DaChispa

This is the last film I will see in this year’s London Film Festival – even though it is still going strong – and I hoped that it would be a good one. It started off in classic ninja style with lots of trick fighting and flying through the air. I settled back to enjoy it – and then it turned into something else altogether. The martial arts aspect was minimal, the film was almost multi genre – historical, thriller with a twist and romance. Its focus was on the common folk rather than on the elite, either ninja or royal. I spent 2 hours never quite sure what was going to happen next, thinking that I did, and then being surprised. At one point a giant shark suddenly jumped over a small fishing boat and the whole audience gasped – not often a shark gets that response after Jaws took away the suspense!

The end also was unexpected, but somehow fitting – a tribute to the human spirit and the power of principles. 4 out of 5 for this one – not a classic, but something more than the normal kick, fly and jump martial arts film.

I was looking forward to Bluebeard but it didn’t live up to its festival programme description. I’m sure there was a lot of symbolism and hidden meaning, but that is only worth including if you enjoy deciphering it. I was ever so slightly bored and the slight twist at the end wasn’t really worth waiting 90 minutes for.

The London Film Festival has a new venue, VUE, just off Leicester Square and, I must say, I really like their extended red carpet walk. With photographers, film crews and security, you feel like a film star even if you’re not.

The first premiere I attended was ‘From Time to Time’ – a pleasant British family film with the main character running, literally, between past and present. It was workmanlike and I enjoyed it, but it won’t set the world on fire.

Free water and chocolate at the MICMACS premiere started things off well and the director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, introduced it. His last visit to the film festival was 19 years ago with Delicatessan (a personal favourite of mine – I still giggle at the thought of a Vegetarian Underground). Amelie was another one of his – another quirky and memorable comedy. This film didn’t really compete, although it did make me laugh – the underdogs won and the bad guys were punished but it seemed a slight offering – as though it hadn’t quite made its mind up as to what it was.

I’ve been putting off upgrading the blog, but the fact that my previous manual attempt didn’t give me the desired option to put up photos has decided me to give it another go. So, upgrade completed, here is the third photo I found on the PC..

No sense getting a new small camera to carry around with me and then not making use of a facility to share the results.