Category: media

Minimalism: A documentary about the important things

Watched this while on holidays, after reading Nathan’s review of it. I was on holidays mostly to stay home and tidy up the house – something we’ve been aiming to do for weeks – and so I was lifting boxes of things while listening to how people have dramatically simplified their lives.

Is there more happiness in getting rid of everything? Just having a tiny wardrobe, a chair, and a few technology items? Or in globe-trotting with all your possessions in two bags (and – we assume – a large bank account somewhere)?

Stan: Elf

We watched this 2003 Will Ferrell movie with the kids. It’s G-rated, though has a few scary moments in it. Many laughs, though. Ferrell was in fine form, and Jon Favreau did a solid job on the direction.

Netflix: Killer Elite

I was looking for a simple popcorn flick, and lured in by knowing this was a Jason Statham film, and by Clive Owen’s terrible moustache on the poster. It was actually more nuanced and interesting as an action/drama. Lots of well-composed frames, and oddly lots of Australian actors.

I’m back, yet again, to rewatching the West Wing now that there’s a podcast about it from Josh Malina and Hrishikesh Hirway (who I had heard of from his other podcast Song Exploder (try this episode about a Long Winters song “The Commander Thinks Aloud”).

This watch has been another level of insights. For a show made and written in 1999-2006, it’s a time capsule. The computers, the reach of the internet, the way that news breaks, the way that different genders interact in the workplace all seem quaint, even after only 10-15 years have passed.

And I’m spending a lot more time laughing out loud while watching.

Ponyo (dubbed in English) was a surreal, beautifully animated kids story of magic, oceans, and growing up. Watched with my 5-year-old, who loved it.

Stan: The Bridge

I’ve watched two seasons of Bron/Broen, a 10-episodes-per-season Danish/Swedish police procedural where the overall story runs for the whole season, and the crimes take place on a spectacular scale. It’s a story (in the European style) of murder and betrayal, complex relationships and some fascinating characters. The subtitles were working so well that I started to believe I could understand Swedish and Danish.

Silver Linings Playbook is one of those Oscar-bait films that’s an enjoyable journey, has a rare good performance from DeNiro, and (despite some over-zealous camera work) is an engaging character study of some flawed characters and their interactions.

Stan: Ernest and Celestine

Can mice and bears ever be friends? This charming animation (voiced by Forest Whitaker) tells a story of xenophobia, prejudice, and creativity. It’s a little scary for very small children, hence the PG rating.

Stan: Muriel’s Wedding

I’m not a completist when it comes to Australian films, but a couple of people had mentioned this film in a short space of time, and I had some spare time, so I sat down to watch it.

If you haven’t seen it, it’s a time capsule of 1990’s Australiana. The ABBA references are not as overwhelming through the movie – I was half expecting a kind of ABBA musical, but that’s just a minor part of this story of growing up, and making sense of parental expectations. It’s more crass in its humour than I was led to believe, but is generally a celebration of life.

Netflix: Cinderella

Director Kenneth Bramagh has made an earnest, good-and-evil adaptation of the classic fairy tale, and kept it G-rated throughout, despite the deep unhappiness that is the expected trajectory of Ella’s life.