Films: Civil War & Radioactive

Back in Ireland for the weekend again - but again, it was a close thing. Now, back at the beginning of the week, the buses were out of action down my way, because of water works. The following day, I saw the bus stops continuing to display a message about water works, and that the stops were closed - but buses were stopping at them. On Friday, as I was headed to catch the train to the airport, the display said bus times were unavailable.. Buses Due was, as so often happens, down, but Google Maps said that buses were due. However, there was a warning message - about water works..

When no bus had arrived for a few minutes - after Google Maps' prediction - I decided (as did the other person waiting with me) that the wisest thing was to head elsewhere. I knew I could walk a few minutes to Tower Bridge Road and catch a bus there - which is what I did. Anyway, I was walking along my regular bus route, so I'd see if one of mine passed.. they didn't, during my trek. Happily, buses were running frequently on Tower Bridge Road, and I soon caught one - and just made it in time for my train, phew! Goes to show though, you need to take care..

Now, for a film yesterday, I was thinking of Back to Black, the Amy Winehouse biopic.. just waiting for the rating. It is on in the Omniplex. It was only rated on Friday, the day of its release - and as I was checking it, lo, I also came across listings for Civil War! Now, the cinemas hadn't listed it when I last looked.. anyway, I'd seen a trailer for this on Thursday, and it looked excellent - Kirsten Dunst plays a photojournalist, keen to snap the action at the tail end of a civil war in a dystopian vision of the States, where California and Texas have seceded, and joined together as the Western Forces (WF), fighting the rest of the country. Well, except Alaska, which is neutral - and Florida I'm not sure about, their status seems different to the rest of the States, but isn't clearly defined. Written and directed by the excellent Alex Garland, it's much higher rated.. so I went to see that instead. Also showing at the Omniplex.

Again, I had trouble getting there - this time, a pro-Palestinian protest, moving slowly down the main street, no police, hardly any marshals! I was just lucky they were turning off, and not heading all the way out to the cinema - indeed, earlier in the day, there'd apparently been another protest (cars this time) heading all the way out there, related to overcrowding at the hospital! As it was, I did make it just in time for the film - and lovely, it's in the Maxxx - the largest, Screen 1. Where the seats, as it transpires, rock. Literally.

Ah man, I loved this film - all the photojournalists are adrenalin junkies, chasing the action - as Kirsten Dunst's partner reminds her when she expresses doubt about heading into a dangerous area, "pop-pop".. that's where they want to be. As the film opens, the WF has pretty much won, and is advancing on Washington D.C., where the president is holed up in the White House - she has the idea that her partner, a print journalist, can get the last interview with him, and she can get the shots. They end up in something like a family unit, accompanied on the trip by an older colleague, and an ingenue who latches herself onto the famous photojournalist that Kirsten Dunst portrays.

Of course, they have to travel by road - and not the direct route either - so it's a long journey, and the film ends where their journey does, in D.C. In essence, it's about photojournalism, and has some things to say about the nature of the job and the people who do it.. craving to be at the centre of the action, but when faced with human suffering, their instinct is to photograph it rather than do anything to help. And they do see plenty of action - this film is packed with thrilling scenes, the journalists always right behind the people with guns, wanting to see as much as they can. Frequently through the film, when a good photo is taken, it's shown on screen..

Not only that though - as they wend their way through war-torn America, they meet plenty of folks along the way who act as stereotypes in a commentary about the state of the nation. We start with the remark by a colleague, upon hearing that they're heading to D.C.: "they shoot journalists on sight in D.C., you know" - because they don't trust them. They meet a dyed-in-the-wool redneck, who has a thing against "non-Americans" - including people from California and Texas. And doesn't trust Kirsten Dunst's partner at all - not only is he from Florida, but he works for Reuters - which, as our redneck friend remarks, "doesn't sound American!". And then there's the surreal small town that's just acting as though none of this is happening.. Oh yeah, some choice observations here. I'm surprised I hadn't heard anything about this film before this week, it being as good as it is - anyway, it's the major new release of the week, and kind of a must-see.. as I say, I absolutely loved it.

TV film last night was Radioactive - I'd never heard of it before, but it's a biopic of Marie Curie, starring Rosamund Pike. Yeah.. it suffers by comparison, being pretty - clinical. I guess the subject matter lends itself to that, but I found it hard to feel anything much for her, particularly when the narrative kept being interrupted by short clips from the future, showing us the impact of her work on radioactivity - both positive, in medicine (particularly x-rays), and negative, with nuclear weapons. But it is an interesting tale. Anyway, I found myself way too tired afterwards to blog - hence the slight delay.

Back to London tonight, and tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for Life with Oscar at the Arcola.. £10 tickets with the code OSCAR10, when I booked! The "Oscar" in question is the statuette - this is a comedy about making it in Hollywood.

On Tuesday, back with Over 40 Living the Life for another dinner at Greenwich Yacht Club.. and after last Tuesday, I know what not to order!

On Wednesday, with London Literary Walks.. he's BACK!! Great stuff - and he's starting, appropriately for me, with the James Joyce Walk. I was actually supposed to go last Wednesday, but it transpired that his popularity is proving a hindrance - he had too many people for that night, and asked his regulars to switch to another date - he was actually doing the walk twice more: last Thursday, and on Wednesday. So I'm going then.

And on Thursday - back with UITCS, for a new take on A Midsummer Night's Dream (perhaps a bit early) at Wilton's. Wow, Meetup seems to have woken up at last..