The 2010 Raymo Awards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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....

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

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

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....

The Social Network

What is really ironic about The Social Network is how disconnected Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) is when you consider he established a social networking website.
It's actually very unsettling, even from the first scene where he is dumped by his girlfriend and told girls won't like him ''not because you are a nerd, but because you are an asshole''.

Yes, The Social Network is the story of how Facebook came to be and as lame as that sounds on face value this is a really enthralling and entertaining movie.

Zuckerberg and his only friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) co-found the site after Zuckerberg, spurned by being dumped, unloads on his ex and decides to create a site that rates girls against other girls. This eventually morphs into an idea about a site where you can socialise.

Ths Social Network is essentially the story, told in flashbacks, of Zuckerberg being sued by Saverin and also by some Harvard boys who claim had the idea first and had it stolen from them.

The revelation of the movie is the performance of Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker, the man who established Napster and who befriends Zuckerberg and gets involved in Facebook, much to the disdain of Saverin. What the heck was he doing singing, this guy can act!

This is not a movie about Facebook, despite what appears on the surface.

This is a movie about friendship and betrayal. Zuckerberg is extremely annoying yet mesmerising, no doubt due to an amazing performance from Eisenberg. I sat there wondering how someone who has no idea what it means to be a friend came up with a site connecting people and made it work. He is an absolute jerk and you kind of want to punch him.

But at the same time you kind of feel sorry for him because he had a friend in Saverin who was there for him but totally couldn't see it. He could only see himself. It's actually kind of chilling. Plus I think he's too smart for his own good.

The Social Network is a high quality film and one worth at least another look. A solid 8.5 out of 10. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Buried

At a time when there are far too many remakes and sequels and no originality it is refreshing when a film like Buried comes along.

Having said that, its originality is the only refreshing thing about this tense, disturbing and harrowing thriller with only one person on screen for the entire 90 minutes.

Ryan Reynolds is Paul Conroy, a truck driver who has been working in Iraq who awakens bound, gagged and buried in a wooden box that is slightly longer than he is tall.

His memory of what happened to him is sketchy and time, aside from being buried in a box, is his biggest enemy.

All he has on him is a lighter, a flask and some anti-anxiety pills. Soon he discovers there is also a mobile phone in the box and he uses it to try to raise some help from the world above him. He soon also realises the phone is there for a reason.

The mood from the opening scene, which is black, is very tense and claustrophobic and the lighting is excellent, and largely very believable, considering the confined space.

Reynolds is brilliant, and he has to be, in carrying this movie. He's the only character in the film with the plot moved by voice actors as he makes contact with the phone.

Without going any further with the plot I'll say this is outstanding, it's so good to see something original even if it is uncomfortable to watch. In a way it reminds me of Moon from last year where Sam Rockwell is pretty much the only actor on screen for the whole film.

It just goes to show that risks can be taken with movies, it doesn't have to be all formula, 're-imagining' and sequels. This works through a tight script, a stunning performance and the fact that for the entire movie you're grateful you aren't in that box.

A 9 out of 10. Must-see - if you can stand it.

Circles

I've just been reading some things I wrote a few years ago now and it struck me how, for a large part, things are still the same.
Going around in circles again.
This has got to stop, I have got to find the right way to break the cycle.
I know all the theory, pretty well too, but I have (obviously) found it difficult to put into practice.
It's incredibly frustrating to know that after all this time I may only be a few steps forward from where I was, instead of miles ahead.

Things change

I've noticed a change in dynamic lately.
Whether I like it or not I'm not completely sure at the moment.
Some things remain the same.
Other things have changed.
More thought is required.

The Other Guys

I was really looking forward to seeing The Other Guys based on what looked a promising trailer.

While I'm not a fan of Will Ferrell, aside from his awesome turn in Stranger Than Fiction, I am partial to what Mark Wahlberg does and I was anticipating a witty action-comedy.

I didn't get one.

Sure there was action, especially brilliant early on with the ridiculous antics of hero cops Highsmith (Samdel L. Jackson) and Danson (Dwayne Johnson). But once the two police idols met an untimely, and pretty ridiculous, demise the comedy didn't really continue.
Ferrell plays forensic accountant and reluctant cop Allen Gamble while Wahlberg is his desperate-to-be-a-real-cop partner Terry Hoitz. Despite having all the skills of a competent cop, Hoitz's career stalled when he shot a pro baseballer, leaving him frustrated and eager to get his chance.

When Gamble stumbles upon a 'real case' involving a conman billionaire (Steve Coogan) and a plot to embezzle a fortune he brings Hoitz along for the ride.
The closer they get to some hard evidence the more reluctant their Captain (Michael Keaton) is to help them out as all sorts of heavyweights put pressure on him. The Captain also has an inexplicable habit of quoting TLC lyrics.

Anyway, it's all pretty much a shemozzle from there. You meet Gamble's wife (Eva Mendes), whom Hoitz slobbers all over and pretty much hits on in front of him, and find out that Gamble was once a pimp at college and that's why he such a straight lace these days.

There are some laughs, but it all seems disjointed and someone, I'm not sure which one, is miscast. It looks good on the trailer but I can't go higher than 5.5 out of 10.

Hiatus

Time for a break.
A week should be long enough.

Definitions

It occurred to me today that I've been working really hard to ensure others don't define me in a particular way and, in the process, have ended up defining myself in that way.
It's not helping.
It relates to something that has been an issue for the past five years and one that I have spent a while in denial about. I'm sure most people will know what I am talking about.
Those who don't we're not talking about orientations of any kind, in case you were thinking that.
So I discovered that by defining myself by this particular issue is a good part of what is holding me back, I'm sure of that.
How do I get around it?
Of course I have to stop looking at myself as a fragile, like glass if you will, and toughen up. Mentally as much as physically.
It's all easier said than done but a big part of making progress is defining what the problem is.

Salt

Dear Angelina,

I am so sorry but I can't give your action film Salt much of a rap as it lacked a little something that is important to a movie. Credibility.

