Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 22-2-2021: Dollywood

22nd February, 2021.

Yes: it’s pay day, tomorrow.

That means shopping and bill paying.

Frankly, I’m looking forward to it: it means getting out of the house for more than half an hour!

~≈¥≈~

It also means being careful: possibly.

In case you didn’t know, surge testing is due to start in the CM13 postcode are of Brentwood.   Which means Old Peculiar regular, Trevor, will be having fun: that’s his part of town!

It’s rather alarming: but there you go!

~≈¥≈~

Oh, JUST as a final thought?

I’ve caught another episode of The Mandalorian.

You have to love seeing Katee Sackhoff turn up.

~≈¥≈~

Clone: An Acquired Taste …

10th August, 2013.

Hmmm … 

Yes, I think ‘Hmmm’ sums it up.

I’ll happily admit, I like catching movies, occasionally: and I like to try and make a point of trying to tell people about the ones I see, as well.

I’ll also happily admit that — like many people, I suspect — that a film has to have some form of appeal, to catch my eye.

I know some friends are keen on catching as much as possible, to deepen their knowledge of film: as an art, as much as anything else

Although, personally … ?

I’ll admit to being something of a philistine.

I want to see a movie I think I’m going to enjoy.

You want to see something arty … ?

Brentwood Library’s got pictures on some of its walls.

At ANY rate … ?

At any rate, I’ve managed to catch Clone, tonight: also known, outside the UK, as Womb.

And possibly … ?   Well, possibly, I’ve caught myself an art film that’s a bit too arty … 

~≈Ω≈~

Set in an unspecified part of the world, at an unspecified time, the Benedek Fliegauf directed, <>

Clone sees Eva Green and Matt Smith* as childhood sweethearts, Rebecca and Thomas.

A pair of young, bright lovers, who are determined to follow Tommy’s plan to protest at a local biotech company.

Tragedy strikes, though, when — as they stop on the drive to the company’s headquarters — Tommy is hit, and killed, by a passing van.

And Rebecca … ?   Rebecca, in her grief, decides to have him cloned.

And to carry the embryo to term, as the second Tommy’s mother.

~≈Ω≈~

Now … 

Am I going to recommend Clone to you, or not … ?

I don’t know, frankly, if I can.

I personally feel that, were I to suggest renting a character-driven, emotional film about cloning, and the ethics of cloning, I think I’d be doing you and me a favour by telling you to see the Carey Mulligan flick, Never Let Me Go.

I felt the latter dealt with the subject in a far more satisfying way.

That’s not to say Clone is a complete no-hoper.   Both Smith and Green put in sterling performances, the photography is delicious, and the scenery — long sandy beaches, for the most part — lovely.

Personally, though, I found those redeeming features were outweighed by the simple fact Clone is very — almost intolerably — slow paced.

It may be gorgeous.

But it could WELL do with a poke, to have gotten going.

Clone    

★☆☆☆

*        To be fair, the reason I rented Clone, tonight … ?   Was because it’s got Matt Smith and Eva Green in it.   I happen to find Ms Green’s voice rather attractive: and wanted to see the talented Mr Smith in something other than Dr Who, before he left the role.

Never Let Me Go: Love, Death … And Clones …

You know, I have to be honest, it’s not THAT often I watch a chick flick, I really don’t.

No, seriously, I don’t.

But I had the night to myself, last night.

And had a copy of Never Let Me Go going spare: arguably something of a chick flick.

But arguably, quite good: whatever gender it’s aimed at.

☱☲☴☲☱

Set in an alternative Earth, Never Let Me Go is narrated by Carey Mulligan as Kathy H: a carer reliving memories of her childhood at a very unusual private school, in Hailsham, Surrey.

One that — as a teacher tells Kathy and her classmates, Tommy and Ruth — is in existence to bring up clones as organ donors, doomed to die — or complete — at a young age, after roughly three to four organ donations.

The film follows Kathy growing up: as her, Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Keira Knightley) move from the school, and move to cottages maintained by their creators.

Growing up … 

Growing up, and forming relationships that come, eventually, to tragic ends … 

☴☲☱☲☴

Now, I called this a chick flick, didn’t I … ?

That’s possibly doing Never Let Me Go a disservice, given the term can be a touch derogatory.

However, Never Let Me Go is definitely told from a very different angle from most science fiction films, dealing with the character’s emotions rather than hard-core problem-solving and alien-zapping.

And it’s all the better — chick flick or otherwise —for that …

Never Let Me Go
★★☆☆