Until a couple of weeks ago I thought that the word Quagmire was a surname. That's what happens when you start taking Family Guy too seriously. Well, it turns out that quagmire is a word which means:-

1. soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot
2. a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position

Talking about Family Guy related matter. Check out this clip from the new series. It's an absolute pearl!

Once (3 stars) - Once is an amateur shot, Oscar winning (2008) musical shot in Dublin. If you've ever visited Dublin you’ll easily recognise most of the spots where the film was shot. I think the film portrays life as a young immigrant in Dublin quite well. Apart from that though there aren't many other reasons to watch the movie. The music is kind of ok, but it's enough if hear the Oscar winning song on myspace. I found the plot a bit lame and quite anti-romantic, but then the movie wasn't plot oriented.

Ratatouille (4 stars) - A cute relaxing Pixar movie about a rat who likes cooking. Apart from the usual high standard Pixar got us used to, the story can be enjoyed by kids at a simple level, and by adults at a higher level.

My neighbour totoro (4.5 stars) - Brilliant anime. This is probably the equivalent of beauty and beast, or the lion king for Asians, everyone saw it. The movie is directed by Japan’s most famous animator Hayao Miyazaki (who also did Lupin III, Spirited). The movie is about 2 young sisters who find a strange new world, similar to Alice in Wonderland, with cute furry magical creatures. Great stuff!

Lost in translation (2.5 stars) - I had very high expectations for this movie, but was left disappointed by the story. I liked the portrayal of Japanese culture and customs in the film, which was very evident and consistent with what I read about Japan till now. The film is about culture shock, which admittedly is very difficult to capture on film. However, I think that this aspect was dampened by the subplot of potential romance between Scarlet Johansson and Bill Murray. This might be an Oscar worthy movie, but maybe not an enjoyable one.

The Dark Knight (5 stars) - I honestly can't remember the last time I gave 5 stars to a movie, but probably it was fight club. This movie is just fantastic. Class! Perfect! I can keep going on and on with superlatives, but I think you got the drift. If you're unsure about it because it's a batman movie, don't be. True batman can fly just a bit, but his super powers are very limited compared to other superheroes. This could have easily been a fast paced, high tech, highly polished action movie with no super powers. Not entirely unlike a James Bond on steroids. There are super cars, super bikes, great action sequences, plot twists, ethical dilemmas, what more can you pack in 2.5 hrs of film. Probably nothing!

It's always sunny in Philadelphia! This series is good, and by good I mean really really really good. It's about a group of 4 friends in their late 20s who run an unsuccessful Irish bar in Philadelphia (duh!). This series has a wicked sense of humour and it takes the piss out of topics like racism, abortion, guns, disable people, etc. You get the idea. Very unclean fun ... just my type of humour! I restrained myself to watch the first series over two days but it was very difficult.

Before the Devil Knows You're dead (Review), directed by Sidney Lumet, starts with a widescreen view of Andy’s (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) (Andy) buttocks swaying at the rhythm of some doggy style sex with Gina (Marisa Tomei). The next scene takes us to the day of the robbery, a robbery the two brothers, Andy and Hank (Ethan Hawke) planned on a diamond shop. That's just about the first 5 minutes of the 2 hour movie, but it's as far as I will go with the plot without spoiling it for you.

The film explores the robber’s family interpersonal relationships and how each family member deals with the chaos of the situation at hand. And there’s loads of chaos going on. It's a combination of choosing the wrong thing to do at the wrong time, and Murphy's Law acting at full force, which makes the whole situation messier than a witch’s cauldron. Each of the 4 main characters has his own way of dealing with the situation, but none of them does anything to make life simpler. The subtitle of the film could be "A portrait of dysfunctional family".

Lumet (83 years old) uses a sequence of flashbacks to tell the story and keep you gripping the sofa with your fingernails with suspense. The flashbacks are only a week long at most, so they are used in an artistic way rather than being required, but this gives a nice twist to the direction of the storytelling.

You know that American movie feel-good feeling? There's nothing like that in this movie. The first word that comes to mind when thinking about the movie is 'sick'. In this case it doesn't mean bad, but it can be potentially disturbing for some people. It's the sort of movie that no matter how twisted and abnormal you feel, at the end of the film your life feels very normal. 4.5/5

I'm not a big fan of Bond movies but I must say that I enjoyed Casino Royale (review). Despite the length of the film the movie keeps flowing and doesn't drag and isn't full of long action sequences. The only longish chase in fact is at the start of the film in Madagascar. This scene opens with a cock-style-fight between a cobra and a mongoose an idea I found amusing, even though somebody forgot that there are no Cobras living in Madagascar. Poetical licence granted anyway.

