It's been a pretty good summer for hotties at the movies. First, there was Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider Man, then there was Christian Bale and Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises, and next, Clive Owen appeared in Shadow Dancer. But that's not all: this evening I got to see a preview of another Tom Hardy film, Lawless. I had hoped to catch a glimpse of Monsieur Hardy at the Cannes Film Festival this year, but the unclement weather meant I missed out.
Lawless is set in during the Prohibition era in 1930s Virginia. Brothers Forrest (Hardy), Jack (Shia LaBeouf) and Howard (Jason Clarke) Bondurant have got a great bootlegging business going on, but Special Deputy Charles Rakes (Guy Pearce), who is more than a little crooked, wants a share of their profits. He isn't afraid to use his guns to achieve this, and the brothers must band together to defend themselves and their business. Jack is also trying to win over Bertha, the preacher's daughter (Mia Wasikowska), and to prove to his older brothers that he is as tough as they are. Forrest, meanwhile, gets badly wounded in the crossfire on several occasions and is nursed back to health by Maggie (Jessica Chastain), with whom he enjoys a slow-burning relationship.
Actually, the whole film is a slow burner. The trailer gives you the impression that it's a non-stop action thriller, but although there are a few dramatic shout-out scenes and a fair bit of blood and guts, there isn't a huge amount in the way of plot. Lawless is also quite amusing--Hardy, in particular, has quite a few funny lines, and LaBeouf's character is less of a charisma vaccine than his character in Wall Street: Money Never Sleep. Hardy, with his husky, redneck accent, isn't much more comprehensible than when he played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, but he puts in a strong a performance as ever. Pearce is also great as the vain bad guy with the Nazi haircut.
Despite the good performances, I wasn't overly impressed with Lawless. It isn't really my kind of film, and I felt it needed a better storyline or a more engaging script. It was fine for a free preview and I'm always happy to be able to lust over Tom Hardy, but I probably would have been more disappointed if I had paid £12 for my ticket.
30 August 2012
24 August 2012
Caravan Take II
It's been a hectic week at work, but I found the time to take lunch at the new King's Cross branch of Caravan, which recently passed the Bex macchiato test. It was fairly busy when we arrived, around 12.30, but by 1 pm, the place was bursting at the seams, demonstrating how desperately KC needed a restaurant like Caravan. The first disappointment came, however, when I saw the menu and realised that they don't serve brunch during the week and breakfast finishes at 11 am, leaving us with the all-day menu. Don't get me wrong: the all-day menu looks great, with plenty of quirky, creative dishes, but for local workers in need of a fairly fast one-course lunch, the small-plate-heavy all-day menu isn't ideal.
Luckily, there are a few large plates--including a half baby chicken with salsa verde, hazelnut stuffing and broccoli--and pizzas on offer. I went for the standard margherita, which was a steal at £7 (cheaper than a pizza from eat.st). I was expecting it to be good, but I wasn't expecting it to be as fantastic as it was: charcoal-fired, thin and crispy, with really good mozzarella and a tasty tomato sauce. You can also choose more adventurous pizzas for a pound or two more. There wasn't time for pudding, which was a shame because there was something involving salted caramel, but I did steal a sip of the salted caramel hot chocolate they serve. Much as I enjoy Caravan's macchiato, I can see the gorgeous, rich, salty-sweet hot chocolate being a big weakness of mine once the temperature drops. It's delicious.
The staff are all very friendly, although went from initially overly attentive to very slightly remiss as Caravan filled up with the lunchtime rush. I spoke about the décor in my previous post, but it really is a lovely, bright place in which to hang out and eat. I liked the fuzzy, felted grey benches that line the wall-side tables. Because you might not have been able to tell that they are into minimalism...
Now, of course, I'll have to go back to Caravan at brunch o'clock, which may prove problematic because the last place I want to be at the weekend is next to my office. Maybe a pre-work breakfast, then.
Caravan. 1 Granary Square, London, N1C 4AA (Tube: King's Cross). Website. Twitter.
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| Caravan King's Cross: no brunch on weekdays :( |
Luckily, there are a few large plates--including a half baby chicken with salsa verde, hazelnut stuffing and broccoli--and pizzas on offer. I went for the standard margherita, which was a steal at £7 (cheaper than a pizza from eat.st). I was expecting it to be good, but I wasn't expecting it to be as fantastic as it was: charcoal-fired, thin and crispy, with really good mozzarella and a tasty tomato sauce. You can also choose more adventurous pizzas for a pound or two more. There wasn't time for pudding, which was a shame because there was something involving salted caramel, but I did steal a sip of the salted caramel hot chocolate they serve. Much as I enjoy Caravan's macchiato, I can see the gorgeous, rich, salty-sweet hot chocolate being a big weakness of mine once the temperature drops. It's delicious.
 |
| Salted caramel hot choc, macchiato, margherita pizza |
The staff are all very friendly, although went from initially overly attentive to very slightly remiss as Caravan filled up with the lunchtime rush. I spoke about the décor in my previous post, but it really is a lovely, bright place in which to hang out and eat. I liked the fuzzy, felted grey benches that line the wall-side tables. Because you might not have been able to tell that they are into minimalism...
Now, of course, I'll have to go back to Caravan at brunch o'clock, which may prove problematic because the last place I want to be at the weekend is next to my office. Maybe a pre-work breakfast, then.
Caravan. 1 Granary Square, London, N1C 4AA (Tube: King's Cross). Website. Twitter.
23 August 2012
Fear and Loathing in Belfast
It goes without saying that James Marsh's new film Shadow Dancer, based on Tom Bradby's adaptation of his own novel of the same name, paints a very bleak picture of Anglo-Irish relations in the early 1990s. It is definitely a thriller but the slow-burning kind, where the tension and the intensity build throughout the 1h40 film. There are hardly any action sequences, but they would have been overkill for this subtle and superbly acted drama.
In Belfast in 1973, a young girl encourages her little brother to go to the shop to buy her some sweets, but he never comes back alive, to the despair of the family. Twenty years later and Colette (Andrea Riseborough) is riding the Tube, nervously eyeing her shoulder bag. After a botched attempt (or was it?) to set off a bomb on the Underground, she is picked up by MI5 and escorted to a hotel room where she meets Mac (Clive Owen). He has enough information on her and her family to send her off to a grim prison for the rest of her life and to send her young son into care. Or, she can turn informant and meet with Mac once a week to let him know any IRA-related activities her two brothers Gerry (Aiden Gillen) and Connor (Domhnall Gleeson) are planning. In return, he promises to keep Colette and her son safe. As a further carrot, he seems to have information that may reveal who was really responsible for the murder of her younger brother, all those years ago.
It isn't much of a choice, and Colette grudgingly agrees to her weekly appointment on the beach with Mac. It quickly becomes clear to them both, however, that the higher-ups in the IRA are soon going to work out the source of the leak, making Colette's position extremely precarious. Mac promises to do everything he can for her--indeed, he seems to be rather more emotionally involved with her than he ought to be, and certainly more than his boss Kate (played by a cool, power-suited Gillian Anderson) thinks he should be--but is that enough? And what if his own agenda doesn't match as closely with that of his colleagues? In 1990s Belfast, it's hard to know who is 'doing the right thing,' if it's even possible. And as Colette struggles to balance her roles of loyal sister and mother, and informant, it's clearly not going to be long until everything comes to a head.
Riseborough is great as the scared but strong Colette, tasked with the unenviable go-between role, caught between family duty and self-preservation (and love of her son). She barely smiles during the entire film, but although Marsh is clearly avoiding trying to make any moral judgments or to define the 'goodies' and the 'baddies,' Riseborough is extremely sympathetic and human, even in her most tragic of decisions. Despite his high billing on IMDb, Clive is only a "with" role (as is Anderson), although he does get a fair chunk of screentime, where he does his husky, crusading, papa-bear best. This is not by any stretch of the imagination a romance, but the chemistry between Riseborough and Owen crackles and sparks throughout the film.
I watched Shadow Dancer at a preview screening at the Mayfair Hotel this evening, and was lucky enough to listen to a Q&A with Tom Bradby after the film. He talked about his own experiences as a young political correspondent in Belfast in the early 1990s--unsurprisingly, many aspects of the story he tells are inspired by real events. What he really wanted to create with Shadow Dancer, he said, was a really good thriller about a small group of individuals in a terrible situation, analyzing how they behave to one another. In that he certainly succeeded.
