if it seems too good to be true: some films i've seen lately

Aside from The Sun Is Also A Star - which you should see - the best films listed below are the French ones (which S. and I watched in order to re-acclimatise to le French-speaking prior to a Parisian weekend break), particularly Lolo written by and starring by Julie Delpy. We did take one photo of a Lolo-style photo of "a view of the Eiffel Tower" from Montparnasse - i.e., barely a view of the Eiffel Tower - as well more conventionally touristic views of landmarks; we also photographed almost every artwork on the fifth floor of the Pompidou Centre (ways of seeing?) and visited Le Caveau de la Huchette jazz club. Nice!

Frankenstein Created Woman (1967, dir. Terence Fisher, starring Peter Cushing, Susan Denberg) - If it seems too good to be true, it probably is; don't go for a picnic in woodland with sexy Susan Denberg if you've a bad conscience.

(Trigger warnings: gender essentialism, outdated attitudes to disability, a trio of 'young blades' who resemble the Bullingdon Club and smash up restaurants in Old Tory style).

Harry, He’s Here To Help / With A Friend Like Harry / Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien (2000, dir. Dominik Moll, starring Stephane Freiss, Anouk Grinberg, Agathe Dronne) –  Pleasingly amoral allegory: everyman character kills & (symbolically) eats/ incorporates murderous friend/antagonist/ shadow, unlocks own creativity, becomes own father (see: existentialism), wins spousal respect, acquires air-conditioned 4x4.  

The Village (2004, dir. M Night Shyamalan, starring Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Joaquin Phoenix) – This looks and feels a lot like his previous, ‘Signs’; loses by the comparison, though; feels underpowered; the ending (unfelt, unresolved) feels like a shrug, a retreat. 

Albert Camus (2010, dir. Laurent Jaoui, starring Stephane Freiss, Anouk Grinberg, Agathe Dronne) – Down these mean Algerian streets, a man must philosophise; then that wise-guy Sartre shows up, spills his guts about ‘Les Temps Modernes’ and some dame called Simone. 

The Woman In Black (2012, dir. James Watkins, screenplay by Jane Goldman from novel by Susan Hill; starring Daniel Radcliffe) – Couldn’t care sufficiently about glum, bereaved (insufficiently versatile) Daniel Radcliffe as protagonist; repeated shots of Victorian bric-a-brac (clockwork toys etc) felt de trop. Liked car/ quicksand business. 

Lolo (2015, dir. Julie Delpy, starring Julie Delpy, Dany Boon, Vincent Lacoste) – French writers are often wittier, more stylish about the sexual/ romantic marketplace (plus Oedipal and other family romances) than British/ American ones. Just observation, or cultural cringe? 

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018, dir. Susan Johnson, starring  Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janiel Parrish) - Y.A. romcom in which young lady’s letters designed not to be sent are sent, accidentally on purpose. A transparent plot-device; life, like art, is full of them. 

Wine Country (2019, dir. Amy Poehler, starring Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer) - Forty- and fifty-something friends celebrate a significant birthday in this ensemble drama which comfortably passes the Bechdel test and contains hints of joy, tenderness, regret, millennial-baiting. 

The Sun Is Also A Star (2019, dir. Ry Russo-Young, screenplay by Tracy Oliver from novel by Nicola Yoon; starring Yara Shahidi, Anais Lee, Charles Melton) – This witty, beautifully photographed romcom showcases NY as third character (and, incidentally, educated me about the Korean-American stake in U.S. black hair care). Self, daughter, mum enjoyed.

 

thirteen dead souls

...or, essential resurfacing work on the A361.

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brexit party prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) on twitter

"Don't kid yourself they belong to you..." - David Bowie, 'Oh You Pretty Things'.

220 candidates and former candidates listed; when did Nigel tell his Brexit Party PPCs? If twitter's anything to go by, many were still looking forward to the campaign trail yesterday. Some PPCs may let their friends persuade them to stand as independent pro-Brexit candidates, of course; good luck to 'em.

