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JANUARY 23, 2012
Jan 15/12
Jan 7/12
Dec 20/11
Dec 12/11
Nov 27/11
Nov 18/11
Nov 7/11
Art Toronto 2011
Oct 22/11
Oct 17/11
Sept 30, 2011
Summer Reading 2011
Aug 11/11
July 28, 2011
July 19/11
TOAE 2011
June 25/11
June 20/11
June 2/11
May 14/11
Apr 29/11
Toronto Art Expo 2011
Apr 11/11
March 24/11
The Artist Project 2011
March 11/11
Feb 23/11
Feb 7/11
Jan 21/11
HIGHS 'N LOWS OF 2010
Jan 17/11
Dec 21/10
Dec 6/10
Nov 11/10
Fall Reading 2010
Oct 22/10
Summer Reading 2010
Aug 9/10
Aug 2/10
TOAE 2010
July 16/10
The Shack
June 27/10
June 3/10
May 5/10
April 17/10
Mar 28/10
Mar 17/10
The Artist Project 2010
Toronto Art Expo 2010
Feb 22/10
Feb 3/10
Notables of '09
Jan 11/10
Dec 31/09
Dec 17/09
How Fiction Works
Nov 24/09
Sex for Saints
Nov 11/09
Housekeeping
Oct 22/09
Oct 6/09
Sept 18/09
Aug 23/09
July 31/09
July 17/09
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 2009
Toronto Fringe 2009
Zen Wrapped In Karma Dipped In Chocolate
June 28/09
June 6/09
Myriad Mysteries 2009
May 10/09
CBC Radio -- "The New Two"
April 14/09
March 24/09
Toronto Art Expo '09
March 1/09
The Jesus Sayings
Feb 8/09
Jan 26/09
Jan 10/09
Stand-outs of 2008
Dec 24/08
Dec 4/08
Nov 16/08
Oct 27/08
Oct 16/08
Sept 26/08
Sept 5/08
July 21/08
Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 08
July 5/08
June 23/08
June 4/08
May 18/08
May 4/08
April 16/08
March 26/08
Head to Head
Feb 26/08
Feb 13/08
Jan 30/08
Jan 17/08
Notables of 2007
Dec 30/07
Dec 8/07
Nov 22/07
Oct 25/07
Oct 4/07
Sept 18/07
Aug 29/07
Aug 8/07
Summer Mysteries '07
July 20/07
June 28/07
June 8/07
May 21/07
May 2/07
April 14/07
March 23/07
Toronto Art Expo 2007
March 8/07
Feb 16/07
Feb 2/07
Jan 24/07
Notables of 2006
Dec 27/06
December 11/06
November 28/06
Nov 8/06
October 14/06
Sept 22/06
Ring Psycho (Wagner on CBC Radio)
Sept 6/06
August 12/06
July 18/06
June 27/06
June 9/06
May 23/06
Me In Manhattan
May 2/06
April 12/06
March 17/06
March 9/06
Feb 16/06
Feb 1/06
Jan 11/06
Dec 31/05
Dec 12/05
Nov 25/05
Nov 4/05
Oct 24/05
Sept 7/05
Sept 16/05
Sept 1/05
Aug 10/05
July 21/05
Me and the Jays
July 10/05
June 15/05
May 18/05
April 27/05
April 18/05
April 8/05
March 21/05
Feb 28/05
Feb 21/05
Feb 4/05
Jan 28/05
Jan 19/05
Jan 5/05
About Me
Dec 20/04
Dec 5/04
MOVIES
BOOKS
RE-READINGS
MYSTERIES/CRIME books
VIDEOS and DVDs
PLAYS
OTHER STUFF: Art Exhibitions, Concerts, etc.
Patrick Donohue's Reviews
 
Number of visits to Dilettante's Diary so far: 329,338!
 
Some philosopher -- I forget which one -- said that one of the main purposes of the arts is to give the idle rich something to talk about. That's what I'm doing here. Not that I'm rich, but I'm well qualified with respect to the other aspect of the job description.
 
What you'll find here are personal responses to stuff that I've been seeing and reading lately. These aren't reviews in the traditional sense; I don't include all the bumpf about directors, actors and so on.  Nor do I mark a score card for everybody involved. I mention some aspect of a work only if I think it's worth commenting on.
 
In most cases, I haven't read any reviews of the work in question. I prefer to form my own impressions before hearing what others have to say. What you're getting here is pure, unadulterated PJD. So how do I decide what movies to attend, what books to read? From the buzz, I guess. From knowing which directors, writers, actors are involved. From what friends tell me. From noticing how much press the work is receiving.
 
I promise to reveal only the bare minimum of plot elements. To me, one of the most important aspects of any novel, movie or play is  the way the author hooks me on the narrative by gradually doling out details of the plot. So I wouldn't want to spoil that pleasure for anybody. God spare us from those reviewers who have nothing better to offer than elaborate plot summaries!
 
If you want to know something about me, check the "Who Do I Think I Am?" page (just after "Home" page in the navigation bar on the left). If you think you can figure out who I am, please let me know. My psychiatrist would find the information very helpful.
 
JUST POSTED (Click on JANUARY 23, 2012 in the navigation bar on the left):
 
THE IRON LADY (Movie) -- Meryl Streep Shows Her Mettle
 
THE ENCHANTED ISLAND (Opera) --  Brand New Baroque from the Met
 
LIGHT AND DARK (Autobiography) -- Visual and Verbal Riches from Ken Howard
 
NEW YORKER Short Fiction from Said Sayrafiezadeh and John Lanchester
 
Also Recently Posted (Click on Jan 15/12 in the navigation bar):
 
THE ARTIST (Movie) -- Black and White Movie Produces Grey Blahs
 
THE IDES OF MARCH (Movie) -- George Clooney's Political Potboiler
 
THE FORGOTTEN WALTZ (Novel) -- Anne Enright Illuminates Illicit Love
 
Other  Movies Recenty Reviewed:
 
Jan 7/12
 
Young Adult
Police, Adjective
 
Dec 20/11
 
The Descendants
Melancholia
 
Dec 12/11
 
Shame
My Week With Marilyn
 
Nov 27/11
 
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
 
To find a specific review in the archives, click on the appropriate Index in the navigation bar.
 

Want to respond? You can email me at: patrick@dilettantesdiary.com  (If you've sent an email without receiving a response, please try again. Sometimes, when my email system doesn't recognize your address, it sends the letter to bulk mail and it can get deleted acccidentally. It helps if you put a reference to these reviews in the subject line of your email. Thanks)

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