Friends with Money and a cheap shameless self promotion

Did anybody ever actually see this when this came out (2005)? It seemed to slip under the radar and does actually have a few decent female actors in main roles. Christine (Catherine Keener), Franny (Joan Cusack), Jane (Frances McDormand) and Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) are good friends all with money quite obviously, except for Oliver who gave up her job as a teacher in a private school for a new job as a maid. While at first Olivia seems to be the screwed up friend who all the others want to help, they all really have all their own problems.

Christine's husband is a bit of a shit really, who doesn't ask her if she's ok when she hurts herself and she has to learn to not get worked up about the things he does. Yeah. Franny is the really rich one of the group (all her own money I forget why/how) but she needs to talk to her husband before she spends any of it and he comes across as judgemental about her friendship with Olivia.

Everybody thinks Jane's husband is gay (not that they say it to her face) and she has taken to not washing her hair and thinks it feels like she is just waiting to die (she turns 43 during the film) even though she has a successful clothing line.

Olivia is calling up some guy she had an affair with for a couple of months, smoking pot and using her client's vibrator. All we know about her previous job is that it wasn't her calling. During the course of the film she dapples with the idea of becoming a personal trainer, even though she is apparently the only one in the circle of friends who doesn't enjoy exercising.

I found Jane's story to be the most interesting, she also had the most understanding husband, gay or not (he probably was just a metrosexual-English combination) who handled all her suppressed rage and annoyance nicely. I found the scene where she gets angry at the store and runs into the glass door interesting and plausible. And McDormand is great actress who can express so much with facial expressions.

The casting of Aniston was interesting as she is about 10 years younger than the other actors. She is not bad in this, kind of similar disinterested longing as in The Good Girl but I enjoyed this movie more. I found the ending a bit annoying, the running time was only 88 minutes long I thought they didn't need to end it so abruptly and I am also not sure what it means that Aniston's new boyfriend also has money? Would she have not lasted much longer in the group without being well to do? Anyway if you feel like watching a vaguely entertaining film starring some talented actresses rent this one. And if that wasn't the lamest recommendation I don't know what is.

Because I know anyone who reads this blog is supremely nice for no good reason, could you please follow this link and vote for our kitchen to suck the most? Go to the link, clink on Kitchen Sucks and then it should come up as Ben's Kitchen Sucks and then you can vote for it. We entered this competition through Ikea to win a brand new kitchen for our very outdated house (hopefully they do a My Bathroom Sucks next!) and since we started late into the competition we need all the help we can get. I just don't have that many facebook friends people. Also there's the cheap thrill of seeing how crappy our kitchen is. Thanks!

The Year My Voice Broke

This is the film I should have watched before seeing Flirting. But for some reason (probably because Nicole Kidman is in the sequel) this movie completely flew under my radar and Flirting is what I bought.

Noah Taylor (18 at the time of filming) is Danny, local awkward outcast, his best friend is Freya played by Loene Carmen (17) a somewhat free spirit adopted to a local family. To complete the love triangle is Trevor played by Ben Mendelsohn (18) who is a regular feature in many Australian shows, and movies.

Danny and Freya are in high school, she is 16, he is 15 and have been best friends since they were little kids, he has always had a crush on her, which she acknowledges but doesn't really encourage. She then falls for local popular rugby player and small time criminal Trevor, much to Danny's disgust.
The story tells of their relationship progression, how she and Danny drift apart and as Freya is adopted, the story of who her parents are and what is the connection to the house on the hill which everyone believes is haunted by the prostitute who used to live there.
This is all set in 1962, but it doesn't style it as such in such an obvious way. Sure some of the songs are old  but it's the small town mentality which really gives the film character. Even if this was set in present time, the small town issues would still be there.

