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:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: fook saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

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Oh for feck sake pols!! Every time I look at your initial post it’s different lol

Ok.. number 2??

:twisted:

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@sugarnspice wrote:

wtf have you two done to this thread :D

I thinks she’s on the sauce sugar :roll:

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@(f)politics? wrote:

erm errr umm well ive heard ur singing :lol: but i guess its 3 lol

:lol: .. and Number 3 is correct!!
Yes, I had my voice trained many moons ago.
Yes, Pierce Brosnan is my second cousin.
No, I’ve never played U18 footie for Ireland lol.

Okay, was I right with you?
Or did you balls that up too ? :lol:

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lol pols.. ok.. so you’re saying my Number 1 is the lie then?

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Well pols…
Number 2 is ….

WRONG!!!!!

#-o

I’m guessing Number 3 for you?

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@bassingbourne55 wrote:

Can anyone remember when we had a good government? I can’t and I’m 54.

We are still living with the adverse effects of some of the policies of the Thatcher government and even the Wilson government. For instance, in Thatcher’s case, the abandonment of manufacturing industry in favour of service industry and the bad behaviour of some of the privatised utilities. In the case of the Wilson government, the long shadow of a culture of continuous public sector empire-building is still cast over us.

The thing is, government is to do with solving problems. They can never please everyone and as time goes by there more and more people become displeased with any particular government.

I call it Bassingbourne’s Theory of Inevitable Unpopularity.

Let me be the first to publically subscribe to BTIU 8)
I agree one hundred percent.

As for Britain’s Labour government’s “legacy” as it were, and in particular Mr. Blair? Well, as a “foreigner”, I can only say that peace on the island of Ireland could never have been brokered without him.
Granted, I can’t say I’m too enamoured with a great deal of Labour’s broader policies (in particular with regard to foreign affairs), but his crucial role in the Northern Irish issue was and is indisputable.. and one that he should be quite rightly praised and remembered for.

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1. I’ve had my voice classically trained

2. I’m related to actor Pierce Brosnan

3. I once played Under 18s football for the Republic Of Ireland

:-k

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ANGELS AND DEMONS

The second film in Dan Brown’s hugely successful Robert Langdon series is actually an adaptation of the first novel featuring the now legendary professor of symbology – and, for better or worse, we have Messrs. Ron Howard and Tom Hanks at the forefront of things yet again.

Right then.. On paper one would think choosing Howard to helm and Hanks to star the logical decision. Afterall THE DA VINCI CODE did rack up enough dosh to almost end Third World debt. So, why try fix a thing that’s not broken huh? You see the thing is, numbers wise, THE DA VINCI CODE was never ever going to be a broken thing anyway. The whole world and it’s mother was going to go see it regardless of whether it was Charles Manson in the director’s chair or a duck billed platypus navigating the cultural hotspots of Paris. Commercially, the film was always going to be a winner. Even if it was a narcoleptic sludge-trek through talk.. and more talk.. and even more talk, oh and with a smidgeon of action thrown in. Which, well, it kinda was.
Howard’s chief crime with the first film was artistic cowardice. Harsh you may say? Perhaps. But not having the proverbial testicles to indeed castrate some of the more ploddy, literary aspects of THE DA VINCI CODE book and shape some manner of cohesive, compact FILM of the project displayed a villainous reticence on his part, and the subsequent yawnfest ensued. Add to this the bollock-kickingly dumb decision to cast Tom Hanks as Langdon and what you had was a golden opportunity wasted. Arses were on seats yes, but by God they were numb a couple of hours later.

In short, not a lot of people liked THE DA VINCI CODE film.

Thankfully, ANGELS AND DEMONS is a darn site better.

All taking place in the space of a single day/night, we see a trimmer, more relaxed Hanks return to actually assist the Roman Catholic hierarchy this time, as the Vatican’s old enemy “The Illuminati” come from the shadows to claim ultimate revenge for the outlawing, persecution and slaughter of enlightened, scientific minds down through the ages (because, as their name suggests, they are.. well.. enlightened, scientific types innit?).
Fate would have it that their chief weapon in the war on Faith will be a bomb to blow the Vatican to erm.. high heaven, and one made from perhaps the most significant scientific breakthrough of the age no less – “Anti-Matter” – an incredibly powerful, yet apocalyptic renewable energy source stolen from the cheerful souls of CERN in Switzerland after they perfected it with their great big feck off Hadron Collider thingy.

To make the timing all the more delicious, we are in a time of Papal transition. The heir to the throne of St Peter has recently popped his Armani clogs and the uber secretive, ancient ritual (or “conclave”) of electing the new Popey is about to get started. During this period (known as “Sede Vacante”), administration of The Holy See and all things Papal and beautiful are ceded temporarily to the “Camerlengo”, or chamberlain, a deputy who keeps things ticking over before the arrival of the new guy. A bit like Avram Grant was at Chelsea.. only obviously not as Jewish.

Still with me? Grand. Don’t worry, not long to go now.
Along with the bomb, the Camerlengo (a decent Ewan McGregor having a good stab at an Irish accent) has to contend with the four favourites (or “Preferiti”) for becoming next Pope being kidnapped. They are to be sacrificed according to the four pillars of ancient science – Earth,Wind, Fire and Water – within the space of an hour of each other on the night in question.
So, after a (blissfully) short exposition period, we begin the race against time. Hanks, assisted by dark, sultry CERN squeeze (Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer) belts it around Rome trying to decipher veiled clues in the Eternal City’s magnificent architecture, sculpture, books and history.. always steps behind, but always getting closer. It is here where the film works best. The jurisdictional nightmare that is the Vatican.. policed by it’s own detectives, the Italian police and the fanatically secretive Swiss Guard is played out well. The guard chief, played by the always dependable Stellan Skarsgaard, ever suspicious of Hanks and his motives is a perfect example of the bureaucratic and religious paranoia exhibited in the film. Everyone has rather furrowed brows.. and sideways glances of doubt towards each other (including high ranking cardinals of the conclave itself) keep up a nice,if at times somewhat contrived nervous energy.
The SE7EN – style murder template is clever and tightly applied and all trundles along pretty harmlessly towards the end. An end that when it comes.. well.. I’m going to leave that one up to you. Let’s just say it will polarise opinion.

As intimated, Hanks is better this time around. But I still think the decision to cast him as Langdon was criminal. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge admirer of him, he is one of my favourite actors.. but the role seems very much an ill-fitting suit for him, though granted, one that he seems to be finding a little more comfort in.

I literally screamed when Howard landed these films. Yet again, not because I dislike his work (the much undervalued CINDERELLA MAN and the recent, brilliant FROST / NIXON are personal faves), but because he is just so wrong for this kind of thing. Howard Approaches source material with a curious sentiment and reverence, and when this works (as in the two movies above) it nails something, in an urgent and thoroughly effective manner. When it doesn’t, it’s listless and boring.
In saying that, ANGELS AND DEMONS goes a long way in exorcising the ghost of THE DA VINCI CODE. Dan Brown’s novels are a wonderful mixture of profound idealogy and suspense and utter, nonsensical tosh.. ie pure entertainment.. and whilst this film never quite reaches the heights of pure entertainment, it is entertaining nonetheless.

=D> =D> =D>

(ANGELS AND DEMONS is currently available to rent/buy on DVD/BLU RAY)

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Lavender

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