for a job and at the end of a hard day of rejections she comes across the Burlesque Lounge, run by Tess (Cher), and decides this is where she will find a job.
She befriends bartender Jack (Cam Gigandet, who is becoming a good actor) and lands a gig as a waitress.

The club is in financial trouble and when Ali finally puts her voice on display Tess decides she is the ticket to getting the club out of the red.
There are a few excellent songs along the way, including Cher's brilliant 'You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me', and the music overall is simply great.

What appealed to me, particularly early on, is how good Christina looked as the 'girl next door'. Her character had a bit of depth and while she morphed into the Xtina that has been around for the last few years underneath she was still the same country girl.

Cher was playing Cher, largely, but there's something about her that just grabs your attention. The support cast including Stanley Tucci and Alan Cumming is strong as well.
Given Burlesque was written for the screen and isn't based on a musical, like Chicago for example, it stands up very, very well. It's not a screen classic by any stretch but it certainly isn't the 'so bad it's good' movie it has been reviewed as. It's fun, a bit on the camp side, and entertaining. And that's all you can ask.
A 7.5 out of 10.

Unstoppable

2011-01-07T21:59:00.002+11:00

On the surface there isn't much to Unstoppable - runaway train threatens to cause a massive disaster while two underdogs attempt to stop it.

Denzel Washington plays Frank Barnes, a retired engineer who is paired up with a rookie conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine) for his first day of work.
On the other end of the line a rather careless rail employee gets off his 29 car train to switch tracks and stumbles, allowing the train to escape and gather pace. They are naturally on a collision course.

As the tension builds and disaster looms Frank and a slightly reluctant Will take off in pursuit of the runaway hoping to bring it to a stop.
It's a pretty simple premise. In the background is an attempt at having some character development that, perhaps, isn't necessary though it does give both men a reason to want to get through the day and correct what's wrong in their lives.
What this ultimately does is reminds us that there are much more important than the petty things that can drive a wedge between people - maybe that's the reason their issues seemed so silly, to make that point.
I thought the pairing of Washington, who is a seasoned pro, with the relative newcomer Pine (really only noted for Star Trek at this point) worked really well. Their interaction was very interesting, at times humourous, but certainly natural.
I didn't think I'd enjoy this as much as I did - think Speed without a madman running the show, it's just two men versus a bumbling bureaucracy and a runaway train carrying all sorts of potentially explosive devices (described as a missile).
It's tense and the tension is almost constant thanks to an excellent soundtrack. A solid 8.5 out of 10.

I'd like to.....

2011-01-07T17:05:00.002+11:00

I've been thinking about some of the things I'd like to do this year.
In one way or another they represent a challenge but I think potentially all are very positive goals.

1. Organise and save up for a trip to Perth towards the end of the year.
2. Lose at least 5kg but no more than 8kg.
3. Get into the habit of going to the gym at least once a week and exercising at least five times a week.
4. Go to an NRL, or AFL, game. (I prefer watching them on TV but I haven't actually been to a game for years).
5. Go to a play or musical at the theatre.
6. See a live band (hopefully someone appealing will tour in 2011).
7. Try opening up to having a relationship.
8. Win the battle with the way my mind can work against me.
9. Be nicer to myself overall.

I think the majority are very much achievable. It's now up to me to put in the hard work.

The King's Speech

2011-01-06T21:26:00.003+11:00

It's a rare occurrence that a movie lives right up to the reviews when it is universally praised. The King's Speech is one of those films.
The film tells the story, which I wasn't aware of, of King George VI (Colin Firth) who is the father of our current Queen and whose rise to the throne was both controversial and stunning.
George, known as Bertie to the family, stutters badly and can't sustain momentum in speech long enough to perform any royal duties without severe embarrassment.
Out of frustration he tries a number of doctors and speech therapists but is unable to overcome his problem.
When Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) comes across an unorthodox Australian therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) things appear to be looking up for George but it's not quite as simple as that.
The chemistry between the lead actors is amazing, their performances are faultless, there is humour and tension and you really feel like they are fully rounded characters. Logue encourages George to be more open and to face whatever it is that is holding him back, that is preventing him from speaking correctly - it emerges that he started stuttering at age five.
Firth is headed for an Oscar here, Rush was again magnificent in the supporting role and Carter was utterly regal, which is a departure for her and I had to question whether it was actually her a few times.
True stories can be hit and miss as far as pulling off not only the era but making the characters appear real. The King's Speech has nailed it in every aspect.
The script is outstanding, as mentioned the performances are spot on (including Guy Pearce) and you'll struggle to see a better film this year. If I do see a better one we could be headed for a first perfect score.
This gets a 9 out of 10 and if I saw it a week or so earlier it would have been the number one film of 2010. However, it has set the bar very high for 2011. An absolute must-see.

