Empty-Headed

Conditions: Damned Fine

No Justice

Anders Breivik has been found sane, and guilty in the murders of 70-odd people in Norway, and sentenced to 21 years. 21 Years? Are you freaking kidding me?

While Norwegians are happy with the result, many started to ask what will happen after the imprisonment period ends.

Breivik’s defender Geir Lippestad had previously said that the Norwegian community must prepare for the days when Breivik would be back among them. But the Norwegian politicians do not agree with Lippestad.

- In all probability, Anders Behring Breivik will remain isolated in the rest of his life, says deputy chairman of Parliament’s Justice Committee and Labour Party Justice spokesman Jan Bøhler to Dagsavisen.

Bøhler noted that he could be jailed for his own sake and society’s safety.

Also the Centre Party (Sp), and Christian Democratic Party (KrF) see the idea of Breivik’s release into the society entirely inconceivable.

- tnp.no/norway/

So while everyone agrees that Breivik should probably not come back out of jail, that doesn't change the fact that he's only been sentenced to 21 lousy years! How exactly is that justice for this monster? If ever there was a guy worthy of at least being locked up for several life sentences, it's this guy.


Film Review: The Bourne Legacy

It’s kind of funny how obvious the industry is becoming about its product. When Matt Damon signed off from the Bourne films after the requisite 2 sequels, the franchise holders were faced with a dilemma. Obviously they need to keep cranking out sequels for this viable franchise, so do they cast a new guy to be Bourne, or try for some kind of offshoot type of film? They’ve decided to go with the latter option but have taken extreme care to keep harking back to the first three films, often through showing TV-news type footage of what Bourne is up to, to keep us all up to speed. Jeremy Renner has been drafted in as the offshoot Bourne, and the story couldn’t be plainer. Another enhanced super-soldier, Renner is running for his life as the authorities have decided to shut the whole project down and kill everyone involved, thanks to Bourne going public.

Dependant on the pills that make him strong and smart, he then rescues scientist Rachel Wiez before she gets killed as well, then the two of them escape in order to cure him of his pill habit and ...live happily ever after, I guess. There are no thoughts of revenge, no remorse, no attack against the system like we had in earlier films. Just running and fighting. The film relies on a big motorcycle chase finale set in Manila where Renner and Wiez try to escape another super soldier who’s trying to kill them both. And it needed it, as we’d really started to tire of constant scenes where a room full of technicians yell at each other while trying to figure out what’s going on. I don’t know why filmmakers think this kind of thing is entertaining, and it’s been a “feature” of all the Bourne films. Maybe it was okay in the first one, but it’s just tedious now.

Another tedious thing is the Bourne camerawork. The first film was fine, thanks to initial director Doug Liman, but the new director for two and three made his name shaking the camera around for all he was worth, and the idea has caught on. Like a plague of cholera. This one uses some shakiness as well, and it’s as annoying and distracting as ever. You know, I’m not entirely sure this film needed to be made, or that it really needed to be a film. The story is as simple as can be, and really quite empty. I suspect there are some machinations at work here to bring about a Damon/Renner mash up sequel in the future. I’m getting tired of films being used just to setup future sequels. Two shots out of five.



- Peace out