Film: Train Dreams

Yesterday was film - Train Dreams, what looked like a beautiful film about a logger and railroad worker in the United States in the early 20th century. And this one is in the Curzon Bloomsbury, phew - more familiar to me than the one in Sea Containers!

Well, I'm burning the candle at both ends.. Christmas is always hectic, of course. And so it was that I dozed off on the bus in.. and I don't know whether I slept through the announcement for my stop, or it was never announced - certainly, I didn't realise until the next stop was announced, whereupon I immediately pressed the button, but we were already past it! So I was taken a long way in the wrong direction - and checking the bus times, I decided the fastest option was to walk. And my boots were pinching, what with the second pair of tights I'd put on to fend off the cold..

At least, on the way, I came across my first Christmas lights of the year:

Decided to grab a glass of wine at the cinema - I was chocolated-out! And of course there was a queue - they could really improve that system, here. I was eventually served - nobody to check tickets, thankfully - and headed into the cinema, settling into a lovely, comfy reclining seat. And wouldn't you know it, I must have been 20 minutes late for the screening, but they were still on the trailers.. which were followed by the regular ads..

And so it came to pass that I didn't miss any of the film I'd come to see. Which, sure enough, turned out to be a whimsical tale of a boy put on a train on his own, didn't know what age he was, or what happened to his parents. Fetched up in a small town in Idaho, left school early, and started working as a logger, and on the railroad. William H. Macy shows up as an old-timer working alongside him! 

Ah me. Well, it is undeniably beautiful - his work typically takes him to Spokane, and the scenery is gorgeous - it was actually filmed in Washington State. He spends his entire life within that orbit - and with not that much remarkable about his life, the film pretty much spans the entirety of his life. Which isn't to say that it is boring.. No, as well as it being a hymn to the forests and lakes, he finds love.. and loses love in one of the quietly saddest passages I've ever seen in a film. Be warned, this is a weepie. Having said that, it is a beautiful reflection on life - so, much like the earlier film this year, The Life of Chuck. But this one is also a snapshot of American history. Recommended.

And so to a scrumptious meal in GBK - it's been nearly a month! The food was scrumptious - and I see the burgers are still half price. And of course, this location was good for a quick, but necessary shop. I ran out of time to blog last night though, what with booking ahead. Read on..

Tonight, heading with Paul and Tim's Greater London Talks and Walks, for Tim's Walk: London by Gaslight. Meeting in the Pret near Green Park Station - and I have to leave early for it, and take the Tube, so I had to start early. But hallelujah, I have comfy shoes on today..

Tomorrow, back with storytelling in Folklore! This time it's Nell Phoenix for the Crick Crack Club (CCC), performing The Girl Who Married a Dog, tickets with Dice as usual. Eating at The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch beforehand - and wow, it's a couple of months since I was last up that way!

On Thursday, back with Mandy and her new Meetup group (ahem) Rat-Arsed Tours! This is her Knightsbridge & Belgravia Crimbo Walk - and gee, she has a lot to live up to after the last one of these! Also advertised with London Herstory Walks. We were to meet in The Plumbers Arms, but the location has changed to Tattersalls Tavern. And just like last time, I'll be getting a workout with my laptop on my back..

Then, two days of Spanish music, olé! On Friday, I've lucked out getting cheap tickets with CT to a concert of Spanish classical guitar music at Pixaudio! Regular tickets with Eventbrite. Ah, I adore this music.. eating in The North Pole beforehand.

And on Saturday, the first of two Meetups in a row - although this first one is obviously one of those commercial groups, formed to promote an event - La Isla Flamenco Club is advertising an evening of flamenco, folk, & copla in Bistrot Walluc (tickets from Eventbrite). Now, this turns out to be a fondue restaurant - it doesn't appeal to me massively as a proper meal, so I discovered it's not far from the Blues Kitchen Shoreditch, and have booked there again for beforehand!

Then on Sunday, second Meetup in a row, and first of two films in a row - I'm off with Movie Roadhouse London (MRL) to Nuremberg, a representation of the famous post-World War II Nazi trials, starring Russell Crowe as Hermann Goring and Rami Malek as the psychiatrist brought in to assess the mental state of the prisoners. They're seeing it in the Gate Picturehouse - and our resourceful organiser apparently has a restaurant in mind for after, for those interested! Crikey, it's 11.5 years since I was last there..

And on Monday, I'm thinking of heading 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: possibly with ulterior motives.. Closest showing to me is in the Garden Cinema.

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

On the 26th, headed with TAC to Maybe I Should Stop, at the Drayton Arms.

On the 27th, the CCC 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.

On the 28th, back with MRL for 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 the 29th, back with MRL for 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..

On the 30th, 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.

And on the 1st, off with CT to Shake It Up - The Improvised Shakespeare Show, at the Hen & Chickens...