Senna – Film Review
I took a break from my Mad Men re-watch marathon to check out this 2010 documentary about the career of Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian Formula One champion, who died at the age of 34 after a crash in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Quote of the Day – Writing
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining;
— Anton Chekhov
show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
Snobs by Julian Fellowes – Book Review
Sometimes your pleasure of reading a book is greatly enhanced by the book just before it. Since my previous read didn’t offer much in the way of stylish or witty prose, I positively drank up this delicious, sharply observed novel of modern manners about the insular world of English upper classes and those anxious to gain a membership.
Pink Floyd: The Wall – Film Review
With Lockdown No. 4 restrictions easing, I went to the Astor Theatre to revisit the movie that scarred my childhood.
Legally Blonde – Film Review
I was in a mood for something light and fluffy on a Friday night, so I watched another cult classic I missed out on.
Still Alice by Lisa Genova – Book Review
I’ve yet to see the film adaptation that bagged Julianne Moore her long-overdue Oscar, but I took the opportunity to check out the original novel about a woman diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
The Cat of Kazan
One of my favourite cat-related pieces of art is this famous Russian “lubok” print from the 18th century, which may or may not be a satire of Peter the Great. I’ve loved it since childhood, but thanks to the Ye Olde Russian text I never realised that it is in fact a tad rude. It translates something like:
The Cat of Kazan, mind of Astrakhan, reason of Siberia,
he lived sweet, ate sweet, and farted sweet.
N or M? by Agatha Christie – Book Review
It seems that, without really intending to, I’m reviewing Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence series in a reverse chronological order, with our pair of intrepid married sleuths getting younger and younger. This novel, set in the early years of World War II, sees T&T in their late forties. While their grown-up children are actively involved in the war, Tommy and Tuppence feel useless and mighty frustrated about the fact that their government considers them too old and unfit for work. Things change however when Tommy gets a visit from a secret agent, asking him to go down to a sleepy seaside hotel in order to uncover a dangerous network of fifth columnists.
Babette’s Feast – Film Review