The 2010 Raymo Awards

2010-12-31T17:09:00.003+11:00

Well we've come to the end of another year and that means it is time for the annual movie reviews. This year I saw 34 films at the cinema which is around average for me.

The good news is that there was a fairly consistent high level of quality with 17 of the 34 films scoring 8/10 or higher with another five scoring 7.5/10.

This year there were some simply outstanding performances, brilliant scripts and a fair bit of innovation, which is great at a time when we are seeing remakes and comic book adaptations running rampant.
So, without further ado here's the top five of 2010.

1. Up In The Air
I flagged this film in the first few months of the year as a contender for the top spot and here it is. Dripping with irony and an outstanding script, Up In The Air sees George Clooney play a man hired by companies to do the dirty work of making people redundant. He lives out of a suitcase and despises the thought of settling down. This film is a great example of what a tight script and no CGI can produce and it was definitely the best film of the year for me.
2. The Hedgehog (le Herrison).
One from leftfield. This French film (yes, you have to read subtitles) is an absolute gem and a stark reminder to us all about not judging a book by its cover. Renee is the concierge of an apartment complex and she is largely ignored by the residents. When a Japanese man moves into the building he treats her with respect and, with a suicidal young girl tagging along, slowly draws her out of the protective shell she has spent her life building. She's described as a Hedgehog - prickly on the outside but refined and classy on the inside. Loved it.
3. Buried
Want to feel really uncomfortable for about 90 minutes? This is the film for you. Starring Ryan Reynolds and no one else this is the story of a man who is kidnapped in the Middle East and buried in a wooden box with only a cell phone and a few minor items in his possession. Again, the script here is outstanding and the performance by Reynolds to hold the film on his own was flawless. It's claustrophobic, disturbing and utterly brilliant.
4. The Social Network
Who would have thought a movie about Facebook could be such a must-see movie. The story of Mark Zuckerberg's creation of the website used by more than 500 million people (including yours truly) is another sharp script, features a kind of chilling performance from Jesse Eisenberg in the lead role and you can't help but notice the irony of the man who brings together millions of people each day. You see, Zuckerberg is portrayed as a somewhat disconnected (socially) young man yet turns the social networking site into a huge success. Compelling, well written, well performed and an all round great film.
5. Inception
I'd say unarguably the most inventive film of the year and one so complex you really need to pay attention. Leonardo Di Caprio is actually very good in this film as a man who uses people's dreams to steal information from them. Stacked with special effects that will blow your mind, Inception certainly requires more than one watch (though I haven't had viewing #2 yet). I have my own opinion on where the ending went and I will keep that to myself. Another must-see.

Honourable mentions: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (best of the series so far), Invictus, Tron Legacy, Animal Kingdom, Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1.
Surprise of the year: the Australian musical comedy Bran Nue Dae. If you haven't seen it, grab the DVD, sit back and enjoy one of the feel good movies of the last few years. Great fun. (Runner-up Tron Legacy - so exceeded my expectations and was pretty awesome!).
Flop of the year: Lowest rated movie was Valentine's Day (5.5/10) though I really didn't expect it to be that great so the flop goes to Greenberg.
I really thought Ben Stiller could pull of a semi-serious role but either he was the wrong man for the job or the script just wasn't right. Still not sure there. It's the first time my 'comedians are great at serious movies' theory has failed me.

So there it is. It will be interesting to see what 2011 brings. The end to the Harry Potter series and the first half of what promises to be a very tricky fourth Twilight movie Breaking Dawn. Can't wait to see how they bring it to life.

