The Lovely Bones - My Review.

Like many other people, 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold is one of my all-time favourite novels. I read it about 5 years ago and LOVED it. Recommended it to all and sundry and waited to hear if they all loved it too. And they did!

Yesterday, I saw this newly released film and I liked it alot.
If you have read the book and loved it too, I would give you the all clear to go and see it. You know how sometimes the film does not do justice to the book? Well, although I feel like no film version of this book would ever be 'as good' as the book - I think that this interpretation is about as good as it could get.
Peter Jackson was the perfect director. He managed to combine the awful realism of Susie Salmon's destiny and it's impact on those who loved her with her new experiences in 'the in-between' and then in Heaven.
Something that worked seamlessly in Alice Sebold's book and a reader's imagination but may not have translated very well into film. He did a great great job.

All the performances are good. Some are great. Stanley Tucci and Saoirse Ronan are particularly impressive.
This is off topic but I have to say, Susan Sarandon looks absolutely amazing for 63.
Amazing!!

I don't really have anything negative to say about this movie except that it isn't as fantastic as the book. But, I didn't think it could/would be.

If you haven't read the book, I think you would like the film - the friend I saw it with hadn't and she really enjoyed it.

One other thing I particularly liked about the film was that although the subject matter is particularly gruesome,Peter Jackson has managed to get across what happened to Susie Salmon without any graphic scenes or violence and for that I was eternally grateful!! So, if you hate any kind of blood or violence on screen like me, you will be just fine if you go to see this movie!

I would love to hear your thoughts on 'The Lovely Bones' if you've seen it or even if you've read the book...


xx

A musical interlude.

I've been sitting on the couch this afternoon, rummaging around on Youtube. I've been reminiscing, watching bits of musicals I like and TV shows I used to watch on the ABC when I was in primary school.
It's scary how long ago that was!
I wanted to show you this clip from the film ' A Chorus Line' - one of my favourite musicals ever. It's a song called 'Nothing'. Quite a sad song really, but still entertaining for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Hope you like it!

xx

Someone's found a little bit of inspiration...

Hi there!

I went to the movies last weekend. Actually, being preggers I have been going alot lately. It's one of the few activities that suits a pregnant body like mine!
On Saturday, I saw the Michael Jackson movie - This is it.
He certainly was quite loopy but he was also an amazingly talented creative soul.
I'm not a huge fan but I was curious to see what his shows might have been like in London. The production looked fantastic and even when he wasn't trying - he was pretty damn fantastic.
The film didn't focus at all on his death. It was purely a record of the rehearsal process for the shows. There was no narration and I thought that Michael was portrayed fairly. I was a bit scared that it would a festival of love for MJ and not much more. Thankfully, I was wrong!
If you are at all interested, I would recommend it. We saw it at IMAX and if possible try and see it in that format. I think it's on for longer than the original two week season now - so there's still time!

The weekend before last I saw Julie and Julia.
And I LOVED it.
It was very inspiring - not so much the cooking side of things, although I will admit a mild interest in French cuisine since watching the film!
It's going to take a lot more than a movie to get this lady excited about cooking!!
This film inspired me for two reasons. Firstly, Julia Childs herself.
What a woman! She embraced life wholeheartedly and fearlessly. It was so great to be reminded of the importance of trying to live like that each day.
I left the cinema with a new hero!
Also, Julie Powell ( the blogger who took on the challenge of cooking Julia Child's entire book over the course of a year )reminded me how much I love to write and to blog and how being organised and disciplined in regards to your blog can be very rewarding indeed.
So, you can expect to hear alot more from me in the coming weeks.
I'm going to write a post every day for a month...hang onto your hats!!:)

If you've seen either of these films, I would love to know what you thought!

xx

My Year Without Sex.

Sd ( my husband ) and I went to see a new Australian film on Saturday night. It's called 'My Year Without Sex' , written and directed by a very talented lady - Sarah Watt.
It is the story of a family, living in suburban Melbourne, who are doing their best to get through what turns out to be a particularly difficult year. It is the tale of a family,of a couple, and of individuals - all at the same time.
I haven't really seen anything like this film before. The balance of drama and comedy was perfect. I haven't seen a film that was so realistic, yet not jarringly so, for ages.

I particularly loved the lottery ticket in the front garden story-line.
Sasha Horler who plays Natalie ( the mother in the family) was fantastic. As was Matt Day who played the quiet husband ,with alot going on inside, with subtlety and clarity.
The casting was great actually.
Ok, starting to rave now, so I think you get the idea. Great movie!! Make sure you see it!

* If you do read any (real) reviews, don't be put of by the brain aneurism thing - I am particularly squeamish and also quite the hypochondriac - and it was fine.

* After a cycle of IVF that so far has been going since Easter Sunday, there are only tiny windows where sex is allowed. A month or so without sex = crap. A year without sex = OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!

* To see the preview go here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tWWFtAl0I8

xx