Noisy, angst-ridden and rather beautiful

FILM .... with Tim Milfull

Norwegian Wood (MA15+)
Director: Ang Hung Tran
Rating: 4.5/5
114-minutes, now screening

Some find the writing of Japanese author Haruki Murakami something of an acquired taste, even if just for his habit of segueing off into magic realist tangents, or obsessing about jazz. Mind you, this is exactly why many others love reading his novels and short stories.

But Norwegian Wood, one of his most popular novels, doesn’t feature any of the magic realism of The Elephant Vanishes or Kafka on the Shore. This angst-ridden story of love both requited and unrequited is firmly grounded in reality, and Vietnamese writer-director Ang Hung Tran (The Scent of Green Papayas) made such an effective adaptation that I walked straight out of the cinema and into a bookshop to read the novel.
Tran’s film begins with Toru Watanabe (Ken’ichi Matsuyama) reminiscing about his adolescent friendship with his best friend, Kizuki (Kengo Kôra) and his girlfriend, Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi). But when Kizuki suddenly leaves their lives, Toru and Naoko find themselves coping with their loss in very different ways. The young woman flees to grieve in an isolated sanatorium, while Toru throws himself into his studies.
There, at university, while the world explodes in student activism, he tentatively tries his hand at a succession of unsteady relationships with women, until he meets the intriguing Midori (Kiko Mizuhara), whose vague hints at something more in their relationship might just depend on how Toru deals with Naoko.
Murakami’s story is so much more than simple melodrama and angst, and in the hands of Tran, Norwegian Wood becomes quite an astonishingly sensual film, with visual and aural nods to other great contemporary filmmakers like Wong Kar Wai.
If there is a fault, it comes in Tran’s over-reliance – and simply too loud volume — on the score by Jonny Greenwood. But this is only a small complaint in light of such a beautifully told story.




Dafoe shines, as does the scenery

The Hunter (M)
Director: Daniel Nettheim
Stars: Willem Dafoe, Frances O’Connor, Sam Neill
Rating: 4/5
88-minutes, screening from 6 October

Dragging in a big-name Hollywood or European actor to spice up local affairs can often be a problem, especially with schlock like the Logies, but sometimes paying those extra bucks can pay off handsomely; I’m thinking of stars like Josh Lucas bringing a slightly charming presence to some rather gauche Pilbara ratbaggery in Kriv Stenders’s recent hit, Red Dog.

But in his first film in more than a decade, the very busy television director Daniel Nettheim has scored a legendary name to take the lead role, and with very impressive results. In The Hunter, the craggy Willem Dafoe plays the title role, hired by a mysterious intermediary to travel to the very ends of the world to find something that almost everyone considers a myth.
In the wilds of Tasmania, Dafoe’s Martin sets out to investigate a credible sighting of a Tasmanian Tiger, but where this accomplished human predator can handle himself quite well in the wilderness, there are forces – sinister and otherwise – playing at foiling his plans. Martin’s long-disappeared predecessor, Jarrah (Marc Watson-Paul) has left behind a despairing and sedated wife, Lucy (Frances O’Connor), and two surprisingly self-sufficient children, Sass (Morgana Davies) and her silent younger brother, Bike (Finn Woodlock).
And the remote roads that lead to Martin’s hunting grounds regularly see battle between scruffy greenies and even scruffier loggers, all of whom suspect the seppo’s motives. Dafoe carries himself with consummate skill as the quietly spoken hunter more comfortable in the bush than around other people, and Nettheim’s casting of O’Connor, Davies and Woodlock is inspired, while Sam Neill makes a brief appearance as a duplicitous go-between.
But the real pleasure in this much too short film is the scenery on and around Cradle Mountain, and the obvious delight cinematographer, Robert Humphreys takes in photographing the region.


THE BINGE

2011 Lavazza Italian Film Festival screening at Palace Cinemas from 5-23rd October
The Human Resources Manager (M) available from October through Madman
Tucker & Dale versus Evil (MA) available from October through Icon
The Last Circus (MA15+) available from 5 October through Madman

The 2011 Lavazza Italian Film Festival will be one of the biggest yet, with more than 35 films, including 29 new features, two documentaries, and three cult films.

