Last weekend was further evidence that climate change is real. It was the end of March, and for both Saturday and Sunday it hailed and snowed in Vancouver. It was very strange to see, and caught the city unprepared. The snow didn't last long though, with rain following and then plenty of sunshine this week.
Big congratulations are in order for my cousin Andrew and his wife Vicky who gave birth to a little baby boy on Tuesday! The delivery was by caesarean (as planned), and both mother and baby are doing well.
On Thursday, we saw Eddie Vedder play at the Centre for Performing Arts. Our seats kind of sucked - they were a long way from the stage, but we enjoyed it anyway. No photos this time I am afraid, due to the distance. I wasn't really a fan of his or of Pearl Jam, but I recently heard his soundtrack to the movie "Into the Wild" (which I highly recommend - both the film and the soundtrack), and liked it a lot. The gig was very "MTV Unplugged" with Eddie on his own on a stool with a bunch of guitars, a ukelele, and a banjo. The simple presentation really let his fantastic voice shine through, and for almost 2 hours he was riveting to listen to. Oh yes, he can play the guitar too :) Superb.
It's been a very busy week for both Steph and myself at work, and I'm glad that the weekend is here. We intend to relax and enjoy it as much as possible. Tonight we are having a few friends round and will probably watch a scary movie of some sort, providing we can find a good one. Hope you have a good weekend too :)
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Fantastic Easter Weekend
I hope you enjoyed yours. I worked out that this was the best weekend of the year, because:
- It's the only 4-day weekend of the year
- It was pay-day on Thursday
- Pay-day was also annual bonus day
So not only did we have lots of free time, but money in our pockets to boot. Hooray :)
We didn't go anywhere special, but we got to do plenty of relaxing. Unfortunately, Steph had to work some of the Friday, while I went for a 3-hour walk in Stanley Park. It was lovely to get out in the fresh air and have some peace and quiet. On Saturday we cycled around the park - the first time this year we have ridden our bikes. They are still in one piece, and nothing got stolen from them over the Winter which was lucky as we left our helmets and tyre pump in the storage room - oops! After the bike ride Steph cooked a fantastic veggie lasagne, and I went out and bought a new TV. I can connect it to my computer, so now we can watch our downloaded TV and stuff on a big screen - ace.
On Sunday we went for lunch with some friends at Cardero's in Coal Harbour. Sunday afternoon was cleaning (boo) but I also made a bread and butter pudding for dessert, which was somewhat successful (it tasted pretty good, but was very wet). Monday, we went to see "There Will Be Blood" at the cinema (review coming soon) and then went to Vij's restaurant for some fab Indian food.
I reckon that was a pretty fine way to spend four days :)
Sunday, March 16, 2008
An update on stuff...
It's been a busy few weeks, and I've finally found some time to do a little blogging about it all :)
So where were we? Yes, there was Whistler in February, but you know about that, and now you can see all the pictures (see my previous post). Since then both Steph and I have been very busy at work, but have found the time to get out and about at weekends, especially since the weather has been pretty good for the time of year - more than our usual share of dry and bright.
My friend Iain Brown, who I know from my old days working at Sony in Cambridge, was here in Vancouver for an EA company conference. He stayed with us for a few days and we hung out which was fun. We went to the Planetarium and the Space Exhibition which was cool, although really aimed for kids. They had a simulator ride which was a laugh, and we got to touch real Moon rock (I'll have to dig out that picture). Oh yes, and we went for a nice meal (with Chris and Katie too) at Bistro Pastis which is a great French restaurant. Anyway, I uploaded a few pictures from February to Flickr.
Last weekend I made a crazy whistle-stop visit to England to attend my youngest nephew's christening. It was a tiring few days, but it was great to see my family again and especially my niece and nephews, who are all growing up so fast. The christening itself was really good - great weather on the day and Zachary behaved perfectly. He spent the whole service staring at the Vicar, bless him. The trip back was kind of stressful, as it coincided with a big winter storm in England with very high winds. I didn't think I would make it back on time, and lots of flights were cancelled out of Heathrow but mine got away with no delays. Fantastic. I have a couple of photos from the christening that I uploaded, and I will try to get hold of some more - there were lots of people with cameras.