Tron: Legacy

2010-12-30T22:39:00.003+11:00

It's the second last day of 2010 but we've certainly got a contender for surprise of the year in Tron: Legacy .
The focus is on Sam Flynn (a stunning Garrett Hedlund), the son of Kevin Flynn who when Sam was a kid was one of the world's foremost video game innovators.
Flynn (Jeff Bridges) disappeared, assumed dead, and Sam was left to grow up without a father and left wondering what happened. He also inherited his father's company and enjoys playing pranks on the board of directors at unfortunate times.
He is encouraged by his father's friend to check out a message coming from Flynn's Arcade and finds himself transported into the world known as The Grid.
When he is reunited with his father not everything is as it seems and The Grid seems in the midst of anarchy.
Father and son, along with a mysterious 'miracle' being Quorra (Olivia Wilde) set out to restore order to the grid and return to our world.
It's a visually stunning film, one that rarely lets up and continues to raise the bar. Significantly, the effects don't overpower the movie. While some of the dialogue is a bit on the 'what the..' side, it's not so corny that you lose interest.
While there are some well known names in the cast, including Jeff Bridges, Michael Sheen (who was outrageous as the deceptive Zuse and a cameo from Cillian Murphy, the star of the movie is Garrett Hedlund. I must admit I wondered who he was, I have seen Friday Night Lights but he didn't stand out there, but he definitely carried Tron well and really commanded my attention.
That's a great sign from the lead actor/character.
As I said, this is a very surprising movie. While I don't think 3D really brought it jumping off the screen it did add a bit to the race/fight scenes on The Grid.

An enjoyable cinema experience with characters that are engaging and effects that are dazzling. A solid and surprising 8 out of 10.

Minor league wars

2010-12-27T16:26:00.003+11:00

It has been an interesting 'holiday' period.
When I arrived up home I chipped away an old filling and was left with an uncomfortable hole in a tooth which required some work.
I was told I'd have no chance of getting a dentist's appointment at such short notice but, luckily, managed to get one 24 hours after I called up to inquire.
So one crisis averted.
After dealing with a nine-year-old nephew with a big case of the 'I want this's' while shopping (so not used to that), Christmas rolled around and I somehow managed to do a minor back injury.
It was just a recurrence of an old injury but was still pretty untimely. So I spent a fair chunk of Christmas Day in a bit of discomfort and laid up on the couch. Having a bunch of under 9s running around at lunch didn't help, but I suppose we weren't any different when we were that age.
With a couple of public holidays in the way I have to wait to get the back looked at by a physio. Fortunately it isn't too bad, and not as restrictive as it could be.
However, I have managed to catch up a bit on episodes of Dexter, what an awesome show, and Chuck.
I wonder what the New Year will bring?

Signals

2010-12-19T17:56:00.003+11:00

I've had Signals, the debut solo album by Travis Caudle for a while and it continues to grow on me.
On first listen a few tracks stood out but having now had it on good rotation in my car this weekend I've started to get right into it.
Travis is the lead singer of WA band The Woodenelves, a band I discovered by chance a few years ago and that produced a stunning album called Trips Between Worlds.
Signals isn't quite as instantly listenable but it's a bit like hearing familiar songs and having pleasant memories of them. One thing that stands out is his voice. It stood out on the Woodenelves' album as well but Travis has stripped things back a little on most of the songs on Signals and his voice resonates.

Unlike a lot of throwaway pop that is around these days, Signals is a positive yet reflective journey about life.

Take the title track for example. The following is a quote from his website regarding the song and some lyrics.

''The title track, Signals, is all about getting to a point where you get rid of all the things which don’t work in your life, understanding that by giving away some of your security you actually gain freedom.''

''It’s just something you feel, A point you reach somehow
You’ve gotta take the life you have now and throw it all away
To reinvent the wheel, send a signal somehow.
You gotta take the life you have now and throw it all away.''

The first time I listened to Signals, the overall album, I put eight of the 12 songs straight onto my ipod. That's a pretty good indication of that familiarity the album has. And they have continued to grow on me. Away from the title track I very much like Out Of Your Depth and the last song, Rise.
Travis Caudle is an artist that there's a fair chance you haven't heard of before. It's a shame if that's the case. From the Woodenelves songs, which still get a lot of airplay at my place, to this lyrically fantastic and musically subtle solo effort, Travis has given me plenty of hours of entertainment. Well worth it, too.

Your wonderful life

2010-12-16T22:41:00.002+11:00

If you want a bit of perspective, spend two hours watching It's A Wonderful Life.
Go away and think about all the people in your life and how you would be affected if just one of them were never there.
I don't think there is any doubt you'd be in a different place in some aspect of your life.
This is something we never consider.
For example, I've lived with the same friend for over seven years.
We met about 11 years ago. This person has been a source of great support in difficult times, has pushed me when I needed pushing and regardless off how we see it our lives have been intertwined in a way for much of that time. That just happens when you share a living space.
How different would my life be if we never met?
To be honest I hate to consider it. I don't see how I would be better off under the same set of circumstances.
And it's not the big things that are significant, it's the small decisions where you put other people in front of your own needs, hopes and dreams.
I'm guilty of not remembering that I have a wonderful life. Look around and appreciate everyone who chooses to be a part of your life - they are there for a reason.

