"Blades of Glory", directed by Gordon and Speck

Movie, 2007

Daft film, which packs laughs throughout, in following arch rival skaters, also find a loophole and join forces to perform after receiving lifelong bans for a podium punch up. There's little fresh or innovative in this film, but it's solid entertainment, with some odd dance moves and action centered on the ice rink. A perfect film for leaving your brain somewhere else and having your ribs tickled. Some good performances and slight twists in characterisation elevate this film above an even crasser version it could easily have been. 

"The Vegetarian", by Han Kang

Novel, 2007

Engrossing three part novel, charting the course of a psychologically disturbed, largely unloved woman, through the eyes of her husband, brother in law, then sister. This seems to be a book about power and personal suffering and the sublimation and determination of the individual. While some of the scenes are incredibly difficult to read, this is a truly powerful book which is gripping and relentless, right up until the touching conclusion. The passivity of the main character throws questions back to the reader about their own responses and actions.

"Rocket Science", directed Jeffrey Blitz

Movie, 2007

American coming-of-age indie, in which a teenager with a stutter is drawn to the star performer and thus debating society in high school, while struggling with his physical affliction, an amusing home life and coming to terms with maturity. An enjoyable film overall. If the pupils in the debating societies seem irritating, that's doubtless the intention. Some well observed, slightly edgy comedy here and there, mixing in with occasional slapstick.. Light, fluffy and diverting, with a good pace and a few serious questions put in for good measure.

"Into the Wild", directed Penn

Movie, 2007

Story of society drop out who graduates form college, then bums across the USA before ending up leading a mouth to hand existence in an old school bus in Alaska. A mixture of uplifting frontier anti-establishment action and some more toe-curing material every now and again, of the primacy and spirituality of the individual. Overall, pretty good, although could perhaps have benefited from a little more rigorous editing. A true story, so some nice steers away from the bleedin' obvious avenues the plot may have dived into.

Poster - https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11893732

"30 Days of Night", directed David Slade

Movie, 2007

Edgy vampire horror set in Arctic Alaska, in which a Neil Tennant lookalike leads a gang of vampires against a small town's dogs, its police station and then anything else living. There are some decent concepts within this set up, but the film never fully makes the leap from a series of set pieces in which evil usually triumphs over good and various characters crack under pressure. While the vampire characters are pretty menacing, they're not fully convincing and speak in a funny, made-up language. Entertaining if you can stand the gore.