This week I had a dentist's appointment, and I'm finally going to get a clenching guard to protect my teeth at night. I have a nervous habit of clenching my teeth, mostly in the daytime I think, but the night guard should help. I really need to learn to relax a bit more, but I've always been a stress bunny and it's not getting better with age :) We also saw Yoav play which was awesome - the guy is so talented, and I think (and hope) he is going to be really big in 2008. Check him out. There are a few photos from the gig on Flickr.
Last night was our friend Lauren's 30th birthday, which was good fun. There was much drunken cuddling, as expected. It was a pretty late night, so today we are taking it easy and sorting out some boring stuff like taxes and so on. Looking forward to Easter weekend coming up, which means more days off - yay!
So where were we? Yes, there was Whistler in February, but you know about that, and now you can see all the pictures (see my previous post). Since then both Steph and I have been very busy at work, but have found the time to get out and about at weekends, especially since the weather has been pretty good for the time of year - more than our usual share of dry and bright.
My friend Iain Brown, who I know from my old days working at Sony in Cambridge, was here in Vancouver for an EA company conference. He stayed with us for a few days and we hung out which was fun. We went to the Planetarium and the Space Exhibition which was cool, although really aimed for kids. They had a simulator ride which was a laugh, and we got to touch real Moon rock (I'll have to dig out that picture). Oh yes, and we went for a nice meal (with Chris and Katie too) at Bistro Pastis which is a great French restaurant. Anyway, I uploaded a few pictures from February to Flickr.
Last weekend I made a crazy whistle-stop visit to England to attend my youngest nephew's christening. It was a tiring few days, but it was great to see my family again and especially my niece and nephews, who are all growing up so fast. The christening itself was really good - great weather on the day and Zachary behaved perfectly. He spent the whole service staring at the Vicar, bless him. The trip back was kind of stressful, as it coincided with a big winter storm in England with very high winds. I didn't think I would make it back on time, and lots of flights were cancelled out of Heathrow but mine got away with no delays. Fantastic. I have a couple of photos from the christening that I uploaded, and I will try to get hold of some more - there were lots of people with cameras.
This week I had a dentist's appointment, and I'm finally going to get a clenching guard to protect my teeth at night. I have a nervous habit of clenching my teeth, mostly in the daytime I think, but the night guard should help. I really need to learn to relax a bit more, but I've always been a stress bunny and it's not getting better with age :) We also saw Yoav play which was awesome - the guy is so talented, and I think (and hope) he is going to be really big in 2008. Check him out. There are a few photos from the gig on Flickr.
Last night was our friend Lauren's 30th birthday, which was good fun. There was much drunken cuddling, as expected. It was a pretty late night, so today we are taking it easy and sorting out some boring stuff like taxes and so on. Looking forward to Easter weekend coming up, which means more days off - yay!
Whistler photos
It took a while, but I've assembled photos from various cameras from our Whistler weekend in February, and uploaded them to Flickr.
More updates to the blog coming soon (hopefully).
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Some quick film reviews
Catching up on some movies from the last couple of months.
No Country For Old Men
A crime thriller and chase movie I guess. Lots of weird and interesting characters. It's a Coen Brothers film, and probably one of the best and the most accessible I've seen - not quite as crazy as some others, and with a plot that is easy to follow. The best thing about the film are the characters and how they are portrayed, and there are some great performances. Highly recommended, but it is quite brutal and also quite dark - don't expect the film to cheer you up :)
The Golden Compass
Both Steph and I have read the trilogy of books - His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman - so we were looking forward to the movie. I was kind of disappointed though. Despite an excellent cast and good special effects, something about the film just didn't engage me. I found a lot of the characters unsympathetic, and so did not care too much about what happened to them. I wasn't emotionally involved like I was when reading the book. I've heard the movie didn't do so well, but I hope they continue to make the other books as movies - perhaps they'll do a better job on the next one.