The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader

2010-12-14T19:04:00.002+11:00

Going into the third Narnia movie, The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader I didn't really know what to expect because I didn't read this book when I was younger. From memory I stopped at Prince Caspian, if I got to the end of it at all.
I wasn't much of a reader then.
So with the knowledge that, at the end of Prince Caspian, Peter and Susan can no longer visit Narnia it is no surprise that we pick up with Edmund and Lucy.
They are staying at their aunt and uncle's house while their siblings are in America. To make things worse they are forced to endure their cousin Eustace (Will Poulter) who is pretty much a spoilt brat.

The trio are transported to Narnia through a painting of a boat that Lucy remarks looks a lot like a Narnian boat. Bingo!
They are picked up by Caspian, now King of Narnia, and his crew on board the Dawn Treader and in search of the seven swords that can rid Narnia of an evil presence.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by Dawn Treader, especially given the solid pannings it had received from movie reviewers who were obviously caught up in the first film, which holds plenty of childhood good memories, but less fussed on the subsequent book-to-film transfers.
There's plenty of CS Lewis's take home message in here - made very clear by Aslan late in the film - but there are also important lessons to be reminded of throughout.
This film doesn't have the mystique of the Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe but none of the Narnia stories will.

The surprise packet was Eustace. You just wanted to give the ungrateful punk a slap around for most of the time. But, in true Narnia style, he grows. Think Edmund in the first one but not in an evil way.

Overall I enjoyed Dawn Treader, it had some light moments and enough action to keep you going. It will be interesting to see how they go with The Silver Chair. A 7.5 out of 10.

Standing and falling

2010-12-13T22:37:00.003+11:00

We all have our ups and downs.
At the moment things seem to be on the up. I've just had an awesome weekend away, got to experience a few things I haven't done before (you know, how 'the other half' live) and hanging out with a great bunch of people I don't see often because of geography.
Now we're back to reality.
I've wondered quite a bit whether I'd like to live somewhere else, in a new city, and break away from what I've become used to.
And with Sydney I think it is a place you either relish or tolerate. Don't get me wrong, there are some great things about Sydney. But it's not exactly an easy place to live.
Perhaps that is the same of all metropolitan centres, I don't really know.
Maybe all this is just the hangover from an enjoyable time away in a place I find relaxing (somewhat) and certainly a nice change.

Sometimes there is still the sense of falling. Not so much literally, it's more like falling over as opposed to falling down.
Does everyone get that way from time to time? In a sense I'd like to think so. But I don't know how comforting that is because everyone's troubles aren't the same.
When I fall it tends to consume everything. Like I'm being sucked into a black hole that spits me back out periodically. The challenge is to stay out for as long as possible.
The even bigger challenge is to stay out indefinitely.
I'm not always good at picking myself up when I have fallen. I don't always let on that I have fallen. Maybe it's a guy thing, that you want to take care of everything yourself.
Maybe it is simply that I look in the wrong places or take the wrong approach to seeking help in those times.

Like I said, I'm standing now. I feel good. And it is okay to feel good.
As silly as it sounds.
Let the healing continue.

About to reboot

2010-12-12T22:15:00.002+11:00

After a bit of thinking about my blog and my lack of contribution aside from movie reviews, I've decided to put a bit more effort in.
Stand by....

You'll never know

2010-11-28T21:29:00.002+11:00

I went to church tonight for the first time in a while.
Fortunately, it was a very positive experience and I met some very nice people. That's encouraging to start.
I was quite taken by the guy leading the music in the way he was so open and just poured his heart out with the words he said. I admire that and took the opportunity to tell him that and how he responded was significant - we're all broken, there's no-one here who is perfect, but he's with 'family' and that love is brought out in various ways.
It wasn't a long conversation but hopefully there will be more.
Why did I go to church? It's been on my mind for a while now and I hope tonight can be the start of some change for me.
The message was an excellent one, about how you'll never grow if you don't push yourself (termed as 'go') and I think I only yawned once during the sermon (which would be a personal record I'd say).
I'll consider going again next week. I need some stability in certain areas and from what I experienced tonight I think there is a chance I can find it in this way.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

2010-11-20T09:12:00.002+11:00

After what I regard as a disappointing sixth instalment, Harry Potter is back to its best with the penultimate film in the franchise - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 .
With Hogwarts now fading into the background following the death of Dumbledore in the previous movie, Harry and co are thrown into the real word (somewhat) as Voldemort increases his attacks.
If you didn't know they had split the final book (I have read none of them) into two movies you'd be hanging on the edge of your seat at the climax of part 1.
A lot of the focus is on the three young characters Harry, Ron and Hermoine and the dynamic between the three of them has never been so tense, in a number of ways.
Much of part 1 is about the search for the Horcruxes which must be destroyed to bring down Voldemort. There is infighting between the trio, some sexual tension and a number of light moments.
I even didn't mind Dobby in this film, though his third person talking is hard to listen to at times.