I think Daniel Craig managed to play a great Bond. In this first bond book by Fleming bond is just promoted to a double-0 and his fineness hasn't yet developed to its full glory. I liked the way Craig played his arrogant egocentric character which still managed to melt the bond girls. Actually this time Bond almost built a relationship with Vesper (Eva Green).

The only pity with the bond girls was that there weren't any blonds. You can barely see the face of the only blond in the movie. Catarina Murino then just appears for about 5 minutes and dies and the rest is all Eva Green. I admit I didn’t quite fancy Green from the magazine pictures but in the movie she develops quite a likeable character.

Rating 3.5/5

Update: If this news is true Cohen should be shot

As everybody I met recently knew about this movie, I'll start by explaining the rating. Borat (review) is a funny film, a very funny film. But it is over hyped. I think it isn't worth all the fuss people made about it. It's a good movie but you don't need to pull your hair out if you miss it at the cinema. That said if you want to go to the cinema the trailers they showed didn't offer any interesting alternatives so for that reason you might as well go and watch Borat. Rating 3.5/5

Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) is a journalist in Kazakhstan who got an assignment to go to the US to learn the American way of life to suggest improvements for Kazakhstan. Watch the trailer at the official Website.The film starts in Kazakhstan with Borat introducing the village people including the village rapist, the 4th classified prostitute whom he French kisses and later introduces as his sister, his wife who promises to cut off his pole if he misbehaves in the US, and some other villagers. The way Borat speaks is the most defining characteristic of Cohen and I'm sure that I'm going to hear somebody speaking 'Borat's English' very soon.

The introduction gives you a taste of the humour you're to expect from the film. It's full of explicit language, sexual references, and brutal culture bashing. The film is offensive an in the offensiveness lies most of its humour. The only part I thought was insulting was the introduction which portrayed Kazakhstan badly, but that's because I've got a soft spot for these countries. This only lasted for the first five minutes of the film, because the rest of the film has absolutely nothing to do with Kazakhstan.

Borat travels to New York to start the documentary. He starts by stressing his uncivilised nature by thinking that the hotel lift is his hotel room and washing his face with toilet water. Then he settles on the bed to watch TV and from a rerun of Baywatch he learns about Pamela Anderson, who has the ass of a 7 year old, and decides that he wants to marry her. The news that his wife died is greeted with a high-five, and off he goes from New York to California to find Pamela. During the road trip through America, Borat meets people from different sub-cultures like the feminists, the black gangs, a traditional American dinner and the Jews. The Jews are given the worst treatment of them all, and I found the gag of the shape shifters hilarious.

Enough said about the jokes not to spoil the fun. The film is full of jokes and I don't think there is a minute that passes without a joke being made. The good thing about the jokes is that they're fast jokes and they end the minute they start so they don't get long winded.

It's been some time since I've enjoyed the movies even more so when you consider that the last film I watched, The History Boys, stimulated my homophobic glands as no other film has ever done before. The comeback to the cinema could hardly have been any better when last Friday I went to watch The Departed (review - 93%) directed by Martin Scorsese.

The story is set in South Boston where mobster Frank Costello (Jack Nicolson) is the most wanted criminal by the local police force. A team of police lead by Ellerby (Alec Baldwin) set upon the tracks of Costello and amongst them there is Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) who as a child grew in graces of Costello, and now is a mole in the police force for his old mentor. Billy Costigan (Leonardo Di Caprio) is the other hot-shot who graduated with Sullivan however because of his dirty family history, he is sent as an undercover agent with Costello's gang to incriminate the Irish mob leader.

As the main actors settle in their respective roles the two cross each other's paths without knowing the identity of the respective opponent, and the plot soon turns into a race of who'll manage to outwit the other. This keeps the suspense of the film sky-high while the two struggle with the psychological consequences of their chosen paths, and a shared girlfriend Madolyn (Vera Farminga).

While the cast is great and all the actors are outstanding I couldn't help thinking that Di Caprio's role would have been better suited for somebody else. Without taking anything of his performance, which is arguably the best one in the film, I think his face is too babyish for the role of tough undercover agent.

