America's Next Top Model - Cycle 6

I have been holding out on reviewing TV shows but I can do so no longer. I am going to 'out' myself as a real lover of reality TV. It is just so easy and mindless to watch.

Anyway, I have just finished watching the final episode of America's Next Top Model - Cycle 6. I have a strange addition to this show. I have seen all the previous series as well - sad, but true.

In the final episode, Danielle is crowned America's Next Top Model. I was floored - I was utterly convinced it was going to be Joanie and I still think it should have been. I think if Joanie had not been a carbon copy of last years winner she may have had more of a chance. Was anyone else out there surprised that Danielle won?

Cycle 6 also saw Jade crash onto our TV screens. I am still trying to work out what she is on. Regardless, at least she was one of the more entertaining model wanna-be's they have had on the show. I am looking forward to watching Cycle 7 but they seem to show the series in Australia at least a year later than in the US so I am sure it will be all finished by the time I comment again.

The Dukes of Hazzard

I can not emphasize enough how bad this movie is. In fact, I am writing this blog with the movie still running in the background since I can not finish it. Bad acting, bad script, bad storyline. Jessica Simpson is awful, followed closely behind by Johnny Knoxville and Willie Nelson. I suspected that the movie was going to be lame but I had no idea it would be as bad as this. I am impressed by anyone who is able to sit through this entire film. This movie is not worth any stars. Dreadful.

Over the Hedge

I was very nicely surprised by this kids animated movie. I am not a fan of animation at all, but this movie was pretty good. There were lots of messages for kids about the need to conserve the environment as well as evils of junk food but those messages were certainly lost on the two kids I took to see the film. The plot of this movie is vastly improved on the one in Ice Age 2 (see review below) and there are plenty of funny moments for the adults. All in all, for an animated movie, it wasn't too bad.

Flightplan

This movie is incredibly disappointing. Jodie Foster - what on earth were you thinking!!! Surely even reading the script you would have seen all the gigantic holes in the plot. The movie starts off OK as you witness our heroines grief and apparent madness over losing her husband and daughter. At this point the movie is actually mildly interesting. As this was unfolding, I sat there watching the film hoping for a twist - which was provided about 3/4 of the way into the movie. But the twist was so utterly ridiculous that the movie soon lost any credibility it ever had. I won't start to list the problems I have with the ending since I don't want to ruin the surprise but I really can not recommend this film at all.

North Country

I can only really describe this movie as OK. It is your standard 'discrimination by numbers' kind of movie. Charlize is great, as are all the other actors, but it just does not seem to ever move past being a made for TV special. I think the fact that it is filmed in flashbacks does not help - there is little suspense about what is going to happen. And like all movies about overcoming adversity, you know the hero is going to come out on top. It is a good, solid film but not one that I would be racing to see.

The War of the Worlds

I am not at all sure how to describe this film. The reviews I had read before seeing it certainly painted it in a really bad light. Having now seen it, I agree with them since the movie was crap. But perhaps because I had such low expectations it was not as crappy as I had anticipated. The special effects are incredible and at times the tension which is created is really well done. But that really is all that is good about the movie. I was so disappointed in Tom Cruise but I guess he could only do so much with a movie based on an utterly ridiculous premise. I know the book by HG Wells is a classic but there is no way this film will be. I really can't recommend this film as worth seeing.

The Break Up

I really enjoyed this film. It is a classic chick flick, but if you go to it knowing that is going to be the case, it is hard not to like it. Jennifer Aniston is terrific and Judy Davis is also wonderful. The first half of the movie is laugh out loud stuff but it does slow down a little as it takes a serious turn. Nevertheless, the film is really enjoyable - that is until the final scene. Very disappointing. If you go to a chick flick you expect (and want) to see the classic chick flick ending but that is not what you get. Despite that criticism, I still thinkthe movie is great, lots of laughs and fun to watch.

My Flesh and Blood

This is an incredible documentary that I thoroughly recommend to anyone. I will also be surprised if you can get through it without at least a couple of tears. The film tells the story about a single mother in California who fosters many children, all of whom are disabled. The little boy featured in the movie poster has a variety of ailments that are not just physical. His difficult life, and the love of his foster mother, are a central part of the film. The scenes featuring his birth mother, and her husband, are difficult to sit through without being judgemental. Another child featured is a little girl who is profoundly disabled and disfigured. Her name is Faith because, as the little girl says, "Everyone has gotta' have faith". This is an incredible film and you should make sure you can see it.

To be and to have (Etre Et Avoir)

This is a really beautiful documentary about a group of young schoolchildren in a small village in France. Their teacher is every parents dream (and every childs). The kids range in age from about 4 up to 12 or so yet they are all taught in the same school classroom. I thoroughly recommend this film and the little boy featured on the movie poster certainly steals the show.

