Top ten worst actors

1. Keanu Reeves
2. Shia Lebouf
3. Jean Claude Van Damme
4. Jason Stratham
5. Vinnie Jones
6. Ben Affleck
7. Arnold Schwarznegger
8. Martin Lawrence
9. Daniel Radcliffe
10. Orlando Bloom

The King's Speech

Sorry for not writing anything during February. I just couldn't be buggered. I thought of inventing some excuses but they were not very plausible. Stuff like I had been abducted by aliens but they did not have access to the internet on their spaceship. That's not very plausible because surely an alien species who have the advanced technology to travel millions of light years to earth must have the technology to tap into the internet. Anyway, The King's Speech. A friend asked me to review this multi award winning film for my blog, so this is dedicated to Louise Robertson. The King's Speech documents the coming to the throne of King George VI, the present Queen's late father, and his painful battle to overcome a crippling speech impediment. I am not a fan of the royal family by any means and I often find it hard to relate to them but the human element side of the story overshadowed any existing prejudices. I think this film will help improve the popularity of the royal family but more importantly it gives a voice to a man who showed a lot of quiet courage and perseverance and to a lesser extent acknowledges the loyalty and patience of his speech therapist. The film opens with the British Empire Exhibition in 1925 and the future king George VI, at that time Prince Albert (but known to close family and friends as 'Bertie') has to make the closing speech in front of thousands of spectators. It's painful to watch as he stammers and falters. After many unsuccessul attempts at speech therapy he enlists the help of the Lionel Logue, an unorthodox Australian speech therapist, in one final attempt to overcome his crippling stammer. An unlikely friendship develops as they work together and gradually Bertie gains confidence in public speaking and begins to exert some control over his stammer. The friendship is not without it's trials. Bertie may be royalty but he's portrayed in a very human light. At times he can be snobbish and bad-tempered, but essentially he is a good man who just wants to live quietly with his wife and family. It therefore makes for good cinema when the burden of Kingship is unfairly thrust upon him. His playboy brother, Edward, abdicates to marry an American divorcee and Bertie must face his worst nightmare. If this situation had unfolded fifty years before his time it would not have been such a burden but now through the expansive media of radio the King now has a voice that his subjects expect to hear. The culmination of the film is his radio broadcast to the nation at the outbreak of the second world war. It's my favorite part of the film and my summation of the scene reflects the rest of the film. It's beautifully directed and paced, the music is perfect, the dialogue is well rounded and hits the right note, and the acting is superb. The use of the music is very clever in this scene, as Lionel is almost directing Bertie through the first few sentences of the speech just like a conductor directing an orchestra. Colin Firth deserves his Oscar. He is totally convincing in the role. In an interview he said that pretending to stutter was the most physically demanding and draining acting that he has ever done. Geoffrey Rush, Helena Boham-Carter and Guy Pierce are great in their supporting roles and I'm glad Rush and Boham-Carter were nominated for an Oscar. It's great cinema: entertaining, poignant, funny and powerful. We need more films like this. Films that spend more time and budget on the script, casting, story and direction, without having to rely on box office names, tedious action sequences and special effects to compensate for poor dialogue and acting.
The King's Speech 9/10

Richard Thompson and Kristin Hersh

Richard Thompson may not be a household name but the main auditorium at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday was nearly full to capacity. But before I continue on my review of his concert let me give you a quick biography.
He was born in London in 1949. His father was an amateur guitarist and Richard was exposed to jazz, rock and roll and folk throughout his early years. He co-founded the folk rock band Fairport Convention aged 18 and they released two albums. During this time he came to be regarded as an outstanding guitarist (he was in the top 20 of Rolling Stone‘s Top 100 Guitarists of All Time). His first solo album in 1972 - Henry the Human Fly - was a critical and commercial failure. In fact it is Warner Bros worst selling album, ever. Something which Thompson mentioned proudly during the concert. Throughout the 1970’s and early 80’s he collaborated with his then wife Linda, releasing albums that were generally well received on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Their marriage and musical partnership ended in the early 80’s and Richard has toured and recorded solo ever since, accumulating a loyal fan base over the years.
I have seen Richard twice before in concert and he was electrifying. Last year he covered songs from ‘a thousand years of popular music’, starting with medieval ballads and working his way right through to pop classics such as ‘Money, Money, Money’, all delivered with his distinctive and creative aplomb. Not many musicians have the imagination and craftsmanship to pull that off. It was a very Richard Thompson thing to do. This Celtic Connections gig, however, was more conventional. Well, as conventional as you can get with somebody as creative, quirky and off the wall as Richard. The first half of his set was comprised of songs from his latest album ‘Dream Attic’. The second half was a sort of greatest hits selection. Like moths drawn to a light, Richard was surrounded by musicians of the highest order. He could stand alone no problem but his band added a fuller flavour to the evenings entertainment. Richard stayed electric most of the night, only once treating us to some of his acoustic skills. His solos were the highlight of the concert. He would flick a peddle at his feet, giving his guitar some distortion to bring the solo out more, and soar through scales with great imagination and style. With his trademark berry at a rakish angle he seemed to be enjoying himself. His banter was good as well, introducing each song with a funny comment or anecdote. Ticket prices were not cheap but he played for at least two hours and such was the quality of his music you went home feeling that you had got your money's worth.


