Cautionary Comic

Many are the afflictions... in the world right now: inflation, deglobalisation, inequality, filter bubbles, polarisation, illusory populism, to name a few...

Many have their eyes and minds on Eastern Europe and East Asia, instead of places like Central or South East Asia.

And now with a major power putting a pause on a strategic nuclear arms reduction agreement, there is another burden, on top of the many aforementioned troubles, on the minds of those who can remember a certain spectre of the cold war.

In 1982, a British artist by the name of Raymond Briggs drew a comic that was made into an animated film.

This is a sobering piece of fiction, worthy of our remembrance and reflection.

If we are to believe in diplomacy at all, we have to acknowledge that more than one party has a role in preventing a threatening escalation. To quote a friendly neighbourhood someone: with great power comes great responsibility... great responsibility to people like the Bloggs, even as the likes of the Bloggs are probably best not to be encouraged, or be aspired toward.

May those tasked with great responsibility seek peace, and pursue it with everything at their disposal.

Thanks for reading, wishing you peace and joy.

Pandemical Pause

It has been a long pause.

I hope you have been well, too.

John Coffey

"John Coffey", so titled because of the central figure in the story of The Green Mile (Film). This is a personal subjective review.

A life long procrastinator... I have put off watching a show for close to a decade. And that is The Green Mile. It is a movie based on the namesake novel by Stephen King. I have watched three Stephen King's movie prior to this and they were Misery, Dolores Claiborne, and The Shining.

I have no defence for this procrastination except that this movie is pretty long standing at 3 hours and 8 minutes of reel time. And I like to be focused when I watch a movie. A movie is a piece of art, and I have never fell asleep during a movie, not even when I caught the unexpectedly slow moving Ad Astra... yes, the picturesque one starring Brad Pitt...

This 1999 production directed by Frank Darabont featured the really good looking and talented actors in DaviD Morse, Eve Brent, Bonnie Hunt, (the late) Michael Clarke Duncan and the very handsome young Tom Hanks.

John Coffey was the titular character of a death row inmate played by Michael Clarke Duncan and his story was told by Paul Edgecomb the prison guard played by Tom Hanks.

The story is a smooth collection of some quite provocative themes, a few of which are mortality, friendship, racism and poetic justice. I also enjoyed the admirable and fine interaction between friends and between couples depicted in the movie.

There's also a pretty moving monologue by Coffey as he was accompanied down the green mile, which was eloquently referred to at the very end of the movie when Paul considered his own monumental transgression.

Summary: A deeply touching story that is well told and despite the supernatural component, the very earthly and soul deep issues reaches your mind, heart and soul if you allow.