* Copyright pending
A fashion gripe for you, to coincide with the end of Sydney Fashion Week:
I hate shopping for clothes. I never loved it but there was a time when I'd willingly commit a special part of my brain to analysing what would be a good fashion investment. Not that I was buying Chanel hoping that it would go up in value after 30 years, but I was thinking in terms of future wearability. Everyone knows that fashion is fickle, so I wasn't about to commit to trends that I couldn't afford, only to be discarded two weeks later. Which brings me to my latest idea...
Someone should invest in setting up a fashion brand selling basics. Called Bay Six. Because that's the kind of pun I'm prone to use. The brand should be reknown for their range of well-fitted basic clothing - unembellished pants, skirts, tops, shirts, shoes, jackets, suits etc which all come in neutral, easily matched colours (eg black, white, grey, taupe, beige). I'm talking basic clothing such as classic cut suits that will never go out of style. And a decent pair of jeans.
Sounds pretty boring, but it's the kind of range that every woman (and probably every man) needs. Have you tried looking for basic clothing lately? It took me about three months to find a pair of plain black pants that didn't have some kind of sequinned pattern or diamante belt loop on it. The best thing is that Bay Six will complement any other fashion item. Fashion nowadays seems to focus on either individual pieces which don't go together or look too embellished worn together (ie embroidered shirt and embroidered pants in the same range) or ensembles that only look good together. Bay Six solves the matching problem. So you've just bought a brand new sparkly top? Pair it with a Bay Six skirt.
From a marketing point of view you'll be aiming for repeat business. When your shirt has worn thin you can go back and buy the exact same shirt that you won't even have to try on because you already know your size. Bay Six could also pair up with other fashion brands who have campaigns around feature pieces for exposure. Or, every season they could have a 'disposable' range in a trendy colour or a special style (eg ultra low waist) that they won't keep in their ongoing range.
For every item of clothing there should be a wide range of sizing options and then maybe a couple of the most popular basic styles always in production. Just say the item is a long-sleeved shirt, the range would be black or white in a fitted or loose style with a hemline just below the waist or a long tail - that's 8 permutations for each size for one long-sleeved shirt. Then there's 3/4-sleeved shirts, short-sleeved shirts etc.
Someone in the clothing business do this, please! I want to know where I can get a decent black 3/4-sleeved shirt without frills, pleats or embroidery!
30 April, 2006
27 April, 2006
Die Weisse Massai / The White Masai (film)
I came to watch this film through a friend's sister who, interested in German language texts, has read the book and saw that this was being shown as part of the German Film Festival. Based on a true account of a Swiss woman falling in love and pursuing a Masai warrior (Lemalian) after a holiday in Kenya, the film follows Carola as she packs up her life in Switzerland to live with the Masai tribe.
There are interesting cultural elements at play, contrasting Carola's initial interactions with Lemalian as a tourist with their courtship and finally marriage. Along the way she learns about - but does not always apply her knowledge to - the customs of the Masai people and we soak up what we see as an audience.
Essentially the movie sets out to be a love story and, for the most part, it is about how her love for Lemalian gives her the strength to drastically alter her lifestyle. Their daughter is the fruit of this love. But eventually it is her strength and Western idealism that tears the marriage apart as she stubbornly refuses to accept some of the customs of the tribe she has joined, including protesting against female circumcision and aiding a 'bewitched' pregnant woman.
The insurmountable problem is the communication barrier; both linguistic and relationship-wise. Both speak English as their second language, therefore English and body language is the only interactive communication that both understand. Lemalian's Swahili is not translated so the German (translation) only exists to further our understanding of Carola's mindset. A difficulty, but problematic also because there is also no attempt to really understand each other's actions and motivations.
For example, when Carola decides to open a shop Lemalian is shamed by his wife's ambitions and is further cut down by her anger when she finds out he is giving credit to all their friends, relatives and neighbours (ie everyone). He accuses her of cheating on him because she is too friendly with her customers. They are never shown discussing, or even attempting to discuss, their respective feelings about each situation - they merely have the heat of the argument and the cold shoulder that follows.
On her part, Carola refuses to submit to the male dominance of the Masai culture, which is her most major mistake. I mean, if one packs up one's comfy Swiss existence for life with this tribe, one would know and necessarily agree to one's place in their culture. She is so determined to do things her way that she fails to see how her cultural bulldozing is also razing her marriage, such as when she is advised not to make direct eye contact with men as this sends out the wrong signal but she carries on looking them in the eye anyway, exacerbating Lemalian's jealousy.
