2269 Stratford's new shopping centre and the Olympic Park

On Wednesday April 19th with a torrential downpour above Kings Cross station I took the decision to visit Stratford, to find the new Westfield Shopping centre mad get as close to the Olympic Park by going to the special viewing platform over the workings and at the London Dockland Light Railway above ground station of Pudding Lane. I knew that a trial Olympic Synchronised Swimming event was being held in the Olympic Stadium and I hoped without any expectation there would be somewhere to buy returned tickets. I experienced Wow several times but not about the stadium buildings or the Olympic Park Site. Nevertheless as someone who remembers the 1948 Olympics from radio listening and the newsreels and wished to have been old enough and wealthy enough to attend, this was an overall exciting occasion. I look forward to my trip in early August although at present I have no tickets for the site myself but two for football at Wembley and two for Football at St James.
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The chosen route from Kings Cross was the Victoria Line underground to Islington and then the London overground line to Stratford via Hackney. From there I took the Docklands Light Railway connection to Stratford International. At the time I was unaware it was possible to walk to the International station via the lower level mall at the Westfield shopping centre or when dry over the new bridge from east end of the shopping centre.

There are no ticket barriers at present on exiting the DLR where nearby the Olympic Village is in its last stages of completion. It is a short walk from here to the lower level of the Westfield Shopping centre via the huge empty entrance hall to the International Station departures. International and National trains will come here as well as the regional High speed lines provided by South East Railways. I later discovered that there is a short ride from here to St Pancras for about £9 return while that from Ebbsfleet where I will be staying it around £15 and taking 18 minutes so for my main journeys I will travel to the International Centre from the North East and book tickets to and from Ebbsfleet and then finding my way to the Travel Lodge. However I will investigate how to do this by using the Internet and the telephone beforehand. My experience so far with Oyster card is not encouraging

At this lower level of the centre there is what has been called the Eastern Market with a mixture of food providers and eat and drinkeries from the middle and far east as well as Waitrose. At this point I had no idea of where I was in relation to the Olympic park or Stratford Town centre and station. I purchased a sandwich and a small bottle of water from Waitrose and then found myself somewhere to sit to consume the sandwich and water. I was struck by the size and comprehensiveness of the centre even on this level, with Smiths, Foyles, Curry’s, Primark and Mother Care and Boots. There was also the first group of food and drink outlets in the Fast Food area covering McDonalds, KFC, Subway Sticky Rice, Spud U Like, Harry Ramsdens and Olive Oil and Oregano. I progressed some distance to see that there was a huge Marks and Spencers building with access to the Food Hall. There was access from here Stratford Station and the bus centre where work had been completed years before where I had a family connection with the town.

I then decided to go to the top floor where there is located a number of restaurants including Pizza Express, Nando’s TGI’s and Las Iquanas (10) five on side with tables outside looking into the concourse below. There is the entrance to the Vue Cinema, and Ten Pin Bowling as well as security guarded entrance to the Casino which is on a higher. There is a separate lift entrance from the ground floor. There is a huge Food court below on the second floor, with Fish and Chips Yo Sushi, Tossed, Tortilla, Lotus Leaf, Chicago Rib Steak and Banger Bros with and give always plus six others, thirteen in total. It was at one end of the second floor that I rested a while in one of the comfortable armchairs/settees which are provide as general sitting areas at the approach to John Lewis which is located at the Stratford station end above Waitrose. It here that the I discovered what was to prove the second surprise of the day.

At the top of the store at the far end away from the restaurant there is the 2012 souvenir store which covers the length of the width of the store with all manner of branded and UK goods aimed at the International visitor with prices to match. For about two thirds of the length there is huge viewing window with eight to ten benches and a central guide man. One directly overlooks the Athletics Stadium in front of this is the temporary Water Polo building and to the side of this swimming pool with the tall viewing tower incongruously between them. In the distance one can see the buildings of the City of London although with the rain the view was not a clear one. From our perspective the external views of the buildings are not impressive although was affected by all the on going landscaping and other work continuing and the rows of tents and other construction site activities. However saying this I do not want to convey and overall negative reaction as there was a tremendous air of excitement and anticipation which one does not usually associate with shopping centres which was packed out with users rather than visitors like me. The less expensive eating places, especially the coffee shops and store cafes were well used. It was early doors for the restaurants and Eastern market.

There are in fact seventy establishments providing food and drink at all levels and prices within the centre and others as I shall explain outside and this includes nine establishments on the ground floor.

There are forty three establishments in the category of mixed fashion, thirty in the category of accessories watches and jewellery, thirty with health, beauty and hair dressing, twenty eight with foot wear, twenty four with games, toys, hobbies, twenty with women’s wear, fifteen phones and electronics, fifteen with fitness and sports, thirteen with books, magazines, papers, confectionary and stationery, eight homeware, seven men’s wear, seven lingerie, five banks and exchanges, four services, four photography and art, two opticians and one travel agent! That is a total of approximately three hundred establishments within the centre. I have no idea what this means in terms of staff but I am guessing at three to four thousand and which will have impacted on the local and area economy although given the transport network it is assumed that staff, especially the managerial staff will have come from all over London. There is car parking for five thousand vehicles in three areas and with one having nine levels with access from the A1 and A112 in addition to Stratford High Street. There are also two major hotels and one rented apartment blocks integral to the centre.

The weather cleared up for me to undertake some exploring outside including the main above ground walkway between the centre and Stratford station and town centre which comprises a wide pedestrian bridge over the railway lines and from the International stadium to the roadway across which is the Olympic Park. Along this there are large international restaurants intended for visitors from the five continents who want to eat before or after visiting an event session and with some events having three events a day this is how the figure of seven million walking the walk have been estimated. All the restaurants have covered outside seating areas in the open malls.

A feature within the main centre is the presence of up market vehicle manufacturers with BMW featuring their Gran Coupé, Westfields their sports cars, and the Harley Davidson range together with the latest models from Honda, Mini, Hyundai, Tesla and Nissan. There is also the Gumball 3000 drive tour event.

While by the time I walked the internal malls and external malls and the bridge(twice) I had gained a good idea of the scale, location and sense of where everything was in relation to the two stations, the Olympic Park and the town centre, working out where the various rail transport lines are took some time on the return journey, especially as I had forgotten that I had taken the overground to Stratford and then a different line to the International. At Stratford there are there different areas of platforms. Platforms can be reached directly from the ground level entrance opposite the bus station or from the high level, which enables access to one underground line which is above ground while to get to the overground line you have to under lines to one side of the main entrance and which takes you up to either side of the pairs of platforms. Similar you have to take the life or escalators up from the station’s main concourse to go down to the platforms which include the overground Dockland’s Light Railway and which is of course part of a different operating system to the London overground system with provides across London transport which includes Richmond to the West and Croydon to the South. It is these two destinations which surprised me and which tempted me to explore on one of my remaining days on this visit.

All the walkabout made me tired given my lack of recent activity because of the weather so I made my way to the travel lodge as directly as I could albeit in the midst of the early evening rush hour. Returning from Stratford International to Stratford from where I had walked) yep I did that in the confusion) I went from Islington to Victoria and from Victoria to Croydon. I collect a McD Big Mac and medium fries on the way to my room so that by late evening I was hungry but made do with a cuppa soup and a can of Pepsi( I know a break in the water only era) and digested the experience.

On the way I had overheard a couple attending the synchronised swimming trials discuss how they were getting to the site, and checked out the London Prepares site to see if there were any return tickets available. The London Prepares is separate from the official Olympics Ticket sale and resale site and where the pre events tickets are made available in association with Ticket Master UK. I kicked myself soundly for not exploring the options when first booking this trip, although in fairness it was Lords/Oval cricket orientated and at one period I had considered extending this trip to cover both Durham games in the capitol. I had even been sent an email advise of the sale of tickets for the swimming event.

I also brought with me the Time Out London Pocket guide to the attractions of the capital as well as the Games schedules and preparatory events and which I have also had since the turn of the year but admittedly had not studied. There was therefore no excuse for missing out on getting to an event at the Park When I debated another trip for the Para Olympics the cost of accommodation had become horrendous. There is still the possibility of a hospitality package during the period when I am down and this I will investigate immediately on returning to the North East. It was time to turn my attention to cricket, weather permitting. As I am correctly anticipated there had been no play at Lords or at the Oval. I was to make two visits to Lords and the Members Pavilion and a splendid day on the buses visiting Teddington, Richmond, Wandsworth, Clapham Junction and Brixton. I shall report on these as soon as I can but at present the experience of experiencing fills my day.

2268 The new Kings Cross Departure Building

My trip to London has commenced exceptionally well. More by luck than intent I booked on the 10.25 which commences at Newcastle central so one therefore has a choice of seats and I was able to find a facing forward table and make use of the power point and use the lap top for the whole journey. I enjoyed the flask of orange juice and prawn mayo sandwiches with crisps as part of the meal deal purchased from Azda and eaten early having set off without breakfast.

I thought the omens were against when yesterday evening I went to collect the suit trousers from Sketchley’s at the Asda Bolden supermarket before attending a relay performance of Rigoletto from the Royal Opera House at the Cineworld. The dry cleaners were closed which was a disappointing surprise as I was convinced that the assistant had said the service was open until 8 pm except Sundays. I shopped for some travel tissues before going to ask the adjacent outlet if they knew the time of opening only to find it was open and the assistant had gone to the look. The cost of the clean and repair was £11.25.

I bought the meal deal and then went to the first floor for the socks. Meanwhile I had a minor panic because I could not find the credit cards which had slipped into the coat lining. I had with me the print out receipt with reference number and had forgotten that I also had the reference number on the mobile. The collect machine did not recognise the credit card perhaps because I did not punch in the reference number. The usual ticket desks were empty so had to go to the concession counter where the young man had no experience of the collect ticket and had to be shown every move. The added problem was that the reference number was barely decipherable and I had forgotten about the telephone message. However I was able to get an excellent seat on my own centre row and opera was stunning in every sense. I will write separately. We have reached York where there is a Giant Wheel opposite the station

I commenced preparations for the trip late, made a list and was systematic. I washed clothing and ironed, and bringing the case downstairs commenced packaging so that by this morning there was only a decision about a second pair of trousers and the shirts together with the getting up bag. I selected the thickest black trousers having packed the grey house jacket, having decided that the green coat and the dark grey light pinstripe suit did not go together despite the country gentleman look. The trousers needed an iron especially one of the leg edges.

