Cibbuano

Sydney, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA


Joined February 23rd 2006

Number of Posts:
1983

Number of Comments:
8353

Karma:
10



You're the reason I'm leaving

About Me
I'm stumbling in the dark, groping for the light switch. I drank some terrible port, and my balance is questionable. I fall to the ground with a noisy crash.

Tags & Posts

Bookmark Tags



Popular Tags

Popular Posts

Transformers  (223)
Juno  (217)
Star Trek  (216)

Blogs

Cibbuano's Blogs

1464 Vote(s)
23 Comment(s)
13 Post(s)
0 Vote(s)
0 Comment(s)
0 Post(s)
4762 Vote(s)
83 Comment(s)
47 Post(s)
24064 Vote(s)
509 Comment(s)
382 Post(s)
9112 Vote(s)
360 Comment(s)
120 Post(s)
9512 Vote(s)
238 Comment(s)
106 Post(s)
108627 Vote(s)
7826 Comment(s)
1051 Post(s)
AFL Central (Member)
142815 Vote(s)
357 Comment(s)
2952 Post(s)
Big Bird (Member)
30 Vote(s)
4 Comment(s)
1 Post(s)
Blog Adviser (Member)
2522 Vote(s)
94 Comment(s)
12 Post(s)
Classifieds (Member)
18619 Vote(s)
80 Comment(s)
332 Post(s)
Cricket News (Member)
27624 Vote(s)
210 Comment(s)
376 Post(s)
Cult Fiction (Member)
14471 Vote(s)
349 Comment(s)
179 Post(s)
Fashion (Member)
49537 Vote(s)
2862 Comment(s)
585 Post(s)
Footy Times (Member)
2745 Vote(s)
6 Comment(s)
26 Post(s)
16832 Vote(s)
459 Comment(s)
224 Post(s)
Hiphop (Member)
25353 Vote(s)
955 Comment(s)
284 Post(s)
Jobs (Member)
21581 Vote(s)
112 Comment(s)
345 Post(s)
Music Times (Member)
27471 Vote(s)
655 Comment(s)
339 Post(s)
Old Movies (Member)
23988 Vote(s)
904 Comment(s)
281 Post(s)
Personals (Member)
27770 Vote(s)
725 Comment(s)
317 Post(s)
19964 Vote(s)
339 Comment(s)
296 Post(s)
Real Estate (Member)
23340 Vote(s)
63 Comment(s)
339 Post(s)
4293 Vote(s)
67 Comment(s)
56 Post(s)
Sydney Diary (Member)
31844 Vote(s)
415 Comment(s)
551 Post(s)
11186 Vote(s)
221 Comment(s)
150 Post(s)
World Art (Member)
25925 Vote(s)
351 Comment(s)
387 Post(s)
3524 Vote(s)
75 Comment(s)
31 Post(s)

I mentor these bloggers

Learn more about the Orble Mentoring Program.


I do not mentor any bloggers.

Recent Posts

LOL @ the Sydney French Film Festival

February 9th 2010 20:37
LOL Capone Theret on the subway


We have plenty of movies about the trials of being a teenager, and you would think that the film-going population would be weary of it by now. Do we need another Fast Times at Ridgemont High or Dazed and Confused?

I suppose the answer is an emphatical, unequivocal 'yes' - these movies have all found success and popularity not only for the subject matter, but for the sense that they accurately portrayed that period in time. That is, the 80s for Fast Times and the 90s for Dazed and Confused.

Well, where are we for the 00s? The lost decade? The ten years of no economic growth, but a time where technology pushed us to the limit of how much information we could possibly have?

I would argue, truthfully, that Lisa Azuelo's LOL (Laughing out loud) is a defining movie of this decade, a rousing, volatile ball of parties, angry lust, spurned love and ferocious music.

Christa Theret plays Lola, a striking teenaged girl who is on the cusp of adulthood, who longs to rush into the adult world of independence, freedom and sexual exploits, but is tenaciously held back by her mother, played by Sophie Marceau.



Azuelo's film is fast moving and frenetically cut, a movie to please a younger generation. Where are my long takes, I gnashed in grumpy misanthropy, but was placated by an excellent story, slow-building, giving the audience insight into the world of mother and daughter.

Marceau holds the camera effortlessly when she's onscreen (glorious, sparkling Sophie Marceau!), and her role seems to culminate in her exasperation to her friends, where she admits that, while she sought sexual liberation and the freedom to make her own decisions,she couldn't bear the same for her daughter.

LOL makes great use of this hypocrisy, which runs rampant today - my parent's generation were Boomers, they who ingested, inhaled and became; my generation tried even harder to get on the good foot and raise a little hell. I sympathize with the yet-to-materialize plight of our kids, who, as teenagers, will roll their eyes at two generations of adults, scoffing at them as we snuff martinis.


I say: An excellent, moving film, one definitely worth seeing at the French Film Festival. These kids these days, they're alright.

See it for: In the latter half of the film, this class of French students goes on a trip to England; the director has a fabulous time poking a little fun of the English and their quirks.

