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Mars Movie Review – Stand Up Guys


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Movie Info: Val (Al Pacino) is released from prison after serving twenty-eight years for refusing to give up one of his close criminal associates. His best friend Doc (Christopher Walken) is there to pick him up, and the two soon re-team with another old pal, Hirsch (Alan Arkin). Their bond is as strong as ever, and the three reflect on freedom lost and gained, loyalties ebbed and flowed, and days of glory gone by. But one of the friends is keeping a dangerous secret- he’s been put in an impossible quandary by a former mob boss, and his time to find an acceptable alternative is running out. As the sun rises on the guys’ legendary reunion, their position becomes more and more desperate and they finally confront their past once and for all. — (C) Lionsgate

Mars Review: Christopher Walken, Al Pacino, and Alan Arkin play the film’s three flamboyant leading characters with a tacit admission that the tongue-in-cheek crime drama at hand reflects the disappearance of their own group of iconic actors. For those in step with Stand Up Guys’ hokey comedy, there is a lot to enjoy, despite some predictable predicaments – and the inevitable Viagra joke – the film is clever in the way it deals with the high cost of mob connections and the even higher cost of old age. Standout performances from these three old-timers proving that losing a step can’t keep you off your feet.

Stars: 3 out of 5

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Mars Movie Review – Upside Down


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Movie Info: Ever since Adam (Jim Sturgess) and Eden (Kirsten Dunst) fell in love as teens, their bond has faced astronomical odds. The pair are separated not just by social class and a political system bent on keeping them apart, but also by a freak planetary condition: they live on twinned worlds with gravities that pull in opposite directions-he on the poverty-stricken planet below, she on the wealthy, exploitative world above. Their budding but illicit romance screeches to a tragic halt when interplanetary-border patrol agents catch them and Eden suffers an apparently fatal fall. But when, ten years later, Adam learns she is alive and working at a vast corporation whose towering headquarters connects their planets, he sets out on a dangerous quest to infiltrate the company and the upper world to reconnect with her. UPSIDE DOWN is a visually stunning romantic adventure that poses the question: what if love was stronger than gravity?(c) Millenium

Mars Review: A Romeo and Juliet story for the age of CGI, in terms of its visuals, is gorgeous and clever and creative.  Though “Upside Down” starts with a strong idea, it’s compelling conceit is immediately weighed down by Jim Sturgess. His range is limited to goofy smiles and pained looks of unrequited love. Dunst is radiant, as always, though it’s radiance with depth. She’s not just your average dream girl; she’s gravity’s rainbow. But there just isn’t enough of her, the two leading roles should have switched worlds from the start.

Stars: 2 1/2 out of 5

Mars

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Mars Movie Review – Side Effects


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Movie Info: SIDE EFFECTS is a provocative thriller about Emily and Martin (Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum), a successful New York couple whose world unravels when a new drug prescribed by Emily’s psychiatrist (Jude Law) – intended to treat anxiety – has unexpected side effects. (c) Official FB

Mars Review: Side Effects is a twisty pharmaceutical thriller an effective drama.  At its best, it’s chilling, creepy, strange and intriguing; at its worst, it’s gorgeous to look at.  The pill of the movie is that it packs a serious one-two punch as a detective drama coupled with a cautionary tale about the dangers of trying to pharma-cate our troubles away.  A satisfying, entertaining and thought-provoking thriller.

Stars: 4 out of 5

Mars

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Mars Movie Review – Liberal Arts


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Movie Info: Newly single and uninspired by his job in college admissions, the introverted Jesse Fisher (Josh Radnor) lives with his head buried in a book. His deep nostalgia for his own alma mater in Ohio – the dining halls and dorm rooms, the parties and poetry seminars – makes him wonder if his best days are behind him. So when his favorite professor (Richard Jenkins) invites him back to campus to speak at his retirement dinner, Jesse jumps at the chance. Meeting Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen) – a precocious classical music-loving sophomore – awakens in Jesse long-dormant feelings of possibility and connection. — (C) Official Site

Mars Review: A diverting generational three-way dialogue between those barely out of their teens, those in their mid thirties and those well north of fifty.  It never manages to turn these great performances and familiar dilemmas into something substantial.  For a film about ageing and romanticism, Liberal Arts feels like it needs a more mature script.

