Casting an eye back on the last few posts, I mentioned seeing Joker again at the end of September as a recap before seeing the sequel, it wasn’t until almost a month later that I got to see Joker: Folie à Deux. Blimey, Arthur Fleck, Lee Quinzel, the film itself, all had serious personality disorders; the film flips around between drama and weird musical numbers – because of Lady Gaga’s inclusion? Okay, so I should mention that I really don’t care for Lady Gaga, I don’t get her, yeah, so she is a very talented musician but she doesn’t move me at all (apart from a shrug and shake of my head). I get that her character was fixated on Joker and bringing him out of Arthur, I get that both of them have like a musical narrative in their heads, on finding each other their drums are beating the same rhythms (isn’t that what we all want, just without the psychotic edges?).

I did enjoy Joker: Folie à Deux, more than I thought I would, just a little less Gaga would have been better, and if Arthur had been more in his own right, rather than a manipulation of Lee. Will there be a third film? How would it fare?

I caught Venom: The Last Dance a couple of weeks ago, ooch, fun but I much prefer the first two films. There was plenty of action but I thought the storyline and detail were a tad weak, not enough padding. Another third instalment, Paddington In Peru was very entertaining, it did have lame moments, but over all it was wonderful. Paddington In Peru has so many nods and winks in it; it took me a while to realise the familiar nun in the background was from Nonnatus House (Call the Midwife). Olivia Colman released her inner Julie Andrews for the big musical number Let’s Prepare for Paddington, what a hoot!

Hugh Grant has a very brief cameo at the end of PiP, still in jail as the baddie in Paddington 2. He does baddies so well, you should check out Heretic where he turns his bumbling, amiable gent act into something quite creepy and devious. Our Heretic does have some interesting things to say on religion and faith, he just couldn’t leave it as a chat over tea and biscuits. Mind, see next time any Jehovah’s Witnesses knock on my door…!

Two more then bedtime, Juror #2 snuck up on me, I knew nothing about it so clicked to see the details, oo, Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette, yes please. Oh, blimey Charlie, great film, hard watch, a good man with a serious dilemma, totally gripping; it reminded me of the 2013 film Locke, another intense dilemma. Lastly, Gladiator II is big, like, really big with an old-style Hollywood epic quality. Like a lot of the old Hollywood epics great character actors swell the production but the female parts seem rather formulaic, obvious, a tad dull. For me, Denzel Washington was the stand out, oh, and the psychotic twin emperors, a nice touch.

I’ll leave you with a few pics taken last Saturday morning – we had snow (it was all gone by Sunday morning, except for a few snowmen remains). Goodnight!