Ah, at last I got to see Dear Zindagi. Well, it was about time - it's been buzzing around at the top of my film list for a while now. Closest venue was the Vue Shepherd's Bush, but it wasn't booking out, so I didn't book.
And I determined to go to the matinee - because, being on Gardening leave, I can. And I did get up in time - took the Overground up there; you never know, sometimes they don't charge more than the bus, and it's certainly quicker. Plus, I didn't have to research my route - been up there by Overground several times. I didn't actually make the train I wanted to - they're only every 15 minutes - but I knew there'd be ads beforehand anyway, so it didn't matter much.
The place was pretty deserted, on a Monday lunchtime. He didn't ask me what seat I wanted, just gave me a ticket, and then there was no-one to check it. Anyway, I could see my screen, and made my way down there. To an empty cinema. Gee, it's so many years since I had a private screening! My ticket was about halfway up, but there was no way I was climbing all those stairs with no handrail - I ended up in the second row, which was a bit closer than I'd have liked, but any further and I'd have been afraid to come down. What the hey, I was fine.
Dear Zindagi has the same writer/director - Gauri Shinde - as English Vinglish, which was an absolutely charming film. A very good recommendation. Also stars the eminently watchable Alia Bhatt, whom I last saw in Udta Punjab, as a street urchin forced into prostitution. Well, she has an easier time of it in this - she's a successful career woman, with one major problem: men. She works in the film industry, where she finds herself surrounded by a bevy of beautiful young men - but, despite (perhaps partly because of) her family's wish to see her settled, she can't seem to commit to anyone.
I went into this expecting a rom-com.. I blame the trailer. And in anyone else's hands - Hollywood, for instance - that's exactly what I'd have got. However, what I did get was something entirely different, where Gauri Shinde uses a hint of romance to tell us a completely different story altogether. Just like English Vinglish, which isn't really a romantic love story at all. Incidentally, I spent the entire film wondering who "Zindagi" was - turns out it's the Urdu for "life", and pronounced zin-da-GEE. So the film is about our heroine working out her life issues. And the title also references the fact that, because of something traumatic in her childhood, she has repressed her emotions ever since - for example, she hasn't written letters. So, she's now writing a letter to life. A love letter, if you like.
Again, if Hollywood got a hold of that idea (and they yet might!), it'd end up realy schmaltzy. This film, however - just like English Vinglish - is absolutely charming, and disarming.. Apart from a general lack of car chases and sex, I defy anyone to find anything they don't like about it. An appealing lead actress, gorgeous men to ogle, an inspiring story, some worthwhile life lessons - and that ever-present feature of Indian films, the family, which isn't swept to the side, but is appreciated, warts and all. I love that about Indian film. And, to be honest, I didn't give this film enough credit - I loved it too, and am so glad I got to see it. Kudos to the film list that sometimes forces me to things I'd never otherwise see.. it's come up trumps again.
On to Westfield afterwards for some shopping:
Got some things done, then home to eat that stuff in the fridge that would've gone off otherwise.
And that's an end to making my own entertainment. Tomorrow, the Man with the Hat is taking Let's Do London - for less! to a new venue: new to the West End as well as to us. We're off to the Found111 Theatre to see Fool for Love. And bless, he'll have seen the performance by then, he says, so while we're enjoying ourselves, he'll be checking out local bars - tricky to find a place at this time of year. Now there's dedication.
Wednesday sees London for Less Than a Tenner on what will probably be their final trip of the year to Top Secret. Back to two shows, which is nice - especially for £1. And Nick Dixon is slated to appear - yay! I guess I count as a "night owl" (see event description). Well hey, can't disappoint my fans.. ;-)
In the final part of a triple bill (!), the Man with the Hat has just announced a new event for Let's Do London - for less! There I was with nothing definite organised for Thursday, and up he and his Hat pop with a Christmas concert at Cadogan Hall. With famous people in it, such as Aled Jones, who's hosting, and Dame Penelope Wilton, who's doing a reading. Now, that'll be nice, especially as he's going to something there in Christmas week, which I'll miss. I don't suppose the red hat with the pom-pom will make a reappearance for this..
I'm back to Ireland on Friday for the weekend, as it happens.. and strictly instructed not to book anything for Saturday so we can go take the poodle for her Christmas trim. See, I could fit in both, but my mother finds multi-tasking like that to be stressful. What the hey, there isn't much on anyway. Back in London on Monday for my last week before Christmas, and it won't even be a full week.. on Monday, Crick Crack is doing something a bit different. They're at Soho Theatre, with The Remarkable Tale of Robert Desnos. This, apparently, was a surrealist poet incarcerated in Auschwitz - unusual fare for Crick Crack. One of the speakers is Clare Muireann Murphy - my favourite storyteller, and I'll be fascinated to see what she does with it.
On Tuesday, my last event of the year with the Man with the Hat (sniff!.. unless he surprises us) will be on a trip to the West End. He's scored tickets in the front two rows of the stalls for Dead Funny, at the Vaudeville Theatre, for Let's Do London - for less! Ooh now..
And on Wednesday of next week, my very last thing before I fly back to Ireland for Christmas? Umm, a presentation on data collection apps, courtesy of Org London. Eh, unless I don't. Well, it just doesn't sound very Christmassy, now does it?! And then I fly back to Ireland on Thursday of next week..
