Film: Dragonfly

Tonight, second film in a row, I headed to Dragonfly, on my own.. it's the story of an elderly woman (Brenda Blethyn) needing care, and the next-door neighbour (Andrea Riseborough) who steps in to save the day - but things take a dark turn.. Closest showing to me was in the Garden Cinema.

I missed the bus I should have got - by the skin of my teeth, it seems like. It was a quarter of an hour to the next - and then we had to stop for a change of driver. And then the bus stopped early - typical. Cue me racing up the road - in the non-forecast rain - sure enough, I was 15 minutes late for showtime. Mercifully, the opening credits were just rolling.

Well, the content, I'm familiar with from my own mother - community nurses coming in to cook for the old lady, bathe her, tick off what's been done in a notebook. All very anonymous, filling up their allotted time, and you can't blame her when she explodes at one of them. So when the young, unemployed lady next door offers to do it for free, well..! plus the shopping. And what's more, she hangs around and chats!

There is that rambunctious dog of hers to contend with. And when the old lady's son (Jason Watkins) comes to visit, well I suppose you can't be too careful about letting strangers into the home of a vulnerable old lady. So I guess you can't blame him for being just a bit suspicious..

It's marvellous, never drags - and the young next door neighbour is just sparky enough that you're never quite sure whether to trust her. I'm not going to give away what happens, but it's worth waiting for.. and on top of that, the film has a lot to say about loneliness, particularly among the elderly. Quite compelling, quite realistic.

And so to Nando's, where I was fed quickly, cheaply, and with a lot more ambient lighting than yesterday. And there was more of it. And this place knows how to make chocolate cake.. and their house wine is better. Hmph.

Oh, and the bus completely disappeared on the way home - not on the departures board at all, and no sign of it magically appearing. I eventually gave up and took others. Complained to TFL, for all the good it'll do.

Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for a play called Jurassic, at Soho Theatre.

On Wednesday, headed with TAC to Maybe I Should Stop, at the Drayton Arms.

On Thursday, the Crick Crack Club is in action again, in the form of Ben Haggarty, who's performing The Blacksmith at the Bridge of Bones, at the Story Museum Oxford. Happily, they livestream it - available for a week afterwards - so I'm free to go with UITCS again that day, who are headed to Sadler's Wells for Ballet Black, performing Shadows. Eating beforehand in The Wilmington.

Then, two days with Movie Roadhouse London, three with Meetup. On Friday, we're off to Pillion - showing in the BFI, this is a love story between a man and a handsome young biker.. starring Alexander Skarsgard (most memorable for his role as vampire Eric in True Blood, woo!) Booked for the Archduke again beforehand..

On Saturday, we're going to Winter Wonderland! Oh, I've been to this so many times on my own, it'll be great to go with a group.. we're all going to The Ice Palace, then skating is scheduled - not my thing, I'll be going to Cirque Berserk shortly afterwards. Then we hang out together, doing whatever..

On Sunday, back with LoMAZ for a LoMAZ unlimited - they generally limit their numbers, but have the odd event with unlimited numbers. British Museum - on this day, focused on a Nordic Noir exhibition - and afterwards to Penderel's Oak.

Next Monday, off with CT to Shake It Up - The Improvised Shakespeare Show, at the Hen & Chickens.. My sometime travel companion is coming too, and we're eating at La Pasta beforehand - handily, it's quite a late show, which gives us plenty of time.

On the second, thinking film - finally thinking of The Mastermind again! A 70s art heist film starring Josh O' Connor, it's now showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury.

The third is our work Christmas party, this year in Brasserie Blanc, pretty convenient to me, but which I've never tried.

And on the fourth - well, looks like I'm finally going to get to see Frankenstein, as per Guillermo del Toro! Looks to be a supremely gothic epic, with Jacob Elordi as the monster, Christoph Waltz, and Charles Dance as the father of the scientist, Oscar Isaac, who brings the creature to life. Well, I've seen the exhibition, it's about time I saw the finished product! Showing in Hackney Picturehouse - and since everywhere was full the last time I was there, I've made sure to book for Pizza Express beforehand.

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