Film: Young Hearts

Tonight - yes, film again.. headed to Young Hearts, tonight only in the Curzon Bloomsbury. And being in the office again today, I could walk to it. Slowly, complete with laptop, but it wasn't raining, wasn't too hot.

I made it in time to grab wine and chocolate. I have to say, the new packaging on the sweets is more compact, but with all the labels the same colour, it's impossible to tell quickly which is which.. I did find mine eventually, and made my way down to the Renoir, the largest screen. Where, funnily enough, the guy beside me also had a rucksack - so every time someone wanted to pass us, we both had to hoik our rucksacks onto our laps. The film was preceded by the author/director giving a little speech about how this was the kind of film he needed to see when he was younger.

It's a lovely, light, airy film - in some parts very moving. The young actors are terrific, very watchable young boys. And the story is compelling, as young Elias struggles with his feelings for his new next-door neighbour, and his fears of ridicule from his compatriots. The only niggle I had about it was - once he does come out, finally, at the end of the film, how very accepting everyone is: his parents, his brother (after a bit), his grandad, his friends - even the girl he was nominally going out with. It's just a bit unrealistic. Having said that, it makes a nice change, I guess..

Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend to check the house is still standing and the cat still remembers how to purr. Still looking for another home for her. Flying there with Aer Lingus because Ryanair, ironically, was so ridiculously expensive.. flying back with Ryanair though. If I have time to go to the cinema, I'll go see Weapons - a new horror film, it's very highly rated, and looks highly original! Stars Josh Brolin. Only sad I won't be here to see it with The Hideout, tomorrow.. Showing in Ennis, which is handiest for me.

Back in London on Monday, again I'm headed to the Summer Organ Festival with CT - this time, the performer is Simon Horgan. The second of four Mondays in a row it's running. My sometime travel companion is coming too, and she being a big fan of Flat Iron, we've booked the nearby Borough branch for afterwards. Even on a Monday, they were already booked out to 8.30..

On Tuesday, I've found what looks like an amazing film.. A State of Passion is a documentary about British-Palestinian surgeon, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, and his work in Palestine - and for all the horrors it shows, it also seems to be a real work of, well, love for the country. "A State of Passion" is his phrase describing Palestine. Showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury - and with my membership renewed, I'm using it as one of my free films, and have booked.

On Wednesday, also thrilled with what I found - back with CT, I have a ticket for Storehouse, a new immersive exhibition in Deptford. A topical show, it puts you in a storehouse containing all news stories since the advent of the internet, but asks you to take a stand, with rival narratives competing for dominance.

Next Thursday, thinking of film again - and The Garden Cinema has a members' suggestion, Smiles of a Summer Night, a romantic comedy by Ingmar Bergman, which looks like an option. Even closer to the office than is the Curzon Bloomsbury! And I've finally bitten the bullet and taken out membership with them too.

On the 15th.. well, The Hideout is off to Friday 13th Part VIII in the Prince Charles.. and the organiser offered me a free ticket. Otherwise you couldn't drag me to it, TBH. We're meeting in Victory House beforehand.

And on the 16th, back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies, yay - finally getting to do his Beatles walk.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Leaving Drinks

Yesterday, I booked with CT for a play called  10 Nights , at  Riverside Studios . But it was a colleague's last day, and he booked the  All Bar One  by the office for leaving drinks - so I did that instead. I loved working with him, he'll be missed - and I was just as happy not to have to traipse all the way to  Hammersmith .. A large card went around, appropriate for all the people that wanted to sign it - and before the pub, there was a speech in the office, streamed on Teams for anyone who wanted to watch and wasn't in yesterday. It was pointed out to those online that we had drinks in the office, too - there was plenty of beer, something fizzy, and a bottle of regular white wine. Unfortunately, I never did get to that - there wasn't a general move, although the CEO's wife, who'd come in for the occasion, partook of the wine. But you see, I didn't want to start a glass and then discover we were en route to the pub! I needn't have worried - I thought...
Read more

Film: I'm Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui)

Image
Tonight, I decided on film - and the film at the top of my list looked really good;  I'm Still Here  is about a  Brazilian  woman whose husband disappeared during the  military dictatorship . Based on a true story, this is receiving a lot of attention. Also showing widely - the closest to me is in the  BFI . I booked it, because it had started to sell out - in fact, in the end it completely sold out . Interestingly,  Movie Roadhouse London  saw it on Sunday , and loved it.. if I hadn't had this booked, I'd have gone with them! And by the time I discovered I was free that day, of course I'd already booked for tonight.. I made it just in time, and had booked for the end of a row, conveniently. Now.. the difference between this and the film I saw on Sunday can be very succintly described - this director knows how to tell a story, that director didn't. For all that each is the recounting of a true story, they couldn't be more different. In this fi...
Read more

Play: Lynn Faces

Image
Tonight, back with  Up in the Cheap Seats  for  Lynn Faces , a comedy about women of a certain age starting a punk group, and playing at the  New Diorama .  My plan was to eat at the nearby Wasabi  beforehand. It was another member of the group, who, when we're both headed to something, joins me for food beforehand, that spotted that it closes at 3! Undeterred, we decided on the one by Warren Street . I got there early, as it happened - to discover that that one is essentially a cupboard with shelving. No seating whatsoever. So, Plan C - I took myself off to the other alternative we'd considered, the Greene Man , pretty much across the road from the theatre, and which, when I spotted it, I realised I'd eaten in when I was here before ! On the way, I passed the other Wasabi, the one that closes early.. I see they have lots of space.. Happily, the pub wasn't too busy, and I got a table without trouble, where my companion duly joined me. And we both had their...
Read more