Film: Thelma

I'm just back from a weekend in Ireland, and the highest rated film was something called Thelma. This is about a 93-year-old lady who's scammed, thinking she's giving money to her grandson. Ah, how many times have we come across that?! Anyway, she takes an unusual step - she seeks revenge - and to get her money back. Malcolm McDowell plays the scammer - I don't recognise anyone else on the cast list. Anyway, seemed like a fun revenge fantasy.. and with a mother who's a year off this lady in age, I can relate to any of the age-related stuff! Only showing in Ennis.

Ages when I was not going there, and now two fortnights in a row.. the town was bedecked in blue and saffron for yesterday's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final, Clare v Cork. 11 years since Clare won it, 19 since Cork did - as commentators said, both were "hungry". All the talk in the shops I visited on Saturday was along the lines of "are you headed to Dublin"? Indeed, the supermarket in Tulla was closing at 3pm yesterday, to let staff watch it - and, of course, anticipating a slow trading day anyway! And they erected a large, outdoor screen in Ennis - tickets for that went almost as quickly as those for the match itself!

They've also mostly finished those road works - turns out they're pedestrianising more of the road in the centre! Excellent idea - it was a nightmare to drive anyway, the streets are so narrow, and this makes it much more pleasant for everyone - the town is small enough to walk most of it!

As it turned out, I was on my own at the screening. Just me and the flickering lights on either side, which continued for the duration - just as well that's not something that affects me. Anyway, the film.. it was just lovely. Aside from the central premise, of her hitting off on her own to find a scammer - it's quite realistic! The poor lady can't move around too easily - she needs a stick, and moves slowly. So, to facilitate her chase of the criminals.. she nicks a mobility scooter from her friend, who's in a care home. (This is why there's a care home in the trailer - she doesn't live there, she's visiting him. To be fair, the theft wasn't premeditated - she saw it and had a bright idea.)

This isn't one of those bodybuilding seniors - she has hearing aids, if she falls she can't get up unassisted.. For anything to do with computers, she seeks the assistance of her grandson. They're very close, which is why she rushes to help him when she thinks he needs it. As I say, Malcolm McDowell is the scammer - also old and decrepit, on an oxygen tank, and when she tracks him to his criminal lair, it's hilarious as she points a gun at him and demands her money back.. only for him to say he can't give it to her. And when she challenges him, he points at the computer and says "It's in there. And my grandson does all that!" Cue her getting on the phone to her grandson to help her.. I really related to her complaining that ads were popping up all over, and him having to tell her, over the phone, to find, and click, the x..

Quite realistic in terms of her abilities, as I say - and hilarious in parts. She has a terrific sense of humour. It's also quite a sensitive film, as she and her friend contemplate the realities of growing older - diminished faculties, friends passing away - and when her family are dragged into it, we do see their real concern for her. She and her grandson have rather a moving conversation at the end of the film, about what it's going to mean when she passes on.. So, a film that lives up to its responsibilities, dealing realistically with ageing. And manages to make it entertaining! Quite a little gem - see it if you can. I was very impressed.

The guy who came to clean seemed to get a shock when he met me coming out - did he think there wasn't anyone in there at all?! Hope they fix those lights - they're in Screen 7, FYI. Anyway, I didn't blog that night - spent all my free time booking things ahead! Not so many films in my immediate future, which means I can be more definite..

Yesterday, of course, was the Big Match. The cats weren't too impressed:

What it was for us humans, though, was - as the commentators gushed - one of the best displays of hurling ever. The sides were so evenly matched that the scores were level 15 times - as someone on the text feed remarked, "You score, we score!". Mind you, the scores were coming so thick and fast that the text updates were invariably a score behind. It ran to extra time - and again, the scores were level - Clare got a point, then Cork got a free.. and the nation held its breath as.. he sent it wide. Whistle blew, game over, Clare won. Wheee! By one whole point, after all that. Honestly though, you have to feel for Cork.. who, by next year, will have been a full 20 years without a win! and came so close.. Anyway, my point is, with all that going on, I was too busy to blog.

