Excellent follow-up from the gender-bending French singer; my two favourite musical redheads release solo albums after a five-year break.
Category: Reviews
Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie – Book Review

While not the most watertight or plausible Christie mystery, Three Act Tragedy is a fun Poirot outing, though it’s also one of the novels where Poirot himself is absent for most of the story. What makes the book memorable is the murderer’s motive, not only unique for Christie but also unlike anything I’ve encountered in crime fiction. When it’s revealed, it’s both outrageous and true to the psychology of the character.
Das Boot: Director’s Cut – Film Review

Friend and I went to the Astor Theatre to watch this 1981 German film, considered to be one of the greatest war films ever made and probably the greatest submarine film of all time. I’ve no argument against these claims whatsoever.
Aurora @ Forum Theatre
I’m glad I took a gamble with this young Norwegian singer. I’m very selective with my live gigs these days, and normally I’d hesitate to spend money on someone whose music I don’t know very well, but I just had a good feeling about this one.
Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie – Book Review

In the foreword she wrote for this novel, Christie names Cards on the Table one of Hercule Poirot’s favourite cases. I guess there’s no arguing with the author who is basically God of her fictional universe, but even so it’s a plausible claim. This case depends almost entirely on psychological sleuthing, and there’s nothing that our favourite Belgian detective enjoys more.
A Quiet Place – Film Review
This horror film with a beautifully simple premise had many things going for it, but its dramatic shortcomings and a few too many contrivances stopped me from loving it as much as many other people seem to.
New Music 04/2019 – Rosalía, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kacey Musgraves
Spanish flamenco meets R&B; cinematic French pop; sunlit American country.
Amores Perros – Film Review

I’ve had a mixed experience with Alejandro González Iñárritu films; I didn’t care much for Babel, loved Birdman, and thought that, stunning cinematography aside, The Revenant was overrated as hell. This gritty and raw-as-guts 2000 Mexican drama, Iñárritu‘s first feature film, landed in the “loved” basket, despite being a hard watch.
Crazy Rich Asians – Film Review

This charming and entertaining romantic comedy is proof that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel or poke fun at the genre tropes; when done well there’s nothing like Happily Ever After to override your inner realist and leave you with a big smile on your face.
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger – Book Review

There was a lot to like about this flawed but compelling follow-up to The Time Traveler’s Wife, Niffenegger’s phenomenally successful debut which must feel like both a blessing and a curse to its author. In a way, Her Fearful Symmetry feels like a time-travelling real first novel, promising a genuine talent who hasn’t quite figured things out yet. I enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere, the characters and their relationships, the story however is where I thought the book stumbled quite a bit.
