Late last year we heard rumours that John Williams would return to the Harry Potter franchise to compose the final Potter film, which I wasn’t particularly writing home about. I’ve actually not been much of a Williams fan in the Potter series (“Hedwig’s Theme”, “Fawkes the Phoenix” and the Prisoner of Azkaban score notwithstanding). However, it was later announced that Alexandre Desplat would stay on for Part Two.

After all, it just makes sense to finish what you’ve started.

I wrote my review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One in April. I thought Desplat’s score enhanced the film wonderfully, and I was confident that Part Two was in sensitive and capable hands. Listening to Part Two now, I can happily back that prediction.

Part Two’s promotional teaser simply reads, “It all ends”. Where there was a thread of foreboding in Part One, now the emphasis is on the finality, in every sense of the word. As I mentioned earlier, Part One ...]]> EDIT (October 2011): It’s come to my attention that I’ve been cited on the DH2 score’s Wikipedia page as a music critic. I just want to confirm that I am NOT a professional writer, just a curious and passionate fan.

Late last year we heard rumours that John Williams would return to the Harry Potter franchise to compose the final Potter film, which I wasn’t particularly writing home about. I’ve actually not been much of a Williams fan in the Potter series (“Hedwig’s Theme”, “Fawkes the Phoenix” and the Prisoner of Azkaban score notwithstanding). However, it was later announced that Alexandre Desplat would stay on for Part Two.

After all, it just makes sense to finish what you’ve started.

I wrote my review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One in April. I thought Desplat’s score enhanced the film wonderfully, and I was confident that Part Two was in sensitive and capable hands. Listening to Part Two now, I can happily back that prediction.

Part Two’s promotional teaser simply reads, “It all ends”. Where there was a thread of foreboding in Part One, now the emphasis is on the finality, in every sense of the word. As I mentioned earlier, Part One is degrees above previous films in maturity and scope; Part Two certainly doesn’t erode what Part One established – in fact, it only unapologetically amplifies the epic scale, which seems uncharacteristic of Desplat at first, but he never loses grasp of the emotional complexities of the story – its pervasive themes of death, loss and renewal.

“I think the goal was to find something as gentle, as sweet, and as kind as a lullaby with a guilty touch to it. It’s a very simple melody that anyone can hum, child or adult, and we found this incredible singer, Mai, who has a very pure voice, almost like liquid gold.  So it will haunt the film and Harry all along the last episode.”

—Desplat on creating “Lily’s Theme” (Credit: The Leaky Cauldron)

The outstanding highlight must surely be “Lily’s Theme” – a new overture that much like its namesake cocoons itself around Harry. I can only describe it as indescribably, devastatingly Desplat. It’s a haunting melody, laden with fragility and tinged with sadness; it cements the tone for the rest of the film and is instantly memorable. It recurs in dramatic instances: “Snape’s Demise”, “Voldemort’s End” and most movingly, “The Resurrection Stone”, which I consider Desplat’s magnum opus in this score. It is four minutes and thirty-three seconds of sheer aural perfection. Soulful strings lull “Lily’s Theme” along, with solo vocals by Mai Fujisawa, whose voice is strikingly pure and arresting. You may know that Fujisawa is the daughter of Japanese composer, Mamoru Fujisawa (or more famously, Joe Hisaishi of Studio Ghibli fame). She has sung themes for Nausicaa, Princess Mononoke and Ponyo, but I didn’t recognise her here.

Familiar themes return from Part One – “Underworld” hints at the “The Locket”, a fitting motif for the continued hunt for Horcruxes. The “Obliviate” cue recurs in “Harry’s Sacrifice” and “Harry Surrenders” as Harry learns of his doomed fate, but welcomes it openly. New motifs are introduced during the Battle of Hogwarts – “Panic Inside Hogwarts”, “Statues”, “Battlefield” and “Courtyard Apocalypse” convey the anticipation, the thrills and the devastation of the war in sombre, lyrical fashion. Similarly, “The Grey Lady” has meandering, ghostly moments of poignancy and scintillating suspense as Harry attempts to win Helena Ravenclaw’s trust so that she will reveal to him the whereabouts of a Horcrux hidden inside Hogwarts’ walls.

Harry’s best friends, Ron and Hermione, finally have some off time to themselves in “In the Chamber of Secrets” in which Hermione destroys a Horcrux of her own, and is then snogged by Ron (about time!). It’s a momentous occasion for fans like me, so I’m deeply disappointed that Ron and Hermione don’t get their own theme. Ten years of angst and misunderstandings and they don’t even get a theme?! Even Harry and Cho got “The Kiss” theme! That said, their pivotal moment does use a leitmotif from Part One’s “Ron’s Speech” which I officially dub the unofficial Ron and Hermione theme. Meanwhile, lucky Neville gets two themes to himself: “Neville” and “Neville the Hero”, the latter clearly outweighing the former. It’s a quietly triumphant theme, echoing its namesake’s endearing transformation from the fumbling, somewhat dim first year to a great, brave hero in his own right, a hero whom the Sword of Gryffindor itself deems worthy of wielding it.

