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NOT: Alice in Wonderland

Tim Burton is a director with a very distinct view of things. He tends to show the beauty in some of the most unlikely characters, embrace the dark and review a new good within it. Some might say he is the Mad Hatter of the world of cinema.

However, his latest film Alice in Wonderland is a disappointing experience. It is slow, boring, conventional and so not Burton. It seems Disney has pulled on the reins.

The story is loosely based on Lewis Carroll’s famous work. I say loosely because the screenplay written by Linda Woolverton imagines Alice’s return to Wonderland/Underland, where pretty much only the characters remain intact. Alice is now a young woman trying to define her individuality. So, at the most opportune moment, the White Rabbit pulls her down the hole once again in an adventure where she will determine not only the destiny of Wonderland/Underland but also her own

The Wonderland/Underland she returns to has been ravaged by war and left rotting. She’s given the treatment of the savior, but she must first acknowledge it herself. Pretty standard fare, isn’t it? Good work, Woolverton.

The story goes in starts and stops. At points, the action picks up but is not fueled enough to propel the viewer throughout the entire film. I felt a bit like Alice growing and shrinking again and again; it felt tiring. The dialogue also isn’t very polished, as some of the most memorable characters of the story never get a good line. The focus is obviously on the Mad Hatter and the Red Queen, who have the best lines and scenes. On that note, both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter live and breathe these characters. I cannot imagine someone else doing a better job.

On the other side of the fence though, Anne Hathaway feels awkward and fake as the White Queen. She wants to be over the top for Burton but ends up out of place. Nicole Kidman would have made a better White Queen, especially since she’s used to quirky stories from working with Baz Luhrmann.

Leaving the story and the acting aside, the set and costume design are fantastic. This is the one place where Burton seals the deal and delivers. The fantastical land is brought back as a gothic forest complete with intriguing animals and insects. From the Red Queen’s digitally-enlarged head to the Mad Hatter’s green eyes, from Alice’s pale skin to the creature animation, the visuals are wonderful.

The visual kudos cannot save this film though from what it is: a boring, conventional aimed-at-children’s story. I especially cannot forgive how the Mad Hatter’s charisma, built so meticulously by Depp, is completely destroyed towards the end with what might seem a harmless act. I cannot spill the beans completely here as there might be some of you still wanting to see the film even after reading this.

All in all, if I were the Red Queen, I would have said “Off with his head!”

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HOT: Mondo Organics Restaurant, 166 Hardgrave Rd, West End

Mondo Organics, tucked away in the bottom of west End, seems to divide its patrons and reviewers. I’m surprised at their mixed reputation, as we had a good experience there that is well worth repeating.

Perhaps it is because specialty organic restaurants are not that common, and tend to attract the more discerning diners. Organic eaters, who obviously have a high level of concern about how their food has been grown and nurtured throughout its entire lifecycle, are perhaps more likely to have a sharp eye for how it is prepared and presented. Nothing but perfection for the modern metro-hippie.

Being only simple folk who are not burdened with such high standards, we were impressed. We went on a Friday evening for the Mondo Supper Club, which promised a “lighter menu to enjoy with a cocktail or a wine or two, for bar or street dinning only” (6pm to late, Tuesday to Saturday). Braving the early evening humidity, we happily downed some simple $10 cocktails, and then ordered some tapas to share for a light dinner. The spring zucchini flowers filled with king prawn mousse ($14) were a little less exciting than they sounded, but the washed rind cheese with lavosh crisp bread ($9) and rocket, radicchio, walnut, raisin and vincotto salad ($8.50) were very nice.

The standout, though, was the crunchy potato squares with aioli ($8.50). These little cubes were the most amazing potato-based product we’ve ever tasted – a day in the making, we were informed enthusiastically by our waiter. They had been boiled, mashed, put through some kind of mechanical sifter, mashed again, baked in a tray, cut into cubes and then deep fried. Worth a visit on their own.

The restaurant offers organic everything, of course, as well as gluten free and dairy free for many of the menu items.

All in all, a pleasant evening with no complaints and a few highlights – certainly not worthy of some of the negative reviews I’ve read. Maybe we set the bar too high for organic foods. It’s already good for you and for the environment; maybe we should be happy that the food tastes good, rather than expecting something amazing.

• Mondo Organics Restaurant, 166 Hardgrave Rd, West End +61 7 3844 1132

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HOT: CJ’s Pasta, Centro on James II, Shop 7, 31 James St, Fortitude Valley

One of RM’s favourite food discoveries in BNE is CJ’s Pasta, the fresh pasta purveyors located at Centro on James. I’m not exaggerating, every time we visit Brisbane he starts agitating about having their pasta for dinner, specifically their specialty ravioli.

On our most recent visit, we tried the grilled prawn with chilli jam and shallot ravioli ($28/kg) with the Thai yellow curry, corn and pumpkin sauce ($10). This produced four generous serves of perfectly crinkled pasta parcels encasing a solidly packed filling of tender prawn meat – you won’t find your shirt front squirted with pasta water when you bite into these babies. The chunky coconut cream-based sauce continued the fusion flavour theme, and for those who like heat it benefits from a bit of freshly chopped chilli.

CJ’s Pasta is not the cheapest fresh pasta around, but it’s about as far removed from the flacid  Latino Fresh as apples are to zebras. I think it’s well worth the extra money to pay for such quality.

CJ’s Pasta, Centro on James II, Shop 7, 31 James St, Fortitude Valley +61 7 3257 3321

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HOT: The Fat Carrot, 179 Boundary St, West End

Smack-bang amongst the plethora of cafes and bars that give West End its livelihood is a little piece of juice and smoothie nirvana.  The Fat Carrot (or perhaps it should be The Phat Carrot?), has a lot more to offer than your everyday down-the-road-produce-store. This little gem on Boundary St is flanked by a gourmet Swiss [...]

Brisbane Quick Tips

• Vintage store The Purple Bedroom is on sale until the end of the month or until sold out. 969 Ann St, Fortitude Valley.
• Brisbane’s Biggest Art Sale. Over 1,500 pieces of art available. Saturday 16 January 2010 - Sunday 31 January 2010. Red Hill Gallery, 61 Musgrave Rd, Red Hill
• Monday night at Freestyle Tout Emporium and Tuesday night at Freestyle Tout West End is trivial pursuit night from 6-8pm. Come along and test your knowledge over a drink.
• Are you under 26 and have a kick-ass idea that will contribute to shaping a better Brisbane? In 2010, YES Brisbane will give budding entrepreneurs and social innovators the chance to get their idea off the ground by becoming a part of the ‘Social Inkubator’ program. This program includes a tenancy at Visible Ink Valley for 12 months and the support to make your idea (a business, an event, a website, whatever) a reality. The pilot Social Inkubator program is supported by Brisbane City Council’s youth program ‘Visible Ink’ and Volunteering Queensland. Send your idea by logging into www.yesbrisbane.com.au or www.visibleink.org/unreasonable. Applications close 25 January, 2010.
• Escape to the circus with Le Grand Cirque. Friday 8 January 2010 - Sunday 24 Jan 2010. QPAC Lyric Theatre, Cnr Melbourne Street & Grey Street, South Brisbane