Film: Women Talking

Tonight, settled on film again - and what was coming up looked really interesting. Continuing on a women's theme, Women Talking is, apparently, based on real-life events in a Mennonite community, where women were being drugged, and sexually assaulted as they slept. Some ended up injured, some pregnant, some with STDs. The film is based on a book, imagining the women's response - in a community that doesn't even teach its women to read and write, the women mobilise to form a response to a group of uncaring elders, whose dictat is that they must forgive their attackers, or forfeit their place in heaven. Stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand - against type, as has been mentioned - as an older woman who does not support the younger women's rebellion against staying quiet. Also nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, as well as Best Adapted Screenplay. Closest showing to me is in the Everyman King's Cross.

Arriving, I saw no-one at the desk - a fellow shouted from upstairs to come up there for tickets! So I did. Poor them - they can't be used to us paying in person, their machines couldn't handle it! Three of them, and three different machines, later, we got the transaction processed - the ticket on one device, the drink on another. And then, I couldn't take the drink in with me - no, it had to be delivered! 10 minutes later. I see someone ordered food - frankly, after my last experience with hot food in a cinema, I'm not in a hurry to repeat it. Not to mention, at these ticket prices, I figured I'd given them quite enough money already.. Well, they had comfy seats anyway: low-tech armchairs with cushions, not a recliner in sight.

It's so odd, seeing all these famous people dressed more or less the same. Claire Foy plays the angry one, Jessie Buckley the one married to an abusive husband (no comment from the elders on that either, of course). Rooney Mara is radiant as the almost beatific one, ready to live the principles of her faith in their truest sense. Ben Whishaw is delegated to take minutes of the women's meetings, as they choose between a number of options: stay and do as they're told, stay and fight, or leave..

It's such a beautifully shot film. The backing music underlines the peacefulness of the place, and they have glorious sunsets. Wisely, the story mostly sidesteps the actual events that gave rise to all this - they'd be too emotive. We are told, and get flashbacks - but the meat of the film is in the women's discussions about what to do next, as the vote was tied. And, as per the title, there's a lot of talking - I wondered at illiterate women being so eloquent, until I realised they were copying the language of their bibles. So, we get much philosophical back and forth, Ben's character acting as a conduit for the "other" (male) point of view.

But don't make the mistake of thinking that this is just a thought experiment - it does become extremely emotional, and the whole course of the film is charged with urgency, as the accused men are due to be bailed soon, and their decision must be made by then. As the finality of their final decision dawns on them, as on us, it's a heartbreaking conclusion. This is a powerful film, and should be required viewing for anything to do with women's studies. Go see.

Afterwards, to the welcoming surrounds of O'Neill's - terrific to be able to get a seat there again!

Tomorrow, back with London Classical Music and Theatre Group, for an English Concert of Bach, at Wigmore Hall. Lovely, it's ages since I heard Bach..

On Wednesday, it's film again - this one is a BFI presentation of Joyland, an Indian film about a young man who joins a burlesque show, and becomes infatuated with the trans lady who runs it. I'm normally suspicious about Indian film, having had some bad experiences - but this trailer looks excellent, so I'll risk it. Showing in the Vue Islington - which I've booked, for once, as they now have theatre-style seat pricing, different seats in different locations at different prices!

On Thursday, back with TAC for Feel More X Lately, showing at the Lion and Unicorn.

Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. Where the choice of films is - as of now, anyway - very limited. Mostly kids' films, in fact. Best for me seems 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) 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 how it turns out, I suspect - but it seems harmless enough.

There follows a mostly Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) week. Next 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 the 28th, my one non-UITCS day that week - back with Over 40 Living the Life, for a dinner at Greenwich Yacht Club. Ooh la la..

On the 1st, 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 the 2nd, 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 the 3rd, ending a run of UITCS with Lucrezia Borgia, by the English Touring Opera Company, at the Hackney Empire.

On the 4th, 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.

Film: I Came By

Today, planned another film. There I was, checking film times for a couple of films at the top of the list I had, both showing at Hackney Picturehouse. Looked up the films showing there today - and lo, I got a list of films, many of which were not mentioned on the overall film listing site yet at all! Added them to my list - and thus, I had a new film at the top, for this week. Girls Can't Surf is a documentary about how women broke into the male-dominated world of surfing. I'm not into surfing - but am always up for a feminist tale! Showing in a number of Picturehouses.

And then the new film list completed over the weekend. Top for the week - wouldn't you know it - were a glut of Indian films. There was a time when I would have been a lot more adventurous - but after my previous disastrous experience with a high-ranked Indian film, I'm now very dubious! Frankly, there wasn't much to choose among the six trailers - none of which were available in English, I might add! I gave up on the lot of them. Which still left me with a completely new film at the top of the list - I Came By is a UK (phew) thriller (Netflix, in fact), seems to be previewing, and concerns two taggers (including our protagonist, George MacKay), who graffiti the homes of rich people to show their radical disapproval. Kelly Macdonald plays his mother, Hugh Bonneville an ex-judge whose house he breaks into, only to find something in the basement that could prove incendiary, and dangerous for him and his family.. nearest showing to me is the Everyman King's Cross, a new one to me, and curiously, mostly composed of sofa seating! which severely limits the single seating. Still, wasn't selling out.