He also talked about some of the differences of opinion he and Marsh had. Marsh was apparently very much of the opinion that the audience should be left to work things out and draw their own conclusions; Bradby tended to argue that some scenes needed a little more spelling out. The ending--which, without saying too much, is shocking, powerful and does very much leave it up to the viewer to interpret--worked very well, I thought, but there were a few other scenes that seemed to have been over-edited and a couple more lines or moments of explanation might have been handy. Not because I need spoon-feeding but because there are lots of complications around the relatively simple set-up, and it was good to hear Brady talk about a couple of cut scenes, including one between Mac and Kate, where Mac asks her if she likes playing god. We are supposed to identify emotionally with Mac, you see, but intellectually with Kate. The film seems to have changed a lot from the book--Mac's character was much younger and had a bit of a different role, including a rivalry with someone from Special Branch; for the film, Bradby decided to keep the focus on Colette and those immediately connected to her, which I think was probably a smart choice.
Shadow Dancer is jarring on the nerves but well worth watching for the powerful performances and its portrayal of the brutal, unapologetic realities of 1990s Northern Ireland, and, on a more basic level, its portrayal of the competing burdens of family duty, love, trust and betrayal.
In Belfast in 1973, a young girl encourages her little brother to go to the shop to buy her some sweets, but he never comes back alive, to the despair of the family. Twenty years later and Colette (Andrea Riseborough) is riding the Tube, nervously eyeing her shoulder bag. After a botched attempt (or was it?) to set off a bomb on the Underground, she is picked up by MI5 and escorted to a hotel room where she meets Mac (Clive Owen). He has enough information on her and her family to send her off to a grim prison for the rest of her life and to send her young son into care. Or, she can turn informant and meet with Mac once a week to let him know any IRA-related activities her two brothers Gerry (Aiden Gillen) and Connor (Domhnall Gleeson) are planning. In return, he promises to keep Colette and her son safe. As a further carrot, he seems to have information that may reveal who was really responsible for the murder of her younger brother, all those years ago.
 |
| Writer Tom Bradby (R) discusses Shadow Dancer at the Mayfair Hotel |
It isn't much of a choice, and Colette grudgingly agrees to her weekly appointment on the beach with Mac. It quickly becomes clear to them both, however, that the higher-ups in the IRA are soon going to work out the source of the leak, making Colette's position extremely precarious. Mac promises to do everything he can for her--indeed, he seems to be rather more emotionally involved with her than he ought to be, and certainly more than his boss Kate (played by a cool, power-suited Gillian Anderson) thinks he should be--but is that enough? And what if his own agenda doesn't match as closely with that of his colleagues? In 1990s Belfast, it's hard to know who is 'doing the right thing,' if it's even possible. And as Colette struggles to balance her roles of loyal sister and mother, and informant, it's clearly not going to be long until everything comes to a head.
Riseborough is great as the scared but strong Colette, tasked with the unenviable go-between role, caught between family duty and self-preservation (and love of her son). She barely smiles during the entire film, but although Marsh is clearly avoiding trying to make any moral judgments or to define the 'goodies' and the 'baddies,' Riseborough is extremely sympathetic and human, even in her most tragic of decisions. Despite his high billing on IMDb, Clive is only a "with" role (as is Anderson), although he does get a fair chunk of screentime, where he does his husky, crusading, papa-bear best. This is not by any stretch of the imagination a romance, but the chemistry between Riseborough and Owen crackles and sparks throughout the film.
I watched Shadow Dancer at a preview screening at the Mayfair Hotel this evening, and was lucky enough to listen to a Q&A with Tom Bradby after the film. He talked about his own experiences as a young political correspondent in Belfast in the early 1990s--unsurprisingly, many aspects of the story he tells are inspired by real events. What he really wanted to create with Shadow Dancer, he said, was a really good thriller about a small group of individuals in a terrible situation, analyzing how they behave to one another. In that he certainly succeeded.
He also talked about some of the differences of opinion he and Marsh had. Marsh was apparently very much of the opinion that the audience should be left to work things out and draw their own conclusions; Bradby tended to argue that some scenes needed a little more spelling out. The ending--which, without saying too much, is shocking, powerful and does very much leave it up to the viewer to interpret--worked very well, I thought, but there were a few other scenes that seemed to have been over-edited and a couple more lines or moments of explanation might have been handy. Not because I need spoon-feeding but because there are lots of complications around the relatively simple set-up, and it was good to hear Brady talk about a couple of cut scenes, including one between Mac and Kate, where Mac asks her if she likes playing god. We are supposed to identify emotionally with Mac, you see, but intellectually with Kate. The film seems to have changed a lot from the book--Mac's character was much younger and had a bit of a different role, including a rivalry with someone from Special Branch; for the film, Bradby decided to keep the focus on Colette and those immediately connected to her, which I think was probably a smart choice.
Shadow Dancer is jarring on the nerves but well worth watching for the powerful performances and its portrayal of the brutal, unapologetic realities of 1990s Northern Ireland, and, on a more basic level, its portrayal of the competing burdens of family duty, love, trust and betrayal.
21 August 2012
The Caffeine Chronicles: West 80 Review
When exploring a new area or a new city, I often scout out potential places to eat or drink on the basis of the typography and design of the sign and menu. It almost always works, the idea being that I care about these things and I also care about good quality food and coffee, so people who care about design should also make great food and proper espresso. Occasionally, though, places don't live up to their typography. A good example of this is West 80 in Notting Hill. I've walked past a few times before and based on its cool sign, its cute interior design and its Manhattan-esque name, I added it to my list of places to check out.
Yesterday, I did, but unfortunately, it was only OK. I could tell as soon as I got inside and saw that the menu was laminated and written in an uninspiring font that I may have misjudged West 80. It was starting to seem a lot more like a cute cafe than the cool espresso bar I imagined it to be, which is fine if you're happy to drink a mediocre mocha with your muffin, but not so good if you want a meticulous macchiato. My second mistake was to go for a double macchiato instead of a single--always a risky move in a place where the coffee quality is unknown. It didn't help that the cafe was sweltering on one of the hottest days of the year, but my coffee was scorched and tasted a little bitter. It is also one of those cafes where they make a double mac just by running more hot water through the portafilter.
As I say, the coffee was OK and perfectly adequate as an accompaniment to a meal rather than as a main event. West 80 definitely isn't going onto my all-time-best-coffee list, and not even on my best-coffee-in-west-London list. It is a lovely, airy, beautifully decorated cafe and the staff are very friendly. Just don't go there expecting a world-class coffee.
West 80. 80 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RT (Tube: Bayswater).
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| 80 West in Notting Hill |
Yesterday, I did, but unfortunately, it was only OK. I could tell as soon as I got inside and saw that the menu was laminated and written in an uninspiring font that I may have misjudged West 80. It was starting to seem a lot more like a cute cafe than the cool espresso bar I imagined it to be, which is fine if you're happy to drink a mediocre mocha with your muffin, but not so good if you want a meticulous macchiato. My second mistake was to go for a double macchiato instead of a single--always a risky move in a place where the coffee quality is unknown. It didn't help that the cafe was sweltering on one of the hottest days of the year, but my coffee was scorched and tasted a little bitter. It is also one of those cafes where they make a double mac just by running more hot water through the portafilter.
 |
| A middling macchiato |
As I say, the coffee was OK and perfectly adequate as an accompaniment to a meal rather than as a main event. West 80 definitely isn't going onto my all-time-best-coffee list, and not even on my best-coffee-in-west-London list. It is a lovely, airy, beautifully decorated cafe and the staff are very friendly. Just don't go there expecting a world-class coffee.
 |
| It's a nice cafe, though. |
West 80. 80 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RT (Tube: Bayswater).
19 August 2012
Korean Take II: Asadal Review
My sister-in-law's sister (wow, that's the first time I've used that expression!) is in town from Canada for the next couple of weeks and we decided to have a little family get-together on Friday night. As the Bro and the SIL met when they were teaching English in Korea, a Korean restaurant was the obvious choice. The only other time I've eaten Korean barbecue was with the Bro and the SIL last year when we went to Myung Ga in Soho, which was quite nice, but having checked out a few other places since then, the Bro decided we should go to Asadal in Holborn, which is a little more up-market.
I felt a little less clueless when it came to the menu this time, but I still decided to let the Bro and the SIL take the lead on ordering. They selected a few different barbecue meats and then a range of side dishes. He also tried to order a couple of starters but the woman who took our order (who we think may have been the owner) told us that wasn't enough food. The Bro tried to explain we were ordering a lot more food but they actually wouldn't let us order the starters--we could have them arriving at the same time as the other food, though. Ooookay. I wanted to ask what the difference between the starters and some of the side dishes was if you couldn't have the starters before your main course, but I wasn't brave enough.
