Still Here

Just a little note to show that I have not, as yet, fallen off the face of the earth! Still here, still in the job…still in the life – much as I left. Ish, I think!

To fill in – had a fabulous night at Chemical Brothers, Wednesday 16th. Met an ex-boss from Tallaght Library in the queue for the toilets. We both looked slightly freaked out at the revelation, and spent much of the leg-crossing, butt-clenching wait avoiding each other’s eyes. Parted with a mutual desire of never seeing each other again, methinks!

Paddy’s Day was a kicker! After the almost all-nighter (‘when you get to my age’, and all that!) Wednesday, I awoke with a borderline insane desire to keep going. Having never partaken of the all-day bevvy dance before, I decided this would be the time. For a full 14 hours we drank, laughed and carried on. Twas much fun and frolics! Friday we bid farewell to Wichie fwom Oz. Ta ta, young man, and may the splinters always point the right direction as you slide down those proverbial banisters! Shall miss him – he actually fit in to Rush life quite well…despite rubbing a few people almost towards the edge of being the ‘wrong way’. Saturday, headed home for funeral, rugby and pizza (probably in that order too!), followed by chinese and DVD – the standard Saturday night! Watched The Forgotten. What mind-numbing crap! Dear Lord, there was NO redeeming factor, save Julianne Moore…and she barely scraped a pass in my ‘tolerable’ gallery for that turkey! Riveting drama – ‘where is her son?’, ‘Did she have a son?’ – falls into raging ‘what the hell?’, ‘who are they?’, ‘WHAT?’!

Sunday we came back to Rush and onwards and upwards to the lads gig in Whelan’s in town. They played really well - especially the percussion...whoever played that section was AMAZING! Good, clean, fun night – if slightly marred by the ongoing and un-abating childish, spiteful and downright rude behaviour of a mosquito-like minority!

Monday I awoke in the fevered grip of a vicious virus and, alas, could not make it to work! With all my strength I made it home on Tuesday, only to lie in an hallucinating heap on my couch for the subsequent days. Minutes became hours, hours became days, and the days became a week – still no work could I attend! I made it back to Rush for ‘good’ Friday, only to be greeted by an unrecognisable population, staggering about Dawn of the Dead-like for want of an open pub! A much needed poker game was started and I made it to the final four – though, sorrow heaped upon sorrow, no further.

Saturday, went home. Sunday, HUGE family dinner followed by the ever-perfect Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (check the archives for my review, if you’re bloody interested!)…gets better with each viewing! Monday awoke and hiked the hills of Glendalough for three hours of hard laborious walking…Alan slept most of the way home, so Monday was spent in a quivering heap on the couch!

Tuesday….aaahh, Tuesday! When the week finally got going for me! Began the day in style – fabulous fry up in The Dome followed by excursion to HMV, where I bought Groundhog Day and Close Encounters….SPECIAL EDITIONS….for a measly €18! Hurrah! And then we sauntered ever so coolly to the Denzille Cinema for a press screening. Oh the bladder-releasing, stomach-knotting joy of it all! My first real screening! Of course, I’ve been to many, but never have I had the unadulterated PLEASURE and PRIVILEGE of signing in as ‘Film Ireland’. Siiiggghhh!! And girly giggle, Michael Dwyer sat in front of me. Joy! I thought I would be the ultimate geek – with my Catwoman notebook (comic book, not Halle Berry steaming pile) and pen, and the only active watcher! However, opening credits, and lo and behold, the notebooks flipped open, and el inko did flow! Rapture upon rapture! Of course, there was the odd element, especially from the old Popcorn contingent, of ‘mwah-mwah-mwah’ about the whole thing......with some caring more about their free mocha-frappa-latte-chino than the movie. But not everyone indulged, so there, my friends, is the light!

Review shall follow, when boxes are ticked!

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, the latest offering from enigmatic auteur Wes Anderson, takes up very much where his past ventures left off. Anderson staples Owen Wilson and Bill Murray provide yet another whimsical alternate-reality that is as touchingly human as it is refreshingly zany.

The plot revolves around the titular Zissou (Murray), an oceanographer/adventurer who is nearing the end of his career, and seeks revenge for the death of his partner, whilst simultaneously searching for connection with a son he never knew. Anderson, as usual, introduces his characters succinctly and perfectly – e.g., ‘posters’ of Zissou’s earlier films show the aging pompous star in an appropriately sympathetic, yet positively illuminating, light.

Rather than bore us with back-story, Anderson gets straight to the point – Ned (Wilson) shows up claiming to be (almost certainly) Zissou’s son; Eleanor (Huston) is Zissou’s long-suffering cleverer half; Jane (Blanchett) is the able foil to father and son as the pregnant journalist; ‘superstar oceanographer’ Hennessy (Goldblum) is his nemesis; and Klaus (Defoe) a comic German deck-hand. Such star quality belies the simplicity of the tale – Zissou seeks revenge for his partner’s death by shark, but really he seeks redemption and acceptance for his many years of avoidance.

Elaborate set-ups, (such as piracy, hostage taking and explosions), extend just a little too long, and somewhat undermine the truth of the story – even Murray seems vaguely uncomfortable with his momentary ‘Bond-in-a-wetsuit’ persona.

However, all in all, the movie lives up to any expectations resulting from previous Anderson fare – the chapter set-up of Tenenbaums is present, as well as the character introductions perfected in Rushmore. The Life Aquatic guarantees satisfaction for fans of Anderson’s style, as well as proving an able introduction to his fabulous world for first-time viewers.

Also viewable on the Film Ireland Website at http://filmireland.net/reviews/lifeaquatic.htm