Opening with a remake, Welcome to the South, that promises to exceed the hilarity of the French original about a reluctant fish-out-of-water, Welcome to the Sticks, there also are several special events to consider booking early for, including the Opening Night and After Party, the premiere of Basilicata Coast to Coast, Giovanni Veronesi’s The Ages of Love, which features Robert De Niro and Monica Bellucci, and a closing-night screening of John Turturro’s Passione.
For more information about what’s on offer at the Lavazza Italian Film Festival, go to www.italianfilmfestival.com.au

I saw Eran Riklis’s subtly beautiful The Human Resources Manager at BIFF last year, and the story of a taciturn mid-level manager forced to accompany the body of an expatriate bakery labourer from Israel to her Eastern European home still resonates with me. Mark Ivanor plays the titular role, and grumbles his way to his own personal enlightenment as he makes his way across Europe with a coffin bearing his charge.
In Tucker and Dale versus Evil, director, Eli Craig upends all our expectations about teen slasher flicks, as he pits a pair of kind-hearted hillbillies against a half-dozen or so blood-thirsty preppies, and the results had me aching with laughter.
Starring Firefly star, Alan Tudyk as Tucker, Tyler Labine as Dale, and a cast of relative unknowns as the nasty teens, this one is a perfect bookend for the Spanish film, The Last Circus, which features ruthless fascists and insane clowns with automatic weapons – enough said.

Pressure now mounting on Valley eyesores

NEWS

The argument about whether the state or local governments have existing powers to force recalcitrant property owners to refurbish their dilapidated buildings is a “Mexican stand-off” where the image of Fortitude Valley continues to suffer, according to local long-term councillor David Hinchliffe.

In an email last Friday to local community and business leaders and The Independent, Cr Hinchliffe says: “This issue continues to bounce around like a tennis match. The state says council has the power to act. The council says it doesn’t. Lord Mayor Quirk in his most recent letter to me (yesterday) says the council doesn’t have the power to act.
“My suggestion is this: Can the property owners and the [Valley] Chamber of Commerce sign an open letter to both the Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and the Premier Anna Bligh, asking that both sides send their top decision-makers and legal brains down to the Valley to meet on site with businesses and property owners and decide once and for all who has the power and who has the will to use it!
“So far, the only one who has said he’s not going to pussyfoot around about this is [ALP Lord Mayoral candidate] Ray Smith. Everyone else wants someone else to do something. Ray at least is the first one who’s put his hand up and said I’ll do it!” Cr Hinchliffe wants concerned parties to sign an open letter saying “Come here. See it. Fix it”.
He has drafted a letter to state and local governments calling on “the Premier and the Lord Mayor to stop squabbling about who is responsible for cleaning up the Valley and get on and do it”. “While you are bickering, the image of the Valley is tarnished. We urge that the Premier and Lord Mayor to each appoint a senior person who has the power to represent them and to make decisions to meet with the business community as a matter of urgency.
“Our purpose is to ensure that one authority has the power to take action to clean up buildings and public areas which are letting down the image of the Valley. The vast number of property owners in the Valley are just wanting to get on and improve the Valley image, generate business and make a living. We ask for an answer within 48 hours of receipt of this letter.”
Cr Hinchliffe says it’s time for action and has urged others seeking change not to worry “about physically running around and getting signatures”. He suggests an email from a number of local community leaders should be done with some urgency to resolve the impasse as quickly as possible.
Valley chemist James Delahunty whose front-page article in The Independent several months ago called for action on the Waltons Building eyesore (above), says he’s more than happy to sign off an “a well-constructed letter/plan of action aimed to motivate the right people”. “The clock is ticking to the next March election and an even shorter deadline to the end of the Chinese New Year.”

Give us back our river!

