There are of course a hundred films floating around the internet which attempt to explain the Copenhagen Conference, and what we should be doing there. Some of them are horrifically complicated, and others are fantastically simple.

Here at Baby, we really feel that the simple ones are on to something. We hate all these attempts by politicians to make things seem more complicated than they are; we wonder whether they’re just trying to cover themselves.

So we asked a 6-year-old child what he thought we needed to do at Copenhagen, and this is what happened:

How much more complicated can it be?

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Daha önce haberini yaptığımız ve ilk fragmanını yayınladığımız Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson ve Olimposlular: Şimşek Hırsızı) adlı filmin yeni fragmanı yayınlandı. Yazar Rick Riordan‘ın aynı adlı 2005 tarihli romanından uyarlanan filmin yönetmen koltuğunda Chris Columbus bulunuyor. Filmin başrollerini Logan Lerman, Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Rosario Dawson ve Sean Bean paylaşıyor.

Filmin 2. altyazılı fragmanını aşağıdan izleyebilirsiniz.

Trouble-prone teen Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out school – but that’s the least of his problems. The gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters seem to have walked out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology texts and into his life – and they’re not happy. Zeus’ lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, Percy and his friends must embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true thief, save Percy’s family, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves

As I was about to call it a day, I saw a video link from a Facebook Page I joined called “Definitely Filipino” about the CNN Hero of the Year. It say’s: Acceptance speech of OUR 2009 CNN HERO and the thumbnail picture of Efren Penaflorida was attached to it.

Prior to being feted as such, Efren is relatively unknown. At such a young age of 28, he has accomplished something that not many people his age or even older had accomplished or will ever accomplish in their entire life..that is, changing the lives of others–for the better.

He created the group called “Dynamic Teen Company” which aims to teach basic reading and writing to children living on the streets in the hope that it will be a diversion to hooking up into gang activities like vandalizing, bullying others or even raping young girls.

Their classroom is a ubiquitous push cart wherein volunteers teach children with age ranging from 2-14 years old. Since 1997, approximately 10,000 members had taught over 1,500 “children of the slums”. To sustain this activity, they make and sell crafts or collecting items to recycle.

Moreover, those children that they taught upon getting the inspiration to learn more and strive to have a better life has also become volunteers for future students.

CNN selected 10 nominees for this year’s Hero of the Year which is now on it’s 3rd year. These Heroes as what the tagline says “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact” was selected by a distinguished panel comprising of leaders and humanitarians such as Gen. Colin Powell, Whoopi Goldberg, Sir Elton John, Phil Jackson, Shakira among others.

The Gala Tribute attended by an audience of 3,000 was held in Kodak Theatre, Hollywood last Saturday, November 21 and will have its premiere on Thanksgiving, November 26.

Apart from the prestigious recognition, Efren received USD 100,000 to continue his advocacy. More than 2.75 million votes were received online in CNN.com in a span of 7 weeks. Proof of the impact CNN Heroes of the year has brought us in 3 years time.

Presenters include Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Neil Patrick Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Randy Jackson, Greg Kinnear, George Lopez and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Here is Efren’s acceptance speech. While delivering it, he was visibly shaken and emotional maybe upon realizing he won such a great recognition and soon will be watched by millions of people worldwide.

“Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry,” Peñaflorida said upon accepting the honor. “Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.”

“So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers … you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be.”

His speech is short but so meaningful and inspirational. May this recognition give him and his team more energy and passion to continue helping needy children have the education they deserve. It is such a pride and honor to the Filipino people to be given such award. Hope this would also open the eyes of many of us to help someone in need whenever we can. All the small efforts we exerted can be a life-changing experience for others.

For the full story of the CNN Hero of the Year gala night, please click the link below.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/11/16/cnnheroes.tribute.show/index.html

Update: According to ABS-CBN news report, Efren said 90% of the prize money will go to his organization and the remaining 10% to the Church and none for him..really a selfless act. May your tribe increase.

Mabuhay ka Efren! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang lahing  Pilipino!

Robert Pattinson, I might have a bit more faith in you after this one.
It looks really good.

Set to release March 12th, 2010.

Our favorite vampire is back Hello Edward aka true-bad-ass

Check out his new movie “Remember Me”

Sweet.

Here is the official trailer for Robert Pattinson’s new movie titled “Remember Me” also starring Emilie de Ravin and Pierce Brosnan. It is so weird to see Robert kissing and making out with girl who is not Kristen Stewart.

CUANDO ESTAMOS EN PLENO ESTRENO DE ”NEW MOON”,EL GRAN SUCESO DEL MOMENTO EN EL CINE,NOS LLEGA ”REMEMBER ME”….

RECORDEMOS QUE ESTE FILM TIENE FECHA DE ESTRENO PARA EL PROXIMO MES DE FEBRERO DEL 2010.

