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Happy Valley, a BBC series which I bumped into at the circulation desk a week or so ago.
Sarah Lancashire stars as police sergeant Catherine Cawood in this award winning drama. Apparently this role was written specifically for Sarah.
Set in Yorkshire, with amazing scenery of a compact village, which is plagued with drug issues, Sarah is thrown into a whirlwind of events when Tommy Lee Royce is released from prison - Sarah blames this no-good for the death (suicide) of her daughter. The kidnapping of the daughter of the prominent business owner in the village becomes the main focus of the series - typically the parents do as the kidnappers demand, they do not contact the police and they pay money. Until...........
We have been recently watching "Scott and Bailey" another BBC series, my husband stated that Happy Valley is a much better production. That having been said, Happy Valley does have MUCH more violence (but without the use of guns, except in one scene) than Scott and Bailey, however, Sarah Lancashire is a much more likable person. Also the first series is a continuing series - all 7 episodes are connected, which made it more realistic in terms of the actual length it takes crimes to be solved.
In all the land there is only one you, possibly two, but seldom more than sixteen.
Amy Sedaris
Happy birthday, Amy Sedaris! At the age of 16, she worked at a local Winn-Dixie supermarket and made an enemy of the head cashier. He confiscated the loudspeaker after Sedaris started making hilarious fake announcements. Her response? She egged his car.
We watched this one after Spotlight. Glad Spotlight won the Oscar for best picture.
If this film is even faintly accurate all I have to say is that Steve Jobs was a really AWFUL person. He treated everyone in his "orbit" as though they were "sub-human".
My husband suggested that I NOT recommend this film to anyone, so I won't. There are many other more deserving films to watch.
We just watched this, in one sitting.
Riveting - there aren't a whole lot of words to describe this subject, so I won't try.
Disturbing that this has been kept secret by "The Church" for so long - what is more disturbing to me, is that I know a victim of sexual abuse by a church lay person. This occurred in Seattle many years ago - this victim has come forward and revealed the name of his abuser, and the school that he attended in Seattle, in order to help other victims come forward. What courage!
Well worth watching, and having seen several of the others that were up for the Best Picture Oscar, I am pleased that the Academy chose this one.
This is definitely worth watching.
The Big Short, a film about the collapse of the housing market industry during the early 2000's, created by the banking industry in the United States, four groups of outsiders were on to something about the fraud that the banking industry was pulling on the American public. Working independently of each other, these four groups tried to take down the banking industry on their own, they risked everything.
We know that several of the oldest banks in our country collapsed because of what occurred, however Goldman Sacks is still around, and someone, running for a high political office, recently took a 6 figure amount for a speaking fee from Goldman Sacks ---- too bad the money wasn't given to a Food Bank(s) or homeless shelter(s)!
This film was riveting in its progression - lots of the "F" word throughout, loud music - it was very interesting to know that many of the banks were bailed out by our government, that those in power were really a bunch of heartless, greedy folks that don't deserve to earn the countless millions and, some, billions of dollars, when they are the ones who caused such a jump in foreclosures on homes and created a huge segment of the American population to become homeless. SHAME on THEM!
"Glad" we watched it, worth watching.
May those who lost their lives in this brutal attack, Rest in Peace.
May those who were injured be healed, and know that We are with them.
May we who have seen this awfulness, come together to be stronger, and defeat those who would try to tear us apart.
Trumbo, a film based on the life of Dalton Trumbo, one of the "famous" Hollywood Ten, who were blacklisted (for their political beliefs) during the time of "UnAmerican activities" after WWII, at the beginning of the "Cold War" with Russia.
This film is riveting in that it presents a side of our country's history that many Americans today are unaware of.
Dalton was a Communist, certainly not one who was going to overthrow the government, and a very highly respected screenwriter in Hollywood. Due to his political background, and that of the others, his life and their lives were never quite the same. However, Dalton found a way to overcome all his difficulties.
This film reminded me of a film with Woody Allen, The Front, except that The Front was a comedy.
What is "creepy" about the film is what is occurring in our country during this political season and how things could very well swing in that direction again if our country is not careful.
We watched this "long" film in one sitting, no breaks!
Acting was exceptional.
Well worth watching.
Based on Colm Toibin's excellent novel.
Watched in one sitting - no pausing of movie.
Adaptation of the novel was very well done.
You need to see this one!
Writing is learning to say nothing, more cleverly each day.
William Allingham
Irish poet William Allingham (born March 19, 1824) achieved a moderate level of fame during his lifetime, but he is best remembered for his posthumously published diary, which was edited by his wife. The diary details his entertaining encounters with Alfred Tennyson, Thomas Carlyle, and other famous writers.
From the director of Separation, academy award winner for Foreign Film, comes a gripping story of "old" college friends taking a brief week-end outing on the Caspian Sea, in northern Iran.
Divorced Ahmed has returned from Germany, so the group of college friends trek from Tehran to this coastal vacation area - only to arrive to find that the "villa" they had been told they would share for the week-end is not available.
Sepideh's lies from the beginning spiral out of control, until Elly - (kindergarten teacher of Sepideh's daughter) disappears. While the group is coping with the near drowning of one of the other children, Elly disappears. Not much is known about Elly, Sepideh admits that she has brought Elly under false pretenses - Elly told her she could only stay one night. Watching the collapse of the group is gripping.
Well worth watching. New York Daily News gave it 4 stars, and Rotten Tomatoes had 5 stars.
Watched this one with NO interruptions.
A film by Victor Levin, 5 to 7, is a charming, quiet film about 2 people who have a chance encounter on a New York City street.
Brian (Anton Yelchin) is an aspiring writer, who has papered his apartment with all his rejection notices. Arielle (Berenice Marlohe) is the wife of a diplomat. Glancing across the street at each other, things just "click" between the two. Brian is a 20 something, Arielle is a 30 something.
Arielle sets the guide line that they can only meet from 5 to 7 at a very high end hotel - she also lets him know that she is married and that this is something the French have no qualms about doing.
One of the most humorous scenes in the film is set in a high end restaurant where Brian's parents Arlene (Glenn Close) and Sam (Frank Langella) meet Arielle. I won't spoil it, however, it was so amusing that we had to watch just that scene twice.
Brian is introduced to an up and coming literary agent by Arielle's husband at a dinner party that Valery (Lambert Wilson) has invited Brian to - and of course, in the French manner, Valery is pleased to "invite Brian into his family" as his wife's lover.
Berenice Marlohe has the most amazing smile I have ever seen - my husband couldn't get over her smile.
Hope you will consider watching this one.
Black History Month has passed, I had a display at the library during February to commemorate Black History month.
One particular saying - I am not sure who to give credit to for the saying - really hit me very strongly about how our country treated a particular race of people.
People say that slaves were taken from Africa. This is not true People were taken from Africa..... and were made into slaves
Tomorrow's life is too late. Live today.
Marcus Valerius Martialis
