Enjoyable Hokum starring Liam Neeson set in Manitoba Canada
There are plenty of ice road jeopardy moments- will they go through the ice or won’t they?
Of course there are truck and snow mobile chases.
This is ice road truckers with a bigger budget based around a diamond mine collapse. The baddies are ridiculously portrayed but it is not a documentary or a reality show, and the story cracks along at pace as the “good guys” defeat incredible odds. An unholy amalgam of Speed and Cliffhanger.
Nonsense- but loads of fun – More in the 2025 sequel set in Nepal also starring Neeson
The final instalment of the film trilogy. Languid, and with a fin de siècle air. Writer Julian Fellowes is now almost 76 years old himself. There is an inescapable sense that he is writing not simply about Downton Abbey but himself as the generational change in stewardship of the Abbey coincides with the tumultuous events of the 1930’s and another world war.
Nothing much happens. Lady Mary takes over. An American shyster is thwarted and that is about it. Apart from the fact that it is now all over. Or is it? Is a new series with Lady Mary around the corner?
The costumes, particularly the sister’s dresses are to die for, all bias cuts an cowl necks courtesy of Anne Robbins. The cinematography is lush and numerous loose ends over the entire series are tied up Noel Coward comes to dinner. Despite all this the editing of he scenes is frenetic. It is almost as if we are being told- “if you are finding this bits slow, here’s something else!”
Panto returns to Sutton Arts after a three year break with a record breaking sold out run. Harriet Gordon stars as Aladdin giving the role, style, pizzazz , and a fine singing voice.
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This is on of my favourite pantomimes. A bumbling comic Wishy washy is essential and James Hutt as her brother delivers the goods in endearing spades. The other essential is a good Dame. Here we haves Aladdin’s mother, Widow Twankey, played by Paul Atkins with a pleasingly idiosyncratic characterisation. He plays it pretty straight as a man in a dress with innuendo at a minimum eschewing drag queen excess.
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Sutton Arts theatre is physically quite small, with stage facilities strictly limited. The band play from the bar! But stage designer mark Nattrass pulls off a convincing colourful set as well as playing emperor and air traffic controller, marshalling a commercial Jet 2 flight through the auditorium.
The Princess’s servant LaLa steals the show in the comic stakes with her romancing Wishy Washy. Princess Jasmine, Evie O’Malley is suitably resolute in the face of Abanazar’s evil. The ubiquitous whole new world of a magic carpet ride, probably obtained on the Soho Rd Handsworth is a showstopper.
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I have played the role of Abanazar myself, and it is a wonderful part which Dave Thane does full justice to opposite his nemesis Jerome Pinnock-Glasgow as the Genie with the ensemble behind. Husband and wife team Dexter and Emily Armstrong direct a large 25 strong cast who are disciplined, talented and entertain. The three children in my party aged ten, nine and eight loved it.
The safe option. A traditional panto, at a traditional panto theatre, performed by an experienced traditional theatre company albeit with untraditionally climbing ticket prices.
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Firstly, a disclaimer, I have known the star, Dame Sam Rabone for fifteen years and have performed alongside him. He is a friend, however secondly I paid for my own ticket and those of eleven of my family who accompanied me ( over £350) – so I can say what I want!
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Production values are high, the stage looks good, and the costumes are bright and shiny courtesy of Amy Chamberlain. The ubiquitous carriage for Cinders drawn by a flying horse is a visual showstopper.
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Sam plays a villainous ugly sister alongside Matt Daines, as Aldianna and ugly sister Liddleena. Cheap, brash and vulgar- it is a bit like walking down Rugley High street…
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There is always a story behind the story of a good panto . In this case it is writer and media polymath Paul Hendy, Emily Wood and Evolution productions who have multiple pantomimes running UK wide simultaneously .Whilst Evolution guarantee a standard, there is plenty of room for local jokes ( the folk of Rugeley do not escape) and topical political gags. It is Directed by the Garrick’s artistic director and chief executive, Daniel Buckroyd, who ensures that the corporate safety net of Evolution has enough space in it for a local dimension.
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My party included six children aged three to twelve. They loved it. The first half of the two and a half hour show ( including interval) was weighted towards jokes for the adults to enjoy- the second half majored on silliness and was all the better for it. Ben Thornton’s Buttons links proceedings and searches for a girlfriend.
