“Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy: the mad daughter of a wise mother”

Oh Voltaire...I think you maybe right (touch wood)

Going to the cinema to see 'Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy'  last night brought to mind childhood superstitions. But first, the film...

The film event of the year? A masterpiece? Yes, I think it is. Such beautifully taut, underplayed acting from a stellar cast - no egos here, no one actor upstaging any other. Most of all, the cinematography, the muted colour palette, the tiniest details in the remarkable sets. It made me ridiculously proud that it was a British film.  No, I should say European. The director, Tomas Alfredson, is Swedish and he is swiftly becoming my favourite director - Let The Right One In was the best film of 2008, in my opinion.

I've put a link to the trailer of Tinker, Tailor... which, I think, illustrates quite well all the reasons I thought it was a great film.

The trailer

Back to my childhood. My dad loved to make stewed plums and custard. When we'd cleared our plates, we'd line up the plum stones and count them to see who we'd marry (the girls) or who we'd become (the boys).

Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggarman, thief...

Not one of those plum stones mentioned 'physicist'. (I married one.)

Pah! It all goes to show you can't trust a plum stone...