Hi readers !, just thought I would do something different. In my previous blogs I have mentioned the Student's Union, Arts Centre and the Commodore Cinema whilst pointing out that Aberystwyth is a coastal town in mid Wales. So I thought I'd dedicate this blog to the beautiful coastal town of Aber and its facilities,
The first picture I have taken is the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, with its own cinema, stages for bands, live acts as well as film festivals. Inside, it also has a cafe, upstairs bar, chapel, gift shop and a book shop as well as a dance studio.
The second photo I have taken is of Aberystwyth Students Union, inside there is the Joint that is the venue for Comedy nights, poker, deal or no deal, Reload, Cashback, themed nights as well as accomodating two pool tables and sofas. In Bar 9 is where they hold monday night at the movies which I regularly go to, watch films and then review them for everyone on here.
Now the third photo is more scenic, showing the north end of the bay, with its lovely blue waters and pleasant seaside town making Aber a rare and beautiful find
The next two photos are of the castle ruins which is positioned at the south end of the bay, looking out to sea
Picture six again shows the north end of the bay with greater focus upon Constitution Hill, having walked to the top there is a mini playground and cafe. There is a train to the top for the less active.
This final photo was taken on the bridge, over the main road that leads down into Aberystyth town from the University. The sea is shown as a picturesque backdrop.
The actual title of the film gives it away but I still wanted to see this film as I am a huge fan of Samuel L Jackson as well as the good old 'plane taken over action movie'. So I went to the Aberystwyth students union on a Monday night with my housemates, having sat down on the comfy sofas the titles rolled with the opening montage of Hawaii and the beautiful sea and sandy beaches. Here we are introduced to a central character called Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips), who witnesses a murder and has to then fly over the pacific ocean to stand as a witness. So we then have the main protagonist Neville Flynn played by Samuel L Jackson, who is there to protect Sean throughout the journey.
However, no one on board could have ever imagined what would be in store because about an hour into their journey there is a timer that releases a variety of poisonous snakes and what makes them stir crazy is the scent of the hula wreaths that the passengers are wearing. As the snakes slither around the plane we have mulitple stories happening as and when the snakes attack. There is a couple in the toilets who are making love and one snake bites the guys 'sensitive area', leaving the entire male audience cringeing. In addition there are other snakes sliding past passengers feet and up their clothes which makes this film a jump out of your seat action movie, keeping you entertained throughout. As always Samuel L Jackson is brilliant as the action hero and it is arguably likely that the audience will always be on his side,whilst at the same time the female audience have Nathan Phillips as the 'eye candy'.
As the film progresses, tensions mount and at breaking point there is the introduction of the python leaving you definitely on the edge of your seat especially when a man throws a dog at the python and it eats the dog. All in all I would definitely recommend this movie if you want two hours of harmless, simple plot, tense action movie starring a cool action hero.
Over The Hedge, directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirk Patrick
Over The Hedge is another Dreamworks picture, released in 2006 and seeing as I am a big fan of animation films I was looking forward to this being shown in the Aberystwyth Students Union in early 2007.
The plot centres around Rj who is a racoon (voiced by Bruce Willis) who gets into trouble with a bear and in order to repay his debt he must get certain items for the bear. So he comes across a family of creatures such as Verne the tortoise (voiced by Garry Shandling), Hammy the squirrel (voiced by Steve Carell) and Stella the skunk (voiced by Wanda Sykes), amongst others. He tricks them into helping him go over the hedge and into surburbian human surroundings in order to get the items, however Verne is suspicious of Rjs intentions whilst everyone else is oblivious.
I would have to say that this movie is very funny from start to finish and the voices of the characters are brilliant with a particular mention of Steve Carell, who plays Hammy. Hammy is crazy and even the slightest energy drink will make him hyper, in addition Bruce Willis is ever reliable and he plays the voice of RJ who is sneaky and clever.
The animation is of a high quality and is visually impressive, one scene that stood out was the actual breaking into a house like a 'mission impossible', and a memorable moment is where Stella has to disguise herself as a cat and has to flirt with Tiger (a cat who is guarding the house). After the actual breaking in of the house, RJ eventually gets found out and learns the meaning of friendship and family because he realises that he belongs with them. He feels deep sorrow and tries to save one of the creatures who tried to scam their way to gettin food from the humans.
