tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38368768652052105862024-03-19T19:48:09.468+11:00reading & watching diaryThis is a little blog intended to show up as an RSS feed in my main blog, <a href="http://shawjonathan.wordpress.com">Me Fail? I Fly!</a>. I make a note here when I start reading a book, and mostly write something <a href="http://shawjonathan.wordpress.com">there</a> when I finish. Click on an image for a link. Blogger lets you choose from a number of views. For example, try <a href="http://readingwatchingdiary.blogspot.com/view/classic">mosaic view</a>.Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.comBlogger3159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-89274418149604067192024-03-19T15:01:00.010+11:002024-03-19T15:01:55.506+11:00Quarterly Essay 92: The Great Divide (Alan Kohler 2023)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.quarterlyessay.com.au/essay/2023/11/the-great-divide" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="472" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ZON89G0Lr3RDKyFnGWbHiA7W2Ba0sb3Yy2WGicSLAqwLqu0BYbF7vEiQmIEumIQYnWbh-SFGHVutStYtlYKqRbHvcE4HUEgJGG62Z1kQz7lIgV_wWCtn1Jt1tk37hJB-jO8pfwyVXf26gCpGBWsXVmhSUHwnXzTLBYGfqNjXK-hbVBnHc87S9GTysjDa/s320/QE92.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>Ambitiously subtitled, 'Australia's Housing Mess and How to Fix It'.<p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-80658814101408385272024-03-18T10:12:00.002+11:002024-03-18T10:12:12.421+11:00Dating Amber (David Freyne 2020)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPKXeiy94XE&pp=ygUeIm1hcmsga2VybW9kZSIgICJkYXRpbmcgYW1iZXIi" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMS5qRFlEPxKoWtfADKbElws48h-XoakqKUKwk7NxmsyWB2qZhkS1ZFu31CbgFwdclFOanmoe7yi_w3tLsrc9Ol347nX52TgIi_jhQ1GxEGzsAeRQbJfwnITvkAWqcfxzDvFT8AwXDMvYseLU8_PnwgG-KBdaA9dHvWVivWbfuRBYqX6DA_Fc3rbszofRQ/s320/DatingAmber.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>An Irish queer coming of age movie. It's warm and comic, sometimes gross and at heart serious. It certainly makes heterosexual adolescence look like torture<p></p><br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-90856407642668554332024-03-16T10:31:00.004+11:002024-03-16T10:31:42.609+11:00SBS On Demand: Lola (Jacques Demy 1961)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055093/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWGs55ncEfoECUVexgap0H8gwm4zT_nqicCtQuU4JXwvnldDGv0ifmZdimWdcYKTSDjTSzCkO_65TAM_y5u_vnWyg9HCA98Ym-oYLvBPHjbFrBFHQAZhy-K99lI7K6ZLjMSVJo_y8lGPuX7qwMJGdB4hmZKndwtcZB1cEJaL-PWidScTT8oOR5Hp7uFJmo/s320/Lola.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>Oh dear! I know I saw this in the early 1970s and was entranced by Anouk Aimee. Not so much this time. I'm pretty sure I enjoyed the kind-of-sequel, <i>The Model Shop</i>, more, but I dread seeing it again.<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-373366406213269112024-03-14T16:43:00.003+11:002024-03-14T16:43:21.013+11:00Will Trent, Season 1 (from books by KArin Slaughter 2023)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17543592/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzF3sx9TI-dRP3lXyUo3R_5YzBVt3wxC_qg_9MsU4ogxyqG6Jvcb2XiGyEuYvQZwhpKK_sxyaStTVYYnrOif1ZB90IXZDo9vd_K3FAUVn2lhAvUe6Ii7mp_zKKXsv-NuZHgZ-Tw7lv66FWOhfTGdAaeBo70GkNb8mG4cOOemFE71AoivBYAnhY5Qtp5BFR/s320/WillTrent.jpg" width="256" /></a></div> A sow abut a dyslexic detective that starts out well but settles down to be pretty formulaic with a lot of plot holes. We gave up after about 8 episodes.