The film has a lot of unfulfilled potential, especially with regard to lacking feedback about how Carola is being accepted into the Masai community. Based on an autobiography, of course it is fairly one dimensional, but I would have liked to have seen a departure from the book. Carola is the only fully developed character; even Lemalian is a bit of a sketch at times, perhaps indicating that the real 'Carola' (Corinne Hofmann) also failed to understand much about her husband and her adopted community.
The performances are brilliant, though. Jacky Ido's Lemalian is as beautiful and ominous as a thundercloud and Nina Hoss' Carola flickers between the 'can-do' independent Swiss Miss to the bewildered 'what the hell am I doing here?' white woman lost. The scenery is expansive, forbidding and achingly gorgeous - well done to the cinematography team - and the small insights that we glimpse of the Masai way of life are valuable.
The last thing I want to criticise is the lack of storytelling. Although this is a film about the story of this woman's marriage, it is presented in such a way that we feel we have merely cut out a chunk of her life instead of having real tension to the action. Where the film begins and where it ends makes sense (her holiday in Kenya with her soon-to-be former boyfriend / the break up of her marriage) but the scenes in between are strung together rather than pull their own weight such that the plot flits from experience to incident instead of building something.
I must say the film must have been disappointing for those who were there to extend their German skills. Although I wasn't disappointed as such, I do think much could have been improved with regard to the editing and the portrayal of other characters' reaction to Carola.
P.S: There is also a wholly unnecessary, reasonably graphic sex scene where Carola 'teaches' Lemalian how to have sex that pleasures them both. The beginning two minutes of the scene says enough (ie she changes his view on sex) but then there's about another 6 minutes of action, which I found rather gratuitous.
** - interesting, but not enough story in the film
There are interesting cultural elements at play, contrasting Carola's initial interactions with Lemalian as a tourist with their courtship and finally marriage. Along the way she learns about - but does not always apply her knowledge to - the customs of the Masai people and we soak up what we see as an audience.
Essentially the movie sets out to be a love story and, for the most part, it is about how her love for Lemalian gives her the strength to drastically alter her lifestyle. Their daughter is the fruit of this love. But eventually it is her strength and Western idealism that tears the marriage apart as she stubbornly refuses to accept some of the customs of the tribe she has joined, including protesting against female circumcision and aiding a 'bewitched' pregnant woman.
The insurmountable problem is the communication barrier; both linguistic and relationship-wise. Both speak English as their second language, therefore English and body language is the only interactive communication that both understand. Lemalian's Swahili is not translated so the German (translation) only exists to further our understanding of Carola's mindset. A difficulty, but problematic also because there is also no attempt to really understand each other's actions and motivations.
For example, when Carola decides to open a shop Lemalian is shamed by his wife's ambitions and is further cut down by her anger when she finds out he is giving credit to all their friends, relatives and neighbours (ie everyone). He accuses her of cheating on him because she is too friendly with her customers. They are never shown discussing, or even attempting to discuss, their respective feelings about each situation - they merely have the heat of the argument and the cold shoulder that follows.
On her part, Carola refuses to submit to the male dominance of the Masai culture, which is her most major mistake. I mean, if one packs up one's comfy Swiss existence for life with this tribe, one would know and necessarily agree to one's place in their culture. She is so determined to do things her way that she fails to see how her cultural bulldozing is also razing her marriage, such as when she is advised not to make direct eye contact with men as this sends out the wrong signal but she carries on looking them in the eye anyway, exacerbating Lemalian's jealousy.
The film has a lot of unfulfilled potential, especially with regard to lacking feedback about how Carola is being accepted into the Masai community. Based on an autobiography, of course it is fairly one dimensional, but I would have liked to have seen a departure from the book. Carola is the only fully developed character; even Lemalian is a bit of a sketch at times, perhaps indicating that the real 'Carola' (Corinne Hofmann) also failed to understand much about her husband and her adopted community.
The performances are brilliant, though. Jacky Ido's Lemalian is as beautiful and ominous as a thundercloud and Nina Hoss' Carola flickers between the 'can-do' independent Swiss Miss to the bewildered 'what the hell am I doing here?' white woman lost. The scenery is expansive, forbidding and achingly gorgeous - well done to the cinematography team - and the small insights that we glimpse of the Masai way of life are valuable.
