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Babylon
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 807
Now this, off to an amazing start - and then, somewhere about 2/3 of the way through, falls apart.
To be sure, the first hour is worth the price of admission alone. The trailer does not lie, it's an orgy of every conceivable decadence, a tour-de-force of camera shots, choreography, it's got it all. And then as the character development kicks in it slows down. A lot. And then more so.
Margot Robbie is amazing. Brad Pitt is good. Diego Calvo is great as Manny Torres, but - his role suffers development. Jovan Adepo keeps the music going and provides a glimpse of depth and integrity.
And the end - the end, it's a Hollywood wank-fest to all the joy that the movies have brought people - really, truly, unnecessary.
So - a great film - to a point, but an hour - or more - should have been left on the cutting room floor. What it wanted in this is a good bit of editing.
Dag
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: People
- Hits: 660
And, the road to hell paved with good intentions and all of the people I didn't contact this holiday season.
You know who.
Dag, into the thrift shop, railing at M***, then me. Her daughter. It's not her daughter, it's merely the bringing of bad tidings, of which her daughter has the misfortune to be the bearer.
You see, Dag, being deprived of her drivers license due to crimes against humanity, is now house-bound in Procter.
Talking to her, now 10, 12 years younger than when I talked to her last, she's regressing, it's not obvious, she's plausible in all other respects, but this backwards-aging, and were I better acquainted with her I would notice the others, I'm not so and so it flies. Just this, her age, getting younger every time we meet.
And I still haven't made it up to see Stormy. Which I'd better see to quick or I'll be going to hell...
Feathering the Nest
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: People
- Hits: 632
And, volunteering, back at the thrift shop. I had cleared the area - M***'s area, made it to the back wall, had my picture taken and it was distributed to the staff as proof that it could be done.
This was while M*** was away. M*** got back a few weeks ago, and offered dim congratulations on my 2 week success that undermined his 5 years of constant, 5 days a week labor...
I knew it would be this way. And, whether contrite or infected with my Zen enthusiasm he even cleaned up his shrine, all into a tub.
But - now I'm noticing, his Shrine is being rebuilt. A new one, from new donations and - to him (and occasionally me) - filled with items he(or I) find curious.
This is it at the moment:
You get it. Kitsch.
And - his area - as I'm often in when he isn't - has been sealed with red tape, like a crime scene, none shall pass, and I'm directed instead to other departments that have need of my skills.
He's rebuilding the nest. He can't help it. It's in his blood. Just as much as it's in my blood to destroy it.
I'm thinking at the moment jewelry could use my attention. I have yet to find a single interesting watch, and would be most curious to go through the tubs - and tubs - of bad plastic/Bakelite/gold plate/silver alloy jewelry and see if maybe, just maybe, there's something of interest.
Pretty sure there isn't, but pretty sure M*** is done working with me for a bit and so time to diversify and find other ways to keep productive and busy...
White Noise - Noah Baumbach
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 945
This, for a Netflix movie, was well done. The dialogue, the background ambience (watch with CC to catch it all - although, probably you won't...it may need a revisit) - snappy, sharp, incisive. This is what you get when you pay a writer. And a competent director. The difference - not quite a great movie, but so far head and shoulders above the rest it deserves mention.
And - while set in 1984, is ever more relevant today. The themes of "keep-em-distracted" and "life happens to those who don't pay attention" and the brainwashing of the populace by consumer-culture, mass media, and the - both obviousness and irrelevance of it all - well -
These themes have been resonating for a while.
Well done, and I have to admire Adam Driver for his commitment to rather less commercially spectacular films (think Annette) that make him someone worth watching. I look for the director first - but - on occasion the actors will compel me. He's one.
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