Film — Renaissance

Quasi-cyberpunk 2054 Paris is the home to a major biotech concern, Avalon, whose adverts talk of helth, beauty and longevity. Ilona, one of their scientists goes missing, and a hard-bitten cop is put on the case. We find out that Ilona was working on progeria. And the plot unfolds with tiresome predictability from those givens; and with all the old movie clichés about computer file security.

The film is live action, and, apparently, English dialogue (rather than dub), rotoscoped into hard black and white, no greyscale at all in most scenes, and where it is shown, it is background haziness; and colour is restricted to a handful of seconds. The Paris of 2054 is built on the modern one by just painting it on; remodelling Montmartre, raising extra levels on rivetted steel, and a purely rendered version of La Défense (or equivalent), with a vertigo inducing glass office spanning the arch.

The pacing is superb, with almost no fat — perhaps a little needless lingering on the gang-boss' harem, which one can consider as counterweight for a very minimalist handling of the love interest.

In sum, almost as manly as the other French actioner (Bainlieue 13); wonderfully executed; pity about the story.

[Now playing - Planet Rock]

Film — 鉄人28号 (Tetsujin 28)

At least it isn't only Hollywood that has hit on the idea of updating a fairly groundbreaking title from years gone by.

Taking it without that context, as a Japanese live action mecha movie, we follow the usual checklist:

• Actors mugging to the blue screen: check
• “Never send a man to do a boy's job”: check. 12 year old Kaneda Shotaro has eidetic memory and is a dab hand at flying a radio-controlled plane. All the skills needed, in fact, to pilot a mecha.
• Issues: check. There is something unresolved in his past, about the last time he saw his father
• Mecha in the family: check. Kaneda-san was upgrading the WWII era mecha that his own father had worked on at the end of the war when he died
• Tokyo Tower in peril: check. As soon as the villain-mecha appears, its earnest of intent is to start unscrewing it from its foundations

So, by now you know if you'll like this next generation revival of the classic of 50 years ago for its own sake.

[Now playing - Planet Rock]

Film — The great Yokai War aka The Great Hobgoblin War et al.

A Japanese live-action fantasy adventure film, so you know you're in for, and it delivers, a lot of rubber suits, heavy make-up, and slightly mannered acting all with a generous helping of cheese — all the sorts of vices that the animated form manages to avoid.

That as a given, this is a take on the “reluctant hero” pattern, as young Tadashi, recently moved from Tokyo to a rural village, gets caught up in a village festival, and is elected the Kirin Rider, a local folk-hero. This of course is his passport into the world of the spirits, just as Lord Kato (the villain, played as if by an understated Jeremy Irons) is invoking the angry spirits of discarded things to attack Tokyo.

Through a combination of grit and slapstick humour, Tadashi and a few fairly incompetent spirits (and an exceptionally kawaii sunekosuri) manage to save the day. And all without a single yell of "Kirin Rider Super Lightning Attack!" or similar invocation to invoke a power up!

Neither great art nor cutting edge cinema — but good solid fun, and, I think, would bear a second viewing.

Film — Angel-a

… or “ZOMG! its Rie!” ;)

A film about honesty and getting in touch with one's feminine side (from a man's PoV, that is).

Told in Besson's usualy quirky style, and shot in black and white, André, a loser, possibly dealing in olive oil, and played by Jamel Debbouze (not a tall guy), is at his wits' end when he gets entangled with a great bean-pole of a girl who claims to be his guardian angel (Rie Rasmussen, her height enhanced with 6" stilettos), and acts like his exact opposite. She takes him on a fairly lawless trip through the underbelly of Paris where he has become mired, into the bright lights, during which time, he self-actualises and grows a spine.

Ultimately a film to watch for pretty much everything but the story.

Film — Silentium

A murder made to look like a suicide, an ex-cop and failed store detective working as a PI, institutional corruption in the Salzburg Festival and Catholic Church — all the ingredients for film noir. Add a scene that can be added to Psycho in a list of reasons not to take a shower, and you have Silentium.

