The Rolling Thunder Review: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese.

I was completely blown away by this wonderful film. This is clever, entertaining cinema, even if you don't like Bob that much. Desire is my favourite BD album, that probably helps. And, be aware, the clue is in the title, this movie is not all that it might seem. 

There are some remarkably intimate moments, I particularly enjoyed a conversation between Joan Baez and Bob, and the electricity between the two of them on and off stage throughout. I loved the interview with Rubin Carter. The performance of Hurricane and every other song with Scarlet Rivera, the duet with Roger McGuinn and especially when Roger and Bob accompany Joni Mitchell on Coyote. Another Netflix triumph.

Something I had never clocked previously is that it was Paterson that was the city Ruben Carter was accused of murder within. Paterson is one of my favourite films of all time, with Adam Driver playing a bus driver in Paterson city. Paterson was an epic poem by William Carlos Williams, one of the "Beat Generation" poets. Alan Ginsburg, perhaps the best known Beat Generation poet, features throughout TRTR by providing commentary, links, chatting with Bob by Kerouac's grave, and offering final thoughts.

On Netflix, currently free.

Respect and Ma Rainey's Big Bottom.

Even if you're a fan of Aretha Franklin's music I suspect you'll find this movie a bit of a drag. Quite interesting about her life but way over-long. And not a lot more to it really. I wasn't aware of her association to MLK, added interest but not enough to rescue this for me. Give it a miss.

Jennifer Hudson, centre, a super performance within the limitations of a rather disappointing film. Photo ?

Ma Rainey's Big Bottom was a stage play, and that is obvious watching the film. It was Chadwick Boseman's last film before he died at 43 of cancer of the colon. CB and Viola Davis' performances are gripping. And despite The Guardian suggesting the opposite we all gasped at the drama in the final act. The film is historically interesting and well worth watching.

Chadwick Boseman, photo by David Lee.

Listen to something joyful.

 A new EP by rAHHH, it's called Tetris People. It really is very good.

Thanks to The Don for playing Returns Forever (track 2) last Sunday.

It's electronic, mostly. You could probably dance to it, if you felt like it.

Click the pic for the Bandcamp page to download. The snails are Cornu aspersum, by the way.

Queen and Slim and Blindspotting.

Two films, both start with a murder with the police involved. Both films are set in the US and are about race, both are cleverly funny at times. Despite the humour the messages around race are clear and hard-hitting. The sound tracks are excellent. Queen and Slim is a road movie, and is lighter in tone. Blindspotting is at times very, very violent and the language is harsh. Both films are also about relationships, loyalty, belonging and identity, solidarity and Blindspotting has a powerful anti-gun theme (although you might not think so to start with). There is a spin-off TV series of Blindspotting that I might take a look at, but I generally find box sets just take a very long time to say what a 98 minute film might say in, yes, 98 minutes. Elder daughter enjoyed both of these movies, Louise found Blindspotting's violence a bit much.

Still from Queen and Slim.

Blindspotting poster.

 Both films are on Amazon Prime, but not free.

Ted Hastings addresses Cressida Dick (with thanks to Led by Donkeys).

 https://twitter.com/i/status/1471125380228653060

 

Click the pic for the link - it's worth it.

The Power of the Dog.

Another Western but this is a good one. Set in the mid 1920s The Power of the Dog is a Western with no guns. There are different weapons, just as deadly. An age-old Western theme, revenge. There's not much to fault, but do pay attention at the beginning. I love the visual clue of the images suggesting that the beginning explains the end, (dialogue) quite brilliant. The performances are all good but Kodi Smit-McPhee steels the show with something extraordinary. Directed by Jane Campion on top form, and the cinematography by Ari Wegner makes every scene an artwork (slight exaggeration but this film looks beautiful). Netflix again make something wonderful.

Photo- Netflix.

I might watch it again.

Is Boris fucked?

In the end probably. But immediately? I suspect that Allegra Stratton will be the first of a few to go in Boris's stead. Either BJ ignores the advice he is given, suspected; or the advice he is given is bad, probably unlikely; or he just finds telling the truth hard, very likely. The point made by many commentators, if he had apologised for the "party" early on this would have all gone away. It's not going away now, Boris. All the other pigeons will eventually come home to roost too I suspect, the contracts for PPE, the billions spent on hopeless apps and Test and Trace, the decorating the flat and the general bumbling hopelessness of it all. A good point made today, would any of this have happened under Teresa May? Of course not, because then Government was a serious business. The example of the leader sets the tone, and what's BJ's tone? During the summer I saw a neat T-shirt that sums it all up, "Elect a clown; expect a circus."

Anyway, I don't feel sorry for Allegra Stratton, and I hope this might all be remembered at the next election. Even Kev (as we call him in this house) couldn't screw up in PM's questions could he? Emily Thornbury spoke very well yesterday, one of a number of preferred options for opposition leader. But hey-ho that's the Labour Party for you.

Mark Steel's In Town is back, next week its Whitby, that'll be interesting, I used to live nearby. Today it was Walthamstow, Mark's on good form.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rtbk8

And his WTFIGO podcast is still going strong. https://play.acast.com/s/what-the-fuck-is-going-on-with-mark-steel/what-the-f-is-going-on-with-mark-steel-episode-1

Things Fell Apart.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0011cpr

Don't miss this brilliant, very relevant series. Jon Ronson has researched how various issues from the past have reverberations today. The first episode is particularly relevant in the light of the changes in legislation that are occurring in relation to abortion in the States at the moment.