Thank God That's Over
If I had a game show, that's what it would be called: "Thank God That's Over". My one and only exam is now over, and two of my essays have been handed in, so there's just one to go.
To celebrate the end of impending exam doom(TM), I wandered into the city and ended up seeing The DaVinci Code at Hoyts. And I didn't mind it! MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD: though they aren't really spoilers, if you've read the book.
It was an hour after I'd left the cinema when I realised why I would make such an *awful* film critic. I sit down to watch a film and, unless I really don't get it, or it just really doesn't grab me (which is pretty rare), I sit there and just enjoy being swept up in the film. So the first 2 hours actually went really quite fast for me - I think when the whole thing with the cryptex went on so long that I thought suddenly, "gosh, when are they going to get to the second one?" then checked my watch and realised they weren't going to, because there just wasn't time.
This may sound really really weird, but I think my favourite character is Silas. He's just so misunderstood!... Nah, he's so focused on the way things are in his world, and absolutely resolute in what he's doing. I wonder if a life like that is better than the kind most of us have, where we're constantly confused and questioning ourselves and everything we know. Sometimes I get into ridiculous, almost philosophical debates in my head, thinking about things. And they just go around and around in circles, I never seem to be able to come to a solid conclusion. I've said it before, and it's certainly true: I'm the fence-sitter extraordinaire.
But about the film - I actually really enjoyed it, despite the panning it's gotten from so many angles! Ian McKellan is quite the scene-stealer, Audrey Tatou really sold the idea of her charcater being on the journey of discovery, especially with the revelation at the end, and Tom Hanks was not as bad as feared! As mentioned, loved Paul Bettany, and Alfred Molina did his usual ambiguous "you-can't-tell-if-I'm-good-or-E-V-I-L thing!!! I loved the French police angle, Jean Reno was pretty good (I liked his "Adam's-apple acting" when he admits to Collet why he's pushing this case so hard) and the fact that they actually got to speak so much French!! And, linguistics geek moment, Sophie kind of code-switches (between French and English) at the end when she's surprised. Hee!
On my way home I rented Lantana from the video shop. I've actually just written a paper for Cinema studies, and Lantana was one of the films I discussed, so in that sense, I kind of put the cart before the horse. But it was writing the paper that made me think about it again, and made me realise I wanted to see it again. I was surprised by how much of the film I remembered, even before I read a few texts about it that helped me remember the order of all the scenes better.
So I'm sitting here watching it again and I'm amazed by the performances and the framing and everything. For a script that has to get so much exposition across, I find it surprisingly naturalistic - it's not as stilted as some scripts I've read (and written) ;) And it's always fun 'spotting people' - like Vince Colosimo on the verge of being known by women across Australia as "Sexy Rexy" ^_^
Some parts are really funny, and the most interesting thing that I hear now that I didn't hear when I saw it back in 2002 is LaPaglia's accent - While it passes most of the time as Aussie, sometimes I hear the edges, the odd vowels that come from his American accent. Apparently he worked with a dialogue coach to get his Aussie accent back. While it mostly worked - he says "mate" numerous times during the film and he sounds fine! - like I said, there are edges.
I've heard it mentioned, the incongruity of seeing Glenn Robins in a dramatic role with no big comic part, but I think he does quite well with it. The Nik-Paula relationship is really beautiful, especially when he's been taken in for questioning and she finally gets to go into the interview room and see him, and he tells her he didn't do anything, that he didn't commit the crime they're talking to him about. They hug, and they just hold each other... it's just lovely. Geoffrey Rush is really interesting, he has a really complex character... or maybe it's a simple character that he gives layers of complexity to. I'm sure pedropablo would agree. ;)
Well, three subjects down, one to go. And hopefully not too much more procrastination!
To celebrate the end of impending exam doom(TM), I wandered into the city and ended up seeing The DaVinci Code at Hoyts. And I didn't mind it! MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD: though they aren't really spoilers, if you've read the book.
It was an hour after I'd left the cinema when I realised why I would make such an *awful* film critic. I sit down to watch a film and, unless I really don't get it, or it just really doesn't grab me (which is pretty rare), I sit there and just enjoy being swept up in the film. So the first 2 hours actually went really quite fast for me - I think when the whole thing with the cryptex went on so long that I thought suddenly, "gosh, when are they going to get to the second one?" then checked my watch and realised they weren't going to, because there just wasn't time.
This may sound really really weird, but I think my favourite character is Silas. He's just so misunderstood!... Nah, he's so focused on the way things are in his world, and absolutely resolute in what he's doing. I wonder if a life like that is better than the kind most of us have, where we're constantly confused and questioning ourselves and everything we know. Sometimes I get into ridiculous, almost philosophical debates in my head, thinking about things. And they just go around and around in circles, I never seem to be able to come to a solid conclusion. I've said it before, and it's certainly true: I'm the fence-sitter extraordinaire.
But about the film - I actually really enjoyed it, despite the panning it's gotten from so many angles! Ian McKellan is quite the scene-stealer, Audrey Tatou really sold the idea of her charcater being on the journey of discovery, especially with the revelation at the end, and Tom Hanks was not as bad as feared! As mentioned, loved Paul Bettany, and Alfred Molina did his usual ambiguous "you-can't-tell-if-I'm-good-or-E-V-I-L thing!!! I loved the French police angle, Jean Reno was pretty good (I liked his "Adam's-apple acting" when he admits to Collet why he's pushing this case so hard) and the fact that they actually got to speak so much French!! And, linguistics geek moment, Sophie kind of code-switches (between French and English) at the end when she's surprised. Hee!
On my way home I rented Lantana from the video shop. I've actually just written a paper for Cinema studies, and Lantana was one of the films I discussed, so in that sense, I kind of put the cart before the horse. But it was writing the paper that made me think about it again, and made me realise I wanted to see it again. I was surprised by how much of the film I remembered, even before I read a few texts about it that helped me remember the order of all the scenes better.
So I'm sitting here watching it again and I'm amazed by the performances and the framing and everything. For a script that has to get so much exposition across, I find it surprisingly naturalistic - it's not as stilted as some scripts I've read (and written) ;) And it's always fun 'spotting people' - like Vince Colosimo on the verge of being known by women across Australia as "Sexy Rexy" ^_^
Some parts are really funny, and the most interesting thing that I hear now that I didn't hear when I saw it back in 2002 is LaPaglia's accent - While it passes most of the time as Aussie, sometimes I hear the edges, the odd vowels that come from his American accent. Apparently he worked with a dialogue coach to get his Aussie accent back. While it mostly worked - he says "mate" numerous times during the film and he sounds fine! - like I said, there are edges.
I've heard it mentioned, the incongruity of seeing Glenn Robins in a dramatic role with no big comic part, but I think he does quite well with it. The Nik-Paula relationship is really beautiful, especially when he's been taken in for questioning and she finally gets to go into the interview room and see him, and he tells her he didn't do anything, that he didn't commit the crime they're talking to him about. They hug, and they just hold each other... it's just lovely. Geoffrey Rush is really interesting, he has a really complex character... or maybe it's a simple character that he gives layers of complexity to. I'm sure pedropablo would agree. ;)
Well, three subjects down, one to go. And hopefully not too much more procrastination!