The food was really good. Obviously, we had kimchi (pickled cabbage in a spicy, red chilli sauce) in various forms. My favourite was the kimchi jeon, which probably should be known as kimchi for beginners: it is a fried pancake with little bits of kimchi inside. I was brave, though, and had some of the full-on kimchi too. Although I don't really like soju, the vodka-esque spirit that Koreans drink from shot glasses with their meals, it does help to neutralise the spice of the food somewhat, so I did partake. For our BBQ, we ordered bul go gi (beef marinated in a yummy mix of soy sauce, onion and garlic) and sam gyup sal kui (slices of belly pork). I really liked the beef but because we were being rushed throughout the meal, the wait staff were too quick to take the pork off our barbecue and throw on the beef, when I would have preferred for the former to be cooked a little longer.
The rushing was really annoying. It wasn't as though they were super crowded and with all our drinks and sides and "starters," we were spending a lot more than the other diners, who seemed to have gone for the "easy" fried rice dishes. The rushing happened at the other Korean restaurant I went to as well, and it annoyed the Bro then too. He said that Koreans are big on slow food--sitting around the barbecue talking and enjoying the food, rather than hurrying to get through the meal. Inevitably, London Korean restaurants aren't going to be as authentic--and certainly not as cheap--as the ones the Bro and the SIL frequented when they were in Korea, and I suspect I might not have noticed the rushing quite as much if he hadn't been so quick to point it out.
In any case, as I said, I really enjoyed the food and our bill came to £100, which isn't too bad for four people in central London, including beers for the others and soju. We decided to head to Covent Garden to get pudding, though: frozen yoghurt from the abhorrently named Snog, which we ate while watching what may be the most bizarre street performance I've seen in a long while. Good times...
Asadal. 227 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7DA (Tube: Holborn). Website.
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| Family reunion: spot the real sisters! |
I felt a little less clueless when it came to the menu this time, but I still decided to let the Bro and the SIL take the lead on ordering. They selected a few different barbecue meats and then a range of side dishes. He also tried to order a couple of starters but the woman who took our order (who we think may have been the owner) told us that wasn't enough food. The Bro tried to explain we were ordering a lot more food but they actually wouldn't let us order the starters--we could have them arriving at the same time as the other food, though. Ooookay. I wanted to ask what the difference between the starters and some of the side dishes was if you couldn't have the starters before your main course, but I wasn't brave enough.
The food was really good. Obviously, we had kimchi (pickled cabbage in a spicy, red chilli sauce) in various forms. My favourite was the kimchi jeon, which probably should be known as kimchi for beginners: it is a fried pancake with little bits of kimchi inside. I was brave, though, and had some of the full-on kimchi too. Although I don't really like soju, the vodka-esque spirit that Koreans drink from shot glasses with their meals, it does help to neutralise the spice of the food somewhat, so I did partake. For our BBQ, we ordered bul go gi (beef marinated in a yummy mix of soy sauce, onion and garlic) and sam gyup sal kui (slices of belly pork). I really liked the beef but because we were being rushed throughout the meal, the wait staff were too quick to take the pork off our barbecue and throw on the beef, when I would have preferred for the former to be cooked a little longer.
 |
| Top: the BBQ. Bottom: the restau (L) and the soju (R) |
The rushing was really annoying. It wasn't as though they were super crowded and with all our drinks and sides and "starters," we were spending a lot more than the other diners, who seemed to have gone for the "easy" fried rice dishes. The rushing happened at the other Korean restaurant I went to as well, and it annoyed the Bro then too. He said that Koreans are big on slow food--sitting around the barbecue talking and enjoying the food, rather than hurrying to get through the meal. Inevitably, London Korean restaurants aren't going to be as authentic--and certainly not as cheap--as the ones the Bro and the SIL frequented when they were in Korea, and I suspect I might not have noticed the rushing quite as much if he hadn't been so quick to point it out.
In any case, as I said, I really enjoyed the food and our bill came to £100, which isn't too bad for four people in central London, including beers for the others and soju. We decided to head to Covent Garden to get pudding, though: frozen yoghurt from the abhorrently named Snog, which we ate while watching what may be the most bizarre street performance I've seen in a long while. Good times...
Asadal. 227 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7DA (Tube: Holborn). Website.
18 August 2012
"We Live Together. We Know Everything Already."
Will we ever see Michelle Williams looking happy on screen? In Dawson's Creek, she played Jen Lindlay, the girl with the past, who is abandoned by her parents and ostracised by the small-town folk of Capeside, then achieves some degree of accept and but ultimately ends up being killed off in the series finale as a single mom with a rare heart condition. Her characters in Brokeback Mountain and Blue Valentine are hardly any more cheerful and most recently, she played Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. 'Nuff said.
In Sarah Polley's new movie Take This Waltz, she plays Margot, a dissatisfied writer in her late twenties, married to Lou (Seth Rogen), but wondering whether there is more to life than her comfortable existence and her safe, almost platonic relationship. Enter Daniel (Luke Kirby) whom she meets on an excursion to research some tourist attraction in another Canadian city (it isn't explained why he is there, but then it may also be significant that his name is mentioned only once or twice during the film) and who then ends up sitting next to her on the plane home. Oh, and he also happens to live literally across the street from her and Lou. Sparks fly between the two of them and Margot is gripped with an excitement she hasn't felt in a long time, but guilt overcomes her and she confesses to Daniel that she is married. She then spends much of the rest of the film putting herself in situations where she can be close to Daniel, egging him on and then backing away fearfully when he gets too close, physically or emotionally. She wants to be with Daniel and she thinks she is in love with him but she can't bear the thought of hurting Lou and doesn't want to contemplate the idea of leaving him.
But if her relationship with Lou wasn't perfect to begin with. Most of the interactions between them we see are pretty childish: they play-fight, they make faux threats to each other ("I'll gauge your eyeballs out with a potato peeler," or similar) and they repeat over and over how much they love each other, as though saying it more often makes it more true. With this new dimension, though, things become more tense and they both over-react more, retreating into their own hurt, rather than talking about things. After a surprise encounter in which Daniel (who is a rickshaw runner who paints) gives Lou and Margot a lift to their anniversary meal, Margot has to try harder than ever to persuade herself and Lou that everything is normal, but an argument develops when Margot tries to force Lou to have a conversation when neither has anything to say. "We live together," he tells her. "We know everything already."
We don't know much about Daniel, though, and maybe that's what appeals. He is an artist at heart, Margot sees, whereas her husband, who is writing a cookbook of recipes with chicken, the most vanilla of meats. This is a little heavy-handed: yes, we get that Margot is bored of her mundane life. Daniel, meanwhile, offers all sorts of new possibilities. In a moment of weakness--or is it bravery?--Margot agrees to spend the day with Daniel and they end up on a fairground ride. They laugh and smile together as Video Killed the Radio Star blares over the speakers (again, this is a little heavy-handed: exciting artist 'killed' the mundane husband), the lights flash and it's all fun. But then the music stops, the light comes on and reality returns.
Will Margot pluck up the courage to leave Lou? Does she even want to, really? I don't want to give too many spoilers away here, but suffice to say, Margot's decisions and reasoning is explored in excruciating depth. She isn't always a very likable character. She's certainly very sad and troubled and her heart seems to be in the right place. Nor is she the only person to be caught between doing the 'right thing' and not hurting someone whom she loves and who loves her, and 'following her heart.' All of the performances are great. I always like Williams but Rogen also impressed me--I've tended to avoid his oeuvre since the ill-fated Freaks and Geeks, but he was really good as the kind, loving nice guy. The chemistry between Williams and Kirby was very convincing--I particularly like the scene where their characters are in a bar drinking martinis one afternoon. Or rather, not drinking martinis, because he is describing exactly what he would do to her if he had the opportunity. Hot stuff.
Polley's film is beautifully shot and tightly scripted. Understandably, it is pretty painful in places, but the characters and the dilemmas they face are very convincing and feel real and interesting, even though this is hardly the first time a woman contemplates leaving her husband. The ending confused me a little more--well, not the very ending, because I thought that worked well--but there is a bit of a montage towards the end that left me wondering about Margot and her decisions. Other than that, though, Take This Waltz is acutely observed, well acted and makes compelling, if sad, viewing.
In Sarah Polley's new movie Take This Waltz, she plays Margot, a dissatisfied writer in her late twenties, married to Lou (Seth Rogen), but wondering whether there is more to life than her comfortable existence and her safe, almost platonic relationship. Enter Daniel (Luke Kirby) whom she meets on an excursion to research some tourist attraction in another Canadian city (it isn't explained why he is there, but then it may also be significant that his name is mentioned only once or twice during the film) and who then ends up sitting next to her on the plane home. Oh, and he also happens to live literally across the street from her and Lou. Sparks fly between the two of them and Margot is gripped with an excitement she hasn't felt in a long time, but guilt overcomes her and she confesses to Daniel that she is married. She then spends much of the rest of the film putting herself in situations where she can be close to Daniel, egging him on and then backing away fearfully when he gets too close, physically or emotionally. She wants to be with Daniel and she thinks she is in love with him but she can't bear the thought of hurting Lou and doesn't want to contemplate the idea of leaving him.
