Two Action Films

AVA (2020) 

Director: Tate Taylor

Stars: Jessica Chastain, John Malkovich, Common

Runtime: 96 min     

If we were to believe the movies then a large part of the population work as assassins. They are everywhere these hit-people, either doing one last job or being troubled by their consciences or trying to retire in secluded villages, or recovering from amnesia or protecting small children. And no fewer than two recent films have revealed that there are now hotels catering exclusively to such hired killers...

There are several of them in Ava. Assassins, not hotels.

Jessica Chastain is one, but not a happy one. An alcoholic suffering from PTSD, she only likes to off “bad” people and has crossed an unspoken line by actually talking to her marks before killing them. This is not well received by her overseers. One of these is Colin Farrell. He's an assassin (of course), and has even doubled down on the profession by training his daughter to be an assassin too.

John Malkovich is also an assassin (retired), and Ava's immediate handler, who tries to run interference when the management decide – no surprises here – that she has become a liability.

The weird thing about Ava is that it attempts to take itself seriously. Geena Davis pops up as Ava's mum. Ava's alcoholism has been partly brought about because of poor parental relationships (daddy was a bastard). And her sister now lives with Ava's ex. Family issues are earnestly worked through.

But then you get a big rave party which is accessed by a secret entrance – a portaloo in an alley complete with security guard. Would no one notice a hundred overdressed partygoers sneaking into a single portaloo? It's straight out of John Wick. Pure stupidity, which was right at home in the John Wick context but here comes across as... pure stupidity.

The plot holds no surprises whatsoever and even during the crunching well-choreographed fight scenes it's hard not to wonder how the slim and lightweight Chastain, let alone 66-year-old John Malkovich, can absorb such sustained punishment.

PROJECT POWER (2020)

Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman

Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback

Runtime: 113 min

There's a new drug on the street. It gives you a superpower for exactly five minutes. But you won't know what your particular superpower is until you try it. That's a big “but”, since it could be anything from super-strength to suddenly blowing up in a splatter of innards. You pays your money...

Hunting down the evil Source of this drug on the underutilised streets of New Orleans unites Foxx (missing daughter), Gordon-Levitt (honest cop) and Fishback (teenager rapper and street-smart rebel). That equal time is given to each of the three indicates the film's eye on maximum demographic reach. Unfortunately it also makes for an uneven tone as things veer towards the teenage and back with jarring regularity. Cute rapping occurs. It's hard to lose the strong suspicion that despite the violence this is actually meant for, y'know, kids.

What does land is the look of the film and the imaginative use of “superpowers”. Actually there could have been a lot more of that, but the ones on display are effective. An early scene of a chameleon-like thief changing colours as he runs from police shows how good this could have been. The action scenes, and there are a few, are well handled but a little character development for the Bad Guys might have added some interest.

This is instantly forgettable stuff. Unlike the recent The Old Guard, it does actually seem to be a stand-alone a film rather than an extended pilot episode. That doesn't, however, make it any better. 

Lunch At Mudan

Mudan Tearoom and Eatery
Cuisine: Korean, vegan friendly
Address: 100 Grey Street, Tauranga 
Phone: 07-571 1988
No website
Drinks: Not licensed
Reservations: Probably unnecessary

Korean pancakes, noodles, tofu, dumplings, this is actually a place I have only heard recommended by vegetarians and vegans, but some of my best friends are vegetarians and vegans, so when Cohen and I headed out for lunch on a rainy Monday and the Ramen and Sichuan joints on Devonport Road were closed we thought we'd give it a try. They make their own tofu and dumplings which is always a plus.

(Interestingly, an associated website describes Mudan as the "Restaurant and Showcase" for New Oriental Market: Creators of Astisan Tofu & Food Products, though they list no other stockists.)

We were the only people in the place and the staff were very strict on social distancing, signing in and all the other current necessities. Fair enough. Makes a change from the Chinese restaurant where we had yum cha last week and were seated within inches of another full table. 

The room is a plain-looking space, brightened by pastel-coloured children's chairs but really needing people to give it a vibe. There is a screen at the far end which showed cooking videos and I understand sometimes has Korean drama. With just the two of us it was a little weird. I think the staff were friendly but it's hard to tell from behind a mask.

