I read reviews of things and am wary of those that say things like ‘achingly funny’ or add almost any adjective before ‘funny’. Funny is after all in the ear of the beholder, and in the beholder’s mood. Many years ago I watched ‘Local Hero’ with no mirth at all and could not see what the fuss was about. I watched it again some years later and loved it. First time around my receptors were functioning differently to the second.

So I’m reading a review of a film that ends with my headline above, which tells me that not only is this film miserable, but that it’s set in a miserable location. I used to watch and enjoy Moltalbano, despite it being subtitled over the original Italian, and found myself turning up the volume to better hear what I could not understand. It’s a detective series set in Sicily, with much violence and some grim story lines, but it was set in Sicily. There’s the magic. Watching a grim murder mystery with views of the sunny Mediterranean and beautiful landscape of the island was perfect viewing for a miserable winter evening in England. It did have the advantage of some brilliant writing and characters, and a lead player who loved his food and hated being interrupted when eating, a man I could relate to. I would not have been surprised if he’d been portrait as having a deep love of marmalade on toast, like I do. It’s possible?

So if you are going to show grim films, find a decent cheerful location, and I may take a look., but grim and grim don’t fit my bill.

By way of a contrast to that take a listen to this chap, busking outside Marks and Spencer in Cheltenham today. I thought he was brilliant. His stage name is Will Waters, but seems to be invisible on line. I hope he does well.

https://videopress.com/v/AgvFPlgC?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

For no particular reason here’s a truck…