Archive for August, 2017
How did your part of the country vote in the Brexit referendum?
August 11th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
More than one year after the UK voted in a referendum narrowly to leave the European Union, we have still barely started the complex negotiations that are involved. Meanwhile debate continues to rage over the decision and whether it can be reversed. You know how you voted (I voted remain), but do you know how […]
Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)
Another day of rain (or sun)
August 9th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Here in London, we’ve had a miserable summer with lots of cool, overcast, and even wet days. Today is probably the worst so far with so much rain. I decided that the only thing to do was to listen to “Another Day Of Sun”, the opening song from the wonderful movie “La la Land”. Enjoy!
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
A review of the sci-fi blockbuster “Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets”
August 8th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
You have to admire an artist with ambition who is prepared to take risks and French writer/director Luc Besson is an original in the world of cinema. He has given us such wonders as “Leon”, “The Fifth Element” and “Lucy” – works of variable success – plus the under-rated and under-known “The Lady” and even […]
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Kenya goes to the polls today and Kenyans hold their breath
August 8th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
A month ago on my fourth visit to Nairobi, I did a blog posting about the coming general election in Kenya. That election – and a host of other polls – will be held today and, given the experience of previous elections and the closeness of the rival coalitions, there are real fears about the […]
Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)
Russia: Re-exerting its dominance
August 7th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
At this time of year, my professional commitments are light, so I sign up for a number of short courses at the City Lit further education college in central London. My fifth such course of this summer was delivered by a lecturer called Robert Behan and it was titled “Russia: Re-exerting its dominance”. The course involves two […]
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The tragedy of the partition of India
August 6th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Seventy years ago this month, the British rushed through the partition of India to create new two states: India and Pakistan (which is now Pakistan and Bangladesh). In the resultant ethnic violence and migration, perhaps a million people died and up to 15 million people were displaced. Why did this happen and where does partition […]
Posted in History | Comments (0)
A review of the new Christopher Nolan film “Dunkirk”
August 5th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
The last time we saw Dunkirk in a film was in Joe Wright’s “Atonement” which featured a staggering five and a half minute Steadicam shot of a hell on earth beach scene. Now, thanks to the supreme talents of British director Christopher Nolan, we have an entire film devoted to the miracle of May/June 1940 […]
Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)
There’s nobody in the world of cinema to compare to Clint Eastwood
August 4th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Regular visitors to this blog will know that I am a lifelong fan of cinema and see quite a lot of films, all of which I review on my website. There is probably nobody who has starred in and/or directed more of the movies that I’ve viewed over the last six decades than the legend […]
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A review of the novel “Alone In Berlin” by Hans Fallada
August 3rd, 2017 by Roger Darlington
This remarkable novel was first published in German in 1947 and I read an English translation by Michael Hofman published in 2009. It is a long work – almost 600 pages – but the translation is excellent, the narrative compelling, and the text is divided into 72 chapters, so that it is a compulsive read. […]
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A review of last year’s film “Snowden”
August 2nd, 2017 by Roger Darlington
The eponymous Edward Snowden is, of course, the former CIA contractor who in 2013 revealed to the world the massive and unauthorised surveillance operations carried out by American (and British) intelligence services. Documentary maker Laura Poitras was at the Hong Kong hotel when he passed on his information to the “Guardian” newspaper and this meeting […]
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