Four lovely highlights of this weekend
My first weekend back in London was very self-indulgent indeed and I shall begin with the two great restaurants I had dinner at. On Saturday it was Terroirs, a perfect French resto that serves exquisite wine, delicious charcuterie and a selection of cheese that words fail to describe. Without further ado, book in advance and enjoy a parisian dinner in Covent Garden.
Today it was The Troubadour in West Brompton. Aside from the great food, what I loved about this bistro was the interior design and decorations. Small, wooden round tables with vases of roses on each, tall candles, beautiful china and wall decorations. They also have a wine shop, private room hire, live music and an art gallery to rent. Another French venue that I strongly recommend as très très lovely.
On the cultural side, it was the premiere of Shame, a movie that set my expectations very high. And I wasn’t deceived. Steve McQueen’s cinematography is pure art and this movie’s brilliance doesn’t lie in the story but in the details. The perfect soundtrack- I had no idea Bach goes so well with sex addiction, and the majestic performance that both Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan give. I admit, Shame is not easy to watch and the pace is rather annoying. But that’s the whole point, to make you angry and annoyed, to make you feel the shame and despise the characters because you cannot identify with them. The sex scenes are raw, powerful and somewhat difficult to watch but beauty is always in the eyes of the beholder.
Today it was Fog, a wonderful play at Finborough Theatre. Maybe the world has watched and heard too many stories on dysfunctional families but this one is going to make your head spin, stomach turn and heart skip a few beats. By the end of the play there were tears in my eyes and I couldn’t quite believe this superb piece of art was written by one of the actors, a young guy in his early twenties. The play is not so much about having nothing but mostly about being nothing. And this happens not by choice, but rather because those people have no choice at all. The play might make you feel uncomfortable but I enjoy being put out of my confort zone for at least a couple of hours in order to be able to experience something I am unable to identify or empathize with. So many people should watch this play before laughing at or judging those kids whose biggest dream is a plasma TV or an Audi TT. Fog is at the Finborough Theatre only until the 28th of January and I say with all my heart that this is a must see.
