This post has all of humanity wrapped up in your glorious words, Jill, from your hilarious review of a real bottom-of-the-barrel film through to the heartbreaking climax of the no-funding bombshell. Whether or not the river is yours remains an open debate - no, okay, fine, it's not yours, but it's definitely 'yours', right?
Awesome writing. Another treat of a post. Thank you. 😀
I wish all movie reviews were like this: cutting, clear, and funny. I remember hearing about Napoleon during it's pre-release promo. I've since forgot about it and sounds like it would be wise to forget about it again.
Hi. I’m sure I would not meet your exacting standards for humanity all that often and am, by nature I fear, at least as curmudgeonly from time to time (my wife and children have suggested thus). I’m also fond of Joaquin as a rule. But filmic dramatic licence hasn’t really done this work any favours, has it? Nor historic licence (extremely egregious).
I suggest “Inherent Vice” as a cure (the film) - it’s great to my mind, goes nowhere (or wherever it is that Pynchon goes) and is poignant and funny in parts. The acting is fabulous. Don’t expect plot as you have come to know it.
Anyway, still sad about the pub for you, but you seem both to be adjusting. All the best, John.
Napoleon had bad movie vibes from the start. With Maximus dead, a Gladiator sequel is bound to be awful.
I grew up in an apartment above a very proper and wealthy man with an English accent. One evening, while I was playing football (American) in our hallway with my younger brothers, he called. Our parents were out, and I answered the phone. Our neighbor asked whether we were moving furniture or enjoying our pogo sticks. We stopped our game.
Thanks Jill - that's Napolean settled... ;) It's a beautiful post about trees - we had a 100-ft redwood in our yard in the States, every August to December it would drop old bits like copper-brown snow. Wouldn't hear of cutting it down (and, luckily, it is protected) but that didn't stop all the neighbors also implying it was ruining their lives...
Categorically fuck Napoleon (film). We lasted until the embarrassing scene with his mother and the pregnancy and are still offended by the life it took from us, for nought.
That orange splodge instantly made my stomach flip. We also have neighbors that want to cut down oaks that are many hundreds of years old because a room of theirs would get a bit more light. The mind boggles.
I’m sorry about the funding. And that everything is, largely, shit. It is, indeed, worth trying. ❤️
I wondered if Napoleon would suck. Appreciate you warning me off before I spent the money. What is it with the tree haters?!?!? I understand taking down a damaged and ailing tree, but there seem to so many people who are deeply and personally offended by the leaves they drop, the fallen sticks, their just being there. I don't get it. But there is definitely a certain subset of this group that is, shall we say, of a certain age. And I believe they are looking for things they can control. It makes them feel safer. "There! That's one tree that won't fall on my house. Ha!" I tell my self I'll strive to remember that I'm really in control of nothing, and hopefully avoid the desire to topple trees when I am old. Thanks for this. It was a lovely read.
Great little tale of musing Jill. Like most, I’m distracted by armies of words and time limited in salutes but I read all yours as it jumped from one to another division.
BTW, as an old man, I rue most change but have concluded there’s actually 3 things unavoidable, taxes, death, AND CHANGE. I’d still remove the orange splotch off the tree but understand for a Brit, “that’s not done”.
As to movie dialogue, yes! It’s as if they don’t care. Ah, the oldies where your brain was altered by words like Godfather 1 and 2, Dr. Zhivago, and Lawrence of Arabia.
I think we've always had shit movies, but I commiserate with you. I have little interest in most of the "big" ones these days, though I did enjoy the Barbie one. I don't know what it is with homeowners and hating trees. My neighbor cut down two healthy ones, and all I can think of is they were tired of cleaning up leaves and needles. My plot has the tallest tree in the neighborhood, a tulip tree, and I clean up its leaves, fallen branches, flowers, buds, and samaras, and find the pollen all over my car, and honeydew if I park under it. I can wash the car. I'll never cut down a tree unless it is dying, and a danger. I am privileged (or blessed? "Brian Blessed" perhaps?) to be a large, loud, hairy person who few people approach with an attitude. I lend my services to friends who dislike confrontation, and will politely ask rude people not to be. It is what it is, until we decide it ain't.
The urge of a certain sort of suburbanite or upscale villager to chop down garden trees is pretty universal and international - I'd have to cross the Atlantic to drink in your pub when it reopens but we have them here too. Fight the good fight - a local council that cares helps a lot (here).
What is with people always cutting down old trees that were there well before their stupid house and road even existed. I would like to sell my house, but 90% of my resistance to doing so is the knowledge that the buyer is likely to be some young well-to-do couple that will probably cut down the big oak in my yard that blocks the view of the hills. (I live in a college town in a “trendy” neighborhood, so I know the type comprising the pool of potential buyers here.) Gah. Anyway, good luck with the pub. Fingers crossed.
This post has all of humanity wrapped up in your glorious words, Jill, from your hilarious review of a real bottom-of-the-barrel film through to the heartbreaking climax of the no-funding bombshell. Whether or not the river is yours remains an open debate - no, okay, fine, it's not yours, but it's definitely 'yours', right?
