double feature

Our version of a double feature: two movies over two weekends--extending the enjoyment!

The weekend before last, we took the train into London to see Finding Vivian Maier, a documentary about a nanny who took over 100,000 photographs, mainly on the streets of New York and Chicago: 

While her photographs are now being compared to those of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Diane Arbus, her work only came to light when historian John Maloof happened to buy a box of her undeveloped negatives at a local auction in 2007. In the documentary, Maloof tries to piece together her enigmatic, eccentric, occasionally disturbing, and perhaps ultimately unknowable life. Completely riveting and without doubt my favorite film of the year so far.

Then, this past weekend, after a tip-off from Miranda, we popped into the Olympic Studios in Barnes. Our hope was we would find a venue like our beloved Cinema City in Norwich, and it didn't disappoint.

The Studios themselves have an interesting history. Starting as a 'community entertainment centre' in 1906, the building served alternately as a cinema and playhouse until 1966, when it was converted into the Olympic Sound Studios. And an amazing who's-who of stars recorded there: everyone from the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and Queen to Madonna, Prince, and U2.

While we sadly weren't joined by The Edge at lunch, we were nevertheless smitten with the Olympic's newest incarnation. I had a very tasty Reuben sandwich in the cafe:

And the cinema itself was chic, spotlessly clean, and supremely comfortable with reclining upholstered chairs and little felt-lined trays for drinks and snacks. Oh and the movie was good too!