The last thing I want to criticise is the lack of storytelling. Although this is a film about the story of this woman's marriage, it is presented in such a way that we feel we have merely cut out a chunk of her life instead of having real tension to the action. Where the film begins and where it ends makes sense (her holiday in Kenya with her soon-to-be former boyfriend / the break up of her marriage) but the scenes in between are strung together rather than pull their own weight such that the plot flits from experience to incident instead of building something.
I must say the film must have been disappointing for those who were there to extend their German skills. Although I wasn't disappointed as such, I do think much could have been improved with regard to the editing and the portrayal of other characters' reaction to Carola.
P.S: There is also a wholly unnecessary, reasonably graphic sex scene where Carola 'teaches' Lemalian how to have sex that pleasures them both. The beginning two minutes of the scene says enough (ie she changes his view on sex) but then there's about another 6 minutes of action, which I found rather gratuitous.
** - interesting, but not enough story in the film
13 April, 2006
Car Talker
We need a car talker device where you can talk to other cars on the road so when someone cuts in front of you, you can go "is you indicator broken or something?" etc etc. I was thinking this could probably be abused so maybe if we restrict 'conversation' to "thanks!" and "danger!" it would cover (though not adequately) most situations where you wish you could speak to that other driver.
12 April, 2006
Tristan & Isolde (film)
James Franco, as Tristan, has three expressions. One is a kind of doe-eyed longing, then there's the rage and the surly resignation. He also has an accent that is neither here nor there ('here' being British and 'there' being British). This is a problem.
Sophia Myles, as Isolde, on the other hand, portrays the princess in a much more complex way with just a turn of her eyebrows. So when you get one title character whose eyebrows out-act the other title character, you have a problem with balance.
Based on a Celtic legend that entwines feuding tribes, England vs Ireland (and for once Ireland is on top!) and the love triangle of a princess, her husband and his right hand man (literally), this film adaptation firmly irons out some of the loose threads that legends usually create through variations. As a child, Tristan is saved from death by Lord Marke, who loses his right hand in the rescue. Orphaned Tristan, ever grateful, returns to Cornwall with Marke and becomes his most trusted er, knight, and is treated like a son - and in many ways treated much better than Marke's nephew. Blah, blah, blah, battle, blah, blah, blah. Tristan is thought dead but then his wounds are healed by a mysterious Irish girl (who we know is a princess) and is then sent home. In short, Tristan wins a tournament for Isolde's hand in marriage on behalf of Lord Marke. Blah, blah, blah, trysts and lies.
The tragedy of love is evident throughout the film, from the moment Tristan meets Isolde and learns he is in Ireland (after all, when your countries are at war it's a bit hard to convince dad to accept the guy who just killed your best warrior) and then in their forbidden love throughout Marke and Isolde's marriage. Love unravels the couple and unravels the weak unity that Marke has rustled up behind him to resist the Irish.
However, there is much to be said about the love that Tristan owes and delivers to Marke and vice versa, which makes the betrayal a lot deeper than the usual triangle. Love and duty ricochet between all three corners to all other corners - Tristan loves, and owes his life to, both Marke and Isolde, Isolde projects a certain liberty through her love for Tristan but cannot hate the kindly Marke and Marke honours Tristan as a son and without Tristan's loyalty, could not have won Isolde's hand in marriage. Oh dear.
Although love is at the foreground, it is echoed in the war around it. At times it indicates loyalty, such as between Marke and Tristan, which, when fractured with betrayal at the introduction of Isolde, mirrors the fractured betrayal of the uneasy alliance between the tribes. Isolde's initial love for Tristan gives him strength, but when it is taken away at her marriage to Marke, it becomes his weakness (and presumably that's why he made a load of bad decisions). Similarly, Isolde's reluctance to be betrothed to the brutish commander her father has chosen (pre-Tristan) reverberates with his death while her enamoured hope for Tristan brings him through the tournament a victor.
Rufus Sewell is perfect as the gracious Lord Marke; his good nature is not doormat territory and yet Sewell plays Marke with a certain vulnerability that Franco's Tristan cannot seem to reflect. Franco oscillates between sullen and fightey while Myles is positively radiant in her appearances. The lush scenery is the winner, though, and the portrayal of Dark Ages England/Ireland seems authentic right from the very start. Combine grubby castles with sweeping bleak seascapes and firelit interiors and the mythic quality is delivered in the right way.
