GROWN-UP GEEKETTE
A new blog from self-confessed grown-up geekette, Claire, charts the top 3 things she's absorbed this month.
So quick up sum. Didn’t like the Leigh Bowery exhibition – it didn’t have enough substance for me. I needed more handholding to truly understand it. I did love Glasto (on TV). Highlights were CMat, DoeChi, The Prodigy and Loyle Carner. The doc on Bonnie Blue made me annoyed, why was there no exploration of the themes which came up – irresponsible lost opportunity in my mind. But they’re not this editions reviews. I’ve got different ones for that… they were just a palette cleanser!
1. Mountainhead – According to Phil Collins, you can’t hurry love… but it turns out you can hurry a TV drama from an award winning writer and producer. It was a very clever idea. But there was something anodyne about it. Did it come out of Jesse Armstrong’s bottom drawer and get brushed off? That was the lasting impression I had of it. I love Jesse’s work. I think there is a lot to be said for comedy writer’s writing drama. See comedy writers are drawn to monsters, whereas for most drama writers, one monster is enough. It’s what makes the great comedies. And it made Succession one of the best dramas of the decade (and maybe even the millennia). As a side note, which says so much more about me than it says about Mountainhead so you have been warned. Jesse and I both did the same degree at the same university. Yup, we’ve both got a degree in American Studies from Manchester University. (I often laugh when I say I’ve got a degree in American Studies) . I was there a few years before him but we did do our year’s placement in America at the same university – UMass. I heard him tell Adam Buxton on a podcast about it. Funny to think that these similar experiences set the ground for Succession. It’s an undeserving connection for me to claim but a connection I feel nonetheless. So I was really excited to be watching Mountainhead. The good news is that it is one story told in quickly and efficiently. Some of the acting is good. I think the set is meant to make us feel claustrophobic but instead it feels a bit wooden and the premise of the story lacks intrigue. All in all, I’d say watch the a great Succession episode instead of this.
2. Giant (Pinter Theatre, West End) – A telling story of Roald Dhal’s life after he wrote a review which included some controversial statements about Israelis and Jews in the aftermath of the invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Prescient to today, all the characters play their part in helping us understand how complex a topic anti-semitism is. Regardless of your opinion, it creates a very clever unpicking of different views in a difficult subject. All the way through, the audience is left to question what they consider acceptable. Very interesting and well acted. And John Lithgow is a bit of a hero of mine. 3rd Rock From The Sun is an underrated US sitcom which I loved so it was a treat to see Lithgow in the flesh and the whole cast rose to the challenge of the contents of this play. If you can get to see it, I would highly recommend it.
3. Holy Cow (Curzon Bloomsbury) – a delightfully satisfying story about a young boy and his coming of age in rural France where his father works as a cheesemaker. The opening scene sees him with all his friends around him as they cavort as only teenagers can. His abandon is infectious and so when it is grabbed from him, we are completely captivated. Can’t say any more as it will spoil it. Watch it.
February 2025
1. The Importance of Being Earnest – Delightfully funny and modern take on an old favourite. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of this. I’ve not read it since I was at school and I had no idea how high camp it could be. I felt warm fuzzy feelings for Oscar Wilde. The costumes were fabulous, the comedy impeccable and the casting – totally sublime. I know there was talk of the National Theatre putting it out to cinemas – catch it if you can.
2. Somebody Somewhere – Low key mid western sitcom with low level laughs but enormous warmth. The central characters are all misfits through and through but I warmed to them and their weird midwestern ways very quickly. Centred around Sam (played by bawdy comedian Bridget Everett) this is a story about not giving up and finding camaraderie and love where you are. It’s a comedy of manners, played with hyper realism. I don’t know if it is improvised or not but when the characters laugh, I really felt they were laughing. Jeff Hiller plays Sam’s best friend, Joel and Mary Catherine Garrison plays Sam’s sister Tricia. Neither are characters I would naturally warm to (Joel is a god fearing dweeb and Tricia is an opinionated, self-centred divorcee) but the script and the scenarios leave me with a feeling of warm toast, a cup of tea and a real fire.
3. Anya Gallaccio: preseve (Turner Contemporary Margate) – this fascinating exhibition by artist, Anya Gallaccio is finished now. This retrospective played into her reoccurring themes of preservation and decay. Parts of the exhibition were alive and allowed to rot over the course of the exhibition. It was somehow inspiring to see the decaying apples all strung up to make a beautiful curtain. If I had seen the start of the exhibition, I would have seen an entirely different vision. I particularly loved her discombobulated tree – cut up and then put back together in the gallery (don’t worry, it wasn’t felled to make art, it was fallen and then the art was made). If you are in Manchester, then Anya has a wonderful piece at the Whitworth Art Gallery in the gardens. You won’t be disappointed, I don’t think!
November/December
I always see a LOT of films over this period because I’m lucky enough to be a BAFTA Film Academy Voter. I can’t tell you what I’m actually voting for but I can give you a few reviews of the films I’ve seen.
