Monday 15 May 2023

Film: Le Otto Montagne (The Eight Mountains)

Tonight - tan-ta-ra, film again! The new listings site didn't change what came top, mind, which was Le Otto Montagne (The Eight Mountains), at my local cinema - as are most things, frankly! Set in the Italian Alps, this is the story of childhood friends who grow apart as they grow up. Continuing the Italian theme.. Certainly, the scenery promised to be lovely!

I dunno, as annoying as my flatmates are, and the landlord, and as imperfect as the flat is, I love the location, and frankly, the alternatives don't appeal. Plus, in the brief time I've been looking, I already came across one scammer - and much more expensive properties than what I'm paying. And there's the hassle of moving - yeah, I'll probably stay put. Anyway, after a distracting and irritating day, I left later than I'd have liked, given that I wanted to eat beforehand. And of course, 7.30 is the busy time at GBK - probably every day.

Well, I could see it as soon as I arrived - although I was seated pretty quickly, once they'd cleared off some tables. To be fair, they really don't have the staff to deal with this kind of business.. a lot of French in tonight, sounded like. It took them 20 long minutes to deliver my food, by which time I had 15 minutes left to eat it. My first bite of the burger reminded me why I continue to come here - despite everything, the food is still delicious! So I gobbled that, finished the wine, and about half the chips, which were lukewarm anyway - the chicken was piping hot, so it looked as though the chips had been left sitting around while the chicken cooked, and the chips went cold. Ah well - I legged it to the cinema.

Where, again, I got someone who didn't expect me to order anything but a ticket! but I got my wine - much tastier than GBK. And for once, the screen was on the next level down, rather than the basement. I got in while the ads were playing, and for convenience, had chosen a seat on the aisle - it wasn't crowded, though.

Real mountain porn, this! I spent most of the film gazing at mountain ranges.. I believe it was filmed mainly in the Val d' Aosta. Sod the characters! ;-) The whole film is about how these men's relationship forms because of the mountains: Pietro comes there on holidays with his mountain-mad father, and bonds with Bruno, the only child left in the village. Then they part ways, but the grown-up Pietro finds himself drawn back to the mountains after his father's death, and ultimately makes a life for himself in Nepal. Bruno, meanwhile, never leaves his mountain home, which ultimately defines him..

Whatever your take on mountains, this is a gorgeous film, and a great watch. I tell you something though, you wouldn't catch me trotting along ridges like these characters! Yikes, the drop..

Tomorrow, back with Over 40 Living the Life - I got the last ticket to this rescheduled dinner at Greenwich Yacht Club!

On Wednesday, back with Buddies on a Budget in London - she's introducing us to the Floating Pocket Park, in Paddington! where they have free things in summer - on Wednesday, it's a free concert.

On Thursday, another film - this, however, is a private screening, organised by The London Palestinian Rights Meetup Group, in association with the Bethlehem Cultural Festival! Showing at the Prince Charles is Farha, the dramatisation of the life of a young Palestinian girl in 1948 - just at the start of the Nakba.. includes a Q+A afterwards with the director. Tickets from Eventbrite again. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend..

And next Monday, just advertised is An Evening Stroll in Fitzrovia, courtesy of a new group, Paul and Tim's Greater London Talks and Walks! So yes, I'll give it a go..

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