December book and film review

BOOKS

THE PICKUP, by Nadine Gordimer. Spoilt South African white girl picks up illegal immigrant Arab. Worlds collide... Nadine Gordimer's unique style of prose comes over as a blend of poetry and song as she weaves her delightfully constructed tale of love amidst the clash of ancient cultures. Brilliant.
THE CARDIFF TRILOGY, by John Williams. Three books, "Five pubs, Two Bars and a Nightclub", "Cardiff Dead" and "The Prince of Wales"- all charting the progress of a collection of low-lives who nonetheless have their intriguing, some times hilarious and occasionally heart-rending stories to tell. John Williams' earthy style paints the pictures graphically but with great panache. Recommended, especially if you know that teeming, cosmopolitan capital which takes centre stage in each story.

FILMS

UP, (2009) D-Pete Docter. Yet another success from the Pixar stable, this time telling the story of an old man trying to realise the dream he and his late wife nurtured. As always there is a villain to be vanquished, and fascinating characters to meet along the way. Wonderful for a ten year old; pretty good for any whimsically minded adult too.
THE FIGHTER (2010) D-David O Russell. One of the very best from 2010, securing a richly deserved Oscar for best supporting actor for Christian Bale as older brother to his contender-sibling Mark Wahlberg. His intentions to bring him to the championship of the World are good, but life and drugs intervene. Represents what Hollywood movie making at its best can achieve. Superb.
THE INVENTION OF LYING (2009) W-D Ricky Gervais. In a world where it has never occurred to anyone to tell a lie, Ricky comforts his dying mum with the promise of an afterlife. He is overheard, and overnight becomes world famous as the man who discovered Heaven. An interesting idea. In fact on reflection this actually indicates how religions started in the first place: someone comes along saying they have been in direct contact with God and other people believe him. Both inventive and highly amusing.
BABY FACE (1933) D-Alfred E Green. Barbara Stanwyck sleeps her way to the top, quite literally in this case as she gradually ascend from floor to floor in a huge Art-Deco office block in New York. Banned by Joe Breen following the introduction of the Hays code, for its cynical, if not totally unrealistic portrayal of a ruthlessly ambitious woman.
l'APPARTEMENT (1996) D-Giller Mionouni. A young man is in love with an aspiring actress playing a role in a stage production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", not appreciating that the plot of his life and hers is actually matching the plot of the great play. Entertaining, if limited French effort.
BOMBSHELL (1933) D- Victor Fleming. Hollywood star Jean Harlow is exploited by unscrupulous agent Lee Tracy (who has to be one of the most annoying characters in 1930s Hollywood; he never stops talking and it's all lies) but Harlow carries the day. Best line:
Director: "Get her on the set right away. And tell her to lose the brassiere."
THE DIVORCEE ((1931) D- Robert Z Leonard. Norma Shearer gets married, it all goes wrong and she leaves her husband to become a good-time girl. Too much for the censors who banned it for its honest portrayal of a certain kind of woman in the early thirties.
THE FREE SOUL (1930)D-Clarence Brown. Norma Shearer won the Oscar for best actress in this portrayal of a woman determined to live her life the way she wants despite the moral constraints of her day. 3 years later Joe Breen banned it on the grounds it would deprave and corrupt American youth. What a load. It's actually a fine film, with a splendid cast including Lionel Barrymore and Clark Gable and great production values throughout. But that's America for you...
THREE ON A MATCH (1932) D-Mervyn Leroy. Three girls grow up in an orphanage, then as they grow up their lives diverge, then converge again as one, the gorgeous Ann Dvorak, becomes involved with the mob. Striking movie, with its climax still capable of shocking 80 years after it was made. More than noteworthy.

"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED" LIST

If you hate lists, you might want to miss this bit. I have compiled a list of seven books and thirteen films I have encountered this year I would regard as worthy of recommending to anyone interested in the respective genres:

BOOKS


Middlemarch
The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Song of Rowland
Augustus John (biography)
Heart of Darkness
The Pickup

FILMS

Election
The King's Speech
Hot Fuzz
The Grave of the Fireflies
Coming Home
The Killers (1946)
The Virgin Spring
Funny Games
Winter's Bone
Vivre sa Vie
Inception
Day of Wrath
The Fighter

Enjoy!