COMO UN ADELANTO LES MOSTRAMOS ALGUNAS IMAGENES DEL RODAJE…Y ADEMAS SU TRAILER….

Y PARA FINALIZAR,CON BROCHE DE ORO,LES PRESENTAMOS EL TRAILERS DEL FILM.

VEANLO Y DISFRUTEN CON ESTE NUEVO EXITO EN EL SEPTIMO ARTE DE ROBERT PATTINSON.

In the romantic drama Remember Me, sparkly Twilight vampire Robert Pattinson plays Tyler, a rebellious young man in New York City who has a strained relationship with his father (Pierce Brosnan) ever since tragedy separated their family. Tyler didn’t think anyone could possibly understand what he was going through until the day he met Ally (Emilie de Ravin) through an unusual twist of fate. Love was the last thing on his mind, but as her spirit unexpectedly heals and inspires him, he begins to fall for her. Through their love, he begins to find happiness and meaning in his life. But soon, hidden secrets are revealed, and the circumstances that brought them together slowly threaten to tear them apart. Remember Me is an unforgettable story about the power of love, the strength of family, and the importance of living passionately and treasuring every day of one’s life

I am so going to see this movie. It looks very interesting… (A)

A adaptação para o cinema do livro Percy Jackson e os Olimpianos: O Ladrão de Raios (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief)) ganhou o seu terceiro trailer, criado para o mercado internacional. Assista abaixo:

Apesar de mostrar cenas inéditas, o vídeo contém vários spoilers da trama, sem problemas para aqueles leram livro do escritor Rick Riordan, mas vai estragar algumas surpresas para aqueles que não leram o livro.

Na história conhecemos o garoto de Percy Jackson de 12 anos, que já foi expulso de seis escolas e sofre de dislexia e com déficit de atenção. Tudo muda quando ele descobre ser um semi-deus, seu pai é um dos Deus do Olimpo e sua mãe que é mortal, o garoto acaba entrando em uma arriscada missão que pode decidir o futuro da terra e no Monte Olimpo. Se você ficou interessado pela trama, confira um post especial sobre o filme.

Logan Lerman interpetará Percy Jackson, o elenco conta também com Sean Bean (Zeus), Kevin McKidd (Poseidon), Steve Coogan (Hades), Catherine Keener (Sally Jackson), Pierce Brosnan (Chiron), Uma Thurman (Medusa), Rosario Dawson (Perséfone). Chris Columbus (Harry Potter e a Pedra Filosofal, Esqueceram de Mim) dirige o filme.

Percy Jackson e os Olimpianos: O Ladrão de Raios estreia em 12 de fevereiro de 2010, nos EUA e no Brasil.

ผู้กำกับ Chris Columbus โดยส่วนตัวผมแล้ว ขอยกให้เป็นผู้กำกับที่กำกับ Harry Potter ภาค 1-2 ได้ดีที่สุด เพราะสองภาคแรกเป็นช่วงวัยเด็กของ Harry Potter ที่สดใส ซื่อ บริสุทธิ์ จึงหมาะกับทุกเพศทุกวัย โดยผู้กำกับ Chris Columbus ก็ถ่ายทอดออกมาได้ยอดเยี่ยม!! หลังจากห่างหายหนังแนวแฟนตาซีมานาน Chris Columbus กลับมาอีกครั้งกับโปรเจคภาพยนตร์แนวแฟนตาซีเรื่องใหม่ชื่อยาวววว Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief !!

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief เป็นหนังสือนิยายแฟนตาซีสำหรับเด็กยอดฮิตอีกเรื่องของ Rick Riordan เป็นเรื่องราวเกี่ยวกับ เรื่องราวของ เด็กหนุ่ม Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman หนุ่มน้อยเซียนเกมส์จาก Gamer) วัย 12 ปี ลูกของหญิงซึ่งเป็นมนุษย์กับหนึ่งในสาทเทพผุ้ยิ่งใหญ่ใน Olympus ซึ่งต้องพบเจอสารพัดความซวยที่จับพลัดจับผลูโดยไม่รู้ตัว ต้องอาศัยอยู่กับพ่อเลี้ยงที่ทั้งนิสัยหยาบโลนและตัวเหม็น และถูกกล่าวหาว่าไปขโมยเอาสายฟ้าของเทพเจ้า Zeus มา ทำให้ต้องออกเดินทางพร้อมเพื่อนอีกสองคนเพื่อพิสูจน์ความบริสุทธิ์ ตามเอาสายฟ้าคืนจากหัวขโมยตัวจริงให้ได้ กับเรื่องราวจะเป็นอย่างไรต่อไปไปติดตามกันเอาเองครับผม!! ได้มือเขียนบท Craig Titley จาก Cheaper by the Dozen มารับหน้าที่เขียนบทภาพยนตร์เรื่องนี้ และได้นักแสดงชั้นนำมาร่วมแสดงมากมาย อทิ Kevin McKidd ในบท Poseidon ,Uma Thurman ในบท Medusa ,Rosario Dawson ในบท Persephone ,Pierce Brosnan ในบท Chiron,Sean Bean ในบท Zeus,Catherine Keener,Steve Coogan และอีกเพียบ!!

