Movie Moment: I Give It A Year

Dan Mazer’s I Give It A Year starts where other romcoms end. Main characters Josh (Rafe Spall) and Nat (Rose Byrne) get hitched in the opening scenes after a whirlwind seven-month romance. But, even before they say “I do”, the audience can already tell that the course of true love will not run smoothly for this mismatched pair. As the vicar chokes his way through the ceremony, Nat’s sister (Minnie Driver) whispers cattily to her husband “I give it a year”.

The producers of Love Actually and Bridget Jones  tried to inject a note of realism into the romcom genre, but somehow fail to hit the right note in this sometimes-funny, often-awkward offering.

Spall and Byrne play their parts well—he’s the socially awkward man-child with writer’s block, she’s the typically neurotic high-flyer who never has a hair out of place. But they are let down by a script that fails to make either of them particularly likeable. You find yourself not really caring what’s going to happen.

  

Their relationship is also utterly unbelievable, which detracts somewhat from the supposed concept of realism. Yes, they’re meant to be unsuited to one another other, but you can’t help feeling that the beautiful and elegant Nat would never have been caught dead speaking to sloppy goofball Josh.

As their first year of marriage progresses, it becomes clear that Josh’s charity-worker former flame Chloe (Anna Faris) is much better suited to his slapdash ways than the uptight Nat, while smooth-talking American millionaire Guy (Simon Baker) perfectly complements her polished looks and manners.

Usually-hilarious Faris is somewhat flat in this dowdy too-nice-for-her-own-good part, while Baker does manage to add some depth to the anti-hero love rival role.

Both protagonists want to call it quits on their ill-fated union but neither has the guts to admit they should give up. Cue visits to a wonderfully inappropriate marriage councillor, played to great comic effect by Peep Show’s Olivia Coleman.

The supporting characters are by far the best thing in the film. Driver delivers brilliantly as a bitter, disappointed wife, who fantasises about “ruining Bieber”, while Stephen Merchant sticks to his comfort zone as the cringeworthy best man from hell, whose Four Weddings And A Funeral-style speech is one of the more amusing moments in the movie. 

There are a few laugh-out loud scenes, including an awkward threesome and an incident where things go horribly awry with a digital photoframe. But these genuinely entertaining snippets are countered by far too many unrealistic moments that fail to have any effect.

There is also an element of crude tastelessness to most of the movie that seems solely designed to elicit a shock factor response from the audience, a-la Borat.

Sure, there are times where you’ll be left in stitches (perhaps despite yourself), but others where you’ll glance at your phone and wonder when it’s all going to be over. I Give It A Year manages to keep all of the clichés of a romcom, while removing most of the charm.  

Banana, Nutella and Raspberry Muffins

We spent Easter weekend in Cornwall and embraced the countryside lifestyle by getting down to some serious baking. Having seen this recipe for Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins, we were eager to have a go at making the delicious looking delights ourselves, with an added twist - fresh raspberries for an extra fruity flavour.

The recipe is for 12 muffins, but we decided to overload our baking tray to create 6 giant cakes. They needed a little longer in the over - around 40 minutes - but came out looking beautifully plump and light.

They smelt divine and we couldn't wait to get our hands on them. Dipping the more bananary bits into the melting, oozingly delicious raspberries was a personal highlight.

We were so enamoured by these gorgeous creations that we decided to try the recipe as a loaf. We swirled Nutella into the mixture while it was still in the bowl, ensuring an even spread of chocolatey goodness throughout the cake.

The loaf took around 45 minutes to bake, coming out beautifully soft and moist. Hideous word, I know, but definitely appropriate in this instance.

This is a wonderfully simple and delicious recipe, perfect for whenever you have a few overripe bananas just begging to be transformed into an indulgent dessert.

Hummingbird Cafe

We recently got hold of a Tastecard and noticed that a local restaurant, Hummingbird Cafe in W12, was listed as a featured venue. The menu sounded delicious - lots of simple food at ridiculously reasonable prices - so we decided to check it out earlier this week. The cute little eatery is owned by a New Zealander/Moroccan couple, and the food is influenced by both cultures.

As it was a Monday night, only one other table was full, but the staff were so friendly and the decor so lovely (think vintage inspired prints and carved wooden furniture) that we felt completely at ease.

