Resurrecting This Thing, so hopefully can get some good reviews out of Jocks on his travels
The Vegetarian, by Han Kang
Not sure how to even begin describing this book. Its a Man Booker winner, and very short and tight, unlike the last Man Booker winner I read, Luminaries, which is not very short and tight at all.
It is essentially three very short novellas, all connected, following three different closely intertwined people, linked by this woman who decides to go vegetarian after a dream. But a rather strange pursuit of the dream leads to her slowly going mad, although in her madness, she reflects something of a rationalist approach to society. Captures an interestingly patriarchal South Korean society where the 50s still seem to be holding sway, and being a woman usually means you are a housewife who is entirely subserviant. The second novel is quite graphically sexual at times, but interestingly it was the second part which won the highest Korean literary prize.
Worth reading anyway.
Bojack Horseman, Season 3
It is disappointing mom won't enjoy this (its a cartoon) because its excellent. Quite profound at times, but also very, very clever. There is a whole episode set underwater, and some pretty committed one episode arcs that go very strange places. I guess it has shades of Curb, the minor issues of celebrity, but in a far more profound and troubling way, negotiating the lack of meaning, the search for happiness, the concessions of life. I think they can get away with a lot more with the major light fantasy concessions of a world with humanoid animals everywhere.
Some of the best moments are just pure genius using the form: Sea World as a strip joint, as the whales are all essentially strippers, but children still go because its still sold as educational, Hard to put into words. Plus just all these lovely little moments, like when the male seahorse gives birth on the bus, or this well dressed raven sits on a phone wire.
For the parents: Friday Night Dinner is also back. Pretty good light entertainment.
The Green Room
Film Fest Pick so far (haven't seen anything else). Patrick Stewart and the now dead Anton Yelchin (the new Chekov) play odd antagonists playing out at a punk Neo Nazi bar, in a slightly dystopic imagining of America. Like nothing I've ever seen Patrick Stewart do, by no means the intensity of Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast, or Ralph Fiennes in In Bruges, or even the vibe of Animal Kingdom, but still a quite gruesome, dark, punk, chaotic, take on your traditional thriller/horror flick, Also brings a whole new meaning to the term Chekov's gun, and I'm not sure how intentional it was, but there seemed to be all these little references to star trek moments.
Don't really want to say too much about it, but I am very aware this is not a film mom should see. Its not horror, but the gruesome bits are quite visceral.
Resurrection with most recent Book, TV Show and Film
Things to consider when watching this film:
1. The film lasts for two hours, it feels like a four hour film. And Assayas, in the first act, can play it like a conventional thriller. A thriller in that the information is slowly drip fed to keep interest. In the second act, the film devolves into navel gazing. Mads navel gazed so much that she fell asleep.
2. A film about a play that doesn't exist that drags on talking through the intricacies of the play's failings does not necessarily make for a thrilling film experience. Sort of felt that the mirroring of the play with the protagonists arc was achieved in a cloak and dagger way, this is because Assayas is actually a fine director, but it didn't actually lead to anything.
3. Briefly in the film there is a short film inside that, Assayas might have made up, of this cloud movement that moves through the Sils Maria. It was 20 times more engaging than the rest of the movie.
4. Kirsten Stewart makes for an uncomfortably stagey film actress.
5. Juliette Binoche is too distant to really engage with in the movie.
6. As I was watching I thought a lot about snake skins. And clouds. And wispiness. And plots that don't lead anywhere.
1. The film lasts for two hours, it feels like a four hour film. And Assayas, in the first act, can play it like a conventional thriller. A thriller in that the information is slowly drip fed to keep interest. In the second act, the film devolves into navel gazing. Mads navel gazed so much that she fell asleep.
2. A film about a play that doesn't exist that drags on talking through the intricacies of the play's failings does not necessarily make for a thrilling film experience. Sort of felt that the mirroring of the play with the protagonists arc was achieved in a cloak and dagger way, this is because Assayas is actually a fine director, but it didn't actually lead to anything.
3. Briefly in the film there is a short film inside that, Assayas might have made up, of this cloud movement that moves through the Sils Maria. It was 20 times more engaging than the rest of the movie.
