The Olympic Games and the Opening Ceremony

I always get excited because of the Olympic Games- I love the atmosphere, the tension, the joy and passion I have when I support my country (Romania) or the resounding triumphs of some athletes that shock the world with their strength, talent and dedication. I usually don't and can't watch all the competitions, but I do have a soft spot and always try to see on TV the Gymnastics, Swimming and Athletics events. This year will be no different, since I am cheering for Michael Phelps, Romanian Gymnastic team and Horia Tecau at tennis.

But this edition is a little bit different for me, since the Games just happened to take place in the town I currently reside in: London 2012- Summer Olympics- an important event that the city and the world has been waiting for a long time, and it's finally here!

Yesterday, the Opening Ceremony introduced people to a crazy, exciting and diverse sports world that will have people talking for months. I saw it last night, in my room, with some Doritos and a Coca Cola, and I loved almost everything about it- I was very impressed, so much that I felt the need to talk about it. Here are some of my thoughts on it and a brief recap of what happened:

Danny Boyle, the master and director of it, began with an unsatisfying montage of kids and the road of the river to London. Then, the magic started:

First, a reenactment of British History, from farms to the industrial movement (led by Kenneth Branagh) until the second world war.

What better way to move into present times than a fantastic skit of James Bond picking up and dropping off (by helicopter!!) the Queen of England (the actual queen). This was probably one of the best and most memorable moments of the night. I can't seem to embed it, so here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW5abat5NEU


Then, we move to children's literature, as giant beds, a scary Voldemort and tens or hundreds of Mary Poppins invade the stadium, with even a special appearance by JK Rowling; special mention for the glowing bed duvets, I want one, too.

Next comes, quite possibly, the funniest and adorable part of the night- Rowan Atkinson portraying the loveable Mister Bean- again, here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBDTCuJF7g8. It's genius and funny and showcases the great British culture and talent.

Things get moving when the music starts, and Danny Boyle transports the audience in an energetic world of dance, music and texting, which gets things moving and makes you sing the lyrics of some of the best acts that the country has ever given: Rolling Stones, Beatles, David Bowie, Queen, Prodigy.....oh, and Dizzie Rascal (?).

They slowed it down for the only part I dreaded, or better say, got bored at, the boy and the mystical dance. But it was ok, because after that, the real ceremony started: THE ATHLETES

Some observations about the walk in the stadium of the delegations:
- 204 nations
- learned about new countries I had no idea existed: Djibouti, Kiribati, Nauru and my favorite team, The Independent Athletes (they seemed to have the most fun)
- happy and proud of the Romanian delegation- the flag bearer was Horia Tecau, a famous tennis player who is competing for doubles (he was actually in the Wimbledon final this year, but lost); oh, and he is pretty hot, too :)
- Best Costumes award goes to Mexico, with New Zeeland close second for their very cool tshirts

After the Great Britain delegation marches in with a smug look on their faces (as they should, I guess, it's their party), we have a great Arctic Monkeys performance of I bet you look good on the dance floor and a cover of Come together (I always thought Alex Turner is kind of a douche bag, so I try not to like them, but that was a great show, got to admit it).

Boring speeches, then an absolutely hilarious official opening moment of the Olympics provided by the Queen (you know when you do something wrong and your mom makes you say you are sorry, and you do it, but with an obvious displeasure? that is exactly what she looked like). In the end, it was worth the wait, because we move on to the most anticipated moment of the night, the arrival of the Olympic flame (hello mister Beckham), and the beautiful process, as 6 legends literally passed the torch to 6 promising talents, who then lit the actual torch, offering us a breathtaking and symbolic moment to officially open the Summer Olympic Games.

The night ended with some fireworks and Paul McCartney singing Hey Jude.

What can I say? Danny Boyle, you genius, I loved the Opening Ceremony. You did a wonderful job in transforming it into a cinematic event, showcasing not only the British history and culture, but also inspiring people to accept and embrace diversity, equality and passion. The production was fantastic, from the sets and costumes, to the powerful score and direction. I would literally buy a DVD of it right now!

There's no other place I'd rather be than London right now...I have to get out on the streets and into the Olympic Stadium so I can feel the vibe of the Games.

I want to hear from you and I have a lot of questions: did you see the Ceremony last night? how was it? do you usually watch the Olympic Games? what's your favorite sport? which team are you rooting for? Let me know in the comments!

Superhero Double Bill: Thor and Captain America [2011]

After seeing the SuperBowl trailer of Avengers, I got interested in the movie, so I decided to check out the two movies I didn't get to see last year in order to welcome Avengers with open arms and good knowledge of the characters and story.

What I can say about both movies is that they are both entertaining and clearly popcorn movies, without serious story or character development (the closest to that was Loki, but more on him later). It was fun to watch, and I was surprised to notice how easily I relaxed and just enjoyed myself- I also felt like my mind was somehow shrunken and all I could say was Cool, wow or Awesome- call it the Superhero effect!

Overall, I do feel Thor was much better than Captain America, and I am now excited to see The Avengers.