“This theme is crucial to the success of the story, and it would have been disrespectful and stupid for me not to use it at the crucial moments where we need to refer to these ten years of friendships that we’ve all had with these characters and kids…”

—Desplat on using “Hedwig’s Theme” (Credit: The Leaky Cauldron)

Williams’ iconic “Hedwig’s Theme” also has more prominence in Part Two. Desplat reasons that as much of the film takes place inside Hogwarts, and given that the theme is so quintessential to Harry’s childhood and connection with the school, it had to be included. It is incorporated to varying effect in “Dragon Flight”, “A New Headmaster”, ” In the Chamber of Secrets”, “The Diadem”, “Snape’s Demise”, “Harry’s Sacrifice” and “Procession”. My favourite interpretation of the theme is in “Snape’s Demise”, which curiously blends “Lily’s Theme” into it too.

Speaking of Snape, the unfolding of his mysterious past has great significance and plays a monumental part in resolving the story. Through Harry’s eyes, we discover that what we always outwardly saw as someone antagonistic, quite possibly maybe evil, was in fact the most emotionally tragic character. Severus Snape loved deeply and wholly and died for doing so. We catch glimpses of Snape’s past in “Severus and Lily”, a dreamy, ambient montage of memories, made more devastating by what we already know of Lily’s tragic end.

Indeed it is a grand ending that we’ve so anxiously waited for. I get apprehensive when Desplat tackles high-handed action scenes – they remain his weakness – but he plays a deft hand in Part Two. “The Tunnel” is just the entrée in this feast of flavours, but it’s an exhilarating starter.  “Underworld” is the most chaotic composition – multiple listenings tend to singe ears. “Gringotts”, “The Diadem” and “A New Headmaster” are deceptively simple with an initial hint of danger, with the latter opening up as Harry confronts Professor Snape at Hogwarts. “Dragon Flight” is a brilliant ride, almost childlike in its exuberance, which is much in the essence of Williams’ ‘flighty’ themes like “Fawkes the Phoenix” and “Buckbeak’s Flight” of earlier Potter films. “Broomsticks and Fire” is similar to that effect, as Ron, Harry and Hermione rush to escape the Fiendfyre that sets the entire Room of Requirement aflame.

Desplat flexes his epic, operatic muscles in the final act, when we really feel the intensity and urgency of the ultimate duel between Harry and Voldemort, which Desplat’s orchestration magnificently brings to life in “Showdown” and “Voldemort’s End”. “Showdown” is a tumult of brass and strings and thumping timpani, topped by the sweeping grandeur of the London Voices choir. Similarly, the great crescendo in “Voldemort’s End”, which meanders into the haunting whispers of “Lily’s Theme” at the end, is just breathtaking. And if that heart-stopping climax hasn’t killed us already, “A New Beginning” gently drops us back to the ground, ending on a pensive, wistful note filled with hope and promise.

As a great Harry Potter fan and a great Desplat fan, I couldn’t be more pleased with Desplat’s effort, and I am so grateful that he was given this rare opportunity to work on something so fantastic and huge as Harry Potter. Just think – we NEARLY got John Williams again (if there wasn’t a schedule clash)! I have such tremendous admiration for Desplat that it’s probably borderline obsessive – he treats music as a serious craft, he’s modest about his own work, he’s open to any creative possibility, he respects his peers in the field and as a bonus he has read and loves Harry Potter. What’s not to love about the man? I wish I could be just as dedicated and talented. It’s not a surprise that most of my favourite films have incidentally been composed by Desplat.

Although Part One had some great moments and wasn’t nearly as memorable, Part Two holds us captive from its tenuous beginning to its victorious end. While there is no doubt John Williams’ “Hedwig’s Theme” will ineffably define the Harry Potter franchise for years to come, Desplat has proved to be a formidable force in the success of the Deathly Hallows films, seamlessly blending emotional nuance with action-packed grandeur. He has, in short, created a satisfying and richly layered aural landscape that I will always love coming back to.

In a word: epic
Key tracks: Lily’s Theme, Courtyard Apocalypse, The Resurrection Stone, Showdown
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Next up will be my thoughts on the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two film. I’ll end this post with something for you to feel nostalgic over – Alexandre Desplat conducting “A New Beginning”:

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can also listen to an interview with him here. And there is FilmTracks’ more technical and stylistic review – I agree with much of the consensus; it’s worth a read!