Sure you played a CIA agent accused of being a Russian spy but it doesn't mean I'm going to buy a petite woman, trained as she may be, can overcome the entire secret service, the president's aides and her own company as well.

And still come away looking relatively hot.

I wanted so much to like what I was watching but my interest waned far too early for that. Sure, it was okay but really can't cut it when it comes to the genre.

Better luck next time, maybe the script's holes will be plugged up first.

Cheers.

As I said I really wanted to like Salt but after she went on the run, despite already checking my brain at the door, it kept losing me as the story went on and begun its twists (which were fairly predictable).

I read that Salt was originally meant to have a male lead and Tom Cruise was lined up to play the role. I can see him in this kind of movie but I reckon, given the derivative nature of most of his action films of late, Angelina couldn't have done any worse. Having said that she didn't make it a whole lot better.

A 6 out of 10. Just.

Curiosity

At what point should the past stay in the past?
Is it as simple as just leaving it there?
I've been tempted to contact someone from many years ago but know it's not such a good idea.
Needs to stay where it is.
A part of me is a bit curious, who wouldn't be.

Why

Simply an awesome song, this is Why by Rascal Flatts from the album Unstoppable.
Have a listen and try not to tear up, it's a pretty tough job to keep it in.


It must've been in a place so dark you couldn't feel the light
Reachin' for you through that stormy cloud
Now here we are gathered in our little hometown
This can't be the way you meant to draw a crowd

Oh, why? That's what I keep askin'
Was there anything I could have said or done?
Oh, I had no clue you were masking
A troubled soul, God only knows what went wrong
And why you'd leave the stage in the middle of a song

Now in my mind I keep you frozen as a seventeen year old
Roundin' third to score the winning run
You always played with passion no matter what the game
When you took the stage, you shined just like the sun

Oh, why? That's what I keep askin'
And was there anything I could have said or done?
Oh, I had no clue you were masking
A troubled soul, oh, God only knows what went wrong
And why you'd leave the stage in the middle of a song

Now the oak trees are swayin' in the early autumn breeze
The golden sun is shining on my face
The tangled thoughts I hear a mockingbird sing
This old world really ain't that bad a place

Oh, why? There's no comprehending
And who am I to try to judge or explain?
Oh, but I do have one burning question
Who told you life wasn't worth the fight?
They were wrong, they lied, and now you're gone, and we cried
'Cause it's not like you to walk away in the middle of a song
Your beautiful song, your absolutely beautiful song

Where am I now?

One hand says don't second guess
Everything else has already done it
Again and again and again
You're a shot in the arm and a poison arrow
I'm lost in awe and wonder and overcompensation
Sometimes once is too much
Often it is far from enough
My direction has changed so often
In the mind, the heart, the soul, in other ways
It doesn't need to be raised
If I'm not in the game then where am I now
Standing on ground that is shaking
Need you to hold me firmly
Don't send me away
Arms wide open close around
It's warm and comforting but hard to explain
Where am I know if I'm not in the game?

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

There's so much going on in Scott Pilgrim vs The World it's hard to know where to start - like my friend Simon noted you almost need to have A.D.D. to watch it.
Or maybe be drunk.

That may be going a bit far since neither of us were affected by either issue while watching the film. That said, you've got to keep up with what's going on because it's so busy.

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a 22-year-old bass player living in Toronto and dating (though they've never kissed or held hands) a high school girl Knives Chow (Ellen Wong).

Constant updates on the screen tell us all about Scott's friends and disposition. He lives with (and strangely shares a bed with) his gay best friend Wallace (Kieren Culkin), who seems to have a habit of turning Scott's sister's boyfriends.

Anyway, Scott meets the striking Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and after an awkward conversation about the origins of Pac Man and an internet order they hang out.

Once it is established they are now dating, much to the dismay of Knives, Scott must fight Ramona's seven evil exes to win her heart, or something like that.

The exes are an eclectic bunch and include an actor (Chris Evans), a chick, a vegan with superpowers (Brandon Routh), twins and a grown up geek (Jason Schwartzman).

The only place where this movie falls down is they drag out the battles between Scott and the exes for far too long. We get the point early, it took away from a few far more interesting subplots having to get through the increasingly strange fights. It's a good thing, though, that Scott is an expert at video games since the fights don't seem to take into consideration the fact that Scott is a wiry deep with no obvious upper body strength yet he can defeat much more athletic opponents.

It's a very busy film but it is wonderfully weird, funny and innovative. It just goes on too long and that takes away from the brilliance. Good fun if you like the likes of Kick-Ass from earlier this year.
An 8 out of 10.

Kang vs Kodos

It doesn't really matter who we vote for tomorrow.
Call me overly cynical but do you see sunshine and rainbows if the Coalition is elected? Everything isn't going to become affordable all of a sudden, the boats (the biggest non-issue I've ever seen in an election campaign) aren't just going to stop and the economy isn't going to boom and interest rates aren't going to suddenly drop.
Same goes if the Government is re-elected.
Politicians are all the same - the party's self interest comes first, the people come last. That's why they get hundreds of thousands in pensions when they retire or are booted from parliament and everyone else gets pittance.
Any politician who says that it wrong should speak up and donate their pension to public works or reducing national debt or something else useful.
I bet you none of them do, though.
So in this election it's pretty much like the Simpsons episode where Kang and Kodos take over the bodies of Clinton and Dole and run for president. It doesn't matter who you vote for, you're screwed either way.

