Film: Radical

For this evening, I really liked the look of Radical, a film about a Mexican teacher with, well, radical methods for saving his students from the path of crime and violence. On in the Curzon Bloomsbury again - had to eat afterwards this time, it was on a lot earlier!

I got chatting to one of my flatmates on the way out - and damnit, was just in time to see my bus pull away! Wouldn't you know it, though, there was another right after - and I made the cinema in time. And it turned out to be in the same screen as last night.. happily, this time I had a free seat beside me, where I dumped my stuff. Ironically, of course, tonight I had less stuff, as I hadn't come straight from the office, with my laptop bag..

Ah, this is excellent. It's heartbreaking in parts, heartwarming overall.. the true story of a teacher with startling methods, fighting the odds against random violence, gangs, and poverty. As in the film, he really did have a genius in his class, who placed first in the country.. she even has a cameo in the film, as the librarian who shows one of the students where to find the books she wants in the library! Other students are amalgams of different people, but basically, what is depicted did happen.

It's moving, it's inspirational. And it's great fun - go see it! You never know where it might take you..

GBK was typically excellent afterwards - the guy behind the counter laughed, I decided so quickly what I wanted. Dunno when I'll be there again, but I do love it.

Tomorrow - how could I resist Trap, M. Night Shayamalan's latest, where Josh Hartnett is a serial killer, trapped when he takes his daughter to a pop concert?! I love his dead stare in the trailer.. And this is the start of five Meetup days in a row for me. Two Meetup groups are actually going that day - but London Horror Film Group are going at midday, for goodness' sake. Anyway, I'd rather go with The London Movie Club, who are going in the evening - meeting in Clubhouse 5 beforehand. And given what happened last time, when we headed out after the film, I'm eating beforehand, even though it's quite early - Bella Italia (Cranbourn Street), of course. So I can lie in, but not indefinitely.

Interestingly, they've advertised two cinemas, given the small screens in Cineworld, where I've booked - they've also suggested the Odeon, where there's a showing at a similar time. Unfortunately, they started out with a link for the wrong day for Cineworld.. hope nobody was caught out by that! I only spotted it after my card was inexplicably declined, and I had to try again - damnit, there's always a problem with their site! It's also a nuisance that my Pass app is no longer autofilling card details, given that I don't have them saved with Cineworld, and as I say, I forgot my card and can't remember the details! Had to go with my Irish one, in the end..

On Sunday, back with Buddies on a Budget - this time, for a tango show in the Scoop! My first time this year, imagine.. Supposed to be a hot one that day. My aforementioned flatmate, who's in charge of security there, will be on duty, says he'll keep an eye out for me.. It is actually starting before we arrive, but I'm sure we'll see plenty! Sponsored by the Argentinian Embassy, apparently. I'll eat in Cote at Hay's Galleria beforehand, it's quite close.

The next two days, back with Up in the Cheap Seats - on Monday, we're off to Farm Hall, in the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Based on true events, it's the story of a group of German scientists, detained in England during the Second World War. I'm eating at Angus Steakhouse.

On Tuesday, off to Fangirls at the Lyric Hammersmith. Not a standard pop fan story, this tells the tale of what happens when a young female fan's adoration for her pop idol is shattered..

On Wednesday, back with London Literary Walks - this walk is the St. James' Walk.

And on Thursday, film again (!) - a feature at the Prince Charles, who are showing It's Such a Beautiful Day, the animated film by Don Hertzfeldt, which will be accompanied by his new short film, Me. And of course, that'll be accompanied by a trip to Bella Italia (Cranbourn Street) .. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.