Atonement
Steph read the book a while ago, and loved it, so she practically dragged me to this film. I knew little or nothing about it. Keira Knightley annoyed me as usual - I think she's overrated - but generally the performances were very good, especially Romola Garai. The story told in the film was engaging and exceptionally sad. It was a really good film though.
I Am Legend
I'm a big fan of the book by Richard Matheson, so I was interested to see how the film would be handled. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. The film makes a number of changes, but they all seem to work to make it more exciting to watch - a movie made straight from the book would have been nowhere near as much fun. The special effects were excellent, and reminded me a lot of I, Robot, which was no surprise when I checked and found it was the same effects company. The movie relies a lot more on scary jumps than I expected, rather than being a straightforward action film. I think that may have spoilt it for Steph a little. Also, there is a completely unnecessary car advert sequence at the beginning of the film that spoils the first ten minutes and makes no sense at all. Just stick with it, wipe the start from your mind, and everything will be fine. I wouldn't recommend the movie to everyone, but if you like sci-fi or horror I think you'd like this.
Cloverfield
I was quite excited about this film ever since I saw the teaser trailer. I liked the fact that I didn't know much about the film before I saw it - I think that added to the fun. Yes, there is far too much shaky-cam - don't sit anywhere near the front of the cinema or you will be sick. The characters are rather self-absorbed and not particularly likeable, but I think that's the point to some extent. What the film does really well is put you in the midst of a crazy disaster movie, where you never know what is going to happen next. It was a real thrill ride, with some scary moments (like the subway bit). I've heard varying opinions about this movie, but I think if you like sci-fi or monster films then you'll probably like this a lot. Oh yeah, and the special effects are fantastic - seamless and completely believable.
No Country For Old Men
A crime thriller and chase movie I guess. Lots of weird and interesting characters. It's a Coen Brothers film, and probably one of the best and the most accessible I've seen - not quite as crazy as some others, and with a plot that is easy to follow. The best thing about the film are the characters and how they are portrayed, and there are some great performances. Highly recommended, but it is quite brutal and also quite dark - don't expect the film to cheer you up :)
The Golden Compass
Both Steph and I have read the trilogy of books - His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman - so we were looking forward to the movie. I was kind of disappointed though. Despite an excellent cast and good special effects, something about the film just didn't engage me. I found a lot of the characters unsympathetic, and so did not care too much about what happened to them. I wasn't emotionally involved like I was when reading the book. I've heard the movie didn't do so well, but I hope they continue to make the other books as movies - perhaps they'll do a better job on the next one.
Atonement
Steph read the book a while ago, and loved it, so she practically dragged me to this film. I knew little or nothing about it. Keira Knightley annoyed me as usual - I think she's overrated - but generally the performances were very good, especially Romola Garai. The story told in the film was engaging and exceptionally sad. It was a really good film though.
I Am Legend
I'm a big fan of the book by Richard Matheson, so I was interested to see how the film would be handled. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. The film makes a number of changes, but they all seem to work to make it more exciting to watch - a movie made straight from the book would have been nowhere near as much fun. The special effects were excellent, and reminded me a lot of I, Robot, which was no surprise when I checked and found it was the same effects company. The movie relies a lot more on scary jumps than I expected, rather than being a straightforward action film. I think that may have spoilt it for Steph a little. Also, there is a completely unnecessary car advert sequence at the beginning of the film that spoils the first ten minutes and makes no sense at all. Just stick with it, wipe the start from your mind, and everything will be fine. I wouldn't recommend the movie to everyone, but if you like sci-fi or horror I think you'd like this.
Cloverfield
I was quite excited about this film ever since I saw the teaser trailer. I liked the fact that I didn't know much about the film before I saw it - I think that added to the fun. Yes, there is far too much shaky-cam - don't sit anywhere near the front of the cinema or you will be sick. The characters are rather self-absorbed and not particularly likeable, but I think that's the point to some extent. What the film does really well is put you in the midst of a crazy disaster movie, where you never know what is going to happen next. It was a real thrill ride, with some scary moments (like the subway bit). I've heard varying opinions about this movie, but I think if you like sci-fi or monster films then you'll probably like this a lot. Oh yeah, and the special effects are fantastic - seamless and completely believable.