<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-36231810281632416022024-03-14T16:37:00.005+11:002024-03-14T16:37:43.584+11:00Paris Can Wait (Eleanor Coppola 2016)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4429194/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1438" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyt5xjLQx7R2oZzeso3acc20GtJJLeUNIEMbTxky1BXwpwbO7Kwb7J9-icHUEGBzh9AOMHwLXEh_jcqvIjHi8jjsK4OYG-mW-91yiUqFCtP601i55sFqSfr3m6SNnbld0KYDlq1Rz4i0NsnKKLu0EP4dfT-aK4ZKvsrcXqqNxUPyhcmXVAXRRf8Tm3RL0/s320/ParisCanWait.jpeg" width="223" /></a></div>A comic road movie about the wife of a movie producer made by the wife of movie director Francis Ford Coppola, this may have a strong subtext about the state of movie-widowhood, but it's a charming comedy that draws on some old-fashioned stereotypes about French sexual mores, as opposed to US puritanism. Diane Lane is terrific, and there's a lot of magnificent scenery.<p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-10141622594346794712024-03-09T04:58:00.006+11:002024-03-18T11:18:43.641+11:00My Friends (Hisham Matar 2024)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://shawjonathan.com/2024/03/18/hisham-matar-my-friends-the-book-club-page-77/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsonUGSZveJRbu3rNQQupv3MQyJbEZu57Soa3vvBXyQq4Sxj8IowkunVGhTzZRdG0yZfEkZVPyUd3F2MnQaQKYEcSx1_6GdLlsUWBmgbmgYFnODR2PLmcWVrnQ6T9coDmtAoyBnMtSBTRiKXIgbmzKgRm-ZJsX_Ewi-PSueQyH-uEos2RJCe0QhPh2Gvp/s320/MyFriends.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>Reading this in tandem with T<i>he Wren, the Wren</i> for a Book Club. They have astonishingly similar openings for such different books<br /> <p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-58861026676256343302024-03-08T21:57:00.003+11:002024-03-09T04:56:18.627+11:00The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer 2023)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIQyyereZjM" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fAsxCNE6_ZPg7F3ofKed_S2uqQJ1EXR13vv5EQKwhfvkICFc6tq9iz_cFvnZzd1seVBrDfYxtNQwMKM4ym0lAfOuftZEnq8AAd2YafTeP6cm6DczWudqIUO5nBWeXn4-dVrSw3sX6u1giQaJBZAxgc46XOjODiNK3-TiNQ6tZc46UfoqPAyPVYgO1nIG/s320/ZoneOfIntrest.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>A film that rather than mainly telling a story opens up a space for the audience to think. It opens with music on a blank screen, and music kept me in my set until the very end of the credits. Sandra Hüller is unrecognisable from <i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>.<br /> <p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-23708479880705593122024-03-07T17:24:00.003+11:002024-03-07T17:24:33.064+11:001971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (2021)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14544732/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaD7dprwBoMfx2zWtxZrXaAWxgIo2cPU54EP1mZuyt_89v5GmMHenduvLo40MHbM9PWckTVDtGj_dystlhG8Pe1uI7emZyhG9o5UhkxSElb2bVvpfMcypvl4yNeYQCGdAw8On1Z50JrSB6gAib03jVT-UZFA63iF5lK1uM1fUqLzYA0GfZIxnAb_XMnap-/s320/1971.jpg" width="213" /></a></div> This is a terrific 8-part documentary series. For me it's a revelation of just how little attention I was paying to music in 1971.