West Side Story

 I thought I had seen the original West Side Story, but on reflection I think I’ve only really seen bits of it. 

Of course, I remember most of the famous set pieces, but I think on the whole I found the film rather too theatric and somewhat overlong for my liking.

Perhaps I was too young to fully appreciate it.

Who knows.

Anyhow, Spielberg’s homage and remake is a revelation. 

It’s not a theatrical musical filmed

But it is a filmed theatrical musical.

I hope that made sense.

For apart from one or two sequences, the whole film feels real and gritty and totally 1957 New York City.

It’s quite, quite beautiful and breathtaking just to look at.

I totally loved it, even though it remains a tad overlong.

Alvarez and DuBose

Spielberg’s casting is sublime.  

Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler are totally believable and incredibly moving in their lead roles of Tony and Maria. David Alvarez and Ariana DuBose almost steal the whole show as Bernardo and Anita and Rita Moreno creates a new role of Valentina ( Doc in the original) and at the age of 90 (her birthday was yesterday) I am sure she will be the oldest actress to ever win an Oscar, for her rendition of Somewhere literally breaks your heart and makes you want to give her a standing ovation 

Moreno

Zegler and Elgort

Spielberg’s touches are everywhere, enhancing Jerome Robbin’s original choreography and Bernstein’s music into a proper, hyper-real cinema treat. The vibrant set piece America has been bravely shifted from the tenement rooftops at night to the busy streets of the Upper West Side in fully summer.

It’s a truly stunning piece of cinema.

The director has also managed to inject more characterisation into the characters wisely leaving the Puerto Rican cast to speak Spanish when needed. 

The violence is not stylised as it was in the original  and the tension between the Sharks and the Jets is palpable and made very real during the lead up to the final show down.

On the negative side, the musical remains very slightly too long for me, and I could have done without I Feel Pretty aside, as well as the gender ambiguous character of Anybody’s who added nothing to the story

But these are just two minor points for I adored this version which is a real triumph for Spielberg   

Breakfast at Tiffany's Moon River

This song always seems to haunt me every run up to Christmas 

Hey ho

Every Cloud

 It’s been a bit of a bust of a day.

Got a cheap matinee ticket to Oliver Twist at the Storyhouse but got caught up in the Christmas traffic in Chester and couldn’t find a parking space for love nor money.

Finally admitted defeat and came home but not before popping to a local deli to buy some Korean ready made meals

Every ugly cloud has a sort of a silverish lining.

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars

Out Patients

 Two pairs of eyes, overlapping surgical masks were looking worried,

A gloved hand was on my shoulder.

“ Sir are you ok? Are you alright? Came from under one of the masks and I noticed that the technician’s eyes were a deep brown with speckles on the iris.

I had dribbled a little on my hospital gown.

Sputum and not wee, thank goodness.

I only noticed that after the fact

I apologised and hurriedly assured the xray staff that I had not arrested as they thought I might of done , but I had fallen asleep in the chair after a long night shift.

Both giggled , more out of relief than humour I thought.

I left the hospital soon after. 

It’s very cold today.

My sister has made me a steak and kidney pie dinner( with starter AND pudding)

Once Upon Another Time……..in Trelawnyd

 At 6.30pm Radio Four showcases its comedy half hour.

To be honest this can be all a bit hit and miss given their inclusivity remit but I have found their series Relativity by Richard Herring rather vital and sweetly moving.

Today’s episode was a four handed between sixty some parents Ken and Margaret ( Phil Daniels and Alison Steadman) and their grown up children Jane and Ian ( Fenella Woolgar and Richard Herring) 

It was essentially half an hour of a family remembering family holidays from the early 1980s where the Children bickered about being left in dangerous situations, no one wore seat belts and where egg and chips  was the go to meal of the day. 

The mini play was full of affection and nostalgia and brimmed with the observations of the unsaid ties between siblings and parents from an age not far from my own and listening to it underlined my own ties with sisters who shared a lifetime so different ( and then so not) to those of today.

My memories of my sister Ann belting out this Mario Lanza classic rather badly on the way back from a night out at the theatre or a concert rushed back to me as I drove in the dark to work tonight

A memory that couldn’t be fully understood or appreciated by anyone else in this world 

The nostalgia theme continued this afternoon with the catch up ( after 17 years) of Sex and The City - and Just Like That . 

