Thursday 27 February 2014

Thursday Film: Josie and The Pussycats.

This is one of those films that I had not found time to watch.  This turned into a bit of a bad habit and there ended up being a pile of them...
This was why getting through these films was one of the tasks on my goals for this year.  It may have taken me a while but I've finally started by watching Josie and the Pussycats.
A strange choice you might think but I decided to watch this first as I borrowed it off my sister and her boyfriend at some point last year. At least I think it was last year... The name and the cover of it don't look like my normal sort of film but it came highly recommended so I put my reservations to one side and sat down. You know what? It was actually quite good! Alright it wasn't Amelie or Garden State but as a film about music, friendship and suspiciously good luck go it worked well.  There are some cheeky songs in there, a few knowing jokes and a plot you could probably guess a lot of but that's all a part of the charm. It was a nice way to spend a few hours escaping from reality watching as Josie and the Pussycats worked out what was suspect and who was actually their friend.

I think it appeals to me as I always dreamed of being in a rock band and having a song on the radio as a child. (I also dreamed of falling into a ravine but I blame watching Indiana Jones too much for that...) Anyway if you haven't seen this film and have previously written it off because of the cover I recommend giving it ago because although it doesn't reinvent the wheel it is good fun.

Monday 24 February 2014

Monday Movie: Her.

I was a bit unsure about this movie when I saw that it listed in the Kino Bambino listings a few weeks ago and thought it maybe a bit surreal. Part of me thought there maybe creepy robots in it but that could have been because I knew the main character had a moustache... I can't really explain what made me think that.

However, I had a change of mind and I'm glad that I did as it turned out to be a very nice film. It was gorgeously filmed and the accompanying music was absolutely lush.  I also enjoyed the envisioning of the not too distant future with the advanced gaming that pervades your living space rather than being encased in a screen and the computers you could talk into to write.  The only trouble I had was that at times it was a quiet film, partly because people don't tend to spill their souls out loudly.  Sadly as I saw this at a baby screening with my son I did miss some of the dialogue so I may have to re-watch this film to fully appreciate it. (I keep missing crucial conversations/dialogue at the ends of films for this reason and imagining what transpired then hoping that I figured it out correctly.)

If you want a film about melancholia, artificial intelligence and the highs and lows of love in the future then this is the film for you.  If you can't stand the idea of spending a few hours observing the life of a sensitive middle aged naval gazing divorcee then steer well clear.