Film: Arret Avec tes Mensonges (Lie With Me)

Was rather lucky to make it back to London last night - Stansted had an all-day power cut! Not that I found out about it till I got there, mind - but that was probably the reason for our delayed flight. Our plane was a disgrace - they no longer restock the trolley between flights, and patently they don't clean either - the floor was filthy, covered in crumbs, random crisps, bits of chocolate mashed into the carpet.. and, of course, the aircon is always set to the minimum when you board, so it's stifling. Funnily enough, they keep asking me to fill out surveys - but when I try, it just tells me I've already done it, and won't let me progress..

At Stansted, the first sign of trouble was the escalators, which were blocked off and not working. No way I was dragging my case up all those stairs - happily, the lifts were working, so I hopped on one of those. Then the train departure boards weren't working - but it wasn't until I got down to the train station itself that I realised something was wrong - it was in darkness, and a huge queue had formed just inside the entrance. A harassed staff member was shepherding us into this queue, constantly repeating the same message over and over, please to keep to the right so as to allow people off the train. When it arrived. The wry American-sounding bloke behind me remarked to his companion, "I suppose this is the queue for everywhere - nobody's asked us where we're going.."

When it finally chugged in, after some minutes, one old man tottered off. Cue the American remarking, "I am so glad we have this queueing system to allow that guy off the train.." There were a few others, but not many - were people taking other forms of transport? Anyway, I figured if it was going anywhere, it was going my way - so off I shuffled with the rest of the queue. That did turn out to be the only queue anyway, the only platform open, and - certainly at that time - the only train! Not only that, but after we'd gone a certain distance down the platform, they moved the barriers to block any further progress - probably to stop us falling off in the darkness, away from the lights they'd rigged up. Anyway, we continued down the inside of the train, and I safely got a seat and duly got home. Not bad in Stansted, in the end.. although, arriving in Liverpool Street, I noticed something about there being no Stansted Express services..

So, today dawned fiercely warm and sunny - quite a culture shock, after the weekend! I was back at the cinema - for Arret Avec tes Mensonges (Lie With Me), at the Curzon Bloomsbury. One of these films about someone returning to his hometown and reliving a past romance - looked beautifully filmed, though. Booked for free, with my renewed membership. Sunglasses were duly donned, as I went to wait at the bus stop. 

And wait.. and wait.. traffic was at a crawl, my different apps telling me different things about the bus arrival times. After 35 minutes, I'd about given up on it coming when it finally appeared around the corner, causing me to exclaim, "It's a miracle!" and leap from my seat. As the man beside me remarked, it'd still take a week to get to us, at this rate.. road works, he explained. However, when it did finally reach us, after an initially sluggish bit, it fairly flew - I was still in time for my film.

Clever play on words in the English translation of the title - the French title actually means "Stop with your Lies", and is a reference to something the mother of the lead character, a writer, used to say to him when he was young and making up stories about people. But of course, this is also a romance - or a flashback to one. He's now become quite famous, and returned to his hometown of Cognac for a book signing and to be interviewed, and make a speech at a local black-tie dinner. But whom does he spot but a young man who looks strangely familiar - and turns out to be the grown-up son of his first love, when both were 17 and living in Cognac.

It's not at all twee - this is quietly devastating, the main characters powerful and charismatic. It's beautifully shot, as I guessed from the trailer it would be - and as the film progresses, the revelations are explosive. A quiet gem, this - some of the images will stay with me. And aww.. as we left, I spotted a board that had been left, where people could fill out PostIts with stories of their love affairs, lost or re-found..

And so to dinner, and I fancied GBK. Which was packed, for a Monday night, as I remarked as I paid before leaving! Ah yes, she said, it was - but they're always up and down.. At least, this time, they managed to find an escalope that pretty much fitted my burger..

Tomorrow, heading to the Embankment bandstand at lunchtime to hear the Algoma Community Band - free tickets from Eventbrite.

On Wednesday, booked with CT to hear Laurence Juber in concert at Piano Smithfield.

On Thursday, finally back with Meetup - and Up in the Cheap Seats - for Word Play, at the Royal Court.

On Friday, I'm succumbing to the pressure, and joining The Hideout: Horror SciFi Club London for the Frightfest at Cineworld Leicester Square, where we're seeing It Lives Inside, an Indian possession horror, with lunch after at Clubhouse 5. Frightfest, mind you, continues till next Monday - I'll have to see how I feel about going to other films in it.

On Saturday - back at last with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners! This walk is called Filthy River.. and I'm now paying him by bank transfer, at his suggestion - much handier than having to find change all the time. Then I'm racing across town for another Hideout social at Clubhouse 5.

On Sunday, meeting Ivan and James again, for our monthly get-together - this time, moving closer to where I'm now living, we'll be in the Dean Swift.

Next Monday, back at Clubhouse 5 with the Hideout - just a social this time. So, a very sociable long weekend!

On the 29th, I tried to book a place on a walk with Mandy and London Herstory Walks - this one is Fleet Street Femmes. But she's disabled the PayPal link on her Meetup page because Meetup takes a hefty chunk of it - instead, I've booked through her own website. Where the walk turned out to be on sale anyway!

On the 30th, heading to La Bamba - a musical at the Peacock. The matinee, since I have the choice - cheaper tickets that way.

On the 31st, back on another of Barrie's walks with the 45+s - this time, it's Mile End. Mind you, so far I seem to be the only attendee.. 

On the 1st, back with Laurence and the 45+s, yet again - couldn't resist a walk around Glorious and Grimy Gray's Inn Road! Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 4th, I've signed with London Socials again - I wouldn't count on me going, mind. Still, you never know.. this time, they're off to listen to some music in the Archway Tavern.

And on the 5th, I've finally booked to see Dr. Semmelweiss, at the Harold Pinter. Cheapest tickets I found were with What's on Stage, who sent me off to Love Theatre..