So the moral messages for children are firmly established, the ideal of family values and how you should stick together, protecting one another but at the same time it is one for the adults as well with more grown up humour. A definite hit and uncontrollable laughs throughout makes this a must see film for people of all ages.
Tenacious D in 'The Pick Of Destiny', directed by Liam Lynch
Tenacious D stars Jack Black which is one of the reasons why I went to see this movie, having heard not much of the plot line I was oblivious as to what the film was about. So I went with two friends to see this movie on a Monday night at the Aberystwyth Students Union whereby meeting a few other people, we all sat down and watched the titles roll.
I have to admit that I have never seen a movie like this before, the opening sequence features the young character of Jack Black called JB who sings abusive lyrics round the dinner table. His mum, dad and brother are inflicted with this torture and from the clear iconography they are morally christian. It is immediately established that rock is his life and purpose, but his family frowns upon it leaving him with no other choice but to run away to Hollywood.
It is then we have a montage of his journey across America with the young boy then turning into Jack Black whereby he comes across a guy called KG who he thinks is a rock legend when really he's a fake. What makes this film flip out of reality is that on Jack Black's arse there is a birthmark 'tena' and on KG`s there is 'cious D', so they call their band Tenacious D believing that fate brought them together to become the ultimate rock band ever. Ok so normality is not here, but that's what makes this film unique, the music is brilliant and it has a great cool rock edge and combined with the talent of Jack Black makes this film reliable plus a good watch. Also Ben Stiller makes a cameo appearance as well as Tim Robins who are both funny and superb in helping to lead Jack Black as the main protagonist.
The plot unfolds as they go on a quest to find a magical guitar pick used by some of the worlds greatest rock stars, but it is housed in a rock and roll museum so JB and KG plan to break in and steal the guitar pick. This pick is supposedly a part of a broken tooth of Satan, so basically the plot is very far fetched.
But even so, the music is fantastic, Jack Black is as funny as ever and the way it was shot kept me entertained for the entire film so all in all it was Rock On!
Children of Men was made in 2006 and was first shown at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre in early 2007, whereby having seen the trailer I thought it looked like a watchable and interesting film so I went to see it with a friend. As the titles rolled the name of the movie appeared and introduced the background to the story that would follow. When it ended my friend asked me what I thought of it and I said it was good and when she asked what bit I liked my reply came, "all of it" when really I was lying.
The truth of the matter is that I had fallen asleep in the movie theatre, the only bits remembered was Clive Owen's character meeting up with Julianne Moore's Character whereby they are both freedom fighters wanting to protect this woman who is pregnant, supposedly in a world where there has been no conception due to a virus. However, the film was shown again at the Aberystwyth Students union and I was determined to give it another try, so I sat there again to watch the film, managing to get a bit further. There were a few touch and go moments but I managed to keep awake for the entire film which was quite an achievement.
I would not class this as a bad movie, the only real problem was the way it had been directed, the shots were overly long and the camera movements were jumpy and unfocused. Also the use of music was mimimal, due to personal preference music is an important part of a film in order to convey emotions and get the audience to feel for the piece. However in terms of acting Clive Owen gives an exceptional performance and is helped by the ever reliable and brilliant Michael Caine, but I felt that Julianne Moore was undervalued as she is an amazing actress but this film did not stretch her acting talents.
Over all, this is an alright film and if you want to see a slow paced mystery of why the world has become infertile then go and see it but personally the trailer was misleading and I would rather watch paint dry. In addition click on the link above to take you to IMDB.
The Queen was released in 2006 and I was not particularly interested in watching this movie, firstly I do not take an interest in Royal affairs and secondly I was adamant as to how the Queen would be represented. But as a favour to a friend I went to see it at the Commodore Cinema and as I sat down with a big box of popcorn to hopefully keep me awake, there was no other choice but to enter this world.
