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Kapyong
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Tenet (2020)
Ancient Sator Square
Haven't read all 5 thousand posts to check if someone has already mentioned this, but keywords of this movie come from an ancient 5 word square :
SATOR
AREPO
TENET
OPERA
ROTAS
Goes back even to ancient Rome, search "Sator square".
Arrival (2016)
Missed the whole point.
So bad.
I expected to see HOW a linguist would develop communication with aliens.
But no, we didn't see any of that - we went straight from "hello" to a couple of hundred nouns (and at least 1 verb) with NO explanation of how.
How could they possibly learn that a certain word meant "tool/weapon" ? Did she produce a hammer and say "tool or weapon" ? Did she produce every tool or weapon we have and repeat "tool or weapon" ? How could that word be ambiguous if we taught it to them ?
But if they taught it to her - HOW ? Did the aliens produce every tool and weapon they had and repeat the word/symbol "tool/weapon" ? How could she make sense of various unknown objects described by an unknown word by alien beings ? How could she know that it WAS a tool or weapon ?
Or how could they possibly understand what a hammer was ? Or whether the word refered to THAT object or its class (or its colour, or its use, or its handle, or its material.) And how could one explain or learn the word/symbol for the verb "to use".
A complete and utter failure to deliver what I thought was the central point of the movie.
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Great Sci-Fi Adventure
I was really looking forward to this, and I was not disappointed - it was a super fun movie with lots of human moments dealing with some big ideas.
Can't wait for Alita 2 - Battle Goddess ;)
So bored with those other superhero movies *yawn*, all the same.
Big Little Lies (2017)
Superb - made me laugh and cry in equal measure
Like everyone said - this is a fantastic show.
Spoiler :
I just had to applaud that amazing final climactic scene of emotional domino effect as we watch the shock of realisation grip the faces of the four players one by one -
First, Jane realises it was Perry, and her face says it all,
Madeline sees her shock and understands what it means;
they two then look to Celeste in mutual horror.
Celeste too, realises immediately the terrible import,
and then together the three women turn and look at Perry in horrified realisation and accusation - the critical climax of the whole story.
Finally, we see on Perry's face he is utterly undone.
One of the most emotionally powerful scenes ever put to screen.
Followed by that uplifting family-affirming scene on the beach with the five forever bonded women. Sublime story-telling.
AAA class actors, fantastic team, and a genius author. I saw Liane Moriarty interviewed by Jane Hutchinson and was impressed in many ways, not least that her story-telling abilities extend even to a TV chat, such as how Maple syrup is now her sweet-taste-of-success.
The Hollow Crown (2012)
Wonderful drama :) let down by poor writing ;)
Gday all, after one episode, I am moved to this review - *Spoilers for episode 1, series 1*
The Hollow Crown is a magnificent TV drama series by the BBC from 2012, covering some of the historical Wars of the Roses in c.1400 England, as the Houses of York and Lancaster vied for the throne. It's an excellent production, as one would expect from the BBC - with some great actors and great acting, and top-quality production values. Be warned that each of the seven episodes is movie length, more like Sherlock than Game of Thrones (which it obviously apes.)
So it's more drama and politics than action and battles - we see some knights on horses galloping, a few be-headings like in Game of Thrones, some sabre-rattling and spear-shaking, but most big action occurs off-screen. The BBC has clearly scrimped on costs by keeping to a small cast, with low tech sets, and no CGI. Actually, this series could well be adapted for stage.
Although admittedly, I've only seen one episode so far - in which the weak & effeminate Richard II (with allusions to St Sebastian wink wink) loses to Bolingbroke who eventually becomes Henry IV, by way of Herford and York. There is an odd fascination with noble titles and details of the Royal Court, which leads me to my main point - this production is really let down by the writer, who-ever he was.
This chap may have a heart of gold, but his writing is rather stuffy and traditional and very old-fashioned too. I had to knit my brow in concentration because he plays fast and loose with his spelling (I view sub-titles,) and his grammar sets my teeth on edge. But to give the devil his due, he wields a wonderful pen - although sometimes it can be too much of a good thing, as his speeches do carry on a bit. It's almost as if the BBC were required to use his every word, when he clearly needed a firm editor.
I wonder ... did the BBC use dialogue from some unknown old-fashioned English poet and prince-ling wanna-be, whose words didn't cost too much ?
Really though - the problem here is plagiarism, shocking as that may sound. Firstly, the whole thing is just a watered down Game Of Thrones rip-off - noble houses battle for the throne back in the old days of knights and armour - royal dramas and intrigues and battles and murders etc. (But no dragons or magic or sex please, we're British.) He even copies, bald-faced, GoT language with 'your grace' this, and 'my lord of that'.
Even worse - some of his words and phrases are actually found in the Authorised Version of the Bible itself ! He'll plagiarise even American Edgar Allen Poe for a handy turn-of-phrase - like 'quoth he' - clearly a genuine Poe. Even Lewis Carroll gets ripped-off when they call a mirror a 'looking glass'. Shameless.
I fear this series will make a laughing-stock of this author, who appears to be trying just too hard to use the Queen's English - but I ask you - WHICH Elizabeth ? (Haha, get it ? ;) )
Still, perhaps there is method in his madness - he might get some fair play in this brave new world, this new global theatre of the internet, even if he has seen better days.
Kapyong
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Moral: It's OK to kill a 'bad' person
So the title "To Kill a Mockingbird" alludes to the fact that it's a sin to kill a mockingbird because it's an innocent creature - all it does it sing. During the movie it appears that Tom Robinson is the "mockingbird" - he is innocent but is found guilty.
Later we find that Boo Radley is actually the "mockingbird" - after Bob Ewell attacks the children the Sheriff and Atticus agree he should not be punished for killing Bob, and Scout makes it clear she agrees because it would be like "killing a mockingbird". So Boo Radley gets away with killing Bob because he was attacking the children and was a bad person all round.
What a shocking moral to the story!
It's OK to kill someone without consequences if they are bad!
THIS is what is wrong with America.
THIS is why they are hated so much throughout the world.
Because of the belief that it's OK to kill someone if you think they are bad.