Starring Claire Danes and Damien Lewis, Homeland is a terrific piece of American television. Danes plays CIA officer Carrie Mathison who is convinced that a returned prisoner of war, Brody (Lewis), is working for Al-Qaeda. This Golden Globe winning and Emmy nominated series is full of twists, turns and heart stopping performances from Danes and Lewis - Danes gives a beautifully frustrated performance whilst Lewis complements her perfectly. Everything about this show is perfect, from the stellar writing which gives the audience deep characterisation to the directing which is subtle and assured. The final episode of the fist season leaves the door wide open for the second season to be just as good. Believe the hype because this show is one of the best you will see.
Literature: Julian Barnes - The Sense of an Ending
The main theme which swirls throughout last years Man Booker winner is memory; how we remember things, why we remember them and how we, ourselves, can altar our memories. This novella from Julian Barnes is exquisite and tender. Every word is just as meaningful as the last and Barnes' writing is so fluid that we are taken through the life of Tony Webster, our unreliable narrator, with such ease, clarity and pace. The Sense of an Ending is not a romance, comedy, fantasy or a thriller. Instead, Barnes' novella is a timeless tragedy about humanity and how our mind crumbles with age, effortlessly combining genres for it is a combination of genre which makes up our identity.
