Blowing the Bloody Doors Off - Michael Caine

In his 85th year Michael Caine has written this new book.   It is part memoir about his early life and most of the book is devoted to his advice for actors.  Peppered with stories about the movie industry and the many movies he has been in it talks not only about being a movie star when younger, but as he aged becoming more popular as a character actor.  It is all good advice, about preparing well, learning your lines, making friends on set, being prompt and polite and most of all being professional.

He comes across as a nice guy.  Good to his friends, treated his mum well and loves his wife, daughters and three grandchildren.  3/5

Green Book

A warm summers day was made easier by hiding in the air conditioned cinema today.  It amused me that I booked online a couple of days ago, and when I arrived it appeared I was the only one to see this movie.  I was then joined by  two other ladies,  one of course had to come and sit right beside me instead of in her own row.

I didn't know a lot about this movie going in which is always nice.  It is the story of Tony Vallelonga, an Italian from the Bronx who takes on a job to drive pianist Dr Don Shirley on a tour of the American South in 1962.  I enjoyed the story as it managed to balance the humor and drama in an intelligent way that so many American films have failed to do in the past few years.  Tony finds many of his prejudices challenged as he drives Dr Shirley from gig to gig.  Both men learn from each other and the film is able to tackle many issues in a simple but sensitive way, not only dealing with race and sexuality, but marriage and love and social class without being preachy in its story telling.

It also did a good job of making me feel immersed in 1962 straight away with its design and style,  I felt sucked into that world.  Except for one scene, I am sure as they crossed a bridge out of New York there was a SUV following them on the road - not quite around at that time period.

5/5

Absolute Proof - Peter James

This is a brick of a novel, and it took me quite a few days to plow through it.  Ross Hunter is an investigative journalist who is offered the story of a lifetime.  What would happen if there was proof of God?   Interesting in a Da Vinci Code type of way, there was lots of racing around and shooting, and quite a few bodies felt along the way.  I just got a bit bored mid way through, and didn't quite know who chasing Ross. 

I like Peter James - but I think his Roy Grace novels are more my jam. 2/5

Middle Aged Lady Movie Night - RBG

Last year I so wanted to see this documentary at the film festival, but they played it in the tiniest of cinemas at the most awkward of times.   I then got a crazy awful flu that floored me and meant that the ticket I acquired could not be used.  Such a shame.   So it has been a long time waiting the 5 months for this to be released on itunes so that I could watch it.  The best bit that it coming out this week it was 99c.  So even though I have a backload of watching material this was my Saturday night pizza on the couch, candles lit viewing.

RBG is the story of Ruth Bader Ginsberg a current Associative Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.   Such an interesting look at a fascinating woman, who has spent her life fighting for equal rights for women.   Hats off to her for attending Law School while a young mother with a young child.  Then her husband had cancer, so she helped type up his notes as well, often coping with only a couple of hours sleep each night.  I am in awe of that work ethic, especially as she faced discrimination in trying to get a job as a lawyer, as employers would not take her on.

Gosh our world needs more stories like this.  Of women and men doing great things for society and making life better for everyone.

5/5

I Feel Pretty

I feel confused.  This muddle of a movie is I guess trying to teach us all a moral lesson.  Renee doesn't feel like one of the pretty successful girls and is struggling to get a boyfriend.  When she falls off the bike at Spin lessons and hits her head, she comes too and believes when she looks at herself that she is supermodel gorgeous.  This causes her to walk and dress differently, and she starts meeting men and getting the job she wants.

