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.