Film: Downton Abbey - The Grand Finale

Currently in the middle of a few days of Meetup. The weekend is all about my film groups - yesterday, Movie Roadhouse London (MRL) were off to Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. In the Curzon Mayfair, natch. Handily, as a member, I got a free ticket.. and what really caught my eye was the (optional) black-tie social. Booked to eat in the King's Arms Mayfair beforehand.

I was up late the night before, trawling through my clothes for something to wear - which was handy, I found a jumper I'd long been looking for! The following day, it looked fine as I headed out - only to open the house door and see it was pouring rain: that fine rain you can't always see from inside. No way I could wear the outfit planned - an outfit change was required. I had to get the Tube anyway, traffic meant it was a bit far by bus - but even at that, I was quite late for my booking - and the brilliant sun that now greeted me didn't help as I tried to check my phone to tell whether I was there yet. But the pub was easy to find, and not busy in the upstairs dining area - I took a seat by the window, and he insisted on taking my order at the table. Mind you, for all that it wasn't busy, I found that things tended to move faster if I went and found him..

It being a Greene King pub, I very nearly had one of their famous - and excellent - steak and ale pies: but not every Greene King pub does chicken, so when I noticed chicken kiyev on the menu, I had that instead - and it was very moreish, with chips that were tastily seasoned: if a little bit too salty. And wouldn't you know it, I was still making my way through it when I got a message that the group had started to arrive at the cinema..

A short walk got me there, to find the organiser at the bar. There were a good few of us, and we took up the corner of the bar area - some people had come in quite interesting outfits! And it was great to hang out, before the film - and sad to learn the cinema is closing in a few months; it's to be turned into a private club, apparently. The toilets, when I visited them, were completely marble - and I found something curious in one of the toilet stalls:

In due course, we headed into Screen 1 - which is impressively sweeping. And the film - was as expected. Highclere Castle, representing the Downton Abbey of the title, as ever, looks gorgeous - I wonder what its next project could be, considering that this is the last of the Downton Abbey films. I've seen various episodes of the TV series - I think I've seen the first film, probably not the second.. but anyway, I pretty much remembered all the characters, and anyway, it's kind of self-explanatory.

I tell you what I did love - it opens with a view of Piccadilly Circus, and a trip to The Criterion Theatre! Well now, that made me feel right at home. You see, there's a Noel Coward play showing there (in the film) and he's a family friend - or seeing a family friend, I forget. Anyway - what a treat to have his urbane wit as a more modern counterpoint to the ancestral stuffiness of the upper classes - not to mention that he allows the newly divorced Lady Mary a way back into a society that, at the time, ferociously disapproved of divorce; indeed, it's set in 1937, the very year that Edward VIII married an American divorcee - he'd had to abdicate to do it, and the wedding had to be held abroad; none of his family came. Nor did he ever live in England again.

This isn't the only whiff of modernity - the Crawley family is selling their London townhouse, and thinking of buying - a flat! Never fear, they're keeping Downton - this is just to have a pied-a-terre in town. And the viewing, with Lady Mary showing the Earl around, and having him accustom himself to the concept, is hilarious. A much nicer property than most of us could aspire even to rent, of course..

It's a very pleasant watch, with the requisite elegance, in outfits and in surrounds, as well as a friendly cast of characters, who deftly deal with unpleasant persons, ensuring that nothing gets too much in the way of their harmonious lives. Not a film for people who crave drama - and indeed, I'm not a massive fan of the stories: but it's nice to dip my toe in, on occasion. And what it is intended to do, I think it does very well. A nice bookend to the series.

The organiser suggested food afterwards - so I suggested we head back to the pub! which we did. Lo, they had a large table free in the dining area - we dragged over another couple of chairs, and people were well-fed - I think those who had the pie were impressed. As for me, with the size of the portions, I couldn't possibly have another meal there so soon - although I was rather jealous, I'd have loved a pie if I could have managed it, and did consider it - but in the end, I was quite happy with just a portion of garlic bread. Which, again, was slightly salty. But we had a lovely time, chatting again.

I was too tired to blog last night. And today, The Hideout is off to see The Long Walk, based on the short story by Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman. It was actually the first thing he ever wrote, and deals with a dystopian future in which a walking contest sees the losers executed, and the winner achieve whatever he desires - for the rest of his life. Excellent book - let's see how they do with the film! We're seeing it in the Vue West End, meeting in Victory House beforehand - and of course, I'm eating in Bella Italia again before that. And given that I'll be having chicken with garlic there again, I should really have had the pie yesterday - ah well..

Completing a trio of Meetups, tomorrow I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats for the only non-film of the week - we're seeing a female-centric version of Dracula at the Lyric Hammersmith.

Then a few more films coming up - on Tuesday, thinking of another Palestinian documentary; this one is From Ground Zero, a collection of short films made by Gazans. Produced by Michael Moore. I saw the trailer when I was in the Curzon Bloomsbury, but this week it's showing in the ICA.

On Wednesday only, the Cinema Museum is showing The Big Heat, a film noir with Glenn Ford. Eating beforehand in the Toulouse Lautrec.

And on Thursday, back with MRL at The Garden Cinema (complete with member's discount) for a murder mystery called Islands, set in the Canaries. The organiser apparently has an idea of somewhere to eat - watch this space.