Kristin Hersh was a blast from the past. She is the co-founder and front woman of alternative rock band Throwing Muses. I was into their music as a teenager but when my cd collection started to replace my now obsolete cassette tape collection Throwing Muses sort of got lost. I don't know why, they are such a great band and pioneers in rock music. I certainly intend to get into their music again. Anyway, I happened to pop into Waterstone's bookstore to collect a book that I had ordered and a poster promoting 'An evening with Kristin Hersh' caught my eye and I quickly snapped up a ticket. She was in the UK promoting her new book 'Paradoxical Undressing', which is essentially a memoir of her late teen years based on a diary she kept at that time. The 'evening' with her would include acoustic perfomance of some songs, reading excerpts from her book and signing copies of whatever you wanted her to sign. It was held in the basement of Waterstones and there was small stage set up with chair and mike for her. The place was packed with fellow Doc Martin wearing intellectuals like myself (ha!). Kristin is petite, cute, shy and possesses really beautiful vivid eyes. The whole set lasted about 45 minutes. There was a song, reading, song, reading, etc. Her acoustic performance was offbeat, raw and distinctive. It was certainly not easy listening rubbish like JLS, that's for sure. Her readings were quirky, funny and occassionaly poignant. I am a third of the way through the book just now and she is a very good writer. When it came to the signing session I found myself third in the queue. This was not through the ardent desire of a die hard fan, more through the fact that people were still to buy copies of her book. The guys in front of me were obviously those die hard fans and chatted away about stuff relating to Throwing Muses. I began to grow uneasy. I could not approach her and say 'Oh, I used to like your music'. When my turn did come I just took a deep breath and asked her to sign my book. While she did this I got a better chance to admire her lovely eyes up close. Although shy, she was very pleasant and polite and after shaking her hand I came away with a big smile. I don't know if I got a buzz from meeting a famous person or meeting a famous person who is not arrogant or egocentric. I don't know but I was certainly charmed. I had recently read about a guy who has spent the last 13 years tracking down celebrities for their autographs, spending about £150,000 in the process. I can't see myself ever doing that, but I would like to meet more famous men and women that I admire, just to see what they are like. So, does anybody have Rachel McAdam's phone number by any chance? I know it's a long shot but, as they say, he who dares, wins. Or in my case, he who dares goes to prison for stalking.

The link in my life between Natalie Portman and Saint Augustine

There was a small column in a newspaper a few weeks ago about the actress Natalie Portman. She is engaged and expecting her first child. I read this much to my dismay as I’ve made it painfully obvious in the course of my blogs over the past year and a half that I’ve had a longtime crush on this beautiful and intelligent lady. So that is another door closed. I should be happy for her but part of me was thinking something like ‘well if I can’t have her then nobody can!’ Although we are worlds apart, figuratively and literally, there was always some small part of me that thought that maybe, just maybe, under the right circumstances we would meet and fall in love and get married and live happily ever after. Well that insane hope is now definitely squashed. I’ll just have to focus my attentions onto Rachel McAdams, again with the same insane hope that faces improbable odds. To marry your spouse you effectively have to renounce every other women in the world. It’s a strange way of looking at it. I have often seen myself with many women but the reality of actually choosing one for the rest of my mortal life is quite something. I don’t think any one person can fulfil all the needs of the other, however much it might be a loving and faithful marriage. There is always some part of us that is yearning and calling out for something more. This is not a bad thing. It just proves that that we are human and we are shackled by our human failings and limitations. I think Saint Augustine summed it up perfectly: Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee.

