Inclined to Opine

    Dickens was onto something by naming one of his novels Great Expectations; they really do colour how you react and ultimately feel about things. In this case, Netflix's little preview set me up for a revenge thriller that would be more talking and less punching but still keep the tension humming.     Instead, I was treated to over an hour of pretty much nothing happening, then something momentous coming out of the blue in a rush, followed by an awkward fast forward and epilogue of sorts. The acting wasn't bad (Arnie has clearly learnt over the years) but the writing was cumbersome and made little sense from a narrative perspective. And the worst was the pacing and lack of character development.                                                                     ...

[originally posted on social media in August 2014]      Matilda was AMAZING!!!! Everyone told me so but I was a little apprehensive as it was my favourite book growing up; but it's awesome! Left with moist eyes and a huge grin, and even after 3.5 hours I'm still on cloud nine. [May 2020 edit, after watching the show two more times]      After three viewings, Matilda is quite possibly my favourite musical currently on the West End. It takes some liberties with the story but in ways that bring us closer to the feel of the book, not further away. The music is original and witty, perfectly capturing the different characters; I mean, it's Tim Minchin so I can't say I'm surprised! And the staging is brilliant whilst still fairly simple.     With three different casts under my belt, I can also safely say that the performance quality is consistent, both in the adults and the children. And it's such a pleasure to listen to professional child performers who...

I'm a teacher. Which means I'm used to assessing quality and grading work. But I'm not a fan of ratings. So.... ...I've come up with a way of conveying whether or not I think something is worth watching:      Absolutely! - love it, brilliant, go watch it!      Solid - good, enjoyed it, worth seeing.       Eh, take it or leave it - doesn't inspire me but doesn't make me rant either so you decide.      Nuh-uh - not good, don't recommend.      Hours of my life I won’t get back - regret watching, save yourself! And all this is my opinion and nothing else. Disagree with my conclusions? Tell me in the comments! Hearing a different perspective, having my mind changed or just agreeing to disagree is my jam.

For a long while now I’ve had the idea of starting a cinema blog gnawing away at the back of my mind. Then I moved to London and started going to shows regularly, often finding myself with something to say afterwards. Amidst lockdown, in a world where performing arts are at risk, I’ve decided to take the plunge and share my opinions on a wider platform.               So who am I to have opinions worth sharing? What I am not is a film critic, nor a film student, nor an actress, director, cinematographer, nor anything remotely cinema-related. I am a classical musician and music teacher with a dance background who just happens to love films and live shows. So this is just me giving my opinion, sharing it with whomever finds it interesting. I hope you stick around…               As for practical matters, I’ll try not to give away spoilers or to warn ahead if I do. If somet...