Birthdays, and Whistler
There's been quite a bit happening since my last post. Lots of birthdays this month so far, including my sister and me, Steph's sister and her dad. Phew. A big happy birthday to all of us!
Last weekend we spent a long weekend in Whistler with some friends, which was brilliant. There was no sun unfortunately, but lots of snow. The conditions for skiing and snowboarding were excellent, and all the "thrillseekers" had more than their fix. Steph had a great time. I did lots of snowshoeing - three days in a row in fact. For a change, I wasn't alone either - I had a friend to accompany me on each day which was cool. It was great to get away and forget about everything, and there was so much fresh air and exercise - fantastic. Makes you want to quit your office job for sure. Some of our friends took Rock Band along with them too, and there was much rejoicing.
I didn't do anything big for my birthday, but I did go out that night with some friends for a few drinks. We have this thing where we go out for booze on the same night that the wives / girlfriends have their book club meeting. It's only once a month, but this time happened to fall on my birthday. The rest of this week has been spent trying to catch up on sleep after Whistler. One of our friends from the UK has moved to Vancouver, and arrived this week, so we went out for food together last night which was cool.
That meal will be our last out for a little while. Today, we are starting on a detox for a week. Both Steph and I felt we've been eating too much crap recently and that it isn't doing us much good, so it felt like time. We've prepared pretty well and cooked a bunch of meals already, so it shouldn't be such a chore with food preparation as it has been in the past. The first time we did it, we were sick of chopping raw vegetables by the end. On the second go, we didn't even follow the rules strictly, and ended up quitting early. This time hopefully, we'll do it properly.
Got a busy weekend of boring stuff ahead - housework, paperwork, that kind of thing. The weather forecast says sun for tomorrow though which will be nice - we'll have to find an excuse to get out. If I find any time, I'll try to get some photos together from Whistler and upload them this week.
Last weekend we spent a long weekend in Whistler with some friends, which was brilliant. There was no sun unfortunately, but lots of snow. The conditions for skiing and snowboarding were excellent, and all the "thrillseekers" had more than their fix. Steph had a great time. I did lots of snowshoeing - three days in a row in fact. For a change, I wasn't alone either - I had a friend to accompany me on each day which was cool. It was great to get away and forget about everything, and there was so much fresh air and exercise - fantastic. Makes you want to quit your office job for sure. Some of our friends took Rock Band along with them too, and there was much rejoicing.
I didn't do anything big for my birthday, but I did go out that night with some friends for a few drinks. We have this thing where we go out for booze on the same night that the wives / girlfriends have their book club meeting. It's only once a month, but this time happened to fall on my birthday. The rest of this week has been spent trying to catch up on sleep after Whistler. One of our friends from the UK has moved to Vancouver, and arrived this week, so we went out for food together last night which was cool.
That meal will be our last out for a little while. Today, we are starting on a detox for a week. Both Steph and I felt we've been eating too much crap recently and that it isn't doing us much good, so it felt like time. We've prepared pretty well and cooked a bunch of meals already, so it shouldn't be such a chore with food preparation as it has been in the past. The first time we did it, we were sick of chopping raw vegetables by the end. On the second go, we didn't even follow the rules strictly, and ended up quitting early. This time hopefully, we'll do it properly.
Got a busy weekend of boring stuff ahead - housework, paperwork, that kind of thing. The weather forecast says sun for tomorrow though which will be nice - we'll have to find an excuse to get out. If I find any time, I'll try to get some photos together from Whistler and upload them this week.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Christmas and New Year photos at last
It's taken long enough, but I've finally uploaded the photos we took during our trip back to England at Christmas. We've been super-lazy since we got back, and I've just gotten round to it. Apologies for those of you pictured in the photos - I hope you can remember them :)
It's a cold, sunny, snowy, rainy winter this year. A bit of everything really. The last week was cold and sunny, and we took the opportunity to walk to work most days which was great. Steph finally got to do some skiing too last Thursday night after work. She had a great time, although probably wore herself out. Time for another lazy weekend I think! Right now the snow is falling again.
