Memo about a movie: The King’s Speech

26 01 2011

You just have to see this movie. Colin Firth plays King George VI, Queen Elizabeth’s father. He’s stammers and seeks the help of a speech therapist, Lionel, played by Geoffrey Rush. A relationship develops – funny, deep, painful at times, but remarkable. I guess this is at least partially based on fact – the post movie words indicated it, which makes it a great story to make a movie about.

You could feel the pain and at times, I admit, the eyes felt a bit misty. There were some unusual wide-angled scenes that made the King look vulnerable, which he certainly was and Geoffrey Rush, well why don’t we see more of him man!? Fantastic.

Unmissable is my rating.

Enjoy.


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Memo about a movie: The social network

11 01 2011

I bought my tickets online for the movie this evening and on my credit card being swiped at the till at the Rialto in Newmarket, our tickets were generated. Such is technology nowadays. Some drinks and popcorn for Tim and we were on our way.

Following the founding  of Facebook, largely though the settling of two lawsuits by Mark Zukerman, the story doesn’t make anyone look too flash at all. Zukerman comes across as sad and obsessive. Could he be so now with a majority stake in a company worth $25b? Maybe. The power of an idea that goes viral on the internet is inspiring. I kept thinking through the movie “what next?”. No doubt some 18-year-old will have it. Partway though the movie Tim discovered that his soft drink was flavourless. Ah, the disappointment.

The Social Network is a fast movie, looks honest, if not a bit predictable with two-dimensional characters, but hey, that could be true. Ending with a rather sad attempt by Zukerman to reconnect with the girl who dumped him, I guess we were being told he wasn’t completely narcissistic. Only others like to think that narcissistic’s aren’t. The narcissistic is content as they are.

If I was internet-powerful like Zukerman I could probably make mischief out of the theatres inaction over Tim’s soft drink when we left. Strange that the manager couldn’t see the irony in the experience and the movie. Hope he’s allowed to see the movie one day. Even if only to reinforce the reality of the web, we should all see this movie. And it’s a fun and at times funny flick.


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Memo about a movie: Island City

3 12 2010

You just have to see this movie. That’s all I really want to say! It’s funny, crazy and sweet all at once.  A prison guard – sorry Correctional Facilities Officer – (Andy Garcia), and his family which includes a son with a fetish to feed women, a daughter at college who’s had breast implants so she can work as a stripper, and an inmate, on parole under Dad’s supervision.

Dad is away once a week “playing poker”. Actually he’s having acting lessons but doesn’t know how to tell his family! His “manager” is a classmate (she was in the Woody Allen movie Matchpoint) and when success hits, it almost all unravels.

You’ll love it.

Stephen


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A chinese invasion

14 09 2010

Running along the waterfront this evening (well actually yesterday now) I took a diversion into Queen’s wharf where tied up at the wharf are two Chinese Defence (or as the security guard said “war”) ships. The crisp blue uniforms of the sailors were striking as they walked backwards and forwards from the ship. Some were practicing their marching on the wharf. What is the Chinese Navy doing in Auckland? As you look up from Queen’s wharf the HSBC tower is prominent and there were traders selling dozens of wool duvets in a makeshift stall in the shed so maybe they got lost and thought they were in Hong Kong.

Either way, despite that they had guns pointed at the Vero Building they seemed friendly enough. In fact you can see from the banner on the side of the vessels that they were here for friendly purposes.

Hope they enjoyed the Super City.

Stephen

More photos here


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Fit for the Prime Minister

29 08 2010

I did a new run today – 25.5 km, incorporating some of the Wednesday run and going past one present, one former and the electorate of a would-be Prime Minister.

I got caught in some flash flooding from hail on Dominion Road, and it’s a great run that I’d do again.

Stephen\’s Prime Minister Run
Find more Others in Auckland, New Zealand


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Memo about a movie: Predicament

27 08 2010

Predicament is a New Zealand movie set in the 1930s in the Taranaki. It’s a black comedy about a group of young guys who hatch a plan to blackmail an unpopular and wealthy land-owning family.

Things don’t go quite to plan and a very anxious lead who for some reason is made to look like Harry Potter, ends up with a head in a box in his attic.

Tim Finn plays the Dad and has a pretty silent role for most of the movie.

