Plectrum Infusion

Latest films are "Gone Baby Gone" and "Kids." Gone Baby Gone is based on a book by the same dude who did "Mystic River," so you know upfront it's not exactly going to be a cheerful little number. Surprise of the day is that it's directed by Ben Affleck (of "I shagged Jennifer Lopez and am a bit of a vapid cunt" fame) - and it's a remarkably mature and accomplished film. (So he might be pretty cool after all.) There are times when the brutality of the core subject matter just becomes a bit too much to bear without springing out a few tears, and there are no wasted shots or overlong pondering on meaningless bollocks, so it really is the best part of two hours of emotional assault, and it doesn't even deliver a "happy" payback at the end, although it does at least offer the possibility of a way forward. Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris are as brilliant as usual (Ed Harris in particular seems to tap into something new and powerful), but the rest of the cast are bang on the money as well. It's a compelling tale, brilliantly told, and I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone who doesn't think films have to have a traditionally happy ending. All the loose ends are tied up at the end of the film, and you're forced to ask yourself, "Did he make the right choice?" Me and Mrs Infusion thought he fucked up, but that's up to you to decide. KIDS report that follows contains spoilers! Kids is the like of which you've never seen before (unless you've seen Kids before, of course), originally released in 1995 I vaguely recall the fuss surrounding it, but of couse it was pre-internet and the ability to self-research such things, so it just dropped off my radar. However, the name of the film stood out to me on a usenet search, so I decided to grab it. (This isn't an easy to film get hold of, it was effectively banned in the USA when the MPAA demanded an NC-17 certificate and Miramax basically said "Well fuck you then we'll just release it as unrated" - which is all very well and good, but means it's a film that, give or take, was never properly released anywhere in the world.) It's so "documentary style" it's mostly not upsetting, because even though what's being played out on screen (most notably the dialogue) is so extreme, it's strangely real, so much so that emotional attachment with the characters doesn't come easy. That said, by the time the closing scenes come around, it's impossible not to feel a deep unease and empathy with the brutal tragedy that's being played out, so much so that when a recently diagnosed semi-comatose HIV positive teenager is raped at a party, you actually fucking understand why she doesn't see fit to fight back, because she knows she's already dead, or maybe because she's learned not to. The most powerful aspect of this film is that it doesn't judge, the final monologue from its main character is unrepentant and unchallenged, "I like fucking" - he says it without remorse and without consideration of the damage he might cause, and of course without the knowledge that he's already dying himself from the inside out of AIDS. Kids is not a cheery little number, but it's massively powerful, and I recommend it most highly. If anyone wants to watch it but can't find anywhere to get it from, drop me a PM.

Tonight's film is "Things We Lost In The Fire." It's not exactly an upbeat little number, dealing as it does with a wife and children facing up to the death of their husband/father, and a recovering/relapsing heroin addict coming on board as a strange sort of surrogate father, as he was a lifelong friend of the dead man. Superb performances across the board, not least from the infinitely brilliant Benicio Del Toro and a surprisingly effective Halle Berry, along with a a wholly competent supporting cast as well. The ending isn't exactly "feel good," but it does offer the hope of future promise, healing, and redemption. Best film I've watched for a while. These dudes can probably explain it better than me: http://www.reelviews.net/movies/t/things_we.html http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.d.../710180302/1023

I think that'd almost certainly lead to a complete neural overload. It was bad enough watching it a bit pissed. At least the ending cleared it up nicely enough though, and I didn't feel cheated either, as it actually made perfect sense. "Stay" did the same thing whereby the entire film is basically the main character's dying hallucination, but somehow made it seem a bit cheap and gimmicky. Jacob's Ladder presented the same basic concept (long before Stay was released of course) but made it poignant and meaningful.

Saw Jacob's Ladder last night for the first time ever (even though it's an old film, first released in 1990). It's a total headfuck and thoroughly miserable and depressing, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. Mrs Infusion even stopped watching My Chemical Romance videos on her laptop to watch the film instead, which is a pretty high recommendation, since she's usually far too busy moistening her knickers over the idiotic girly ponce "Gerard Way" to pay much attention to anything I'm up to.

Meh, I thought it was OK, not as good as the original but certainly watchable, although having a fitting epileptic as the cameraman wasn't such a good directorial choice, it gave me a fucking headache to watch it.