UK Film Council Axed.

Says it all in the title really.

A sad day for independent and commercially driven film lovers.  Enjoy Mike Leigh's Happy Go Lucky? Or perhaps Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes The Barley? This Is England, In The Loop, Cheri, Bright Star..

The list is overwhelming.

A sad day for UK filmmakers and cinephiles.

i have this theory

i have this theory. it goes something like this. we are endlessly reborn through the archives of history, with the only constant being the evergreen tree at the end of each chapter. i'm enchanted by the lushness of the leaves and the strength of its branches. i remember there was something important I was supposed to spread. but what it is, I can't quite pinpoint. eventually the earnestness of youth leads to the slow decaying of age. i realise i've watched the whole world crumble. i'm 90 years old. its too late. i hide a note at the bottom of the stairs. i see the evergreen tree stand smugly at the end of the novel. i'm enchanted by the lushness of the leaves and the strength of its branches. i'm 9 years old, i see the evergreen tree at the end of the chapter. a lumberjack is ready to bring it to earth. insouciantly i carry on playing, my former 90 year old body clinging on for dear life..

The Tropopause of Dreams - Inception Review

There is an inherent problem with the nature of dreams.  Let me revise that.  There is an inherent problem with the subjective nature of the beholder of a dream.  The key lies in the detail, the moments, which naturally transcribe and proliferate in the 'real' world.

Imagine sharing the same dream.  Each individual would deduce an understanding, an embracing of light, at an altered angle from the other.  This is not solely an issue of volume either.  If we are able to experience the same dream then we draw strength and/or fall to weakness from varying situations and circumstances (after all, we are built from vast pools of reason and moral frameworks).

This is where dreams share a DNA-like identity with cinema.  Like films, they are open to criticism and analysis which amend their standing in public perception, creating fervent support and hatred amongst fans.  Perhaps this is an explanation of our idolization of those who have passed.  Were Marilyn and Cary truly great or have we somehow extracted something which was not there in the first place?  Is the dream truly revelatory? Or is it just a part of our imagination which should remain just that, imagination? 

Pure creation (and entertainment) of one sort or another.

Inception has created this sort of divide.  What is Christopher Nolan attempting to acheive?  A pure distillation of 'Entertainment' or something approaching 'Art'?

My view;  The use of either would be misnomers.  On hindsight this is a straightforward conclusion to arrive at.  The film has already shown it can perform at the box office and the general premise has prompted frantic discussion on internet forums.

A caveat before I summarise what is essentially an overwhelmingly positive view on the film:  Describing the plot is a thankful and pointless task for two reasons;

1) An aspect of the satisfaction gleaned is feeling your way through the plot mechanics as a first-time experience.  I'm not about to dilute that particular nectar...

2) The great red herring of the film is the 'MacGuffin' or the completion of the job for reward.  Cobb's (Leonardo Di Caprio) relationship with his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), is the central arch without which the film would be bereft of emotional heft.  The plot very cleverly positions the film as many things, essentially as a thinking-man's actioner.  It's various complexities masking what is ultimately a personal transition from instability to understanding.

What makes the film great (although it is far too early and patronising to call it a masterpiece) is that it is essentially an existentialist tale progressing into emotional reality or perceived stability depending on how you view the Schrodinger's Cat ending...

Concommitant regret, love and commitment are all emotive themes enveloped in this meshwork of ideas and visuals providing a delectable treat for those willing to complete the homework...

Grade: A (9/10)

You Turn Again, The Storm Adjusts... Inarritu's Biutiful

Fashionistas Of The Month (June '10)

 

 I am back! To posit completely useless meanderings on what fashion means to me (on a month to month basis).  Exams are finished for the time being and so we can all reconvene on an assault of the senses which brothers film and fashion so ably provide.

Thats a welcoming opener right? I'm a sucker for speeches.

I thought for this month i'd start with two fashionistas for whom the overwhelming theme is confidence. Plain and simple.  Both carry an insouciant nonchalence which elevates their fashion and projection of themselves to a degree of cool which wears as easy as the white flats on the soles of the lady's feet.  It's an almost understated youthful elegance which comes from blending classic shades to form a coherent, sexy and quasi-formal look.  

Where do you start with the man! From the woody green tie pin clashing with the navy-checkered print to the over-sized plastics.  Personally its the slanted pockets accentuated by the bumblebee yellow which had me at hello.  Sometimes these combinations can be tumultuous and scream ''OVER-COMPENSATION'' but here its carried off in an easy, unmeticulous manner which many aim for but rarely achieve.

Ultimately, the Fiorentini have a inpregnable confidence to mix and match and splash and splosh.  

We could all take note.

 

Many Thanks to Scott Schuman (thesartorialist.blogspot.com)

Brides At War

I think it is safe to say that I love my rom-coms. From your quirky indie gems like 500 days of summer, to your tear-stricken Titanic, I’ll watch them all. Well at least try to.

So the latest one added to the list? Bride Wars. Typically, this was released over a year ago, but I only watched it recently as is my trademark... This cat-fight comedy about two best friends wanting their respective perfect weddings is a solid laugh from beginning to end.  Providing enough spark to get even the most tenous couple through.

Our leads, Anne Hathaway (recently Oscar nominated) and Kate Hudson, both want June weddings at the Plaza. And why not? It is, after all, the only place to get married. But what happens when your weddings are booked on the same date? Well all out war, that’s what according to this film.  Hathaway and Hudson give the term Bride-zilla a new meaning. From dying one’s hair blue, to spraying the other a ‘blood orange’, it gets increasingly crazy such that it makes you wonder why these two even were able to 'force' men to marry them in the first place!

Enough jokes for a lazy Sunday afternoon rental. So grab your Vera Wang loving girlfriends, some chocolate and cosy up to this flick.

Rating: C (5.5/10)