The Queen's Corgi Film

Today, as part of the Into Film Festival DD2 and I went to watch The Queen's Corgi.

It was our second doggie film in two says, and we hoped it wasn't as emotional as yesterday's. 
We needn't have worried.

***Spoilers in this paragraph***
On a superficial level, this film is enjoyable.  It's an animation about the Queen's top dog, who gets tricked by his jealous "best friend" into leaving the palace.  He ends up in the pound, where he meets some other dogs who become his true friends and help him get back into the palace.  They arrive back in time to stop the coronation of ex-best friend, and it all works out in the end.
***End of Spoilers*** (that matter)

This film is terrifying.  Yes, most of the terror will go over the heads of kids (my daughter said she enjoyed the film), but it still normalises dysfunction.  Since I've got home I had a quick google to see if other people saw what I saw, and whilst I'm pleased I'm not the only one (see links below), it's scary how much I didn't notice (eg Trump saying "grab some puppy"!!!).

The worst scene for me was the one between Rex (the Queen's corgi) and Mitzi (President Trump's [fictitious] corgi).  The Queen and Trump, having decided that their dogs should marry, leave the dogs alone to get acquainted. Rex, however, isn't interested.  The scene that unfolds for what felt like hours, was the 'fun' of Mitzi chasing Rex, trying to kiss him (and more), ignoring his pleas, ignoring him saying "No", basically saying that you can ignore the consent of the other person.  In this #MeToo era, this is a horrendous thing to be teaching our children.  We would never allow children to watch such a scene if it was being acted by humans, but cartoon dogs - it's fine.  Not only that, it totally minimises the fact that men can be harassed, abused and raped too.  It is no more 'fun' because the perpetrator was a woman, than if it were a man.

(And yes, things happen in cartoons that we wouldn't watch in real life - eg the road runner and an anvil - but the whole premise and style of that cartoon to the anthropomorphism in The Queen's Corgi is different.)

The violence of the fight club didn't bother me tbh (maybe my sensitivities are misplaced? Having read other reviews, I can see that other peple didn't like the reference - I just think they'd go over kids' heads) though I didn't like the fact the dog was put in the washing machine for training.  It is not uncommon for there to be news reports of dogs and cats to be put in washing machines (I won't give links because it's horrible).

Finally, ignoring that Buckingham Palace doesn't have any working fire alarms or smoke detectors (a fire of that size should have been detected), at the very end of the film Charlie (ex-best friend dog) is forced to marry Mitzi, and everyone is happy that the systematic rape and abuse is not happening to Rex. The End.

Independent's Review 1/5
Movies4Kids Review 2/5
Guardian's Review 2/5
Flickering Myth's Review 1/5
JumpCut Online's Review 0/5

After watching the film, and reading the views of others, I had to go back to Into Film to see why they included it within this year's festival. They say this film has the themes of Animation [yes] and Anti-Bullying [yes, now I think back to it, there is a scene in the pound when Rex stands up to a bully, but it is by far and away not my main memory of this film].  I think it is quite telling that on the Into Film site, there are currently 4 reviews, all by children.  Unfortunately, I can't seem to work out how to add my review to the site, without setting up a Film Club (which I don't want to do).

Weekly Update No45

Another week I haven't weighed myself, and another week I'm late doing this post.  I think because I haven't been weighing myself I haven't got as much to say - which may be a good thing? I am trying to be more conscious about what I'm eating, and looking for more nutrient rich foods, as well as cooking at home a bit more than I have been.

Anyway, this week (and last week, and next week) we have been participating in Into Film's Film Festival which has free films for schools and home educated children, which has meant we're out of the house at 9am each day.  Yesterday we saw A Dog's Way Home which was an emotional roller-coaster, but all worked out in the end.  It was a good film, but take a pack of tissues with you as it has some sad moments (and when you think you're past the sad bit, there's another one, and another one...).  It may not be for more sensitive kids, but is a lovely film overall.

Today we saw The Queen's Corgi, which deserves a blog post of its own.

Sei Thrillers by Ty Hutchinson

Last September I reviewed book 1 of this series.  Books 2 and 3 continue the story of Sei and her attempts to be reunited with her child.

The blurb says:

Sei learns about an individual involved in the abduction of her daughter—a man so vile, so foul in every way, that the mere thought of him turns Sei’s stomach. Has her daughter fallen victim to him?

To make matters worse, Sei must do the unthinkable when she finds this sicko. She must befriend him.

Again, this is well written by Hutchinson, keeps your attention and I read the books very quickly as I didn't want to put them down. Sei gets within a hair's width of her daughter, and has to use all her skill and ability to keep tracking her.

The tension continues, and while I was disappointed that Sei hadn't found Mui at the end of book 3, it does mean that there are two more books to enjoy in this saga.

