Film: About Time

It's ironic. Someone remarked to me on Saturday how much I was going out, and here I am and haven't been out since, until tonight. Stinking flu, y'see - I've been in bed ever since. Took yesterday off work, only made it back today - and might have gone straight back to bed this evening, except I'd booked to see About Time, and wasn't feeling too bad, so I went. And boy, I'm glad I did!

I'm saving tons on the Oyster card - what with not going out over the last two days, and walking to the cinema this evening.. It's in the Odeon Kensington, you see. And, for once, there was actually someone there to take my ticket! Ooh.. Unfortunately, it was in Screen 3, which is at the top of the house. And I'm still getting out of this flu, and climbing to the second floor was the last thing I needed. I had to stop a couple of times to get my breath. Well, as it occurred to me during my ordeal - good job it's not the Coliseum!

So, this is another of those charming, light romantic comedies, brought to you by the people who made Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, and the Bridget Jones films. Oh, and the writer also wrote several Mr Bean episodes, it seems. Anyway, it was already highly rated, and I see its IMDB rating has increased since I booked it. Besides, frankly, it's impossible not to like one of these films.

Taking the Hugh Grant role, we have Domhnall Gleeson, with a plausible English accent. We have Bill Nighy as his father, and Rachel McAdams as his love interest - whom I know primarily from the disaster that was Morning Glory, in which she was one of the very few good things. Perky, I think she's best described as. (And much prettier in this, as a brunette, than in the hideous photo of her on her IMDB page. What was she thinking?!)

Anyway, if you've seen any of the hype for About Time, you'll know that our hero's father takes him aside at one point to explain that the men of the family can time travel. This proves very useful, as they can use it to go back to points in their lives where they felt they could have done better. Cue many hilarious redos.

So far, so much frothy entertainment. But, you know, it's impossible to dislike one of these films - they're so sweet. And eventually, they start to bring in plot points you hadn't thought of, and they start to gently bring in a message, and I was in tears by the end. Really, it's a lovely film - more understated than the others, but well worthy of taking its place amongst them.

And I did love place-spotting, now that I live here. :-) So, he goes to the National Theatre one evening - well, I've been there often enough! I was there just last week for Edward II.  By the look of it, I think they were in the Lyttleton, but I couldn't swear to it. The BFI is right next door, with the Southbank Centre just down from that. And they're pictured outside, describing how buzzing the area is, with all the public displays. Check. And then they cross the same bridge I do. Check! And I presume that's Embankment station, although he's not taking the same line I do, so I can't be sure. And Lonsdale Road is pictured - Notting Hill direction, I know where that is. She has a flat in St John's Wood.. OK, it's not definitely there.. they get the Tube from Maida Vale.. well, I see there are 1-beds available in Maida Vale from about £250 per week, which is affordable.

So, to conclude, I'm extremely glad I went. Not least because it beats another night in the flat. There is one place advertised - currently on "Early Bird", which means I'd have to pay to upgrade my account to contact them. Not wishing to act prematurely, given that my lease isn't up until January, I'm waiting until it comes off Early Bird, and then I might contact them about a viewing, if it's still available. It'd cost a bit more than I'm paying now, but so did the last place I was in. It's still walking distance from work, albeit a bit further. And it seems to have way more storage than where I am now, which is a major consideration. And a cleaner, which avoids those awkward inter-flatmate arguments about cleaning.

Tomorrow night, there's a film called Happiness playing at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Sounds sufficiently quirky for my taste.. and I do believe I'm back in the saddle now. So to speak.