First up to watch was

Thor

Directed by Kenneth Branagh (surprisingly, considering his classic and Shakespeare background) and with a script penned by Ashley Miller, Zach Stentz and Don Payne, the story is based on the comic books about Thor, the god of thunder. The powerful, but arrogant Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, after acting foolishly. His younger brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) takes advantage of the situation and through lies and devious actions, he becomes the king of Asgard. The story follows not only the growth in character of Thor (in a too-fast paced development of it), but also Loki, who casts aside his insecurities and his jealousy of his brother for the moment and sets out to do greater things.

Maybe it was the fact that I have a soft spot for Brits or maybe because I usually find more interesting the villains of a story, but for me, Loki was superior in every way- his character was stronger and more fascinating, but I think it was Tom Hiddleston who made it stand out. I could really see and understand the changes he was going through, and most importantly, I empathised and still felt the connection with Loki, although he was set out to be a villain. His character was approachable, likeable and although I didn't approve of his actions, especially when it came to his brother, I knew where he was coming from. Also, his powers are very cool- I would have shape-shifting, astral projection, telepathy and teleportation over Thor's magic hammer anytime. I love Hiddleston and I can't wait to see him in Avengers.

Chris Hemsworth definitely had the look and the attitude of Thor, but I wasn't impressed or touched by his performance. I don't think Natalie Portman was right for the job and maybe it was just me, but I felt she over-acted, if that is a word, in most of the scenes. Kat Dennings was great and she brought a much needed fun factor to the movie, and everything Stellan Skarsgard does is good and on the mark, so I was convinced.

As any superhero movie, I had plenty of special effects and fight scenes to sink my teeth in and I wasn't dissapointed. They were visually attractive and dynamic and I was surprised to see how good the directing was, considering Branagh's background, but he did something different, yet very beautiful.

For a popcorn movie, it's one of the best I've seen in a long time and I think you will enjoy it, as well!


Second in line was

Captain America

Directed by Joe Johnston, with a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Captain America: The First Avenger tells the story of Steve Rogers, a man who, after being deemed unfit for military service, volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into the Captain, a superhero dedicated to defending the USA's ideals.

This one doesn't have too much going for it, but I do have to applaud the casting. Chris Evans is perfect as The First Avenger, and I love Hayley Atwell much more than Natalie Portman, as a character and an actress. Other great supporting roles are filled by people like Stanley Tucci (this man is in almost every big movie in Hollywood every year, but doesn't get half the credit he deserves), Sebastian Stan (as the sidekick), Tommy Lee Jones, Dominic Cooper and, of course, Hugo Weaving, as the main villain, Red Skull.

I'm not saying it is a bad movie or that it isn't entertaining, it's just not as good as the other Marvel movies. Maybe it's the over the top action sequences and fights, maybe it's the clicheeic and predictable script and dialogue, or just the usual combination of superhero elements that the viewer is already getting tired of. Either way, I wasn't that impressed.

I do think that Captain America will get more interesting in Avengers, because of the team dynamic and it's superior director, screenplay and so on, that's why I am willing to give it a shot.



Like I said before, Thor beats Captain America by a mile in a superhero duel, but I can't wait to see all of the Avengers on screen in May- now that's a Superhero/Popcorn movie!

Did you see these two movies? Which one did you enjoy most? Let me know in the comments!

My week with Marilyn[2011]

I have read mixed reviews about this movie- some hate it and consider it to be foolish and with obvious flaws, some were delighted by it! It all comes down to perspective and expectations; from what point of view are you reviewing it and what were your expectations going in? Here's my take on it!

My week with Marilyn is a good movie- not the best, not a sure bet for Best Picture Oscar 2012 or anything similar, but I enjoyed it. It was simple, catchy, flashy, with a great story and it had its funny moments. I can, and hopefully you, too, enjoy a movie without considering it for awards or examining it from every angle, trying to find its flaws. Maybe the guys won't enjoy it, because, again, like in The Help's case, it is more addressed to women, but there are some beautiful parts to it.

First of all, and the most important one, Michelle Williams is fantastic. She doesn't really look like Monroe, but anyone can appreciate the effort she put into transforming for this part- in every way. I am not very familiar to all of Norma Jean's work, but I do think she was a fascinating character and this movie made me reconsider some points and learn more about her. MW delivers a great performance, perfectly portraying different traits and flaws, emotions and gestures of the famous starlet, adding new layers to her.

Her chemistry with Eddie Redmayne is visible, but not very convincing. All of the time she seemed to consider him as a boy, as a toy, while Colin(ER character) looked up to her like she was a goddess. He was good, but just a supporting act for the great MW and KB(Kenneth Branagh). His lovely, dreamy, "oh, how I adore her" stare is beautiful, but it starts to feel old and annoying by the end. Judi Dench has a wonderful supporting part and you can also find Julia Ormond, Dominic Cooper and Emily Watson there, but with no greater significance.

The film seemed to be shot paparazzi style, with a fast movement of the camera, but I liked that aspect, it fitted the whole Hollywood (actually Pinewood) scenery. The sets and costumes appropriately created the atmosphere of the 1950s and the soundtrack was also, fantastic.

Like I said, it wasn't the perfect film and I didn't think it aimed for that. My week with Marilyn was easy, fun, entertaining and glamorous. Sometimes that is enough- I think you should see it!