The wheat bag has been warmed and sits on my ilio-sacral joint. It's been a nagging ache for some of thed day. It's fine. The gym loosened it up a bit. My bang-bang machine (Tympanic massager) has been charged.
Rather than sit at the computer, something I have done for most of the day, I sat on the couch and plotted.
What am I going to do with the Ladies of Gilgamesh Lodge.
Why Gilgamesh? Well, it's a Sumerian myth that deals with travelling to the underworld, grief, death and rebirth. It fits with the ethos of modern Masonic lodges.
I've got a location for the Lodge - a back street in deepest, darkest East Melbourne. A friend of mine used to have a garage in this mews arrrangement - perfect spot for a small lodge and far enough away from the old Masonic Temple that used to be on Albert Street.
An one of my characters. Modern woman. Professional. Busy. Looking for some ways to further her spirituality. Has been a member of the Lodge for ten years. And is stuck on sandwiches for supper.
I'm not sure if anybody is aware of what it is to try and make CWA worthy supper contributions when you are busy. Making fingers sandwiches is an art form. And how do you drag a lot of people in a small club to think about things like allergy warnings. And what do people like to eat at these suppers. And how Hayley feels so completely inadequate when it's her turn to make supper.
And what does her husband think about her being a mason? Is he one himself? If he is one, has he ever been to one of her meetings?
And what else should be on the supper table.
And do I let her get ready to go to the meeting, going over the dress code, what can be worn, getting the accoutrements prepared. Like me, does she always lose her gloves.
The Venue: The Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House
Stars: 5
Until: 21 January
The Sydney Opera House turns 50 this year, so the powers-that-be that have brought out the big guns. And big guns they were.
Michael Sheen.
Michael Sheen. Ageing Welsh mega-lovey to the cynical. Or one of the greatest stage actors of our time. Take your pick. He also comes across as a lovely man. (And yes, I am very biased as I have a huge thing for scruffy Welshmen. It's all in the accent and the can't-be-fucked mentality - and I'm partly of Welsh extraction)
I've loved him as an actor for years. He was the superb Miles in Bright Young Things. His Tony Blair in The Queen and David Frost in Frost/Nixon were great. He's also not afraid to go popular, acting in movies like the Twilight and Underworld Sagas. On television, he was William Masters in The Masters of Sex, and can be seen in Good Omens and Staged at the moment online.
And he's the bloke you get to egg on your football team if you're Welsh. Watch this. It gets you on a cellular level if you haven't seen it yet.
As soon as I saw the advertisements for this production I secured a ticket, booked a flight and a hotel and hoped the wait was worth it.
It was.
The other thing that was special for me was it was my first time seeing a production in the Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House. Fortified with a meal from a favourite Mexican restaurant (Mejico - and this time I wasn't with somebody who thought that cumin was going to kill him (wuss)), we made our way in the rain to the big building that sort of looks like a pack of nuns in a scrum.
50 years on, the building is still impressive. I remember seeing it as a child and thinking it unfinished. My tastes have refined a lot. It's glorious.
So, Amadeus. The story of Antonio Salieri, composer and Mozart's "mentor" in Vienna. Salieri is dying. He wants to unburden himself in his dying hours, and with this he relates the tale of how he helped facilitate the death of one of the world's greatest composers.
In the two hours 20 of the play, we watch as Salieri quietly gaslights the exuberant Mozart.
It's inspiring on many levels. Cunning, devious and playing a deceptively long game. Which, 32 years later, Salieri sees the error of his ways.
The cast are fabulous. Rahel Romahn brings live and colour to the impish Mozart. Lily Balanticz is fabulous as Constanz, Mozart's long-suffering wife. The rest of the cast do a great job in propelling the play forward.
There is also a full complement of opera singers and a small chamber orchestra who present Mozart's greatest hits (The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute and the Requiem) as they are conceived. It's most wonderful.
The staging is great too, making use of the long stage. Up front, there is a pianoforte and a wheelchair. A set of stairs leads to the back of the theatre where the orchestra and singers perform. It's quite ingenious in its stripped back nature. Adding to this the over-the-top costumes provide a visual feast, with a baroque meets Commedia de L'Arte feel. Lots of colour and frills and ruffles.
However, this is Michael Sheen's production. He commands the stage. Being honest, I'd be happy to listen to him read a EULA (End User License Agreement). He has one of those voices which makes you feel like you've been covered in cinnamon sugar and maple syrup. It's those mellifluous tones that get you in. His stagecraft is masterful. Even when the action is away from him, I was quite mesmerised just watching him sit in a chair.
He's an actor in his prime - and a testament to Classical English Theatre training.
The standing ovation was well deserved.
My only feeling if reticence was not having slightly better tickets. We were in the centre of the Dress Circle. In traditional theatres this would be a fantastic spot, but the Concert Hall is huge and there were nuances missed though the tyranny of distance. I'm not sure what the people in the nosebleed section behind us could see of the stage. It's a matter of balancing out the size of the spectacle with size of the theatre. To put this in a smaller theatre would have meant missing out on the orchestra and choir. There are no real regrets here, but being used to smaller theatres in Melbourne, the distance from the stage did prove a little problematic.
