JULY/AUGUST REVIEWS

 Books

Yoko Ono: an artful life by Donald Brackett

Of the two biographies on Yoko Ono, I read this one first. It was a bog standard, Yoko Ono, difficult artist, married to John Lennon type. Lazy, annoying and not telling me anything I hadn't already heard.

Yoko: a biography by David Sheff

So, when it came to this one, I nearly didn't bother and I am so glad I did. This is THE definitive biography of this amazing lady. I am a fan, I wasn't always, but I am now and have been for a long time. The change for me came, when I saw an interview with her a long time ago and when she spoke about Lennon, it was as he had died the day before, such was the pain I saw in her eyes. I crumbled, and then started reading more about her and was lucky enough to see a very large exhibition of her work at the MCA about a decade ago.

And this takes you through her life, from an artistic perspective, with Lennon mentioned for sure but only as a small part of her life...which he was. There is a lot of information about her young life in Japan, moving to America, her feminism, and the poor treatment she received for being a woman and Asian. Awful! But there were loads of moments of exhalation within. People who championed her, and a lot about her art. I loved this book so much, it was a treat.

Say Everything: a memoir by Ione Skye

This was quite the memoir. Ione lived a crazy life and was famous quite young, also emancipated from her mother. Her father was the Mellow Yellow singer, Donovan, who she didn't meet until much later in life and it is quite the story. Her mother was a famous model in her time, and lived life large and the kids were not really parented hence Ione being emancipated from her at 15/16. Ione dated a lot and had many famous relationship, and as the title says, he says everything!

She was the original Gen X wild child, and whilst is married with children now and very much settled, you can feel the remorse of some of her behaviour. XXX

Killing for Country: a family story by David Marr

This was super intense but a hugely important read. I actually listened to Marr read it on talking book, and his lovely voice soothed things somewhat. It is about finding out his ancestors were part of ....

The Worst House on the Worst Street by Todd Alexander

I really enjoyed Alexander's first books, but this felt like he was stretching things out. An amalgamation of stories from houses he has restyled etc. Some have been previously mentioned, some not so much, and whilst none of it was bad, it just left me a little cold.

Want: submitted by Anonymous, collected by Gillian Anderson

This was a fabulously saucy mix of anonymous letters about sexual desire as sent to and chosen by the wonderful Gillian Anderson. 

In Writing: conversations on inspiration, perspiration and creative desperation by Hattie Crisell

Hattie interviews authors and offers her own advice on various stages of writing. With passages from David Sedaris, Curtis Sittenfeld, Emily St John Mandel, Cressida Cowell, Jon Ronson and many more, this was thoroughly entertaining and very useful!

The Opposite of Lonely by Hilde Hinton

Another gem from Hilde, this concerns Rose, a lovely but lonely single mum. Nothing is going particularly right in her life and one day she has a chance encounter with Ellie, and best friends are formed. Rose's life turns for the better...or has it!?

This is a really interesting tale about friendship, and the ups and downs about being friends. No spoilers, but it was clever and true and had real heart like Hilde's books always do.

Devotion by Hannah Kent

Following Hanne and her family, Lutherans, travelling by boat from Prussia to Adelaide in the 1830s. At home in Prussia, Hanne feels odd and different until she meets Thea. Best friends, they form a very close bond.

The story really takes off as they travel on this old boat, looking seemingly like they will never reach their destination, and indeed many awful things happen on this boat. Things to test Hanne and Thea and their special friendship.

This book is written beautifully but takes a turn about halfway and becomes something very different indeed. I really struggled with the second half. I felt there was a huge disconnect between both parts. Had I known this was what was going to happen I think I would have accepted it better, but for me, it just didn't work and became irritating.

it is difficult to write much more without spoilers, I would welcome conversation regarding this via DMs.

The Nest by Inga Simpson

Absolutely Loving Inga Simpson, a new - to me - discovery. Inga writes nature fiction so beautifully, her writing puts you right in the picture. It is descriptive and luscious without being too twee. The Nest is about an artist, who has moved back to the country where she grew up. Her only work is tutoring a young boy, Henry, with his nature drawing.