An Independent Campaign


Well, this is it. Your view of your river from the so-called RiverWalk at Mirvac’s Waterfront project down at Newstead. Sorry, what’s that. You can’t see it? There it is, over on the right of this four-shot composite picture. A sliver of your river, so soak it up, take it in, enjoy it because it’s rightly yours.
Of course at the moment, what you’re mainly seeing is Mirvac’s Pier South building, where well-to-do folk spent a motza buying apartments that boast a view of the river uncluttered by the presence of the great unwashed in front of them. Yes, how tacky would that have been? Imagine having to share their river with Brisbanites out enjoying themselves on foot, on bike or blades, occasionally calling out to each other or their pets. Simply having fun.
Would have been bloody well near intolerable, don’t you think? Okay, enough of the dripping sarcasm. We’ve said it in the past that how Mirvac managed to privatise part of the river so they could charge much, much more for apartments there compared with the sister block, Pier North, is really no longer the point. It shouldn’t have happened but using council bylaws as they existed, it did. End of story.
The Indie’s only aim now is to get candidates and existing councillors for next year’s municipal poll to pledge themselves to building the “ missing link” in front of Pier South, thereby giving the river back to the people of Brisbane.
The argument is, to our minds, powerful and irrefutable. The only drawback could be the cost of building the thing, but we believe it would not be excessive. We point to the enthusiasm with which city council wants to rebuild the main RiverWalk alongside the Valley/New Farm sections of the river, and how much public goodwill former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman milked when he completed a missing link of RiverWalk several years ago between Waterfront and the Brisbane Powerhouse.
We’re no costing experts, but we suspect that piece of infrastructure cost a lot more than ratepayers would outlay to drive some pylons into the riverbed and throw a hundred metres of concrete boardwalk and railings along the front of South Pier.
Will resident of South Pier be upset when this happens? Well, sure. If we at The Indie had forked out the amounts they have for their apartments, our noses would be out of joint too. But equally so, our argument is, bluntly, bad luck to them. And if they want to blame someone, blame Mirvac for doing it that way in the first place.
What will make The Indie proud of this campaign when – and not if – it is realised is that it will set in stone once and for all an underlying principle for anyone who wants to build on the river – they must put the people of Brisbane first.
Maybe this will be known in future as the Mirvac principle: a clear warning to anyone developing anywhere along our river that any design must include a riverwalk on the river in front of their projects.
A case in point is the nearby stretch of unformed footpath between the Waterfront project and Commercial Road which, at present, is a high-risk area especially for parents with young children. This probably will be the next stretch of riverside property where a riverwalk should and must be constructed once the current industrial users move out. Hopefully, the Mirvac principle will be well enshrined by then and whoever develops that area will understand their duty to all the residents of Brisbane. Only then will we be on our way to achieving the ultimate goal – a public river walkway from Newstead House all the way back into the CBD – and beyond.

Smith unveils Valley vision

NEWS

Labor’s Lord Mayoral candidate Ray Smith has outlined a series of initiatives that he says will revitalise the Valley as the city’s second CBD.

Mr Smith told a recent Valley Chamber of Commerce luncheon that if elected, he would:
• Establish a Valley Renewal Authority
• Create a special planning and assessment unit within council to support the authority’s work
• For the first four years of the authority, cut infrastructure charges for building development started within 12 months of approval, that are completed in normal building times and are greater than $1 million in value, and
• Boost the day economy by moving large number of council staff into Valley buildings within 12 months.
“The Valley is a special place. It’s been at the sentimental heart of Brisbane for more than 150 years. It has a rich history and a wealth of heritage – amazing hotels, churches and public buildings,” Mr Smith said.
“But let’s face it: Life hasn’t been easy for the Valley community. The Valley has seen the best of times and it’s seen the worst of times. It hasn’t been an easy road. “The Valley is in the process of emerging from the past to become Brisbane’s second CBD. But that evolution won’t just happen. It must be nurtured … and promoted … and championed.
“Just as Australia is often said to have a ‘two-speed economy’, I think the Valley has a ‘two-speed recovery’. There are parts of the Valley, like James Street, Emporium and Leightons HQ that have undergone an enormous, positive change in recent years. But there are other parts – the traditional parts of the Valley heart – that are languishing.”
Mr Smith said that in the last 12 months the current LNP council administration had: • Sanctioned the removal of hundreds of former Brisbane Water staff out of the TC Beirne building.
• Approved a development plan for the Valley that talked big but in reality provided little incentive and little in the way of real investment in infrastructure.
• Ended the contracts of the Valley Place Management team.
He said the loss of TCB  staff had “gutted not only that building but the core, anchor tenant for the Valley heart’s daytime economy. “Development doesn’t happen simply because you talk about it.
The lesson of the Soorley Council’s urban renewal program was that you have to invest to get a return. If you want renewal, you have to work at it. Otherwise a new plan is not worth the paper it’s written on. The investment the Valley needs is in infrastructure,” he said.
“If you want to stimulate development, you don’t go out of your way to hold it up … like this council did with the massive Mosaic development in Ann Street. If we want the growth, we have to invest in social infrastructure – in childcare, in public transport, in parks and in community facilities to support that growth."
Outlining his Valley Renewal Authority plan, Mr Smith said he wanted to value the Valley as the second CBD for Brisbane, as well as the entertainment heart of the city.
“To do that, it needs investment and implementation. It needs the right priorities. The council has a vital role in promoting investment in the Valley. It can only do that if it gets serious about promoting the Valley, fast-tracking appropriate development, addressing issues of safety and social cohesion, supporting investment in both the day and night economies and leading by example.”
The authority would build on the successes of the Urban Renewal Taskforce and be “a new powerful engine to kick start investment”.
The Planning scheme would be overhauled to provide for fast-track assessment processes to allow for development to be priority assessed and decisions made quickly.
“A dynamic, action-oriented body will need a dynamic and action-focused director. Within 50 days of taking office, I’ll ensure we have someone with that experience and that focus to drive development in the Valley. To support the authority’s work, he would create a special planning and assessment unit within council with clear assessment criteria and key performance indicators to fast-track innovative development.”
For the first four years of the Valley Renewal Authority, his council would cut infrastructure charges for building development started within 12 months of approval, that are completed in normal building times and are greater than $1 million in value. Instead of infrastructure charges, his council would negotiate the in-kind provision of much-needed social and public infrastructure.
The Valley Renewal Authority would look at how each individual development could contribute to local improvements and provide for local needs that would support the growing Valley community. That way, developers would see a real and direct value for their contribution and the broader community would still benefit.