Hopefully, we are off to see Cloverfield tomorrow at the cinema with some friends. I've got a small backlog of mini movie reviews I ought to post. Maybe sometime in February at this rate...
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Happy New Year!
I'm a bit late with this salutation, but who cares? Steph and I had a wonderful trip back to the UK over Christmas and the New Year. We saw lots of family and friends, ate and drank too much, and generally had a great time. Thankyou to everybody who put us up or just turned up to say hello - much appreciated :) We have lots of photos from our Christmas trip, but I haven't had a chance to sort them out yet. Maybe this coming week.
So what's new? Well, I'm actually returning to the UK in March for my nephew Zachary's christening, but its going to be a whistle-stop and I won't really get a chance to see anybody beyond my immediate family. Also, we had our annual heating breakdown in our apartment block this week, but it was only out for a couple of days this time.
On the bad news front, I heard on Friday that my tenants are leaving my house in Cambridge. I hope that my next bunch are as nice as the last. I also hope that I won't be without my rental income for too long - January isn't the best time of year to be looking.
Last night we went out to Yuk Yuk's comedy club with some friends, and had a really good time. Not much on the horizon for this week so far, but we'll see what it brings.
So what's new? Well, I'm actually returning to the UK in March for my nephew Zachary's christening, but its going to be a whistle-stop and I won't really get a chance to see anybody beyond my immediate family. Also, we had our annual heating breakdown in our apartment block this week, but it was only out for a couple of days this time.
On the bad news front, I heard on Friday that my tenants are leaving my house in Cambridge. I hope that my next bunch are as nice as the last. I also hope that I won't be without my rental income for too long - January isn't the best time of year to be looking.
Last night we went out to Yuk Yuk's comedy club with some friends, and had a really good time. Not much on the horizon for this week so far, but we'll see what it brings.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
December is here
First things first. Some new pictures from two gigs we went to: Suzanne Vega and Athlete, both at Richards on Richards. They were both great, although I definitely enjoyed Athlete the most. I know more of their music, and it was more energetic :) On Monday night we are going to see Tori Amos at the Orpheum theatre (a sit-down affair). Really looking forward to it - I'm a big fan and I've never seen her live. Woohoo!
I can't believe we fly home to England in only two weeks. How time has flown by! I'm really looking forward to seeing family again - 12 months is a long time without visiting. Right now things are very busy. Work is getting pretty crazy for me, with one project that I work on hitting a major deadline just before Christmas. Then of course there is some present shopping to do, although as usual my family are helping me with that - thanks guys! And we are also trying to squeeze some last-minute socializing with friends here before we fly home. Also, this weekend the snow has arrived for the first time this year. It's early too - I think we are going to be in for a cold hard winter if this is anything to go by. Still, Steph will get her skiing I guess :)
We had our work Christmas party on Wednesday night at a bar called The Republic which was very nice. Plenty of free drink and good company. This coming Friday is the Christmas party for ATG (the team I work in) which will be a far more subdued event I am sure. We have plenty of other stuff coming up this week too. We are lucky guys to have such a nice life :)
I can't believe we fly home to England in only two weeks. How time has flown by! I'm really looking forward to seeing family again - 12 months is a long time without visiting. Right now things are very busy. Work is getting pretty crazy for me, with one project that I work on hitting a major deadline just before Christmas. Then of course there is some present shopping to do, although as usual my family are helping me with that - thanks guys! And we are also trying to squeeze some last-minute socializing with friends here before we fly home. Also, this weekend the snow has arrived for the first time this year. It's early too - I think we are going to be in for a cold hard winter if this is anything to go by. Still, Steph will get her skiing I guess :)
We had our work Christmas party on Wednesday night at a bar called The Republic which was very nice. Plenty of free drink and good company. This coming Friday is the Christmas party for ATG (the team I work in) which will be a far more subdued event I am sure. We have plenty of other stuff coming up this week too. We are lucky guys to have such a nice life :)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Bumper Mini Movie Review Extravaganza
Hold onto a convenient piece of nearby furniture, because here comes not one, not two, but NINE reviews all in one delicious variety pack. The first 6 are movies we saw during the Vancouver Film Festival at the beginning of October, and then there are 3 more recent viewings. Let's get it on!
