In Spectre (2015), we are not only treated to look a inside James Bond’s home, but we also get a tour of Miss Moneypenny’s flat. What’s more, we have a peak inside her fridge, or at least the fridge door. So, what can we see?
The bottom shelf, as is conventionally the case, holds various bottles. There is what appears to be the remains of some fruit juice, two bottles of milk – skimmed (red top) and semi-skimmed (green top) – and also, possibly, a bottle of sparkling water.
The middle shelf contains the condiments, among other items. On the left-hand side, there is a bottle of Heinz tomato ketchup, a jar of Hellmann’s mayonnaise, and a bottle of what could be a more upmarket ketchup or sauce. On the right-hand side, there’s a bottle of something green (a kale smoothie, perhaps), a carton of fresh soup, and a pot of natural yoghurt or, less likely, cream.
The items on the top shelf are more difficult to discern. I can’t identify any of them specifically, but to me they look like jars of relishes and sauces – pesto, mango chutney, or chopped garlic, maybe. There may be a pot of jam too, but I’m not so sure. (If anyone knows what the items are, send me a comment below.) There’s also something in a plastic bag, possibly a piece of ginger or some other vegetable bought loose from the supermarket.
What do the contents of her fridge tell us about Moneypenny? Well, the smoothie, yoghurt and skimmed milk suggest someone who eats healthily. However, the ketchup and mayonnaise suggest that Moneypenny is not fastidious about the healthy eating and likes a treat now and again, a pizza or plate of chips, say, on a Friday night.
What strikes me about this assortment of fridge and store-cupboard essentials generally is how ordinary it is. We may be watching a James Bond film, but even MI6 staff are entitled to a normal life and the bits and pieces that go with it. From our perspective, this is great news, as it means that we can live the James Bond lifestyle – or, rather, the James Bond film lifestyle – on a budget. Indeed, if we were to check our kitchen cupboards, we’d probably find that we’re already enjoying that lifestyle.
To some extent, the items fit nicely into the world of Ian Fleming’s James Bond. In a book series that includes Macleans toothpaste, (Kellogg’s) cornflakes, Cooper’s Oxford marmalade and the Gentleman’s Relish, Heinz tomato ketchup and Hellmann’s mayonnaise and any other household-name products wouldn’t seem terribly out of place.