Possibly the highlight of Hallows part 1 is the animated sequence depicting the story of the Deathly Hallows and the realisation that they are what Voldemort is after to defeat Harry Potter.

With six months to wait and find out how the series concludes, I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a 'to be concluded' segment at the end a la Back To The Future III to give us a taste of what is to come.

One of the better Harry Potter films and a solid 8 out of 10.

Numbness

2010-11-09T22:12:00.002+11:00

It's amazing what a good TV show can do to you.
I felt a strange sense of numbness as I watched Packed To The Rafters tonight, in the wake of the death of a major character last week.
For quite a while I wondered what it was about the episode that felt wrong. Different. And it wasn't until the end I realised it was because I felt the same way Ben Rafter (Hugh Sheridan) did throughout the episode. Numb. It was all surreal and the producers and actors did an excellent job of portraying that. And Hugh was a standout.
It was uncomfortable to watch. I really wanted to give Ben a big hug.
From the trailer for the season finale next week it looks like the emotions are going to be running high again.
To recap, last week we had shock (albeit a predictable one as it went on), this week we had numbness, it looks like next week we're going to have an emotional explosion.

I wondered....

2010-11-06T09:54:00.002+11:00

There's a line from what could be considered an obscure movie from 1994 called Threesome, which starred Lara Flynn Boyle, Josh Charles and Stephen Baldwin, that has always stuck with me.
It seems that the older you get the truer it gets.

'I wondered how some people can be such a necessary part of one's life one day, and simply vanish the next. Isn't it supposed to last?'

I always suspected it would be like that with certain people I've come across and that's generally pretty easy to accept. Things change, people change and people move on. We all do that. But some people also stick around.

Red

2010-11-06T08:09:00.002+11:00

I'm sure there are a lot better movies out there at the moment than Red but for what it is, this movie is very enjoyable.

Red focuses on a bunch of retired CIA agents, principally Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) who are considered dangerous and are being hunted by the government.

He's struck up a relationship over the phone with Sarah (Mary Louise Parker) and, much to her surprise, arrives in her house and kidnaps her (to save her life) as he is being hunted and sees it as a threat to her.

It does take a little while to get going but from this point Red really hits its stride.

Moses tracks down his old comrades Joe (Morgan Freeman), Victoria (Helen Mirren) and Marvin (John Malkovich) and, as Joe says 'gets the band back together' to take on the current CIA led by William Cooper (Karl Urban).

There's a fair bit of entertainment going on here but you can't ignore Malkovich who completely steals the show as the paranoid 'everyone is out to kill me' Marvin, who we meet in very silly circumstances.

Malkovich has always been a classy actor and this performance is no exception. You just have to laugh every time you see him, whether it is from a wisecrack or just a look on his face.

Overall Red is pretty standard action/comedy with the twist that all the main characters are 'retired' and in Joe's case a rather unbelievable 80 years old.

But you're going to have fun. A 7 out of 10.

The Pros and Cons of Change

2010-10-31T20:59:00.000+11:00

We all like to think that we can adapt to change when it happens, but sometimes I wonder when it comes to the really big changes.
Continuity and consistency is hugely under rated, I think.
But what happens when you wake up one day and realise that the comfortable little world you exist in is actually slowly suffocating you?
I reckon that when it comes to life's big changes I an horribly unprepared. Sure, it is hard to prepare for something that you don't know is coming but I think you know what I mean.
My reflexes tend to take a bit of time. When I hit a speed bump it can slow me down. There are times that I feel like a deer staring at the headlights, stunned, when something comes up.
Rarely do I take things in my stride. Minor things, changes of plan for example, are no issue at all.
We all like to think things will stay the same forever, particularly if life is just swimming along nicely. That is an incredibly naive outlook, though.
What if you actively want to change something? Initiating change is still a bit scary because even though you may desire something to be different once it is different how often do you want things back the way they were? I know that's happened to me a few times.
But if you don't do something how are you going to experience a whole bunch of wonderful things out there in the world?
Makes you think....