676A Beaufort St
Mt Lawley Western Australia 6050
(09) 2716 459
http://www.emerge-art.com.au
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emerge-Art-Space/151606848217955
Hours:
Wed-Sat 11:00 - 16:00
Emergence Art Space is a small commercial gallery that exhibits and sells contemporary Australian Art. Located in the heart of Mount Lawley, a few steps from almost any bar, café or restaurant in Beaufort's coffee strip, EAS is a microcosms of talent and good taste to be enjoyed by art lovers and posh art collectors. The gallery exhibits and represents a group of local painters and sculptors with different and distinctive styles.
The building might not catch you attention, but the pieces of art in their shop-window might do so. There are two main exhibition areas, the pretty one downstairs at street level with wooden floors and great lighting, really well curated, which holds the solo exhibitions, and the space upstairs and the long corridor, which isn't that glamorous or good, and showcases individual pieces by different artists not as wow as the ones downstairs.
Enter Emergence, don't be shy - the curator will welcome you and tell you a bit about the exhibition, even if your wallet is not big enough to purchase any of the pieces hanging from the wall. This is one of those places that, a-priori, you expect nosey people, and find welcoming warm art dealers with a good nose for talent.
The quality of the artworks exhibited in the main area is fantastic and varied, from abstract to figurative, surrealism to realism, conceptual art and anything in between, including Aboriginal Art, depending on the solo exhibition and artists featured each month.
Right now, when this review is written, there is a fantastic exhibition by Australo-French tin sculptor Pierre Capponi that made me wish badly to be a "poshie" of the world to buy something.
197 Murray St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9221 4365
http://www.footlocker.com.au
The Foot Locker sells a good selection of female, male and children sports and casual trainers, plus basket shoes for men, hip-hop clothing, and some accessories (watches, hats, sport bags, socks, t-shirts, pants, etc.) from a selection of well-known International brands. Regarding shoes, the range of prices is great, from the very expensive 300-dollar runners to the 80-Dollar (or less) ones for adults, even less if you are lucky or they are on sale.
The shop is a bit run down and not very funky, to be honest, and the space would need a restructuring to make it trendier and more comfortable for the visitor. However, the staff work their socks off and run -literally- to attend to you fasta fasta and give you what you want at the price your want. They are not only fast, but also knowledgeable, and, unlike other places, they won't trick you to buy the most expensive item, but will listen to you and provide you with what you want within the price range you want. They don't have the time to breath, so don't expect them to smile at you if you go when the place is busy, which happens most weekends.
Foot Locker keeps me returning to them each time I need a new pair of trainers, and that is because of their prices and service. They have a membership club with discounts and offers and a wonderful return and refund policy of 28 days! They also have hidden discounts that you only discover when paying for your purchase. I got 20% off my already cheap Adidas runners!. They really are ahead in service from the surrounding sport shops, that is always my experience.
Shop 11, 649 Beaufort St
Mt Lawley Western Australia 6050
(08) 9227 1880
http://www.yuzu.com.au
Hours:
Tue-Fri 11:30-14:00 and 17:00-21:30
Sat-Sun 11:30-14:30 and 17:30-21:30
Semi-hidden and squeezed up by The fish & chips shop and Fresh Provisions in Mount Lawley, Yuzu Kaiten Sushi is an authentic Japanese restaurant that delivers at all fronts.
The place is tiny, but the space so well organised and taken advantage of that it looks and feels much bigger than actually is. The atmosphere is very pleasant, with a stylish mix of green and black colours and jazz music playing all day long.
The food is fresh, good, varied, tasty and good-priced. The train offers a mix of sushi (maki and gunken), sashimi, fried food, and carpaccio dishes of different prices, with the usual pieces that you find in other train restaurants in Perth. You can order a bento set if you prefer, or order the more expensive dishes from their a-la-carte menu.
They have lunch specials: bento trays for 9.50$ (choose 1 main. 3 sides and a sauce of your selection), or a burger combo for 13.50$ consisting of the burger (chicken katsu, chicken teriyaki, or prawn katsu) with sweet potato fries plus a drink of your selection. The burger meals are delicious.
The selection of soft drinks is OK. It makes me always happy finding unsweetened O Cha green tea, which goes well with everything if you don't want the usual hot green tea or sweetened flavoured teas.
The service is terrific, with a super-friendly all over cashier-waitress taking care of anything you need.
The place attracts mostly quiet people, wanting to enjoy their meal alone or with another person. It is not good for groups, and that is always a blessing, to me. A good deal of visitors are also "take-away-yees".
My main criticism to the place is the abuse in the use of mayonnaise and spiced mayo. Please, let customers decide whether we want mayo or not, and in which quantity. They got it right with their fried food, as a dollop is put on the plate, but some of the maki rolls and sashimi pieces have it on; it looks, uhmmm?, decorative?, but it is a bit, uhmmm? invasive? My suggestion: have an artistically-set dollop of mayo on the plate, instead of on the food and everybody will be happy.
I love the place, and the fact that is never crowded or empty. The reason might the its odd location and the lack of visible sign anywhere around. A blessing in disguise because you want your quiet good sushi place to be your little secret forever. Amen.
The War you Don't see is a British documentary produced and directed by Australian journalist John Pilger that focus on the dangers of embedded journalism in war times.
If journalists do not do their job, we are misinformed and more easily manipulated, we don't see the suffering of innocent civilians and, therefore, we don't oppose the involvement of our governments and Army in those conflicts.
The documentary presents many cases in History to proof the point, specially focusing on the Iraq War but showing examples that go from the support of Cigarettes in the media in the 1920s, to the Vietnam War to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, to Wikileaks. It is not as much a critic to those who start and carry out unjust wars, but a warning call to the Journalists, who should be doing their job properly, asking the right questions, investigating things when needed, so we know the truth and act upon it.
I loved the documentary. I thought that the Libyan war –which erupted just when the doco was showed In Australia- was showing more of the same, another oil war masqueraded as a free-the-people war. Pilger makes the right questions, upfront, and does not allow his interviewees to bullshit the public. Pilger is not complacent with his colleagues, not even with the heavy weights of journalism. He does what he asks them to do, and that makes the documentary honest, thrilling, entertaining and informative. However, to be honest, we knew already much of what it is said in it. In fact, there were thousands of people demonstrating against the Iraq War in Australia (and the USA, EU, and the rest of the Western World) calling the arms of mass destruction "arms of mass distraction" despite those embedded journalists believing USA-UK's lies and contributing to their spread. People are sometimes wiser that one could think. The problem is that, once the war starts, and civilians are slaughtered every day, we need to know what we are fighting for. Pilger shows us the nitty-gritty of it, the details, the Monica Lewinski's sort of proof.
