Holes in the wall

Carl Sagan's Contact is a good story. I think the main part of both the book and the film was highly believable. Everything about how we would handle a situation like this is very believable; the lack of trust between countries, the government trying to cover up the truth in the end, the religious aspect and how women are seen upon in the scientific - and man dominated - world.

The book focused much more on the breaking of the code (in the movie that part was done in about five minutes I think), and it was really interesting to read about how they were trying to solve it. If we would get a message from space for real I think it would be a real challenge to decode it, but I don't think the message would be coded by the sender deliberately to be hard to break. The challenge will instead be for us to recognize the message as a message at all. To separate it from all the other radio noise in space.

What I don't find so believable about the story is the thing about traveling in space through worm holes. I think it is strange - and that he totally ruins the story - when Sagan suggests that it would be possible. Even if it even would be the case that worm holes do exist - I know many scientists have written lots on this - I just can't believe a human or anything organic could survive passing through them. I think it is equal to suggesting we can travel through a brick wall - like it's done at the railwaystation in the Harry Potter books! J.K Rowling may get away with it but not Carl Sagan!

The book and the film's concept up to that point when the journey starts is really believable but it would not have been necessary to go past the point when they (just Ellie in the movie) go away in the machine. I think it would have been better if both the book and the movie had ended right there and left us wondering. Just like the 70's movie Close encounters of the third kind did.

Gorgeous and loved by everyone

Last month I went to the cinema to see Martina Haag's swedish movie Gorgeous and loved by everyone directed by Hannes Holm (2007). The movie is written by Martina Haag and the story is about herself and she also plays herself in the leading part as an actress looking for work.

Martina is a notorious liar who suddenly gets a role in a play on the famous swedish theatre Dramaten. Of course the play is going to be directed by the legendary swedish director Ingmar Bergman. There is only one problem with Martina getting the role in the play. (A small problem according to her!). To get the job she has lied to the casters that she is an expert in acrobatics and that was the only reason they chose her for the role. The story that follows is mainly about how Martina is trying to save her skin telling lies and more lies to cover up the lies she already has told.

The movie is quite good and funny and I think it in way shows how a notorious liar like this is thinking, lying about everything to everyone. Martina lies very often about small things and the small lies lead to bigger lies trying to save herself.
It has occurred once in a while that you have met a person acting like this, lying and cheating to get advantages. Afterwards you met them one has wondered how it is possible that they are able to get away with this. Even more strange is the fact that they often are very successful. Getting good jobs and a high status in society etc.

Gorgeous and loved by everyone is a movie I can recommend everyone to see. Sometimes the movie's tempo is a little uneven but it is a good laugh and a perfect little comedy. The movie never tries to be something else than that. Maybe it is a bit romantic sometimes but that never gets in the way. When you leave the cinema you leave it with a big smile on your face.