There just seems something off about this movie, its like the teenage myth portrayed on movies/television that is a girl just takes off her glasses and overalls and puts a bit of lip gloss on she will get the hot guy.  I just felt like cringing in lots of scenes through this movie and just felt it just doesn't reflect any reality and is just relying on crude jokes to get by.  I am disappointed too that it just seems to be trying to reply the plain janes just need to buy some high heels and step out to win their dream guy and top job.  I don't buy it, but I guess it is made for 20 year olds and I am way out of the target demographic.  1/5

In His Father's Footsteps - Danielle Steel

I haven't read a book of Danielle Steels in forever, but reading the blurb on this one I picked it up off the shelves for a bit of holiday reading.  Jakob and Emmanuelle are rescued from Buchenwald Concentration Camp and face a long time to recover from all that they endured in the war.  Sponsored for a job and home in New York, they set sail for a new country with no money and no family or friends.  They are able to rebuild their lives and establish themselves with help from new friends and I enjoyed their story.

I did struggle with the 2nd part of the book which is more the story of Max their son and his wife, which for me felt quite forced and I felt a bit distanced from these two spoiled characters.  Still it was easy light reading. 3/5

Middle Aged Lady Movie Night - Adrift

So Pacific islands look all lovely and the idea of sailing away on a boat with a handsome man seems a dream come true, but as we have learnt from Nicole Kidman and Sam Neil in Dead Calm it seldom ends well.  I am a bit nervous about the deep sea and although I love being on a boat - my fears would keep me away from an adventure like this one. 

Young Tami meets Brit sailor Richard in Tahiti and joins him on a yacht for a trip.  Should have taken a plane.  4/5

We Can See You - Simon Kernick

I don't know.  Brook is a self help guru type living the good life in her big house with husband and daughter when the daughter and nanny go missing, and she becomes the chief subject as bodies keep getting discovered. 

I just didn't buy it - what parent whose daughter is abducted just pops into bed and gets a good nights sleep?  I just felt the story felt a bit forced to me and a bit over the top with stereotype baddies and cops and Brook and Logan were very one dimensional.  I did read until the end, and felt a bit disappointed as I have enjoyed the authors other books. 2/5

An Audience With Nick Cave

Very occasionally I venture into town after 6pm and for special occasions only.  Last year I was browsing the internet and found that Nick Cave was coming for a show where he sung and took questions from the audience.  I knew that none of my friends would be interested and so thought I would treat myself and bought a solo ticket. 

I have listened to Nick Cave off and on from when I first heard From Her to Eternity in 1984 as a teenager.  His music is hard to describe, some of it punk, some hard rock but there is a lot of softness and ballads.  This song - Into  My Arms is one of my favorites, and when he played it it was amazing!!  Just so talented, the whole show was just him and his piano, such beauty in his words and music.   I feel so lucky to have been there.

Made In Scotland - Billy Connolly

I love Billy Connolly, and have been lucky enough to see him live twice over the years, with each time leaving with a huge belly ache from laughing so much.  In the last few years he has been on tele a lot with his shows travelling the world and has published a few books about his life.

His latest book, is mainly about growing up in Glasgow, his rough childhood being abused by his aunt, and hating going to school and hating going home, you have to admire his spirit at just getting on and getting through.  Working as a welder on the shipyards provides many funny anecdotes about the rough and funny workmates he spent his time with to dressing in velvet and being a folk singer to taking the stage as a comedian.

He also talks about his Parkinsons and ageing, and he talks to a few of his mates about their own journeys throughout the book.  Good on you Mr Connolly. 5/5

Middle Aged Lady Movie Night - Edie

I never really thought about it until this week, but with the sad demise of any good shows on the Television, and the loss of DVD shops and sales, the older crowd that do not stream anything have been forced back into going to the movie theaters.  That will be why when I went to see A Star is Born at 10:30am last week, the cinema was filled with retirees.  I feel at 50 that I am somewhat a forgotten audience, the middle aged are not as well catered for as the 20 year olds and the pensioners, although I sense a change in the air.

I had seen Edie shorts shown, and didn't get to see it until last night.  It is the story of Edie whose husband dies, and she sets out on a journey she has wanted to do for over 40 years to a remote hill in Scotland.  Edie is a bit head strong and stubborn, and although there was beautiful scenery and moments of bliss, such as Edie flying down a hill on a mountain bike, I just felt it was a tad too slow for me.  3/5

Middle Aged Lady Movie Night - Tag

Couch, candles, burger and vanilla milkshake - check, check, check.  It never occurs to me that it is a sad Saturday night, staying home alone.   I am happy after a day out being buy to come home and relax. 

