Kirikou et la Sorcière is a delightful French-Belgian traditional animation movie loosely based on a West-African folk tale.
The movie tells the story of newly born Kirikou, a special child who asks his mother to be born, and who, immediately after being born, starts talking, running, and offering a wise practical approach to life to his fellow villagers in their fight against Karaka, the beautiful wicked sorceress who has been impoverishing his village.
The story is entertaining and full of magic, with great messages for children, but will enchant adults because is unique, it has soul and wit, it is clever and tells a West-African story that is respectful with that culture and philosophy of life. Even the approach to the wickedness of the sorceress is West-African, as Karikou tries to understand why Karaka is so evil to fix her, not to destroy her. Wining over and destroying are two different things, and the first gets better results is a great message for kids. Even the ending of the movie is unexpected, still in tune with this same approach: magical and very alien to Western Culture.
The character of Kirikou is just adorable, a sweet know-it-all boy, and very
naughty child at times. The rest of the characters are realistic, a mix of
the human types we could find in a small African rural village.
The old-style flat animation is an artistic reinterpretation of the reality, in which landscapes, dresses, hairdos, architecture, and other elements directly mimic those of West Africa. That is, they are not a western modernised interpretation of them despite the movie being European. Ocelot used African Art as a direct and strong inspiration for the drawing of this film. Especially beautiful is the detailed and artistic drawing of the landscapes -this is one of Ocelot's signature marks- in a naïf precious style, as eye-catching as the bright earthy bold colours of the film.
The English dubbing is lovey, as it was personally supervised by Ocelot. Still, when the characters sing, the wonderful original music and chants get lost a bit. The French original version with English subtitles is truly delightful.
Senegalese Youssou N'Dour and Cameroonian Manu Dibango provide an very cool, catchy and African soundtrack.
The movie being respectful with and true to the West-African reality, it depicts most women with their breasts uncovered, while Kirikou is naked during the whole movie, moving his bum and "willy" cutely. Puritans and morons of the world, especially out of continental Europe, thought that this was an offence and inappropriate for children viewing, and the screening of the film was banned in some countries; even the release of the DVD in the USA and the UK was not exempt from controversy either. Shocking but true. If you cannot explain to your child that mummy has breasts, that they produce milk, that they are a natural part of the human body, and that in some parts of the world they do not cover them, I feel sorry for your child. Children should be protected from this sort of people who try to "protect" them, and not vice versa. Show Kirikou to your kids, and seat side by side with them, to explain them what they are watching instead of parking them in front of a TV, unsupervised.
Shop 2/ 166 Murray St
Forrest Chase
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9221 1862
This open Korean barbecue café kiosk is occupying part of Forrest Chase's back corridors, and located in front of Crazy Clark's. There is a little kiosk with the counter and bbq kitchen, while the tables are spread by the wall and along the corridor. There is no waiter; so, once you pay, you get a number and wait for it to be called to go and collect your tray.
Their meals include the most common Korean fast food specialities: bibimpap (bowl with a mix of rice, meat, an egg, some
salad, and the very Korean sour cabbage Kimchi); Korean fried chicken ("karaage"), spicy barbecued squid and meats, grilled meat dishes ("bulgogi") etc.. The dishes are tasty, generous in size, and a decent quality for the price you pay.
A set meal includes the main (tray with rice plus the meat/fish of your selection), plus three small sides (salad, miso soup, and bean sprouts). You can always order individual portions of marinated food, dumplings, or a bibimpap menu (with the rice bowl, miso soup and the chilli paste on the side just if you prefer to adjust the hotness to your palate yourself).
Average price is about 10 bucks, all menus below 15 bucks per meal.
The service is fast, even when the place is flooded with customers, which is most days at lunch time. They clean the place quite fast, and it is very clean and tidy despite the continuous movement of people. The staff are matter of fact, still very friendly and ready to help and explain anything to you.
The two main downs of the place are that they open just for dinner on Fridays, and that the seating area id in the open and, therefore, affected by the changes in temperature and pigeons occasionally wander around.
This is not a glamorous gourmet place, but they deliver simple tasty Korean food cooked by Koreans at bargain prices in the heart of the city. Most recommended for fast lunches that are consistently good.
UPDATE
This place has closed down.
312B William St
Northbridge Western Australia 6003
(08) 9328 3771
Website
Facebook
Hours:
Mon-Thu 10:00 - 18:00
Fri 10:00 - 21:00
Sat 10:00 - 17:00
Sun 12:00 - 17:00
1Up Microcinema is one of those innovative and independent businesses that have a holistic approach to vintage. They sell modern nostalgia not granny stuff. They show Indie movies not mainstream stories. They sell clothing for edgy people, not edgy clothing for normal people.
By the day, 1UM is a fashion shop for boys and girls who are cheeky, daring, cool and colourful. 1UMC has a great selection of funky female an male clothing. Cheaper than you can expect and with a mix of styles that go from the hyper-funky to the daring, from the cute to the cool, from the black and white to the super-colourful, from the hyper-sexy to the hyper-comfy. Prices are also cheaper than I expected. A pair of Ziggy jeans for 90 bucks is a good deal, I think. They also sell super-cute nostalgic toys with characters from 1990s cartoons and TV shows.
