Film Review: The Lives Of Others

This is primarily my blog about books and writing, but occasionally a film pops up that deserves a mention. After all, literature and film aren't a million miles apart. The Lives of Others is such a film.

Written and directed by Floran Henckel von Donnersmarck this film is a must for anybody with the remotest interest in European history and politics, especially the history of the Cold War era. It is set in the 1980s, just before Gorbachev came to power and started the process that would lead to the liberation of Eastern Europe.

If you are planning to visit Berlin I would urge you to visit the Stasi Museum. That museum and this film, chillingly illustrate the terrifying consequnces for the populace when the state takes control of every aspect of peoples' lives. Both should be compulsory for anybody who takes personal freedom for granted.

The Lives of Others tells the story of Stasi officer Wiesel who is tasked with eavesdropping on the daily life of writer Dreyman, thought by the authorities to be loyal to the DDR. Wiesler's experience mirrors the dawning realisation of millions of people behind the Iron Curtain in the 1980s, that maybe something is lacking in their Workers Utopia.

The film is chilling in the extreme and the last line, uttered by Wiesler, has to be one of the simplest but most pignant last lines in any film I've ever seen. You will be heartened, appalled and sickened at various times during it, but you really must see this film.

Book Review: The Understudy by David Nicholls

Ok it's official, David Nicholls is brilliant and I will brook no contradiction. If you dare to contradict me I will have to give you a metaphorical slap. I was enjoying this book so much I missed most of last night's Shameless I was so engrossed, and what I saw of Shameless was superb. That's how good David Nicholls is.

I love the Scandinavian crime writers but, as I blogged below, I 've found Camilla Lackberg a bit of a struggle. In fact so much of a struggle that I needed a break, and have put her Ice Princess on ice. Yes, I know. Instead I turned for some light relief to David Nicholls' The Understudy. Brilliant, go out and buy it, now!

Stephen McQueen, with a P.H., is a struggling actor desperate for his big break and trying to get closer to his daughter following his divorce. He is currently playing understudy to the World's 12th Sexiest Man, actor Josh Harper.

Stuck in his tiny dressing room at the top of the West End theatre life seems tough and depressing to Stephen. Then Josh invites him to his birthday party. The party is in Josh's home, full of beautiful people, the trinkets associated with world stardom and lots of coke and other chemicals. A limpse of the world that Stephen aspires to.

But the party, and Stephen's presence there isn't quite what he expected, neither is the outcome. Stephen goes into chemical and alcohol overdrive and ends up falling in love with Norah, wife of Josh. What ensues is classic modern comedy of which David Nicholls is the true master. Virtually every page has a laugh-out-loud moment and the charcters, even the vain Josh, are warm and become aquaintances of the reader if not friends.

Superb.

Go here to read an excerpt.

The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg

On top of trying to establish a new business, not easy in the current climate, and studying for a business related exam, reading has been somewhat on the back burner. Of course, Christmas has been a very busy time too, if extremely enjoyable.

So a quick update. I have been struggling to find time to really sit down and get stuck into a good book. I am currently reading The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg. I'm not going to say much at this stage except that I am a quarter of the way through and feel I am still in the introduction. It doesn't have that dark, brooding Scandinavian atmosphere of Mankell or Nesbo but maybe I need to put time aside to just get cracking on it.

Once done I intend to do a full review.

Hope you're having a happy Christmas and as I probably won't blog again this year, wish you and yours a happy and prosperous New Year.

Blog Recommendation: The Blog of the Cosmic Griffin

If you are into science fiction, old time radio, cult TV and fantasy I can suggest a visit to The Blog of the Cosmic Griffin.

I'm into cult TV and radio and this blog looks like being a good one. It's new, begun this month, but looks good and has great content. The current post is a review of the 1997 sci-fi film Gattaca. In fact I'm off to buy the film, the review has tempted me!

Book Review: The Budapest Protocol by Adam LeBor

It sounded promising. The Nazis lost the war, but what if they had put in place the economic and business tools to later revive their fortunes and create the Fourth Reich decades later?

One for the conspiracy theorists, who I fear may take it literally, as the European Union is the vehicle used to implement their dastardly plan. Hungary and the other Eastern European members of the EU are at the heart of the conspiracy with plots to wipe out the Romany population and frequent mention of the Jewish situation.