นี่เป็นตัวอย่างฉบับที่จะออกโปรโมททั่วโลก ที่น่าดูกว่าตัวอย่างก่อนหน้า เพราะเราได้เห็นฉากแอ๊คชั่นแฟนตาซีมากมาย และได้เห็นตัวละครมากขึ้น พร้อมทั้งการเปิดตัวนักแสดงสาว Uma Thurman ในบท นางพญาหัวงู Medusa อีกด้วย นับว่าเป็นตัวอย่างที่สุดมันส์โคตร ๆ !! ภาพยนตร์มีกำหนดฉายในอเมริกา 12 กุมภาพันธื 2010 ปีหน้า!!

ผู้กำกับ Chris Columbus โดยส่วนตัวผมแล้ว ขอยกให้เป็นผู้กำกับที่กำกับ Harry Potter ภาค 1-2 ได้ดีที่สุด เพราะสองภาคแรกเป็นช่วงวัยเด็กของ Harry Potter ที่สดใส ซื่อ บริสุทธิ์ จึงหมาะกับทุกเพศทุกวัย โดยผู้กำกับ Chris Columbus ก็ถ่ายทอดออกมาได้ยอดเยี่ยม!! หลังจากห่างหายหนังแนวแฟนตาซีมานาน Chris Columbus กลับมาอีกครั้งกับโปรเจคภาพยนตร์แนวแฟนตาซีเรื่องใหม่ชื่อยาวววว Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief !!

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief เป็นหนังสือนิยายแฟนตาซีสำหรับเด็กยอดฮิตอีกเรื่องของ Rick Riordan เป็นเรื่องราวเกี่ยวกับ เรื่องราวของ เด็กหนุ่ม Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman หนุ่มน้อยเซียนเกมส์จาก Gamer) วัย 12 ปี ลูกของหญิงซึ่งเป็นมนุษย์กับหนึ่งในสาทเทพผุ้ยิ่งใหญ่ใน Olympus ซึ่งต้องพบเจอสารพัดความซวยที่จับพลัดจับผลูโดยไม่รู้ตัว ต้องอาศัยอยู่กับพ่อเลี้ยงที่ทั้งนิสัยหยาบโลนและตัวเหม็น และถูกกล่าวหาว่าไปขโมยเอาสายฟ้าของเทพเจ้า Zeus มา ทำให้ต้องออกเดินทางพร้อมเพื่อนอีกสองคนเพื่อพิสูจน์ความบริสุทธิ์ ตามเอาสายฟ้าคืนจากหัวขโมยตัวจริงให้ได้ กับเรื่องราวจะเป็นอย่างไรต่อไปไปติดตามกันเอาเองครับผม!! ได้มือเขียนบท Craig Titley จาก Cheaper by the Dozen มารับหน้าที่เขียนบทภาพยนตร์เรื่องนี้ และได้นักแสดงชั้นนำมาร่วมแสดงมากมาย อทิ Kevin McKidd ในบท Poseidon ,Uma Thurman ในบท Medusa ,Rosario Dawson ในบท Persephone ,Pierce Brosnan ในบท Chiron,Sean Bean ในบท Zeus,Catherine Keener,Steve Coogan และอีกเพียบ!!

นี่เป็นตัวอย่างฉบับที่จะออกโปรโมททั่วโลก ที่น่าดูกว่าตัวอย่างก่อนหน้า เพราะเราได้เห็นฉากแอ๊คชั่นแฟนตาซีมากมาย และได้เห็นตัวละครมากขึ้น พร้อมทั้งการเปิดตัวนักแสดงสาว Uma Thurman ในบท นางพญาหัวงู Medusa อีกด้วย นับว่าเป็นตัวอย่างที่สุดมันส์โคตร ๆ !! ภาพยนตร์มีกำหนดฉายในอเมริกา 12 กุมภาพันธื 2010 ปีหน้า!!

Here is the new trailer for the Percy Jackson film. It is based on a series of kids books by Rick Riordan. My son loves them and I’ve read the first one. It is a good kids book, but does follow the Harry Potter template to some extent. It is also a tad predictable, but that is probably down to age and having read many other books.

However, there are more monsters, Gods and smiting in the Percy Jackson books. Kids dig that. I suppose you could also compare it to a modern day Clash of the Titans.