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Cinders is Shannon Bourne , innocent and with a fine singing voice Adam Craig,is her dashing Prince ( Rita Coolidge nothing to be scared of).Clarice Julianda as the trainee Fairy Godmother steals the show.
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The daft ghost sequence is still daft. The children laughed their heads off. This is as reliable Christmas fare as Turkey and trimmings and runs until January.
We are so fortunate in the Midlands to have such a diverse range of theatres. I have been equally fortunate to see so many good productions over the year
Unfortunately Zendaya was unavailable this year
As is traditional ,as the year draws to a close, I present my own awards for the most noteworthy shows of 2025 which I have had the pleasure of seeing:
Best Professional drama
1.Boys from the Blackstuff- Derby theatre. A searing revival of Alan Bleasdale’s best work
2. Dear England- Nottingham Royal theatre. A fantastic biographical play of the fortunes of England manager Gareth Southgate. For theatre lovers who don’t like football and football lovers who don’t like theatre! At Birmingham Hippodrome in 2026- don’t miss it
3. Murder at Midnight- Wolverhampton Grand .Another black comedy from the hottest contemporary dramatist around, Torben Betts
Amateur Drama
Haunting Julia- Sutton Arts an inspired quirky off beat revival of Aykbourn’s rarely performed chiller.
Pro Musical
1,Moulin Rouge- Birmingham Hippodrome. A lavish, spectacular extravaganza with eye watering ticket prices- worth every penny.
2, Top Hat- Nottingham Royal theatre- renowned for its song and dance, but this production also delivers a wonderful comic sub plot. At Birmingham Hippodrome in 2026- don’t miss it
3. Sunny Afternoon- Alexandra theatre Birmingham– fabulous Kinks jukebox musical which soars because of what is on the jukebox.
Amateur Musical
Sound Of Music- Sutton Arts . If you are going to revive this am dram period piece you had better do it well- and Sutton Arts delivered that in spades
This is not the musical, instead an adaptation by Deborah McAndrew, directed by Sarah Brigham, of Dickens’ classic tale incorporating traditional tunes and original songs, played and performed onstage by the cast, Eliza Waters realises it all as Music Director
McAndrew first came to my attention, and I suspect, of many others, via her sparkling characterisation of Angie Freeman in Coronation Street in the 1990s. Subsequently her greater talents have been manifested by a series of successful original and adapted stage productions; Hard Times, A Christmas Carol and the Great Gatsby amongst them.
Deborah McAndrew in her iconic Coronation St role as Angie Freeman
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Oliver, born and orphaned on Christmas Eve, sets out to find his family in time for Christmas in Victorian London set mainly in the backstreets of the East End , not Belgravia. Neil Irish’s set is warm, impressive and flexible, Tim Heywood’s costuming a visual delight.
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The opening “In The Bleak Midwinter” sets a sombre tone. Polly Lister, reinvents the role of Fagin, a tragic figure doomed and damned . Clever- but not clever enough to dodge her fate.
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Iris Laverne also reinvents the Artful Dodger as does Michael Mahony as Mr Bumble. But traditionalists should not be worried. Analiese Emerson Guettinger is a classically comely Nancy who loves bad boy Bill Sykes. Dan McGarry relishes his brutish role as villain in chief Sykes.
This production runs for the entire festive period necessitating a large child ensemble cast who performed energetically and with vim and brio on the night. Claudia Burton, Eliza Jean Poxon and William Poyser Alton take the roles of Oliver over the run. Eliza played Oliver on the night, slight, shy, and convincing.
Deb Pugh as movement director has the unenviable job of harnessing all that youthful energy which she succeeds in . Ian Stapleton delivers distanced non contact violence which is strangley harrowing as a result as Fight Director. Most impressively Anita Gilbert ensures authentic London accents and dialects as voice and accent coach. Arnim Friess shrewdly alternates the lighting from dingy backstreets to bright lights
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Although the happy ending for Oliver saves the day the grime, poverty , crime and violence of the time is never far away and looms omnipresent. Age guidance is for the over eights. McAndrew’s script is a story of a child’s resilience and the triumph of the human spirit as Oliver navigates his place and role in a harsh, often hostile, world , it also begs the question of how far removed today’s child poverty is from that of the 19th century. Wily McAndrew and Brigham contrive a suitably festive finale for a show which was warmly applauded on a cold Friday night by a full house.
