Convalesco

First let me tell you that I like James Bond. I like the series and I’m fascinated by them since Pierce Brosnan. I was too young to watch all the Sean Connery series. My favourite bond movies are: “Casino Royale“, “Golden Eye” and “The World is not Enough“. I was stunned by the beauty of Sophie Marceau as a bond girl in the last title mentioned above.

Quantum of Solace had a really heavy heritage. The Casino Royale was an amazing script. Much more close to reality than any other James Bond movie, fascinating with really good characters and magnificent cast. Giancarlo Giannini and Eva Green were absolutely brilliant choices.

I was expecting Quantum Of Solace in a hurry. I was probably one of the first internet users to watch the Apple’s trailer for the movie on my iPod! Isn’t that something?

Okay the movie, as a stand alone 007 movie is good. But that’s all there is to it. The story is a bit intriguing but degrades steadily, in the end you can hardly remember the plot. They did, once again, the mistake to make the scenes a bit too unbelievable. The opening scene with the fantastic Aston Martin DBS was a bit hard to absorb, even for a bond movie, made Schumacher looked like a spoiled kid on a Formula!  A hint that made the prior movie a master piece. A more human James Bond is closer to us.

Miss Kirilenko was an important asset but I dislike her overall appearance. It’s a hardly believable character and her acting must be improved, certainly. I liked her much more in Hitman and I can’t wait to watch her in Max Payne, but as a bond girl it was a negative note next to prior bond-girls.

So as a Bond movie is good but as the continuation of “Casino Royale” fails miserably. Even the script and the story of Jame’s Bond revenge seems a bit silly at this level.

Anyway, it was a good Thursday evening, I think that you should see this on the movies and not on DVD or at home.

Greets!

On Thursday I was in Sofia, Bulgaria for a business trip with my father. I took my iBook G4 for business and pleasure. At 19:30 I was a dead-meat. I decided to go quickly to bed, but I didn’t wanna close my eyes and sleep. I opened the iBook and took a look at my Movies folder. I had few episodes of my favourite Greek series, s1ngles season 3 and “21“. Due to positive feedback I decided to pick “21″. The DVD rip that I made at home, didn’t include the Greek subtitles, I had no internet connection to look for them on line. I can always use bluetooth and my mobile phone when the game goes hard, but it wasn’t worth it: The price per kb is outrageously high, when you’re using mobile internet via phone and not a HSDPA device. After all I’m quite fluent and I easily understand English. Of course listening the Brits is much easier, but I didn’t think of it twice and watched the movie without subtitles in plain USA English. To tell you the truth I missed a few lines at the beginning. I had to get used to it.

The plot is very interesting. The cast is well chosen. Kevin Spacey was outstanding as always. This guy is the best actor I can think of. It just makes you believe whatever he wants, almost naturally. Jim Sturgess as “Ben Cambell” is very good. The boy has some skills. The plot, is good although it’s a Deja Vu as a total. I liked the way Robert Luketic brought this scenario to the big screen.

Being a senior in the MIT with good grades is enough for most people, but apparently our genius friend “Ben”, wanted “Harvard Med School” too. Hence the need for money because the chances of getting the scholarship are as low as 0,33%. Not because he is not good, but because the other applicants are just as impressive. Now, what is going to do, is get 300.000 $ he needs to access Harvard without the scholarship. So the story begins…

“21″ is a good movie, especially if you like gambling, smart asses and Las Vegas. I think that everyone will enjoy this fine grained adventure of young Ben. There’s a bit of everything, luck, tactics, brainwashing, love… To make the movie look a Hollywood-driven quality movie.
Just enjoy the vision, it’s worthy!

