Watching - October 2023

Goldfinger (1964)

Strange to think that once this was state-of-the-art film making - it all looks so pedestrian now, and dated in a way that the book isn't.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)

Obviously a metaphor for, er, something, and couldn't be more YA if it tried (the magical reality music etc) ... but somehow it still strikes a note for me. Clearly enough to watch again very soon after the first time, anyway. Some nice choices of tracks too.

Last Action Hero (1993)

Fourteen years before Enchanted, Arnold Schwarzenegger played a film character who finds himself in the real world, with all the opportunity for confusion and comedy that entails. Apparently a flop when it came out, this is now a bit of a cult classic and it's easy to see why: it rolls along nicely, there's plenty of action and laughs, and fun spotting all the references to movie tropes and clichés along the way.

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Felt like watching a sweet film again. The format - father tells his daughter how he met her mother - is sweet and if the ending isn't quite expected, well maybe that's a good thing. I like the way it acknowledges that perhaps the "love of your life" is more a factor of time and place than "destiny" - and that this is both fine and reality. (While I was looking for more information about the film, I came across Caroline Siede's review, which says this and more, much better than I can.)

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

It turns out that the review I mentioned above is actually part of a whole series, When Romance Met Comedy, which is fantastic reading. So much so, that her article on this film persuaded me to watch it again. Mitsake! Although there are lots of good lines and scenes, it suffers badly in two respects: firstly, the central two characters don't meet until right at the end, so we don't get to see them actually make a relationship (You've Got Mail is much better in this respect); and secondly, Meg Ryan is ridiculously stalker-y and way to cutesy. Not as good as its reputation.

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

I was reading Caroline Siede's article on You've Got Mail and was reminded that it was based on this James Stewart film, which I'd not seen before. It's a lovely, witty and very watchable classic, with some great performances. It's also fun to spot the snippets and references lifted by Nora Ephron for her remake. Certain moments are underplayed, compared with how I think they'd probably be done in a more modern film, and it's also fascinating that it keeps the same setting as the original play - Budapest - despite that having no relevance to the plot whatsoever. That wouldn't happen now!

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Another black and white classic, and an odd kind of love triangle - or possibly a rectangle or pentangle. Lots of great lines and wonderfully stylised acting. Cary Grant and James Stewart are great (the latter's acting drunk is a delight), but Ruth Hussey as a cynical photographer who is (not so) secretly in love with Stewart is my favourite - her look of vulnerability at the end when she thinks the man she loves might be lost is very moving (she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance). The final scene turnaround is a bit too quick and pat for me, but I'm glad to have seen it.

You've Got Mail (1999)

Although I'd seen this recently, I started it again to listen to the directory's commentary. Unfortunately it turns out I don't have that, so I carried on watched it to spot references to The Shop Around the Corner ... and then just because it's a nice story. I don't actually quite believe in the Tom Hanks character as someone the Meg Ryan character could fall for, but this is almost certainly a sign that I've watched it too many times and am starting to over-analyse. Still a sweet film.

Set It Up (2018)

Very colour-by-numbers romcom from Netflix. Passed the time.

Love at First Sight (2023)

On the other hand, this is more like it - not perfect, as you can kind of see the joins between each act. But the two leads are great (Haley Lu Richardson in particular capturing a slightly gawky, girl-next-door appeal that I thought worked really well) and if the film perhaps tries a bit hard to set a dreamy, slightly unreal atmosphere - well, it works for soppy old me. Original book now ordered from the library!

Ghosts (Series 5) (2023)

The last series of Ghosts, apart from a Christmas Special in a couple of months, and it will be much missed in our house, where it's been a reliable family favourite. A great central concept, brilliant characters and consistently amusing plots. What more do you need?

Reading - October 2023

Goldfinger by Ian Fleming (1959)

I'm feeling a bit under the weather with a cold the kids brought home, and so as usual I reach for something unchallenging but entertaining. I haven't read this in ages but it's all still very familiar. The plot is short, to the point and quick-paced - and yes, dated, but what do you expect? Incidentally, everyone remembers Pussy Galore from the film, but in the book she is almost completely superfluous, for some reason.

Another Planet by Tracey Thorn (2019)

A somewhat navel-gazing but thoughtful examination of the trials and tribulations of coming from the suburbs - in this case specifically, Brookmans Park, just north of London. She describes a growing process that is very familiar to me, and very different from today's experience I suspect, despite the suburbs being little changed in essence. I enjoyed reading it but it feels a little lightweight and does seem a little like an extended magazine article (which it kind of is).

