Ron Plasma

This was a fantastic smack of realism for me. Quentin Tarentino with fat people. And no sunshine.

Can't ignore it. What I remember is the wonderful Gabourey Sidibe. To say she had presence would be to underestimate her worth by several stone, yet her unflickering, unsmiling stoicism was wonderful to behold. She seemed on another planet. How strange, how delightful to encounter.

How harrowing.

OK. I give in. This film really worked for me in a really unexpected way. And that's why I like the cinema. Keep it up.

As a postscript, I was never quite sure why this had to be 1987, and all credit to Maria Carey. No hint of Divadom. But there again. No hint of stairs.

Ron

(Viewed 2Feb10)

This was OK. This came with all sorts of baggage, each bag filled with a festival award statuette. The deep and wise gurus at Slightly Sound named this as the best film of 2009 – a bit of a kick in the teeth to us poor mortals who only count films with a theatrical release in their judgements. Was it going to live up to expectation?

Let's be fair. Yes.

This was a fine caper which kept me largely on the edge of my seat, but significantly, wishing for a sofa to hide behind in a Doctor Who fashion for at least one scene. It was good. It was great. Watching it, you start to compare it with great films such as ... ah ... The Godfather.

Yes, it was The Godfather ... but ...

My fault as a monoglot, I imagine there is great resonance in the jumps between French, Corsican, and Arabic. Lost in sub-titles. And there seemed an awful lot of superfluous sub-plot. Never the case in The Godfather, but there again that had a wider canvas. Not an option for Jacques Audiard.

An excellent prison drama.

Ron

(Viewed 26Jan10)

It's back. After seven long years in the wilderness I can now look back and shudder at those devil may care, bohemian Vodafone days. The tie is back! Who says? Well me initially, then the God-like George Clooney, who I thought was going to appear in a new tie for every scene of this film, (not quite), seemed right on message. But when Vera Farmiga endorsed the trend by wearing one as her entire ensemble, (double Windsor around the waist, the rest coquettishly draped over her backside), it was back where it belonged.

Do I digress? This was a fabulous jolly, several in fact, with George Clooney charming the pants of everyone. Isn't it strange to see GC playing someone you actually want to be? Was there a moral? Who cares. Great.

Ron

(Viewed 21Jan10)