On the other hand, we do not want to see deceased chopped bodies in our news bulletins in certain countries (I'm just remembering the airbrushing of one of the iconic images of the Madrid Bombings showing severed limbs in most Australian media). I thought that not only the media is guilty of that, but we are guilty too, for not wanting to know the real human drama behind any war, especially if the deceased are not ours.
Too many people swallow the news (TV or newspapers) as if they were God's Gospel, without thinking that perhaps the channel they are watching is owned by a filthy-rich guy who is not interested in the truth, but in controlling its spread, so his corporation or businesses do better and he earns more millions. Lies make them richer. We have to be honest with ourselves. Lies in the news are easily spread because the level of education of the population is not high enough (in fact, money is more valued than education nowadays), and because independent thinking is not promoted in school, University, or anywhere. Quite the contrary. Everybody wants to be in tune with the social network in vogue. Everybody wants to belong to a flock. So, the problem is not just the sort of journalism we have nowadays, or that the news lie to us regularly, but also the sort of viewers we have nowadays - Viewers who don't question what they hear or see on the news when war is on, or when there isn't even a war. I missed a hint of this point in the documentary, which I consider very important. That would have been moving a step forward from the usual blaming of the Empire, as if our society wasn't to blame for letting others think for us, or swallow crap without any sort of resistance.
Said this, the documentary was great, as it proves that we are certainly being lied every day, intentionally or by default, in war times or not. We are told that we are fighting for the freedom of the people, but that is never the case.
A wish. I would like Pilger to focus on the crap of ours, the Australian one, and examine closely which sort of news are shown in our TV stations every day, or which sort of crappy newspapers we have in Australia regarding local issues. Why is so? Who are the responsible? What are the lies? Who are the liars?
Compulsory watching!
A new instalment in the SACT franchise, with all the elements that the fans of the series loved. The new episode focuses on how our favourite four girls face the challenges of marriage and consolidated relationships, and how marriage means different things for different people.
I'm surprised at the poor reviews of this movie, which I think it is not worse than the first, which has double rating. Completely senseless. The story has moments that really connect with the original characters in the series. Needless to say, fashion and luxury are still gorgeous and an essential part of the look and mood of the movie, but the story makes good points and grounds the characters. Most importantly, the acting has returned to what we were used in the TV series, making us forget some of the flaws we resented in the first movie. I cannot believe that nobody noticed how terrible the acting was in the first, and how correct it is here.
The movie has some very fun moments, many of them by the always cheeky (and hilariously vulgar) Samantha. The gay wedding at the beginning is great, with a cameo by Liza Minelli as wedding minister and singer.
The main problem of the movie is the whole trip to Abu Dhabi. Not the trip, the destination. I had the feeling that this was a long commercial about Abu Dhabi. The girls could have gone elsewhere luxurious and still face the same challenges. I thought that focusing on cultural differences and the idiosyncrasy of the Emiratis was a waste of time, and completely unnecessary for the story, which, until the trip starts, was making good points about marriage. I would have eliminated the touristy part and dug deep in the part of the relationships. On the other hand, this being a show about sex, love and relationships by very liberated Western Women, the UAE were never going to be a good destination. Never ever!
This is one of those chick-flicks that will entertain women who were fans of the TV series and have all the background to understand the actions and evolution of the characters. In fact, properly speaking, this is a double-length episode of the series screened in cinemas.
Abstain from viewing men and people who are not familiar with the series. Otherwise, don't complain! You’ve been warned!
Just for fans of the SATC series.
208 William St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9328 8578
http://www.facebook.com/aisurusushi
Hours:
Tue-Sun 12:00 - 14:30
Tue-Thu 18:00 - 21:30
Fri-Sun 18:00 - 22:00
Aisuru Sushi is in the heart of Northbridge, and always buzzing with customers any time of the day or the evening, day after day. That is so, because Aisuru offers a mix of Japanese, Chinese and "Fushion" artistically-plated dishes. In fact, they look as if they were going to be photographed for a food magazine. Moreover, the restaurant has a contemporary classy minimalist interior with three different seating areas, and a good relaxed posh ambience.
Aisuru's Miso soup is my favourite Miso ever. A good fresh miso, golden tan, not the usual vintage maroon from sachets you find elsewhere.
The Agedashi Tofu makes a perfect entré. Tofu is always a bit of a pin to cook, as it is tasteless by nature. However this this dish is great: Curd tofu (creme caramel texture) inside, finely glazed and crunchy on the outside, floating in a very light marinating sauce with some dry herbs on top. Warm. A great mix of textures in your mouth, with a very delicate but distinct flavour. It is like eating three clouds fallen from a fairy-tale sky into a tiny pond.
The Plum Roll is, by far, my favourite roll at Aisuru. Unlike other rolls, they are perfectly rolled, and the sauce and oil used as a base are delicious. The dish is moist, flavoursome, colourful, and yummy.
The Black Velvet Roll
has "caviar" on top and warm tempura prawn in the middle, avocado, crab,
rice, and it tastes good. However, the rolls crumbled easily when
pressed by the chopsticks, probably because they were rolled too fast
and/or the rice was a bit loose. I found the sauce two thick and not a
match for the rolls - my opinion.
Very similar to the other is the Caterpillar Roll, again with rolls badly rolled, but lovely overall.
I love the popcorn tempura, but I would rather have it with that much mayonnaise!
Among the things that haven't wow me are the vegan Pyogo Roll, which was tasteless per se, but brought to life by the delicate semi-gelatinous sauce on which the rolls were resting on. The Waygu beef tempura was a bit bland, not especially flavoursome.
Their banch tea, although in a tea-bag, it is lovely.
Service is
t-e-r-r-i-f-i-c, and the waitresses very helpful, friendly, and fast;
they will attend you with their über-cool Ipad in their hands so you can
see the photo of every item in the menu, as well as the items you are
ordering.
THE NOT SO GOOD
1/ The place is expensive. Forget what "Bargain Bites" in the "Sunday Times" says. Unless you eat like a canary, you are going to have a BIG bill. Usually, I pay about 35 bucks for my lunch there, and I never leave full.
2/ In a place like this, and at those prices, I expect the details to be posher. I expect good quality paper napkins instead of the cheap ones they have. I expect wooden washable chopsticks not the usual disposable ones. I expect a good selection of Japanese teas (not just one), and a bigger selection of Asian soft drinks, too. I also expect a pot of tea per table not a cup with a teabag, even if they refill it regularly with hot water.
3/ Let your taste-buds decide without taking into account a-priory wow-ness uttered by somebody else in a newspaper. Fact: some dishes taste great and others just look great.
4/ They need bigger dishes to plate their half-serves and side dishes, so we have a bit of more room to move the food around without creating a mess on the table.