In no particular order
Anora – I loved this and am no prude but I just couldn’t understand why there was SO much sex in it. Made by the guy that made The Florida Project which I totally loved. The lead, Mikey Madison is quite something. It tells the story of a sex worker who has her head turned by the young son of a Russian oligarch. Felt quite Tarantino in places… but from a female perspective. It was great.
Hard Truths – 8/10. Relentlessly depressing but as so often is the case with Mike Leigh – a funny, insightful and realistic film about depression with stand out performance from Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
The Apprentice – Totally brilliant depiction of NYC in the 1980’s. The colour, the clothes, the dialogue all felt so authentic, I could almost smell it. But the smell was so unsettling – seeing the backstory in the creation of Trump and how he was allowed to develop. I remember it all so well. I was living in the States when his book came out. I feel grubby thinking about it. The film achieved that viscerally.
The Brutalist – overly long but the ponderous nature of it is necessary to feel the depth of what is being conveyed. A bit like The Apprentice, this had moments of Citizen Kane about it but unlike The Apprentice, the character being portrayed had an uncompromising morality. I felt like I ought to be awarded a medal at the end of it… and over the following few days, I felt like I was. This one really stayed with me.
Spaceman – Adam Sandler plays a spaceman on a solo mission who starts to understand the cracks in his marriage to Carey Mulligan after befriending an alien spider which joins him on his mission. Essentially a love story, it is ponderous and over philosophical (I suspect it believed itself to be grander than it is) but reasonably watchable. The soundscape and the song over the credits though, is sublime.
The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru – Documentary telling the fascinating story of survival of 800 POW who were being transported by a Japanese merchant ship when it was sunk by an American torpedo. We saw the story from all angles. The survivors (2 of whom were still alive) and the Chinese fishermen who rescued them, the Japanese who incarcerated them and the Americans who torpedoed them. Very interesting which would make a fab drama.
We Live In Time – A familiar tale very well told with great dialogue written by Nick Payne and acted superbly by Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.
The title gives a clue that this story is written in 3 different times (indicated by Pugh’s hair). It’s stayed with me for a couple of days. I watched with my nephew and we both decided it was a very good rendition of a story we’d seen before.
The Fire Inside – The straightforward telling of the true story of Claressa Shields, the most successful US female boxer who, yes, traversed a whole lot of struggle to win 2 Olympic golds and fight the authorities over equal rights for women athletes. I’m not suggesting that her story isn’t amazing – she is surely an inspiring woman but this story is told with too many tropes and lacks nuance for my taste. Script written by Barry Jenkins. It felt like it was written by someone trying to be Barry Jenkins. Ryan Destiny gives a fine performance of a poor script.
A Complete Unknown – James Mangold’s biopic about Bob Dylan’s early career and the lead up to his move to electric guitar. Went to a screening with director and main actors (including Timothee Chalamet- who was astounding as Dylan). I loved it even although it was slight. In fact. I loved it because it was slight. Joan Baez actor brilliant too.
Lee – Kate Winslet produced and starred in this story about female war photographer, Lee Miller who took some of the most iconic photos of the liberation of Dachau. Kate Winslet was amazing, the story was incredible but unfortunately the script let it down. Clunky. Went to a screening of that with Kate Winslet. She was utterly charming!
The Outrun – A harrowing tale of a woman trying to find sobriety in the Orkneys. Saoirse Ronan is really fab in it. And it is beautifully shot and the orkneys are beautiful but it felt a bit of a sanitised portrayal of alcoholism.
October 2024
1. Alma’s Not Normal – Warm, funny and brave. Sophie Willan gives viewers an insight into the humour and horror of dealing with mental health family members. Siobhan Finneran’s portrayal as Alma’s mother is sublimely cartoony and intensity deep all at the same time. And Alma, I just love her! Funny, flawed and fabulous. She’s a true survivor! When her new boyfriend meets her mum and her grandma with all their eccentricities on show, it’s nothing short of genius. But the cartoon nature of the family is underscored by the affecting depiction of the state of the mental health services in the UK. In the last episode Alma stands up in court and draws attention to the irony that the people meant to be caring for her mother are actually accusing her of assault. Having had my own understanding of these sorts of services, I felt her pain all too deeply. And I am sure there are plenty of others who felt like their experiences were being represented too.
The series has bundles of laughs and a fair few tears along the way. I’m not completely sure why but it reminds me of the Liver Birds. Bravo! More please!
2. Strictly Come Dancing –
I knew it would happen at some point. I knew I would become a fan but OMG, what a fan I have become! In spite of all the shenanigans around kicking celebrities, I still totally love it. When that story broke, I thought “Has anyone seen Strictly Ballroom? That’s literally what it is all about! Dancers with so much passion they push the limits of the rules!” Not that I’m advocating for anyone to be bullied but you get my point…
Watching the celebrities grow in confidence and skill is really uplifting and an antidote to the world out there.