What I liked most about the film was that it's not the usual gangster film with gangs shooting each other. The idea of two rats on either side of the playing field is so good that you'd wish that you were the one who came up with it. Towards the end there are a couple of twists peaking in the elevator where the whole situation is resolved. I didn't find a boring minute from the 149 that make the film and I think this film well deserves a rating of 90%+ on rotten tomatoes. 4/5 stars.

While waiting for the Da Vinci Code, which is generating a big controversy in my ex-conservative country, I've watched the following movies recently.

Inside Man (Review) – This Spike Lee picture is a police thriller about a gang of robbers who break into Manhattan Chase dressed as painters and take people in the bank as hostages. The whole film is the usual battle of wits between the gang leader (Clive Owen) and Danzel Washington as the detective on scene. The plot is not bad but nothing particularly brilliant that makes the film worth watching in a cinema. 2.5/5

Be Cool (Review) – With John Travolta, Uma Turman and more guest stars (what is the proper word for them?) than you can shake a stick at this must have been an excellent film but it's definitely the worst film I've watched this year. It's all about getting a music talent from nothing to music superstar while dodging past different gangsters who vainly try to be somewhere between though and funny but end up being pathetic. 1/5

Family Stone (Review) – It's not quite the season for this Christmas time romantic comedy which stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Meradith an uptight girlfriend that goes for Christmas period to meet her boyfriend's (Dermot Mulroney) family. The story is all about Meredith trying to integrate into the liberal open minded family who haven't yet got to terms with accepting this new addition to their family. Family Stone is an easy going romantic comedy with the usual clichés and predictable plot. 3/5

I allowed myself to get dragged to watch this film because it's a South African film with an African theme. Tsotsi (Review – 80%) is the word for thug so the story is about this thug nicknamed Tsotsi, a part brilliantly played by Presley Chweneyagae. The first part of the film shows Tsotsi as a gang leader in Africa who does a great job of showing his cruelty in his actions and facial expressions rather than in his words. Tsotsi ruthlessness is first seen in a gang attack on the subway where a rich man is coldly murdered, then later in a bar where Tsotsi fiercely beats one of his own men. In the second third of the film there's a turning point after a gang attack to steal a Mercedes from a rich lady.

Throughout the film, director Gavin Hood, creates some very crude shots which are quite disturbing because of their potential reality in the poverty of Africa. Tsotsi is quite short running at 94 minutes, and it has a fast pace. The film is completely driven by the story and doesn't directly attempt to document Africa specifically, although I think it could have had with some more African specific themes while still keeping the pace of the story. All in all it was a good film that is sure to keep you interested and with your eyes wide open – 4/5.

Last Friday before leaving work my new colleagues asked me what plans I had for the weekend but I had none except for cleaning the kitchen; ha ha housewife mike. Despite my lack of plans I ended up with a rather full weekend and I didn't clean the kitchen.

On Friday since I already was had lunch at Eddie Rockets on my work pals (the joys of being young newbie) I afforded to arrive late at home. After turning down an offer to go and watch a play I decided to go out alone and watch a movie at the theaters in the shopping center. After a 15 minutes quick walk I arrived at the UCI Cinemas and paid 9 Euros for a ticket to watch Hostel (Review). I can't remember the last time I went to a cinema alone (if I ever did) and it felt a bit funny at first, but then the film was the same whether alone or accompanied so it turned out not to be so fastidious. Going back home I discussed the film with Nikoali Illaws, my new imaginary friend, (told you I was going to get one) and he agreed with me that I could have spent the 9 Euros better.

The film starts with a "Quentin Tarantino presents" header which is nothing by a marketing gimmick, as if the name alone can make a great film. It is about 3 backpackers who are lured in Bratislava in pursuit of hot sexy chicks. They get the chicks alright, but with some side-effects as one by one they start disappearing. The film is supposed to be a horror movie, but while the gore isn't missing the horror must have remained trapped in the authors head. I found it funnier than scarier so it gets a 2/5.

On Saturday I lazed most of the morning and after breakfast I cleaned my bathroom. There's a first time for everything. In the afternoon we went to the city center and I brought 3 cheap books about Ireland and a comic novel, then at night we went back to the city center but returned back early.

On the last day of the week I went to the coast of Dublin for the first time. Because the morning wind discouraged my new conational friend we changed plans and instead of going to Killiney we went to Sandycove to visit James's Joyce tower and Dun Laoghaire. To arrive there we took a DART train from O'Connelly Station in the city center and stopped at Sandycove.