Things I loved (without giving much away)

• The 3 leads are so natural and cast to perfection. I have not seen Carmen in anything else but she is so earthy and just freaking great in her role. And the fact that they were all pretty close to the ages of their characters.
• Trevor's crazy little laugh he uses throughout the movie, you can just imagine the other cast members trying not to laugh
• not having a happy ending as much as I would have liked one
• the honest dialogue and Danny's struggle with his desire for Freya
• the scene at the dance and Danny in his Marlon Brando look. Just because I thought his and Freya's interaction was so sweet
• the scene where Trevor and Freya stick up for Danny in their own separate ways while he is being bullied
• the Australian scenery seems to be it's own character similarly to Picnic at Hanging Rock

I don't want to give more away as I really think it is a great film which should be seen by as many people as possible (I had to join Quickflix to watch it).
This film is part coming of age (although how I loathe that phrase) part drama, little drabs of comedy and a really great indie film.

It was released in 1987 and Noah Taylor reprises his role for Flirting in 1991 as do the actors who play his parents. Both were also written and directed by John Duigan who stated in the bonus feature of the DVD that he intended the story of Danny to be a trilogy and would like to make a third with Danny and Freya at the ages they are now which would make them early 40s and set in about the late 80s. I have no idea how he would do it but I'd love to see it.

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) are high school friends who have been living together since they graduated.

Their ten year high school reunion is looming and while planning to go, they realise their lives (dead end job, no boyfriends) aren't looking too impressive.

After some half hearted attempts to find boyfriends, and find a job in Michele's case, Romy decides to just lie and say they are successful business women who invented post its. Yes, post its.

Things go awry on the way when they have a huge fight in the car about who is cuter out of the two of them.Then when they arrive at the reunion, Romy goes with the post it story and gets ridiculed by the horrible 'A' group. Michele comes to the rescue and they decide they don't care what anyone else thinks because they always have fun together. Or something. And then Sandy lends them the money to start their own clothing shop (Romy makes and they both design their own clothes).

The film includes a very long dream sequence, a completely random but I think hilarious 3 way dance between Sandy (Alan Cumming), Romy and Michele at the reunion, and some nice flashback scenes where the obviously 30 plus aged actors play teenagers.

Most of the movie is filled with overacting, some cliched characters (particularly the A group) but it's all done in such fun that it's enjoyable to watch. The bright clothes! The music! The 80's, ah it was my favourite decade. And they really are good friends to each other.

Lisa Kudrow is basically just reprising the role of Phoebe from Friends which isn't surprising as it was at the height of popularity at the time and she does it so well. Interesting side note, according to IMDB, Lisa was a virgin until she married her husband at the age of 31. How…refreshing is that?

Mira Sorvino, who I really only known as Paul's daughter and seen her in Mimic and At First Sight (sadly), also does a great job and for some reason I really love her voice. I wish I had that kind of raspy, gravelly quality in mine. Is that weird? For some reason I get her and Bridget Fonda mixed up..maybe it's the having famous fathers syndrome?

Alan Cumming plays Sandy Frik, the dork who loved Michele in high school and became a millionaire discovering some kind of rubber (used in tennis shoes not in condoms as Michele thought). I thought Alan Cummings was so cute in this and didn't know why Michele didn't like him. Granted the whole giant erection whenever she's around would get a bit annoying but that's just how he rolls in high school.

Janeane Garofalo plays Heather Mooney, the outcast who had a huge crush on Sandy. I just love her sarcasm, she has some classic lines:

Heather: Why don't you tell everyone I said to go fuck themselves for making my teen years a living hell?

Romy: Well, anyways, are you going? [to the reunion]
Heather: [referring to her cigarette] I'd rather put this out in my ass

Romy: [reading the customer paperwork] Heather? Heather Mooney? From Sagebrush High in Tuscon?
Heather: Yeah?
Romy:  It's Romy! Romy White!
Heather: You're shittin' me.
Romy: No! This is so weird - I didn't know you were living in L.A.
Heather: Well, now that you know, will we be getting together a lot?

This is such a frivolous fluffy movie that I can't help but like it. Released in 1997, I have fond memories from year 8, having slumber parties, eating junk food, talking about boys and thinking a high school reunion was a long time away.

Honestly watching it now, the idea of my ten year high school reunion scares me a little.

It will be ten years since I graduated next year and it's not like I have an awesome job/know what I want to do with my life, so I relate to the story in that way.

Also the whole facebook thing seems to make a reunion a bit pointless in some ways. On one hand it's not like anyone makes friends with people they once knew a long time ago old high school buddies other than to check out their pics (see how fat they got), and see how many kids they had with different fathers they're doing in their life.