This was a double first for me. My first visit to Rock city , and my first Gary Numan gig.
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Bowie’s contemporaneous put down – Same old thing in brand-new drag comes sweeping into view is now almost half a century old, time in which Numan has established himself, endured and prospered. I wanted to find out why.
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First on was Numan’s daughter, Raven. A gothic symbiosis of Annie Lennox, Florence Welch , the Jesus and Mary Chain and Joy Division ( minus the joy as a goth obviously). She was rather good and just needs a hit/ catchy song to break through.
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The tour was to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Telekon. Because I did not know the album this did not help much but did allow me to appraise it at face value. It was rather good. Gary posed and pranced, the keyboards jangled and the bass guitar was awesome.
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Sadly Gary’s brother had died only a few days previously a the Birmingham date. Gary decided to continue, as his brother untimely demise, followed by that of Mani of the Stone Roses., life does not go on forever, and making the most of what you have is key. Gary made the right decision.
Essentially a big budget double hander between Russel Crowe as Goering and the psychiatrist detailed to profile him.
Crowe is magnificent as Goering and physically almost unrecognisable.
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The film which is visually Hollywood glossy at times, interspersed with period original film footage combined with intensely personal , manu et manu no frills, interview scenes.
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The film’s written and directed by James Vanderbilt, sho wrote the screenplays for David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007) , It is described as an epic, 148 mins, because it is long- but never drags. The psychiatrist is Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), brought in to ensure the imprisoned Nazi high command don’t kill themselves before they can stand trial. Kelley has a bigger picture in mind: if he can “dissect evil” – slap a label on the psychological dysfunction that drives these men to barbarity – then he’ll have a bestseller on his hands.
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There is some nice dry humour, “Who is bigger than the president of the Unite States”? cue the Pope at the Vatican who is then black mailed into supporting the allied plan. Its tendency to veer towards American bombastic pomposity is undercut when British prosecutor save the day with his advice to his American counterpart, lawyers American Robert H Jackson (Michael Shannon) and Brit David Maxwell Fyfe (Richard E Grant) which is rather satisfying.
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Vanderbilt succeeds in shrinking a gargantuan story into a manageable intense dram, Crowe succeeds in shrinking from a nazi behemoth to a broken shell.
My start point is that I bought The Ziggy album on release, subsequently bought every one of Bowie’s records on release, saw him several times live, and have seen several tribute acts all of whom I have enjoyed, but to differing degrees.
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I saw both Holy Holy tours and/ loved them, Marc Almond and Glenn Gregory reinvented the songs they sang. particularly Gregory’s “Watch that Man” and Marc’s “After All”. I also review theatre professionally so have seen my fair share of jukebox musicals. This makes me no better than anyone else, nor my view more important, but it does give me some objective perspective
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I was thrilled when the tour was announced, and delighted that Carlos was running the show. He had previously been Bowie’s MD , and on Isolar 2 had been a part of rearranging many older songs melding them with the new. What could go wrong?
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The premise of this tour was a challenge, a performance based upon just those Bowie albums in which DAM had played, two of which had long instrumental sections ( low and heroes) and one of which ( Lodger) , was amongst his weaker selections of songs.
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Having an opening section devoted to the instrumentals would have been more daring and bold particularly with the talented Axel Tosca on keyboards, and minimal need for vocals. An opportunity missed.
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This was compounded by the choice of an American unknown as singer on a European tour. Why choose to make things difficult for yourself?
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Cunio in the lead singer role did not work for me. He sang in a register consistently higher than David with an alarming tendency to screech- David moved with “animal grace” . Cunio’s movement and persona were seemingly modelled on Tina Turner. Unlike David, he was unable to be a storyteller with the songs, apparent immediately with the opening “Joe the Lion” and then with an excruciating misread of “DJ”. I am not sure that he understood some of the songs he was singing.
Unforgivably he berated the Sheffield audience for not applauding loudly enough at the end of “Blackout”, the second song: “Is that all you’ve got”? he asked. An unknown American berating a Steel City audience who had taken a chance on a cold Novemeber Sunday and paid to see him. That was brave. I have stood on the Shoreham and Kop in Sheffield – these sleights are not taken lightly.
