Middle Aged Lady Movie Night - Puzzle

I missed this one at the film festival here in our city, due to the mega flu of 2018 which laid me low and made me miss 10 movies already picked and paid for.  This is a gentle drama, that never returned to the cinema, so I was pleased to find it on apple itunes.  So for a cheaper $8 I got to sit on my own couch and watch it eating my leftover pizza dinner with a nice cold juice .

This is the story of  Agnes, a quiet mother, who spends all of her time sorting out her husband and two boys and who has lost her way in life a bit.  After picking up a jigsaw puzzle, she finds new interests and meets Robert, a former puzzle competition winner.  This is the kind of quiet lady drama which is seldom liked by critics, but that this lady watcher quite enjoyed.  Unfortunately I have little patience with jigsaw puzzles, but I enjoyed watching her journey.  4/5

The Stone Circle - Elly Griffiths

It is a bit of the same old plot from Dr Ruth, who again is busy helping with some found bones, and getting involved with Harry.  I had got a bit annoyed with the last couple of books in the series, as they had lost a bit of their flow, but this one seems to work a bit better and I found it an easier read.  I like Ruth, as she is a bit of an introverted homebody, and comes across as a realistic character that I can picture in my mind. 4/5

Waiting For The Last Bus - Richard Holloway

In his nineties the author Richard Holloway has had a career in caring for people, helping the bereaved and being there for people as they are dying.  In this book he reflects on what dying means, is it something that happens to us, or is it something we participate in.  It is a subject that I am interested in so I enjoyed this little book, and found it thoughtful and insightful.  Even though he has a religious background, I like that he still presents a variety of thoughts on what happens when we die, and that he himself is not convinced by the conventional teachings.

It may be a little morbid for some, but I really enjoyed this one. 4/5

The Unwinding of the Miracle - Julie Yip-Williams

The author Julie Yip-Williams leads us through her journey of being diagnosed at age 37 with stage IV bowel cancer.  After a difficult start of being born in Vietnam nearly blind with cataracts and escape with her family by boat, Julie fights to make her life normal, to learn and study, travel and find love - all the things that her family did not think possible for her.

Now as a lawyer, married with two young daughters she has to face her new diagnosis and learn to live with her terminal cancer.  Her book was initially a blog, so at time it may come across as a bit disjointed but I did enjoy reading her story.  Her honesty about her worries for the future, for her daughters and husband, her fear about dying, of leaving her family behind. 

A special type of memoir, and I was touched especially by the last few chapters where she talks about final meetings with her parents and siblings, and her letters to her husband and daughters, all so very moving.  5/5

Older Than Ireland

As it is St Patricks Day today it seems appropriate to have gone to see this movie at the cinema.  Older Than Ireland is a documentary where 30 Irish men and women, all over the age of 100 talk about their lives.  Their childhoods, growing up, meeting husbands and wives, working and getting older.  Charming and it was surprisingly funny with more moments of the audience chuckling than not, it definitely left us with a smile on our faces as we left the theater.  4/5

Lily Allen - My Thoughts Exactly

I think I need to steer clear of the 30 somethings who think they have lived and are already writing their memoirs, about their hard done celebrity lifestyles.  I like Lily Allens music, and although parts of this book were insightful and interesting, I came away with the overwhelming need to sit her down and tell her to get her act together.  That it is neither charming or cute to ignore your children or take no interest in your finances.  That the Peter Pan never grow up behavior seems to wear thin as you inch towards forty.  People have grown up in far worse circumstances than Lily did, and are managing to cope with being an adult.  2/5

Uncharted with Sam Neill

The weather has closed in here, with low and drizzly cloud and a steady 12 degrees has meant the sandals have been swapped for slippers and cardigans and sweatshirts have been dusted off and ready to wear.  I have also decided to clear out the dvr and watch some of the shows I have been hording.

This one Uncharted with Sam Neill follows the voyages of Captain Cook.  I have certainly learnt a lot, about his journeys in the South Pacific and Northern America that I knew little about.  I didn't know that he went to Alaska to search for the North West Passage, sailing through ice and frozen temperatures.  I did not know that prior to coming to New Zealand, Cook and the Endevour had been in Tahiti and he brought with him a Tahitian Priest/ Polynesian Navigator Tupaia, who when he arrived in New Zealand allowed him to communicate with the Maori due to their common Polynesian language.  The show is sensitive to the indigenous people of the countries shown on screen, seeking out their opinion about the explorer and the impact on their people of his arrival.  Such beautiful pictures of the idigenous people and so sad to read about the impact of colonization.  Amazing that people have such great history in their family, enabling stories of first contact to be told by children that has been handed down from over 220 years ago.

Sam Neill is a good host - I like listening to his gentle speech, and he is sensitive and educated in his conversations with the people he talks too. I think as I have got older I value documentaries so much more after years of self centered vain people filling other tv shows, it is nice to actually learn about the amazing world we live in.  5/5

The Girl They Left Behind - Roxanne Veletzos

I liked that this picture was based on the story of the authors mother, and how as a young child her Jewish parents had to leave her in Budapest in order to escape.  Adopted by a young well off couple, she lives a comfortable world, with summer houses, grand pianos and pretty dresses.  However as the war advances times become tough.

It was nice to read a WWII novel that explores a different European experience and although I wasn't connecting with any of the characters I did enjoy getting lost in the story each night as I read the book. 4/5

Music Monday - Shallow Cover

This is a sweet cover of Shallow from A Star Is Born.  Seems like these two should be on the Ellen show?  I appreciate a good busker, and in the UK there were lots of talented singers on the streets.  I always try to give some money to them as it must be hard work to earn a dollar.  Also I think the singer is just 13 years old - amazing.

The Dreamers - Karen Thompson Walker

This is a bit of an unusual one.  In a small college town, first one student mysteriously falls into a deep sleep and can't be woken, needing to be hospitalized.  Then more keep falling into the same dream sleep getting everyone worried that it will happen to them and their loved ones.  No-one appears safe, and young and old are struck down. 

I liked the writing of this novel and felt it seems ripe for being made into a teen orientated movie, as  it seems like the type of story to be filled with 30 year old model/actors being employed to play lovestruck 17 year olds .  Add in a couple of wrinkled 39 year olds to play the parents,  one grey haired actress over 70 as the sole old person and a couple of precocious 6 year olds and it will be a hit. 4/5

Stan & Ollie

After a night of work, I ended up with the day off.  After a nap and a shower, I decided to head out into the sun and have a walk around.   There was just enough time after doing the jobs that needed to be done to head to the cinema to watch Stan & Ollie, a movie about movie legends Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.  Movie stars of the 20s and 30s we meet the pair at the height of their popularity in 1937 where the pair are trying to decide if they should break the contract for their movie work and ask for a raise and the right to their work, which was popular worldwide and that neither received any payment for.

15 years later we meet the pair as they begin a tour of England and Ireland, playing live to small audiences at small halls.  After years together their friendship is tested and we get to see the real relationship.  Both actors do a great job in this movie, but I must say hats off to John C. Reilly playing Oliver Hardy, as he must have had to endure hours of makeup and prosthetic application to play the large actor whereas Steve Coogan must have had only to have a little hair cream applied to be ready for each days work. 

While interesting to see their private lives play out, I  didn't come away loving this movie and didn't feel a great connection to it.  I can see that it will end up as a Sunday evening art type film to be played for the 60+ audience, ones who will know the names and may remember seeing their movies replayed in the 60s and 70s.  4/5