Reading: The Little Book of the Tudors & Film: Lady Vengeance

I was planning to see a film yesterday - and Lady Vengeance was the most interesting thing topping my list: a Korean film about a young woman, unjustly imprisoned, who on release, well, seeks vengeance. I didn't have time in the end, but hoped to get to it at some point today. Amazon Prime again.

Meantime, back to Meetup today - London Social Detours had Part Six of her reading of The Little Book of the Tudors. My first Meetup in over two weeks.. and the first of this series I've been able to attend, midweek as they are. Well, I might not enjoy her reading style - but I am interested in the Tudors! Free, for once - probably because most attendees were also logging into her second event, later in the evening, and paying for that. Donations were suggested though - I passed.

It had to happen - as I logged on (admittedly without trouble), it was to a small panic that she couldn't get her slideshow to display. There's always something. But she got it working in the end, and despite her internet freezing a couple of times, and kicking her out of screen sharing the second time, we got it done. This was quite a short chapter she was reading - which turned out to be a good thing, as about half the group wanted to drop out early to see what was going to be said in the UK government's press conference. They needn't have bothered, of course - it was as vague and wishy-washy as ever.

Can't say it was a terribly interesting chapter - this one was about buildings of the era, and she had some illustrations to show us, and some words about how the new style of building had larger windows, with more glass, what with there being less warfare. In fact, it seems that Henry VII - ever paranoid about threats to his authority - banned the building of fortifications, and granted very few licences for renovations of old ones. He'd grown up in an era of private armies, so you could hardly blame him! Seemed to work, at any rate - there was to be little internal warfare from then on.

The chat afterwards was, necessarily, brief - even those of us who had no interest in the press conference were cut off, as she said she had to consult with her pal, who was giving this evening's talk. But it was, as ever, good to talk to people from Meetup - they have very few meetings that I can make, now.

And so to tonight, when - with a gap in decent tv programming - I finally caught up with Lady Vengeance. You know, I'll never forget my first foray into Korean cinema, which was with the horror film, Two Sisters. It was - to me - completely original, and despite the subject matter, quite delightful. And you'll never guess - I certainly couldn't have anticipated it - but Lady Vengeance struck me in much the same way.

It looks absolutely beautiful - in the midst of some very bleak storytelling, you'll suddenly be presented with a quietly beautiful image. The soundtrack, predominantly classical but with exquisite original compositions, is divine. (As someone muses in the comments, why is Vivaldi so perfect for a revenge theme..?) It's speckled with some very black humour, particularly in the prison sequences - don't miss it. And overall, it's gorgeously surreal - think Fargo in tone, but with more style. I'm not going to go into it in much detail - but dump all your standard ideas of revenge. This particular formula for revenge is just so perfect. And once it's revealed - actually, it seems to occur to her halfway through - I was just riveted.. Seriously, I can't remember when I last saw a film this good.. quite stunning.

Well, let's hope my run of luck with film continues! Back to film tomorrow - and I think I'll try La Chienne. This time, it's on the Sands Films playlist.

Play: Blueprint Medea

Well now, I'm taking this week off work! Simply, I need to use up my leave - and could do with the break. So, expect me to schedule something or other for every day this week. And, for a change, Meetup provided me with something to do yesterday! (Not live, mind - they were meeting in the evening again, so I couldn't meet them, but I could watch the show anytime.) Wouldn't you know it, Up in the Cheap Seats got back to scheduling things online - they took a break from that for a while there; doubtless the increased viral spread prompted their decision to schedule online again. Finborough Theatre is broadcasting a play called Blueprint Medea on YouTube, for free - the theme transmutes the original Medea play to the story of a Kurdish refugee in London. Yippee, it's been weeks since I saw a play! And I see the theatre has a few on offer..

In the event, I got caught up doing other stuff - easily done - and only got to watch it now. It's about an hour and a half, straight through - with a large cast, for such a small theatre. The quality of the video isn't marvellous - it's from a live performance last year, obviously never meant for broadcast, and the visuals break up a bit. The audio is quite muffled in parts - towards the end, I found it useful to display subtitles, or I'd never have known what they were saying.

Well, it's based on a Greek play, which might explain some of the performances - especially towards the beginning, they seemed stilted to me. Perhaps they were weighted down by history - whatever, it makes for sluggish watching. And while Medea does go crazy in the end (spoiler!), I thought she was unnecessarily intense throughout - a breakdown waiting to happen, rather than inspired by events in the course of the play. Hey-ho.

As in the original, she's with Jason - except in this case, that's just what he calls himself; he's Muslim, and called Mohammed, but thinks Jason "Jay" is cooler. And they have two sons. But hey, his father disapproves, and finds him another bride. And so Medea exacts a dreadful revenge, using both his sons and his new wife..

