The Year of Celebration

On Sunday night I saw the new Tom Hooper directed film adaptation of 'Les Miserables'. Feeling raw, I came out of the cinema into the darkness of the night. For the first time since being in Vancouver (and possibly ever) I was grateful for the gloom and rain, because the dramatic streak in me revelled in the pathetic fallacy. I did not trudge home as per usual, shivering and blinking away the rain. Instead I glided alone along the pavements that "shined like silver" and indulged in some self-examination. Sporadically, there will be films I watch that touch me in unimaginable ways. That remind me of cinematic magic and the reasons I need to be an actor. I love writing and for the last year I've questioned whether I could be content doing just that. The answer is yes, that I could be content, but that I am never as ignited as I am when I am performing. That's what this film reminded me of. I have had experiences in theatre and performing where I have been ...

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I'm in a Book Club called B3 (Bermy Book Babes). Clearly, an all-female book club, it's a great chance to open my mind to books I wouldn't usually read and have a good old natter once every couple of months. One book we read a few months ago was The Help, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I went to see the film tonight with Aziza and my younger sister Claudia and it was very faithful to the book. My only issue was that, and I know this sounds controversial, but many in Book Club agreed with me, that the Black women couldn't stand up for themselves, and they needed a White woman to essentially come to their rescue and make them see the light. The book was written by a White woman, so I can see how it would be told from her perspective. But it was an extraordinary book, and an excellent story.  Here are some quotes from the film: "Fried chicken just tend to make you feel better about life."  "If ...

I went to hospital today, so not a lot to celebrate. Had a bunch of symptoms (dizziness, nausea, double vision, REM whilst awake), which ended with an injection in my bum. Lovely. But tonight I'm starting a Harry Potter marathon to watch before the last film comes out (whilst eating dry toast). Celebrating the series. Actually lovely. My minor health issue makes me think of the above postsecret .

Well today is officially STAR WARS DAY!! Like many, many people I watched all three original Star Wars on repeat throughout my childhood. And of course today I'm celebrating the one, the only, the sexy....Han Solo. I wanted to be Princess Leia not for the amazing braid danishes, but so Han would love me....sigh. Lots of other things to celebrate today including the fact that it's the 84th Anniversary of the founding of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (without which we would have no Oscar which I'm going to win in a few years) and the date in 1959 that the 1st Grammy Awards were held. A day of movies and music...yes please! Today's Quote comes from Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man & the Sea, as he won the Pulitzer Prize for it on this date in 1953. "Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready."