3/10/2013

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" by Terry Gilliam (2009)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is Gilliam's return to his old and most playful self with an extravagant modern Fausto-inspired, cirque-looking, fairytale full of magic.

The movie tells the story of a travelling "Magic show" troupe, led by old Dr Parnassus, who gambled his daughter Valentina with the Devil thousands of years ago, and what happens when a charming roguish Tony start romancing her, and the Devil wants to claim his prize.


The acting is very good, especially on the part of Christopher Plummer, who is truly terrific as Dr Parnassus, as well as Tom Waits as the Devil. This was Heath Ledger's last film, and he is good in his portray of the naughty, nervous and charming Tony. Also good is Andrew Garfield as the good-natured but jealous Anton, and Verne Troyer as the little bright Percy. Supermodel Lily Cole is just OK as the homey dreamer devoted daughter Valentina; not bad for for a first timer.

The parts of Tony behind the mirror, which had to be played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell after Hedger's death, are cleverly used and well performed. The two first actors really keep in tune with Ledger's performance, body language and even the inflexions of his voice. The story is extremely believable without Hedger as what happens inside the mirror is a fantasy and projection, not a reflection of reality.

The images, costumes, sets, colours, and dream-like images of the film are spectacular, full of creativity and artistry; they are an intrinsic part of the story, never an indulging showy element. Is the heart and soul of the movie what captivates the viewer, not the special effects. One feels immediately drawn by the magic mirror to a world of enthralling fantasy that the viewer would also like to experience.

I found the end of the movie a little bit rushed, and Dr Parnassus's past  underdeveloped, and, well, everything a bit predictable.
 


This is a very enjoyable entertaining film with a good story, amazing creativity and decent acting. I would say it is a chick flick, in many ways, but I have found many men liking the movie, so it is also a blokey flick for some type of blokes.

Simone Pérèle Outlet (Harbor Town, Perth WA)

Harbour Town
840 Wellington Rd
West Perth Western Australia 6005
(08) 9481 2345

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Opening Hours
   Mo-Thu: 9-17.30
   Fri: 9-21
   Sat: 9-17
   Sun: 11-17

Simon Pérèle is the quintessence of femininity and class in the underwear world, perhaps because it is a brand created by a female corset maker, who knew what I woman wants and needs. Their lingerie is colourful, delicate, classy, sexy, with attention to the detail, and enhancing of your body assets. I do not know you, but I would like to wear Simon Pérèle every day if I could afford it. 

The Simone Pérèle Outlet at Harbour Town Perth has provided me with innumerable moments of "ohmygoshness" and delight in the last three years. Even with the discount, the pieces are pricey, but they are affordable enough to feed your inner "hottie" now and then. They have regular discounts on full-priced items and on discounted ones, too, so it is a matter of being lucky when you visit, or visiting often to find real bargains. The cheapest prices are always on the items at the entrance racks. You get 15% off full priced items when you spend +50 bucks, which is easy.

The shop always has a mix range of styles, colours and prices, from the boring shapewear and invisible items to the movie-star-like lingerie. As in any outlet shop, finding your size might be a problem, or finding the matching pants of the bra of your choice, too.

The shop has four theatrically curtained spacious fitting rooms, which I love, but the space between racks is a bit narrow and uncomfortable to browse.

The staff members have always been helpful and welcoming. They let you browse around if that is what you want, or will give you a personalised attention if you decide to try anything, and they are very good helping with finding your perfect fit bra.

The shop has a VIP system that will inform you of discounts, exclusive events, and will give you a voucher for your birthday.

Simone
Pérèle Outlet is one of my must fashion stops at Harbour Town Perth, together with the Oroton and Alanah Hill outlets. They always make my day.

3/03/2013

"Caramel"‎ by Nadine Labaki (2007)

‎Caramel is a Lebanon-France co-production with a charming story of female love, friendship and ageing. The story focus on the love lives of a group of young and middle-age Beiruti women who are regulars at a hair & beauty salon.

The movie mixes romance, humour and sadness with simplicity, warmth, and heart under the fresh direction of young director Nadine Labaki, who also plays the leading character.