Cohen had the Wonton noodle soup and I had the Bibimbap soba noodles with chicken. Each dish cost $18 and they came in very nice big metal bowls. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The soba noodles were fine, buried under several small piles of various vegetables, a tiny amount of chicken and a pleasant if fairly plain sauce. It felt like healthy eating. Cohen's wonton soup was less successful, though he reported that the wontons were tasty. Just as well, because the noodles looked like instant noodles and the stock tasted like Maggi instant noodle soup. Not good.

Given that each of these dishes cost $5 more than an equivalent at Chidori, Sichuan Style or Dumpling Delight - the three other main noodle joints in town - I don't think we'll be rushing back. We probably should have tried the home-made tofu or vegetarian dumplings that people rate so highly. They also serve various bubble teas which I know nothing about but they seem all the rage right now.

Cajun Chicken Wings

I spend a lot of time cooking and eating chicken wings. So there will be frequent recipes here with new rubs and marinades and ideas for chicken wings. Just warning y'all...

I'll start with my go-to fried chicken recipe, a Cajun one so simple that it really shouldn't taste as good as it does. Most importantly I always have the 3 seasoning ingredients on hand. It still amazes me that such a simple combination should be so magical.

This is absolutely as easy as it gets. There's no brining, no soaking in buttermilk, no egg or other messy stuff (we'll get to all that in other recipes). Just a rub and a coating then deep fry them and yum.

(Yes I know. Deep frying. Oil. Health. I will also look at cooking wings in the oven sometime. But if you want those hot crispy mouth-watering wings of your dreams... get out the deep fryer.)

BTW, I find this is easiest if you just do it all in one big zip-lock plastic bag.

1 kg chicken nibbles

Or wings. If they're full wings maybe cut off the tip as they tend to burn quite easily.

Seasoning mix

2 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp cayene

Coat chicken with mix. Try rubbing it in with your hands. Wash them first and afterwards. Your hands, not the chicken. Leave for 4 hours. Overnight is best. 

NOTE: You can get away with about 1 hour if you don't put them in the fridge, but longer really is better.

Seasoned flour

1 ½ cups plain flour

2 Tbs baking powder

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

¾ tsp cayene

Coat chicken with seasoned flour. Leave for 20 minutes. 

NOTE: The baking powder is for extra crunch but is not essential. The longer you leave it the thicker the coating will become.

Cooking

Heat deep fryer to 350 degrees.

Shake chicken again to recoat it with the flour, then shake off extra flour.

Fry in batches. It really is better not to overcrowd these. You can keep some warm in a 120 degree oven while more are cooking. I find about 8 minutes usually does it but there are many variables - it might be a minute either side. Wings are very accommodating so don't worry! 

 

(And - hey! - I know these don't exactly look like KFC. They tasted great! I'm a crap photographer. So sue me.)

Two Russian Films

I must confess to not being either a big fan or follower of Russian cinema. Yep, I know that makes me somewhat of a philistine cinephile but we all have irrational dislikes and in general Russian culture is not really my cup of meat despite all those thick novels I enjoyed as a overly-serious teenager.

Because of this I'm not particularly well acquainted with even the pop culture end of Russian movies. I really enjoyed Nightwatch and Daywatch several years back but that's about where my knowledge ends, so two recent Russian sci-fi films caught my attention. 

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SPUTNIK (2020) 

Director: Egor Abramenko

Stars: Oksana Akinshina, Fedor Bondarchuk, Pyotr Fyodorov

Runtime: 113 min 

 

 

Sputnik, set in 1983 as two cosmonauts return to earth, is a very serious film. I found it quite appealing but am uncertain whether part of that attraction is that it was foreign and subtitled. There is an added layer of the exotic to a subtitled film, which sometimes makes even regular tropes seem more interesting.

Because there really isn't a lot new on offer here. One of the cosmonauts has picked up an outer space “passenger”. We discover this when protagonist expert Tanya is whisked away to a secret base to study the cosmonaut. Seriously unethical military behaviour is occurring while exploring the possibility of the new alien visitor being used as a weapon. Horrible stuff happens though it's not presented in a way that will scare. It's alarming rather than frightening.

