2 works of art

In my neverending quest to make myself "better" during my forced hiatus, I find myself looking for new books and movies to brighten my days, lengthen my nights, and make me a man of intelligence. I figure I have about 40 years to go.

Anyway, 2 recent discoveries:

Sunshine is a film I would normally have little to no interest in seeing. Space movies just don't do it for me. Two things drew me to it, though: the movie poster and Danny Boyle. Mr Boyle of Trainspotting fame. If you've seen Trainspotting, you might be asking yourself how a director of that, um, talent can possibly direct a movie about astronauts. The answer: very well.

The hero of the movie, or last man standing, is probably a surprise to no one. The movie is hardly full of familiar faces or names, so the one person you will recognize is definitely going to be the one that carries the torch. Outside of that one predictability, the whole movie is full of twists and turns. To say it is visually stunning is a great understatement. I literally walked away wondering how they made this film and how long it took from first shot through final edit.

The story focuses on a group of astronauts charged with the duty of flying to the sun in order to re-light it from its current state of dullness. How is THAT for the anti-global warming movie of the year?? One attempt was made in the past, but that mission failed and now these brave young soldiers are attempting something that, win or lose, will probably result in their death.

The story is fresh, the acting is really quite superb, the twists border on horror, yet also hit the sadness and what-would-YOU-do bone. Looking back, there is barely a life lesson untouched. I must also say that the last 10-15minutes could be the most gripping and spellbinding end to a movie that I have seen in years. I really cannot recommend this movie more highly.

My second surprise: Boomsday. This book by Christopher Buckley is eye-catching by cover alone. I implore you to not stop there.

Based around a blogger rallying the public around the idea of killing yourself by the age of 65 or 70 and receiving tax breaks to do so, it is a fantastic piece of fiction that could quite possibly ring true in coming years. Especially here in Canada we hear of the possibility that pension money will run out as people live longer, retire earlier, etc. Not much will be left when the 20 and 30 year olds hit that grand old age and what is to be done then?

Not being an avid reader, it takes some wit and, admittedly, humour to keep me enthralled with the written word to the extent of finishing a book in quick order. This one took me all of 2 days. The quick wit, staccato writing, the here-and-nowness of the subject and the "I wonder if this could ever really happen" aspects had me becoming quite the little pageturner. Again, highly recommended.

Also, take a look around the Twelve Publishers website. They have a great idea behind their company and I, for one, will be very supportive of their books.

Take care, until next time.

Also, remember to visit my pop culture website for hits and misses.