I won’t give much away, but the first episode was a bit clunky. 

Samantha’s absence was explained away in a hurried and slightly obvious way.

Charlotte looked incredibly plastic, and Miranda’s Brady is having noisy set at home with his girlfriend.

But the whole thing is just getting into its stride and like a popular red wine, you have to let it stand for a while before things settle.

I’m not a lover of Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie, but her relationship and acting alongside Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) has a ring of truth about it which chimes with the nostalgia of seeing the “ girls” yet again..

I will give the series the benefit of the doubt and note it was a brave step bringing in such a turn about in the narrative only two episodes in ……

It’s nice to have my old friends back

I will leave you with the what’s app message Affable Despot Jason posted today

West Side Story

 Anon may be sickened with this fact but I’ve just booked tickets to me and a friend to go and see West Side Story on Sunday. 

What a fucking extravagance ! 

What with me pleading poverty only yesterday with only one ten of beans to my name 

Anyway I was getting all haughty about Steven Spielberg’s upcoming version of the musical classic, thinking to myself that the original Jerome Robbins’ version could not and should not be beaten.

A BBC interview with Spielberg totally changed my mind

The reasons for the remake were simple in his eyes for he just could not bear the fact of several generations of the movie going public not knowing of the power of this musical.

And he’s right. 

Whole generations of younger people have never heard of the 1950 s version.

They know nothing of the sheer exuberance of the choreography, of the singing and of the innovative staging and so he wanted to be faithful to the original by presenting an updated but classic version, set in the New York streets with Latina actors instead of a tanned up Natalie Wood and George Chakiris.

I’m very much looking forward to the new production

And so I’m on nights again. I will pop off at Tesco on the way home to by provisions so don’t worry Anon  I shall be eating healthier today….last night my colleagues and I treated ourselves to an Indian takeaway on our break time which was a real extravagance ( I can feel Anon quietly shaking in repressed rage at the very thought of it ) 

Storm Barra

 It’s wild out there.

After work and dog walks, we all went to bed

I’m on night shifts until Christmas 

No food in the house when I woke in semi darkness 

I found chicken drumsticks , roast potatoes and a container of saved gravy in the back of the freezer and shared the feast with the girls in bed.

We are cuddling up to keep warm 

As Barra roars on

“ You see, no one ever called me darling before”

Yesterday I had coffee with a friend, Steven, who I’ve know for years

He’s gay but not “out” 

A decision I don’t quite understand in this day and age, but one I respect.

He’s younger than me and is in his late 40s

And all he wants is to find Mr Right.

I think he gets a little exasperated with me when Mr Right is mentioned , for I often lapse into Victoria Woods’ now classic mini documentary Mr Right where Anne Reid, playing spinster Pamela Twill famously muses

“Mr Right? …..hummm…I've met Mr Wrong…..I've met several Mr Reasonably Okays……….. I've spent a very long afternoon in a bus shelter with Mr Halitosis.”

 Steven always gets a bit haughty when I quote Victoria Wood at him and accuses me of not taking him seriously.

I apologise as I should do. 

He just wants to be part of a couple and always asks me if I’ve met anyone “ Nice” in the constant hope that I haven’t .

I never let him down in that hope.

“ Your problem John, is that you don’t try hard enough” Steven advised after telling me all about a frenetic date he had just had on Grindr “ You don’t put yourself out there?” 

I’m not sure just what he meant by “ out there” as to me the apps are all about sex and very little else

so I laughed at the dichotomy

I think I’m becoming content with being “ Charlotte Vale “ I told him

He looked confused 

“ Now Voyager? “ I explained and he shrugged . 

Steven is not a cinefile gay

I was going to become fully Bette Davis with Charlotte’s full and most famous quote in character

but settled with a half arsed version with a mild pouting 

“ Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars.”

Steven laughed and asked 

“ Who the fuck is Jerry?”

Christmas Card

This is my Christmas Card for all of Going Gently’s followers

For those that don’t know this is Finlay my first Welsh Terrier 

He was asleep sat upon the sofa like a little old man 

It’s been another challenging year for all of us, hasn’t it? 

Thank you all for your continued support, comments and good humour

2022 is going to be better 

It has to be..

