SEPTEMBER REVIEWS

What I Have Been Watching

The Wrong Girl S1 – this is a fun, light series with a good cast. I am not a huge fan of Australian television, but this is not bad. Having said that, I get a bit over the main heroine being an intelligent girl who comes across dipsy.

Hap and Leonard S2 – this is a great, fun series about two best friends causing trouble and helping those that need helping in the South. The arc of this series (infinitely better than S1) is trying to track a bunch of black children who have disappeared over many years. The subject matter and fun actually work, there is great darkness in this series but there is also a healthy dose of humour, which is why i think the series is so good.

Delicious – Fun series about a chef, Leo (Iain Glen), who is having an affair with his first wife (Dawn French) and his second wife (Emilia Fox) finds out. Just as things are getting messy, he has a heart attack and dies leaving his large fortune split between the women. They find out secrets about Leo, and mystery ensues, add in family drama, a lot of humour, and amazing food. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Capture – fabulous series on photography that pairs up a classic photographer and an amateur (usually someone famous) and they discuss photos they have taken, why, circumstances behind etc. Amazing and insightful!

Travel Man – great premise, Richard Ayoade (IT Crowd) and another comedian spend 48 hours zipping through a major city. Richard is phobia ridden and a great straight man. Adam Hills and Istanbul, Noel Fielding and Copenhagen, Rob Delaney and Seville, Jo Brand and Venice were particularly good.

United Kingdom – a British woman marries the King of Botswana. This is based on a real story and could have been great, but I found it clunky and long.

Lone Star –  Been years since I saw this glorious film. I remember loving it but things were hazy. Re-watching it was as glorious as I remember. Dual timelines and dual murders, Lone  Star

Guardians of the Galaxy |Vol 2 – always fun, great cast, great music. What’s not to love?

Alone in Berlin – this sounded great on paper, Emma Thompson and Brendan Gleeson are a German couple who decide to take on the Nazis after their son is killed in WWII. I found it too dreary and long, maybe I was having a bad day. I wanted to love this, has anyone seen it ? Thoughts?

Paterson – the latest  film by Jim Jarmusch is an utter delight. One of the best new films I have seen in ages. Paterson (The brilliant Adam Driver) is a poet and a bus driver. It shows his lovely relationship with his wife, dog and his very repetitive life and yet he has this lovely lust for life which shows through in his poetry. Utterly mesmerising, this is my must see of the month!

Red Dog True blue – Australian, sequel, animal, saccharine...everything I hate about movies...and yet this was ok, not as good as the first one, but ok.

What I Have Been Reading

Letterman: the last giant of late night by Jasons Zinoman – This was a great read about Letterman, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It was a fascinating journey down memory lane.

Lincoln in the Bardo – George Saunders – you can see why this won the Booker (though I still stand by my choice of Exit West), so very different and out there. The story of Lincoln’s son who died young and his journey in the afterlife. I listened to this on talking book and I think that helped, I’ve heard the book is a struggle. There are a lot of characters and it does take a while to acclimatise to who is who and what is happening. The talking book had a cast of hundreds reading each part which really helped. David Sedaris and Nick Offerman played the main characters and is worth the price of admission itself. Once I got the rhythm I really enjoyed the story, and I really appreciate it’s authenticity, but this is not for everyone. It can be a little bit too clever for it’s own good. I have always enjoyed Saunders’ short stories, but his style and dry humour need some acclimatising, and even so I struggled initially with this. having said that it was a triumph to get through and understand, it paid off well!.

What I Have Been Listening To

Everything Now – Arcade Fire – a bit more laid back than you’d expect, not bad but not great.

Silver Eye – Goldfrapp – brilliant and upbeat!

Turn Up The Quiet – Diana Krall – perfection as always.

Lust for Life – Lana Del Ray -  lovely and lush, great voice.