Films: What's Love Got to Do with It? & Unsane

Back to Ireland for the weekend. Not for want of the Stansted Express trying to stop me, mind - I rushed to the station to make the last train that would get me there in time - I'd checked the timetable to make sure when that was. Arrived at the station - to discover that train was cancelled. NO word on the website. Disgraceful. Well, this wasn't my first rodeo - I immediately got onto Uber. Once I was outside. Price was a bit cheaper than last time - it depends on demand. And within a few minutes, I had a driver - who got out of his car and came looking for me! So much better than other drivers, who've vanished if they couldn't immediately see me.

Off we went - and he turned out to be chatty, and with perfect English - although Pakistani. Bless him, he kept trying to reassure me that we'd get there in time - if only he knew how many times I've rushed for flights! I wasn't that worried. Anyway, he promised me we'd get there at 6.35 - 20 minutes before the gate closed for my flight. En route, I looked up the cancelled train, to see whether I could see what happened - nothing still on their website, but on Twitter, I found out it was, apparently, a points failure.. I told my driver, who asked whether I'd get a refund. HAH! Their attitude is, well, the tickets aren't time-specific, so you could just go on the next service.. regardless of whether it would get you there in time.. I've asked them for confirmation of the cancellation, so I can claim on travel insurance. Didn't think to take a photo of the departures board, which was the only confirmation I received. Ah well..

Mercifully, he also turned out to be one of those drivers who knows all the tricks of where to take the fast route, where to change lanes.. and, as promised, he did get me there at 6.35! I made the flight in time to board, and there was even room for my bag. Happy days!

Back in Ireland, the choice of films is very limited. Mostly kids' films, in fact. Best for me seemed to be What's Love Got to Do with It?, a romcom in which Emma Thompson plays the mother of a young lady whose good friend (of Pakistani heritage, as it happens, making a lot of Pakistani influence this week) decides enough is enough, and he's going to let his parents arrange his marriage. She's a budding filmmaker, and decides this would provide excellent footage for a new documentary. No prizes for guessing how it turns out, I suspected - but it seemed harmless enough. I decided on the showing in Ennis, which is both quicker to get to, and where I can choose from a better choice of ready meals when shopping after..

There were a good few others at the screening, for once! Well, it's got common appeal. And.. I have to say, it's better - way better - than your average romcom. Written by Jemima Khan, as it happens - and as the Evening Standard review said, a great debut for her! Packed with funny one-liners, it's got giggle-out-loud moments, it's moving at the end, and it does have the odd instance of racism, or Islamophobia, to link us to the real world. After all, it's mostly set in London. The bit where the action moves to Lahore for the wedding is gorgeously colourful, with a bit of Bollywood dancing thrown in. And yes, even though I'm only away for the weekend, it did make me nostalgic for London, what with the red buses and all.. and she has her doc preview in the BFI. I thought this was really good - highly recommended.

More so than tonight's late film on tv - Unsane stars Claire Foy as a woman who's kind of jumpy, so she goes to a counsellor. Who makes her sign a form that she says is boilerplate, nothing to worry about - fine, until she realises that what she's signed is an agreement to voluntary committal for 24 hours! which turns into longer. Meanwhile, she recognises one of the staff as the stalker she's been running away from.. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this is what I would describe as bland. She's a really cardboard character, only coming to life when attacked, and completely unlikeable outside of the hospital. I'd have expected better from him, and what Matt Damon is doing in a cameo as the detective who rather cartoonishly advises her what to do, now that she's been stalked, is beyond me. Avoid - there has to be something better to watch.

The coming week is mostly Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). On Monday, back with them for Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, at the Harold Pinter Theatre. This is a rom-com about a couple living in a dystopian state, which limits the number of characters they can speak. Lots of body language then, I guess! Frankly, I was delighted to see that, by the time I booked, the Balcony was sold out - the legroom there is woeful, and good luck to those who've booked up there. The cheapest price bracket left when I booked included some in the Dress Circle - and thanks to Seatplan, I seem to have identified a decent seat among them. Watch this space.. cheapest tickets from the official site, but I booked with From the Box Office, which had tickets at the same price, but without the booking fee.

On Tuesday, my one non-UITCS day next week - back with Over 40 Living the Life, for a dinner at Greenwich Yacht Club. Ooh la la..

On Wednesday, back with UITCS at the Arcola for Afghanistan is Not Funny, the true story of a British comedian and photographer in war-torn Afghanistan.

On Thursday, with them again at the Peacock (think I can walk to that!) for Bat Out of Hell, a musical based on the music of Meat Loaf. Awesome - just a pity it isn't one of the singalong nights..

On Friday, ending a run of UITCS with Lucrezia Borgia, by the English Touring Opera Company, at the Hackney Empire.

Next Saturday, back cat-herding - Ivan suggested that whole day for, well, a lot of drinking. And food - he wanted to go back to O' Neill's. Well, he must have been reading the blog - because the other day, he got in touch. To say that, unfortunately, he can't now make it. My other coworker from that company still can, though - as they've both said, it's been so long since they actually met each other! They can never seem to coordinate..

On the 5th, back with Discover London at last - she does excellent walks, but sometimes they clash, and sometimes they sell out before I get to them! This one is Discover Historic Chelsea: From Quaint to Quant - 1660s to 1960s.

On the 6th, back with - you guessed it - UITCS, for Romeo and Julie, at the Dorfman.

On the 7th - not so much appeals on Meetup. Free Stuff and Free Events does have Free Community Singing with Ros Hone and the Global Fusion Sound Singers, which you can attend on Zoom, or in person at Fossdene School Community Hall. Which sounds just fine - except that this is the sort of thing I keep cancelling! So I'm not confirming until nearer the time.

On the 8th - back with the Crick Crack Club, woohoo! for Goddesses in the Garden, at the Chelsea Physic Garden. Features my favourite, Clare Murphy, along with Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, Laura Sampson, and Xanthe Gresham.

On the 9th, my final booking - for now - with UITCS, for Brilliant Jerks at Southwark Playhouse. And wouldn't you know it, I still had credit on my Pay as you Go subscription, so got it for free! And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.