"Game of Thrones : A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"

After watching it like a maniac trough the years of swapping the whole seasons with friends and co-workers, sleepless nights where seeing just one episode was impossible, now we arrived to a very last season and are actually forced to watch one by one episode as it originally shows on TV. Initially, the very first episode was frustrating because it felt like nothing is actually happening and I was genuinely criticising the whole show, saying why is there so much talks and nothing when danger is lurking around the corner. However, the second episode was just fantastic - either it was really great or I was simply in the right mood, I found myself rewinding scenes and watching them again and again, enjoying every second. Strange enough, nothing really major happened yet - the big battle is expected soon, so what we got - and very cleverly done - was to see all the important characters finally arriving in the same place (Winterfell) and mingling along each other, fully knowing and understanding this might be their last night alive. But the dialogues and connections between them were just awesome and I loved every second of it.

Because now everybody finally realises that Cersei Lannister lied and had no intentions to send army to help in the North, it comes as a big surprise that her brother Jaime Lannister arrives alone, by himself to join the Northerners. Initially he is doubted, despised and faces potential execution but somehow we understand he is actually not a bad guy - he really changed trough the TV show and we got to really like his character - when Brienne of Tarth stands up in front of everybody and vouches for him (saving his life, basically), saying to Sansa that he swore to her mother that he will protect her, things drastically change for him and furious Daenerys Targaryen has nothing more to say. Daenerys has a really bad time now since here in the North nobody likes her, nobody really listens to her anymore and even Jon Snow is kind of distant now (either busy with upcoming battle or feeling bad about their relationship). Both sisters - Sansa and Arya - have their big moments, but personally I still feel bad for character of dwarf Tyrion Lannister who once used to be the highlight of the show and now is just reduced to occasional quip in the background, he got lost in a shuffle somehow and although its nice that he survived so long amongst all the killings and madness, I expected him to be more prominent and important. Brandon Stark on the other hand, really surprised me because he turned into such a fascinating creature - he is obviously not human anymore and knows all the future and the past, so everybody hushes when he speaks. I just love how all these characters finally got to interact together for the first time and there was a scene where several of them meet for the last drink before the fire - one of the best scenes ever - they just talk and reminisce but what happens was one of the most beautiful and affectionate scenes in the whole history of the show. What it means to Brienne, who truly was always the only good-hearted, sincere person in the show, was just phenomenal and I cried my heart out for the joy of seeing her smile. I have been watching "Game of Thrones" for so long now, that I can't even imagine that the show will eventually end, will probably watch it all over again at some point. 

"The White Crow" by Ralph Fiennes (2018)

Thanks God I have nice friends who appreciate my movie choices, so there was never a doubt about checking this one out - a little escape out of mainstream cash box mega hits and predictable car crashing explosions - we were actually both excited and curious about seeing biopic of Rudolf Nureyev although our ignorance about his life was both touching and plus, as we enjoyed the movie without knowing much about his background. For some reason I just assumed the movie will be in English (because of its director) so it came as shock to find out I had to deal with Russian with Dutch subtitles (after all, we were watching this in Amsterdam) but as usual, it was not a problem for me, I have already watched French, Spanish and even Japanese movies with Dutch subtitles and found out that when I'm really into a movie, language is not a barrier at all.

Ralph Fiennes directed this one and its very clear that someone with artistic sensibility holds the reigns - in my mind he is forever associated with role of SS officer in "Schindler's List" but there is of course much more to him, here he carefully avoids anything bombastic and in fact creates very evocative atmosphere of cold war, where politics control the fate of individuals. He also gives wonderfully restrained performance as ballet master who nurtures young, wild and immensely talented dancer who will eventually became world famous Nureyev. The role of Nureyev is played by charismatic real-life Russian dancer Oleg Ivenko who is actually genuinely magnetic, although physically there is only a slight resemblance between them, but that was not the point - what Ivenko brings to the movie is impression of a untamed, young country bumpkin who has neither patience or social skills to ease his way into higher spheres of heavily organised Soviet system where art is financed and therefore controlled by government.

Even at home amongst his own colleagues, he is outsider who does not search for company and prefers reading books - once he finds himself on European tour, he is thrilled with sense of freedom and all the art he encounters - I was personally very moved with the way he actively searches famous museums and galleries of Paris, to soak in all the beauty he knew only from books, something I often did myself once I found myself around the world. Strange how we crave beauty above all the other things, when my work colleagues would all go to McDonalds, I was the one who went exploring museums and loved every moment of it.

Towards the end of the movie, the big finale eventually arrives - and I must admit that Fiennes does wonderful job of building the climax, where we suddenly realise that government officials won't allow Nureyev to travel further with the rest of Mariinsky Ballet troupe but they are sending him back to Soviet Union with some false explanation. Being who he was, Nureyev won't mildly comply but creates scandal on the Paris airport, where eventually he asked for asylum and escapes the clutches of Soviet officials for good. From now he is not able to travel back home anymore, but the international career is open to him and he will become world famous. I must admit that I enjoyed the movie very much and was actively pouring over Nureyev video clips afterwards, its really a gripping story. Ah yes, Nureyev's homosexuality is treated very matter of factly and it was never the main issue, it was kind of obvious and not a big deal, in fact movie strongly suggest that he was perfectly fine with both genders if occasion came his way. 