The film starts with a series of events within a montage to give a documenatry style realism, showing the fatal car crash of Princess Diana, her death and then the response of the nation who are in mourning whereby they lay flowers in commemoration. As the film progresses, we see The Queen's reaction to her death and how the nation is accusing her of having no heart whilst the papers are attacking her and claiming she has no remorse. So Helen Mirren's portrayal is of a woman fighting her own personal demons because it has been embedded within her to show no emotion due to it being frowned upon as a sign of weakness within the Royal Family. So sympathy for her was nearly achieved but the greater picture came back to me and the bottom line is that Diana is dead and she isn't, so her portrayal gives the impression that she is in fact a 'Drama Queen', and the hardships of actually saying to her people that it is a tragic loss makes her character seem cold and heartless.
Apart from the actual plot, the way it was directed was a good effort and the quality of the shots and editing carried this movie through along with the dependable and reliable Helen Mirren, who recently won an Academy Award at the 2007 oscars for her role. However, what made a deep and pitiful hole in my stomach was at the end of the movie when she is left talking to Tony Blair and gives a little chuckle. For me, this shows she had learnt nothing about her ordeal with the nation and her duty to be there for them, added to the lack of respect shown for Princess Diana. So for me her portrayal within this movie was negative which re-established my faith in not immersing myself in the life of royalty.
Casino Royale is the latest James Bond adventure starring Daniel Craig as the new 007, and I would have to say that Bond is definitely back!. I was adamant at first about Daniel Craig being cast, as I thought his image did not fit the role of Bond but that still did not stop me from giving him a chance and watching it at the Aberystwyth students union.
The opening sequence was in pure black and white which immediately established the enigma as to how the visual style of the film would branch out. We see James Bond sat opposite a villain, who are both playing mind games with each other whilst tension builds as to who would outsmart the other. At the same time Bond is recollecting what had previously happened to one of the villain's henchmen whereby there is an action sequence. But this action sequence is arguably like no other because 007 is using brute, animalistic force upon the bad guy, not the smooth suave style that is usually associated with Bond.
So the film is firmly established and the plot centres around one of his early missions as 007. The main villain is Le Chiffre, who is in service to the world's leading terrorist organisations, whereby he plans to go to Montenegro to raise money by playing poker at Le Casino Royale. So Bond's mission is to go to that poker game, defeat him and bring him down. Along the way he travels to Uganda and the Bahamas before finally ending up at the main location where there are some memorable scenes and most notably the rather personal torture scene inflicted upon Bond which undoubtedly made the entire male audience cringe as they could not bare to watch it.
Still, the audience is set upon a clever, high action, smooth stylistic film with the handsome and cool presence of Daniel Craig and the most notable sequence whereby he gets out of the sea in his trunks which is definitely one for the ladies. This is an example of how this new Bond film has subtly changed its formula, providing for both women and men. But the male viewers will not be disappointed with the introduction of two new Bond girls Eva Green and Caterina Murino who are both stunning, Bond however takes a fancy to Eva Green who plays Vesper Lynd who is arguably a definite match for Bond. These two fall in love which is another new mix to a different formula and with the heartbreaking ending, allows the audience to understand why he does not get too close to women emotionally because they will be put in danger.
To sum it up, this is one of the best James Bond films as it has everything, action, suspense, romance, drama and subtle comedy one liners to keep the audience enriched in this cool, stylistic film. To top it all off Daniel Craig is amazing as 007, he has definitley got the presence on screen, the way he moves makes guys want to be him and for women to want him.
Volver is a Spanish film made in 2006, starring Penelope Cruz and having not watched many foreign films I was keen to go and see this movie at Aberystwyth students union. I had no previous idea of what this film was about and whether it would maintain my interest.
The film centres around the female protagonist Raimunada played by Penelope Cruz, it starts off establishing her lifestyle whereby she has a husband and daughter but the audience can tell that the relationship with her husband is an unhappy one. This family eventually breaks apart when the father tries to abuse the daughter who in self defence stabs her father and kills him. This leaves Raimunada to pick up the pieces and what is astonishing about this film is that even though it is in subtitles, I was excited and tensed to read them and watch the film, as I was immediately hooked. Penelope Cruz is amazing as the widower and single parent who has to keep his death from everyone and look her after her little girl whilst also maintaining her beautiful presence on screen.