Film — Bainlieue 13

A truly manly film, in the 4chan-/a sense of “manly”. The setting — a walled in ghetto suburb of near-future Paris, where normal life has broken down — serves as an excuse for martial arts, gun-play, and much parkour. The excuse is that one of the big dealers in the ghetto has hijacked a nuke, and the clock is ticking, so an undercover cop and a denizen of the district have to find it and disarm it.

Indeed, so manly a film is it that although there is a named female character, it's the latter character's sister, who is held hostage by the the top bad guy and needs rescue. Yes, amazingly, an entirely slush-free film.

Co-written by Besson, with leads who are stuntmen and parkour exponents, this film is made of great fun and win! Go see it, now!

[Now playing - Planet Rock]

Film — Pirates of the Caribbean 2 : Dead Man's Chest

For starting out the 26th Cambridge Film Festival with an entirely unserious romp, an excellent choice.

Maybe not quite as good as the original, since there we were finding out quite how outrageous the characters were, rather than this time's extending of the absurdities. Not that the absurdities were at all bad — a gratuitous architectural feature of a derelict church could be expected to provide a humorous little incident; this film managed to make it last for several minutes, piling incident upon incident.

Bad points: no mention of the Pirate Code; and maybe a bit too much of pretty boy Bloom (but I'm not in the relevant demographic).

Oh, and the cliffhanger ending is such that I'd be surprised to find that the next one isn't already in production.

[Now playing - Planet Rock]

About time too…

They resurfaced (i.e. sprayed some tar and about three times as many chippings as would fit) part of the way into work last week, leading to great drifts at the down-hill end, enough that turning onto that piece of road in my car, I could feel an incipient skid. So on my bike, I've been taking longer alternative routes, extended by the fact that the unofficial side way in to Cambourne is blocked while the dualling of the A428 goes on, and so have to loop back to the Monkfield Farm entrance.

But, this lunchtime, returning home to let the flooring people in, it seemed that they were at last starting to hoover the massive gravel surplus. Two cheers.

In other news, the flooring guy due this p.m. called in at 09:15, while I was on my way to work. Still, I can read MSDN just as easily at home as in the office, and have bheer with it too!

Anime roundup

Having succumbed to the fansub/torrent scene, I'm in severe “more stuff than time” state. And with several series on the go in parallel, actually finishing any, especially ones with 2^nd series, is rare enough. But there are a couple to catch up on since last time I did this sort of post…

Kasimasi ~ Girl meets Girl

Outline: dejected guy turned down by the girl he's after goes to throw himself off a local beauty spot, but a passing UFO lands on him and gets the repair a bit wrong. It starts off as slightly ecchi comedy of a boy's guide to being a girl, and then slowly mutates into a love triangle, played seriously. Who should s/he turn to — the shy sad girl who he was after at the beginning, or the tomboy who has been a best friend all these years? A sweet bit of fluff, all in all.

Rozen Maiden and RM Träumend

Boy meets doll, and winds up her clockwork. A weird mix of slapstick humour, dollies' tea-parties and superhero battles. Slightly sentimental, and the filler episodes are thin, but overall fun.

On the go…

Actively, Mari-mite Spring, Space Runaway Ideon, Simoun, Black Lagoon, Higurashi, Haruhi, Planetes . On the back burner, Haibane Renmai, Rose of Versailles, Aria the Animation, BurnUp Scramble. Fogbound, Paranoia Agent, GitS:SAC 2^nd Gig, Texhnolyze, Saikano.

[Now playing - Planet Rock]

Film — 36

A French policier, with cops nearly as corrupt as the criminals, as two rivals try to bring in a gang that have been robbing security vans.

