All the things I do instead of writing…
It probably helped that I was expecting to like this movie, but I absolutely loved it. We're the kind of geeky film people who spend the whole of the trailers gossiping about studios, and discussed the new Weinstein venture apparently risen out of the ashes of Miramax. I don't even think it's particularly geeky to know that... Continue Reading →
I've not quite got around to all the usual lists I write at New Year; I started off a list of the top 10 songs of 2011 - and mainly came up with old music that I rediscovered in new contexts. More car trips with Beethoven's 9th concerto, more time on the sofa with St.... Continue Reading →
It's Christmas Day, and I have eaten too much. I should really be reading the book my sister gave me, but I can't quite get past the preface of Frank Dikötter's "Mao's Great Famine". I'm a bit too full (ooh the irony) for such a stunningly well researched and well-written account of the tragedy of ideology.... Continue Reading →
I am currently watching - well, while I'm not laughing - a French film called "A l'aventure". I can't even begin to describe how unoriginal it is, which would be fine if every frame didn't resonate with misplaced gravitas, as if the story is somehow so artistically significant that the first scene must feature a... Continue Reading →
There has been a lot of conversation in the press recently about sperm donors. First, there was the story about the designer sperm clinic that allows women to select from a list of donor's personal characteristics. I have to say I found the idea of this quite entertaining. There was another article (also in The... Continue Reading →
I've very little to write about these days. The new job that I took with a view to earning enough money to take time off has subsumed all my time, energy, friends and hobbies. So the only thing I've really been doing is what I usually do when big voids open up in my life... Continue Reading →
Travel writing is the description of a different reality. For this reason, I have always found it almost impossible to write anything interesting about my travels, mainly because I become so instantly absorbed within this new reality that I fail to write down unusual impressions - once you've been in Delhi for a few hours,... Continue Reading →
I've been on a little downer recently, as a result of which I indulged in watching Twilight on DVD. There is nothing quite as escapist as the idea of superhuman strength, speed and immortality - like feeling seventeen again. When it finished, I somewhat jealously googled Stephenie Meyer , the author of the books. Her... Continue Reading →
I spend a tiny bit too much time in Shepherd's Bush at weekends. Westfield is my second home, to the extent that I know the location of pretty much every single one of the 300 shops in it - I've never not known the answer when asked for directions. Yesterday, I actually wanted to buy... Continue Reading →
I went to see the recently released film of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Gary Oldman, and while he was perfect, Colin Firth was very disappointing. For me Bill Haydon was always Julian Sands or Ralph Fiennes. Colin Firth is too heavy set, and even though he is described as "jolly" in the book, Firth... Continue Reading →
The resting writer 