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revdorothyl at 04:10pm on 30/09/2004 under movie reviews
revdorothyl at 04:10pm on 30/09/2004 under movie reviewsI'm still dragging my not-inconsiderable-rear-end, since I'm still feeling severely sleep-deprived even when I'm getting 9 or more hours of sleep per night, but I decided to take advantage of the fact that I was already up and dressed yesterday afternoon (in order to teach my mid-afternoon class) by going to see a couple of movies after work. The fact that both films were due to leave Nashville today, and that I hadn't been to a film at all since Alien vs. Predator and my second viewing of Spiderman 2 three weeks ago provided extra motivation to take advantage of my unusually-alert-and-upright-and-fully-clothed condition.
I have to say that I heartily recommend Danny Deckchair -- a little gem of a romantic comedy from Australia -- to anyone who gets the chance to see it. The main character, Danny Morgan (played by the actor who was the incredibly scruffy and oblivious flat-mate in Notting Hill -- and I must say, he cleans up very nice, indeed!) manages to transform his own life and the lives of many of the people he meets, after he ties a bunch of helium-filled advertising balloons to his deck-chair during a holiday barbecue (out of sheer cussedness and a refusal to be ground down by those who consider him 'one of the little people'). See this film by yourself, and you'll end up grinning and laughing with sheer joy. See it with a date, and it might be the start of a 'beautiful friendship'!
As for Bright Young Things, I've been a Stephen Fry fan for some time, but I have to agree with the critics who've pointed out that this film just isn't worthy of the caliber of actors appearing in all these cameos. I kept waiting for it all to make a point or hit home with something insightful or energizing or enraging, but nope. Just a few funny one-liners, with nothing much underneath. I ended up feeling like one of those 'bright young things' (or 'vile bodies') on the endless racing track of mindless parties, realizing that this was a total waste of my life and my time, but not knowing what to do about it. In the end, I was left with the distinct impression that the point of the film is that life has no point, and that nothing we do matters much at all. The best you can do, it seemed to be arguing, was find somebody to love and cling to them, and don't make the slightest attempt to influence the world through art or politics or anything else.
"Vanity, vanity -- all is vanity," saith the preacher, apparently (and I don't mean the lady evangelist played by Stockard Channing in the film, either -- although I was moderately entertained by her angelic choir's rendition of "Ain't No Flies on Jesus"). I got bored enough and depressed enough to consider walking out of this film, and I'd hate for someone to see it close to election day and decide that voting, like everything else, would just be a lot of hot air and nonsense and a waste of hope. Oh, well.
But Danny Deckchair was a dandy bit of hope-inspiring fluff. Worth seeing again, if you get the chance.
I have to say that I heartily recommend Danny Deckchair -- a little gem of a romantic comedy from Australia -- to anyone who gets the chance to see it. The main character, Danny Morgan (played by the actor who was the incredibly scruffy and oblivious flat-mate in Notting Hill -- and I must say, he cleans up very nice, indeed!) manages to transform his own life and the lives of many of the people he meets, after he ties a bunch of helium-filled advertising balloons to his deck-chair during a holiday barbecue (out of sheer cussedness and a refusal to be ground down by those who consider him 'one of the little people'). See this film by yourself, and you'll end up grinning and laughing with sheer joy. See it with a date, and it might be the start of a 'beautiful friendship'!
As for Bright Young Things, I've been a Stephen Fry fan for some time, but I have to agree with the critics who've pointed out that this film just isn't worthy of the caliber of actors appearing in all these cameos. I kept waiting for it all to make a point or hit home with something insightful or energizing or enraging, but nope. Just a few funny one-liners, with nothing much underneath. I ended up feeling like one of those 'bright young things' (or 'vile bodies') on the endless racing track of mindless parties, realizing that this was a total waste of my life and my time, but not knowing what to do about it. In the end, I was left with the distinct impression that the point of the film is that life has no point, and that nothing we do matters much at all. The best you can do, it seemed to be arguing, was find somebody to love and cling to them, and don't make the slightest attempt to influence the world through art or politics or anything else.
"Vanity, vanity -- all is vanity," saith the preacher, apparently (and I don't mean the lady evangelist played by Stockard Channing in the film, either -- although I was moderately entertained by her angelic choir's rendition of "Ain't No Flies on Jesus"). I got bored enough and depressed enough to consider walking out of this film, and I'd hate for someone to see it close to election day and decide that voting, like everything else, would just be a lot of hot air and nonsense and a waste of hope. Oh, well.
But Danny Deckchair was a dandy bit of hope-inspiring fluff. Worth seeing again, if you get the chance.