The Silver Screen

It was this time last year that the Missus and I enjoyed our single visit of 2013 to the cinema, the film in question being the cheerfully grim Les Miserables. I doubt very much we'll be going more often this year; indeed, it's open to question if we'll manage even a single visit. Put simply, they don't make movies for folks like us any more - at least, ones that get as far as this Far Place.

Funnily enough I actually watched more films in the course of 2013 than I expected to, usually on board flights, occasionally on cable. That's how I got to see Lincoln and Life of Pi, and I'm glad I did, but I'm not aware of any commercially viable material in that sort of class ahead for the year. I had been vaguely interested in viewing the first part of The Hobbit, but I've seen bits since it's been screened on cable and it hasn't gripped me. I think I'm having some kind of reaction to the whole tiresome CGI business.

I also occasionally found myself interested enough in films I accidentally bumped into on cable to watch them. The problem here was that I rarely saw the full movie leaving a feeling of incompletion. One example was Made In Dagenham, about the strikes there in the 60s, which was very engaging. Unfortunately I entered into it after the first twenty minutes or so and, despite enjoying what I did see, I don't feel it necessary to make up for the gap. On the other hand, I caught both the beginning and end of The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep's tour de force as Mrs Thatcher and her performance was stunning enough to make me think I wouldn't mind seeing the whole thing at some point - quite remarkable considering just how much even thinking of the politician in question makes me shudder.

It's a pity really that so few films I'm aware of these days seek to do that simple yet profoundly difficult thing: take you into the lives of others in a way that genuinely illuminates.