{ I watched a lot of films last month but I don't have time to talk about them right now. }

I am trying to remember the many things that have happened since the last time I updated and, as ever, am coming up blank. I talked myself out of updating a couple of times because I was freaking out over a few things which, in the end, turned out to be ridiculous. But it's been a whole month! So.

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I saw En Kongelig Affære at the BFI, which was pretty standard historical costume romance, except in Danish. Mads Mikkelsen played Struensee with a kindness I hadn't expected, but I was most delighted by Mikkel Følsgaard, who played the mad king. I am not at all surprised that he was lauded at Berlin earlier in the year.

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Spent an evening hanging out with xanitia of whom I do not see enough. Went out for a very pleasant dinner, and then headed back to mine and watched Island which is very good, but also very odd. I'd seen it before, but had forgotten whole swathes of it. Sent xanitia on her way with Brick which she has never seen, wtf.

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The Mother and I made time for Snow White and the Huntsman which was visually very, very good, but lacked definition. We both felt that the ending was terribly anticlimactic - not because we knew what the outcome would be, but because there were key points in the final act where someone says something to Snow...and then there is awkward silence as she stares at them and doesn't answer. It wasn't entirely clear to me why we were supposed to root for Snow to take the throne - I mean, other than Ravenna clearly being unfit to rule. Charlize Theron was wonderful as the evil queen, and I loved the people they cast as the dwarves, but ultimately I came out of the cinema feeling let down. Something was lacking.

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( let's stick a cut in here: theatre, BFI, and London. )

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I completely failed to go to any of the Poetry Parnassus events, which I am irritated with myself over, even though I rationalised the decision to myself at the time, but I did manage to track down The Red Ball and some painted phoneboxes, so not all bad.

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I have seen the first two episodes of The Newsroom. ( opinions that others have also had. )

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Did I talk about the last episode of Girls? ( Girls. )

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I bought some albums! I haven't properly listened to Metric's Synthetica just yet because I haven't been in the mood to listen to pop electronica. I have, however, spent a lot of time listening to Jesca Hoop's latest offering, The House That Jack Built, which is quirky and playful, and has a couple of stunning tracks. At some point I will share, but will have to save that for when I am not zipping through a month of stuff.

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I saw Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2 in preview at the BFI on Monday. GOSH. GUYS. Are you watching The Hollow Crown? Stylistically the "episodes" don't match up (different directors), but they're a great feat. Some truly wonderful performances, and the whole set has a very cinematic feel to it. Wonderful adaptations.

Afterwards there was a very interesting Q&A. I have notes! But I am not sure how interested people are, so will probably bullet point them on tumblr after Henry IV is broadcast.

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I taught Baby Cousin how to knit, and then bought her some supplies. She tells me she is going to make a scarf. Atta girl!

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This week has been sort of crazy because I've had a few things on, and because I've been working odd hours. The Olympic torch came through Deeping this morning, and we all came out to see it, despite the rain. Tomorrow I'm back at the Nash to see Helen McCrory and Rory Kinnear in conversation. Friday, hestia8 and I are going to see Raza Jaffrey as Billy Flynn in Chicago. Exciiiiting!

My sister is back from Spain now, and she's brought two Spaniards with her. She's been taking them around - Lincoln, Cambridge, London, and all their shops - and I've met up with them for lunch (or to help them buy tickets to Shrek the Musical). They were here when Spain won the Euro final, and they came with us to see the torch this morning. They're very sweet girls, and Baby Cousin is quite taken with them. But it's meant the house has been a bit crazy, because there are people around all the time, and I've had around 10 months of being mostly by myself. The adjustment has been odd.

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Work is work is work. Have had a few weeks where it's been a bit slow and then intermittently frantic because other people are horribly inefficient, but whatever. It is still going; I am still going. It's almost one year since I started, but I try not to think about that too much because it freaks me out.

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GUYS. WHAT UP.