Today's schedule was a bit vague, what with the guy coming to fix the range cooker - but not letting us know when! (Mind you, it seems he was in touch earlier in the week, not to mention this morning, but my mother didn't answer - and I can't blame her, with all the scam calls we've been getting!) Anyway, just to be sure, I went to bed early last night and got up early today - she wouldn't. And it wasn't actually long before he showed up! Which left me the rest of the day free to go to the pictures.
Three new films this week that sparked my interest - and top of the ratings was Herself. An Irish film, this, set in Dublin, about a working-class woman who leaves her abusive husband, only to find herself in temporary hotel accommodation with her two young daughters. As we learn during the film, they're #685 (or similar) in the housing list - which, as she points out, will take years to clear! Somehow, she gets the idea to do a self-build, and after some research, finds an online video with instructions on how to do it for €35,000.
Typically for bureaucracy anywhere, her quite sensible recommendation to the City Council, about how it costs them nearly €33,000 p.a. to keep her and her daughters in hotels, and wouldn't it make more sense for them to lend her €35,000 to build, after which she could pay rent, falls on deaf ears - after all, they're just not interested in innovation. Luckily, one of her jobs is as cleaner to a wealthy, retired doctor, who tells her she can build at the bottom of her garden - and what's more, she'll lend her the money! And we're off.. but of course, it's not all plain sailing. Tina Kelleher plays her ex-mother-in-law - although I didn't realise that until a scene near the end, the only one in which we see her up-close, and the only one in which she speaks. Cathy Belton plays her Women's Aid liason.
Well, the Arc cinema in Ennis had the earliest time, so off I went. Unfortunately, as so often, I got caught up in something, and left late - so getting petrol had to wait until I was heading back. (Where I noticed that the carwash guy had a queue, as usual.) And I had a bit of trouble getting a space. And then I hadn't change for the parking meter, because my mother asked for it all yesterday, so I had to overpay. And when I finally scurried off, fast as possible, I had to turn back because I'd forgotten my mask! Honestly, as I muttered to myself, this film was cursed..
The guy this morning, who lives in Ennis, had mentioned that there had been filming in town, and he'd seen Stuart Townsend - no sign of that when I was there. However, I did run across an anti-restrictions and anti-vaccine protest. Honestly, they want no protection at all - do they want us to become like the UK, with the fourth-highest death rate in the world from Covid, and the highest in Europe?! Anyway, I made it to the cinema at last, scampered upstairs, got my ticket and headed into the screen - taking a seat one row further back than I'd been allocated, because I thought I was too close to the screen. Unusually, there was one other patron - munching away on his noisy popcorn, scattering what sounded like M&Ms on the floor. Had a bad cough, too - and of course, had his mask off because he was scoffing noisy snacks. But the most annoying was his phone, which kept beeping - FFS, TURN IT OFF! and if it's that important, stay home and stop annyong others.
Well, the film had already started, but I don't think I missed much. And I am so glad that I saw this, despite all the hassle it entailed - it's so raw, such a simple story, so sincerely told. Interestingly, the cowriter also stars.. It has a real ring of honesty, and I soon became deeply absorbed - in a story with plenty of ups and downs, still there's nothing mawkish, and it's not depressing. It can be menacing, in her interactions with her ex-husband - and her PTSD causes regular flashbacks, in which we get a hint of what happened to her. Neither is it a boring or predictable story - this has a great plotline, plenty of suspense. And a cracking, Irish soundtrack. Ultimately a feelgood movie, HIGHLY recommended!
When I got back, one of the early-evening movies was The Mummy (2017), which I hadn't seen. Stars Tom Cruise as an appropriator of artifacts, you might say, who gets more than he bargained for on one expedition, coming across a cursed mummy. Russell Crowe shows up as a kind of "mad scientist" character - only here, he's more of a mad historian. And having really liked the 1999 film of the same name, I felt obliged to check it out,
Well, talk about "fron the sublime to the ridiculous" - I'm just glad I never spent money on this. What a piece of trash - it's a long time since I saw a film as bad. Comparisons with the 1999 film are just depressing - rather than the somewhat romantic 1920s, in which the 1999 film is set, this is set in the present-day. Rather than being funny, like the 1999 film, it spends almost all of its time in cartoonish violence. Little of it is actually set in Egypt, or references ancient Egypt in any way. And the female lead is just so much wallpaper, a foil to the hero that is Tom Cruise. No, avoid like the plague (pick any Egyptian plague you like to compare it to - but do avoid).
Tomorrow, risking contagion, I'm back to Blighty! Yes, flight booked back to London. Wow, that was a long time coming. And Ryanair has proved reasonably obliging - however, of all the vouchers I've accumulated with them, from flights I booked but couldn't take, I couldn't use any for this first flight, as it originates in Ireland and the vouchers are all in £Sterling. Never mind, I've used them for the subsequent (return) flights.. :-) Which is fun - still more to use. Have told my mother that I booked my flight back - but she reacted rather extremely, not wanting any details about when I was going. So, eh, she still doesn't know! I'll have to tell her tomorrow, of course - don't want to let her guess by me bringing down my case..
Sadly, Meetup is a bit bare, these days.. used to be, there was hardly a day when they didn't offer something decent! Anyway, best on Monday seems to be an online Zoom quiz with Free Stuff and Free Events. I've signed up for it. And afterwards, I signed up to a free comedy gig - again, online - with London-International. We shall see..
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