Cherrydial

Flares are back for summer. Time to find your old favourites and work the seventies vibe.

As the temperature rises and the sun makes more frequent trips to see us, a change of footwear and accessories is called for…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THE_hhk1Gzc

Imagine having outstanding intelligence that means that you can consistently outsmart your peers and triumph in every aspect of your life. You can make money on the markets easily, solve challenging relationship problems, excel easily in your chosen field. All of this happens to Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) in the Neil Burger directed Limitless when Eddie’s ex-brother-in-law Vernon (Johnny Whitworth) who claims to be working for a pharmaceutical company gives him a clear pill NZT. The realms of his mind open up and he can make staggering headway with the novel he’s been writing. He cleans and tidies his filthy flat. He sweet-talks and seduces his landlord’s wife who starts out verbally lambasting him.

A problem arises when he finds Vernon dead in his flat. Eddie manages to track down a huge stash of NZT to keep his intelligence going even if the supplier is no longer around. He wins back the interest of his ex-girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) and wows the financial whizzkids so much that elite businessman Carl Van Hoon (Robert DeNiro) wants his advice. But someone is following Eddie.

Bradley Cooper is an unusual lead for this film after being in The Hangover but he’s very watchable. The plot’s gripping, fast-paced and sometimes a little stomach-churning. You’re not quite sure how it’s all going to end but it keeps you fascinated for every part of Eddie’s journey.

The underlying scientific theme in Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go seems far removed from his historical genteel novel The Remains of the Day – life through the lens of an English butler in the second world war. In the former we see the world through the eyes of a young girl Kath growing up at an English co-ed boarding school in the seventies. It’s a boarding school that she and the other pupils are never allowed to leave for holidays. There are terrible rumours about what life is like outside the school gates. Scientific research has had a dramatic impact on how they live.

We are drawn into the dramas between Kathy, her school frenemy Ruth and the slightly unusual boy Tommy who Kathy feels unrequited love for. The relationships between the three are at the centre of this story. After completing school and embarking on their adult lives, the dynamics change between the three but other factors get in the way.

All of this was recently translated into a movie directed by Mark Romanek. Carey Mulligan plays Kathy, Keira Knightley is Ruth and Andrew Garfield is Tommy. For the most part they are successful at translating the novel’s characters to the big screen. I was also amazed at how like their adult counterparts the children playing the Kathy and Ruth were.

It’s not a movie to see if you’re looking for joyful entertainment as it works towards a sense of hopelessness for the characters but there are some ideas to ruminate on. Which is better? The book or the film? Well both succeed in different aspects. There were times that I found the book too subtle and the film compensated by being more overt. Then at the same time, you inevitably and irritatingly have some details from the book changed for the movie. In all, both book and file have much to recommend them.

Black Swan by director Darren Aronofsky, charts the mental breakdown of ballerina Nina, played by Natalie Portman after she wins the lead  in Swan Lake. Already highly strung, she obsesses over whether she has the capability to play the dual role of the Swan Queen which means fulfilling both the Black Swan and White Swan parts in the ballet. Her ballet company’s director Thomas (Vincent Cassell) acknowledges her brilliance for the White Swan but fills her with doubts about her  potential to inhibit the more sexual and sensual characteristics of the Black Swan. Her fear is compounded by him having easily discarded the ballet company’s previous Swan Queen lead Beth MacIntyre played by Winona Ryder and his enthusiastic praise for new ballet company addition carefree rival Lily (Mila Kunis). Nina also has to contend with a controlling mother (Barbara Hershey) whose ballet career was cut short by becoming pregnant with her.

The brilliance of this movie lies mainly in your amazement at Natalie Portman dancing around 90% of her own scenes having had intense ballet training for the role and the way you are drawn into the meaning of the ballet itself. As a story it’s very melodramatic and extreme but that is not necessarily belittling – in this case it’s entertaining. There’s no need to over-intellectualise, just enjoy. As a lover of dance including ballet, I have never really been inspired to see Swan Lake but now I have some curiosity about it. Go along and expect to marvel at the dance but also expect to be shocked at the violence and occasional blood and gore.

Who was the real star of the film The American with George Clooney at the helm? The American man himself or the Italian mountains?

Well, it’s a fierce battle but in the end it’s the entrancing scenery of course. Before you know it you’re dreaming that you’re there, relaxing on the inclines. Oh yes, the peace, the fresh air, the beauty of the view is made for real romance.

In the Anton Corbijn movie, George plays Jack, a hitman and customs arms maker who escapes from a shoot-out on a frozen lake in Sweden. His contact Pavel (Johan Leysen) persuades him to go to a mountainous town in Abruzzo and lay low there while pretending to be a photographer. He’s given the job of building a firearm for a woman called Mathilde (Thekla Reuten) when he next speaks to Pavel . Though he attempts to lie low, Jack attracts the attention of the local priest (Paolo Bonacelli) who befriends him. He also starts to build a relationship with a woman who works as a prostitute – Clara (Violante Placido). Jack soon starts to realise that he’s not as safe as he would expect in this remote town. Someone is following him. But his perspective on his life is also changing. Does he want to continue this career when he feels he’s found love?

You won’t find anything new in this film but it has a strangely engrossing effect. Although it’s quite slow, George is fascinating enough to keep you watching and of course, the scenery hooks you in.

If you fancy a bit of animated action, you could definitely do worse than watch Megamind 3D directed by Tom McGrath. Our protagonist Megamind (Will Ferrell) is a super intelligent but slightly misunderstood alien who causes trouble for his fellow alien superhero celebrity nemesis Metro Man (Brad Pitt). The rivalry goes right back to their childhood prior to them even ladning on Earth. Megamind wants to rule the world and frequently kidnaps news reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Tina Fey) to lure his enemy. His only friend is Minion (David Cross).

When Metro Man appears to die in battle, Megamind is left with no obvious foe. He now has control and no one powerful enough to challenge his evil ways but he finds its actually quite dull without Metro Man to spar with. Megamind hatches a plan to remedy this but somehow finds himself falling for Roxanne.

I was engrossed and loved the animation. It’s not a knock you down type of comedy but you will be entertained.