Disclaimer

I would just like to say that the opinions contained in this blog are solely my own and may not represent the views of everyone. It is not intended to cause offence to anyone either living or dead. Cheers hope thats clear.

Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet "Amelie"

I can't convey how good this film is. It is a timeless classic, universally liked and just a treasure for any DVD collector. Yes, it is subtitled but its not as intellectual as that, its just a brilliant fairy tale like film. Audrey Tatou is perfectly cast as the rather strange heroine with whom you identify with from the first. Her odd upbringing, her quirky quirks. The photography for this film is also a wow factor. Its french, by the way, and as with many french films just beautiful to watch. The tale is that of Amelie (Tatou) and her obsession to do good. She does it in very strange ways and she also falls in love along the journey. This is where the fairy tale starts, and this notion of the film as a fairytale for adults is enhanced by the narrator - imagine your parents reading it to you as a child in bed and you get a sense of familiarity, a sense of understanding, of falling in love with the character and the story. Watch for the Gnome postcard scenes - priceless. If you don't at the end of it feel warm and fuzzy inside clearly you've been thinking of other things or - sadly - just didn't get it. Suddenly, France seems a wonderful place to live - in its tenament blocks which look so picturesque, its quaint little cafes and old style stations. Its pure escapism for the soul plus looks good on the DVD shelf.

In one sentence? A feel good fuzzy french flick

In three themes?

1. Love
2. Life
3. Acceptance & Growth

Hilary Mantel: Beyond Black

Not bad, not bad. A typically English novel. Lots of references to English towns and there is a sense of..well, rain, throughout. Grey, dreary, closed in. Its beautifully written. Not pacy. Put simply suspense filled. Briefly, it a tale of a medium coming to terms with her past and how this relates to her future. If you're a devout religious anything, don't read it, it deals with spiritualism in a very honest manner, putting across both a sceptics insight and a believers but it may still unsettle those of a more conservative nature. As a thriller goes, it is very thrilling. Don't read this alone in an old victorian house, you will be nervous. Mantels' detail is haunting (pardon the pun) her main character sympathetic. You will find yourself wanting to beat up various characters along the way (even the main one) and say: pull yourself together, get a grip. There's a certain mirror holding quality to it, the reflections of the characters within others is interesting and the power interplays make you stop and think. This is one of the novels which may seem 'old lady-ish' and I wouldn't say its for a young audience - I mean the under thirty fives - but if you do attempt it, keep in mind the style is that of a much older generation. I like the style, personally, it does have some flowery prose and it does follow conventional structure, but I think to a certain extent it is this style which carrys the plot to its best advantage. Although it does have one large failing: the ending. Its disappointing. Its almost like Mantel ran out of steam - and it is quite a chunky book anyway, however this is not a reason to simply give up the ghost (there's those puns again! do excuse them). The tying up of the loose ends you would expect just doesn't occur and you almost want to re-write the ending itself. Yes, the revelation near the end is revelatory but it isn't enough. A comfortable book that makes you wonder - wonder where it could have gone, that is.

In one sentence? A book at bedtime with Cocoa and the cats

In three themes?

1. Belief
2. Self discovery
3. Relationships

Robert Lasher: For Fucks Sake

This is definitely one of those 'what the..?' unputdownable books. A true new generation American classic. Imagine a stoned John Steinbeck and you'll get the idea. Briefly, its one mans road trip (amongst other trips) and encounters with the opposite sex. Lasher takes you on a no holds barred ride through the American country. Snappy sentences, interesting language usage - it wouldn't pass an English exam but I can imagine it might make the syllabus! I can picture teenagers loving this and liberal parents reminiscing over their lost youthful life. Again, its a cult classic. But one you'll have an straightforward opinion on. Sex, violence and lots and lots of drink. You can tell it was written by a man, it has such a masculine style and no dithery flowery prose, the words flow out and can be seen to be firm, solid, brook-no-argument. He's a meat and two veg man, and he knows he's learning whats what. It a fast paced, hard hitting impact book. If you're a woman reading it, you'll come out of it feeling faintly angry at your own sex for making life so complicated - it actually comes across as quite a feminist novel, in places you can visibly see the controlling hold that women have over men (quite an empowering revelation) but at the same time, like I said earlier, you can't help but feel that at times women can be so cruel and unthinking. You get an insightful look into the male mind - if thats what you want. Lasher creates a character that is an appealing anti hero. A rogue and a player and a lost soul all in one. Summarised, read, laugh and cry at it. Its an interesting cocktail mix, if you haven't drunk or done anything well..ermm...less than appropriate, prepare to feel morally superior and wistful at the same time, if you're basically a reformed bad boy/girl prepare to feel nostalgic and read over a favourite tipple.

In one sentence? A new generation American cult classic

In three themes?

1. Self discovery
2. Control
3. Sex & Relationships

Elizabeth Kostova: The Historian

You might have seen this one hanging around lately at the bookstores. Stacks and stacks of paperback versions (I like to get the hardbacks if I can) infiltrating the space. Briefly, it's about one womans search for the real Vlad Dracul Tepes, following in her parents footsteps, after her father goes AWOL. Think the Da Vinci code but for vampire loving literatis'. And it's good; time consuming and could quite easily lose a few hundred pages, but the detail in the description of the landscape, and how this is created to reflect the character's shifting mood is exquisite. The main character (the narrator) begins as a young girl and over the course of the story her personality grows into that of a woman, through her realisation of her parents as people, with a past and life independent of the label 'parent' - and what a past they have! creepy vampire librarians, dastardly deeds in church crypts and monastaries. It isn't hide under the covers stuff, but then I don't think that was what Kostova was aiming for. The vast area over which the search for Vlad goes and the historical and political detail involved in firstly, his life and then his influence in the society he ruled gives a far more interesting read than the run-of-the-mill vamp novel. Kostovas factual yet descriptive style can be dry at times and yet it reminds me of Stoker and the original 'Dracula' novel, which surely is a plus. When the introduction of Vlad is made (oh yes, he makes an appearance) it is faintly unsatisfying, one can't help but feel..not cheated...but that the meeting would be more intense if it was through that of the narrator instead of a third party, however, this may be the effect necessary to keep the reader interested - the hope that this meeting will occur. The key theme which shouts out is that of transition, its a coming of age novel with a twist; family dynamics and secrets make for chewably intellectual thinking. If you choose to google bits you'll be pleasantly surprised and I can see this being an underground cult conspiracy classic, by the end you want it to be real and due to the facutal style in places it could almost be so. It may not be a religious figure Kostova dives into - like the Da Vinci code, but Vlad has inspired generations of writers and researchers. In another year or so, I bet you can take a 'Historian' sightseeing holiday. Summarised, it's a must read - as long as you have the time, yes, you can pick it up and put it down but if you've got a book buying habit this book could quite easily escape through the 'whole read' stack. If you manage to get to the end, you'll feel like you've read a classic and very proud of the fact too.

In one sentence? A new cult conspiracy classic

In three themes?

1. Historical Politics
2. Transition & Growth
3. Parental Relationships & Control

Introduction

For all those literature junkies & those film buffs out there, for those starting to read and wondering what books are worth your while and what books just simply...well, aren't, and for those film buff beginners wanting a better synopsis than the back of the DVD provides here's a (not quite definitive) book and film review of those little works of fiction (and some non-fiction) which occupy a dusty corner of my house.