In have brought soup packets plus cutlery, can opener and waste bags , but not tins. There will no croissants or pastries on this trip but the voucher from Smiths for Time Out covering my trip which provides for a Big Mac McChicken and medium fries for £2.19 may be used. I am now just above 16.7 and the loss of more than a stone and a half begins to have good effect in appearance, belt size and keeping trousers up. It is nearly five years since I was at this weight and I am determined to continue to under 15 now, amending the original target of under 16.

The plan is still to go to Lords tomorrow. Despite a weather forecast of potentially heavy showers. I bought the Time out for a check on cinemas as I have the Cineworld vouchers with me and planed to use at least one possibly two now. There is the Chelsea game tonight and QPR against Spurs on Saturday evening if the cricket is a washout or not going well. I plan to check out where I am staying in Olympic week in August where the is supposed to be an 18 mins fast ride to St Pancras where there is a direct line to Wembley Park. I missed out on the test event at the Olympic Park 18-22 but may go and see if there are returns or fresh tickets when I go for my looksee on Friday unless the weather is so poor tomorrow that going to Lords is not worth the effort. I have the Time Out London 2012 pocket Guide which reveals that the Pudding Lane DLR station is the best stop via Stratford. I want to go to Stratford for the new Shopping centre so will make a day of it and if entry on to the site is not possible without a ticket I shall go to the view box platform if that is also open.

I had some interest in the other passengers in the compartment close to me. A young man had also made a bee line for the adjacent table with computer, phone and earpiece. He resisted the coffee at £2.20 wanting some food snack but later went to the buffet and brought back a sandwich, I looked after his things while he was away. Two young men got on Darlington from Catterick camp I guessed. They did not have much with them. They were investigating futures outside and in the force. There were lots of phone calls. I wondered if they had been injured. There was the talk of army pension paid monthly. Their situation interested but confused. Later two young business men sat behind me. They were involved with the German market and had concerns about the person conducting training of German speaking(but what). They needed to find the right person. I wondered what SIPS stood for.

I had a coffee and drank the soup before the journey ended sorting everything out so I was read to leave on arrival. The train parked behind another. There is continuing work on station beyond the new bridge walkway between the platforms and where there are now new lifts as well as stairs on each platform. Above the area of the main train there is now the high arched roof with sky above.

The first development is the sense of open space as you leave the trains. The seats before the former departure board have been removed and now placed at the side so that those awaiting to meet travellers can sit until their arrival. It is possible to reach the new departure area via a small channel close to the new underground train entrance.

The new area is stunning, brilliantly lit and fully operational on both floors. There are some stores to one side still to be opened but it is as good as finished. It is remarkable in design and I will go back without luggage to fully explore. This I did on the following morning as it was evident that play at the cricket would limited. In fact there was no play at all or at the oval where Surrey are entertaining Worcester

This time I approached from the St Pancras station, having seen that the Boots Meal cost £3.79 or less compared to £2.50 back home. Later from Waitrose at Stratford Westfield, I purchased a cheese and celery sandwich with cold bottled water for £1.87. I mention this because at the far corner of the new departure building there is access to a pub restaurant. The Parcel Yard and which as the name suggests was used for parcel by the GPO in times past, Now situated on the first floor with left luggage below and toilets, similarly separate and distant from the main concourses for security reasons there is an attractive Dickension atmosphere Inn but with 21st style prices for food with starters in the £7 as well as puds and main courses £10-£22. I reckon a good three course meal here will set you back £30-£50. There is a large Costa Coffee on the ground floor, there are several restaurants with Terrace Tables on the first looking over the concourse.

Below the restaurants there are the usual suspects, Smiths, Boots and M and S and a small number of other outlets including one for books, There are opportunities for others. The former first class lounge has been retained with access from the area. One can still go directly onto the platforms by the entrance to the suburban stations or at the other by one of two entrances to the new underground warren to the underground stations for the Victoria, Northern, District, Circle and Metropolitan lines but you have to be prepared for long walks as these now take you either under the roadway to St Pancras at both of its ends or to the entrances to the various lines.

There appears to be a plethora of new ticket facilities as there were at the previous bookings office but with a separation from the separate underground ticketing so that advance purchase through the Oyster card system is highly recommended. There are two departure boards at each end of the concourse. I did not work out if it is still possible to position jump to avoid the rush as everyone goes early for the spare unreserved seats. I will check on this over the next three days. In addition to the spaciousness what catches the eye and makes for the splendid atmosphere is the vaulted ceiling which is lit in soft pink. I will need to check on the shade.

Outside there are major workings underway on both sides of the roadway primarily by taxis. With that along side St Pancras continue into the distance, Quite a few people were taking the pavement despite the rain, suggesting an explore when the weather is OK one day. For those used to the improvements made in recent years to other main line stations then the new Entrance facilities at Kings Cross may not create in them the sense of WoW I continue to experience. The building is worth a visit especially when the rest of the area has been developed as planned.

With the rain persistent and not likely to clear I settled for plan B which was to investigate progress at Stratford and the Olympic site.

2267 Sporting weekend, Montalbano ends and Mrs Palin

Yesterday after a surprising good sleep after the negative mood of the night before I slowly switched myself back into my normal state. It proved a day of very mixed fortunes centring on sporting and the cultural. It commenced with the smallest of wins on the Euro Lottery of £3 on the £2 stake, a net profit of £1. There was the last episode of Montalbano in the evening and an important film The Messenger on Sunday.

I caught up with the final practice of the Chinese Formula 1 Grand prix on Saturday which was interesting in that the race leader on practice times was Nico Rosebrg for the Mercedes Team which recruited Michael Schumacher the multi Championship driver when the team was formed two seasons ago. Until the race today the team had only gained one point in the driver’s championship in the two previous races (Schumacher). The race team is led by Ross Brawn#.

The Wikipedia profile introduction reads #Ross James Brawn OBE (born 23 November 1954) is an English motorsport engineer and Formula One team principal. He has worked for a number of Formula One teams, serving as the technical director of the championship-winning Benetton and Ferrari teams. He took a sabbatical from the sport in 2007 but returned to F1 for the 2008 season as Team Principal of Honda. He was the owner of the Brawn GP team, which acquired the Honda team in early 2009, and won the Formula One Constructors and Drivers Championships in that year. Mercedes bought into the team in November 2009, making Brawn Team Principal & Co-Owner with Nick Fry. In 2011 Brawn & Fry sold the remaining shares to Mercedes Benz. Brawn remains as Team Principal with Fry as CEO.

With this background and that Mercedes also supply the engine to the McLaren team of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton it is not surprising that the team would eventually come to the fore. Nico which has never won a Grand Prix before despite over 100 races kept the lead from the start and never looked in doubt as the eventual winner. It was a great day for him and for the team. The race was no procession after him and in fact seven cars were nose to tail following in the closing stages of race changing places with breath taking manoeuvres. While driving nerve and skill of the highest order was required in fact the race was settled on tyre management and by a error which resulted in Button who was third on the grid being stationery for close on ten seconds in a pit stop failure and which then resulted in his being caught up with a number of slower cars ahead. This meant that had skilfully made up places as the race progressed but the gap between him and Rosberg was too great and he finished second.

Lewis Hamilton the other British driver of the McLaren team was second in practice but received a five place penalty (I do not know why) and therefore commenced 7th. He also fought hard towards the end to finish third. The placing keeps him as leader of the driver’s championship after 3 races on 45 points with Button catching him up on 43. Alonso of Red Bull is on 37 and his team mate and world champion for the past two seasons Vettel on 36. Nico rising to 6th with his 25 win. McLaren’s have a healthy lead in the constructors championship with 88 points to Red Bull Renault on 64, Ferrari 3rd Sauber 4 and now Mercedes 6th on 24.

The big sporting event of the weekend was the Aintree course John Smith’s Grand National, regarded internationally as the great race in the world over fences. The race has attracted considerable controversy over the years because of the number of fatalities to horses, Efforts have been made to reduce the risk by altering the fences but with forty or so runner there is always the risk to horse and jockey of a mêlée with one horse spilling their rider and bring down others.

I rarely bet on horses with the Grand National or Derby the only exceptions and the gap between gambles is years and perhaps decades overall. This time I was tempted by an email from Paddy Power offering a £20 free bet for £20 placed and used on other sporting activities than horseracing. I had no idea about the runners in the race but decided to have a go. While there is not a good track record for favourites I had heard how the horse won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on my recent trip to the Midlands and I thought there was a good chance of a finish in the five places where odds were being paid.

This was not a good a choice. What happened is that horse unseated its experienced jockey during he canter to the start line and continued down the track several hundred meters before being caught and brought back. It was then checked out as fit to run, conscious of the huge financial backing it had received from the public. Jenny Pitman the experienced commentator and lover of the sport prophetically said that the animal did not look up for the event. The horse then unseated the rider on an early jump, made several jumps on its own and then broke a leg leading to it being killed.

My other choice was Seebass with the fancied daughter of the owner/or trainer riding and no woman has been placed in the top three or let alone won the race. My £5 each way investment turned up trumps as she finished third and for a time looked as she had a change of winning. Tow other horses had the stamina and had to be separated by photo finish. I ended the day with £45 in the account as a consequence.

Decided to set off for Asda at Bolden while the race was being run so listened on the radio. I decide to take the trousers of my suit for a dry clean and a repair of the hen which had become unstitched and my temporary was unlikely to last another outing. While the trousers could be cleaned by Tuesday it would be Wednesday before the repair could be undertaken. However after explaining my predicament the work would be ready for collection after 3pm on Tuesday. Before going to the cinema theatre I purchased a lettuce, some oven foil, two cartons of dried figs and substance to clean out the sink plug holes, I then was disappointed to find out that there were no seats for the relay. This was surprising given the extent of the previous audience. Later I discovered there is a performance of Rigoletto on Tuesday evening and booked a seat for £10 online with the intention of collecting the trousers beforehand together with any shopping needed. The Opera is from the Royal Opera House London.

I returned to watch Britain’s Got Talent where a 14 year old singer and a young man singer songwriter caught the attention as well as a street dance crew, and group of camp gays plus some acrobats from Hungary. The previous week a young girl and her dog stole the show.

A very different day had been planned planed for the Saturday which centred on the Durham versus Nottingham championship cricket match which I attended yesterday. A delayed start of my own making meant that on arrival I could not find and a behind glass seat on a cold day. I got an under cover balcony seat and then noticing that the pitch was at the far end I saw that I could get an over wicket view from the middle and top deck of the stand adjacent to the media centre.

