Godfather 2

A film I had never intended to watch, but very well made. Kept me enthralled for over 3 hours. Now I must watch the others.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

Elia Kazan directed this adaptation of the novel. I was struck by the portrayal of Brooklyn in the early 20th Century, and the way the family still seemed rooted in the cultures its members had come from - Austrian and Irish. The American dream of anything being possible in the new country, unlike in the old ones, is powerful. But so is the poverty, and crowded lifestyle.

Followed the book closely although it stops earlier in Francie's life than the book.

Un Coeur en Hiver (1992)

Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Beart and Ravel - a very slow, very French film. A love triangle, in which one of the lovers is gay, but we are unaware of this until the end.

The Sixth Sense

Will need to watch from the start, now I know what's going on!

Play Misty for Me

A 1971 film, complete with long hair and flowery shirts. A thriller set in Carmel, California and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also played the male lead - a radio DJ, Dave, who is stalked by Evelyn who listens to his show. After a one-night stand, she becomes increasingly insistent and jealous. She attacks his cleaner, and is locked in a psychiatric hospital. When she gets out she turns her attention to Dave's long-term girlfriend.

More catching up Concert Feb 19th

Feb 19th we went to Stamford for a concert by Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, who played her own arrangement of Bach's Goldberg variations. The performance was excellent, although I don't think we needed the long introductory film about it - twenty minutes was too much - five would have been enough. She intended to play through without an interval, but towards the end a fire alarm interrupted and we had an enforced fresh-air break of about fifteen minutes.
Catrin seemed quite unphased by this, and managed to restore the magic.

My Friend the Enemy

by Paul Briscoe. Autobiographical. Insights into Nazi Germany, and how easy it was to be caught up in the general approval of Hitler and the anti-semitism.

Paul's mother was involved in

Catch up again

I'm recovering from 'orrible shingles and have been reading and re-reading stuff.
List incomplete at the moment. The comments may result from a slightly warped view on life, and poor concentration. ;-)

How the Dead Live - by Will Self - inventive and funny, but I lost interest about half way through.

Kate Atkinson - Case Histories and One Good Turn - very complex crime stories with loads of overlapping characters and stories.

Margaret Atwood - Oryx and Crake in a genetically engineered future, where Snowman is the only surviving human with all the failings of the race - until the very end. I found it absorbing, but ultimately uninvolving. And I love Atwood's work.

Oryx and Crake - Atwood

I have just read this for the second time.

In a Dark Place (2006)

A modern version of Henry James's Turn of the Screw

Evil Seed - Joanne Harris

Her first novel, written when she was 23 and recently published.

I guess it shows a bit, but you can see the elements of darkness and sensuality which she develops later.

Concert in Stamford

Yesterday we discovered that as part of Stamford Arts Centre's Classical music programme, there was a performance of Brahms, Robert and Clara Schumann's work. Performers were Ronan O'Hara (piano), Graham Oppenheimer (viola) and Julia Riley (mezzo soprano)

I was particularly taken by the songs - two were by Brahms - Op 91 Gestillte Sehnsucht, and Geistliches Wiegenlied. The second one uses the melody from the 14th century carol 'Joseph lieber, Joseph mein' as a recurrent theme.

Then there were six short but magical songs with music by Clara Schumann.

Apart from these Ronan O'Hara played Fantasy for solo piano by Robert Schumann, and the programme finished with Brahms Sonata in E flat for viola and piano.

Good to hear viola as a solo (?) intstrument.

Eva Luna - Isabel Allende

A strange story - hope to come back with more later - again. Procrastination is what?

What's Cooking?

Thoroughly enjoyed the light-hearted approach to some serious problems in this film by Gurinder Chadha - caught on New Year's Day. hadn't realised she was responsible for Paris. je t'aime as well.