Love 

John

Dorothy, Mary and Albert 

 

Olivia Colman/ The Queen Mother and The Last Duel

It’s been a nice evening. 

Before I watched the movie, I wrote the blog then watched this delightful video of National Treasure Olivia Colman reading one of the original Queen Mum’s letters to her mother in law  Queen Mary.

The applause pleased me as it wasn’t just for the scene stealing Colman. ( who deserved what she got) ……but it was also an affectionate nod to the Queen Mother , who always seems to have seen the best in people ( except for Wallace Simpson of course)

The chef had the best line..”France Will Rise Again”

The Last Duel was an excellent watch. Another swan song triumph for Ridley Scott 

Jodie Comer was especially good in this gritty portrayal of middle age misogyny and male pride.

Siambr Wen

 

Siambr Wen lies on the western village border 

Foolishly I left around a dozen sprouts on the kitchen worktop last night

This moment of utter madness allowed Albert to spend a happy few minutes after lights out playfully flicking a good portion of them onto the floor where Dorothy found them in the middle of the night.

I knew trouble was afoot when I was awoken by a whole series of sprout flavoured burps followed by some insanely veggie smelling and resoundingly loud farts. 

The kitchen floor resembled the La Brea Tar pits in Los Angeles when I got downstairs 

And I won’t describe the state of my Egyptian Cotton white duvet cover

I almost lost the will to live 

This afternoon I have delivered the village Christmas cards, some 40 in all. The ones earmarked for people on the outskirts of the village, I will do tomorrow by car, (that’s another ten or so) 

I don’t take the dogs with me as they never “get” walking up drives and paths they are not used to , so alone and with headphones in, the whole process lasts around an hour.

It only took me 45 minutes today as I had forgotten around ten cards.

The weather was cooling by 3pm . The sky in the West an ice/grey blue.

I photographed Siambr Wen, the remains of the. 16th Century country house that housed a room which doubled as a local courtroom. Siambr Wen means White Chamber in Welsh

It looked spooky and cold seen through the trees.

I was glad to get home to a warm cottage before the light changed.

This afternoon I’m watching The Last Duel on Disney +

Homemade gyoza dumplings for supper

Roast Chicken

 

I’m sick of wearing surgical masks day in and day out, so bought me a selection of coloured printed ones which are much more comfortable for my tiny hamster ears, which always seemed to be pulled in a Shrek-like position , like the mini rounded ears on a tubby panda 

I walked the dogs after a long lie in and bought all the ingredients for a proper roast dinner from Sainsbury’s ……Roast potatoes, a whole chicken, stuffing, sprouts , stuffing and veg….I was feeling like some old fashioned proper cooking.

I popped around to Trefor to see if he wanted a plate of roast dinner but he declined , (which burst my being virtuous bubble somewhat) so I  will see how much I make and will plate some up for Animal Helper Pat later.

I placed the Christmas Wreath carefully on the front of the cottage and started to hang the few cards which have been delivered so far and placed my only set of battery lights on the mantle to make the cottage feel a bit more cozy.

The kitchen is already vaguely smelling of roast chicken and I’ve dug out some red berry jelly which was a gift from German Bernard & Rosemary who live on the other side of the village.

(Adding red berry jelly to any gravy makes for a superior jus) 

Dorothy is dribbling in the kitchen reading chair and Albert has turned up in the hopeful wait for a nice piece of breast.

In the end I had enough for Mrs H , animal helper Pat and Mr Poznan 

Great fun cooking again for more than one 

Yazz - The Only Way Is Up

Gawd it been a busy day

The four staff on duty today were on their feet all shift.

And when we finally finished work

My fellow staff nurse looked at me with tired eyes and said with succinct economy  “ I’m Fucked!”

I bought two cheap scotch eggs from the local spar shop as huge waves lashed the West Shore in Llandudno. 

The whole of the North Wales coast is under flood warnings this weekend as gales push the high tide South.

The scotch eggs weren’t too calorific or tasty 

So I didn’t finish them as I listened to radio 2 on the way home

The Only Way Is Up by Yazz kept me awake

It transported me back to The Roxy nightclub on Bootham in York circa 1988

A club frequented by nurses on Thursday nights 

Accessed by a door and a staircase, a stones throw from Bootham Park Hospital just outside the city walls.

