My sister goes to see a lot of films and her return to Ireland has meant that I too am going to a lot more films. Here’s a pretty unsuccessful batch
Waltz with Bashir – Ari Folman
The best of the bunch. I saw it in the Kino in Cork and was able to take a snack bar and a cup of tea into the auditorium which alone would have justified the price of admission.    The last film I saw in Hebrew was Kadosh, true, that was a long time ago but that experience has kept me away from Israeli films for a while. This was really very good, if somewhat disturbing. It’s an animated film about a former  Israeli soldier’s experience at the Sabra and Shatila massacre.  I went with my younger sister and her friend and I was astounded that neither of them had ever heard of Sabra and Shatila.
The film did get me thinking again about the state of Israel.  It is the most extraordinary thing.  If you made it up, no one would believe you.  A state founded largely by central and eastern European intellectuals; people who had been in hiding; in camps; fleeing for their lives; people whose relatives had been killed in vast numbers.  They go to a patrt of the Middle East where the climate is a bit different from say, Odessa; revive Hebrew (very guttural language and that is the least of its challenges); win wars against their Arab neighbours; and go about building and protecting their state with a stubborn single mindedness. You cannot but gasp at the improbability of it.
The tale of Depereaux – Sam Fell and Rob Stevenhagen.
This is an animated story of a mouse who rescues a Princess.  I didn’t think much of it myself but I wasn’t the one to be pleased.  The Princess and Daniel found it middling but Michael found it absolutely terrifying and watched it sitting on my lap while  sobbing in fear and peering through my fingers at the scary cat.  At the same time he refused to leave. He is still traumatised.  Not recommended.
Twilight – Catherine Hardwicke
Now that my sister is back, I don’t have to drag my unfortunate husband to this kind of film. There aren’t so many people in their 30s who are in the market for teenage vampire flicks.   I must say that I quite enjoyed it and am now toying with the idea of trying the books.  Does anyone have views on the books?
The Spirit – Frank Miller
This is a beautifully shot film with a hilariously over the top performance by Samuel L. Jackson.  It mixes real people and animation very cleverly.  It is therefore a pity that the plot is atrocious and the dialogue worse.  After about 10 minutes I begged my sister to abandon ship and a stream of wiser people left the cinema.  We stayed to the bitter end.  It was, undoubtedly one of the worst films I have ever seen.  Wikipedia quotes Robert Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times on the film, “There is not a trace of human emotion in it. To call the characters cardboard is to insult a useful packing material”. Mr. Ebert is spot on.
We took Mia to see Despereaux and had to carry her from the theater in tears 20 minutes in.
I refuse to read the Twilight books because most of my friends started them and literally could not stop reading until they’d finished all four. I also refuse to try crack cocaine. So, I think they’re addictive but only start them if you are prepared to be sucked in. Also, here’s a drinking game, in case you decide to read them:
http://metalia.blogspot.com/2008/08/this-is-precisely-why-i-didnt-read.html
I enjoyed the Twilight books which I read with my 13 yr old nephew – Blythe is right about the addiction levels though. Without a doubt the worst film I’ve ever seen is I Love You to Death – we walked out!
I have been refusing to read the Twilight series on the basis of it being (as my friend’s husband calls it) “dreck.” But I’ve had two well-read friends tell me in the space of 48 hours that i must read them. Dreck they are, I’m sure, but I’ll end up reading them for the pure entertainment value.
I know several very intelligent people who are totally in love with Twilight–which baffles me, as I can easily say that they were the worst books I read last year. Poorly written (literally hundreds of pages mooning about how beautiful Edward is) and ridiculously imagined (sparkly vampires?!?) is bad enough, but scratch the surface and the books are incredibly misogynistic. I swear, Edward and Bella’s relationship is so prototypically abusive it’s creepy–which is basically the only interesting thing about the books–reading them and making up theory about what the hell is wrong with women in our society that an obsessive-stalker-emotionally-abusive-deadly eternally adolescent boy is the new exemplar boyfriend. I can forgive the fourteen-year-old girls for being fooled, but the grown women?! No.
But then, I also work in a bookstore and have stronger feelings than normal towards the books since we are constantly selling out causing adult women to try and kill me with eyes and words. One woman even started beating her husband when I told her we didn’t have any more New Moon, and another started crying. Twilight makes my life hell.
De-lurking!!
The Twilight Books are lovely! No Pullitzer material by any means but a nice escape all the same.
I went to see the movie in Swords on Monday and thought it was awfull. If you have read the books, you can sorta/almost/kinda see where the actors are going with some of the stuff. However, I found the fact that they could not grasp the intensity of emotion (does anyone ever forget the impact of first love?) incredibly dissapointing. In the showing I went to, many people laughed and a few even left….. Utter Dissapointment.
I’d give the books a shot if I were you though – I bought nr’s 2 + 3 1 day after buying and finishing the first one!
ok, i read twilight in 2 sittings. I agree with Nynke. Perfect escape.
Have to confess that I enjoyed the Twilight film v much – I liked the brooding cinematography and grungy indie soundtrack. Additionally confess that I bought the book – it is way too long and mesmerisingly boring in places, but quite fun nonetheless. I thought the dialogue in the film was sharper though ( no pun intended!).
Oh, go ahead and read the Twilight books. They are lots of fun … and after reading them, check out the pure rage about the last book in reviews on amazon and Goodreads.