Film: Caught Stealing

This was the first of a few days of film - all with the same people. Just a few days ago, Movie Roadhouse London (MRL) advertised a choice of film for tonight. You could have The Roses - an updated version of The War of the Roses, starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner as a married couple whose marriage breaks up spectacularly. Danny DeVito is her divorce lawyer. The updated version has Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.

Or you could have Caught Stealing. In the style of crime comedy films we know and love - hell, it's actually set in 90s NYC - here we have Austin Butler as the hapless interloper in an underground crime world that he is neither familiar with, nor wants to be (he reminds me so much of Brad Pitt, back in the day). Zoe Kravitz is the love interest. Liev Schreiber shows up, pretty unrecognisable, as one of the heavies.

Both in the Cineworld Empire, both finishing at around the same time, it was a combined Meetup, you just went to whichever appealed. There really wasn't any competition for me - I went for Caught Stealing.

Heading from the office, it took me hardly any time at all to walk to Bella Italia - of course, I'm there these three nights, being in the neighbourhood. And what would you know - advertised on the placemat was a new dish - katsu carbonara! Well, as I told him, I love katsu.. so I had that. Mind you, the katsu taste was so mild it reminded me of Pot Noodles (curry flavour) - when he asked me, at the end, how it'd been, I suggested they add a pinch more of curry powder next time.. which he said he would. For me. I assured him he'd have a chance to try out his new recipe on me again tomorrow..!

By the time I'd finished, our organiser was in Victory House, where we were meeting - as usual for here. So, there I went - they didn't have Sauvignon Blanc, so I asked for Chardonnay - and lo, they overpoured on both glasses. Good for them. I also found another way down to the bar, along their convoluted maze. And we had a good chat there before heading in, those going to The Roses leaving a bit earlier.

Yeah, TBH, it doesn't sound as though either was great. Certainly, at least a couple of us were severely disappointed with Caught Stealing - we'd expected a comedy, by the looks of the trailer, but got nothing of the kind. I really don't know what the point of the film is - a documentary? It has too many oddities to be a straight crime drama, too few jokes to be a comedy. If I had to describe it, I'd say it was boring. The interesting characters all get killed along the way, leaving us with just Austin Butler to look at - sorry, he's not interesting enough to occupy the entire run. I waited till I'd seen all the scenes from the trailer, then left, on the grounds that I didn't care what happened to him.

The organiser was waiting for us in the bar - the other film had finished already. From how he described it, there was no chemistry between the leads, and their children were surplus to requirements and could have been left out. How odd, also, that they have American accents, while their parents are British. He hadn't thought much more of it than I had of mine. Anyway, it was nice that we got to leave together, and lovely to see everyone.

Om the way home, had the usual trouble gauging bus times - there's a terrible internet blackspot just at St. Martin's Place. Didn't take me too long in the end, though.

Tomorrow - well now, I was hardly going to miss The Hideout's trip to The Conjuring: Last Rites, which opens that day.. starring Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren, it apparently covers the 1986 Smurl haunting. And they're supposed to be making this the last case. Well, I love this stuff, so that was a no-brainer. Showing in the Odeon West End, social in All Bar One after.

And the other night - just as I'd finished the blog - MRL advertised Honey Don't!, in the Cineworld Empire again, for Saturday. Directed by Ethan Coen, it's an old-style private detective comedy thriller, starring Margaret Qualley as detective Honey O' Donahue, investigating a suspicious church run by Chris Evans. Meeting in Victory House again.

Eating in Bella Italia all three days, of course, as it's convenient for both cinemas. :-)

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