5 things you didn't know about me

I've been invited/challenged by Panos to take part in a viral blog game, in which I reveal 5 things about me that you (probably) didn't know and then invite 5 more people to do so. Given that during the last couple of years I've spilled my guts on this blog, it's gonna be a challenge to find things you don't already know about me, but here goes:

1. When I was something like 5 years old, my dad and I went for a walk in the park. At some point I started screaming; passers-by called the police because they thought that I had been abducted; the police came and asked me to confirm that the man next to me was my father; I just wouldn't say it, so they took us to the police station for ID check; my mum came around and saved us...

2. In 1985 I took the entry exams for admission to the prestigious Athens Conservatoire. I failed the exams but subsequently was accepted to the National Conservatoire, where I met my new piano teacher, the late Eva Anastassiadou. She became one of the people that have influenced me the most in my life.

3. In 1995 I learned by heart the entire modern history book for the national university admission exams. Throughout the three days before the exam I recited the entire 128-page book from cover to cover to my poor mother who volunteered to help.

4. In 2002 I lived in Notting Hill for four months. If you think that that's posh, let me tell you that, at the time, I was handing out promotional flyers for London's biggest gay club outside pubs and bars.

5. I possess (and have read cover to cover) every single issue of the monthly Greek CINEMA magazine since 1992 or so.

Phew. That's over and done with.

Time for BlondeButBright, Patty, Richie, Dr Me and Mentwras to spill their own guts.

Review: Notes on a Scandal

With a massive bloglag of 10 days, here is my review of Richard Eyre's Notes on a Scandal, which has been nominated for 4 Academy Awards.

+ Despite my earlier comment, that the film's trailer had given away the entire plot, the film is gripping from the beginning to the end. It's a nice little psychological thriller; direction, screenplay, performances, production and design, all work perfectly tuned to produce an interesting and thought-provoking film.

+ Philip Glass's music is absolutely brilliant. I've already mentioned that Philip Glass is one of my favourite composers ever; his score for The Hours is probably the biggest masterpiece in film music. His score for Notes on a Scandal really marks a move forward in his work literally co-shaping the film; the score is haunting, continuous, subtle yet effective, typically minimalistic yet melodic. I'm really excited about Glass being nominated for an Oscar and hope he finally wins it because he totally deserves it.

+ Performances are brilliant all around. Judi Dench... best performance in her career, and this comes from a true fan. In many respects, Barbara Covett (her character in Notes on a Scandal) is different from anything she's done before (let's admit that she had started being typecasted recently in the power-female roles). The role is also much more complex, rich and well-written than Helen Mirren's Queen Elizabeth. Don't get me wrong - I loved Mirren in The Queen. But Judy Dench's performance is really much "beefier" than Mirren's and although the latter is 110% a favourite to win the Oscar on Sunday night, I wouldn't be surprised if Dench went away with it. She certainly deserves it much more than the Oscar for the 8-minute non-performance in Shakespeare in Love.

+ Cate Blanchett juuuuuust about manages to escape repeating the mannerisms of previous performances; her performance in Notes on a Scandal manages to go beyond repetition of her semi-mental role in The Talented Mr Ripley.

+ [I'd never thought I'd say this]. Not really a big fan of Bill Nighy, yet he manages to give a performance that threatens to steal the show from the two ladies. His portrayal of the tired and expired middle-class Guardian-reading family Londoner is original and painfully accurate.

Overall, the film finds a good balance between the intimacy of a psychological thriller and the running social commentary. While the latter is subtler than I would have personally liked it to be, the film is still an engaging and memorable experience.

R.I.P. Ian Richardson, 1934 - 2007

One of my favourite actors, Ian Richardson, died today in his sleep. Richardson was 72 and best known for his masterful performance of ruthless Prime Minister Francis Urquhart in the BBC "House of Cards" trilogy (The House of Cards, To Play the King, The Final Cut).

Haunting voice and eyes that could make you shudder with even the slightest glimpse of anger, acid sense of humour, and a career that spanned 45 years from Shakespeare to Le Carre.

Some of his most notable / famous performances: Marat/Sade, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Brazil, The Fourth Protocol, The Winslow Boy, Dark City, Bleak House, and the upcoming Becoming Jane.