The Week UK - 28.03.2020

(Nandana) #1
35

28 March 2020 THE WEEK

The List

Alain-Fournier:ABrief
LifebyDavidArkell, 1986
(Carcanet,outofprint).
Alain-Fournierwroteonly
onebook,LeGrandMeaulnes,
themostfamousnovelof
adolescence.HereArkell
revealsthetwoinspirations
forYvonnedeGalaisinastory
justasromantic.

BetweenMeandLife:
ABiographyofRomaine
BrooksbyMeryleSecrest,
1976 (MacdonaldandJane’s,
outofprint).The“Gothic
nightmare”lifeofan
Americanportraitartist
in 20 thcenturyParis,
whofinallyblackedout
herwindowsinNiceand
died aged 96. Enlivenedby

affairswithd’Annunzio,
NatalieBarneyandothers.

FortyYearswithBerenson
byNickyMariano, 1966
(HamishHamilton,outof
print).IfIhadtorescueoneof
my^25 booksonorbyBernard
Berenson,itwouldbeNicky
Mariano’s.Shewashislong-
timeamanuensisandgivesa
memorableportraitofhimand
hismercurialcircleoffriends.

Capote:ABiographyby
GeraldClarke, 1988 (Abacus
£12.99).Irememberwhen
GeraldClarkewaswritingthis:
he’dheaddowntoLongIsland
attheweekendforafreeday’s
writing, butTrumanwould
arriveathisdoor,delaying

but notpreventinghimfrom
writingthisdefinitivelife.

TheMan intheRedCoatby
JulianBarnes,2 019 (Jonathan
Cape£20).Thebelleépoque
seenthrough the prismofthe
inspirationalFrenchsurgeon
Dr SamuelPozzi,memorably
paintedbySargent, who came
to anunexpectedend.

SeriousPleas ures:TheLife
of Stephen Tennantby
PhilipHoare,1990(Penguin,
out ofprint).Tennantchanged
frombeingawillowyBright
YoungThingintoarecumbent
though eruditetoad-like figure,
slumpedin bed. Hoare
recreatedhisextraordinarylife
with insightand imagination.

Bestbooks... Hugo Vickers
Theauthorselectshisfavouritebiographies.His 1985 biographyofCecil
BeatonhasbeenrepublishedbyHodder&Stoughton,priced£14.99,to
coincidewiththeNPG’sexhibitionCecilBeaton’sBrightYoungThings

Titles in print are available from The Week Bookshop on 020-3176 3835. For out-of-print books visit biblio.co.uk

Programmes
Secretsof Egypt’sValley oftheKings
Aspecialist team unearthsalong-lost tombin
theshadowofthepyramids, asarchaeologists
explorehiddentombs intheValleyoftheKings.
Sun29Mar,C420:00(60mins).

TheReal MichaelJacksonInvestigative
reporterJacquesPerettigoesbackto Jackson’s
beginningsin this feature-lengthdocumentary,
chartinghisrise andfall.It includes aninterview
withfellow 1970s teenstarDonnyOsmond.
Mon 30Mar,BBC2 2 1:00 (90mins).

Our GirlThefourth series ofthe populararmy
drama continues(lastweek’s episodeavailable
on iPlayer).BackinAfghanistan,Georgie
throwsherselfintowork, helpingwitharisky
medicaloutreachprogram.Tue 31Mar,BBC 1
21:0 0(60mins).

Mark Kermode’s SecretsofCinema: Spies
Third part inthefilm critic’ssecond series
exploring different cinematic genres (previous
episodesavailableoniPlayer): this week, the
enduring appeal of spy films. Thur2Apr,BBC4
21:0 0(60mins).

Films
Star Wars: TheForceAwakens(2015) Fi rst
in the rebootedStar Warstrilogy,but Episode
VIIint he saga.Thirty yearsafte rthe defeatof
the GalacticEmpire, thegalaxyfaces anew
threat.Starring DaisyRidl ey andAdamDriver.
Sun29Mar,ITV1 15:50 (155mins).

