Archive for the ‘movies’ Category
Saturday, January 14th, 2012 |
While in Melbourne, we went to a Gold Class cinema to see The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep.
I felt a bit weird at fiest reclining in my Lazy-Boy style seat with feet up, eating popcorn and drinking Coke. But the movie was so interesting, that I soon forgot my initial discomfort.
Nevertheless the movie started with the former British Prime Minister retired and suffering from dementia.
She sees and speaks to her deceased husband Dennis who had passed on 8 years previously. In her lucid moments she flashes back to the start of her political career.
It shows a young Margaret who fore goes outing with people her own age to attend political meetings (with only men in attendance) and working in her father’s grocery store.
All this foreshadows the type of political leader she would become. Strong. Not afraid to stand up to a room full of men and hard working – not feeling entitled to handouts.
And she expected the same from everyone else.
The movie looks at some personal aspects as well. Like her meeting her husband, some scenes with her twins – Mark and Carol. There are a few mentions of her husband going off to South Africa and her son Mark’s residency in SA at one point.
Meryl Streep is Margaret Thatcher in the film. You sometimes have to remind yourself that she isn’t the Iron Lady herself. Alexandra Roach plays the role of the young Margaret as you would imagine Margaret would have been in her younger days.
I enjoyed the sense of history and getting a glimpse of the inner workings of an era I was aware of, growing up in the 1980′s.
The movie was quite short – which I appreciated – what with every new movie seeming to be 3 hours long!
All in all a good night at the movies.
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Monday, December 7th, 2009 |
In honour of Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman’s movie Invictus, here is the poem that is said to have been repeated by Nelson Mandela while he was imprisoned on Robben Island.
It’s going to be interesting to see how the movie is received in the US and internationally. Already the accents make it hard for me to follow – from what I’ve seen from trailers.
Nonetheless here is the poem by William Ernest Henley:
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
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Monday, August 17th, 2009 |
What the heck? Not a word of District 9′s feat of topping the US Box Office this weekend on tonight’s main news bulletin!
Actually there’s very litle buzz about the movie around these parts, other than on the internet.
Come on!
Its a sci-fi movie written by, directed by and starring South Africans.
And it was filmed right in and around Jo’burg!
District 9 might have familiar themes, but its not that typical SA movie of the struggle or guilt ridden white people.
A mere mention on e-tv’s 7 news of the movies success- even after the weather report – would have been nice.
Its not like we have financially successful films every week, year or even decade.
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Monday, August 17th, 2009 |
District 9 not only scored big at the US box office by talling $37million over the weekend, it’s been getting rave reviews!
By the looks of things it’s going to be one of those movies that will have legs over the next few weeks and might even get to the magic $100million in the US market.
The Internet Movie Database users gave the movie an average of 8.9/10 and Rottentomatoes.com gives a whopping 88% favourability rating – from critics!!
How amazing is that???
District 9 opens in South Africa this coming weekend. I can’t wait!
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Sunday, August 16th, 2009 |
What and amazing feat for a movie made by a South African, based in Johannesburg and starring an SA cast to top the US Box office!
District 9 not only topped the US Box Office Friday with US$ 14.2 million, but is the second most successful August opening for an R-rated movie after American Pie.
It also handily beat romance drama The Time Traveller’s Wife into second place.
District 9 opens in SA cinemas next weekend. Producer (and of course Lord of the Rings director) Peter Jackson will attend the opening with the movies director Neill Blomkamp and the cast of local actors.
Blomkamp told Capetalk/702 that he has been receiving offers from Hollywood to do other work.
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