Then things shall get very quiet for Christmas. I fly back to London on Monday 2 January - still no word on what I'll be doing after that. But hey, I have one more defnite paycheck to come in, which will cover my rent for January, and I have quite a few things booked. On Tuesday 3rd, I have my trusty placeholder of Free Comedy in Hammersmith - gee, it's been a while now since I actually went to one of those! Anyway, assuming I show up, I'm booked with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers, London Live Comedy, Random London, and London for a Tenner or Less and Funzing UK (both Funzing groups, and both advertising the thing twice). My, that's a lot to cancel, if I do..
On Thursday 4 January, yes, I'm back with the Man with the Hat (no, not Santa Claus) - Let's Do London - for less! is off on their annual festive trip to The Nutcracker (ahh!) at the Opera House. Sold out performance, I see. See now, even if I'm jobless, that's worth flying in for.
And on Friday 5 January, I'm (nominally) back in Hammersmith - this time, only with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, Funzing UK. and London for a Tenner or Less. Once only wiith each!
So. Tonight was to be a film, and the film was Airlift. It was top (by IMDB ratings) of my list last week too, but not on at a convenient time. Well, this week it was still top. About time I saw it, eh? You know, I'm burning the proverbial candle at both ends these days, but not as tired, now that I'm driving. Even with the stress of fast-moving traffic, and trying to remember routes I've only just learned. Helen pointed out that I don't have to rush to make a timetable - yes, but I also don't have to carry my bag very far, plus I get a comfy seat, rather than having to squash in amongst a crowd in the carriage. Or stand.. Imagine, and with all this extra comfort, even if I didn't have passengers to help with petrol money, I'd still only be paying half what I would for the train!
Anyway. Airlift is a Bollywood film, and I've had some trouble with those before. They also tend to be over-rated. But the trailer for this looked ok, the subject matter was certainly interesting, and I said I'd give it a go. It's showing in Cineworld Wandsworth, but not late enough that I could make it - so the next closest, and showing later, was the Vue Shepherd's Bush. Ages since I'd been there..
So I took myself off on the Overground, quite early as it happened. Well, I wouldn't have had time to eat anyway - with a growling tummy, I picked up a bag of Crunchie Rocks as I was waiting. Ticket in hand, I was to find that the cinema hadn't finished being cleaned yet - nor did the usher have the faintest idea when it would be. I did need to go to the loo, but the lobby ones were closed - so I ate the entire bag of Crunchie, then wandered off past the (now-unattended) entrance, and went to one past there. Where the first cubicle had a toilet with an obviously non-working flush, and the same hand dryer not working that wasn't working the last time I was here!
There weren't many at this screening - but it has been out a week. And it was a Monday. When the trailers started, I was treated to a host of ads for popular films - rare for me, to be honest, and enjoyable - not that all the films looked good, mind. Then we were into the main feature.
This is based on the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. In particular, it focuses on the evacuation of about 170, 000 Indians who were working there at the time. The main character, who organises pretty much the whole thing, is apparently an amalgam of a number of real-life characters. And his wife is a dead ringer for Catherine Zeta-Jones..
We get a tantalising glimpse of this tycoon's life in Kuwait before the invasion. The outfits! The houses! The parties! Already an enjoyable film. But just you wait.. the whole tone changes when the invasion crashes down on them. And this description of the largest mass movement of people in history becomes surprisingly moving. Believe me, the airlift itself ain't half the story.. the sheer logistics are staggering, and the desert shots as they convey them to the collection location - are stunning. A very interesting film, and worth a look. Even with an interval, in what is only a 2hr20min film.
And the thought occurred to me, as they desperately tried to escape - God help all refugees. There but for the grace of God go we ALL.
Coming home, I caught a mainline train rather than the Overground - they ply the same route. And blatantly sat in 1st class, with many others - I didn't think they'd check, and indeed they didn't. We arrived at Platform 17 in Clapham Junction - "Mind the Gap" indeed, the gap at this platform is huge! You really have to stretch, just to get off. The only way out was along the overhead walkway, eerily deserted at this hour.
Tomorrow, I'm back with London for Less Than a Tenner, who are back at the Soho Theatre for a performance of Kite
- a show without words, always interesting. Handy I'm working from home
- the timing could be tight, otherwise. And on Wednesday, I'm off to
see Billy Connolly at the Hammersmith Apollo - still haven't rescued that ticket from behind the chest of drawers!
It was to be a film today, and I spent a great deal of time - as usual - sorting my film list to see what was top, in terms of IMDB ratings. Eliminating those available on Amazon.. I came up with Brooklyn. Now, this is an interesting film. I thought the trailer hinted at a film that might be mawkish. However, I watched as its rating climbed, and climbed - and believe me, that's rare. Finally at the top of my film list, it demanded to be watched.
The closest showing to me was in the Vue Fulham. Again, I had plenty to keep me in the office, and said I'd leave from there. Unfortunately, the only showing of the day in that cinema was at 5:50, and that was around the time I ended up leaving.. I decided that the Tube from West Kensington - the closest to the office - would be quicker than walking to Earl's Court.
