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      • Serena
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      • Sex Tape – a slapstick comedy
      • The Book of Life
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      • Think Like a Man Too
      • This is where I leave you – better left unwatched
      • Film Preview 2013

jensinewall

~ writer, designer, creative thinker

jensinewall

Monthly Archives: June 2013

…ready to go

27 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by jensine in travel

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Berlin, home, leaving, quotes, Saint Augustine, suitcase, travel

As the world still sleeps around me I am going through my lists one last time and I sip my (too) early mug of tea. In a few minutes I’ll head off to the airport leaving my home behind for six weeks.

While I am excited and can’t wait to experience something new, right now I am also feeling a little bit sad and very, very tired. I will miss my home, my things, especially my shoes! But I am sure they will be here when I get back and if I’m lucky, I may have some new friends in my suitcase to add to my collection.

So for now, until I am settled in Berlin next week, I leave all my blogger friends with this last quote  by Saint Augustine:

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page

… and I promise I will be reading more than a page and hopefully writing a few of my very own while I am at it.

Film Review: Monsters University

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by jensine in Film reviews 2013

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

animation, Billy Crystal, Charlie Day, Film Review, Film Review: Monsters University, Helen Mirren, John Goodman, Mike and Sully, monsters inc, Monsters University, Oozma Kappa (OK), Pixar, sully and mike

The guys from Oozma Kappa (OK)

The guys from Oozma Kappa (OK)

When we first met Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) in Monsters, Inc. they were professional “Scarers” collecting children’s screams to power Monstropolis.  Rewind a few years and the two loveable monsters meet at University.

At first the studios Mike and jock Sully are rivals and when they break Dean Hardscrabbles (Helen Mirren) prized scare canister they get kicked out of the elitist “Scare Program”. The only chance they have of getting back in is to team up with some nerdy frat-guys and enter a scar contest.

As they compete against all different kinds of frightening Monsters, Sully and Mike discover how well they work together and a friendship begins to form.

Monsters University may not be as good as its predecessor but that is mainly down to the loss of Boo. Without her the film is lacking a little but never the less Monsters University is fun film filled with laughs.

The animation is enchanting and the attention to detail is incredible. Many of the scenes are set outdoors and the light is incredible, so whatever Pixar is doing it is working and stunning to watch.

Monsters University will make you giggle and laugh out loud and kids will fall in love with the rag-tag band of wacky fraternity brothers in the Oozma Kappa (OK) team. Particularly purple fuzzy-haired Art  (Charlie Day) will entertain them with his goofy smile, short arms and bow legs will win over many a child’s heart.

So while this new film in the world of Monstropolis may lack somewhat the originality of its original it is well worth a watch and a guaranteed good time.

Film review: The Act of Killing

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by jensine in Film reviews 2013

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

award winning, documentary, entertainment, Film Review, Film review: The Act of Killing, film reviews, genocide, indonesian society, Joshua Oppenheimer, movie review, the Act of Killing Indonesia 1965

The_Act_of_KillingDirector Joshua Oppenheimer’s surreal and harrowing documentary The Act of Killing takes an unusual look at the mass murders of suspected communists in Indonesia in 1965.

After a military coup the paramilitary took over and small-time” movie-theater gangsters” turned into ruthless executors. They modeled themselves on their silver-screen heroes and like the men in the mafia movies they felt no remorse or pity when doing the most horrendous of acts.

In The Act of Killing Oppenheimer gives these unrepentant murderers the opportunity to tell the story from their point of view by making a film about their past. This creates a bizarre and surreal mix of factual interviews with death-squad leaders and politicians interspersed with staged murder scenes, colourful musical numbers and random western sequences.

What is most shocking about this unusual documentary is how very casual the men and Indonesian society are about their past. The perpetrators seem to revel in their past acts and obviously enjoy recreating their ‘glory days’.  They talk about the importance of preserving history and how what they did was right. They are treated like national heroes while describing how they slaughtered men, chopped of their heads and raped young girls.

At times it could almost seem gimmicky the way Oppenheimer approaches this unconfronted past, however it turns out that, by allowing the men to re-enact and recreate their actions, it brings them face-to-face with a past they never thought needed revisiting or questioning.

This isn’t the case for one former death-squad leader, Anwar Congo. He admits, the only one who does, to having problems with his genocidal past. And when he puts himself into the place of a former victim of his something begins to change.  After avoiding the experiences of his past for so many years Congo is confronted with acts he can no longer hide from.

The Act of Killing is not an easy film to watch and may prove too much for some. However it tells a story about a past only few know about and gives an insight into Indonesian society that is very revealing. An unusual, award winning film that is very honest, unexpected and well worth the ticket.

listlessness and liquorice low

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by jensine in day to day, Dublin

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

liquorice, listlessness, lists, travel

Although I have been surrounded by lists over the last few weeks (things-to-do, things-to-buy,things-to-pack etc) I have been feeling somewhat listless today.