But if her relationship with Lou wasn't perfect to begin with. Most of the interactions between them we see are pretty childish: they play-fight, they make faux threats to each other ("I'll gauge your eyeballs out with a potato peeler," or similar) and they repeat over and over how much they love each other, as though saying it more often makes it more true. With this new dimension, though, things become more tense and they both over-react more, retreating into their own hurt, rather than talking about things. After a surprise encounter in which Daniel (who is a rickshaw runner who paints) gives Lou and Margot a lift to their anniversary meal, Margot has to try harder than ever to persuade herself and Lou that everything is normal, but an argument develops when Margot tries to force Lou to have a conversation when neither has anything to say. "We live together," he tells her. "We know everything already."
We don't know much about Daniel, though, and maybe that's what appeals. He is an artist at heart, Margot sees, whereas her husband, who is writing a cookbook of recipes with chicken, the most vanilla of meats. This is a little heavy-handed: yes, we get that Margot is bored of her mundane life. Daniel, meanwhile, offers all sorts of new possibilities. In a moment of weakness--or is it bravery?--Margot agrees to spend the day with Daniel and they end up on a fairground ride. They laugh and smile together as Video Killed the Radio Star blares over the speakers (again, this is a little heavy-handed: exciting artist 'killed' the mundane husband), the lights flash and it's all fun. But then the music stops, the light comes on and reality returns.
Will Margot pluck up the courage to leave Lou? Does she even want to, really? I don't want to give too many spoilers away here, but suffice to say, Margot's decisions and reasoning is explored in excruciating depth. She isn't always a very likable character. She's certainly very sad and troubled and her heart seems to be in the right place. Nor is she the only person to be caught between doing the 'right thing' and not hurting someone whom she loves and who loves her, and 'following her heart.' All of the performances are great. I always like Williams but Rogen also impressed me--I've tended to avoid his oeuvre since the ill-fated Freaks and Geeks, but he was really good as the kind, loving nice guy. The chemistry between Williams and Kirby was very convincing--I particularly like the scene where their characters are in a bar drinking martinis one afternoon. Or rather, not drinking martinis, because he is describing exactly what he would do to her if he had the opportunity. Hot stuff.
Polley's film is beautifully shot and tightly scripted. Understandably, it is pretty painful in places, but the characters and the dilemmas they face are very convincing and feel real and interesting, even though this is hardly the first time a woman contemplates leaving her husband. The ending confused me a little more--well, not the very ending, because I thought that worked well--but there is a bit of a montage towards the end that left me wondering about Margot and her decisions. Other than that, though, Take This Waltz is acutely observed, well acted and makes compelling, if sad, viewing.
17 August 2012
The Caffeine Chronicles: Ozone Review
The first part of my Shoreditch espresso bar double-whammy was my review of Shoreditch Grind. But the real reason I went to Old Street on Saturday was to check out a relatively new Kiwi coffee bar and cafe, Ozone Coffee Roasters, which sounded amazing. Not only do they roast their own coffee and provide advice on the more hardcore of brewing techniques, but they also do yummy-sounding breakfast, brunch and lunch. I had already eaten when I got there, but I had plenty of room for my second macchiato of the afternoon.
Ozone is on Lenoard Street, a quiet street off City Road, the southern branch of the Old Street roundabout. If you're eating, you can sit at one of the tables, but I sat at one of the long benches in the window while I awaited my double mac. Unusually, the barista avoided latte art in favour of a perfect, smooth white cap to my coffee. There was, perhaps, slightly more milk than I like in my drink, but this was probably for the best, given that I was already on my third coffee of the day. The coffee itself tasted smooth and although I'm not good at picking out the flavour notes in coffee, this one seemed to be pretty complex.
As well as the tempting food menus, Ozone also offers an even more tempting array of pâtisseries, which sit imploringly next to the till. I almost caved and bought a brownie but it was a hot afternoon and I wasn't very hungry. Ozone is a little quieter and a little less consciously hip than Shoreditch Grind, on a Saturday afternoon, anyway. It's also much less of a freelancer hangout--there wasn't a MacBook in sight. I plan to go back very soon to give brunch a try: the prawn and prosciutto papardelle sounds great, and the sourdough toast with minted mushy peas and extra-virgin olive oil makes a refreshingly different toast choice.
Ozone Coffee Roasters. 11 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4AQ (Tube: Old Street)
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| Ozone Coffee Roasters: check out those cakes! |
Ozone is on Lenoard Street, a quiet street off City Road, the southern branch of the Old Street roundabout. If you're eating, you can sit at one of the tables, but I sat at one of the long benches in the window while I awaited my double mac. Unusually, the barista avoided latte art in favour of a perfect, smooth white cap to my coffee. There was, perhaps, slightly more milk than I like in my drink, but this was probably for the best, given that I was already on my third coffee of the day. The coffee itself tasted smooth and although I'm not good at picking out the flavour notes in coffee, this one seemed to be pretty complex.
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| An unusually unadorned macchiato |
As well as the tempting food menus, Ozone also offers an even more tempting array of pâtisseries, which sit imploringly next to the till. I almost caved and bought a brownie but it was a hot afternoon and I wasn't very hungry. Ozone is a little quieter and a little less consciously hip than Shoreditch Grind, on a Saturday afternoon, anyway. It's also much less of a freelancer hangout--there wasn't a MacBook in sight. I plan to go back very soon to give brunch a try: the prawn and prosciutto papardelle sounds great, and the sourdough toast with minted mushy peas and extra-virgin olive oil makes a refreshingly different toast choice.
Ozone Coffee Roasters. 11 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4AQ (Tube: Old Street)
15 August 2012
The Caffeine Chronicles: Caravan Review
Just a fortnight ago, I was excited about the opening of Brewhouse on York--the first decent espresso bar in King's Cross. Now there are two places to get a great macchiato in N1 without having to go to Islington because Caravan's King's Cross branch opened last weekend. At this rate, Costa et al. will be ousted in no time. Well, maybe not, but long may this trend continue!
I've been to the original Caravan in Exmouth Market a few times, but although the menu has always looked very tempting, I've never eaten there. Their espresso is very good, though, even if it can take time to flag down a member of staff to server you a take-out coffee. The new branch is on Granary Square, next to the art students and across the canal from eat.st (round the back of King's Cross station, for non-locals). It's a shame that they aren't using any of the outdoor space in the square at the moment, but the inside is light and airy with plenty of sunlight streaming in. Caravan specialises in casual, creative all-day dining and I'm going to have trouble deciding what to order first from the general and brunch menus (fried chicken and waffles with verjus syrup, perhaps?).
Today, though, I only had time to grab a coffee to go, so I ordered my usual double macchiato. The coffee counter is at the back of the restaurant, next to the large pieces of roasting kit, because they roast their own coffee--three to four times per week, they tell me--and large sacks, which may be full of coffee or may just be for show because the building used to be a granary, don't you know? I took my coffee out to the square and sat soaking up some sunshine and dipping my toes in the dancing fountains. I enjoyed my macchiato--the espresso tasted rich and very smooth, and it came with my preferred amount of milk (i.e. not much).
It's good to know that there are now two purveyors of fine espresso within five minutes' walk of my desk at work, and Caravan also sells bags of beans and/or ground coffee. This could be handy because although I prefer to get my beans from Prufrock, it's a 20-minute walk and I don't always have time. Of course, the yummy-sounding food on Caravan's menu means I will probably be going back long before I run out of ground coffee!
Caravan. 1 Granary Square, London, N1C 4AA (Tube: King's Cross). Website. Twitter.
I've been to the original Caravan in Exmouth Market a few times, but although the menu has always looked very tempting, I've never eaten there. Their espresso is very good, though, even if it can take time to flag down a member of staff to server you a take-out coffee. The new branch is on Granary Square, next to the art students and across the canal from eat.st (round the back of King's Cross station, for non-locals). It's a shame that they aren't using any of the outdoor space in the square at the moment, but the inside is light and airy with plenty of sunlight streaming in. Caravan specialises in casual, creative all-day dining and I'm going to have trouble deciding what to order first from the general and brunch menus (fried chicken and waffles with verjus syrup, perhaps?).