But I'm not complaining. I saw a brilliant production in the Opera House. I got to see a favourite actor, in his prime, in a fantastic production. I got to help celebrate the Sydney Opera House's 50th birthday. I'm also truly grateful I have the resources to make these occasional pilgrimages in the name of the Arts.
I'm writing this from Sydney, where I'm about to go and have a lovely dinner then go and see Michael Sheen in Amadeus at the Sydney Opera House. I'm rather excited about this. Love Michael Sheen.
Better get cracking on these questions, provided, as always, by Bev at Sunday Stealing.
1. If you could change the ending to one movie you have seen, which one would it be, and how would you reshoot it?
Oh, so many of these to choose from. Hmmm. I'm going to come back to this one.
I have come back to this six hours later and I'm still stumped, but I'll say it would be a different movie if Iron Man / Tony Stark had lived at the end of The Avengers movies.
2. If you were to select a food that best describes your character, what food would it be?
Smoked Salmon. I'm rare but commonplace. A little uncooked at times. A little raw. The result of pickling and time. Too expensive for my own good. And found at the best places.
3. If you could cure any disease, which would it be?
Leukaemia. I might still have my other niece here if I could do that (Leukaemia treatments are awful).
Next on the list would be Type 1 Diabetes. Although it can be controlled it can be so lethal.
4. If you had to describe the single worst thing a friend could do to you, what would it be?
Betray me. Do it at your own peril. It's not pretty.
5. If you could be a contestant on any game show, which would you like to be on?
I'd love to give Who Wants to be a Millionaire a go. I think I'd do well at that.
6. If you could choose the music at your own funeral, what would it be, and who would play it?
There are so many tunes to choose from. Here are a few songs I've thought about asking to go on the play list:
and
7. If you had to spend all of your vacations for the rest of your life in the same place, where would you go?
Either all expenses in London or Ubud in Bali - either would suit me well,
8. If you could ask God a single question, what would it be?
Why do you allow war and hatred?
9. If you could eat one food in any quantity for the rest of your life with no ill effects whatsoever what food would you choose?
Ice cream. Any ice cream. It is the sixth food group after all...
10. If you could have a year any place in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?
At the moment that would be Paris - in one of the inner Arrondisements. I would love to be fluent in French and this is the only way I can see this happening.
11. If you could forever eliminate one specific type of prejudice from the earth, which would it be?
Sexism, racism and ageism. Sorry, I want to see all of these gone.
12. If you could own one painting from any collection in the world but were not allowed to sell it, which work of art would you select?
Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles. I can stare into that forever. It currently hangs in the National Gallery in Canberra. It's extraordinary.
If not this, then the Wilton Diptych, which lives in The National Gallery in London, but it would be mean to not allow the rest of the world viewing access to the girlies.
13. If you could ask a single question of a dead relative, what would it be and of whom would you ask it?
This is a bit of a loaded question which could take hours to answer. I would love to get some truths out of my paternal grandparents. The house was a very sad one. I want to know why.
14. If you had to choose the best television show ever made, which one would you pick?
There is a lot of good telly out there. It is so hard to say the best show ever made is....
My top picks include:
The West Wing
Six Feet Under
Drop the Dead Donkey
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Incredible writing, incredible world building)
Fleabag (Oh my - what a show)
Mad Men
Blackadder
MASH (This is still hilarious)
Frasier
Don't make me choose one.
15. If you could write letters to only one person for the rest of your life, who would receive them?
Like most people, I haven't written letters in years. I have no idea how to answer this one. Maybe a good writing coach,
Okay, it's a Guy Richie film. He wrote and directed this film. What can I say?
Operation Fortune - Ruse de Guerre has all the hallmarks of a Guy Richie film. These elements include:
Complicated plot
Lots of action
Lots of things blowing up
A heap of East End wide boys
And some trademark humour.
And yes, this film has all of this in buckets. Yet it still left me a little flat. Compared to The Gentlemen which came out in 2019, or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, this didn't come out as strong. It's not that it didn't hold my attention - it's just been done before.
So, what's this about? According to rottentomatoes.com "Super spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). Reluctantly teamed with some of the world's best operatives (Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone), Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood's biggest movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) to help them on their globe-trotting undercover mission to save the world."
Convoluted. A bit - but name a Guy Richie film which hasn't got a lot of twists and turns.
There's quite a bit to like about this if you're one for action movies. Things blow up, baddies get bullets, there's an epic car chase and a dopey Hollywood star who's along for the ride. It takes a bit to nut some things out (or maybe I fell asleep at a crucial moment and then had to catch up.)
On the good side of things, Jason Statham is fun to watch as Orson, who keeps everybody on track. Hugh Grant is doing his now signature performance as a skeezy Cockney, something which really suits him as he's deep into his middle age. If you haven't seen The Gentleman, hunt it out - it's worth it.
This doesn't quite reach the same level as The Gentlemen. It's not bad, but it's still more of the same. Richie is formulaic at the best of times. This doesn't have the wow factor of some of his earlier films.
