Slumdog R?

Slumdog millionaire. Haven't heard of it? Haven't seen it? Do yourself a favour and go and see it.

It took me a while to find someone to go with. Everyone was like 'it's about what? Who's in it?' But I had read reviews and heard the hype around it, I wanted to go see 'the best movie of 2008', and I was not let down at all. By far the best of 2008, and 2009 will have to try pretty hard to come close to, if the only movie in sight is the new killer-dishwasher movie, Transformers 2.

But I got mummy to come along with me. She thought it sounded 'not very good' (she thought otherwise after the film) but also saw it as a time to spend time with her bestest son, me. And I saw it as a chance to not go alone.

The movie successfully highlights the problems in the area of the world as you watch the children struggle to grow up by themselves and make what little money they can. Their are some disturbing scene, but that is what keeps the movie true and honest. But there were also as many comedic and romantic scene that also balance the film out to be the gem it is.

Although just recently I have seen that in the USA it has been given an R rating. This is absurd. And I don't think I would be wrong in thinking that there are some politics at play. I have PG sitcoms box sets at home with worse language and themes. Although the 'themes' this time around might have been a little more real. Obviously this wasn't a major studio, big budget block buster, in fact it was never going to get made until some extra funding from FOX searchlight, but I have 2 thoughts on this. If the studio invested $30 million into the film, sent it away to the classification office, I would believe that it would of easily been rated MA. There has to be some money passed around the back, because it isn't 'business', their isn't another office to go to for getting rated. After all this was an indie type film, expected to flop. The other reason could be purely government related. Did this film get classified around election time? Would people's views about how the government and its policies on poverty and poorer nations come into the publics eyes if it was a wide released film with anyone being able to see it?

With those thoughts, go see the film. A film that I am happy to pay $15 to see.

Barney ;)

Crappy Cars

In the last few weeks, or even months, we have seen the struggle of the US car industry. Now I want to get this out from the start, I'm not saying that American's make crap cars, in fact I think they make the best cars (except for the Australian built beauties). But if their product was superior, or perfect, maybe they wouldn't be going through such tough times.

At a time where most consumers are more concerned about fuel economy when buying a car then safety ratings, the car companies can almost be forgiven for getting rid of the steal and substituting in some plastic.

What drew my attention to this was just a few days ago when I was travelling in my parents car. Now I don't think any benefit can come from naming the car's brand, as I think most car companies today would be doing the same. But it was an American import.

We were driving along, heading to the airport to drop my cousin off for her flight, when we heard an unusual sound coming from one of the wheels. We pulled over and found that a screw had became lodged in the tire.

With no time to change it, we thought we could make a run for the airport as it didn't seam to be leaking. Thankfully we made it. And Dad decided to change it at the airport car park, something my Mother wasn't keen about. “What if we get stuck here? $7 an hour is very expensive.”

Like most of the population in the Western world who grew accustom to driving a 4x4 during the cheap oil prices of yesteryear, they have down graded to a sedan. And this was their first non-4x4 probably since the sandman days. And their first tire change in the new car.

It caught us all by surprise when we saw the size of the tire. It looked like a bicycle tire. And looked quiet humours on a luxurious car with mags, to see a black skinny crappy tire. In big yellow writing on the black rim, it clearly reads 'Emergency only, don't exceed 80km/h'. And for my Dad driving home, that meant not going over 20km/h in 80km/h zones, and driving erratically all over the road to miss all pot holes and man hole covers.

But I guess this was the sacrifice that the car manufacture saw fit to allow more boot space, and only have to shell out for half a wheel and tire. As well as extra boot space. My Dad likes to comment to me, and quote the sales man. “Did you know you can fit 6 golf club bags in the boot?” To which I have never seen or heard of him playing golf, and the car can only hold 5 people.

It does raise questions though, 'What else are they sacrificing?' And straight away safety comes to mind. If they are skimping on the spare wheel, what have they done to my 5 air bags I can't see? My breaks? What about the rest of the stuff that I don't know about, but I assume should do a job? A mechanic I was once talking to, told me a fact that still sits in my mind. The axle of a car. You know the bar that holds the 2 wheels together and holds the wheels onto the car? Well the axle is as thick as a pen. The big casing around it is for other parts such as bearings. I can guarantee you that wasn't that case 40 years ago when cars were half the price.

Barney ;)

Barney and Me

I just recently saw Owen Wilson and the very publicly attractive Jennifer Aniston's new movie Marley and Me. I thought Marley was who Aniston played, I assumed it was a love story told by Owen Wilson's character. But when I saw it, I couldn't of been further from the truth.

Marley in fact is the little adorable Labrador puppy. Its the story from when Aniston and Wilson's characters get married, and get a little puppy in Wilson's character attempt not have any children.

Of course it is funny as any Owen Wilson movie is, and the cute dog ads a new element that any animal lover will appreciate, for most of the movie.

The movie is the life of Marley, and that unfortunately includes the cruelest part of life, the end, death. It makes me wish that there was no end. I wish I was told Marley ran away or went to live out on a farm. But of course this wasn't to be, and the movie takes the audiences heart on a roller coaster ride that seams to drag on for hours as we watch Marley slowly die. And I must warn, this is extremely sad. And I'm going to say it, yes, I'm a guy, and I had tears rolling down my eyes.

I felt the story sadly very close to mine. Just a few months ago I had one of my dogs dies. He was also a Labrador. And some of the visuals on screen, sick in the vets, walking around slowly, extremely too real. But in saying this, I know I'm not the only one who has lost a loving pet, and just in case you have just lost a pet, epically a dog, maybe you might want to wait till it comes out on DVD.

The saddest and my most favourite line in the movie for me was one the eldest son says right at the end before he bursts into tears as they are putting Marley to rest. 'He knows how I feel.' Not a 'classic' line. But as you watch it, and if you can relate to it, it is truly moving.

My dogs name was Barney. We share the same name...and before you think I'm some sick animal lover taking it a bit far, I got him from a family that was moving over-seas and couldn't take him, so I inherited him and his name. Looking back, I think that was the greatest day of my life, and I don't think anything can top that. It feels weird to say I'm 18 and have lived the best day of my life.

But in saying that, it was a sad movie, it was a movie that has a lot of meaning to myself, and I'd assume the whole animal owning community. Minus the last 30 minutes or so, where there wasn't a single dry eye in the cinema, the rest of the movie was HILARIOUS and has helped cement Owen Wilson as one of my most favourite actors and people. But from the dog swallowing jewellery and swimming in the pool, these are just silly things that animals do that make us love them, and in a movie, they do steal the show. It seams to be true with what they say about working with animals.

Go see Marley and Me, it is a great romantic, comical, animal loving movie, which should please most audiences.

Barney ;)

In The Beginning

So here I start again...

I did have a blog HERE which I was working on for about a month, but I have decided to park here for two reasons.

1. I like Google.

2. I like Money

This year I'm trying to get into uni, and I know that money is going to be tight, so if I can get just a tiny bit of cash for what I'm doing here, yay me.

Barney ;)