Film: One More Time with Feeling

Not much inspired me on Meetup today, and I ended up going to the cinema. Top of the list was actually a Turkish film called The Mountain II, which is an army thing. And, to be fair, the trailer looks quite good - but it's only on in the Odeon Lee Valley, and it doesn't look good enough to be traipsing all the way out there! No, instead I headed to One More Time with Feeling, a documentary about Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, at Picturehouse Central - much handier.

Despite gardening leave meaning I had a fairly free schedule, I did have to blog, of course - and call my mother.. and I ended up being slightly tight for time. Still, I determined to take the bus - but when the estimated time to arrival didn't change, over the course of several minutes, I rethought my plan and ended up taking the train to Waterloo and the Tube from there. Anyway, it's quite easy to get to Picturehouse Central from Piccadilly Circus - take the Shaftesbury Avenue exit (which, curiously, doesn't deposit you on Shaftesbury Avenue at all), then ahead and the next left - you'll see the sign.

I hadn't booked because (a) it didn't seem to be selling out, and (b) it costs more. I thought to get my ticket from a machine, but curiously, none seemed to be selling tickets for today. So I had to queue at the box office.. first I was behind the woman who was having trouble with her membership and needed some kind of refund, then I switched to an usher who was recalibrating her till (or something). Third time lucky, when another usher came free - at least it wasn't busy. All the way up to the top floor (via escalator), and I arrived during the trailers, and sank into a comfy seat, kicking off my shoes. Well, not completely off, in case my feet were smelly.

So.. I love Nick Cave, and the glory of this film for me was the music, which I think is sublime. Throbbing intensity, with a bass that's so, so deep.. The film started out as a documentary about the making of an album, but halfway through, his son died, and the second half concerns itself with his reaction to that. And out of the studio, the film is just as intense as the music - mostly shot in black and white, with revealing interviews with both him and his wife, who allows the filmmakers ample access to her personal life. The other kids aren't featured, but there are shots of the boy that died, in the first half.

Yup, if you like the music you must see this. The footage of the boy that died is poignant, but otherwise the coverage is very restrained - some memorable footage, both in and out of studio. I liked it. After, Google Maps suggested a quicker bus route for me, leaving from Shaftesbury Avenue - I was confused that I was walking so long, and checking the map, realised I'd missed the stop! It's snuggled in amongst all that scaffolding that's been there for an age. And I wondered about the wisdom of waiting for a bus that the app said would be over 20 minutes in coming - but as it turned out, the app was just being pessimistic. And I had more gorgeous views of Christmas lights on the way home.

After a day off today, the Man with the Hat is back on duty tomorrow - taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Opera House for Manon Lescaut. Rumours of a Top Hat seem to have been premature..

On Saturday, I'm busily avoiding London Dramatic Arts, at a production of Art at the Old Vic. Got myself a carefully chosen, cheap ticket upstairs, y'see. And they don't like people doing that, y'see.

And on Sunday, I'm off to the British Museum, where there's some storytelling going on. The Kalevala is, apparently, the national epic of Karelia and Finland, and I've signed up with Crick Crack - but am much more likely to hang out with the London European Club, who are going too. Long time no see!