Film: Rahm (Mercy)

The rescheduled talk on Brexit Vs. Trump from a few weeks ago was last night. But I decided I'd rather go to a film instead - being Funzing, I got my money back because I cancelled by Sunday. Top of the list was Rahm, a Pakistani film premiere, complete with reception and Q+A, based on Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. Part of the London Asian Film Festival, at Regent Street Cinema. Good job I booked - it had sold out by yesterday. Anyhow, what with this, and the change of plans on Monday, that makes four days in a row I'll not have had to use my Oyster card.

Well, the reception started at 7, but as usual I got caught up doing stuff, and it was 20 past by the time I got there. Not hard to find - just head north from Oxford Street, along Regent Street, and it's on the left. A lady was giving an interview as I went in, stood in front of one of the posters for Rahm that lined the lobby. Nobody challenged me, and I just wandered up the stairs and into the bar. I've never been here before - turns out there's only one screen, with a bar in front - oh, and you can take your drinks in, which is nice. Anyhoo, if there had been free stuff, I'd missed it - the crowd milling about the bar area were buying drinks from the bar, so I passed and just went straight in - the film was to start in 10 minutes anyway. Seating was unassigned, so I took a seat in the second row, the front row being reserved.

After some brief speechifying, the film began. Set in Lahore, in "an imaginary time" - but quite modern - we meet the handsome young chap who's about to get in trouble with the law for "fornication" - now, both parties claim to have married in secret, but that the papers have been lost. Unfortunately for them, the kind and wise governor has taken a leave of absence, and left a sleazy underling in charge. Over-zealous in his application of religious laws, he sentences the young man to death - enter the condemned man's beautiful and virtuous sister. In an arresting performance by Sanam Saeed, she pleads for mercy - and the creep says he'll pardon her brother if she sleeps with him. But this is based on Shakespeare, and many things are not as they initially seem..

I can't say it really moved me, but it was well acted and the plot well adapted. Beautiful women's costumes, of course. In the Q+A afterwards, someone asked about the fact that they'd downplayed the comedy in the original - not that I ever found it to be a terribly funny play, but one of the producers pointed out that the comedy in the original was quite bawdy, which wouldn't have fitted with what they were trying to do. Someone also questioned them about their choice of setting - as they said, the story highlights the suppression of individual freedoms, and setting this film in Lahore reflects how such issues are currently topical there. True - it wouldn't have rung true in London, would it?

They also spoke about how they're trying to help the Pakistani film industry - not anywhere as powerful as that in India - and so the cast was comprised of Pakistani tv actors (who had to tone it down a bit). Showing in some London Cineworlds from this Friday, and Odeon cinemas in the north of England a week later..

I was intrigued, during the Q+A, by the guy who'd taken a seat in front of me, and took photo after photo of the panel of three, in front of him on stage. Good grief, how many identical  shots did he need? Digital cameras have a lot to answer for.. and, of course, we had the usual bore - an eccentric-looking guy in my row, who apparently knew the guys on stage, and just kept trying to start a chat with them, oblivious to the hundreds of other people in the room.. when they finally shut him up, we left, and I made my way to Tesco, fancying some Indian food. Guess what though, they didn't have any! Maybe it's because of Brexit.. who knows.

Tonight, the Man with the Hat is taking London for Less Than a Tenner to Top Secret. Be good to see some familiar faces - let's see whether we can make it a late one!

Tomorrow, he's back to the Opera House for the opening night of a mixed bill of ballet. As usual, he's in the slips with London for Less Than a Tenner, and in the amphitheatre with Let's Do London - for Less!

Friday, I got a cheap ticket to a very topical version of Twelfth Night, in the Drayton Arms. Ah, I remember when I was walking distance from there..

Saturday, I'm back with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts for an Oliver Twist walk. Back with Hazel, excellent!

Sunday.. not a Man with the Hat event, but one he's advertised. One member of his group plays Spanish guitar, and is giving a concert that night - so I've booked a ticket. Well hey, I do love Spanish music..

Monday, I'm off to a Funzing talk on The Science of Psychedelics. Courtesy of London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less (nothing to do with the Man with the Hat). Unless I think of something better up to 48 hours beforehand..

Tuesday, I'm with London European Club (LEC) for Carradine's Cockney Singalong, at Hoxton Hall. Had some fun with this a couple of weeks ago, when I noticed another group member had confused it with something at a different venue, and thought it wasn't now happening..

Next Wednesday, I'm headed with LEC again - with a different organiser - to see 2 Cellos in concert in the London Palladium. Cool - never seen them before, never been there before, and I can probably walk there!

Thursday 23rd was another Funzing talk, with the same three groups, on The Science of Hypnosis. And then, wouldn't you know it, Henning from the LEC advertised.. Hypnosis - Altering Consciousness! With Pint of Science. (What is it about that day and hypnosis?!) Anyway, I do enjoy events with Henning, and as I say, I can cancel Funzing up to 48 hours in advance without penalty. So I did, and booked the other instead. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again..