Tracklist

1. Lily’s Theme 2:29
2. The Tunnel 1:10
3. Underworld 5:26
4. Gringotts 2:24
5. Dragon Flight 1:45
6. Neville 1:41
7. A New Headmaster 3:26
8. Panic Inside Hogwarts 1:54
9. Statues 2:24
10. The Grey Lady 5:51
11. In the Chamber of Secrets 1:38
12. Battlefield 2:14
13. The Diadem 3:08
14. Broomsticks and Fire 1:24
15. Courtyard Apocalypse 2:00
16. Snape’s Demise 2:52
17. Severus and Lily 6:08
18. Harry’s Sacrifice 1:58
19. The Resurrection Stone 4:33
20. Harry Surrenders 1:31
21. Procession 2:08
22. Neville the Hero 2:17
23. Showdown 3:38
24. Voldemort’s End 2:44
25. A New Beginning 1:39

I’ll have my review of the film soon enough, but I thought I’d jot down my thoughts on the score now while my enthusiasm’s still this amazingly high. Once again, British composer Nicholas Hooper takes up the mantle of composing the Harry Potter films for director David Yates. I thoroughly enjoyed his interpretation of The Order of the Phoenix—really, just glad to be shot of John Williams for once—and I fully anticipated the same magical and uncoventional tone that embodied the last score. I am probably one of the few who’s absolutely adored what Hooper’s contributed to the series. Yeah, maybe I’m a nutcase. But I admire how he takes advantage of what’s at his disposal—he creates unusual musical arrangements but somehow he makes them work. He takes calculated, creative risks and I think for the most part they’re incredibly successful. It’s wonderful, really, and I couldn’t be more pleased with what he’s done in Half-Blood Prince. If only the film had highlighted this wondrous music better. Apparently Hooper may be stepping down for the Deathly Hallows films, making way for John Williams’ return. Personally am not warming to this piece of news (just yet).

Essentially the Spirit (Gabriel Macht) is former rookie cop Denny Colt, brought back into the world to rid Central City of the bad guys, namely the Octopus (Samuel L Jackson). He has the begrudging blessings of the Chief Commisioner Dolan (Clearly Commissioner Gordon and Batman have a far healthier work relationship than Dolan and Spirit ever had…) who doesn’t exactly approve of the Spirit’s methods. Well, shock horror there.

I’ve always thought that Frank Miller is a mad genius but lately his work has been nothing short of confusing, bizarre and way beyond the post-post-post-post-modern. And yes, his misogyny and sexism is duly noted (Selina Kyle the whore much?). But in spite of all this, I still enjoy most of his new stuff since he dares to push his audiences to the limit. The only work of his I simply could not handle was The Dark Knight ...]]> I saw The Spirit at the Jam Factory this morning with Sylv. Since we went to the very first session of the day we had the whole theatre to ourselves! That was great. The movie—not so great, but still entertaining albeit on a superficial level. The excitement died down the instant we left the cinema.

Essentially the Spirit (Gabriel Macht) is former rookie cop Denny Colt, brought back into the world to rid Central City of the bad guys, namely the Octopus (Samuel L Jackson). He has the begrudging blessings of the Chief Commisioner Dolan (Clearly Commissioner Gordon and Batman have a far healthier work relationship than Dolan and Spirit ever had…) who doesn’t exactly approve of the Spirit’s methods. Well, shock horror there.

I’ve always thought that Frank Miller is a mad genius but lately his work has been nothing short of confusing, bizarre and way beyond the post-post-post-post-modern. And yes, his misogyny and sexism is duly noted (Selina Kyle the whore much?). But in spite of all this, I still enjoy most of his new stuff since he dares to push his audiences to the limit. The only work of his I simply could not handle was The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Completely unnecessary and ultimately infuriating.

I have not read any of Will Eisner’s work (yet), so I guess my opinion on the film adaptation could have been much worse. Miller’s brash over-the-top style oozes long-winded, unintentionally hilarious monologues, gratuitous violence, obscure references to other comics and femme fetales sporting bizarre outfits and kinks. Did not expect (and yet not surprised) to see a Nazi homage/spoof in the film, with Samuel L. Jackson playing the mad Josef Mengele-like “experimenter” and Scarlett Johansson sporting a prissy dominatrix get-up a la camp!SS- she-wolf. Was rolling my eyes at this spectacle the whole time. It reminded me painfully of Miller’s fascist villains in All Star Batman and Robin series and The Dark Knight Returns. Eva Mendes’ character Sand Saref (which in my mind was sans-serif, go figure that) is painfully irritating even for a femme fatale, while Sarah Paulson’s Ellen Dolan is the “resilient” down-to-earth lady in the sideline. A scarlet woman and an innocent damsel for our swashbuckling superhero. Hoo-hah.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (I’d give it more like 2.85)

What was way more awesome was watching the X-MEN Origins: Wolverine and Watchmen trailers back to back beforehand. Bloody brilliant. I truly cannot wait! That said, I intend to purchase the Watchmen graphic novel, but am not sure whether I want the paperback or the hardback. There are so many newly released books related to the film. Talk about marketing for the weak-willed masses.