Charade(1963)ClassicHitchcock-inspired
comedy-thriller withCary Grant andAudrey
Hepburn. An interpretermeetsadashing
stranger whileskiing in theAlps, only to return

toParisand discover her husband hasbeen
murdered.Thur2Apr,Film 4 12:40(125mins).

AtomicBlonde(2017)Chillynoirthriller
starringCharlizeTheron and JamesMcAvoy
asspies atthe timeofthefall oftheBerlin Wall
in 1989. Thur2Apr, Film4 21:00 (135mins).

New to subscription TV
TheEnglishGameJulian Fellowes’ssix-part
dramaon theorigins of football,focusing onthe
classdividebetween twoteams. “Perfectbinge-
watch material” (Radio Times).OnNetflix.

FreudSet in Vienna in1886,thismoody eight-
parthistorical thriller seesyoung SigmundFreud
teamupwith apsych ic mediumandapolice
officertosolve abrutal murdercase. In German
with subtitles. On Netflix.

The Post(2017) Meryl Streep andTom Hanks
star in Steve nSpielberg’s taut drama about
journalists atTheWashingtonPost caughtupin
an agonising dilemma aboutwhetherto publish
thePentagonPapers andexposeacover-up
about Vietnam. On Netflix.

The Week’s guide to what’s worth watching

TheArchers:what
happenedlastweek
BenshowsFreddiethecarJill
boughthimforhisbirthday
andtakesthemforaspin.As
RoberttalkstoLilian,adoctor
callshimintoLynda’sroom


  • sheisawake.Oliverisn’t
    copingwell:hetellsEdhestill
    blameshimselfforfreezingin
    shockintheaftermathofthe
    explosion.Liliansitsandtalks
    withatiredLynda.Alistair
    meetsPhilip,whoisfeeling
    bruisedbythevillagegossip

  • hecan’tforgivehimselffor
    beingawaywhentheaccident
    occurred.Alistairencourages
    himnottohideaway.Roy’s
    injuriesarehealing.Kirsty
    tellshimshe’sworriedabout
    thegossipoverPhilip,and
    wonderswhethertocancel
    theweddingparty.When
    RoberttellsLyndaheblames
    Oliverfortheexplosion,
    sherebukeshim–itwasn’t
    Oliver’sfaultandshewants
    toseehim.Royreportshis
    carstolen,butwhenHarrison
    latertellshimit’sturnedup
    ontheBeechwoodestate,
    Royrealisesheparkeditthere
    himself.Kentonandotherstry
    tocomeupwithfundraising
    ideasforthevictimsofthe
    explosion;Philiparrivesand
    makesapublicapology.At
    AmbridgeView,EdandEmma
    reminisceandaregetting
    close,butthemoodisbroken
    byatextfromSusanonthe
    waybackfromholiday.Atthe
    hospital,LyndatellsOlivernot
    totakeRobert’soutburstto
    heart.ThenLilianarriveswith
    news:TheBullwillrevertto
    itsoldnameandthesignis
    goingbackup.Whatwiththe
    lambingandXanderwaking,
    Adamissleep-deprivedand
    overworked;Jenniferand
    Brianareworriedbutdon’t
    thinkhe’lllistentoanyadvice.
    BriandropsinonRoyand
    persuadeshimtogethis
    head injury checked. After
    talking to the Grey Gables
    insurers, Philip berates Gavin
    for his careless talk about the
    accident and Lynda–hecould
    get them both sent down.


Coming up for sale
The upcoming Hampstead
outing of theAffordableArt
Fair,plannedfor 30
April-3May, has beenpost-
poned,but there’s stillplenty
of workforsaleontheir
website, including photo-
graphy,coll age andprints
by British and international
artists, andaspecialsection
of workforunder £250
(aff ordableartfair.com).

Charade: Thursday2April ,Film4 12:40

©NICOLA VIVIAN

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