The main road had to be crossed. A mad, diagonal dash got me across the first half to the traffic island, where I had to wait for several minutes for the all-clear. Into the station and down to the platform - unusually for here, I got the internet to work on my phone, and determined that the next Tube wouldn't be there for six minutes. Oh dear.. while I was trying to figure out whether the wait would be worth it, one arrived. Finally, a Tube prediction error in my favour!
Two stops in the tunnel leading to Earl's Court, while we were waiting for a free platform, and now I pretty much knew I wasn't going to make it. When we did get there, I had to change platforms, and again - like last night - no sign of the Tube I wanted. Resignedly, I tried to look up the cinema listings on my phone, to see where else it might be showing. Ah, no internet.. well, I could connect to Virgin, which is installed in so many Tube stations - but I'm not a Virgin customer, and it wasn't recognising my (Irish) phone number format, to connect to my provider..
Exasperated now, I watched as people crammed onto the Wimbledon-bound train - the one I'd have to get for the cinema I wanted. Well, or they tried - I'd never have fitted. So I mooched off home instead, spending another eternity trying to cross Old Brompton Road, where they've removed the temporary lights that they had for roadworks, but not yet got the regular crossing lights working again.
At home, I also had internet problems. However, I did finally get more listings for Brooklyn - ten minutes before a showing was due to start (at 7:50) in the next nearest cinema, the Vue Shepherds Bush! Did a quick calculation - taking advertising into account, I should make it in time. Google Maps said there was a 7:48 Overground from West Brompton - I scuttled off, arriving there at 7:47, just as the 7:47 was leaving, with the next due at 7:53. Bah humbug, Google Maps!
The promised rain arrived as I was making my way across the junction at Shepherds Bush, the cinema in sight. Upstairs at the cinema, there were just two ushers.. a long queue at one desk, just one person at the other. Of course, I should have gone with the queue - there was a reason for it. The usher serving at the desk I was standing at seemed terminally slow - or maybe I should've blamed the lady in front of me, who wanted nachos - which had to be assembled from several different parts of the serving area: and a drink, which had to be poured from the next dispenser down, for some reason.
It was 8:06 by the time she got to me, and I was on the verge of giving up. Anyway, I ploughed on - Yplan's very handy offer on Vue cinema tickets seems to have expired, but I did have a creased old Vue voucher that I'd found in my wallet, and that she accepted for a £1.50 discount, although as she said they don't distribute them any more. Which kind of made up for her asking whether I wanted a senior ticket (!). I ask you, I know I must've looked harrassed, but really! With no-one checking tickets, I found my own way to the cinema - and arrived, not only in time for the film, but even for the trailers! 25 minutes, they run the ads for here - I made a note of when the film actually started.
It stars the ever-watchable Saoirse Ronan as an Irish immigrant (to Brooklyn, natch) in the 50s, who gets over her initial homesickness to find that life in the big city can be quite exciting. A galaxy of stars has turned up for the ride (mostly Irish) - BrÃd Brennan as her catty employer back in Ireland, Jim Broadbent as the Irish priest in Brooklyn who makes her feel at home, Maeve McGrath as her co-worker in Ireland (and much fatter than the last time I saw her!), Julie Walters as the lady in charge of the boarding house in Brooklyn, Domhnall Gleeson as the young man that might tempt her back to Ireland, with Gary Lydon as his dad. Based on the novel by Colm TóibÃn.
The upshot? It's terrific. Not to everyone's taste, to be sure - no action sequences, no real bad guys, not much sex. (Well, it is the 50s.) But Saoirse Ronan is luminous, and while I'm no expert in film stock, whatever they shot this in, there was one beach sequence that looked straight out of a set of old John Hinde postcards, and I did start to wonder whether this was deliberate.
The story also rang very true, and some images in it were so evocative of my own experience, as an Irish emigrant. I can't speak for Enniscorthy, where she's supposed to be from - I've never been there - but I can testify to the suffocation of small-town life that she was so desperate to leave behind: the judgemental gossip, the begrudgery, the favouritism. Oh, and I did find it interesting that it was raining when we were introduced to her hometown.. Contrast all of this with the big city - the excitement, the anonymity, the crowds. It's beautifully evoked, and as people have remarked before, she conveys so much with the slightest expression..
She has to return at one point, because of a family crisis; suddenly, the sun is out, the horizons are broader, and heavens, people are going around in short sleeves, without coats on! Steady on - I know it's supposed to be the sunny south-east, but the weather is NEVER that warm in Ireland! What the hey, that implausible image apart, this is a beautiful film - don't forget the tissues.
Afterwards, I nipped into Morrison's, downstairs, for some dinner - and did quite a large shop, being out of practically everything! I do just have to give special mention to their excellent "triple Belgian chocolate fudge Christmas log". Which does exactly what it says on the box..
