Bamako

For various reasons I didn't make it through all of Bamako, but enough to form my opinion.

The main story is sold as a trial of the impact of the World Bank and the IMF in Africa. This is taking place in a courtyard, in which life is continuing, such as that of Mele and her problems... and that's about it. Neither part of the story is well served, and it all moves very slowly. The trial part isn't well formed, and the only reason I knew what was going on was because I read a movie review. And Mele's storyline isn't why I went, and then it was just in bits and pieces.

I'm not entirely sure which parts were happenstance and which were scripted, but given the good (lucky) cinematography, I have my suspicions that more were set up than were intended. It's a neat concept to have this important trial in the middle of a courtyard, but director Sissako is too often cutting away to show off the courtyard life gimmick that the main part of the movie (presuming the trial is the main part) is not well served at all.

And to continue to show I didn't get a lot of this, here's a wee 'movie' they have the residents of the courtyard watch...

(Yes, yes, Africans get cut down in the middle and not a lot is cared about them, but is that all it is?)

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DW 8.06

Okay, I'll admit it, not as terrible as I was expecting.  Dare I venture as far as saying this is the best episode so far of the season?

It took Danny Pink to point out that the Doctor really is Space Dad. He's trying to be cool, compete with Clara's affections, and she's trying to live too lives with cool dad and new boyfriend. It comes to a head when the Doctor is at the school, back at Coal Hill School, and still not a teacher there! Although I think this might be a reference to Remembrance, when the janitor position was open? No doubt Dave will work it out.

Anywho, there's an alien presence around and (because I'm remembering Gareth's previous episode), it may as well have been a Cyberman or any other monster. It doesn't really matter, it's just there to point out that the Doctor is an Officer and expects everyone to jump to his whim (now where's that Time Lord, the Officer?).

I'm guessing people know if this happens, but I can see Clara and Danny going with the Doctor for an adventure or too... although male companions never come off well in the series. Except... as I think about it now, it's going to be impacted by Steven Moffat, and I don't see that going well any way around.

I also want to throw out an accolade to Ellis George, playing the previously mentioned Courtney Woods. Yeah, good acting all round.

So, with this good episode, I expect the rest of the series will descend into its usual decrepitude?

Next week: Guys, it's good that you want to reuse props, but can't we please get some new space suits?

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The Double

I missed it at the Film Festival, but have now caught up with it.

Simon James is living in a world that Brazil would be proud of. The computers are big clunky things, and everything is overly strict, and nothing goes his way. Although there is a young woman he's failing to have anything to do with. Then James Simon turns up, who looks just like him, but is better. Far better. Everything goes right for James but not Simon, and Simon's life becomes even worse until he has to take final steps.

Jesse Eisenberg has a lot to do, with two roles to play, and in some way play two different people who are the same but not. The effects are good enough when he is twice on screen that there were no obvious problems I could spot. Mia Wasikowska is playing a one note character, and doesn't get much of an arc. Overall Richard Ayoade does a good job, although it does get rather surreal at moments and hard to track what's going on.

Perhaps I should read the original book... but I don't see that happening soon.

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Love couture

Because at work I sit near an annoying humming server room (we really need to come up with a better solution than this), I'm listening to a lot of music at the moment. In particular, I've been listening to Madonna albums because... of course I would.

On in particular I want to talk about is Love Profusion. More specifically the unusual video.


I'm not talking about the effects. Plenty of her videos have lots of effects, and this isn't her first time on a green screen stage. What is odd is... her rather simple dress. I can't think of any other video of hers in which she's in just a simple dress like that. Usually it's some over wrought creation, or bizarre ensemble, or pants suit or whatever. This is a plain dress like a lot of women would wear. And, yes, she looks good in it.

Oh, and this video also highlights the odd moment in the song when she goes "there too, too, too many options". It sticks out because it doesn't fit the rest of the song and only happens the once. No idea why it's there, and it shouldn't be.

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Sabotarge

I can't remember why I grabbed this movie to watch. And then I saw Arnold Schwarzenegger and I guess that's why.

He is leading a DEA Special Ops team that is more than a little dirty, and they steal ten million dollars... then someone steals that. And later, starts killing them off. One by one, the team are axed, and Caroline (she doesn't have another name according to IMDB) is a Fed trying to work out what is going on, and slowly they develop the story...

And then the movie falls apart in the last third. And the last fifteen minutes are from a completely different movie? According to the trivia, this ending was extremely different from the original cut options they had, and it really shows. It just doesn't work at all, because it largely comes out of nowhere. Still, I don't want to see the original movie which was going to be three hours long??

Most of the characters are largely one-note. And that note depends a lot on the scene they are in. Yeah, character consistency has a few problems. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't really get a lot to do and Olivia Williams as Caroline isn't a great part either.

This had a lot of potential, but it can't hold it together.

And because one must (although they didn't allow this to be used for promotion):

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Riiiight

Go on. Watch this. Without your brain breaking. If you can...


And if you want to see people playing it, check out this Watch and Play.

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Got Ham

It has begun! The great new series based in the universe of Batman but featuring young Bruce and Jim Gordan and subtly hinting at all the villains to come... or not so subtly in some cases.

We start with the death of the Waynes (with a rather surprising witness), and Jim and Harvey Bullock are assigned. And everyone is corrupt except Jim, so they quickly come to a solution of who is behind this... but is that more convenience than reality? And with questions being asked how long before the real power speaks up and lays down their own law?

As a crime drama this is run of the mill. "The one good cop in a corrupt city" has been done before, and done better. I can't say I'm that interested in seeing it play out here.

As a Batman universe series... it isn't any better. We get some set up for upcoming villains, but it is very obvious so that people can pick up on it. The series doesn't seem to be wanting to hang around too long with mysteries, so here they all are!

But this is only the pilot, so hopefully it will settle down... and hopefully I'll put up with it long enough to find out.

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