Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1190498
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 DECEMBER 2019 CULTURE ENVIRONMENT out of memory like a treacher- ous fugue, is captured beauti- fully, and made all the more poignant by showing how the same characters age, travers- ing a time period in American history that is rendered with clear-eyed specificity. Specificity, and subjectivity too. A distracted reading of the story may find fault with its near-glorification of the mafia lifestyle – it's simply present- ed as a viable lifestyle choice for a 'working stiff' in post- war America – but Scorcese is careful to drop in moments of lucidity that we should spot, even if Frank picks up on them far too late, if at all. Though the female characters are also sore- ly underwritten because of this very point, the spare but stra- tegic inclusion of his daughter Peggy, played by Lucy Gallina as a child and Anna Paquin as an adult, insert the right amount of condemnation, and remind us that were we not seeing all of this from Frank's point of view, the story would have taken a far less flattering tint. Some undeniable Scorcese- isms do creep in – sudden bursts of violence and freeze- frames do feature – but on the whole this is a mature work that does not insult the view- ers' intelligence. Frank tells his story, and we can take it as we will. THE IRISHMAN THE LUCK OF THE IRISH LEPRECHAUN DREAMS NO COUNTRY FOR (IRISH)MEN IRE ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Beatles had a song called Blackbird, in which Paul Mc- Cartney's guitar is interspersed with recordings of an actual blackbird singing. That was my first experience of this bird's lovely melody. We don't get blackbirds (M. malvizz iswed) liv- ing here all year round as they do in the UK – these are wood- land birds so they prefer somewhere rather more green and wooded than our rather dry rock. So unfortunately we always get to miss their best musical efforts, which they perform in the nesting season. But we do get blackbirds passing through on migration – escaping the hardships of Russian winters – and some also spend the winter here in wooded places like Buskett, skulking in trees or quietly looking for worms on the ground. As for physical description, the name says it all: males are a deep silky black throughout (females are browner), with a vivid yellow bill thrown in for contrast. Text: Victor Falzon - Photo: Mike Downham 689. BLACKBIRD Working stiffs: Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) and Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) in Martin Scorcese's latter-day crime epic, based on a true account of Sheeran's life Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 587: Find out more http://foemalta.org/event/zero-waste-christmas/ The verdict For all the hype about it being a Netflix release as opposed to a cinematic one, and the reams written about the de-aging technol- ogy that does play a large part of its overall make-up, The Irishman is really just a good old-fashioned, slow- burning drama told with refreshing earnestness by a veteran director, helped along by some old and high- ly competent actor friends. The Irishman is currently streaming on Netflix ★ ★ ★ ★ THE IRISHMAN (16+) Zero Waste Christmas activity happening this December! We are motivated to make this holiday season a greener by not generating waste, being crafty and thirty and by giving things we don't use a new life. This will be an informal event with various workshops, and we encourage you to contribute your skills and knowledge so that we all learn from each other! What to expect? Have a look at the activities being planned: Clothes swap - Sometimes we are a bit bored with what's in our wardrobe, or clothes we used to wear do not fit us anymore. The best remedy to this situation is to swap those clothes! We will be hosting a clothes swap. Bring up to a maximum of 5 items. Upcycling - Magically transforming trash to treasure! We will be making: an amazing wallet with milk and juice cartons, pallet wood Christmas tree, decorations and ornamental items and drawstring bags for veggie or Christmas bags. Home Products & Cosmetics - We can create a lot of household cleaning and decorative items as well as beauty products out of common material. We are planning to do the following (time permitting!): body sponge, lip balm, beeswax food wrap, home cleaner Christmas wrapping: using the drawstring bags you created or the Furoshiki method. We will welcome you with free coffee and tea. We will have wine and beers by donation. Please get some snacks and food to share!