5/ Some of the rolls are badly rolled...
6/ The menu hasn't changed in months. What about getting a bit creative?
TIPS
* Order a full serve of sushi, as they offer 8 pieces and are relatively cheaper than the half serves, more filling, and they are plated wonderfully.
* Try anything that you would not find in other sushi places, as those dishes are what you should come here for, beyond the presentation. I would not order teriyaki varieties or vegan rolls here, honestly.
***
This is a good place to have a special dinner with somebody, you know, one of those occasions in which you don't mind the bill, order many half servers, many sides, plus dessert and the drinks, anything you fancy, the quantity you fancy, so you end the night fulfilled and having a foodorgasmic experience.
This is the last hype sushi place in Perth CBD. Go, and let people see you are there. OMG yore heerr chooo!
Food 7/10 (presentation 8.5, taste 7)
Tea 7.5/10
Ambience 7.5/10
Layout 7.5/10
Service 9/10
Pricing 6/10
Overall, 7.5
166 Murray St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9202 1034
http://www.crazyclarks.com.au
Hours:
Mon-Thu 8:00 - 18:00
Fri 8:00 - 20:00
Sat 8:00 - 17:00
Sun 11:00 - 17:00
Crazy Clark is and unglamorous but cheap variety store located in the very heart of the city, tucked around Myers, David Jones and the Forrest Chase shopping area.
The store is reasonable big and they sell a huge range of products that go from the the useful and necessary to the superfluous and dispensable, and everything in between. They have a variety of packaged & tinned food products, stationary, gift items, cards, painting and art-crafts material, things for your laundry, pantry and pets needs, garden and electrical, some small kitchen electric items and seasonal electronics . Crazy Clark's sells well-known brands, generic brands, look-alike brands all at terrific prices. However, brands and products change a lot from time to time.
The staff are friendly or just OK, but always very fast at the cash-out machines and always ready to help in the aisles.
A must place for unemployed people, students, backpackers, working families in need of school and crafts supplies for their kids, and bargain-hunters in general.
TIP
Before going to the Woolworths downstairs drop-by Crazy Clark's, and see if they have what you want. If they do, you could save fifty percent. I always find the case with some mid-range shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant and toothpaste brands. The same can be said with tinned fruit, instant coffee and other staples
Scott Pilgrim versus the World is a Canadian romantic comedy and musical based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's comic book.
Scott Pilgrim is a 22y.o teenage-looking insecure guy and guitarist who plays in a rock band called "Sex Bom-omb" going out with a high-school Chinese girl called Knives. He seems content with his life until he dreams about a girl, and she appears in his real world: Ramona, a funky American girl just moved to Toronto. Scott is over the moon, but he has to face his own personal demons, break up with sweet Knives and fight for Ramona's love against her seven exes.
Scott Pilgrim is one of the most refreshing teen-college movies produced in the last years, and one the best movies of 2010. The movie is cute, funny, entertaining, has great characters, a terrific soundtrack and stunning visuals. The story is presented as it was a video-game in which the main characters are the players, and their lives part of the game.
The movie focus on how difficult is to make a relationship work when you fall in love whit a girl with lots of emotional baggage and you are not an over-confident guy, while your dream girl is über-cool, and her exes were brilliant guys. Scott's fights against Ramona's exes are just a metaphoric way of putting it. The issues regarding
relationships are masqueraded by the video-game approach, but they have
depth. Unlike many other movies focusing on the emotional challenges of
very young people, sex is not the focus, although it is not avoided
either.The fights with the
exes are extremely funny and witty. I especially liked the fight with
the Vegan ex-boyfriend, which is hilarious. Also visually stunning is
the musical competition between Scott's rock band and the techno Asian
twins’ band.
All the actors are great in their roles: Michael Cera as Scott, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona, Ellen Wong as Knives; Kieran Culkin as Scott's confident gay Wallace, Anna Kendrick as the know-it-all Scott's sister Stacey, Jason Schwartzman as the revolting Gideon Graves, and Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons and Alison Pill as Scott's band members. However, Cera shines in this movie, in part because his physique really suits the personality of the character he plays.
The movie is lots of
fun and does not take itself seriously, has a terrific music, and stunning visuals; the camera's movement and video-game-ish use of the screen add to the freshness and originality of the film. The movie has freshness, soul and a special something that stays with you longer after you've seen it. That is entertainment!
Shop 115, Trinity Arcade
671 Hay St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 2260 224
Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos
Grind Espresso is a small, functional, cheap and quiet café located in the ground level of Trinity Arcade.
Their coffee is good and their mug-sized glasses are huge, so that is always great. Go for them if you crave a big coffee fix. However, their standard cup is, well, standard size.
They have a selection of hot basic Asian dishes, western favourites, and sandwiches prepared on the spot, which are just OK.
The service is friendly and fast.
They have free Wi-Fi - Hooray!
The place attracts a various mix of quiet people, free-Wi-Fi-holics, professionals looking for an escape from the business of the surrounding cafés, and daughters and sons having a rendezvous with their mums or dads.
Grind Espresso would need to improve three things to attract more customers: 1/ The dim lights are a bit pub-ish, a feeling that is accentuated by the lack of natural light in the underground area the café is located, and by the dark furniture. A slight change in the lighting would certainly brighten up the place still keeping its cozy feeling. 2- A bit of soft music would also create ambience and dilute the sound of the conversations from the surrounding tables. 3- The selection of dishes is nice, but a bit of more care in their preparation takes little effort, and making them a bit tastier ditto.
The Machinist is a psychological thriller directed by Brad Anderson, based on a script by Scott Kosar, and produced and shot in Spain after most American production companies rejected the project as weird.
Trevor Reznik hasn't slept for a year. He barely eats, and has become a loner. He finds himself in trouble after a workmate loses his hand because of his negligence, and a plot against him unveils involving a mysterious cocky man called Ivan. His only comfort is the company of two very different women: beautiful single-mother and airport café waitress Marie, and sweet-and-sour prostitute Stevie. Who is Reznik? Who are the others? Most importantly, what are the answers to the hung-man post-its Reznik founds on his fridge every night?
Although this is a Suspense film, the plot succeeds more at questioning the idea of self-identity than at building a thriller. The movie is both an analysis on the need of sleep to have a healthy mind, and on the power of our subconscious to define, redefine or distort the way we see us, both physically and psychologically. In fact, Reznik's story is just a quest to respond to the question, Who am I? When the question is answered, all the pieces of the story come together in an emotional closing puzzle.
I did not notice that the movie was not shot in Los Angeles but in Barcelona until I saw the making of. However, and to be completely honest, there was something out of place or awkward about some scenes. For example, the smallness of the space related to the scene of the cross lights and Marie, or the atmosphere in the Police Station. Still, the atmosphere and lighting of the movie are fantastic and you will not notice anything specific unless you know.