I did not enjoy the experience as it was cold with a nasty biting wind and Durham commenced to lose wickets. They were all out for 35 runs less than Nottingham and I was immediately fearful about the subsequent outcome. It was a similar situation to what happened at Trent Bridge in their first game of season. However they went on to score 500 runs in their second innings and then bowled out the opposition to win the game with the three bowling points to be of the leaders in the table of those sides playing their first game. My fear was justified as Notts went on to make 335 although one batsman Lumb contributed 131 after Hales got the side off to an excellent start with 57. Durham then collapsed and it was only an excellent 80 by captain Mustard with the help of last man Mitch Claydon with who went for 55 that prevented the humiliation being greater.

Along with Lancashire and Worcestershire they only have 3 points from their first game and make the bottom of the table with Notts with their 2 wins at the top and everyone else with one win. Former Durham batsman Coetzer did not have a good start against Kent where former Durham all rounder and brother of Steve moved over the winter. He made 46 before being run out as Kent went on to win by an innings.

It was the last in the Montalbano series I discovered when I watched the recording after the talent show again there was no Livia although she was to visit for the wedding of the Deputy who was taking a month’s leave at the same time. To replace him was a young woman who Montalbano had known before when she was 12. She hits it off with his third in charge and they are seen going dancing towards the end of the film...

A well liked doctor at the local hospital appears to have committed suicide while fishing from a rocky premonitory, He is the same doctor who lashes out at the hospital when discovery that his daughter is pregnant. The girl is rescued from her father’s clutches after disclosure that she is being kept prisoner by him so that the child which she wants to keep can be placed for adoption. She is cared for a Catholic run home for single mothers. When Montalbano and his crew find out that the wife has cleared their bank account and sold up he traces the couple to fleeing the island at he air port, silently confronts them and leaves letting them know he knows and but will do nothing about this. He puts to the priest in charge of the mother and baby home the proposition that the man of otherwise good character had regretted his action and his saintly wife had forgiven him. The savings had been passed to the priest for the care of the girl and her children.

The main story concerned two women on their way to church who were stopped by someone on a motorcycle who had fired at close range. A third woman is fired at with a real bullet but misses and the fourth is shot and killed and a fifth shot again with a blank. The authorities and the media attack the failure of the police to apprehend. Montalbano work out that the first attacks are a ruse with the purpose deflecting attention from the husband of the killed woman that he had hired someone to kill her when he found she was giving her money on which he depended to a local fortune teller. There was even more of gentle meander through his detective life and those of his closest associates in this final programme. I shall miss the detective and hope to read an original work some day.

The football this weekend was all round disappointing. Sunderland could only manage a draw at home. Newcastle are not planning and trying to train in a way which mean they do not repeat what happened on previous breaks and losing momentum to a defeat. The main disappointment was the defeat of Everton in FA Cup by Liverpool late on after having taken a first half lead and that Chelsea thumped Spurs who I wanted to keep in the Cup to take their attention away from fourth place Champions versus Newcastle. Their game against Spurs will be crucial as in the QPR home game against Spurs this Saturday which I hope to watch live via a pub. Man U was defeated to reduce the lead between them and Man City back to 5 points, while Arsenal also lost at home which means that the gap between them Spurs and Newcastle has reduced. Newcastle stay 2 points ahead of Chelsea. I have used up my available Funds with Paddy Power having a cover bet win draw eith Newcastle which will net a gain of two or three pounds as long as they do not lose and a long shot bet on Chelsea winning the Champions League which would bring in £200 and be a game changer.

I use the term Game Changer deliberately for the Game Change is the title of a fascinating and presumable accurate account of the Sarah Palin selection as Vice President potential running mate for the White House. This is the best USA political documentary type film about the USA that I have experienced better than Watergate and the attempted cover up. The film begins with the Republican adopted Presidential Candidate floundering in the polls against the Charismatic personality of Obama and his team seeking a game changing move through the decision who should be his running mate for the Vice Presidency. The team had been positive vetting a number of prospects all men for several weeks five to six and this included finding out whatever personal and political dirt the other side would use, the actual political knowledge and views especially on foreign policy and any differences between view with the Presidential candidate.

They decided they needed a woman who would appeal to the right of the party. Sarah Plain appeared the ideal choice. She was married with five children. The youngest child was born with severe learning difficulties. She had tackled the old right in her own party in Alaska to gain the governorship. She had turned down proposed Federal money for a bridge on the grounds that if it was built it would be built without a call on taxation. One of sons was off to serve and fight in Iraq/Afghanistan. An environmentalist she supported exploration for home oil to reduce dependency on external interests. She supported gun ownership.
Videos of her speeches impressed. But the vetting only took 5 days before the presentation of the candidate to as meeting of the faithful.

The first problems could all be handled. Her husband has been a member of a political party supporting Alaska independence for 7 years. One of her daughters was unmarried and pregnant. She had supported Federal taxes for the Bridge only changing position later. But all this was small beer before they realised that she was apolitical ignoramus on the economy and finance, on anywhere outside of Alaska and the USA and on history. She was a brilliant actress with prepared speeches and she was great at the hand he and kissing of babies one to tour but cross examination on political issues by one political journalists and she embarrassing. She new the UK were an ally but through the Queen was the political head. She had no knowledge of finances and the economy at the time of the great bank crash and bail out. She did not know why there a North and South Korea or who fought who and why in the Second World War.

The crash course in knowledge was a disaster. She wrote down furiously without learning or comprehending. She reacted resentfully and spitefully when anyone question her or attached her thus giving value to stories about her behaviour in getting to the Governorship and once she took power. Later when she recovered especially by learning lines and getting them across as with the Presidential Vice President’s debate and was a proved vote winner she began to see herself as the President and decided to go her own way rather than support the Presidential candidate.

The film appears to be very different from the book which concentrate on the Obama Campaign. Perhaps it is a TV series rather than a film. I will have to find out later. I will also leave The Messenger as time as caught up with me.
This is a more scrappy piece than usual. Bed calls.

2266 April 2012 TV serials Catch up

Now for a television review commencing with the latest Montalbano. The latest episode shown on Easter Saturday April 7th proved to be the most thoughtful. The citizens of Vigata are in uproar because they invested heavily in a company offering 20% interest. The young man responsible came from Milan and had disappeared.

Montalbano becomes involved when one of the investors, an 80 year old, holds the secretary to the company at gun point. Montalbano pretends the conman has been captured and the money is safe to persuade the man to give himself up. There are no leads about what happened to the conman so Montalbano and his team concentrate on the three members of staff.

One young woman is a business graduate taking her final examinations. She lives at home with her parents where the father is deaf. She is something of a vamp tease and has been to bed with the Casanova Deputy who afterwards admitted that he was engaged to another. She has little information to give at first but later remembers little things which help Montalbano towards a solution.

The second assistant is a financial graduate and has also disappeared. He has a rented flat but is also having a beach house built close to where Montalbano lives. He is incensed when he discovers that in order to build the house a large old olive tree has been up rooted. It appears that the man arranged to travel to Germany but over time it is established that he did not do so. His scooter has disappeared along with the car used by the conman when in the city.

The third member of the staff is a very loyal secretary who is convinced the boss will return and explain why he is has been absent. She appears to be the key to unlocking the mystery.
There is only one clue which acting on advice of his number three Montalbano ignores. A crank who has previously seen flying saucers and other amazing phenomenon claims that he saw the vehicle of the missing conman near to where he lives late one night, the night before the young man was scheduled to fly to Germany.

During the episode his deputy Mimi, visits just when Montalbano is about to eat a late evening meal with wine. Mimi is having one of his doubts about getting married to Beba although the date has been arranged in less than a week and Montalbano is to be a witness with Livia travelling for the event. The deputy goes through all his doubts as well as positives, drinks lots of whisky and goes to sleep on Montalbano’s bed while he wakes up having gone to sleep on the couch without touching the meal. The wedding is postponed because the father of his fiancée has a heart attack.

The other story line is that the Judge has been looking at some of Montalbano’s old cases before he was appointed. He challenges the action taken over the orphan boy who he was to have adopted with Livia but then places with the sister of Mimi and the boy said he wanted to stay. So sadly the couple had agreed and the boy had been adopted by the sister and was now part of their family. The Judge also raises the issue of the deposit account which the mother had possessed and the boy inherited when he came of age. Fortunately Montalbano had not kept the pass book but had given it to the Notary for safe keeping and had the official receipt. This he sends to the Judge.

He also checks that the money was still safe and not invested with the conman. He visits the sister to explain about the money. The boy is thrilled to see him and shows him that he can ride on a pony given to him by his adopted father who he now refers to as father. He tells Montalbano that he has decided to become a policeman when he grows up.

This is the story of what happened to the two missing men. It emerges that the conman was gay and had a relationship with the assistant who helped him to move the investor’s money to various offshore accounts. The Assistant had been paid 350000 euros over a period for work on the beach house. When the man started to default on the interest which investors had expected and they started to demand the return of the money, the assistant had got into panic and demanded that the conman arrange for him to leave Sicily and Italy by a route which could not be traced. He had packed two suitcases and left his home cancelling the accommodation and paying in lieu of notice. It is only later that the landlady confirms that he also had with him a brief case and a lap top which he always carried around with him.

Montalbano visits the man who reported the car and finds that he is not the crank which others had said about him. The man takes him to the place where he saw the car and Montalbano takes a launch with his deputy and goes diving, locating the car and a body. It that of the missing assistant shot in the head. He works out that having arranged to meet the assistant he had then shot him and dumped the car and scooter over the cliff. But where was the conman? Why was there no trace of him?

Arising for work undertaken by his assistants, Montalbano goes to see a relative of the Secretary. He finds that she is the daughter of a wealthy family who was so shocked when the second of her parents died that she had not reported the death for several days unable to accept the reality of what happened. She was a teenager when this happened. Separate comments had been made about her inability to accept that her boss was a conman.

The woman is in such a state that she has an accident and accepts the invitation to be driven home where on arrival she insists on showing him the part of the large house in which she lives alone. In the guest bedroom he sees the decomposing body of the missing man. He arranges for a doctor to visit and gives the woman a sedative to keep her asleep for several hours. This provides the opportunity for the body to be removed.

Montalbano works out that the man had gone to her after shooting his assistant and his lover. He was a conman and not a murderer and had gone to pieces following the killing. Not wanting him to be exposed for what he was she had shot the man with the gun he had used on his assistant and then left the body oblivious that it was there or what she had done. Fortunately the lap top and papers in the brief case were retrieved and therefore the investors got most of their money back. Everything is OK but is Montalbano/ He spends time at the cliff top where the car entered the sea. We see nothing of Livia.

