Coco avant Chanel - A feast for the eyes but not necessarily the senses...

Coco avant Chanel's heavily romantic plot, draws you in and spits you out the other side wondering what you had learned about Chanel's business scruples. I had always been led to believe that she was a much more ferocious business woman than the film portrayed. Her biggest rival Madeleine Vionnet was also in a race to be rid of the corset and the constraints that came with in. A very sentimental and enjoyable film with artistic license in full flurry, suited for those unfamiliar with fashion history. My satisfaction came in the form of gowns, hats, riding attire in rich silks, hardy tweeds and decadent bow ties, all the clothing is rather sublime, a feast for the eyes. Audrey Tatou delivers her best as a rather worn out lifelorn Coco and the film being peformed in French certainly raises it up a few notches.

Only the Director's seat for me?

Last night I was at odds with nothing to do, being a lonely girl in a new city I felt the dark anonymity of a cinema might distract me from myself for a few hours. 9.20pm was late to decide on such a venture, however from last weeks failed efforts at watching Coco avant Chanel - I knew of one venue that would be playing it, albeit with a hefty price tag, £12.25 to be precise. Such indulgences are usually not fulfilled, however, now and then a girl just has to throw caution (and their job seekers allowance) to the wind. So what did I actually get for my £12.25 - I re-confirm the price as I’ve never paid that much to watch a film, actually tell a lie, I have it was for the open air cinema at Somerset House set in the grounds of a majestic courtyard witness to one-off screenings that take months of licensing and preparation. Needless to say this was a constant charge designed to pull in revenue over a prolonged period of time. Anyway I digress - for my £12.25 (third and final mention) I received an extra large and somewhat squeaky slightly recline-able (what I believe to be leather - no vegans allowed) armchair, with a side table and the honor of purchasing a reasonably priced drink (from a dedicated bar) to furnish it with. Luxury holds no bounds. So luxurious in fact that surrounded by 10 others in a screen with a capacity on 200, we were greeted by a permanent choir of fart noises as the leather creaked and squirmed throughout the film. Needless to say I enjoyed the empty cinema and the little tray for my drink, however my thoughts upon entering the film remained unchanged. Had I been granted the option to watch the 'French speaking' film in anywhere other than the director's lounge I would have gladly taken it and saved my meagre recession based budget. Upon reflection the Cinema de Lux Director’s Lounge is a great place to go for a date or a regular outing if money is no object plus their is the additional straight from the car park into the cinema convenience that a larger ‘plex’ has to offer, next stop (at the other end of the cinema spectrum) is the cube.

Banksy's Bristol

The ingratiation of my new home - Bristol - was further progressed on Monday when I found the energy to venture up to Clifton triangle via Park Street (sans bicycle - last time I had to jump of my bike two thirds of the way up and walk the remainder whilst gasping for air; much to the amusement of the seasoned hill walker). At the top was the rather majestic building which houses vast arrays of taxidermy, historical artefacts and for the last month or two Banksy's exhibition and conjoined assault on the museum. Here are some rather poor quality pictures, which still present a glimpse of what I enjoyed. We were lucky enough not to queue as we entered around 40 minutes before the gallery shut, however those arriving in morning should expect to queue for anything from 2-3 hours... (with queuing beginning at 8am).

The Banksy exhibition runs until the 31st August at the Bristol Museum.