I've been wishing...

I've been remembering...

The snow. Because it is, of course, gone. So here are the memories:

I've been snowing...

First time for about five years, I have seen snow again! :) I forgot how beautiful winter can be! A picture - soon :) But for now - enjoy the Christmas, be good to each other, treat people and animals the way you would like to be treated and see you in New Year! (How exciting... :) )!

I've been thinking...

I really like Agnieszka Holland - she is such a wonderful director! However, every time I watch one of her films, I get upset. This time it was "Copying Beethoven" with two of the most handsome people in the world - Ed Harris and Matthew Goode. But I was not going to write about the film.
Probably, because I spent last ten days in bed and not moving too much - I had this reflection... Every true artist is designed to be alone. I do realise it's not news for anybody. But it's just the fact that I don't quite get it. Why all these people who can see more, who can say something interesting, who have new, different opinions, they always end up alone? I don't mean lonely. There are always crowds wanting to touch them or read about them. But I mean, in their own houses, dark rooms, they cry quietly and nobody is there to give them a cuddle and say - 'yup, the world is coming to an end and god does not love you any more but it's ok, I'm here for you'. Why is the world coming to an end?... Where has god gone this time?...

I've been sleeping...

Yes, I have been told to sleep. So I am. I need loads of cuddles though. And hugs. Cuddles are good for your skin and general self-confidence. My self- confidence has been doubting the point of existence recently...

I've been watching...

Usually, as all thinking human beings, after reading a book, listening to music or watching a film, I make my own decisions as to whether I like what I just experienced or not. This time, I need to admit not without embarrassment, I needed to look through other reviews before writing my own. I am not going to use them as none of them describes my feelings towards “Babel” by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. And that is the point of this film – to leave the audience confused and not sure what to think. For that - I congratulate. I’m just not sure.
First of all, it’s all about film-making this time. Inarritu has shown in 21 Grams and in Amorres Perros that he can make films in new, his own, forward-thinking way. But why does he need to keep proving it to all of us? Yes, he is a good director. Great. But maybe it’s about time he concentrated on the story and the characters in it. Because this time round he got lost. At the beginning I believed that it was done purposely – to build the tension, to make us more interested and to get different points of view of the situation. Well, I think I was mistaken. The plot has vanished as soon as the Mexican nephew deserted the scene and neither of them came back till the end...
Let’s say it: this movie is too long. It doesn’t mean it’s boring; it’s just too complicated. The best part of it – the story in Japan, could have been a separate film itself, and as the stories in Mexico and Morocco did not lose out too much, Chieko could have definitely been made a protagonist in a wonderful picture about her and her relationships with the world only. Here, she appears, she has problems, she gets upset and we lose her every twenty minutes to move to some other country, other people, other problems. Not fair.
I have never seen anything with so many merital errors! Seriously – do you not need to check your facts before making a film?!
At the end of the day, it all can be forgiven because this film is quite ok. That’s what so surprising about it – you don’t have a feeling that you just wasted last three hours. But you do wonder why you don’t have this feeling...
Some scenes are simply unreal. But in this unrealistic world, you doubt in what is written in stone and what is actually possible to happen. That’s why you get drawn in into this soap-opera of languages.
I’m still not sure whether to give it thumbs up or thumbs down. I’m just not sure.

I've been reading...

Seldom does it happen that I fall in a love in protagonists from the novels I read. Yes, I might like them, love them, empathise with them but falling in love as such has only happened once so far and it was Koroviev from “Master and Margarita”. Well, I guess I can see the pattern emerging here as my second “victim” has also something to do with the Devil himself. However, Gideon Mack (the man who broke my heart ) meets the Devil in quite different circumstances. While being a priest for a fun of it, going through life’s ups and downs completely on his own and trying to stay sane in an insane world, Gideon does not really believe in Satan (or God for that matter). He doesn’t have time or energy for it. And then he ends up his existence on the material world trying to convince people that there is something else out there.
“The testament of Gideon Mack” is definitely one of the best written novels I have recently had a chance to read. It flows. You want more and more and you know that something unexpected is waiting for you round the corner. Using different techniques helped to introduce the atmosphere of a real story. And well done, I actually googled Catherine Craigie and I so hoped she was going to come up as a famous Scottish folklorist. Because every single character from this story is so realistic that you keep thinking of actually going to Monimaskit and saying ‘hallo’.
From Gideon to Harry to Jenny to Gideon’s parents, everybody is human. Human beings make mistakes. Human beings have doubts. Human beings do things that hurt others for a number of reasons. Human beings are not perfect. I don’t think it is a book about religion. I reckon it’s about people who are searching, for people who haven’t found.
I will recommend it to anybody who can read and will be eager to wait till they finish so it can be discussed. I wonder how many different opinions as to Mack’s life, death and in-between there are. I won’t write my guesses here because I would not like to spoil it for anybody. And also, because probably my opinion on the subject will change as many times as I think about it.

I've been listening...

OK. I said I was back but I wasn’t. As it occurs, life is full of surprises and my life became even more hectic that it had been so far. Therefore, I couldn’t write. Again. If everything goes according to the plan, I’ll stay.

First of all, I just want to say hello to K. Hi K.! K. was on the ship that recently sank in the Antarctic waters... And gave me a heart attack...

Right. Now...

Have you heard the new Babyshambles album yet?! I know, I know... I said that Down in Albion was great and everybody hated it but this time I think that even people who are not as biased as I am (as in: not deeply and forever admiring the striking genius of P.D.) will appreciate this wonderful and special gift from one of the best bands in the history of music!
When in 2006 Pete and co. finally released DiA, I was the happiest person in the world. Despite the bitter words of critics, I still believe it’s a classic and our grandchildren will listen to it (as long as the music and earth in general will still exist by then). Then there came The Blinding and the critics had nothing to say but wait and see. And we all waited. And we all have a chance to see – Shotters Nation rules!!
I had my doubts at first. I thought it was too pretty and too polished and I blamed Mr Street who produced it. But after playing it time after time, I got more familiar with the sound and I found the harshness I was looking for but on the deeper levels. It turns out that Pete is a singer and a good one! And - you can understand what he is actually singing about!! And when you really start listening to what he is saying and how he is saying it – blows your mind! Even the infantile bits seem very poetic when he is the one making the poetry.
But Shotters Nation is not the solo effort. Not this time. Of course, without Pete’s voice, heart-breaking stories, puppy eyes and charm that only he can have, there wouldn’t be a discussion about something as special as it is. However, this underestimated prince of art wouldn’t make it, should it be for Adam Ficek, Mick Whitnall and Drew McConnell. Whatever you’ve heard about them, these three boys kick ass and they make you want to get it kicked even more. Acknowledging that Pete is not a God and letting the band and the producer speak is a big step towards the success.
It is still a very personal journey. The lyrics, as always, bare all and it would be nice if people instead of making the assumptions, would just listen what this boy has got to say. He is (again) asking for understanding, respect and a cuddle. And he deserves one too.
There are three kinds of people in the world: people who know Peter Doherty as Kate Moss’s ex; people who know Kate Moss as Peter Doherty’s ex (that would be me) and people who don’t give a fuck and are happy that way. I hope at least the first kind will see a human instead of a junkie after listening to SN. The difficult second album trial has been officially won. They even landed in charts. Well, I’m off to see them in January and hopefully, this once they won’t cancel! And others can go and try to compare every new indie band to The Libs. Good Luck. As far as I know The Libs have split up and now new gang is in town. Carl who...?