Under siege

As I type this post a siege of a cafe in Sydney is into its ninth hour and probably is still a long way from resolution.

The situation has necessitated a number of Central Business District blocks surrounding the site to be cordoned off from public access. Untold numbers spent part of or all of the day since the siege commenced in lockdown in their own nearby buildings.

The authorities have asked citizens to keep clear of this cordoned off area but otherwise to go about their business as usual.

For me this included going into town this afternoon to attend a theatre performance which was booked more than a year ago. Unsurprisingly, shortly after arriving at the theatre it was announced that the performance had been cancelled and so I made my way back home. I have rarely seen the CBD so light of traffic in what is normally peak hours. Public transport continued with some diversions but there was very little other traffic about.

I'm not complaining about the inconvenience of a cancelled performance which is a trivial matter considering the horror those being held in the cafe and in their offices must have experienced. The uncertainty for those still held in the cafe doesn't bear thinking about.

I pray that the siege will be brought to a conclusion as speedily and safely as possible.

Paddington

'Paddington' couldn't be more different than yesterday's movie visit ('Maps to the Stars'). A young bear, surviving a damaging earthquake in 'Darkest Peru', is sent to London for a safe future where it is unwittingly adopted by a family at Paddington railway station.

Clearly a film targeted at children and families it can be enjoyed nevertheless by all ages. The bear is undeniably cute and there are some humorous situations, none more so than an early scene where Paddington comes to messy grips with a human bathroom.
★★★

Maps to the Stars

In its early scenes it appears that 'Maps to the Stars' is a spoof on Hollywood and celebrity but the black humour of those scenes quickly gives way to horror and violence.

This is a niche film which in part explains it limited screening; only showing on two screens in all of Australia.

A curiosity with limited appeal.
★★★

Exodus: Gods and Kings

The trailers and advertisements for 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' seem intentionally to conceal the rather obvious fact that this is a retelling of the biblical tale of Moses securing the release of the Hebrews from centuries of bondage under the Pharaohs of Egypt. I can only assume there was a thought that more people might see the film which in essence is promoted as two brothers falling out if the biblical connection was not mentioned up front.

There have been at least four previous filmed versions of this story spread across 84 years (1923-2007) all of them titled 'The Ten Commandments'; the two most famous being Cecil B De Mille's two productions (1923 and 1956). The advantages that 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' has over the earlier works include that it is more realistic and shuns the melodrama of its predecessors. In addition it has the benefit of 21st technology for its impressive special effects.

On the negative side, the screenplay is banal at times and there are moments of ironic and suggestive humour that seem out of place. The film has caused a furore over its casting and the decision to use a nine year old boy as the embodiment of God is rather perplexing even though the actor used has a eerily mature manner.

Despite the negatives I quite enjoyed this biblical epic.
★★★1/2

Bridge

Tonight, 42.70%, 14/15

Someone under the rainbow

A cruise ship on arrival about to sail beneath a rainbow

Bridge

Tonight, 43.10%, 10/10

Rhapsody in storm

Today, the eighth day in succession of hot humid days punctuated by violent electrical storms passing over Sydney but the difference this afternoon being that we have had (so far) three separate storms pass over with completely clear skies in between.

This is the latest storm passing over;

during which the cruise ship Rhapsody of the Seas departed port headed probably for calmer weather elsewhere.

Late storm

This afternoon for the fifth day in succession a humid, very warm to hot day has been followed by a brief, late spectacular storm complete with multiple lightening and thunder. Then clear sky again.

Here is today's storm approach.

Then ten minutes later, the clearing weather behind the storm cell as seen through blinds in my apartment.

The same weather pattern is predicted for a further three days.

At the mall

Nightcrawler

An unemployed Jake Gyllenhaal stumbles across 'stringers'; chasers of news stories who compile videos of 'breaking' events and news scoops for on-selling to television outlets. The ambitious and rather creepy Gyllenhaal uses all his effrontery and low tricks to worm his way into this news chasing field.

Gyllenhaal is very good completely sublimating the 'pretty boy' image of some of his early roles.

Great stuff. As well as being a stunning study of an unbalanced mind 'Nightcrawler' is also a fascinating look into the competitive world of television news gathering and reporting.
★★★★

Bridge

Tonight, 53.70%, 6/12

Switzerland

Sydney Theatre Company

'Switzerland' imagines a meeting between a publishing assistant and the author Patricia Highsmith. The publishing house wants Highsmith to sign a new contract after a period of reclusive retirement in the neutral European country.