*** - cinematography steals the show in this legendary tale
Sophia Myles, as Isolde, on the other hand, portrays the princess in a much more complex way with just a turn of her eyebrows. So when you get one title character whose eyebrows out-act the other title character, you have a problem with balance.
Based on a Celtic legend that entwines feuding tribes, England vs Ireland (and for once Ireland is on top!) and the love triangle of a princess, her husband and his right hand man (literally), this film adaptation firmly irons out some of the loose threads that legends usually create through variations. As a child, Tristan is saved from death by Lord Marke, who loses his right hand in the rescue. Orphaned Tristan, ever grateful, returns to Cornwall with Marke and becomes his most trusted er, knight, and is treated like a son - and in many ways treated much better than Marke's nephew. Blah, blah, blah, battle, blah, blah, blah. Tristan is thought dead but then his wounds are healed by a mysterious Irish girl (who we know is a princess) and is then sent home. In short, Tristan wins a tournament for Isolde's hand in marriage on behalf of Lord Marke. Blah, blah, blah, trysts and lies.
The tragedy of love is evident throughout the film, from the moment Tristan meets Isolde and learns he is in Ireland (after all, when your countries are at war it's a bit hard to convince dad to accept the guy who just killed your best warrior) and then in their forbidden love throughout Marke and Isolde's marriage. Love unravels the couple and unravels the weak unity that Marke has rustled up behind him to resist the Irish.
However, there is much to be said about the love that Tristan owes and delivers to Marke and vice versa, which makes the betrayal a lot deeper than the usual triangle. Love and duty ricochet between all three corners to all other corners - Tristan loves, and owes his life to, both Marke and Isolde, Isolde projects a certain liberty through her love for Tristan but cannot hate the kindly Marke and Marke honours Tristan as a son and without Tristan's loyalty, could not have won Isolde's hand in marriage. Oh dear.
Although love is at the foreground, it is echoed in the war around it. At times it indicates loyalty, such as between Marke and Tristan, which, when fractured with betrayal at the introduction of Isolde, mirrors the fractured betrayal of the uneasy alliance between the tribes. Isolde's initial love for Tristan gives him strength, but when it is taken away at her marriage to Marke, it becomes his weakness (and presumably that's why he made a load of bad decisions). Similarly, Isolde's reluctance to be betrothed to the brutish commander her father has chosen (pre-Tristan) reverberates with his death while her enamoured hope for Tristan brings him through the tournament a victor.
Rufus Sewell is perfect as the gracious Lord Marke; his good nature is not doormat territory and yet Sewell plays Marke with a certain vulnerability that Franco's Tristan cannot seem to reflect. Franco oscillates between sullen and fightey while Myles is positively radiant in her appearances. The lush scenery is the winner, though, and the portrayal of Dark Ages England/Ireland seems authentic right from the very start. Combine grubby castles with sweeping bleak seascapes and firelit interiors and the mythic quality is delivered in the right way.
*** - cinematography steals the show in this legendary tale
V for Vendetta (film)
Natalie Portman's shaved head, eh?
Hugo Weaving in a mask, eh?
Terrorism against a totalitarian society, eh?
Evoking the comic book noir we've come to know and expect of recent graphic novel adaptations (think 'Sin City' and 'Batman Begins'), 'V for Vendetta' uses gritty London streets as the backdrop for its anti-hero's antics. At the centre of the action is the mysterious 'V' (also referencing the number 5 in Roman numerals). All we learn of his past is that he was experimented upon at an institution and is now knocking off those who were in charge at the facility, one by one. The big picture is the fascist regime put in place by Chancellor Sutler; no one is comfortable but everyone seems powerless to resist him. Until V promises to blow up Parliament House on Guy Fawkes Day (November 5). Caught in his swing is Evey, rescued, then captured by the masked maniac.
V's capers are deliciously clever and poetic, from broadcasting his 'revolution' to the roses that he leaves as his nemeses die, in remembrance of a lesbian who once wrote to him about her unjust incarceration. Evey is more or less a wide-eyed damsel in distress though Portman does cultivate a sense of awareness about V's plight as the story moves along.