Jarhead

This is an excellent anti-war film which chronicles a six month period during the first Gulf War. Not a shot is fired in anger during the film by our hero, Private Swafford (who also wrote the book upon which the film is based). It would easy to be critical of American servicemen after watching this film since it caters to all the stereotypes - loud music and dancing in the middle of war, regular friendly fire accidents, lots of 'hoo-ra' to anything any one in the Marines might say. However it is an excellent film which I thoroughly recommend.

Rumour Has It

In my view, you can't go past a good ol' chick flick on a Friday night at home. And this one ticks all the boxes. It is a fairly predictable tale and Jennifer Aniston still seems to be playing Rachel from Friends. Yet despite all that, I really enjoyed the movie. No thinking is required and everything ends happily ever after. I watched this just prior to watching Jarhead (see review above) so it seems like pure fluff in comparison.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I decided to watch this film with an open mind given I love the original and wondered why anyone could think it needed to be updated. My children and I know the original pretty well so we all sat down and watched this one together. Needless to say, by the end of the movie each of us preferred the earlier version for different reasons. Yet we were all disappointed at the modernisation of the Oompa Loompas - the classic song was gone and replaced with some kind of strange hip hop chorus line. Despite expectations being dampened, it is still an interesting perspective on the classic tale and you do get to find out a lot more about how it is Willy Wonka came to make the best chocolate in the world.

The War Room

This is a relatively interesting documentary which details the campaign for Bill Clinton's election in 1992. It is a little dated now, but it is still a good look at what happens behind the scenes on the campaign trail. I love The West Wing so it is easy to see how the writers of that show probably used documentaries like this for their inspiration. The whole US electoral system, and particularly the party endorsement process of a presidential candidate, is pretty hard to get used to for a non-American like myself but it is fascinating anyway.

The Clearing

This is a really good film that probably did not receive the attention it deserves. The three leads - Robert Redford, Helen Mirren and Willem Dafoe - are all excellent. It is a thought provoking mystery that has enough twists and turns to keep the viewer interested. It is certainly not your usual kidnapping caper which is one of its real strengths. I recommend this movie to anyone who doesn't mind having to think a bit while enjoying a film.

Separate Lies

This is a really good film that certainly makes you think how you would handle certain ethical dilemmas. Emily Watson and Tom Wilkinson are superb as always. I thought Rupert Everett was OK, but not really a stand out. My only problem with the film was that so much of its strength lay in the various decisions each of the characters make throughout the film. And I did not find some of those decisions very convincing based on what you are told of each of the various characters. However, that is no doubt the key to the succes of the movie generally since there is lots for a viewer to consider long after the film has finished.

Candy

Luke Davies (1997), Allen & Unwin, 300 pages

I found this book very hard to put down which is always the sign of a very good read. I was also racing to finish the book before seeing the film version (see review below). The book tells the story of two young lovers whose lives spiral out of control as a result of their heroin addiction. But despite the context of their love story, their affection and devotion to one another rings true and seems to work amidst the constant desperation for their next hit. The book certainly shows the gritty and seedy side of this kind of life and should be compulsory reading for all teenagers who may think the can handle just one 'taste'. I thoroughly recommend this book but it is not for the faint hearted.

Candy

Knowing I was going to see this film, I raced to finish the book in the two days prior (see book review above). Normally I don't like a film version of any book I have read but this was as an exception. It was not as gritty as the book, but in its own way it was just as haunting, tragic and beautiful. Both Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish are superb. They seemed to have wonderful chemistry together and I would love to see them in another film together. Geoffrey Rush is also wonderful in his role as professor turned heroin addict. This is a very good film and I recommend it for anyone who has, or has not, read the book.

The Da Vinci Code

I went to see this film more because I felt I had to rather than really wanting to. There was so much hype, and I am one of the 40 million or so to have read the book, that I thought I had better be part of it. The film itself is pretty good - great scenery, solid acting, nice special effects, chase scenes - everything you would expect from a Hollywood blockbuster. So why did I find myself looking at my watch about half way into the film and then every 20 mins or so? Because I am one of the 40 million people who have read the book. The film is a solid re-creation of the book, as you would expect, but that means that for anyone who knows the story, there is no suspense. There is no shock when it turns out some of the key characters are bad guys. So I don't know how to recommend this film other than to say if you have not read the book you will probably like it. If you have read the book, don't bother. Stick with your imagination as to what Robert Langdon looks like. I know my version was not Tom Hanks with long hair.