Tomorrow, I'm back with Let's Do London - for Less!, for more Irishness; they're off to Soho Theatre to see a comedy entitled "How to Keep an Alien" - the foreign kind, not the kind with tentacles. On Friday, the organiser of the Kensington Classical Music group has very kindly invited me - as her guest - to another classical concert. On Saturday, I'm headed with the London European Club to a carol service with a difference, at a Romanian church in town. And on Sunday, I have an overdose of Anthony; Let's Do London - for Less! is off to a matinee of "Your Last Breath" at Southwark Playhouse - based on the true story of a Norwegian woman found trapped in the ice - and in the evening, London for Less Than a Tenner is off to a concert in Cadogan Hall. Actually, so is Let's Do London - for Less! but there's no conflict.. guess who's in charge of both?! So I can blithely pick the cheaper group. ;-)
With everything else I had to do this week, it took days to go through the list of films showing, check their ratings (and whether I could see them cheaper online), and list them in my spreadsheet. It was a relief to get it done in time for yesterday evening! Top of the list for yesterday was The Look of Silence, which I passed on for Wednesday because of the hardship of trekking across town to see it, what with the terrible heat. Well, it was showing closer to home last night - and the weather was cooler anyway - but the problem was, it was only on quite late, and while that normally wouldn't be a problem on a Friday night.. I had to get up early this morning in case the washing machine guy came early!
Mind you, I was quite happy with what came next on the list. Mr. Holmes was rated much higher when it initially opened, and has dropped a bit, but there still wasn't anything else ahead of it for last night. It's been out a little while now, and there isn't quite as much choice of places to see it - but the closest was the Odeon Kensington, at 5.50, and I decided to go there. But then I got caught up at work, didn't get finished until after 6, and the 20-minute walk from the office to the cinema meant that showing wasn't feasible. It didn't have a later showing there, so I checked, and found that it was showing in the Vue Shepherd's Bush at 6.45. Perfect!
I actually had my computer shut off when I remembered that Yplan sells discounted Vue tickets (the offer ends on the 7th, as I recall). Debated whether it was worth waiting for it to reboot, decided it was, and duly logged on, purchased a ticket, and after a short but anxious wait, printed out the reference code and barcode to show at the cinema. You're really supposed to have it on your phone, but the app isn't compatible with mine - my phone is probably considered too old. Anyhoo, it printed decently, and off I went to walk to this cinema instead, in brilliant sunshine. It was slightly longer walk, but I'd get the Overground back home.
It's been a little while, but I remembered the way, and the walk was pleasant enough, apart from the distressed-looking lady who asked whether I'd any cash, as someone had just taken her bag. Sorry ma'am, I've heard of that scam before - someone in the office saw a woman trying the same thing, then saw her on the same street the next day, pleading the same problem. She actually called her on it. And before that, I fell victim to the same thing myself, when I fell for a sob story and gave someone some cash, which she promised to pay back into my Paypal account. Needless to say, months later, I'm still waiting for that. I'm not holding my breath.
I got to the cinema just in time, and after a short queue, was able to present my printed pages to the guy at the till, complete with explanation. (I always print both the barcode, which they're supposed to scan, and the reference number, because the barcode prints too big, and they don't always like to try to scan it.) The code scanned this time, I dumped the printed pages on him, and went to the screen - as usual, I didn't like the seat I'd chosen once I saw it, and sat in the one behind, willing no-one else to have selected it so I'd have to move. They hadn't, it seemed, and I didn't.
After several trailers for films that look rather good (the summer is looking up!), the feature started. Now, this Holmes tale, starring Sir Ian McKellen, deals with the detective in old age, reminiscing about his last case - which was his last because he didn't solve it, so he quit. He now spends his time tending his bees at his house in the country, cared for by his housekeeper, Laura Linney. He becomes close to her son, who encourages him to continue the story he's writing about this last case.. and over the course of the film, flashbacks tell us what happened in it.
It's a beautiful film. It's no wonder the man was knighted - he's a wonderful actor, and a joy to watch. His role changes between his doddery, forgetful, older self, and the still old, but sprightlier, younger and more dapper version of himself, in top hat and tails rather than the scruffy cardigans and pyjamas of his later years. The change is obvious, but perfectly seamless - indeed, you can see how the younger version melded into the older. Yes, by the way, top hat and tails - much of the film deals with the legend of Sherlock Holmes, and according to this version of the character, he never actually wore a deerstalker - that was a figment of Watson's imagination (who, of course, is supposed to have written the tales). Oh, and he used to smoke a pipe, until he became famous for it, and switched to cigars. And the address was faked, for privacy - too many American tourists wanted to visit! ;-) His actual offices were across the road.
There's very little actual detective work in this - it's more the great man coming to the end of his life, and musing that although he understood human actions, he never really understood human nature, and now he finds himself quite lonely. But the film is an absolute delight, and I loved it! Recommended.
On the way out, conscious that I didn't have time for a large meal before bed, I popped into Morrison's, just below the cinema, and bought a chicken roll. Very tasty, and also recommended! Too late to blog last night, of course. And here I am today, and as yet, there's no sign of the washing machine guy, nor any word when he might be coming. So I still don't know what I'm doing today. But at least tomorrow I'm meeting the London For Less! group for the Pop-Up Opera's production of "L' Italiana in Algeri". Despite the best efforts of Meetup, apparently, to hide all mention of the group..! I have reported the issue.