<p></p><br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-10818455051665696392024-03-05T14:29:00.001+11:002024-03-05T14:29:13.663+11:00The Family Plan (Simon Cellan Jones 2023)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8wRB7ucTL1Lqd90sYMbA4LTcBsQ9pldTM_uBO52UKHQd38XVr_IHEh_ZmibWpNCd_ylFEdGgB6cdKocdliWmaAPu-NFKvukSBbz7UhViXSKRNrAFS1sPOCCjxPuiuAxJK1RTOOQnAm4G4ODSXI7NmrPOocfgENUdpq9rpCZTWbJMoF7lyhqI4TsyQr3E/s1500/FamilyPlan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8wRB7ucTL1Lqd90sYMbA4LTcBsQ9pldTM_uBO52UKHQd38XVr_IHEh_ZmibWpNCd_ylFEdGgB6cdKocdliWmaAPu-NFKvukSBbz7UhViXSKRNrAFS1sPOCCjxPuiuAxJK1RTOOQnAm4G4ODSXI7NmrPOocfgENUdpq9rpCZTWbJMoF7lyhqI4TsyQr3E/s320/FamilyPlan.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Mark Wahlberg as an ultra-normal suburban guy whose past as a highly skilled assassin catches up with him. Many violent deaths ensue. It's completely unserious, and I wouldn't pay to see it in a theatre, but it's great made-for-TV fun, with the brilliant presence of Iliana Norris and Vienna Norris as an endlessly cheerful baby in the midst of the mayhem.<p></p><br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-17905569577332737432024-03-05T14:20:00.004+11:002024-03-05T14:20:32.226+11:00Post Me to the Prime Minister (Romaine Morton 2005)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.librarything.com/work/14617433" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGH5sy42j-wYPW5G7OS8Dt_nQeVSHgdcXdbVQqPfDyLCLwNbhnDOcaFkP4Nb0irzl9U-zyEtgqZ686YXfOoKKb220Dcapuzoa9n0CuB3WJKQbiNPG4TmBkj7OHHXbFb0vi7csWeKXHBFLxRJD6vs2WVxtR97jilhl-lyi5IEkYwjFDS83DDZub50FhXmR/s320/PostMe.jpg" width="224" /></a></div> On loan from a friend.<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-37197926908212674542024-03-02T09:16:00.001+11:002024-03-02T09:16:15.192+11:00No return / Aller SImple, season 2 ((Bernard Dansereau 2022)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17042566/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="185" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlmmVfPXMVFK1V05MEoBdK3SvklNRIjM6sGvnoRJXFvk_PF9v0NIdH8V25wbn-NscD2KE7W9J2rvseSpk3DcqlVebOK88kNnQV6efmB7w7LbG_U6GnNma1OYu-3McfVynH3YJ4ZZewoXK4CxuL59v40PwR5F1INOQqXg2wOJRqkBijK2qGGTypi7CvTq1/s1600/aller-simple2.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>A very different set-up from the first season, but equally engrossing. A creepy stalker calls on an organic farm run by a group of friends, and things go badly awary.<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-33117244616192592572024-03-02T09:06:00.004+11:002024-03-02T09:06:32.474+11:00Trying, Season 3 (Andy Wolton 2022)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10982034/episodes/?season=3" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="936" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjT4dMnbd4HnZdw6kr5q54H_7y8xoNQsrvZze04m0Mdf0yEEZP0I7UpChtDIYyHIfQNY9xbQXtpMcXoY7ynMPkqM58WEsW_7FdOqgAYB_R4prvcafkz9rCuthJcTUigbn9VXPC1ojvKJdsGmcIrrrYeabpNRHV5f4fReijtn1E5hmZW6V9Qkx8rV_ypbZ/s320/Trying3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This season begins with a gathering of the allies to persuade the bureaucracy to let our heroes foster brother and sister, to prevent their separation. The show stays charming, though it struggles to be anything like realistic in its portrayal of the difficult relationshiops between any child and any parent, adoptivve, foster or otherwise.