Best of 2010

Best films of 2010

1. The Social Network
2. Inception
3. The Blind Side
4. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
5. Up In The Air
6. A Prophet
7. The Road
8. Toy Story 3
9. The Disappearance Of Alice Creed
10. Brothers

Best albums (that I bought in 2010)

1. Fur And Gold by Bat For Lashes
2. Sew Sea by Lisa Hannigan
3. Lungs by Florence And The Machine
4. Two Suns by Bat For Lashes
5. Martha Wainwright by Martha Wainwright
6. Dream Attic by Richard Thompson
7. Funeral by Arcade Fire
8. A Collection by Anne Briggs
9. The Best of Frank Zappa
10. I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too by Martha Wainwright

Best dvds (that I watched in 2010)

1. Crash
2. Talk To Her
3. My Life As A Dog
4. Open Your Eyes
5. The Fountain

Best books (that I read in 2010)

1. A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
2. The Tenderness Of Wolves by Stef Penney
3. Snow Falling On Cedars by David Guterson
4. The Mill On The Floss by George Eliot
5. Engleby by Sebastian Faulks
6. A Painted House by John Grisham
7. Alone In Berlin by Hans Fallada
8. The Reader by Bernard Schlink
9. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
10. White Teeth by Zadie Smith

I read many excellent books in 2010 so it was very difficult to narrow it down to just ten and rank them accordingly. Here are a few honourable mentions that didn't quite make the list: The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig, The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson, The Other Hand by Chris Cleave, Dune by Frank Herbert, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom.
I want to give an extra special honourable mention to Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow by Peter Hoeg which didn't make last years list simply because I totally forget to include it. It's an excellent book.
Perhaps the surprise inclusion in 2010's book list is A Painted House by John Grisham. He's actually a very accomplished writer and maybe doesn't get the credit he deserves.

I wish everybody a blessed and happy 2011.

Shakespeare biography

The only non-fiction book I’ve read this year, not including Playboy and The Bible, is a biography of William Shakespeare by one of my favourite writers, Bill Bryson. It was given to me as a present a few years ago more of the strength that I am a Bryson fan rather than being an avid devotee of ‘the baird’. I studied Romeo and Juliet at high school, and to be honest I found it rather difficult to get my head around Shakespeare’s use of language. It is gospel that Shakespeare had a wonderful grasp of the English language. I do not refute this, but for some reason I struggle with his work. We went to see Hamlet at the King’s Theatre and I did not have a clue what was going on. I laughed when everybody else laughed, etc, and I enjoyed the bloody ending but most of it was lost on me. I am a late developer in most areas of life so maybe I’ll come to appreciate and enjoy his work in my fast approaching middle age. I liked Baz Lurman’s version of Romeo and Juliet, but this was more to do with Lurman’s vivid and quirky direction. I quite enjoyed Kenneth Branagh’s cinematic take on Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing but maybe they should provide subtitles for idiots like me so that we can keep abreast with the plot and character development, etc. Anyway, back to Bryson’s biography of Shakespeare. It’s succinct, well researched and insightful. He does the best he can with the limited evidence and knowledge of Shakespeare. Of course we would love to know more about this much celebrated and enigmatic genius but I was actually quite content learning about the different aspects of Elizabethan culture. Bryson does a good job of bringing it all to life. It is anything but dry and academic. Bryson’s last four books have not been travel books. The memoir of his childhood was a journey of sorts but not a physical one. Maybe he is tired of travelling and being away from his home and family. Or maybe he just wants to widen his literary scope. He certainly has the talent and skill to write about anything. He could write about the mating habits of salamanders and turn it into a best seller.
Shakespeare by Bill Bryson 8/10

A call to arms

This is a call to arms. Below is a draft of a letter I intend to send to David Cameron and George Osbourne. I encourage you, yes YOU reader, to get writing and let these posh bastards know that we are not happy with the status quo and with the policies they intend to implement. Round One, Ding Ding!

Dear Mr Cameron/Mr Osbourne,

I have three points to make.

Firstly, the current government are determined on cracking down on benefits cheats. This is obviously the right course of action but it seems to take a much higher priority than bringing to justice those who are guilty of tax evasion. The Inland Revenue lose about £95 billion in corporate tax through companies and individuals parking assets offshore and employing clever accountants to exploit existing loopholes. Why do you allow this? Instead of cutting public sector jobs and welfare benefits the government should take back the lost billions through closing tax loopholes and pursuing those who evade paying tax. This would more than half the national deficit.

Secondly, George Osbourne declared that we are 'all in this together'. I beg to differ. There are many millionaires in the present cabinet. How on earth can they be in it together with the poor and disadvantaged of society? The following is an example. Recent figures show that around 650,000 carers save the Scottish Government over £7 billion a year. One lady, Muriel Warwick, cares for her elderly mother who suffers from dementia and gets paid £240 a month in carer's allowance. That is £7 a day for 24 hours care. You keep referring to your cuts in welfare and public spending as 'tough but fair'. £7 a day is certainly tough but not fair.

Thirdly, will there be significant reform to avoid a repeated banking crisis?

Yours sincerely,

Michael James Gilfedder.