By the night, 1UM is
also a super-cool cute and nostalgic cinema. It mostly
shows independent films, documentaries and short films. You can visit on
your own or book the whole place for your family and friends and have
an unique personalised experience. It is so very cozy. They even have
beanbags! Like a home-theatre room, but bigger. Like an underground
cinema but smaller and in the heart of Perth. Their candy bar is actually full of candies! You
can buy a few of funky sweets, like the colourful pop tarts, plenty of
chocolate bars and other pocketable sweets, and take them up to enjoy
with your movie. ]
1UM is also a vintage gaming place with two areas devoted to video-games that are already part of video-gaming history. Oh Gosh, I was transported to my young-errrr days and my three brothers competitions on those very games.They regularly organise Mario Kart competition-dating events ,too, for you and your future girl!
Not enough? 1UP has a couple of owners who have created something unique in Perth and, despite so, act like normal people and are lovely. That is super-cool, to me.
JUST A NOTE
The business is changing its name from 1Up Microcinema to Brown Class Cinema. Their Facebook site shows the name name. I love their original name! On the other hand, Brown is never a good colour for a cinema. What about purple!
647-649 Hay St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9261 6666
http://www.londoncourt.com.au
Have you ever noticed that Perth has a wonderful Tudor spirit? Yes, Yes Yes. The city is full of buildings and building details that are neo-16th century, hidden in front of your very royal nose.
London Court is one of those places where you truly feel transported in time (no need of drugs), to feel you are walking an old European alley. You could even forget that you are in Australia and think that this is, indeed, London, if it was not for the very Australian shops and the Australian elements on display.
The court has a wonderful mock Tudor style, with its unmistakable architecture and arches, tiled floor, several floor stories with their narrow stairs to the upper shops and workshops, cute little windows, heraldic blazons, gargoyles, iron pikes, shop plaques, pending banners, and two charming knights, perennially armed and standing, tall and proud, awaiting the photo and loving gaze of any passer-by.
T
he thing about London Court is that, despite its "fakeness", it does not feel unauthentic, not even a movie set, and that is what makes the place so special. Some places have magic power, that inexplicable something that, no matter what you build on them or transform them into, makes them special. The place where London Court stands does have it. You just have to feel in your body, the change in energy before entering the Court and when you exit the other end gate. That is what makes London Court what it is, and gives it the atmosphere it has.
The court itself is s a mini-Universe of fine and cheap jewellers, shoe shops, gift and souvenir shops, antiques, workshops and small cafés piled one on each other with order and cosiness. The renting of the shopping space has become extremely expensive in the last five years and some of my fav places have gone forever, and the ones standing have high prices. Still, you can enjoy some window shopping, shop till you drop, or delight yourself at the micro-climate of the alley in the hot summer months. The shops are not cheap, but walking around is.
You must walk the place slowly, preferably in the early hours of the morning or at dusk, when the shops are still open but there are not many visitors around and you become part of the setting, and the visit is more enjoyable.
Magic wand needed and an extra-tall staircase to kiss the white knights into frogs and take them to my secret pond.
Forrest Chase Shopping Centre
207 Murray St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9325 5052
http://www.ninewest.com.au
Hours:
Mon-Thu 9:00 - 17:30
Fri 9:00 - 21:00
Sat 9:00 - 17:00
Sun 11:00 - 17:00
The Nine West branch shop on Forrest Chase is an open shop that has always wonderful window displays. The interior has a very classy minimal celled wall showcasing their bags and shoes, and, to top up all, a great lighting that really makes the products on display look their best. In fact, the whole shop has an air of elite and luxury that is, however, very far from what it is.
The design of their pieces is trendy and classy, with a good mix of classy flats and the latest trends in shoes, handbags, wallets and clutches. The pricing is fantastic for the handbags but a bit up for the shoes having into account that the materials and overall quality of the products is medium in the best cases. Still they look like a million dollar! Kudos to Nine West. Still, plastic is plastic, no matter you call it faux-leather or synthetic. I would not mind the syntheticity of it, if the materials were softer in the shoes and less rigid in the bags.
The shop-attendants are
welcoming and helpful, and let you wander around freely or approach you depending on your shopping aura and vibe.
Nine West is a perfect place for decently priced fashion seasonal fixes, especially for those that you do not want to spend much money on as they are not going to be trendy next year. Nine West is also a perfect place for
Vegans and animal activists who do not use leather but want to look "à
la mode".
A biopic loosely based on the story of the great Late-Roman female Philosopher, Astronomer and Mathematician Hypatia of Alexandria.
Most movies about the
Roman Empire are unsubstantial, entertaining in the best cases. Have a
look at the titles produced in Hollywood recently and you will see what
I am talking about. We do not have many movies that offer an
intimate study of a brilliant female intellectual. We do not have many
movies in which women are treated with respect or not presented
subordinated to men. However, Agora does just that - the contrary.
This is a movie about the decadence of Rome not about the Roman Empire. The movie shows with
great easiness and without lecturing, the decadence of the Roman Empire,
and the processes of conversion of pagan societies into Christianity.
