Review of Buena Vista Social Club

 Buena Vista Social Club is a 1999 documentary film directed by Wim Wenders about the music of Cuba. It is named for a danzón that became the title piece of the album Buena Vista Social Club. The film is an international co-production of Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Cuba.



This film can be seen again and again without tiring of the music or the performances.

Set in New York and the splendidly beautiful but decaying capital city of Cuba, there is a search for the old materful musicians of traditional cuban music. We watch with awe as these old virtuoso guys and gals take the stage and reveal their backgrounds. Their music is infectious.

However there is a slight suggestion of American propogranda as after shipping all these people to New York to play at Carnegie Hall, we are left wondering whether this is a result of American Music producers money and know how, One of the musicians is heard to say on a walkabout in NY nightlife, how beautiful it is. ( Apart from NY violence of course, they are not shown the precincts.)

Released in 1998, the philosophy of one Cuban man is close to superstition, and we are told about his hardship in Cuba and not the benefits.  I was left wondering now after seeing this for the second time and seeing it when it was originally released, what now is the impact of Obhama's release of embargos.  I suspect there are plusses but also some minuses.

Whatever ones political pursuasion, this film gives rise to questions as well as pleasure.

Review of the film "Lore"

Lore is a 2012 Australian-German-British historical drama art film based on Rachel Seiffert's much awarded novel The Dark Room, with the screenplay written by British screenwriter Robin Mukherjee and the film's director, Cate Shortland.

This beautifully crafted film features the traumatic experience of a teenage girl with four siblings who is the daughter of an SS officer. Set in Germany in the aftermath of WW2, the aftermath of defeat oof Hitler is explored as the allies divide Germany into segments.

Trying to reach a long lost relative, takes Lore on a Physicaljourney, but also a psychological journey from her indoctrination as part of Hitler Youth, through to rejection of all those family truths that she holds dear.

The contrast between the artistic cinematography and the harshness of the reality of war torn Germany is a virtuosa by Australian director Cate  Shortland  .  the film was not without its own traumas of being produced being adapted from the novel "The Dark Room" .

The story has many levels, coming of age, first love and romance through to anti war themes.

Released in 2012, it won

It is a recommended but difficult view for any film society to put on their veiwing schedule. Well worth the effort.

Hail! Caesar! - film review

Confessions of a Coen brothers fan

Hail Caesar!  Is one of the Coen’s satirical masterpieces?

This is definitely a film for film buffs who know their American screen history.

If you know your film history then it’s a giggle all the way through. There are so many "in house " gags, it is difficult to keep up.

From the parody of the sequences from North by North West, the gay rendition parody of ‘Nothing Like a Dame’ from South Pacific, Mickey Spillain film noir, the naughtiness goes on and on.

For me, the by funniest parody was of Busby Berkley’s sequences.  Busby’s girls didn’t ever do the contortions that were filmed by the Coen’s and the digital wizardry of fantastical water displays culminates in a mermaid, with attitude, diving into the centre of the display, it was hilarious. A truly fantastic visual joke.

Underneath it all was the Coen’s dialectic of communism versus Christianity so prevalent in the nineteen fifties and the McCarthy trials. Convincing and sensitive with humour thrown in.

This is the sort of film that would delight the film greats. A film with narrative, a conscience stricken dilemma, visual art and underneath a clever message,  questioned  Hollywood ethics.
This is very similar to the satirical eyeglass of a Stoppard play.

A must see.

Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg

Poem - Tribute to Sir Terry Wogan

Truly a Gentleman
he made you feel
with his melodious voice
he was in a chair
next to you and
as  a pair
you chatted together.

His whitty jokes resounded
around the country.

He didn't seek applause
as he raised the roof
for giving to a cause.

Let us all pause
And thank the Lord
for the gift of
a man like him.

RIP Sir Terry Wogan.

Life is NOW

I was travelling by coach to Belgium for a day in Bruges and this poem came to mind. I think there is always anticipation of the future when we go on holiday but I was thinking that we must be in the present moment  and enjoy whatever life has to offer in the now.

This video is a narrated version of my poem


https://youtu.be/48C3mw4z72c

To own and download my video poem

https://vimeo.com/153618021

Calling all Guardian readers!

The funding for newspapers to be avauilable for the general public at Taunton Library  has been cut by the Council.

Therefore the Friends of Taunton Library have been fundraising to provide this service.

Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg is a retired Civil Servant and a Friend of Taunton Library.  She is a writer and facilitates a creative writing workshop at Taunton Library on the first Wednesday of the month.

At a committee meeting of The FOTL she was horrified to realise there was only enough fundraising to pay for one national broadsheet newspaper.  After a vote, it was decided that, The Daily Telegraph was the choice 10/2.


She is a member of the Green Party and while she fully accepts our democratic process, she also  believes minority views should be catered for in a democracy and a balanced view provided by our public services.

She wondered how she could help, so she has started a crowdfunder site for The Gardian at Taunton Library.   If you feel you can contribute to two years of the paper being available at Taunton Library, please donate.

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-guardian-for-taunton-library-for-one-year


Zoe Ainsworth Grigg - The Guardian for Taunton Library,

Review of Bedroom Blossom, inspired by Somerset W.I.

Extract

"What would you like me to do". she asked

He smiled, and she flushed.

"First of all I would like you to pick up all these windfalls, there is a wheelbarrow over there."

______________________________________________

In 2014 the W.I. creative writing group in Somerset wrote a series of stories based on their response to "Fifty Shades of Grey".  They were very successful.

I also belong to a creative writing group,. Bedroom Blossom is my response.  Some scenes are a little naughty.  However, on the whole I adhere to my Quaker beliefs and my background in studying psychology.  We all have our shadow side (myself included) and the hero of my story is flawed, and so is the heroine.

It is also a thriller, when the heroine snaps under pressure.  It is a rattling read.

__________________________________________________________

Other stories.