Preferred customer

Ever seen the Jim Carrey movie 'The Cable Guy'?
Not everyone's cup of tea, I don't know whether its the black comedy, but as a character he was very interesting.
Underneath everything he was just looking for a friend. OK, so his method was a little over the top and forceful but at the heart that was his simple quest.
He had a saying when it came to some of the people he 'hooked up' with free cable - he called them preferred customers. This was his way of saying he considered them special friends, in his own deluded way. He thought he could buy friendship.
Anyway, why the Cable Guy recap?
Lately I get the feeling that I'm not going to be a 'preferred customer'. As much as I try it just doesn't seem to happen.
I have some good friends, I'm not doubting that, but just when I think there's one that's out of the ordinary it hits a wall. I know I have issue with expecting too much at times but I really hadn't thought that was a problem.
It just gets harder.
Being a priority would be nice sometimes, not just being accommodated.
Maybe the Cable Guy character isn't so far fetched after all.

The Expendables

Take just about every former A-grade action star, add a few wrestlers and other general heavies, two delicious cameos and give them a very B-grade script and you've got The Expendables .

I have to say, aside from some generic gore, it's a pretty entertaining action film. And, if you take a look at some of the character names you can't help but think it's a bit of a send-up of action films as well.

Barney Ross (who is called that?), Toll Road, Ying Yang, Gunner Road, Lee Christmas, Hale Caesar....seriously!

Basically, Sylvester Stallone leads a group of ageing mercenaries into South America to overthrow a dictator. Cue the mindless action.

The cameos as mentioned from Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the same scene, were pretty amusing. Really, the only action 'hero' missing was Van Damme.

The only real criticism I have is the role of Jet Li, who was pretty much reduced to the annoying Asian sidekick type of role aside from a few fight scenes.

Overall this was pretty much as I expected and it was pretty enjoyable, in a throwback to the 80s action flicks. It's definitely not the stinker that some reviews have labelled it.

A 7 out of 10.

What I see

Straight up and down
One of a kind
Nothing to hide
Nothing to fear
Intense but insecure
Driven to distraction
Strong but weak
Beautiful and rough
Talented inside and out
Cheeky and sincere

Theory disproven

I've been doing a few more tests on a theory I have had for a while and I have to conclude that the best option is to let it go.
It's one thing to be persistent or to not give up but my theory is never going to happen so I guess you can only bash your head against a wall for so long. It's starting to hurt so I'd better stop.
Probably a few bouts of denial led me to push on with it for as long as I have.
Just a little disappointing but I should focus on other things now.
It's just so f**king childish. So f**king paranoid, I don't get it.
Never will.
Nothing's going to change.
End of story.

Dual touch

Touch.
Distance.
Misunderstanding.
Pointless relationships.
Words without meaning.
Differing views.
Similar thoughts.
Harbouring ghosts.
Travelling in circles.
Tempted.
Resolution but no solution.
Touch.
Comfort.
Symbiosis.
Brotherhood.
More than just words.
Different strokes.
Similar hearts.
Past is the past.
Moving with the times.
Drawn.
Rediscovery.

Understanding

Sometimes you see me but look straight through
It's hard to be in two places
Stuck between me and you
Understanding is easy
There's no strings attached
There's no sky to fall
There's no law broken
There's no picket fence
There's no comfort zone
There's no great release
There's no heavy heart
There's no package deal
Understanding is hard
There's always hope
There's always a dream
There's always fantasy
There's always regret
There's always another time
There's always another place
There's always a healing hand
There's always a stronger man
Fact
Fiction
Dreams
Reality
Wants
Needs
Pleasure
Pain
It's easy to be swept away
The question is, leave or stay?

LFT

Suffered a bad case of low frustration tolerance today.
Grrrrrr.
Sometimes, just sometimes, I'd like it if people could do things, simple things, for themselves. It's not so much being asked to help, that's always good, but gee some tasks are just so easy to work out for yourself. People can be lazy, or ignorant I guess.
Still, makes you want to punch a wall or two at times.

Randomness II

Look.
Do you notice.
Can't you see?
It's not what you say.
Actions speak.
Intention.
What you do.
Don't you know?
You say what you mean.
No cheap words.
Connection.
Lone wanderer.
Do you care?
Not afraid to touch.
Healing hands.
Devotion.
Who we are.
Where are you now?
The same wavelength.
Sounding boards.
Emotion.
What's inside.
How does it feel?
Strength and weakness.
Rock solid.

All these things are true.

Randomness

Sometimes two steps forward, three steps back.
Mostly one step back.
Settle.
Composure.
Need perspective.
Want calm, serene, divine.
Can't always have what you want.
Desire.
Forbidden.
Reluctance.
Don't ruin it.
Observations.
Words.
I love you.
You too.
Meaningful.
Strong.
Impulsive.
Mortal.
Outrageous.
Nothing to gain.
Enough to lose.
I like to win.
We all want what we can't have.
Impact.
Positive vibes.
Less than arm's length.
Secure.

Greenberg

My theory that comedians doing serious films is like rock bands doing ballads - i.e. it never fails - has taken its first hit with the Ben Stiller vehicle Greenberg .

Maybe my expectations were a bit too high.

First up, the story. Stiller plays Roger Greenberg, a 40 year old carpenter who has been recently released from a mental home following a nervous breakdown. It's not clear why he had the breakdown. If it was in there it wasn't obvious.

He house sits for his brother and his family when they go to Vietnam for a holiday.

Greenberg doesn't drive, doesn't swim and spends a lot of his time writing letters of complaint to companies he has only moderate experiences with.

(His letter to Starbucks was pretty funny).

He leans on the family's assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig) quite a lot and they strike up a confusing relationship.

I don't know whether it was the script or Stiller's casting or a combination but I left feeling like there was a good movie in there, but it wasn't realised. Stiller didn't look like he was relishing a more serious role but at the same time he wasn't given enough to work with at times. Importantly, Greenberg's mental state wasn't properly addressed, I found it hard to understand why he is how he is.

He tries to reconnect with people from his past, a former flame Beth (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and ex-bandmate Ivan (Rhys Ifans) but winds up alienating them.

I so wanted to like Greenberg a lot more but a severe lack of character development and a really abrupt ending made the job tough. It felt like 10 minutes was cut off at the end.

I can't go higher than 6.5 out of 10. Disappointed.