'V for Vendetta' is about strength, conviction and strength of conviction as the masses rise up against the oppressive government. Weaving is excellent as the masked crusader - his silky, deep voice fits perfectly behind the mask, which is never removed. Even though we never see his face he cuts a fine, even debonair, figure in his swordplay and uniform of black. Kudos to the costume department, methinks. Stephen Rea is also great as police officer Finch who, uncomfortable about his party's policies, nevertheless uncovers more and more about V's past under their orders then finds himself sympathetic to the cause. The weakest link is Portman's Evey. She isn't completely hopeless but she has a strange British accent and exudes passivity for most of what is essentially an active film, tempering the pace. Her greatest moment is when she is improsoned and her anxiety about her future turns to resolve.
The main problem is that she is Natalie Portman playing Evey, not Evey who happens to be played by Natalie Portman. Because Weaving is masked, the Evey character may have been better off being played by an unknown actress (not Scarlett Johansson!) so that a famous face did not take away from the main character. You know, like how whenever Julia Roberts is in a movie, no matter how great her acting, you think of her as Julia Roberts not the character?
Apart from all the darkness then fireworks, the film has many humorous punctuations with observations about masks ("I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is"), an odd scene with a bishop, a Benny Hill tribute and some coincidences involving the cooking of toad-in-the-hole (toast with egg in the middle). The token 'love story' was rubbish (the Wachowskis ruin 'The Matrix' in the same way) and unfortunately that brings down the excitement of a revolution down a notch for its selfishness. Still, it's a great looking movie and the strength of its themes in these troubled times cannot be denied.
**** - dark themes and fantastical elements combine beautifully
Hugo Weaving in a mask, eh?
Terrorism against a totalitarian society, eh?
Evoking the comic book noir we've come to know and expect of recent graphic novel adaptations (think 'Sin City' and 'Batman Begins'), 'V for Vendetta' uses gritty London streets as the backdrop for its anti-hero's antics. At the centre of the action is the mysterious 'V' (also referencing the number 5 in Roman numerals). All we learn of his past is that he was experimented upon at an institution and is now knocking off those who were in charge at the facility, one by one. The big picture is the fascist regime put in place by Chancellor Sutler; no one is comfortable but everyone seems powerless to resist him. Until V promises to blow up Parliament House on Guy Fawkes Day (November 5). Caught in his swing is Evey, rescued, then captured by the masked maniac.
V's capers are deliciously clever and poetic, from broadcasting his 'revolution' to the roses that he leaves as his nemeses die, in remembrance of a lesbian who once wrote to him about her unjust incarceration. Evey is more or less a wide-eyed damsel in distress though Portman does cultivate a sense of awareness about V's plight as the story moves along.
'V for Vendetta' is about strength, conviction and strength of conviction as the masses rise up against the oppressive government. Weaving is excellent as the masked crusader - his silky, deep voice fits perfectly behind the mask, which is never removed. Even though we never see his face he cuts a fine, even debonair, figure in his swordplay and uniform of black. Kudos to the costume department, methinks. Stephen Rea is also great as police officer Finch who, uncomfortable about his party's policies, nevertheless uncovers more and more about V's past under their orders then finds himself sympathetic to the cause. The weakest link is Portman's Evey. She isn't completely hopeless but she has a strange British accent and exudes passivity for most of what is essentially an active film, tempering the pace. Her greatest moment is when she is improsoned and her anxiety about her future turns to resolve.
The main problem is that she is Natalie Portman playing Evey, not Evey who happens to be played by Natalie Portman. Because Weaving is masked, the Evey character may have been better off being played by an unknown actress (not Scarlett Johansson!) so that a famous face did not take away from the main character. You know, like how whenever Julia Roberts is in a movie, no matter how great her acting, you think of her as Julia Roberts not the character?
Apart from all the darkness then fireworks, the film has many humorous punctuations with observations about masks ("I'm merely remarking on the paradox of asking a masked man who he is"), an odd scene with a bishop, a Benny Hill tribute and some coincidences involving the cooking of toad-in-the-hole (toast with egg in the middle). The token 'love story' was rubbish (the Wachowskis ruin 'The Matrix' in the same way) and unfortunately that brings down the excitement of a revolution down a notch for its selfishness. Still, it's a great looking movie and the strength of its themes in these troubled times cannot be denied.
**** - dark themes and fantastical elements combine beautifully
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