29 May
I saw two movies this weekend, so it'll be an all-movies entry again, sorry you people who hate them, but suck it up, I haven't done anything else this weekend!
On Friday I was torn between MI2 and Small Time Crooks, but I didn't feel like thinking, so I decided on MI2.
And I loved it! I was surprised how much, because I never had any interest in seeing the first one, which I heard bit most heartily, but I thought about this one, "It's John Woo, how bad can it be?" and it wasn't! Bad, that is.
In fact, it was just swell! It was like a really good Bond film with really good fights, and that beginning hanging off the mountain thing just about gave me a stroke--and I wasn't the only one, I heard little squeaks and whimpers all over the theatre.
Acrophobia, something that brings together all races, creeds and colours, into a single squirming ball of drooling and sweating terror. The only thing worse are those shows on the Discovery channel where they talk about the invisible bugs that crawl all over you. Yurg.
Anyway, ol' Tom was just fine, and clearly had worked hard on his moves, because his face shows for the whole flip and kick combo, or whatever, Thandie Newton, before turning into a standard babe in jeopardy (and contemplating poisoning the water supply, which I thought was rather bad and wrong of her), Dougray Scott has clearly turned into a very bad Prince Charming indeed (does Danielle know that he is trying to kill all those people?), and I loved the way an international spy story included a bunch of different accents for once, instead of just English, American and General Eastern European Evil Guy.
The story was fun, the McGuffin was good, and Sydney is beautiful, although it's amazing that every shot managed to include the Opera House. It's like doing a New York movie where the Empire State Building is constantly in view, like the entire city is just huddled around it like a small flock of sparrows.
Anyway, recommended!
Saturday night, Cynthia and Fran's babysitter pooped out on them, and did I offer to sit so that they could go out? Nah, I offered to be Cynthia's date instead.
I'm only so selfless and thoughtful, you know!
Anyway, we saw Small Time Crooks, though I tried to talk her into Gladiator, she would not be swayed, being a bigger Woody Allen fan than I am, and I'm a pretty big fan!
It was terribly funny. I remember when I saw the trailer (sadly, predating Rate-a-Trailer™), I can home saying "The new Woody Allen looks funny! I mean really funny! I mean Manhattan Murder Mystery funny!" and I was right.
We're all so used to Woody playing intellectuals, but he played a great dumb low-class guy here, Tracy Ullman was just a hoot, Hugh Grant was smarmy as hell, it's great to see Jon Lovitz again, but Elaine May was the one who stole the whole thing away from everyone, partially because she was great, but also because who's seen her perform for the last thirty years?
Anyway, it's terribly funny and sweet and even if you aren't mad about the Woodman, you'll probably like it anyway.
Fran teases me that I'm like some reviewer that they had in the old Spy magazine, who only had two reviews, "A work of unparalleled genius," and "Indisputably a classic," and sometimes, I'll admit that seems true.
Today's horoscope:
Improvements on the domestic front save money. Efficiency contributes to the bottom line.
One year ago today:
"O yes pleeeeeeeeaaaaaase I'll love you forever!!!!!"
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Last Updated Mon 30 May 00:56:09 2000