James Joyce is the author of Ulysses and James Joyce Tower is basically a tower in which he spent a few days and is mentioned in one of his books. Inside there's a sort of museum which costs a hefty 6.50 Euros just to see a couple of Joyce's stuff, manuscripts, paintings, bust and other small things you'd expect in a museum. Not worth it unless you're really into literature.

It's a pity I haven't yet got a camera as Sandycove deserved a couple of photos. There's a decent stretch of beach that hosts many seagulls and the occasional cormorant. Despite the usual rain and wind the walk was nice and the company was good. We also saw some mad sadistic people bathing in the freezing waters which deserve a mention for their courage or stupidity, depending on how you look at it.

Halfway through our outing we met another person who's also from our country. I've made a couple of new friends but unsurprisingly enough they are all from my mother country. We'll soon open a community of immigrants if it continues like this.

Walking back to Sandycove from the coast we ended up in Dun Laoghaire. Apparently here there's a ferry that'll take you to Wales in about 90 minutes, an option that I might consider in June, although probably a plane would be a better option. We had lunch at a café which was the first place I've visited that didn't serve beer then went back by the DART train to the city center. Before returning back home we went shopping for groceries – yes you can do that at 7pm on Sunday here in Dublin.

I don't like war movies and this film is about war. The movie is strong, realistic and about war. Are you thinking of "Saving Private Ryan" by now? Nope it isn't anywhere near, I'll give you another hint - applicable to our current day - are thinking about Iraq? another hint - it's humourous ... what could you be thinking now?

Lord of war (Review) is about an arms trader, Nicolas Cage, who as the name suggests makes a living by trading arms. The script is very well written, very witty and uses a narrator which I really like. The opening sequence that follows the life of a bullet from it's manufacture till it's destined end is a perfect prelude to a truly fantastic thought provoking picture. I say it's a happy film of a sad reality. 5/5 (Best film of the year)

I promise this is unreadable.

This week was a busy but productive week. I completed the summary of the conference but I think it's too messed up to make a proper reading. At work I had two different training sessions and uncovered a complete mess with some data that's crucial for our RM system. All this apart from another system that stopped working completely and the software supplier and our handler are blaming each other and nobody wants to change this system. The end result is that none of them are doing anything and we have no system. The best moment of the week was when I read the enhancement costs of a system I wasn't allowed to program because of outsourcing … to give you an example - they want $240 for setting the default value of 8 combo boxes to empty.

This week we probably broke a record because we went out on four consecutive days. On Thursday we went for dinner with our ex-pal so I had the opportunity to update him on what's happening at work and more importantly on our boss's gaffs. Speaking about the boss, I was reading a job interview book and one of the potential questions was: name some good characteristics of your boss? Holy shit I can't even think of one. Whatever, on Friday we went to watch one of our friends play at a local pub with his band. Cool, but it would have been funnier if the female vocalist actually fell off the stage, as she almost did. On Saturday after playing disastrous volleyball (and we lost 4-3) we went to watch Spain vs Slovakia (5 - 1) at a pub. Goals were nice, Guinness was good and I drove back home wet. Today we went to watch The legend of Zorro (Review). Even though I was dead tired I managed not to drowse during the film. 4 stars.

Plans for next week: Post some CVs, start database testing project, learn about health IT and interview techniques.

I'm a bit busy to write so I'm going to quote some article I agree with about Mr and Mrs Smith:-

Overall rating 4.5 / 5

After quiet some time away from the cinema today we went to watch The Interpreter (reviews) by Sydney Pollack starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. This is a fast paced thriller about a United Nations Interpreter (Kidman) who overheard a plan to kill the president of the fictional African country of Matobo. The underlying theme of the film is about the problems of rebels and ethnic cleansing in Africa which at times drive the film into suspenseful drama. (4 / 5 stars)

Last time I watched a movie of his he was a pirate and today he was a pitiful divorced loner whose beautiful wife shared her bed with another man. The Secret Window (Review) will not become a cult movie but I didn't sleep either, even though at times it dragged a bit and lacked ideas. The story is about Mort (Johnny Depp) who's just divorced and consequently run into a writers block that turned him into a sloth, the only thing you'd wish upon yourself in the movie. Ok sorry I forgot his wife (Maria Bello). Once upon a time a heavily accented a stranger appears at Mort door and accuses him of plagiarizing a story of his called the secret window. From then onwards a sequence of uncreative accidents start to happen to Mort ending in a pretty predictable ending. The only thing that saves the movie is Depp's performance which highlights the versatility and passion he transmits in his characters. 2.5 / 5 stars.