This is a movie about Early Christians, but not the victimised heroes that we are usually presented with in old Hollywood and European films.
This is a movie about a woman who was intellectually respected and revered by men, a woman who preached by example and was true to herself until the last moments of her life.
This is a movie about an epic quest for knowledge and understanding, not about epic battles.
This is a movie about ideas not about special effects.
This is a movie against fundamentalism, dogmatism, intolerance, ignorance and irrationality, about the necessity of Philosophy and Science to advance and build a better world. The movie shows that mobs are never right or understanding, just a bunch of stupid animals, even if the principles that brought them together are valid in essence and origin.
Rachel Weiz really shines in this movie, despite the Mathematics of it! She looks beautiful beyond words. Most importantly, she wholeheartedly embraces her character and portrays Hypatia with talent, class and conviction. Oscar Isaac also offers a heartfelt convincing performance as Prefect Orestes, as well as Michael Lonsdale as Hypatia's father Theon. I had a mix of feelings regarding Max Minghella's performance as freed slave Davus, whose dramatic intensity I considered overbearing at times. The same can be said of some of the actors playing the fanatic Christian characters in the movie.
The digital reconstruction of Alexandria is beautiful and realistic. Malta Landscapes beautiful. The sets, the lighting, the colours, the dresses, the actors' characterisation, the mood and cinematography of the films are all wonderful.
Agora has also some flaws. 1/ Firstly, that it is a little too long and slow-paced. 2/ Secondly, all the explanatory texts that link different periods in the movie are too long and distracting, and very TV-series-ish; I agree that the viewer needs of some historical contextualisation, but I am not sure that this was the best way to do it. 3/ Thirdly, although the space-to-earth shots showing the roundness of Earth before falling onto Alexandria are relevant to Hypatia's quest about the shape and movement of Earth, they are unnecessarily repetitive, and a final single scene with this would have sufficed and served as a modern thoughtful epilogue. 4/ Finally, the movie has historical inaccuracies, artistic licences that can be taken by the word by many viewers; still, this happens in almost any American historical movie and nobody seems to care, perhaps because they are sugar-coated and more easily digested.
The depiction of the Christian mobs made Agora unmarketable in the American market, where Christian fundamentalism has power, and the movie had a very limited release. Christian fundamentalist groups all over the world, infused in their own dogmatism, were unable to see beyond the obvious and publicly complained about the film.
Agora is, despite its flaws, a great movie with good acting, magnificent atmosphere, a powerful message, and a big heart. If you are looking for just entertainment, battles, action, and erotic moments in the Roman Empire this film is not for you. Still, there are hundred reasons to watch this movie, especially if you are seeking for something different to feed your mind.
Corner William St & Murray St Mall
13 62 13
(08) 9428 1900
Tranperth Info
This much needed station opened its doors in 2007 at the corner between William St and the Murray St Mall, coinciding with the opening of the new Mandurah train line. It is a stop for the Mandurah, Joondalup and Clarkson's train lines.
THE GOOD
- It is in the heart of Perth CBD, easy to access for regular an disable commuters or mums with proms.
- The place is squeaky clean and shiny, and very pleasant.
- The colour-coded flat signing is very easy to follow. You will hardly get lost here, not even if you venture and walk the pedestrian underground passage connecting this station to Perth Central.
- They have a very efficient information system. There is a Transperth information kiosk, stands with timetable brochures, electronic boards at the entrance and all over the place (with info about minutes left for the next train to depart, platform number, and number of cars) plus voice over messages informing of the arrival and departure of the trains, and giving security messages.
THE NOT SO GOOD
Despite everything, the station is not as customer friendly as it should be, especially taking into consideration that it is five years old.
* The seating area and number of benches is ridiculously small.
* Perth Underground does not have public toilets in the premises, not even a paid rest place. Shocking!
* The first thing you notice before you get to the platforms is the largeness of the corridors. Even if the train is full at peak hours. It is great having lots of room to move around without having other passengers rubbing your shoulders. Still, the space is large enough to be used to provide commuters some services.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
- Public Toilets needed right there right now.
- A Rest Room rea is needed.
- More seating benches are needed at the platforms and in the corridors. There is room for them!
- A newsagent kiosk and takeaway coffee/food kiosks could easily fit in the corridors and pedestrian walking area, as well as any sort of Japanese Style vending machine. It would be a good source of revenue for Transperth, and beneficial for businesses and commuters.
- Make the Transperth info office more eye-pleasing. At present, it looks like those found in stations built 20 years ago - Ugly and unfriendly. Are we in 2012 yet?
Please, Transperth Masterminds, think about us beyond we getting onto the trains.
MIND
For non-regular users of Transperth, Perth underground is not Perth Station or Perth Central, which always refers to the Central Station located between Wellington and Roe Streets and facing Forrest Place.
ALSO MIND
Although the electronic boards show info about the Fremantle and Midland lines, you have to go to the Perth Central to catch those. If you enter Perth Underground, you have about 300 metres of pedestrian underground walk to get there. I always find more pleasant walking the city, and it takes you the same time. Unless you are changing trains of course.
