Desmond, Avatar and Notting Hill.

*Possible Spoilers Ahead.*

I watched Avatar (in 3D!) yesterday, as my first movie of the year, and I really liked it. Then when I got home, I found Notting Hill playing on HBO, and that was bloody brilliant too, as Hugh Grant might say.

I must admit I've never watched Notting Hill in its entirety. Yesterday's viewing was the closest to the full thing. And it was predictable, and sweet, and a little incredulous at some points. But it was also simple: just about a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.

Avatar was pretty nifty too. It's what you'd get if you crossed Pocahontas with Narnia and Smurfs on steroids. The story was, like Notting Hill, predictable. Still, I think that predictability made the film work. With all its stunning technical animations and scenes, it was its simple storyline that balanced out the film.

The simplicity of the story reflected Jake Sully's (the protagonist, played by Sam Worthington) person: flawed hero with a quiet strength, who's unannounced. Had it been a bigger, more complicated story, it would have detracted from the earnestness Sully (and Worthington) carries. And like the (somewhat political and LiveEarth-y) current of the film, it's a reminder to return to simpler things.

Avatar managed to carry through its bladder-defying 162 minutes without really losing steam. And I liked that its messages were subtle and subservient to the plot. Of course, this is all subjective, but I think I enjoyed the film enough to ramble about it with such bias.

Critics often lament the lack of surprises and clever twists in shows. They throw a million and one expectations, and then wonder why they leave feeling unsatisfied. And perhaps that's valid. But sometimes, when faced with a world that's ever-changing and oh-so-unpredictable, it's the constant things that appeal to me.

The unchanging, if predictable, stories.