Film: Underland

Today, second film in a row, decided on Underland, a documentary about people working, and researching, underground. Showing in the Barbican, which is closer, but only in the morning - so I fancied going to the Curzon Bloomsbury in the evening. Handy for shopping, of course.. especially significant, considering my local Tesco was closed today, being Easter Sunday! And I booked, because it saves time in the cinema.

I was just in time for the bus - which was rammed. Finally found a seat upstairs, at the back - it was worth the effort, I'd be on for a while. The stop indicator wasn't working at all for most of the trip - when it came on, it was running behind. Not too helpful then, for all the tourists, out and about! There were certainly a lot of families with children. (No change of drivers though, imagine!)

For this trip, it's handier and quicker if I get a second bus the last bit - it wasn't a long wait, but boy was it cold! Made it early to the cinema, and to my seat.. it wasn't sold out, but it was pretty busy.

This is very much a mood movie. It starts all mysterious, musing on the question of why we seek to enter the void.. Three different characters are considered, who spend much of their time underground.

One started life, he tells us, as an archaeologist - these days, he considers himself a documentarian of the people who live in the storm drains of Las Vegas. Points out how important it is that these communities are not forgotten. They live almost completely in darkness.

Another's job title isn't explained (that I recall) - she works and lives in her native Mexico, and we see her and her team, at the start of the film, abseil down the most incredible root system, attached to a large tree right on the edge of a massive pit. They then proceed to explore the massive cave system that leads from there, using the dinkiest gadget that projects lines onto the surrounding walls, so they can see the shape of where they are, but which also returns data to the computer, where it's collated to produce a 3D map! As they progress further in, they find cave paintings.. and she remarks how the only light the artists of these would have had would have been a fire.

And the third is a particle physicist, based in Canada. We see her heading down in a cage lift with the others - it's over a mile down to the lab, and as she says, the trip down is quite scary. The advantage of the underground lab is that it's protected from the radiation that bombards the surface. She explains the "ghost" particle - with almost zero mass, it has no electrical charge, and is almost indetectable. Underground is their best bet for finding it. And it's interesting when she says that the most dust they can allow in there is a teaspoon per year.. messes with the experiments. So there's some footage of someone vacuuming.

It's a mood film, as I say - there's a lot of footage of people creeping around silently in the dark, while soothing music plays. The particle physicist spends much of her bit staring at a live experiment, and hoping it reveals something. Spoiler - it doesn't - whereupon she does a piece to camera about what happens if it never turns up anything. I nodded off during that bit - in fairness, I didn't sleep terribly well last night.. well, I went to sleep very late. Don't think I missed anything.

Very relaxing film.. fascinating stories, all, but to be fair, it's quite soporific. Nice, relaxed Sunday evening, in fact.. Headed to GBK afterwards, which looked full, but they found me a table in the corner: and most people cleared out while I was leaving. And then, as I say, I shopped.

Next three days are Meetups again - tomorrow, I'm with London Museums A-Z for a trip to the British Museum to see the exhibition on Sufi Life and Art. Admission tickets to the museum for tomorrow are all booked up now, apparently - although, as the group says, if you don't already have a ticket, you might be better off at the rear entrance. Off to Penderel's Oak afterwards, as usual, and anyone who's coming with us has been told, if they can't make it to the museum, just to meet us there.

On Tuesday, I'm with London Classical Music and Theatre Group - I just couldn't resist Mayerling, it's my favourite ballet. Showing at the Opera House, and I'm eating at Cote Covent Garden beforehand.

And on Wednesday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Marie & Rosetta, another Motown biographical musical, at Soho Place - stars Beverley Knight, and I'm eating at Bistro1 beforehand.

On Thursday, more storytelling with the Crick Crack Club - this is Island of Love, another Story Pick + Mix, at Next Door at Theatre Deli again. Again, it's related to Greek myth - this is the story of Cyprus, birthplace of Aphrodite, from a Cypriot storyteller. I tell you this though, I won't be eating in La Spezia again after the last time, it just isn't worth it!

On Friday, the second of the year's concerts from Rune, in St. Bartholomew the Great! This one is A Merveillous Swevene: Dreams & Visions, and again I'm eating in the Old Red Cow beforehand.

And on Saturday, I'm with a new Meetup group called, ahem, Get a Social Life! Well, see, they're doing a daytrip to Glastonbury and Cheddar Gorge - I've already booked my tickets for Glastonbury Abbey and the Cheddar Gorge caves. Sadly early start - but it is a long way..