Other good things about this film include the locations - Turkey has never looked better. Of course, we're dealing with the super-rich, so the sets are over the top luxe.
And the performances are fun. Jason Statham plays to type, again. You know you're never going to see him play Macbeth at the Old Vic, but he's good at what he does. Cary Elwes (who used to be Westley in The Princess Bride) and Hugh Grant have a ball with some great one liners. Aubrey Plaza does what she does best, handing over a heap of sass as she is prone to do. I love Eddie Marsan who plays the controller - he always adds a bit to any film he's in. And my small crush on Max Beesley is still firmly in place.
But I'm still not convinced. Yes, it's entertaining enough, but it feels a bit same-old-same-old. Guy Richie has his formula - he's not going to change.
Still, it's good fun. I can't complain about it. It's pretty to look at and fun to watch. Visual fairy floss. The boys will love it.
Still, I reckon The Gentlemen was a better film. Ah well. I'd go again and take a bloke with me to see what he makes of it. I reckon blokes will love it.
When your writing project stalls and you know you want to get writing, but you're procrastinating and you have lots of other things to do and....
Well, walking through Coles after a session at the gym, it struck me. A fish out of water story. A redemption story. One with an unknown element, within which I can instill some of my trademark humour.
All I could think of was a title. The Lady Freemasons of Vaucluse.
There are so many books about odd clubs. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Ladies Number One Detective Agency, The Jane Austen Book Club... Why can't I write something like that.
A struggle with old and new.
Quirky characters.
A bit of mystery.
Some mystery around what they actually do.
The struggle with technology.
Of course, I can see my freemason friends getting all up in the air about this (particularly as there is a lot of content I could draw from what I've seen over 15 years as a freemason...)
And there's the ethics of writing about something which is allegedly secret.
Or maybe I should just boot myself up the arse and go back to my other project and not bask in the new relationship energy of another daft thought.
One more day of holiday. Another interstate trip on the weekend. Back to work on Monday.
I half promised myself I wouldn't start a new knitting project before I got my colleague's hat got finished.
Well, that didn't happen.
The thing with making beanies is that they're boring. Good for keeping the hands busy, but they aren't mentally stimulating.
And I never make anything for me.
And I found this wrap, which can be work as a scarf or a wrap and it was cabled, and I like cables. If I'm honest, I just like the textures.
And it's not that hard to do. Once you get into the cables it's just a matter of counting and remembering whether the cable needles goes to the back or the front.
You have to pay attention to what you're doing. Lots of counting. Knit one, purl one, knit one, purl three. Simples.
And as winter is months away, I can take my time on it.
As I'm off to Sydney this weekend, I can take the beanie with me for down-time crafting.
But this scarf can be savoured, the meditative workings of the hands and mind will be happily encountered over the next while. And I'll enjoy what comes out at the end of the sticks.
Audiences are going to fall into two groups with this film. Those who have read Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove (pronounced "Oover"- like Hoover) and those who have not. I love the Fredrik Backman's books, so during this lovely little tale, I was doing direct comparisons with the book. (By the way, my favourite Fredrik Backman book is My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises. He writes from the heart.)
Needless to say, you don't have to have read the book to enjoy this - in fact you may be better off for it.
So, what is this about?
According to imdb.com "Otto is a grump who's given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol, leading to a friendship that will turn his world around."
And that is pretty much it. You soon realise that Otto (Tom Hanks), as Marisol (Mariana Trevino) says, is "Pretty bad at dying." I know it is bad to make fun of people who have suicidal tendencies, but Otto has a run of bad, or maybe good luck that keeps him alive, and eventually gives him a reason to live.
Sounds a bit glum. It's not. This is a film about love and community and acceptance and hope. Just like the book.
As time goes on, the optimistic and capable Marisol starts to integrate Otto the grump into her family's lives, and the life of the community. The great thing about Otto is that he's not a bad bloke - he just likes things the way he likes them and he's a man of few words.
The other thing the movie does well is explain Otto's back story with his wife Sonya, who you get to know through a series of flashbacks.
As somebody who's read the book, I can see the similarities and the differences. The story itself is true to the book. But its location has been moved from a small town in Sweden to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The bigger jolt is the character of Marisol, a woman of Mexican extraction, has replaced Parvenah, an Iranian import in the book. I'm sure this was only done for the sake of the American audiences - it was okay, and it worked well, but purists may get their nose out of joint. The other thing that was mentioned was in the book, Malcolm was gay - in this, he's trans. Again, a minor point in a book about community and family. (I liked the change, Jay didn't - oh well.)
In all, this is a charming film. Tom Hanks is great as the irascible Otto. It's a role he was born to play. I can't see anybody else doing Ove justice - he's got the right amount of grumpiness mixed in with a wonderful humanity.
I also don't remember the book having much to do with the corporate takeover of the community, which was played up here with the badly named "Dye & Merica" corporation taking over things - this was a bit heavy handed.
Oh, the other thing. Take tissues. I blubbed through this film. It's not that it's sad. It just restores a bit of your faith in humanity.