And breaking news: apparently a Dark Knight sequel may be set for release in 2011, as hinted by the film’s executive producer himself, Michael E. Uslan (also responsible for pretty much every Batman production in motion picture). I think I may be warming a bit more to this idea now…

Have spent nearly half of my pay in one day on comics/books:

• Over and Over: A Catalogue of Hand Drawn Patterns – Michael Perry
• The Perils of Pleasure – Julie Anne Long
• Batman: The Long Halloween – Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale
• Batman: Private Casebook – Paul Dini, Dustin Nguyen
• Batman #685 – Paul Dini, Dustin Nguyen
• Amazing Spiderman #853 Variant Third Printing (the Obama issue, lolz) – Mark Waid, Phil Jimenez

Geebus, I don’t know how to save money…

Anyhow, some weeks ago I had applied for a web designer job at Lincraft, and had forgotten about it following my project with a new client, but I got a rejection email today. Ah, well. C’est la vie. I can’t travel to Clayton regularly anyway…

You know, after last night’s epic Australian Open men’s singles final, I am totally shipping Federer/Nadal. They are so awesome and so lovely! :D Can’t they both be number 1 together? :(

Money aside, I spent my Australia Day listening to the audio of We Can Be Heroes and cleaning my room and organising my visual diaries. I’ve accumulated eleven ...]]> So by some divine providence we are blessed today with both Chinese New Year and Australia Day. Let it be known this may only happen once in a hundred years. Now you might be thinking (or rather, I might be thinking too deeply) how do you go about celebrating both? Which holds more precedence over the other? The answer isn’t all that clear-cut to me, although one friend on Facebook promptly replied it’s all in the “red and gold envelope, baby!” True. Money is a very nice incentive for well, anything. I haven’t had lucky money since I turned 18, but today mum presented me with a red envelope! :D And in it was … a $20 note, that is, in American dollars. So that’s about $30 Australian. Not that I’m going to use it since I’ve never even seen an American $20 note. I’m glad to say that I think Australia’s note system works better, at least with the colours and the texture of each note’s design. And don’t forget those ‘windows’!

Money aside, I spent my Australia Day listening to the audio of We Can Be Heroes and cleaning my room and organising my visual diaries. I’ve accumulated eleven A3 journals this holiday just to paste in inspirational material, hee! Yes, very fitting indeed. Would it have been more fitting to go out and watch Australia again? Maybe. Not. Although I did find out in the Herald that ACMI was letting people go into the Setting the Scene exhibition for FREE today. FREE(!!!!!!). I paid $10! And it wasn’t even that fantastic to begin with. Anyway, for the REAL (albeit satirical) Australia, you seriously have to watch We Can Be Heroes (now that’s playing with stereotypes):

If you had a naked Chinese man and a naked Aborginal man, they would be exactly the same except the naked Chinese man would have a slightly smaller penis.

Oh Chris Lilley, why you so awesome?

Australia Day at Dunt with Daniel and Nathan, and don’t miss Ja’mie’s rendition of our national anthem—Advance Australia Fair:

Chinese New Year was a slightly more eventful affair. Last night, watched the annual Spring Festival Gala on CCTV (that is, China Central Television, essentially the Communist Party’s puppet station) up to the point when my eyes couldn’t stay open anymore. It was a much better effort from last year’s dismal performance. The stage was friggin’ ENORMOUS. Obviously the set designers have taken a cue from the epic scale of the Beijing Olympics Ceremonies, but I’m impressed with the way they utilised the actual small space to make it look endless with light projection and perspective in the background graphics:

The most bizarre performance I saw was one with Jay Chou, with this amazing little kid, and finally a surprise entrance from Song Zuying:

Dinner tonight at Footscray (probably one of the better Chinese restaurants, if that’s possible) with my folks and my aunt.

Anyhow, thoughts on my nationality colliding with my ethnicity aside, it’s been a busy week for me. I’m still having weekly driving lessons (and my growing frustration at not being able to park properly is inversely proportionate to my instructor’s patience with me—amazing! Dad would have combusted out of fury the first time round…) , and I have a new client who has the potential to make me big(ger), and really expand my portfolio. I’m beside myself with anxiety but I am excited that I’ll be able to be flex my creative muscle since I’ve been whining about having nothing to do for so long (no excuses on my part though).

I went to Laura’s house last night and we watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Next Doctor, on the ABC (not the first time for me though, hehe) and afterwards Slumdog Millionaire, which I liked, but I wasn’t that “affected” by the story as the media/Golden Globe hype may suggest. Don’t think I’m a cold, heartless bitch though—it’s just another one of those rags-to-riches, Cinderella-esque fanfare types, and well, really, they get kind of old, not to mention the image portraying Mumbai is sort of feeding the preconceived notions of unsuspecting, ignorant viewers. But the protagonist is kind of amusing what with his vacuous expression 60% of the time. And I liked the originality of the plot that explained “how” he proved he wasn’t cheating in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. You’ve got to watch the film to see. ;D The soundtrack was pretty ace, and the editing was superlative too. The ending is rather Bollywood-esque as well which is sweet. :)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

We haven’t exactly had a great plate of good films this year, but I think the handful of excellent ones make up for all the constant churning of sluggish nonsense (I look at you, Beverley Hills Chihuahua).