Like Brucie, I have many favourites but Johannes has a grace which I am drawn to and I hanker to be Vito’s pal – he looks like really good fun AND he can cook!
I don’t really care who wins – watching them all develop and learn skills is reward enough for me. It almost makes me want to become a celebrity so I could get on the show (that’s sad, I know) Keep dancing!
3. A Real Pain – Keiran Culkin is immense in this understated but rather lovely Jesse Eisenberg directed story about two cousins travelling to Poland to see where their grandmother had lived before WW2. Poetic with exceptional acting, I enjoyed this more than my friend who I went with. And his criticism is valid. Although I interpreted the film was endeavouring to draw a relationship with multi generational traumas, my friend quite rightly suggested that it was missing a couple of scenes to make that clearer. It’s quite something to see a film nowadays which needs more scenes! Most are about 25 minutes too long! Kieran Culkin who plays Roman Roy in Succession is a thrilling actor. He is totally captivating to watch and the energy he creates is off the chart. See it for just that! Small and detailed is how I’d describe it.
Sept 2024 Proper
As if to reveal my deeply varied tastes, this month’s blog sees the high and the low in cultural terms in my top takes of Sept. Essex, Lagos and the US get mentions…
1. Gemma Collins on Who Do You Think You Are? – I have the inimitable honour of being the commissioner who first put Gemma on TOWIE. I’ve always been a fan. I think sometimes people don’t completely understand her fragility which can produce disturbing results but generally I am proud of Gemma and all the GC has achieved since she was cast as a car saleswoman in early TOWIE days. So I came to WDYTYA? with a warmth for her as a subject and she did not disappoint. We got to know so much more about her and her background, not least that her mother was practically a foundling, abandoned at the hospital as a baby. I’m fascinated in the psychological interior of people, more insight is always welcome. But it wasn’t just learning about Gemma’s family, it was the way she approached it all which I loved. My favourite moment, by a country mile, was Gemma’s reaction to finding out that her maternal grandmother had been diagnosed as “chronically schizophrenic” and incarcerated in an asylum on more than one occasion. Her response was to ask the expert, “But was she?… Was she?… Or was she just fabulous?” I bloody loved that… it took aim at a highly controversial diagnosis and a whole school of judges who have sought to diagnose Gemma too. And I think next time someone questions me about Gemma, I’ll use that exact same thought… “Or is she just fabulous”. I certainly think so!
2. Quote of the month. I heard this when I was in Swansea for my friend’s birthday. We went to a really beautiful beach and had a swim. It was delightful. At the cafe above the beach, one of my fellow party guests told me this from Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut’s most successful novel was the antiwar classic “Slaughterhouse Five”. I’ve just done a search and discovered he was a humanist and freethinker and is often described as a humorist – three of my favourite things. I’m sure he had some flaws but the quote is so wonderful, I think I would find a way of enjoying it even if he were the worst man on earth. I’ve built it up now, it’s never going to wow you now, is it? What a numpty! Anyway, here goes. From his debut 1969 novel, Cat’s Cradle, the line is:
“Peculiar travel plans are like dancing lessons from God”.
Lovely, isn’t it? Reminds me that ending up writing a blog for your website was not originally part of the plan but… I’m rather enjoying it.
3. Joker 2 (or whatever it’s called). Not great. Really not great. Depressing and not great. He’s gorgeous and gives a fine performance but the unrelenting misery and wonky moral compass interwoven with big production numbers with Lady Gaga was a step too far. In years to come they might watch this film and talk about how it signified the end of Hollywood’s reign on the film industry and how it was so bloated with a sense of itself that it became less (very much less) than a sum of its parts.
Aug/Sep 2024
Keeping it short this month for the first one of these posts.
1. Colin From Accounts – I wasn’t expecting the second series to hold up to the first but I have to say, it really has. The relationship which the writers manage to convey is so authentic and likeable, I think it is virtually impossible not to enjoy it.
2. Waking Up – a really good meditation app which I found when I watched old episodes of SOAP. As I often do, I looked up the creator on Wiki and discovered that Susan Harris had not only created SOAP but also The Golden Girls and her son was one of the most prominent atheists in the world. It piqued my interest. He’s a fascinating man that’s for sure and his meditation app, Waking Up is pretty sensational in my opinion. It has a daily 10 minute session and it is easy to navigate some of the other offerings for exploration. Some apps I’ve used have either been too basic or too unfathomable but this one, is the Goldilocks of meditation apps and is just right.
3. Ventura Highway by America – I can’t get enough of this song at the moment. I heard it at a friend’s 60th (her children sang it for us) and it transported me to sunshine and good feelings. Not bad to have in your back pocket. It’s led me down a bit of a warren of other Californian 60’s music which is something I think we should all do every year or so.
That’s me for this month. Any comments, please feel free to contact me. In the meantime, I’ll be on my way being a grown-up geekette.
