Sometimes, there is just no disappointment.

This, in itself, can be remarkably disappointing, of course, but it does not really count, now does it? It always does a heart good to vent some ire and resentment at a cruel and uncaring world, and it always helps if one has a place to start from. Regretfully, my last few movie experiences have left me placeless, and bereft of irritation, so I will just have to wing it. But wing it I will.

First off, James Bond, Casino Royale. Because I kept hearing it was a surprisingly entertaining movie, and because it was the first Bond in a long while that was at least roughly based on a Fleming novel, I decided to chance it again. And as can be deduced from all above, I was not disappointed.

Sure, the man portraying this incarnation of the double-O really is ugly, despite a reasonable body I would say he is about as doable as the first ms. Bond, were she to be unearthed today. (This is absolutely no dig at the Rigg, loved that woman, but OHMSS was in 1969, and nobody looks right after 25+ years of being dead) In all fairness, this is slightly disappointing, after all, he is supposed to be getting the girl(s) and I always enjoy on screen smootching a good deal more when all participators are cute. No such luck this time.
But the movie, at least, was reasonably action filled, as a Bond needs to be, a good deal dumber than real life would ever be, as a good Bond needs to be, and storywise a mess of such momentous proportions that Lord of the Rings has something to be when it grows up. Things that are blatantly clear and obvious cannot get solved without the intervention of such a number of hints and information bombs that wading through those alone would take a good one and a quarter hour, and we have not even seen a good dress yet at this point in time.
But seriously, go see it. The movie is entertaining enough on it’s own, and as a Bond it does a good deal better than the previous few.

Next on offer last week was the movie based on Patrick Suskind’s incredible novel “Perfume, story of a murderer”. Now I love this book. Not in the least because I love the psychology of scent and the effects it has on our memory and emotions. The book goes into the creation of a scent so perfect that all who smell it are filled with love for the person wearing it. A story of the murder of several attractive young girls, by the hands of a deformed and plaguescarred dwarf.

The movie presents the themes and ideas from the book in a remarkable manner. Slowly passed for the most part, with some of the irreverent humor of the book, it really did a good job evoking the feelings the book evokes in me.

In a strange complement to the Bond movie described above, the main character in this movie is a good deal more attractive than he should be. Not that he is the most beautiful boy I have seen in a long time or anything, but he is certainly no deformed dwarf. All’s I can say is that I never pictured the literary Grenouille with eyelashes so lush and long they could entangle a stampeding bull-herd.

I have been paying attention to eyelashes a lot, lately, as an aside. I blame the fact that Boyfriend as incredible eyelashes, all starry and long and gorgeous. I, with my reasonable length and no curl, am jealous. Stupid bastard. On the other hand, I get to look at them, and he never sees them. So HA!

Ok, anyways. I understand that the realm of scent is very difficult to put into a motion picture, and I am happy to say the allusions in this film are very successful. Colours and setting work together to form a picture where one can practically see how it must have smelled.

The fact that the two most beautiful women in the movie share the same beautiful but strangelooking haircolour helps in seeing how they might have smelled somewhat alike, if this makes any sense.

It won’t, go see the movie, you’ll understand what I mean.

A very short blog this time, very sorry. Have a couple of ideas on the line, but can’t find all the words to post them here in the way I want to. Will try again later.

Till that time,
Stripes at half open.

Kevin.