Although I was told not to go see the movie, I did. A friend invited me and I couldn’t say no. I wanted to see the movie after all. I like fashion, my mother is Italian, I lived in Milan for six years, how could it be otherwise? Now that I’m thinking about it, I have to go shopping really fast!! It’s been almost three years since last time I enjoyed shopping. Milan’s shopping garden is the best in the world if you ask me: Dior, Channel, Gucci – I love the Milan store, it’s huge and complete – , Prada… The Via della Spiga and Montenapoleone streets are amazing if you have money and time to spend. If you don’t have the money, just make sure your girlfriend never crosses!

I’m lost, I was supposed to write down about the movie. Okay, it’s a fact I dislike it. What was it, a failed love story? I don’t know if you need to find a meaning behind every movie you see, but the scenario was awful, I mean… I can’t even tell if there was any. Maybe they just wanted to make the last episode. As a guy I have to tell that the partners of the girls were amazing. There aren’t men like those around. I mean, there are, but they are too few. Shining, good looking, rich and wealthy? All four? Of course on the other hand, I don’t know yet a bride that has been left on the altar waiting, but hey I’m still young, 26 is not too much

The one good thing though, was the iPhone and the MacBook Pro. The girl next to me was looking at the clothes, shoes and bags. I forgot to mention the amazing houses. I mean, especially the Manhattan retiré that the couple was supposed to live was amazing. Most of the clothes were very good looking too, although I dislike made in USA clothes. As an Italian I’m much more into French/Italian fashion. I liked the houses very very much though. Of course the movie was a screen preview of next season’s fashion but who cares.

Now I didn’t go there with my girlfriend. I went with female friend of mine. My gf though wants to see this movie, I’m not quite sure if I can stand it. Especially the first half, seemed utterly boring to me. I must admit that I wanted to leave at the break, but I couldn’t leave my friend alone. So I stretched my fingers and sit down for the second round.

So if you are a guy, just don’t go there. It’s like the The Devil Wears Prada thing. It’s boring and it’s frustrating if you are a guy. You won’t laugh with most of the jokes, some you’ll miss, others you’ll hate.

However, I need to point out here that, as expected, the movies were full of women, which is a good think now that I come to think about it. Anyway, if you are a guy it’s a NO movie, unless you have plenty of time to lose and an ease mood.

Recently I saw a couple of movies. The worthy one was the Atonement. Although I’m a known blockbuster lover, I found this movie very interesting. I must say that I like Keira Knightley very much, I consider her to be the best actress of the latest wave of worldwide celebrities. As an actress I consider her much better than Scarlet Johansson, although Scarlet is good enough and in no way she based her career in her looks only.

The above mentioned movie is interesting, the end will shock you, but will make you think a bit also about the important things in life, how bad a fatal mistake can bring, etc. It’s more about regret and sorrow that can not be heal. The entire cast is really good in my opinion and the plot is roll out in an original fashion. I liked the double perspective scenes, where can see the same situation from different angles. The little Briony sees things very differently from her sister, in many situations, before coming up with the wrong judgement. I must spend a few words in Keira Knightley, who I consider really good looking, original and fresh face. Her charm is from a past age, movies like Pride and Prejudice fit her in the best possible way. The skinny, shinny face that she’s got is clean and pure, hence the ladies role suits good. The fact that she’s from UK is a kind of miracle. I can’t remember of any attractive UK actress in the 90′s or after.

Σήμερα είδα την καινούρια ταινία του Νίκου Περάκη Ψυχραιμία. Ήταν μια ευχάριστη προβολή, η ταινία δεν διακρίνεται για σχεδόν τίποτε παραπάνω, από μερικές ατάκες, την κωμική εικόνα ενός Κρητικού και μια προσπάθειας μιας Ελληνικής μεταφοράς ταινιών του Guy Ritchie.

