"Put the bunny back in the box..."

I am so far behind in updating this.

Don't think for a second I have been doing anything exciting like travelling the world, or rediscovering myself at a retreat in Thailand. I have been watching films. Many of them. And I don't know where to begin...

Mullholland Drive

...anyone got any idea what that was about?

Answers on a postcard please.

Un Coeur En Hiver (A Heart In Winter)

I am not sure if the cold heart in this film was a reflection of myself.

For that reason, I am not entirely sure I can say I liked or enjoyed it.

The Gay theme of films continued with Wilde and a trip to the local big screen to see the much talked about Brokeback Mountain. Putting “Bareback Mounting” and other potential porn remakes aside, I enjoyed this film - but I didn't think it the much talk about "epic". Maybe my view had been persuaded by the run of films I have watched of late with a homosexual underlying theme, or maybe it was the fact that I didn't really want to watch two fine men getting it on with anyone other than me - let alone each other. But, I thought the story had been told just as well (and in some cases better) in many world cinema films of the same vein; who have received little of the attention received from the big buck Hollywood blockbuster. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful in its subtly, it simplicity and its retelling of a moving short story - and even made my male friend cry - but I guess I'd hyped it up to expect so much more.

My film subscription finally running out of gay flicks, next was a top ten twister Arlington Road to get my plot guessing mind racing. A well paced thriller, with creepy performances from lsb-respected Tim Robbins (who in my view leans towards the sinister in all his roles) and the comical Joan Cussack. I guessed the twist, but then I knew it was coming, and it did managed to throw me off a little with some confusing loose ends.

A lazy and dreamy evening in was complimented by the poignant Être et avoir . I admit I watched the interview with the director to try to understand where this documentary was taking me but at the same time it didn't matter. I instantly bonded with the subjects, admired the workings off a faulted teacher, laughed and sighed at the tribulations of the children. However, that said, the language of French is always pure beauty to my ears and even if this documentary was comprised entirely of someone reading out the menu of a little French bistro I still probably would have found it sublime. Pure escapism for 2 hours - but the observing documentary plot less style may not be for everyone’s tastes.

Wilde *****_____
Brokeback Mountain *******___
Arlington Road *******___
Être et avoir ********__


(* Thank you to Kazz for helping me with some words in this)
(** He asked me to say that)

wine, transexuals and flying feet

With the novelty of my C64 wearing off a little, the films have started back up in droves. Minus the repeated films on tv I have been viewing here is a selction of my past week in film:


Sideways
This film can be summed up simply through a quoteby my flatmate: "its a bit like a wine tasters Lord of the Rings".

Lsb Stars; ****______
Middle-Aged-Divorcee-Professors-wanting-to-be-writers-winetasters - of which I am none: *******___ (It has a clear genre).


Six Feet Under. Season 3 disc 1: It begins


Bad Education (aka La Mala Educacion)
Seriously. Will the only filmstars I find myself somewhat attracted to stop dressing up as transexuals and fucking men on screen. Please. Is it too much to ask?

Lsb Stars: ******____

GGB appearance stars: *_________


Hero - Ying xiong
Not as visually pleasing as House of Flying Daggers. Do not watch it with English dubbing. Again I turn to the ramblings of my flatmate of whose film companionship I have had all this week: "Ah, you know, I'm not sure I can take anymore of people running up walls again right now"

Lsb stars: *****_____

My Life Without me

I got up this morning after a very heavy weekend of Dim Sum & Cocktails and so wallowing in half-slumber I got myself a coffee and a danish and I put on this film.

It wasn't as despressing as I thought. I mean it was sad. It was sad as hell. But at the same time it made you go all appreciative. Like, "Man, this danish tastes so good. Man its a good danish. Its so sweet and nutty. Its good danish. I've never eaten a danish like this before.." I mean I felt that way for like, I don't know, it must have been 2 minutes or something. Then I switched off the DVD when the credits stoppped rolling and Celebrity Big Brother's Little Brother was on the TV, and I forgot all about appreciating stuff. But one things for sure about my life without me: if I wasn't here, I'd have missed out on the best Danish ever made.

He loves me, he loves me not...

So I was all ready to come on here and slate a film for its plot twists. Then I read a review on another film. And now I don't want to. I embrace the twists and have found a rekindled passion for turns.

Two such twisty films viewed in the run up to the feastive season:
À la folie... pas du tout and Dot the I

Both refreshing takes on a romance genre. The former made all the more exciting by the fact that I remembered ten seconds into the opening credits that I had seen it, and I knew what was coming.

Is it listed amongst the top ten twists of all time you ask? No. But amongst this list is the likes of Fight Club, Shawshank Redemption, Usual Suspects, Unbreakable .. all of which you'll find feature heavily in the top 100 films of all time.

Twists - where we we be without them. And that right there, is they're very point.