"Through The Storm" by Aretha Franklin (1989)

As a young man, fresh from high school, full of youthful confidence (and ignorance) I took my best pal along and bursted in the office of celebrated newspaper offering our services as music critics. They must have been amused with our youth, because they actually gave us assignments: I was to review latest album by Queen of soul, while my friend had to write up about a certain artsy fartsy rock concert where we got drunk at the bar and didn't even realise that the concert actually started (" nah, they are just adjusting instruments"). I don't recall were we actually paid at all but we were thrilled to see our names in national paper and I did my best to sound very mature, article overflowing with complicated words and phrases that might sounds impressive (at the end nobody believed that I wrote it).

While my friend was at loss how to approach artsy fartsy concert by celebrated artists who didn't make any sense to her, my task was no less complicated because I was very much aware that I was just a kid and this is Aretha Franklin and album is very mediocre - so, I wrote my review very respectfully but made a point that we are talking about the artist venerated for her back catalogue and no amount of producers and special guests can hide the fact that this is extremely formulaic, slick product far removed from golden glory of her former years. Some twenty years I am listening "Through The Storm" again and my opinion has not changed - just like back than, the only time when the album gets mildly interesting is gently swinging ballad written by great lady herself ("He's The Boy") where she sits by piano and tones histrionics down - by this point we are so used to Franklin's style that it actually gets more satisfying to hear her singing relaxed instead of trying to smash the ceiling. The rest is unfortunately very bland and indistinguishable. 

"Green Book" by Peter Farrelly (2018)

Since I moved out of the centre, I noticed that my perspective has changed and suddenly I dislike the idea of just popping out somewhere for a drink or a walk, like I used to do when I was in the heart of town and it was the most natural thing to do. Now, when I'm back, I'm really back and  wild horses can't make me go back to town again - which is a pity since I neglected something nice as for example cinema treat. Well, to go back to that frame of mind, I decided to simply stick around after work and make it to the cinema in the evening, even though it was a bit challenge since the Spring in Amsterdam means storms, rain and hail + until evening I was quite tired but it was definitely worth it.

"Green Book" was suggestion from my work colleague, who somehow became my cinema buddy - we really enjoy going to the movies together and discussing everything later. Perhaps I was to excited with "Roma", "The Favourite" and "The Wife" to actually pay attention to other "Oscar" nominations, so I'm glad we checked this one out because it was really entertaining, feel-good movie that played me like a violin. It is a story about New York bouncer accepting a new job, to drive classical music pianist trough the tour of American deep South - the catch is, this is still segregated US and his new employee is a black. Very sophisticated, cultivated person but it don't mean a thing to audiences in Alabama and such places - they will applaud the entertainment and will probably be amused with the spectacle of black classical pianist, but he still can't eat in the same restaurant, use WC in their homes or sleep in decent lodgings (hence "Green book" with list of motels available to blacks in the south). The dynamics between the driver and his employer is the heart of the movie, as they come from completely different backgrounds - Vallelonga is uneducated, simple Italian who survived trough life on the strength of his knuckles, while Don Shirley tries to keep his dignity trough the incredibly rough times and insist on good manners. It's a white man's world in which driver manages to bulldoze his way somehow, but black classical pianist might be too much of an refined oddity - later in the movie we get to understand that Don Shirley also feels outsider in both white and black worlds. There is a very poignant scene when the car stops in the middle of some fields deep down south and black farm workers all stop their work and stare at the spectacle of white man driving a car for a black person. Of course, bigoted policemen just wait for such people on the road to lock them up for no reason but being out in the night (the first time I ever heard about "Sundown towns" where it was actually against the law for blacks to be out after sundown).

Some nitpickers complained that movie is too simplistic but I disagree - its a very sensitive subject and language of the cinema have to somehow point at the atmosphere of the times, the world that today most of us find completely alien. At the beginning of the movie Vallelonga (who at that point still has no contact with blacks, since they are not customers in New York nightclubs) actually throws glass cups in the garbage after he saw his wife ordering refreshment to some black construction workers - this is how most of white people lived. Trough the journeys with his black passenger, he slowly changes his mind, comes to admire his virtuosity and becomes fiercely protective of him - at the end they share the same lodgings and Vallelonga genuinely invites him on a family Christmas dinner. The story is based on actual real people who really lived and became lifelong friends and movie suddenly (and very belatedly) put a spotlight on music by Don Shirley who was all but forgotten and ignored by now - to me he sounds like some distant predecessor of Nina Simone who was also classically trained pianist and often mixed genres (in her playing one can clearly hear classical influences). Reality was that black person simply had to entertain - there was no place for black people in classical music - so even on his tours, Shirley was playing lightly swinging variations on classical music combined with popular pieces. However, I need to research his music now because the movie became huge sensation and it brought him back to the spotlight. The soundtrack itself became one of the most popular in history of "Milan Records".