Through The Rear Window: 12/07/2014

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Movie Review ... The Water Diviner

Since the days of Charlie Chaplain, actors directing their own films have become increasingly common. Whether they want to further their craft or their own egos is debatable. What isn’t is the differing quality of their directorial projects. Robert Redford and George Clooney have excelled in their self-made movies, while others have fallen flat. ‘The Water Diviner’ finds Russell Crowe taking a turn behind the camera. Crafting an interesting film, it shows he has creative talent behind his sometimes boorish persona.

In 1919, Australian farmer Conner (Russell Crowe) is on a quest. Wanting to discover the fate of his three sons who fought in Gallipoli, he travels to Turkey. While staying in a hotel run by Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko), Connor teams with a Turkish officer. Travelling across the still war-scarred terrain, Connor soon learns about sacrifice and heroism with his mission taking some unexpected paths.

‘The Water Diviner’ marks a respectable directorial debut for Crowe. Grasping the story’s themes and characters with ease, he reveals flair in blending them together. His handling of the culture clashes between Connor and those he meets are especially fascinating. Not only does Connor deal with tension amongst the Turks but also the stifling British bureaucracy. The immediate aftermath of such a bloody war is interestingly told, with passions still running high.

Another plus are the locations which look amazing. From the Australian outback’s rugged terrain to Turkey’s natural beauty, ‘The Water Diviner’ has a good sense of place. These further magnify the differing nationalities and the character’s determined natures. Whilst some editing choices and a few out of place action scenes muddy the narrative, ‘The Water Diviner’ succeeds in being a film of quality.

Generally free of the pretention of many local drama films, ‘The Water Diviner’ is something many should appreciate. Crowe doesn’t disgrace himself as a director or performer with his latest a more than decent directorial debut.

Movie Review Rating out of 10: 7

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

Agree with Patrick's Movie Review? Then please use the comment box.

Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at movie releases in Australia.

Official HomePage click HERE

TRAILER

Movie Review ... Folies Bergere

When a child leaves the family home to the occasional dismay of parents, this is usually results in the ‘empty nest syndrome’. How these fresh waters are navigated has seen marriages sink or swim whilst forging the new horizons free of daily parental responsibilities. ‘Folies Bergere’ uses this concept to good effect. A French romantic comedy, the direction and cast enhance the tale of someone eager to rejuvenate their stagnant life.

Working on a farm with husband Xavier (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), Brigette (Isabelle Huppert) yearns for more personal challenges. After the recent departure of their son from the familial home, she leaves her husband to seek adventure. Finding herself in Paris, she begins a romance with suave stranger Jesper (Michael Nyqvist). With rekindled energy and outlook, Brigette’s actions have a marked effect on her marriage in ways she never would have imagined.

Directed by Mark Fitoussi, ‘Folies Bergere’ is different from the usual rom-com fare. Instead of clear heroes and villains, Fitoussi’s characters have genuinely complex emotions. Xavier and Brigette are a loving couple looking to escape marital inertia. Any long-term partners would have their ups and downs with their ability to consistently re-fresh their union a key to longevity. The issues of love and fidelity are explored with keen astuteness and played well by a fine ensemble.

Unlike many French-set films ‘Folies Bergere’ doesn’t linger too long on the surrounds. It ensures the story remains front and centre than the admittedly lush vistas. Deconstructing and then re-assembling Xavier and Brigette’s marriage, the script effectively shows both facets of the coin. Wisely avoiding showing sympathy for either side, it leaves it to audiences to judge their deeds. The level of emotional authenticity further magnifies the realism ‘Folies Bergere’s captures, making for continually engaging viewing.

An interesting foray into the nature of love and marriage, ‘Folies Bergere’ is generally satisfying. Having some unexpected twists, how couples can re-engage with each other is a theme ‘Folies Bergere’ runs with well.

Rating out of 10: 7

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

Agree with Patrick's Movie Review? Then please use the comment box.

Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at movie releases in Australia.

Official HomePage click HERE

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A Gina Lollobrigida Moment

We Three Kings

The Adoration of the Three Kings - Girolamo da Santacroce

Trivia Bits 13 December

Australian operatic soprano Dame Nellie Melba, who was the first Australian to achieve international recognition as a classical musician, features on the Australian $100 bank note (pictured) released in 1996.