When a girl in Henry's class goes missing, it digs up memories of her own childhood and an unsolved mystery. Her writing is evocative, and atmospheric. It has running themes of nature, trees, birds, country, art. Her characters are always recovering from something or needing a change or catalyst in their life.

I cannot recommend her enough.

Where the Trees Were by Inga Simpson

This one is very different to The Nest, yet has many similarities. Jay is an art curator in a high end job at The National Gallery in Canberra. When a rare tree with indigenous heritage turns up as part of the collection, Jay is drawn to her childhood in the country and things that happened.

The story goes between the mysteries of Jay's childhood, and a mystery in her adult hood. We know exactly what is going on in the current time line, but we are anxiously wondering how things will pan out. But we are unsure about the mysteries in her past. Each timeline unravels and twist together so beautifully. 

This is a beautiful homage to how the Indigenous connect to country and how precious it is, and how important it should be for all of us. I really loved this book!

Film

Mrs Lowry and son

Timothy Spall and Vanessa Redgrave turn on exemplary performances as mother and son in this sad film. Spall plays Lowry, an extraordinary painter who lives with his elderly Mum. She is depressed and almost devoid of joy. As Lowry star rises, he is torn between leaving his mother for fame and fortune or remaining to look after her. The film is very melodramatic but worth it for the wonderful performances.

The Blue Dahlia

A screenplay by Raymond Chandler with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, this is a great and fun noir. Johnny, Ladd, returns from War, to find his wife, Lake, and her boyfriend running a bar, The Blue Dahlia. Also their child is missing, and when Johnny finds out what happened, he goes off. When Lake turns up dead, all hell breaks loose. This was an enjoyable B grade film from the 1940s.

Kajillionaire

Written by Miranda July, this is as weird and wonderful as you can imagine. It is only her third film, since her stunning indie debut, You and Me and Everyone We Know. It is about a family down on their luck and always looking for the next hustle, Evan Rachel Wood, Old Dolio, is the only child of Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger. 

When the family are seated next to and meet Melanie on a plane, during one of their schemes, they take her in as another daughter to help them with their hustling. Things get even crazier and Melanie helps Old Dolio to escape her parents, but not without drama. Like most of July's work, it is complicated and difficult to explain, but utterly compelling and completely different to anything you have seen.

A Good Person

A very melodramatic film from Zach Braff, about a young woman, Florence Pugh, trying to make amends for a serious mistake. She ends up in AA with her ex father-in-law, Morgan Freeman, and they form an unlikely friendship. This was ok, good soundtrack, didn't hate it, didn't love it.

Brother and Sister

A complex French film with Marion Cotillard. Marion is a flailing actress, who has to reunite with her estranged brother, when their parents pass in a crazy accident.

There seems to be a theme this month, and yes this is another melodrama.

Godzilla X Kong: the new empire

Look this was fun, it is exactly what is says to be, and that is all you need!

Ezra

Max is a struggling comedian, estranged from his wife and autistic son. (Bobby Cannavale and ROse Byrne). He lives with his father, Robert De NIro, and all hell breaks loose when he decides to go rogue and take his son on a road trip. His wife enlists his father to help get her son back. This is a melodramatic road trip, with great actors, but a less than substantial script.

Heretic

I am not fond of horror, but Hugh Grant in the lead role as a creepy dude. This had me very curious. 2 school girls are going home to home to raise money for the  LDS church. Initially, Mr Reed, seems lovely and intelligent and invites the apprehensive girls in. Once they have been inside for a while, things start to turn and the girls realise they are on very dangerous ground. Grant is superb in this horrid role, relishing in the horror and nasty. This was really good, the end was silly, but isn't that most horror?

Lee

I wanted to love this so very much, after all it is Kate Winslett as the amazing war photographer Lee Miller, and Andy Samberg - in his first dramatic role - as her collaborator. They were great, and the story is great, but there is something missing, and I cannot put my finger on it. It felt perfunctory and dull which it really should not have. 