This one act play comprising three scenes is a terrific new work. The first two scenes in which the two characters engage in a cut and thrust argument give way in the final scene to a wonderful conclusion which at first created artful confusion in my mind but then revealed the hidden subtext of the earlier scenes.

The very promising Eamon Farren plays the assistant and Sarah Peirse plays Highsmith. Both are excellent.
★★★★

The Dark Horse

'The Dark Horse' is a New Zealand film about actual events when a man released from a mental institution inspires a group of rebellious children to take up chess as a means of life lessons and in doing so he leads his charges all the way to the national championships.

Most of the characters have difficult and violent lives so for the most part this is a story of lows and sadness although the achievements of the main character and the children provide moments of hope. A fine film but beware the strong New Zealand accents of many of the cast members.
★★★1/2

Beyond Desire

Neil Rutherford Productions

In its short existence the Hayes Theatre Company has established a reputation for staging small scale musicals.

'Beyond Desire' is their latest presentation. It is an Edwardian musical mystery whose plot is a mix between Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' and E M Forsters 'Maurice'.

This quite busy production with a cast of eight and a small orchestra has its moments and is not without interest but in my opinion needs plenty of work. A fairly languid pace for much of its length gives way near the end for an almost ludicrous speeding up of the action. The production also needs significant work on its sound design. The orchestra battles with the cast for prominence from the outset. As a consequence it is difficult to make out the lyrics of the early songs when the characters are being introduced and the plot established. Undoubtedly the overloud piano playing is one reason for some cast members shrieking their songs.
★★

Lincoln Place - two weeks on

The Lincoln Place development two weeks on from the previous post;

29 November

compared with the earlier photo;

14 November

Not a huge difference on the face of it but there has been a lot of activity and some very large equipment on site at various times in between.

We received notification from the Council during the week of an application to vary the development approval for a period leading into Christmas. Basically the developers want permission to start earlier in the morning and to work longer hours including the already approved morning hours on Saturday. That's a surprise.

There is no activity on site this Saturday morning although they already have a limited approval to perform their work. Did someone obtain an injunction preventing work? Seems unlikely. Maybe it is just too nice a morning to be working?

I've experienced better weeks

It has been an unhappy week.

The untimely death, days before his 26th birthday, of cricketer Phillip Hughes following an awful injury whilst playing cricket has shocked and gripped many Australians in a way rarely seen. It might be difficult for overseas readers who have heard this news and who are not in cricket playing countries to understand the extent of the general distress being expressed but Hughes somehow embodied so much of how Australians see themselves and see their heroes. The news of his passing upset me as it did so many others.

Phillip Hughes

The outpouring of grief around the world has been astonishing. This claim is not just hyperbole. On radio just minutes ago I heard that there have been 98,000,000 'views' around the world of photos on Instagram of cricket bats being displayed to mark Hughes passing. That's NINETY-EIGHT MILLION clicks on the internet in ONE day. Amazing.

Perhaps my emotion is amplified by another awful loss virtually simultaneous with that of Hughes. My volunteer co-worker of eight years at the Nursing Home, Da, passed away this morning little more than 12 hours later than Hughes after suffering a massive stroke on Wednesday morning also only a little more than 12 hours following Hughes' injury.

Da had been in good health, was only 67, ate healthily, exercised daily and simply was the last person I would imagine to be near the end of her days.

Both deaths reinforce the point; make the most of every day. Don't take life for granted, don't procrastinate about following your dreams and don't put off to another day telling your loved ones how much they mean to you. You may never get that chance.

Men, Women & Children

Set in Austin, Texas 'Men, Women & Children' focuses on the students of high school and their parents to show how they engage in their communication and relationships in the world of 21st century technology. Given that the teenagers are developing their sexuality porn sites, sexual thought and activity all figure prominently.

The frank nature in which this material is presented, whilst not quite hard core is nonetheless confronting for some as evidenced by a number of walk outs at the session I attended. Although less than two hours in length its slow moving style makes it seem longer.

I think it is quite a good film and probably advisable viewing for the parents of early/mid teen children but it will be uncomfortable viewing for many.
★★★1/2

Bridge

Tonight, 52.30%, 6/13

Bridge

Tonight, 48.10%, 7/9