I think it may be down to the fact that I am neither here nor there. I may still be psychically in Dublin but my mind and thoughts are already in Germany, sprinting ahead leaving me, my body behind. This state of transientness is quite annoying as I still have several things to-do but sadly all I want to do is go, leave, fly-away.

Thankfully as my patience is running out so is time and I only have two more sleeps (well a sleep and a half since I have to get up at half three on Thursday) to go until I can finally vamoose. And it really is high time since my stash of liquorice is low, well nearly entirely gone.

So I will try to shake my listlessness and tackle my list, cross off an item or two before I hit the hay and reduce sleeps.

my last lists before Berlin

my last lists before Berlin

sunday finds

23 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by jensine in Dublin

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

antiques, antiques market, bottles, cups, dishes, fairs, fashion, markets, old things, photography, plates, scarves, shopping, silk scarves

Even though the Irish skies were still grey and drizzles of rain made my hair all frizzy I had a wonderful afternoon. I took myself down to an antiques market in Dun Laoghaire, a small sea-side town just outside of Dublin.

I love wandering around stalls filled with old treasures and that funny musty smell that seems to waft around antiques. I enjoy lingering, looking, lifting up the occasional piece and falling in love with a  few rare items.

And today was no different. I saw some beautiful things, some odd things and some very ugly things. Sadly I had forgotten to charge my camera (silly me) so no photos of the stalls. However I did manage to find  a few treasures, some for me and two for friends.

My first Sunday find was this lovely little dish, hand painted with poppies from the 1930s in England. I love the quirky shape and the colours, and since it is only about 20cm long and 10cm wide it is the perfect size for those cheeky afternoon cookies. And for only 4€ a perfect little steal!

pretty poppies on a perfect plate

pretty poppies on a perfect plate

The next goodies that wandered into my tote were three silk scarves. Since my curly hair likes to do whatever it pleases I sometimes like to tie a scarf to keep it in place. But I never seem to find the right sizes or shapes, so I am always on the look out for scarves for my collection. And these were only 3€ a piece, and I though well worth trying out and perfect for Berlin.

silky scarves for my curls

silky scarves for my curls

The next item that caught my eye was this odd bowl/plate/sieve. It needs a good clean but I adore the colours and prettily hand-painted flowers. I think it is called a drip-bowl or something like that. Whatever it is called I think it will be perfect for berries, cherries and even radishes. After washing them the water can drip away leaving them perfectly fresh and clean.

pretty posies promising pleasure

pretty posies promising pleasure

aren't the legs cute?

aren’t the legs cute?

The next two items are for friends. The first is a cup and saucer made out of delicate bone china and painted in the most unusual colours. It reminded me of peaches and cream, the perfect gift for a perfect friend when she comes to visit in August.

painted in peaches and cream

painted in peaches and cream

The next on my list is the weirdest thing I have seen in a long time. It is a large Armagnac bottle shaped like a babies bottle. It even still has it’s label on it. It is so quirky and I think its a wonderful birthday gift for an interesting friend.

I really wonder who came up with this marketing ploy

I really wonder who came up with this marketing ploy

As you can see I came home with pretty, practical and peculiar things, overall wonderful Sunday finds to make it  a perfect day.

rain and shine

22 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by jensine in thoughts, work and play

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

good weather, irish days, lists, photography, rain, sun, weather

Today is one of those wonderfully weird Irish days. The sun lures you out with smiles and shine to only disappear, giggling, behind a big, black cloud, which in turn empties out bucket loads of rain, turning sunny patches into puddles.

But after the good weather we have been having I won’t complain, especially since it is giving me  a great excuse to stay home and have a lazy day. However my lists of things to do (I have three going at the moment: to-do, to-pack and to-buy) keep catching my eye so I may have to cross off a few things to not end up with a squint or even crossed-eyed.

But before I do anything to strenuous I think I may just curl up with a cup of tea, listen to the rain on my window and flee into the magical world of storytelling …

a view outside

a view outside

cracked and shattered

21 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by jensine in day to day, feelings

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

broken pieces, cracks, hairline crack, hot tea, meredith brooks, mug, mug of tea, music, psychology, shatterd, transient nature

A few weeks ago I noticed that my favorite mug has a crack … a big, long one down the side. I got quite upset when I saw it, but the crack hasn’t opened up, it doesn’t leak and the mug is still whole.

But seeing the crack in my red and white polka-dotted mug every morning makes me think of all those cracks we carry within us. We have all lived through situations  when we’ve thought we would shatter, break apart. But somehow our inner glue holds us together and over times seems to mend the cracks. But like in pottery these inner cracks may be sealed, but they are still there, making us vulnerable.

