THE STARRY MESSENGER

TODAY’S BLOG

THE STARRY MESSENGER

I was working with clients the other day and they noticed one of the icons in the software I was using with them. It was marked as “midlife crisis” and the icon was a sports car. They thought the IT company could do rather better with its icons (no I had not used it in their plan). However perhaps the sports car isn’t that bad an icon – a cliché admittedly. Perhaps I should suggest that they use a star now that a new play (well new to the West End) “The Starry Messenger” is running at Wyndham’s theatre.

The play explores the now recognised normality of a mid-life crisis. 50 something male falls for vivacious female, some 20 years his junior. Like him, she has baggage though I struggled to see how it even vaguely matched. Mark Williams is a teacher at the New York planetarium teaching evening classes of adult education. He loves his subject, but his va-va-voom has long since departed, his career has been side-lined to the extent that he clings to the hope of even a data entry job so that he can at least be associated with a worthy project. He laments that others are simply better at what he does than he himself. He is un-inspiring. He meets Angela, a hard-working single mother, training to be a nurse. Her genuine kindness somehow enables a relationship to develop.

THE STARRY MESENGER - SOLOMONS IFA BLOG

Ordinary Pain

There is something terribly ordinary about the play. By that I mean the ordinariness of real people living a real life. Many of us, have occasion to contend with huge disappointment and trauma. This is the bread and butter, or perhaps blood and tears of author Kenneth Lonergan. You have probably seen or lives a version of this story. The question remains whether Mark and Anne Williams will be able to face and overcome the chasm of a void in their relationship.

Extra-ordinary Plan

As someone that partakes in the new permitted addictions of social media, within my own field I regularly come across claims that lives are changed by a great financial plan. Part of me wants to agree with this, but another part also would wish to make the point that stuff happens, or as John Lennon put it “life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. We can plan sensibly, even brilliantly, but sometimes life throws up a problem or two. A financial planner can help make allowance for job loss, serious illness, long-term illness, business collapse or even death itself, but all these assume relationships last. Sometimes they don’t. I would urge caution, however detailed, however much room for error has been made, life is not as predictable as we may think. That does not negate the value of a good plan (or a brilliant one) I am simply making the point that we don’t know the future and some people talk as though they do. Beware.

As for Mark, Anne and Angela – you can see their story develop at Wyndham’s. Mark is played by Matthew Broderick, most famous for his role as Ferris Bueller (1986). A casting that seems entirely appropriate, how would 50-something Ferris face the day? I wonder if he would repeat “You’re not dying, you just can’t think of anything good to do”. Elizabeth McGovern (Downton) plays Anne and rising star Rosalind Eleazar plays the luminous Angela.

The play has begun a 3-month run. You can find tickets here. Here is a short video of the cast members discussing the play and the trailer.

Cast Discussion

Trailer

How will your story play out? Get in touch to consider your options.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

THE STARRY MESSENGER2023-12-01T12:17:23+00:00

THE WIFE

The Wife

A wife is many things.  Perhaps nothing quite demonstrates religious, political or cultural difference as how a wife is defined. How she is enabled or not. This new film starring the wonderful Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce is a timely piece for gender politics. In many respects the film treads the line of the traditional, supportive American wife. She has given up a career, her dreams have become his and she has watched and supported him to thrive.

Set in the early 1990s, we are introduced to Joan and Joe Castleman. Joe is woken by the ringing bedside telephone (remember those?) and informed that he is to be the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. It seems that the call is expected, Joe does not wish to hear the news until Joan is also able to hear the confirmation at the same time on the other handset. This is the pinnacle of his career and reward for his vast body of work. Naturally, celebration and a trip to Stockholm follow with struggling, moody writer son in tow.

A Great Woman

We have all heard the phrase “behind every great man, there is a great woman”. This film explores that concept with dark humour. Joe is gradually revealed as a womanising narcissist who trots out the same well-worn and apparently successful pick-up lines. He has a penchant for younger women and despite his evident infidelity is constantly permitted to return to his devoted Joan. This always confounds me.

Through a series of flashbacks to earlier days, we witness the start of Joe and Joan’s relationship. Joe is Joan’s English tutor at University. She develops a crush, does some babysitting for Joe and his first wife which results in a novel “The Faculty Wife” which Joe is clearly pleased with. His teaching is inspirational. However, politics of the day pose a difficult, if not impossible path for female authors. Joan is discouraged from even trying to write by author Elaine Mozell (Elizabeth McGovern)

On the plane (Concorde) to Stockholm, writer Nathaniel Bone (Christian Slater) congratulates Joe on his award and presses him for a meeting to discuss the biography that Bone plans to write about him. Joe is irritated by the interruption and makes it clear that he has no interest in a biography. Joan warns him not to be chiding and to take a more diplomatic approach. Making enemies with a writer is unwise. This signifies the moment that Joan begins to reflect on the choices she has made and their impact on her family.

I shall not spoil the story for you.

Hidden Numbers?

I have met hundreds, perhaps thousands of couples in a professional capacity. All are different. Some keep their finances very separate, some very fused and some rather dissolved. It is common for one party to “do the finances” often the husband. I am not suggesting that this is wrong. It does pose a challenge when the relationship changes though either of the two D’s – death or divorce.

The Book of Truth

One book that does not lie is a chequebook (remember those?). This provides an account, warts and all – how we all use our money. There is no hiding. Sometimes the reading is depressing, sometimes encouraging. It certainly tells a story. The Wife is a pretty good story too, here is the trailer.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

THE WIFE2023-12-01T12:17:47+00:00
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