Best Film The Dark Knight (hands down) Director, Christopher Nolan completely blows our minds away with an intelligent and action-packed sequel to the ...]]> Seems like every blog’s got to have one, but this year was certainly one to remember. So many good things and bad things, possibly more bad than good, if the media has anything to do with it. We’ve had the best Olympic Games in history (in my opinion, not that I’m biased or anything), some of the worst natural disasters in decades, with alarming frequency and devastation; a phenomenal, an emotional and historic apology to the Indigenous Australians for the wrongs of the past (but no compensation in sight hrmmm), an aggressive but inspiring race between Obama and McCain to the White House and the worst economic meltdown in decades. I feel as though that 2008 still has plenty to offer me, and yet it seemed to pass by so slowly… I wonder at that, but I’m optimistic at what lies ahead in 2009.

We haven’t exactly had a great plate of good films this year, but I think the handful of excellent ones make up for all the constant churning of sluggish nonsense (I look at you, Beverley Hills Chihuahua).

Best Film
The Dark Knight (hands down)
Director, Christopher Nolan completely blows our minds away with an intelligent and action-packed sequel to the dark and soulful Batman Begins with superlative performances from all actors, most notably the late Heath Ledger as psychopath villain The Joker.

Honourable Mentions

• The Painted Veil
• Wall-E
• The Band’s Visit
• Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• Persepolis
• Kung Fu Panda
• Lars and the Real Girl
• Iron Man
• Hellboy II

The music scene has been topsy-turvy; I have pretty much tuned out of the so-called ‘Top 20′ charts and discovered new and exciting artists for myself. Far more satisfying and less grating on the nerves.

Best Album
Viva La Vida – Coldplay
I’m just so glad I enjoyed this album a lot better than the sluggish X&Y. It had a surprisingly soulful and transcendental mood, evoking images of cloudy days, sunkissed memories and ethereal cathedrals.

Honourable Mentions:

• Safe Trip Home – Dido
• Rainism – Rain
• The Story of Us – Ibadi
• Heavy Rotation – Anastacia

Best soundtracks:

• The Dark Knight – Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard
• Kung-Fu Panda – Hans Zimmer and John Powell
• Wall-E – Thomas Newman
• Twilight – Carter Burwell
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Alexandre Desplat

Normally in a year I aim to read 100 books, but I don’t think I managed to reach that goal this year. I blame uni and work. Still, I’ve discovered a lot of new authors to be on the look-out for.

Best Book
Addition – Toni Jordan
It’s essentially chick-lit in terms of formula, but it’s a lot more than that, I feel. It’s made in Melbourne, which is rare, hence the extra love from me, and it’s embarrassingly addictive. I read most of it in one sitting in Borders. And I borrowed the book from uni library, before buying it from a second-hand shop soon after.

Honourable Mentions:

• The Long Halloween – Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale
• The Painted Veil – W. Somerset Maugham
• Growing Up Asian in Australia – Anthology, ed. Alice Pung
• The Great Gatsby—a graphic adaptation by Nikki Greenberg – F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Lost in a Good Book – Jasper Fforde
• Midnight Rising – Lara Adrian
• Let the Night Begin – Kathryn Smith
• A Great and Terrible Beauty – Libba Bray
• Fearless Fourteen – Janet Evanovich
• Mr. Darcy’s Diary – Maya Slater
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard – J.K. Rowling

Best TV Show

Doctor Who (series 4)
This show never seems to lose its vivacious energy and geeky eagerness. Catherine Tate proves she’s a fine, feisty companion to David Tennant’s Doctor. Am just saddened that she never lived to remember all the good times she had with him. The most recent Christmas special, “The Next Doctor”, guest starring David Morrissey, was fabulous! Even though it bordered on melodrama (thus hilarity) it gets away with it quite easily. Why? Simply because the actors are just so into it and having so much fun! Am saddened to see Tennant goodbyeing the Doctor but better to leave now than find yourself waning…

Honourable mentions:

• Mad Men
• House
• Lost in Austen
• Sense and Sensibility

The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra is hosting the first (and biggest) Edgar Degas exhibition in the country from this Friday! I wouldn’t have known about it if I hadn’t been watching the 7:30 Report while doing the dishes tonight. Oooh I would really love to go. I missed out on the huge Warhol and Picasso exhibitions in Queensland, but I should really love to see some more Degas. I’m a real sucker for the Realist and Impressionist movements (although Degas himself hated the term “Impressionist”). I suppose I could make it a day trip. Airfares with Tiger Airways are usually cheap (I’ll never forget my $10 trip to Hobart) and I imagine I could stay a night and get home the next day, if it came to that… But I suppose I’d want to sight-see just to take advantage of being in the ...]]> So… I haven’t been to an art gallery in a long time. I think the last time was NGV’s Art Deco. That’s a long time in my book. For me, it’s a good way to chillax and rejuvenate some of my creative vigour, and usually an excuse to hang about the NGV Shop (which I love).

