New on the blog today, my thoughts on THE TRANSIT OF VENUS by Shirley Hazzard. A stunning novel about love, chance, fate, power dynamics & moral integrity, fully deserving of its status as a modern masterpiece. I loved the subtle use of foreshadowing here! jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2026/08/04/t...

Sounds wonderful! I’m sure it’s harder than it seems to produce a top-flight crime drama in the classic style, but James Gray clearly has the knack.

I bought that on dvd recently off the back of your recommendation. A gap I’m very keen to fill!

Sounds wild!

You have a real treat in store! No spoilers, but there’s a scene in a car that’s absolutely terrifying…

I completely agree! Another *great* adaptation which takes the essence of the book and spins it into something new: Jonathan Glazer’s take on Michel Faber’s UNDER THE SKIN.

Haha! Me too, although I can take or leave most pointillism artworks, some of which are in this show. ;-)

I think both are superb, but there are key differences, so the answer to your question is yes. The film is in my all-time top 10!

Really liking the look of this! I love Bava’s BLOOD AND BLACK LACE, so which of his other films should I try for something in a similar vein?

Like a lot of his post-war British contemporaries, Carel Weight tried to convey feelings of tranquility and reassurance in his work. In 'High Tea,' (c1955) the stilled moment allows us to create our own narrative.

Super. Have a great trip!

Same. I definitely need a second watch when it comes out to disentangle all the nuances, but the two main actors were very watchable. I also liked the sense that these characters exist beyond the boundaries of the film. The world we see feels ‘real’ rather than a construction for the film. Onwards!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that there are some books which can't be read too often. So, I am beginning my fifth reading of Pride and Prejudice, later this evening. 💙📚

Terrific book!

'Artist's Mother in an Interior.' (c1930) Ruth Doggett played a notable role in early Modern British Art, studying under Camden Town painters Walter Sickert and Harold Gilman, who strongly influenced her bold use of colour and form.