*this image is from Cinemovies
41
Vote
   


Emmanuel Mouret Frederique Bel arguing in bed

The internet is plagued with infinite comparison of French director Emmanuel Mouret to Woody Allen - I'm loathe to add my opinion to the fearsome mix, but it's difficult not to be one of the mob.

Not for the fact that he writes, directs and stars in his own movies. Not for his bumbling character that seems unable to function normally in the world.

No - perhaps the most direct link from Mouret to Woody is that both directors are beside themselves with glee, packing their movies with beautiful, unobtainable women, as if this was normal, everyday life.

As you can clearly see from the series of stills from the movie, "Please Please Me" is two hours of Mouret looking dumfounded (or flabbergasted) while cute French women pout and make passes at him.

Emmanuel Mouret Deborah Francoise as a main in Please Please Me


Ah, I jest, I jest - but not by much. Emmanuel Mouret plays a hapless fool that is haziliy given permission by his night-shift working wife to find sexual comfort outside of their relationship. She goes off to work, and he receives a call from a woman he met in a cafe - can he come to party that night?

Please Please Me Mouret surrounded by French women


The series of events that unfold put Mouret through a harrowing experience, inspired, perhaps, by Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut", but with Mouret fumbling through the night like Charlie Chaplin in a bordello.

While Mouret will probably never be applauded for his comic genius, his acting abilities, or his skillful pen, his comedies are pleasing to watch and stress-relieving. He falls short of towering giants like Woody Allen or Claude Chabrol, who make comedies seem effortless while still weighing as much as a ton of bauxite.

Nevertheless, "Please Please Me" is a perfect entry for the French Film Festival - a film that you can invite your not-so-close friends to, just to catch up, putting everyone in a mood that invites a post-cinema coffee and animated discussions.


"Please Please Me" is part of the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival and will screen in Sydney several times between Mar. 2-21, 2010.

I say: Cheerful, pleasant and the perfect antidote to the incessant rain in Sydney this week - catch it at the Festival and you'll be whisked away.

See it for:
While most of the physical gags fall flat, there's one with a curtain that made me sputter.

*the first image is from Roomantic, the second from Cinemovies and the third is from Paperblog
42
Vote
   


The Road

January 20th 2010 20:35
The Road Film Movie Viggo son


written by Sunny Lo

You're a survivor in a barren world after a devastating undisclosed apocalypse has destroyed all vegetation, leaving the soil infertile. Nothing will grow. And the earth is cold, and the sun is an echo in your mind. The weather is at best, overcast and cloudy, with a chance of precipitation. You're hungry for a nice juicy steak. But all the cows have been slaughtered for food, long ago. There are hungry cannibals chasing after you. What do you do?

Welcome to 'The Road', a movie based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Cormac McCarthy.

Viggo Mortensen plays the hardened everyman who survives in a barren world, protecting his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) that was born post-apocalypse, never knowing about playgrounds or the sunshine. They are just alien concepts in a world where the father has just two bullets in his gun: one for his son, and one for himself. Names are irrelevant in a movie like this, where the main characters are suitable called The Man and The Boy. Charlize Theron has a smaller role as The Wife with little hope, in flashbacks seen throughout the movie.

Mortensen has played this role before: a character hardened by circumstances beyond his control, struggling to maintain his humanity. And he does a great job at it, as always. The boy is really good, too, as he struggles to grow up as a lonely, friendless child in a grim, grim world.

Both the director John Hillcoat and cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe paint a bleak landscape full of dirty grey and foreboding, where hope is almost non-existent and compassion will get you killed. They are hauntingly effective. I felt myself drawn into this movie, and found myself wondering, what would I do in a world like this? Some scenes can be quite suspenseful, especially as The Man descends into the darkness down a flight of stairs in different parts of the movie, in search of something---- anything useful to survive.

If there's a movie that will make you question whether your fellow humans will eat you, this is it. If there's a movie that will leave a sick stench of decay in your mouth, this is it. If you like to watch really depressing movies, this is it.

Watch The Road! You'll hate it and love it at the same time. You’ll want to wash your dirty hands afterwards, to wash off the dirt that doesn’t exist.

The Road raises a great question: What do you do in a post-apocalyptic world, where humanity has no future, and extinction is inevitable? Do you resort to cannibalism, suicide, or live a difficult, moral life, based on society that no longer exists?

I know one thing for sure: I'll have to stockpile some canned food in my basement.

*this image is from Save Ophelia
51
Vote
   


Bastardy

November 13th 2009 19:57
Jack Charles Bastardy Documentary


Jack Charles was a familiar face on the Australian film and theatre scene in the 60s and 70s - a distinctive Indiginous actor, he appeared in over a hundred productions, on stage, on celluloid and on television. Now, at the age of 60, as he wanders homeless through the Melbourne suburbs, he seems to have blossomed, even as he finds despair and hardship in his old age, comforted by the cold nails of heroin


[ Click here to read more ]
54
Vote
   


Monica Bellucci The Man Who Loves L'uomo che ama
Maria Sole Tognazzi's latest drama awakened the interest of many dormant film enthusiasts, looking forward to a rich, heavy atmosphere, led by the stellar cast of Monica Bellucci, Ksenia Rappoport and Pierfrancesco Favino.

