Film: The Miracle Club

Yesterday, my mother dragged me off to get flu vaccines. Unusually, afterwards, she felt like trying The Grove for lunch! So we did. Parking was OK, we got a table near-ish the door, but not right in its draught, there was fish on the menu for her. Great! I went to get the dishes, as they do a carvery lunch - had chicken myself, with gravy instead of the suggested pepper sauce, all very tasty. Unfortunately, she was underwhelmed by her fish - I guess it didn't have the flavour of salmon, and she never has sauce on it, which wouldn't have helped. Of course, she wouldn't elaborate. Also unfortunate, there's no bar service during the carvery - nowhere is it explained that you have to order the drinks at the till, with the food. I managed to get her an orange juice, which - along with raspberry - is offered free on the bar counter. My wine had to wait until we got dessert - no way could I grab anyone's attention as they passed. I had a chocolate sundae, again lovely - she had a cheesecake. Complained it was too "cheesy". Don't ask me - it was Bailey's and Toblerone flavour. She ate most of that, but ended up eating again when she got home.. I'd eat there again, she wouldn't.

Well, she was OK with me escaping again today. And, as planned, it was The Miracle Club. Starring Maggie Smith, Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, Stephen Rea as Kathy Bates' husband, and the voice of Brenda Fricker (!), this is set in the Ireland of the 60s, and focuses on a group of women who want to go to Lourdes: a big deal, back in the day. Looked a bit naff, but I risked it.. in Ennis, which was convenient. 

Again, made it in time for the film, if not for all of the ads - for once, there was something of a crowd! My "assigned" seat was occupied, so I picked somewhere reasonably close. Lots of audience members "of a certain age"..

It's decent, actually - better than expected. Brenda Fricker's voice just shows up in one scene - she plays Laura Linney's mother, and voices the letter she left for her daughter, which she finds when she comes back for her funeral (slightly too late - her flight was cancelled). My one quibble with the film relates to Laura Linney, in fact - I mean, she does a good job, but makes no attempt to moderate her American accent. Now, I'm sorry - even if she spent most of her life in the States, if she lived in Ireland until she was 17 (as per the story), she'd still have an Irish Brogue - which would at least come out when she came back! (Hell, mine does, and I've been in London 11 years.)

That aside - there's a hoo-ha about people managing to get tickets to go to Lourdes - there's a talent competition, there are are various twists and turns about tickets becoming available - but mostly, what I found stood out most were the negative attitudes of the husbands of these women who wanted to go, the husbands wondering who was going to take care of them! (Wooses.) Seriously, it'd put you off marriage - one husband tells his wife not to bother not coming back if she goes, another wife has to nip out while her husband is on a fake errand. Tsk, you'd be better off single, ladies.

Right, well, leaving ALL of that aside, we can consider the actual story. Wherein they discover that the miracles of Lourdes are perhaps not so obvious - but miracles there are, all the same. Depending on how you define them. Apart from a little boy who won't speak, most of the pilgrims' ailments relate to a cover-up of years before, which - of course - involves Laura Linney, in one of those dreadful miscarriages of justice, and subsequent cover-ups, that Ireland has been so good at. If you think about the full facts, it's truly horrific - but, years later, you have to say, the best thing for the survivors (at least in this case) is to forgive and forget. And that's what they do. So, rather a nice film, all told.

Anyway, back to London tomorrow. On Thursday, back at the cinema - this time, the Prince Charles, with the Hideout: Horror Sci-Fi Club London. We're seeing Tales from the Crypt - Demon Knight. Stars Billy Zane, William Sadler, and Jada Pinkett Smith - how could I resist such a fun way to kick off the Hallowe'en season?! Drinks and socialising at Clubhouse 5, as usual.

On Friday, scariness of a different sort, as I finally get back to the Crick Crack Club! Ben Haggarty is telling the tale of Mr. Sandmann, at Rich Mix.. It's been too long: but they're doing a lot more stuff outside of London, these days. My sometime companion from Up in the Cheap Seats has also decided to come, it seems - I'll have to come up with somewhere to eat..

On Saturday, I was trying to organise another get-together of my ex-coworkers. Back in the happy days when I had coworkers I could see in person.. So yes, back to herding cats again.. But Ivan said he'd prefer Sunday. So on Saturday, around midday, Expat Bucket List London finally scheduled something I'm interested in, and can make. They're off to visit Neasden Mandir, Britain's first authentic Hindu temple and Europe's first traditional stone temple! Looks spectacular - I'll have to figure out a way to come down that staircase, I guess..

That evening, I planned to continue the Hallowe'en theme with an idea by Design My Night. I was going to something called The House of Dust, which is ghost stories, with three included cocktails, for £40. Which sounds reasonable.. and then Ivan realised he had to be in Cambridge - where his company is based - early Monday. So now I'm meeting them on Saturday, after the temple trip, instead - at whatever time people can manage.. hoping for a late one.. meeting in The Founder's Arms..

Thinking film for Sunday, listings not out yet.. will look for something horrific..

Now, on Monday and Hallowe'en itself, I'm also determined to get horrific.. but Meetup just isn't playing ball! So I'm doing my own thing - with the Unrestricted View Film Festival in the Hen and Chickens (cheaper tickets on CT). On Monday, I'm headed to Lore..

On Hallowe'en, London Social Detours have organised a trip to a talk about James I (who was obsessed with witchcraft), followed by lunch in the Crypt Cafe of St. Martin's in the Field. 

That evening, I'm headed to Skinjacker, also in the Unrestricted View Festival. Set on Skye, the scenery promises to be spectacular, at least.