It’s hard to believe it but I have been watching her talent grow for 9 years now. Kassandra started as a self-portrait photographer and managed to evolve into a multi talented girl with an aptitude for modelling, costume design, an exquisite ability for make-up and stage set-up and last but not least extremely good Photoshop skills. I really don’t know of many people that are so good into doing so many things around their art. Since then Kassandra started to also photograph other models with amazing results, a thing that comes only as a testament to her skills.
Kassandra, or Kayleigh as people used to know her as when she joined deviantArt, managed within the years of her carrier to bloom and bring her work into a whole new level by keeping her ideals and style solid. At this point there are hundreds of aspiring young artists to try to follow her footsteps and use the same methodoly and style she established, if this is not a sign of success, what is?
Hmmm, ok I started writing this article and I wanted to say that I really liked the first episode. Yest the acting is a bit so-and-so and the dialogue really need some love, but the premise is nice. I kind of liked the idea of a post-apocalyptic world that nature has prevailed but humans exist in pre industrial communities. It really reminded me of The Postman (you should really see this movie if you like post-apoc, a bit (although that’s a post-nuclear fallout world)
And then, then I did some thinking and things started to make no sense. Ok Jet Engines, Electronics, Car engines don’t work because “the physics went all wrong” but … semi-automatic weapons can fire? Any sort of a weapon uses more or less the same laws that an internal combustion engine is using.
Trying to support the theory of the series I thought, well maybe there is something that tampers with Electric fields so electric engines or engines that use an electronic ignition won’t work… Well yeah … our neural system is kind of REALLY using electric impulses to function so if there was something tampering with that we were utterly ‘le fucked’.
The other possibility would have been that a really major EMP of some sort hit the earth, after some reading actually this might be a possible explanation. A long lasting period of solar activity can stop communications and electronics from working and can also tamper with electric power generation. In this case, steam engines will work. Guns will also be able to fire. Internal combustion engines will have a huge problem to start running because the ignition requires kind of a strong electric current to fire up the fuel.
So yeah .. that’s a possibility, not very strong but that’s at least within the realm of possible.
It is not very often that I have so mixed feelings about a movie. Honestly Brave made me want to see it again just to clear my feeling about it.
The plot
Merida, a Scottish princess whose interests include archery and horse riding, is told by her mother that her interests are not what a princess should be doing and that she has to marry. But Merida chooses to defy her mother. And when she and her mother have an argument Merida rides off and meets a witch. She asks for a spell to change her mother. And the witch gives her a cake which she gives to her mother but the change is not what she was hoping for. So she tries to find a way to fix it.
The review
I will start by saying that the graphics, colours and animation are just stunning. I couldn’t stop starring at the jaw dropping curls of Merida’s fiery red hair or the amazingly lighted sceneries that made me to want to go to Scotland so very much.
The soundtrack of the movie moves away from Disney’s classic singing and dancing characters but it still accompanies each scene beautifully creating a very cheerful or full of movement and action environment. Of course each song and piece is heavily inspired by the celtic folklore songs but adds a nice instrumental taste to it.
The characters are well built but not really explored. That is one of the thing that make me doubt the final result. There was so much that it has been left unsaid and the movie feels like someone just removed a major plot twist and about an additional hour. (the movie is 100 minutes long but I would easily go for a 140 – 160 minutes version)
As with the characters the plotline remains very simple and very linear, I would love to see a more strong plot twist (see Lion King that was actually written by Brenda Chapman as well) I want to believe that the reason for it was the fact that the movie was intended for all audiences which means our young friends should also be able to enjoy it.
Once again the movie escapes Disney’s completely wrong role model standards and talks about issues like gender equality, woman empowerment, and family relations in a beautiful way that kind of surprises in a nice way.
In an unrelated note the short file La Luna by Pixar is shown before Brave begins and it’s ..beautiful
Conclusion
Brave was a beautiful experience. If you enjoyed the likes of How to train your dragon and Tangled you will surely like Brave. I believe that both IMDB and Rotten tomatoes scores are well deserved.
Yesterday me, Janet and Jason went to see the new Batman movie. I must admit that after re-watching the first two parts of the trilogy I was quite thrilled and frankly psyched about watching the last instalment of the trilogy.
Many criticized the movie as being slow and detached from the characters. After seeing the movie I have to say that yes, this is was not a movie about the amazing-chaotic-demented personality of the villain (see Joker/Two Face take your pick). This was an EPIC large-scale engagement movie about a situation and above all, Batman not as the masked dark avenger but as a human being and closure.
The experience
First of all, prepare yourself for a long movie, this is a 2 hours and 30 minutes movie, which with advertisements and coming soon will very easily become a 3 hours experience, so I will suggest that if you are hungry or thirsty get enough to last you!
The special effects of the movie were amazing but still not overwhelming, which honestly it’s a very hard balance to get right these days. I loved how earthly but yet high-tech all the vehicles and gadgets looked. (I really want a model of Batman’s bridge jumper!)
We saw the movie at Stratford Vue eXtreme and the audio was mind-blowing at a level that at some points I felt that the sound and music was more engaging than the video. The music was so well stitched together and the established themes complimented so well each scene, creating a very immersive environment without being overbearing or trying to push an emotion or a reaction.
Scenario and cast
Christopher Nolan said that this is going to be the last movie of this franchise, and I think it’s a very good decision. Regardless by the end of the movie he left some really cute plot triggers.
I believe that Christian Bale gave a beautiful performance but it was not as good as the previous two movies, but still acting wise he fulfilled his purpose. I believe that in this movie was more of Bruce Wayne than he was Batman but that was intentional and it was carried very well through out the movie.
Tom Hardy at the role of Bane was, mmm, ok but nothing special really. I believe it had to do with the fact that Bane’s mask – while hiding his mouth stripped off the character of any visible emotion.
I didn’t know what to expect from Anne Hathaway as Selina. It was not disappointing but at the same time not thrilled as well. She really tried the femme-fatale but I am not sure he actually got it. What I can honestly admit that she must have had a lot of training and she worked hard to move like a cat. Quite elegant and somewhat sexy.
Excellent performance and high marks to Joseph Gordon-Levitt for the role of Blake.
As always, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine held the pyre as really grade A actors. (I can’t believe how old these guys are getting 🙁 snif!). I think that Michael Caine made me cry a bit yesterday
Although Janet managed to guess almost all plot twists I must admit me and Jason were delightfully surprised by all of them.
Conclusion
This was a REALLY good movie, I don’t know if will be as memorable as “the Dark Knight” but was surely a very entertaining and strong experience. Please note that this is NOT-a-TV-movie-experience it’s a Cinema-MUST-go.
