JUNE ROUND UP

Looking back I guess June was busy, yet it didn't feel that way at the time.

I started the month with much laughter seeing The Trip to Italy at The Towers with A. This is the second trip with Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan. I loved the first trip, and this one, set in Italy was as good, if not better and certainly equally as funny. Rob and Steve (as potted versions of themselves) travel through Italy staying at lovely places and eating incredible food. The food and the scenery was outstanding, but really it is their friendship, and slight rivalry that makes the film. Jokes, one-upmanship and loads of impersonations had us laughing so much we were crying and snorting (well, ok, that was just me!). If you haven't seen this, you really are missing out of something!

Work has been busy with the lead up to School Holidays and Naidoc Week and planning activities. We have been going out into the community and talking to schools and had our monthly movie night, this time, Priscilla. The 500 Words Writing Group I facilitate is growing, welcoming new members each time. The stories I wrote about this month are: Taking a wrong turn in Rome, My last day with my Pop, and how I felt when Lost ended.

I saw a lot of concerts this month: Tim Freedman, Wagons, and Lloyd Cole (where I was lucky enough to 'work' for and meet him) at the fabulous Lizotte's.

I also took my parents to see The Glenn Miller Orchestra at The Civic Theatre.

I spent time with family and friends to celebrate birthdays, farewells and just to catch up at The Olive Tree Markets, Talulah, The Landing, The Royal Inn, Graze, and The Grain Store.

And of course got up to my usual reading, watching and listening.

And I caught a couple of films at the Sydney Travelling Film Festival with J.

The first film was Rock the Casbah, a drama set in Morocco about a family reuniting to bury their father, Omar Sheriff. His presence looms large over the three days they are together and after the initial mourning, personalities and secrets are unveiled. This was shot in the most stunning locations, not least the amazing family home. The large cast was superb, and whilst the plot was dramatic, there was plenty of light humour scattered through. 

The second film was Richard Linklater's Boyhood. There are not enough superlatives to describe this magnificent film. Masterpiece does seem to be the best description. A coming of age film, shot in such a unique and original way, it defies categorisation. Linklater cast a young boy of 5 and filmed Boyhood over 12 years waiting for him to age and indeed come of age. This was such a leap of faith on his behalf, it could have been a disaster, but it wasn't. With Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke as his divorced parents, and Linklater's own daughter, you watch these people evolve over 12 years. And it is pure magic. The film clocks in at almost 3 hours and I could have sat there for double the time. This is simply a film to be seen, it has been garnering rave reviews and it should. Arquette and Hawke are brilliant and believable and simply stunning in this. But it is Ellar Coltrane, who is the star. His portrayal of a version of himself from 5 to 17 is nothing short of a miracle, from a cute kid to an awkward tween to an almost Ethan Hawke lookalike teen, he simply shines. Without Coltrane this movie simply would not be, and what an extraordinary performance it is. I cannot recommend this film highly enough, it is one of the best films I have seen in a long time.

And nature put on a fabulous show as always.

Sunset on Beaumont Street

Kookie at Greenpoint

Rainbow over Lake Macquarie 

Sunrise over the cemetery, Blacksmiths

Sunrise over Swansea, no filter (never use filters)

Looks can be deceiving, bitterly cold at Greenpoint

Freedman does Nilsson

When I heard Tim Freedman was doing a Harry Nilsson tribute show I was curious. A fan of both it seemed a good thing. No one I knew was interested, it's pretty niche I guess. Then a friend was going with other friends and there was a spare seat at their table. So despite a busy and tiring week I left work and headed for Lizotte's.

 

Tim has previously done a tribute to Randy Newman, another songwriter I adore. Nilsson had released a tribute album to Newman in the late 60s, so this was the genesis for the Nilsson show. And what a show it was.

 

His style and voice worked beautifully with the work. It was an interesting set, with a mix of Nilsson and Newman songs. The Newman songs did feel a bit cheaty, and he certainly didn't exhaust Nilsson's catalogue, but I love Newman so it did make me smile. Of the Nilsson songs, written or recorded, I knew almost all of them. Although some I had no idea that he had written.

 

In between songs Tim told stories of Nilsson's life...as Nilsson. It mostly worked, but he needed to work on his accent. This he admitted towards the end of the show. Nilsson was quite the character with a tragic life, but in the short time he was here he made amazing music and got up to a lot of fun. He hung out a lot with other musos, including the Beatles. He indulged in a famous lost weekend with John Lennon and worked musically with Paul McCartney. I knew that Keith Moon and Mama Cass died in the same bed, but I didn't know that bed belong to Nilsson!

 

I could have sat all night and listened to the stories and songs. The range was impressive and who doesn't love Everybody's Talkin'? Freedman did a pretty good job on it.

 

The second set was all Tim and The Whitlams, a lovely mix of hits and the melancholy. No Hamburgers, but Louis Burdett always has me jumping!

 

So in all, quite the experience, I would have like more Nilsson and less Whitlams (been there, done that!).