TOTM: Batman

Batman is such a part of my early life that I thought Gotham was a real place. Which is why I  held off for so long with the new Batman films but the past two evenings have spurred a Batman marathon and I have emerged a wiser and stronger person. You see, Batman teaches you about the darkest parts of you, the masks you wear, the motives behind everything you do. I admire the way he thinks and his need to overcome even the smallest fear to face situations head on, bat wings at the ready. It is, indeed, these very fears that Christopher Nolan plays with, subjecting not only our superhero but also the viewer to some frightening experiences. Batman's justification for turning into a bat, or rather sporting the latest bat gear, is that he is a symbol to the city and one which is indispensable if good is to prevail and so, it becomes harder to fall down and stay down, a little more difficult to pack it all in. Applied to our cushy little corner of the world, I would say that most of us think too much about dusting ourselves off and if we do fall, we find little sense in getting up again. So, if anyone is considering the superhero career route, stop thinking about it and don your cape (preferably one that flies and has hidden super gadgets) because London needs you. And I am confident that a Batman swooping the length and breadth of the Albion would kick a little spirit into us and reopen our airport runways so that we could all fly again.

Monsieur on mince pies

"What do you think of mince pies?"

"pointless"

mind your own mince pie

Possible accompaniments to your mince pie ( tested and tried, of course):

rum butter
brandy butter
cream
creme fraiche
ice cream

An extremely tough choice and not one I will endeavour to make just yet. Give me a moment to consider my options.......

TOTM: The Prestige

As someone who is battling a deceptive flu which feigns disappearing but then comes back again, I am excited by the parallels I can draw with this film by Christopher Nolan about two magicians, played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, whose rivalry is taken to fatal levels when trying to nail a particularly impressive vanishing trick. As a child, I used to find magicians scary, devious and imposing and this film lays emphasis on those traits, while Nolan's choice of set in old, dickensian London, adds suspense to an already brilliant intrigue. There was something strangely enlightening about peeping through the keyhole at well-known magic tricks only to see how simple and obvious the whole process is. This is definitely one to watch to distract a streaming nose for those of you ill enough not to notice Scarlet Johansson's dodgy London accent.

Monsieur on butter

Upon handing Monsieur a well-deserved toasted ham sandwich,  he looks shocked and disgusted.

" Did you have an affair with the butter? " he questions, happier that he has discovered the root of the problem.

Mathieu Amalric

               "En faisant l’acteur, on devient une espèce d’animal intuitif"

TOTM The Adjustment Bureau

Emily Blunt and Matt Damon are to star in this romantic drama as a ballerina and a politician respectively (although I guess it could be the other way around) The film asks the age-old question of whether our fate is predetermined and if it is, can we actually change it? My take is that, if you are comfortable, joyful and relaxed in the here and now, good things will come to you like little extraterrestrial magnets, not because of some serendipitous rapport with you and you only but because like attracts like.
So, the plot is not why I will be watching the film. Instead, I'll be sticking tightly to the ballet scenes in the film, like those hideous ballet tights we all used to have to wear to class until we realised that not even these would cover up our balletic hopelessness. The Christmassy part of me wishes that the film turns all "RED Shoes" on me and Emily will break out into dance wizadry at regular intervals. Fingers and my unsightly post-ballet era toes crossed.

Sofia Vergara

This Colombiana has made it to Kmart, scoring an $8 Million dollar contract to advertise its products. It always amuses me when famous people start their own line of beauty products; shampoos, make-up etc... why not cotton buds, sanitary towels or washing up liquid? I am so bored by mine.

Monsieur on Christmas parties

So, are you going to the after thing?
" I don't know if I am going to the before thing"

The argument

Mind racing

Body doing much the same

Standing still would only make both race more

In my head

The world turns

Much as it always has

But turns only halfway around

Then stops to go back for

What it left behind

Realising it can’t

It collapses at your feet

For a moment

Then picks itself up and carries on turning

Waiting for you

But turning and moving

Hesitantly on.