It is an interesting coincidence that the Italian mother of Tony Soprano was called Livia and his relationship with her and his father continues to dominate his life and becomes the focal point of the next three middle series towards ending of the penultimate season.

During the episode Camelot while attending a funeral he sees a woman sitting at the graveside of his father. It is the elderly former beauty who was his father’s mistress and who Tony met on one occasion. They become friends and visits learning about her life and her relationship with his father.

It is not all friendly. He becomes angry when she reveals that she continued to smoke during the last period of his father’s life when breathing was a problem. The aspect which upset him most is that as a boy he had a dog which his mother did not like and his father told him the animal had to be put down. At the apartment of the woman he sees a photo of the dog with her son. It is never made clear who the parent of the son was and the timescale is confusing because although she says the dog was with her son for 10 years until it died the photo is that of a teenager. The main point is that Tony realises that between them his parents had betrayed him.

During an early visit the woman shows him a handkerchief with the initials JOKE and a smudge of her own lipstick. She had been invited to a White House Party and JFK and kept her back when everyone else left. He had said they would have other times together but they had not materialized. Later Tony boasts that the woman, who had come to identify more as his mother than his own had a relationship lasting three years and that the President considered leaving Jackie for her.

She had been promised his father’s interest in small motor racing track and although she had been given $500 and other amounts she had not been given the holding as promised and which because of the nature of her relationship could not be included in the Will. Tony criticises the close associate involved who kept the holding for himself. The track is in the process of being sold and Tony arranges a sit down meeting to discuss the positions and accept a payout of $40000 from the sale. Tony gives the woman some money saying it is an advance on sale without disclosing he full amount. We assume he will keep the major part for himself as in previous similar situations.

When there is a delay in payment there is an incident in their respective cars which results in the other man having a crunching hit into the back of a stationery vehicle. Tony accepts that it is his responsibility to arrange for the vehicle to be repaired and arranges for it to undertaken a garage previously owned by Pussy. The man claims that the work is unsatisfactory and demands more and more. In the end Tony sends his cousin, also called Tony to supervise the handover. The man continues to be dissatisfied and the situation appears unresolved.

It will be remembered that his cousin had intended to lead a straight life as a Masseur for which he professionally qualified when he left prison but following family life pressures he had fallen out with the man funding his proposed establishment. He had started to undertake some minor paying work for Tony. He is approached by representatives of Carmine’s son who is involved in a three way battle for control of the interests after the death of his father. They want him to kill am associate of Johnny Sachs and his woman, the former Under boss who lives in Soprano territory. At first he turns the offer down but later when he feels he is not appreciated by Tony and his family he accepts the commission and is run over on a foot when carrying out the executions (Marco Polo).

Tony has one of his panic attacks on the golf course where he hears from Sachs whereas about the unknown assailant being wounded in the leg and confronts his cousin. Tony is upset because the man interfered in the situation he was helping to sort out and because he had gone to others rather than Tony for more work and money. He tells the cousin of his continuing high regard and wish for him to be more involved because of his IQ at 158 he would be of value to the business and puts him in charge of a small casino enterprise.

When Sachs following a tip off tells Tony that the cousin was responsible for the death, Tony defends and gives the man an alibi. Sachs reluctantly accepts the situation warning Tony that if he finds out he is lying there will be repercussions. The fact that Tony had a panic attack related to his cousin is explored during an important session with his psychiatrist therapist Dr Melfi. (Unidentified Black Males). It emerges that Tony has had several similar incidents all related to his cousin and begins to have an attack at the session. She helps Tony to control his breathing while he is able to admit that it all relates to the job which Tony failed to attend and which his cousin stepped and went to prison. Tony discloses that following a family incident he had an attack and had feinted. This was something he could not share with his cousin or could afford for his associates to know for it would lead to his being the laughing stock and undermining his authority. He comments that that getting the truth is like having a difficult and painful shit. Dr Melfi says it is more like giving birth.

His wife is arranging a surprise birthday party for her father and decides that given their situation it would be better that Tony did not attend. However when her father learns about the party and that Tony is not coming he is upset and demands his daughter changes the situation. Tony attended and is a good host giving his father in law a specialist Beretta gun usually only available within Russia and at a premium. His wife has a major row with her mother over their way of life, the relationship with Tony and involvement in crime. After the guests have departed Tony his wife and the children have an enjoyable family time.

Tony becomes amorous and he and Carmela end up in bed. Carmela looks fondly on what happened but Tony appears to treat as if nothing has happened. Carmela decides she is not prepared for the situation to continue as it without and agreed financial settlements and contacts her lawyer for action. She then finds that lawyers and investigators needed to unravel Tony‘s financial worth for division become hard to impossible to find for various reasons.
She realises that gaining a formal divorce/settlement is going to prove difficult to impossible. Meanwhile her daughter is also finding that a relationship with a straight guy from a wealthy family is also thwart with difficulties, especially when he says he says he is not returning home for the long vacation and she arranges a job at a no show building site where he encounters several members of Tony’s crew. He finds that he is treated as no show when they learn he is dating Tony’s daughter but he realises he is out of his depth when a perceived slight between two of the no shows leads to one beating up the other and the young man decides he wants out. This is underlined when first Tony meets him for a dinner with his daughter and he attempts to take the tab, Tony makes it plain that when the young man eats with his daughter’s family he pays and vice versa. Then one of Tony’s crew invites the young man provides tickets to a game where they support rival teams and insists he attends. This is the incentive for him to go home to his parents.

Uncle Junior devises a scheme to break the monotony of house arrest by getting approval to attend a family funeral. He then scours the newspaper for death notices of Italians and persuades his lawyer to obtain a series of concessions however by the time of the fifth or sixth funeral the situation gets to him and he breaks down.

Christopher is also resentful of the attention given to Tony’s cousin feeling that his position is in jeopardy as a consequence and because of having been to rehab. He attends a recovery group where he assists a Hollywood script writer who he met in the rehab unit. They act as mutual supporters. The friend becomes addicted to gambling and get himself into substantial debt by attending one of game involving crew members. Christopher bails him out but on the basis of paying interest. When the man fails to keep up payments, because he is using again, Christopher has a crew member beat up the man and forces him to sell his expensive car to him cheaply. He passes this on to Sachs who admits his wife has difficulty in getting in and out of the sport car although he appears thrilled by the purchase/gift. The three episodes suggest a build up to another spectacular finale to the season.

Spectacular could be ascribed to the final three episodes of Spartacus Vengeance which appears to bring the three gore and full frontal sex series to an end.

Gannicus having captured the wife of Glaber the nemesis of Spartacus brings he to the rebel camp for Spartacus to kill her and bring his obsession to and end. Ilithyia, pleading for her life and the life of her unborn child, reveals to Spartacus that the child she carries is not Glaber's, but his own child, conceived the night that Lucretia tricked her into sex with Spartacus. Ilithyia tries to convince Lucius to send word to Capua of her whereabouts; however, Spartacus enlists him to deliver a message to Glaber. Mira attempts to save Spartacus the burden of killing Ilithyia, but is stopped short by Spartacus.

Glaber and Ashur scour the town for clues about where Gannicus has taken Ilithyia, laying waste to every brothel, Ashur collecting goods from every corpse. Lucretia tries to bring to bear with Seppia but gets nowhere, and turning to Ashur for help she also gets nowhere. The message from Spartacus is that in exchange for a wagon filled with arms and armour, the Rebels will release Ilithyia. Glaber appears to agree to the terms. At the agreed time and place, Glaber meets Spartacus with the wagon. After a heated exchange it is revealed that wagon is filled with Ashur and his mercenary band, and a full-out battle occurs. Ashur men are defeated but he escapes with Glaber and without Glaber’s wife. She is released when it is understood that Glaber has no intention of saving her.

In the penultimate episode Monsters Spartacus finds anger, resentment and mistrust in his ranks and must see old wounds healed if the Rebels are to stand against the might of Rome. Ilithyia returns home to find that an unwilling Seppia has been taken by her husband as his woman. From Ilithyia's information on the Rebels' location, Ashur pinpoints the site of their temple base, and as reward he is promised freedom after the defeat of Spartacus. Glaber males it plain to his wife that his child is only of interest to him.

However, Lucretia is quite happy with the situation and tells Ilithyia of the latest happenings and of Glaber's murder of Seppius, and Ilithyia and Lucretia set young Seppia on a path of vengeance.

Spartacus organises friendly games to create a sense of unity among the rebels which appears to have some success.

Ashur reveals to Lucretia that as well as freedom, Glaber will give Ashur the ludus and his blessing of marriage with Lucretia if Spartacus falls in the upcoming battle. Lucretia is angry at this loss of her husband's legacy and plots a different outcome. Her first effort is to persuade Seppia to make an attack on Glaber’s life. This appears to about to work when his wife steps in and kills the girl thus re-establishing a relationship with her husband but this remains part of a grand design.

Against the orders of Rome who have summoned him home, Glaber launches the might of the available Roman army against the rebels at their Temple site and facing the use of a catapult they escape via tunnels to Vesuvius. Glaber and his men lay siege knowing that cold and lack of food will reduce the capacity of the rebels to resist. Lucretia and Ilithyia travel to Mt. Vesuvius. I to join Glaber who they convince that Ashur was working with Sepia to kill him, and Glaber asks Ilithyia to murder Lucretia. Glaber bribes Ashur's soldiers to betray Ashur and then forces him to go on a suicide mission to prove himself, confronting Spartacus and his followers alone and bargaining for their surrender.

Ashur's offer is declined when he reveals that Spartacus will be killed upon surrender and his followers would once again become slaves. Ashur begins to depart when Crixus suggests that they execute him. Spartacus agrees with this and Naevia convinces Crixus to allow her to fight him. After a protracted duel, Naevia decapitates at the end of a desperate fight which she looks to lose several times.

Spartacus comes up with a plan to ambush the Roman encampment. They weave rappelling vines and Spartacus, Agron, Crixus, and Gannicus descend down the mountain behind the Roman guards. At the bottom of their descent they take control of the siege weapons to set fire to the camp and leave the legion in disarray.

The battle between Glaber's forces and the rebels rages on and Oenomaus and Gannicus battle the Egyptian gladiator. Oenomaus is fatally wounded and dies in Gannicus arms and Gannicus kills the Egyptian mercenary. Spartacus has a sword fight with Glaber and eventually kills him. He warns that Rome will avenge his death. The rebels celebrate their victory although the price has been high the Spartacus’s woman killed saving his life. S he is burnt on a funeral pyre.

