Film: Before Midnight

Could have walked to Cineworld Hammersmith in half an hour, but I wanted to go home first, so ended up taking the Tube and reminding myself what my commute used to be like, as I used to live out that direction. :-) It's much nicer walking than standing in a crowded Tube carriage..

There were about a dozen people at today's showing of Before Midnight. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I cannot understand why more people aren't rushing to see this film. Ok granted, this was an early showing for a weekday, but why are the three cinemas closer to me not showing it at all? Why is this one only showing it at this unpopular time, and ending its run today? Incomprehensible.

Anyway, for those who saw and loved this film's prequels, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, I hardly need to say more than - this is more of the same. Go and love it and be surprised, as I was, at the end of the film, that it was over already. It's interesting, actually, looking at the IMDB ratings, that while both of its predecessors rate 8, this comes in at 8.5. I wonder how it'll age. As for this film, it does have the difference that Celine and Jesse are now an established couple, without the urgency of their previous meetings, but with plenty of the problems of everyday life getting in the way of what they'd really like to do. But their conversation is as fascinating and varied as ever, Greece looks appealing enough to make you long for a holiday on the Med (maybe not just there, just now - there is an interesting hint about Greece's troubles to come, in something Jesse says), and Julie Delpy is looking a lot better than in the last film, now that she's put on a bit of weight. If you ask me.

Walked home, through leafy Hammersmith. Ate in KFC again, because it was the first place I saw that I felt like, and I know this one to be much better than the last I tried, in Dalston. Sure enough, the hygiene was impeccable, the chicken wasn't salty, and the girl that served me came out from behind the counter to wipe every table that customers had just left, and even asked me how I was enjoying my meal. Recommended.

There's a play in Richmond tomorrow night, called Unrivalled Landscape, after a description of Richmond by Sir Walter Scott. It's a series of six interconnected stories, set in Richmond, and sounds interesting. I'll see how things go. Then Alexei Sayle on Thursday. And, in exciting news, I heard today that U2 has finished the latest album.. so that means a tour. Rumour has them performing a mini-tour (6x6 - 6 cities, 6 concerts per city) at the end of 2014, with a full-scale tour in 2015. Right, I'm ready to go.. just give me the dates and places..