The Real Thing - Gwen Stefani

It's good to know that even with its glory days seemingly behind it the pop music industry can still manage to produce gems like Gwen Stefani's 'The Real Thing'. It's the best pop song this year you haven't heard - you're not going to hear this on the radio...it's never going to be a single. There's an equal measure of 80s synths with 90s beats and 'noughties' attitude. 'The Real Thing' is a perfect pop love song that celebrates its sentimentality. And I like that very much.

I've seen your face a thousand times
Have all your stories memorized
I've kissed your lips a million ways
But I still love to have you around

I've held you too many times to count
I think I know you inside out
And we're together most days
But I still love to have you around

And you're the one I want and it's not just a phase
And you're the one I trust, our love is the real thing

Don't go away
My love (my love)
I want you to stay
In my life
Don't go away
My lover (my love)
I'm happiest when we spend time

You're a salty water, ocean wave
You knock me down, you kiss my face
I know the storms will always come
But I still love to have you around

Heavens knows what will come next
So emotional, you're so complex
A rollercoaster, built to crash
But I still love to have you around

You're the one I want and it's not just a phase
You're the one I trust, our love is the real thing

Don't go away
My love (my love)
I want you to stay
In my life
Don't go away
My lover (my love)
I'm happiest when we spend time (it's only you and I)

It's you there when I close my eyes
And you in the morning
I never thought you'd still be mine
Or I'd really need to have you around

Don't go away
My love (my love)
I want you to stay
In my life
Don't go away
My lover (my love)
I need you, you're my love supply

Don't go away
My love (you're my love supply)
I want you to stay
In my life (every day, every night)
Don't go away
My lover (you're my love supply)
I need you, you're my love supply

MOVIES: My thoughts on some recent fillums

Batman Begins
Any movie directed by Christopher Nolan is going to be worth a look. It's dark and intense and not at all what you think it's going to be. Forget the old Batman movies - this is nothing like those. Christian Bale is Batman (and a great big hunk of spunk). It's grounded in reality (as much as a superhero movie can be) and Nolan treats the 'origins' storyline with a such seriousness that it's impossible not to take it seriously. Put aside your prejudices and have a look at it. 'Batman Begins' is the best of the Blockbusters (so far) this year.


Mr & Mrs Smith
It's young, dumb and full of...spunk. You kind of want to hate it simply because it's Brangelina...but you can't. Director Doug Linum infuses his film with a playfulness and humour that sweeps you along for a couple of hours. It ain't brain surgery (it stars Brad Pitt for god's sake) but it is a great way to waste $15. I'm not even going to explain the plot to you - it doesn't matter. Only the actions scenes and jokes matter - and they're good enough to keep you entertained.



War Of The Worlds
This is a deeply flawed film - and that's coming from a fan of Spielberg's much maligned 'A.I.'. I so wanted to love 'War'. It had everything going for it: Spielberg, budget, storyline etc...yet somehow it didn't work. It's a war between worlds that still manages to be cute, that still relies on ridiculous co-incidences to sustain the plot. There are set pieces that are stunning and terrifying but these only highlight how good the movie could have been if only Spielberg had been brave enough to follow through - it's blockbuster porn without the money shot.