Time Out wasn't giving me anything scary for tonight - not that I wanted to go to and could get a ticket for, anyway. So I took matters into my own hands for once and said, it's Hallowe'en, I need something scary. With such attractions as I would have gone to booked out, I said I'd go to a film. Top of my list (well, joint 84th, but top of the horror films) was The Babadook. Now, I'd seen the trailer for this and really liked it, and saw a tv review of it last week where the critic raved about it. So I was delighted to see it polling unusually high for a horror film.
It's showing in my local cinema, but tonight only at midnight, for goodness' sake! Cool gimmick, I guess, but I didn't fancy walking down there for midnight, and back about 2am! The next nearest place it's showing is the Vue Shepherd's Bush. I can get the Overground there from home quite easily - it's a five-minute journey, two stops. They had an early evening showing, and my plan was to head home and take the 6.10 to Shepherd's Bush. And then it occurred to me that I've taken that self-same train before, and there's barely breathing room on it. Ugh. I decided to go to the 8.10 showing instead. The advantage of mainstream cinema - multiple showings!
So off I went. I didn't get a seat on the train, but there was plenty of standing room. Shepherd's Bush Overground Station is across the junction from the Vue Shepherd's Bush, so I trotted over and got a ticket without difficulty. They took the voucher I'd got in the Vue Fulham, but didn't give me a replacement, so that'll be a job for me, next time I'm in the Vue. I had to stick to my seat choice for once - this screening was about half full or more. They were a quiet enough crowd, but vexingly, many didn't arrive until the film had already started.
There was a trailer for The Woman in Black: Angel of Death - early to be advertising it, considering it's scheduled for release next year! I haven't seen the original Woman in Black film, since I saw the play - but I hear it's good.
And so to tonight's film. O my, I'm glad I went to this! I liked it immediately. Sometimes you can tell good film-making instantly, by the style of the thing. I liked the camera-work, I liked the direction, I liked the acting. No famous names here - not to me, anyway (it's Australian). The story is of a woman whose husband was killed in a crash while driving her to hospital to give birth to their son. Ever since, she's subliminally blamed her son for the accident, and his birthday is an annual reminder of her loss - so she gets him to celebrate his birthday together with his cousin's, slightly earlier.
Now, possibly as a result of her attitude towards him, the boy - now seven - has behavioural problems, and an obsession with monsters. He has night terrors, and is always clambering into her bed and waking her. Frankly, the kid is as annoying as can be, and you can sympathise with her as she reaches the end of her tether, after a succession of sleepless nights. And then he finds this creepy children's book..
This is terrific psychological horror. Someone remarked that the silly name is putting her off seeing it - but it's the name of a children's book! Similarly, the boogie-man that appears as a result of it (none of this is giving anything away that isn't in the trailer, by the way) is ridiculously cartoonish. Just like in the book. And that's what makes it frightening! The film is very clever, presenting us with the dual possibilities that the book is haunted, and has come to life - or that what we are seeing are the sleep-deprived hallucinations of a woman at the edge. A must-see for anyone interested in horror, and a good watch for those who aren't. Very highly recommended.
I see that Blackheath Fireworks are on tomorrow - London's largest free show. It's that time of the year - I might mosey along..
Yep, happened again - it was lashing rain yesterday, and I couldn't be bothered heading out. Tonight, however, ShowFilmFirst played a blinder by actually letting me have a free film ticket! (As opposed to a ticket to a concert or a play.) Now, it's a long, long time since they managed to get an email to me in time for me to get a film ticket. I was doubtful it'd ever happen again. Indeed, they had a habit of not sending me the emails until the preview was already on and it was too late! Then they introduced a "premium" service (for a premium fee) for priority access to emails. Huh. Mind you, they had a customer satisfaction survey a while ago - maybe they listened..?
Anyway, they had a showing in the Vue Shepherds Bush, which was the closest to me, so I booked a ticket. And a lovely, sunny, warm day it was - such a contrast to yesterday. I walked from the office - you could get the Overground part of the way, but it's hardly worth it. Not on a warm, sunny day anyhow. I pretty much remembered the way, although it's quite a while since I walked up there. I showed my printed ticket at the barrier, he told me which screen it was in, and when I got there, I found that, although I was 15 minutes early, the screen was already pretty full. I ended up sitting in the front section - which was ok.
The film was The Hundred Foot Journey. It's a comedy, set in the south of France, where Helen Mirren owns a Michelin-starred restaurant and is appalled to find Om Puri and his family opening an Indian across the road! As the film progresses, however, both parties are to find how well the cultures combine.
It's terrific. Mainly, it's food porn - I was even inspired to cook afterwards, for the first time in years. And I'm not dead yet. The food is so lovingly shot.. the preparation is done with such care.. this film could yet make cooks of us all! The characters are engaging, and the story has a few really moving moments.
Mainly, it made me feel like an Indian - although that's not what I cooked in the end.
Well, tomorrow I might get to The Grand Seduction. We shall see - watch this space. For Thursday, as you might remember me saying, I got a cut-price ticket to King Charles III, through a Time Out offer - since expired. I've then got friends coming for the weekend - cue many touristy things! On Friday, we're thinking of a stroll around Notting Hill, then maybe the V&A, Trafalgar Square, and a ghost walk to finish off the day. More details to follow..