Christian Bale is unbelievable as the insomniac paranoiac steel-worker Trevor Reznik, and one wonders why he wasn't nominated to the Oscars that year. The fact that he bothered to get so thin, a walking skeleton really, shows how committed (or crazy) he is about acting. The viewer has to be thankful, though, as his decayed physique helped his character and the movie immensely. Bale just doesn't act, he psychologically becomes Reznik - Method Acting taking to the core. Anything he does in this movie is believable, raw and authentic.
Bale's counterpart Ivan is played by John Sharian, who is cheekily disturbing in his performance. You hate him immediately, physically, the way the moves, the way he dresses, the way he smiles, still, there is something appealing and warm about him. I think his performance and his physique add even more interest to the theme of Raznik's quest for identity. Aitana Sánchez-Gijón and Jennifer Jason Leigh are correct as Marie and Stevie, and the rest of the cast are all believable in their respective supporting roles.
The main flaw of the movie is its predictability in certain areas, so the suspense is weakened at times. The viewer immediately knows that Reznik has mental problems, so, at a certain level, you are pre-disposed to anything crazy or out of the ordinary to happen. The film s full of clues for the viewer to understand Reznik, but they are overly present sometimes. For example, the time on the clock at Marie's place is shown repeatedly, and with it, you start to suspect things before you should. However, the movie succeeds at not unveiling who Ivan is until almost the end, so the viewer gets what expects in a suspense film - mystery. I would have liked the same with regards to Marie.
This is a terrific movie, with a great atmosphere, a thought-provoking script, and a brilliant performance by Christian Bale. The Machinist is one of those multi-layered stories and movies from which you get new details each time you see it.
A modern classic with a few little flaws.
-- This review might contain spoilers --
An Argentinean film directed that tells the story of retired public lawyer Benjamín Esposito, who starts writing a novel about one of the most intriguing cases of his past: the rape and murder of young wife Liliana Coloto, and the investigation that led to the capture of her murderer.
The movie has a
wonderful warm retro mood and tones, a beautiful interior photography, a
simple unfulfilled romance story, an intriguing plot, a very
interesting ending, and good performances by Darin and Francella.
I do not mind flaws in a script if they are well integrated in the story, and if the movie compensates them with other positive elements. However, there are so many and evident flaws here that one cannot ignore them:
1/ The first one is the fact that the way a man looks a woman in a photo can lead to anyone to suspect he is a murderer; to be honest, if this is the case, Esposito could be a potential murderer, too, if we take into account the way he looked at his adored Irene in the photos taken in her pre-wedding party.
2/ When Esposito and Sandoval are at the house of Isidoro's mother, the old lady returns, her dog starts barking at them, but she does not suspects anythin; what is more, OMG! the back-door is completely open for them to escape free!
3/ We are told who is the murderer and that he loves a specific football team, so Esposito and Sandoval go to the next match, the stadium is fully packed, but they manage to find the murderer 10 feet away from them; not only that, the lawyers have convinced the Police -one assume Argentinean Police had much free time at hand at the time and would consider the proposal sane- to be there to capture the murderer.
4/ Most of the movie is set in the 1970s, when a military dictatorship was ruling Argentina, a system that allowed the Justice System to act in a certain way; but if you are not familiar with Argentinean History many of the events and attitudes in the movie will not make any sense to the foreign viewer.
5/ We know who the murderer is quite early, before he is even captured, a fact that kills the suspense very soon.
6/ One would expect that whoever sent the group of Mafiosi to Esposito's apartment would have provided them with a photo or at least an accurate description, so the question the Mafiosi make in the movie is completely redundant.
7/ The end of the murder case is good, but still, too delayed and lost amidst a mix of themes explored at the same time On the other hand, the end of the romance story is a bit unbelievable, "I solve the mystery and I overcome all of my securities with this woman" sort of thing.
This, and much more, makes impossible to call this movie a masterpiece, as many reviews have been doing, unless you are blind.
The acting is uneven,
poor sometimes, with the exception of Guillermo Francella who is
terrific as the drunkard but insightful lawyer Pablo Sandoval. Soledad
Villamil and Ricardo Darín have a great chemistry on camera, but not
much dramatic emotion can come from them as the script has the love
story as a background to the murder investigation, so their feelings are
mostly showed indirectly. She plays correctly Irene, a high-class
judge, a beautiful rich inaccessible girl. Darín shines in his portrait
of the lonely old retiree looking for clues in his life through
remembrance, more than in his portray of the young Esposito; however, he
portrays with constriction and sensitivity the soft looser that
Esposito is. The script tells us widower Ricardo Morales is an emotional
wreck after the death of his wife, a man still in deep love with her,
but Pablo Rago's performance rather shows emotional frigidity regarding
the death of his wife, his grieving, and the search and capture of the
murderer. I found Javier Godino's performance over the top as Isidoro
Gomez, although I think it is what the script requires from him; in that
regard, it is not his fault.
The film it truly overrated, still enjoyable.
Two young biologists, Clive (Adrien Brody) and his girlfriend Elsa (Sarah Polley) are leading a research project specialised in splicing and combining the DNA of different animals to create new creatures to be used for pharmacological and medicinal purposes. The problem starts when they decide to introduce human DNA in the experiment, and a new creature, Dren, is born.
Vincenzo Natali always has great and original ideas regarding the near future and humans' relation and interaction with modern technical and scientific advances. He has shown in his previous low-budget films that an idea is worth more than the means to carry it out. Unfortunately, Splice exemplifies the contrary as this is Natali's biggest budget movie and the most messed up of them all.
The best thing about the film is the concept - His questioning on the convenience and ethics of genetic experimentation from a familiar, personal and emotional point of view. Are we ready to deal with the nasty consequences of silly experimentation in our daily lives? Is experimentation justified per se? Is a Frankenstein-sort-of-genetic monster guilty of its actions? The interesting questions are washed away by a poor over-pretentious script that wants to be a psychological thriller, a horror movie, and a sci-fic movie at the same time.
The script should have focused on building up the characters, so we understand why they act in a certain way. The script forgets to explain, and just hints, Elsa's troubled childhood, which would have served to understand better why Elsa acts how she does, and why she is so ready to nurture a freak child. We do not know why Clive would do some of the foolish things he does, when, at the beginning of the story, he seems to be a very sensible scientist and guy. Only the supporting characters seem to make sense and have an internal logic in their behaviour.
