I have a long history with James Bond. As a little girl my dad would take me to the cinema every time a new Bond movie was released. It was something I looked forward to from one year to the next. I also spent my early reading days thumbing Dad’s Ian Fleming paperbacks, wishing I was old enough to read them.

Like everyone else, I’ve watched the franchise evolve and attempt to remain relevant. I really loved Casino Royale and accepted Daniel Craig as the new Bond without a qualm. Quantam of Solace was fun but not brilliant and now Skyfall.

Things I enjoyed about it:

Javier Bardem pretty much acted everyone else off the stage – no mean feat when you’re opposite Dame Judi Dench. His ex-spy-gone-rogue-with-a-mummy-complex was the best baddie acting to ever grace a Bond movie. Bravo!

Loved the title sequence and Adele’s song is really superb – usurping the Live and Let Die theme as my favourite.

The opening motorbike sequence was pretty damn fine. My husband (a long time off-road rider) had sweaty palms.

Ralph Fiennes delivered his part with aplomb.

Things I didn’t like:

Craig lacked any chemistry with his onscreen ladies and there was no spark to give Bond his dangerously attractive edge.

The fact that both Craig and Dench looked exhausted for the entire movie (Bond was supposed to be exhausted for the first part of the movie – but it never really went away).

Severine was way too much of a victim and had too little face-time for her story to mean anything (which was a shame, ‘cos I think she had potential).

Things I’m unsure about:

Building a personal story arc between Bond and “M” is quite a tough task, considering that both of them are supposed to be emotionally zipped up. It kind of seemed like they cancelled each other out with stiff upper lip. However, that may also be why Javier was such a powerful foil for them.

The Ending was pretty dissatisfying. Can’t say too much because of spoilers!

All in all, I’m glad I went to see it and I’d like to rewatch it on DVD to let it soak in a little more. But I came away with mixed feelings that threaten to stay that way.

Reviewed by Bec Stafford

Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones – by Bryan Cogman (with Preface by George R. R. Martin.)

Published by  Gollancz on 27 September, 2012.

192 Pages. ISBN 13: 9780575093140 ISBN 10: 0575093145

A feast for the eyes, this lushly bound guide to cable’s highest-rated series has been released *just* in time for Christmas. If I didn’t already have a copy in my hot little hands, it’d most definitely be on my wish list. At 192 pages, this padded, debossed hardback is a substantial, comprehensive guide to the smash small screen adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s popular A Song of Fire and Ice series. Martin, in fact, provides the insightful preface, describing the initial reservations (and subsequent delight) he felt about the ambitious TV production.

Written by scriptwriter, Bryan Cogman, Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones offers a riveting behind-the-scenes view of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into the making of this lavish series. And it seems fitting that such an epic production would be accompanied by an equally extravagant companion publication.

Organised into five major sections, based on geography (namely: The Wall; Winterfell; King’s Landing; Westeros, and Essos), the book features gorgeous photos, set and costume design, concept art, and facts about key characters. Fans of the series will delight in the first-hand information provided by cast, crew, and executive producers, including D. B. Weiss and David Benioff.  Among the book’s most satisfying elements are the candid and revealing character interview snippets from the producers and cast members (including, pleasingly, some of the intriguing minor players). There are some truly beautiful costume sketches (I would’ve personally liked to see even more of these) and details about location choice and set design. If your mind isn’t blown by all the detail and insider info, the incredible action shots, stills, and behind-the-scenes snaps will seal the deal.

There’s even a fun section at the back of the book, entitled ‘A Game of Pranks’ that details some inside jokes the producers pulled on a couple of central cast members. Aside from the enormous effort and vision that it took to achieve this stunningly successful series, the book gives you a real sense of the cast, crew, and creators’ sense of playfulness and creativity. For anyone in need of clarification of the various houses, there are also handy, illustrated guides to each, including lineage, home kingdom, motto, and a brief history. Finally, all the info and imagery has been presented in extraordinarily lovely typography, design, and binding. If you have a Game of Thrones fan in the household, I can heartily recommend Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones as a stellar gift idea that will provide hours of blissful escapism. Book Depository’s current price tag of only $30-odd is a steal, to boot.

It’s no secret I’m a great fan of THE CLOSER. In fact, I think it’s responsible for my current TV addiction. It kind of awakened me to the fact that TV finally had some great female characters.

I watched six seasons in one delicious hit and loved every moment of every episode. Then an enforced break ensued while I waited for season 7 to become available.

It was announced, in the meantime, that Kyra Sedgewick had called it quits and this was to be her finale season, despite a continuing spin off for the rest of the cast called Major Crimes and featuring Mary McDonnell.

7 turns out to be a tough season for Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. Her boss dies, her dad is sick, there’s a federal lawsuit hanging over her and then something really awful happens. I won’t go into any more plot details to avoid spoilers, but I will say that though I enjoyed seeing Brenda’s story through to the end, I found the season quite depressing.

The writers pretty much make Brenda pay for some of the more hard line decisions she’s made in previous cases. The lawsuit surrounding the Shootin’ Newton murder haunt hers right up until the last episode and finds Brenda doubting herself and all around her. And then she suffers some serious personal losses. It was tough to watch.

One highlight for the season, for me, was the fact that she finally gets to nail serial rapist and serial killer Phillip Stroh to the wall, and then some. That was a very satisfing Closer closure.

For the rest, some of the plot tie-ups felt a little bit contrived. However, the characters stayed true to form and there is no taking away from the strong sense of family and loyalty carefully built up around the Major Crimes unit over seven seaons (despite the threat of a traitor among them).

As a lead-in to her role in the spin-off, Mary McDonell’s character Captain Sharyn Rador is allowed to become a lot more likeable and it was good to see she also had Brenda’s back when things got nasty.

The other highlight for me was Fritz. Oh … why aren’t there more Fritz’s in the world?? A devoted, caring, sympathetic husband beyond compare. Fritz’s need to be bottled.

The Closer will always be a series that I think of with great fondness. I loved the characters and I think I’ve absorbed a little bit of BLJ into my psyche. They can’t be a bad thing – she’s one gutsy lady. Kyra Sedgewick is legend in the role. But if you haven’t watched the finale season, don’t expect to be uplifted. Karma is a bitch and she’s got Brenda’s number.

Below is a pic of me with Mary McDonnell taken in 2010.