Movie review-Boldly go to the Cinema, you'll enjoy Paul
I'm one of those very lucky people who gets to do what they really enjoy doing for a living, and if I had to offer career advice to our two beautiful girls, (as I often do whether requested or not) I'd suggest as a good rule, "find something you enjoy and then work out how to make money from it".
Simon Pegg seems to have taken my advice to heart, you can't help feeling that the making of every film he's been involved in, particularly when accompanied by Nick Frost, is just a barrel of laughs for those making the film, now some movies where you get that sense, (I'm thinking, RED, Oceans 12 to name but two) the audience (well, this bit of it anyway) don't get nearly as much out of it as the cast. That's not the case with Paul.
Pegg and Frost are obviously serious comic book buffs and fans of science fiction and the characters they play don't seem too far from playing themselves, yes it is a bit chock-full of movie nods and references, it sometimes feels like an extended spot-the-link exercise, that's great fun for the sci-fi trivia nerds amongst us, (yes, me) but I saw this with 5 non-geeks and they all enjoyed it very much.
It's an undemanding tale which skips over many things that could have been explored in a little more depth, (I'd have liked the fundamentalist Christian theme to have been given a harder time) but as a lighthearted comic romp, with like-able characters, some great gags, a coherent story, enough twists to make it intriguing and a nice approach to not taking itself too seriously it really worked for me and my chums.
By the way, a word of caution, in the UK it's a 15 certificate, my fifteen year old went in already equipped with the vocabulary of a blasphemous oil-rig worker but yours may still have some sensibilities left.
Enjoy...
A sci-fi movie buff haiku...
Did they miss any
nerdy movie, quote or show?
"I don't think so Dave"*
*Did you see what I did there?
St Valentines Day, A meal? a melee ? amore ?
I was inspired to today's posting by a twitter conversation with the lovely Juliette Foster, (check out her blog here) as I prepared to venture out with the fragrant Mrs Stuffy on the eve of St Valentines day.
We exchanged 140 character views on the amusement value of relationship tolerances stretched to industrial level by the commercial cheek-by-jowl table arrangements, heart shaped desserts, confections, table decorations, menus etc. but most critically by the pressure to be seen to be doing the Valentines thing, from the media, the greetings card and floral industries, spousal expectation and of course peer pressure. If everyone else in the restaurant is gazing lovingly into each others eyes and mumbling sweet nothings it probably feels very uncomfortable bottling up the anger generated by discovering yet another pair of expensive new shoes hidden in the wardrobe and dismissed as "those old things, had 'em for ages". (to choose a non-specific, arbitrary, nothing to do with Mrs Stuffy at all, example at random).
We, her well-shod ladyship and I, have observed some tremendous Valentines day events, I fondly recall a superb demonstration of almost sub-audible invective, a lovely young couple in a Thai restaurant having a blazing row, in a hushed whisper, conducted at a table situated so adjacent that I could see the foam-flecked drops of spittle and bile flying from the lady's lips hitting the aromatic herbs adorning my Gai Pad Khiaowan.
The argument ended when the gentleman popped to the loo and his lovely lady paid the bill and drove off, his expression as he returned from his ablutions still brings a cruel but welcome smile to my grizzled old visage as I pen these words.
I think paying the bill was a nice touch.
Closer to home I recall a phone call from a chum one 14th of Feb along the lines of " got any plans tonight Stuffy?"
"Well yes old buddy", I replied "what with it being Valentines day and all that I'm dining a deux with my lovely lady,"
"I don't suppose" he asked, with the wheedling whine of a man in desperate straits, "that you'd fancy making that a double header, I forgot to book anywhere and I'm in so much trouble".
Dear reader, what would you do, what could I do? With gritted teeth I rang the restaurant, exercised all my charm and expanded the table. My amnesiac chum had, as recompense, arranged for a car and driver but my lady and I were disconcerted as we drifted meal-wards by the stony silence between our dining companions, if only that had continued, the food was fine, the wine flowed like, well, really fast-flowing wine and the painful and (it subsequently turned out) irreconcilable differences between their respective views of the world, and each other, were laid out for dissection, critique and dismissal, all at a volume that would barely disturb a dormant dormouse but, alas, was well audible to us, their unfortunate hosts, we couldn't even make our excuses and leave, as the driver and car were on a schedule.
I guess that, as the Valentines day formula, once described by a chef pal as "set menus, no appreciation of the food, cram 'em in, no buzz, no atmosphere and stingy tipping" continues we should be glad of those fellow diners who've made the experience memorable over the years. Perhaps our own relationship is strengthened by the occasional dose of Schadenfreude?
On a positive note, and as a thank you for this years Valentine experience I should heap praise upon the estimable Gerry and Ann Price and the team at "the Inn@West End" Her ladyship and I enjoyed fine food and (for herself, wine, I'm a non drinker through Feb) the packed restaurant of adoring couples seemed to be capable of making it through three courses without trauma or traducing and a fine time was had by all, still, never mind, maybe next year...
Movie review - the mechanic, let's have some kicking and banging and shooting shall we?
As my legion of dedicated fan will observe the last couple of movies to grace these ephemeral digital pages have been, well, a little worthy, a little 'arty' maybe, a little bit 'girls films' and although I'm always more than happy to exercise my artistic and emotional muscles if I'm honest I'd probably tend toward films giving some bad-ass dude a well-deserved kicking rather than exploring the emotional and artistic dissonance involved in the brutal world of interpretive dance.
Many, many moons ago I saw a compelling film called the Mechanic, made by Michael Winner and fronted by the expressive Charles Bronson. There were, to my 16 year old mind two things that stood out in that movie, a stunning dirt bike chase through the California scrubland and the astonishment when the seemingly invincible Chuckles Bronson was bested by his ambitious young protege, immediately followed by the twist when the mentor reached out post-mortem to teach one last incendiary lesson.
This remake, playing to Jason Stathams strengths and positioning him as an executioner of bad folk, (which raises some moral issues that, obviously the film never explored) lacks a few things. It lacks the dirt-bike chase, it lacks the mutual destruction of both protagonists, (probably to allow for a sequel) and thankfully it lacks any trace of Michael Winner's deft touch. It does have some nice stuff, a controlled and athletic performance from both leads, a brief but powerful performance from Donald Sutherland, (I've been a big fan since MASH, Klute and Animal House). There's tons of kicking and fighting and shooting and explosions. The setting in Louisiana is different and attractively portrayed and if one was going to choose the lonely life of a hitman this seemed to be the one to choose.
This is not a movie that will challenge your emotions or intellect, it's no Leon but it's exciting, well acted, great stuntwork, well filmed and fun. Mrs Stuffy did drift off briefly but she may have well have been in transient catatonic shock from discovering that four sweets from the pic'n'mix came to 44 pennies, that's 11p for about 2cc's of fudge!
Now there's a case for justifiable homicide
A hitman haiku
Statham's mechanic
Dispatches without panic
No Winner? winner!
