#Watch 4 Films From Obscure Countries

Well number 1 in my slightly racist resolution will have to be Chico and Rita, which I thoroughly enjoyed last week. (I apologise for the strange resolution title. I think what I meant is from a country non-typical to me. And in this case, that would be Cuba).



I've started reading a lot of comics lately, so the sexy side to cartoons was no new feat, although watching it on a train is probably not a good idea. Or maybe even never. But yes, the nudity and sex is definfelty something to be aware of - no grandparents or children.

Overall though this is a beautiful film, both in story and art, whose sweetness will melt any cold English heart.

#56 Watch 4 West End Shows

Wicked; a musical for musical performers.

I'd heard so much about Wicked beforehand, being an old fan of Glee, and well a human being in the western world, and so I was incredibly happy when my sister presented me with a free ticket. 'Great!', It though 'I finally get to see what all the fuss is about'.

Wicked is a good musical. The music ticks all the boxes Disney has instilled within me when judging any musical drama, and the visuals were rich in tricks and skill. However, there was something particularly "industrial" about it's near perfection, which really undermines any opportunity for real heart, intrigue or even beauty. It is in this meticulous approach to creating a musical however, which lends itself so well to musical performers, and perhaps explains why I associate it so much with young aspiring Idina Mensels. The voices on stage were great, and only show what a good composition can do for a great singers voice, but I'm sorry to say it is only these technicalities which make it good, but not great.

All of that said, as much as I pretend, the story did draw me in with it's; talking animals, a dystopian regime, and an ugly duckling love story, all elements which spoke to my inner nerd, even if they weren't really properly explored.

#56 See 4 Shows at the West End

Number 2; Made in Dagenham. 

I really hadn't expected much. I really hadn't expected anything to be honest other than Gemma Arterton singing trills about feminism (It is so much more than that). So I was really happy when instead I found myself in a very British musical which made me laugh audibly (yep I'm one of those) and had me tapping my foot away at the motown inspired tunes, not to mention gazing admiringly at the incredibly intelligent set design.

A musical to like, maybe love, but probably not see or listen to any time soon again.

#92 Speak Portuguese

In Portugal I was able to practice a few questions, mainly 'Onde e...', as in 'where is..' and 'Qaunto e....', 'how much is' but ultimately my Portuguese is still pretty terrible for most everyday scenarios. My most successful conversation was actually with the 9 year old daughter of my Mum's friend. We spent about half an hour on an off discussing Disney star Violetta and the Portuguese version of Polly pocket - Obrigada Violetta!

#26

Finished Raising Arizona, one of Film 4's 15 films to see before you die, and I only realised afterwards it's one of the Coen Brother's earlier films *Hand to Face*

Holly Hunt, one of my favorite actresses, whose reverse lisp is literally the best thing to enter my ears EVER, is naturally great and even more so, dare I say it, is Nicholas Cage who gives perhaps the best performance of his career (there is no basis for this statement other than my faint memory of National Treasure). The film is really charming, to put it best, and has some really nice use of framing, costume and very brown or saturated scenary to create the twee hillbilly world of the Americana. Oh an it's got a very good soundtrack (which I noticed is now being used on Channel 4's Catastrophe).

#23. Buy an Art Book

I've been hungrily reading this week. So far I've finished Dan Brown's Inferno, John Fowel's The Collector and now I'm half way through Aaron's Rod and  Ai Wei Speaks (with Hans Ulrich Obrist). Ai Wei Wei is an artist I've been very aware of for the past few years. I was lucky enough to see his exhibition at the Tate in 2010 but I honestly don't know much about his work or writing. With this in mind I searched for a book on the artist and found this brilliant set of interviews, as published by Penguin.

Admittedly buying a book isn't particularly difficult. In terms of New Years Resolutions, or To-Do Lists, buying something to complete a task feels distinctly like cheating your way to victory. It's incredibly detached, requires little physical effort and is normally over quite quickly. I wish I could say that I spent months searching for this book, lured into the aromatic and dank corners of a back street café, in which an aging painter handed me the greying sheets of his ex-lovers monograph, but I can't. I bought it in a Blackwell's. But the sentiment was still there.

Anyway the book is great. Ai Weiwei is funny and intelligent. The book not only gives you a great insight into Ai Weiwei but the struggle for all artists and people in China at the moment (or at least at the time of the books release). Highly recommended.

#34 Go to Portugal

So I actually got off my arse, booked a room, then the flights and got on a plane to Portugal. (Lisbon to be precise). I have actually been to Lisbon before, but it was ages ago and all my Portuguese lessons would be wasted without more trips to Portuguese speaking countries (plus it's so cheap!).

Quite sneakily the trip incorporate a few resolutions so I'll try and split up the posts, but otherwise I've also taken my Mum to Portugal.