The script gets distracted by the thriller/horror approach, which is destined to fail from the very beginning. The mood and tempo are not right for a thriller, even less for a horror film, and if you don't get that right, the rest does not make any sense. On the other hand, the predictability of the film makes the suspense "suspensefulnessless". After the confrontation between Ginger and Fred the viewer knows what is coming; in fact, any non-scientist would have known immediately what was going to happen to Dren, so I considered a lack of respect towards any scientist to think that they would have acted in such a naive way as the two characters act.
Regarding the acting, Sarah Polley is always very natural in front of the camera, and she is fresh and warm as scientist and Dren's putative mother Elsa. On the contrary, I did not believe for a second Adrian Brody in his role of scientist and forced parent, probably because he did not believe it either. Delphine Chaneac's physique has a mix of beauty, vulnerability, awkwardness and harshness that is perfect to portray the freak nature of mute Dren, so she does well in doing what she was asked for. Finally, we find one of Natali's staple actors - his friend David Hewlett, who convincingly plays the very serious and sensible lab director William Barlow. The rest of the cast are OK in their respective roles.
I was very disappointed with the movie, perhaps because I have always loved Natali's movies and ideas and expected more from this. The worst thing of all is that the movie is pretentious and preposterous at times, so one does not feel sorry rating it low.
700 Hay Street
Piccadilly Arcade
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9322 3577
http://www.piccadillycinemas.com/
Hours:
Mon-Sun 10:00 - 23:00
Let us rejoice - Perth only cinema left in the city centre is also Perth only heritage listed Art-Deco Cinema. Cinema one is really splendid, and will remind you of the Astor and Paradiso. The cinema is in the heart of the city and has the advantage of his discounted priced on special days.
In the last few five years, the Piccadilly has tried to revamp itself by changing their pricing policies and the selection of titles they show, to make the cinema more popular and profitable, but, by doing so, the magic of the Piccadilly has been progressively vanishing.
The movies shown nowadays are mostly average Hollywood blockbusters (bland romances, action movies, animation and popular comedies) and rarely good titles. It used to be the contrary, the occasional blockbuster was a rarity among mostly good films (the same as those shown at the Luna cinemas) although screened one or two weeks after they premiered elsewhere - which explained the super-duper prices at the time.
The increase in prices has not had a reflection in the managing and repairing of the cinema beyond what is strictly necessary. I just want to pinpoint a few issues that the cinema needs to address, as they are charging us full price for the movies at present. Here are some of the Piccadilly's peccadilloes:
1/ Most of the cinema rooms have their seats and/or upholstery in different state of decay, but, instead of fixing or replacing them, soft red cushions have been placed over the seats; still, the cracks in the upper part of some seats are clearly visible.
2/ The space between rows in cinema room 2 (what I call the steep room) is ridiculously small even for my tiny legs, so you can imagine how uncomfortable can be for a normal guy.
3/ The smallest cinema room seems to be in a better shape, however, their seats are flat on the ground, without any considerable gradation, so if somebody seats in front of you, you won't see anything, unless you are really tall. On the other hand, the first row is too close to the screen to watch a movie comfortably from there.
4/ Their toilets have been in need of an overhaul since ever, with some of their doors' locks being broken for months without being repaired - Piccadillian bottoms, rebel! The same can be said of their rusty rattling lift, which you feel is going to stop working right there right now; the only improvement has been the change in colour of the doors from an ugly tone of pink to an ugly tone of red.
5/ For many years the Piccadilly's website has been ugly-looking and badly designed - completely amateur and unfit for any cinema. Fortunately, they have relaunched it lately, and its design and aesthetics are decent. However, underneath the showing times they have added: "No responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information". It is ridiculous and disgraceful. Then, why are they bothering to display them?
6/No EFPTOS. Yes, you are hearing well. Only cash.
Their bar is OK, but has one of those high counters I hate, too short for me and for part of the staff behind it. The staff, on the other hand, vary in their level of friendliness, some of them are really friendly and easy going, while others seem to be a bit nosey.
If you are a movie lover, you will visit the Piccadilly rarely, for some isolated animated films and comedies you fancy. However, if you like just entertainment movies, Piccadilly will be your personal paradise in the city. Despite everything, I always enjoy visiting the cinema, per se, as I like the feeling of watching a movie like people do in the movies - in cinemas that are old and beautiful!
Let's stop rejoicing for a minute and let's hope that the much needed refurbishment and overhaul of the Piccadilly will bring us the splendour of the old cinema, and also a better selection of movies.
MIND
You can now buy tickets online via their website or just following this link. You can pay with credit card and Paypal, which is great.
MONEY TIPS
* There is a NAB cash machine by Target, in case of emergency.
* They have reduced prices all day long on Tuesdays.
* They have just started a Backpackers Monday special of 8 bucks all day long for 2D movies. The backpackers will need to show their International passport or student card. It is unclear if YHA, Nomad and other backpackers cards are accepted as their website doesn't mention anything about the most popular backpacker cards...
UPDATE 7/12/2013
Unfortunately, this Perth icon has closed down its door. The website is no longer working, and it a sad farewell. The place needed of a refurbishment and more care and enthusiasm, but it was lovely. There was some incidents with roofs falling down and asbestos scare mid this year, and I wonder if that is related to the closing down.
it is very sad. Big sigh.
The only cinema left in the city at present is Paradiso.
James Blake
Universal, 2011
http://jamesblakemusic.com/
"James Blake" is the acclaimed debut album by English electronic musician and song-writer James Blake. The album has been listed in most compilations of album of the year for 2011, and has excellent reviews. That was, precisely, what made me get it.
If I had to define the album in three words I would say: Chaos is beautiful. Indeed, the sound that Blake has created is a blissful retro-futuristic chaos, like a cohesive mix of the electronic experimentation of the 1980s, modern jazz improvisation, classic blues, and contemporary Indie sounds. Blake's sound sounds like the music of the humans of the 22nd century or the sound that mermaids and mermen listen to when dancing in their oceanic realms - enveloping, intimate, and wonderfully odd. It is not just the music. Blake's voice is very colourful and textured, very intimate, broken and masculine. An explosive mix.
Unfortunately, ignoring the lyrics of the album would be unfair in a review, as a song is, well, both music and lyrics. Simple, no? Read or listen to the lyrics of "Unlock", "The Wilhelms Scream", or "I Never Learnt To Share" (lyrics: "My brother and my sister don't speak to me, But I don't blame them" that is all), just to give you three examples. Can you ignore them when hearing the album? I cannot. In a way they help you to keep in trance. Blake has turned himself into a modern chanteur for disco-dance dervishes that need little wordiness and the melody to keep them dancing around entranced. He could have brought us there by just using his music and voice and emitting guttural lah-lah-lahs or oh-oh-ohs. It is the sound and colour of his voice what will captivate you, not his lyrics, as they lack not just in words, but also in emotion. In other words, Blake's wonderful sound doesn't transcend itself. In a way, it is a bit
narcissistic and even onanistic (with all my respects!), deeply beautiful, empty at times, with glimpses of a depth and lyricism that I would have liked developed and dug in.