Well the thing that makes me happiest about this movie is that I only paid 99c for this middle aged film fest.  Based on a true group of friends who have spent decades playing a game of tag that has carried on from their childhood, we have a group of middle aged actors being forced to run and jump as they chase their mates all over the place.  It felt a bit forced to me, like lots of action sequences strung together by bits of dialogue.  The actresses all felt like they were there to fill in the lady quota.  Still I give it a couple of points for having Jon Hamm doing a bit of furrowed brow action.  3/5

One Day in December - Josie Silver

Look I read this because it was in Reese Witherspoons Book Club more than anything, and tall the reviews were a little hyped up about how much the readers loved it.  This is the story of Laurie, who on one miserable December day looks out the bus window and sees the man who she knows is the one.  The rest of the story is how they they finally meet, and do they get together?

This book did resonate with me a bit because it is my parents story.  My 18 year old father had looked out a bus window almost 60 years ago, and spied the 16 year old girl and told his friend that he was going  to Marry - so it does happen.  Oh and they did get married and had 44 years together.

So it was okay, but I did expect some magic that maybe I didn't find, and in fact I got a bit annoyed with some of the characters as they seemed to like a bit too much of a moan, instead of getting on with things.  3/5

Bohemian Rhapsody

The holiday film festival continues with one of the last cinema showings in the city.  It was worth seeing it on the big screen - I wished I had seen it at an even bigger one, but todays movie theater was ok. 

From the opening theme, done in Rock guitar Queen style I felt the tears well up.  I love Queen, and have enjoyed their music for years, and was an over excited 16 year old camping in my living room to watch Live Aid in 1985, so from the first scenes my heart swelled with excitement.  This movie focuses on Freddie Mercury and his story, and Rami Malek does an amazing job and I am sure will be in front of the line for the Oscar this year. 

This is by no means a documentary, but instead is a dramatized version of the Queen story, and I am sure presents a quite sanitized version of what must have been quite the Rock and Roll lifestyle.  Our audience didn't mind, and kept cheering each time his much loved cats came on screen.  All the oldies kept mentioning about the crowd at Wembley Arena - how it must have been to be in that crowd if you needed to use the bathroom?  To be fair that was my first thought as well.  No way could I stand up for that long time either.

So I did have to dab away some tears at the later stages of the movie - the music moved me.  For that I would give it a 5/5.

A Star Is Born

Still on holiday and I felt the need to head out and see this A Star Is Born.  Surprisingly the cinema was busy this morning, as there are now limited showings around the city, and one of our large cinemas has closed due to earthquake risk.

This is the reinterpretation of the classic previous movies, written and directed by Bradley Cooper who also acts and sings in the movie.  He plays Jackson, a successful singer who is now battling his addictions.  When he meets Ally, played by Lady Gaga he recognizes her talent straight away and just as the musical sparks fly, so does their chemistry.  As her star ascends we sense that he is at his own precipice.  I was a little skeptical coming into this movie but right from the first few minutes, you can sense that you are witnessing something special.  It just felt like a movie where the balance was right from start to finish.  Both Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga surprised me with their talent and the way they interacted together, and performed.  The supporting team all seemed right without being stealing any limelight.  Best of all, no super heroes popped up, no CGI was needed, no fancy
expensive homes were used, no flashy outfits or pricey jewels  - just simple story telling done well.

I came away wanting to see it again, and thinking that like An Officer and a Gentleman, The Bodyguard and Dirty Dancing that were played over the holidays that this would be one we will be watching over and over again in the years to come.  5/5

Unnatural Causes - Richard Shepherd

I am a fan of the medical memoir genre, and this one is from one of those specialties that is endlessly fascinating. Richard Shepherd is a Forensic Pathologist who does post mortems and is often seen on the television where he reviews celebrity causes of death. We learn in this book about the senior men he trained under, the grueling hours of study and hard work it takes to qualify in this field, and the personal toll it takes on him and his family over the years.