Inception

Involved isn't a strong enough word to describe the new Christopher Nolan thriller Inception .

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, an expert dream extractor who is tasked with planting an idea in the mind of Fischer (Cillian Murphy) the heir to a powerful businessman who is monopolising the electricity industry.

The process is called Inception, and involves creating layers of a person's dream to penetrate their subconscious.

As we find out the practice comes with plenty of risks.
Along for the ride are Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Tom Hardy as Cobb's team and Marion Cotillard is his wife who keeps penetrating his dreams. Michael Caine also has his obligatory appearance in a Nolan film.

This is a hard film to review because I'm not 100 per cent sure I get it.

It is certainly not a movie to see if you're not prepared to concentrate on what's happening. That said it is very entertaining, particularly the many dream sequences.

Nolan has created a world that is mind-boggling to say the least.

Then there's the ending.

After watching The Movie Show on Wednesday night I was somewhat prepared for a clanger of a finale and they weren't wrong. In many ways I'm still spinning and it really does make you think hard about what you have just seen.

Rating this is difficult. I'm going 8.5 out of 10 and if I decide to see it again that could go higher because this is definitely a film that isn't done justice on one viewing.

Willpower

Sometimes I think I'm expending all of my willpower in the wrong places.
Trying to deny yourself certain things isn't always a good move, whether it's something harmless or potentially addictive it doesn't matter.
For those who think they know what I'm talking about, you're wrong.
There's one part of life at the moment that has increasingly become a weakness and I think I must direct some of my willpower into curbing that weakness.
It just makes so much sense.

The Hedgehog (le Herisson)

People will always surprise you.
We spend so much time judging people by their covers there's no time left to discover who they really are.
This is at the heart of The Hedgehog , one of the most captivating films of the year.
A sign of a good foreign film is when you stop noticing the subtitles. Now, I didn't suddenly gain an intimate understanding of French halfway through the film but I was drawn into the story.
Renee (Josiane Balasko) is a widowed, 54-year-old janitor for a swanky apartment building. She's grumpy and generally unappealing.
That is, until someone takes the time to look inside.
Almost against her will Renee is befriended by 11-year-old Paloma, an intelligent girl who has decided she's ending her life on her 12th birthday, and a kindly Japanese widower Kakuru (Togo Igawa).
Paloma sums her up best when she says Renee is like a Hedgehog. Prickly and protective on the outside but an elegant creature on the inside. It's just that nobody took the time to look.
The worst thing is that Renee believes she deserves nothing more than her lonely life with her cat and her books and to be ignored by everyone else.
This hits home when she is finally coaxed out by Kakuru for dinner and passes one of the ladies who resides in the building. The lady greets her because she is elegantly dressed and doesn't recognise her as the janitor.
''She didn't recognise me'', Renee exclaims. ''That's because she's never seen you before'' is Kakuru's wise reply.
This film, which doesn't really have a storyline, is pure magic. The performances from the three main actors are perfect and they needed to be to keep you investing in them.
It's heartwarming, heartbreaking and funny and teaches us that everybody has value regardless of their station in life.
I'm really glad I decided to see this film, one of the best of the year. A 9 out of 10.

Treat me good

Look around you.
There's always someone who is in a worse situation than yourself but we never see that, all we see is our own predicaments.
That's something I am guilty of, even as recently as today.
A friend told me a while back that if you go looking for something wrong with you then you will find it. That's something you know for sure.
I'm good at finding things wrong with myself and it is something that must stop.
Of all the things you can do that are bad for you, I'd argue that high on the list is treating yourself poorly. By that I mean not thinking constructively, positively, and not dwelling too much on things you can't control.
I want so much to change the way that I think. I have come a part of the journey towards achieving that, I have to allow myself that small win, but there's still a way to go.
Sometimes the biggest battle you will have is with yourself.

Toy Story 3

I'm sure I wrote recently that it's hard to watch a film objectively when it has been given universal praise.

Toy Story 3 is one such film. I'm a big fan of the Pixar guys and, seriously, they haven't made a bad movie - Up was my number one film of last year.

So they return to the Toy Story franchise and I have to say, a shade disappointingly, that the third instalment felt a bit like a retread.

I'm not saying I didn't like it, enjoy it, etc, but it didn't feel like a new movie really, even with the introduction of some new characters.

The basic story is that Andy is heading off to college and as he packs up his room his beloved toys, what's left of them anyway, end up being thrown out as trash.

They avoid the garbage truck and stow away in a box of donated toys to Sunnyside day care centre, where they'll be played with by any number of kids.

Woody (Tom Hanks) was saved from the trash by being chosen to go to college with Andy but, like any animated toy should, he sets out to save his friends.

The day care centre is run by the seemingly cuddly Lotso Hugs bear (Ned Beatty) who ships the new arrivals off to be tortured by kids who aren't age appropriate.

Woody must get them back to Andy before it's too late.

Now, the story is all well and good but again I just felt like it's all been done before. The new characters weren't that great aside from Lotso and a Ken 'I'm not a girl's toy' doll.

Despite feeling a bit stale there were still some excellent moments and great laughs, but it's now time to say farewell to Toy Story. An 8 out of 10, which is still a good score, but it's not a movie of the year contender like I thought it would be.

What the Fraggle?

Fraggle Rock the movie is in the planning stages, apparently.
While the show was, and still kinda is, fun do we really need an 'adults only' version of a beloved children's show.
Their definition of 'adults only' is probably not what you're thinking. When they get around to agreeing on how to define what 'edgy' is then that's the definition we should run with.
Seriously, have we run out of ideas?
Is that a question that actually needs to be asked?

Angels Cry

Mariah Carey cops a bit of flak sometimes but she can produce a corker of a song.
One such song is the ballad (she just doesn't get the ballads wrong) Angels Cry from the Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel album.
That album was a bit patchy but there are four or five excellent songs there. She's not as consistent as she used to be. I really think she needs to go back and listen to her Music Box, Daydream and Butterfly albums and go back to the future a bit.
This version of Angels Cry features Ne-Yo but it doesn't detract from the awesomeness of the song and perhaps adds a bit.