*bold = formerly standing in Tory seats; thereby 'stood down' by Nigel today (Mon 11th Nov) with little or no notice

Brexit Party Current & Former Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs), by Constituency (any mistakes in this list, please DM me on twitter; I'll be happy to fix any errors; keep any online communications, even with Liberal Democrats or members of the Brexit Party reasonably polite and respectful).

Aberdeen North @DianeTbp
*Amber Valley @DrAnnaBailey1

Anglesey @HJPlaidBrexit

Ashfield @MartinDaubney
*Ashford @cooke_andreaC

Ashton-Under-Lyme @derekb1970

*Aylesbury @Wild4Aylesbury

*Banbury @DouglasChirn
Bassetlaw @Debbie_soloman

Bath @JimiOgunnusi
Batley & Spen @JHughesBrexit

Bethnal Green & Bow @marcsidwell
*Beverley & Holderness @craig_linsner
Birmingham Erdington @WGarcarz
Birmingham Perry Barr @AnnetteW_Brexit

Bishop Auckland @Bishop4Brexit
Blackpool South @BrexitSouth

Blaenau Gwent @Richardwtaylors

*Bognor Regis & Littlehampton @hartley_elder
Bolton North East @trevjonesbrexit

*Bosworth @TMaitlandTBP
*Bournemouth East @PatrickD_PPC
*Bournemouth West @RobinBrexit

Bracknell @DavidwinsperB

Bradford South @KulvinderManik
Brighton Kemptown @CushwayDr

*Bromsgrove @MandyChilds15

*Broxbourne @MaxJacksonBXP
Burnley @StewartScott62

*Burton @DalePrime4
Bury North @AlanBrexit

*Bury St Edmunds @EdmundFordham
Bury South @brexitlivesey7
*Calder Valley @PhilipJamesppc
Cambridge @MayorDawe

Canterbury @OwenPrew
Cardiff Central @GarethPearceBP

Cardiff West @_peterhopkins
Cardiff South & Penarth @TonyWillicombe
Carlisle @JB4Carlisle

Carshalton & Wallington @jameswoudhuysen or @TBPCarshWall
Central Leeds @PaulThomas_BP

*Central Suffolk & North Ipswich @drdavidbull

*Charnwood @Sadhana_Stokes

*Chatham & Aylesford @FabriceOcchini
*Chelmsford @LewisTBPppc

*Chesham & Amersham @MrAhmadKMalik
Chester @AThebrexitparty
*Clwyd West @Jay_Brexitparty
Colne Valley @stuarthaleTBP

*Copeland @wa1kerclan

*Corby & East Northants @matt_belsom

*Cotswolds @udalep

*Crawley @Wayne_Bayley
*Croydon South @SonnexPeter
*Dartford @AlaricBamping

*Devizes @dandayrob
Doncaster @BrexitDoncNorth
Doncaster Central @brexitdonccen

Don Valley @p_whitehurst

Dover @hall_ed

*Dudley South @PBrothwood

Dundee @StuartWaiton

Ealing & Acton @Samir_Alsoodani

Easington @JulieAnnmaugha2

Eastbourne @StephenGanderBP
*East Devon @Michael_J_Amor
*East Hampshire @Bint4Brexit

*Eastleigh @Beaumont296
East Surrey @yasminfitzppc
East Worthing & Shoreham @BrexitEWorthing
Eddisbury @NickGoulding4
Edinburgh @MBoydPPCEdWest
Eltham @elthambrexit_SK

*Epping Forest @BrexitParty_DS
*Epson & Ewell @malcolmepsom

*Erewash @johnlawson55

Erith & Thamesmead @TomEBright

*Esher & Walton @AxelThill
Feltham & Heston @_martynnelson

*Finchley & Golders Green @JuliePelta or @the_golders

*Forest of Dean @Elizaphanian
*Gainsborough @GainsboroughPPC
Gedling @Hunty4Gedling