The single showing of this, there, today, was at midday - so I dragged myself up and out for it. Walking distance - now, online they had mentioned that this screen (like most of them in this cinema) is in the pink building. Sure enough, it's visible from King's Cross Station, which I passed on the way. Up York Way and hang a left - I headed for the pink building on the right, and eventually saw the teeny-weeny Everyman sign at the end. Just before it are automatic, glass doors - peering in, sure enough, I saw the Everyman sign again. And in I went.

It's actually in the lobby of what looks like an office building - the entrance to that is on the right as you enter. There's a bar on the left - I carried on to a desk that said "Tickets", but it was unoccupied. A sign on it instructed me to buy my ticket at the bar - upstairs. Up I trotted, disturbing the sole barman, who had to take out his earplugs or earbuds or whatever - I ordered my ticket. It was only afterwards that I realised he'd sold me a sofa seat! So, another good reason not to book here if you don't have to - not only do you save yourself the booking fee, but they sell individual sofa seats in person, which they don't do online. I also ordered a cheeky glass of wine - he gave me my ticket and instructed me to take my seat - Screen 1 being back downstairs, tucked behind that desk - and he'd follow me with the wine.

Well, and this is a comfy cinema. It'd want to be, for the price.. All the seating is sofas and armchairs - complete with cushions and little drink shelves. I took my allocated seat, at the end of a sofa - and in due course, a waiter arrived with my wine. Another chap had tea, all the necessities brought to him on a tray. Very nice indeed! Legroom is spacious - and on the back of the seat in front is a long, narrow shelf - on which you can put small things, or which is at just the right distance to rest your feet on.

I'd arrived during the ads - some interesting trailers followed, mainly for horror films; we're getting into the season, I guess! And so into the feature. Which, in essence, is a very good, very tense thriller - jump scares, scary background music, and more, used to keep us on edge throughout. And I love how a British film can be guaranteed never to have a completely happy ending - for which you can read, not everyone survives. I'm saying no more. There isn't much I can say. But it's worth a look, if you're into that sort of thing. Afterwards, I visited the loo - downstairs, this time. It's well-signposted, and needs to be - it's a maze down there. And their different toilet sections include "Everygirl" and "Everyone".. someone should tidy up a bit more regularly though, there were a few things wrong with where I went.

O' Neill's for dinner after - an Italian couple were very interested in what I was eating, and asked what it was on the menu, but didn't end up ordering it. Poor lady then spilt her beer all over her partner and the table - they moved table, but I saw no sign of the beer being cleared up - and I was there quite a while after they left. So, I can see how you end up with a table dripping with beer..

Tomorrow morning, my final interview for that contract I'm up for. In the evening, I had already booked for Tom, Dick & Harry at Alexandra Palace. This is the story of the POW camp escape, during WWII, which was fictionalised in The Great Escape. ("Tom", "Dick", and "Harry" were the names of the escape tunnels.) I got my ticket from London Theatre Direct. And then, wouldn't you know it, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) decided to go the same night! So I'm going with them, which will be nice. Sadly, I missed out on the deal they snagged from TodayTix, which is even cheaper..

On Wednesday - well, with a dearth of alternatives, I'm thinking of Soho Comedy Factory Shows and Socials again.

On Thursday, I'm back with UITCS - crikey, when's the last time that happened, twice with them in one week! This time, it's for Yeast Nation in Southwark Playhouse. Bless, they always put on something interesting.. Anyway, with my old payg subscription used up, I've taken out another - £60 gets you five tickets, over an unlimited period. Excellent value! and I have such good memories of evenings spent in the bar here. Sadly, these days, memories are all I have of it, with this group unwilling to drink after shows.

On Friday, I got a cheap ticket with TAC to the Cabaret All-Stars!

Saturday is going to be busy - I'm back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for a walk called Glorious Greenwich. So popular, he's reached capacity and there are 12 on the waitlist! He's finally found somewhere that can accommodate 20 of us, and is trying to get people to confirm whether they're going to lunch - since 34 have booked!

That evening, I was supposed to be meeting two ex-coworkers for dinner and drinks. But it turns out one got her wires crossed, and is now doing something else. Unfortunately, the other can only manage central London - Greenwich is too awkward for him. We're going back to Imad's Syrian Kitchen.. perfect location, great restaurant!

And on Sunday, I'm off to Rye. London and Sussex Walking Tours - whom I joined during lockdown - are running a daytrip! called Rye - Pirates, Ports and Jazz (they also have a jazz festival that weekend): and I've never been. It's a bit of a palaver to get to, involving two trains - but well, it's about time I travelled a bit, and it's not too early a start. And the tour itself ends early in the day, so I have plenty of time to eat and explore before my train(s) back.