Flaming Nora

To the flicks this afternoon to see Suffragette.  I had put off going to see this film because I thought a) it would be worthy, b) it would be dull and c) it contains Helena Bonham-Carter of whom I'm not fond as she tends to play posh dotty women (of whom I'm not fond).  But when the film turned up in The Guardian Guide this weekend as the No. 1 film to see, I had a rethink and took myself to the pictures today. The film is stunning.  Right from the very first moment to the last, it's superb.  The acting, the costumes, the locations, everything is, well I can't keep saying stunning and superb but that's exactly what it was.  Even Helena Bonham-Carter played her part of a posh (but not dotty this time) woman to perfection and Meryl Streep made a too-brief appearance as Emmeline Pankhurst . Anne-Marie Duff and Carey Mulligan are the stars of the film, their performances outstanding. We know the history, of course, that Emily Davison died in the fight for t...

To the flicks yesterday to see the much-anticipated and long-awaited Northern Soul film.  It's a film that's gone straight to DVD and you can buy it in the shops now. But a few independent cinemas have chosen to show it on the big screen and I do hope it gets an even wider audience than that. It certainly deserves it. It's a coming-of-age film, set in 1974 when the world both inside and outside home was dark and bleak with little to do.  Yes, there's a great soundtrack and fab dancing. But the film is much more. It's about growing up in the '70s, friendship and falling out, falling in love and finding yourself.  The film is much edgier and darker than I expected - and is the better for it. The evocation of mid-1970s is spot on.  The attention to detail is incredible - from the fashion and flares to the factories and the fellas' haircuts. At the end of the film, the audience at the cinema applauded and cheered.  Many clapped along to the final song as...