Thursday nights were alternative nights

Where nurses partied hard, and where we shared the dance floor with gay men and women , a few moody goths and a couple of badly dressed transvestites/ drag queens who spent long hours sat at the bar like Barbara Stanwick and Rosalind Russell after a dozen vodka martinis

I always wore a red bow tie back then , which complemented a set of red braces over my white grandad shirt.

And I alway danced like loon with anyone who would dance with me

Happy days

I’m top left…..Martin Kirby is the guy in the light shirt (/we are still in touch) the lady in green is Tracy Birkin , a wonderful nurse who could chase and catch any escaping patient whilst wearing high heels and a pencil skirt x

Giselle

 Giselle is streaming from the Royal Opera House in 20 minutes

For 16£ you can see it too

I really recommend it…for it’s quite, quite lovely

See

https://stream.roh.org.uk/packages/giselle/videos/giselle?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021_Dec_Giselle_Stream_Countdown&utm_content=version_A&emailsource=56412

Notes

 I haven’t seen my doctor since the middle of lockdown

Mostly I have seen dealing with ANP nurses ( Advanced Nurse Practitioners) who have advanced assessing and prescribing skills.

The nurse said a strange thing to me today.

She told me that the doctor had thought that I had been mildly depressed when he last saw me 

This came as a bit of a surprise as he never relayed that news to me at that time and I told her so.

I wonder what else has been typed in those computerised notes locked away in the ether

AND JUST LIKE THAT

Ok no Magna 

Ok no Samantha 

Ok not much Stanford

But I’m looking forward to the reboot

It was very much part of my life in the six years from 1998

I must have known that originally it was a series about four gay men

I think the series will eclipse the awful movies

“ party of three ?” …squeal 

Had me totally

I always adored Miranda’s character

Watching

Irked today

I’d planned to meet an old friend at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire but I’m not 100% again

So I’m watching the mindless Shang-Chi Legend of the Ten Rings on the trendy blue sofa

Watched over by several pairs of eyes

Bra Straps & Dog Power

 Found myself a bit low today

So I've kicked myself up by the proverbials and have taken myself to Chester.

The antibiotics have made me feel nauseated all week and strange as it seems the only thing I feel like eating is avocado on toast.

So it's a visit to the Jaunty Goat Cafe and an afternoon showing of Power of The Dog.

I will review the movie later

Later

The Power Of The Dog is Jane Campion’s first film in well over a decade.

It’s an interesting piece. 

Beautifully shot in New Zealand (doubling for 1920s Montana) it’s a brooding, tension filled but unhurried drama which explores themes of loneliness, isolation, jealousy, obsession and anger in between members of a dysfunctional and blended ranch family living in a dilapidated , cold mansion in the middle of no where.

Benedict Cumberbatch plays an angry, brutal but intelligent ranch man who lives in the past when he enjoyed a manly old west life with an idolised ranch hand Bronco Henry.His quiet passive brother George( Jesse Plemons)  ,tired of this bleak lonely existence finds solace with a gentle local widow Rose ( Kirsten Dunst) who he marries and brings back to the family home. 

And then the story really cranks up as the bitter, pained brother embarks on a psychological war against the woman who he perceives has come between him and his old life and relationships .

Having said this, the story is so much more than a two ( then three) handed power struggle, for Campion  adds to the mix the brother’ odd relationship with their mostly absent and passive parents, a back story of Phil’s  homosexual relationship/ obsession with Bronco Henry and the sudden introduction of Rose’s effeminate possibly autistic son Peter (Kodi Smit McPhee) who isn’t quite what he seems 

Kodi SmitMcPhee

Kirsten Dunst

This is a beautiful film to look at. With a sense of decay and sadness in almost every scene . 

Dunst is fabulous as the simple and gentle Rose who can break your heart just with the lost look of a woman who is completely out of her depth, but really the film is totally Cumberbatch’s as he totally captures the blind jealousy and loss of a man haunted by grief and obsession .

Soul Food

 The cottage remains cool, almost , but not quite cold…

I’ve been chasing up the fire workmen ….

Mary had the right idea and slipped under the trendy blue Sofa’s throw to sleep

The sight of her brought a lump to my throat

Just returned from choir 

We sang some lovely African songs which fed my soul