The movie shoes a multifaceted image of Beirut and its dwellers, a city that is complex, diverse and rich in culture. Far from the stereotypes about the Midle East that we find in Western movies, Labaki is a local who knows her city, and brings to the screen the rawness and charm of everyday Beirut and of its dwellers. The movie has an honest and respectful approach to the interaction between Christians and Muslims, and how different social groups and genders relate in Lebanon.

The movie was shot in warm caramel tones, which is the colour of the
home-made sugar wax traditionally used in Lebanon for waxing.

The music is a warm and sentimental mix of French and Arabic songs. Truly fantastic, but also very melancholic.

All the actors are terrific in their performances: Yasmine Elmasri as the modern Muslim girl Nisrine, who is going to get married; Joanna Moukarzel as the boyish Lesbian Rima; Gisèle Aouad as the aging divorced actress Jamale; Nadine Labaki as Layale, a good-hearted girl in love with a bad man; Adel Karam as the sweet policeman Youssef enamoured of Layale; Sihame Haddad as the patient and shy single tailor Rose, and Aziza Semaan as an impressive demented Lili.

Caramel is a heart-warming enjoyable chick flick, soapy at times, that offers a real portrait of life in Beirut and of Lebanese women. The story is narrated in an universal simple language, but breaks many stereotypes about religious confrontation in Lebanon and on how Middle Eastern Women think, feel or live.

Esther's Cake Shop (Northbridge, Perth WA)

Shop 4, 364 William St
Northbridge WA 6003
(08) 9228 8783
Hours:
    Mon-Sun 8:00 - 20:00


Esther's Cake Shop on Urbanspoon

If you like Asian cakes, buns and pastries on the go, Esther's bakery is a must stop on William St. You will notice the place if you walk along the street because of the lovely smell coming from the shop a few metres before you get there.

The shop itself it is very small, no specially charming, and mostly self-service. Nothing remarkable but for the lovely  sweet and savoury buns, cakes, cake slices, seasonal Chinese sweets, and some traditional European-style cakes and pastries they sell. As in many Asian cake shops, the sweets are mildly sweet, while the savoury stuff is a bit sweet. 

Most times, the pastries and buns are warm, just out of the oven. My fav things there are the mango crepes (with fresh mango and whipped cream, forget counting calories), the custard puffs, their sweet-savoury "odd" pizza slices (not for everybody as it is an odd mix of sweet and savory) and some of the cake slices.

THUMBS UP
Good prices.
Friendly service
Warm fresh stuff.
They open long hours, every day of the week.

THUMBS DOWN
No Efptos.
A place mostly for takeaways.
Some of the shop attendants have a limited English.
If you are not used to Asian bakeries, some of the stuff might taste odd. 

3/02/2013

Pimlott & Strand Café (North Perth, Perth WA) - CLOSED DOWN


Shop 21/391 Fitzgerald St
North Perth, WA 6006
 
Ph: 08 9328 5002
Hours:
   Mon-Sat: 08:00 - 18:00
   Sun: 08:00 - 16:00


Pimlott & Strand on Urbanspoon  

Pimlott & Strand is a new addition to the North Perth shopping Plaza. The place has an inner small but polished area with a a long common table, several individual tables, and a long decked table by the window; their alfresco area is quite big and spreads on the upper and lower footpaths. The ambience is relaxed, clean, and modern, with a nice mix of colours. They are an improved version of the old traditional continental deli you find anywhere, but more sophisticated and more expensive. They have a really nice selection of breads, cold meats, cheeses, and oil antipasti, plus a big selection of imported goodies.
Their blend of Bonissimo Coffee is very much my liking. Strong, flavoursome, not bitter. Good! Their ice coffee is also good and very tasty. Their selection of drinks is great, with plenty of flavoured sparkling waters, Bickfords beverages (try the sarsaparilla!) and organic juices to choose from.
 
Their cabinet food has a selection of already-made Italian favourites (arancini, lasagna, frittata, salads, and similar things), and some cooked casseroles, so they have never been appealing to me. I have tried their open sandwich, which was average, their pasta of the day, which was lovely, and the Atlantic Breakfast, which was great. Some of their sweets and savoury tarts are delicious, especially the gluten free macaroons, the tiramisu cup, and the Mediterranean savoury mini-tarts. I have never tried their breakfasts. Their menu of properly cooked food is limited, with classic favourites and Mediterranean ingredients - nothing wow, but nice enough to make you return.