The mood – though not the subject matter – is similar to Eric Garland's Ex-Machina, so this is fairly thoughtful stuff but whether there is enough meat on its philosophical bones to sustain interest is uncertain. If it all took place in Nevada and the cast spoke English I suspect proceedings would be kinda dull. Or perhaps I was just subconsciously yearning for cheap thrills...

But the film looks good with its claustrophobic military locations and the creature itself is very well done. There are a couple of novel moments but there's little you won't have seen before. I can't help but wonder whether it would have been a bit more fun if they'd abandoned the seriousness and just gone all out for an over-the-top blood 'n' guts creature feature. 

COMA (2019)

Director: Nikita Argunov

Stars: Rinal Mukhametov, Lyubov Aksyonova, Anton Pampushnyy

Runtime: 111 min 

Coma kicks off in spectacular fashion. A man awakes in an apartment to find the world dissolving around him into black dust particles, or perhaps simultaneously being created by them. Outside on the street the city resembles the mixed-up multi-directional mayhem of Christopher Nolan's Inception (or a Max Escher drawing), above, below and around him, seemingly including famous buildings from around the world and all of it, even the people, decaying. Or being created.

Suddenly, a huge Dirt Particle Monster shows up (later named as a "Reaper", reminiscent of Harry Potter's Dementors), followed by a group of commandos, who dramatically rescue the man and in no time they'll all leaping across tall buildings, jumping through space between Venetian canals and sundry skyscrapers.

Like I said, it's pretty spectacular. And in these blockbuster-deprived times that's a rare and welcome treat.

But, before all this action, we did see a split-second glimpse of a car crash. And that turns out to be key. Our hero is in a coma, as are his rescuers, and all people in comas share a common world made from their memories. Of course they do. It's called the world of suspended disbelief and with visuals as good as this I was more than prepared to spend a while in it.

And in case you think I'm giving away too much of the film – all this happens in the first ten minutes.

Actually, what it settles into resembling most is a post-apocalyptic Mad Max-style flick (sans desert) and as such it's most entertaining, with the Russian heritage a real bonus as the different sensibilities keep things fresh and interesting, despite obvious debts to everything from The Matrix and Waterworld to Life On Mars.

There are yer actual plot twists and incredible visuals as far as the eye can see, both in some imaginative, very well-choreographed action sequences and throughout in the unendingly fascinating landscapes. There's also philosophical discussion, most of it daffy enough to fit the premise and not intrude too much.

It all adds up to a solid shot of exciting escapism. Damn fine. That may be just what we need right now.

Lunch at Clarence Bistro

CLARENCE BISTRO
Cuisine: Bistro, Italian influence
Address: 51 Willow Street, Tauranga 
Phone: 07 574 8200
Website 
Drinks: Fully licensed
Reservations: Recommended

In between lockdowns and other interruptions I've been trying to have lunch out somewhere once a week with my son Cohen. Father/son bonding and food - what's not to like? Mainly noodles or dumplings, pho or a bowl of ramen or the Sichuan place on Devonport Road for some dan dan noodles. But last week we went a bit more upmarket and visited Clarence Bistro in the city's old Post Office building.

It really is a lovely spot - they've done the old building proud - and the terrace was full so we were inside in the very nicely set-up bistro. We wanted to check out their "Express Lunch", two courses for $38, three for $45, with three choices each of entrees and mains and a couple of dessert options. There's also the regular al la carte lunch available.

Both of us had a seared venison starter with beetroot and pickled enoki mushrooms, and damn good it was too, the mushrooms lending a really nice zing and texture and both preparations of beetroot impressively intense. The venison itself was spot on, and a Waipara Pinot Noir went very well with it.

To follow, Cohen had Fermented Barley Risotto, which came with Asahi black beer, mustard, pancetta, and mushrooms; I went for the Chicken Saltimbocca with Parmesan gnocchi, Madeira, sage and Parma ham. 

And, again, the chicken was very good, moist and well complimented by a not-too-sweet Madeira sauce and some crispy ham. I asked for a wine recommendation and the Maitre d' suggested a Carmenere which turned out to be a really well-balanced match, not too fruity and with enough body to cope with the flavours while not overpowering the chicken.  

