Film Favourites...

It's Sunday again here at Gidday HQ and after a month of on-and-off work travelling, I am looking forward to being at home for a few weeks. Today I've done the washing, vacuumed and cleaned, and even popped out to replenish my lately depleted stock of vegetables. I have plans to cook some favourites: there's a veggie stir fry, a warm Mexican chicken salad and some sort of pasta on my culinary horizon this week. 

It's brisk and cold out today and right now I'm curled up on the comfy couch watching You've Got Mail. It's one of my favourite films. I have watched it so many times and yet I still well up when Kathleen closes the store and Joe's 'bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils' brings a smile to my face every time. My favourite line is when Kathleen's wise old friend Birdie tells her that closing the store is the brave thing to do because she's daring to imagine life without it. It's such a beautiful sentiment and really strikes a chord with me. 

Yesterday was a different kettle of fish. It was grey and damp after the overnight rain yet the prospect of being indoors all day was making me feel restless. So I hopped on the bus just after lunch and headed down to the Odeon Cinema at Swiss Cottage with Skyfall in my sights.

I'm not what you would call a Bond fan. I have seen a few, enjoyed a few and have Sean Connery firmly placed on The Best Bond pedestal. And I've had my doubts about Daniel Craig's iteration of the world's most famous spy.

Not any more. Skyfall was brilliant.

For two and a half hours I was glued to my seat - from the opening chase and the strains of Adele's thrilling Bond theme right though to the closing credits. Javier Bardem may just be the best Bond villain ever and Ben Wishaw's Q is brilliant as the world's coolest gadget man. The story shines, the stellar cast sparkles and Craig has finally won me over.

A fellow blogger has bemoaned the similarities between this and Batman: The Dark Knight and while there are some parallels, there is a richer story than such a simple comparison offers. I'm not one for issuing plot spoilers here on Gidday From The UK - suffice to say I would recommend you avoid finding out what happens and just enjoy the journey. In the meantime, I have been left in a state of excited anticipation, wondering what this brave new Bond world will bring. Bring on number 24 I say!

And on top of all of that, I have 'discovered' Swiss Cottage - well the intersection where the cinema, tube station and bus stop all congregate...

THE Swiss Cottage at...Swiss Cottage

Seems to me that that's a weekend very well-spent.


ps...speaking of weekends, I heard on the radio this morning that there are only 5 weekends left until Christmas. That makes it sounds really close. Let's stick with the sleeps to go thing shall we?  So that would be 37 sleeps to go. See? Plenty of time really...