watching stuff

[avrelia]

Continuing with not book-related posts, I now move to the visual delights.

On TV I watch Doctor Who – finally, but only when I manage to remember or anything other doesn’t prevent me. Which usually happens every other week, but still.. I have the worst luck with Doctor Who, but I do like what I see there. ;)

With the DVDs I had huge plans before the leave. I was telling myself I’ll watch this and that and rewatch so many of those… and here am I… Not watching.. except for sometimes.


Becket
So, last week I watched Becket with Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton. I haven’t seen it before – not exactly a TV staple and it wasn’t on DVD before, so it was all new and shiny for me. How do I like it? As a movie it wasn’t bad, with good dialogue and great acting and the general pleasure of watching Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton at their best – acting and looking. The story, however, doesn’t hold up with the history of the events, and besides many inconsistencies I don’t care much about, it completely shortchanges two remarkable women of Henry II’s relation. Neither Empress Matilda, nor, of course, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was a silly hen portrayed there. At least Matilda had a smidge of her personality left (but then, she got blamed for being a bad mother as she was mostly busy with the war). Eleonor… or well... There was nothing of her in this movie. I know where to go to see a better Eleonor though. The whole light was on Henry and Becket and their relationship throughout the years, and everything else in the murky twilight. And that story was a fascinating and engaging one even with all the faults of the script (and the original play). For those who are looking for subtext – one doesn’t need to look very far.


Bourne Ultimatum
Then we added to the success of Bourne Ultimatum by watching it in the opening weekend and we both liked it a lot. I generally like Matt Damon very much – not that I consider him totally hot, or the greatest talent of our time, but I am just really pleased to see him any time. And the Bourne trilogy is a smart piece of action cinema. Even the parts set in Moscow do not annoy me – which is a rare thing. What I like there is that it is a battle of smart people. They are ruthless and have conflicting interests and more secrets that is healthy, but no one is too stupid too live here. Well, the journalist is, but he just serves to accentuate the able-ness of Bourne. And the main weapon, besides brains, are cell phones (you may also notice it is Motorola). And this makes for a really cool movie.

I liked Joan Allen and Julia Stiles here. Their characters continued from the previous movie (time-wise, the third movie’s events come just after the second’s) and there are quite capable at their game here. I loved that Nicky was not the “new love interest” – after all Marie had just died for Bourne, and that added right motivations for Bourne and Nicky’s help to Bourne. And the mirroring scene in the bathroom was great with all the unsaid things. When Nicky is trying to escape Desh in Tangier, it is obvious that he has a huge advantage on her, yet she is not doing "silly damsel" thing, but doing to best to outrun and outsmart him.

Husband also noticed a lot of pregnant ladies in the audience. Well, it is recommended to look at pretty and get positive emotions in such state. And this movie delivers quite well. ;)

More DVD: I watched some s6 Buffy today – and I keep noticing stuff I’ve never paid attention before.

Check this out: (Wrecked)

DAWN: I'll leave a note for Buffy on the refrigerator. That's the first place she goes after patrolling. She's such a pig after she kills things.

And compare to this: (Faith, Hope, and Trick, s3)

FAITH: God, I could eat a horse. Isn't it crazy how slayin' just always makes you hungry and horny?
BUFFY: Well... Sometimes I-I crave a nonfat yogurt afterwards.

I love this girl. :)


In a non-watching news - I started to get my maternity benefits. Yay!