Be summer storm ready, urges Quirk

NEWS

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk is reminding Brisbane residents to prepare their homes and businesses for the upcoming summer storm season as part of the launch of council’s Ready for Summer campaign.

Cr Quirk said the $300,000 campaign would include information about flooding this year in response to recommendations by the Queensland Flood Commission of Inquiry and council’s own independent flood review. He said 90 per cent of all recommendations were due to be completed by December.
He said council had also doubled the amount of preventative back burns it was undertaking this year in preparation for the bushfire season to 30 – about 75 per cent of which had already been completed – and had spent $1.2 million on 14 new custom-built fire management trucks.
The Lord Mayor said there were also plenty of simple things residents could do around the home that could make a big difference in the event of a severe storm, fire or flood this summer.
“It’s been a rough few summers for Brisbane and I’m sure the devastation of the January floods and even The Gap storms in 2008 are still fresh in many people’s minds,” Cr Quirk said.
“As a result we all need to be diligen
t about ensuring our homes and businesses are prepared for disasters ahead of time. “Council is doing everything it can to make sure Brisbane is prepared for any severe weather conditions that may head our way this summer, including spending $50 million on storm water drain upgrades and $2.5 million on supporting local SES volunteers.
“But there are also simple things like cleaning gutters and drains, raking up dry leaves and trimming trees away from roofs that you can do that will help minimise the risk of damage to your home this storm and bushfire season.”
Cr Quirk said one of the first things people should do is sign up to council’s free Early Warning Network, which issues alerts about severe weather heading towards Brisbane via email, SMS or phone.
“Personally I think this is one of the most important things people can do ahead of the storm season. It only takes a couple of minutes to join and doesn’t cost a cent but provides invaluable warnings about any severe weather conditions that are approaching Brisbane,” Cr Quirk said.
“Residents should also have an emergency kit consisting of a torch, radio, batteries and first-aid kit stored somewhere safe, as well as a list of emergency phone numbers such as family, Emergency Services (000), the SES (132 500) and council (3403 8888).”
Cr Quirk also encouraged Brisbane residents to download their free Floodwise property report and flood flag map from council’s website (www.brisbane.qld.gov.au). The $300,000 campaign included advertising on billboards, buses, social media, website and council publications as well as important fact sheets. Council would spend about $200,000 on the campaign with a further $100,000 in contra advertising such as the bus wraparounds, he said.

Corey snares Gladiators in a rugby league coup

NEWS


They are known as The Gladiators. Their famous embrace adorns the NRL Champions Trophy and they are true icons of rugby league. And through a marketing coup by Valley businessman Corey Hamilton, Norm Provan and Arthur Summons are going to make a rare appearance in Queensland together.

