I am truly determined to commit more time to this blog in 2016 (not that it would be possible to commit *less* time to be honest). I am not aiming high, as I have experience of this e.g. "I will do three pilates classes, two zumba classes, two runs and two swims EVERY WEEK" "I will never drink AGAIN" "I will stop shopping ALTOGETHER". 2016 is about all things in moderation for me, so I promise I will attempt to blog once or twice a week, even if just a sentence of two, about stuff I've seen, heard, read.
Anyway, before I pack the laptop away for the holidays, I present the first part of my annual review of the arts....
Best film
Special mentions to Spectre, Slow West and Amy, but my Top Five favourite films in 2015 were:
Brooklyn - a beautiful charming joy of a film with a stunning central performance from Saoirse Ronan and a fabulous screenplay from Nick Hornby.
Brooklyn - a beautiful charming joy of a film with a stunning central performance from Saoirse Ronan and a fabulous screenplay from Nick Hornby.
Macbeth - Michael Fassbender in my favourite Shakespeare. 'Nuff said.
Carol - absolutely gorgeous adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's book. If Todd Haynes doesn't get a Best Director Oscar I will be horrified.
The Martian - unexpectedly, so much fun.
Eden - a little French masterpiece with a knockout soundtrack of French house music.
Best TV
Fargo - super stylish, super funny, super quirky, right up my street.
Catastrophe - Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan are geniuses. Full stop.
This Is England '90 - this made me laugh out loud and also properly properly sob. I don't think I have ever been so emotionally invested in a TV programme. Lol, Milky and the gang still pop into my head at random times. I hope they're ok. They're real people right??
The Legacy - no one else I know apart from my mum watched this. More proof that everyone I know apart from me and my mum is an idiot.
The Bridge - at the time of writing, the third series hasn't finished but it has to go on my list. Saga Noren is just the most compelling character around.
Best book
God, this has been a sparse year for good reads. I've had a phase of reading utter tripe recently, and nothing I've read in the past six months has made this list:
God, this has been a sparse year for good reads. I've had a phase of reading utter tripe recently, and nothing I've read in the past six months has made this list:
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson - predictable but my god, this is a great book. I'm already looking forward to re-reading it.
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel - I picked this up and thought 'a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel, no thanks'. But rave reviews on twitter made me look again and I loved it. Fascinating, thoughtful and beautifully written.
Villa America by Liza Klaussmann - an absorbing novel about life and love, based on the life of Gerald and Sara Murphy, friends of F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
This House of Grief by Helen Garner - another odd choice, this non-fiction story of a murder trial in Australia is horrifying and unputdownable.
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel - I picked this up and thought 'a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel, no thanks'. But rave reviews on twitter made me look again and I loved it. Fascinating, thoughtful and beautifully written.
Villa America by Liza Klaussmann - an absorbing novel about life and love, based on the life of Gerald and Sara Murphy, friends of F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
This House of Grief by Helen Garner - another odd choice, this non-fiction story of a murder trial in Australia is horrifying and unputdownable.
