Office Space
This wasn't a big hit in the cinema, but it has had an enormous DVD afterlife, and I can see why. I definitely wouldn't want to go out on a Friday night and watch a film about working in a shit job and how much it sucks, especially if I was working in said shit job. But I would be quite happy to slouch on my unhygenic sofa in a miasma of despair and make sardonic nose-laughs of recognition at the same material. Actually, it is pretty funny, and it has proper swearing in it (including a discussion of the relative merits of
soi-disant resort jails, versus Federal 'ass-pounding' jails), so that is nice. It's directed by Mike Judge, who made King of the Hill, and Beavis and Butthead (note that the Beavis and Butthead movie is hilarious and I've seen it about 6 times), but this is more like
The Monkey Wrench Gang for all the slaves rowing the big IT trireme.
Disturbingly enough, Jennifer Aniston is in this movie yet it is still
good. Surely now that humanity has got to the stage where we can not merely think of the
Poincare Conjecture, but we can actually prove it, surely we should be able to account for a discrepancy in the fabric of the universe like Ms Aniston appearing in a movie that doesn't completely eat it raw? The normal prize of out-dated racing tips applies to anyone who can furnish an even remotely rational explanation for this.
Miami Vice
One thing you will notice if you watch this film (unless you watch it with biscuits taped over your eyes in an attempt to find out if digestives are see-through) is that Michael Mann really likes filming clouds. And I think clouds sum up the whole enterprise. On the credit side, they are fluffy, but on the debit side, they are nebulous and meaningless. They sum up the film in one of those peculiar kind of metaphor things that my dad is always on about. Because while it all looks amazing, with the exception of the bits with Colin Farrell in them, or Jamie Foxx's astroturf "Action Man" barnet (haircut as pictured), it is a big pile of Miami Schiess. I couldn't understand a word they were saying, it was like they all had marshmallows in their mouths. It is a bit of a shame because there are a few cracking action sequences, but apart from that you can't work out what is going on. And Colin Farrell is in it.
I think this is best appreciated as an art film, where you enjoy the thrusting aesthetics of it all. In this case it just about scrapes into the
good category. If, however, you'd like something a little less infested with Colin "Mojito Fiend" Farrell, you may not enjoy it quite so much....
Fucking Åmål
Åmål is a wee town in Sweden. It's not outstandingly boring, just averagely boring, which is even worse, it cannot even distinguish itself through the medium of tedium (unlike Pitsea, for instance). Strangely enough, the Åmål tourist board
website makes no mention of the film. Anyway, the film is a little bit about teenage lesbians, but it's mostly about growing up somewhere shit and not even wanting to fit in.
It's the first film by Lukas Moodysson, who made
Together, one of my favourite movies ever ever ever. And while it's not quite as good, you can see that it's the work of the same bloke. There is the same lovely nuanced storytelling, and all the characters are rounded out. You think the dad character's going to err on the side of niceness to the extent of being a bit of a dick, for instance, and he is, but you can see he's quite a cool dad as well. Everyone is like that, I reckon you could make a film about any of the characters. The end feels a bit idealised, but that's the film's only dalliance with uncoolness.
It's not one for the pervo brigade. And anyway, it looks like Lukas Moodysson shot it using his mobile phone. Definitely worth checking out anyway, this film is
good. In England it is called Show me Love but I think prefer the other title.
I am sorry if this review is a bit
shit, I was out with Dave last night and we got absolutely battered.
