Welcome to Issue #22.

This week we have three reviews: the film which won the Palme d'Or in 2022, a London theatre review and this blog's first ever book review. Don't worry, food content will make a return next week.

Book

The Cuckoo's Calling is the first of the Strike crime fiction novels, written by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling's pseudonym for this crime series). The story follows a war veteran turned private investigator, Cormoran Strike, as he investigates the death of a famous model, Lula Landry, which is initially thought to be a suicide. Strike, along with his assistant Robin, delves deeper into the case and uncovers a web of lies and secrets surrounding Lula's life and death.

I received this book as a Christmas present in 2021 and it's clearly taken me a while to get round to reading. It wouldn't be so bad if it had been sitting on my bookshelf while I worked through other books, but nope, I started this on holiday last April, got over half way through in that week away and then took a further nine months before I finished it. This says more about me than it does the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

My bedtime routine just doesn't lend itself to the time I intend to read: I go to bed late which means I'm a) trying not to wake up my already-asleep partner and definitely not putting on a reading light and b) exhausted, and if I ever do try to read, my eyes are closing within a few pages, none of which I can remember reading the next day. I have vague intentions of making time to read during the daytime this year, so we'll see how that goes.

"How can you review a book that you mostly read nine months ago?!" I hear you ask. It's a fair point. I can say that the reveal at the end was worth the wait. I absolutely didn't see it coming and it beautifully tied everything together. As with the Harry Potter books, this was well-written, easy to absorb and a page turner. The setting of Strike's dingy office and the London streets through which he he prowls are vivid, without being overly descriptive. I'm planning to read the next in the series, although don't hold your breath for a review any time soon.

Rating: 7.5/10

Film

Triangle of Sadness is a satirical black comedy film written and directed by Ruben Östlund. It follows Carl (a male model) and Yaya (an influencer) who are invited on a luxury cruise in exchange for Yaya promoting the experience on social media. They meet various other wealthy guests and behind closed doors we get to see how the staff are trained to interact with their clients, where they are told to never say 'no'.

Almost every scene is deliberately excruciating, dialing up the awkwardness to the max as it plays on the absurdity of what we are witnessing. The tone is set from the off with a confrontation between Carl and Yaya in a fine dining restaurant when they disagree on who is going to pay the bill. It's painful to watch at times, but all the more brilliant for it.

It's not just verbal awkwardness that we're subject to as there is plenty of physical grossness with which to contend. From projectile vomiting to animal hunting, it's ludicrous and disgusting but you can't look away.

I love the commentary on the social dynamics and inequalities between the rich and poor and how little it all means when shit hits the fan. The film continues beyond the superyacht and without giving too much away, it's a chance to see this play out.

I found myself laughing out loud in parts where other members of the audience seemed to be more in shock. It's satisfying, hilarious, uncomfortable and tragic all at the same time and I strongly recommend you see it if you get the opportunity.

Rating: 8/10

Theatre

Witness for the Prosecution is a courtroom drama staged within London's County Hall on Southbank. It is based on a 1925 Agatha Christie short story where prisoner Leonard Vole is on trial for the murder of wealthy widow Emily French. The evidence against Vole seems overwhelming although he has such a plain and upfront way about him, you can't help but feel he is telling the truth.

The play is staged in the Council Chamber at County Hall which served as the headquarters of local government for 64 years. This intense and intimate seating arrangement, the grandness of the space with its enormous ceilings and columns and the use of patrolling security guards all combine brilliantly to keep the audience on the edge of their seats and heighten the theatrics of the play. I can't imagine this working so well in a more traditional theatre.

If you've read or watched any Christie-inspired mysteries it won't surprise you to know there are plenty of twists and turns as the drama unfolds in the witness stand, building to the jury (actual members of the audience) casting their verdict at the end of the play. Like I seem to say in so many of my reviews, "I don't want to spoil the ending", but if you haven't read or seen adaptations of this before, it's a smart one.

Rating: 6.5/10

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Thanks for reading and have a great week.

Adam