Film again tonight, and I FINALLY get to The Purge: Anarchy. It started rated highly enough on IMDB, but slipped to a point where I never thought I'd get to see it - but then, with a dearth of good releases, combined with a spate of films being made available online at various sites (predictably, cheaper there than you'd pay in the cinema), behold and lo, The Purge: Anarchy came to the top of my list at last.
It's showing at my local cinema, but not until 10pm, for goodness' sake! The closest cinema showing it at a reasonable time is the Vue, Shepherds Bush. So I schlepped up there. Overground again, no seat again - but I was only going two stops this time. And there was more oxygen in the coach, this late in the evening. You know, it occurred to me later - I don't think I've been to this cinema since I moved accommodation last, the better part of a year ago!
Anyway, they accepted the voucher I'd got at their other branch, but didn't give me a replacement. Never mind, I still have one to spare. With the voucher, tonight I paid a little over half what I paid the last time I was at the cinema! but that was extreme. I made sure to choose my favourite seat tonight - aisle, with the aisle in front of me as well. Just as well I did - it was quite crowded. Despite having been showing for some time now, this is still pulling them in (although there is also a 2-for-1 deal on Wednesdays). I did get a bit miffed though, at the sheer number of people traipsing in and out and blocking my view. Thankfully, they didn't do so far past the start of the film.
I think the gaggle of underage kids that snuck in just after the start enjoyed it. They had a bonus of several horror film trailers before the main feature. I see there's a prequel to The Conjuring, called Annabelle (named, of course, for the possessed doll). Also Deliver Us From Evil, and one I haven't heard of, called As Above, So Below, and set in the catacombs of Paris.
And so to the main feature. Well now, this was a pleasant surprise. I didn't see the original Purge film - it wasn't rated very highly - but knew the story: "The Purge" is an annual - well, in this film it's called a holiday - 24 hours (7am to 7pm) during which all crime is legalised. American, wouldn't ya know. As The Purge: Anarchy begins, we are treated to some statistics. Crime and unemployment are at an all-time low. This is due to The Purge. The message is broadcast loud and clear: get off the streets before nightfall. Stay safe. Unless you're purging - in which case, we hope you feel cleansed.
Now, the first thing that occurred to me upon reading those statistics was - of course the Purge is responsible for the excellent figures, they just kill all the criminals and unemployed. The homeless are obvious targets too. Guess what - I wasn't disappointed in my opinion. That's exactly what the filmmakers rammed home to us also. Ooh, the rich come in for some stick in this series. They can pay for protection - the poor can't, and they're the ones who concern us in this film.
I see Michael Bay is a co-producer. Now, there's a man that knows how to produce an entertaining film. Unlike the first film, which concerned a home invasion, this takes us onto the mean streets, where anything can, and does, happen. What happens, for instance, if your car breaks down on Purge night, miles from anywhere safe? The pace hardly flags. The scenarios are terrifyingly believable. The gang chasing the pair whose car breaks down are nightmarish, and many of the scenes are unashamedly populist. The finale is pure crowd-pleasing rich-bashing.
And it's great fun. But the series is also a thinly disguised rebuke of the NRA, and a comment on its adherents, and on America's gun culture in general. And there'll be more - an anti-Purge movement appears in this film, and at the end, a notice reminds us that there are 364 days to the next Purge. This could run and run - and if they can keep up the quality, more power to them!
And tomorrow, something completely different. I'm heading to the BFI, to a film in their Century of Chinese Cinema: Women From the Lake of Scented Souls. Then Ireland for the weekend, Liechtenstein for next week. And if I ever get around to doing any German in the meantime, I'll be lucky!
With my theatrical options limited, it was to be a film again today, and an Indian film, Highway, came top of the list, going by IMDB ratings. The closest place showing it is the Vue Shepherds Bush, to which it's a quick hop on the Overground. It has four showings a day, so it just depended on when I was ready. The first was too early, but I figured that I'd be up in time for the second.
Then it occurred to me to check for planned engineering works, which take place every weekend. I looked at the map of disruptions on the TFL website, for a quick overview. O no! The Overground line from Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction, running through Shepherds Bush, was listed! I thought to read the detailed information.. phew! Turns out the whole thing is closed tomorrow, but today, only closed north of Shepherds Bush, which was as far as I needed to go. :-) It's as though they tailored it to me..
Knowing that Overground trains only tend to run every 15 minutes, I knew to leave in plenty of time for the station, despite the train journey itself only being five minutes long - I hadn't checked the timetable. As luck would have it, my train pulled in as I was coming down the steps to the platform, and I was in Shepherds Bush in no time. You can see the cinema as you leave the station, it's just across the road. The film was showing in screen 1, and I chose a seat with the aisle in front, so I'd have as much legroom as I needed. The screen was practically empty.
Now, this film is a rarity. No offence intended to the Indian nation, but I'm not used to Indian films being as good as their IMDB rating. I guess they're a tad over-enthusiastic about rating them - or maybe I'm missing something. This, however, is terrific. Although mind you, I know I'm biased - it's largely set in the foothills of the Himalayas, and I'm crazy about mountains, the higher the better. They don't get higher than these. It was, indeed, filmed in northern India.
