I spotted this extended family of geese beside the river this morning. Sadly their distance, the light and the chain link fence I was aiming my lens through prevented me from capturing a better photo. They were very cute though.

I don't usually make political comments, largely because it's normally a terribly boring thing to talk about. However, the situation of Japan's "revolving door Prime Ministers", as they have become known, is farcical enough to be more interesting.
 

Summer arrived last week, briefly. Then went into hiding again when the long weekend brought with it rain, hail and overcast skies. I actually walked to work without my coat for a couple of days last week - the first time this year. I'm wrapped back up in it today though. I'm not keen on heat, so a short delay before summer kicks off properly is not unwelcome.

During the short sunny spell, I found a clump of dandelions that had erupted into seed quite early. I managed to capture this one before it released its progeny into the wind.

The various news agencies are making it difficult to forget that the UK general election is just around the corner. A further reminder came in the form of this sight that greeted me when I arrived home this evening...

It's the tarmac beneath the mailboxes for the complex of flats in which I reside (the mailboxes themselves are on a wall just to the left of the picture). Every other political party has managed to deliver their bits and pieces properly. Even the parties that individually addressed their campaign material (which therefore required sorting on delivery) put each letter into the correct mailbox. It's not as if the UKIP representatives placed one in each mailbox and then accidentally dropped a few. The mailboxes were all empty; they couldn't be bothered to make the effort and just dumped a pile on the floor. If a party doesn't care enough to accomplish even this simple task, I don't really see how they expect me to believe that they are capable of running a country. Of course, some UKIP critics may argue that the leaflets have indeed been delivered correctly and that they're where they belong... Only a few more days and then the country will become a little less crazy again.

Well, perhaps. But we seem to be off to a good start. These two moved in with my family last week and I was introduced at the weekend. Although both around two years of age, this is the first time in their lives they have had full contact with humans, so I'm sure there will be interesting times ahead.

Completely unrelated random link: Naoko Yamazaki and Soichi Noguchi perform Sakura Sakura onboard the ISS. Perhaps not an award-winning performance, nor an activity likely to lead to amazing scientific breakthroughs, but fun nonetheless. Sadly I couldn't find a good, full-length video of the occasion (NHK's clip was shorter and the reporter was talking over the top), so the BBC video will have to do.

I think I'll begin clearing out the post backlog with a review of a film I watched a couple of months ago.

I first stumbled across Moon while hopping between videos on YouTube, where I encountered this trailer. My interest piqued, I did a little research and uncovered a film that soon found its way onto my list of things to see.

Although the attention received by Moon fell short of the level lavished on most Hollywood blockbusters, it was noticed by the film industry press and did well in the festival circuit, earning it more publicity than a British independent film would normally expect to receive. Part of that was down to the list of people involved in the project. Made on a budget that probably wouldn't even cover the catering expenses of the average motion picture in California, Moon was the brainchild of Duncan Jones, perhaps better known as Zowie Bowie, son of a moderately famous musician called David. Sam Rockwell starred as the film's protagonist; although a relative unknown, I have seen him in a couple of films before - Galaxy Quest, where he played "Crewman Number 6", the redshirt who was convinced he was fated to die, and THHGTTG, in which he played Zaphod Beeblebrox. Kevin Spacey, one of those famous people I can identify by name but couldn't tell you a single thing he's been in, lent his voice to a character; I imagine his talents don't normally come cheap, so I would hazard a guess that the director used some family influence there.

Rounding out the group of notable names is Clint Mansell, composer of the soundtrack to Requiem for a Dream, a soundtrack I lusted after for a while and even considered watching the film to see it in its natural setting before someone with more sense kindly pointed out that the film really wasn't the kind of material I would enjoy. The opportunity to listen to a Clint Mansell soundtrack in a film that stood a chance of being something I might like was a pleasing prospect.

So, an independent science fiction film with an encouraging trailer, a promising soundtrack and many nods from independent film festivals. It sounds like the recipe for a fantastic evening of movie viewing.

And it wasn't bad. It wasn't perfect either, but it delivered enough for me to come away from it feeling quite positive.

I'll start with what I felt was the weakest element of the film - the script - while trying not to give too much away. The "twist" in the film will be apparent to most viewers about half an hour in, leaving the rest of the film feeling quite predictable and rather less suspenseful than the trailer might imply. I appreciate that was the intention, and that the film is supposed to engage the viewer through the protagonist's reactions to the revelations in the film rather than through the revelations directly. However, Sam Rockwell's dialogue and behaviour felt a little unnatural at times; I'm probably not a good judge of human behaviour and have little experience with people who have been isolated in a strange environment for three years, but given the events happening around him, I sometimes found myself surprised by the behaviour of the main character, breaking the illusion of the fantasy momentarily.

The above issues are the fault of the script rather than the actor, who put in a generally good performance. Rockwell doesn't escape criticism entirely though. While he was great on his own, his interaction with props, particularly computers, left a lot to be desired. Watching the protagonist type by slapping his open palm against the keyboard repeatedly just looked amateurish and again broke the illusion of the lovingly crafted fictional world. Perhaps I'm just picking up on this because it's something that, given my interests, I would be more conscious of. But I can't believe that no one reviewing the takes in question spotted the glaring flaws.

Other than the few occasions my attention was drawn to these detractions, I found myself slipping into and enjoying the experience. The overall premise of the film is rather far fetched, but no more so than the classic science fiction short stories I used to read, so I was able to comfortably suspend disbelief for the full 93 minute running time.

The sets and production values warrant a mention. The whole film, except for the small number of exterior shots, was filmed in a single, fully enclosed set. The production crew assembled the interior as one unit, allowing for some nice shots following the main character around. The fact that the camera had to be located in the set with the actor rather than shooting through the "fourth wall" amplified the feeling of being confined and helped the whole thing feel more real. The lack of any real budget meant that the sets were filled with junk which had been spray-painted silver, while the exterior and special effects shots used models instead of comparatively expensive CGI whenever possible, completing the vaguely retro, pulp-sci-fi feel.

The soundtrack was not "epic" in the same way that other recent Mansell productions have been, but the subdued, atmospheric music suited the tone of the film perfectly. Perhaps not one I would pick up to listen to on its own, but that shouldn't be seen as a negative thing. I just don't feel it would work as well on its own. But as a soundtrack in combination with the film, in its natural environment, it really couldn't have been better.

I have a feeling that this is a film that will appeal most to those who enjoy stories that blend science fiction with an analysis of human nature. This is Silent Running, not Star Wars, so the sci-fi action crowd should look elsewhere. Similarly, if you have little interest in the science fiction elements, the flawed character development might feel empty and a little boring. But for those who appreciate both aspects and who are willing to overlook a few rough patches, Moon should prove quite satisfying.

Three point five stars out of five on the arbitrary score-o-meter.