This new trailer gives you a better idea of what the story is about, plus it shows some of the creatures including Uma Thurman as Medusa (apparantly iPhones have superceded shiny shields!). The trailer also shows Pierce Brosnan as Chiron, Rosario Dawson as Persephone and Logan Lerman as Percy. However, the film also features Kevin McKidd, Sean Bean, Steve Coogan, Joe Pantoliano and Catherine Keener so there are plenty of talented actors involved.

Have a watch of the trailer and let me know what you think – hit or miss?

Trouble-prone teen Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out school – but that’s the least of his problems. The gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters seem to have walked out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology texts and into his life – and they’re not happy. Zeus’ lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, Percy and his friends must embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true thief, save Percy’s family, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

The international trailer for Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief has hit the internet. The movie is being directed by Chris Columbus (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) and stars Logan Lerman (The Gamer), Brandon T. Jackson (Tropic Thunder), Alexandra Daddario (All My Children), Sean Bean (Silent Hill), Pierce Brosnan (Goldeneye), Steve Coogan (Night At The Museum), Rosario Dawson (Sin City), Catherine Keener (The 40-Year Old Virgin), Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy), Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos), Uma Thurman (Kill Bill) and Ray Winstone (Reaper).

20th Century Fox describes the film as:

It’s the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters have walked out of the pages of high school student Percy Jackson’s Greek mythology texts and into his life. And they’re not happy: Zeus’ lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Even more troubling is the sudden disappearance of Percy’s mother. As Percy adapts to his newly discovered status as a demi-god (his father is Poseidon), he finds himself caught between the battling titans of Mt. Olympus. He and his friends embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true lightning thief, save Percy’s mom, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief hits theaters nationwide on February 12, 2010.

20th Century Fox has released this new international trailer for the Chris Columbus directed fantasy adventure, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

The movie is set in the 21st century but sees the gods and monsters of Greek mythology come to life, emerging from the pages of Percy Jackson’s school books. Percy then discovers that he is the demigod son of the Greek god, Poseidon, and embarks on a journey across modern-day America with his friends Annabeth, also a demigod, and Grover, a satyr, to save his mother, return Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt, and prevent a war between the gods.

The movie stars Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, Kevin McKidd, Joe Pantoliano, Uma Thurman and Ray Winstone, who all add their weight on the acting front. Quite the heady cast there you have to admit. Chris Columbus is good with children’s movie having directed the first two Home Alone and Harry Potter movies.

The trailer looks good, and as a fan of Greek (well really all) mythology I’ll be watching when the movie is released February 12th, 2010.

Just sitting here watching Mamma Mia with Meryl Streep.  I have to admit, I have loved Pierce Brosnan for a long time.  I think it started when I saw him as Stu in Mrs. Doubtfire.  It has a lot to do with the fact that he’s gorgeous (I don’t care if he’s old enough to be my father).  Also, he’s Irish (I’m Irish-American)!  I love most Irish stars, Pierce, Liam Neeson, Maureen O’Hara…unfortunately there aren’t a great number to list…But I digress…I’ve always thought Pierce Brosnan was a sexy and talented actor.  That was part of the reason I was so excited about seeing Mamma Mia…Then I realized-he should stick to acting.  Poor guy.  He can’t sing at all, and he looks like a total nerd when he sings!  Don’t worry Pierce, I still love you-just don’t quit your day job to pursue a singing career!

2008: Mamma Mia! di Phyllida Lloyd

Prodotto da Tom Hanks, campione d’incassi in USA, incoronato al National Movie Awards come miglior musical e per la migliore interpretazione femminile, lo scorso anno è giunta finalmente in Italia la versione cinematografica dello spettacolo che spopola da decenni nei teatri di tutto il mondo.

