Runester

Well, I’ve spent another low-key weekend with the gf. We went and saw a movie called “Notes on a Scandal.” It stars Dame Judy Dench, Cate Blanchett, and Bill Nighy. The acting was top-notch, and was what really made the movie. At only 92 minutes and with a single threaded plot, it felt more like a short story instead of a novel (which it is allegedly based on). My only complaint with the movie, is not much actually happens, plot wise. The real ’story’ is in the complex relationship between the two women and the eventual realization of Blanchett’s character to the duplicity and neediness of Dench’s character.

Personally, I’d like to see “Flags of our Fathers” and then “Letters from Iwo Jima.” I’m fascinated that we have both sides of that war story … something almost never done, especially as it relates to WWII.

I’m nearly done reading the latest book by Caitlin R. Kiernan, namely “Daughter of  Hounds.” This book is very different from her usual, and I’m not sure why she’s changed her modus operandi. Most of her works are filled with loose ends and ambigious situations and rather disappointing endings. I’ve admired her for that, except for the cases where I was thoroughly frustrated by her (”Dry Salvages” comes to mind). In this novel, she’s as explicit as she’s ever been. The monsters are described, the hero’s call on magic and it’s quite obvious, and (for the most part) it reads more like an action / adventure novel then an atmospheric horror novel. To be brutally honest, I like it better this way! Let’s see if my opinion remains the same when I get to the end.