hawksley workman

Tipped off by a Canadian acquaintance, we dutifully trooped off to John Dee one Thursday night more than a month ago to listen to the gentleman and his band. We hadn’t known at all what to expect, but were thoroughly entertained not only by Workman’s impressive voice but also his extraordinary skill at using its full range. The banter with the audience was sometimes random but always good-natured.

Most of the songs were of the singer-songwriter variety, some working brilliantly, and others more indulgent. Halfway through the set most of the band disappeared and Hawksley’s suit came off bit by bit. Not quite a strip show as he (and the rest of the band) then put on bright green boiler suits.

The significance of this escaped me somewhat but along with the suits came rock music, much more thumping and boogie inducing. One of the highlights for me was when he started playing on a mini drum-set while the pianist really got going on a miniature piano. They both crouched over, wildly playing ridiculously small instruments. A nice reminder of how music is always more fun live!

the kite runner

The more I think about it, the harder it is to come up with a film that I have liked better than the original book it was adapted from. Can you think of any? At least Atonement was quite a feast for the eyes (and I don’t just mean the main actors). The Kite Runner was more of a disappointment, though I had really been looking forward to seeing it.

I suppose I expected a little too much from it, after enjoying the book quite a lot. Also, perhaps reading too much about the filming process – the filming in Kashgar in China instead of Afghanistan, and the relocation of the boy actors – took some of the magic away. Some of the complexity of the book disappeared, in particular in depicting Afghanistan in the 70’s and today as well as Amir’s relationship with his father. The climax of Amir’s trip – to save Sohrab from the clutches of an evil Talib – was less than credible in the book, but in the film became ludicrous and thoroughly Indiana Jones.

The sun was definitely starting to rise again by the time Little Jacket and I finished the film. Sadly, the film didn’t give me my Afghanistan fix. The curse of Hollywood?

down to business

After having spent the last couple of months battling to get business cards done the way we would like, it was refreshing and fun to look at alternative ideas for getting your contact information across. The picture above is one example I liked, go here for nine more. I promise at least one will make you smile!

atonement

The good thing about having a memory like a goldfish is that the endings of film adaptations of books are always a (mildly familiar) surprise. This was the case both for the Kite Runner and the film I watched on my way to and from the Netherlands, Atonement. I won’t give away the shocker twist, but only because I had quite forgotten it until I saw the film. The question is always of course, which was better, book or film?

In this case I thought the cinematography in the film was beautiful and set the scene in pre-war Britain more evocatively than the book did. And of course James McAvoy and Keira Knightley (especially in this green dress) light up the screen just by being there, which does not hurt. But despite the visual advantage of film, the book was a better medium for the telling of the story. For me, the film was easier to absorb and enjoy, but didn’t move or disturb in the same way the book did. The epilogue/final scene is also a little more ambiguous in the book than in the film, though in both cases I found using grown-up Briony’s speech far too pat.

A delight to the eyes, but not the same food for the soul.