Film: Affeksjonsverdi (Sentimental Value)

Currently back in Ireland for the weekend, because it's been too long. Took yesterday off work (naturally), and with nothing else to do but get ready, of course I was rushing! Did make it, mind - the bus was roughly on time, and after initial slow traffic, absolutely flew, and I made the train I wanted to the airport. I see they have automatic ticket barriers for the lifts now - much more efficient. Queued for security, then spent 25 minutes waiting for them to check my bags.. seemed like more than half the bags were being checked. Thank goodness I was on time..

W. H. Smith in Liverpool Street doesn't seem to do sandwiches any more! I was hungry, so checked the one in the airport - but they no longer do the lovely chicken sandwiches they used to, so I got a smoked salmon one from Pret instead. By that stage, my gate had been announced, and was listed as "boarding".. I panted my way up there, and of course discovered they weren't actually boarding at all. In fact, I got the sandwich eaten in the boarding queue, and had time to bin the wrapper. Oh, and when they finally did board, I discovered I was in the wrong queue - the signage was misleading, and jeez, since when has priority not been the longer queue?! Resolved itself in the end.

A wait on the stairs, a cold wait outside to board the plane, and gee, the plane was too hot, the aircon not working, as usual. (We'd had the same complaint on the Norwegian Air flight the day before.) But I got here eventually.. and jeez, it feels colder than Norway! With subzero temperatures after dark, and heading down to -3 tonight, the cat's been meeting me at the front door, to get in as quickly as possible.. Mercifully, there's no rain, so no ice.

I headed off to meet an old friend for lunch, in Jade Cottage as usual. Was slightly late - to be fair, it was mostly due to a major GAA fixture in Tulla, whose sportsground I have to pass on the way, which match was apparently a sell-out. Cars lined both sides of the road for miles in both directions, and I had the misfortune to be passing just as the match was starting, and a sprinkling of people were sidling alongside them, heading for the grounds, and providing a fun obstacle course for drivers.

I got there about five minutes late, and we had a great old catch-up - gorgeous chicken rolls to start for me, and chicken szechuan for us both, rice for me, noodles for him. Now, I knew it was going to be spicy - but I didn't fancy my usual General Tso's Chicken, which is quite heavy. Unfortunately, the szechuan proved a bit too spicy for me.. well, I had ice cream for dessert. I recommended the Bailey's cheesecake to him, with which he was well pleased. Always good to catch up.

Hung around for a while afterwards - I'd been thinking of seeing Marty Supreme (in Limerick, as no showings were yet listed in Ennis!). Based on a table tennis champ, played by Timothée Chalamet, who also co-produced, also stars Gwyneth Paltrow. 

However, Movie Roadhouse London (MRL) just advertised it as an upcoming event - so instead, I decided on Affeksjonsverdi (Sentimental Value) afterwards, a follow-up to the excellent Verdens verste menneske (The Worst Person in the World), again directed by Joachim Trier and starring Renata Reinsve, this one is about her and her sister's difficult relationship with their famous father, Stellan Skarsgard. All three are also listed as executive producers. And that one is showing in Ennis. And it's Norwegian, continuing on a theme.. MRL are actually seeing it tomorrow - it's a pity I can't go with them!

So, I schlepped down there - and I see the town centre roadworks are finished! Wonder whether it was done for Christmas.. Anyway, just made the film in time, ran to the loo - and was only just in time for the start! Crikey, they can't have had many ads..

Ah, I'm loving these films.. quite simply, a meditation on life. This one asks us to consider a family, and the house that many generations of it have lived in - at one point, we're given a history. At the time the film is set, we have Stellan Skarsgard as a famous film director, with Renata Reinsve as his elder daughter, Nora, an actor. Now, he was divorced, lived abroad while she and her sister were growing up, and was very much an absent father - however, it becomes ever more apparent during the film that he and Renata are more alike than you might expect. So, he decides to write the script for a new film - for her, about her. He'd like her to star. Problem is, she's not really ready for any kind of relationship with him..

I love her acting, she's quite compelling - even just her expressions tell so much, she hardly needs a script. And it's really interesting that, when she rejects his attempt to cast her, he goes off and finds a movie star to take the role, even asking her to dye her hair the same as Nora's. It's slightly surreal to see her try to recreate the character that Nora was obviously meant to play. I've always loved a story told without words - and this film manages plenty of meaningful scenes with little dialogue. Deeply crafted characters, plenty of depth.. highly recommend this film.

And wow, I was glad I had the clothes from Norway to keep me warm on the way home!

The next two days in London are with CT - on Monday, I'm back at the Hen & Chickens for Shake It Up: The Improvised Shakespeare Show.

And on Tuesday, I'm at a comedy show - Live Next to the Apollo, at Riverside Studios.

On Wednesday - 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, which is turning out suitably weird - and they're meeting in the Prince of Wales, as usual. Now, considering the lack of progress I made with Hogfather for my work book club.. we'll have to see.. I'm currently 2/3 of the way through.. it's over a year since I was last with them for a book review! (As to Hogfather, when we met (me virtually - I stayed at home because of my cough), it turned out I was one of the ones that read most.. I had a last-minute sprint, and got to 71%..)

The next two days, I was to be with CT at the Backyard Comedy Club.. again, it's been a while! However, then Over 40 Living the Life advertised a trip to the immersive Macchu Picchu exhibition, which sounded much more interesting, for Friday. However, the Meetup page didn't work from Norway, would you believe. Which turned out just as well, because as I say, in the meantime, MRL advertised a trip to Marty Supreme - in Cineworld Leicester Square, meeting in Victory House beforehand. And of course, I'm back in Bella Italia before that!

So, that's the first of five days in a row of Meetups, incorporating six altogether! Next Saturday, a walk titled Southwark: Seedy and Sublime with none other than Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies, yay! Haven't seen him since September, would you believe.. 

That evening, I was supposed to be back with The Hideout for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, but the release has been postponed. Heard about that during my trip, but I was so busy I completely forgot about it! So now, instead, they've advertised The Housemaid for that evening - looks a bit like a comedy horror, with Amanda Seyfried advertising for a housemaid, but apparently turning out utterly psychotic. Sydney Sweeney is the unfortunate job applicant. And gee, as per the trailer, they seem to have equally really long hair..

On the 11th, back with London Museums A-Z for T is for Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, an exhibition at The Wellcome Collection. Advertised, would you believe, while I was looking at my phone but not especially busy, in The Rockingham Arms - and this being the next unscheduled date in my diary, I was one of the five to snap up a place in the first minute!

On the 12th, with Up in the Cheap Seats again, for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo - a dark comedy set in Iraq - at the Young Vic. Booked for Bar + Block Southwark beforehand. Ooh, another place I haven't been in an age..

And on the 13th, I'm back with London Classical Music and Theatre Group for The Makropulos Affair, by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, at the Barbican - one of the group with a wildcard ticket couldn't go and kindly offered it for free, so I snapped it up. Eating at Cote Barbican beforehand. And gee, you guessed it.. Haven't been there since September, but was with the group slightly more recently, in October..