december book and film review

Welcome to the last review of 2010. I should remind followers that the list, like all the previous ones, represents books and films I have encountered for the first time (surprising though this may appear; like everyone, there are gaping holes in my cultural education which I am slowly attempting to fill in)

BOOKS

SCARLET AND BLACK (La Rouge et le Noir), BY STENDAHL. An absolutely stunning exploration of morals and sensibilities (or complete lack of them) in early 19th century France. It feels so modern it could have been written by one the existentialists of the mid 20th century! Terrific.
SEVEN BY FIVE, BY H.E. BATES. A collection of short stories by the doyen of the post war "rural tale", he conjures a lost world of cowslip picking, love and loss in the English countryside. Most are passably interesting; a few quite excellent.
CHARLES LAUGHTON: A DIFFICULT ACTOR, BY SIMON CALLOW. Hailed as one of the great theatrical biogs, it is certainly a detailed and fascinating dissection of one of Britain's greatest screen and stage talents. Absorbing.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL, BY CHARLES DICKENS. Heaven knows how I let this one get past me for so long. Only 100 pages long, it constitutes one of the great contributions to Victorian literature, with its marvellous descriptive passages and superb construction. If, like me, you have overlooked this one so far, remedy your oversight immediately.
MANHATTAN TRANSFER, BY JOHN DOS PASSOS. Said by some to be merely a "warm-up" for his magnum opus "USA", it remains a highly readable account of New York high and low life in the 2nd decade of the 20th century.

FILMS

FOUR CHRISTMASES (D-SETH GORDON, 2008)Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon's dream Christmas in Tahiti is cancelled due to fog, and they decide, recklessly, to visit each of their 4 estranged parents in turn, who turn out to be nightmares on wheels, each in their own horrific way. I like Reese a lot, and even warmed a little to Vince in this quite fun offering.
THE COUNTRY GIRL (D-CLIFFORD SEATON, 1954) I have yet to work out why it's called that because it's more about an over-the-hill, alcoholic song and dance star given his last shot at the big time, played by a remarkably good Bing Crosby. They gave Grace Kelly an Oscar for her efforts, denying Judy Garland in the even better "A Star is born"
A MAN ESCAPED (D-ROBERT BRESSON, 1952) Prison break French Resistance style as Bresson, almost in documentary mode, depicts the grimly determined efforts of a condemned man to free himself from the clutches of his gestapo captors. Slow, but typically for Bresson, gripping nonetheless.
TEXASVILLE (D-PETER BOGDANOVICH, 1990) "The Last Picture Show" 25 years on. Now in living colour (was this a mistake?) it comes close to, but ultimately fails in conjuring the uniquely nostalgic atmosphere of its predecessor.
WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (D-BILLY WILDER, 1957) In a role that might have been created specifically for him (though it wasn't) Laughton shines as the acerbic but brilliant QC given the role of defending (the excellent) Tyrone Power in a high profile murder trial. Scintillating stuff.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SEX COMEDY (W-D- WOODY ALLEN, 1984)Allen very much on top form with this Fitzgeraldish (though a lot funnier) romp through the woods. The closing sequence is quite magical.
AVATAR (D-JAMES CAMERON, 2009) The most successful, and indeed one of the most expensive films ever made. As we might expect (or certainly hope) it is a highly impressive technical achievement (I didn't see it in 3D, by the way, because I have always believed that is an overrated gimmick) but, I cry, where's the heart? True, its green credentials (evil humans trying to fuck up an extraterrestrial paradise) are impeccable, but I failed to become truly engaged with the characters, except perhaps for the estimable Sigourney Weaver) Plus the continual flips between "Avatar" and "real life" formats create a distraction and a hindrance to continuity. If you want a really good Cameron film, try "Terminator" or "Aliens". Both are much better than this.