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He subsequently went on to forget the words to “Golden Years” as a horrified Alomar tried to work out where to take the song with Cunio’s miscue. He was no more than a burlesque performer, a pantomime dame, who wouldn’t survive a musical theatre role.
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Kevin Armstrong on lead guitar is an accomplished player- but had no part in the origination of the songs played, and frankly looked uncomfortable for the entire evening, failing to nail Fripp’s guitar part on “Heroes” or Slick’s on “Golden Years”
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A running time of an hour and three quarters was just right, with numerous songs receiving a rare, or first, live outing. “Red sails” was a treat and worth the admission money just to hear the live refrain of Bowie’s bizarre lyric
“ The hinterland, the hinterland
We’re gonna sail to the hinterland
And it’s far far, far far far, far far far away”
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Musically there were highs and lows in equal measure. “Red Money” was sensational- but why did it not segue into “Sister Midnight” which Alomar co wrote and Bowie was present for when it was recorded? And no “China Girl”?
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Axel’s overture style piano intro to Ashes to Ashes was wonderful, but wholly inappropriate for an encore piece and should have opened the show- there was a glorious excerpt from “Right”, the waltz time signature worked well, but strangely the synth outro disappeared.
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I had much anticipated the live debut of one of my favourite Bowie lost gems “the Secret life of Arabia”. It started well with Alomar and Murray to the fore. Then to my horror Tal Bergman was given a drum solo. Drum solos during live gigs ended with the demise of Keith Moon and John Bonham for a reason- they are lousy self indulgent nonsense that kill the pace of an evening. The song ,which comes alive with rhythm, was brought to a grinding halt . Armstrong had previously been touted as MD but Alomar looked as though he was pulling the musical strings ,so I do not know who to blame.
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Carlos repeatedly made reference to “his” band and B2B ( be to be) as a philosophical concept rather than Back to Berlin . that was just as well as Scary Monsters, Lodger and station to station were not made in Berlin.
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Alomar asked us to buy tour merchandise on the grounds that a portion of proceeds would go towards putting the late Dennis Davis’s son through college. Davis drummed on four Stevie Wonder albums, eleven of David’s, and toured with him up to 2003, his eldest son drums for Public Enemy. There should be no shortage of cash. It was a crass request.
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There were several highlights which made the evening worthwhile. “ Look back in Anger” was earth shattering, led by a thunderous Tal Bergman drum part. Cunio did well with a slowed down, lower register “Heroes”- and “Boys keep swinging” pulled everyone to their feet. Lea Lorien, Alomar’s daughter was impressive on keyboards and soulful backing vocals- she was underused.
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In an anecdotal overheard conversations assessment in the pub , and on the walk to the car park I would say that it was a 50/60 split, for and against, of those opinions I heard or asked. I came to the show with no preconceptions. I did not want to see a sound alike or look alike but instead an interpretation of the originals as Paul Rodgers did with Queen, and Frank Carter has done with the Pistols in very different ways. Toyah and Fripp do a far better version of Heroes vocally and on guitar. Carlos should have hired them. The appointment of lead vocalist was pivotal and required thought. Rick Astley with the Blossoms playing the Smiths was an outrageous choice- and worked outrageously well. Anna Calvi’s “Lady grinning Soul” showed what can be done with a little imagination.
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I went hoping for the best and to be impressed. I wouldn’t go again, most of the tribute singers I have seen have done a better job than Cunio. George Murray’s last public appearance was in 1980 on Saturday Night live and has had no subsequent involvement in the music industry. Both he and Alomar are in their mid 70’s. Touring is a gruelling undertaking, I doubt I he we will see this again. Kevein Armstrong, was moaning about his hotel room on social media the other week like an OAP on a coach trip. Tony Visconti and Woody’s Holy Holy was a far superior coda to the Bowie era.
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That is not to say that I did not enjoy the evening, I did for a chance to hear songs live I would not normally hear. It is also not to say that others around me had a far more positive impression- some did. I sat in a position close to the stage and very similar to the positions I had for the Stage shows at earls Court, having a virtually identical perspective and appreciation of Carlos Alomar- thanks for the memories.