Cohen, meanwhile, said good things about the risotto, despite its largely brown appearance (kale notwithstanding).

Service was attentive, friendly and helpful and with two courses each and three glasses of wine it came to just over $100. We were both happy. (Next time, dessert too I think...)

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BTW, I realise it's a bit naff not naming the wines, but I haven't actually come across either of them before and I've completely forgotten what they were. Sorry. Bad blogger. Will do better. 

The Singapura

OK. On a miserable rainy day in the Bay let's get stuck in with a tropical cocktail. There's even a good reason – I took advantage of the Riedel Father's Day sale and finally ordered a set of Nick & Nora coupes which I've been eyeing for a while.

Nick & Nora coupes are small cocktail glasses named after the central characters from the 1934 film The Thin Man, embodied by Myrna Loy and William Powell. They play a high-society couple who along with their wire-haired fox terrier Asta dabble in private detecting in between – or often while – drinking a truly heroic quantity of cocktails.

So many in fact that they named a glass after them.

So today we'll go tropical with a cocktail created thanks to my brother Graeme and his partner Mary who live in Singapore. For a couple of years now they have provided a supply of the cocktail's most important ingredient – toffee vodka.

Sadly, as far as I'm aware, the best brand of toffee vodka, the one they get me - V Gallery Toffee Fudge to be exact - is unavailable in New Zealand. On the bright side, Tofka, which is easy to find here, does a fairly decent job as a replacement.

This is a really easy drink to make. No weird ingredients or infusions and just a simple single shake. 

I must confess to increasing impatience while waiting for these glasses. Since I live in the Tauranga suburb of Wairoa the courier naturally delivered them to the town of the same name down Gisborne way. As you do.

But today they arrived. And beautiful they are too. So let's get right to the essentials of the blog's very first cocktail... 

(By the way - join the Fellow Travellers by hitting the "follow" button at the top of the page.)

 SINGAPURA

40ml Toffee Vodka

20ml Lychee Liqueur

20ml Malibu

10ml ½ & ½ milk

10ml fresh lime juice

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain, and garnish with grated lime zest

 Notes:

1. The sweetness of the vodka means no need for a sugar syrup.

2. The ½ & ½ adds creaminess without being as heavy as cream or coconut cream.

3. Lime balances the sweetness – add a little more if your tastes are less sweet than mine.

4. I use Kwai Feh Lychee Liqueur but Paraiso and pretty much every other brand are damn near identical. 

 

 

 

First Contact

This is essentially a trial post to see if the blog is working. While the rest of the world has been doing this for decades I've so far avoided the fun of gratuitously sharing my opinions on-line. But there's never a bad time to try something new...

So, expect thoughts on food. I've become fascinated with the variations of pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup, so we'll have to do a comparison. There are at least 5 restaurants in Tauranga offering their take - yes, I know this ain't exactly the Big City - so that's a good place to start, and I'll share my recipe for a pretty mean pho stock too (P.S. it's all about the stock).

On the wine front we enjoyed a very good and well-priced Aussie Shiraz yesterday by the unusual name of Don't Tell Gary. Came top in the latest Cuisine tasting. Very decent, neither too ripe and plummy or too peppery, clearly from the cooler climes of Victoria rather than the Barossa. It's on special at New World right now for $19.99. 

Book-wise at the moment I'm fizzing with excitement over the news that a new James Lee Burke Robicheaux novel is due. Sadly not until next May... But I'm still ploughing through James Ellroy's latest This Storm, which is once again dense and extraordinary.

On the film front I have two Russian films lined up - Coma and Sputnik. The former is touted as "a Russian Inception" while Sputnik looks like a creature feature with a returning Cosmonaut infected by an outer space nasty. I will report back! 

And music? Well I'm just getting over the depression that comes with having to cancel another tranche of shows because of this new virus outbreak. Which is a bit gut-wrenching to be honest. But I have been grooving on the Drive-By Truckers fantastic album American Band. It really is a thing of wonder - so smart, so strong and political and a wash of reassuringly nasty guitars. Yum.

OK. That's probably too much. Maybe there was something useful for y'all. I'll get the hang of this soon...