I’m just into declining a few verbs this morning, brushing up the old Latin in case I decide to become a Catholic. But those 2 words are in fact very relevant to last night’s little escapade. In their own little ways.

We had free cinema tickets. Lila’s mum has one of those fit-bit things that turns you into a compulsive step-counter obsessive, but that was given to her by her health insurance. And if you reach some target or other each week, they send her 2 free tickets to the movies. Only at the Vue chain but that’s fine. Free’s free, right? We nearly booked at the wrong Vue, so easy to do online. And Mel had commented that we were due to save 20 on the ticket price. When we’d corrected it so we didn’t have to fly to Edinburgh to see the movie, but selected the correct cinema on the Finchley Road, our saving immediately went up to 30 quid. I’m still trying to work out if I’m lucky to be in London to save more or cursed with a 30% hike on everything we do.

Its August, in case you missed that. Silly season. No news (other than nuclear war), no traffic and certainly no good movies. They don’t release anything worthwhile in August because everyone’s on holiday and those all-important ‘release ratings’ will be shit. So its either kids films, the Emoji Fucking Movie (shoot me now) or Atomic Blond. ‘Cold War Blockbuster!!!!’ starring Charlize Theron. Who is gorgeous, no doubt about that. And she can fight like 17 ninja warriors on steroids.

And its violent. Gratuitously violent. Which you can forgive because the film is very stylised. So you’re allowed to up the blood’n’gore accordingly. That’s the rule. Tarantino’s Law. Basic physics.

Charlize smoulders. And fights. But other than a lesbian love interest bit, that’s all she does. James McAvoy is also in it. And for some reason I just don’t see him as ‘action hero’ or even ‘action baddie’ type material. He’s a little Scottish wimp and should realise the professional limitations this imposes.

The odd thing (very odd) is that Mel loved the film. And she always complains about films. Too long, too violent, too… filmed, too everything. But not this. Which I slept part through and missed nothing. Because its so predictably confusing (Cold War Rule, number 4) and twisty, it was all rather hollow.

But fortunately the popcorn only cost £6.30 (medium, couldn’t afford large though they do offer finance plans), so a cheap night out.

Oh well, at least the football’s back.

Happy Sunday

A xxxx