The Twilight Saga:Eclipse

There was a bit of pressure, for mine, on Eclipse , the third in the Twilight series.

I'd always thought it would translate best to the screen and it certainly lived up to that expectation and in many ways exceeded my hopes.

There are times when the makers have taken a bit of licence, like when they show you how Riley (Xavier Samuel) is created at the beginning.

If I have a criticism it is that they tended to rush things in the first 20 minutes. I thought they could have taken a bit more time to get to the realisation that Victoria was back and hunting Bella again.

It's also a shade disappointing that Alice didn't get to kidnap Bella, get her yellow Porsche and have Rosalie tell Bella her story in the right context. Her story was told well, I thought, but the context was wrong.

They don't take anything away from the film as a whole but as someone who has read the book it stood out quite a bit.

In Eclipse, Bella (Kristen Stewart) is caught in the tug of war between Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) until the two sides have to come to an uneasy truce in order to protect her from Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard, horribly miscast but what can you do) who is bent on avenging her mate's death.

She creates an army of newborn vampires to do her bidding so that Alice can't see when she's going to strike.

All this leads to a number of very well done scenes from the book, such as when the vampires and werewolves are chasing Victoria between their two territories, when Jasper is showing the wolves how to battle newborns and the fight scenes when they eventually attack.

Eclipse also features a number very excellently placed comic lines, including one crack by Edward aimed at Jacob (''don't you own a shirt''), and one back the other way (''I'm hotter than you'').

In all I thought this was easily the best of the three so far and now the 12 month or so wait until part one of Breaking Dawn begins.

They're going to have to be careful in making Breaking Dawn. There's some pretty controversial (for want of a better word) stuff in that book and they are right in splitting it in half. Anyway, an 8.5 out of 10 for Eclipse - but it's still preferred if you're a fan.

Ups and downs

Things have been a bit mixed of late.
I'm sure it is in large part due to the reduction I've undertaken in the medication department.
I certainly don't like it. I don't like feeling flat a lot of the time.
It takes me back a few years to when things were pretty awful and I really don't want to go back there either.
Being more positive is good in theory and I do try it, I guess I'm not as persistent as I need to be.
The best way to describe how things are overall is that when I feel like that, flat and not necessarily entirely happy, I'm an easy target.
Little things that you brush off I notice, whether it is an internal feeling or a reaction to an external event, something a friend says or just a random event.
I will admit I've taken a hit or two this week. As to what it was I think it's best to just leave it at that. Confessing to thinking things I shouldn't (just about disappointments really) aren't going to get me anywhere.
I just hope this acknowledgement is a start towards getting over this speed bump that is starting to look more like a crest.

MJ, a year on...

It's been 12 months since Michael Jackson died - can you believe it?
I still remember arriving at work and seeing the news that he'd collapsed and the disbelief. People like him, well, that doesn't happen.
It's quite ironic that his last album was called Invincible, isn't it.
Just caught a bit of a concert from the 1997 HIStory tour featuring Stranger In Moscow and Smooth Criminal. He was unique. There'll never be a musical artist with as much raw talent as him ever again, I'd say.
A year ago I listed My top 5 Michael Jackson songs on this blog. I think the list still stands but there are a heap of great songs that didn't make the top five.

Animal Kingdom

It's always hard to approach a film that has been given five star reviews with low expectations and this was the challenge ahead of Animal Kingdom .

Now I'm not going to give it five stars but I will say now that it is one very good film, and one that gets better the more you think about it.

The central character is J (James Frecheville) who is taken in by his grandmother Janine (Jacki Weaver) when his mother overdoses and dies.

The family he is thrown into is one he's had little to do with since his mother had a fight with his grandmother over a game of cards.

Janine's family is involved in various illegal activities and is often playing cat and mouse with the cops. Andrew (Ben Mendelsohn), Barry (Joel Edgerton), Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) and Darren (Luke Ford) invite J into their world and he finds that it is a survival of the strongest.

A shocking event changes the tone of the film early on and from there it doesn't let go of you, there's an intense feeling that carries on right to the end. Very unsettling.

Interestingly, Animal Kingdom is low on the swearing. That's something I was surprised about but I also think it is a good thing because unnecessary swearing often ruins a film. Don't get me wrong there are a number of profanities at times but it's not overdone.

I won't go any further into the plot but the message you get from the film is a clear one.

And it is interesting to watch as the characters turn on each other in order to survive. It took a while for me to work out why it was called Animal Kingdom but in the end it is obvious.

The acting is superb, especially Mendelsohn and Stapleton and Weaver is surprising as the matriarch who may not be everything that she seems.

One of the better Australian films in a long time. It has its flaws but it's a solid 8 out of 10 for me.

Same horse, different jockey

The best way to describe what happened today, i.e. our new Prime Minister, is simple.
It's the same horse but a different jockey. I don't see how it affects me at all at this point or changes anything.
But it sure made for an easy news day.

Sandown excursion

Another excellent trip south of the border wrapped up yesterday, this time the aim was to see some of the controversial hurdle racing.

Now, I love the jumps. But there are some people who think it is cruel or whatever and I am not going to debate the pros and cons of it here, or anywhere for that matter.

That is my view and it is not going to change regardless of what any anti-jumps campaigner will say or chant.

After the plane got me to Melbourne 30 minutes later than anticipated I was on the hop a bit for the rest of the day as I tried to do everything I had planned.

Friday night I was at the Gertrude Hotel in Melbourne, just off Brunswick Street. It was a fairly nice pub where there was a lot of talk about the soccer and the AFL.

Being a bit early, I sat there and observed a bit before my friends arrived.

On Saturday I caught a train to Sandown racecourse, which was about a 40 minute ride.

Being a big fan of the jumps racing I was keen to see two horses in particular - the champion 'chaser Mazzacano and the up and coming star Black And Bent.

