Now why can't you see something like this on Prestatyn high street?
My 2009 Top Ten Films
It has been an interesting year for films...my favourite ones have been:-
1. I've Loved you so long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime)
Kristin Scott Thomas (above) is absolutely wonderful as the woman carrying a dreaded secret who is reunited with her younger sister in this French drama
2. Australia.
Camp as Christmas Epic with everything but the kitchen sink thrown at it in a war torn Darwin. And despite the bad reviews I kind of liked Nicole Kidman's performance
3.Frozen River
A strangely moving and taut thriller about a trailer trash mom and her struggle to survive life's troubles. Melissa Leo is top notch in the lead role
4. Hunger
The cinematography in this study of the hunger striker Bobby Sands' last few weeks in prison is stunning. Cold, harrowing and hypnotic.
5. Red Cliff (Chi Bi)
A Chinese historical epic that takes the breath away
6. Fish Tank
This story of inner city family dysfunction is not an easy watch but the debut by 17 year old Katie Jarvis as the world weary Mia is a revelation.
7. Looking for Eric
The feel good movie of the year with Ken Loach at his warmest and most affectionate. Eric Cantona is wonderfully funny as an arrogant hallucination!
8 Star Trek
Yes, I am not too snobby when it comes to films! this energetic, exciting and clever re working of the tried and tested franchise was the flash, bang wallop film of the year....and boy did Zachary Quinto make a sexy Mr Spock
9 Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos)
Not one of Almodóvar's best movies but satisfying and intriguing.....and Penelope Cruz couldn't be better
10. Mid August Lunch (Prenzo di ferragosto )
An gentle Italian comedy of old age and respect
The others that didn't quite reach the top ten are, State of Play, Doubt,Milk, The Young Victoria,Frost/Nixon, Gran Torino,The Class (Entre les murs),Let the right one in(Låt den rätte komma in) and Anything for her (Pour Elle)
1. I've Loved you so long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime)
Kristin Scott Thomas (above) is absolutely wonderful as the woman carrying a dreaded secret who is reunited with her younger sister in this French drama
2. Australia.
Camp as Christmas Epic with everything but the kitchen sink thrown at it in a war torn Darwin. And despite the bad reviews I kind of liked Nicole Kidman's performance
3.Frozen River
A strangely moving and taut thriller about a trailer trash mom and her struggle to survive life's troubles. Melissa Leo is top notch in the lead role
4. Hunger
The cinematography in this study of the hunger striker Bobby Sands' last few weeks in prison is stunning. Cold, harrowing and hypnotic.
5. Red Cliff (Chi Bi)
A Chinese historical epic that takes the breath away
6. Fish Tank
This story of inner city family dysfunction is not an easy watch but the debut by 17 year old Katie Jarvis as the world weary Mia is a revelation.
7. Looking for Eric
The feel good movie of the year with Ken Loach at his warmest and most affectionate. Eric Cantona is wonderfully funny as an arrogant hallucination!
8 Star Trek
Yes, I am not too snobby when it comes to films! this energetic, exciting and clever re working of the tried and tested franchise was the flash, bang wallop film of the year....and boy did Zachary Quinto make a sexy Mr Spock
9 Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos)
Not one of Almodóvar's best movies but satisfying and intriguing.....and Penelope Cruz couldn't be better
10. Mid August Lunch (Prenzo di ferragosto )
An gentle Italian comedy of old age and respect
The others that didn't quite reach the top ten are, State of Play, Doubt,Milk, The Young Victoria,Frost/Nixon, Gran Torino,The Class (Entre les murs),Let the right one in(Låt den rätte komma in) and Anything for her (Pour Elle)
Pranzo di ferragosto (2008)
Well, 2009 is almost over and we have just seen one of the movies that will obviously make this year's final top 10 best films. Pranzo di ferragosto (Mid-August Lunch) is a meandering and ever-so-patient study of a farcical situation in the life of middle aged Giovanni (Gianni Di Gregorio) who lives in a tiny apartment in Rome with his decrepit mother (Valeria De Franciscis). Through a series of events, three other elderly matrons (Marina Cacciotti,Maria Calì and Grazia Cesarini Sforza) join them for a claustrophobic couple of days, and through the benign, alcohol infused and respectful behaviour of Giovanni, the initial bad feeling between the women develop into a joyful friendship.This is director Di Gregorio's first feature, and in a sweet (but never sentimental ) way, he subtly has a great deal to say about old age, respect, friendship and coping, but does so without the usual foray into patronising stereotypes and exploiting the elderly. I loved it.
9/10
Spinal days
I have always said I am an average Intensive care nurse. I am a safe practitioner, of that I am certain but it has to be said that the technical side of the job (the myriad of machinery, gadgets,drugs, fluid pumps and the snow deep amount of paper work that accompanies it all), does leave me a little cold.
I am, and I guess always will be a client centred rehabilitation nurse. This is where my skills lie and this is where I feel the most comfortable. Now of course I can transfer the skills I developed in my "spinal Injury days" to the forum of intensive care, and looking after distressed and grieving families perhaps is an example of this, but I still sometimes miss the very specialised area of spinal injury nursing.
