The plot is paper-thin, and the acting is wooden, but John Woo shows just why he is considered a master of the action genre. The gun fights are beautifully staged and choreographed, and shot in such a way that turns their extreme violence into a lethal dance of balletic grace. Shame about the rest of the film, though.
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Die Another Day
Hmm. This started off quite well, with a nice title sequence. It was interesting to see Bond out on his ear and left to his own devices. Unfortunately it gets worse from there. Too much reliance on ridiculous gadgets, rather than on Bond’s wits and a half-decent plot. Even the set pieces and stunts use more CGI (and bad CGI, at that) than one has come to expect from the franchise. A disappointment, overall.
Café Rouge, Frederick St., Edinburgh
Excellent steak frites, and they even offered mayonnaise! Pleasant, continental atmosphere, with great service. Smoking section not sufficiently separated from non-smokers. Very baby (and breastfeeding) friendly–we were surrounded by tiny wee ones!
The Thames and Hudson Manual of Typography
An invaluable reference, this book discusses the history of typography and of various font types. It covers issues like composition, paper, and book design, all in easy to understand terminology. We bought it because its companion volume, the Thames and Hudson Manual of Bookbinding, by Arthur W. Johnson, is one of my invaluable bookbinding sources. It does not disappoint.
Mings (Princes Square, Glasgow)
Nice chinese food, but the flavours aren’t as exceptional as I remember they used to be. The restaurant has grown a lot in the last few years, and lost some of its “well-kept secret” atmosphere. Very busy at lunchtimes, and they made a mistake with one of our orders. Not hugely child-friendly.
The Rosebank (Camelon, Falkirk)
Beefeater pub, situated on the Union Canal a couple of miles from the Falkirk Wheel. Old-fashioned atmosphere, modern facilities, friendly staff, and extensive menu with big kids’ section. I had a lovely rump steak with pepper sauce.
The Cockatoo (Old Craighall Rd, Edinburgh)
“Home of Chicken Piri-Piri,” their signs declare. It looked tempting (1/2 chicken marinated in Piri-Piri sauce), but I had a burger instead, which was decent. Enormous desserts. Fine for families, with a nice play area out back.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Enjoyable romp, with nicely executed set pieces. The first half is soggy and slow: a succession of sketches of Hogwarts life that don’t lead anywhere until much later. Branagh hams it up wonderfully as Gilderoy Lockhart. At 2hrs 41 mins, though, it’s far too long.
John Sandford – Chosen Prey
Police chief Lucas Davenport hunts down another serial killer in a comfortably familiar episode of the Prey series. Perhaps a little too comfortable. Nice thriller, but Sandford was on cruise control for this one.
Richard Morgan – Altered Carbon
Hard-boiled science fiction detective story–tough to pull off, but Morgan does a good job. Murder and brutality in a world where death just means you have to get yourself downloaded into a new body–provided you can afford it.