2012 — 3 August: Friday

Last night's entertainment1 included the final episode of Season #2 of "The Practice", which I found on balance to be better than the already sublime "Boston Legal". What to follow that with? Well, I chose the film "Bel Ami", and remained glued to it throughout. I even lapped up all its extra interviews. Excellent stuff from a pair of tyro film directors.

de Maupassant's book (I'm ashamed to say it's the only one of his I have) is well-served by translator Douglas Parmée in my 1975 edition. It could just as easily have been written in — and set in — 1985, rather than a century earlier...

She was smiling now, pleased at being so clever; she became excited, like the financier's wife she was, accustomed to Stock Exchange wheeling and dealing, the movements of shares, bulls and bears, when in the space of two hours speculators can ruin thousands of small savers and small investors who have put their savings in stocks guaranteed by men whose names are honoured and respected, politicians or bankers.

Guy de Maupassant in Bel-Ami


I suppose it could be argued (not by me, I hasten to add) that neither politicians nor bankers have quite managed to retain the mystique and full quota of respect that they may once have commanded. It was good to see "Puberty Addams" enjoying herself alongside "Fi" (from Four Weddings) and "The Bride" (from Kill Bill), too. That is a strong female cast for young Mr Pattinson to play against.

I'm amused...

... to see how "Mr Opinion Guy's" piece fits against the life trajectory of de Maupassant's amoral social climber. Source and snippet:

As you go through life, you should pass through different phases in thinking about how much credit you deserve. You should start your life with the illusion that you are completely in control of what you do. You should finish life with the recognition that, all in all, you got better than you deserved.
In your 20s, for example, you should regard yourself as an Ayn Randian Superman who is the architect of the wonder that is you. This is the last time in your life that you will find yourself truly fascinating, so you might as well take advantage of it.

David Brooks in The NYT


As for my belief that respect for bankers may be drifting downward, it seems they are now being conned (like the rest of us):

Banks

Time for a late breakfast.

Offhand, I can think of...

... three documentaries about specific films where the documentary has been at least as interesting as the film itself, if not better:

  1. Full Tilt Boogie
  2. Hearts of Darkness
  3. Luck, trust and ketchup

This morning's postal deposit (the one on the right)...

Lindsay Anderson

... while not a documentary per se, is made by one of the co-directors of #3 above. It's evolved from Malcolm McDowell's Edinburgh Film Festival reminiscences celebrating Lindsay Anderson. I think it's pretty clear where McDowell found his title :-)

That high-class emporium of tea and broken biscuits is back online now that the proprietors have returned from their holiday, so I'm off for a cuppa with the Figgs.

Rather later...

... I see that Jared Diamond (author of that excellent 1991 book "The rise and fall of the third chimpanzee" that I mentioned three years ago) is in good form rebutting Mitt Romney's comments on the rôle of culture in explaining the differences between countries:

Conversely, geographic advantages don't guarantee permanent success... We Americans fail to provide superior education and economic incentives to much of our population. India, China and other countries that have not been world leaders are investing heavily in education, technology and infrastructure. They're offering economic opportunities to more and more of their citizens. That's part of the reason jobs are moving overseas. Our geography won't keep us rich and powerful if we can't get a good education, can't afford health care and can't count on our hard work's being rewarded by good jobs and rising incomes.

Jared Diamond in NYT


The Malcolm McDowell "celebration" of Lindsay Anderson is a delight and a hoot from start to finish. Absolutely marvellous. [Pause] And this is promising, too. The problem is time, or (to be more precise) the distinct lack of enough of it.

  

Footnote

1  And jolly entertaining it was, too.