TOTM: Going the Distance

As the big C approaches, my sentimentality levels are soaring to new heights and this has unleashed superbly strong urges for cheese in all its forms, be they edible or not. So, last night, after a somewhat unpredictable week, I sat down in front of Drew Barrymore and Justin Long ( always a pleasure) and had my heart strings pulled ever so gently, as I was whisked away to a story about long distance relationships and their differing outcomes. Despite a few nauseating moments, these two lovebirds ( are they together in real life or is that just me being a mug and believing Hollywood chemistry?) managed to convince me that although they were having a tough time commuting between San Francisco and New York, this dinky little couple were built to last. And they did! They made it! Joy of all joys. It was exactly what needed to happen. The thing about Holllywood is that it is a big, fat tranquiliser that puts all of our worries, sad endings and trauma in a parcel and then Hollywood Santa comes and swaps them for a better one.

Clemence

I love this pic of Clemence Poesy, the French actress. She's in her element, somewhere non-descript but super-chic in Paris, her long blonde unbrushed tresses covering a slightly vulnerable look on her face, as though she's never seen a camera. She just looks so comfortable but whilst most of us would stop there, she is also top-to -toe on trend. Am trying not to have a girl crush.

TOTM: A room in Rome

This latest Julio Medem flick forced in front of me the other day,  created such a wave of discomfort and then disgust, that I left the room shouting on several occasions. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to like this film which tells of a love story between a skinny Spanish woman and the most typical Russian beauty caught on camera, in a scenic, dimly lit room in Rome. It had all the ingredients to wow; the city, which fascinates me from afar, two incredibly alluring women of even more alluring nationalities and a hotel room anyone would wish to frequent.. And yet,  whilst the physical stuff that Julio chooses to shoot most likely appeals to everything that growls ( men, for short) , it made me feel all vulnerable, as though the mere fact that he filmed these exceptionally beautiful females defeated the object of being or trying to be the best woman you can be.

passing clouds

In case anyone has the misfortune of living anywhere other than London (don't you miss getting soaked all the time?), I would like to draw your otherwise undivided attention to a little place east of me, very very east of me, in Dalston. I have only managed to drive through it a few times on the way to charming Stokey, where people just sit in cafes all year long and eat veganarian food (you never quite know if it is vegan or just plain ol' vegetarian but it always has the ethical stamp on it) and I have to say, it's not a joint that charmed the socks off me straight away. First time I went, I was hungover, making my emotional response to it a bit, well, over-responsive, and the second time, I was hungry, so avoided jumping into the first turkish pad I could lay my squirmingly hungry little eyes on. So, I've decided to give it more than just a passing fly-by wave and instead, will make the long and arduous journey over to the east for sunday lunch- a free sunday lunch- and because I'm not hipster enough to say  i've got friends who invited me over that way for free nosh ( just friends whom I would have to pay for the rep I would get in return) , I'm eating for free in a cafe. Yep, Dalston recycles everything, including it's food. Now, though that doesn't inspire you to act on your growling tummy, it does beg the question how? Passing Clouds, a sort of all-in-one music, cafe, funky house and general place to escape nasty flatmates, is shipping in food from markets as swish as Spitalfields and supermarkets as wasteful as M +S to act as ingredients for its greener- than- the -soup- they- are making customers. I'm in because I couldn't care less what it tastes like. My main objective in winter is to eat. Yours should be too.

TOTM: Uncle Boonmee recalls his past lives

This Thai wonder by Apitchatpong Weerasethakul is otherwordly and one scene springs to mind which should be difficult to see but its beauty becomes a joy. In this scene, a Thai princess who has lost her looks but not her wealth, goes to a lake and sees a beautiful version of herself reflected in the water. She tries to grab hold of it and is shocked by how truly perfect she is in the water.  A fish then speaks to her, telling her how much he admires her and she is seduced. The most weird yet wonderful scene I have had the cinematic pleasure to see.