There is not only this narrative but another which is a quite complex and almost thriller hybrid involving Raimunda's mother. Raimunada and her sister Sole lost their parents in a fire years ago, however Sole is revisited by her supposed dead mother unearthing family scandal and dark pasts leaving twists and turns for the audience. While family secrets are taking their toll, Penelope Cruz has got to get her life back together and in order to do this she opens a restaurant and makes a remarkable success. There is plenty of dark comedy (the fact that the dead husband is in the freezer at the back of the restaurant) coupled with dark and serious moments, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats.
This is a definite must see and a brilliant edition to Spanish cinema led by the talent of the beautiful and superbly acted Penelope Cruz.
The Departed was released in 2006 and recently came to Aberyswyth students union in early 2007. I was highly anticpating this film, firstly because it has been nominated for the best picture oscar at the 2007 academy awards, and secondly it is directed by Martin Scorsese. Having watched Gangs of New York, I was immediately transfixed on Martin Scorsese`s directing and the intense portrayal of Leonardo DiCaprio's and Daniel Day Lewis`s `army`s`. So with The Departed, I was expecting something special and when the titles rolled, there was the introduction of Jack Nicholson's character, so i was immediately introduced to one of the protagonists. It was in such a way that gripped me as it is learnt that he is a robber, and the title montage opens with him carrying out his job, and the way he empowered the action shots immediately hooked me into another Martin Scorsese masterpiece. At the end of the action montage, Jack Nicholson comes across a young boy who he takes under his wing and this is where the complex, clever plot begins.
As the boy grows up, he turns into Matt Damon and his character enrols within the police force in order to infiltrate and report back to Jack Nicholson of any attempts by the police to stake him out. There is the binary opposition on the other side of the law as Harvey Keitel and Mark Walhberg get Leonardo DiCaprio to pose as a criminal within Jack Nicholson's gang. Coupled with high action, quick editing, a mix of low, medium and high angled shots juxtaposed with high intense music, the audience is drawn into a world of dodgy dealings and enigma which immediately hooked me.
The assembled cast is excellent and I was particularly amazed by Mark Walhberg's role because his previous parts had included Planet of the Apes (2001)and The Italian Job (2003) which did not really stretch his acting ability. But in this film his acting is in complete overhaul as he is one of the main contenders that commands the screen. His character does not trust Leonardo DiCaprio and relishes in winding people up and making peoples lives a misery. His portrayal is superb and it is a refreshing outlook on his acting ability.
Apart from Mark Walhberg, Jack Nicholson was a major surprise, he is a reliable and dependable actor and I have felt that his previous films have been just that, such as Anger Management and Somethings Gotta Give both made in 2003. But with this film he is on exceptional top form, firmly setting him as an established actor helping to carry the new and upcoming talents of Mark Walhberg, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. With Leonardo DiCaprio he has gone from strength to strength, and his high powered performance has allowed me to respect him even more as an actor rather than a star.
So to sum up, if you want to see a high action, clever plot, twist and turn movie with cool acting, a sophisticated edge, and to top it all off a now oscar winning director (finally) for this film, then this movie is for you.
I am a big fan of the Rocky films and I was so looking forward to seeing one come to the big screen at the commodore cinema in Aberystwyth in early 2006. The same narrative technqiues go straight back to the first one which was orginally intended by Sylvester Stallone, because with the first, it was about himself and his background. The original had the inevitable deeper and more inspired meaning to his character and obstacles.
So here we have the recent addition to the franchise and the plot centres around the aftermath of Adrian's death, Rocky owns and works in a restaurant which in the first intance makes us believe he is happy and content with telling the customers stories of his boxing days. Apart from Rocky other established characters are focused upon such as his brother in law Pauli who is still a grumpy and depressing character. Rocky's son has grown up and works as a businessman for a successful company but at the beginning of the movie Rocky and his son's relationship is strained. His son is embarrassed, hating the fact that Rocky steals his limelight and taking away his individuality. As these parallel stories evolve at the beginning of the film, we have the event that shifts into disequilibrium, and the chain of events that follow whereby at the end we see Rocky back in the ring for a final fight against Mason `The Line' Dixon.
