Film: Non-Stop

I was originally supposed to go to Non-Stop last Monday, but when I checked its IMDB rating, as I do regularly with the films I'm thinking of seeing, it had slipped, so I ended up going to The Book Thief instead. I finally worked my way around to seeing Non-Stop today though, so all is good. And it's showing in my local cinema, so I could walk - which turned out to be a great idea on such a lovely day as this turned out to be! Hallelujah, I can shed some layers at last!

There were about five of us at the screening. Non-Stop is a thriller set aboard a plane, with Liam Neeson as the air marshal, Michelle Dockery and Lupita Nyong' o as flight attendants (one review remarked that they were the only two, but that isn't true - I checked), Julianne Moore as a passenger, Linus Roache as the pilot. The story is - someone is threatening to kill a passenger every 20 minutes, and framing Liam Neeson for it.

It's regularly been said of this film that a plane is a great setting for a thriller. It's an enclosed, claustrophobic environment that people are potentially trapped in for hours at a time, without hope of escape. And you'll always get nervous ones. And they're absolutely right - both for creating a general air of tension, and for creating crash scenarios - there are few things more frightening than a plane crash. This film makes ample use of the fact that we're on a plane, where almost all the action takes place. I believe they had to widen the aisles and raise the ceiling a bit from normal dimensions though, just to make sure that Liam Neeson wasn't crouching all the time - he's 6 ft 4.

So, it's a good film, enjoyable, and with absolutely terrifying moments. We even get brief glimpses of Iceland, where the plane eventually makes an emergency landing. With Walter Mitty dropping by as well, I guess it's destination of the moment! Honestly, the acting isn't much to write home about. Much has been made of the fact that Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong' o isn't given much to do, but I suspect her agent (or whoever) was just trying to put her in whatever was available, since she's only starting out in the business, and this had some well known names. I doubt the part was ever meant to be substantial - Michelle Dockery is supposed to be the one who knows Liam Neeson, two flight attendants with substantial parts would have been excessive - and I would hardly have expected them to beef up the part just for Lupita. Anyway, having seen The Grand Budapest Hotel, it seems that stars making cameos where we just have time to say "Isn't that..?" is quite the norm.

Anyhoo, as I say, the script, I guess, is a bit clunky and doesn't do anyone any favours. But well worth seeing for the scary plane atmosphere! Trust me on that. As for the denouement, when we discover why what's been done was done, they're saying it's a bit twee. Me, I thought it made some sort of sense. Anyway, I didn't have a problem with it.

Right then! The film list has decreased. But tomorrow, I'm off to something else entirely - Being Shakespeare, with Simon Callow. Ah now, when I saw that much, I didn't need to do any more research. Not with respect to whether I wanted to see it, anyway! The logistics did take some more consideration. You see, it's in the Harold Pinter Theatre. (Shudder.) Of all the theatres I've been to in London - and I've been to a few - this has the worst seating configuration. In short, get the top-price tickets. You need them. Or, at least, something in the stalls - the seating upstairs hasn't enough legroom for a five-year-old. And, in the stalls, be very careful you're not sat behind a pillar (yes, they do that!). So check out the seating plan.

And once you have identified where it's safe to sit, under no circumstances book with the venue direct! Unless no-one else is selling tickets. Because they have the highest prices. For this show, there are lots of vendors, and, for top-price tickets, I found LoveTheatre the best - half-price, no booking fee. I might have gone with LastMinute, but they didn't have the tickets I wanted. Sadly, I wasn't able to avail of LoveTheatre's meal + show deal - I have to come from work and there wouldn't be time. Anyway, the upshot is, I have a good seat and am looking forward to it!