Thoughts...

So, I managed to make my way to the cinema twice this week. First to see "Horrible Bosses", for which I had high hopes. To say I was disappointed is a massive understatement. It's the latest in a series of shouty shouty, loud loud, 'wacky' comedies that seem to be the order of the day in mainstream Hollywood. Note to all studios: saying things extremely loud does not make them funny. Absurd plot, annoying main characters (especially Charlie Day, who is the most obnoxious human I've seen on screen since Little Nicky) and a complete waste of some pretty solid acting talent. What on earth Kevin Spacey was doing in this shite I do not know. Same for Colin Farrell, who was basically reduced to a cartoon character, and Jennifer Aniston's part consisted of one joke...yep, just the one, throughout the entire 2 hours...wherein, the "good girl next door" (Aniston) says things like "f**k my slutty mouth"...oh the hilarity!

What annoys me most is that it will be a box office smash, despite it's complete lack of originality, wit, subtlety or indeed comedy, and we the people will be subjected to yet more of the same. Very upsetting.

At the other end of the artistic spectrum was "The Tree of Life" starring Sean Penn, Brad Pitt and directed by the revered Terrance Malick. I went in not really knowing what to expect and within the first hour, I felt my brain slowly pouring out of my ear. Absolute insanity. Basically, not to give too much away, the films starts with Sean Penn remembering his childhood, then we go into the creation of the universe, the birth of morality (by use of a scene involving Dinosaurs...no, that's not a misprint) and back through the memories of Mr. Penn. This lasts for 2 hours and 40 minutes. Now, I consider myself a fairly cine-literate person, and I am struggling to find the words to describe this film. Yes, the visuals were rather lovely at times (if very 2001: A Space Oddyssey) and yes, there were moments of genuine emotion which got me going a bit, but overall I think my feeble mind was unable to comprehend what was going on before me. It gets a bit too deep, is what I'm saying. A narrative would have been nice too.

I think I'd have enjoyed it more if it didn't have the most pretentious voiceovers in history, people whispering profound things like "life is organic" and "um bongo, um bongo, they drink it in the congo". Leaves a bit of a bitter taste in my cynical mouth. However, it's nice to see someone at least trying to push the envelope and taking on life's grander subjects. Maybe I need to see it again to fully appreciate it, or maybe I'm just an idiot. Who knows?

In other news, Carmeggedon turned out to be a load of bollocks.

Listening to the news all week, you'd think LA would be at a complete standstill, people jumping from their stationary vehicles and leaping off bridges left, right and center. I spent all day driving on the old freeways yesterday...clear as a bell. Better than normal in fact. Oh, the media, what will you come up with next, you little phone-tapping, amoral rascals.

So, there you have it, another pointless ramble from a man with too much coffee in the system.

Peace,

JB.