All My Love by Miranda Dickinson (2023)

Many - most? - romance novels have an unrealistically compressed timescale. I'm sure there are real-life couples that meet, court and commit within a few days or weeks but I suspect they are in the minority - but not in books, where a few days or weeks fit nicely into the requisite number of chapters. All My Love manages to extend the timeline to a much more convincing few months without being as long as Ulysses - and yet, despite being a normal book length, I felt like it was going on too long. Because the central couple are immediately, obviously right for each other (I mean, even beyond the usual "it's a romance novel, of course they'll end up together" reason) but don't realise it until the very end, the whole story feels like it's dragging its heels. Perhaps that's why most romance novels are the way they are - that, and the whole "swept off my feet" trope. Anyway, I enjoyed the book despite this, the characters are all well-painted and I was willing them to get together.

The Man With the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming (1965)

Another very straightforward plot that never falters or lets up. A classic for a reason.

Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks: The Essential Alan Coren by Alan Coren (2008)

My dad subscribed to Punch for many years and so I have a nostalgic fondness for Alan Coren's weekly columns in the magazine. Reading them here, without cartoons surrounding them and a leavening of other articles, is a bit odd, and definitely hard to do much of in one sitting. That era's columns are the best to me - earlier and later ones don't really hit the mark in the same way. But it's nice to have this book as a companion to the earlier The Best of Alan Coren and the various Pick of Punch annuals I also own.

The Nanny State Made Me by Stuart Maconie (2020)

I agree with pretty much every single word in this book. The "nanny state" doesn't exist and never did; the idea that large portions of the population were molly-coddled by the state is a reactionary, Daily Wail fantasy. The whole point of a state is to look after its people. Running public services for private profit is the exact opposite of this. We have plentiful proof that private enterprise and the "free" market is not more effective or efficient - quite the opposite in many cases. This is an easy read - Stuart is good company - but nevertheless ends up making me feel incredibly frustrated at the self-serving idiocy of successive Conservative governments. That said, they do keep getting voted in, which, if you agree with de Maistre's famous quote that "Every nation gets the government it deserves", means we did this to ourselves. Perhaps the fundamental problem is that everyone is in favour of better public services but no-one is in favour of paying for them.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang (2021)

The third book in Helen Hoang's Kiss Quotient series of books featuring autistic central characters finding love. I like the way she's managed to mix some of (what I assume to be) the reality of life with autism with romance. It feels like the heroine learns to stand up for herself very suddenly and perhaps the hero is a bit too perfect, but the book is a satisfying read and I enjoyed it just as much as the previous two.

Listen Out Loud by Ron Weisner with Alan Goldsher (2014)

Oddly, despite Weisner's credentials as a record company exec and manager (not everyone could get Gladys Knight to write a forward, I suspect), he doesn't have a Wikipedia page. This makes me wonder if actually he's a bit more of a minor player than he would lead us to believe. But the stories are great and ring true. Very entertaining.

Lunarbaboon Vol. 1 by by Chris Grady (2014)

I found the PDF of this on a disk (I have it as I put money in the original Kickstarter) so I spent 15 minutes re-reading it. Some wonderfully sweet cartoons.

The Diamond Queen by Andrew Marr (2011, 2022)

I'm no flag-waving monarchist but I've always quite liked the idea of royalty. Yes, it's notionally an affront to the idea of a meritocracy but, as Marr points out, such a thing doesn't exist anywhere (and in my opinion is a juvenile fantasy anyway). Removing the monarchy wouldn't solve this or even address it at all, but would unnecessarily upend a lot of existing British culture. As such, I'm in favour of the status quo. This book is a nicely balanced and reasonably succinct history and analysis of Queen Elizabeth II and her place in British culture and society, and quietly makes the case that perhaps the Queen and her family, despite past and recent fusses, are worth keeping. Interesting reading.

Rock and Roll Busker by Graham Forbes (2013)

The third in a trilogy of books partly about Forbes' life and partly about what it's like to be a jobbing professional musician in rock. Very entertaining in places - you can't but help admire his dedication to the rock 'n' roll cause - but dragged a little. I'll still probably try and find his other books though.