Stars: 2 out of 5

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Mars Movie Review – Ironman 3


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Movie Info: Marvel’s “Iron Man 3″ pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Mars Review: Are you sick of superheroes? No, of course you are not, cinema audiences are lapping up any caped crusader movies. But I am, especially when Tony Stark is an angst ridden shambles suffering from performance anxiety. What’s so super about that? Can we trust in Tony Stark, even when he’s falling apart and can’t trust himself?  Ironman 3 is nothing but a collection of superhero clichés made marginally palatable by Robert Downey Jr.’s endless charm and charisma.  Watching a Shane Black movie is like listening to a noisy garage band, where no matter how sloppily they skronk through a verse, when they tighten up and hit that sing-along chorus, the lack of polish somehow makes it sound even better.  Another addition to the Marvel franchise.

Stars: 3 1/2 out of 5

Mars

… a little bit dangerous …
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… a little bit dangerous …


First off, I want to start by saying that I don’t want to say that, no, I’m not placing the entire blame on any one friend.  Obviously, what someone chooses to do with a piece of advice is his or her own responsibility.

Still, when we turn to a friend, a person we trust and respect, we tend to listen to them, or at least it impacts us.  And sometimes, we let that piece of advice influence our decisions – but maybe the advice may hurt more than it helps?

Obviously a friend will never understand a relationship fully.  They aren’t the one in it.  They aren’t with you in your most intimate moments or the worst moments or the most fun moments.  So it’s common sense to take their advice with a grain of salt.

We see it in the movies and TV shows all the time: our protagonist has a Romantic Interest. Wanting to impress the Romantic Interest, the protagonist turns to friends for help. They tell our protagonist to do this or say that and it all falls flat when our protagonist actually tries to woo the Romantic Interest. In the end, the protagonist stops listening to friends and ends up happily ever after!

My story did not end up with a happy ever after:-

There was a guy I was seeing and we were having a lot of fun. It was casual, no labels, and I was leaving Brisbane for an overseas holiday. I started developing feelings for him and didn’t know how he felt back or what was going to happen with everything, and I was starting to get nervous because someone earlier in the year had hurt me rather badly while we were in a similar boat.

One of my close friends came to visit me before I left for my overseas adventure and I explained my situation. They really pushed me to ask him about what was going to happen and to define it and told me that if he didn’t feel the same way, I should probably not see him again. They told me that they wanted to see me with a good guy who would treat me right and that if he didn’t want anything more, then I should not continue hanging out with him.

I ended up following their advice and attempted to ask him one night before heading out together for drinks with my friends, I was half way through my sentence when his finger pushed against my lips with a ssshhh, gentle smile with those eyes, saying things will be fine and he leaned in to kiss me rather passionately, I melted into his lips.  I still didn’t really know if he was ever on the same page as me, as I never got to ask my full question.  I took it as though things could never be more than casual with me, and I kind of understood, why would someone get into a relationship with another when one person is about to jet set off overseas the following week.

A month later I returned, contacting him to announce my arrive back home.  We made plans to catch up a few days later.  But, on the day we were meant to see each other he told me he had met someone else and it was serious.  After a bit of shock and a few tears, I said I didn’t want to see him anymore and he took it well. I ended up really unhappy and wanted things to be okay, to see him again, but I didn’t want anything to do with him and I thought it would be awkward to see him and be just friends.

I always wished I hadn’t listen to my friend, and I do believe they gave me bad advice that I shouldn’t have followed. Again, I don’t blame them solely – I take responsibility for what happened too – but I sometimes wish they hadn’t given me their advice or I hadn’t talked to them about it at all, why did they bring the topic up to begin with?  Their other advice was to take some time off from dating after 6 months of some horrible dating experiences.  I really do believe that their advice hurt that one potential relationship I may have had.