Kiefer Sutherland stars as Senator Corvus in the 2014 movie Pompeii, a German-Canadian historical disaster film produced and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and also stars Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica Lucas and Jared Harris.

After failing to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in triathlon, American Mary Beth Ellis went on to win five Ironman Triathlons, including the 2012 U.S. Championships at Ironman New York.

Yad Kennedy, located in the Mateh Yehuda Region near Jerusalem, Israel, is a 60-foot high (18 m) memorial to John F. Kennedy designed by Brazilian-born Israeli architect David Resnick, shaped like the trunk of a felled tree, symbolizing a life cut short and was built in 1966 with funds donated by American Jewish communities.

Sovereign city-state and island country in Southeast Asian of Singapore takes its name from the Malay word meaning Lion City.

The large populated landmass of Greenland, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, is mostly situated in the Arctic Circle and is said that the Norwegian-born Icelander Erik the Red was exiled from Iceland for murder and set sail with his ships to the northeast and founded Greenland.

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Chisto is best known as half of the duo of French electronic music duo Daft Punk with Thomas Bangalter as the other half.

The South African alcoholic drink umpombothi is a type of beer made from maize (corn), maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water with usually less than 3% alcohol content.

The International Sociological Association was established in 1949 under the auspices of UNESCO with its headquarters in Madrid, Spain.

Naomi Campbell, often referred to as the queen of the catwalk, was discovered in the 1980’s while studying ballet at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, her hometown, and became an instant favourite of the Versaces, who for two decades never staged a show without her.

Only 12 to go

Madonna and Child

The Alba Madonna by Raphael

Quotables 13 December

Friday, December 12, 2014

A Gilbert Roland Moment

Father Christmas in Shades of Blue

Father Christmas or Santa Claus has not always been portrayed as being in a red suit. Many vintage cards show him in differing coloured suits or cloaks. Here are some in shades of blue.

Irving Berlin – "White Christmas" (1940)

Estimated earnings: $36 million

Written by a Jewish immigrant from Russia, no song captures the heart of the Christmas period like "White Christmas". Bing Crosby's version is by far the most famous but countless other artists have recorded the song. Crosby's version is one of the best selling pieces of music in history, with over 100 million copies sold worldwide to date.

Label from the 78 single release of "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby on Decca Records

Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Sung by Bing Crosby and Martha Mears (dubbing Marjorie Reynolds)
from the 1942 movie 'Holiday Inn'

We Three Kings

Adoration of Magi - Unknown Master Germain 1420

Trivia Bits 12 December

The 1954 classic novel Lord of the Flies (cover pictured) by Nobel Prize-winning English author William Golding features Ralph, Jack, Simon, Piggy, Roger, Sam and Eric and is about a group of British boys stuck on an uninhabited island who try to govern themselves with disastrous results.

Broadcast from 1974 to 1977, Porridge is a British situation comedy stars Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale as two inmates at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland with "Doing porridge" is British slang for serving a prison sentence and was followed by a 1978 sequel, Going Straight, which established that Fletcher would not be going back to prison again.

Olivia Cockburn is better known as Olivia Wilde, an American actress who has appeared in a number of television and film productions including Tron: Legacy and Cowboys & Aliens.

English actor Martin Freeman, known for his role of Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy, plays John Watson in the 2010 British television crime drama Sherlock opposite Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes.

Callisto is one of the largest moons of the planet Jupiter which has been explored on several occasions by robotic spacecraft, most notably during the early Pioneer and Voyager flyby missions and later by the Galileo orbiter.

Of Dutch origin, Vincent van Gogh was a part of the Post-Impressionism Art Movement whose work was notable for its rough beauty, emotional honesty and bold colour.

American rock musician Meat Loaf released in October 1977 the album Bat Out of Hell which was his second album and major-label debut, as well as being his first collaboration with composer Jim Steinman.

The most common shape of the food bowl known as a ramekin is circular and are often built to withstand high temperatures, as they are frequently used in ovens, or in the case of crème brûlée, exposed to the flame of a cooking torch.

Portuguese American guitarist, singer-songwriter, and record producer Nuno Bettencourt is best known as the guitarist for the Boston rock band Extreme.

One of the most famous and beautiful beaches in Australia, Cable Beach, is close to Broome, Western Australia, with the beach being over 20 Km long and arcs around the shoreline forming a stunning ribbon of white sand fringing the turquoise sea and the trees and vegetation inland.