Film Review - The Tourist

German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Tourist, which couples generally-dopey math teacher and eponymous traveler Frank (Johnny Depp) with permanently poised Elise (Angelina Jolie, who tries to occupy a space even smaller than her already diminutive frame), is an oddly comic caper where nearly every character embodies a dispassionate, truncated duality of good and bad.

Aboard a train headed for Venice, Italy, the primary setting for The Tourist, Elise selects Frank as a simulacrum for a mysterious letter-writing lover, Alexander Pierce, in order to confuse the overly conspicuous police presence (fronted by the disappointingly bland Paul Bettany) watching her clipped yet swanky movements. Frank is in more peril than he realises though, as he is also inadvertently mistaken for her lover by some gangsters that Pierce had swindled for a song in the past. As Frank becomes the target of paralleling vendettas, he has to clear his name and make sure he doesn't lose the too-good-to-be-true woman who's impacted his life so suddenly.

The dialogue, though it struggled to float consistently, allowed a space for the opulent settings to swallow the viewer. Unfortunately the same tact cannot be noted for the extras direction; there were far to many tanned, suited men turning their heads as Elise sauntered in and out of their collective consciousness. This coupled with an annoyingly high number of scenes placing Jolie at the helm of a boat with an ironing-board back and a score that was a little too insistent in its jocularity, meant that a less-is-more approach could have given the movie some more of the life it needed.

Still, the end effect was genuine entertainment; The Tourist hasn't enough detractions that it should fall by the wayside. Go see it for a simply fun time at the movies.

Durban After Dark

The city can be damn pretty at night. Took these around Wilson's Wharf and the stadium.

Film Review #1 - Winter's Bone

Currently showing at Gateway's Nouveau theatre is Winter's Bone (2010), the gritty and compelling portrayal of tough-as-nails 17-year-old girl, Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) tastefully directed by Debra Granik. As Ree negotiates being the only caretaker of her two young siblings and mentally absent mother, she is shocked to be informed by the local sheriff that her fugitive father, a methamphetamine cook, is to stand trial in one week, and should he not show, their home will be usurped as collateral.

Scouring a landscape of barren rurality for her father, she is met with opposition from everyone she turns to for help; seemingly to all share blood ties, the townsfolk clearly do not want Ree snooping around. With the only assistance coming from her father's embittered, coke-addicted brother, the likelihood of Ree's success is as murky as the persistent forest framing the edges of nearly every scene.

Whilst it is common enough for a stark setting to be used to make emotion more vivid, Winter's Bone soars where many other films of this particular intimacy fail: in being tender without being sentimental; in being frank without being overbearing. The film permeates a potential violence on the cusp of every interaction, masterfully allowing suspense to steadily build upon itself. Winter's Bone won the Best Screenplay and Grand Jury awards at the Sundance Film Festival, and is nominated for a Golden Globe.

Downhill Day

While forty degrees to the head my send most to the beach, Luke & Tammy Jordaan, Lee Garrett and I ventured inland to Hillcrest, where we met Rob and Justine Garrett for a sweltering downhill session. The pristine tar yielded some 2m plus slides, and as an added bonus, no-one was (too seriously) hurt. It was cool to break free of the Durban-North bonds, and we were all left feeling good. My camera was passed around like a doobie, but I think the photo credits are correct.

Justine's:









Rob's:







Mine:

Stocking Stuffer

It pays to have friends with taste. Check out this awesome belated Christmas present from Lee Garrett.





Just as I collected it from his house, I was thunder-clapped by a monsoon. Being on my scooter, some drastic measures had to be taken to ensure my new thrasher's warmth and security. I wrapped it like a new-born babe in my raincoat, preferring to leave myself exposed to the golf-ball sized rain drops instead. I was left looking a little skaturated though.

Step One: Chris Talks to the World

Hello. This page is my personal stimulus to stay active, take photos, and above all, to continuously pursue a positive outlet for creativity. Jumping right in, here are some skating shots taken yesterday of friends shredding our local bowl.