Thursday, 28 December 2017

Dr Anne's favourite DVDs

Dr Anne's favourite DVDs

Dr Anne presently is immobile with a broken knee cap.  She is pretty much lying around. She picked up her pile of DVDs and has been watching them as a distraction.

45 Years
Tom Courtney and Charlotte Rampling

We all have a past which we may not tell. When the past comes into the present how does one deal with it, the person oneself, and the partner who knew nothing.

It's a nice sensitive DVD

Absolutely Fabulous
Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley

This is a wonderful light evening's entertainment with loads of twists and turns, raunchy and loud.  Dr Anne and her friend Suzi made £1000 sharing it with friends.  They had a raucous time drinking prosecco and eating amazing food.

Once More
Virginia Madsen and Morgan Freeman

Dr Anne loves Morgan Freeman films.  The Bucket List is at the top of her favourites.

Once more is a sensitive little story when the hero, a drunk and a writer spend the summer in his friend's cottage.  The family next door, an estranged wife with three daughters befriend him and a wonderful relationship develops between them

Above the Street, Below the Water

Dr Anne has spent many hours watching Morgan and the Killing.  There are a limited number of actors in Denmark and so are recycled from one production to the next.  This is a story about 2 dysfunctional families and the effect on all the characters - the adults and the children.

An Unfinished Life
Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Lopez

As stated before, Dr Anne likes Morgan Freeman in films but she has always been in love with Robert Redford. She has watched the Horse Whisperer on numerous occasions.

In an Unfinished Life Robert is again on a ranch, this time as a bitter man, Einar whose son was killed in a car accident and whose wife had walked out on him.  He lives with his friend (Morgan Freeman) who has been mauled by a brown bear.

His daughter in law and a grand child he never knew of arrives and the film describes how a  relationship eventually develops and they all come to be at one with each other.

Brooklyn
Saorise Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters

Dr Anne loves New York.

A young Irish girl gets the chance to go to NY to work in the 1950s.  She lives in a boarding house and works in an upper class shop in Brooklyn.  She meets and loves an Italian plumber.  She marries him.

Her sister in Ireland dies suddenly and she goes home to be with the mother.  She finds her place at home taking over her sister's job and finding a boyfriend.  She does not reply to her husband's letter.

Mrs Kelly, a busy body calls her to her house and tells her she knows she is married.  This forces her to make her choice.

Mandela - the long walk to freedom.
Idris Elba and Naomie Harris

Dr Anne has read the Long Road to Freedom.  The film represents the book well.  However, watching this film all Dr Anne can think of is the only book she has given 10/10 -  Bryce Courtney's Power of One and its sequel Tandia set in the 30s and 40s in South Africa.

This book had given Dr Anne a true insight into the tribes and peoples of South Africa.  Dr Anne kept thinking that it would have been similar to Mandela's life in Joburg and Pretoria.

Olive Kitteridge
Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, Bill Murray

Dr Anne has had this boxset for ages and has watched it previously and found it slow moving.  She recently saw that it had been shown on Sky TV so she picked it up and watched the box set on a oner.

Olive is a teacher like Dr Anne, Henry is a pharmacist. They have a young son.  Their story develops over 25 years to the position Dr Anne is today - living wills, power of attorney, wills etc.

Strength of character doesn't always make a nice person.  One's friends and family are affected not always for greater good.

Dr Anne enjoyed thinking about the meaning of life.

Friday, 15 December 2017

The Heart's Invisible Furies

Boyne, J. (2017). The Heart's Invisible Furies. London: Transworld Publishers.

Dr Anne bought three Christmas reads - a John Boyne, a Peter May, and a William Boyd.  It's only the beginning of December but it's cold, snowy, icy and dark.  Dr Anne is immobile so can't really go outdoors.

Which book should she reach for first?  Dr Anne was in a dark mood so she picked up 'The Heart's Invisible Furies'.

Who is Cyril Avery?


  • the illegitimate son of a girl from a village near Cork thrown out of her village by the priest;
  • the adopted son of a novelist and a financier with avoidance tax issues;
  • the friend of Julian, a heterosexual with multiple sexual partners who dies of Aids;
  • a gay, a queer;
  • married to Julian's sister Alice but runs off during the reception;
  • lived in Amsterdam with Dr Bastaan, his first partner, fostered a lad from Slovenia and went to NY at the time of the discovery of Aids;
  • in Ireland after his partner is murdered in Central Park
    • he meets his birth mother
    • finds out he has a son
    • comes to terms with life and
    • is happy with Who Is Cyril Avery.
Remembering History of Loneliness, The Absolutist, The Boy with the Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne touches Dr Annes heart.

She awards another 9/10.

Monday, 4 December 2017

Not Quite Nice

Imrie, C. (2015). Not Quite Nice. London:Bloomsbury.

Dr Anne has memories of Celia Imrie in Calendar Girls and the Marigold Hotel films.  She has memories of her Christmas and New Year in Nice in 2014 going along the coast to St Tropez and up to Monaco and the casino.

SS gave Dr Anne this book as she recuperates with her broken knee.  She looked at it and hesitated a few times then on Sunday she opened it up.

It's the story of women of a certain age, Dr Anne's age, looking for a bit of excitement in their mature years.  Some have money, some have none.  Some have children problems, a wayward husband, a gambling son, and errant daughter.  Then there are the crooks...

It was an enjoyable read.  Dr Anne awards 7/10.