All Consuming : pivic

Consumed "The Pursuit Continues"

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:35:54 GMT

The Pursuit Continues

by Giraffe Incognito

WORTH IT!

Consuming "De från norr kommande leoparderna"

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:34:19 GMT

De från norr kommande leoparderna

by Bodil Malmsten

Consumed "Where the Wild Things Are [Theatrical Release]"

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:32:00 GMT

Where the Wild Things Are [Theatrical Release]

by Spike Jonze

WORTH IT!

dreamy and lucid, lovely and sad (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:32:00 GMT

Where the Wild Things Are [Theatrical Release]

by Spike Jonze

Following a small boy, Max, around a world fabricated by his busy mind could prove fatal for a lot of directors, but I gathered Spike Jonze could pull it off. In my mind, he has. Mind you, I’ve never read the books by Maurice Sendak, who wrote and illustrated “Where The Wild Things Are”, published in 1963, which might be a good thing. Dave Eggers, pop-writer extraordinaire, has adapted the story for this film and has in my mind done a great job. I think the focus of the film lay in feelings rather than through special effects; as Max runs away from home and discovers a new world with strange beings in it, he takes – and is forced to – consequences from his actions. His world is that of a child’s and I think the film-makers have done a terrific job in creating what I think a production-company that works from readymade solutions, e.g. Disney, would have debased completely; Max is alive, and to say the least, so are his inner worlds. I felt that a shimmer of sadness was cast over the film throughout the entire run, in a very good way. For cons, I’ll say the film slumped a little in tempo during certain movements, but then again, don’t our worlds regularly do just that? The cinematography was tight and dreamy, the colours reminded me of Aronovsky and the music was lovely.

Consumed "Sanning eller konsekvens"

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:31:18 GMT

Sanning eller konsekvens

by Christina Olofsson

a laugh, still a school special

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:36:44 GMT

Sanning eller konsekvens

by Christina Olofsson

Swedish mid-90s film focusing on a 12-year-old girl in school in Stockholm. She rebels against her mother by wanting to be accepted by her the cool peers, i.e. the upstarts. She starts going out of character entirely in order to try and fit in with them, and not become the butt of their jokes and constant terror. Thus, she shuns the only – the most bullied – girl in her class. The tension gradually mounts towards the end of this school special, which is quite soft yet a laugh if you’re Swedish. My only question is: who the hell lets their 14-year-old walk through all of the south of Stockholm on a mid-week night?

Bland, horrid dialogue, boring stuff (rated 1 star)

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:14:27 GMT

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) [Imported] [Region 2 DVD]

Yet another Swedish nightmare trying hard to cement the claim that Swedes cannot make thrillers/police films. This is the second installment in the Millennium-series written by world-renowned author Stieg Larsson, about journalist Mikael Blomkvist and punkish outcast/hacker Lisbeth Salander. Michael Nyqvist, who plays the former, might be the most over-valuated Swedish actor of his time, being wooden in the extreme. Doubtlessly, director Daniel Alfredson lets the wooden, completely unbelievable dialogue whack everybody over the head in its shittiness, which does of course mean the dialogue is painful in the extreme to have to listen to. The sex-scene is awful, unnecessary and sexist. This is just drab. I don’t even want to go into details. The cinematography is bland, the Stockholmian scenes are awful, and even I found chronological inconsistencies. Don’t see this, not even for a laugh unless you like less-than-Steven Segal-ish funny laugh-fodder. It could have been good, but is most definitely transformed into pap by the director and script-writer in cahoots.

Consumed "The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) [Imported] [Region 2 DVD]"

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:14:27 GMT

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) [Imported] [Region 2 DVD]

NOT WORTH IT!

entertaining, splintered and frustrating (in a funny way) (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:12:50 GMT

The September Issue

At the start of this documentary, Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief for American Vogue, is credited by one of her co-workers for single-handedly having brought fur back into fashion during the start of the 90s. While I feel that this accolade is similar to gleefully stating that Hitler did a splendid job on increasing the number of deaths during the start of the 40s, the rest of the documentary is interesting and stressful. Wintour, rumored to be the one whom Meryl Streep based her character in “The Devil Wears Prada” on, comes across as a person who knows what she likes – but mostly lets shows what she doesn’t like, usually by sneers and semi-passive-aggressive comments. As such, she may come across as highly unsympathetic and sneering, but I say I feel she gets the job done; navigating the biggest fashion magazine in the world must carry quite some burdens and hard decisions. The documentary follows her quest through Vogue’s September 2007 issue, which is that year’s version of their annual apex. Also, Grace Coddington is focused on. She works as creative director at Vogue, started at the magazine at the same time as Wintour and watching the documentary it’s very interesting to see her clash with not only Wintour – who by the flick of a hand dismisses pictures in one of Coddington’s ”$50,000 shoots” – but a barrage of people in order to try and get her pictorials into the issue on hand. Otherwise, it’s a lot of singular little things happening throughout: André Leon Talley plays tennis by fashion rather than sport, designers are flaunted, dissed and hailed by Wintour back and forth and a tiny speck of Wintour’s private life is shown, as her daughter says she’s definitely not going for a career in fashion but in law. All in all, entertaining, frustrating (often in a funny way) but not in-depth.

Consumed "The September Issue"

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:12:50 GMT

The September Issue

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Millennium"

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:29:20 GMT

Millennium

by Backstreet Boys

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Backstreet's Back"

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:05:17 GMT

Backstreet's Back

by Backstreet Boys

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Backstreet Boys"

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:35:29 GMT

Backstreet Boys

by Backstreet Boys

WORTH IT!

Hollywood-esque and sad (in a bad way) (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:25:13 GMT

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

by Lee Daniels

No tears. Nothing in my hands at the start of the credits running at the end but the feeling that I’d been duped. Was this really the film that I’d heard so much good about? Clearly not. Oprah Winfrey is the executive producer of this mess, which says more than should be allowed, on the base of the synopsis: poor, abused, obese girl from the ghetto growing up in the mid-80s tries to live some sort of life with some kind of dignity amidst horrors and a family life in complete chaos. Voilá. The hype around this film enthralled me and I was genuinely looking forward to something interesting. To me, this film makes the English 1960s kitchen sink “genre” look even more grim than it otherwise does. While Precious is pinballed through society, hounded at home, her ways apathetic (possibly to abate/stand living) by all means, she finds school to be her oxygen. I found this very Oprah/Hollywood by all means, mainly because it’s so dense; there is simply no air in the script, and little explanation. One is simply left to accept her fate and courses of action; the film doesn’t question the viewer at all, doesn’t even question Precious’ actions, but serves a simple tale that makes many an epic tale seem fresh. In short, I found little more here than good cinematography – loads of contrasts, which I liked – and Mo’Nique’s acting, which was great during the last scene. Otherwise there is very little to cling to.

Consumed "Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire"

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:25:13 GMT

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

by Lee Daniels

NOT WORTH IT!

Sweet and after school special-y (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (pivic) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:48:38 GMT

Crazy/ Beautiful

This is a sweet film, beautifully shot and well-written at best, quite after school special at worst. It’s a funny little Romeo and Julia-type of story where a “white girl” from a rich family meets a “brown guy” from a poor family. It’s not as predictable as it seems, and opens up for a lot of great quotes and sweet music, e.g. by Delinquent Habits and a bit of DJ Muggs. All in all a sweet film, entertaining and at times blinding in its simplicity and dreamy love scenes.