I enjoyed all the information that he shared about the many cases he has been involved in, and he mainly focuses on the high profile ones, the Marchioness Accident, the Clapham Rail Disaster and 9/11. It is totally done with the correct level of respect and balance between informing us without disrespecting the victims or their families. 

I did come away from reading this with a lot of respect for him and wishing I had got to meet him when I worked at St Georges in Tooting at the same time period. A lot of the book is devoted to his family, who had to put up with mainly his absence due to getting called back to work, and you have to admire his honesty in discussing the problems in his marriage and his struggles with mental health.

I could quite happily carried on reading another 400 pages of this book.  4/5

Music Monday - Don't Dream It's Over - Neil Finn

This was filmed in Auckland in 2015 when Neil toured with a string section.  I got to see the concert here, and it was one of the most beautiful concerts I have been to.  It's always nice to return back to your favourites, especially as I've got older and I don't really understand the youth music anymore.  Music used to be a great passion but sometimes I don't listen to any music from week to week, preferring to listen to podcasts on my ipod as I stroll around.    I'm going to try to listen to a bit more this year, switch off the computer and dance around the living room.

Middle Aged Lady Movie Night - Lady Bird

Today was a lazy day, but once dinner is eaten and the jobs done, as the evening creeps in it is time to draw the curtains and light the candles and sit and watch a movie.  This one was on my meaning to watch it list from last year.  Lady Bird is a coming of age movie about Lady Bird, who is trying to figure herself out and finding a way to fit in with the girls and the boys, and with her family when she is at that awkward pace where everything seems to be going wrong.

I get that I am probably too old to fully appreciate the story, but all I could think of while I watched it was that it was a modern Pretty in Pink movie, just with more angst and overthinking.  I felt it was one of those things that you are told you should like, but didn't do it for me - like opera, quinoa and The Walking Dead.   Not quite my cup of tea - 2/5.

Step By Step - Simon Reeve

Here we go - the first book I've read in 2019.   I've set my goal on goodreads of 100 books for the year, so we will see how it goes.  Last year I managed 106, and it is always good to get off to a roaring start.

Simon Reeve is a TV presenter and author whose face keeps popping up on travel shows through obscure regions of the world and I like his no fuss style of presentation and personable style.  This book seems to be made up of two distinct halves.  The first is about his growing up and teenage years which were interesting as he suffered from depression, and spent some time being a real delinquent breaking into buildings, being destructive and hanging out with other rough kids.

The second half of this memoir is about how he ended up being a presenter for BBC documentaries which was interesting.  He has traveled to lots of isolated and dangerous countries.  His description of a few of the places they were expected to stay in were just horrendous.  Mould growing out of the pillow doesn't entice me to want to travel there.  At least someone else does and films these places to show us the world beyond our borders. 4/5

The Favourite

It feels like I have waited forever for such a movie.  Always a fan of a corset drama, this one is so much more.  It is the 1700s and Queen Anne is settled into life with her favored lady - Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Malborough.  Things begin to change when young Abigail Hill, a young cousin of the Duchess arrives, seeking her help to get a job. 

A drama/comedy that is just divine as every scene seems just perfect, from the sumptuous costumes and stately palaces, to the powdered wigs it is the women that just shine in their roles.  The pompous rather stupid Queen Anne played by Olivia Coleman, the conniving but clever Lady Sarah is played to perfection by Rachel Weisz, and the truly stunning Emma Stone playing the young Abigail.  All are wonderful and I love all the men that are eye candy in the movie, playing their own games in their magnificent greatcoats and leggings.  How I wish that was still the fashion!!

Part of the delight of this movie is that it is truly an adult movie with adult themes.  Not one for the Disney crowd at all.  It was nice to venture into a grown up cinema with no chippie packets, or cell phones on, just adults with glasses of wine.  5/5