Film: Filth

Well, what an unpredictable day!

So, I went flathunting in the afternoon - loved the room, by the way, just waiting now for the landlord to sit back and peruse the many applications he has - which meant the two films at the top of my film list, which were on in the middle of the day, were ruled out because I had to travel for them. I'm sure I'd have made it back, but I preferred not to stress myself out. Just as well really - I had to chase him for the address. I had enough to do without traipsing all over for films.

So I decided on a film that turned out to be the closing gala of the Raindance Festival, in Leicester Square at 7pm. Decided to have a Chinese first, Chinatown being just across the road. I've had enough of my regular - which has really gone downhill - and happened across the Feng Shui Inn. The lamb in honey sauce caught my eye, and seeing that they weren't completely full, I said I'd give them a try. Well, it was only delicious! As were the spring rolls. (By the way, this is the first place I've been where they also have summer, autumn, and winter rolls!) A bit pricey - I think they include service. But I had an excellent time, and I would definitely go back.

I finished at 10 to 7, and the cinema was just across the road. And chaotic! So I joined the end of the first queue I saw, which stretched into the square. By the time the people in front of me got to the front, it was after 7 and I had resigned myself to going to something else. After all, it doesn't do to rock up late to a gala! The final straw was when they and I simultaneously discovered that this queue we'd been standing in all this time was for ticket collection for the gala. Only. (They did have a sign to that effect, but you couldn't see it for the crowds.) Well, I wasn't going through all that again..

So I decided to check what films were on where. Unusually, my phone, which throws a hissy fit whenever you ask it to access the internet, works fine in Leicester Square. I couldn't remember all of my film spreadsheet, but I did remember that there was another film that was only on tonight - but I couldn't remember what it was. Then there was a long, Indian one - but that isn't showing anywhere close enough, or early enough, to make it feasible when I have work in the morning. I did remember that Filth shot up in the IMDB ratings recently and seemed to have stayed high, and when I checked I found that it was showing in Shepherds Bush in just over an hour, which gave me plenty of time to get there. That's the closest place to home it's showing. And thus, after a quick check of the Tube map to verify the fastest way to get there, that is what I did. It did strike me as ironic that ShowFilmFirst was offering free tickets to a showing of this, but I didn't get one in time..

For once, the ticket machine actually worked! Never has for me before in this cinema. And then, of course, I was so early that I figured I'd buy something to nibble on, since I hadn't had dessert. I could have bought my ticket at the same till. Never mind.. So I headed for the Ben & Jerry's stall, where it turned out that, of the three people behind the counter, two were trainees. One didn't know the secret of scooping very hard ice cream (sadly, I didn't hear what her mentor suggested she do in future) and the other had to enlist the same guy's help when he accidentally entered into the till that I had given him £20 instead of £10 (I'd no change). It was mint chocolate chip, by the way, and I was the first to try it that day! To be fair, there were more attractive-looking flavours. But mine was delicious! I had it eaten by the time they said I could finally go in. But there are seats in the lobby, so that's ok. Had a coughing fit during the trailers - luckily, it cleared up just in time.

Right - and so to Filth. Filth is set in Edinburgh, although you'd hardly recognise it from the tourist brochures. It stars James McEvoy as the most obnoxious cop you can imagine. He's racist, homophobic, misogynistic, drug-addicted, a heavy drinker, sleeps around, manipulates people relentlessly, and frequently has strange hallucinations of animals. He's after a promotion, and is prepared to use dirty tricks against everyone that he sees as a rival. And it's hilarious!

For a while. And then it becomes something much cleverer, and more sinister. It's quite depraved - you need a fairly strong stomach for this. I suspect foreign audiences will also need subtitles. That includes English-speaking audiences. And I absolutely loved it. This is a work of rare quality. Recommended - for those with strong constitutions.

In the meantime, before I set out today, I had a look into the future, to see what I might be doing in a few weeks' time. And I came across a play, called The World of Extreme Happiness, playing at The Shed. As the Time Out reviewer remarked, there are so many Chinese plays on at the moment! Indeed, Chimerica - which I saw in June - is having such a good run that they had to have a cast change so that some of the cast could appear in this! (Highly recommended, btw. I see it's top of the Time Out listings now.) Anyway, when I checked to see whether I could get an offer on tickets, I discovered that there is a Time Out offer, only valid until next Wednesday. Well, I hadn't planned on seeing it this week, but under the circumstances.. so I'm going tomorrow. At least I now know my way into The Shed!