Archive for March 9th, 2008

Lessons learned from ‘Vantage Point’

Sunday, March 9th, 2008

(With a nod to Will).

Ooh, you can smell the testosterone!

1. The first hour of a film told from several viewpoints, and going back in time, is a lot of fun.

2. The following 25 minutes get progressively sillier; especially the dialogue.

3. The final five minutes are embarrassing; especially the dialogue.

4. You really can’t beat a shot of a big old European building being blown up. Repeatedly.

5. *SPOILER ALERT* It’s entirely feasible that a body double would stand in for the President of the United States at a major world summit; and that nobody would notice. Including a faithful bodyguard.

6. Spanish people are so hot-blooded, that of course terrorism would be the natural next step.

7. Spanish terrorists are also very handsome and brooding. Though their motives are still slightly unclear.

8. European city streets are far more conducive to exciting car chases than American city streets, being a) narrower and b) full of pavement cafes.

9. William Hurt has now joined that elite group of actors, namely Exactly The Right Ones To Play A Fictional President Of The United States. (Other members include: Harrison Ford, Gene Hackman, Jeff Bridges, Michael Douglas, Bill Pullman and Martin Sheen.)

10. Watching The West Wing spoils you for any further film or TV show depicting the inner workings of the Presidency.

11. Malaysians take phonecalls in the cinema.

12. Malaysians leave the cinema literally as soon as the first credit appears.

13. It’s quite difficult to get out of the seventh floor of a shopping mall when all the main exits are closed.

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A room with a view

Sunday, March 9th, 2008

I love the way the view from my window changes.

This is how it looked earlier today:

And here it is this evening:

 

And, erm, that’s it for today. It being a lazy Sunday, an’ all. Unless I have anything interesting to say about Vantage Point, that is - which I’m going to see tonight, at the cinema next door.

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It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day…

Sunday, March 9th, 2008

…and I’m feeling good.

The opposition took control of Penang (and a few other states) tonight.

Read here and here (ahh, good ol’ foreign media!).

It’s a very big deal over here, and could possibly mark a sea-change in the political trend of the country.

It was quiet in the bar tonight as a result of the election fever. A fact which I addressed when I first walked on stage and said “Thank you for being here… on election night”.

Someone whooped in the audience.

I said: “I hear the opposition won tonight”.

Another whoop.

Me: “Am I allowed to express an opinion?”

Voice at bar: “Yes!”

Me: “I’m glad the opposition won”.

Absolute silence… bar another whoop at the bar.

This may be my last post before I’m deported.

Penang, it’s been nice knowin’ ya!

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