Staying over at my parents this weekend, so just a quick run about town - although managed faster than I have done in a while.
6.5 km in 35 minutes or 11.1 kmph.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Running
Saturday, 4 April 2009
Running
I should have been sleeping in - it's a Saturday people - however instead I went out for a bit of a jog.
18.3 km in 1 hour 49 minutes. That's 10.1 kmph, but I don't mind because it was a long one.
I actually had intended it to be about 1 km longer, however I reached Dudley tunnel which has no tow path. Next time, I'll know to take a different route!
Robert Downey Jr
Happy Birthday to
Robert Downey Jr.
44 today
Robert currently riding high on his success in 2008 (Iron Man and Tropic Thunder), both commercially sound and picking up an oscar nod for the second. Over the next year he's got The Soloist (meh comments from Showest) and Sherlock Holmes coming up. That should keep him in the spotlight for at least next couple of years.
Friday, 3 April 2009
Out this week (03/04/09)
There's a big bun fight at the cinema this weekend between two films both with the potnetial to be massive hits. And there's little else in the way of counter-programming. Like all cinephiles I will have to decide on which side of the fence I belong, and fight for one of these films to be victorious. With that in mind I'm selcting Monsters vs. Aliens as the film of the week.
The Boat that Rocked
Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral) writes and directs this light hearted romp set on a 1960's pirate radio ship. With every film Curtis makes he seems to slip further away from his best work. Shame because it's a nice looking cast.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Cherry Blossoms
Well reviewed German film about an older couple looking back at the life they had and the lives they had hoped to live against the backdrop of terminal illness and self sacrifice.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
8 x 10 Tasveer
Akshay Kumar may have had Bollywood biggest export so far this year with the Indian chop-socky Chandhi Chowk to China, but he faced a critical drubbing from the fans for not giving them what they like. Hopefully this story of a man able to go back in time to investigate his fathers disappearance will help restore his glory.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
I can't think Straight/The World Unseen
It may seem strange bunching these 2 films together however I have done it for a reason. Both films concern cross cultural lesbian romances against disapproving backdrops (arranged marriages in London and South Africa's apartheid system respectively), they're opening at the close of the London Lesbian and Gay Film festival outside of the festival circuit, but most intriguingly they both are directed by Shamin Sarif and star Lisa Ray (Water) and Sheetal Sheth as the lovers. Strange, non?
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○ (Combined score - intrigued rather than excited)
Monsters vs Aliens
Doesn't the title say it all? Dreamworks animation with Reese Witherspoon as a 49ft radioactive woman and Seth Rogen as a blob of goo. Bizarre, but fantastic concept. If I had kids I'd be right there with them. As it is I'll be washing my hair.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Shortkut
A youthful and heart-warming slice-of-life comedy about the trials and tribulations of the two con artists.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Marsha Mason
Happy Birthday to
Marsha Mason
67 today
There was a time in the late70s when you could barely go to the cinema to watch a comedy wihout Marsha Mason popping up in it. But then Neil Simon's popularity waned and as she was tied to his style so did Marsha. She still pops up in the odd film, and works on TV and the stage, however I'd like some to see her in another top rated comedy. Come on Apatow, give her a call, there's bound to be a part for her somewhere.
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Linda Hunt
Happy Birthday to
Linda Hunt
64 today
This diminutive actress is still the only person to win an oscar for playing someone of the opposite gender. That's quite a feat, really. She's also the narrator for the tremendously popular God Of War computer game series! Amazing.
Running
So much for that Farlek yesterday making me any better - instead I recorded my slowest run in a long time this morning:
4.3 km in 25 minutes. A dreadful 10.1 kmph.
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
The Life Before Her Eyes
2007. Dir: Vadim Perelman. Starring: Uma Thurman, Evan Rachel Wood, Eva Amurri, Gabrielle Brennan and Brett Cullen. ●●●○○
I had been warned, but people whose opinion I trust, to avoid this film. I had been told it was not worth the ticket price. However I am a hardy soul so armed with my £7 I trudged across Birmingham to see The Life Before Her Eyes. It is a deeply flawed film, that goes without question, however it is not as bad as it's reputation may suggest. I would also like to apologise if I leave any spoilers (minor or huge) in this review. As you will see if you ever watch the film it is difficult to discuss without the plot twists front and centre.
Talking of the plot the action flips between Uma Thurman in her perfect marriage with her gawpy eyed child and Evan Rachel Wood as her younger self in the turbulent days leading to a Columbine style tragedy. Uma adult Diana is, during the week of the 15th aniversary facing up to the horror of the incident and especially over the memory of her and her best friend Maureen (Amurri) deciding which one of them will live.
The film has two themes which in it's attempt to keep the ideas in the air fumbles with both of them. The first is the guilt of being a survivor or a random shooting. This would be an interesting and insightful message to portray if the film were waiting to throw in it's second theme, which neutralises and belittles the idea of survivors guilt. This second theme, which for the sake of spoilers I won't describe in detail, has been used before in the horror and sci-fi genre (and it's interesting to see a drama use it) although I repeat this is not the background where I would have liked to see this. If the gilrs had been in a car crash the juxtaposition of themes would have been much more satisfying.
Vadim Perelman attacks this sensitive tale with the same blunt knife symbolism techniques he used in The House of Sand and Fog. Recurring images of water, nature and decay are returned to again and again, underlining the fragility of our existance and the beauty of our place int he world around us. He is aided by the beauty of Pawel Edelman's camera, he's a frequent collaborator with Roman Polanski and I doubt anyone could light a corpse so effectively, if a little too prettily.
Other areas of the technical side are less impressive - this being one of the biggest crimes of James Horner's career.
Acting from the leads is effective if uninspiring, however the further down the bill you go the more the characters and performances seem cartoonish and amateurish. Strict nuns can be forgiven (partly due to the nature of their part in the screenplay) but there is no excuse for the shuffling non entity of Jack Gilpin. I do want to commend Molly Price, as Diana's frustrated mother she makes a stong impact and I wish we had spent time exploring the mother daughter relationship rather than just reflecting it in the mistakes made between Uma and her offspring.
Finally I just want to highlight the opening credits of the film - by far the most compelling reason to see it and could well be among the most gripping credits I've seen in years. I haven't been able to find them (either a screen grab or the whole thing as a video) but if someone can point it out for me I'd be grateful. However, in lieu of this, the camera moves in and out of focus on bright summer flowers, and as it pans the colours slip away into swirls of paint. Like a watercolour being dunked. It's absolutely gorgeous and I could have watched that for an hour and a half and really felt my money was well spent.
Debbie Reynolds
Happy Birthday to
Debbie Reynolds
77 today
Don't cry, dear. Don Lockwood is in love with you - you're his lucky star. Debbie is one of the greatest "stars" of the fifties, even if she is limited as an actress or singer she knows how to sell her persona. Plus she created Carrie Fisher so it's all good.
Running - Fartlek training
Yes, you read that right. This morning whilst out on the road I did some fartlek training. That's fast for a bit then slow then back up to fast and slow again etc.
Overall 5.5 km in 30 minutes or when rounded 10.8 kmph. When 6 fast slow cycles.
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