Film: The Stranger (1991)

London Literary Walks has now given the results to the final (sigh) round of their quiz.. or is it? Given that he's moved the date forward again! Now, today is actually a bank holiday in Ireland. And gee, for me too, as my company introduced an extra day off some years back, in return for overtime worked to get a release out - and decided to keep the tradition! And that bank holiday happens today. So I get two in a row, hah! Looking for something to do tomorrow afternoon, I decided to watch something on Mubi. Highest rated film currently showing is The Stranger (1991) - an Indian film about a well-off family that receives a visitor, claiming to be a long-lost relative..

And then I ended up watching it last night! Lordy, I had trouble sticking with it, TBH - it trundles along languidly, as this guy rocks up, is perfectly charming, answers only the questions that are put to him. It is, in fact, like a dinner party, where he proves the perfect guest - erudite, well-travelled, philosophical. Throughout, his niece and nephew are dubious about his identity, and produce a variety of acquaintances to question him in a way that they can't, out of politeness - and still they doubt him. Matters are finally resolved at the end, you'll be glad to hear.

Gee, I just can't find much to recommend it, though! There isn't really anything revolutionary in it, nothing we haven't heard before - technology doesn't provide all the answers, we need to get back to basics, civilisation is overrated. He doesn't seem terribly wise to me - "temperamental", they call him at the end, and I agree. Shies away from difficult situations, which is probably why he took off in the first place. There's nothing funny in the film, nothing really sad, nothing very dramatic.. the only point in the whole film at which I engaged was one beautiful scene where the wife plays a tanpura and sings. Anyway, if you fancy a look, it's also available on YouTube.

Highest rated film now is I Vitelloni, a 50s Fellini coming-of-age drama about five young men.

And on Saturday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats for another musical - Reasons to be Cheerful. Interestingly, for the talk after, we're back on Jitsi again..!