Service is always terrific, with very welcoming, friendly, chatty and professional ladies behind the counter. The service was terrific at the beginning, but, unlike other places, their eagerness to please hasn't vanished, and the ladies at Pimlott are consistently delightful no matter how busy they are.

Pimlott & Strand is good place for takeaway coffee, antipasti, imported goodies, sweets and pannini. The relaxed atmosphere, the friendliness of the staff, the convenient location, and a selection of decent hot and cold food options explain why the place keeps a regular amount of patrons of all ages returning regularly.

3/01/2013

"Conspirators of Pleasure" by Jan Svankmajer (1996)


Conspirators of Pleasure is a surreal comedy and Czech-Swiss-British co-production

The story focus on the idiosyncratic sensual compulsions and obsessions (aka fetishes) of six different characters: a couple of neighbours, a couple formed by a policeman and a newsreader, a newsagent, and a postmistress. The film mixes surreal scenes, deadpan humour, hallucinogen and gory images, and human-sized puppets. The film has no dialogues, the terrific music and street/ambient noise being the only sound. However, the characters express themselves by non-verbal language. 

Svankmajer's surrealism is both social and individual, not psychological. The exploration of the subconscious world of the characters is not the point of the story; in fact, we see two of the characters hiding in a closet (a metaphor of their personal subconscious), where they find a world of deep secrets that generate their fetishes, but the camera does not go inside and we do not know why, exactly, they develop their specific compulsions. In fact, the fetish objects in the story are objectively quirky, ridiculous, and comic, made of normal things, but they become something pleasurable and erotic because of the personal wishes of each person. In a way, the personal pleasurable compulsions of the characters appear as a clumsy imitation of the human physical contact that the characters do not have but crave. There is no real human interaction between them, and invisible walls of lack of communication prevent them from relating to each other, so at least they have their little pleasures.
 

Despite the story being highly erotic at times, there is not even one sex scene in the movie, and there is limited nudity. The supposedly raunchy scenes have nothing explicitly raunchy; all it is hinted, never explicitly shown. The most brutal scenes in the movie use human-sized straw articulated puppets with facial movement, so there is a detachment and softening of them.
 

Despite its surreal oddity, the story has inner logic and organicity, and the circular interconnection of the story and of the characters makes perfect sense; in fact, the ending of the movie is the beginning of another turnaround - The beginning of of a new round of borrowed fetishes. 

All the characters are wonderfully played by all the Czech actors: Petr Meissel (as Mr. Pivoine), Gabriela Wilhelmová (as Mrs. Loubalova), Barbora Hrzánová (as the postmistress), Anna Wetlinská (as Mrs. Beltinska), Jirí Lábus (as the newsagent), and Pavel Nový (as Mr. Beltinski).

The movie will unsettle and puzzle you, confront you, visually slap you, and put a smile on your face if you have a wacky sense of humour or you are in one of those days in which you fancy anything weird.
The result is a thought-provoking film that is still daring and surprising despite its age. However, I would dare to say that you will not find it that erotic, in the traditional sense of the word. 

2/26/2013

Wealthy Nails (Perth WA)

391 Fitzgerald St
North Perth Western Australia 6006
(08) 9227 0545

Wealthy Nails is conveniently located in the corridor leading to the Coles Supermarket at the North Perth Shopping Plaza. I have been going there since they opened. In fact, I was one of their first clients, and they have never failed to do their job properly and do it with friendliness and care. I usually go there for pedicure.

The place is family operated by a hard-working couple and their niece.

The place is simple, not posh, and they offer the usual services of manicure-pedicure, with massage spa chairs, at average prices.

Three main things set them apart from other similar salons.
1/ They treat you as a person
2/ They are extremely friendly and even affectionate.
2/ They do their whole pedicure routine without skipping any step (something that happens quite often elsewhere).

Although bookings are recommended, walk-ins are welcome, especially during weekdays and off-peak hours on Saturdays.

They have specials and discounted prices now and then.

DOWNS
No Efptos available

MIND
They do not open on Sundays