Unfortunately the champ was off his game and didn't feature but the new star certainly proved himself with a huge win in the Australian Hurdle.

There was a reasonable crowd on hand and it was great to not be the only one applauding as he careered away from the pack in the home straight. In fact, there was quite a reception for Black And Bent (pictured).

The weather was a lot milder than I had expected and planned for (which is a good thing) and this time there were no hailstorms!

Melbourne is a great place to visit, but I don't know if I'd want to live there.

The A-Team

I'd say Liam Neeson sums up the remake of the classic 80s TV show The A-Team best when he remarks 'overkill is under rated' late in the movie.

As mentioned a week or two ago when I saw The Losers, the expectations for this action-comedy were high. Not to mention that the bar was set pretty high by said film.

Well, the verdict is - The A Team definitely match it.

Completely over the top, the makers have definitely retained the feel of the TV series without the 80s hanging over its head.

The casting is pretty good. Neeson is a solid leader as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper's Face is charming though not as much the chameleon as his TV predecessor. (Also, given the amount of times his shirt was off I don't think a lot of attention was being paid to his face). Sharlto Copley (from District 9) wasn't an obvious choice as Murdock but he was an inspired one. Quinton Jones had by far the toughest job trying to follow in Mr T's footsteps as B.A. Baracus and, I have to say, didn't do too bad.

We all know the story by now. They get set up, break out of jail seeking revenge on those who set them up. Along for the ride is Jessica Biel as Captain Sosa, a former flame of Face (of course) who is trying to haul them in.

The character I enjoyed the most was definitely the CIA agent Lynch (Patrick Wilson). He's hard to describe, but he's the kind of bad guy who you barrack for for a while then enjoy seeing him get caught out.

Overall, The A Team was a great deal of fun, albeit over the top but you come to expect that. I gave the Losers 8 out of 10 and this definitely matched it. So, 8 out of 10 - not rocket science but high on enjoyment.

Now, for the sequel.....

Bring on August

Oh yeah! August 17 is the big day for season 7 on DVD.
It was an excellent season on the whole, a few teething problems but looking forward to the final season later this year.
And to think it's already the middle of June so this release is only two months away.

Acclimatisation

The cold snap has been interesting but in a way it's a good thing since I'm heading to Melbourne next weekend.
The weather there can be unpredictable but in all likelihood it is going to be colder than it is in Sydney. The last time I was there it was the weekend of the massive hail storm so who knows what I'm in for.
So this week's temperature drop represents a chance to acclimatise somewhat to the type of conditions I will experience down there.

More than just songlines

While a lot of today's popular music is vacuous and forgettable there are songs that really get under your skin if you listen to the words.
One such song, for me anyway, is the Lifehouse song Simon, from their No Name Face album of 2000. I've always loved it and been haunted by it.
The verse in italics is particularly poignant but the whole song gives me shivers.
I also changed the lyrics in my header for a while, ironically away from a Lifehouse song. The line is from the Savage Garden song 'I Don't Know You Anymore'.

Simon Lyrics

Catch your breath
Hit the wall
Scream out loud as you start to crawl
Back in your cage
The only place where they will leave you alone
'Cause the weak will seek the weaker
Until they've broken them
Could you get it back again
Would it be the same
Fulfillment to their lack of strength
At your expense
Left you with no defense
They tore it down

(Chorus) And i have felt the same as you
I've felt the same as you
I've felt the same

Locked inside
The only place
Where you feel sheltered
Where you feel safe
You lost yourself
In your search to find
Something else to hide behind

The fearful always preyed upon your confidence
Did they see the consequence
When they pushed you around
The arrogant build kingdoms made of the different ones
Breaking them 'til they've become
Just another crown

Refuse to feel
Anything at all
Refuse to slip
Refuse to fall
Can't be weak
Can't stand still
You watch your back
'Cause no one will

You don't know why they had to go This far
Traded your worth for these scars
For your only Company
Don't believe the lies that they told to you
Not one word was true
You're alright
You're alright
You're alright

Underestimation

I'm pretty sure I have underestimated how tough it would be to get off these darn anti-depressants.
Perhaps I've rushed it in reducing the dose because over the last few days I've had recurring headaches and a few other little things that lead me to believe I have been a bit hasty.
I'm actually just under two weeks ahead of the schedule so maybe I should try and stabilise for those couple of weeks and then look to reduce further.
It's frustrating because I really want to be not taking them, and that is over-riding the suspicion that I might actually still need them.

The Losers

The big question that The Losers was always going to throw up is just how high will they set the bar for The A-Team?

The answer - pretty darn high.

The Losers focuses on a five man team on a CIA mission in Bolivia who are left for dead after being betrayed. As you do they set out to seek revenge on the man responsible for them being abandoned, with the help of the obligatory beautiful mysterious woman.

Cliches aside, The Losers is still a pretty refreshing action-comedy. It features a cast of actors who aren't widely known (in the big-name sense) aside I guess from Chris Evans.

And it is Evans who steals the show as Jensen, the technical expert amongst the quintet. He's a bit on the camp side, wears outrageous T-shirts and has just about all the better scenes.

Leading the troupe is Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), there's Pooch (Columbus Short), Roque (Idris Elba) and Cougar (Oscar Jaenada), all of whom possess some special reason for being a part of the team.

One of the best things about The Losers is how it doesn't take itself seriously.

The bad guy Max (Jason Patric) is pretty standard spoilt brat rich guy trying to take over the world-type. But he does have a few moments of his own.

I think if you don't expect huge things then you're going to love this film. It's fun, there's plenty of action and it doesn't require a lot of hard work.

Clearly aimed at The A-Team market, as I said, this film has set a high bar for the 80s TV reboot and it will be interesting to see if it can match this. An 8 out of 10.

What, you've never seen a hypocrite before?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I caved.
I gave in to the facebook phenomenon today after a short discussion with a friend yesterday. But I hereby swear to delete my profile if I feel it is not useful.