Of course the book requires a hero to save the day. Step forward Alex, a journalist dealing with the stress of his harrowing experience as a war correspondent in the former Yugoslavia. Alex is part Hungarian, part Jewish, part English, and the the link to the past, when the Nazis met in Budapest to plot their post-WW II rise to power, is his grandfather who just happened to be a waiter in the hotel where the meeting took place. The way Alex stumbles across his grandfather's notes, that lead to his attempt to save Europe is as unconvincing as the characters, the plot and the whole course of events portrayed in the book.

It's as if a 10 year old has been let loose on a word processor, a not very imaginative 10 year old at that. After ploughing on through the book I still have no sympathy for Alex, Natasha or any of the other characters portrayed in it. Any breakthroughs in trying to break the conspiracy seem to happen by accident, as they would in the imagination of a 10 year old. The discovery of a 'smart drug' that only sterilises Romany women, no others, stretches credibility that bit too far and typifies the simplistic writing that ruins a good idea.

When one of the minor characters manages to get hundreds of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets, with an armoured tractor and the means to overthrow the corrupt government by making a few mobile phone calls, you know that the proportion of your life spent reading this book has been wasted.

Writing a Sit-Com-Lee Mack

Thinking of writing a sit-com? Here's an interesting interview with comedian Lee Mack:

The Lion and Albert

My Uncle Albert used to recite this poem/monologue at parties, when the grown ups had all had few bottles of brown ale or advocaat and we kids were on orange squash.

It was written by Marriott Edgar in 1932 and made famous by Stanley Holloway, and my Uncle Albert.

There's a famous seaside place called Blackpool,
That's noted for fresh air and fun,
And Mr and Mrs Ramsbottom
Went there with young Albert, their son.

A grand little lad was young Albert,
All dressed in his best; quite a swell
With a stick with an 'orse's 'ead 'andle,
The finest that Woolworth could sell.

They didn't think much to the Ocean:
The waves, they was fiddlin' and small,
There was no wrecks and nobody drownded,
Fact, nothing to laugh at at all.

So, seeking for further amusement,
They paid and went into the Zoo,
Where they'd Lions and Tigers and Camels,
And old ale and sandwiches too.

There were one great big Lion called Wallace;
His nose were all covered with scars -
He lay in a somnolent posture,
With the side of his face on the bars.

Now Albert had heard about Lions,
How they was ferocious and wild -
To see Wallace lying so peaceful,
Well, it didn't seem right to the child.

So straightway the brave little feller,
Not showing a morsel of fear,
Took his stick with its 'orse's 'ead 'andle
And pushed it in Wallace's ear.

You could see that the Lion didn't like it,
For giving a kind of a roll,
He pulled Albert inside the cage with 'im,
And swallowed the little lad 'ole.

Then Pa, who had seen the occurrence,
And didn't know what to do next,
Said 'Mother! Yon Lion's 'et Albert',
And Mother said 'Ee, I am vexed!'

Then Mr and Mrs Ramsbottom -
Quite rightly, when all's said and done, -
Complained to the Animal Keeper
That the Lion had eaten their son.

The keeper was quite nice about it;
He said 'What a nasty mishap.
Are you sure that it's your boy he's eaten?'
Pa said 'Am I sure? There's his cap!'

The manager had to be sent for,
He came and said 'What's to do?'
Pa said 'Yon Lion's 'et Albert,
And 'im in his Sunday clothes, too.'

Then Mother said, 'Right's right, young feller,
I think it's a shame and a sin
For a lion to go and eat Albert,
And after we've paid to come in.'

The manager wanted no trouble,
He took out his purse right away,
Saying 'How much to settle the matter?'
And Pa said 'What do you usually pay?'

But Mother had turned a bit awkward
When she thought where her Albert had gone.
She said 'No! someone's got to be summonsed'-
So that was decided upon.

Then off they went to the P'lice Station,
In front of the Magistrate chap;
They told 'im what happened to Albert,
And proved it by showing his cap.

The Magistrate gave his opinion
That no one was really to blame,
And he said that he hoped the Ramsbottoms
Would have further sons to their name.

At that Mother got proper blazing,
'And thank you, sir, kindly,' said she.
'What, waste all our lives raising children
To feed ruddy Lions? Not me!'