*Gillingham & Rainham @TaniaJa65789587
Glasgow South @DanyaalRajaBXP

*Gosport @gosport_uk

Grantham & Stamford @jessjswift

Great Grimsby @Barker4Grimsby

Great Yarmouth @AdrianMyersBP

*Halesowen & Rowley Regis @englandkerrmep
*Haltemprice and Howden @BrexitMatthew
Hammersmith @JamesKeyse

*Harlow & The Villages  @nbgreaves

Hastings & Rye @tombewick2

Hayes & Harlington @EBabade

*Hemel Hempstead @ShaiAhmedBP

*Hendon @YosefDavid9

*Henley @KatHarborne

*Hexham @Keller32269939

Heywood & Middleton @brexit_colin

Houghton & Sunderland South @historykev
Huddersfield @SteveGreavesTBP

*Huntingdon @DavidJBlakeBre1

Hyndburn @glbbrexit
Ilford North @n_anderson1979
Ilford South @_Munish_Sharma
Ipswich @NTBrexitParty

*Isle of Wight @PeterWilt101

Islington North @JamesHeartfield

Islington South & Finsbury @paddyhannam

Islwyn @JamesfWells
Keighley @Waqas4MP 

Kensington @JayAstonC or @ppc_jay
Kingston & Surbiton @KevinLa87286063
Kingston Upon Hull @MartenPHall
Lancaster & Fleetwood @LeanneMurrayTBP

Leeds Central @PaulThomas_BP

Leeds East @SarahWass_BP

Leeds North East @InayaFolarin

Leicester East @JackCollierUK
*Lewes @Adam4Lewes
Lewisham Deptford @tegan_lucas

Lincoln @ReeceMWilkes

*Loughborough @The_Brexit_Bear
Luton South @GarryWarren13
*Macclesfield @MartinBrexit

Maidenhead @MowbrayClaire

*Mansfield @KateAllsop2
*Mid Derbyshire @Crocker4Brexit

Middlesbrough @clemmyBP
*Milton Keynes North @ColinBrooksTBP

*Milton Keynes South @mrrogerln
*Moray @durance_les
Newbury @jabbari_david
Newcastle-under-Lyme @DrJasonCooper

*Northampton North @Norman_Nickason
*Northampton South @james_cotton10

*North Devon @DawnWestcott
*North Dorset @tim4northdorset

*North East Hertfordshire @prishuby
*North Herefordshire @bpgarethjones

*North Somerset @AnnTarr4
*North Warwickshire @julesmo35958357

North West Cambridgeshire @LiamPRound1
North West Durham @BruceFo83853126

*North West Hampshire @Tessacan61
*North West Norfolk @JamesNWNorfolk
North Wilts @LesWillis9
Norwich @Kate4Norwich
*Old Bexley & Sidcup @T_Alan_Cook
Oldham East & Saddleworth @PaulTay26041122

*Orpington @SamuelHibbs
Oxford East @OxfordeastB

Nuneaton @Deeanne2503

Penistone & Stocksbridge @JohnCBooker

Peterborough @MikeGreenTBP

*Plymouth Moor View @peter_agambar
*Portsmouth North @BrexitAngie

*Preseli Pembrokeshire @PGriffTBP
Putney @teixeirahambro
Redcar @cummins_jacqui

*Redditch @jordanlakeuk

Runnymede & Weybridge @LornaRowland
*Rutland & Melton @Jim8ennett

*St. Austell & Newquay @rkoerner
St. Helens South & Whiston @DanielOxleyBP
*St. Ives & The Isles of Scilly @rdevitoboutin
*Saffron Walden @RiderMalcolm
Salford & Eccles @MicklerPpc

