Film: L' Atalante

Tonight, I saw L' Atalante, the story of a newly married couple, he the captain of the ship L' Atalante, which is now their home. A newly restored version, this is showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury. And I got it at a discount, with my newly purchased bundle, yay!

I tried Citymapper - couldn't figure out how to get it to tell me how to get somewhere for a given time though, so I was back to Google Maps again. Not that it helped - what it predicted was nothing like what happened with the buses, a string of #188s due. So naturally, that's what I got, changing straight to a #1 - which stopped at Holborn Station. I walked the rest of the way, mindful of how long the diversion is, even if I could have found a bus to do it.

Didn't feel like chocolate, given that I finished the last lot this afternoon! So I grabbed some wine and made my way downstairs, where the ads were showing. The app was playing with me, telling me I had no purchases, then asking whether I wanted to see the ticket I'd bought for the one that was about to show.. Anyway, I settled into my seat - and all of a sudden, the screen went dark and an emergency evacuation order started to play! I didn't hear any panic outside - someone did go to check, but sure enough it was just an alarm playing up. The upshot was, in order not to make it later than it should have been, they just eventually skipped the ads, showing the film in due course. Result!

Ah, it's a lovely thing - highly comedic from the start, as the locals of the village walk behind the newly married couple, who are heading straight for L' Atalante - which turns out to be a barge. Stealing the show is the ship's mate, a jolly old sea dog with a passion for cats. And wow, the cats take second place for screen time - one has kittens at the start of the film (very large to be newborns, but hey). They're climbing all over him, eating his dinner, tripping people up.. Definitely one for cat lovers then - if you hate them, I'd avoid it.

Our young bride is evidently a looker by the standards of the day - eyebrows too thin for my taste, but what the hey. One of the congregation walking behind them mutters as they walk, wondering why she couldn't have married a local boy - and sure enough, her desire is for faraway places, bright lights.. she's thrilled to hear they're docking in Paris. She's so interested in the ship's mate and his salty stories that her husband becomes violently jealous - what will happen when the tension between his desire to keep her on the boat clashes with her desire to explore?

It never does get too serious though, and it's quite funny throughout. Really enjoyable.

And afterwards to GBK, which was delicious again - and for once, the burger wasn't so messy I couldn't eat it with my hands! Phew, a proper meal at last.. and of course, I could shop there before I went home. Speaking of which, I got the #91, on the assumption that they all went to Aldwych - it stopped at Holborn, and with nothing but another #91 due in the next five minutes, I walked there instead. Where there was no sign of a #188 - naturally, given that it's now the terminus, times are unpredictable. Mindful that, in the past, I've had to wait 40 minutes for one here, I just took the first one headed in the direction of Waterloo, travelled one stop to there, and got the #381. Safer.

Tomorrow is our monthly ex-colleagues' meeting - the only day James could make, and Martin swears he won't let anything get in the way this time. Mind you, poor James has a clash - a friend's 40th that evening - so he'll gave to leave early, which I've warned Martin about. Ivan is still AWOL - but I've asked a friend from my film groups along. I've made a series of bookings at The Phoenix - hopefully that goes ok! Got a series of confirmations today.

On Sunday lunchtime, someone from Movie Roadhouse London (MRL) has just advertised the inaugural Tyburn Fair, at the International Community School - (free) tickets from Eventbrite. So I said fine, I'll trot along..

That evening, I'm heading with CT to a Christmas carol concert by Mosaic at All Saints' Church in Notting Hill. Tickets also from Eventbrite.

On Monday, heading with 45+ Not Grumpy! on Paul's Christmas Pub Crawl - starts in the Lion & Unicorn in Waterloo, where we'll be eating, and heads towards my home, lovely!

On Tuesday, heading with my sometime travel companion again to Matthew Bourne's The Red Shoes, at Sadler's Wells - eating in The Wilmington beforehand.

On Wednesday, back at Winter's Night Wonder Tales, at The Palmerston, as told by Alys Torrance. Always so atmospheric..

And then, three nights of Meetup. On Thursday, I just could not resist accompanying The Hideout to the re-released The Nightmare Before Christmas, by Tim Burton. Showing in the Cineworld Leicester Square, and we're meeting in Victory House beforehand - and finally, that means I get to book Bella Italia before that! Phew - I have vouchers, and it'd be nice to use one of them before it expires!

Next Friday, back with London Social and Cultural Meetup, who are doing a Winter Walk with Hot Chocolate - and heading in search of some mulled white wine, I hear! I'll have to leave work early for this one..

And on the 13th, our Christmas social with The Hideout and MRL is back, happy days! Unusual to have it on a weekend, that's just the way it went - but it was very lucky this was my only free Saturday before Christmas. In the Main Bar at the BFI - and again, I've booked The Archduke for beforehand.