<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-65831967237470733802024-02-27T14:04:00.001+11:002024-02-27T14:04:03.721+11:00Heat, Series 3 Number 11 (edited by Alexandra Christie 2023) <p><a href="https://giramondopublishing.com/books/heat-series-3-number-11/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1532" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixRVPtyFLGtZxHnhEuWkESPM4dqJiUHDOs3XxmqP-NT9sO5P4r5xmfJHepYsaWemZEgcXzHTS0Sobf7Am_sIQtBRs_2lzpFxP5U_4Pt1Ys1tvUKJiZmQyq6TNXcL1LlWrlVKZHXRhOyfqrrbFldr1mSh-kOAv2bZvew2huJeagds78omORPRkSrdoRcQV/s320/heat311.jpg" width="226" /></a>This has taken up residence in my backpack. I'm looking forward to taking it out as the occasion arises. </p><br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-84283243342330112602024-02-27T13:02:00.003+11:002024-02-27T13:02:35.846+11:00The Wren, The Wren (Anne Enright 2023)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.librarything.com/work/29552343/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlrPzMlP7WVXKKK1BMPnQ4nnO7cPMIlaBCUaVvt6F_Fht3zLY2WNaE5MlwmxWPU0H2F15lIopI_ic_PkxFmVKpIb6QZdqu5kpZfsWr97ufjasR5AbX4mDf4B54R9Y2IFU2LUSIt3EIaATy2Ir_xqSgQUrg0MMMWDTUOCF1Wk0ib2PL7zh6RsLP9B640z7/s320/TheWren.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>Reading this for my Book Club, in tandem with Hesham Matar's <i>My Friends</i>.<br /> <p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-80639035013016916552024-02-27T12:59:00.001+11:002024-02-27T12:59:10.262+11:00Trying, Season 2 (Andy Wolton 2021)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10982034/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLN-WLNVwl48hjHs6IWwEhEYdHhGaqvXhjDUsvN20c_NnehioCzVcLG9b3PN3avlzPsMn5ixFpr1KtjsfEryddc29vUZY9Vnn2N3BLa8NSK4Ty6OkqVkwUi7psZWqFX2PLkn2WeVafO-b_T8pXepV084APZBbZ7hXLf43uSTFnmuL2WHElL_JVXHqePu_C/s320/Trying2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Having passed the first milestone at the end of Season 1, Nikki and Jason now have to find a child to adoot. Only about now, I recognised Imelda Staunton as the OTT social worker on their case.<p></p><br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-22572571985960536042024-02-26T10:38:00.005+11:002024-02-26T10:38:57.969+11:00Trying, Season 1 (Andy Wolton 2021)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10982034/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipn6P9TgDsmRec8kjY02GLChgewaMhyXHUfcc8xosMkY2CqhxGus4UtM1mMJGqgEpk-QqNKzwXZ7bURtzNhPio-hcsjfN_Z5ZYBBsKxlAuNBZRMzhpME31xidUmCa9FJSdu-JINlypE1YetY-fFlqkIpDcWViUAgDQhLEyG8Xwgu4G2qY23wpwWuW9_b9U/s320/Trying1.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>We started watching this years ago, but the opening scene of a bickering couple trying to conceive a baby on the upper level of a London bus just seemed too much of a stretch. Coming back to it years later, we find the couple (played by Rafe Spall and Esther Smith) charming, and the attempt to conceive as a last-ditch go before embarking on the adoption trail. This time we're enjoying it a lot. Among other things, it's got nuance in its comic portrayal of bureaucracy.<p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-70568413570146434292024-02-25T17:51:00.004+11:002024-02-25T17:51:36.302+11:00The Lost king (Stephen Frears 2022)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYHIK6JTLJc" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDP_pMNij2jhjAx9AoKX-Co2gKKOTh44QZq2FI06IaZSKa6Yrrtpsu33UTg7kXHEwBQZxD93_MUs9zeS8Pfnv61OH9PrGMmzMxLFoX6K9grEhP8YnGwlZ0tHteQ_JObt4ZJhNw65L58JEaUKkH7SgdskHVngWwSVpuQRwCCpgWDiCygdmZiwpI_hYDq7D/s320/TheLostKing.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Sally Hawkins! Apart from a naff apparition of Richard in modern Leicester, this is a terrific dramatisation of Philippa Langley's famous successful search for the burial place of Richard III. I wonder why they didn't ever mention Josephine Tey's novel <i>The Daughter of Time</i>, which did such a great job <i>in 1951</i> of debunking the mainstream view of Richard as villain.