This week, Rob and Kate are reviewing – pretty much spoiler-free – the first two award-contender films they’ve seen, La La Land and Manchester By The Sea. They also chat through the book post they’ve been lucky enough to receive lately, which they’ll be sharing their thoughts on as they read it.
La La Land stars Emma Stone as Mia, serving lattés in a coffee shop on a movie lot while she waits for her auditions to pay off, and Ryan Gosling as Seb, who wants to own his own jazz club as he thinks the genre in its traditional form is dying out (although he’s later taken to task on this, on how he’s part of the problem). But as they begin to be more successful, can they also maintain their relationship? Oh – and did I mention this is also at least partly a musical?
Manchester By The Sea stars Casey Affleck as Lee Chandler, who works as a janitor/handyman maintaining buildings in Boston until he’s called back to his hometown in New England due to the death of his older brother. There we’re introduced via flashbacks to his ex-wife Randi (Michelle Williams) and family including his brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) and nephew Patrick, for whom he’s now responsible, and eventually learn why it is he’s so closed off and reluctant to take responsibility or show emotion.
Our book post this week included:
- Idaho by Emily Ruskovich (Chatto & Windus)
- Schtum by Jem Lester (Orion)
- The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Clare North (Orbit)
- How To Be A Grown Up by Daisy Buchanan (Headline)
- Borne by Jeff Vandermeer (4th Estate)
- Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (Bloomsbury)
At the moment, Rob is reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman and Kate is reading Shrill by Lindy West and Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo.
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Episode 180. An Adventures With Words production. Hosted by Rob Chilver and Kate Neilan.