It isn't only about that - we see a snippet of her coming to London, getting a place in a hostel as a refugee: but she has trouble there, and ends up moving out and working in the black economy. She's working as a cleaner at the gym where Jay works out - that's how they meet. And as we get flashbacks of her Kurdish experience, we see how it moulded her - and how it hurts her when others in her English class don't even know where Kurdistan is. Desperate for acceptance, we see how invested she is in her relationship with Jay; however, his background won't allow him to consider a future with her - pay attention if you ever thought that refugees' backgrounds were all the same. I thought the way she exacted revenge on his fiancée was an interesting touch..

I nodded off a bit during the first half - thought it picked up when they'd had the kids and the story started to progress. The first half, however, I found weak - it had things to say, but I felt the points made were underdeveloped. But hey, it's an interesting play. Showing till the 14th of November.

I was planning to see a film today - and Lady Vengeance is the most interesting thing topping my list, currently: a Korean film about a young woman, unjustly imprisoned, who on release, well, seeks vengeance. I don't think I'll watch it tonight, but will hopefully get to it at some point tomorrow. Amazon Prime again.

Meantime, back to Meetup tomorrow - London Social Detours has Part Six of her reading of The Little Book of the Tudors. My first Meetup in over two weeks.. and the first of these I've been able to attend, midweek as they are. Well, I might not enjoy her reading style - but I am interested in the Tudors!

Film: The Farewell

Today, on Meetup, Experience London Events, Concerts & Parties streamed a concert from the U.S. However, they had the wrong time on it - it obviously happened later in the day here, so at 10pm rather than 10am, as advertised. So, not feasible for me. And London Social Detours was on in the evening, unusually - so I had to resort to film again. I had a few choices, including a couple of films that I heard of, but never got around to seeing. So I picked The Farewell, in which a Chinese family not only cannot bring themselves to tell their grandmother she's dying, but arrange to have a wedding before she passes away.. Available on Amazon Prime.

Wow, I was delighted to see this come up! I remember the trailers being very good, and really wanted to see it when it was out - but you know, there's so much choice in London. And having watched the whole thing.. I can testify, it's terrific! Subtly funny, it made me laugh out loud - several times. It's based on a true story, and the perspective - of the granddaughter raised in the States, who's as much an outsider to this culture as we are - allows us to appreciate the weirdness of her family as she does herself.

Of course, we all lie - all the time: as shown in the very first scene, where the granny phones her granddaughter, to whom she's very close, and asks whether she's wearing a hat, as she's heard New York is very cold. "Yes," she lies, before hearing a strange noise in the background and asking where her granny is. So now granny lies about being round at a neighbour's house, when she's actually at the hospital for a test. And so it goes on. The major lie in the background, of course, underpins every scene - and it is hilarious to watch the family trying to act happy about the upcoming wedding (which has been fast-tracked especially, so those who don't know think the bride must be expecting a baby..). She, by the way, is Japanese - also an outsider, who gives a speech at the reception, for which she must have an interpreter..

It's poignant too, as East and West clash in the form of the granddaughter fighting with the family, who make it a cultural thing to hide this illness from gran. But mainly, this is a really funny film, made with obvious affection. Highly recommended - delighted I got to see it, at last.

Well now, I'm taking this week off work! Simply, I need to use up my leave - and could do with the break. So, expect me to schedule something or other for every day this week. And, for a change, Meetup is providing me with something to do tomorrow! (Not live, mind - they're meeting in the evening again, so I can't meet them, but I can watch the show anytime.) Wouldn't you know it, Up in the Cheap Seats is back to scheduling things online - they took a break from that for a while there; doubtless the increased viral spread prompted their decision to schedule online again. Finborough Theatre is broadcasting a play called Blueprint Medea on YouTube, for free - the theme transmutes the original Medea play to the story of a Kurdish refugee in London. Yippee, it's weeks since I saw a play! And I see the theatre has a few on offer..

Film: The Goat

Tomorrow, on Meetup, Experience London Events, Concerts & Parties is streaming a concert from the U.S. However, they have the wrong time on it - it's obviously happening later in the day here, so it's happening at 10pm rather than 10am, as advertised. So, not feasible for me. And London Social Detours is on in the evening, unusually - so I have to resort to film again. The next on my list was a comedy short from Buster Keaton called The Goat - and interestingly, is on a new platform for me! Findable on the Internet Archive..