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| L: Brewin' up at Caravan King's Cross. R: roasting kit (top), the restaurant (bottom) |
Today, though, I only had time to grab a coffee to go, so I ordered my usual double macchiato. The coffee counter is at the back of the restaurant, next to the large pieces of roasting kit, because they roast their own coffee--three to four times per week, they tell me--and large sacks, which may be full of coffee or may just be for show because the building used to be a granary, don't you know? I took my coffee out to the square and sat soaking up some sunshine and dipping my toes in the dancing fountains. I enjoyed my macchiato--the espresso tasted rich and very smooth, and it came with my preferred amount of milk (i.e. not much).
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| Double macchiato at Caravan |
It's good to know that there are now two purveyors of fine espresso within five minutes' walk of my desk at work, and Caravan also sells bags of beans and/or ground coffee. This could be handy because although I prefer to get my beans from Prufrock, it's a 20-minute walk and I don't always have time. Of course, the yummy-sounding food on Caravan's menu means I will probably be going back long before I run out of ground coffee!
Caravan. 1 Granary Square, London, N1C 4AA (Tube: King's Cross). Website. Twitter.
14 August 2012
Glossybox August 2012: The Last Box
Well, my final Glossybox arrived today and in a way, I'm glad it was only OK, because a really great box might have changed my mind about unsubscribing. The August 2012 Glossybox is also representative of most of the boxes I have received: several products I'll use but none that I need and none that I will repurchase. Before I unveil my 'International Superstars' Glossybox, though, I'll quickly review the products in last month's box. The July box was one of my favourites and I really liked the Jelly Pong Pong lip frosting, the Elizabeth Arden moisturizer and the Monu bronzing cream, which gives a really natural glow (I still haven't been brave enough to try it on my face). I am pleased with the HD Brows eye and brow palette too, although I think I need more practice before my technique is as precise as with a pencil. The Clynol shampoo is fine too.
As it was such a lovely sunny evening, I decided to walk home through Regent's Park and snap a few pictures of the products I received in my August box there. This month's box is supposed to contain "hero products from around the world," which is a great theme that didn't quite live up to my expectations.
1. Alessandro Pro White (full size--I think). This is an "optically brightening effect nail polish." I assume you paint it onto bare nails, although they don't say (nor are there further instructions on the Alessandro website). I'll give this a whirl, although I am usually wearing a coloured varnish on my nails unless I'm applying a treatment. This is highlighted as a German product but it's made in France... Not that I really care. £7.85.
2. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (30 ml). I always like the idea of cleansing oils but even though some are suitable for oilier skins, like mine, I always feel like I need another good wash after I've used one. I'll try this Japanese cleansing oil out as a make-up remover but I'm happy with my Bare Minerals cleanser. £18.50 for the 200 ml full size.
3. imPress Press-On Manicure in 'over the moon' (full size). Hmm... Déjà vu. I received one of these imPress sets in my February Glossybox in a rather hard to wear shade of bright orange. I finally tried them out a few weeks ago and wasn't too imPressed. Not many of the included nails were a good fit for my fingers and I really loathed the feeling of wearing the fake nails--this is probably just me, though, and would be the same with most press-on nails. My right index finger started coming unstuck within a day or two; the others lasted about four days. I do like the pretty butterfly pattern on this new set but even thinking of that fake-nail feeling makes me cringe so I probably won't be using these. £7.99. [NB Glossybox valued the last set at £17.40, which I thought was way overpriced given the $5.99 US retail price. £7.99 is a more reasonable valuation.]
4. Vera Valenti L'Ombre à paupière Margarita in brown and green (full size). A Spanish product with a French name... Anyway, I was quite pleased when I first saw this eye shadow palette--there were six neutral peachy and pinky brown shades and then four harder to wear greens. The quality isn't great, though; I had to press really hard to pick up enough colour when swatching the shades and they don't seem very pigmented. At 38.5p per shadow, that is probably to be expected. Interestingly, the Vera Valenti website tells me I'm not allowed to access the site because I'm not in Spain; what, not even to look, Vera? I probably won't be using these shades very often, anyway. £3.85.
5. Lipcote (full size). This is the Team GB's entry in the Glossyboxolympics. My co-workers all tell me they used to use this lipstick sealer back in the '90s, so it's hardly new. It really stings when you apply it and makes your lips feel pretty dry, but I guess it does the trick. I usually wear fairly subtle pink lip glosses rather than bright lipsticks in need of sealing, but if you're more of a vamp than me, this may come in useful. £3.99.
6. Yes, that's right, there is another bonus Glossybox-branded product this month. This time, it's a lipstick and I actually quite like it. It's a pretty, rosy pink called 'glossy pink' and it's nice and creamy and applies well. The £9.50 RRP they list may be a little optimistic, but I'm glad this product was included.
Total value of the products in this month's Glossybox: about £36 (including the bonus product).
Overall rating: 2.5/5. Glossybox definitely seem to be going for quantity over quality this month. Given the issues they had last month from the people who didn't get the high-value HD Brows palette, maybe they think it's better to hedge their bets and offer people more products, so there is a greater chance that people will like at least something. There were lots of full-size products, but a lot of cheap items too--the sample of the only high-end product, the cleansing oil, was pretty small. The lipstick is my favourite and I'll probably use the cleansing oil and maybe the Pro White polish too; the others either aren't my thing or are just unappealing. Or both.
Depending on what happens with the range and quality of the products, I may resubscribe to Glossybox in the future, once I've worked through the huge backlog of beauty products and samples in my bathroom. I've had a good experience with the service--my boxes have almost always arrived the day after dispatched, I've never had a broken or missing product, and although I haven't always loved everything in my boxes, I have usually had a good mix of products. The point of these beauty subscription services as a consumer is to discover new brands and I'm not sure I've been a great example of this because I haven't repurchased anything I got in a Glossybox--I'm probably just too faithful to the products I already love. I've definitely enjoyed sampling things I wouldn't normally buy, like the Burberry lipstick, the HD Brows palette and the Murad primer.
As it was such a lovely sunny evening, I decided to walk home through Regent's Park and snap a few pictures of the products I received in my August box there. This month's box is supposed to contain "hero products from around the world," which is a great theme that didn't quite live up to my expectations.
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| August 2012 Glossybox. Top: Vera Valenti eyeshadow palette, imPress nails, Lipcote. Bottom: Alessandro Pro White, GB lipstick, DHC Deep Cleansing Oil |
1. Alessandro Pro White (full size--I think). This is an "optically brightening effect nail polish." I assume you paint it onto bare nails, although they don't say (nor are there further instructions on the Alessandro website). I'll give this a whirl, although I am usually wearing a coloured varnish on my nails unless I'm applying a treatment. This is highlighted as a German product but it's made in France... Not that I really care. £7.85.
2. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil (30 ml). I always like the idea of cleansing oils but even though some are suitable for oilier skins, like mine, I always feel like I need another good wash after I've used one. I'll try this Japanese cleansing oil out as a make-up remover but I'm happy with my Bare Minerals cleanser. £18.50 for the 200 ml full size.
3. imPress Press-On Manicure in 'over the moon' (full size). Hmm... Déjà vu. I received one of these imPress sets in my February Glossybox in a rather hard to wear shade of bright orange. I finally tried them out a few weeks ago and wasn't too imPressed. Not many of the included nails were a good fit for my fingers and I really loathed the feeling of wearing the fake nails--this is probably just me, though, and would be the same with most press-on nails. My right index finger started coming unstuck within a day or two; the others lasted about four days. I do like the pretty butterfly pattern on this new set but even thinking of that fake-nail feeling makes me cringe so I probably won't be using these. £7.99. [NB Glossybox valued the last set at £17.40, which I thought was way overpriced given the $5.99 US retail price. £7.99 is a more reasonable valuation.]
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| Top: A few of the 'International Superstars' from my box Bottom: swatches of the eye shadows (left three) & lipstick |
4. Vera Valenti L'Ombre à paupière Margarita in brown and green (full size). A Spanish product with a French name... Anyway, I was quite pleased when I first saw this eye shadow palette--there were six neutral peachy and pinky brown shades and then four harder to wear greens. The quality isn't great, though; I had to press really hard to pick up enough colour when swatching the shades and they don't seem very pigmented. At 38.5p per shadow, that is probably to be expected. Interestingly, the Vera Valenti website tells me I'm not allowed to access the site because I'm not in Spain; what, not even to look, Vera? I probably won't be using these shades very often, anyway. £3.85.
5. Lipcote (full size). This is the Team GB's entry in the Glossyboxolympics. My co-workers all tell me they used to use this lipstick sealer back in the '90s, so it's hardly new. It really stings when you apply it and makes your lips feel pretty dry, but I guess it does the trick. I usually wear fairly subtle pink lip glosses rather than bright lipsticks in need of sealing, but if you're more of a vamp than me, this may come in useful. £3.99.