<p></p><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-37667710906192227572024-02-23T18:57:00.005+11:002024-02-23T18:57:41.835+11:00Suncoast (Laura Chinn 2024)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13650742/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvxwr64njbgjyidOUzATJlGmn4ATiAqA-QW-TzakEhF-M-BYKpeFBwCXbD1y5_gxS6WGtKHEVgJB0k7-v45qUhfgWGkNE-CFUyHlouMepecoHPHFxVNf-83_A1MddtOxXM6To1ZMHgLY_ggJMAj-DqeSedZYTFckuNBqH4ZyCx8K-YsUA5q192KLkoleY/s320/Suncoast.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>With the controversy over the final days of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Schiavo_case" target="_blank">Terri Schiavo</a> as backdrop this is a televisual story of a teenager whose brother goes into a hospice to die. A final note indicates that it draws on the writer-director's personal history. <br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-27437371995920490262024-02-20T12:18:00.002+11:002024-02-20T12:18:29.583+11:00Litto (Katzuko Yamamoto 2020, translated by Junko Ishii Blades and Peter Cummins 2023)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https:https://www.librarything.com/work/31742993///blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPDLUa0QdlcuiezVX_b8-vFzn0qPHPyyz64QwsifRCPpmkexAqo50fIIpaOk8fN9xfrX7V_O41PxQH5Qb3PEGXBaBbMjSfHjUk42X9QVvPTYmmCGsD5gf3Y8wdE6omPq6FUkJb7sar1r4zUY5IKBtsitFNTEp4LBY-B0asBmU8Qf5Ox3SVPzLiJM7wroY/s508/Litto.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPDLUa0QdlcuiezVX_b8-vFzn0qPHPyyz64QwsifRCPpmkexAqo50fIIpaOk8fN9xfrX7V_O41PxQH5Qb3PEGXBaBbMjSfHjUk42X9QVvPTYmmCGsD5gf3Y8wdE6omPq6FUkJb7sar1r4zUY5IKBtsitFNTEp4LBY-B0asBmU8Qf5Ox3SVPzLiJM7wroY/s320/Litto.jpeg" width="228" /></a></div>A Japanese children's book. An innocent little dog brings joy to many people.<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-4627138914790099582024-02-18T22:23:00.001+11:002024-02-18T22:23:03.871+11:00Belvoir: Tiny Beautiful Things (Adapted for the stage from by Cheryl Strayed's book by Nia Vardalos and others 2016)<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://belvoir.com.au/productions/tiny-beautiful-things/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vSzB0b3LkBWULA5eRNzEykKtdZDNC4f2R12l4r7y1n65FmU9YT_pxpTHw0SXcC2hoGS3DbCR6epTYQtU68piir2lIYR3QRt_E5PCoN21f_5OzoBC03E5sJYRCGsGYQyOsSKABLf4adGID5t3ErwlAUM1-Kxer6ArFNSDMyhCmdcUnGSk7RgfsBCf38Um/s320/TinyBeautifulThings.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Belvoir website</td></tr></tbody></table> Not a 'well-made play'. Actually not a play at all. A staged reading from a book of letters to and from an agoiny aunt in a literary journal. The cast, led by Mandy McElhinney, are all terrific. The set is terrific. The music is fine. The language is beautiful. Even the US accents don't turn everything to wood. But it's not a play. And it didn't make me want to read the book.<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-86162417574013875252024-02-18T15:50:00.001+11:002024-02-18T15:50:07.465+11:00Apple +: The New Look (Todd A Kessler 2024)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18177528/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1501" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20cPQx0iUzlP3AX2wwxIyylhmsIqYuYynef6siRclMpHITLXx9GeK1VA42yENhbN8QS08IYhFJCg_wEDPbFMkIDvgvj1pqSS9bF-LaBWfxXH0g2nb-4npAk0rjbScMO90yg40XHHDbRmu29Yp9gTHO3o1azG1aLsHnpUkzXC3sYbeR2V0knwABPYegQOe/s320/The%20NewLook.jpg" width="213" /></a></div> It's great seeing Ben Mendelsohn do little Gallic shrugs and pouts. On the strength of the first couple of episodes this is surprisingly interesting, about top French designers ' dealings with the Nazi occupiers. The accents are weird.