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Set List
Joe the Lion
Blackout
Beauty and the Beast
Look Back in Anger
Breaking Glass
D.J.
Repetition
What in the World
Boys Keep Swinging
Yassassin
Red Sails
Sound and Vision
The Secret Life of Arabia
Red Money
“Heroes”
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Golden Years
Fashion
Ashes to Ashes
It’s No Game
Scream Like a Baby
Re: American tour prospects/ the future I have lived worked and holidayed in America. Touring is an entirely different physical, practical and commercial proposition there. George had not played live for forty five years. In his mid 70s is he really up for it? – New York to Los Angeles is 2448 miles, London to Moscow 1556 miles. – My belief is that the fundamentals of the DAM project will need re-evaluation. Bowie was a worldwide superstar. Even amogt the Bowie cognoscenti DAM is a niche acronym. That is not good for marketing. – Furthermore DAM no longer exists as Dennis is dead. The Berlin trilogy doesn’t exist- Lodger was recorded in Switzerland and New York. Again not good for marketing. – The true third album, on which DAM played was The Idiot, mostly composed by Bowie, which was mixed at Hansa. When George and Carlos hit the “Red Money “ groove I was willing them to segue into “Sister Midnight”. And what about “China girl”? – The fourth Berlin album of the quartet is “Lust for Life”, recorded at hansa, on which Alomar played, and featured “The Passenger”, another hit opportunity missed to showcase his skills. Kevin Armstrong , a talented name guitarist, had nothing to do with DAM, or the DAM era. Not good for marketing. – Most of the venues did not sell out, two were cancelled. Almost all were sub 1000 capacity. At the Sheffield show I attended they sold 800 seats in an 1800 standing capacity hall. Two weeks previous, heaven 17, featuring Bowie repertoire ( from holy, Holy) veteran Glenn Gregory, a local lad , sold it out. Even the 1172 london barbican did not sell out. Something was very wrong. – I enjoyed the gig I attended. But in my opinion Cunio was not up to the job of leading the show. He didn’t sell tickets- and he did not create a buzz as the tour unfolded thus selling tickets. Queen got it right with Paul Rodgers, Incredibly, and bizarrely, Rick Astley and the Blossoms were a perfect fit for the Smiths tribute gigs. I saw west end star Mazz Murray sell out Birmingham’s 2200 capacity Symphony Hall singing Dusty Springfield. Vocally, and commercially, Cunio is not in the same league. I have seen Bowie tribute acts Absolute Bowie and the Bowie Experienced play to bigger attendances at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. – I care about the Bowie legacy. We all do here. I do hope that those who make decisions reflect on the above.
A fey Alan Bennett penned homage to being British in a very British Film: Amusing, touching and well-crafted. I left feeling sad, elated, enriched and uplifted. Some reviews have been lukewarm- ignore them. This is superb , poignant , a valuable history, yet unnervingly modern and of the moment
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The setting is the summer of 1916, and the industrial town of Ramsden in Yorkshire in World War I. After their choirmaster volunteers to jojn the war effort, the committee of the local choral society reluctantly recruits Dr Guthrie a gay German-loving, atheist to lead their efforts. Ralph Fiennes takes up the role with conviction and aplomb. In two hours it is a simple short story- a small mill town’s choral society presents a choral recital. Yet it also embraces a multitude of social issues whilst considering what Britishness and personal identity is about.
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Ralph Fiennes is totemic as Dr Guthrie, ably assisted by a strong supporting cast . Bennett’s dialogue is authentic , engaging and witty. The breadth of the subject matter is so broad however that we are given snapshots rather than full portaits of both people, and situations.
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Vocally. Amara Okereke as Salvation Army Mary and Jacob Dudman as Wounded Clyde, excel amidst a choral ensemble playing out a familiar “sows ear to silk purse” tale.
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Simon Beale as a bumptious Elgar makes a glorious cameo performance. The society desperately tries to establish a programme as they are forced to eschew Mendelssohn , bch and Beethoven for being German. Culture wars are not easy.
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A white feather scene comes and goes the significance of which probably eludes anyone under the age of forty. The period railway station farewell is superb and juxtaposed with the arrival of war invalids. A one armed casualty asks his ex girlfriend to toss him off on a hillside in an achingly poignant scene.
Garyswordz 