Diretto da Phyllida Lloyd (regista dell’allestimento originale a Broadway), il film è una fiaba musicale (con scenario pittoresco che più non si può) ironica, fresca, elettrizzante: regala due ore di spensieratezza e di allegria, senza mai un attimo di stanchezza. Grande ritmo, battute spesso divertenti e non banali, canzoni (“abilmente cucite insieme”, Il Messaggero) orecchiabili cantabili accattivanti e dall’arrangiamento sorprendentemente moderno.
Un inno alla vita e alla gioia con il palese messaggio che la possibilità di essere felici prima o poi viene offerta a tutti: ma il film abilmente e sottilmente introduce temi non usuali nel musical e che fanno onore alla sceneggiatura di Catherine Johnson (l’adulto costretto a fare i conti con la sua vita, la gioventù in cerca di identità…) e prende posizioni non convenzionali (la donna ha il diritto di gestire il sesso come le pare, l’omosessualità non è uno scandalo, giuste per i giovani le esperienze prematrimoniali…).
Naturalmente domina il tutto la grande Meryl, divertente e divertita quanto mai, encomiabile nella sua capacità di rinnovarsi e di giocare con entusiasmo e ammirevole vitalità. Anche i critici che non si sono mostrati molto teneri con il film hanno applaudito la sua eccezionale performance: scrive Il Giornale “Un gioco di nostalgie, ripicche sentimentali, disvelamenti ed equivoci sopra i quali troneggia una sorprendente Meryl Streep abilissima cantante, che è il vero asso della manica del film”, Il Messaggero “Strepitosa la performance di Meryl Streep… che riesce a comunicare un’energia, un buonumore, una felicità (artistica innanzitutto) semplicemente irresistibili”, Cinematografo.it “Una Meryl Streep pronta per le Olimpiadi” , La Stampa “Il coraggio di cantare, ballare, saltare, ma soprattutto di indossare, per quasi tutto il film, un’informe tuta di jeans su scarpe da ginnastica raso terra… Meryl Streep, 59 anni e madre di quattro figli, vince la sua ultima sfida d’attrice”, Quotidiano Nazionale “Strepitosa e scatenatissima Meryl…”, Rolling Stone “Meryl Streep can do anything”, Il Corriere della Sera “Ma la carta vincente è Meryl Streep… Considerata a ragione la grande tragica di Hollywood… domina dall’alto del suo carisma”, Ciak “L’eccezionalità è in Meryl Streep che si anima come una ragazzina prodigio”, La Repubblica “Meryl Streep domina la scena come una regina incontrastata e i tre partner maschili… sembrano adattarsi docilmente e volentieri a un compito un po’ ornamentale” .
Da sottolineare che nella bellissima e struggente “The Winner Takes It All”, una Mina o una Barbra Streisand non avrebbero potuto fare di meglio.

Bravissime Julie Walters e Christine Baranski, autoironiche e godibili al massimo. Deliziosa (e mai leziosa) Amanda Seyfried.

Spiritosa e sorprendente la sequenza dei titoli di coda, “con un’ironica esibizione on stage dell’intero cast in preda a un delirio puro anni Settanta, con acconciature e costumi meravigliosamente kitsch” (Movieplayer).

p.s.

Mamma Mia! è il musical che ha incassato di più nella storia del cinema, guadagnando $142 734 000 negli USA e $356 626 198 nel resto del mondo. Con un incasso pari a £69.05 milioni Mamma Mia! è il film che ha incassato di più nella storia inglese. In Italia nel primo fine settimana ha incassato 1.851.134 euro, diventando la miglior apertura di sempre per un musical in Italia. Nella classifica mondiale dei 10 film hanno incassato di più nel 2008, si piazza al 6° posto con oltre 573.000.000 milioni di dollari incassati (da Wikipedia).

scheda

riconoscimenti e premi

sito italiano

sito ufficiale

I’m gald to find out that a movie I’m expecting has finally released some posters. I’m talking about Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) which is based on the first novel of the Percy Jackson’s series, written by Rick Riordan. The novels haven’t arrived here yet, and I would really like to read them, but I guess I’ll have to see the film first.

What really attracted me of the novels, is the way Greek mythology is combined with modern life, and I’m sure the movies aims for becoming the new Harry Potter saga in theaters. The cast, which includes Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Rosario Dawson, Steve Coogan, Uma Thurman, Catherine Keener, and Pierce Brosnan, doesn’t seem so bad, as well as the story is written. It also has the chance, of course, of becoming the brother of the Narnia series, whose movies have gone from bad to worse.

So, for all those who doens’t know, the movie tells us the story of a young boy named Percy Jackson, who discovers he is the demigod son of the Greek god Poseidon. With his friends’ help, he will try to save his mother and to find out who stole Zeus’ lightning in order to prevent a war between the gods. Here’s the trailer, and a final poster. See you all!

Pierce and Keely Brosnan posed for pics at the Beverly Hills Hotel during an event.  They make a nice looking couple.  Ladies, is Pierce still sexy?  At one time he was named the sexiest man on the planet.  More pics when you

My, my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender.

It is often assumed that smart culture is better than dumb culture. Go into a bookshop to buy the latest Thomas Pynchon, and you might get a bit of respect from the people behind the counter. Try to hustle out with the latest Tom Clancy and the odds are you won’t. Likewise, if you go and see an Abbas Kiarostami film, you know that you’ll probably have something to talk about in the bar afterwards. Go and see a Michael Bay film and your conversation might be a little more limited.

But is this fair? Is smart culture really better than dumb culture? To find out, I decided to perform a little experiment. Firstly I watched a DVD of the Abba-themed movie Mamma Mia! then, later in the day, tuned in to Film 4 to see Ingmar Bergman’s Persona. These two films seemed apt for comparison in the dumb-smart stakes. The first is based on a stage musical and has been pretty universally dismissed (and celebrated) as a shallow, feel-good movie, whereas the second is perhaps the most serious and experimental work by a famously serious and experimental auteur.