"The Man Who Loves (L'uomo che ama)" gives us a dark story, encased in shadows and pain; Roberto is a pharmacist who is unable to sleep despite his luscious silk sheets and neatly trimmed apartment; his life a pale reflection of misery, despite the fact that everything looks right on paper


[ Click here to read more ]
63
Vote
   


A Perfect Day Un giorno perfetto

Without having read the novel written by Melania Mazzucco, I felt hesitant watching "A Perfect Day (Un giorno perfetto)", as if I was surrounded by one hundred laughing jackals, sneering at my confusion. Who were these characters, and why did they watch glumly from the shadows?

[ Click here to read more ]
57
Vote
   


Crazy Stone (Feng Kuang De Shi Tou)

September 4th 2009 02:56
Crazy Stone Guo Tao checking out the jade stone

At night, a crumbling museum guarded by well-meaning, but hapless security guards, stands alone on a deserted street in Chongqing, China. It's the perfect target for thieves, as the flimsy defenses stand to protect an unbelievably rare jade stone on display at the museum.

[ Click here to read more ]
56
Vote
   


While most media about the perils of love focus on the trials of being young, I've come to realize that the most dangerous time in your life is this time, when you're 30.

Sure, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Dazed and Confused" correctly identified the uncertainty and insecurity of high school as being a major defining moment in life, but those are problems quickly left behind. My social issues in high school dissolved the moment I left for University, where the new environment meant that I could shape myself anyway I'd like


[ Click here to read more ]
57
Vote
   


Terrible casting in a movie!

August 24th 2009 00:14
An interesting comment thread on Reddit asks the question: what is the worst casting that you've seen in a movie?

Halle Berry in a tank top and thong
One user immediately identifies Halle Berry as Storm in the X-Men movies, and I think we can all agree on that. While Berry may be one of the most attractive actresses plying her perfect skin in Hollywood, the original character of Storm had this heavy edge, with a personality that could turn from understanding to commanding


[ Click here to read more ]
141
Vote
   


The LG Arena

June 17th 2009 01:34
LG Arena new smartphone


I've been so used to using my underpowered, simple mobile phone that I've never realized how much power can be contained in these little devices. It's easy enough to fill your pockets with gadgets - music players, pocket computers and mobiles - but that's just weighing me down. And I'm only holding up my pants with a length of electrical tape


[ Click here to read more ]
70
Vote
   


 

Recent Comments

Comment by Cibbuano
on Heart of Glass

February 5th 2010 21:01
It's not a compelling film at all, unfortunately, but I appreciate what Herzog was trying to accomplish...

...I read an interview with Herzog that said that he screened the movie with an audience that underwent hypnosis and it went very, very well. He wanted to make a link between the actors that were hypnotized on film and the audience that would hypnotize themselves... I wonder if that would work?

Comment by Cibbuano
on Up in the Air

January 22nd 2010 20:13
very, very enjoyable, and packed with insight... just saw it last night, and I did have that coronary. Mamma mia!

Comment by Cibbuano
on What's His Face: Ten Great Character Actors

January 20th 2010 20:38
great post - some really well known faces...

these actors, though they may not be pulling big paychecks, have an impressive body of work!


Comment by Cibbuano
on Broken Embraces

December 20th 2009 08:23
this review's enough to get me to see it - this week!

Comment by Cibbuano
on Bastardy

November 14th 2009 19:57
JD, thanks... good to see you're around... this is a very interesting film, surprisingly touching without being manipulative.

Fog, you're definitely right... seems like the director was more than an observer. Charles also used the director for access to legal representation and dealing with the police. Not sure how it'll all turn out...

the post looks fine on my screen?

Comment by Cibbuano
on A Perfect Day @ the Sydney Italian Film Festival

September 20th 2009 22:36
Matt, I'm not so enthusiastic about this... the festival has an exciting lineup, though, including a screening of "La Dolce Vita"!

Wilson - the Italian Film Festival is a highlight of the year for me - definitely go check it out!

Comment by Cibbuano
on Crazy Stone (Feng Kuang De Shi Tou)

September 4th 2009 22:01
Matt, no voice over, thankfully... dubbing into English is the most heinous crime of all... was Red Cliff dubbed? Ah... go out of your way to see the original two-part movie!

Rusty - Infernal Affairs is definitely worth buying, and even "The Departed" is fun watching...

spoilers mean I can't read this until I see the movie... nice work, though, scoring an interview...!

Comment by Cibbuano
on The terrible dilemma of being in your 30s

August 25th 2009 00:28
Bryn, I've got no money in my pockets and time on my hands...

Lara, it is the preference, I suppose. But it seems so futile to plan and plan, only to have it thrown on the whim of a dice roll. Alea jacta est...

yeow! I've got this at home - got to watch it now!