And The Salt Path. Honestly, could not care less whether this is a true story. The film works wonderfully to highlight our inherent yearning for life's elementary substance. Typically supreme performances from Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs...

A couple more films watched recently. First up, The Ballad of Wallace Island. Just a lovely, utterly charming story about loss. Tim Key gloriously idiosyncratic...

Yes, I expect you're right. Although they're heading for electoral suicide anyway 🫣

I agree, unlikely but they may be forced into it by lack of growth and higher than expected borrowing anyway. Would be better to make a political case for it on their terms now rather than being seen as having no other choice later. Unfortunately, Starmer's so terrible at politics he won't see it.

Taken from the excellent The Ruffian newsletter... open.substack.com/pub/ianlesli...

Sounds wonderful! Can't wait to see them on tour next year. Genuinely think they're the best band of ANY description operating right now. Live and on record. They're on fire!

A heartfelt portrayal of two cousins trying to come to terms with the enormity of it all. Kieran Culkin's magnetic, mercurial charm and Jesse Eisenberg's awkward yet resilient solicitude capture beautifully the joy, despair and weight of history that can colour a modern existence.

It's there in that last line Keir...

Starmer must argue for the progress made. The kernel of a significant returns agreement with France is in place, the asylum backlog reduced by 25%, with the prospect of all hotel use for accommodating applicants ending by 2029. Real progress is what's at risk from Farage. Starmer should say so! 5/

Farage's policies would damage the UK's ability to control its borders, just as Brexit did previously. Isolating us from the global community by removing us from internationally recognised treaties would make dealing with illegal immigration more difficult not less. Success requires cooperation. 4/

Reform are at 30% in most polls. Those numbers can not be dismissed as merely reflective of mid-term protest. Farage will be a real threat to Labour at the next election and the country needs to be warned now what a Reform led government would mean for the UK in actuality. 3/

For me, non-response just simply isn't an effective option any longer. If Starmer isn't willing or able to fight his corner and attack Farage's populism, both on moral grounds and, far more importantly, on practical grounds, then he will sleepwalk towards defeat and hand Farage the keys to power. 2/

I braced for The Substance's body horror but should have set for DEFCON 1! Impactful fable on the sin of vanity in the context of a misogynist, patriarchal Hollywood. Almost farcical in its revengeful 3rd act which, although in keeping with the genre, felt a touch contrived. Demi Moore spectacular!

First new film I've watched for a couple of months. Although there's nothing particularly groundbreaking about this suspenseful horror film, Hugh Grant is superbly sinister as the psychopathic zealot whose home two young evangelical Christians have the misfortune to visit...