Peter Viney's Blog

Our first time in a real cinema in two years. It had to be Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film, Belfast (review linked). With Catriona Balfe (Outlander), Ciaron Hinds (The Man With The Hat), Jamie Dornan (Wild Mountain Thyme) , the great Dame Judi Dench and child actor Jude Hill.Read the review. It was personally meaningful- Karen grew up in Belfast. Let’s just say that if I were awarding the Oscars this year, I’d give it Best Director, Best Screenplay (both Branagh), Best film, Best actor (Jude Hill AND Jamie Dornan), Best actress (Catriona Balfe), Best supporting actor (Ciaron Hinds) and Best supporting actress (Judi Dench). Yes, we thought it that good. Add a superb Van Morrison “found” soundtrack.

Online and on Facebook, this is one of the most hyped movies in a long time. It is on Amazon Prime, currently at £4.49 to rent. My review of MOTHERING SUNDAY is linked. The cast list is British A-list for a certain kind of film. This has had four and five star reviews. My review is the opposite end of the rating system unfortunately.

At last! Back to theatre reviews with DOUBT- A PARABLE by John Patrick Shanley at Chichester Festival Theatre. It’s picking up five star reviews, and must be a near certainty for a London run in the near future. This story set in a Catholic school in New York in 1964 is a gripping psychological drama, played straight for 90 minutes without an interval. It isso engrossing that it feels like only half an hour has passed. Highly recommended.

We were waiting to see MUNICH- THE EDGE OF WAR (link to my review) because we had been so taken with the book by Robert Harris AND by the audio book. This is another full feature film now on Netflix.It revolves around the Hitler-Neville Chamberlain meeting in Munich in 1938 when Hitler annexed the Sudetenland and Chamberlain proclaimed ‘Peace in our time!’ Well, we all know how well that one went. Harris wove a gripping fictional story around the real events. See the film THEN read the book (if you haven’t) is my advice.

The Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” (LINK to the article) may be the most justly reviled album in the whole “Reviled!” series. I usually find the good points, but this is mainly a stinker. Still, they say the negative reviews are more fun to read than the positive ones. Also comments on the Grateful Dead. The best thing about it is Gilbert Shelton’s sleeve illustration.

This is new on Amazon Prime. BOILING POINT (follow link to my review) is a 90 minute continuous take film centred around a chef in a London restaurant on the busiest night of the year, pre-Christmas. Stephen Graham is the chef. It’s tense, relentless and funny, yet it’s all one long rehearsed shot. It’s nominated for many awards. It’s only just on Amazon Prime, so is “Premiere” status … so £9.99 to watch. But factor in two cinema tickets, £5 to park etc and it’s still a bargain. It will get cheaper, but after the reviews we couldn’t wait to see it. You might enjoy my memories of working in catering too.

A new article on AROUND AND AROUND on Ronnie Spector (LINKED). It covers both The Ronettes and her solo career, heavily illustrated with quotes from her autobiography. It was based on my Toppermost articles on The Ronettes and on Robbie Spector, but is more than twice as long.

At AROUND AND AROUND, the latest article is a visual treat. A selection of record sleeves done by well-known artists including Robert Crumb, Gilbert Shelton, Alan Aldridge, Gerald Scarfe and Ralph Steadman. Pure eye candy. See: RECORD SLEEVES BY FAMOUS ARTISTS (linked). Robert Crumb is the sample here.

Review added of tick, tick … BOOM! on Netflix (linked). Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame, it’s the story of stage musical composer Jonathan Larson. We were so reliant on Miranda’s name that we didn’t look up any backstory. You really have to know who Larson was, and we hadn’t a clue. It didn’t work at all for us, but then I really disliked the music.

Elena Ferrante’s THE LOST DAUGHTER (link to review) was released on Netflix on New Year’s Eve, 2021. Directed and scripted by Maggie Gyllenhaal, and featuring Olivia Coleman, Jessie Buckley and Dakota Johnson. The theme of a woman who abandoned her daughters many years earlier and is thinking back to the time is what resonates with reviewers. It’s already picking up awards.