navigating the new landscape of social media and fake news. Some funny examples aside though, there is not much on offer detection wise that a good science education wouldn't offer.
Far from Home deals with fallout from the last epic Avengers battle and immediately opens with spoilers. As someone who has yet to see any of Tom Holland's previous appearances, I found it did not take long to settle into the narrative - even though in some ways it feels like a wrap up movie.
The plot is straightforward enough. Spider-man needs a rest and joins his class mates on a European road trip but somehow can't quite escape his responsibilities. The result is part teen rom-com and part action movie.
The core conceit of reality not being what it seems is an intriguing and credible one which together with some charming chemistry between Holland and Zendaya elevates it above standard superhero fare. Zendaya is particularly sweet and plausibly awkward as love interest, MJ. It doesn't quite reach the heights of Into the Spider-verse but the visuals are clearly and rightly influenced by it.
The 4K release looks crisp and filmic enough, but isn't eye-popping visually.
Overall: Enjoyable and fun superhero outing with a touch of depth.
Chiang's latest short story collection is a wistful mix of the fantastical and the plausible, grounded in current reality or very different ones. Most act more like thought experiments although one or two have a Dahl like twist in the tale.
Some like "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom" left me sorrowful and regretful about relationships lost and alternative paths taken. Others - Omphalos - mildly baffled at the gordian knots the protagonists get themselves into. Some challenge assumptions - such as the value of literacy and record keeping. But it's the title story with it's deep dive into the effects of entropy on an intelligent species which is....breathtaking.
Overall: A deft and lightly told collection.
FIRE is the name given to a sub-group of mostly millennials who are seeking financial independence as early as possible (and then to possibly retire early - or at least have the option of doing so). This documentary follows one early thirty something couple's attempt to follow in their footsteps.
It's a good overview of the movement, and speaks to all of the leading thinkers and proponents within it. Some are strident and demanding, others more thoughtful. There's not a huge amount of depth, but perhaps that's to be expected in a feature length documentary on the subject.
I am a little wary of two emerging trends though. Bloggers or snake oil salesmen who are supplementing or making most of their income from FIRE related content based on their own experience. That smacks a little of pyramid selling to me.
For a process about saving money, is is becoming increasingly commodified and commercial. There are now paid courses and camps you can take to become FIRE. Also only a few seemed to have become truly financially independent (but rather had simply set up their own business) or they looked very vulnerable in a downturn.
As someone who followed a similar path - pre-FIRE movement - to financial independence I wish them all good luck. Some of the mindset changes required are only hinted at here, but it's good introduction.
Overall: An intriguing introduction to the FIRE movement.
Gentle if slightly dull comedy about the best-selling author Bill Bryson (Redford) hiking the Appalachian trail with an old travelling buddy (Nolte). There's no earth shattering epiphanies on offer - just two blokes making fairly obvious observations about life and having entirely expected encounters.
If You Tell is a grim - on more than one level - choice for our Book Group this month. Essentially, it's a shlock true crime show spewed into book form. Not a genre I'm particularly familiar with - and if I'm honest, probably not one I will return to.