* by the way, the header comes from an episode of The Big Bang Theory.

OK, I admit it

One for the 'guilty secrets' file.
I have to admit that I really enjoy the TV show Glee. It's really silly but for some reason highly enjoyable.
Perhaps it is the fact they drag out classic songs to cover each week, I don't know. But it is something I will casually flick over to from time to time.

Retro week

I had a fairly good time away but it did feel a bit like retro week at times.
On Sunday I went tenpin bowling at the old centre I used to go to when I was in high school - there's a swanky new one in town but I think proximity dictated where we went in the end.
I bowled two games with a very competitive eight-year-old who didn't really get the fact that him getting 82 to my 117 was a pretty good effort.
Later that day I was flicking channels and came across two classic films from the 80s. The first was Girls Just Want To Have Fun starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt, Shannen Doherty and Johnathan Silverman. I had this weird experience while watching parts of it because for some reason I knew the lines coming up even though I wouldn't have seen that film for 20 years at least.
Then came the Mel Brooks classic Spaceballs. Now this was a time, for those Gen-Y people, when parodies of films were done with class and tongue in cheek. It's a send up of Star Wars essentially and it's pretty funny even today.
A few days ago I played bingo to continue my retro week. I even won something! For such a simple game it can be very frustrating but it was a bit of a laugh overall.
Then to finish off was good old Hey Hey It's Saturday (on a Wednesday night). Talk about flashbacks, used to watch it religiously at home on an early Saturday evening.

Intermission

Off on a break and I've decided to ignore my blog until I get back.
It's just nice to get away from things from time to time.

Brothers

Any movie with Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman in it is going to come with pretty high expectations from me.

Sadly, despite it having some excellent moments, Brothers doesn't meet those expectations.

Sam Cahill (Maguire) is sent to Afghanistan leaving his wife Grace (Portman) and two young daughters and recently paroled brother Tommy (Gyllenhaal). When Sam is assumed dead Tommy takes over the role of father figure to his nieces, quite against his character.

In doing so Tommy earns the respect of his father Hank (Sam Shepard) and gets pretty close with Grace, so much so they share a kiss.

When Sam is found and returns home he's overcome with suspicion that Tommy has usurped him and is haunted by what happened in Afghanistan.

This all sounds really gripping and a good basis for a film but, for me, something went wrong.

It lacked tension for one thing.

When Sam and another soldier were held captive in Afghanistan there were some very amazingly harrowing scenes, in a bizarre way the highlight of the movie. It didn't transfer to the time when Sam came home and couldn't cope.

There were a few scenes depicting his struggle but you never really got into his mind. Tommy's transition to the perfect brother was a bit too easy and Grace was a bit too strong for my liking.

I know I'm being pretty critical here but with the three aforementioned actors all very capable, it's a shame that the story wasn't fleshed out more. It was far too slow for no reason, they took a long time to get where they were going then it ended abruptly and unsatisfyingly.

As much as I like Maguire as an actor I feel he may have been miscast. I couldn't buy him as an army captain.

Given I expected to be blown away by this movie I have to say I'm very let down. There were moments but not enough to have me captivated and moved, which is what the makers were going for I'm sure. A 6 out of 10.

A bit of a stretch

There was a moment yesterday when I seriously thought I was, at best, going to throw up and at worst maybe pass out.
It was shortly after completing a pilates class, my first ever, something I think I seriously underestimated in terms of what it takes out of you if you haven't done anything like that in a very long time.
It took a little bit of time before I started to feel better but actually I was surprised how quickly I bounced back, especially after feeling quite shaky when the class finished.
So this morning I have fairly sore hamstrings but otherwise feel pretty good.
I'm not rushing out to do another class tomorrow but next time, which will probably be in a couple of weeks, I'll not only know what I'm in for but will be able to pace myself better.
I guess, as my friend Simon (who I do thank for encouraging me to go) pointed out, I did push myself a little bit more than I should have.
I do have to say that I find gyms pretty intimidating and that doesn't help!
Then last night I had an unexpected run in with the fuzz.
Driving home from dinner in Parramatta, I was trying to work my way through a few side streets when the lights began flashing above the car behind me.
For a few seconds there I was thinking, 'I didn't indicate at my last turn' and 'I hope this isn't a one way street'. Then I was randomly breath tested, my licence checked and I was on my way.
As someone who doesn't drink alcohol I've got to be careful what I say when they ask 'have you had anything to drink tonight' because I don't want to come across as smug even though I'm pretty sure I'm thinking that they're wasting their time testing me.
Anyway, a bit of R&R today after an eventful Saturday.

Eight and out

It's great news that One Tree Hill will get the chance to wrap up properly with a season eight.

Whether it is a 12/13 episode season or a full 22 doesn't really matter to me. I'd just like the show, which has been exceptional over the seven seasons so far, to end well and in a way that can be planned - not like the shooting of two season finals for this year just in case it was cancelled.

SPOILER ALERT

So the shooting scene at the end was one that I certainly didn't see coming. It was one of those special 'oh my God' moments.

But it's pretty easy to see that both Clay and Quinn will survive.

After what Haley has been through, the death of either character would just about destroy her so I think it's a safe bet.

Plus, Clay must have the opportunity to deal with his stalker who thinks she's his dead wife.

I'd like to see them get Lucas and Peyton back for an episode or two at the end, though their storyline was pretty well wrapped up in season six.

While I'm having a wish list, I'd like to see the return of the theme song for the final year.

Anyway, bring on season eight!

Circles

Ever get the feeling you're going around in circles?
For me, it happens just when I think I've got something worked out.
I performed a test today on a particular theory I have. Turns out there has been no progress.
Anyway, as far as things I might be able to change go I decided to take a break from my punting habits until I go to Melbourne in a month's time.
I think I need to do it to prove to myself again that I can. I also don't like the feeling I get if I've had a bad day.
I definitely need less negatives in life at the moment. Less negative relationships, less negative actions, less negative energy.
That's one thing I am positive about.