Television

Mix Tape

I enjoyed this 4 part series about a young couple who reconnect later in life and fall in love all over again, except they are now married to others. It was fun and moody, but not great

Fake

This was well done, I had read the article and the book the series was based on, about a crazy man, the female lead meets online who ends up being not who he said he was. David Wenham and Asher Keddie as the couple. It takes a while to unravel, which is frustrating as you can see he is shonky. But then, I had read the book. While you see both sides to the story and are working it out, and she is not, the story is thrilling and interesting, but as soon as she really realises and tries to track him down, things get boring. BUt in all, a good watch

And Just Like That S3

Just when it finally found its stride, this series was cancelled. Look, it was not Sex and the City, and it couldn't be, and there were many missteps, there was a lot of good stuff too. 

The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

I had seen the first 3 seasons when they aired and I cannot remember why I hadn't watched S4 and S5 until recently, probably too busy.

I felt S4 and S5 were nowhere near as strong as the first 3.

Then I realised it was imagined at 9 seasons which in this day and age is pretty wishful. I am unsure when it was 'cancelled' but it looks like they had notice and they started to add additional layers in, especially in S5. I found this clunky and took away from the essence of the show. Quite possibly all of that stretched in 9 would indeed be marvelous!

I was very disappointed with how things were shaping up halfway through S5. And whilst the ending frustrated me in many ways - sooooooo many unfinished ideas and stories - there were moments of perfection within that I will take.

And it fades to the credits with the wonderful Girls Talks cover by Tegan and Sara. And a montage of those remarkable sets were shown...cue tears from the softy that is me.

I will miss this show, but can always rewatch, and the 2 main leads in particular. A more glorious friendship is hard to find. And I will miss the sets and costumes. Oh those glorious costumes!!!!

Bay of fires S2

This is still a bit of a mess, but I am sucked in by the characters and why they are there. Much more of this is revealed during this season, and it is a lot of fun with an extraordinary cast!

Joanna Lumley's Danube

Joanna on a boat on the Danube, she is a fabulous traveller, and is great with the locals. Worth a look

Picasso: the beauty and the beast

Amazing three-part series about Picasso, his art and his life. Full of photography and film, mostly in black and white, this covers the good, the bad and the ugly. It was a great but frustrating watch. The beauty is the art, and the beast is the man, but we knew that already.

In Restless Dreams: Music of Paul Simon

This was a remarkable 2 part series about Paul Simon. Going from the very beginning and working through his life up until now. Interviews with key people and a lot of current footage of him recording his most recent album.

The music is outstanding, and his tales of making these classic tunes are great, I wanted more of that. It did go into his relationship with Arty and some of his wives, he didn't come across that well as expected. But it didn't cut deep.

This was about the music and for that it was magnificent,

Documentaries

The Musical Mind: a portrait in progress

A Scott Hicks doco about the minds of neurodivergent artists, Ben Folds, David Helfgott, Daniel Johns and Simon Tedeschi. This was a fascinating explanation of genius and madness and how the brain connects. 

John Waters: this filthy world

Fabulous doco on Waters, in bad and good taste, with all the player, this was a wild ride that we both really enjoyed!

And So It Goes? Billy Joel

This was another 2 parter and much deeper and fully honest than Simon's. BIlly looks back on his life from the beginning with all the players, including all the wives. He is honest about his drug and alcohol use, and his upbringing which was rough.

His musicality is at genius level and getting to know the man behind those songs was pure joy. This was a really excellent doco, fans will love it, but everyone will enjoy it.

The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling 

I saw this when it first came out, but Andrew had not...I had a rewatch with him and it was as good and as devastating as the first time I viewed it.

It tells his life tale, but goes deep into his very challenged psyche, through the gift of his extensive diaries. It delves into his genius humour but that comes at a cost. He was never settled in life, in love, in work, in comedy. Nothing was ever good enough, he was always chasing the next thing. I found it so terribly sad because to me The Larry Sanders Show is the funniest show I have ever watched, and that is saying something. I finally tracked down the box set and I am slowly rewatching and it holds up so very well. I really wish he knew that.

Music

Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd

A lot of listening to this classic, before and after seeing the Tribute show covering the album. It never fails to astonish me, every bang and whistle meticulously placed, and those searing scores. Brilliant!

Podcasts

The Rest is Entertainment

This is my new favourite podcast, with Richard Osman and Marina Hyde, talking about the past week in entertainment. Between there isn't much they do not know, especially Marina. Their banter is like a 30s screwball comedy, fast, comedic and opinionated!