The Raw Data  

At 6pm, I began to watch Mamma Mia! The film opens with some rather nice shots of a midnight boat trip on a glittering sea. There is singing, almost immediately. The person doing the singing is Sophie, played by the actress Amanda Seyfried, who I’ve never heard of. We see her posting three letters.

In the next scene, we see Sophie welcoming two bridesmaids to the Greek island where she lives and where she is soon to be married, at the age of twenty. She tells the bridesmaids that she has recently unearthed her mother’s old diaries and, from the clues contained therein, has identified three men who could be her father. Without her mother’s knowledge, she has invited all three to the wedding. She is excited because she has always wanted to know who her father is. She expresses this excitement in the music of Abba. Upon hearing her news and her song, the bridesmaids say “Oh my God!” a lot, in the manner of irreligious young people everywhere. 

We next meet Sophie’s mother, a guesthouse proprietor played by Meryl Streep in dungarees. There is some more singing, then Julie Walters and Some Other Bird turn up. These two, we learn, used to be in a band with Streep in her young, carefree days. Streep complains that her guesthouse business isn’t doing very well. In sympathy with this, her friends join her in a rendition of Money, Money, Money. Then, just as abruptly, everyone seems to forget about Streep’s financial problems, including Streep herself. 

Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Some Other Bloke turn up: they are the three potential fathers. Sophie hides them away in an old goat shed (how appropriate). Maybe I wasn’t paying attention at this point, but for some reason Meryl Streep in dungarees decides to go to the goat shed where, peering through a trap-door, she discovers her old flames. She imagines them as they were twenty years ago. We see Colin Firth as a punk, The Other Bloke as a stoner-type in a colourful shirt, and Pierce Brosnan as a hippie. This last costume doesn’t seem to make much sense, as surely she must have dated all three men in the late 1980s… But before we have time to worry about such matters, Streep has launched into another Abba song (Mamma Mia!) and everyone dances around for a bit. Then she tells the men to bugger off.  

Acting is reacting. Brosnan, yesterday.

The three men are on the verge of leaving the island when Sophie pleads with them to stay and, already a little paternal, they all agree. That night they gatecrash the hen do and there’s much singing of Abba songs. Pierce Brosnan is particularly weak in the vocal department, but makes up for this with some weak acting.

Somehow (again my attention may have wandered at this point) all three men independently come to conclusion that they are Sophie’s real father and make her promise that she’ll let them give her away at the wedding. The next day she is stressed. She hates having three dads! She confides in her under-characterised fiancé who, for no apparent reason, flies off the handle. She then talks to her mother who accidentally reveals that she’s not too happy about her daughter settling down at the age of twenty. This provokes a heated debate.

Pierce Brosnan tries to comfort Sophie with some wooden acting then, when this fails, he tries to comfort Streep. They sing S.O.S. together, which seems to help. Streep and daughter make up and do some girly bonding things, which leads Sophie to ask her mother to give her away.

The next day, the three dads turn up for the wedding, which is due to be conducted by a strangely un-Orthodox looking priest (no beard, no hat, quite pale, speaks English. Have they shipped out a Church of England vicar for the ceremony?). Streep confesses to being a slapper in front of a shocked congregation. An elderly Greek man crosses himself. The three dads agree that they’d all be happy to have one-third of Sophie in a non-sexual, father-daughter kind of way. The young couple decide not to get married, so rather than let a good wedding go to waste, Brosnan and Streep get married instead. Sophie loves having three dads!

At the reception, there’s much merriment and singing of Abba songs. Julie Walters chases the guy who’s not Pierce Brosnan or Colin Firth around, singing Take a Chance on Me. At first he runs away from her with a horrified look on his face, but eventually he gives in to her advances.      

Streep in dungarees

With the cockles of my heart thus warmed, I settled down later in the evening to watch Persona, Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 identity crisis drama.

The film opens, intriguingly enough, with the image of film running through a projector. A series of startling images follows: A spider! A penis! A slaughtered sheep! We see nails being driven into somebody’s hands and bodies lying in a mortuary. That warm fuzzy feeling left over from Mamma Mia! is disappearing fast.   

One of the bodies in the mortuary sits up. It belongs to a skinny young boy. He puts on his glasses and turns towards a screen on which is projected an ever-changing, indistinct image of a woman’s face. He reaches out towards the screen.

We then meet Alma, a nurse in a psychiatric clinic played by Bibi Andersson. Alma is charged by her superiors with looking after Elisabet Vogler (Liv Ullmann), an actress who has not spoken since falling silent on stage three months previously. The nurse fusses around the actress, but cannot get a peep out of her. One night, unseen by anybody, the actress freaks out while watching footage of burning bodies and violent demonstrations on TV. Has the horror of the world led her to retreat into herself? Hmmm…

The next day Alma reads Elisabet a letter from her husband. Elisabet tears up the photo of her son that has been sent with the letter, with not even a short burst of Abba to explain herself.