Back at the ludus Ilithyia is about to push Lucretia from the ludus' balcony when her waters break. Lucretia takes Illithyia's new born son after killing her slaves and commits suicide by jumping off the ludus' cliff with the baby in her hands. Ilithyia, witnessing all this, collapses and dies. So the series end with lots of vivid gore. Amen.

There have been several episodes of Blue Bloods which have been OK without remaining memorable.

The first season of Luck has come to an end. This is the new series which stars Dustin Hoffman as Chestwr "Ace" Bernstein, Nick Nolte as Walter Smith and Michael Gabon as Michael "Mike" Smythe that is three A listers. The subject is horse racing, owners, trainers, gamblers, the gangster element and centres on one of the world’s famous courses the Santa Anita

I am using the Wikipedia article for this out of laziness and a desire to move on.

“Chester "Ace" Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman), a lifelong mobster, has just been released from a three-year prison sentence. Gus (Dennis Farina), his long-time friend and driver, has become the owner of "Pint of Plain," a promising Irish racehorse. Ace immediately begins making plans to take control of the Santa Anita racetrack in Los Angeles, while simultaneously plotting revenge against the ones he holds responsible for sending him to prison.
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In his late 60s, Chester "Ace" Bernstein has had a long and apparently profitable career in organized crime, primarily in gambling, and has just finished serving a three-year term in federal prison in California. Ace's long-time driver and factotum, Gus, picks him up at his release. On the drive to Ace's home in Los Angeles, Ace confirms that Gus has become the registered owner of "Pint of Plain", a promising Irish racehorse whose purchase was arranged by business associates of Ace while Ace was in prison. The horse is being trained at Santa Anita Park by Turo Escalante (John Ortiz), a successful trainer whose career Ace has quietly followed for many years.

Ace visits his former business associate Nick DiRossi (Alan Rosenberg) to discuss a plan to gain control of the Santa Anita racetrack in order to introduce casino gambling there. It soon becomes clear that the real purpose of this plan is to strike back at the people Ace holds responsible for his prison term. These people include DiRossi, Isadore Cohen (Ted Levine), a casino executive whose company Ace wants to handle gaming at the track, and Michael "Mike" Smythe (Michael Gambon), Ace's former business partner; it appears that Mike's unauthorized use of an apartment owned by Ace in New York to stash a large quantity of cocaine is what led to Ace's prison term. (Ace taking the rap to prevent his grandson staying in the apartment have a criminal conviction and going to prison).

Simultaneously, Marcus (Kevin Dunn), Lonnie (Ian Hart), Renzo (Ritchie Coster) and Jerry (Jason Gedrick), a group of "railbirds" (habitual gamblers and hangers-on at the track) are planning to make a killing by pooling their money to bet on a "pick six" that could pay the winner over $2 million. Jerry, a brilliant handicapper of races who is perpetually broke due to his addiction to poker, has selected the six bets. The key to maximizing their chances is focusing on one horse that is a longshot in the 4th race - "Mon Gateau." Jerry knows that Mon Gateau has been trained by Escalante, who he believes has been hiding the horse's true quality in order to manipulate the odds and profit by betting on the horse. Leon (Tom Payne) is Mon Gateau's rider, a "bug" or young jockey who is just beginning his career. Leon knows nothing of Escalante's machinations, but merely wants to win the race so that other riding opportunities will come his way.

Jerry's hunch proves accurate when Mon Gateau comes from behind to win the 4th race, and the four bettors find themselves splitting more than $2.6 million. The impecunious railbirds must now deal with the attention and the temptations that come from winning a large sum of money. Escalante, meanwhile, quietly collects his own winnings of more than $30,000 from placing bets on Mon Gateau.

Walter Smith (Nick Nolte), an elderly trainer/owner from Kentucky, is training his own horse, "Gettn'up Morning," at the track with the help of young Irish jockey Rosie (Kerry Condon) but so far has not entered any races. Few people besides Walter know that Gettn'up was sired by the famous Kentucky thoroughbred "Delphi" and has the potential to win the highest honours in the sport. Unknown to Walter, however, Joey Rathburn (Richard Kind), a jockey's agent who is always at the track looking after his clients, has seen Gettn'up on a morning practice run and also has an inkling of its tremendous potential. Joey begins scheming to have his client Ronnie Jenkins, a once successful jockey who is struggling with alcohol and drugs, ride Gettn'up in place of the neophyte Rosie.

Gettn'up's sire Delphi had been owned by Walter's late employer in Kentucky, "the Colonel," and trained by Walter. Ronnie runs into Walter at the track during Gettn'up's morning exercise; the two men know each other from their years in Kentucky, so Walter asks Ronnie to drop by his barn later for a chat. In a conversation overheard by Rosie, Walter tells Ronnie that when the Colonel died, the man's heirs killed Delphi in order to collect on a large insurance policy. Walter is angry and bitter about the incident, but hopes to find success with Gettn'up, Delphi's colt. That evening, Rosie tries to persuade Walter to let her ride Gettn'up in his first race. Walter gently and sympathetically refuses, telling her that she is too inexperienced. Shortly afterward Walter asks Joey to arrange for Ronnie to ride Gettn'up in the colt's first race. Joey, delighted, agrees. Walter officially enters Ronnie as the jockey for the race, but days before it is to take place Ronnie is injured during another race and is ruled medically ineligible to ride for weeks. Walter now asks Rosie to ride the colt rather than choose a jockey who doesn't know the animal. Although Gettn'up gets off to a bad start, he comes from far back to win the race easily, astonishing everyone with his speed.

Leon, meanwhile, is having trouble "making weight." After a long spell in the sauna for that purpose, he faints, hits his head on the floor and suffers a concussion.

Escalante enters Mon Gateau in a "claiming race," in which all horses running can be purchased by bidders who file their bids or "claims" before the race. Escalante's purpose is to continue raising the odds on a horse he clearly believes has much potential, but his plan backfires when two bidders file claims to purchase the horse. One is Renzo, one of the four railbirds, who wants to present the horse to his three partners because its victory in the 4th race was the key to their "pick six" success. Another is Mulligan, a rival trainer. Mulligan's bid prevails and he takes ownership of Mon Gateau after the race. The railbirds, represented by Jerry, negotiate a deal with Mulligan to buy the animal and, having purchased it, hire Escalante as trainer.

Ace moves ahead with his plan for gaining control of the track by ordering his investment company to purchase stock in the corporation that owns it. During a board meeting at his company, Ace notices Nathan Israel (Patrick J. Adams), a young, brash and obviously intelligent money manager. He summons Nathan to his hotel for a private meeting, grills the young man, and then offers him a huge salary to work directly for him. His intention, unknown to Nathan, is to use him as a go-between with the former business associates he is targeting for revenge. He then meets with one of those people, his former partner Mike, on Mike's luxurious yacht. Mike wonders whether Ace is still angry about the situation that led to his prison term, but Ace assures Mike the racetrack deal has nothing to do with it and Mike agrees to participate in the deal.

At his hotel, Ace encounters Claire Lechea (Joan Allen), who is there to ask for a contribution to her foundation for the care of former racehorses. Impressed with her charm and good intentions, Ace decides to get involved - both with the foundation and with her.

Marcus, the "elder statesman" of the railbirds, is hopeful that buying Mon Gateau will give Jerry something to do that will keep him away from the poker table. That hope is dashed when Jerry agrees to a private high-stakes game at a restaurant owned by Leo Chan, a canny Chinese poker expert who enjoys taunting (and beating) him. Jerry is in danger of losing the bulk of his winnings from the "pick six" to Leo when the other railbirds show up and persuade him to quit the game by pretending that Marcus is deathly ill and needs his help. Although he realizes that his friends tried to trick him, Jerry thanks them for intervening.

When Gus informs Ace that Escalante has entered Pint of Plain in a race without telling him, Ace decides to go to the track to confront the trainer. Leon has been listed as rider for the race; Ace, once a bookie himself, realizes that Escalante has listed the inexperienced Leon as rider in order to lengthen the odds on Pint. He demands that Leon be replaced by the most experienced jockey available and gives Escalante $5,000 to compensate Leon. Escalante reacts angrily, confirming Ace's suspicion that he was planning to profit by betting on the race, but finally submits. Ace invites Claire to watch the race with him and Gus in Escalante's box. During the race Pint's leg is injured when another horse throws a shoe, but Pint goes on to win. Ace is delighted by the horse's performance but worried about the mishap. When told that the full extent of the injury won't be known until tests can be run the next morning, Ace insists on spending the night in the barn watching over his horse.

Escalante gives Joey the $5,000 provided by Ace to compensate Leon, and promises that Leon will ride Mon Gateau again in his next race. Leon is pleased to learn he will ride Mon Gateau, but becomes upset when he finds out it's a consolation prize for being replaced as rider of the far more prestigious Pint. Ronnie, Joey's other client, has begun drinking again while sidelined by his injury. After an argument with Joey, he tells Joey he is moving to another agent.

Ace meets with Santa Anita's CEO to make an offer for the track and is received hospitably. Meanwhile, he sends Nathan Israel to meet with Mike, DiRossi and Cohen on Mike's yacht. The ostensible purpose of the meeting is to inform Ace's three partners of the details of the offer he is making for the track. The real purpose is to see if they will try to suborn Nathan, which they do by offering him a "second paycheck" to provide information on Ace's activities. Nathan accepts the offer and tells the three men that Ace is counting on the cooperation of California's Indian gaming lobby to get the state's approval for his casino gambling plan. Nathan, who remains loyal to Ace, tells him everything that happened after the meeting.

Walter Smith, who is preparing for Gettn'up Morning's second race, receives a letter from an attorney claiming that he owes $145,000 to the inheritors of Gettn'up's sire Delphi for stud fees and other expenses, even though the Colonel had waived those fees as a bequest to Walter at the time of his death. In Gettn'up's second race, Rosie disobeys Walter's instructions and uses the whip to urge the horse on. Gettn'up wins by six lengths, setting a new track record and drawing attention that Walter would rather avoid. Rosie apologizes and Walter is forgiving, but soon afterward one of the Colonel's heirs shows up at the barn to assert a claim to Gettn'up.