Our first heartbreak makes us more cautious. Our fist rejection letter makes us more aware of our abilities. The first time someone we love dies, makes us understand our transient nature. But all these little cracks make us who we are, make us unique, just like my big red and white mug with a hairline crack running down its side.

And while I was pondering these thoughts, a song I loved back in my twenties came on the radio, it was Meredith Brooks singing ‘Shattered’. How apt.

So while I have a lovely but busy day today and the next five days will be filled with “things-I-need-to-do-before-Berlin“, I feel shattered, not just cracked. Hopefully that means I’ll make it to bed early and wake up fresh in the morning to savour some hot tea from my favourite mug. Sadly I know it is probably only a matter of time before the crack becomes a tear and then it will shatter. But when that happens maybe I can make something out of the broken pieces and it would be  great excuse to by a new favorite mug.

my cracked mug

my cracked mug

 

 

Film Review: Before Midnight

20 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by jensine in Film reviews 2013, reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Before Midnight, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, director /writer Richard Linklater, entertainment, Ethan Hawke, Film Review: Before Midnight, Jesse and Celine, Julie Delpy, movie revies, movies, reviews, Richard Linklater, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick

SONY-BDOS-01_Onesheet4.16.13_Layout 1In Before Sunrise (1995) Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) fell in love during a brief, romantic encounter while wandering the beautiful city of Vienna. In Before Sunset (2004) Paris was the city of their rekindled romance, a flight was missed, and an unspoken promise was made.

Now, in Before Midnight,  Jesse and Celine are living with the consequences this promises left them with, the good and the bad. They have settled down as an unmarried couple in Paris, their two blond, curly haired twins keeping them busy. On a family trip to the Peloponnese in southern Greece Jesse, now an established novelist, pitches ideas to his friends while environmental activist Celine contemplates a career change.

After dropping his son Hank (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) off at the airport Jesse and Celine spend a rare moment alone as the twins sleep in the backseat. In a brilliantly witty dialogue they debate the past the present and the future, Celine’s mood shifting as quickly as always and Jesse at his usual laid-back, horny self.

Unlike in Before Sunrise and Before Sunset the first half of Before Midnight introduces more characters, that may only play minor roles but that are integral to the plot. However director /writer Richard Linklater never loses sight of the unique chemistry between Celine and Jesse.

Jesse struggles with the guilt of leaving his, now teenage, son behind when he chose Celine over his ex-wife. He yearns to spend more time with his son and short-tempered Celine sees this a threat to the life they have build together. And even though she would love Hank to be with her and Jesse, she will not move to Chicago.

When friends insist that Jesse and Celine spend their last night alone in a hotel the quick-witted banter and nimble dialogue becomes more intense. Unlike in the other movies Jesse and Celine now know each other inside out, they know which buttons to press and soon a walk at sunset through the village becomes foreplay, which in the Hotel then escalates from mild irritation into a full-blown row.

As always Delpy is mesmerizing to watch, her fiery temper exploding on screen and her ever-changeable moods a true testament of her talent. But Hawke is equally good with his excellently timed one-lines and raw emotions. And while both Hawke and Delpy are named as co-writers it is evident that Linklater has yet again created an imaginative, honest and very real script

Before Midnight is about the battle of the sexes, a portrait of how lovers can unknowingly trample each others dreams and how time changes relationships. Unlike the earlier movies Before Midnight takes a look at “what happens next”, the gentle promises and tender optimism of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are replaced with, at times callous, honesty and unconditional acceptance.  A true love-story, one Hollywood seldom tells.

But will they make it? A question Celine asks herself as she mutters this years best last line in a Movie: ‘That must have been a hell of a night, we are about to have!”

Film Review: World War Z

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by jensine in Film reviews 2013, reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Abigall Hargrove, Brad Pitt, Daniella Kertesz, Director Marc Forster, entertainment, Fana Mokoena, film reviews, Films, Ludi Boeken, Marc Forster, Mireille Enos, Moritz Bleibtreu, movies, Pierfrancesco Favion, reviews, Ruth Nega, Sterling Jerins, World War Z, WWZ

brad-pitt-blood-world-war-z-1Hollywood’s latest zombie movie World War Z (WWZ) is based on the book written by Max Brooks. However ‘based’ is all it is as unlike the book it doesn’t deal with any of Brooks big questions about corporate power, corrupt governments or even the illegal trade in human organs. And instead of narrating the intricate, investigative tale through a series of interviews with survivors the film is happy to play it safe and have our hero just save the day.

