Watching - October 2022

Stewart Lee: Tornado (2022)

The companion piece to Snowflake wasn't as funny. Lee's show is basically about himself - or about his character, "Stewart Lee", anyway - and although there's plenty of amusement, I mostly chuckled rather than anything else.

Death on the Nile (2022)

A sumptuously filmed, expensively cast, melodramatic mess. The bare bones of the original, elegant plot are buried underneath a hodgepodge of unnecessary characters, needless activity and pointless scenery. Poirot is barely recognisable as Christie's "little Belgian", as all his original characteristics are presumably considered the antithesis of a real detective (which was actually kind of the point) and therefore removed, and we're left with a cliched star vehicle for Kenneth Branagh, who runs around, shouts, broods and accuses everyone, but exhibits no sense of discovery or intellect, merely a magician's reveal at the end that comes out of nowhere. Since any film is a massive team effort, it seems unfair to blame Branagh for this hopeless misreading, but since he's the director and star, that's what I'm going to do. Other than that though, it's not a completely awful film, just generic and a bit dull.

Gattaca (1997)

A striking, stylish piece of sci-fi that has stayed with me for a long time. The setup is pretty straightforward but then it's combined with a murder mystery that gives the story some structure. As always, some of the minor plot points don't bear thinking about too much, but it doesn't spoil things, and the score is superbly evocative.

Turning Red (2022)

The female members of my household think this film's headline metaphor is offensive ("so you're saying that when a girl starts her period, she literally turns into a red monster??"), which I can kind of understand. But having actually watched it, I think it's a little more nuanced than that: I think it's an allegory about how it feels to start adolescence and puberty, rather than menstruation specifically or solely. And, as such, I found it funny and relatable. It's not a Disney or Pixar classic but it's perfectly decent, it's good to see female central characters, and the animation is superb, of course. And the 4*TOWN songs are very good!

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Watched with Z, who seemed to enjoy it.

Wimbledon (2004)

Comfort viewing.

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)

I've been meaning to watch this for a while, as it's supposed to be a valuable historical artefact that documents the US west coast's punk scene at the turn of the 80s. I'm pleased I watched it, and it's a chance to see footage of some of the iconic bands of the time (notably Black Flag, The Germs and X). The music is a disappointment though. It's crude, but to some extent that was point of punk and perhaps they improved (much as, say, The Clash did) - and if it sounds clichéd, well perhaps it didn't at the time. Now, however, this is as dated as 50s rock and less interesting.

Reading - October 2022

This New Noise by Charlotte Higgins (2015)

I found this because it contributed its title to Public Service Broadcasting's concert this year at the Proms (which I was at!) This is not a history of the BBC, although that's not obvious until well over a third of the way through the book. Instead, Higgins uses stories from the formation of the organisation to inform a discussion about its place in British society and its many detractors over the decades. In a way, it's heartening to see that the kind of idiotic comment made recently by Jacob Rees-Mogg (who questioned the BBC's impartiality in a pathetically transparent attempt to avoid an awkward question) has been going on for almost as long as the BBC has been in existence, and that many of the newspapers - particularly the Daily Wail - have always been against the BBC, probably initially through worry over competition and then latterly just because they'll moan about anything. Sadly, although I don't think the BBC should change, it probably will, because in a subscription world, it's very hard to justify a license fee. 

Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie (1933)

I always like a good whodunnit, from back when I first started reading Poirot stories. At the time I wouldn't have noticed how dated they were (given that this book would have been already fifty years old at the time!) but now it's glaringly apparent. Still, it doesn't spoil the ingenuity of the plot. Simple, easy reading. (Although what I wanted to read was Death on the Nile, as I had just watched it, but for some reason I don't own that)

Open by Andre Agassi (2009)

This is the first autobiography I've read that really articulates the struggle, hard word and pain that surely all world-class athletes (and probably greats in other fields) go through. Most play this down or just don't mention the hours, weeks and years spent tortuously refining the skills that put them at the top - presumably because they think it wouldn't be interesting. Agassi's book disproves that theory, but then it has a slight flavour of misery memoir about it that means all the pain is part of the story. And, of course, the story has redemption and a happy ending, as Agassi learns to love the game he was forced to play as a child and finally gets his dream girl. Indeed, this does also seem like a very extended love note to Stefanie (not Steffi) Graf, which is very sweet. Superbly written (with someone else, who is credited at the back), moving and insightful.

Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov (1982)

Great story-telling, maybe a little clunky in places, but never dragging. However, perhaps it's a bit over-familiar, so even though I chose it because I wanted something easy to read, it was a little unsatisfying. Which is a shame, because it's a classic.