Ordering a glass of red table wine each, we made our selections. To start, we went for the ham hock terrine with apple and grape chutney and sage and onion toast. The starters and mains at the cafe are served on gorgeous wooden boards, which we loved. The chutney was delicious, with a great tang that perfectly complemented the ham.

The mains at Hummingbird Cafe are presented as 'small plates' and you're encouraged to choose three or four to share at once. We were a little disappointed that the homemade ravioli with butternut squash and dukkah spices weren't available but were excited to get our mitts on the other dishes on offer: confit salmon with cucumber and beetroot salad, and mustard and dill dressing, seabream fillet with saffron potatoes and tomato chili chutney, and slow-cooked lamb shoulder with cranberries, plums and pomegranates.

Since they all arrived at once, we barely knew where to start. Everything smelled absolutely delicious. We were like indecisive headless chickens, flitting from one dish to another.

The salmon was brilliant. I don't usually love beetroot, but it worked so well with the wonderfully salty and fresh fish, particularly when combined with the crisp cucumber.

The seabream was cooked to perfection and worked very well with the tangy tomato chutney. The saffron potatoes were definitely the nicest part of this dish, though - absolutely delicious.

The lamb shoulder was probably my least favourite dish, but was still great nevertheless. The pomegranate seeds were a wonderful touch, each one bursting with fresh flavour to complement the tender meat.

After stuffing ourselves, we took a little break from eating by sharing an espresso. Hummingbird Cafe prides itself on its coffee, not a single grain of which is pre-ground. The espresso was predictably lovely - rich and aromatic.

We were then ready to get stuck into the puddings. Our waitress told us to go for the Earl Grey crème brulée and shortbread, and we were more than happy to follow her suggestion. We also decided to share the chocolate fondant with berry compote and homemade ice cream.

The creme brulée was served in a gorgeous vintage teacup and saucer. It was mouthwateringly good and the Earl Grey flavour was amazing - very obvious without being overwhelming.

The chocolate fondant was my favourite, though. It was a warm, gooey plate of chocolatey deliciousness, topped off with some great homemade vanilla ice cream.

All in all, we were absolutely chuffed with the meal. With the Tastecard, and including a tip, the whole three course meal came to just £30 - a complete bargain. We almost felt bad for paying so little!

My only complaint was that it was a little chilly in the restaurant, which explains why I had to wear my fur hairband as a makeshift scarf.

Despite this, we will definitely go back. The brunch and lunch menus also sound amazing and I am still desperate to get my hands on those elusive ravioli!

Bunga Bunga

Bunga Bunga on Battersea Bridge is hardly news these days, but I love it so much that I felt it needed a post.

Named after the infamous sex parties of former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, the venue is a little off-the-wall to say the least. It's less sexy and more silly, though, with a small bar and dance floor above the main restaurant area, where cheesy music a la university club night reigns supreme. Think a fun, faux-Eurotrash vibe, which never fails to be entertaining.

I've never eaten there but have sampled plenty of the delicious cocktails, including the Bunga Bunga Margarita.

Believe me, this venue is well worth a visit if you and your friends fancy a raucous night of dancing and frivolity.

OXO Tower Restaurant

We headed to the exclusive OXO Tower Restaurant on Friday for some delicious rooftop cocktails and  supper. The eighth floor venue boasts incredible views across the Thames and radiates a sophisticated atmosphere, complete with blue mood-lighting (which explains the slightly dodgy photos).

We started off with some drinks in the bar, staring out at St Paul's. I opted for the Due South, a Grey Goose vodka and Canton ginger medley, shaken with fresh lemon juice and raspberry ripple, and topped with Brut Champagne. It definitely went down well.

My fellow drinker chose the Hope & Glory, a slightly manlier mix of cider brandy and ginger liqueur, shaken with sugar, lemon and bitters, and once again topped with champagne. 

Safe to say we were feeling pretty happy by the time we got to our table. We ordered some lovely red wine, tucked into the amazing fresh bread and butter on offer and made our selections. This took us a while because everything sounded ridiculously good, so we decided to share our dishes for double the fun.

To start, I chose an incredible poached duck egg, duck confit and beetroot salad, topped off with five spice popcorn - very original and absolutely delicious. Note my ecstatic grin of joy when it arrived.

My companion went for an equally scrumptious rabbit dish, complete with carrot puree.