A psychiatrist suggests that nurse and patient should go and stay for a while at her seaside cottage (this seems to be a pretty cushy clinic). They do this, spending their days sunbathing and shell-collecting on an artfully over-exposed beach. Alma slums around in a bathing costume not doing much work and jabbering on at her still-silent charge. She reveals all sorts of things about herself and her relationship with fiancé Karl-Henrik. One night, she tells Elisabet about an angst-ridden bout of summer holiday sex, then cries on her shoulder. Later, while she’s sleeping, the actress sneaks into the nurse’s room and messes around with her hair, giving her a creepy side-parting.

'Persona'

The next day, Alma offers to take some letters of Elisabet’s into town to post. She sneaks a peek at an improperly sealed missive and discovers that Elisabet has been analysing her and making notes about flaws in her character. The cow! Her faith in the acting profession is shaken.

Alma confronts Elisabet about this and, after a slappy match, threatens to throw a pot of boiling water over the actress. “Stop!” Elisabet responds, not unreasonably. So, the cat hasn’t entirely run off with her tongue! Elisabet runs off down the beach and Alma takes off after her, belatedly realising that she’s not paid to slap her patients around.

But it’s too late. There is a breach between the women. They take to wearing black, and skulking around the house smoking. If this were an Abba-themed musical comedy they might consider a duet on S.O.S. at this point. But it isn’t, so they don’t.  

One night, Elisabet gazes intensely at a wartime photo of Jewish children being rounded up by Nazis. Was she one of these children? Is this the source of her horror and silence? Who knows?

In the next scene, who should show up but Elisabet’s bloody husband! He’s blind and doesn’t seem to have a very heightened sense of hearing or touch either, as he soon mistakes Alma for his wife. At a vague prompting from Elisabet, Alma takes on this role, telling the husband that she loves him and that she’ll be back soon. They sleep together too, I think, although they seem to keep their clothes on (those Swedish summer nights can be a bit chilly). Then she tells him to bugger off.

The confusion of identities extends into the next scene. Alma sits down opposite Elisabet (who now looks a bit like Charlize Theron in Monster) and guesses that she is secretly repelled by her child, telling her things that imply an insight into the other woman’s very soul. But who is revealing themselves to whom here? Alma becomes more confused about who she is, and the scene ends with a weird face-meld thing happening.

Happy slapping - the way forward?

Just to clarify matters, Alma puts her nurse’s uniform back on but then, in a moment of self-lacerating angst, scratches her arm, drawing blood. The actress starts sucking her blood, vampire-like, and is rewarded with another bout of happy slapping.

Now the boot shifts to the other foot. It is the actress who appears vulnerable and weak. Who is absorbing who? Alma rocks Elisabet to sleep getting her to repeat the word ‘nothing’. The next day, the nurse tidies the place up, gives herself the side-parting of doom and leaves.

Analysis

Below I’ve tried to summarise the information gained from watching both Mamma Mia! and Persona.

Information gained from watching Mamma Mia!

-         Abba songs are fun.

-         There’s an Abba song for almost every occasion.

-         Having three dads can be stressful, but it can be a lot of fun too.

-         Pierce Brosnan can’t sing for shit.

-         Pierce Brosnan’s acting isn’t much to write home about either.

-         Pierce Brosnan is remarkably well-preserved for a man of 56.

-         Getting married at twenty can be a good thing or not such a good thing.

-         People still went around dressed as ‘60s hippies in the late 1980s.

-         Greek people cross themselves when something untoward happens.

-         Just because your mother used to be a slapper, that’s no reason not to love her.

-         Meryl Streep is more attractive than Julie Walters.

-         After a few drinks, Julie Walters isn’t a bad consolation prize if Meryl Streep turns you down.

-         Young people say “Oh my God!” a lot, without much religious feeling. Middle-aged people say it sometimes too.

Information gained from watching Persona

-         It’s not easy being an actress.

-         It’s not easy being a nurse either.

-         Sex on the beach can be traumatic.

-         Swedish summer evenings can be chilly.

-         Blind people cannot distinguish one person’s voice from another.

-         If you’re Sven Nykvist (the cinematographer here) you can get away with over-exposing stuff.

-         A side-parting can get you into all kinds of trouble.

-         Hell is other people, especially when they start face-melding with you.

-         A good bout of happy-slapping will relieve all kinds of angst.

* With apologies to P.J. O’Rourke

After the Sunset è un film azione/commedia del 2004, diretto da Brett Ratner.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Avventura | Azione | Brett Ratner | Pierce Brosnan | Salma Hayek | Woody Harrelson

Over the course of this week, we will uncover twenty titles you need to seek out at your local DVD store. Here is Part 3.