Still this is a very good album that sets a foundation-stone for modern musicians and sound-makers. The sort of music that the future is waiting for.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is a Miyazaki's animation feature based on his eponymous Manga. It is set in a post-apocalyptic future in which the land is divided in three remaining hostile kingdoms: the people leaving in the Valley of the Winds, the Pejites, and the Tolmekians. Nausicaa is the princess of the Valley, a especial young lady in tune with Nature, who respects and loves her people. The human kingdoms are always threaten by the Sea of Decay, an exuberant toxic jungle inhabited by giant prehistoric-like insects who react to human hostility with destruction, spreading the toxicity of the Sea to those who dare to provoke them.
Nausicaa's plot is action-packet, original, with weird creatures, lovable characters and a great lyric soundtrack. We find Miyazaki's usual animation landmarks: 1/ European landscapes and undefined time appearance (in this case Swiss-like, with a revamped medieval atmosphere). 2/ Prehistoric-like creatures (in this case, insects). 3/ A female heroine who fights like any man, but always has great femininity (Nausicaa always wears her red earrings). 4/ A heavy presence of catalytic women, presented most of the time as strong, wise, common-sensed and supportive characters (only the nasty princess of the Tolmekians contradicts this). 5/ A cute animal pet that is the hero's soul-mate and inseparable companion. 6/ A clear environmental and pacifist message and 7/ a wonderful detailed animation with subdued hues.
The drawing is very inventive and with a great attention to the detail, especially brilliant regarding the depiction of the Sea of Decay and the underground land below it, which are utterly beautiful. The Sea of Decay reminded me very much in style and spirit of the backgrounds and Bosh-like vegetation and fauna of Planet Fantastic, but more elaborated, exuberant and compact in Nausicaa.
Unlike many modern animation movies, Miyazaki's movies always have a perfect equilibrium between the artistry of the drawing/animation, on one hand, and the quality of the story, on the other. That is why a movie like this, made in the 1980s, is still as enchanting, fresh and though-provoking as it was in the past. The message of the film is that even the ugliest creature and plant has a purpose on earth, a purpose per se and as a part of the whole to which it is connected. The movie tells you that if you respect people and Nature, you get respect back, and that it is easier to live with yourself and the others if one understands and respect the environment. This is not my favourite Miyazaki movie, perhaps because it is too feisty for my taste, and because I thought the confrontation between the three kingdoms needed of more explanation than the one provided in the film.
This is a beautiful entertaining full-action movie, with a great environmental pacifist message, and Miyazaki's always beautiful drawing and magic universe.
Please watch it in Japanese with English subtitles, as the American dubbed version is too childish and far from the original interpretations.
Paul Conroy is a married truck driver working as a contractor in Iraq. After his convoy is attacked by insurgents, he wakes up inside a coffin, buried alive, with a Zippo, a cell phone, and a little whisky bottle. He will try to use the two first to get help and be rescued from the outside.
Buried is the second feature film by young Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés based on Chris Sparling's script, and produced and shot in Spain. Cortés got the script after it had been rejected by most film studios, and he found it to be a crazy challenge, worth of being filmed. From the very beginning, he wanted to shoot the film in the coffin, with no exteriors, and Ryan Reynolds to be the leading man. Reynolds thought that the script was impossible to shoot and said no; Cortés insisted and sent him his first movie and a long report about why the movie should be shot and, more importantly, why Reynolds should be in it.
The movie was filmed on a tight budget in Barcelona in over two weeks. The shooting of the film was very hard and challenging from the technical, engineering and emotional point of view, as the film has no exteriors, the filming happens inside a wooden box, and Reynolds had to play the movie alone, entirely in the coffin.
This is one of those movies that you have to watch in a cinema, with the lights off, so you can put yourself in Paul Conroy's shoes, both physically and emotionally, and feel what is like to be buried.
The use of camera and lighting are fantastic, very complex but very well executed.
The atmosphere is terrific.
The script makes very good points about how little American corporations and Government care about their employees/citizens in the Middle East, and also about the preconceptions that people in those areas of the world have about individual Americans being all rich and powerful not just working class employees.
Reynolds is brilliant in his performance of Paul Conroy, and it is a shame that he wasn't nominated for the Oscars that year; he really deserved it. This is Reynolds' best and most serious performance to the date, and shows the great actor he is; why does he keep accepting unsubstantial roles in Hollywood movies?! The voices heard through the phone were recorded after the shooting was finished; however, Reynolds needed a real counterpart to help him to get into character, so his acting coach played the different characters, live, and Reynolds heard her through a tiny earpiece.
The performances of the actors whose voices we hear are excellent and they transmit great emotion and feeling to the viewer, despite the viewer not being able to see them.
The main problems with the movie are, firstly, its tempo. The thrill is there from the very beginning, no rest, and although it goes in crescendo, the viewer can get tired of being over-thrilled. Secondly, it would have been better for the viewer seeing exteriors and the actors we hear on the phone, so the viewer gets a bit of relief from the claustrophobic settings. Thirdly, two of the main premises of the script are so wrong that make the rest is impossible to believe: 1/ If you are buried alive in a coffin, underground, and you lift your zippo, the flame is going to consume part of the very little oxygen you have, if you have any when you wake up, and you'll be dead quite soon. Moreover, once the oxygen is used, and less is left, the person buried will have stained air to breath, and his vital functions, strength and mental abilities will be weakened. Nothing of what happens in the movie would be possible. A torch would have been a better option, worked the same in the story, but made the settings credible. 2/ If you are buried with your cell phone, even if not very deep underground, your phone is not going to work, even if you have a powerful 3G/satellite network available, which is not the case in countries like Iraq or the Middle East, especially in isolated areas. I get that sort of problem in city underground settings in my city, can you imagine in you are buried in countryside Iraq? Not believable at all.
Having said this, this is a very entertaining experimental film that approaches the script in a very original and dazzling way, and has a terrific performance by Ryan Reynolds.
The film got a phenomenal positive reception at Sundance, but unfortunately his commercial release and distribution were very limited.
Shop WG.07, 140 William Street
Perth, WA 6000
08 9322 6008
http://www.ikusushi.com/
http://www.facebook.com/iku.sushi1
Iku Sushi is a tiny funky sushi place in the heart of the city that really deserves the good reviews it has everywhere. No wonder it is always packed to the rafters at peak hours, inside and outside.
