Film: Master and Commander

It was interesting to see how the claustrophobic, crowded, below deck world of naval warfare would take the cinematic treatment. Patrick O’Brian’s wonderful adventures of Captain Aubrey and his medical officer and botanist friend, Stephen Maturin, are a favourite of mine. I seldom go to the pictures, but this clever trickery of direction took me away like the sailor lost overboard in the monstrous green waves. I loved the picture of the grumbling cook listening outside the cabin to the friends playing music to the backdrop of the Galapagos sundown outside their window. Real boy’s stuff — must get out more!