Bad *

My blogging activities have ground to a halt in the past week or so. It's that old "my-brain-is-empty" feel that I go through every now and then. So, the first thing that comes into my mind tonight is: "Watched the film Dirty Pretty Things on Saturday night and thought it as equally as bad a film as Gangs of New York (see previous post). While its intentions may very well have been good, the execution was appalling. Terrible script, implausible storyline throughout and, generally, scenarios which just would not happen in reality. In saying that, you could sense that the main actors - Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tatou - can do the business, but only with better tools to work with.
Ejiofor is supposed to be an illegal immigrant who seems to work both day and night and, although the reason why he had to flee Nigeria is explained at one point, it is never explained why he has not applied for asylum - very strange! Not only that, but - and don't read if you don't want to know the end - absolutely no reason or explanation for why he returns to Nigeria at the end of the film cos that's where his daughter is. Wouldn't it have made more sense to have sent all the money he was saving to his daughter to get out rather than simply use it to go back again where his life is supposed to be in danger?
And on to the lovely and gorgeous Tatou. And I mention the words "lovely" and gorgeous" cos I can find no other reason why this well known French actor is playing the part of a Turkish asylum seeker. And, again, I don't recall any explanation why she is seeking asylum. There's one scene involving Tatou's character where the cartoon character immigration officials - greasy, unshaven, uncouth invividuals (yes, I know immigration officials can be bastards, but that does not mean that they are a bunch of slobby lumpen loonies) - who pounce on the overcrowded sweatshop she is forced to work in. Now, you would expect that a packed out sweatshop inhabited by cheap foreign labour would be ideal territory for immigration officers, but, no, they only have interest in one individual.
The whole film is stupid and doesn't make sense in any way whatsover and has no redeeming features to be recommended - in a word, it's shite.
I'm sure I'll have a better time tomorrow night when I accompany Messalina to the Renoir to see The Consequences of Love. And I'll tell you all about it afterward.

* Michael Jackson