My local multiplex (the Odeon, Aylesbury) has six screens, so you would think that was enough to show critically acclaimed movies. But that is not the case. It has never showed "Crash", which won the last Oscar for best film. It did show "United 93", my favourite film of the year, and a deserved South Bank Show Show award to Paul Greengrass. But it has probably missed "The Last King of Scotland" and "Infamous".
So it was off to Milton Keynes Cineworld on the last two Mondays, as it has more than twice the number of screens as Aylesbury, to see "Black Book" and "Babel", probably not considered popular enough by the Odeon as both have subtitles.
"Black Book" was a rip roaring world war 2 thriller.It was very enjoyable as it followed the heroine through a series of adventures in occupied Holland. The social comments on the plight of the Jews and collaborators were heavy handed, but was very watchable as a good thriller.
"Babel" was much deeper and quite uneasy as it constantly switched between such alien, but each so different in their own way, places as Morocco, Mexico and Tokyo. It took a while to engage with what was happening, but the drama was engrossing and the photography was brilliant. Sometimes it felt like watching a documentary of real events. The switches in time were quite simple to understand, you knew instantly that the shooting had already occurred before the Mexican nanny takes the children off to the wedding. An ultimately rewarding movie.
On Tuesday I combined a check up at the dentist (everything OK thank goodness) with checking out lights and digital phones in John Lewis. Its amazing how one and a half hours can pass without evening looking at the widescreen tv's. The swimming on Wednesday was fine. The pool is back to its normal quietness after the early January resolutions have faded. I managed six lengths of crawl at the end, but breathing every four strokes is still a problem.
I have never missed an episode of "24" since it started, so it was good to see a new series starting. I always record it as the adverts are too numerous and too long and I can fast forward through them. I normally sit in the lounge at lunchtime and catch up with the latest episode, or something like "Trial and Retribution" that Alison cannot watch.
The carpet for the new study came on Friday and at the same time we emptied the old study and started with its decoration. We had finished by Sunday so we were able to reorganise the furniture as this is now Alison's domain. So the my new study is now awaiting the desk and computer, all now ordered along with a wireless router.
Only left time for a walk on Sunday in Wendover Woods after painting the skirting. But worth it as the weather was a beautiful sunny 9 degrees.
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