Saturday, July 08, 2006

Mixed bag

Good news: my short script made it to the first round qualifiers of the British Short Screenplay Comp.

Middling news: agent I met in Cannes doesn't want to rep MWG - however he gave a whole page of feedback and said he'd like to read the next thing I write, so I don't feel rejected, just slightly set back.

Other news: went to see "Thank You for Smoking" and thought it was funny and clever. Any film with William H Macy in the cast tends to be worth a look, and I thought Aaron Eckhardt was good too; and I loved the idea of the agents of death getting together for dinner once a week.

Also went to see POTC2. Liked it. Wanted to love it, went in hoping I'd love it, but I just didn't. It's funny, and cool, and there are some good stunts (although IMHO nothing beats the "swords and soundtrack" combo of the first Will n Jack fight in POTC1) - but it just goes on .... and on .... and on for too long. It's also a bit gruesome in places, and I wonder whether the combination of gore and length will mean some of the smaller members of the audience will be long gone before the final credits roll. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack is wonderful, some classic lines and some very funny moments, Orlando is a bit plank-like but does what's necessary; and I loved Bill Nighy, Stellan Skarsgard and Kevin McNally. What I hadn't realised was that its possible to do CGI bosoms - that's the only explanation for Elizabeth actually having a hint of a cleavage in the film, because the evidence suggests that Keira herself doesn't have boobs with which to produce said cleavage:



I'm the mother of a teenager, and if my teenager had bones sticking through her skin like that, I'd be getting worried and doing something about it.

But anyway back to the film - I think one of the problems with it is that the first one was such a surprise and no follow up can ever match that. I can remember seeing the trailer for the first one, and thinking, oh that sounds awful, a film based on a Disney ride? No chance. Oh go on then, I'll go just cos A wants to see it. Oh wow, that was fantastic!! And that whole bowled over, never seen anything quite like this before, can't happen again, feeling,means #2 has an awful to to live up to. Which it almost does. Almost, kind of, I'll see it again just for that kiss. I did like it. I just wanted to love it.

5 Comments:

Blogger MaryAn Batchellor said...

Well, regardless of what any of us individuals thinks, what matters is what collective movie goers think and $143 million opening weekend is record breaking.

2:27 pm  
Blogger Heidi said...

Totally agree on Pirates. Saw it last night and was left with a feeling of "Wow that was a whole lot os stuff going on. Now who wanted what and why?" Maybe it's like the Two Towers, lame but necessary to get to the third film which will (hopefully) rock.

6:05 pm  
Blogger mernitman said...

Congrats on the short script.

Your Pirate thoughts jibe with pretty much everything else I've heard. Will see it anyway, of course.

Re: Keira, so I guess there is such a thing as too rich and too thin...

2:44 am  
Blogger Dominic Carver said...

Congrats on the first round placing on the BSSC, we're first rounders together. Roll on the second round.

12:09 pm  
Blogger Stacie said...

Regarding POTC2, could part of the problem be that they were filming two films at once (2 & 3) and not really ending 2, seeming making it into a string of vinettes? (sorry, spelling a little poor today).

3:47 pm  

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