Ξεκινώντας από το σενάριο. Το ποιο; Ναι, δεν υπάρχει σενάριο. Αν την δεις εντελώς ψυχρά την ταινία, μοιάζει περισσότερο σαν σειρά σκηνών, σχεδόν “ξεκάρφωτες” μεταξύ τους, που συνδέονται ανάλογα με το πως θέλει ο σκηνοθέτης. Σενάριο λοιπόν μηδενικό. Αλλά εδώ που τα λέμε, ο Περάκης δεν θυμάμαι να έχει κάνει ταινία με δυνατό σενάριο. Μπορεί να κάνω λάθος αλλά αυτήν την στιγμή δεν μου έρχεται κάτι στο μυαλό. Σαν Ελληνική blockbuster ταινία είναι καλή. Έχει αστείες σκηνές, και εν μέρη εκφράζει με την πραγματικότητα με την ίδια ειρωνεία και αδιαφορία για τα τραγικά πράγματα που αντιμετωπίζουμε σήμερα, σαν καθημερινότητα. Don’t get me wrong, αν προσπαθήσει να σας την πουλήσει κάποιος, σαν επαναστατική ταινία σε οποιοδήποτε επίπεδο, μάλλον είναι εκτός τόπου. Είναι εντελώς “κλισέ” σε όλα της.

Η επιλογή των ηθοποιών μου άρεσε σε γενικές γραμμές. Ο Τσιμιτσέλης είναι τέλειος για τέτοιους ρόλους, μου αρέσει το ύφος που έχει όταν καλείται να αντιμετωπίσει κάτι ανεπάντεχο. Αλλά τις εντυπώσεις κερδίζει ο Ανδρέας Κωνσταντίνου, στον ρόλο του Κρητικού παλικαριού. Η Βάσω Καβαλιεράτου, κατ’ εμέ ήταν απόλυτα επιτυχημένη επιλογή στον ρόλο. Με έπεισε η γοητεία της τρελής που κουβαλάει στην ταινία Η πιο όμορφη παρουσία είναι αδιαμφισβήτητα η Ευγενία Θεωνά, φωτομοντέλο είναι η κοπέλα; Τι Τζούλια Αλεξανδράτου μου λες.. αυτή η κοπέλα είναι κόλαση. Ενώ μου άρεσε πολύ και η Ευτυχία Γιακουμή, την οποία βρίσκω πανέμορφη και πιο γοητευτική από όλες (περίεργο γιατί τα γούστα μου, συνήθως, πλησιάζουν περισσότερο το στυλ της Θεωνά). Η Τζούλια Αλεξανδράτου δεν έχει πείσει κανένα ακόμη. Είναι από τις πρώτες κινηματογραφικές προσπάθειες της, λογικά θα βελτιωθεί κι αυτή. Για το καλό όλων μας, ας ασχοληθεί περισσότερο με την ηθοποιία και λιγότερο με το τραγούδι.

Δεν θα ασχοληθώ με το concept: Αμαρτίες γονέων παιδεύουση τέκνα. Δεν με πείθει και πολύ, όχι έτσι όπως παρουσιάζεται. Αυτό που μου άρεσε πολύ είναι τα οξύμωρα σχήματα στα ζευγάρια: Η αντι-εξουσιάστρια με τον γιο της μεγαλύτερης εξουσίας στην Ελλάδα, ή όμορφη στείρα Αθηναία μεγαλοδικηγόρος με τον Κρητικό που δεν ξέρει καλά καλά να μιλήσει Ελληνικά. Το τρίτο ζευγάρι της παρέας, ο Μπάτσος με την Χαζούλα είναι assortie.

Αξίζει να πάτε να την δείτε, θα περάσετε ένα ευχάριστο απόγευμα. Σίγουρα πολύ καλύτερη επιλογή από άλλες blockbuster Ελληνικές τύπου “Alter Ego”. Δεν θα βρείτε την πρωτοτυπία ούτε το χιούμορ που είχε το Straight Story αλλά δεν παύει να είναι μια σύγχρονη καλή, Ελληνική ταινία. Ας στηρίξουμε τον Ελληνικό κινηματογράφο όσο μπορούμε, μόνο καλό μπορεί να κάνει.