Joey Rathburn is depressed by the loss of his star client Ronnie and by his ex-wife's coldness when he contacts her to suggest a reconciliation. Alone in his dingy apartment he picks up a pistol and points it at his head. When a minor earthquake rattles the area at that moment, he is startled and fires elsewhere; the bullet ricochets and injures his cheek. After the wound is treated in a local emergency room, Joey finds that his constant stammer, which has made him a figure of fun to people at the track, is now gone. He treats the event as a sign that it is not time for him to give up on life.

The four railbirds attend the track to watch their horse, Mon Gateau, in his first race under their colours. Ridden by Leon, the horse wins convincingly, but because it bumped against another horse during the race the track stewards put the result on hold while they interrogate Leon about what happened. The stewards ultimately decide to confirm Mon Gateau's victory, and the railbirds celebrate at their hangout, the Long Shot bar. They give Leon a handsome tip and promise that he will always be their choice as rider.

Ace spends an afternoon visiting the horse farm where Claire's foundation is caring for old and injured racehorses and what he sees confirms his good opinion of her and of the project. Meanwhile, Nathan has another meeting on Mike's yacht. He tries to persuade Mike, DiRossi and Cohen that Ace is sincere in wanting the racetrack deal to go forward and to benefit everyone. Mike remains suspicious, however. When he concludes that both Ace and Nathan are trying to deceive him he explodes, clubbing Nathan repeatedly with a heavy glass ashtray. Nathan collapses in a pool of blood while DiRossi and Cohen look on, horrified. On his way back from the farm, Ace meets briefly with the chief of an Indian tribe who is expected to support his plan for the track. One of Mike's henchmen is following Ace and photographs the meeting - but Ace and Gus are well aware of this. Returning home that evening, Ace is concerned that Nathan never called to report on the meeting with Mike.

Rosie is anxious to find out whether Walter will let her ride Gettn'up again after her mistake with the whip. She asks Joey to talk to Walter about it and agrees that he will become her agent. Ronnie has resumed attending AA meetings and has recovered from his racing injury; he goes to Walter to ask to be considered once again as Gettn'up's rider. Walter, who has just enlisted the help of a lawyer to defend his ownership of Gettn'up, tells both Ronnie and Joey that he will decide on a rider shortly. Later that day he meets with Ronnie again and promises that if he remains sober and makes weight, the mount will be his. That evening, he tells Rosie of his decision and she takes it with good grace. But within hours of receiving Walter's good news, Ronnie has started using again.

Dr. Joanna "Jo" Carter is Escalante's veterinarian - and his lover. While a workman is disrupting the routine in Escalante's barn by installing a Webcam to allow Ace to look in on Pint of Plain from time to time, she asks Escalante to walk outside with her to discuss something. Before she can begin they encounter Eduardo, a young Mexican-American boy from a family of migrant workers, near Escalante's barn. She strikes up a conversation with the boy, who is fascinated by the horses and jockeys, but Eduardo's brutish uncle, who is in the training area to make a delivery, demands she pay $10 to talk to him. Escalante wants to throw the boy and his uncle out. To his annoyance, Jo pays the uncle and takes the boy on a tour of the barn and track. Later, she takes him to watch a race in which one of Escalante's horses, "Niagara's Fall," is running. When the filly is injured during the race she goes to help and gets Escalante to take charge of the boy. Unable to find the boy's uncle, Escalante gives him a ride home. Escalante drops Eduardo off in his neighbourhood, which is little more than a shantytown; something about Eduardo clearly reminds Escalante of his own past as a penniless immigrant, so he gives the boy his contact information and tells him to get in touch if he needs anything. When Escalante and Jo get together again that night at his home, she tells him what she had meant to say earlier that day - she is pregnant. Jo is surprised when the normally brusque and undemonstrative Escalante reacts with tenderness and love.

At the direction of Mike, Isadore Cohen meets with the chief of the Indian tribe with whom Ace has been working and offers the chief an envelope full of cash to induce him to do business with Mike instead. The meeting is recorded on video by the chief's people, who then present Gus with a disc showing everything.

Ace and Gus receive an email purportedly from Nathan stating that although he believes everyone involved in Ace's racetrack deal is acting in good faith, he does not wish to continue "serving two masters." The email states that he is resigning his position and leaving town. Ace immediately understands that the email is a fake and that Nathan has been killed by Mike. When DiRossi arrives at Ace's hotel to "take the temperature" of the deal, Ace invites him to accompany Ace and Gus to the track to see their horse. Once there, Gus takes DiRossi to a disused room in Escalante's barn and makes it clear that DiRossi is not going anywhere until Ace has a talk with Mike.

With Gus keeping DiRossi on ice, Ace drives himself to Mike's yacht. He tells Mike that he knows about Nathan's murder but that he will take no action - other than cutting Mike and the others out of the racetrack deal. He presents Mike with a copy of the disc Gus obtained, conveying a warning that the authorities will find out about Cohen's bribery attempt if there is any more trouble from Mike. Mike is noncommittal with Ace, but when DiRossi returns to the yacht Mike lets him know that it is Ace who will be cut out of the racetrack deal, not him.

Dr. Jo Carter arrives at Escalante's barn for her morning rounds, bringing with her the boy Eduardo, who now works there. While removing a shoe from one of the horses she is kicked and suffers a bad fall. After telling Escalante she is fine, she has her assistant take her to the hospital out of concern for her pregnancy. An initial examination shows no serious problem, but while spending the afternoon in a hospital room for observation she experiences some symptoms of a miscarriage. When Escalante learns what is happening, he rushes to her side.

The Western Derby, a race for three-year-olds with a total purse of $1 million, is approaching, and both Pint of Plain and Gettn'up Morning are entered. Ronnie Jenkins is to ride Gettn'up. Another race will be run on Derby Day with lesser contenders and a smaller purse, and the railbirds' horse Mon Gateau is entered in that one. When it is decided that the weight limit for Mon Gateau will be 112, Leon, who can't seem to get below 117, is told by Joey that he will not have the mount. Instead, the mount will be given to Rosie, who can easily make the weight. Leon and Rosie have been seeing each other off the track and Rosie fears this news will complicate their relationship, but despite his disappointment Leon reacts graciously.

On Derby Day, Ace and Gus are looking forward to watching Pint run when three things happen that complicate matters considerably. Gus sees a news article about the discovery of a body near Marina Del Rey, where Mike's yacht is docked, and realizes that it may be Nathan. Gus detects that Ace is being stalked by a contract killer hired by Mike. Finally, as Ace and Gus are preparing to leave Ace's hotel, Ace's grandson Brent shows up, having received a plane ticket and invitation to the race that he thinks were sent by Gus; Ace and Gus immediately understand that the ticket was sent by Mike as a message to Ace that Brent is within Mike's reach.

Warning Brent to remain in his suite rather than come to the track, Ace and Gus visit the morgue to view the body that was found near the Marina. Recognizing Nathan at once, Ace is shocked by his body's mutilated condition and feels a heavy weight of responsibility for getting the young man involved with Mike.

Before heading to the track, Ace and Gus stop for lunch at a restaurant Ace frequents. While they are eating, Gus notices that a man he recognizes as a "spotter" for Mike's hit man is in the restaurant. Using a stratagem they have clearly employed before, Ace and Gus fake a loud argument to draw the spotter's attention. Gus appears to stalk out of the restaurant angrily; Ace gets up from the table and walks toward the men's room. The spotter signals the hit man, who goes to corner Ace in the men's room. When he enters the men's room he is immediately assaulted by Gus, who has been waiting for him. Gus kills the hit man in seconds. Gus and Ace, who was never in the men's room at all, then leave the restaurant together.”

In the last episode the trackside group gambling syndicate and horse owner build up to the great day and also plan one of their multiple betting ploys. The former poker gambler now has pneumatic girl friend to provide the sexual interest and another of the group has invited his mother. They will the race and in addition to the prize money there are substantial gambling winnings of over $100000 each. They are philosophical about their success knowing that it will end soon and they will go back to being penniless. There is talk from moving out of the motel where they have adjacent room to buy a place of their own where they can all live. They have been generous in their winnings having placed a bet for $500 on the Jockey who did not make the weight

Then the Western Derby take place and the horses are neck and neck over the last couple of hundred meters to the finishing line. It is a photo finish. Hoffman‘s horse wins narrowly and Smith is philosophical commenting that the two horses will confront each other again.

But the situation is not all success and champagne. Escalante visits the hospital having lost contact with his lover only to find she has lost their child. He comforts her.

Mike is at the race course with his associates taunting Ace as well as congratulating him on his success in winning the race. The grandson could not sit in the hotel suite watching on TV. Ace sends cuts to protect the boy and keep him close to them. Ace contacts the woman who runs the centre for retired horses which is now fully running because of the generosity and interest from Ace. He has also told her to stay away from the race but phones to hear the sound of his voice. She is welcoming in every sense. Watch this space for the second season.

2264 April Film Review 3

The third April 2012 film review begins with a film I considered going to see in theatre, the Kenneth Branagh directed Thor and a tremendous CGI epic it is with a convincing cast and an easily digestible story of a Cain and an Able although in this instance the one of the brothers learns only when an adult that he was adopted during conquest. The film was converted to 3D post production which means one gets the perspective without being bombarded with gimmicky stuff coming at you all the time.

The story is based on a Marvel comic character which in turn is based on ancient Norse myths of the God Odin and one of his sons Thor. For the purpose of the film Odin is not a God but king of an advanced development planet with the ability to travel between the 8 other planetary systems with life forms through a portal which has a 24 hour guardian to ensure that it use is only available to those authorised by the King.

Odin is a war lord type of being who is also wise and cultured and able to perform acts of magic. The story begins 1000 years ago when the Frost giant of the planet Jotunheim comes to earth in a bid to conquer the known worlds. This race the ability turns people as well as matter to ice threatening new ice age. The earth was saved through the arrival of Odin and forces who then went to the homeworld and defeated them returning with the source of the power and also the son of the defeated leader. He then concentrated on establishing and maintaining peace. His first born Thor is a headstrong young man, self confident ambitious and too full of himself who is to be named by his father as his official successor. His brother is less physical, artful and a schemer who skilled in magic so he can create holographic replicas of himself and secret mobility and most significantly is resentful of the position of his brother. In order to disrupt the great ceremony is gets some of enemies of Kingdom onto the planet with a view to take back the instrument of power removed the centuries before. His main purpose is to disrupt the ceremony and by dealing with the intruders show his father he is just as worthy of being King.

He then eggs on his brother and the close friends to undertake a raid on the enemy in retaliation for their but despite great valour it is Odin who has to come to rescue. He decides that Thor is not ready for the position as official heir and strips him of his power. He banishes his son sending him to earth with only human powers but he also send the hammer, a kind of Arthurian Sword but with great powers.