6. Yes, that's right, there is another bonus Glossybox-branded product this month. This time, it's a lipstick and I actually quite like it. It's a pretty, rosy pink called 'glossy pink' and it's nice and creamy and applies well. The £9.50 RRP they list may be a little optimistic, but I'm glad this product was included.
Total value of the products in this month's Glossybox: about £36 (including the bonus product).
Overall rating: 2.5/5. Glossybox definitely seem to be going for quantity over quality this month. Given the issues they had last month from the people who didn't get the high-value HD Brows palette, maybe they think it's better to hedge their bets and offer people more products, so there is a greater chance that people will like at least something. There were lots of full-size products, but a lot of cheap items too--the sample of the only high-end product, the cleansing oil, was pretty small. The lipstick is my favourite and I'll probably use the cleansing oil and maybe the Pro White polish too; the others either aren't my thing or are just unappealing. Or both.
Depending on what happens with the range and quality of the products, I may resubscribe to Glossybox in the future, once I've worked through the huge backlog of beauty products and samples in my bathroom. I've had a good experience with the service--my boxes have almost always arrived the day after dispatched, I've never had a broken or missing product, and although I haven't always loved everything in my boxes, I have usually had a good mix of products. The point of these beauty subscription services as a consumer is to discover new brands and I'm not sure I've been a great example of this because I haven't repurchased anything I got in a Glossybox--I'm probably just too faithful to the products I already love. I've definitely enjoyed sampling things I wouldn't normally buy, like the Burberry lipstick, the HD Brows palette and the Murad primer.
13 August 2012
The Caffeine Chronicles: Shoreditch Grind Review
There are a whole bunch of independent espresso bars in Shoreditch that are on my to-caffeinate list. They're just that bit too far from King's Cross for me to stop by on my lunch break, and I'm not often in that part of town at coffee o'clock at the weekend. On Saturday, I decided it was time to rectify this and headed off to check out Ozone Coffee Roasters. But when the bus deposited me outside Shoreditch Grind on , it seemed careless not to check them out.
Shoreditch Grind had a very New York feel to it, which, given the accents of the baristas, may make sense. From their sign, you might wonder if it's actually a small cinema, mais non. Inside, it's MacBook central, even on a Saturday, as befits Silicon Roundabout. You can either perch at one of the custom stools or sit at one of the communal tables or even one of the benches outside if the weather is as nice as it was on Saturday. The decor is fairly standard for indie coffee bars, but with a few nice extra touches, like the stools; I also liked the low-hanging lights and the white-painted exposed brick walls.
As for the coffee, it was great. It's their own blend, apparently, and roasted to their specification. I ordered my usual double macchiato and went to perch in the sunlight. The fact that even when I had almost finished my coffee, the latte art heart was still perfect is a testament to the milk foaming and frothing skills of the barista. The coffee itself was rich and velvety, with that rare almost chocolatey aftertaste I love so much. They also serve some really tasty-looking cakes and pastries--I was very tempted by the brownies--and, unusually for coffee bars, wine and cocktails.
Overall, I was very impressed. I could imagine Shoreditch Grind being a great place for freelancers and workers-from-home to get a few hours of work done. And it's a lovely place to sit and read or write while caffeinating of a weekend, especially on sunny days when the hue glass windows let a whole load of natural sunlight. They're also open on Sundays, which is surprisingly rare among London indie espresso bars. In short, their tagline 'the coffee of champions' seems perfectly accurate.
Shoreditch Grind. 213 Old Street, London, EC1V 9NR (Tube: Old Street). Website. Twitter.
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| Welcome to Shoreditch Grind. I particularly like the stools! |
Shoreditch Grind had a very New York feel to it, which, given the accents of the baristas, may make sense. From their sign, you might wonder if it's actually a small cinema, mais non. Inside, it's MacBook central, even on a Saturday, as befits Silicon Roundabout. You can either perch at one of the custom stools or sit at one of the communal tables or even one of the benches outside if the weather is as nice as it was on Saturday. The decor is fairly standard for indie coffee bars, but with a few nice extra touches, like the stools; I also liked the low-hanging lights and the white-painted exposed brick walls.
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| Macchiato with a persistent heart |
As for the coffee, it was great. It's their own blend, apparently, and roasted to their specification. I ordered my usual double macchiato and went to perch in the sunlight. The fact that even when I had almost finished my coffee, the latte art heart was still perfect is a testament to the milk foaming and frothing skills of the barista. The coffee itself was rich and velvety, with that rare almost chocolatey aftertaste I love so much. They also serve some really tasty-looking cakes and pastries--I was very tempted by the brownies--and, unusually for coffee bars, wine and cocktails.
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| Yummy cakes too... |
Overall, I was very impressed. I could imagine Shoreditch Grind being a great place for freelancers and workers-from-home to get a few hours of work done. And it's a lovely place to sit and read or write while caffeinating of a weekend, especially on sunny days when the hue glass windows let a whole load of natural sunlight. They're also open on Sundays, which is surprisingly rare among London indie espresso bars. In short, their tagline 'the coffee of champions' seems perfectly accurate.
Shoreditch Grind. 213 Old Street, London, EC1V 9NR (Tube: Old Street). Website. Twitter.
12 August 2012
Bourne Again
Surprisingly, given my penchant for action/spy/political/conspiracy thrillers and my liking for Matt Damon, my history with the Bourne films is far from complete. I saw The Bourne Identity once on DVD but I was also surfing the intertubes at the same time and didn't pay enough attention. I think I actually saw Bourne #3,
The Bourne Ultimatum, first and I've since watched parts of it on several other occasions. I've never seen the second film, The Bourne Supremacy. I intended to watch Bourne #2 before seeing a preview of the latest film, The Bourne Legacy, this morning but I didn't get round to it. I did read Vulture's five things to remember about the other movies post, though, which helped a little.
I was slightly concerned about the lack of Matt Damon, but from his CV, Jeremy Renner looks like he's been gearing up to this role. He was good in The Hurt Locker and further cut his chops helping out Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Plus I like Rachel Weisz and although she did also appear in The Mummy and her latest film, 360, hasn't been popular with the critics, she generally has quite good taste in movies. There may be some spoilers below, especially for the first three films, but I would suggest that a sequential viewing of the films makes for more interesting and less confusing viewing.
Anyway, on to The Bourne Legacy. It isn't really a sequel to Ultimatum; the events unfold at about the same time, so we see poor old Paddy Considine getting shot in Waterloo station again. Old events and conversations are given a new twist in the new film. I like this as a narrative device: watching a scene or a conversation for a second time, with a whole new meaning or interpretation based on new information. For much of the opening third of the film, we see Aaron Cross (Renner), hiking across some seriously snowy mountains in Alaska, fighting off wolves and taking his green and blue pills, which allow him to retain his amazing physical and mental abilities, respectively. These scenes are interspersed with shots of various CIA dudes arguing with some guy from a national research association (Edward Norton) about the government black ops programmes that allowed the genetic modification of ordinary guys into hyper-strong, hyper-intelligent killing machines. Such as Bourne. And Cross, of course.
The problems with Jason Bourne (see Bournes #1 to #3) have prompted Norton's character Byer to close down all of these programmes ASAP and get rid of the agents. Most of the agents grudgingly agree to switch over to a new kind of pill, which, of course, promptly kills them off. Cross, however, proves harder to wipe out and manages to elude assassination-by-exploding-drone on several occasions. Meanwhile, the labs responsible for creating the pills that keep the agents super-human and those that developed the technique that allowed certain agents (including Cross) to keep their skills permanently, even without pills, need shutting down too. Even the nice lady scientist Marta (Weisz) who carried out Cross's regular check-ups and who gave Cross perma-strength, although not perma-intelligence. (This is a shame because Cross's pre-programme alter ego had a very low IQ.)
This somewhat complex and lengthy set-up complete, the rest of movie proceeds as a fairly standard chase film, as Cross and Marta dash across the country and oversees to Manila, which is where the rooftop chase scene pictured in the trailer takes place. Meanwhile, Byer et al sit and mutter, "Curses! Foiled again!" and some unexplained parts of the first three films are somewhat elucidated--for those people who put more effort into watching the earlier films than me, at least.
