Archive for August, 2020
Donald Trump – the greatest president of all time
August 31st, 2020 by Roger Darlington
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A review of the new blockbuster movie “Tenet”
August 29th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
“Tenet” is Christopher Nolan’s 11th film and I have viewed and admired all his previous work except his very first film which I’ve never seen. Of the movies that – like “Tenet” – Nolan wrote as well as directed, I was immensely impressed with “Memento” and “Inception” but struggled with the second half of “Interstellar”. […]
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Let’s hear it for friendship – and then let’s tackle inequality
August 27th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
“Relationships matter so much because other people can be our best sources of security, comfort and cooperation or our worst rivals. Just as bad relationships are highly stressful, friendship is relaxing and restorative. We have evolved an extraordinary sensitivity to relationships, because getting them right has always been crucial to our survival.” This is an […]
Posted in British current affairs, Social policy, World current affairs | Comments (0)
A review of the novel “The Man In The High Castle” by Philip K Dick
August 26th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
I decided to read this 1962 novel after the success of the Amazon television series of the same name broadcast in 40 parts between 2015-2019 even though I never viewed the series. It was immediately apparent to me that Dick’s books are generally better on the screen that on the page – think of “Total […]
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A review of the recent film “Crazy Rich Asians”
August 25th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
While this may not be the first Western-produced film with an East Asian cast – think “The Joy Luck Club” (1993) or “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) – the sheer number of cast members with various Asian backgrounds and the huge commercial success of this 2018 movie (it was the highest-grossing romantic comedy in a […]
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A review of the 1998 film “Dark City”
August 21st, 2020 by Roger Darlington
Written, produced and directed by the Australian Alex Proyas, this is not a movie that will appeal to everyone. It is part mind-twisting science fiction like “The Matrix” and part homage to German Expressionism of the 1920s. It looks wonderful – as dark as the title promises – but the plotting (a alien experiment with […]
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How to make £10 billion in two days by doing nothing
August 20th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
Does this sound impossible and crazy? Well, it is possible but it is crazy. For most people around the world, the coronavirus global pandemic has been a terrible experience. Even if you stayed alive, even if you didn’t actually catch the virus, there’s a good chance that your business has gone bust or your job […]
Posted in American current affairs, World current affairs | Comments (0)
Could China become a democracy?
August 18th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
“China is bound to go through political transformation, toward democracy, political freedom, rule of law and constitutionalism. This is the inevitable trend of modern human political civilisation. China will enter this stage sooner or later. Because the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] has been in power since 1949, they have made many mistakes and even crimes. […]
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My review of “Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race” by Reni Eddo-Lodge (2017)
August 14th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
The award-winning black novelist Bernardine Evaristo has described the title of this non-fiction work – the first by Eddo-Lodge – as “gloriously provocative” and “marketing gold”. The truth is, of course, that the whole book is a conversation with white and non-white readers, by a young black woman born in north London and raised by a Nigerian mother, […]
Posted in British current affairs, Cultural issues | Comments (0)
Joe Biden chooses Kamala Harris as his running mate and that is the right choice
August 11th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, Joe Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as his Vice-Presidential running mate will come as no surprise. Three years ago, I tipped her for the top in blog postings here and here. Three months ago, I said that she should be on Biden’s ticket in blog postings here […]
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