Awesome writing. Another treat of a post. Thank you. 😀
How much do the shares cost?
Nothing like a good ruminative walk, and an ear for dialogue!
misplaced White Male Confidence is now how I will refer all the men in my teams (my teams are all white men)
I wish all movie reviews were like this: cutting, clear, and funny. I remember hearing about Napoleon during it's pre-release promo. I've since forgot about it and sounds like it would be wise to forget about it again.
Hi. I’m sure I would not meet your exacting standards for humanity all that often and am, by nature I fear, at least as curmudgeonly from time to time (my wife and children have suggested thus). I’m also fond of Joaquin as a rule. But filmic dramatic licence hasn’t really done this work any favours, has it? Nor historic licence (extremely egregious).
I suggest “Inherent Vice” as a cure (the film) - it’s great to my mind, goes nowhere (or wherever it is that Pynchon goes) and is poignant and funny in parts. The acting is fabulous. Don’t expect plot as you have come to know it.
Anyway, still sad about the pub for you, but you seem both to be adjusting. All the best, John.
Enjoyed this, Jill.
Napoleon had bad movie vibes from the start. With Maximus dead, a Gladiator sequel is bound to be awful.
I grew up in an apartment above a very proper and wealthy man with an English accent. One evening, while I was playing football (American) in our hallway with my younger brothers, he called. Our parents were out, and I answered the phone. Our neighbor asked whether we were moving furniture or enjoying our pogo sticks. We stopped our game.
Thanks Jill - that's Napolean settled... ;) It's a beautiful post about trees - we had a 100-ft redwood in our yard in the States, every August to December it would drop old bits like copper-brown snow. Wouldn't hear of cutting it down (and, luckily, it is protected) but that didn't stop all the neighbors also implying it was ruining their lives...
Categorically fuck Napoleon (film). We lasted until the embarrassing scene with his mother and the pregnancy and are still offended by the life it took from us, for nought.
That orange splodge instantly made my stomach flip. We also have neighbors that want to cut down oaks that are many hundreds of years old because a room of theirs would get a bit more light. The mind boggles.
I’m sorry about the funding. And that everything is, largely, shit. It is, indeed, worth trying. ❤️
You have a way with words. I find myself nodding along to everything you say. Especially about old walls.
I wondered if Napoleon would suck. Appreciate you warning me off before I spent the money. What is it with the tree haters?!?!? I understand taking down a damaged and ailing tree, but there seem to so many people who are deeply and personally offended by the leaves they drop, the fallen sticks, their just being there. I don't get it. But there is definitely a certain subset of this group that is, shall we say, of a certain age. And I believe they are looking for things they can control. It makes them feel safer. "There! That's one tree that won't fall on my house. Ha!" I tell my self I'll strive to remember that I'm really in control of nothing, and hopefully avoid the desire to topple trees when I am old. Thanks for this. It was a lovely read.
Great little tale of musing Jill. Like most, I’m distracted by armies of words and time limited in salutes but I read all yours as it jumped from one to another division.
BTW, as an old man, I rue most change but have concluded there’s actually 3 things unavoidable, taxes, death, AND CHANGE. I’d still remove the orange splotch off the tree but understand for a Brit, “that’s not done”.
As to movie dialogue, yes! It’s as if they don’t care. Ah, the oldies where your brain was altered by words like Godfather 1 and 2, Dr. Zhivago, and Lawrence of Arabia.
I think we've always had shit movies, but I commiserate with you. I have little interest in most of the "big" ones these days, though I did enjoy the Barbie one. I don't know what it is with homeowners and hating trees. My neighbor cut down two healthy ones, and all I can think of is they were tired of cleaning up leaves and needles. My plot has the tallest tree in the neighborhood, a tulip tree, and I clean up its leaves, fallen branches, flowers, buds, and samaras, and find the pollen all over my car, and honeydew if I park under it. I can wash the car. I'll never cut down a tree unless it is dying, and a danger. I am privileged (or blessed? "Brian Blessed" perhaps?) to be a large, loud, hairy person who few people approach with an attitude. I lend my services to friends who dislike confrontation, and will politely ask rude people not to be. It is what it is, until we decide it ain't.
The urge of a certain sort of suburbanite or upscale villager to chop down garden trees is pretty universal and international - I'd have to cross the Atlantic to drink in your pub when it reopens but we have them here too. Fight the good fight - a local council that cares helps a lot (here).
What is with people always cutting down old trees that were there well before their stupid house and road even existed. I would like to sell my house, but 90% of my resistance to doing so is the knowledge that the buyer is likely to be some young well-to-do couple that will probably cut down the big oak in my yard that blocks the view of the hills. (I live in a college town in a “trendy” neighborhood, so I know the type comprising the pool of potential buyers here.) Gah. Anyway, good luck with the pub. Fingers crossed.
Ugh. I keep wondering if you have the pub yet. Fucking Napoleon. This is why we can’t have nice things.