The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra is hosting the first (and biggest) Edgar Degas exhibition in the country from this Friday! I wouldn’t have known about it if I hadn’t been watching the 7:30 Report while doing the dishes tonight. Oooh I would really love to go. I missed out on the huge Warhol and Picasso exhibitions in Queensland, but I should really love to see some more Degas. I’m a real sucker for the Realist and Impressionist movements (although Degas himself hated the term “Impressionist”). I suppose I could make it a day trip. Airfares with Tiger Airways are usually cheap (I’ll never forget my $10 trip to Hobart) and I imagine I could stay a night and get home the next day, if it came to that… But I suppose I’d want to sight-see just to take advantage of being in the actual capital (yes, this sleepy city is the official capital). I haven’t been since I was seven years old.

Bendigo Art Gallery currently has The Golden Age of Couture: Paris & London exhibition which opened last Sunday, and looks really good from the previews I saw in the Herald. I’m lucky Dad is willing to drive me there next Monday. Y’know, I’ve never been to Bendigo. I’ve lived here all my life and I still haven’t been to the big rural cities (hmm, that sounded oxymoronic)

ACMI is currently showing Setting the Scene, which “[explores] the sets of Baz Luhrmann’s Australia, plus over 300 works that reveal the inspired designs behind cinema classics including Metropolis, Mon Oncle, A Clockwork Orange, Cabaret, Alien and The Matrix.” Looks set to be really inspiring. I enjoyed going through the filmmaking process last semester.

And of course, NGV has Andreas Gursky’s photography on show this summer. I studied some of his work in photomedia last year—he focuses on giant architecture and landscapes.

Those are the big ones. There are plenty of other local artists exhibiting as well. See Flinders Lane, Gertrude St, Brunswick St, etc, or check out The Vine and Indie Art and Design.

Oh yeah, THE DARK KNIGHT is out today, BABY! I’m probably getting my DVD tomorrow. If I can be bothered walking the 800m to JB… (ofcourseIcan!)

Also saw Australia yesterday.

I liked it overall, most likely ’cause I didn’t have great expectations, although I am partial to a sweeping, war epic (when it’s good, and this is quite good). Luhrmann’s really tried to pay tribute to the colonial Australian vernacular, perhaps to its downfall. It’s really, really long. But Hugh Jackman is hot. REALLY hot. And that should justify a viewing, at the very least!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

bold denotes viewed * denotes vaguely recall/incomplete viewing

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 2. Amelie 3. Blade Runner 4. The Shawshank Redemption 5. Donnie Darko 6. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope * 7. Pulp Fiction * 8. The Princess Bride 9. Gone With The Wind * 10. Fight Club 11. The Sound of Music 12. To Kill A Mockingbird 13. 2001: A Space Odyssey 14. Casablanca 15. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 16. American Beauty 17. Doctor Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 18. Monty Python’s Life of Brian 19. Lawrence Of Arabia 20. Apocalypse Now 21. Cinema Paradiso 22. Doctor Zhivago 23. The Matrix 24. The Castle 25. Singin’ in the Rain 26. A Clockwork Orange * 27. The Blues Brothers 28. Withnail and I 29. Life is Beautiful 30. The Godfather * 31. Moulin Rouge 32. Some Like it Hot 33. Lost in Translation 34. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 35. Local Hero 36. The Third Man 37. Brazil 38. Serenity 39. Breakfast at Tiffany’s 40. A Room with a View 41. The Rocky Horror Picture Show 42. Dead Poets Society * 43. Harold and Maude 44. The Big Lebowski 45. The Wizard of Oz 46. Out Of Africa 47. Picnic at Hanging Rock * 48. The Usual Suspects 49. Cabaret 50. Forrest Gump 51. Monty Python and the ...]]> I’m just ticking off the ones I’ve seen.

