Spooks - I saw a few episodes here and there on TV, but thought it would be good to start from the beginning. I really enjoyed this first season. As the name suggests, it's all about spies - MI5 operatives, to be exact. There are some interesting characters, good storylines, shocking baddies, adrenaline pumping conflicts. Very very good.
Schultze Gets the Blues - Luckily I didn't pay for this movie - it was from the library. Despite the 4 stars and the "remarkable" remark on the front cover, I did not like it. Boring, Boring , Boring. And did I mention Boring? About some guys in Germany who lost their jobs. Perhaps there's a bit more to the storyline, but that's as far as I got. Couldn't bear watching any more.
Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? - With a title like that, who the #$&% wouldn't want to check it out? Teri paid $5 at a thrift store for a painting she hated. She thought it might cheer up her friend. Her friend hated it too. You gotta love someone who tries to cheer you up by giving you a painting she thinks is ugly. So, next garage sale day it's out for sale. Someone wanders in, utters the words "it may be a Jackson Pollock" and the chase begins. This is in fact a documentary of the years and efforts Teri has spent in trying to prove it is a Pollock. If it is, add lots and lots of zeroes behind the $5 she originally paid for it. If it isn't, well, she's only out $5 (who is paying for expenses is never made clear). Enter interviews with experts in the art world and a forensic specialist who found a fingerprint on the back which he matched to one found on an authenticated Pollock. Add dollops and dollops of down home honesty from Teri and her friends and family. Riveting.
Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married - Based on a book by Marian Keyes, this was a TV series that never quite got audiences hooked. It is a cute story with Lucy as a main character - 20 somethings learning about the world and relationships. Gerard Butler plays a gorgeous but totally self-interested and amoral on again off again boyfriend. The acting is a bit on the stilted side at times, but as Lucy's understanding of her parents' relationship develops and her experience of the world widens she starts to grow up. Light and easy to watch. Great over a rainy day or two or three...
