It started off this morning at 9c and raining steadily so, after coffee, we decided to go to Nottingham, see the Da Vinci Code, and make our own minds up about it. The critics have really given it a bad time even though it made £100 million plus on opening night. They said that Tom Hanks and his leading lady Audrey Tauttau were 'wooden' - they weren't. Even the critics had to admit that Alfred Molina and Sir Ian Mackellen gave spectacular performances. It was panned for being dull and in fact it was far from it. Even down to a v.good car-chase. Corny I know but great fun. Some of the self-flagellation scenes were abit much for our gentle tastes but fortunately they didn't last long. The film gave the RC Church a bad time and Opus Dei an even worse one. But in countries where free-speech is permitted, such things are fair-comment. I suspect though, that had a film made similar points about Islam, there would have been much more fuss.
We have come to the conclusion that, if the critics dislike a film, we are likely to love it and vice-versa. Two cases in the past year spring to mind, 'Lost in Translation' and 'Closer', both of which won high praise. The first was simply 'boring' and the second simply 'offensive'. We didn't dare go see 'Brokeback Mountain' because, I'm ashamed to admit it, I am still embarrassed to see two men kissing.
The weather improved in the afternoon and I hope the improvement stretched as far as the Lincolshire Coast because Ray's daughter is holidaying there, and Ray is going over for the day to spend some time with Dylan. It would be lovely if it was fit to go on the sand and build some castles, with moats and things. But when the wind blows off the sea it can be bitterly cold even in late May. Skegness is so bracing, as they say. When we got home we discovered that the drains had been fixed. The problem hadn't extended to our system, but it could have done if it had remained 'unfixed' so we have offered to chip in to the total cost. Ou other bit of news, from the Estate Agents was that the people who offered us £20000 less than we wanted would like to revisit, if we would consider a figure just £10000 less than the asking price. We both agree that we should 'stick it out' for the time being.
I am more or less straight with emails and things, but still sending different people different selections of holiday pictures. I know that there are programmes that allow sort of 'mass mailings' but I don't want to do that, preferring a more personalised missive. WU published another of my forum replies in the current issue, about Blogs. It is nice to see stuff in hard copy again after all these years. Talking of WUforums, I had a cursorary glance this morning and the figure in red brackets, indicating unread, was well over a hundred, and that was in Open Forum alone. I shall have to have a 3am session I think.
Maybe manage to put in a few more 'holiday pics' over the next few days. Unless something more interesting occurs.
Having neither read nor seen 'The Da Vinci Code'I am in the perfect position to criticise - 'It is rubbish.' Does that sound bigoted enough?
ReplyDeleteI think the problem with such works, whatever the artistic merit or lack of, is that a large number of people accept them as being 'true' when the authorised version is probably much more likely. That said, you wouldn't find an author of real quality doing such a thing, would you. Let's face it, everyone knew what an evil, conniving, deformed creature Richard III was anyway, didn't they?
But conspiracy theories seem to be the vanilla of the decade, which is not surprising given the spin applied to every ball bowled and every metaphor mixed.
RadioG's final point will be put to the test when Romano Cappucini's highly praised film of 'The Satanic Verses' is released.
Like RG, nor have I seen 'Humpback Mountain'. I too am embarrassed to see two men kissing each other - even when it is in the mirror. And, also like RG, I prefer 'more personalised missiles'.