Why is this place so popular? It is the quality and variety of their food - reasons for which any restaurant should be popular for. Iku Sushi's food is fresh, tasty, varied, good-looking, good-sized, and good-priced. It is up to you if you pack on individual rolls, one of their ready-made sushi trays or salads, add a side dish, or go for one of the hot options prepared in their kitchen. Whatever you order, you are going to like it and want more. Feel free to eat like a pig, after all is healthy food... unless you choose the unhealthy options like the fried sushi "burger" varieties (I found the filling good, but the whole thing sickening, truly).
Their coffee is good in general, although it depends on the barista!
The service is terrific, especially having into account the volume of people visiting the place at peak hours. The staff are a cool, friendly and smiley bunch of people. They are a bit flat out at times, so you have to ask them to clean a table for you if any is available, but, if that is the case, they will do so in a microsecond.
What else you want? I don't know you, but I would like them having a bigger seating area, so we don't have to pass by, find the place fully packed, and go elsewhere for our sushi.
Shops 13-15
15 London Court
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9225 4141
Their Website
Hours:
Mon-Sun 8:30 - 17:30
The location is divine, no matter you seat indoors or outside, especially if you like to watch people passing by and small streets. The place indoors is very small, but with a good layout and decoration, and overall it feels very cosy and European in style.
Their coffee is one of those coffees so weak that, if you put sugar or sweetener in it, tastes of nothing. Even if you don't sweeten it, it is not very tasty, no matter the Segafredo cup! The also have a selection of iced coffees but I haven't tried them yet.
They have a small but good selection of breakfast and lunch dishes, especially appealing for gluten-free and vegetarian lovers. They have a great selection of gluten-free savoury cakes, fritters, and ready-to-order breakfast, plus a variety of salads, panini, sandwiches, cooked pasta, and a few sweets.
I tried the gluten-free breakfast and it was very nice and filling, with two eggs poached to my taste, wonderfully cooked mushrooms, two types of fritters, roasted tomato and avocado. It sounds good and tasted good, but unsalted. I missed a bit of olive oil dressing or at least having the fritters reheated and moist, which wasn't the case.
All their fritters, savoury cakes and panini look wonderful in the fridge, but, since they are already there, you know that they aren't going to be moist or as fresh as if somebody prepares for you on the spot. On the other hand, if they had to prepare everything on the spot it would take a while for your good to come out, so it is a matter, perhaps, of having the fritters prepared but uncooked, just to fry when the customer asks for them. The display of sweets was average and it did not tempted me to add anything to my main dish.
The service was OK.
The place is a bit pricey, gluten-free breakfast and coffee 21 Dollars.
South-Korean director Chan-wook directs an original story about friendship and love in a mental asylum.
Cha Young-goon (played by Im Su-jeong) develops a mental illness after her schizophrenic grandmother is interned and separated from her. Cha believes she is a killer cyborg and does not eat, and has been told that she has to master a cyborg's seven steps of perfection to get rid of her human psyche and be able to seek revenge on her grandma's captors - the men in white (paramedics and nurses). When interned, Cha meets Park Il-soon (played by Rain) a Ping-Pong player antisocial guy that steals other people's souls, who takes an immediate interest in her.
What makes this film so especial is that the movie offers the reality both as the insane see it, from their subjective point of view, but also as what it is, that is from an objective point of view. In fact, the real facts are used more to anchor the story and make the rest understandable than to focus on the reality itself. The craziness, manias and obsessions of the insane are presented as an essential part of their personality, not as an aberration of the same, therefore, the para-reality they live in becomes real and acceptable for the viewer. More importantly, the script does not try to redeem the characters from their insanity, but make that insanity meaningful and tolerable for their survival. It could have been really easy to present the insane as pathologically aggressive and nasty, as most movies about madness do, or like loonies without feelings or real human heart, but the script deviates from the obvious and presents a surreal world that is full of magic, pain, suffering and happiness, in which different people with a different pathology are able to tick and connect to a deep human level.
All the characters are treated with empathy, tenderness, warmth, naivety and a great sense of humour. The characters' studio combined with a light playful approach to the stories works perfectly on the screen and makes the craziness completely engaging. The movie is also a good reflection on personal identity and how important is the way we internally see ourselves to position ourselves in society and the world.
The film is extremely stylish and artistic, too, from the credits, to the cinematography, to the lighting. The beginning credits scene is fantastic as they are presented incorporated into the story, too. The initial scenes of Cha working in her factory before she tries to "recharge her batteries" are grand class: the contrast and sharpness of the colours and the camera angling and scene pacing create a wonderful eye candy moment that is a big contrast to the rest of the movie, dominated by pastel and white-ish colours. The movie has many surreal and dream-like scenes, beautifully filmed, which really help to convey the reality as perceived by the insane.
Although the movie is catalogued everywhere as a romantic story, to reduce this story to a romance is to devalue a film that has much more to offer. Romance is just another piece in the puzzle, the one that gives its magic to the story, the redemptive element of Cha's survival; it develops piano-piano, but is not cheesy but wonderfully quirky and special.
All cast members are good in their respective roles, and the main actors, Im an Rain (and the actress who plays the food-obsessed lady) are believable in their portray of their fragile but complex characters.
My main critique to the movie is its pacing, that is sometimes a bit too slow, and the cohesion among all the insane in the asylum, which is obvious in some parts of the movie, but it is not well explained or shown at times. I would have liked that the director used strong colours for the whole movie, which would have been much more intriguing and worked perfectly with the stories, instead of the expected asylum whites and pastels; still, this is a personal preference, not a critique.
This is a mesmerising movie for non-mainstream film lovers. It has something special and unique that will stay with you for a long time.
The movie won the Alfred Bauer Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2007.
A Christmas Carol is Robert Zemeckis' 3D adaptation of Dickens' eponymous classic novel.
With stories as well-known as this, which have been adapted so many times for the big and small screen, any director faces the challenge to offer something that is new and attractive, still capturing the message and spirit of the novel. Zemeckis really has made an effort trying to revive the book story, adding some elements that are in the novel and are not usually shown in other adaptations: the depiction of the spirit of the present Christmas, the persecution of the black carriage, and the "trip" on the bullet over the city, among others. The eagle views of the city are extremely painterly, realistic and beautiful. The attention to the details of the daily life of the characters, especially of the street life and inner door of the working class are great, too, and they give an idea of what real life was in 19th-century England. The animation is very realistic, created by "mocap", a 3D computerised filming technique in which the actors voice, movement and facial expression serve as a basis for those of the animated characters.
Jim Carrey plays Ebenezer mean Scrooge and the three spirits of Christmas. Gary Oldman is the good-hearted but poor clerk Bob Cratchit and Scrooge's former business partner. Robin Wright Penn plays young Scrooge's fiancée, Colin Firth plays Scrooge's nephew, while Fred Cary Elwes, Bob Hoskins, Ron Bottitta and other supporting actors give their voices and physique to multiple secondary characters.