4. Kirsten Stewart makes for an uncomfortably stagey film actress.
5. Juliette Binoche is too distant to really engage with in the movie.
6. As I was watching I thought a lot about snake skins. And clouds. And wispiness. And plots that don't lead anywhere.
CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA
So I'm watching IZombie tonight - basically its the worst show I watch. There are a fair amount of bad shows, but this is the worst. I think its mainly because the protagonist literally absorbs different characters each week, by eating their brain, so the whole concept of character development or in fact, character full stop, is lost. Dollhouse, one of Joss Whedon (only an asshole has a name like Joss, that is just a fact), failed in the same manner.
[Joss Whedon - director of Avengers, but earlier director of Buffy/Firefly, the Whedoniverse is a thing, Dollhouse = one of his failed franchises a series where people basically sold their bodies into slavery where a machine would implant a whole new personality onto the body]
Anyway, so today, I had a successful day, apart from losing my phone, but that was fairly predictable as I was getting a new phone so I think had emotionally separated from it, but as I'm never going to admit this outside a slightly drunken state, was slightly in a relationship with a girl, as in it wasn't too serious but it had been going for ages, and then she ended it, and thats been killing me a bit this week, but today was successful. We had an annual meeting, and I did well, I spoke well in front of lots of people, I responded effectively to questions, people gave me lots of ups, I explained the things. I felt good about myself. So that was good.
Otherwise, Nathan for You is a fantastic thing, Fargo has started strongly, Danson has the chops, I mean, they know how to cast it, I'm not at all sure about this split screen thing, but it seems to be working for the emotional intensity. Big Bang Theory is embarrassingly bad as always. Ditto - Middle, Modern Family.
Reread To Kill A Mockingbird as we are doing Go Set A Watchman for vegan book club. Yes vegan book club is a thing. The beauty of the prose, I mean, I had a few celebratory beers at the airport, but on the plane, I finished the book, and shed genuine like flowing tears, flowing. it has this subtle quality of capturing a time and a place in this emotionally engaging way, I don't even know how to describe how it does it, but it tells a story, and it tells it well, it builds a world, then uses that world to convey messages that are important. I have not read anything that approximates this in a long, long time. But first few chapters of Go Set A Watchman, very weak, seem like the unedited embryo.
Just turned on new show, Grandfathered. Cannot recommend it.
This is the update. I hope the home renovations and searchings for new homes are all going well.
Drinking on a school night
Yesterday, while biking down the hill that goes past Girls College - which naturally I try and get through as fast as possible, I gracefully swept through the intersection of this terrible roundabout and got hit by a German driver who, by all rights (and by rights I am largely speaking of the NZ Road Code) should have given way to me, but hadn't. I made a split second decision to try and get around her which sort of paid off in a "at least you didn't hit the side of her car and damage yourself" sort of way, but also led to me sliding and hitting the concrete on the other side. The result was a curious levity, as if I could glide inconsequentially through life, sliding on the bonnet of her good fortune. As it was, thanks to not having any real muscle mass, I managed to leave not a trace. The woman's hands trembled because she had that survivors guilt thing, she also had that "she was in the wrong thing" but I ended up relieved more than anything that she was okay. I didn't get her number but she got mine. She didn't call to replace the bike tire that she ruined, that lies in this tangled mess outside my front door.
Talking of tangled messes. Television has hit a slump with the end of "Show Me A Hero", essential watching if you hadn't tried it yet. No HBO drama has captured the cultural apex that was Yonkers in the halcyon days of the early nineties, but David Simon- creator of The Wire, knows his way around an ensemble cast/Bruce Springsteen soundtrack. I enjoyed this so much that I watched "Generation Kill"; same guy, but set in the early days of the Iraq Occupation. It is pretty good, but needed more Springsteen lightly evoking the nostalgia for an era before the internet and my wrist aching from being smashed into the concrete with force.
In other television news, "The Last Man On Earth" is passable, although painted with overly broad strokes - like that Trainwreck movie. I have started on Archer, which is another animated show, now that Bojack - which totally redeemed itself in Season 2 with the episode with the boat, is on hiatus and Rick and Morty doesn't seem to be bringing out a new episode ever.
Only film I have seen recently has been "Straight Out of Compton" which was fine. Ice Cube really comes out as the winner in this update of Disney's Camp Rock, but set in South Central LA rather than a camp with teenage girls and boys singing about their feelings.
