V for Vendetta. One of those films that veers between cheese, predictability, utter implausibility and scary prescience. Reviews I’ve seen so far have been Marmite-like in their binarity (yes, that is a word): they love it or hate it.
The flaws include Natalie Portman’s grand tour of all accents, and that ever-present mask obscuring Hugo Weaving’s performance. The mask matches the original graphic novel, so top marks for authenticity, but it all gets a bit Marcel Marceau as poor Hugo desperately tries to emote avec hands and sans face.
On the plus side, the film contains the best cinematic use of the Benny Hill music so far this year.
Oh, and Chef! Going to the cinema! With other people present! Unheard of.
Avaragado’s rating: one tin of tomato soup
Post-film we ventured to the Shanghai Family Restaurant on Burleigh Street. Never been there before; it apparently has a reputation as the best Chinese restaurant in Cambridge.
An interesting experience. I think we must have been the first people ever to order wine there; the waitress seemed to think she had to empty the bottle rather than leave it on the table, so there were some very full glasses (no complaints). This trick failed on the third bottle though – she was almost apologetic as she left the bottle with us. Strange.
Nice food, large portions, but I wouldn’t call it the best in Cambridge.
Avaragado’s rating: half a packet of digestive biscuits.
This being the 21st century we then nipped across the road to CB2 for two more bottles of wine and our own interpretations of dessert. Melanie and Louise had malteser sundaes, or something like that. I had some spicy chips.
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