Despite the all-star cast, the movie does not work as an ensemble and there is something indescribable missing from it. The fact that we see the actors quite realistically reflected in the faces of the animated characters leaves little to the imagination, as it does not create enough detachment between the actors and the character they play. If that was the aim, filming a non-animation movie would have been more appropriate. On the other hand, Carrey is not especially inspired in this performance, and we see the more sardonic mime-ish Carrey instead of the good serious dramatic actor he can be; I did not see Scrooge anywhere in this movie, but Jim Carrey's caricature of the character. The rest of the cast is OK in their respective performances, and only Gary Oldman shines in his sweet portray of Scrooge's clerk.
At another level, the tone of the movie is far from being "Christmassy" or dramatic as it is action packed, with the most important dramatic moments of the story just sketched and the action ones delightfully focused on. By doing so we lose the most important thing of Dickens' novel - its soul.
The movie is likeable, but never memorable, and will not move or touch anybody. To do so, the stunning visual animation should have been paired with a more dramatic touch, with a little bit of Christmas magic, which is not the case.
A wasted attempt to revive the magic story of Dickens' novel. Still enjoyable.
Pacific Regency Hotel Suites
KH Tower, Jalan Punchak,
Off Jalan P. Ramlee.
50250 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Tel : 603 2332 7777
Fax : 603 2031 2492
http://www.pacific-regency.com/
info@pacific-regency.com
reservation@pacific-regency.com
The Hotel is in the heart of the city, at walking distance from shopping malls, sights and transport nods. The KL Tower and the Petronas are minutes away, and so are the Pavillion and Suria Shopping Malls, the restaurant, coffee and pub strip, the Hop-on Hop-off Bus, the monorail and the metro. Location Location!
My apartment-room was huge, and had a separate lounge and bedroom, a complete kitchen, a huge bathroom with a decent selection of amenities, a king-size hard bed, two plasma TVs, a good selection of international channels, the newspaper delivered daily for free, among other things - A litte home away from home.
The staff (at reception, housekeeping and tour-desk) were super-friendly, always ready to help. I thought they guys at reception desk were flatted out sometimes and that they needed a bigger desk and at least two extra hands to attend cues, and also an extra hand to attend to in-house guests going out or coming in with their keys and queries. The same pleasant impression I got from he taxi-drivers that work at the entrance of the hotel, although I did used them rarely. They were courteous, never pushy, and informative if you want to walk around. If Saita is available, let her take you around.
I booked a room for
non-smoker but this was not available and I was given one in a smoking
floor. However, my room was sprayed and no odour was perceptible;
however, the external corridors smelled a bit. The room was also sprayed for pests during my stay; I thought that they should have done so when the room was empty; although there was no smell after the spray, this could spark all sort of allergic or poisonous reactions.
The kitchen barely had a few items of crockery, cutlery and glasses, which were not enough to cook basic stuff in the apartment, so I had to contact Housekeeping. I expect a hotel like this to provide guests with basic kitchenware without the guest having to call the housekeeper for it. Moreover, there was no microwave! I mean, this is a four-star hotel and we are in the 21st century.
There is a one restaurant, café-bar and night bar in the hotel, but I did not visit them. I found more interesting wandering the surrounding area or heading to posh Suria Mall and finding my treat of the day there.
One of the main downs of the hotel is the level of noise in some rooms - namely mine. The aircon is old and rattles a lot, especially during the night if you leave it on, or if your neighbours do so, as the hotel has ducted aircon, not individual pieces. Moreover, my apartment was close (almost at arm's reach!) to a huge crane doing demolition/construction works, and the noise bas a bother sometimes, especially at night.
Overall, this is a very good hotel, good-priced and good-serviced, but needs to be updated to provide the guest with a better selection of kitchenware and a silent air-con system. The new wing is already refurbished and open, and I hope the old rooms, like the one I stayed in, are updated by now.
Stayed December 2011
Tracey Berkowitz is a 15y.o. girl on a night bus, covered by a curtain shower, talking directly to you - nonsense. Her memory is fragmented, chaotic, fancy, and on a loop. She has left home, is looking for her missing little brother Sonny, and she is in trouble.
We are drawn into Tracey's chaotic mind and soul, but also towards her path of growth from child to woman, from fairy-tale worlds to harsh reality and acceptance of the self. This is a very interesting story about a teenager that is not pretty, cleaver or happy. Although this is a movie about teenagers, there is nothing sweet about it, as presents very hard topics: rape, bullying, loneliness, lack of self-esteem, confused self-image, delusional thoughts, insecurity, and mental trouble.
Tracey's memory fragments and thoughts appear in mini-screens within the screen and on split-screen images, which show different angles of the same scene or different scenes altogether. The non-linear narrative is very challenging. Pay extra attention to the first 15-20 minutes of the film, because they are the most difficult and the ones that really give clues to understand many of the things that happen later on.
The film is more complex, visually, at the beginning, when Tracey's mind and emotions are more confused, and becomes simpler and more linear at the same pace that Tracey's mind clears up, to be completely linear at the end, when she accepts herself and the events related to Sonny. In other words, Tracey's troubled mind and emotions are directly linked to the way the movie is visually organised. The movie is also full of symbolic psychoanalytical elements, from the gender of Tracey's psychiatrist and the settings in which the consultation happens, to the appearance of different animals (a crow, a horse, and "a dog"), to the way the scenes have been patched and shown to the viewer.
Ellen Page is fantastic, despite the dramatic demands of her character. She was 20 y.o.a. when the film was shot, but she is believable as a 15y.o. girl. That is thanks not only to her baby face and childish physique, but mostly to the great actress she is. The rest of the cast are OK in their respective roles: Ari Cohen and Erin McMurtry as Mr & Mrs Berkowitz; Zie Souwand as sweet Sonny; Toronto Songwriter and performer Slim Twigg as jerk Billy Zero, Julian Richings as Dr Heker, among others.
A few important flaws ruined what could have been a great movie. The main idea is brilliant but, since we get mostly Tracey's subjective approach to reality, the rest of the characters are somewhat pointless and can't be trusted by the viewer; in fact they are just hinted.
I did not like the end, not the way it ended, but how the end was presented and how we get there - what triggers Tracey's epiphany? That is so because the mood of the movie and, most importantly, its tempo were not the right ones.
This is one of those movies that are a challenge for the viewers, that need of their full awareness and attention, that have a difficult knot to untie, but also one of those movies that can be interpreted in different ways and make your brain produce sparks. One of those movies that you get or you don't, nothing in between. To me, one of those movies that, the more I think about it, the more I want to watch again.
Are you ready for it?
