Film: Men

Yesterday, left back the keys to my old place. Very anticlimactic, after three years in it! Then back to Ireland for the weekend. And with a couple of films showing that I'd be interested in seeing, the higher rated was a horror film (yay!) called Men, in which Jessie Buckley decides to take a trip on her own through the English countryside, following her ex-husband's suicide. She rents a country manor from an odd chap, played by Rory Kinnear - and he ain't the only odd man she meets! England can be a rich trove of horror stories - certainly, the books are hardcore. I hoped the film would be as well. Written and directed by Alex Garland, who has an impressive pedigree as a writer. Has a slightly earlier showing in the Omniplex, so I headed there.

It was a day for the cinema - cool and showery! Anyway, I had plenty of errands to run, so headed in early - just in time to get everything done, as it turned out. Fancied an ice cream - had to run the gamut of the kiosks for that too, paid before I approached a human with the receipt. After that, the toilets should have come with a healthcare advisory - I tried five cubicles before I came across a reasonably clean one: flushed, nothing I had to clean off the seat, and with a working lock! I was to see what the problem was - the flush is pathetic. No wonder most of the toilets remain full of detritus..

I had my ice cream just eaten in good time for the trailers. And so to the feature.

There's no help for it, I have to describe this as a queer beast. Jessie Buckley gets to play Irish for once, possessor of a swanky riverside flat in central London. She's planning to leave her husband, for whatever reason, and he's really not taking it well - threatens to kill himself. And after a particularly vicious row, that seems to be exactly what he does - at any rate, he plummets to his death on the street below. Understandably traumatised, she takes herself off for a country break, renting a country manor for a couple of weeks.

Pretty much every man she meets there is a weirdo - from the socially awkward landlord, to the creep who stalks her (naked), to the cop who investigates it, to the guy who gives her a funny look in the local pub, to the creepy vicar, to the weird kid who wants her to play hide and seek. Finally, in what appears to be her second night there, she undergoes what looks like an hallucinogenic fever dream, in which each of these men seems to represent her husband - or perhaps they, and he, all mash into a sort of unified view of masculinity. Anyway, it ends as a chance for her to exorcise her demons.

It's surreal. There were a few others in the screen with me, from whom I heard no comment, and I'm imagining them with their mouths open - I didn't check. I have to say this for the writer - this is nothing if not original! Perhaps not one to watch on a full stomach. I noticed the green man in the trailer, and wasn't disappointed - he plays a major role. The only other woman shown in the film is her good friend, who is always at the other end of a video call - this is something she must endure alone. And, in short, it has a lot to say about the relationship between her and her husband - and I guess, between male and female in general. I really can't say any more without giving the plot away, but this is definitely the most interesting horror film I've seen in an age - no less than I'd expect from this writer. Go see, but only if you have a very open mind..

On Monday, I've booked for Tony! The Tony Blair Musical, at the Park Theatre.

On Tuesday, booked for Girl on an Altar, at the Kiln Theatre. This is the story of Clytemnestra and her husband, Agamemnon, following his sacrifice of their daughter to the gods.

On Wednesday, I was going to a concert in the City Churches Music series. This is Brilliant Brass, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Brass Quintet in the church of St. Stephen Walbrook. This day, however, tied with the following day as the preferred day for our work dinner, and the boss decided to pick Wednesday, venue TBC. I got my ticket for the concert from CT, and have now cancelled it - no ill effects, as of yet!

On Thursday, headed to Mad House at the Ambassadors Theatre. 

On Friday, back with the Crick Crack Club! for The Nine Muses of Queen's Crescent, at Rich Mix. Courtesy of my favourite storyteller, Clare Murphy, whom I haven't seen in an age!

Next Saturday, I had booked with TAC for Haydn's Creation at St. Pancras Church, Euston. And then I saw that Bucket List London had booked something for that afternoon! specifically, a trip to Greenwich Royal Observatory and/or the Ranger's House. Ah well now, I haven't been out with this group since January! Ironically, that's where I first met Laurence, on so many of whose walks I've subsequently been - and who knows when I'll see him again?! since he seems only to run walks on weekdays, now. I seem to be swapping one for the other.. So anyway, I'm now going to all of the above. One of those busy days.

On the 19th, back with London Guided Walks - but, armed with the information that they now advertise through TAC, I've booked through them instead! This is the Secrets of St. James Walk, and given how I booked, I must remember to bring £3 cash on the day. I have to admit, the standard of these walks is excellent.

On the 20th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Jitney, at The Old Vic. I didn't fancy the cheapest seats - but gee, SFF had seats in all but the most expensive price bands, for very little more! So I now find myself in the central Stalls for this..

On the 21st, I'm at the Royal Court for That Is Not Who I Am, a play about identity theft, from a mysterious writer about whom we have few details, except that he has worked most of his life in the security industry. Ooh..

On the 22nd, back with TAC for The Lark Ascending and Piano Quintet, a classical concert at St. Giles' Cripplegate, a church I've often passed but never been in! Part of the City Churches Music Festival.

And on the 23rd, back at the same festival - with CT, this time, for a concert of English Song at the lovely church of St. Bartholomew the Great. It's been too long.. Then back to Ireland for the weekend again.