It’s around 6 months later, I realised I can now let bygones be bygones with a few of the people from my past.  Contacting a few people with the above guy included.  I don’t really share much about my dating life with friends these days unless it’s a hilarious dating story, posting here more about my dating experiences.  The, one day at coffee with the same friend from above, I was ordering coffee for us at the register they saw his name appear on my phone’s screen on the table.  Returning with their change and a table number, I encountered a rather displeased look, as though they’d smelt a turd.

My phone vibrated on the table, I read the message, giggled cheekily at the content and locked the screen again.  Looking up at them…. then the questions started coming from my friend, “Who was that from? Why are they contacting you? Are you back with him?”.  I just stared back at them never confirmed or denied any of the questions, they didn’t need to know what was mostly my private business.  Then the worrying started “You’re a fool! You’ll get hurt again! He’s dangerous!”.  Dangerous struck a hard blow, having had a dangerous experience with a guy late last year.

Retaliating, ‘He’s only a little bit dangerous. Like teasing a candle’s flame with your finger. He would never physically hurt me, and if I’m hurt emotionally …. I’m a tough enough little cookie, another hit’s not going to make me crumble.  I like talking to him, it makes me feel happy.” I enjoy our banter, cheekiness, taking about our days.  Of cause I’m attracted, and I think his a great guy. But Isn’t that the most important part of life about doing all the things that make us happy…. even if it’s a little bit dangerous.

 

Mars.

 

Running for My First Half Marathon
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Running for My First Half Marathon


2 years after my first 1 km run, I will complete my first half marathon on 2 June 2013, on the Heritage Bank QLD Half Marathon course at Doomben Racecourse.

Talkers talk and walkers walk. Although walkers occasionally talk, talkers almost never walk, and they certainly don’t run half-marathons.  After two years of consistent running, I had become a talker.  In a wild week of random optimism, I’d impulsively paid the entry fee for the Heritage Bank Queensland Half Marathon, and announced to almost everyone I knew that I was ready to tackle a half-marathon.

Before you’ve ever run or even begun training for a half, it’s easy to talk about “tackling” one.  One day I ran with a group of more experienced runners who told me I was fit enough to do a half.  What a terrific thing it is to be thought of as a person who could run more than 21km on a whim.

Since March time has been on my side.  My main race is in July at the Gold Coast Marathon, with HBQHM as my practice, 20 weeks to get myself together.  I would have to eat better, I thought.  Lose a few kg, keep my km’s up over the hot days of summer, not get injured, not boast or appeal for sympathy, not tackle anything, just run, slow and steady without drama.  Up to now, I had done just that.

One day I ran 10 km.  One day, 15 km, which was a new distance and privately astonishing–I had never imagined I’d ever run 10 km, then 12 km, then anything over 14 km.  Going 15 km was a kind of miracle.  15 was practically decadent–and took an hour and a half–and was still a long haul from 21.5km.  To reach that far, I would need a better bag of tricks.  When it came to running, I had  my method and my plan.  My plan told me how far, and how hard to run.  No thinking.  No listening to subjective inner voices.  I plugged in my earphones and followed the plan like a running robot, and increased my kilometres to the maximum distance of 2 hours of running, with two weeks left to the practice race day.  It’s kept running simple for these longer distances, the farther I ran, the smarter I have had to become.

Then very unlike a robot, I began to feel proud of myself–the red carpet that always leads to disaster.  I’ve taken an impromptu five-day run hiatus (not part of the plan), and with just nine days before the race, I decided to go rogue.  I’ve taken time off to chill out, rejuvenate and relax (plus it’s really cold in Brisbane right now).   My bodies hurting, my mind isn’t in the right place, and I feel like a zombie walking about at home and work.

My heads still in this game, I’m still rooting for myself to pull out of this 5 day slumber.  I might need a little bit of ‘donkey and the carrot stick’ motivation to keep going.  But I’ll get their, I’ll make it, and I’ll set my first Half Marathon Personal Best.

Mars.