I Heartily Endorse #2: Dent Repair Express

I enjoy getting good service, and when I get it, I like to spread the word.

Earlier this year, while I was over visiting my parents one evening, a neighbour across the road accidentally backed into my car. There was (very luckily) no paint damage, but the impact left two minor dents around the front driver-side wheel arch. So far, so grrr....

The steam was taken out of the situation by the fact that the guy who did it - Chris, a fella about my age- came in straight away, owned up to the mistake, and offered to put right any damage that was caused. I love my car, look after it as best I can, and rely on it a lot. I always envisioned myself losing the rag with someone who caused damage to it! The fact that Chris had the integrity to acknowledge the damage, and assist with sorting it, completely changed the complexion of the incident. True to his word, he fixed me up for the cost of the repair, and was a gent to deal with. Considering the car could've been hit by someone who just caused the damage and fled, twirling their moustache fiendishly, I was very lucky. Very lucky indeed.

Prior to this piece of business, I would've had no cause to know what PDR stood for - it's paintless dent removal, by the way... The day after the collision, I started searching around for someone who could provide a PDR service in Dublin, and return the wheel arch to its prior state. I e-mailed/texted about six places; a lot ignored my query, or didn't bother getting back to me. The one who did got my business, and did a superb job, and they were Dent Repair Express.

They basically came to me- to where I park near work- took about 30 to 40 minutes, and had the arch looking absolutely brand-new once they were done. Sound lads, as well, to deal with, and a reasonable price of €80 to fix me up. Absolutely no complaints, and a great service provided, and for that reason I heartily endorse Dent Repair Express.

http://www.dentrepairexpress.ie/index.html

I Heartily Endorse #1: Jagten (The Hunt)

Originally, I'd intended this blog to deal primarily with my wrestling exploits, but I'm gonna go ahead and expand the parameters just a little bit, and include a feature on, simply, stuff I like! Anything, really - films, TV shows, restaurants, day-to-day stuff. I was toying with a few names, but finally settled on 'I Heartily Endorse...', after the Krusty the Klown line in The Simpsons ("I heartily endorse this event or product.") So, to kick off my first 'I Heartily Endorse...', is a cracking Danish drama called Jagten (or 'The Hunt'.)

'The Hunt' stars Mads Mikkelsen, who had impressed playing the villainous characters Le Chiffre (from Casino Royale) and, more notably, Hannibal Lecter in the TV series Hannibal. Mikkelsen really shows his range here, playing sympathetic protagonist Lucas, a man accused of an appalling crime.

The plot concerns Mikkelsen's character, Lucas - a divorced father of a teenaged son- who is now assisting in a local kindergarten, after the secondary school he was teaching at closed down. Though he has friends and a budding relationship with another carer in the kindergarten, Lucas leads a fairly lonely existence. He is a popular figure in the kindergarten, and has a genial, playful rapport with the kids there, in particular with Klara, the young daughter of his best friend, Theo. When he upsets Klara one day, however, she makes an accusation of sexual abuse against him to the kindergarten owner, and events spiral out of control, making Lucas a hated, vilified pariah in his local community.

To say any more would be to do a great disservice to this film. For me, it was one of the better films I've seen in quite some time, and an excellent portrayal of a witch-hunt, and the damage that an accusation of this nature can do to a person's character, and to their life in general.

The performances across the board were superb, not only from the adults Mikkelsen and Thomas Bo Larsen (playing Theo), but also Lasse Fogelstrøm (playing Marcus, Lucas' teenage son) and a remarkable showing from Annika Wedderkopp as Klara, Lucas' accuser, who sets everything in motion.

It's well-written, nicely paced, and brilliantly performed, and does leave a lasting impression. Definitely not comfortable viewing, but that shouldn't be an issue when a film actually has something to say; The Hunt definitely does, and I heartily endorse it.