I laughed and enjoyed the rich tones and earthy, dare I say, foreign film feeling.

Stephen


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Whatever Works

23 07 2010

It’s the title of a Woody Allen movie that I saw a while back. For some reason I often find myself thinking about it and tried to buy it today, without success. I’ll try to see if I can buy it on-line. A grumpy Quantum Physicist played by Seinfeld creator Larry David talks to you during the movie – yep, right at you. It’s hilarious. He meets a 21 year-old runaway and despite his protestations and rudeness, she falls for him and they marry.

Christian fundamentalist Mum turns up a while later, aghast at the turn of events.  Later Dad turns up, looking for Mum, to find her settled into a relationship with two men and his daughter married to a bitter, complaining old man.

Things take a turn for the best for Dad though, who finds his soul-mate at a bar. Everyone ends up where they should be.

It’s very funny, meaningful and touches on lots of things I enjoy – big bang, religion (the parents see the light!) and relationships that make people happy for themselves, not for others.

Whatever works. I liked it a lot.

Go Woody!


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Town Centre 150m

18 06 2010

Have you ever done it? Travelling north from Hamilton, wishing they would complete the expressway, driving through Ngaruawahia, then the sign: Town Centre 150m Turn Right. Why not I thought? I realised I’d never been into the town centre. Come to think of it, I wasn’t sure that I even knew that there was a town centre. Wasn’t it just that BP, the pub with the huge Waikato Draft sign and a couple of shops on the main road? Well no, actually, there’s more to it and it’s not bad. Tidy, some nice buildings and quite a lot of activity. Not exactly Matamata (who would have thought you would look up to Matamata!) but it’s okay. So what is Ngaruawahia about?  The Maori King, close to Mt Taupiri and probably it’ll be the last town to be avoided before Hamilton as the expressway starts it’s next trip south and away from all those small towns. The street you drive in to get to the town centre is Galileo Street. I wonder how they ended up with that one? Maybe like me, they like space. Could be why you’d live there too.

There’s a website for the town if you’re interested.


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A beautiful narcissist

9 06 2010

I’m not sure whether I should be putting this blog in here as a memo about a movie or under my corporate psychopath blog – the movie wins but suffers the header. In the world we live in today where very little seems original and you can have a copy of whatever you want, Coco Chanel’s style in Coco & Igor is delicious. The movie got me right from the start with the dramatic beginnning in the premiere of Stravinsky’s new work in 1913 (though what’s with the opening credits still appearing after what seemed like about 20 minutes?!). It was an artistic movie, mainly in French, with some Russian and a little English. Chanel is portrayed as a striking, independent, sexual and ruthless woman who would play second fiddle to no-one, including Stravinsky. Her lack of conscience at destroying his family felt harsh and there was little doubt that she got what she wanted in life. And with style.

It was glamorous in setting, though the pain of lust vs family was very unglamorous. Narcissitic behaviour is often excused with the phase “but she’s so amazing at….”, as if excellence at something excuses destroying other lives. It doesn’t and the movie made it plain to me that it doesn’t.

I liked it. What to do with my front room? Been thinking about a makeover – maybe black and white…..


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32 years ago

7 06 2010

I got my drivers licence today in 1978 after a course of lessons with Mr “AA” Watson. Muldoon was the Prime Minister. I was at Shirley Boys’ High School. I first drove on the road on my 15th birthday in my brother David’s Morris 1000. Dad let me drive on family outings for practice. It felt easy and still does. I love driving. Always have. Always will. Love road trips with the cruise control on, cornering with the ease that a safe car and experience gives you. I drive safe and I enjoy it. All we ever hear nowadays is about the things that go wrong on the road. For me many things go right. I reckon that the highways are far better now than in 1978. Took my Mum and Dad to Rotorua with my son Tim for the Marathon last month. Beautiful drive on great highways. Perfect New Zealand scenery. Even driving in the city is great. I’m patient, used to being late so I relax and take in what’s around. It’s like being in a perpetual movie. Thanks Mr Watson. I reckon I’ve driven about 600000 km. And I’ve enjoyed it. When I stop and park, thanks to you I can reverse in like no-one can. You gave me the angle and I still got it man! Once a man in Mission Bay came over to shake my hand having watched three other motorist try and take a park, and give up. Ha. Gotta go, my car’s all gassed up ready to go!


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