I came out of the film thinking it was an exciting, entertaining action thriller with likable protagonists and an engaging enough plot. This is still true but the more I thought about it, the more disappointed I became. Legacy seemed a little shallow, really, and I didn't think it really added much to the series, informationally or philosophically. Incidentally, according to IMDb, before he knew there would be a fourth film, Paul Greengrass, who directed Bournes #2 and #3, joked that #4 should be called The Bourne Redundancy. Again, maybe those who have seen all three films and remember them well will disagree with me, but Legacy felt like an excuse to shoot some big guns, play with some expensive technology, make up a bit of science (genetics, epigenetics and virology, mainly) and put together a fun action romp. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with that; as I said, I enjoyed the film and was gripped throughout its 2h15 length. Maybe films like Inception have just trained me to want--and expect--more from my action thrillers.
11 August 2012
I [Heart] London
It may seem odd for someone who has lived in the city for the first five and latest four years of her life to suddenly fall back in love with London, especially on what may well be the busiest Saturday of the summer, but that's what happened today. I was supposed to meet a friend for brunch but she had to reschedule and I decided to go to Old Street anyway to test out a couple of independent coffee bars that have been on my list for a while (of which more to follow). Afterwards, I walked down Moorgate and over to One New Change to take a few pictures of the skyline and St Paul's from the shopping centre's rooftop. I've been there a few times now, but only in winter and/or at night time, so I thought it would be nice to go on a sunny day for once.
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| One New Change leaps |
I walked through St Paul's Churchyard and down to the Millennium Bridge, which was heaving. Maybe it was because it was the first sunny Saturday we have had in months, but somehow I didn't really care how busy it was. I didn't even care that much about large groups of people walking super slowly. I decided to walk along the North Bank to Tower Bridge to get a closer view of the Olympic rings.
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| Olympic rings on Tower Bridge |
The Olympics may also be responsible for my renewed pride in my home city: I had been a real Olympics scrooge up until about 20 minutes into the Opening Ceremony, when suddenly I found myself, à contre cœur, falling for it all. My photos are no way near as cool as this Reuters shot of the full moon forming the sixth ring, of course, but I had fun walking over the bridge and all the way back home to NoMaRo, via the South Bank, the Hungerford Bridge and Soho.
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| That ring thing |
Once the weather inevitably returns to normal and the London 2012 excitement dies down, maybe my rediscovered London love with diminish and my New York lust will return. In the meantime, I'm just enjoying summer in the city.
07 August 2012
The Burger Bulletin: Tommi's Burger Joint Review
A hip but low-key Icelandic burger joint in Marylebone sounds about as unlikely as...well, a hip but grungy Marylebone burger and cocktail joint above a strip joint. Pretty likely then. And so Tommi's Burger Joint enters the increasingly competitive London burger stakes. I often walk home along Marylebone Lane and I've been waiting for weeks for it to open and yesterday it finally did. They are still in soft launch phase, which means no shakes, but 50% off the already fairly reasonably priced (for W1) menu.
After an hour of queuing for Paralympics tickets in the rain this evening, I decided to treat myself to a burger and fries on my way home. I walked past Meat Liquor and winced at the size of the queue, hoping that the masses hadn't yet found about Tommi's. I didn't need to worry as there were several perching spots available at the 25-seat diner, and judging by the attire of the clientele--several suits and no one apart from me in skinny jeans--it's mainly locals who have discovered Tommi's so far. I had high hopes for my burger: pre-launch: the window was filled with glowing reviews of the Reykjavik original, including a position in this list of the 50 best burgers in the world, of which I've only been to Corner Bistro, Shake Shack, Jo'Burger, Meat Wagon. Luckily, it lived up to my expectations.
In many ways, Tommi's is like a much cooler GBK but with better burgers and, well, character. You order at the register and can then either take your food away or perch at one of the tables. I waited less than ten minutes for my food. At £5 for a burger, £5.80 for a cheeseburger and £8.90 for the "offer of the century" (burger, fries and a soda--50 p extra with cheese), the prices aren't bad. Plus, there is no "optional" 12.5% service charge; you can leave a tip in the jar, of course, and I did. As they were doing 50% off today, I decided to go for the offer of the century with cheese, leaving the bacon for another visit. In all the excitement, I forgot to make my usual pedantic requests--a plain cheeseburger, cooked medium rare--and then when I went back to ask for my burger to come plain, I forgot to ask for it medium rare. Fortunately, it came how medium should be: pink and beautifully juicy. The fries were tasty--skinny and not too salty--and there were just about the right amount of them too.
"Best burger in London" is a difficult competition to judge but Tommi's is definitely in the running. True, you can't have a cocktail, à la Meat Liquor, but you will be able to have a milkshake. I think the takeaway option will prove dangerous too on those nights when I'm feeling too lazy to cook. You should check out Tommi's before the hype and inevitable queues begin--at least at Meat Liquor, you can queue under a shelter, whereas at Tommi's you are left to those harsh Marylebone elements. It's a tough life.
Tommi's Burger Joint. 58 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2NX (Tube: Bond Street). Website. Twitter.
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| Tommi's Burger Joint, Marylebone Lane |
After an hour of queuing for Paralympics tickets in the rain this evening, I decided to treat myself to a burger and fries on my way home. I walked past Meat Liquor and winced at the size of the queue, hoping that the masses hadn't yet found about Tommi's. I didn't need to worry as there were several perching spots available at the 25-seat diner, and judging by the attire of the clientele--several suits and no one apart from me in skinny jeans--it's mainly locals who have discovered Tommi's so far. I had high hopes for my burger: pre-launch: the window was filled with glowing reviews of the Reykjavik original, including a position in this list of the 50 best burgers in the world, of which I've only been to Corner Bistro, Shake Shack, Jo'Burger, Meat Wagon. Luckily, it lived up to my expectations.
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| Yes, this is an Icelandic diner in Marylebone |
In many ways, Tommi's is like a much cooler GBK but with better burgers and, well, character. You order at the register and can then either take your food away or perch at one of the tables. I waited less than ten minutes for my food. At £5 for a burger, £5.80 for a cheeseburger and £8.90 for the "offer of the century" (burger, fries and a soda--50 p extra with cheese), the prices aren't bad. Plus, there is no "optional" 12.5% service charge; you can leave a tip in the jar, of course, and I did. As they were doing 50% off today, I decided to go for the offer of the century with cheese, leaving the bacon for another visit. In all the excitement, I forgot to make my usual pedantic requests--a plain cheeseburger, cooked medium rare--and then when I went back to ask for my burger to come plain, I forgot to ask for it medium rare. Fortunately, it came how medium should be: pink and beautifully juicy. The fries were tasty--skinny and not too salty--and there were just about the right amount of them too.
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| A very good cheeseburger |
"Best burger in London" is a difficult competition to judge but Tommi's is definitely in the running. True, you can't have a cocktail, à la Meat Liquor, but you will be able to have a milkshake. I think the takeaway option will prove dangerous too on those nights when I'm feeling too lazy to cook. You should check out Tommi's before the hype and inevitable queues begin--at least at Meat Liquor, you can queue under a shelter, whereas at Tommi's you are left to those harsh Marylebone elements. It's a tough life.
Tommi's Burger Joint. 58 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2NX (Tube: Bond Street). Website. Twitter.
04 August 2012
Ring Cycle
In spite of my relative ambivalence about the London Olympic Games the last time I wrote about them, in the past week I have done the following: attended an opening ceremony party and participated in an accompanying drinking game (and enjoyed it); ordered tickets to some athletics at the Paralympic Games; watched about eight hours of women's gymnastics qualifiers; developed some serious Games envy when hearing about great tickets other people got; and finally, tonight, attended a couple of preliminary women's volleyball games.
The whole experience was pretty painless as well as being fun. My Tube journey to Earl's Court didn't take any longer than on a normal Friday evening and there were no queues to get into the venue; nor were the security checks particularly onerous. This meant I arrived almost an hour before the 8 pm start time. This was lucky given that there were very few water fountains and I had to queue for over 45 minutes to fill up my bottle. I bet the sponsors sabotaged the water pressure. I got my revenge by eating a KitKat Chunky in front of the Cadbury sign.
Once I got in and found my seat, I was pleased to see that I had a good view of the court; I was pretty high up but almost at the centre of the back of the court. Despite talk of too many empty seats at Olympic events, the stadium was pretty full and there was a great atmosphere. The first match was Team USA vs Serbia and, as expected, it wasn't much of a contest. Although the USA made a slow start in the first set, they convincingly took that set and the following two to win the game. In the second game, Italy played Algeria and although this was a little more evenly matched, Italy won in straight sets.
