Hans' Milieu

Today is Valentines day. A solitary day of the year reserved for promoting all things related to ‘love’.

Conventional wisdom, courtesy of intense commercialistation, would have you believe that this day is purely for celebrating with your significant other. You know, the person whose morning breathe, to you, smells like peaches and cream;  the individual who will literally bend over backwards to please you; ‘your own personal brand of heroine’… etcetera!

There is no doubt that Valentines is great; if you have a significant other to share it with. Although Valentines is about love and may be celebrated with a sibling or parent, we all know that the end results are just not as rewarding.

What Valentines day succeeds in doing, however, is making everyone who is not in an active relationship, aware of how ‘single’ they are.

Truth be told, it is actually the perfect day for single people to get together and mingle, without much consequence, as most of the ‘relationship’ folk would be ‘occupied’. Consequently, there is no need to spend the day alone. Instead, you can go out and meet new people, all while having fun! Hence, ‘Singles Awareness Day’ (SAD) was born":

On Singles Awareness Day, single people gather to celebrate or to commiserate in their single status. Some want to remind romantic couples that they don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate life. On this day many people wear green, as it is considered to be the ‘opposite’ of red.                 (Wikipedia, 2009)

So the next time Valentines Day comes around and you happen to be single, embrace it. Be happy with who you are and make the most of it; and do not forget to get together with a group of single people and party the night away!

I hope you all have an amazing day, filled with love and new experiences.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Before we left South Africa for our Australian holiday, I was aware that I would be missing the midnight screening of the latest cinematic instalment of the Twilight Saga: New Moon. An event that I was not only looking forward to but one that  I had made partial plans for with friends and family. I will not beat around the bush, I was bummed about it. Not only would I miss the midnight premiere but I would also be unable to share the experience with those closest to me. However, that all changed once I stepped foot in the land down under.

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“Why did van der Merwe keep a pair of scissors in his racing car?
So he could cut the corners!”

For the last several months, ever since first viewing the initial teaser trailer, there has only been one movie to have successfully garnered my obsessive anxiety.

Not Slumdog Millionaire. Not Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Not even the infallible Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. No, this exclusive obsession could not be for any ordinary movie or typical Hollywood cash cow.

Instead, my focus has continuously been drawn to a movie which is set, surprisingly, in the very city within which I live.

That movie has been none other than this years science fiction sleeper hit, District 9.

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A few months ago, regrettably only after breaking my arm, I was approached by a well known South African public relations firm for my review of the ‘South African Premiere of Slumdog Millionaire’. Subsequently, I was kindly asked if I would be interested in being a part of their mailing list and any future ‘events’. Of course I responded with a resounding ‘yes’!

Since that time, I have been kept up to date and privy to the latest in South African box office records, figures and events. Often incorporating the information into my posts whenever I deem the data to be informative, applicable and or appropriate. To my surprise, it appears that the fruits of my labour have begun to ripen.

Last week, I unexpectedly received an official invitation to an actual ‘press screening’ of an as yet unreleased film. It goes without saying that I was incredibly taken aback and immensely excited. After all, it was the first time that I had been invited to an event as a ‘recognised’ member of the press.

The invitation was to the screening of ‘The Human Contract’, which serves as Jada Pinkett Smiths debut as both a writer and director.

The Human Contract focuses on charming, self-made marketing entrepreneur Julian Wright (Jason Clarke), who is constantly tormented by a viciously disturbing secret that he has harboured from childhood. With his personal life in shambles and physical pain his only means of solace, Julian becomes entrapped in an open styled love affair with a gorgeously elusive stranger, Michael Reed (Paz Vega), who tempts him from the rigid confines of corporate life to try and explore a bohemian laden lifestyle. A decision that will not only dramatically affect his life, but also the lives of his co-workers, friends and family.

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The movie was, for lack of a better word, incredible!

Like most book to movie conversions, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is, unfortunately, not a visually literal word for word transfer; but that was to be expected. If a literal conversion was what you were hoping for, then I am afraid that you may be sorely disappointed.

What people fail to remember, is that the movie is only based on the book. As a result, for better or worse, a certain degree of creative freedom was bestowed on the director and screenwriters. Consequently, the movie is rather different when compared to the original telling of The Half-Blood Prince, with several ‘what were they thinking’ moments. However, for what the movie is, an artfully driven visual gateway into the world of Harry Potter, the movie was, in my humble opinion, magnificent!

With this latest movie installment of the Harry Potter series, the visual cinematic flair is flush with the book. It is the first time that one of the Harry Potter movies has managed to effectively capture the progressively dark themes found in the books. This is, no doubt, in part due to the maturation of the target audience and the actors, who now have a broader and more refined range of acting skill. In this sense the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie is the closest, in feeling and atmosphere, to any of the books in the Harry Potter series, thus far.

Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince is a dark, magical, funny and charming adventure that is both gripping and spellbinding. This is how Harry Potter should have been adapted from the beginning. David Yates takes the fantasy from the heights of a broomstick-flying romantic comedy right down to the depths of a bone-chilling adventure. The whole mix of genres is perfectly balanced, shifting from one foot to the next as the audience is introduced to a new facet of the story, each chapter as funny, exciting and scary as the previous one (Spling Movies, 2009).

The screenplay and production values for the movie are spectacular. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will make you cringe with familiarity, jump in your seat with fear, laugh out loud with joy and cry with sorrow. The movie is splendidly well rounded and an absolutely fantastic journey from start to finish, for both the young and the old. Furthermore, the movie has spectacularly noteworthy special effects, amazing camera work and a visual flair that will make any audience member dry eyed.

Although fans of the books may be disappointed with the overall translation from text to screen, it is important to enjoy the movie for what it is: a visual smorgasbord of Harry Potter goodness, no matter how off base the movies are to the books. That said, fans brought up on the movie renditions of the books will naturally love this movie.

I consider myself to be a true Harry Potter fan, having read all of the books multiple times, owning various pieces of memorabilia (see the above photograph) and having many intense late night discussions, with friends and family, about Harry’s inevitable fate. Even so I thoroughly, no, immensely enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well produced action and adventure movie!

The Red Carpet gives Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 8/10. The movie is a must see!

The movie was screened at the Il Grande theatre in Monte Casino, Johannesburg. On a side note, I would like to mention that the evening was a ‘magical’ success, with only one discrepancy. Toward the end of the evening, members of The Red Carpet made their way to Cafe Fego, in Monte Casino, for the after movie discussion. Upon settling the bill, with a fairly generous 10% tip, and just as the group was about to depart, our waiter turns to us and asks if everything was to our satisfaction. To which we replied that it was. He then proceeded to ask for a bigger tip indicating that what we had given was not enough. Have you ever heard of such insolence? A tip is not mandatory; it is merely a showing of good will. To have the audacity to ask for more is not only unprofessional but ungrateful. Consequently, Cafe Fego has lost several customers for the foreseeable future. What is the moral of the story? Take your change and tip well where it is appreciated, either at Seattle Coffee or Mugg & Bean.

*UPDATE*: For an almost perfect Butterbeer recipe, click here.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!