He later went pretty mad for the duck salad when he got his hands on it, basically licking the plate clean. We're a classy duo.

We got even more excited by the mains. I started off with an incredible lamb chop, while he got stuck into the pan fried John Dory fillet with lobster mash, samphire and broad beans. The mash was ridiculouly good - decadently delicious.

I was so distracted by the delights in front of me that I forgot to take some photos before we'd started eating so please forgive this greedy lapse in judgement. 

The wine had definitely gone to my head by time we got to dessert - I didn't manage to get a snap of the incredible mango souffle that we shared until my date had appropriated it and begun scraping the sides.

All in all, we were absolutely delighted by our meal. The OXO Tower Restaurant is a sophisticated and luxurious eatery, which I would highly recommend to anyone who fancies splurging on some seriously delicious grub.

Franco Manca, ti amo

I can't believe it's taken me this long to write about what has to be my favourite pizza restaurant of all time, Franco Manca.

The Italian eatery has become a bit of a thing in recent months, with branches opening in Clapham and Westfield, but we stumbled upon the original restaurant in Chiswick about a year ago.

We walked past on a week night, noticed that it was packed, caught a whiff of the delicious sourdough delights awaiting inside and grabbed a table. It was an absolute revelation - not only was the food delicious, but ridiculously cheap compared to chains like Pizza Express and Zizzi.

To be fair, I'm pretty much a fan of any type of pizza, but that gives me full authority to say that Franco Manca really is the best out there. The ingredients are all fresh - with lots of delicious cured meats - and the dough is scrumptiously soft and mouth-watering. There's no greasy unhealthy feeling afterwards either.

The wine selection is also very drinkable and reasonably priced.

If you fancy going all out with starters, choose the Baked Gloucester Old Spot Sausage (in tangy tomato sauce). I've almost had to be restrained from licking my plate before.

I almost always opt for number 4 on the menu - home cured old spot ham, mozzarella, buffalo ricotta and wild mushrooms. It doesn't come with a tomato sauce base but I think it tastes so much more delicious with and they are always happy to oblige!

We go there at least once a month now and I would recommend Franco Manca to anyone. The service is always friendly and the atmosphere warm, jovial and inviting.

Bounce

I headed down to Bounce in Holborn last night to say goodbye to a school friend who is moving to LA. I haven't played any form of sport for years and am not exactly famed for my hand-eye coordination, but (aided by some wine) I actually managed to win a match. Pretty chuffed by this, I won't lie.

Bounce, situated on the site where ping pong was first invented back in 1901, is a great place to go for an out-of-the-ordinary drinking and dining experience.

We arrived early for a meal in the eating section of the massive basement venue. We didn't feel in the least bit guilty about munching our way through a delicious array of antipasti, sharing boards and pizzas. After all, ping pong counts as exercise...right?

There was a great atmosphere at Bounce, with lots of chatter and laughter. I would recommend it as a great venue for a first date - ping pong is definitely an ice breaker. The drinks were reasonably priced too - £4.50 for a large glass of white wine, which is always a bonus as far as I'm concerned.

Bounce is a cool, fun and stylish venue that lives up to the hype. The band JLS obviously thinks so too - we spotted the boys early on in the evening. Gutted not to have been at the table next to them, of course. We definitely would have challenged them to a match and won (naturally).

Things got emotional around the table, as we said farewell to the lady of the evening. Enjoy LA and try not to get too tanned or I may be forced to hate you!

Heil Bodo!

Bodo's Schloss, the new alpine-themed restaurant and nightclub, has brought a flurry of après-ski fun straight from the slopes to the heart of Knightsbridge.

If you're looking to experience all the fun of a skiing holiday this winter, without any of the hassle of travel or actual exercise, look no further than Bodo's Schloss, an old-fashioned ski lodge with a twist. The twist being that it's located right on High Street Kensington, not halfway up an Austrian mountain. 

You wouldn't know it once inside though. A wood-panelled grotto of lederhosen-clad mischief awaits, including cocktails drunk out of ski boots and a DJ in a sledge. The venue also seems to be entirely populated by off-duty models and Made in Chelsea cast members, so take heed and dress to impress. 

We popped down for the Yacht Week 2013 showcase back in November and had a great night - despite coming straight from work and looking a lot less polished than pretty much everyone else!