Saturday, December 30, 2006

Sketches of Frank Gehry. A pretty straight forward documentary. Sydney Pollack and Frank Gehry are friends, this might explain why most of the comments and interviews tend to lean towards the positive end. Frank's art is very very much an acquired taste, and frankly, to most of the world, veering more towards the ugly side, than pretty side. This is perhaps because we are so used to 99.999% of the buildings around us being in straight, perpendicular, parallel, lines, so we are not used to so much curves and bends. It makes for hell working for designers, contractors, construction workers too, so I don't see these group of people being too enthusiastic to Frank's designs. Not to mention maintenance, and cleaning bills.I must admit that having his oddball designs around does add to the aura, and mystic, to the surrounding buildings they neighboured ... but that is about all. Still, an inspiring film for all of those who dared to be different.

Stranger than Fiction. I don't understand why the story of this ordinary man is, to the professor, going to be such a masterpiece ... Such that he should die for the story. This is my main grouse. I think the cast did a decent job. Will Farell showed he can still be funny when acting straight-faced and all serious. It was a real real threat to watch Dustin Hoffman on the big screen again. Emma Thompson was in her elements, so no great surprise there. If you really think about it, the ending was a letdown, for the sake of ... essentially a love story. Yeah, I think this is my main grouse, for not going the distance, taking chances, denying the film, really, a potential masterpiece ... Literary fans might have a little fun with some clever lines, but that is about it about the film, which is a pity.

♥ 10:33 am