The list is laid out something like this. The title, year it was made, genre, synopsis and finally my rating. I hope to do more of these lists as I uncover some of the treasures hidden at the local videostore.

10. Zero Effect (1998) (Comedy – Mystery)

Daryl Zero (Bill Pullman) maybe the world’s most reclusive private investigator. Along with his assistant, Steve Arlo (Ben Stiller) he solves impossible crimes and puzzles.

When these two crack professionals are on a case they are brilliant but during the off time they drive each other bananas. In their latest case, Zero must find out who is blackmailing a rich executive, and when his client won’t tell him, why. 

What makes this film so unbelievably clever is the performance by Pullman. Imagine a man with no-social skills, a horrible musician and recluse having to deal with the emotions of love. For years, Zero has lived vicariously through his assistant but for once he has to deal with everyday issues that are right in front of him.

Pullman plays this type of character to utter perfection and to top it all off you have the comedic talent of Ben Stiller to play off of. Stiller is hilarious as he tries to deal with how eccentric his goofy boss really is. The mystery in the film is a little flat but the comedic combination of Pullman and Stiller is pure magic. (3.5 of 5).

9. Dead Ringers (1988) (Thriller)

The Mantle brothers (duo role played by Jeremy Irons) are both doctors – both gynecologists – and identical twins. Mentally however, one of them is more confident than the other, and always manages to seduce the women he meets.

When he’s tired of his current partner, she is passed on to the other brother – without her knowing. The whole plot is upset when the shy brother falls in love first and the balance is upset. Brutal, unnerving and sinister, director David Cronenberg weaves a tale that is bound to get the blood pumping.

Jeremy Irons gives the performances of his lifetime as the world of Mantle brothers explodes into a very sinister plot. A lot of the time you aren’t really sure which brother is which and that is part of the magic. It’s a wonderfully eerie ride. (4 of 5) .

8. Love Letters (1999) (Romance – Drama)

“Love Letters” is an adapted play about an ambitious U.S. Senator (Steven Weber) reflects back on his life after the death of a woman (Laura Linney) whom he loved and kept in contact with only through correspondence.

“Love Letters” is told in a series of flashbacks as the two first meet as children and begin their lifelong correspondence. “Love Letters” is a strong and passionate story that is bound to make you cry.

The performance of Laura Linney is unbelievably moving. This version of the stage adaptation is filmed like it’s being played out on a stage in your TV.

The director doesn’t drop in a lot of twisted camera movements but instead focuses on the actors and the story.

It is a pure delight. (4 of 5) .

7. Deceivers, The (1988) (Adventure)

In 1825, India lives in fear. A mysterious religion’s followers murder everyone that stand in their way. When William Savage (Pierce Brosnan), a tax-collector of a British-Indian company, discovers the new sect. Savage disguises himself as a local and joins the sect as he tries to solve the mystery. 

 This is the first of 2 little-known Brosnan films on this list. It’s strange how much interesting stuff he did between “Remington Steele” and James Bond.

With beautiful exotic locales, this Merchant-Ivory production, this film is also a mindbender of a mystery, as Brosnan’s character is pulled deeper and deeper into the cult.

There are times when you aren’t really sure he wants to uncover the mystery but just live it. He falls in love with two different women and that struggle almost develops a split personality. It truly is one of Brosnan’s greatest performances. (4 of 5) .

 6. Gothic (1986) (Drama – Horror)

What happened the night that Mary Shelley (Natasha Richardson) concocted to the horror classic “Frankenstein”?

Drug induced games, ghost stories and betrayals occur during one night at the mad nobleman, Lord Byron’s country estate.

As Mary begins writing her classic story, she is drawn into the sick world of her lover Shelley (Julian Sands) and her cousin Claire (Myriam Cyr) as Byron (Gabriel Byrne) leads them all down the dark paths of their souls.

“Gothic” is a Victorian story turned upside-down. It’s filled with shocking revelations and euphoria that is bound to keep you guessing.

How a great and twisted story like “Frankenstein” was created is a fascinating story but presented, as a gothic horror story itself is mind-boggling. (4 of 5) .

Mamma Mia! è un film del 2008, adattamento cinematografico dell’omonimo musical, basato sulle musiche del gruppo svedese ABBA, scritto da Catherine Johnson. Come il musical, il film prende il titolo dal brano Mamma Mia degli ABBA, inoltre entrambi si ispirano al film del 1968 Buonasera, signora Campbell di Melvin Frank.

Leggi altre notizie su: | Commedia | Romantico | Musical | Phyllida Lloyd | Meryl Streep | Amanda Seyfried | Pierce Brosnan | Colin Firth