The shipyard painter, political activist and razor-sharp cartoonist Bob Starrett has just written a new book The Way I See It on his eventful life and times. Below we reprint one of his stories and review an essential read
ENO's production of La Boheme is a triumph,
Certain stories work better on the written page and this one, based on Jonathan Safran Foer's acclaimed novel set against the September 11 20011 attacks is, definitely one of them.
Directed by Stephen Daldry it is extremely manipulative in pushing all the emotional buttons as it centres on 11-year-old Oskar Schell's grieving process following his father's death in the World Trade Centre.
Newcomer Thomas Horn gives a compelling and heartbreaking performance as Oskar who is determined to keep his father's memory alive. He truly holds his own opposite Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock who play his parents but make only fleeting appearances in this film.
This is an uncomfortable and morose viewing. The number of times you see Oskar replaying his father's phone messages left just before he was killed seems gratuitous and frankly morbid.
The film borders on the insulting by employing an emotive subject for no discernible purpose other than a commercial one.
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