Dazed from his landing and situation he is hit by a vehicle driven by a research team led by Natalie Portman as an astrophysicist and take him to hospital where he breaks out although quickly finds he does not have his former strength. The authorities called S.H,I.E,L,D raid Portman’s centre and remove all her equipment and records giving her a cheque to cover the loss and start again.

There is the news of the arrival of the hammer the Mjolnir which is embedded and the local rednecks try to dislodge including using a tow truck. The authorities arrive called SHIELD and eventually Thor makes his way to the now heavily protected site but manages to gain access but is unable to dislodge the hammer. He is taken into custody and treated as a trained mercenary. He is released through the help of Portman’s chief assistant/adviser.

Meanwhile there have been developments back on Asgard. Odin reveals that Loki is not his natural son but that of the leader of the Jotunheim and he falls into a form of coma Odinsleep watched over by his wife. Loki assumes the role of the King and pretends to Thor’s followers that the King’s wife has confirmed that the banishment should remain. He orders the travel Gatekeeper to keep the portal closed and he then visits the enemy to do a deal to allow a select brought enter Asgard retrieve their instrument of power and kill Odin. He visits earth and tells Thor has his father is dead, he has been confirmed king and the banishment confirmed.

Not prepared to accept this situation Thor‘s friends come to earth rather than submit to the new regime with the Gatekeeper agreeing to help them. For his actions he is frozen and Loki to earth a powerful robot to destroy his adversaries. Meanwhile Thor has come to terms with his limitations and the rashness and boorishness of his behaviour. He sacrifices himself, apologising to his father for his failures, in order that the blood shedding on earth with stop. This has the consequence of rousing Thor from his condition and releasing the hammer to Thor as he appears to die. This has the effect of enabling him to destroy the robotic creature,

He has established an emotional relationship with Portman. He promises to return for her after he has sorted out the situation in the homeland. He is able to help the Gatekeeper free himself to open the gate. Meanwhile Loki has allowed into the kingdom Laurel and his assistants but kills the man before he kills his father. He hopes by this act to impress Odin and his Odin’s wife. He also sets about using the available powers to destroy the Jotenheim and refuses the appeal of Thor to stop. The two men fight and in order to stop the destruction of enemy Thor has to break the bridge to the portal thus also preventing his immediate return to earth and Portman. It is necessary for Odin to once more rescue his sons but Loki refuses to accept the situation and appears to end his life by refusing to accept the hand preventing him falling into endless space.

Thor is returned as the heir apparent but he is sorrowful with the loss of his brother and his inability to return for Portman. Before department he had managed to get the note book records taken by the SHIELD and he then persuaded the earth defenders to return all her equipment and allow her to continue her work. There is a long period of credits before the film ends but waiting until completion is rewarded by what appears to be a trailer for a second part. This shows Portman’s assistant being invited to work at the SHIELD research centre where it appears they are now close to creating a portal to Asgard and the rest of the galaxy. The sequel is scheduled for release in 2012 although Branagh will not direct. This will be undertaken by the Director Game of Thrones and the Boardwalk Empire.

I was impressed with the visual creativity of the Asgard capital city. The story was always engaging and central with the CGI effect supplemental rather than overwhelming and the use of post Production 3D effect. The quality of the acting performance and the script were also important. In addition to Natalie Portman Chris Hemsworth played Thor and Tom Hiddleston creditable as Loki. Sir Anthony Hopkins is Odin and Colm Feore Laufey.

I would have seen Holy Smoke in theatre had I realised it was showing! Channel Four Films has recently devoted a short season to the films of Kate Winslet, the remarkable Australian actress with ix Oscar nominations and about whom I have devoted several previous writings for work, especially in Heavenly Creatures, Sense and Sensibility, Jude, Hamlet, Titanic, Enigma, Iris, The Life of David Gale, Sunshine of the Eternal Mind, Little Children, The Reader, Revolutionary Road and Mildred Pierce, Then there is my favourite- Hideously Kinky and the two films which I will concentrate in this piece of writing: Holy Smoke and Quills

There are four issues covered in these two films, the power of sex to create and destroy life, the power which some individuals can exercise over others, the true nature of the Master/slave/subject relationship and Sado Masochism.

In Holy Smoke a young Australian woman (Winslet) from the suburbs journeys to India with a friend and becomes influenced by a Guru to the extent she decides not to return home. He mother is upset and assembles her family, putting up the cash to hire an exit counsellor to bring her home and undo the assumed brainwashing although in this instance the girl has experienced a sudden revelation about herself and is attempting to gain further insights by undertaking good works.

The development of specialist therapists to rescue those who have become members of cults gained momentum in the USA and elsewhere arising from a number of internationally known incidents from the Charles Manson murders to the mass suicides. Individuals have been kidnapped by their families, parents, husbands, legal guardians and then put through an intense process which attempts to undo their attachment. I will leave for the moment the morality of doing this in relation to adults of sound mind and progress the story.

The mother decides to hire an established and highly regarded practitioner, (Harvey Keitel) after she visits and persuades her daughter to return because her father is terminally ill. He is not does nor cares about what his daughter wants to do with her life but agrees as a cover for his infidelity with his secretary. Once home Kate realises she been brought back through a ruse but agrees to spend three days 24/7 with Keitel in an isolated cabin in the desert outback.

As in any situation involving a therapist (master role) and client (subject) the need for emotional detachment on the part of the therapist is fundamental especially if there is sexual attraction or the subject is intellectually similar or superior. Usually the client is voluntary and knows they need help and it a very different situation when the client is persuaded against their better judgement and do not believe they require help. What Keitel does is to exploit the normal insecurities, idealism and life inexperience of his subject and presents visual accounts of the situations previous mentioned to demonstrate the damage which can be done. However Kate uses the potent mixture of her vulnerability and being captive together with her gorgeous body which she shows naked to him and to the audience to reverse the tables.

He becomes sexually besotted and sexually dependent while she shows contempt for his sexual ability puts him in a dress and paints his face with make up and abuses. He appears to enjoy this. There is a series of explosive and love hate scenes between the two.

The postscript to the film is a positive one. Kate returns to India with her mother as father has gone off with his secretary and commences a relationship with a young an implied inexperienced Indian boy, having during a break in the process when friends come to visit and they go night clubbing together she engages in kissing the friend who went to India with her and is fondled by the men friends. She appears to be as experienced if not more experienced that Keitel in several respects.

She sends Keitel a postcard with her news that he has her love albeit at a distance. He has married his assistant and they have twins. He is touched by getting love and the continuation of a conspiratorial relationship is covered by his email reply stating that he is not disclosing the contact or its nature with his wife.

The film will be regarded by some as a cautionary tale, exposing the dangers of getting involved with guru’s and cults and of the therapist client relationships which are not conducted by professionals in supervised locations. However this would be a simplistic response as the truths are partial. Gurus and cult leaders should not be bracketed with psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and counsellors although some Gurus have years of training and applied knowledge behind them and act in a professionals way towards those who seek their advice and help whereas trained therapist who are members of professional bodies and who work under supervision can become attracted by opposites, seduced and manipulated and consequently damage already damaged, disturbed and vulnerable individuals.

The aspect of the film which impressed me was the turning of tables in which Kate exposes unmet needs and desire of Keitel. It has to be emphases that the character played by Kate is ineffective blackmailed into participating in the therapy. In this instance the outcome is positive for both but in real life things are likely to work out different.

Those who created the 2000 released film Quills admit that it is not based on the facts of the life of the Marquis De Sade life but is a vehicle to examine issues such as censorship, pornography, sex, art, mental illness and religion. To this list I would add the misuse of power.

The Abbé du Coulmier is the head of an institution in France for those who have been declared insane during a period when Napoleon rules France. De Sade is incarcerated through his wife and the state because of his behaviour and those of his writings considered pornographic defamatory and subversive rather than because of his mental condition. In fact the film opens during the Reign of Terror with De Sade free and enjoying a view of the guillotine as a young harmless woman is put to her death to the enjoyment of the masses. The point I suppose being made is that if people are allowed to do as they please without state, religious or other sanctions and frameworks then human slaughter and suffering on a gigantic scale will occur.

Certainly having listed all the wars and acts of genocide occurring during the period of my life and that of my respective parents, the accumulation of numbers is staggering, with millions dying during certain short periods and the total running into hundreds of millions and most sobering of all I have only identified a couple of years when no war or slaughtering is not recorded (and which is not same thing as saying that none took place). To achieve some balance and to provide perspective my list also includes the great pandemics and the famines, the earthquakes and other natural disasters where the total is as great if not greater and yet the population of the planet has been able to increase by thousands of millions and continues to do so.

Having therefore made the point at the beginning of the film that governments and the population in general will commit horrific acts upon each other the film concentrates on the misuse of power by individuals. The Abbé is the real innocent in all of this. He cares for the inmates and in relation to the Marquis has allowed his cell quarters to be furnished with his furniture, his books, and an endless supply of writing paper and the pen (Quills) and ink. He is allowed to walk the grounds and organise theatre productions attended by society at the institution. He appears to also have an unlimited supply of wine with he shares with the Abbé as they debate issues which divide them.

What the Abbé does not know is that the Marquis has come to an arrangement with a Laundry maid to smuggle out his writings to an outside contact of a publisher and this results in the publication of Justine, his work which covers all manner of sexual activities and touches on the hypocrisy of the Princes of the Church who fornicate at random and make use of their position to increase their wealth and their power. In fact Justine was produced more than a decade before in internment at Charenton and he did not publish anything to merit the actions taken while he was there, or indeed put on the play which led to the various tragedies which bring the film to an end.

The Laundry maid is played by Kate Winslet who is fascinated by the man and who helps him for money. She also enjoys the substance of his writings which she shares with some of the other staff who engage in sexual orgies designed to demonstrate the corrupting influence of the writings. In fact while her character appears worldly and skilled in resisting the advances of the Marquis when she enters his cell. He interest is the Abbé who is helping with her general education and after her death he discovers that she a virgin.

Napoleon is advised to take action to stop de Sade continuing to publish but not to have him shot as his first reaction. He accepts advice to send in Doctor Royer Collard played by Michael Caine in one of his rare serious roles. He has an assortment of torture instruments designed to bring people to their senses including a water torture ducking device. He is also a hypocrite.

