MI-5 Season 5 has arrived

on DVD via Amazon, so we know what we'll be watching the next many nights. We had time for only half or so of the first episode tonight, but it was dynamite. After watching the last episode of each season, I conclude that the show simply cannot sustain that level of quality--and then the next season gets better. I recommend this wonderful British series highly.

Speaking of watching things, Saturday night we caught Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. The movie demonstrated a fact I've always found to be important: great writing, great directing, and great acting are not enough to make a film enjoyable. The work must provide a story you want to see. I'm glad I saw this movie, and I appreciated its virtues--particularly the acting of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who executed his role flawlessly. I just didn't like a single of the major characters, and as their lives crumbled around them I found I didn't care enough to make the tragedy as profound as it should have been.

Check it out to admire the acting, but don't expect to have a good time.