MOVIE: Elvis

 26 August 2022

I had so wanted to love this movie and fall in love with Elvis' music, as I had refallen in love with Queen after Bohemian Rhapsody (I don't really care about the historical inaccuracies of BH, it was magical, and one of my favourite music movies, one I can watch over and over without getting tired of it). 

Unfortunately I did not love Elvis the movie. 

What I did enjoy about Elvis the movie:

✅ Learnt more about Elvis, which was fascinating. For instance that he had a yearning for travelling the world, but only ever did so during his army years and then to Hawaii later years. This I must admit I find incredibly sad. 

✅ Learnt about the Colonel that had ruined Elvis. It was interesting to hear the story from the Colonel's perspective. I think Tom Hanks was marvellous in this role. It was interesting that Elvis' philandering and drug use didn't come through stronger, but when I think about it, it must be because it was from the Colonel's perspective and because he 'made' Elvis, he won't ever admit to there being a fault with Elvis.  

✅ My foot did tap along to the music, 

✅ The colours, costumes and collages were marvellous. 

✅ Absolutely loved the old footage of the real Elvis and concerts at the end of the movie. 

Why I did not enjoy the  movie:

👎 It was way too long (02:36)

👎 Austin Butler that played the lead just did not have the charm or charisma of the real Elvis. Which, if the main actor does not come across as real or authentic, makes it difficult for me to enjoy watching. 

👎 I didn't get lost in the movie; the 02:36 didn't fly by, it didn't make me want to rush home and download the soundtrack.  Perhaps the hype was too big?

Very disappointed. I have read quite a number of reviews on the movie and actor now, and am very aware that I'm pretty much on my own here with not enjoying the movie. That's ok.

2/5

Audiobook: David Attenborough Life Stories, The Complete Complexion

Read by: Sir David Attenborough

Initially I thought that this book would be more about his life, his biography. But it's a selection of fascinating stories, from why his favourite animal is a sloth, to fossils, to using eye brows to communicate. 

It's also such a treat that he narrates the book.

4/5

Book: The year of magical thinking, Joan Didion

Heavy.

A very heavy read. Definitely not what I had thought it was about. 

It is a book about grief. Joan Didion describes the angst of her daughter being in ICU as a result of flu that turned into pneumonia and septicemia. One evening  after visiting her in hospital, while she is preparing supper for her husband, he dies of a massive heart attack. 

The book is about how she deals with this loss. I must admit that I was a bit troubled by the title of the book and the content,  so much so, that I Googled magical thinking and learned the following:

magical thinking, the belief that one's ideas, thoughts, actions, words, or use of symbols can influence the course of events in the material world. Magical thinking presumes a causal link between one's inner, personal experience and the external physical world."magical thinking | psychology | Britannica"

 https://www.britannica.com/science/magical-thinking

This is so true especially when dealing with death and grief. Quite fascinating. 

3/5

Book: The Rosie Effect, Graeme Simsion

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! It’s the follow up on ‘The Rosie Project’. It’s written in a very similar style to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon, but from an adult perspective. A very easy read. 

Don Tillman is highly intelligent, but doesn’t realise that he may possibly be on the spectrum. In his first book, The Rosie Project, he is on a mission to find a wife and develops a questionnaire to find the ideal partner (Rosie fails this questionnaire from question one).

I enjoyed the follow up book, The Rosie Effect even more! Absolutely thrilled to find out that there is a third book in this series, The Rosie Result.  

5/5

Audiobook: The Real Silent Witnesses, Wensley Clarkson

Read by Ben Onwukwe

The true story of forensic science from those who solve crimes without witnesses

Absolutely loved this audiobook, apart from the fact that Ben Onwukwe has an incredible voice, it was fascinating to learn more about the intricacies of forensic science, e.g. how easily DNA is spread and, possibly the perfect murder! Cold cases and serial killers.

I have not watched an episode of Silent Witness, which has been airing since 1996! Keen to track it down, am sure it's a series that I will enjoy watching. 

4/5

Book: The Heart's Invisible Furies, John Boyne

This is a ‘Sip & Swop” book. A couple of us that run together also enjoys reading, so we have formed a ‘book club’ where we get together, bring a book we loved reading, enjoy a glass of wine and then swop out books. It is forcing me to read books that are out of my comfort zone; my ‘go to’ books are generally biographies and business related books.

This is a beautifully written Irish story of a boy with a very difficult upbringing coming to terms with his sexuality.

It’s a heavy book.

I am not entirely convinced that the conversations Cyril Avery (main character) was having at age seven felt plausible.

I only really started enjoying it towards the end. As the book develops, so does Cyril’s sense of humour. As much as I didn’t absolutely love this book, I did actually shed a tear here and there.

2/5

Book: Running like a Girl, Alexandra Heminsley

Thoroughly enjoyed this read. Having recently joined a running group to improve my running pace, one of my fellow runners gifted this book to us. 

It is lovely to follow Alexandra's journey of not being a runner at all, to becoming a marathon runner.

It has such good tips and tricks from selecting shoes, to keeping your head up. She also includes things like make up and false eye lashes. Although, I have never been big on make-up, it is very unlikely to change now :) mind you, maybe that's the trick I need to get faster :D

4/5