London – Day One

I don’t think I’ve ever watched so many movies in a row before. In my 14 hours flight, I watched more movies than I did in 2007. Here’s a quick run-down with my armchair review:

Michael Clayton – The role seems to be written with George Clooney in mind, and I don’t think it’s always a good thing. It’s like casting Jet Li whenever you need an Asian kung fu character. Michael Clayton IS George Clooney. I mean, he pulled off the role well and credible, but really how hard is it to act as you? Nonetheless, it’s a good film, executed well and definitely a good watch.

The Kingdom – Jamie Fox is intense, Jennifer Garner is sexy decked in kakis, Jason Bateman adds the comic touch and Michael Cooper tops off the stellar cast as the credible FBI inspector. Does it get better than this? Yes, if one of the white guys died with a dozen bullets pumped into him. But no, this is as gritty as an action film gets. I love the Call of Duty 4 moments when they shoot baddies through walls and RPG-7s gets fired all over the place.

The Last King of Scotland – Forrest Whitaker is brilliant, capturing the unabashed intensity of President Amin of Uganda. Good pacing, well-acted and had some brilliant moments, which is hard to find in a historical/biography piece. Highly recommended.

3:10 to Yuma – This is intense Christian Bale as the good guy versus charismatic Russell Crowe as the bad guy. This is one of the classic western remakes which is so well done that you won’t compare to the original. On the surface, it’s a classic dichotomy of good versus bad, right versus wrong but by the end of the film, you can’t help but feel the lines blur and feel awful when one of them had a dozen bullets pumped into him. Oops, did I spoil it for you?

Elizabeth: The Golden Age – Cate Blanchett in one of her most comfortable genres and there’s nothing to dislike about her performance. She switches between strength and vulnerability with ease, and she holds the audience in her hand with every line and gestures she delivers. Personally, I still prefer the first Elizabeth.

Good night, and Good luck – Every journalism or media student could use this as a case study. It questions how the media is considered the fourth estate, or watch-dog of society. Where is the line you draw between reporting and getting involved with politics? I personally love the fact that in the 1950s, everyone in the television industry smokes, even the talk-show presenter on air.

Also, I had time to squeeze in a two TV shows:

Bionic Woman – Ugh, I’m not hot on this one. I didn’t see the original, but this is one show I’m happy to miss. The characters feel very 2-dimensional, and has all the predictable TV stereotypes; from the disgruntled Asian bad guy to the angsty younger sister to the young professor who tries to hard to be charming. Although its only a pilot, but it doesn’t feel like there’s anything more than this.

Cooking in the Danger Zone – This one is well-produced, and has a charming host with exotic locations. This episode features cooking in the Chernobyl zone of exclusion, and in the end, I was hoping to watch more episodes. Highly recommended if you’re into travelogues. If you’ve played Call of Duty 4, this episodes shows scenes of the Ferris Wheel in Pripyet, and that hotel where you sniped that dude’s arm off.

Back to London.

I had a quick dinner last night, then was off to bed by about 8pm (4am Singapore time), as you can imagine, I didn’t sleep a wink on the flight so that wasn’t too hard. The best part of last night was a nice warm soak in the tub before that. Simply divine.

This morning, I nearly killed myself with a full English breakfast. First, about half a dozen toast and pastries came. Then came a pot of freshly brewed coffee, and a big glass of orange juice. Following which, a big bowl of oat and barley porridge, which is really lovely with honey. Lastly, came the real thing – sausages, two sunny-sides-up, black pudding, baked beans, grilled tomato, mushrooms and back bacon. Needless to say, I lay motionless for a while on the bed after that.

Lunch was at the oldest pub in London – Gordon’s wine and bar, by Villier’s Street. Dark and dingy, but has the most charmingly rustic atmosphere.

Now at 6:18 pm, I’m back in my hotel room, still full of food writing this post documenting my first 24 hours in London. My trip is off to a great start, and I’m wondering what else lies in store in the next 8 days to come.