Touch

Iceland just before lockdown sees an elderly widower Kristofer (Egill Olafsson) receiving bad news from his doctor, who suggests helpfully that he puts his life in order rather quickly. Haunted by an old memory. He flys from Iceland to London in search of an old Japanese restaurant. 

A flash back occurs

In 1960s London young Kristòfer (Palmi Kormakur) is a quiet, easygoing Icelandic student looking for a job. He starts pot washing then cooking for the owner of a Japanese restaurant Takahashi-San  ( Masahiro Motoki) and starts a secret passionate  affair with his daughter Miko ( Kôki)

During their courtship Miko admits to Kristòfer that she and her father are Hibakusha, survivors of the Hiroshima bombing ,and are now people viewed by some, as damaged and unclean. Soon after father and daughter disappear from any contact.

During lockdown an aged Kristòfer now flies from London to Hiroshima in search of his former love,

What will he find ? Will the pair be reunited and why was Miko forced to give up her first love in the first place?

Touch is a beautiful, beautiful love story , with Olafsson literally breaking your heart as the benign, big hearted Icelander battling with a loss of memory and a lifetime of grief.

You will be dirty crying at the end, and will remember this very different love story for a very long time after first seeing it

The Critic

 

The one thing about Ian McKellen is that he has balls

Cast as a vicious, nasty Queen, a critic for a failing 1930s newspaper, the camera lingers over his calculating scheming face in almost nauseating close up. We see him naked in the bath and at other times indulging in rough trade sex at the local park.

He’s not a nice character but McKellen seems to revel in the role.

Playing Jimmy Erskine, McKellen is a powerful man, used to the luxuries of his position. But when the Vicount Brooke, son of the previous owner takes over the business (an underplaying Mark Strong) Erskine is taken to task and told to be nicer to the actors he demolishes in print. 

Brooke is obsessed with actress Nina Land ( Gemma Arterton) as is his son in law (Ben Barnes) who is unhappily married to cold fish Cora (Romola Garai) and all of these characters come together rather disastrously when Erskine blackmails Land to help him keep his job.

You can tell that the main jist of the plot comes from a complicated and successful book as you are left wanting more from the characters. 

The man of character ( Strong) his cold antisemitic  daughter ( a cracking turn by Garai) and the wonderful Lesley Manville ( as Land’s mentally more robust mother) all sadly have little to do as we concentrate on McKellen and his odious manipulations. 

The hidden gay lifestyles, a sudden appearance of the facist black shirts ( who Erskine valiantly challenges in the street. Are touched upon but would have been more interesting explored as would the other characters but McKellen plays such a monster so well, your eyes never leave his beady eyes and smiling face.

Soup

 This made me laugh , in a way I like; a big belly laugh which erupts,

Unstoppable.

I’m off for a few days now, and have just been figuring out what to do. I’m going to see Lee with Kate Winslett this afternoon and The Critic this evening. (With my sister) . I’ve also booked to see an Icelandic movie Touch tomorrow. Not many friends are around that the moment, Chic Eleanor has moved out of the village and is away, ( we’ve arranged coffee soon) and Dave ( aka Gorgeous Dave) has effectively ghosted me, which I’m sad about. I can understand the ghosting of acquaintance / friends , (we all go through phases of meeting new people who don’t quite fit into your psychi) but for a friend of ten years or so to suddenly vanish from the radar without some sort of narrative is a shame. 

I miss him. 

Bit and Bats

 Everything feels changed somewhat. 

I’m back in university with less academic essays to worry about but with an increased client number to deal with. We have a mental health component too which should be easier for me given I’m still registered as a psychiatric nurse.

And so Tuesdays continue with 8.30 to 2.30 in lectures followed by my personal counselling at 4pm and Choir at 6 pm. Thursdays I’m now seeing clients from 10 am and 4pm. Supervision is usually on alternate Wednesday mornings. My two hospice shifts work around all this where possible. 

Autumn term brings autumn with it and the villagers are planning the apple festival weekend . 

Soon it will be Christmas 

I’m tired just writing all this. 

Off to bed shortly , but I want to read yesterday’s 9/11 comments first.

Typically much more interesting than anything I could write .

Weaver is still with us, by the way . Just to let you know

9/11

 

Twenty three years ago, where were you? 

From early afternoon, I was sat on the arm of the sofa. 

Chris on the wicker chair,

We had started to fill a skip which sat in from of 59 Wynyard Road Sheffield. to watch the drama unfolding

The worst of world news

Today Kamala make short shrift of the lunatic clown

She looks every bit the disaster movie American President 

Good in a crisis with pearls.

I bought these for my friend Mike Kilner today

He’s always wanted his own lightsabre 

Cute or what?

I will leave you with my lisping choir singing Star Wars

It feels like autumn , the twins are desperate to sit in front of the fire but still haven’t  left the stars 

 

School

 Back in college today 

My last year of three.

There are 18 in my group. And no fallouts, which is unheard of.

All students have made it through academia too, and all are in placements practicing as counsellors around North Wales with support.

If you said that I’d be on a University Course at 62 a few years ago I’d tell you that you were an arsehole !

But I’m still here, plugging away at university jargon, software and protocols with the best of them .

 

Mrs Trellis Visits

 Mrs trellis came around this evening to see the twins, 

She brought them a homemade toy made from pheasant feathers and a ping pong ball.

I wasn’t expecting her and had Mary in the shower, washing out her ears with baby shampoo so

I didn’t have chance to close my bedroom door properly as I called out “ it’s such a mess”.I could tell immediately that she’d clocked the underpants pile on the floorboards waiting to be washed…but said nothing more than “Have you been busy recently?”

The twins came out quite bravely , especially as I had a very wet Mary in my arms and dog and kittens touched noses as Mrs Trellis smiled and  clapped her hands silently.

“Roger and Mary and Weaver and Bun” she observed 

“ Your home is full again”

“ But Bun is a daft name “ 

Bun

 What a horrid day. Wet and windy

Miserable .

There are no films showing that I want to see, and so I’ve watched season 6 of Bake Off  ( the one with the lovely Tamal and Paul and Nadia ) and snacked on squid rings and ice cream.

I’ve read some of Memoriam By Alice Winn, showered in a hot long shower and shaved and walked the dogs briefly inbetween the rain bursts.

I’ve played with kittens and dozed on the bed 

Weaver proves to be more assertive and friendly than  the shy Bun 

Yes I now have a name which suites more than Lilly and Beans

Bun suited better me thinks 

It’s the right name for sure .

Bun is shy and bouncy

The Archers tonight should be the fallout of George’s arrest