Saturday, June 16, 2012
Lightning Review: The Loneliest Planet
But this movie is the ultimate lemon.
Warning: I am about to spoil the movie - but I'd like to think of this as public service. This movie is about the relationship of two people stumbling as they go about hiking in the mountains of Georgia. In reality, it's more like: a movie about two people as they go about hiking in Georgia. As in, seriously, NOTHING happens in the first 56 minutes of the movie, other than the two hiking and chatting to the locals and taking pictures. You can be late for 45 minutes and STILL be in touch with what the movie is all about.
And they get into the conflict and the truth about the guy comes out. It's not really a big revelation - but if you had nodded to sleep for two seconds, then you would have missed it. And everything APPARENTLY falls apart after that... except that part comes across quite poorly in the next 60 minutes.
Yes, this movie is two hours long. It makes Star Wars: Phantom Menace GRIPPING in comparison. Bloody Showgirls was more interesting than this.
The only thing that falls apart in this movie is the patience of the audience. No movie, despite its star, deserves to drag the audience through this drab excuse for Georgia tourism. Admittedly, yes, Georgia has wonderful scenery and for that, I may even vote for it in the 2013 Eurovision... but that is no excuse for this movie which does not deserve a screening in the local arthouse cinema - much more in the Sydney Film Festival.
"The Loneliest Planet" = 0 slice.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Our Commonwealth Bank Home Loan Experience
Mind you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with going on vacation and passing our file. The problem was he passed our file to an employee who then passed us on to the guy we first talked to. Yes, Mr Million was back in the cards.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
A Japanese Treat: Emon Restaurant
Still overall, it was a great night out, and for the 8-hour cooked pork belly alone, I would come back to this place. Emon - 3.5/5 slices
Saturday, March 10, 2012
A Nordic Surprise: Headhunters
Headhunters, a dark comedy from Norway, revolves around the story of one man's will to survive versus one man's will to succeed. I would recommend that you read nothing about the plot early on because the twists and turns that the movie makes are the most delightful aspects of the film. The genre itself is a dead horse, which is why it is so refreshing to see the Nords have their way with it, and perhaps unsurprisingly, they succeed in pulling it off really well.
The subtitles, a necessary evil in foreign films, can get tiring at times, and I admit that in the first 15 minutes of the film, I nearly fell asleep. However, that was before the ride actually began - after that, I was gobsmacked at where the film went. I'm not saying it is perfect - there are a couple of parts in the film that really were stretched thinly, and the amazingly discomforting nude scenes were really... discomforting... especially in the morgue.
Yes, nudity in the morgue. The movie certainly takes interesting twists.
Anyway, definitely definitely worth a watch. Hodejegerne (also known as Headhunters for you non-Norskies) 4/5 slices.
Monday, February 27, 2012
A New Sheet on an Old Ghost: Love Never Dies
The first impression I had of the Phantom of the Opera sequel wasn’t too good. Critics panned it when it first opened in London, and with those discouraging reviews, I thought it was going to be one of those turkeys that will be long remembered as a mistake from the word go (ahem, Spider Man anyone??).
And then news of a Melbourne production came in, and I thought, “This is going to be bad.” So when the accolades came rushing in, I first thought it was a marketing team working overtime - but the praises just kept on coming and coming, so I figured yeah sure. Let;’s give it a shot.
And it was… good. Apparently, the Australian team was given full rights to trim and tuck as they saw fit - and truly, they trimmed out a lot of the excess and made the story more closely tied to the original Phantom storyline - and that’s a good thing, I think.
The plot was melodramatic (as expected from a Phantom sequel) and the set was quite beautiful. It is not as dark as the original Phantom, as this time they opted for a rich maroon motif that reminded me of Baz Luhrmann’s red curtain trilogy. The set was absolutely a treat and it is a source of continuous shock that the set design team can fit that much into a stage so small.
The only thing working against it is the fact that the songs are so lacklustre. The songs just didn’t carry a strong enough hook to let the audience members hum along after the show. it’s not that the singers or the orchestra were bad - au contrare, the singers were note perfect and the orchestra was just fantastic. It’s just that no one can do Andrew Lloyd Webber - not even Andrew Lloyd Webber.
So overall, the show was great to look at and packs enough of a punch to impress - but at the end of the day, it can never be the classic that Phantom is.
Love Never Dies - 3/5 slices
Saturday, February 18, 2012
A Moment in Time: Falconer Cafe
A hidden gem in the middle of Oxford Street, the Falconer Cafe can easily be mistaken for a dilapidated greasy spoon diner, given its dark facade, dimly lit by a dying neon sign. However, once you step inside, you will see the idea behind the frontage. It’s like stepping back in time, into the 40’s, with the old style turntable churning away classic hits from some Billie Holiday album that only people with impeccable taste would remember.
I always drop by when I have a doctor’s appointment and every visit is a treat. My favourite dish thus far is the ricotta mushroom which is sprinkled with lemon oil, and their soy mocha never fails. Their desserts are also pretty darn good, and I would recommend the Tom Waits - don’t let the tobacco syrup turn you off. It’s pretty darn great, and unlike the majority of Oxford shops, it’s not horrendously expensive.
Falconer Cafe: 5/5 slices.
A Flash Review: Bohemia Beer
I found this beer in a Mexican restaurant in Manly - Mexico Via Manly (a bit expensive but quite good fajitas. Don’t try the churros though.) - and I have to say that I liked this beer. It’s heavier than Coronas but it’s flavourful still with a slight hint of lemon. Definitely recommended beer. 4/5 slices.