A Life of Balance by K P Yohannan

The book description says:

Remember learning how to ride a bike? The hardest part was learning how to stay balanced. Once you mastered that, you were ready to go anywhere.

The same is true of life, especially for those of us who sincerely seek to follow Jesus Christ. All truth has two sides, and balanced attention to both sides of the coin is necessary to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Otherwise, our passion for the Lord can quickly turn into fanaticism and our ministry will eventually fade away.

In this short booklet, K.P. Yohannan discusses Biblical balance in 11 key areas of life, such as

*Discipline and Freedom
*Faith and Common Sense
*Love and Doctrine
*Zeal and Wisdom

Learn how to develop the balance which will keep your life and ministry healthy and honoring God.

This is a good little book, only 78 pages, full of wisdom.  I read a chapter at a time, and each helps point you back to Christ and get balance in your lives.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

I bought this book because my 12yo had homework to draw a scene from one of the poems in this book, but had come home without the text!

So I bought the book.

My initial impression was that it's not really suitable for Yr7s (11 & 12yos).  DD1 does know all about sex etc - we're upfront about answering any questions either girl may have - but I still felt she's a bit young for this book.  That said, as I continued reading I felt better about the book.

The blurb says:

Xiomara has always kept her words to herself. When it comes to standing her ground in her Harlem neighbourhood, she lets her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But X has secrets – her feelings for a boy in her bio class, and the notebook full of poems that she keeps under her bed. And a slam poetry club that will pull those secrets into the spotlight.

Because in spite of a world that might not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to stay silent.

A novel about finding your voice and standing up for what you believe in, no matter how hard it is to say. Brave, bold and beautifully written - dealing with issues of race, feminism and faith.

The book is raw and blunt.  It is written through the eyes of teenager Xiomara as she learns how to be true to herself.  She questions her faith and her family, and is full of mixed emotions about school, boys and every day life.

I read the book in 2 days, and yes, I will allow my daughter to read it should she want to.  It is thought-provoking and gets to the core of what it feels like to be a teenage girl, misunderstood by those around you, battling desires and rules as you go through adolescence and try to make it in life.

Adam's Journey by Alex Albrinck

Last year I read and reviewed books 1-7 of The Aliomenti Saga.  It's a great series that I loved all the twists and turns, bringing SciFi, time travel, and fantasy together with an innocent man who is told he's the saviour with an egotistical maniac who wants him dead.  Go on, read it.  The series is great.

Anyway, I held off reading the eighth instalment, Adam's Journey, because I didn't want to ruin the series as some sequels who go back to a story line don't quite hit the mark... Boy, was I wrong!

As soon as the book started, I was swept away into the world of nanotechnology and magic, immediately remembering everything that had happened previously and watching wide-eyed as I saw the same stories from another perspective, getting better whilst simultaneously being more complex.

The blurb says:

The greatest journeys in life are often those taken in silence, with no one else watching. They are the journeys of self-discovery, when one learns one's true history and destiny. They are the times when self-discipline must trump the massive desire to act in a manner that offers a short term benefit... but a long term disaster.

Adam long knew he faced such a journey, one he'd face completely alone. He didn't know how he'd ever begin; fate seemed stacked against him. And yet he knew the stakes, knew that his failure -- or his discovery -- could doom him and those he loves most.

And then... fate smiled on him. For just a few brief moments, the window opened, and he commenced that journey.

He--and the world--would never be the same.

Despite me saying the plot is intricate, it is actually an easy read.  The story is well written so you always understand as much as you need to know at that time, without it becoming too complicated or difficult to follow.  Though some things you don't fully understand until later in the books, there are no plot holes, and everything comes neatly to an end, without it becoming twee.

I have some more books written by Albrinck that I can't wait to read.

Weekly Update No44

I'm still not weighing myself. I feel like I'm slowly losing all the 2B Mindset principles, which is a shame as in theory, it should work.  Whether it's will-power or I simply don't care enough, I don't know, but it should work.

Anyway, whatever the reasons, I've stopped weighing myself.  It does mean (obviously) I have no idea how much I weigh, whether I'm losing weight or gaining it.  I have also stopped writing 3 things I'm grateful for each day, but that's a bad thing, so I'm consciously going to start doing that again (as soon as I've finished this post!). Part of the problem has been that I usually write it before bed, but I've been so busy recently and so tired that as soon as I go upstairs I fall asleep.

This half term I have been driving up and back to Malvern almost every day for yet another dance festival.  My girls did well, though, and came back with 2 medals each: 1 gold, 1 bronze and 2 fourth place medals. 

So, now I'm back home, and DD1 is back in school, I'm trying to get back into the routine of things with DD2. I am currently waiting for a Tesco order to be delivered, so I can make some tasty soups and other meals.  We're watching David Attenborough's Life on Netflix over a late breakfast, and are planning to do some chemistry and algebra today.