So, the story is a simple one. A young girl from a rich family in Delhi is about to get married, but honestly, all the lavish preparations are stifling her. Desperate for escape, she arranges for her fiancé to meet her for a clandestine, night-time drive. He's upset that they don't have bodyguards, but she is adamant. Anyway, stopping at a petrol station, they stumble upon a robbery, and she is taken hostage. The kidnappers spirit her away. She starts off scared, trying to escape however she can - but then something odd happens, and she finds herself not wanting to be rescued. All of a sudden, she has the freedom she craves, and finds herself warming to her silent, surly kidnapper..
I loved it. It's a romance, and rather sweet, and you've got all that stunning scenery to occupy you. And it's very well done. Nothing at all twee about this, the acting is great - you can believe the transition in her. And he is also rather good to look at. I can think of worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon!
Went to Nando's afterwards, and availed of the free 1/4 chicken I'd earned on my rewards card. And a slice of their most delectable choc-a-lot cake, with the money I'd saved. Really, they do the best around! And someone who sat next to me as I was leaving asked me whether that was what I had had, and whether it was good, as she was thinking about it herself. And I told her it was.
Curiously, the guy who'd sat there before her had had two plates of food before him. He ate one, and asked for a bag for the rest. I guess he was stood up..! He did look quite glum.
And now I'm writing this in the dark, because something's happened to the lights, although not the electricity in general. Probably a fuse, but we don't know where to look, and neither does the letting agent. The landlord is supposed to be paying a visit, but at this stage I'm not sure when. What the hey! Plenty of light from the laptop.
Tomorrow's film is looking like A World Not Ours, a documentary detailing three generations of a family living in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. Showing in the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Should be interesting.
Well, what an unpredictable day!
So, I went flathunting in the afternoon - loved the room, by the way, just waiting now for the landlord to sit back and peruse the many applications he has - which meant the two films at the top of my film list, which were on in the middle of the day, were ruled out because I had to travel for them. I'm sure I'd have made it back, but I preferred not to stress myself out. Just as well really - I had to chase him for the address. I had enough to do without traipsing all over for films.
So I decided on a film that turned out to be the closing gala of the Raindance Festival, in Leicester Square at 7pm. Decided to have a Chinese first, Chinatown being just across the road. I've had enough of my regular - which has really gone downhill - and happened across the Feng Shui Inn. The lamb in honey sauce caught my eye, and seeing that they weren't completely full, I said I'd give them a try. Well, it was only delicious! As were the spring rolls. (By the way, this is the first place I've been where they also have summer, autumn, and winter rolls!) A bit pricey - I think they include service. But I had an excellent time, and I would definitely go back.
I finished at 10 to 7, and the cinema was just across the road. And chaotic! So I joined the end of the first queue I saw, which stretched into the square. By the time the people in front of me got to the front, it was after 7 and I had resigned myself to going to something else. After all, it doesn't do to rock up late to a gala! The final straw was when they and I simultaneously discovered that this queue we'd been standing in all this time was for ticket collection for the gala. Only. (They did have a sign to that effect, but you couldn't see it for the crowds.) Well, I wasn't going through all that again..
So I decided to check what films were on where. Unusually, my phone, which throws a hissy fit whenever you ask it to access the internet, works fine in Leicester Square. I couldn't remember all of my film spreadsheet, but I did remember that there was another film that was only on tonight - but I couldn't remember what it was. Then there was a long, Indian one - but that isn't showing anywhere close enough, or early enough, to make it feasible when I have work in the morning. I did remember that Filth shot up in the IMDB ratings recently and seemed to have stayed high, and when I checked I found that it was showing in Shepherds Bush in just over an hour, which gave me plenty of time to get there. That's the closest place to home it's showing. And thus, after a quick check of the Tube map to verify the fastest way to get there, that is what I did. It did strike me as ironic that ShowFilmFirst was offering free tickets to a showing of this, but I didn't get one in time..
For once, the ticket machine actually worked! Never has for me before in this cinema. And then, of course, I was so early that I figured I'd buy something to nibble on, since I hadn't had dessert. I could have bought my ticket at the same till. Never mind.. So I headed for the Ben & Jerry's stall, where it turned out that, of the three people behind the counter, two were trainees. One didn't know the secret of scooping very hard ice cream (sadly, I didn't hear what her mentor suggested she do in future) and the other had to enlist the same guy's help when he accidentally entered into the till that I had given him £20 instead of £10 (I'd no change). It was mint chocolate chip, by the way, and I was the first to try it that day! To be fair, there were more attractive-looking flavours. But mine was delicious! I had it eaten by the time they said I could finally go in. But there are seats in the lobby, so that's ok. Had a coughing fit during the trailers - luckily, it cleared up just in time.
Right - and so to Filth. Filth is set in Edinburgh, although you'd hardly recognise it from the tourist brochures. It stars James McEvoy as the most obnoxious cop you can imagine. He's racist, homophobic, misogynistic, drug-addicted, a heavy drinker, sleeps around, manipulates people relentlessly, and frequently has strange hallucinations of animals. He's after a promotion, and is prepared to use dirty tricks against everyone that he sees as a rival. And it's hilarious!
For a while. And then it becomes something much cleverer, and more sinister. It's quite depraved - you need a fairly strong stomach for this. I suspect foreign audiences will also need subtitles. That includes English-speaking audiences. And I absolutely loved it. This is a work of rare quality. Recommended - for those with strong constitutions.