bold denotes viewed
* denotes vaguely recall/incomplete viewing

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
2. Amelie
3. Blade Runner
4. The Shawshank Redemption
5. Donnie Darko
6. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope *
7. Pulp Fiction *
8. The Princess Bride
9. Gone With The Wind *
10. Fight Club
11. The Sound of Music
12. To Kill A Mockingbird
13. 2001: A Space Odyssey
14. Casablanca
15. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
16. American Beauty
17. Doctor Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
18. Monty Python’s Life of Brian
19. Lawrence Of Arabia
20. Apocalypse Now
21. Cinema Paradiso
22. Doctor Zhivago
23. The Matrix
24. The Castle
25. Singin’ in the Rain
26. A Clockwork Orange *
27. The Blues Brothers
28. Withnail and I
29. Life is Beautiful
30. The Godfather *
31. Moulin Rouge
32. Some Like it Hot
33. Lost in Translation
34. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
35. Local Hero
36. The Third Man
37. Brazil
38. Serenity
39. Breakfast at Tiffany’s
40. A Room with a View
41. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
42. Dead Poets Society *
43. Harold and Maude
44. The Big Lebowski
45. The Wizard of Oz
46. Out Of Africa
47. Picnic at Hanging Rock *
48. The Usual Suspects
49. Cabaret
50. Forrest Gump
51. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
52. The Piano
53. Pirates of the Carribbean – The Curse of the Black Pearl
54. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back *
55. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
56. The City of Lost Children *
57. The African Queen
58. Love Actually
59. Strictly Ballroom
60. Wings of Desire
61. Raiders of the Lost Ark
62. Babette’s Feast
63. The Fifth Element *
64. Spirited Away
65. Aliens
66. It’s a Wonderful Life
67. Napoleon Dynamite
68. Rear Window
69. Romeo And Juliet
70. Dirty Dancing
71. Kill Bill: Vol. 1
72. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
73. Trainspotting
74. Muriel’s Wedding
75. When Harry Met Sally
76. The Great Escape
77. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
78. Gallipoli
79. Lantana
80. Garden State
81. Sin City
82. Chariots of Fire
83. The English Patient
84. This is Spinal Tap
85. Chocolat
86. Fargo
87. Look Both Ways
88. Goodfellas
89. Alien
90. Grease
91. All About Eve
92. Citizen Kane
93. Stand By Me
94. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
95. Mulholland Drive
96. Back to the Future
97. High Fidelity
98. The Thin Red Line
99. Being John Malkovich *
100. Dead Man

Geez, I need to watch widen my scope of film-viewing. Then again this list is nowhere near comprehensive as what’s really out there. A lot of what I enjoy watching is in obscurity!

Brideshead Revisited

Up until this point I always assumed Evelyn Waugh was a woman, but this is the name, in fact, of a man. And I had no idea that the mini-series adaptation was held in such high regard. I got “free” tickets for an advanced screening at Nova, thanks to my delightful affiliation with the Monash Golden Key Society. Honestly, I paid $93 to join them; I should get the money back slowly but surely, no? In any case, I’m glad I didn’t technically pay for the film, because it was a bit of a disappointment. My appetite for visual candy was more than satisfied, however, probably to the point of gluttony. It is a sumptuous, seductive film for the senses. But for the mind? Maybe not so much. The protagonist, Charles Ryder, a modest painter is introduced to a world of decadence, wealth and opulence through his growing relationship with Sebastian Flyte at Oxford. He is swept away by the grandness of Sebastian’s home, Brideshead. What follows is a series of events that lead Charles into the closing, controlling grip of Brideshead itself, and the choices he makes ...]]> (I initally meant to post this on the 1st October. Go me.)

Brideshead Revisited

Up until this point I always assumed Evelyn Waugh was a woman, but this is the name, in fact, of a man. And I had no idea that the mini-series adaptation was held in such high regard. I got “free” tickets for an advanced screening at Nova, thanks to my delightful affiliation with the Monash Golden Key Society. Honestly, I paid $93 to join them; I should get the money back slowly but surely, no? In any case, I’m glad I didn’t technically pay for the film, because it was a bit of a disappointment. My appetite for visual candy was more than satisfied, however, probably to the point of gluttony. It is a sumptuous, seductive film for the senses. But for the mind? Maybe not so much. The protagonist, Charles Ryder, a modest painter is introduced to a world of decadence, wealth and opulence through his growing relationship with Sebastian Flyte at Oxford. He is swept away by the grandness of Sebastian’s home, Brideshead. What follows is a series of events that lead Charles into the closing, controlling grip of Brideshead itself, and the choices he makes or will not make, will haunt him forever. Yes, it’s that much fun. I was interested to know more about what WWII!Charles was up to. Surely that was not the point of the film!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

WALL-E

Pixar (or should I say Disney Pixar) has long established itself as a superlative animation studio. Lately I’ve found their works to push the boundaries of not just the technology and art of animation but also in their unique story-telling. The narrative concepts are ambitious but intelligent, but Wall-E is somewhat different in the way there is little dialogue to ease the narrative along. The first half hour involves a lone robot, Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class) processing endless bales of trash on a frightfully abandoned Earth, and coming “home” to a tip filled with trinkets discovered in trash. Wall-E is not entirely alone as he has a chirpy cockroach buddy who follows Wall-E around. The drama really comes with the arrival of a high-tech robot called EVE, sent to Earth on a mission for the Axiom, an enormous ship housing the Earth’s population for the duration of its clean-up.

Some may argue that this is of little relevance to a child, but come on, credit kids these days with a bit of intelligence here. Yes, it is a cautionery tale of the woes of waste and technology that screams Orwellian preachiness, but the universal elements of self-awareness, friendship and love are never far from the surface. As with all Pixar films the attention to detail is impeccable and meticulous; a true visual delight that warrants multiple viewings.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

I desperately want to watch this again after actually meeting Doug Jones (who played Abe Sapien in both Hellboy I and II, but voiced only the latter) last week. I enjoyed this a lot more than the first film, possibly because there is no exposition, or very little of it, at least. My favourite character out of the first film was indeed Abe Sapien, and I was delighted to see that his character had a plot going for him, including a love interest. Would be keen to see a third film in the works, but that does not seem likely, given that Guillermo del Toro’s got plenty on his plate right now (The Hobbit, anyone?).

