Film: Missing

Now back in Ireland for the coronation weekend, on another comfy Lauda plane - long may that last. And wow, I did enjoy the coronation - found the anointing particularly moving. I guess it was mostly hearing Zadok the Priest performed for the purpose for which it was intended, for the very first time..

Post-coronation, the film was Missing - now, this did look interesting. Taking place almost entirely online, it concerns a teenage girl's efforts to find her mother, who's gone missing on holiday abroad. I do love techy films.. and this has one of the same writers as Searching, an excellent film on the same lines, about a father looking for his missing teenage daughter. In fact, this film starts with footage based on that film.. Showing in Ennis.The highest-rated film showing locally is actually Lakelands, which is getting good press - the story of a young Irish sportsman who's attacked on a night out and suffers injuries that mean he can't play any more, apparently the lead actor is one to watch. The next Paul Mescal, they're saying - and good luck to him. However, the trailer did absolutely nothing for me - to be fair, I have little interest in sport. And it just looked depressing. No, I'll be giving it a miss.

The timing of my film was good - it didn't start till after 4, which gave me time to get there after watching the coronation, and such of a flypast as the weather permitted. And I was parked and had made my way to the cinema well in advance of the showing time - to find that they seem to be redecorating! One of the front doors was off.. they might want to have fixed that by night.. and at the box office, I found that they've moved the sweets to the front, so you can pick up your own! Much handier, I approve. Similarly, there are loose wires all about - I think they're having a complete refit. To be fair, it's a while since I was here..

A few other people were sat down the back, but it wasn't crowded. Oh man, was I glad to see this! Ever since I saw the trailer, I was dead keen. And it's terrific! Didn't feel at as much of a remove as Searching - probably because of all the security camera footage that's used, which shows live action. Or, you know, perhaps it's because, since Searching came out, we're all that more tech-savvy, and used to living our lives online!

Anyway, the sheer number of apps she uses, as well as several devices, is captivating. And the ingenuity of her trying to find alternative means, as one trail after another goes cold. I particularly loved her idea of using Taskrabbit to find someone in the country where her mother went missing, to go in person to review the security footage of the hotel, because they won't give it out online.. brilliant. The plot is fantastic - several extreme twists, but every one of them makes sense, and they all tie up perfectly in the end! Honestly, this story is a dream to follow.. excellent stuff, and I'm delighted to have caught it!

For today (given that, with a coronation bank holiday, I have an extra day again), the film is like to be The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, one of those eccentric British comedies, in which Harold (Jim Broadbent) is distressed to hear that his good friend is dying. He's going to post her a letter - but instead, decides to hand deliver it. His wife (Penelope Wilton) is less than impressed, considering she's at the other end of the country.. based on a book. Anyway, also showing in Ennis.

On Tuesday, back in London, I'm - heh - thinking of film again. Now, that film listings site is, as established, a nightmare - but I have a choice of two; there's Pamfir, which is Ukrainian, and The Blue Caftan, which is Moroccan. Both showing in my local cinema (how else would I even know they existed..?). Anyway, we'll see - both rated the same at the moment, but straightaway, Pamfir looks more interesting to me, set in dense forests swirling with mist, and lying somewhere on the border between fact and fantasy.. With additional films announced, I see Little Richard: I Am Everything is rated the same - it's a documentary. But I have little interest in him, and frankly, I don't feel like going all the way to the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith to see it!

On Wednesday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, for Retrograde, in the Kiln. Based on Sidney Poitier, and what he had to do to become a star, it seems.. Now, this is from the same writer as For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy. Which I hated. So I'm taking a risk.

And on Thursday, I'm back with The Hideout: Horror Sci-Fi Club London, for wine tasting followed by comedy (hmm..) in La Pizzica restaurant. Could be interesting..