The reason for the confrontation, is that there is a virtual boxing game involving opponents from different eras, and the recent showdown was between Rocky and the new and upcoming boxing talent of Mason Dixon. The result showed that Rocky would win and this may be the pivotal moment that gets the narrative flowing. However, even before that, the audience begins to see his inner demons start to seep through and the urge to get back in the ring. With his inner demons and in connecting that to the end of the movie, you see its purpose. The inner ideological meaning is that Rocky was not fighting to prove his status as a boxer, he was fighting for Adrian who died of stomach cancer. When he was in the ring and punching his opponent Mason, he was getting rid of the hurt from losing her, releasing his aggression and attacking the cancer face on. What had hurt Adrian he could not prevent and the only place to release his heartache was in the ring.
So as the audience goes through Rocky's journey, there is tension between him and his son, Pauli loses his job and Rocky himself forges a relationship with the young Marie who appeared in the first film. Suddenly these characters are thrown together forging the team that to enable him to go up against his opponent. Within the final fight, the same action, quick cut and zoom techniques around the boxing ring does justice to the Rocky franchise and creates the ultimate fight adrenaline that is not so easily accomplished in other boxing films. With Rocky you are on his side and watching your hero get hurt gets the blood racing, this goes into an overload when you see him fight back, when he gets knocked down it teaches us to get straight back up because if you just lay there, you would be lost forever.
With Sylvester Stallone's new Rocky film the audience is with him every step of the way and when the music plays at the beginning you have yet again entered into his world. At the end of the film there is a nicely ended resolution giving us as an audience a brilliant and final chapter.
The Pursuit of Happyness, directed by Gabriele Muccino
With prior knowledge that Will Smith's role in this movie had been nominated for best actor in the 2007 Oscars, I was expecting a decent performance. However instead, I got an amazing performance, having watched it at the Commodore cinema in Aberystwyth.
The plot centres around Chris Gardner (Will Smith) in 1981, who has a wife played by Thandie Newton and A child (played by the adorable Jaden Smith, Will Smith's son). The opening montage immediately allows the audience to connect with his character and lifestyle, as we see him trying to sell bone marrow detection machinery, a business venture that is going wrong. There is then a flashback of them moving into their new home, when their lives were ‘happy’ and before his job as a salesperson became unsuccessful. The resulting action in the present day is now financial pressure upon the family and his wife having to juggle between jobs.
The atmosphere finally reaches breaking point and Thandie Newtons character moves to New York to hopefully get a steady and reliable job, leaving Chris to look after his son. What makes this film seem unique, is that even though there should be intended sympathy for the female protagonist, the actual sympathy is with Will Smith's character. The removal of the female protagonist then paves the way for the male protagonist's emotional journey, about a father who when he was younger did exceptionally well in school but worried about stretching further and being discouraged. But as the situation reaches breaking point, his inner anxieties will have to be cast aside in order to fight for his son and their very future, and about how far you would go in order to survive and be 'happy`.
This is by far, one of Will Smith's greatest films, an emotional, heart wrenching portrayal of a man against the odds and working, grinding, testing the boundaries in order to become someone. He is trying to beat off competition in the hope of getting a job as a stockbroker whereby he has to use his people skills, wits and willingness to achieve this. His ultimate goal and passion is to be happy with his son, but there is a deep and moralistic undertone. the fact that what’s staring straight at him in the face is his son, so can it be argued that his son is happiness in itself.
Both Will Smith and his son portray a brilliant partnership, their relationship with each other off screen helps on screen, as they both have a great chemistry with decent acting and charging the tone of the piece, to get the audience connecting with their characters. All in all, an amazing performance by Will Smith, and to see the trailer click on play below and click on the link above to take you to IMDB.
The Devil wears Prada was made in 2006, starring Anne Hathaway, and as I'm a girly girl (most of the time), I was psyched up to see it being shown at aber union on monday 5th February at 8pm. Myself and a friend arrived 5 minutes before it was due to start and on entering found the entire room was completely full, so we sat at the front on the floor.
