Film: It Was Just an Accident
Tonight, I headed to Rich Mix to see It Was Just an Accident, which Movie Roadhouse London did see a while ago, but I was otherwise engaged. It's the story of an ex-detainee in an Iranian prison, who comes across someone he thinks was his sadistic prison guard - he rounds up fellow ex-prisoners to confirm his identity.
So, after I left The Blues Kitchen (TBK)(having ensured to finish the last post.. yes, it did take that long), it was a fairly short walk to Rich Mix, where I went straight upstairs, never had my ticket checked. I got another glass of wine - which, yay, I could taste, and which tasted lovely! - and took my seat in Screen 1, the only one actually on Level 1, where you're told to go for the cinema. Really, they should be more specific about the screens - for the others, you're directed upstairs, but with, again, no indication what floor to go to until you get there; so if you need the lift, it's an art of guesswork, unless you've been before.. I'm guessing the reason for this has a lot to do with the concession stand being on that level..
I love Iranian film. Someone once asked me why, specifically - and I think it has a lot to do with its sheer quirkiness. I don't know whether everyday Iranian life is really like that, but wow, it's watchable.. there's quite a dark humour to this, some of which reminds me of Ireland, when I was living there as a kid.
From the trailer, you can see there's a bride involved, complete with wedding outfit - the story is, she's one of the ex-detainees, who is to get married next day and was taking photos, but when she hears what's happening, she insists on coming along. Well, there's a scene where they've stopped the van (the supposed ex-prison guard in the back) to refuel, and she hops out of the back to get sick on the forecourt, her fiancé (who wouldn't leave her to face this alone) coming to help her. The guy taking payment (who, by the looks of it, has just filled the van himself) wryly remarks to the driver that they "put the cart before the horse, eh?" (Actually, their prisoner had just shat himself.)
I just had to laugh, however, at the scene where they just happen to be having a row about what to do with him, right across the road from a couple of cops - who saunter over and ask what the matter is. So they claim they're taking wedding photos - whereupon the cops ask where their permits are. So then, of course, they ask for a backhander - and when the driver says he has no cash, one of them produces a card terminal..
On a more serious note, it does raise a number of questions - about how sure you need to be before acting, about the rights and wrongs of different courses of action, and about the consequences. A couple of scenes are remarkable for their sheer dramatic tension, with the release of raw emotion.. Really, a marvellous film. Unfortunately, I did have a slight coughing fit.. not too bad really. I'll be taking Strepsils with me in future, though!
On the way home, and following my previous comments about buses, I had an interesting comparison to make about my outward and return journeys this evening. On the way out, a young man sitting behind me started to sing softly to himself - and it was lovely to hear. Sure enough, as he got off, I could see he was carrying a guitar case. On the return journey, in contrast, some woman, about to get off, passed a remark about a guy near her, who had apparently been "sitting too close to her". Which he was obviously supposed to hear, and at which he took offence. Some shouting and name-calling followed, but she got off a minute later anyway. See now? You rarely get that much variety on the Tube.. Not to mention a cool light show as we passed the Shard:
On Thursday, something I waited a long time to hear about.. some time ago, I was at an amazing mediaeval music concert by Rune at the church of St. Bartholomew the Great - at which they advertised a carol concert in the same venue. Well, it's finally on the church diary, and happening on Thursday - twice in fact, at 6pm and 9pm, free, no tickets required. The church opens an hour beforehand - and they recommend getting there early. I'm thinking of heading to the later one, and was thinking of eating in The Old Red Cow beforehand - emailed for a booking, only for them to get back to me this evening and say they're fully booked. Most of the restaurants around there are too pricey, and those that aren't tend to be booked up by now - but I managed to get a table at Alfonsina, which is a steak restaurant, not too far away.
Friday is the Crick Crack Club's Christmas Carols show, at Hoxton Hall, starring Ben Haggarty, Tim Ralphs, and Steph Brittain, with Sheema Mukherjee on music. Booked the nearby Breeze Bistro for beforehand, and have been waiting ages for confirmation.. so I've given up, and booked TBK again.
