The Gatekeepers (film review)

First film of the New Year. Maybe I should have started off with something a bit more cheerful than a documentary about Israeli intelligence in fighting the war against terrorism. Six ex-former heads of Shin Bet (Israeli's security agency) are interviewed for the first time ever and give their accounts of, and opinions on, the tragic hostilities between Israel and Palestine. The documentary is generally very balanced and objective, with director Dror Moreh showing video clips of atrocities committed by both sides and not being afraid to ask the former heads of Shin Bet difficult questions. The six different perspectives work really well in building up a picture of what it is like to be in the middle of such an extremely complex and disturbing conflict. Hopefully this thought provoking film will help in some small way in moving the peace process along. 8/10

The Best of 2013!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Top Ten DVD's (that I watched in 2013)



1. Magnolia

2. Scent Of A Woman 


3. Howard's End                                      

4. Searching For Sugar Man

5. Senna

6. The Fall

7. Untouchable

8. Silver Linings Playbook

9. Take Shelter

10. Detachment





Top Ten Books (that I read in 2013)

1. Dubliners by James Joyce
2. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
3. Saturday by Ian McEwan
4. The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson
5. A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man by James Joyce
6. The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
7. James Joyce: A Biography by Gordon Bowker
8. The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney
9. Our Lady Of The Forest by David Guterson
10. The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing







 Top Ten Albums (that I bought in 2013)

1. 1. Symphonies Nos 35 - 41 by Mozart                             
2. One Breath by Anna Calvi
3. Aventine by Agnes Obel
4. The Best Of John Renbourn
5. Anna Calvi by Anna Calvi
6. Big Time by Tom Waits
7. The Velvet Underground & Nico
8. If  You Leave by Daughter
9. Once I Was An Eagle by Laura Marling
10. High Violet by The National

Top Ten Films of 2013

1. Les Miserables

2. Rush

3. Gravity

4. Lincoln

5. Life Of Pi

6. Prisoners

7. Star Trek: Into Darkness

8. Behind The Candelabra

9. Cloud Atlas

10. Trance

Top Ten Babes of 2013

 

1.       Melanie Laurent (pictured)                                              

       2.       Kerry Washington
       3.       Kirsten Dunst
       4.     Jennifer Aniston
       5.       Rosario Dawson
       6.       Emma Stone
       7.       Halle Berry
       8.       Nadine Velazquez

9.    Mia Wasikowska
10.  Zooey Deschanel