Film: Hope

This evening, fourth Meetup day of six, I was with The Hideout. It was supposed to be for Her Private Hell - a stylized, futuristic psychological thriller set in Tokyo, and starring Sophie Thatcher - but it seems there was, as so often, a distribution problem. So now, instead, we headed to Hope, a South Korean film (the most expensive ever made there, it seems) about a monster attack. Showing in Cineworld Leicester Square, and as usual, we were meeting in Victory House beforehand.

I arrived slightly late - someone from the group, knowing my predilection for eating beforehand, asked, and I told him what time I was supposed to be there. I was there enough before him to get a starter - when he arrived, we ordered mains, and I did notice how much easier the rich tortellini go down with conversation! Pawel, the manager, was there this time.. and oh, how much quicker the service was.. as he said to me when I arrived and had been there a minute - "What's happening with the Pinot Grigio?" "Yes," I replied, "what is happening with the Pinot Grigio?" And I had one shortly afterwards. No delays in service tonight, and Dar, our organiser, came to see what the story was when we were just finishing.

We joined her in Victory House - where a new person was behind the bar, and almost didn't want to serve me, pointing out that this was a hotel reception, not a bar! Ehh.. well, it's the only bar there is! And then she launched into some kind of spiel about how I could only get a limited amount of alcohol.. and certainly, at those prices (£21 for a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc), I wouldn't want it.. I had one, and a lovely chat with the group, before we left.

Ah, this is a cool film! Firstly, I have to give a shout out to the beautiful scenery - some in South Korea, but interestingly, they also used Romania! They don't specify exactly where. Anyway - we all kind of agreed this isn't really a horror - more a thriller, with the nonplussed cops finding themselves in a completely unprecedented situation, some strange beast mauling the cattle. Soon, the beasts (for they are many) start to demolish buildings, and it becomes a cat and mouse game between them and the police, each trying to kill the other.

Yeah - it's thrilling, but not really scary - particularly when the creatures start to communicate with each other (and with subtitles) later in the film. They're played, BTW, by Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, who looks suspiciously like an escapee from the Avatar films. The action is too fast-paced to be really scary, and deaths elicit more of a shrug than anything else, as we move on to the next thing. Ah, but the fights are beautifully choreographed - and although it's a long film, we all agreed we absolutely didn't feel it! All loved it, too. Very highly recommended - and so set up for a sequel.. and how great it was to see these guys again, whom I hadn't seen since last month.

Tomorrow, I'm back at last with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies for a walk entitled Heavenly Heights of Hampstead. Had forgotten to pay him (as I always do in advance by bank transfer, it's handier), would you believe, I've had so much on! So it's as well he reminded me..

And - as so often on these walks - that evening I'm off to a film (second day in a row). This time, it's with Movie Roadhouse London for Bad Apples in the BFI - a comedy with Saoirse Ronan as a teacher who locks a problematic student in her basement. Hmm, wish fulfilment..

And on Sunday, back yet again with London Museums A-Z to see The Coming of Age exhibition at the Wellcome Collection.

On Monday, I'm back with TAC to see Who Killed Marilyn? at the Emerald Theatre. Spoiler, this assumes it's the Mafia..

On Tuesday, thinking of cinema - coming up is, again, Coyote Vs. ACME, a partly animated comedy based on the roadrunner cartoons, in which Coyote sues ACME, whose products always blow up in his face. It's getting great reviews - nearest showing to me that day is in the Odeon Luxe Haymarket, and again I'll have to leave quite early for it.

On Wednesday, heading with CT to see Franz & Marie, a new folk musical version of Woyzeck, in preview at Charing Cross Theatre. Eating in Bella Italia Strand beforehand - I see they don't do the discounts either.

On Thursday, thinking of film again - and what's coming up is something I saw the trailer for ages ago; Tony is the story of how Anthony Bourdain became a chef. He's played by Dominic Sessa, his mentor by Antonio Banderas. Closest showing to me that evening is in the Barbican. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, because otherwise I shan't get back at all next month!