Unfortunately, there was a points failure just outside Stansted - the next two trains were cancelled by the time I got there, and with two more cancelled while I was in the station, the next scheduled was at 12.30am - the last of the night! I had my doubts about it going - not to mention that I knew I could get a bus, and be home by that time! And that is what I did. It ran too late to blog, of course, if I had to be up for work today.

These two days, back with CT for the Bitesize Festival at Riverside Studios - they have a few offerings, but today, I'm going to see Dangled. Sounds interesting - described as a "psychosexual horror comedy", it's based on Diary of a Madman, by Gogol. It's on late enough that I can eat beforehand - and going on my useful last visit to Riverside, I'll try Wasabi for food! Yum..

And tomorrow, Namastae Bae - a satirical guru. After booking, I realised that London Baroque Music Lovers has an event that day - they're going to Prom 7, at the Royal Albert Hall. Durnit, forgot about that when I was booking for that day! but I was booking a lot, and it was late at night, so I was tired. Never mind, that's quite a late event anyway. Shame though, I hardly ever meet this group these days - their events aren't very frequent. Anyway, a sometime companion of mine was looking at that event, asked me about mine, and has now expressed an interest in both - I dunno, I think it'd be too much of a rush to get from one to the other..

On Wednesday, back with London Literary Walks (LLW) for a walk about Newton and Legal London. We're meeting in The Devereux, but they don't do proper meals - I'm eating in The George, up the road, beforehand. At least, after last Monday, I have some idea of the complicated street mapping!

The next two days, back with Over 40 Living the Life. On Thursday, it's Afrique en Cirque at the Queen Elizabeth Hall - always love a circus!

On Friday, it's Slave Play - at the Noel Coward, it got a terrific review. Stars Kit Harington - who apparently gets his kit off! (pun intended). Eating in the nearby Bella Italia.

Saturday was the next date possible for my ex-coworkers' reunion, what with everybody travelling hither and yon, and suffering from jetlag.. I was thinking of going back to Brown's. But then Ivan requested Sunday, because he's rehearsing that day - and the others were fine with it. But now it turns out he's needed in Scotland, where his family lives, on Sunday, so kind of has to meet us on Saturday.. he's cutting his rehearsal short.. and you might ask why I say it's like herding cats! So we now seem to be back to that day again.. I've booked The Albert for that day now, instead of the next.

On Sunday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) (at last!) for a short play, Comment is Free, at the Putney Arts Theatre. Sounds really interesting, having cancel culture as its theme. It's part of their Box Set Summer Festival - they do have a discount if you book multiples. The organiser is availing of that, but I'm not - I've seen one of them (A Hundred Words for Snow), which was a memorable production, but I don't generally like to repeat myself - and I'm not around for the others she's going to, the following weekend.

Next Monday, finally going to Mnemonic, at the National, which this group is seeing on Wednesday, but of course I'm already occupied that day. Does sound interesting though.

On the 30th, back with CT: for The Improv Comedy Show - Can We Have a Word? at Upstairs at the Green.

On the 31st, I'm back with UITCS for Starlight Express! Heard of this, never seen it - it's at the new Wembley Park Theatre. And I'm trying out their Studio Five restaurant beforehand.

On the 1st, heading to Frankie Goes to Bollywood at the Queen Elizabeth Hall again - should be fun. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 5th, heading to Next To Normal, at Wyndham's - cheapest tickets with TodayTix. Eating at Bella Italia again.

On the 6th, headed back with CT to Stagetime - more improvised comedy - at Shoreditch Balls! Eating at the nearby Blues Kitchen, which I love.

On the 7th, back with LLW for Dickens, Woolf and Lawrence. Meeting at The Dolphin, but they don't do food, so I'll eat at the nearby Isolabella Italian restaurant beforehand.

And on the 8th, back with Buddies on Budgets for a sketching evening (!) in Phoenix Garden. Tickets from Eventbrite. If I go.. not usually my thing, but we'll see.