Friday 17 December 2010

Somewhere....(There is a point to this film)



Now, before i begin to attempt to explain to you how bad this film is, let me first make something clear, I LIKE FILMS WHERE NOT much HAPPENS. Some of my favourite films include The Anniversary party, Coffee and Cigarettes, Before Sunrise & Sunset, The station agent and most notably, Sofia Copolla's last effort, Lost in Translation. I like films that rely on dialogue and character. Films that are comfortable to have characters share a familiar situation which is true to life. This is the beauty of film-making.

I saw "Somewhere" at the cinema the other night, I think. It quite easily could have been Lost in Translation, or an edited version where someone had taken out all of the good bits. Copolla has made the same film again but decided that there was too much storyline last time. This time she relies on the excitement of real life, you know, like when you take a shower or brush your teeth.

It opens up with a car circling an off road track. You think "this is intriguing" Let me warn you, it's not. It's simply a preview of what's to come.

There is one scene where we're actually watching the grass grow. I think the only time my heart rate reached "alive" was when Chris Pointius plays some Guitar Hero, by comparison it was almost watchable.

So to conclude, awful, just awful.

Sunday 12 December 2010

Make that change.

Coming up to that New Years resolution time of the year where business for Gym's sky rockett and efforts to attend them fail miserably. So why is this?

Change really isn't as easy as some people would like to think it is. Some people are able to make dramatic changes where others struggle to do so. So what does this mean? It means some people are pre-destined with the genetic make-up and environmental factors that can foster this behaviour. Otherwise, you are almost trying to change paths when there is no bridge between them.

So based on this logic, change almost occurs based on a coming-out-of-a-coma-like state. If you're lucky enough to experience this, make changes quick before you slip back into your life coma, it's often unavoidable. Our Waking Lives are often so mundane it's as if we are merely the spectators of a life that is being played out on its own, like a Dvd set to repeat.

Change must be gradual and structured. It requires focus, discipline and sacrifice so if you are unable to display any of these qualities you're only hope will be that life makes the changes for you and that rarely goes the way you would like it to.