Merchants and Unfortunate Events

The problem with splitting up with someone that you had so much in common with, is that all your favourite things have become tainted with memories. So where do you go to escape and take your mind off things?

This week the answer to that conundrum has been films. DVDs aplenty and two trips with Sarah to the cinema.



First off was The Merchant of Venice. A difficult Shakespeare play for the modern reader, but this film stays true to the original whilst also facing up to the issues of anti-Semitism relating to the character Shylock. Rather than brush over the ‘problems’, this adaptation faces up to them head on and skilfully adds simple snap shots that provide added perspectives and so question the most repugnant elements of the tale. All this it manages without undermining the strength of the original tale and the work as a whole. A fantastic film – well worth a viewing for Pacino's performance alone.



Lemony Snicket’s – A Series of Unfortunate Events, on the other hand, turns out not to be as good as you kind of hope it would be. Somehow it just doesn’t quite come to life and for the adult viewer is rather obvious and predictable. Jim Carrey excels as the evil Count Olaf, but it’s not enough to completely win me over.