Comfort in Vai e Vem

An enrapturing film by Joao Cesar Monteiro, reversely translated as "Come and Go", which, if we are to look at it from the point of view of the TOTM ( theme of the month for those not ready to tackle acronyms longer than two letters long), conveys a huge sense of comfort to the viewer, without washing away with it the all-important element of suspense that we all long for, as it is an inherent part of our contact with existence. Monteiro creates masterful frames, where the overarching mood is one of simplicity, purity and minimalism.The furniture is kept to a minimum and is subtly synchronised to fit the frame. Characters are dressed in simple, comfortable attire so as to not disturb the setting. Even movements are kept basic and dwell wholly on a surprisingly easy- going body chemistry between characters, which, in turn, allow them to discover the seemingly uncomfortable, and to perhaps test their limits in other ways, be it political discourse or sexuality. The comfort factor in this film is indispensable and utterly soothing.

Theme of the month:comfort and joy

So, here it is: my new film section that will discuss different films centring around the theme of the month, known as TOTM in posterity.
This month, I wanted to question whether films that evoke a feeling of comfort in the viewer are noteworthy or even successful and whether this often fleeting, feeling of comfort and stillness is reflective of the film's denoument as a whole. A slightly off the cuff film that springs to mind is Dr Zhivago, where, towards the end, the lovers and child have moved to the glacial country house and for a significant moment, are caught in an icy stillness and purity, redolent of true happiness and thus, from nothing, create warmth and spirit, that lingers timelessly, even after their separation. I always consider this scene a late, futile but necessary sense of comfort which precedes their impending loss.

Monsieur on people

" Never take people for idiots but never forget that they are"

Penelope Cruz

 

Don't worry, she hasn't had a facelift, nor has she lost her eyes, nose and most of her teeth , although it must feel like that sometimes with the press hounding her like that. No, this is the new Pirates of the Caribbean film she is gracing with her "fenomenal" presence in the near future. 2011 will see her starring next to Mr Depp, whose recent excuse for not marrying Vanessa was because her surname is too pretty. Fair play, he is out of his Deppth (!) if he thinks he's going to replace it with that four-letter dud.  I digress.

strudels

Apple strudels are scrumptious but every year, I forget the recipe so to remind myself........
lots of apples - any will do but the mushy ones work well (the ones you think have insects in them) breadcrumbs (Just crumby bread, ooops, I mean crumbled bread) cinammon (this is where some will think yum and others beurk) brown sugar (to make you feel slightly less guilty when you are chowing down five at a time) Filo Pastry (to hide the mess and wrap it all up)
An oven (preferably one that is actually hot and safe. Mine is a gas explosion waiting to happen.)

Monsieur on snow

"I need to buy gloves. They are expensive"

Sofia Coppola's new film

This is the new film from Sofia Coppola and contains elements of her childhood as the daughter of legendary Francis.. Starring Stephen Dorff (where has he been for the last decade?)  in the revealing setting of Chateau Marmont and playing music from Sofia's boyfriend's band, Phoenix. Enough said.

look what the light did now

Feist's story is on at the ICA this friday at 6.30pm. Set in an old mansion, where she moved to record her wonderfully soft album, this documentary seems poetic and, with the chance to hear her vocals in an echoey house, it is a must.

smile sushi....

This sushi is genius. Not only does each one look like a little west highland terrier but they all look the same...all surly and miserable desperate for a chance in the real world, eager to escape their sushi rolling masters. In fact, they look so alive, I am tempted to put them out of their misery and set them free from the tight and slimy confines of seaweed. It really doesn't seem natural to eat them and even looking at them makes me feel like a cruel voyeur. I guess it would be worse if they were all smiling. Scary.

Monsieur finds his car

Walking back to his car, Monsieur is unsure where he has parked. Upon finally reaching a non-descript car-park, I ask him,
"Isn't that your car park?"

"Yes, it is mine, I bought it yesterday especially for this occasion."