Now, I was going to watch this tomorrow. But for heavens' sake, there was so little on telly that I said I might as well watch it now! It's only a short, anyway. Quality is excellent, I have to say. And while it is, of course, very dated, it's still a madcap romp - very little plot required, but basically, he's a down-and-out who (through the most improbable circumstances) gets mistaken for an escaped murderer. Lots of rather funny daftness ensues. And yes, he gets the girl.

For tomorrow, I now have a few choices, including a couple of films that I heard of, but never got around to seeing. So I think I'll pick The Farewell, in which a Chinese family not only cannot bring themselves to tell their grandmother she's dying, but arrange to have a wedding before she passes away.. Available on Amazon Prime.

Film: Budrus

Film again today. The next film on my list actually jumped in rating since I listed it - so I watched Budrus, on Reel Palestine again. This is the true story of how a village mobilised people from all factions to prevent the Israeli army building a wall through the middle of it - which would, incidentally, destroy their olive groves. Only became a feasible protest when the women got involved, it turns out!

I see that U.S. viewers have to pay - for me, all I had to do to stream for free was subscribe to the Just Vision mailing list. Fine, I can unsubscribe if it gets annoying. Starts out with a great soundtrack and some beautiful footage. This isn't really an easy watch though, as the army moves in and things deteriorate. It is good that the film interviews both sides - I actually couldn't believe what I was hearing, with the Israeli captain saying that their prime objective was to protect Israeli civilians. Israeli. As if there's a difference. Later, the protests attract left-wing Israeli activists - the army is quoted as saying that they are not allowed to use force against Israelis. No, but they can fire rubber bullets and tear gas, and use batons, on the Palestinians..

The other Israeli soldier interviewed personally is a woman, who gives an interesting perspective - the Palestinian women were shouting at her in particular, saying they could make her a match with their sons! But while she is sorry for the loss of the olive trees, she is ultimately unsympathetic, saying that if that's what needs to be done, it needs to be done. And I don't blame the soldiers - they were doing as they were told.

The protests ultimately attract massive international support - including a South African anti-apartheid group, who travelled all that way to tell them that the best solution was for everyone to live together. The scenes towards the end are disturbing, as violence breaks out - as someone says, these are nonviolent protests, but when the army provokes people that far, some will start to throw stones. And to be fair, there are always idiots who think that's the way to solve things. That, combined with the international attention, forces the government's hand - and, despite the intransigent deputy defence minister who's interviewed about it on the news, the villagers get their way - the wall is still built, but no longer through their olive groves, or the cemetery. I had to laugh when the captain came on again to say that well, people will say that's because of the protests, but it was a political decision..

Tomorrow, on Meetup, Experience London Events, Concerts & Parties is streaming a concert from the U.S. However, they have the wrong time on it - it's obviously happening later in the day here, so it's happening at 10pm rather than 10am, as advertised. So, not feasible for me. And London Social Detours is on in the evening, unusually - so I have to resort to film again. The next on my list is a comedy short from Buster Keaton called The Goat - and interestingly, is on a new platform for me! Findable on the Internet Archive..

Film: Mrs. Brown's Boys D' Movie

This week, we had a midweek movie on telly - doesn't always happen. And this week.. would you believe, it was Mrs. Brown's Boys: D' Movie! Now, I was in two minds whether to watch this, with its poor ratings - but I do enjoy the tv show.. and my mother was keen.. and so I said we'd give it a shot.

So, as you'd expect, it includes the whole clan, with a feature-length story and several guest performers. In fact, we spent most of the film gawping at famous faces (famous in Ireland, at least). Comedian June Rodgers shows up as a stallholder on Moore Street, where, for the purposes of the story, Mrs. Brown also has a stall. Simon Delaney is the lawyer that Mrs. Brown hires when nefarious characters try to oust her from her stall. Sorcha Cusack (unmistakeably a Cusack, although I wasn't sure which) is the judge presiding over Buster's trial for matters unrelated. Jon Kenny is the injured party in that case. Radio presenter Joe Duffy plays himself, interviewing Mrs. Brown, who has become a national celebrity - and tv presenter Eamonn Holmes comes on as a newscaster, giving the tv news story. Frank Kelly is the judge in her case. Also apparently features Keith Duffy, who fairly escaped my attention as a security guard! I mustn't have been paying enough attention.

Well, I am very glad I watched it! Comedy is subjective, and whether you enjoy this depends very much on how you feel about the tv show. The comedy is completely madcap - and we found the extended chase scene utterly hilarious. Plenty of bad language, of course - only to be expected. And all the familiar elements we love are there too. Watch out for bloopers over the closing credits.. one of which was actually left in the scene! Oh, and there's an excellent soundtrack. Quite simply, if you like the tv show and want more, this is the film for you.

