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I always thought - wrongly as it turns out - that the dirt track on stilts over the Hogarth Roundabout was opened by Jayne Mansfield. It was the one over the Chiswick Roundabout a bit further west that she opened, as reported in this dated but charmingly misogynist YouTube clip:
Hard Truths is full on Mike Leigh, who specialises in these bleak domestic dramas. He assembles a cast without having a script, which then emerges through months of rehearsal. The performances are outstanding. Somehow he makes these stories of people's empty lives entertaining and even funny. The man's a genius.
Like many on here I remember him from his earlier days, up to "Blood on the Tracks" - one of his very best. Can't wait to see the film.
Couldn't believe the reaction from the scholarly establishment in 2016 when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. There is more poetry in "Desperation Row" than they have produced in their entire careers.
That's a fair point, dmm. Until you pointed it out, I had not seen my potential inconsistency. In mitigation I would say that (leaving aside a few contemporary headbangers) the Nazis are universally condemned as evil, whereas the Catholic church purports to be a force for good. Conclave is a story of unscrupulous power politics in an institution which claims to be holy, caring and compassionate. The Nazis never claimed to be any of these things.
Conclave and films like it (The Two Popes, Doubt) rely on putting lipstick on the pig. They ultimately try to find the good in the Catholic church. Zone of Interest doesn't look for good in the Nazis. Everyone knows there isn't any.
So agree about Zone of Interest - one of the best films I've seen in years. Both it and Anatomy of a Fall star the incomparable Sandra Hüller. and both were nominated at last year's Oscars.
I had my doubts about Conclave - I don't think a truly degenerate institution like the Catholic Church should be played for entertainment - but the film looked stunning. A certainty for Cinematography.
It's hard to disagree with the thoughts expressed in that quote but surprising that they came from devout Anglican and self-described "Christian Apologist" C.S.Lewis.
Oh I do so agree. All variations of "to be honest", "if I'm being honest", "I have to be honest", and their bastard cousin "I'm not gonna lie". Meaningless verbal chewing gum. At the Rooney/Vardy libel trial, a witness began answering a question with the words "I'm not gonna lie...". The judge immediately interrupted with "I should hope not. You are in a court of law!"
I can't think of a better actor currently working than Mark Rylance. He hardly needs to say anything - his face and eyes are so expressive. Thomas Cromwell was cruel and vengeful yet as portrayed by Rylance I felt sorry for him.
If there weren't already enough reasons to ignore International football, today's announcement is the killer. After a secretive and opaque "bid process" Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. There is something entirely appropriate about FIFA's "Bribes-R-Us" chairman Infantino handing the crown jewels of world sport to a totalitarian and literally murderous regime.
The national associations have been warned not to voice objections unless they are prepared to walk away from the tournament. They should. Let Azerbaijan, North Korea and Russia join Saudi in their desert sauna kickabout.
I was told during a visit to St James Gate Brewery that Guinness for domestic consumption is brewed differently from that made overseas. The domestic stuff takes much longer to pour but tastes smoother when done, but Guinness drinkers outside Ireland don't have the patience. I do remember when I lived in Dublin there would always be a dozen pints ready on the bar when they opened the doors.
Mediocre? I'd kill for mediocre! Oh for those blissful, carefree days of mid-table mediocrity. Instead of that gut-wrenching feeling when we concede yet another soft goal. Make it stop!
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