<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-880181138174592302024-02-18T15:48:00.002+11:002024-03-14T14:02:10.616+11:00Old God'sTime (Sebastian Barry 2023)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://shawjonathan.com/2024/03/14/sebastian-barrrys-old-gods-time-at-the-book-group/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEjo45jbINOx2ZRQlMarlzU2XtmRpWlEAYDb2pDyvDSIkevN_cC7kNMhZLeBP2hVIdRIHc6To2mWT5P3WbEP8eUmoGLYbSGG1MCnl8Kwq4OLSXYK-dDrjm9jnw7APrQLzjXWg_x-XDKjNUWIutrocXe-wcj6dWfgHe1uEXnB-4t4J9bwQSwG7k0mgmCr0/s320/OldGodsTime.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>This is one for the Book Group<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-69290000696436740492024-02-16T21:18:00.003+11:002024-02-16T21:18:17.614+11:00All of Us Strangers (Paul Haigh 2024)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK4drymohjY" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREov790KrN7nfK-AjX2rtLVVYP7IjE6-BlJoRxrA7QeVponFgUwS2acqDOYjWDmamL4v08sJJ_q3z5vuICiZwk5e0AqiGSyOkED_h4BhGX80xHpftORI4Tt_8k147H-PDFxohLQSD4Z_MQmhl2AS-eUquRnawVmhYyu8rWU1HHXSz31CNSrSAPX5oLv_M/s320/AllOfUs.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>For me this movie fell into two halves. In one, the intimacy consultant had a lot of work to do. The other was a brilliant ghost story in which the protagonist, played with complete conviction and occasional laugh out loud humour by Andrew Scott, spends tim with his parents who died when he was 12. In the end the two parts come together, not completely satisfactorily for me.<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-30741913205383332282024-02-15T22:04:00.005+11:002024-02-15T22:05:06.418+11:00Taylor Swift: Miss Americana (Lana Wilson 2020)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11388580/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqrrUXrkutnxqVw07zLulce9u3dByv0eO72ltXE1pQS5Ji4VX9AoYWNYBZwh88oW4ntS69EFf6J8gSyzjYtNy4FsHmlH6-7TO1fNBxyzrwRw7491A90vjYBPw_hGLb3qohc1iAeBNNM32uGXQrn9xlcHsi21V5-FOc4jp13ud0p15NB68BtvnRCsGhU2G/s320/MissAmericana.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>Before seeig this documentary I thought of Taylor Swift as primarily a product of the attention economy, where we're all expected to like the same things etc. I couldn't see her or hear her music as anything other than generic. I can't say I've joined the Swifties, but I'm a kind of a fan, and certainly respect her as an artist and a person who strives for integrity. 'I want to keep a sharp pen, a thin skin and an open heart.' <br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3836876865205210586.post-35675419545968970162024-02-11T22:23:00.007+11:002024-02-11T22:23:57.024+11:00ABC iView: This Is Going to Hurt (Adam Kay 2022)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031885/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Vh6tp02JkIZmDlefUoecXikJMDwFRGmuwN83CSHgsE69Ynx3RLwHDjS4oHRsdWdFsReGy076UpE2QHC5Ni1D2MwscUAz4ftpn8YXmdmtnfoiBL3n4DI83im_20OXeodQO8c8ptQz8ePgN-qXVWOca1cjFL7Np4QQGChMZaKWHNTsTYVanLRT9vSdeeyD/s320/ThisIsGoingToHurt.jpg" width="213" /></a></div> Billed as comedy, this is pretty serious look at the terrible work conditions in the NHS. Ben Wishaw does a lot of wisecracking, but it's the humour of desperation. It's gripping.<br /><p></p>Jonathan Shawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578332677544175692noreply@blogger.com0