Then again it would be interesting to actually have a conversation with some of these people instead of occasionally just laughing at their status updates. I'll be hoping for a contemporary dance off between some old classmates that's for sure.

New foster

Sabrina is our latest, completely different to Gizmo, she was only 7 weeks old when we got her and so tiny.
She took a couple of days to come out of her shell not like Mr Independent Gizmo but she's getting along with Ebs now too which makes it easier. I also got a nice email from Giz's new owner saying that he has fit in well in their home which makes the fostering easier.

Fingers crossed I do not get too attached...although I have already entertained thoughts of keeping her (again) as she doesn't seem to mind being an indoor kitten as much as Giz. Speaking of outside, my boyfriend went crazy with a chainsaw and our backyard now looks like this:

Just because I can

When I was little and being looked after by my grandparents predominantly since my mum went straight back to work, my grandfather nicknamed me Batfink. I wasn't sure what to think about this but I believe it was an affectionate term for when I was being a bit naughty. To this day my granddad doesn't really remember why the nickname started, I just looked like a batfink. Apparently at the time (mid-late 80s) Batfink the cartoon was pretty popular even though it was originally released as a spoof on Batman back in 1966, with memorable catchphrases. Anyway guess there are worst things to be nicknamed after than a superpowered crime fighting grey bat with wings of steel and super sonic sonar radar.

Now just to find my own vaguely racist Asian stereotype depicted muscle man Karate to get me out of trouble just in the nick of time. And drive me around in a cool batmobile-esque cars but that are pink naturally.

Logies

If you haven't heard of the Logies I wouldn't blame you. Sorry the 'TV Week' Logies, because we can't have an award show not sponsored by someone. I suppose the American equivalent would be the Emmys, as it is the Australian television industry awards and has been going since 1959, renamed the logies after Scottish man John Logie Baird who invented television as a practical medium. Who knew?

There is the coveted gold logie (amongst many other categories) for the most popular personality on television (how ambiguous is that?) and also the silver logie which to be honest I'm not entirely sure what that is for. The second most popular personality?

The reason the logies are a joke is that Australian television is generally not that great. We have great actors, writers and directors, but they generally work in film and/or overseas. There has been some past good television shows but we have nothing of the calibre (in my humble opinion) of some great American or British shows.
The unique thing about this awards ceremony is that the public vote on who wins. Hence the 'TV Week' logies as they distribute the voting coupons.
So not only do we have Joe Public voting for the 'best' shows in Australia, they're also the slightly dumb people who read a magazine devoted entirely to fictional TV characters.

Generally we also get an American or British singer/actor to be a special guest, as you can tell we need all the entertainment we can get, because obviously people aren't interested enough in the Australian guests and presenters. This year KD Lang did a few songs presumably (I watched about 10 minutes in total of the whole ceremony so I'm guessing), John Mayer was there (hurrah) and Johnny Galecki from the Big Bang Theory was a guest presenter. I heard an interview with him this morning and he seems like a really nice down to earth guy but it needs to be looked at why we need these special guests at all. Isn't that saying something about our industry?

There was a few Australian celebrities who were mobbed by reporters though and one of them was little Bindi Irwin. She cops a bit of flak, many think she was pushed into the limelight but seems to enjoy it a bit too much and doesn't have a normal childhood. Well when your dad was Steve Irwin you're unlikely to be normal in any conventional way and whether you agreed with him or not, he did do a lot for nature conservation.

Anyway back to Bindi. In the end I don't like mocking her - she's only 12 and she's a poor fatherless mite. Anyway she was at the logies (think she has a childrens program) and I thought she looked very nice without the khaki for a change.

But you know who won our gold logie this year: an old codger from Home and Away, our second longest running soap. I'm guessing it was a bit of a pity win for him as he's the last remaining original cast member. Think I'm getting harsh in my old age.

One of the parts I did see during the night which was Shaun Micallef's speech which he self proclaimed stole straight from Sir Lawrence Olivier. Amusing. Rebecca Gibney telling everyone she was pre-menstrual was not. Ew.