Film: A Brighter Summer Day

Back to London now - unfortunately, the Stansted Express was out of action coming back (same thing is happening next time I fly, I think they're doing repairs). Happily, these outages are well-advertised, and I knew I'd be coming with the National Express, as I've done many times before. Unhappily, they seem to have removed the ticket machines from Arrivals! (I should have bought my ticket in Baggage Reclaim.) Anyway, I ended up buying it in the queue - sadly, I'd just missed a bus, but was well up in the queue for the next, which arrived 10 minutes later and departed promptly on schedule, 10 minutes after that!

They are very comfy - and I was glad of the USB charge point, conveniently located in the back of the seat in front of me; my phone needed a boost. And it's important not to let it down these days - the on/off button has come off, so if it dies, I can't restart it! (I've ordered a new one.) Anyway, albeit the journey took slightly longer than the Stansted Express would have, I can't otherwise fault the trip - the driver deserves a special mention for his conscientiousness in making sure that nobody missed their stop. Unfailingly polite, and a credit to the service.

Film again last night - this one was A Brighter Summer Day, a Taiwanese film set in the early 60s, a coming-of-age drama mixed with gang warfare. Something of a marathon, but was supposed to be good - showing at the Prince Charles. Two and a half years since I was there last.. and for once, it was mostly sold out, so I booked!

I headed off in good time, after a packed day of an intensive job interview and two work meetings (both of which required my contribution), and arrived early - to find a couple of guys waiting outside. I then spied a little sign indicating that this was where you should queue for the downstairs cinema - the one I was going to. So I checked with one, and yes, this was the queue. So - I queued. While we were waiting, a Big Issue seller came to ply his wares - he got chatting with the guy at the head of the queue, who told him yes, we were queueing. For a four-hour film. Well, that intrigued him..

About 15 minutes before start time, someone checked our Covid status, and we were let in shortly after. As we discovered in a pre-film announcement, the air is filtered at least eight times per hour, through medical-grade filters that remove the pathogens. Someone went to the lobby bar, but happily there's one downstairs as well. A long film demands a picnic - I got chocolates, and then thought I'd ask about wine, since the interview had gone well. Yes, he said, we have red wine, indicating various bottles - you don't have white, I asked? Oh yes, we have that as well. So I got a small bottle. Which was damn hard to open, mind.. but I managed, and was well fed.

Which was just as well, because, as I say, this is a marathon. It's based on the true story of a teenage lad, with a promising future, who finds it destroyed by gang warfare and its effect on him. The characters are engaging, and the film as a whole presents itself as a kind of passage through childhood, the lazy, hazy days of summer, having to navigate school and parental pressure, as well as the excitement of first love.. oh, and the odd bit of violence, or pretence at violence, when the gangs run into each other. The title, BTW, comes from the song Lonesome Tonight, which one character is convinced contains that phrase. Elvis is popular in this, and is often to be heard playing.

The characters are engaging, and we all remember those endless childhood days, when you're planning for a future, but have no idea what form it'll take. And sure enough, we cannot predict how this film is going to go. So, it's entertaining - if not exactly emotionally engaging. But Lordy, it's so, so long.. they really do tell the whole story, and maybe you need it for context, but this would have been better as a miniseries! Three quarters of the way through, I remembered I hadn't updated my mother's Tesco order, which I needed to go before I got home - so I nipped out into the hall, where, thankfully, there was great reception. Don't think I missed much - there are a few scenes that you shouldn't miss, but over the whole runtime, the chance of running into them is slim! I wouldn't recommend seeing this in the cinema.. but it is a good film.

On the bus back, the lady in front of me bopped away continuously to music I couldn't hear (she had headphones in). Unusual.. I can usually hear through other people's headphones! Anyway, it was entertaining. With all the booking ahead I did afterwards, and given the late finish time, there just wasn't time to blog.

Tonight, film again - all Meetups seem to happen on the same day! (and not today). (Joint) top of the list - and the most interesting of the three there - is Boiling Point, if I exclude all the films that are starting a bit too early. This sounds interesting (and, thankfully, quite a bit shorter than last night) - it's the story of the busiest night of the year (around Christmas, of course) in a restaurant. Shot in a single take - apparently the third of four they tried. They would have had a few more goes, but decided it was safer not, because of Covid. Seems they've made something quite intense! Showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury.

Tomorrow.. hmm. Well, I was supposed to go on another Invigorate pub crawl. Until I got the shock yesterday of being notified that I had been removed from the group! and when I tried to ask the organiser what was going on, I discovered he'd blocked me. Well now, and I've known that guy for years. Goes to show, you never do know with people.. whatever his reason for removing me (probably because I don't tend to go on hikes), it seems terribly cowardly to block me on the message system as well! Never mind, Wednesdays are the most popular weekday for Meetups, and I can always find something else - indeed, instead, I'm delighted to be headed with London Classical Music and Theatre Group (LCMTG) to a London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) concert at the Royal Festival Hall! Nice, cheap tickets available - as usual - with TAC, who send you a promo code to book on the LPO website. So, bye-bye Invigorate - I'll miss this group, it was one of my friendliest, but if the organiser is going to behave like that..!

On Thursday, back with the LCMTG for a concert by the 23 String Orchestra at Cadogan Hall. This had cheap ticket offers too, but I booked too late - hey, it's been hectic!

On Friday, I've pencilled in to meet my ex-coworkers again - Ivan isn't sure whether he can make it, he's to let us know.

On Saturday, back with Cultureseekers - for the first time in person! They're off to the Cinema Museum - apparently only group visits are allowed, these days, and it only reopens the day before. They also have a talk organised. With a choice of two times, I have - of course - chosen the later one! Cash on the day - I'll have to get some.

On Sunday, ooh - London European Club is at a storytelling event in King's Place! Not Crick Crack this time - this appears to be an independent event, a telling of The Little Prince, with piano accompaniment. Sounds lovely!

On Monday, Surrey History Meetup has another Zoom meeting - this one is on Canal History and Heritage.

Next Tuesday, my first in-person Meetup with 45+ not Grumpy Old Londoners - a guided walk with Laurence Summers! This is the Feisty Fitzrovia pub tour - and since I used to live there, I can hardly refuse! Another pay-on-the-day, damnit.

And on the 26th - would you believe, my first Meetup of the year with Up in the Cheap Seats! Well, they're going to see Magic Goes Wrong, which I've been dying to see - again, I could hardly refuse! Yet again, I missed out on cheap tickets - ended up in the Gods, but at the end of a row, and the view should be OK. The Apollo Theatre, tickets now cheapest on the official website. The ticket was a nightmare to book, mind - when I tried to add my payment details, it gave me an error! Failing to get a response from the box office, I tried the workaround of adding the payment details to my account and checking out again, which worked.