MONDAY MARVELS #16: Maestro, Union, Lessons and The Call
+ films to look out for in 2024 🎬
Happy new year darlings 💙
Hope you had a wonderful break and managed to have some down time. What was the best thing you watched / read / listened to over the holidays???
Here’s what I’ve been enjoying lately ⬇️
🍿 MAESTRO
Wowee what a special film. I really loved this. Bradley Cooper’s second film as director tells the love story of American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) and his wife Felicia (Carey Mulligan). There were so many things about this that blew my mind - the dialogue, the ageing makeup and prosthetics, the SIX MINUTE conducting scene - and the performances are INSANE. It was six years in the making and is truly remarkable. So much so that I’ve spent the last week watching YouTube videos about how they made it. Links below if you want to geek out with me.
✨ Steven Spielberg and Bradley Cooper discuss Maestro
✨ Behind the Costumes and Makeup of Maestro with Mark Bridges & Kazu Hiro
Maestro is available to watch on Netflix.
🎬 UNION WITH DAVID OLUSOGA
This is a four part documentary series, presented by historian and author David Olusoga, that uncovers the history of the formation of the UK and the relationship between Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales from the 17th century to now. It’s a fascinating account of our strange little 4-in-1 country, with its different cultures, histories, languages and religions, and how they came to be the United Kingdom, as well as how people from across the four nations feel about the union now.
Union is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
📚 LESSONS
Lessons is the 17th novel from author Ian McEwan (Atonement, Enduring Love). It’s a ‘whole life novel’ following the story of protagonist Roland Baines, from his childhood in 1950s Libya, to his days at boarding school, to struggling with single parenthood after his wife disappears. It looks at how small events in life can have enormous consequences, as well as how large scale events such as WW2, the Cuban Missiles Crisis and the Chernobyl disaster play out in the lives of ordinary people.
Lessons is available to buy in all good bookshops.
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✨ Bonus thing to read: This novel is pretty long, so if you’re in need of something a little bit shorter to enjoy this month then check out this great short story, Nobody Wants a Terrapin by my friend Hannah Terrent.
🎧 THIS AMERICAN LIFE: THE CALL
This episode is a collaboration between This American Life and Slate and looks into the characters involved in one phone call. When Kimber, a young American woman living with addiction, calls the ‘Never Use Alone’ hotline, it kicks off a chain of events that involve the lives of multiple people. It’s a really interesting lens through which to look at addiction and puts a spotlight on the people living on the frontlines of the opioid crisis in the US.
The Call is available to listen to wherever you get your podcasts.
Films to look forward to in 2024 ✨
If January is getting you down then HAVE NO FEAR. There are so many films to look forward to this year. Here’s what’s on my list…
January (UK release dates)
🍿 Poor Things (Emma Stone)
🍿 All of Us Strangers (Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott come onnnnn)
🍿 Mean Girls the Musical (I meaaan)
February
March
April
October
November
🍿 Wicked
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January can be a bit of an overwhelming time of year for film fans - especially in the UK with later release dates - and it feels like ‘must see’ films are coming out every day pre-BAFTAs / Oscars etc. So if you’re struggling to know what to prioritise The Guide has done a helpful newsletter with their ‘if you only have time for one - watch this’ picks for every week of Jan.
If films = life and you just can’t get enough, then the AoDR Film Festival is currently running until the 21st January. The AoDR Film Festival showcases some of the best short films from independent filmmakers from around the world. You can sign up here.
Marvels from the community
✨ Joy recommends Mr Bates vs. The Post Office, a dramatised account of the post office scandal, starring Toby Jones.
✨ Leisa recommends Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, a 2023 dystopian novel by Irish writer Paul Lynch, that imagines Ireland slipping into totalitarianism.
That’s all for now chickens. Have a good month 👋