It was interesting to see the differences between the US team and the others. I don't think I noticed a single serving fault in the US team, for example, whereas the others hit several serves into the net and sent several long. I was also surprised how few of the serves were jump serves. I used to play volleyball for my university team and I know how hard jump serves are, but I thought that at this level there might be more of them. Some of the tallest players, including USA's Simona Gioli, have the luxury of being able to lightly toss the ball up and casually send it soaring over the net; others' rely on their consistency over their power. Serving was actually one of my secret weapons when I played. My overarm serve was fine but I had a super-fast underarm serve with hella topspin on it, which won me a fair few aces over the years, not least because my opponents never expected it. I was also pleased that even the national teams do the same warm-up we used to do before every match.
One of the things that most confused the audience was the libero position. Why is she wearing a different colour top? / I think she's the captain or Maybe they ran out of shirts. I used to play libero, a specialist defense player who can freely switch in and out of the game as needed. Basically, their job is to get all the difficult shots that come over the net and to back up the blockers in case they can't block a spike. In most sports, I hate defensive positions but when you are 5'4ish, you don't have a lot of choice. Indeed, even in the national teams, the liberos tend to be of fairly average height.
I had a really good time tonight--it reminded me of how much I used to love volleyball and how much I miss playing, even if I don't miss the bruised knees or getting volleyballs in my face. Everyone was having a good time and in the second match started to cheer on Algeria, who had fewer supporters in the crowd. The emcee organized a couple of karaoke numbers and other activities to stir up some energy; I found these a little awkward but unlike many of the attendees who got their tickets because it was the only Olympic ticket available, I really enjoy watching volleyball.
Here's a video I took of what ended up being one of the longest rallies of the USA/Serbia game:
Getting home wasn't too bad, either: it didn't take too long to get out of the venue and then I got a bus straight back to NoMaRo. For £30, it was a great, entertaining night: I got to see two matches and some brilliant volleyball, and I got to go to the Olympics. Hooray! If any volleyball tickets become available, don't be put off by the fact that it's not one of the major sports and that it's not in the Olympic Park: I'd highly recommend snapping them.
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| Patriotic-ish outfit of the day (L) and in position at Earl's Court (R) |
The whole experience was pretty painless as well as being fun. My Tube journey to Earl's Court didn't take any longer than on a normal Friday evening and there were no queues to get into the venue; nor were the security checks particularly onerous. This meant I arrived almost an hour before the 8 pm start time. This was lucky given that there were very few water fountains and I had to queue for over 45 minutes to fill up my bottle. I bet the sponsors sabotaged the water pressure. I got my revenge by eating a KitKat Chunky in front of the Cadbury sign.
Once I got in and found my seat, I was pleased to see that I had a good view of the court; I was pretty high up but almost at the centre of the back of the court. Despite talk of too many empty seats at Olympic events, the stadium was pretty full and there was a great atmosphere. The first match was Team USA vs Serbia and, as expected, it wasn't much of a contest. Although the USA made a slow start in the first set, they convincingly took that set and the following two to win the game. In the second game, Italy played Algeria and although this was a little more evenly matched, Italy won in straight sets.
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| All's fair in love and volleyball (top), technical time-out, i.e. court sweeping (bottom) |
It was interesting to see the differences between the US team and the others. I don't think I noticed a single serving fault in the US team, for example, whereas the others hit several serves into the net and sent several long. I was also surprised how few of the serves were jump serves. I used to play volleyball for my university team and I know how hard jump serves are, but I thought that at this level there might be more of them. Some of the tallest players, including USA's Simona Gioli, have the luxury of being able to lightly toss the ball up and casually send it soaring over the net; others' rely on their consistency over their power. Serving was actually one of my secret weapons when I played. My overarm serve was fine but I had a super-fast underarm serve with hella topspin on it, which won me a fair few aces over the years, not least because my opponents never expected it. I was also pleased that even the national teams do the same warm-up we used to do before every match.
 |
| L: Italy in royal blue and Algeria in white; R: USA in navy, Serbia in white |
One of the things that most confused the audience was the libero position. Why is she wearing a different colour top? / I think she's the captain or Maybe they ran out of shirts. I used to play libero, a specialist defense player who can freely switch in and out of the game as needed. Basically, their job is to get all the difficult shots that come over the net and to back up the blockers in case they can't block a spike. In most sports, I hate defensive positions but when you are 5'4ish, you don't have a lot of choice. Indeed, even in the national teams, the liberos tend to be of fairly average height.
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| Attack the block! USA/Serbia (T), Italy/Algeria (B) |
I had a really good time tonight--it reminded me of how much I used to love volleyball and how much I miss playing, even if I don't miss the bruised knees or getting volleyballs in my face. Everyone was having a good time and in the second match started to cheer on Algeria, who had fewer supporters in the crowd. The emcee organized a couple of karaoke numbers and other activities to stir up some energy; I found these a little awkward but unlike many of the attendees who got their tickets because it was the only Olympic ticket available, I really enjoy watching volleyball.
Here's a video I took of what ended up being one of the longest rallies of the USA/Serbia game:
Getting home wasn't too bad, either: it didn't take too long to get out of the venue and then I got a bus straight back to NoMaRo. For £30, it was a great, entertaining night: I got to see two matches and some brilliant volleyball, and I got to go to the Olympics. Hooray! If any volleyball tickets become available, don't be put off by the fact that it's not one of the major sports and that it's not in the Olympic Park: I'd highly recommend snapping them.
01 August 2012
The Burger Bulletin: A Return to Karpo
I reviewed Karpo, a creative new restaurant with locavore leanings opposite King's Cross station, soon after it opened, back in February. I enjoyed my meal and although I have been back once more for dinner and numerous times for brownies, pastries and other sweet meats, I only recently tested out their burger. This is partly because the burger is only available at brunch/lunchtime and partly because it used to come with a fried egg and Gruyère cheese and although I could have ordered it au naturel, I don't like to do that when you are asking for a substantial proportion of the ingredients to be removed.
Anyway, the word on the street was that the burgers were good so we went back for lunch last week. For £9, you can have a "Karpo grass-fed beef burger, pickles & chips" and for an extra quid, you can add (Gruyère de) Comté, streaky bacon or a fried egg. Streaky bacon is one of my weaknesses but I like it really well done, whereas I prefer my burgers to be at most medium rare. Bearing this in mind, I should have given the bacon a miss and focused on getting a perfectly medium-rare burger. Instead, I took a risk and asked for a medium-rare burger with well-done bacon; I did emphasise the discrepancy but was told I had been understood.
When my burger arrived, then, and it was almost immediately obvious that my burger was not medium rare, I was a little disappointed. Further investigation showed that even in the centre, the meat was medium to medium well. At no point was it medium rare. The meat itself was still really tasty and quite juicy despite its over-cooking. I did flag the problem to the waiter but as time was the essence and the burger was still fine to eat, I didn't send it back. On the bright side, the fries and garlic mayo were really nice and the bacon was cooked to my requirements.
I have by no means scratched Karpo off my burger bulletin yet. Next time, I might avoid any potential scope for ambiguity and leave the bacon out of the equation. The other food I've ordered at Karpo--the omelette, something with North African influence and, especially, the cakes--has been really good and it is a lovely restaurant. It's just a shame that for someone like me, a burger can make a break or place, so let's hope that next time Karpo takes it up a notch or two.
Karpo. 23 Euston Road, London, NW1 2SB (Tube: King's Cross). Website. Twitter.
Anyway, the word on the street was that the burgers were good so we went back for lunch last week. For £9, you can have a "Karpo grass-fed beef burger, pickles & chips" and for an extra quid, you can add (Gruyère de) Comté, streaky bacon or a fried egg. Streaky bacon is one of my weaknesses but I like it really well done, whereas I prefer my burgers to be at most medium rare. Bearing this in mind, I should have given the bacon a miss and focused on getting a perfectly medium-rare burger. Instead, I took a risk and asked for a medium-rare burger with well-done bacon; I did emphasise the discrepancy but was told I had been understood.
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| Karpo's burger: must try harder |
When my burger arrived, then, and it was almost immediately obvious that my burger was not medium rare, I was a little disappointed. Further investigation showed that even in the centre, the meat was medium to medium well. At no point was it medium rare. The meat itself was still really tasty and quite juicy despite its over-cooking. I did flag the problem to the waiter but as time was the essence and the burger was still fine to eat, I didn't send it back. On the bright side, the fries and garlic mayo were really nice and the bacon was cooked to my requirements.
I have by no means scratched Karpo off my burger bulletin yet. Next time, I might avoid any potential scope for ambiguity and leave the bacon out of the equation. The other food I've ordered at Karpo--the omelette, something with North African influence and, especially, the cakes--has been really good and it is a lovely restaurant. It's just a shame that for someone like me, a burger can make a break or place, so let's hope that next time Karpo takes it up a notch or two.
Karpo. 23 Euston Road, London, NW1 2SB (Tube: King's Cross). Website. Twitter.