Enron - The Smartest Guys in the Room

I did not really know much about what Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling had really got up to at Enron before watching this documentary. Having watched this, I now understand why shareholders, the US government and police were out for blood. It is an incredible tale of greed, corruption and arrogance which is wonderful viewing. The stories about shutting down the Californian power grid is almost impossible to believe.This is one documentary I thoroughly recommend.

Pride & Prejudice

I am a complete fan of the book, and know it inside out, so I was nervous about seeing this portayal of the classic. I am also a real fan of the BBC version and felt that a 2 hour movie could not possibly do the story justice. However, I was nicely surprised. This is a much more gritty version and no doubt shows life in a much more realistic light. Keira Knightly does a great job as Elizabeth, but she is the only really standout. Poor Mathew MacFadyen never stood a chance as Darcy - it will be difficult for any actor to let us forget Colin Firth in the BBC version. As a romantic, I was disappointed that the film did not end with their wedding - or at least a kiss. But the funniest moment of all was watching the US alternate ending - I will not ruin the moment here but it is just so crass, tacky and not to mention a complete fabrication. Jane Austen would certainly have been horrified but it is hilarious to see. I can understand why the ending was cut for British and Australian audiences. We would have demanded our money back. But then what does that say for for American viewers who obviously did not mind?!

DIG!

I knew nothing about The Dandy Warhols or The Brian Jonestown Massacre before watching this documentary. Now that I have seen it, I can't really see myself being a fan of either. It is a truly fascinating documentary but more as an observation of some fairly mentally unstable heroin addicts who also happen to be talented musicians. There are some very funny moments during the filming of the documentary, but also some very tragic ones. The images of a small toddler wandering through and living in the home of BJM whilst most of its inhabitants were heroin junkies is very sad. I recommend this film for any fans of either band, but also for anyone interested in seeing life lived in a way many of us will never experience.

The Proposition

I had heard really good things about this film and thought it was about time I saw it. The acting is superb, the plot is engaging and the scenery is foreboding. But I found the film difficult to watch, and did not end up finishing the movie, due to the sense of dread that is built up throughout. You know that something hideous is going to happen and I found the tension throughout very difficult to enjoy. That said, I do recognise that it is a very good movie and one that I would recommend for anyone with a tougher stomach than me.

Fun with Dick & Jane

I was forced to watch this film on a flight with no other movie options. It was so bad that I put it right up there with Bewitched (see review below) in the total crap stakes. But then with Jim Carrey looking like a goose in the movie poster, what can you expect? The plot is wafer thin, the acting pathetic and the stereotypes predictable. I do not recommend even watching this film when it is on free-to-air television, let alone outlaying any money to see it.

The Door in the Floor

I have not read John Irving's A Widow for One Year upon which this film is based so I had no knowledge of what the film was about before watching it. In some ways I think that may be an advantage since I kept watching the film unfold with no clear idea of where it was going. I thought it was a really beautiful although also disturbing movie. The characters are all deeply flawed in their own ways but then the tragedy and grief which Marion and Ted have experienced goes someway to explaining (and justifying) their behaviour. The movie is a little slow in places and ends on a flat note given Marion's departure. However I understand that the film is based only on the first third of the novel and I now feel I need to read the book to find out what ends up happening to this tragic family.

Downfall

I really did not want to watch this film. I have never been a fan of WWII dramas and the thought of watching one with subtitles was a complete turn off. However, I decided to watch it because of the rave reviews I had read and I did think the idea of looking at how Hitler spent his last weeks was interesting. After watching this film, I now feel very ignorant for ever having thought this could be a boring film. It was mesmorizing viewing and a simply incredible, realistic and shocking portrayal of life in Hitler's bunker in Berlin. The scene with Frau Himmler and her children (all six of whom she poisoned) was too much for me to watch by that stage in the film and I had to skip through it. But to have that kind of impact surely indicates the strength of the film generally. I thoroughly recommend this movie - even for those with not the slightest interest in WWII history.

Life with Judy Garland - Me & My Shadows

As far as bio-pics go, this one is not bad. It is clearly a 'made for TV special' but it is still fairly interesting. The film is based on the autobiography of Judy Garland's daughter, Lorna Luft. It therefore provides an interesting, albeit fairly sympathetic, portrayal of her mother's life. Judy Davis is a dead ringer for Garland (excuse the pun!) and while the singing is clearly dubbed throughout the film with Garland's own voice, that does not detract from Davis' performance.

A Good Woman

This should have been a good film. It had a brilliant cast - Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Wilkinson. The story was excellent as you would expect since it was based on Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan. It is a Shakespearian comedy of sorts with misunderstandings and confused relationships causing all manner of trouble. But for some reason it just did not work. Despite the incredible backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, the film is dry, unappealing and turgid. Very disappointing.