In the meantime, before I set out today, I had a look into the future, to see what I might be doing in a few weeks' time. And I came across a play, called The World of Extreme Happiness, playing at The Shed. As the Time Out reviewer remarked, there are so many Chinese plays on at the moment! Indeed, Chimerica - which I saw in June - is having such a good run that they had to have a cast change so that some of the cast could appear in this! (Highly recommended, btw. I see it's top of the Time Out listings now.) Anyway, when I checked to see whether I could get an offer on tickets, I discovered that there is a Time Out offer, only valid until next Wednesday. Well, I hadn't planned on seeing it this week, but under the circumstances.. so I'm going tomorrow. At least I now know my way into The Shed!
I'm a huge horror fan - particularly of psychological horror. So, when I saw that The Conjuring was rated highly on IMDB, that was a must-see.. The closest place it's showing is the Vue Shepherd's Bush, so I trotted along there this evening. Well, I say trotted - the original plan was to walk, but it started to pour rain around the time I was thinking of leaving, so there was nothing for it but the bus. Fortunately, it had stopped by the time I came out, and I walked home.
I went to the early evening showing, so there was hardly anyone there. Well, some arrived late - but still, it wasn't a third full. The trailers, interestingly, included one for Insidious Chapter 2, which is to be released on, would you believe, Friday 13th September (no rating yet on IMDB). Appropriately, because The Conjuring has the same director as Insidious, and its sequel, Insidious Chapter 2: James Wan. He also directed, and wrote the story for, Saw. Remember that name, I suspect we will hear more from him.
The Conjuring, if you don't know, is the apparently true story of a haunted house that was investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren in 1971. They were also the people who investigated the Amityville Horror, and apparently Ed was the only non-ordained demonologist recognised by the Catholic Church. Ed is played in the film by the lead actor from Insidious - Patrick Wilson. Vera Farmiga plays Lorraine.
The fact that they share a lead actor is one of the many things in The Conjuring, particularly in the first half, that remind me of Insidious. Also the lighting, the camerawork - the style will be very familiar to anyone who's seen it. The other interesting facet of the first part of the film, for me, was the focus on the doll Annabelle, which ends up playing a prominent role at one part of the film. I've heard of Annabelle before, it was nice to see her in the - eh - flesh.. although that's not what she actually looks like. But that story alone is fascinating.
There were some folks at the screening I attended, sitting in the back, who felt compelled to giggle every time something scary popped out of the shadows, or whatever.. and then we got to the second part of the film, and the giggling at the back stopped. I can best describe it by repeating the words of one critic, who remarked that, if half of what happened in the film is true, we should be very afraid. You could describe it as a film with nearly every horrific occurrence known to humanity thrown in. You name it, they've probably got it - hang onto your hats, folks, this is a roller-coaster ride to hell. Me, I found I couldn't actually shut my mouth - I was literally agape for half the film.
I really like this director, I hope we get a lot more from him. He has a real feel for horror. I have one quibble, which is his tendency to throw in overtly scary music when something scary happens. Fortunately, we don't get much of that - or don't notice - in the second half of The Conjuring. But my word, this is a good film.. I still feel a bit shaken.
Good job I'm going to comedies for the next few days. Red 2 tomorrow, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa on Wednesday, and The Heat on Thursday, all in the Odeon Kensington. The ticket machine will definitely throw a wobbly. Then it's a couple of days of plays, for a change - The Boat Factory, which centres on the old Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, on Friday, and A Season in the Congo on Saturday.
But for now, I'm going back to see how much more I can find out about the truth behind The Conjuring..
I wouldn't have gone to see this if they hadn't been giving free tickets away on SeeFilmFirst. It was this, or another film at the other end of town, 50mins journey each way. This, I could walk to, and I did. Decent weather for it, although the rows and rows of pretty identical terraced residential properties on the way to Shepherd's Bush felt a bit soul-destroying.
IMDB gives The Moth Diaries 4.7. I feel more generous about it - I'll give it a 6. Set in the rarified atmosphere of a girls' boarding school that used to be a hotel, the pleasant setting is disturbed by the arrival of, frankly, a vampire. One that has no problem with daylight, and tends to turn into a swarm of moths rather than bats. But anyway.
I find it interesting that over two-thirds of the IMDB reviews are by critics. I wonder what they were expecting. Certainly, it's not at all scary - unless you're of a particularly susceptible nature. It actually seems to lean heavily towards Carmilla, by Sheridan Le Fanu. This is mentioned pointedly in the film - they're studying it in English class.
The main thing I took from the film was how beautiful it is to look at. Certainly, teenagers didn't look like that when I was one. All the girls in this film resemble nothing so much as porcelain dolls. Perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect figures, miniskirts. They laugh beautifully, they suffer beautifully. They are, in fact, perfect little ladies. Interesting how, although they're all supposed to be big into hockey, they never actually get to play sports. I suppose that working up a sweat is not allowed. Anyhoo, quite watchable.
So, another film tomorrow, and another that I can walk to. The Great Gatsby. Then Passion Play on Friday, and The Play That Goes Wrong on Saturday.