Meantime, film again on Saturday. The next film on my list has actually jumped in rating since I listed it - so the plan is to watch Budrus, on Reel Palestine again. This is the true story of how a village mobilised people from all factions to prevent the Israeli army building a wall through the middle of it - which would, incidentally, destroy their olive groves. Only became a feasible protest when the women got involved, it turns out! (Didn't work, in the end, of course..)

Storytelling: On Common Ground - the Life and Times of John Clare

Today, wouldya believe it, I was back with the Crick Crack Club! This was a live-streamed event from King's Place, which I booked last Christmas (!), and which took place at the venue: but with the live streaming, I asked for my ticket to be changed to a virtual one. After all, the Irish government wouldn't let me go back in time for it! (Well, they would've, but I'd have had to quarantine upon coming back to Ireland. And even if I did do that, I don't want to risk it, as I'm living with my elderly mother.) Means I had to miss this weekend's London Social Detours Meetup, which this week was today, but what the hey. Anyway, the storytelling was On Common Ground - The Life and Times of John Clare, as told by Hugh Lupton.

So, no special link required - I just had to log onto my account on the King's Place website. I joined the live stream a minute or two late, would you believe - even with 0 commuting time! - but never mind, storytelling never starts on the dot, and I joined the others waiting. People joined gradually - at the most, there were 66 people on the stream.

In due course, we saw the venue - Ben Haggarty was MC-ing, and oh, what a joy to see him stride across the stage! Even in a mask (which he soon removed). Some heads were visible in the audience - it was hard to see what they'd done about social distancing, but it looked as though some chairs had been removed. In Hall Two, where this took place, the chairs are free-standing, which makes it easier. Anyway, I half expected Ben to break into the Crick Crack chant, but he didn't - perhaps self-conscious about all the people watching online, whom he couldn't see.

Hugh came on in a more self-effacing manner, confiding in us how good it was to be back storytelling after six months! Now, he specialises in tales of olde England.. and today's tale had to do with enclosures. So he explained to us how John Clare lived at the time of what he called the Second Enclosure, at the end of the 18th / beginning of the 19th Century, when what had been common ground for centuries was suddenly fenced off, for the express use of the gentry, while the common folk lost a common source of income, losing the ability to feed livestock on commonage.

He draws a direct comparison between that and what happened after the Norman conquest, with what was called the "forestation" of England - where before had been the greenwood, used by all for game and firewood, now the forests were owned by the gentry, and common folk who were caught hunting, or collecting brushwood there, would be crippled or killed. Hence the stories of Robin Hood, as he explained, who represents the common man, living in the greenwood, and fighting the establishment, in the form of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Clare, in fact, apparently wrote a couple of Robin Hood stories himself.

And so, back to Clare. Hugh wove an absolutely spellbinding, poetic version of his lifestory, his love of the countryside, and his love for the daughter of a local landowner. Clare himself, being dirt poor, had no chance with her father - for her part, forbidden from marrying him, she never married at all, it seems. Ironically, he became a well-known poet, feted in the highest circles as the "peasant poet" - Hugh told an amusing anecdote about a posh couple who arrived at the Clares' cottage one evening, looking for the celebrated poet, and were rather nonplussed at what they found..

Clare went mad at the end of his life, apparently - which Hugh attributes to the enclosures, which may well be true, as he was deprived of the ability to wander freely, as he once had. And the story is told in Hugh's inimitable style - with accompaniment of both bodhrán and Tibetan singing bowl, this was a gorgeous and memorable experience. How I've missed storytelling..! It was just over an hour long, but so worth watching. Happily, if I want to repeat the experience, it is available for another week.. and I must really get around to listening to the cd of Hugh Lupton, accompanied by Nick Hennessy, called Liberty Tree, which I bought ages ago! and only just rediscovered. (Speaking of recordings, I never realised he had so many on his website - must get around to watching some, some day.)

Sadly, there was yet more storytelling at King's Place this evening - Ben Haggarty performed Storytelling for Grownups - the Grateful and the Dead. But that wasn't live-streamed. :-( Live only, with social distancing, and sold out a while ago. Of course. And wouldn't you know it, the Crick Crack Club has no further events scheduled.. Roll on the end of this lockdown nightmare.

Meantime, film again on Saturday - anything on Meetup is happening too late. The next film on my list has actually jumped in rating since I listed it - so the plan is to watch Budrus, on Reel Palestine again. This is the true story of how a village mobilised people from all factions to prevent the Israeli army building a wall through the middle of it - which would, incidentally, destroy their olive groves. Only became a feasible protest when the women got involved, it turns out! (Didn't work, in the end, of course..)