Essential viewing
An old high school friend turns up for a funeral, you get to talking, he convinces you to go into business together, you hit the bigtime. All good, right? Except you’re an arms dealer exploiting some kind of (historically accurate, apparently, sadly) system whereby the US military accepts bids from any old company, including yours, and you find yourself--among other sticky places--hitching a ride through Iraq’s “triangle of death” during Dick Cheney’s most powerful and relevant years to deliver a bunch of Italian handguns to the Green Zone. Jonah Hill is the friend, but I guess you already assumed that. Extremely watchable: you feel smart but the movie is simple (and riddled with every cliché of the genre). Oh, I guess you need the title: War Dogs (2016). JP
Winter has arrived in Luxembourg and lots of us are thinking of migrating (at least temporarily) to warmer places. Including, it would seem, a family of ducks settled in a tranquil pond in the northeastern United States, the main characters in the animated film . Despite some initial reservations on the part of the worrywart duck-dad, the Mallard family takes off for Jamaica, with a few (unexpected) stops along the way, where they make new friends, have some adventures and dodge a very angry chef determined to turn them into duck à l’orange. The tango scene in the restaurant is brilliant. If you’re looking for some animated amusement, Migration fits the (haha) bill. LL
Fisk! It’s a low-stakes Australian comedy about a beige-clad solicitor who works on wills and probate. The episodes are built on humour rather than on drama (more Peep Show than Friends; not that Friends isn’t funny but it and its ilk go hard on dramatic arcs) which means it doesn’t have that addictive quality that some sitcoms, often the American ones, do--but in exchange it catches the true meaning of deadpan and capitalises hilariously on subtler forms of tension, as our hero, one Helen Tudor-Fisk, must reckon with the daily minutia of strange workfellows and obnoxious clients. Watch, watch, watch. JP
For foodies
I recently discovered the Njörd café at the Bibliothèque Nationale de Luxembourg in Kirchberg. It’s a convenient place to get a bit of work done (as long as a little background noise doesn’t bother you) or to meet up with a friend for a snack. I particularly liked the cinnamon rolls (they have plain, pistachio and raspberry options) and hot milk, but they’ve also got Scandinavian-style lunch dishes, tea and coffee, cheesecake, tiramisu and other pastries on the menu. LL
Outdoors with friends and family
A friend and I spent a Saturday afternoon at the Amnéville Zoo in France, visiting the zoo itself and then the in the evening. The illuminations are pretty impressive--with the many themes on display (fairy tales, animals, flowers, tea and cakes, gnomes on vacation in the Caribbean), there’s something for everyone. As you walk along the 1.4km circuit, the creative, vividly coloured light installations keep on surprising you. And it’s not just for kids, it’s a fun activity for adults as well! Open until the end of March 2024. If you go during the winter, be sure to bundle up as it can get a bit chilly in the evenings. Food and drink are available for purchase on-site. LL