As the titles rolled, the montage introduced the heroine (Anne Hathaway) on her journey around the `big city` (New York) and coupled with non diegetic music of `suddenly i see` by KT Tunstall, sets the airy woman on a mission, immediately hooking me into this fantasy world. The plot is based around Andy (Anne Hathaway), a wannabee journalist, who decided not to pursue a career in law. Her only real hope is a job interview for Runway, a leading fashion magazine headed by the tough, mean Miranda played by Meryl Streep. Andy is immediately stereotyped and discriminated against by Emily, mirandas first assistant, and her even bigger obstacle is to impress miranda.
As the film progresses, Andy begins to realise that to become serious and survive within the fashion industry she will have to change her image; the way she acts, dresses and speaks as well as her outlook on fashion. She eventually accomplishes this but it is still not enough for Miranda and when Andy gets chosen to go to Paris, she has an even bigger challenge to impress. With her career on the highs, Andrea's love life is strained, losing her boyfriend and contact with friends as well as transforming into an entirely different person. She has an epiphany and realises that the person she is turning into and will inevitable become is Miranda.
The basic iconography for this film is symbols of the fashion industry, and at first glance it can be viewed as another girls film, but in looking beneath the surface, themes and meanings seep through. A womans ambition within an industry will mean choosing between her career or love as well as being pressured into becoming someone she is not, inevitably affecting the rest of your life. What makes this film believeable is the talents of Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, both unique in their artistic differences but when brought together on the big screen, complimenting one another. Anne Hathaway's magical pressence on screen, as shown in the Princess Diaries, draws you in and connects with her character. With the support from the flawless talent of Meryl Streep, known for her serious roles (The Hours), this provides a balance on screen of the new and upcoming talent with the already establised talent.
This film was certainly not a let down and for you to see a quick taster of what I mean, click on play to view the trailer below, and enjoy! In addition click on the link above to take you to IMDB.
Isolation, made in 2005, directed by Billy O`Brian
In Aberystwyth, the majority of you will have heard of the recent Abertoir film festival that took place in the arts centre, Halloween weekend of 2006. On the first day we had a mystery screening and as I sat comfortably in my seat, the title `Isolation` came up. Its premise is experimentation going seriously wrong on a rural Irish farm.
I was lost for the first 30 minutes as it focused on the concept of `attack of the cows` but suddenly the underlying ideological purpose of the movie eventually started to seep through (finally). As best as I can describe, the plot centres around the ethics of cell manipulation and experimentation on animals, focusing on out of control parasites growing inside a calf that is inside a cow, don`t ask!
Once you get past the silly plot, it actually turns into a damn good movie and the special effects are very impressive for a low budget British film which in a sense reminded me of `The Descent`. There is some pretty decent camera work used (handheld camera does maximise the tone of the piece in terms of unpredictability) and also the quick cut editing is visually impressive. There are a few jumpy moments that add to the tension and suspense i.e. a parasite slowly making its way under the bed covers. However I was very, very annoyed when one segment focused on a woman on an operating table, where she has died from a parasite, leaving a huge hole through her stomach. It reminded me of alien, and the actual growth of the parasite was reminiscent of `The Thing`. The film uses intertextuality to the extreme and took away its originality (even if the plot was unrealistic).
In terms of characters, the main protagonist Dan (played by John Lynch: Sliding Doors) is brilliant as the lonely considerate farmer but Essie Davies who played Orla was terrible. There was no reason for her character (who was a vet) to be in the script, the only memorable thing she did was at the beginning when she stuck her hand up the cows arse to check whether the calf was ok. However, I did like the other female protagonist Ruth Negga who played Mary. A typical convention of a woman seemingly innocent at the start who then has to toughen up to beat the `big bad` at the end which reminded me of Ripley in a sense. Relating back to originality, it even stole from The Omen which was another reason I was annoyed at the borrowing of generic conventions from other films which I believe is what let this film down.
However, I would recommend this movie if you want harmless gory fun and as previously mentioned, for a low budget British film, this is definitely one to watch in terms of appreciating the input of effort by the filmmakers.
And if you want to see the trailer, click on play below, also click on the link above to take you to IMDB.
