Rest

What makes you weary? I trust you are weary. Following on from my post a month or so ago, if you are not weary I would be a little concerned you’re a bit short of conversation material. I’ve had a few conversational scrapes along these lines: “Hi James, how are you? Busy?” “No.” “Oh. You must … Continue reading →

And the Oscar Goes to…

Well, it’s Oscar season and yours truly has decided to weigh in on the nominees.  Not that the Oscars are a particular favourite of mine (Cannes being my film festival holy grail for all its agony and ecstasy), but I can’t seem to resist joining the hubbub. Below, I have selected a few of my … Continue reading →

5 Reasons You Should Watch the Oscars This Year

This year’s Oscars, broadcast live on TVs everywhere on Sunday February 24th, is the Academy’s 85th ceremony. That’s almost a hundred years of rich beautiful people getting dressed up and patting each other on the back. The ceremony is prestigious and still the industry’s gold standard for achievement even while it usually ends up being … Continue reading →

Morning Skate

At the risk of not sounding Canadian enough, before recently, I had never skated outdoors. Perhaps living in China for most of my formative years contributed. I’d only ever played hockey in arenas and shopping malls. A few weeks ago, on a Saturday morning, several friends and I met for breakfast. After fueling our bellies … Continue reading →

On Making Music: A Brief Impression

To compose music is to love and listen.  At first, there’s brief cacophony in fits and spasms amongst cries of small notes.  Much attention is required.  Through trial and error a note may be trained into whatever place it should go, thereby avoiding discordance later on.  Each tone, though beautiful on its own, stirs a … Continue reading →

Cloud Atlas: or, the Rebirth of Keanu Reeves

Since I used up the extra hour I would have spent writing this blog watching the third hour of Cloud Atlas, I am now reduced to presenting my thoughts on the film in bullet point form. • Tom Hanks as the ancient master storyteller, weaving the threads of the various narratives together into one intricate … Continue reading →