Tag: review

Categories
Books

Fatherland – Robert Harris (1992)

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Fatherland  is a murder investigation/thriller. It is set in the run up to Adolf Hitler’s 75th birthday and imagines a world where the Nazis won the second world war.

It works very well as a police procedural that escalates. It is well written and the main characters are interesting. The plot twists keep the reader engaged nicely and the story is strong enough to work without the alternate reality theme.

Setting the book in a 1964 Nazi run Europe adds an extra dimension to the book. It is not overdone, it changes some peoples motivation and skews the world’s perspective. I found the change refreshing. The book contains some fictional characters and some fictionalised versions of real characters. He envisages many of those who died or disappeared towards the end of the war as still alive and powerful after Germany won.

Fatherland is well researched and some of the scenes in the book are harrowing but it is not gory or gratuitous in any way. It was a huge best seller when it was released almost 25 years ago. I think it has stood the test of time and is still a very enjoyable read.

 

 

Categories
Gigs music

Rising Stars at 229 The Venue, London

Saint Agnes

Rising Stars is a showcase for up and coming music artists. The events are organised by Time Out and take place in famous venues around London.

On May 17th at 229 The Venue, Great Portland Street, the bands I saw were: Emily Capell, David Stewart, Saint Agnes and Jackaman.

Emily Capell is a singer/songwriter with a good voice, witty songs and a good stage presence. Her songs are poppy and catchy and have a nice sing-along feel to them.

David Stewart has a really strong voice, writes clever (sometimes harsh) lyrics and has great delivery. He exudes confidence and appears very relaxed on stage.

Saint Agnes are a prog rock, riff heavy band. Their songs were fantastic, great vocals, good harmonies. Their guitar riffs were excellent. They were visually interesting and really got the crowd moving. They got the best reaction of the night and I will definitely go to see them again.

Jackaman are an Indie rock outfit fronted by Lynne Jackaman who used to front St. Jude. They are on the rockier side of Indie and their songs and vocals are strong. Very enjoyable.

Rising Stars nights happen around London about 6 or 7 times a year. They are not expensive to get into and from what I have seen the music is always high quality. It is a great way of getting to see new live bands and a very good value night out.

The photo is of the band Saint Agnes

Recommended.

Categories
Theatre review

Funny Girl, Savoy Theatre, London

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This is Funny Girl without Sheridan Smith.

Funny Girl is one of my favourite films. There is no getting away from the fact that it is a star vehicle and I was worried for any understudy undertaking the role. It has big emotional songs that need a big voice and a big personality to fill.

Natasha Barnes has a remarkable voice and sings the songs brilliantly. She had the audience totally on her side and received a full standing ovation at the end. She seemed genuinely moved by this.

Darius Campbell’s singing is really good. The big set dance pieces are beautifully choreographed. Joel Montague is excellent as Eddie. The Savoy Theatre itself is an Art Deco chocolate box and has to be the prettiest in London.

All in all a good night out. (Get well soon, Sheridan!)

Categories
Film Review

Moneyball (dir. Bennett Miller) 2011

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This film is about baseball. I like baseball. I enjoyed this film.

It is based on a true story, about Billy Beane, the man who supposedly took the romance out of baseball by putting his faith in computer generated statistics. However, this is a romantic film and he is a true romantic (just don’t expect any love scenes!).

It was nominated for 6 Academy Awards; this implies to me that it has wider appeal than just baseball fans.

It is an intelligent movie with a great script. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill were both nominated for Oscars and it also has Philip Seymour Hoffman in the cast, so could be worth a watch for the acting alone.

Categories
Restaurant review

Hawksmoor, Air Street, London

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Hawksmoor was a talented architect of the 17th and 18th century; probably not somebody I would choose to name a restaurant after, given the manner of his death.

However, the food here is high quality and well prepared. We all had steaks and they were all excellent. The set cuts on the menu seemed large (400g – the rib eye) but when I said this to the waiter, she offered us smaller sizes – or larger ones if we wished to share. The chips were delicious as was the spinach.

The wine list is comprehensive and the bottle we chose was very good.

The décor is low key, art deco. The restaurant is cleverly laid out because the surprisingly large room still manages to feel quite intimate. The service was perfect; always nearby but never obtrusive.