Salisbury @JulianMalins

*Scarborough & Whitby @RobertWAnderse1
Scunthorpe @jerrygormanbre1

*Sevenoaks @paulettefurse
*Sittingbourne & Stepney @eviemartinppc

*Skipton & Ripon @kozlowcharlotte

*Sleaford & North Hykeham @CarolineCoramUK

Slough @VishKhatri357

*Southampton Itchen @BrexitAlex

Southampton Test @PhilipCrook9
South Cambridgeshire @SpencerCambs

*South Derbyshire @kensdavies
*South Leicestershire @JamesPo60869315
*South Ribble @BrexitShirl
*South Staffordshire @NicklakinB
*South Suffolk @DupreeGraham
South West Devon @brexitmark

*South West Norfolk @RuthJolley5

*Stafford @AnneGrahamslaw

Staffordshire Moorlands @RichardWatkin2

Stockton North @MartinWalkerSN
Stockton South @JohnPrescottTBP

Stoke North @DanielRudd73

Stoke-on-Trent Central @Drtariqch

*Stoke-on-Trent South @BrassingtonIan
Stratford On Avon @HenryLu_BXP

Stroud @brexit_latimer
South Northamptonshire @rachel_warby
South West Bedfordshire @JDoherty_Brexit

Sunderland Central @ViralParikh20
*Sutton Coldfield @Markhoath2

Swindon South @JustinStares
*Tamworth @BrexitFergie

*Telford @ecadams

*Thirsk & Malton @AlesheaWestwood

*Tonbridge & Malling @PeddieStephen

*Torbay @BrexitTorbay                       

Torfaen @cllr_thomas

Vale of Clwyd @PeterDain1

Vauxhall @HortenseSheppa4

Wakefield @rob4wakefield
*Walsall North @stephen4brexit
Walsall South @TBPGaryWalsallS

Warrington South @aspinall_claire
Washington & Sunderland West @HowardB67208460

Watford @William4Watford

*Waveney @RowlandBrexitSE

*Wealden @PGriffTBP

*Welwyn Hatfield @KeithAdamsBP

West Dorset @DarkinRosie

West Midlands @RupertLowe10
Westminster North @CyrusParvin
Weston Super Mare @AnnTarr4
West Oxford & Abingdon @BrexitJoseph
*West Suffolk @JohnR_TBP

Wigan @William4Wigan

Workington @ptgwalling or @PhilipWalling2

Wrexham @NathanGillMEP

neither your cat nor your dog are really bothered

I’ve always been a little intrigued by the concept of Weltschmerz (the Germans always have a word for it) – perhaps as someone who cultivates it a little, as others cultivate bonsai trees: there, I said it so you don’t feel you have to - and today I’ve been thinking about that Merchant Ivory adaptation of E.M. Forster novel's Room With A View (1985) in which Denholm Elliott says – a propos of his son, who's a little given to hooting 'truth! beauty!' up trees; some would say he should get a job – “I don’t hold with this world-sorrow, do you?” 

In asking this – with a degree of implied spiritual enquiry, kind of an I-thou moment; he has a greater emotional range than the average British character actor - D.E. expresses a degree of weariness with world-weariness, sorrow about sorrow thereby intimating his commitment, albeit negatively expressed, to groundedness and joy. Meta-emotion is what makes you human, of course, meta-emotion and opposable thumbs; your dog can feel happy or cross but it can’t experience ennui or schadenfreude like it can’t operate the remote control - which is probably a good thing on the both counts.

Meta-meta-emotion, on the other hand – let’s not even go there, this just make you Henry James – and no-one wants that. (P.S. Your cat is also not intrigued by the concept of Weltschmerz – it rejects the concept out-of-hand as bourgeois mystification and existential bad faith, it demands that you feed it and stop reading this rubbish on the internet).   

this is the b-side of our single, sports fans

Are you a little jaded today? Native hue of resolution sicklied o'er by the pale cast of thought? It happens sometimes.

Listen: you could do a lot worse than watch this somewhat Dada-esque video in which the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band perform 'Canyons of Your Mind' - while sending up Dylan-mania and letting Viv Stanshell wander off and then back on again wearing a kind of giant Easter Island head for some reason.

Three minutes of your life you won't want back.