Arriving at the institution at the instigation of Napoleon he decides it is time to take his bride arranged with nuns at a convent of girl raised with them from being delivered as an orphan. She is not even of the legal age and because of his position he is able to marry and the nuns tell the girl she is lucky as the prospects for those in her position is usually the streets or to become nuns. The girl has been brought up a devout and innocent Catholic. Royer effectively rapes her at his pleasure without any regard for her feelings or inexperience. He has been allocated a chateau by Napoleon which is in need of repair and the appointed architect is young and attractive. The girl gets hold of a copy of Justine and seduces the young man and they run off together.

Meanwhile the Abbé is shocked to learn that the Marquis has arranged for the publication of Justine but he persuades Royer to allow him to continue with his approach on gaining an undertaking from De Sade to behave. As the relationship between Royer and the young girl becomes the subject of gossip De Sade writes a new play from that advertised to be performed and this highlights the behaviour of the Royer. He immediately closes the theatre and demands action be taken against De Sade who has his books, furniture wine, writing paper and quills removed to leave a bare cell.

At the play Winslet is sexually assaulted by one of the residents but fends him off with an iron. De Sade continues to write using his clothing and bed sheets using is blood and then his excrement. He is tortured by Royer who turns his aggression on the institution when his wife runs off. He whips Winslet when he learns from a jealous member of staff that she has and is assisting the Marquis. Kate and the Abbé are on the verge of becoming lovers when he is filled with remorse with his intention to sin. Later when Kate is killed he has a fantasy of having sex with her dead body.

The Abbé continues to try and change De Sade and at one point gives crucifix which de Sade uses to commit suicide. De Sade is played by the brilliant Geoffrey Rush who is a tall man in good shape for his years. De Sade was comparative short and fat at this time.

The film ends with an effectively swap of roles as in Holy Smoke. It is the Abbé who occupies the former cell as De Sade and who writes away, under the spirit of the Master. The new head of the establishment proudly shows off the fact that the inmates have become subdued and work constructively on a printing press book production company. Their output is the writings of De Sade.

Now to a very mixed bag of films commencing with one seen ages ago, written about and then the draft was lost. I did not regard Cornered as special until reading information afterwards and learning that four of those involved in the making of the film Edward Dmytryk the Director, Adrian Scott, the producer and two of the actor Morris Carnovsky, and Luther Adler were blacklisted because of their alleged left wing inclinations have made a political film against Fascism released in 1945.

My reservations about the film is that the main character played by Dick Powell as Gerard, a Royal Canadian Airforce Pilot fails to convince me although it is a workmanlike performance given the period when it was made.

It appears that at some point he had a brief 20 day relationship with a French girl and hey were married. He was effected by his experience in a POW camp and is devastated and angry to find out that his bride, a member of the French Resistance had been murdered along with a number of others, including the priest who married them

His father-in-law Etienne Rouging identifies Vichy collaborator Marcel Jarnac as the man responsible and who officially died in 1943, but Rougon has strong doubts. Jarnac was so careful about maintaining his anonymity, so there is no description of him on record. When he manages to locate the man who had dealings with Jarmac he had died in an explosion which has destroyed he property and all his records with the exception of a sheet of charred paper

He then traces the widow of the man having lived in Switzerland although she has moved on but having acquired an official envelope from the insurance brokers/lawyers he sends it to address and then weights outside for the redirected letter to be pout out for the postman, Without knowing the postal system at the time this appears to stretch credulity. The redirected letter is for an address in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I can well believe that the limited travelling of English speaking people to Argentina at that time would mean that every visitor would of interest to the authorities and to the media but that he is met by at the airport by Melchior Incza (Walter Slezak), a stranger who knows all about him or gives the impression of this. Gerard rejects Incza's offer of help, but cannot turn down his invitation to a party hosted by wealthy businessman Tomas Camargo (Steven Geray) for the opportunity to mingle with Mme Jarnac's social set. There he meets Camargo's uncle, Manuel Santana (Morris Carnovsky), and the widow herself (Micheline Cheirel).

When Gerard later questions Mme Jarnac in her hotel room, she refuses to cooperate, so he starts openly following her. Santana asks him to desist, for reasons he will not divulge. Later, Gerard finds a suspicious valet, Diego (Jack La Rue), tidying up his hotel room at an odd hour. All these events are connected.

Mme Jarnac is followed to convent where in fact her sister is being for. She discloses she has never met her husband and was recruited for the role but believes he is alive and gives him an address where she thinks he is and that he is leaving the country. However the note is a false one and he nearly shoots the householder who is in fact part of group of anti fascists on the trail of Jarmac and all those who have fled to the country and South America and who part of a an underground Nazi organisation

Gerard then fools Incza into believing he has the full dossier compiled by Jarnac's associate. Incza breaks into the hotel safe, but the papers are not there. He then arranges for Gerard to be kept occupied, waiting for a phantom meeting with Camargo, while he searches his hotel room. When he is interrupted by Diego the Valet, he shoots him. The man was working for the anti fascists. Gerard is believed to be the killer although he had been lured to the room of a woman encountered at the Party he had attended on arrival. Later her husband supports his wife’s assertion that the two were together and that Gerard was not with them.

Although there is no evidence against him he is told to leave the county Incza tells Gerard that Jarnac will be seeing Camargo at his old office, Gerard decides to stake out a place Mme Jarnac recalls was once their meeting place. It is a trap. Gerard is captured, and Jarnac (Luther Adler) finally makes his appearance. Incza confirms he works for Jarnac, but is killed for talking too much. Gerard is to die as well, with Camargo as a witness that the two men killed each other. Camargo objects to becoming involved, but Jarnac threatens him with a paper in his possession. Gerard seizes the distraction to overpower Jarnac. He punches Jarnac repeatedly, and is only stopped by the arrival of Santana and Dubois. To their disappointment, Jarnac is dead, but Gerard shows them the paper detailing Jarnac's connection to Camargo; Santana states there appears to be enough there to expose the entire organization. There is the suggestion of a possible ongoing relationship between Gerard and the marriage of convenience widow.

I have written before about my love for the books about Horatio Hornblower RN and the subsequent film and TV series. Recently I could not resist watching again the 1951 film directed by Rail Walsh which stars Gregory Peck and Hornblower, Virginia Mayo as the sister of Wellington with Robert Beaty and young Terence Morgan. THe film covers the main stories from the Happy Return, A ship of the Line and Flying Colours.

The film open with Hornblower sent on a secret mission to South American to help a megalomaniac rebel who has indicated his willingness to fight against Spain if provided arms and ammunition. The ship is becalmed and the crew verge upon mutiny. Hornblower steers them to the fort controlled by their new ally. The ally admits that the Spanish are sending a major warship, more powerful that the 36 gun frigate and Hornblower devises a successful plan to capture the vessel when it is moored at harbour. The officers are placed in irons below for their own protection. The megalomaniac demands the captured ship which Hornblower hands over despite knowing he should have consulted the Admiralty first.

He then makes his way to Panama where he meets a small Spanish vessel and learns that Spain has switched sides and has become an ally against Napoleon and this is confirmed by a despatch from the local British Government representative and he releases the captives and sets off to reclaim the Spanish ship. This will be difficult enough but there is an added complication as the sister of Wellington is onboard with her maid having fled Panama City because of yellow fever epidemic. This is a fictitious character and Wellington was not made a Duke until later.

They encounter the former Spanish ship and engage in an epic battle in which both vessels appear to be badly damaged with that held by the megalomaniac sunk. Amazingly they appear able to repair the own damaged masts, rigging and other damage to set course for England.

Given that the men have been at sea for many months he has difficulty handling the situation but when she goes down with fever he nurses her night and day until it is confirmed she has swamp fever and survives. Understandably a bond develops between the two. Although engaged to an Admiral she falls in love with Hornblower and he with her but discloses that he is already married. He brings the ship home as quickly as they can.

Most of the Admiralty regard Hornblower as a hero because of his exploits but not the fiancée‘s husband. Hornblower returns to his home to find that his wife died in childbirth and that he has a son. He learns that Wellington’s sister has married and on being summoned to London to take charge of a ship of the line captured from the French he finds himself assigned to the squadron commander by the sister’s husband. They receive orders to track down four French ships who have escaped a blockade.

The admiral reluctantly agrees that Hornblower should follow up a hunch that the ships will make attempt to support Napoleon campaign in the Iberian Peninsula while the reswt of the command make their way to where it is believed the ships will attempt to shelter. After capturing a French supply ship he learns the whereabouts of the French ships. Pretending to be French, Hornblower enters the harbour where the ships are being prepared to transport supplies. The captured is to taken back to the UK for prize money with a skeleton crew but only after finding the Admiral to say they have located the French ships. The ruse works and he is able to severely damage the French ships and sinking, leaves the vessel blocking the harbour entrance so they have to remain until the British fleet arrives.
Hornblower and his loyal second in Command (played by Beaty) are taken by land towards Paris for trial and execution as spies but they manage to escape with the help of the accompanying strong arm seaman played by James Robertson Justice.

They make their way to the port of Nantes and manage to get on board a captured British Ship manned by a skeleton crew and with the help of a working party of captured British seamen. They take the ship and return home

Understandably Hornblower is hailed as a British Hero but begs to be released from the honours and celebrations to return to his young son. There he finds Wellington’s sister waiting for him as the marriage of convenience has ended with the death of her husband and the couple embrace.

One more film to mention now with the Family Film to review after the Television catching up reports. Little Fockers 2010 part of the Ben Stiller stable of comedy films and with Robert De Nero as his father in Law, Dustin Hoffman as his father and Barbara Streisand as his mother. The problem is I did not find any aspect of the funny.

This is the third film in of the series with Meet the Parents 2000 and Meet the Fockers 2004. The father in law appears reconciled that his daughter should remain married to Greg but his long standing doubts gain fire when Grey is pursued to a sex alcoholic pharmaceutical company representative to whom who has sold an erectile dysfunction drugs. Also entering the scene is the daughter’s former fiancée, the rich kid now with his own estate and who is sponsors the birth party for the couple’s twins. Father in law appears to have achieved his original purpose and plans the couple to divorce and the daughter to marry her former fiancée. The arrival of Greg’s parents help although when they decide to move close to the couple and are joined by the parent’s determined not to be outdone. Grey re-establishes himself after his father in law has a heart attack.

The main hilarity is supposed to occur when father in law tries one of the erectile dysfunction drugs which because of medication in relation to his heart condition results in a prolonged and potentially dangerous situation which Greg is forced to relieve by administering an antidote injection which is witnessed by one of the twins and therefore has a lot of explaining to do.