Tomorrow I have the opportunity to help an ex patient of ours who sustained a spinal injury some months ago, and who has requested some specific help On a selfish level, I know I will get a bit of a buzz about knowing that I will be able to help him (whereas no one locally would possess my knowledge and experience)
Perhaps I am just a little conceited or is it just a case of feeling happy I am, in someway needed and useful?........
. On a menagerie level, Albert has outdone himself this morning and has brought in 4 mice in the space of just under an hour! The final corpse was paraded in front of the dogs with true big headed style and in a flourish, he spat the mouse out at Maddie's feet, who promptly ate it.
. On a menagerie level, Albert has outdone himself this morning and has brought in 4 mice in the space of just under an hour! The final corpse was paraded in front of the dogs with true big headed style and in a flourish, he spat the mouse out at Maddie's feet, who promptly ate it. I know I am a little over protective with Albert, but the curfew I have imposed on him ( he is housebound from 4pm to 8am!) has protected his leg from nocturnal accidents, and he is now walking almost normally. Mind you, when I was chasing the guinea fowl around the churchyard yesterday, he was merrily abseiling up and down the 7 foot Church wall withour pause or thought.
I have a nasty scratch over my nose and up into my right eye from an "attack" from one of the baby guinea fowl yesterday. They are dreadfully nervous, and have the nasty habit of bursting into flight directly into your face when upset......next time I will clean out their cage with a pair of industrial style goggles on!
Thought for the day
Friendship
"A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely." ~ Pam Brown
"A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely." ~ Pam Brown
Sharing crisps
I have spent most of the morning delivering the village Christmas Cards. The weather has been muggy yet dry and I have spied a score of like minded people in coats, scarves and a selection of woolly hats, all clutching small bundles of cards, crisscrossing back and forth , letterbox to letterbox.This afternoon with William in tow I dropped cards to the more "outlying" houses and farms and then treated myself ( and Boris above) to a packet of smokey bacon crisps from the garage shop,which we shared conspiratorially when I got home.
After complaining to this blog last week about my lack of social nights out before Christmas, I seem to be surprisingly busy! Tonight I am calling round to my friend Geoff's for a wine and chat, tomorrow Hazel and I are off to see an Italian film Pranzo di ferragosto (2008) - which has had some fabulous reviews. Friday we are off with the family for a meal and then the pantomime and next week Chris is treating me to the ballet!
I shouldn't have complained....
Memories
I mentioned that my friend John was instrumental in my decision to finally dispense with an abusive past partner in my previous post The Darker side of ChristmasAfter reading my words, he rang me today to wish me all the best for Christmas and to reminisce a little about what I had written.
John was a constant support to me when that relationship finished and it is strange that although I can and do occasionally remember the sad times, my overwhelming memory of that time was John, Ricky Martin and a seedy gay bar!
Sounds good eh? well I will elaborate! One night, when I was at a very low ebb I met John for a drink, and in an effort to cheer me up he took me to a local gay bar (an awful hole of a place called the "Cossack!") a few pints of beer did not lift my spirits, nor did the usual conversations, so John (and remember that this guy is straight) resorted to desperate measures!
When crossing the tiny dance floor, Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" thundered out and without a pause John, in his best linen suit started an impromptu Latin dance routine by himself, much to the surprise of several leather clad bears who were standing nearby .
I was gobsmacked and laughed until I cried....... and John, I am sure, got a hearty round of applause from a cross section of the gay population of Sheffield. grand stuff!!
The Saga of the Christmas gifts
Out of the two of us, Chris is the one that is "typically Blokish" when it comes to buying Christmas pressies. He often finds it hard picking the right thing, and whereas I am not fussy at all in what I receive (he has banned me asking for proper coffee, batteries for my digital radio and wellie socks), he often makes himself jump through the proverbial hoop, to get the right gift which doesn't always work.
This year I asked for a shed for my new piglets....but as I was offered one which was incredibly cheap, he was left "hanging" for the right gift. This is where the digital video camera came in! Throughout the year he has asked me three times if I would like one for Christmas and I have always said no! The reasons I have always given are:-
1. Too expensive
2 More importantly I would probably break it if it was to be used (go on Nige comment!!)
3. I really wouldn't use one
So this year, bless him, as he was working away in Glasgow , he "forgot" my thoughts on the subject and bought me one!.........Now the hints came when he said in the supermarket queue "you will have to care for the gift I got you!" and I easily guessed what he had bought me, He was crestfallen to be reminded that a video camera would not really be used by me!
Tee hee...the upshot of all this is.......that the camera has not been returned and Chris has spent an exciting afternoon yesterday filming everything in sight.,......I am so glad he has finally treated himself to something he will enjoy!
Most of our family and friends' gifts have been bought, I just need to get a couple more and of course I need to get Chris' pressies, but I don't get paid from doing my extra shifts at the hospice until the 21st!
Perhaps I will be the one that will be buying Chris a Christmas jumper or a set of chocs from the 24 hour garage?
Hummm.....I don't think so....I have a few nice ideas up my sleeve
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