The film has a 7-year gap in it as one of the protagonists sits out time for accessory to murder; but the mobile phone tech in the first part is today's; and there's no sense of technology marching on in the interim (unlike, say, in Infernal Affairs

[Now playing - Planet Rock]

Catching up

Last Thursday arrived home to find a fire engine parked outside. Fortunately it was only the old codger next door setting fire to his cooker, and damage was restricted to their kitchen.

Yesterday, just for the heck of it, did the lunchtime walk around Cambourne barefoot. A couple of bits were sparsely gravelled so ouchy, but the most of it was really comfortable. Having hardened the feet in sandals for the past year helps.

The downstairs loo was about finished last week. Now waiting for the kitchen fitters and flooring people to arrive.

[Now playing - Planet Rock]

Red in tooth and claw

Earlier today, Karen called me from downstairs, and on the way down, I spotted a hen blackbird sitting on one step. To my surprise, this turned out not to be what she was calling me about (that was to heave the basket of laundry into the car).

Opening the front door, the bird hopped down to the sill, then after a cautious look around for feline psychopaths, flew off, looking just a bit tatty around the tail.

In the dining room, however, there was a massive explosion of feathers, and more, with blood, behind the sofa. And a stray egg at the bottom of the stairs. The amount of detritus and the apparently intact state of the bird as it flew off were hard to reconcile.

Hot

I went on the Cambridge Cycling Campaign leisurely ride out to Cambourne today — and ended up leading much of it, as the only one with on-the-ground knowledge. Then having cycled home->town->Coton->Cambourne->Toft->Barton->back to Parker's Piece, I had to head out to Teversham to help Karen, before heading back home over the Gogs. Tiring, especially in 28C weather, with little in the way of breeze.

Getting back on the bike tomorrow will take some effort, even wearing my padded lycra discreetly under my shorts. It was a refreshingly lycra free outing, and I was clearly toward the top end of the fitness/scope range, not way down like I had expected.

I did see bird perched on a horse near Teversham; and now, Saturn looking very red in the southern sky, with Arcturus high above it.

Woot!

Cycled to work each day this week, which is earlier in the season than previous years; and included twice cycling into town on the way home. No rest over the week-end, too (into town, and maybe joining a cycling jaunt to Cambourne on Sunday).

In other news, had an interview, but decided against (on the same logic that “unsure” => “no hire”), but at least it's all good practice.

And we have a functional downstairs loo! No door yet, and the decorating is incomplete, but the plumbing is done and is usable. Luxury!

[Now playing - Planet Rock]

Catching up

I had a much needed break last week — four nights in Salisbury, going to various gigs and concerts around the Arts Festival there in the evenings : Graffiti Classics (string quartet with attitude), Billy Bragg (the usual), Salsa Samba (Indonesian eclectic) and Los de Abajo (Mexican "tropipunk" - punk in the US musical sense).

From the Old Mill, Harnham

Thursday was dull, and couldn't make up its mind if it was cool or sultry, but the rest of the time was clear and warm, good weather for strolling around, as well as doing a bit of shopping — a summer-weight smart jacket, a shoulderback for carrying book and camera; and a panama hat for shade.

Previously, with having to coordinate with Karen, Salisbury had seemed a food desert, with just the King's Head and Chicago Rock Cafe being sensible accessible. Left to my own devices it was a cornucopia, and I could try out the Lemon Tree, the Marrakech, and Cactus Jack's, as well as returning to the Old Mill, plus explore the more interesting pubs.

All in all, a welcome chunk of R&R, allowing me to de-stress, knowing that all that was happening building-wise was the plaster drying in the new downstairs loo. And now, the building work is getting close to the end — the plumbing is done in the loo, though there is still decorating, tiling, carpentry, and flooring. And the kitchen. But now, after more than six months, it's getting close to being able to reclaim the house.

And with the magic of wi-fi, I can compose this post sitting in the warmth of the evening, at a table on the new patio.

[Now playing - Planet Rock]