I Love You Too

One thing I can say about the Aussie romantic comedy I Love You Too is that it was a damn good try.

Without being too critical, it was the film's Aussie-ness that was its downfall as a successful film of the genre. The rom-com is not a genre attempted in Australia very much and what this film proves is that it can be done.

I'd just like to see the next attempt.

That out of the way there are some excellent things about I Love You Too, which was written by local comedian Peter Helliar.

Brendan Cowell is always good (I'm not just saying that because we were in the same year at uni) though he did look a bit uncomfortable at times. He plays Jim, a 30-something guy who has been dating Alice (Yvonne Strahovski) for over three years but can't say those three little words.

Of course, they break up and Jim sets out to try and get the magic words out of him before it's too late.

This leads him to Charlie (Peter Dinklage - easily the best thing about the movie), a short statured man who, despite Jim stealing his car, strikes up a friendship that ultimately helps them both.

Then there's Jim's best mate Blake (Helliar). A guy who seems to always be the wingman but who knows that Alice was the best girl Jim has ever been with.

Being a rom-com we all know where it's going to end but along the way there are some fantastic moments, again largely due to Dinklage (who was showstopping in Death At A Funeral).

I must admit to a soft spot for Yvonne Strahovski, who does a pretty good English accent as Alice. But to me she'll always be Sarah Walker, the CIA agent from the US series Chuck.

Megan Gale has a small role as an Italian supermodel and a touching scene with Dinklage, and even Hamish Blake (from Hamish & Andy fame) has a cameo.

You probably don't need to rush out to the movies to see this, it will transfer very nicely to the small screen, but it is worth a watch.

Just a shade too long, they didn't tie things up quickly enough, but it was a good effort for a rarely made type of film in Australia.

However, there was some crudeness there that I thought was unnecessary and didn't add to the movie, hence my comment about it being too Aussie. But, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

A 7 out of 10.

Go and jump

I'm getting tired of the anti-jumps racing people getting such a big run in the media, particularly on TV shows that don't understand racing.
Despite their vocality, these activists are very much in the minority yet because they are so loud they are getting far too much air time from everyone concerned.
Sure, I am naturally pro jumps racing.
The people who think it is cruel are being ignorant of the fact that this form of racing is saving horse's lives, not costing them.
Unfortunately, and I don't want to be negative, like most things in the world these days the minority will probably get its way. I sincerely hope it doesn't but if you scream for long enough someone is going to listen.

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 suffers somewhat from sequelitis but it is an enjoyable follow up to the surprise comic book adaptation of a couple of years ago.

I liken it a bit to Transformers 2 - good, some great action sequences, but not as slick and tight. There's a definite lull in the middle of Iron Man 2 that does make you tap your fingers waiting for them to get on with it.

We pick up the story in Russia where Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) vows to avenge his father's fate of banishment from the free world at the hands of Tony Stark's father. Vanko senior played a big role in developing the technology that has seen Stark create the Iron Man suit and Ivan gets to work on some electrics of his own.

We're also introduced to Natalie Rushman (the stunning in red hair Scarlett Johansson) who is selected by Stark to be his new assistant with the promotion of Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) to CEO of the company.

Robert Downey Jr is certainly revelling in playing such a narcissist and I think this is where things go awry in the middle.

The first half an hour is mind blowing. One of the great entrances of a villain belongs to Rourke's Vanko (also known as Whiplash). The last half an hour is similarly excellent.

So sit tight in the middle as we have to put up with the annoying Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell nails being a major tool here) trying to manipulate Vanko for his own gain. Idiot!

Rushman's connection with Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) is revealed also and the Avengers team is starting to come together.

(Just on the Avengers link, there's a scene at the end of the film, after the credits, giving us direction on where this is heading - next stop Thor.)

Iron Man 2 is enjoyable, great action sequences, some very good one liners and, did I mention Scarlett Johanssen kicking butt. There's also an almost unrecognisable Garry Shandling in there for good measure.

A 7.5 out of 10, but could have been better.

Hot Tub Time Machine

Here we go again. Another pretty good, if not new, idea that doesn't realise its potential.

Influenced I'd say by the success of films like The Hangover, Hot Tub Time Machine opted for crass over clever and instead of a witty, possibly black comedy, about the chance to revisit a time when you made choices and mistakes, we get a lowbrow (admittedly at times witty) comedy that really smacks of try hard.

It's got all the ingredients, including John Cusack, to be memorable but instead we get average.

Drawn together by an apparent suicide attempt by their friend Lou (Rob Corddry), Adam (Cusack) and Nick (Craig Robinson), along with Adam's nephew Jacob (Clark Duke from Kick-Ass) revisit Kodak Valley, a place they holidayed some 20 odd years earlier.

Finding it rundown and virtually deserted the quartet wind up in the hot tub which, as the name suggests, turns out to be a time machine and whisks them back to 1986 and a pivotal night for the three who existed back then.

They really didn't do enough with the 80s setting here. Crispin Glover plays the bellhop Phil and the writers missed a brilliant opportunity for a funny moment. Lou says a line about wanting to get back to the present - I would have certainly written it as 'back to the future' in homage to Glover's presence in the film (he played George McFly in BTTF 1).

I must admit I had reasonable expectations.

Based on Cusack's involvement with director Steve Pink who wrote the screenplay for and co-produced the wickedly brilliant Grosse Point Blank and High Fidelity. Of course both feature Cusack and I reckon if they aimed a bit for the former film then Hot Tub may have been a real winner.

Sure, if you like your humour crass, childish and obvious then this will be right up your alley. If you expect more from a team that has proven its ability to make standout films then you will just see this as a shade better than pedestrian.

I had a few laughs but the bigger, and slightly ignored, stories of friendship, destiny and putting the past behind you would have made a better film. Not to mention all the time travel paradox stuff about changing the past to affect the future.

A 7 out of 10 - but they could have easily made a 9.