Corey, who runs his Autographed Memorabilia shop in the McWhirters Building, has secured the appearance of the two famous players from the 60s for a special Bundamba raceday function on Friday 21 October.
The men featured in one of most memorable sporting photographic images ever captured in Australia – the 1963 NSW rugby league premiership grand final between long-term rivals Western Suburbs and St George was played in a torrential downpour and the moment the very tall Provan and more diminutive Summons as captains embraced in appreciation of each other’s stoic efforts was captured in an award-winning shot now known as The Gladiators.
Corey says he is having trouble convincing people he’s secured the famous duo’s appearance at the race meeting. They have made few joint appearances in Queensland and he believes it will be their first in Ipswich. “‘No way!’ is what people are saying to me. They can’t believe a sole trader has arrange such a unique occasion.” Corey says he’s grateful to have the Ipswich City Council on board as a sponsor for the event. “These things are exceptionally hard to organise, so their support has been essential.”
He says places for the event are limited, and the $150 ticket price includes entry to the races, racebook, a two-course meal, the chance to hear Norm and Arthur speak and the opportunity to ask them questions. The function starts at 12noon, and attendees will have their own lounge to watch the races, full TAB facility with beer, wine and softdrinks included until 5pm.
Those attending would be allowed one item each to be personally signed by these two legends of the sport. To reserve your seat, ring Corey on 0422 634 340 or send him an email to sales@autographedmemorabilia.net.au

Above: Valley businessman Corey Hamilton with a replica of the NRL grand final trophy featuring Norm Provan and Arthur Summons.

Valley right move: retailer

PROPERTY Commercial

A major appliance retailer’s decision to site the nation’s biggest kitchen laundry and bathroom showroom in the heart of Fortitude Valley has been vindicated with strong customer interest and sales.

After three weeks of trading, Winning Appliances and Bathrooms has already surpassed its expectations “not only for people coming to see what the hype is all about but also sales”, according to state manager Robin Maini.
On the corner of Brunswick and Alfred Streets in “the big blue building on Brunswick” Mr Maini said Winning Appliances had changed the landscape of Brunswick Street between Wickham and St Pauls Terrace by refurbishing the 2200 sq/metre building inside and out.
“Most of the people visiting the showroom have commented on the convenience of the location and the free parking in the rear,” Mr Maini said.
“We are more confident than ever that opening in the heart of the Valley was the perfect choice. As you know, some of the most prominent architects, developers, designers and builders are within a few kilometres of our massive showroom. They are already referring their clients to us in droves as there is no appliance and bathroom store of its kind in or near Fortitude Valley.
“We have had many customers come in telling us they have been watching the progress, while walking back and forth to work, of the renovation and have been waiting for the store to open. General comments have been that they love what we have done to the neighbourhood.”
At a two-night VIP gala opening recently, director John Winning and general manager John Murphy both acknowledged the incredible effort that had gone into getting the showroom ready in just over three months.
Mr Murphy in his address confirmed Winning Appliances would reinvest in Queensland. “We have some plans for growth in Queensland. The family and our staff are committed to this state. We hope the success of this showroom will be replicated in other locations.”
And Paul Bridgeford, Multyflex managing director (distributor of Sub-Zero and Wolf) complimented the company on its foresight. “I’d like to congratulate Winning Appliances on putting the resources behind a showroom of this kind. Sub-Zero and Wolf is exclusive to Winning Appliances and we’re delighted to be a part of the company’s expansion. This showroom is a striking presence in Brisbane retail.”
Mr Maini said the centre was the ideal destination for anyone renovating or building Winning Appliances offers sound, unbiased advice in addition to its wide range of brands and technologies.



Left to right. Winning Appliances CEO John Winning, Lisa Moricz, bathroom showroom manager, State MP for Brisbane Central Grace Grace, Deb Robson, appliance showroom manager, and Robin Maini, the company’s Queensland manager.

House still king of the castle: survey

PROPERTY News

A poll released by PRDnationwide shows a house within 15 kilometres of the CBD is on top of the agenda for house hunters.