In the opening sequence of the movie Philadelphia, for some unexplained reason, is suddenly overrun by a mysterious epidemic. Caught in the middle of it Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his wife (Mireille Enos) and kids (Abigall Hargrove, Sterling Jerins) narrowly escape the chaos by hijacking a camper van and making a run for it.

While trying to figure out what is happening, Lane, a former UN investigator, gets a call from his former boss Thierry (Fana Mokoena).  It becomes clear that the rampaging, biting zombies area a global problem.  Needing their ‘best man” the UN fly Lane and his family out to a military base in the middle of the ocean.

Once there Lane is bribed, his families safety in exchange for his reassignment. Now on the search for answers Lane criss-crosses around the world bumping into international actors in minor roles along the way (Ludi Boeken, Pierfrancesco Favion, Ruth Nega, Moritz Bleibtreu). However there seems to be no cure for the ‘zombie flu’ but the weirdly intuitive Lane has an idea and makes his way to a Welsh research laboratory, his newly acquired, one-armed, Israeli sidekick Segen (Daniella Kertesz) in tow. But even the would-be climatic scenes in the laboratory fall slightly flat and no real answers are given.

Why does the UN think so highly of Lane? He doesn’t seem to have any real knowledge, nor is he particularly brave or bright, he is resourceful but seems to think more of his family then the problem at hand. How did the whole thing start? Was there some sort of conspiracy like the detained CIA agent (David Morse) was ranting on about? Why the weird monologue at the end? And why 3D, there really is no need for it.

Overall World War Z isn’t a bad film, it’s just not particularly good, and definitely not ‘genre-bending’ as Pitt proclaimed it to be. While the WWZ zombies aren’t the usual slow-moving undead we have gotten use to, they do seem to have a lot in common with Zack Snyders ones in the remake of Dawn of the Dead.

Director Marc Forster seems lost and just piles on one massive destruction scene after the other. Its length doesn’t help and some of its disjointedness could down to the several attempts of reworking the ending. And it definitely it doesn’t help, that it veers so far away from the book.  In addition to this there is no real character development and besides Pitt all other actors feel like garnish.

But if you like zombies and want to see Pitt run around in ill-fitting clothes and with a bad hairdo, World War Z isn’t the worst way to spend an evening.

 

 

Michelle Obama got in my way today

17 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by jensine in Dublin, photography, travel

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

bags, camera bag, Dublin, G8, laptop bag, messenger bag, Michelle Obama, Ona Brixton, packing, photography, travel

As many of you will know Barack Obama and his G8-pals are in Northern Ireland deciding lots of important things at the moment. And while Obama, Putin, Cameron, Merkel and Co, debate the conflict in Syria and try to solve tax avoidance issues Michelle Obama has decided to take her two girls down to Dublin for a few days. So instead of enjoying the Irish sun on the shores of beautiful Lough Erne the girly threesome has been causing traffic jams all around Dublin.

Now I do understand how a trip to Trinity College and a flick through the Book of Kells may be more interesting then going for a stroll around G8-fortified Fermanagh, but did she really have to keep getting in may way?

You see, I was on a mission today. After a lovely lunch with a friend and helping her with a few edits on her book I had planned on trying to find the perfect bag for Berlin. Well, nearly perfect as the one I really want is just not in my price range at the moment (if any of you feel the urge to be generous it’s the Ona Brixton in tan).

The first time Michelle got in my way was when I was on the bus into town. A few roads where blocked off forcing everyone to a standstill, then when I tried to cut through a small street to get to where I wanted to go the Gardi made me turn around, and when I was nearly at Stephen’s Green Shopping Center barriers where in my way again. I had a 2011 and Queen Elisabeth II flashback and only prayed I wouldn’t have to wait for an hour to be let through.

Luckily I saw an opening and made a break for it, and finally I was there. After searching high and low in TK-Max I bought a returnable canvas messenger bag. It’s not perfect and I am not sure it really is what I need.

Here is my Issue I have A LOT of thing I need to take with me: my laptop, small bag with laptop cables etc., external hard-drive, notepad and pencil case, a pack of tissues, glasses and sunglasses, calendar, address book, bottle of water, little bag filled with cream, lip-balm and other lady-things, purse, book, guide book, camera, extra lens and close up screw on lenses, my phone and travel documents.

my essentials

my essentials

I tried it and everything fits in, however it is quite heavy and I won’t be needing to carry everything around with me all the time, so I could use my small leather bag and large hold-all, still very heavy but two bags that I can interchange when needed. However the hold-all can get very heavy over longer periods.

canvas bag

canvas bag

everything is in

everything is in

leather bag combi

leather bag combi

again perfect fit

again perfect fit

Both options work and I could return the canvas bag (or keep it and give it to my nephew as a Christmas gift).  So what would Michelle Obama do, other than get in my way?

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Me and my thoughts

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And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

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