Charles Chaplin’s compulsive comedy and much moreΝβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ 
James Pillion
 

MY FAVOURITE THINGS | Life Is Just A Moment Pt. 1

β€œWe think too much and feel too little.”

β€” CHARLES CHAPLIN
 

As a city kid, I grew up treating the natural world like one big no-man’s land, a tragic fact that only magnified my sense of separation. Because to really listen to the natural world is to be lovingly reminded that we are far from the centre of the universe. I’d never equated the sounds of silence as music but Julia Baird’s Phosphoresce celebrates the beauty of stillness. It’s not lost on me that the highlight of two recent work trips β€” the Jura valley in France and the Funal Forests in Madeira β€” were both far removed from civilization. Dadirri, an Aboriginal tradition of immersing yourself in nature, serves as a potent reminder that true fulfillment lies in quiet contemplation.

To celebrate my birth month, this October playlist is loaded with some sentimental throwbacks to balance the scales 🎢

 

Unknown Chaplin πŸ“Ί

Process has long been a touchy subject in the creative process. From an early age, Charles Chaplin forged his own path, one borne from making creative choices on instinct. This 1980s BBC series does a bang up job of putting Humpty Dumpty back together again, offering up a deeply compelling narrative from archival rushes that survived the incinerator. What comes to light is a man devoted to putting himself in the path of most resistance to tell the best story possible. The little Tramp was the ultimate foil for Chaplin’s bleeding heart, masking social commentary behind pure kinetic energy to better bypass the mind and expand the heart.

β€œIf you're really truthful with yourself, it's a wonderful guidance.” β€” Charles Chaplin
 

Bittersweet πŸ“š

Susan Cain channels Leonard Cohen in exploring the power of bittersweet music. I love the analogy she ascribes to her favourite artist. How once upon a time, all of creation was once a vessel filled with divine light. But when it shattered irrevocably, shards of divinity were let loose in every direction. Our mission, should we choose to accept as the imperfect creatures that we are, is to channel our pain and longing into creative offerings. For it’s only when we can transform hurt into healing that we truly taste heavenly sublime. For too long the stigma of being β€˜broken’ or β€˜damaged goods’ was akin to some contagious disease. But as Leonard Cohen crows, it’s the cracks in our facade that let the light in and that’s worth singing along too.
 

Slow Horses πŸ“Ί

Gary Oldman is a living legend, a veritable chameleon in whatever against-type role he sets his heart on. Which is why his turn as this foul-mouthed, cockney James Bond seems so surprising, and so very original. I love the way this Apple TV dramedy aptly captures the drudgery and soul-crushing realities of office politics. If I’m being totally honest, the mind-numbing scenes at Slough House are the first and last reason to tune in. Not the high-octane moments, which run par for the course, but the zingers that emanate from both ends of Jackson Lamb. What makes the first season so bingeable is the way Oldman insults friend and foe alike. No one is off limits.

 

The Obstacle is the Way πŸ“š

What stands in the way becomes the way. These wise words from Marcus Aurelius are the foundations upon which Ryan Holiday builds the compelling logic in this book. The 21st Century Stoic not only proves that our constraints are what make us but that our deepest desires lie beyond the obstacles impeding our path. Drawing upon a collection of case studies, stories of historical figures proving the impossible, Holiday celebrates the power of friction. Rubbing up against life’s impediments to better reveal our bottomless potential. Embracing tumultuous turmoil as a chance to level up in the game of life and inch ever closer to the dreams that lie in waiting. 
 
 

Betty Blue πŸŽ₯

This French tale of amour fou is caked in metaphors; Versailles wedding cake style. BΓ©atrice Dalle is pure kinetic exuberance, a latter day siren whose beauty blinds us to an emotional darkness that lives within. In this lush adaptation of Phillipe Djian’s acclaimed novel 37Β°2, Jean-Jacques Beineix reminds how a woman’s love can inspire any man to reach for the stars. Jean-Hugues Anglade is the foil for our everyman, a willing slave to the tantalizing spirit of his wild-child lover. Mark Kermode’s review for BFI sets the record straight while this featurette reminds that love is the greatest teacher.

 

WISE GUY πŸ“Ή

As this HBO docuseries fades into the background I’m left smiling at the details. James Gandolfini basing Tony Soprano’s characteristic quirks on the show’s creator. The pitch perfect Nancy Marchand standing-in for the creator’s real-life mother. Or the fact that just about every character and narrative thread is inflected by the fears and fascination of David Chase. After watching this series through more than once, I had to wonder what Alex Gibney’s two-part documentary could teach me that I don’t already know. Not much, it turns out, but boy was it beautiful to be reminded in the happy accident that was The Sopranos.
 

Kris Kristofferson πŸ‘€

When I fall into a glass half empty mood I’m prone to wring my hands over today’s glossy roster of Hollywood talent. Men and women whose likeness feels more relevant to the superhero characters they play. What happened to the Kris Kristofferson’s and Barbra Streisand’s of the world? The young upstart had a flair for the dramatic. His musical career forged after landing a stolen National Guard helicopter it in the front yard of Johnny Cash’s Nashville compound. While Kristofferson’s initial success was borne from his songwriting, his disarming presence made him ripe for the silver screen. His turn in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is some kind of magic.
 

returning, dream  🎢

September had me tuning in to some infectious recent releases like Merry Lamb Lamb’s Exodus and Nina Sinephro’s Endlessness. But it’s Paradise Cinema’s brand new release, returning, dream, that has me spellbound. With every re-listen, I’m left more relaxed, the West African percussive rhythms soothing the soul like a good massage. Jack Wyllie’s passion project features contributions from Khadim Mbaye and Tons Sambe in Dakar, and my long lost friend Laurence Pike (!!!) in Sydney. While their 2020 debut release delivers more bang for your buck, this sophomore LP carries itself with quiet knowing. a morning in the near future is ecstatic listening.
 

Thanks for reading. To show your support, forward it to someone who’d like it or treat yourself to one of my books.

If you’re seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can read previous issues and subscribe here.
 

WRITING | @jamespillion
FILM | @jamespillionfilm NEWSLETTER | @myfavouritethingsnewsletter

R. do Espirito Santo 13
Lisboa
Portugal

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