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke star in this crime drama as brothers who plan a heist on a jewelery store that goes very wrong. This film was well acted, but the characters are an unsympathetic bunch and you don't feel like rooting for any of them. That, plus a lack of motivation for some of their behaviour left me with an impression that the film wasn't quite the sum of its parts and ought to have been better. Flawed, but interesting.
Taken For A Ride
This was a documentary about how General Motors and other car manufacturers deliberately engineered the collapse of public transport in the United States and led to the total mess the country is now in with traffic jams in every city. This wasn't something we knew much about, so Steph and I found it fascinating. Seems that the general public loved their trams and they were very effective, but GM decided they wanted to sell cars so they bought all the transit systems and then ran them into the ground. Recommended for its educational value, and maybe because it might encourage people to shout louder for better public transit (and that doesn't mean buses!)
Redacted
Loosely based on true events, this is a Brian De Palma film that tells the story of US marines in Iraq who rape and kill a young girl. It was overacted, and annoying in the way it shoved its political message down your throat. Some shock value perhaps, and I'd give it credit for trying to show the reality of the war in Iraq but I can't recommend this movie because in many ways it sucked.
Steep
If you are at all interested in snow sports or the outdoors in general then you must see this movie. It tells the story of a bunch of crazy men and women who climb or fly to the top of the highest mountain peaks and then ski down them in the most dangerous conditions, purely for the adventure of it all. The moutain visuals are breathtaking, and the people although obviously adrenaline junkies are a likeable bunch and they genuinely inspired and moved me with their commentaries. Makes you want to get outdoors and do stuff, which is a very good thing. Watch it!
London To Brighton
A British gangster chase thriller (phew), but fortunately not in the style of Lock, Stock etc. This is a bleak, gritty, unrelenting England without comic accents and "cockney geezers". It's a very simple movie with few characters (all unknown actors pretty much) and a bare-bones plot, but it totally engrosses thanks to believable performances, good pacing, and a strong, oppressive tension throughout. One of the best thrillers I've seen in a long time, and totally recommended.
The Walker
Woody Harrelson plays a gay socialite who "escorts" a group of rich women to various high-class events, but then gets mixed up in a murder. A strange premise, and a movie I wasn't sure would engage me but thankfully it did, thanks to Harrelson's brilliant performance (plus a great supporting cast) and a superb script. Slow paced for sure, but never dull and thoroughly enjoyable. Give it a try.
In The Shadow Of The Moon
This is a documentary about the NASA moon landings, told by the astronauts who actually did it. There's lots of fascinating archive footage from the time that has been spruced up with some modern technology. The result is a movie that is amazing to watch, but the best thing about this film are the personal accounts from the men themselves, and in particular their insights into seeing the Earth from such a unique perspective. I left feeling uplifted, but also reminded that our planet is a very precious thing that we should do all we can to protect. Everyone should see this movie, and I reckon they should show it to kids in school too.
The Darjeeling Ltd.
Went to see this movie because we've liked other films by the same director (Wes Anderson), such as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic. In my opinion this movie was better than both. It's the story of three brothers and a "spiritual" journey they make together across India. The characters are quirky for sure - a Wes Anderson trademark perhaps - but nevertheless I cared plenty about them which made the movie most enjoyable. Poignant and funny in equal measure, and with heaps and heaps of gorgeous scenery, this movie is both a travel brochure for India and a well-crafted character piece. Highly recommended.
Into The Wild
This film is based on a book by John Krakauer and a true story about a young man who "opts out" from the rat race and spends two years travelling America before finally heading to Alaska. His journey is as much emotional as it is physical, and the movie is at its best when it is detailing the people he meets along the way and how his passing through affects their lives, almost more than his. It's also a film that celebrates the diversity and natural beauty of North America. At over 2 hours it is a little long but doesn't really feel it - superb and tight performances by all involved maintained my interest. A beautiful film, and one I'd urge you to check out.
