A Gilded Cage

Am gearing up for my weekend in Nelson which I am sure will be a mini-adventure. Alison, my host at the BnB I have booked, has kindly offered to pick me up when I arrive from Picton on the coach. It will be at 8.15 pm so I will have a personal introduction to Nelson. On Saturday the ECK workshop with friends, and then early on Sunday morning, coach to Picton and then return ferry at 7pm to see Wellington harbour by night. I hope the weather is good!

In the meantime I have seen the much touted French picture of the year, 'The Gilded Cage', of course at my Lighthouse Cuba cinema. It was worthy of the hype and very enjoyable, I can now relate to good Sydney friend P, who had insisted I would LOVE it. It was a feel-good movie, but not in the schmalzy American sense. 

It had a classic situation of a Portuguese family  in Paris making a living, but only just, and in the service of their 'better' Parisian employers. who, of course aren't better, but just unhappier. Maria, is 'La Gardienne', the concierge of an upmarket apartment block, and Jose the foreman in a building enterprise which is soon to go broke. They have two bright kids, both of whom have become so Frenchified and each one has a Parisian partner, one of whom just happens to be the son of the owner of the enterprise Jose works for. 

The plot hinges on an inheritance they have just been informed of, with a great family property in Portugal there for them, but only on condition they live in it, meaning, leaving Paris and their friends. And the kids don't want them to leave, their employers hate the possibility, and they, being the lovely couple they are, feel they should sacrifice themselves for the others. Sometimes this is not the best idea, as they soon discover they have  been much used by their Parisian 'friends', and that it is time to do what they want. There is much to-ing and fro-ing with deceptions and subterfuge, but it all ends happy-ever-after in the Hollywood style, but not too indigestible. Four stars.

However the movie I really want to see next is 'Inch'Allah' a Palestinian movie F raved about. I look forward to seeing that next week, after Nelson. But below, some pics of Oriental Bay, gorgeous ay?

A bit like Brighton in Melbourne

Walking the boardwalk near Oriental Parade

A cruise ship in waiting at popular Wellington harbour