It is quite expensive, even for London, but the experience was distinctive, right from going through the door and it does deliver value for money.

Categories
Theatre review

The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre

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I have to say that I felt a bit sorry for Cornley Polytechnic drama, after all the rehearsal and effort that went into the production, that they should have a night like this.

I suppose that we could have guessed it wasn’t going to be their night when the dog went missing even before the show began! However they struggled on manfully and the understudy that came on for Constance after she was knocked out did very well ……. considering.

If I were them I’d probably sack the sound engineer, I mean how much can he know about sound, given his love of Duran Duran.

I applaud the cast for (mostly) making it through to the end of the show unscathed.

I’m going to recommend that you go to see this production because they surely could never have another night like this. The acting was brilliant, with hand gestures and everything, and I’m sure that once they get their difficulties sorted; there is a wonderful murder mystery in there, just waiting to come out!

Categories
walks

A walk along Regent’s Canal

https://www.endomondo.com/routes/725067575

A walk from Warwick Avenue tube to Angel tube along the Regent’s Canal is a fine way to spend a summer day.

It starts off in leafy Little Venice with houseboats all along the canal. It skirts the edges of Regents Park where grand houses have manicured gardens that run down to the water’s edge.

The canal cuts through London zoo – you can look up to see the birds in the Snowdon aviary and see animal enclosures on the far side. Soon after you will come to busy, buzzy Camden Lock – you can walk through a door in the wall of a building on the side of the canal if you fancy a detour into Camden market.

Next up is urban King’s Cross, where it is interesting to see the inventive rejuvenation, for example the new circular apartment blocks being built inside the frames of 19th century gas holders.

Finally, Chapel Street Market is one of the few remaining old fashioned London street markets. It still has a wet fish stall and even a ribbon and haberdashery stall.

The walk is almost 10k; so expect to spend a few hours but it is varied, interesting and well worth the time.

Categories
Books

Finders Keepers (Stephen King) 2015

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It is hard to believe that this is Stephen King’s 55th book.

If you know his novels, then you will have a pretty good idea of what to expect in this one. It is well written, has a quick moving, good storyline and the characters and their motivation are all very believable. He has a wonderful ability to keep the reader engaged and wanting to know what happens next.

This book is in his horror, creepy, thriller style. One of my favourite things about his writing is that he manages to write horror stories without being overly gory. There is death and violence here, but it slightly less graphic in its description than is common in many novels, currently.

He also does fantasy type novels, see his Dark Tower series if you are a fan of this genre, they are pretty good.

Finders, Keepers is story driven, it probably won’t have you thinking about the meaning of life, but it will definitely keep you entertained while you read it and it will be difficult to put down once you have got to know the characters inside.

Categories
Attractions Buildings Days Out

Eltham Palace, London SE9.

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If you like historic buildings and Art Deco furniture and style, then you will not find anywhere better in London.

Many of the Kings of England lived here, including Henry VIII. It was lovingly redeveloped in the 1930s by Stephen Courtauld.  He restored the palace and added a new Art Deco house, decorated and furnished in the fashion of the time.

Currently it is in the care of by English Heritage. The circular entrance room is stunning and the art deco decoration and appliances are exquisite. The gardens are beautiful and have lovely views of the house and over London.

This is a fantastic day out within half an hour from central London.

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The photos are of the house from the garden and a marble bath in on of the en suite bathrooms.

 

Categories
Film Review

The Negotiator (dir. F. Gary Gray) 1998

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This is a taut thriller. It stars Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey. It didn’t do well at the box office when it was released, but it has some good visual set pieces and it has excellent performances from both lead actors, who were at the peak of their powers at that time. It has a fine cast and it is a great movie for spotting actors who went on to do other things in TV and film.

It feels dated because, although it was made in 1998, less than 20 years ago, almost the only women in the film are Jackson’s wife and J. T.Holmes’ secretary (deftly played by Siobhan Fallon Hogan). I guess, at least it shows how we have moved on in that time.

Having said that, it does what you want a thriller to do and I was involved right to the end. If you want an easy, entertaining evening in front of the TV, this will do nicely.