The Ghost Writer (2010)

/ Lisa

A Ghost: A writer who is paid to write texts that are attributed to another person.

Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) is the former UK Prime Minister. He is writing a memoir, nay, his ghost writer is doing that. It is kept under tight security and does not leave the house in which Lang resides.

When the first Ghost tasked with writing the memoirs washes up on a beach dead, it passes to the replacement (Ewan McGregor) to finish the book.

The Ghost wonders what he has gotten himself in to and as he delves deeper into research, he discovers a few things he shouldn’t, which puts him in immense danger.

But with the natural curiosity of a writer, he doesn’t stop looking and even though everything may seem fine, there are more twists than anyone could see coming.

Directed by Roman Polanski, with the screenplay by himself and Robert Harris – who wrote the novel in which the movie is based – it is a brilliant film, surrounded in mystery and intrigue.

The acting ability of the cast is a huge plus in making this movie believable, except it is quite clear that Kim Cattrall cannot do emotion well. She should really stick to roles in which she owns sassy.

The majority of the movie flowed smoothly, but there were a few scenes that seemed stiff, stagnant and ultimately went nowhere.

It leaves the viewer trying to figure out what is happening, but is never what you expect. It will leave you guessing until the very end and beyond.

However, it is up to The Ghost to find the truth…

Fashion fabulous No. 3

/ Lisa

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I had a job interview on Monday. I didn’t really know what to wear so decided to have a play around with what I had, instead of going to my old fall-back black dress.

This is what I ended up with:

It’s not a very good picture, but you get the idea.

I started off with my high-waisted black stretch skirt from Farmers and added one of my long-sleeved t-shirts from Glassons. Whenever I wear a skirt or dress, I have to put either pantihose or leggings with it. I just can’t stand wearing a skirt by itself. So I pulled out one of my new pairs of We Love Colours tights in Royal Blue.

Finally a pair of tights that fit me that I don’t have to pull up every hour. They just fit and they’re bright!

I then added my new grey and navy stripped cardi from Ezibuy, but it looked a little wrong just sitting open, so I added a belt around my waist to pull it in and tie everything together.

I am very happy with this look and I can change it up a little bit with the different colours of tights and long-sleeved t-shirts that I have. I also have several other cardis this look could work with.

I may even use it for other interviews that come up.

My fashion mind has finally kicked in. It only took 24 years.

In other fabulous fashion news, I went into City Chic today – my favourite clothing store – and put a couple of items on lay-by, because they are ridiculously expensive.

First there was this dress that I had previously seen on the website and really wanted straight away. Today I walked in to the store, saw it, they had it in my size, I tried it on, it fitted and I bought it. Done. It was like it was meant to be.

The same went for this jacket. Originally saw it online, but wanted to see if it fitted before I bought it. I did contemplate not buying it because I can’t do it up, just because of the way it sits and the small zip is on an angle. It would look awesome done up, yes, but Lisa O’Neill says with jackets that as long as it fits across your back and you can essentially pick up a toddler, the jacket is fine. And it looked fiiiine.

Yay for fashion!

Work seminars, job applications, interviews, and WINZ isn’t that bad.

/ Lisa

I have just gotten back to the flat after being at WINZ for the employment seminar – week two.

Surprisingly, I’m actually really enjoying them.

The case manager is a lot of fun. She cracks jokes and says it like it is. They are really starting to help me in seeing what things I have been doing wrong. Not that I have been doing everything wrong and not that everything is wrong, there are just better ways of doing them.

Today we were covering CVs and cover letters.

At uni, we were educated a bit on how our CVs should look and what to do in trying to get a job, but WINZ is in the business of finding people jobs and helping them get into the workforce.

I feel that these seminars would be beneficial for EVERYONE, whether they get recruited straight out of uni or enter the workforce out of high school into apprentice type jobs.

The seminars cover things that you just don’t pick up in high school or that one hour lecture on how to promote yourself and your CV. There should be consideration for implementing a compulsory six week course for every school leaver, which would provide NCEA credits – more worth wile that picking up trash for credits. (But I may cover this at a later time on a different blog, just an idea.)

Some of you might say you can pick up this type of thing on the internet, but it’s not the same. There are a lot of inconsistencies on the net – one site can tell you something completely different to the next.

THE INTERNET IS NOT ALL KNOWING.

My CV and cover letters are fairly in-line with what the case manager was saying today, but I can tweak a few things. Things that may actually be costing me interviews.

And in today’s tough market of finding a job in journalism, I need to do everything that I can to get that interview.

Yesterday I did have an interview. They told me they had more than 70 applicants for the job. Although the interview was more of a “meet and greet”, it shows they are interested in me, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I get into the second round of interviews.

I’m actually excited for next week’s seminar, it’s on interviewing. I’ve been trying to work on my interviewing skills and this will be a huge help.

Today, I am going to do some job applications, there are always more to do. Tomorrow I have an appointment with the employment seminar case manager who is going to help me with a specific application, because it is my dream job that has come up. I am going to everything I can to get an interview for that job!

New music that I’m loving right now.

/ Lisa

There are a few songs that I’m really getting into lately, so I thought I would share them with you all.

First up is Demi Lovato. Now she’s been going through a bit of stuff lately, with a trip to rehab and making it public that she has cut her self in the past. She is absolutely amazing for doing that. It proves that she has some serious internal strength.

Now that she is back on the road to recovery, she has released a new single, “Skyscraper”. It is so raw with emotion, I absolutely love it. It will likely be one of those songs that I listen to for years to come. She has said that she recorded the song before she entered rehab and once she came out tried again, but it didn’t have the same emotion it had the first time. Hopefully, now that she’s all better, she won’t lose the ability to sing that way.

Second is Jessie J with her single “Price Tag”. I first heard this on a very rare occasion that I was listening to the radio. I immediately got it stuck in my head. I see it been one of those big hits – which it is, it’s already been at number one here in New Zealand – but not being one that hangs around. It’ll be one of those songs that when you hear it playing somewhere like a club in a few years time, you’ll recognise it and remember that you loved this song and be able to sing along to it.

It might even be a one-hit wonder for her to. I’m not really digging her other singles. So, for me, it’s a ‘I like this song, but don’t really like her as an artist’.

Lady Gaga. She has a new album and I have blogged about her new stuff before. However, when I got her new album, it just didn’t really do anything for me, so I stopped listening to it. But lately, I’ve been hearing more of the songs off the album and it is really starting to grow on me. Her first album, Monster, was one that you liked straight way, but Born This Way is one of those albums you need to spend some time listening to and it will eventually grow on you. The one that really secured it for me was “The Edge Of Glory”. I didn’t think much of it at first, but I’ve been hearing it around more and more and it has since grown on me.

That’s all! Hope you enjoy. What are you listening to lately?

Man Piece and his special-ness.

/ Lisa / 2 Comments

Lately Man Piece has been coming out with a few gems. Although they tend to be a little scary in thought, they are quite hilarious.

1. “You only married me for my looks, aye babe?”

2. “Snagglepuff* is an important member of our family.”

3. In an IM conversation:
Man Piece: whoisthecutest.com
Me: awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww #omgcheese
Man Piece: #omgindeed WE WOULD HAVE THE CUTEST BABIES #omgnotclucky
Me: :O WHO ARE YOU!?

As you can see, there is need for consternation.

I probably should say, we are not married, or will be in the near future, or have any kind of sprogs on the way. No. No. No.

Apart from Snagglepuff, who is apparently my adopted child who I’m not allowed to touch.

*Snagglepuff is his laptop.