More than a third of respondents (37 per cent) considered a detached house on a 600sq/m block within the inner 15km-ring of a CBD as the most preferable type of home. The PRDnationwide survey found 33 per cent considered a coastal or regional property the most desirable, while 18 per cent wanted to live in a townhouse located 6km from the CBD.
PRDnationwide researcher Josh Brown said the remaining 12 per cent wanted to live in an apartment only 3km from the city. Mr Brown said the poll of 1500 people nationwide revealed the “house is still king”.
“Certainly a growing number of purchasers are drawn to the low-maintenance lifestyle that comes with living in a unit or townhouse but Australians have always loved their own space and a backyard is still one of the most requested attributes of a property,” he said.
Mr Brown said it was not surprising that a third of respondents wanted to reside in a property away from the hustle and bustle of the inner city.
“Not all residents are dependent on the CBD for employment or other needs, and so living away from the CBD offers a number of advantages. Firstly, it means cheaper housing so larger lot sizes and better quality residences are more achievable in this area,” he said.
“Also, the quality of life in these areas can be alluring when you’re surrounded by the environment and serenity rather than building and noisy suburbs.”
The researcher said 30 per cent of respondents would prefer to live in a multi-unit dwelling being either a townhouse or apartment.

Just sexted ... and feeling dirty

FROM MY CORNER ... with Ann Brunswick

Your favourite columnist has become the unwitting victim of a sordid sexting – and I want to tell you how it happened. Well, within reason, seeing this is a family newspaper and there are standards of common decency to maintain.

It all began this Monday past, when I was making my way back into Brisbane by CityRail after servicing a client on the northside the previous evening and being invited to stay overnight – on his couch, please! – after we had concluded our transaction. I was standing in one of the new quiet carriages – you know the ones, where people still talk inanely and loudly on their mobiles about what the office sociopath has been up to of late or why they won’t be coming out on Friday night to get plastered – when I was struck down by this sordid and disgusting text message.
Firstly, don’t get me wrong. This sexting did not come directly into my unstate-of-the-art, turn-of-the-last-century Nokia brick mobile. But it may as well have done, for the impact was no less unsettling.
You all know how hard it is to block out those inane mobile phone conversations; in much the same way, my eyes were inadvertently drawn to a pretty young thing standing beside me who was texting away merrily on her modern device. It might have been a smart phone, but she certainly wasn’t being too bright as she went about her business.
Well, your Ann almost fainted on the spot. “I felt you harden as I moved my hand inside your underwear” was the message the blur of both hands created in a flash. How do young kids do that so fast? Type, I mean. Not putting their hands inside someone else’s delicates.
Naturally enough, I immediately averted my eyes. I’m not by nature a voyeur. I know I had accidentally observed a very private message and did not want to intrude any further. But it did get me to thinking. This frail slip of a thing could have been my granddaughter, for goodness sake. She hardly looked like she’d reached her teenage years, let alone someone who knows the hard facts of life, so to speak.
“I moved your mouth to my breast,” she continued to type. Well, yes, of course I had turned back to see what she was going to add next. And I make no apologies for that. You would have too!
So what was this wee lass up to? Maybe she’s one of those people who do very well writing Mills and Boons novels. Maybe she’s involved in a creative writing class at some sort of high school that I certainly never attended? Perhaps she just likes to type dirty. Maybe she indeed has a sex partner, and she simply wanted the vicarious thrill of reliving last night’s activities.
But I guess the upshot of all this is – and I hope I don’t sound like an old fuddy-duddy when I say this because I truly don’t think I am – is simply: do young things have to carry on like this in public. I suppose I should at least be thankful that she was using a relatively standard sized mobile phone screen. God knows what an eyeful I would have copped if she had been texting on one of those new-fangled I-paddy thingos.
All your Ann knows is that after stepping off the train at Fortitude Valley she had to rush to the toilets to dab some cold water over her still-pretty face to try to wash away the solid blush that had settled there.
Ann will be maintaining a steady outward gaze by a window the next time she has to travel on the city’s suburban rail network!

***

Can I trouble you with one more story of woe on the city’s suburban rail network? I must have been in an absolute reverie when I made a similar overnight trip to the northern suburbs recently because, when I touched on at Toombul railway station the next morning, the screen told me I had been pinged $10, taking my GoCard balance into deficient.

