Film: Mari

Yesterday was film, and the film was Mari. Looked interesting - closest showing to me was in the Curzon Bloomsbury, which was one of two places where it was premiering, courtesy of the BFI. It wasn't booking out until the very last minute, when - finally - just over 50% of seats were booked: so I booked shortly before I headed out, at 5.20pm, an hour before the film. And just nicely made a bus.

It had been raining all day, but decided to take a welcome break as I headed for the cinema. When I entered the lobby, I checked my phone for my e-ticket - I'd got the confirmation email, but the e-tickets come separately. Well wouldn't you know it, the damn thing hadn't arrived! I proceeded downstairs (where all the screens are) - I wasn't sure which screen it was on in, as the confirmation didn't say. The usher at the foot of the first set of stairs asked for my ticket - and I had to go through the palaver of showing him my inbox to prove it hadn't come. So he printed one out for me. Unbelievably, it the e-ticket didn't come through until an hour after the scheduled start time of the film - two hours after the confirmation email! Beware of last-minute online bookings.. with the kerfuffle, I'd accidentally left my handbag in the lobby! It wasn't until I finally got my printed ticket that I remembered it and ran up to get it. I was lucky it was still there.

As it turned out, it was showing in the Renoir - named for the cinema that was here previously. And as usual, lovely Pullman seats.. now, this screen is a bit large for the room it's in, so my seat - towards the edge, third row from the front - was quite a side-on view. My recommendation - sit at the back, as centrally as possible. Mind you, as it turned out, I was sat right behind the people who'd be in a Q+A at the end - including the writer/director and one of the actors. Well, until they decided to sit towards the middle - although most of my row had been booked up, it turned out to be empty; I guess they'd block-booked it for associates of the film, if they'd wanted to come. There was also a survey to fill out - and, organised as they were, they provided pens! So I got a free pen for my troubles.

The film centres on, and opens with, contemporary dance. So I was a little dubious, to start. But I soon found myself rooting for the dancer/choreographer that we see at the beginning, rehearsing a piece, as she discovers that her gran is failing, and she has to leave London - at what is a critical time for her - and take herself down to Dorset. Where she meets her rather estranged family, and it soon becomes apparent that she has nothing in common with them. Her mother is distant, concerned only with the old woman's imminent demise, her sister (half-sister, perhaps, as there's such a difference between them) is absolutely scathing, never losing an opportunity to criticise the dancer's lifestyle, or the fact that she comes down so seldom. Jealous, you might say. The only people she's really close to are her gran (predictably, or there wouldn't be much of a story) and her absent father, who makes one appearance during the film - on the phone - and whose brief conversation causes his estranged wife to throw her eyes to heaven.

Oh, that poor girl. We learned in the Q+A that she's actually a professional dancer, with no acting experience! Awesome performance then, really. And the film is visually stunning, the dance pieces expressing her inner turmoil. It did ring very true as to the experience of a family, thrown together by family drama - indeed, much of it seems to have been based on the writer/director's personal experience. I can see why the idea won the funding for conversion from a short to a feature. Basically, a delightful film, lovely to look at, and quite touching. I was also happy I stayed for the Q+A. Opens officially on the 21st - go see. Oh, and ShowFilmFirst has free tickets to a preview in the BFI itself tomorrow night, if you're free.

Afterwards, had to run the gauntlet of several bicycles on the pavement, both as I left the cinema, and as I made my way to my old flat to move more stuff. Guaranteed, cyclists are the last to obey the rules of the road!

Tonight is my first Meetup in a week - and just like the last Meetup, I'm with London Literary Walks!  This is A Dickens Walk - but as usual, I'm sure that's not all we'll cover. Meeting at The Gladstone Arms - and I see another person I recommended these walks too is coming along, at last! Should be a good evening.

Tomorrow, I'm back for a pub night with Spooky London - we're at The Anchor Tap.

And on Friday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Education, Education, Education at Trafalgar Studios. Set in a school in the 90s, it looks like great fun..