Saturday sees my last Meetup of the year, with LoMAZ doing their 2025 Xmas Pub Crawl! Not listed as an official Meetup event, it was advertised on their WhatsApp chat for people who have already attended a LoMAZ event - so restricted to people who've both attended an event and signed up for the WhatsApp group, and people they choose to invite. Now, Helen is also coming to town that day.. and when they amended their plans to include a pre-crawl lunch, she said she'd join us! So, we start at Nando's London Bridge, then it's off to Hays on the River - you never know, she might stay with us for that, it's near London Bridge - then the Globe Tavern, The Old Thameside Inn (one of my favourites), The George (another of my favourites), The Bunch of Grapes (a short walk away), and the Bermondsey Bierkeller (which also does wine, I checked). And all walking distance from my home, lovely! What's also nice is that we've planned 90 minutes in each, so it's not too rushed.. there's forward planning! (and they've been reworking the lyrics to the 12 Days of Christmas ..)
..and I'd better have packed before I head on all that.. because I'm catching a flight from Gatwick at 9.15 the following morning.. to Bergen! where I'm catching the Hurtigrute.. doing the classic voyage, to Kirkenes and back - AKA BKB. 12 days, 11 nights, returning on New Year's Day. You see, with my mother having died this year, that's my last close relative gone, and I was damned if I was spending this Christmas, whatever about future ones, alone, here or in Ireland. It was actually Mark who set me to thinking about it, bless him - and it didn't take me long to come up with this, which so many have recommended to me as one of the world's most beautiful voyages. It's real bucket-list stuff, so I spared no expense - happily, they have no single supplement, and equally happily, they include the flights (Norwegian Air). I booked an outside cabin (with full window), a wine package (a bottle a day), and seven excursions..
Now, I ordered a whole lot of warm clothes for this trip (as you can imagine) - had them delivered to a pickup point, and he's bloody lost some of them! including the thermal underwear I ordered. That could be a problem.. I need to get back there and see whether they showed up.. I tell you something, I'm never having anything delivered there again..!
On Monday, I'm off to see Alnes Lighthouse. William the Conqueror's great-great-great-grandfather apparently hailed from here. Or maybe not.
Next Tuesday, I'll be on a guided city walk in Trondheim.
On Christmas Eve, I kid you not, I'll be on a Sámi adventure - including feeding the reindeer! It took someone else to point out to me that I'd be setting them up for their big journey..
On St. Stephen's Day (AKA Boxing Day), I'll be at the North Cape (Nordkapp) - weather permitting. Seas are rough up there.
I arrive in Kirkenes, on the Russian border, on the 27th - apparently we can take photos, but can't cross! ;-)
We're in Hammerfest on the 28th.
And I'm at a midnight concert at Tromso Cathedral on the 29th.
So, Christmas and New Year's on the boat! Just what I wanted.. and a guarantee of seeing the Northern Lights, to the extent that if I don't, I get a free cruise. Ooh, and I mustn't forget, I promised postcards to someone..
So, back on New Year's Day - not as early - and taking the next day off, because it's a Friday - and back home to Ireland for the weekend, because it's been too long. The next two days are with CT - on the 5th, I'm back at the Hen & Chickens for Shake It Up: The Improvised Shakespeare Show.
And on the 6th, I'm at a comedy show - Live Next to the Apollo, at Riverside Studios.
On the 7th - my first Meetup of the year - I'm back with the Horror Book Club - assuming I get the book read in time! It's The House on the Borderland - and they're meeting in the Prince of Wales, as usual. Now, considering the lack of progress I've been making with Hogfather for my work book club.. we'll have to see.. it's over a year since I was last with them for a book review!
The next two days, I'm with CT at the Backyard Comedy Club.. again, it's been a while!
And on the 10th, two Meetups.. firstly, a walk titled Souhwark: Seedy and Sublime with none other than Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies, yay! Haven't seen him since September, would you believe..
And that evening, back with The Hideout for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Venue and timings TBC, but it'll be somewhere around Leicester Square.
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