Your Ann is a very reasonable person, so I put my hand up and thought, fair enough. I obviously did not touch off the previous evening. I will make the point here, though, that the last time this happened the fee was $5. Can’t remember ever hearing that the authorities had decided to double the default to $10 to catch patrons playing silly buggers on long trips.
Anyway, I topped up the card with another $10 and returned to the touch pad to register my morning trip. The screen came up with words to the effect that no charge had been applied. End of transaction or some such thing. Not being exactly sure what that meant, I touched on again; this time the screen telling me that I had already touched on.
Any of my loyal readers guessed yet where this is heading? Yes, sure enough, when I touched off at Fortitude Valley a quarter-hour later the screen said I had been pinged another $10, putting me back in the red!
I talked to the man in the window who printed out my recent GoCard history and showed me what had transpired. Now here’s the rub. Without, I’m sure, any authority of his part to say this, he assured me that the second $10 fee was indeed a mistake because “the system is not foolproof”. I think he was talking about me there.
Further, he added, after I informed him that my generous offer to accept blame for not having touched off properly the night before might have to be rescinded now that I knew the system wasn’t totally Annproof, then he was pretty sure I’d get a $20 credit.
But here’s the rub – and I’m sure you all know what comes next. Some time soonish, when I’m feeling composed and settled and I’m pretty convinced that nothing will get me hot under the collar, I’m going to have to ring the TransLink number and state my case for the return of at least some of my hard-earned lost in the space of 24 hours.
Does anyone out there in Indieland think that that procedure is not going to end in tears? I’ll report back on how I went ... that is, as long as I’m not still on the phone waiting patiently for an operator to finally answer “as my call is important to them”.

Building a better mousetrap

THEATRE
Review: Phillip Bate

In faithful compliance with the conspiracy of silence entered into by everyone who has seen Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, I have agreed to continue this silence by promising not to reveal any of the secrets relating to its climax, therefore letting people enjoy discovering for themselves ‘whodunnit’.

Normally it’s a safe assumption to believe ‘the butler did it’ but in this long-running play there is no butler. Instead, the ‘whodunnit’ riddle is easily solved – namely the Chelmer-based Centenary Theatre Group (CTG) which secured amateur theatre rights to stage the play in Brisbane from September 3 to 24.
The Mousetrap opened in London’s West End on October 6, 1952 and has been running continuously since then. As such, the ‘conspiracy of silence’ predates Maxwell’s Smart’s ‘Cone of Silence’ by some 13 years.
Actually, it’s the second time I’ve taken the ‘oath of silence’ as I originally saw the play in London some 25 years ago. And in the best ‘whodunnit’ tradition I have a confession to make – I went to sleep in London so I couldn’t spill the beans even if I wanted to.
This time it was easy to stay awake as the plot thickens. While I’m not at liberty to reveal who actually ‘did it’, suffice to say that director Kurt A Lerps has assembled a fine cast of eight actors who could have ‘dunnit’. The action takes place in the Great Hall at Monkswell Manor.
While it’s a dark, snowy evening outside, set designer Sue Watson has created a cosy retreat inside as newly married couple Mollie (Sarah Fowkes) and Giles (Brad Ashwood) prepare to receive their paying guests. A radio newsflash – a desperate murderer is on the run. The guests arrive.. The trap is set.
It’s a case of who’s ‘taking in’ whom with five eccentric guests who wouldn’t be out of place in another famous guest house – Fawlty Towers.
Twee young architect Christopher Wren (Paui McGibbon), snobbish Mrs Boyle (Meredith Downes), retired Major Metcalf (Chris Guyler), demure Miss Casewlll (Meg Hinselwood) and broken-down motorist Mr Paravicini (Erik de Wit) all revel in their roles, as does the ‘ever-present’ policeman Detective Sergeant Trotter (Andrew Clulow). Not that the hosts aren’t equally devious. Brad Ashwood as Giles plays his role as a ‘worry-wart’ to perfection while Sarah Fowkes as Mollie finds it’s ‘murder’ trying to keep the customers satisfied.
As a point of interest, Chris Guyler is a son of original 1952 cast member the late Deryck Guyler who can still be heard more than 24,000 performances later, via a recording, reading the radio news bulletin in the London-based play to this present day.


Above: From left: Andrew Clulow as Sgt. Trogger, Brad Ashwood at Giles Raslton, Meg Hinselwood as Ms. Casewell, Erik de Witt as Mr. Paravicini and Paul McGibbon as Christopher Wren