It was a bit of a saga deciding what to do today. Initially, I thought I'd go to a film. Then, Time Out listed a play that sounded ok - Cake and Congo. Then I checked again today, thought of doing something in the Thames Festival, currently running - they had a carnival. I was all set to go to that, then it started raining. Finally, I ended up back with films.
Then there was the question of what film to see. Top of the list in terms of IMDB ratings was a Japanese documentary called KanZeOn. It's showing as part of the Peckham and Nunhead Free Film Festival. So I mapped out how to get all the way out there, then thought I'd better watch the trailer. I already had, in the office, with the sound down - but this is a musical documentary, so I thought I'd better watch again. And that's what changed my mind. Able to hear the music, it was altogether too.. exotic for my taste. A bit too clangy. Small doses of that I can take, but not 86 minutes' worth. Just as well really - I just noticed on the festival website that, although some chairs and cushions are provided, you're asked to bring something to sit on if you can. Huh. Not gonna happen. I can just see myself, dragging a chair, first on the Tube, then by bus. And back. Next highest on my list showing today was La Grande Belleza (The Great Beauty). Looking up the website, I saw it was already over half sold out, so I decided I'd better book - and I did.
I'd been planning to see this next Thursday, when the nearest place I could manage is the Curzon Mayfair - a venue I hate. As stated in a previous blog, the nearest station, Green Park, is horrendously crowded, even by London standards, the commuters are ruder than usual, and when you do fight your way to the cinema, the staff are the most laid-back I've seen. Which is fine, as long as you don't require them to actually serve you. No, I was delighted to see the film in the Gate, Notting Hill instead - as well as being much easier to get to, and with more useful staff, it's cheaper to get to, given that I can take the bus straight there from outside my door, and that's cheaper than the Tube. Cinema ticket price also slightly less. It is showing there on Thursday, but it'd be tricky to make it in time from work.
Oh, but it's ages since I took the bus! It's lovely to do that for a change - you see more of your surroundings, and you can people-watch. When I got there, the lobby was chaotic - I think they only have one screen, and I was soon to find it had sold out. I've only been here once before - ages ago, for Beasts of the Southern Wild. I recalled that the screen has opulent décor, but had forgotten that, between every second pair of seats, there's a little table. V handy. I also note that, like the British Film Institute, they have the seat numbers on the seat backs. Even handier!
The trailers and other ads came on with the sound really low - that, and the fact that the lights still hadn't been dimmed, meant that the capacity crowd saw no reason to quiet down - which was a shame, given that the first thing on screen was a short film called Mourning Rules, which I could hardly hear a word of, and therefore couldn't make sense of. Fortunately, you can frequently find these things on YouTube, which I have. So now I know what I missed. Interestingly, the one thing people did quiet down for was the trailer for Diana..
And so to the film. La Grande Belleza isn't so much a film as a song - or an artwork - it has that feel about it. No plot to speak of, just an ageing socialite, in Rome, who discovers that his first love has just died. This prompts him to reconsider the shallowness of his life. Which, by the way, is very photogenic. But the film also highlights some memorable philosophical points, and is frequently laugh-out-loud funny, as well as being breathtakingly beautiful. Definitely reminds us of why Italy is regarded as one of the style capitals of the world. Gorgeous. And intelligent. Mind you, not to everyone's taste - such as the lady beside me, who left quite early. Probably thought it was all a bit trivial. But I can't speak for her.
Tomorrow is Jadoo, in Wandsworth - ages since I've been there. I hope it's more to my taste than the last Indian comedy I saw. And on Tuesday, I will be making it to the Thames Festival - one of their talks, "Rising Tides", about things environmental. Anyway, it's be my first time inside City Hall, so that'll be interesting!
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