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Persepolis

A whirlwind narrative detailing the life of a young Iranian girl adapting to the political and social transformation of the world around her. All dialogue is in French, but the content is very much in the heart of Iranian culture and its deviations through the eyes of Marjane. Indeed I’m no expert on Iranian history or culture so I can only take on what’s being said at face value. Nevertheless, it’s a confronting exploration of the coming of age of a young woman—the opportunities that she’s been given, and the choices she’s made in coming to terms with her identity and herself. The animation is whimsical—the stills are almost exact replicas to that of the graphic novels, upon which the film is based—but simple with a loose flowing style. I loved it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Old Reviews:
The Dark Knight

Um, it seems pointless to review this now. But hey, it’s my declaration to the world, among countless others, that this is a film to be reckoned with. Yes, a FILM, not just a BLOCKBUSTER POPCORN MOVIE. It’s been loved, cherished, and crafted with a no-nonsense attitude, intelligent writing, unforgettable characters and stunning photography and direction. To me, it’s the ultimate superhero film. (Curiously it channels the darkness and narratives of such graphic novels as Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke and Jeph Loeb’s The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. So read up on those if you want more Dark Knight goodness) I thought Batman Begins couldn’t be more gritty or real in the sense that it could happen to any metropolis. I was delightfully corrected. Like its predecessor, there is nothing camp about it, nothing “comic-like” (just a guy in a bat costume, and a psychopath in make-up), just a real exploration and reflection of moral anarchy and if one looks deeper: the lost American Dream. It gave me a truly good kick of adrenaline, and I was pretty much on the edge of my seat for most of the ride. It is that good.  Heath Ledger was truly breathtaking in a way that we’ve never seen him before, and never will again. It’s one hell of an epitaph. But let’s not give the late actor all the credit for the film’s success; this film wouldn’t have been if not for the superlative performances from Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. This is after all the story of the Dark Knight, and all that he’s created, gained, lost and found. I’ve seen it 3 times in the cinema (including IMAX, which was just, WOW, really. WOW. Six sequences were shot with IMAX cameras—the highest quality resolution yet) and no doubt when the DVD is released on December 10, 2008, it’ll be looping non-stop on my player.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Kung Fu Panda

Apart from making me feel a tad hungry, as looking at good Chinese food always does to me, and apart from my occasional scoffs at the inevitable Americanisation of Chinese culture (well, this does star Jack Black; you’re going to have to expect a lot of “awesomeness” and on-the-spot word inventories that go beyond the usual KAPOW and HYYAAAH!) this feature film does hold my attention with its usual moral tale, and its homage to martial arts and wushu. Basically, a fat, lazy panda who idolises the Furious Five (legendary Chinese warriors) ends up becoming the greatest legend of them all: the Dragon Warrior. Of course, that won’t do, and the rest of the Furious Five set out to prove it. We all know what happens next, I think. It’s wonderfully animated, with a perfect toned palette of pastels and contrasts, and the jokes come fast and heavy like dumplings. The marriage between Hollywood blockbustery-ness and Chinese sensibilities is well done, and this is perfectly reflected through the score by Hans Zimmer and John Powell. It’s one of my faves this year. A lot of Chinese themed work popping up in Hollywood this year—no coincidence with the Beijing Olympics? Probably one of the better creations to come out of Dreamworks since the original Shrek.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Speed Racer

Pooh, so people are complaining how this film lacks any plot, and if attempts to create one it’s done haphazardly and with a bombardment of colours and visual effects so as to hypnotise the viewer into conveniently forgetting about it. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, so to speak. I was never that great a fan of the original Speed Racer series, probably because I was about 3 decades away from being born, but I’m pretty sure I watched quite a few episodes in my day as a kid, and who can forget the unforgettably catchy theme song? With the Wachowski brothers, you know you can expect some spectacular visual effects and stunts, and this film certainly doesn’t disappoint in that respect. In fact, it explodes with all colours of the spectrum like a sea of Willy Wonka gobstoppers in a game arcade. The wooden acting should be forgiven, given that most of the time the actors were performing in front of blank green screens. Don’t go watching this if you’re expecting a brain-teaser, this is for numb skulls only. ;]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Band’s Visit

I saw this on one of Nova’s cheap Monday sessions. I’m glad I went ’cause that time I really needed a breather from the wangst that is university life. The Band’s Visit is a beautiful, wry and amusing story of an Egyptian band of musicians who, by mistake, bureaucracy, or miscommunication, end up stranded in a tiny, inconsequential town in Israel. There are plenty of awkward (but priceless) silences, loneliness in all its bittersweet and sad forms and budding relationships between people who are making the most out of their circumstances.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Upcoming Highlights:
- Quantum of Solace
- Australia
- Twilight
- Defiance
- Valkyrie
- Changeling
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Ghosttown
- Dragonball
- The Soloist
- X-MEN Origins: Wolverine