Books on the other hand, we have had a little upsurge since America and have chopped off "So You've Been Publicly Shamed" by Jon Ronson, I think everyone would like that. It is likable. I have a great book on Soviet Architecture that I am reading at the moment, but also read "Delight" by JB Priestly, and I have seriously reappraised my high-ish opinion of him, formed largely from that "English Journey" book. Mads enjoyed "Americuh" and I read this informative, but somewhat unnecessary, history of Krautrock: "Future Days". Oh also have a book on the Greek crisis which is quite good, can't remember the title. We also have RDOC staying at the moment. I am also alive.
No selfie
Jump off the high horse of criticism, Big Eyes was a return to his best. It was a clever, well told story, and suited his aesthetic perfectly. And don't you ever question the glory of the original Charlie, to deny the special place in the collective heart of children is to deny all that is real and true in the world, we may as well just throw out the whole human civilisation.
My watching has been generally woeful.
There is the decidedly average ongoing Mr Robot, where hackers try to claim some kind of ground in the prestige drama game to no real results, Suits which is basically like Good Wife in New York, except replace Alicia and the corruption of Chicago with Good Will Hunting 2. Bojack is yeah right in average Rick and Morty space. Humans was ok, kinda limped along, reminded me of Utopia second season by the end, nice enough ideas, just not really enough emotional engagement.
The most pleasant televisual surprise lately has been Nathan For You, an oldie, but a goodie, Canadian business major who offers little businesses ideas on how to improve. I genuinely laughed every episode, genuinely not even fakingly. Very funny at times. Not sure if mom will like it.
Film festival - saw a few movies. The Lobster which was glorious, very black comedy fable thing, watch it, persist. There are some slow moments, painful moments, but definitely worth it.
And end of the tour, which I imagine jocks will hate, but its pretty interesting, Jason Segel trying to be david foster wallace. I read these very critical reviews from people that knew him, but I've seen a few interviews and feel like segel captured the way wallace looked in interviews quite well, also caught a little bit of the spirit of darkness and meaning searching that he embodies.
What else?
Reading - mostly trash lately, a few books for book club that are not even worth mentioning. A Margaret Atwood which is fun. A harry potter fanfic which I am the only one in the family who will have found amazing sadly.
Life otherwise progressing along. Unsure about work - had a big week, submitted a few big papers, doing long hours, a bit of dungeons and dragons, even had a driving lesson, 3 lined up for september, trying to take it up a notch. Slowed down on house hunting. Life split on so many levels.
Big Eyes Is Good You Poncy French Cinema Loving Snob
Deep confusion around the family love for the movie "Big Eyes". I would understand a cursory acceptance, a begrudging acknowledgement of the film's scant qualities - its workmanlike direction, plodding narrative and curious American accent from the Austrian. Otherwise there was nothing to write home about; also I believe that Andrew, in his previous review, is forgetting the magnificent failure of both "Alice in Wonderland" (the closest Disney will ever get to Titus Groan) and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" which is definitely better than the Gene Wilder version, although lacked the trip out scene in the tunnel which was a career highlight for the Assistant Director/drugs in movies.
So where are we at, well it definitely Spring season for these happy homemakers in scenic Nelson, you can sense it in the oppressive heat and the daffodils are a dead give away. Media we have watched recently....
1. Far from Men- Aragorn, otherwise known as Strider, leads the cast in this curious back story for the King of Gondor/Middle Earth as he takes an Algerian guy to some deadbeat town to get killed by the gendarme, along the way there is a sensitive trip to a whorehouse. Recommended.
2. Bojack Horseman- Season 1 and 2 have breezed by. Will Arnett is the star of this cartoon. Fills a Rick and Morty void, even though the new season is out and is good it just isn't really released fast enough.
3. Another Period- passable American comedy, ocassionally very funny.
4. The Whale. It was a book, won the Samuel Johnson prize, but I feel the follow up which I bought a while back was definitely better. Philip Hoare seems to sort of be a one horse pony and his horse in this failing mixed metaphor is the sea. And what a horse it is.
5. The Wolfpack- avoidable.
6. When Marnie Was There- when the first cracks in the Studio Ghibli facade began to emerge the office workers expressed mild concern, but cautiously continued to work. Slowly the front of the building began to crumble around them, as dark mounds of cement, plasterboard and steel bracing formed near the carpark. The workers moved slowly around the rubble, parking more carefully for work.
To watch over the bitter spring
1. The look of silence
2. When We Were Young
3. The Lobster
4. House buying in the urban slums of Nelson. Potential log burner.
Gleaming Gold
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