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke star in this crime drama as brothers who plan a heist on a jewelery store that goes very wrong. This film was well acted, but the characters are an unsympathetic bunch and you don't feel like rooting for any of them. That, plus a lack of motivation for some of their behaviour left me with an impression that the film wasn't quite the sum of its parts and ought to have been better. Flawed, but interesting.
Taken For A Ride
This was a documentary about how General Motors and other car manufacturers deliberately engineered the collapse of public transport in the United States and led to the total mess the country is now in with traffic jams in every city. This wasn't something we knew much about, so Steph and I found it fascinating. Seems that the general public loved their trams and they were very effective, but GM decided they wanted to sell cars so they bought all the transit systems and then ran them into the ground. Recommended for its educational value, and maybe because it might encourage people to shout louder for better public transit (and that doesn't mean buses!)
Redacted
Loosely based on true events, this is a Brian De Palma film that tells the story of US marines in Iraq who rape and kill a young girl. It was overacted, and annoying in the way it shoved its political message down your throat. Some shock value perhaps, and I'd give it credit for trying to show the reality of the war in Iraq but I can't recommend this movie because in many ways it sucked.
Steep
If you are at all interested in snow sports or the outdoors in general then you must see this movie. It tells the story of a bunch of crazy men and women who climb or fly to the top of the highest mountain peaks and then ski down them in the most dangerous conditions, purely for the adventure of it all. The moutain visuals are breathtaking, and the people although obviously adrenaline junkies are a likeable bunch and they genuinely inspired and moved me with their commentaries. Makes you want to get outdoors and do stuff, which is a very good thing. Watch it!
London To Brighton
A British gangster chase thriller (phew), but fortunately not in the style of Lock, Stock etc. This is a bleak, gritty, unrelenting England without comic accents and "cockney geezers". It's a very simple movie with few characters (all unknown actors pretty much) and a bare-bones plot, but it totally engrosses thanks to believable performances, good pacing, and a strong, oppressive tension throughout. One of the best thrillers I've seen in a long time, and totally recommended.
The Walker
Woody Harrelson plays a gay socialite who "escorts" a group of rich women to various high-class events, but then gets mixed up in a murder. A strange premise, and a movie I wasn't sure would engage me but thankfully it did, thanks to Harrelson's brilliant performance (plus a great supporting cast) and a superb script. Slow paced for sure, but never dull and thoroughly enjoyable. Give it a try.
In The Shadow Of The Moon
This is a documentary about the NASA moon landings, told by the astronauts who actually did it. There's lots of fascinating archive footage from the time that has been spruced up with some modern technology. The result is a movie that is amazing to watch, but the best thing about this film are the personal accounts from the men themselves, and in particular their insights into seeing the Earth from such a unique perspective. I left feeling uplifted, but also reminded that our planet is a very precious thing that we should do all we can to protect. Everyone should see this movie, and I reckon they should show it to kids in school too.
The Darjeeling Ltd.
Went to see this movie because we've liked other films by the same director (Wes Anderson), such as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic. In my opinion this movie was better than both. It's the story of three brothers and a "spiritual" journey they make together across India. The characters are quirky for sure - a Wes Anderson trademark perhaps - but nevertheless I cared plenty about them which made the movie most enjoyable. Poignant and funny in equal measure, and with heaps and heaps of gorgeous scenery, this movie is both a travel brochure for India and a well-crafted character piece. Highly recommended.
Into The Wild
This film is based on a book by John Krakauer and a true story about a young man who "opts out" from the rat race and spends two years travelling America before finally heading to Alaska. His journey is as much emotional as it is physical, and the movie is at its best when it is detailing the people he meets along the way and how his passing through affects their lives, almost more than his. It's also a film that celebrates the diversity and natural beauty of North America. At over 2 hours it is a little long but doesn't really feel it - superb and tight performances by all involved maintained my interest. A beautiful film, and one I'd urge you to check out.
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