I watch many films

Kew Gardens, October 2022

I paid the price for my increased level of social contact by coming down with a horrible cough, sore throat and runny nose - I'll give it a couple of days and then see if it's Covid. That will teach me to go out socialising with people. [Update - it wasn't Covid.]

As well as the concert, badminton, comedy, meetings etc. last week I joined Lola II, Mr M (and other friends including Mr MXF and BL2) for the celebration of Diwali in Southall, home of a large concentration of Diwali-celebrating maniacs. We mingled with the crowds, admired the Indian produce and then Mr M achieved a significant win by finding a restaurant able to accommodate all of us in its basement. A vegetarian restaurant, so I was extra happy, and the food he chose for us was tremendous too. The only blot on the landscape was the unfortunate incident with the thermos of chai that leaked all over the floor (and the matches, and the sparklers, and the rucksack) in quite a spectacular way.

After our dinner the plan was to make our way back to the bridge by the station to watch the fireworks. On the way through the crowded streets, young men (mostly) were setting off fireworks in the street, one of them holding a display box above his head as it fired rockets upwards, and others being equally careless about the safety of themselves and others. Back at the station we lit some sparklers and watched the seemingly never-ending displays in surrounding locations. Back at the house I fell asleep while the bangs and pops continued into the night.

Back home, and my dental hygienist is very pleased with how my teeth are progressing, the garage is very pleased with how my car is going, and mum seems very pleased with the 'heavy duty' plastic carpet protector that should help her and the carers move the hoist about more easily (although with the passing of time we'll find out how heavy duty it really is). We have now received the proposals from the Community OT Team for a ramp in the front garden which is out of all proportion in terms of construction and cost, and for the changes to the downstairs shower room which look good but there are details that need to be ironed out. We plan to turn down the ramp but accept the shower adaptation, at which point we move from the OT department to the Home Improvement Team and the story continues.

I have a bank account that offers an annual benefit to its account holders, and last year I chose to accept six free cinema tickets. With less than a month left I had only used two of them, so in the last three weeks I've felt some pressure to go to see films at the cinema that I might not otherwise have chosen, as well as making use of my usual DVDs by post, the Royal Spa Centre's loyalty scheme and hosting a Buddhist Social film night. Here are my reviews:

• The Great Escaper (based on a true story about a WW2 veteran going to France for the commemoration celebrations with great final performance by Glenda Jackson, 4*)
• Broker (fantastic Korean drama about an unofficial baby adoption 'service', 5*)
• Dumb Money (a bit like The Big Short, a story about financial markets, 4*)
• Clerks (nostalgic viewing of a film I loved when it came out in 1994, 5*)
• The Creator (spectacular special effects, too long and much too much death but includes Buddhist robots, 3*)
• One Fine Morning (French drama about a single mother with a sick father, wasn't that bad but only 3*)
• Dream Scenario (fine performance from Nicholas Cage but not very enjoyable on the whole, 3*)
• Dream Horse (another based-on-a-true-story drama about a Welsh syndicate who buy a race horse, predictable and sentimental but features Toni Collette doing Welsh, 3*)
• Return to Seoul (another Korean film about adoptions, had lots of potential but in the end I didn't care about any of the characters, 3*)
• Saltburn (dark thriller in the style of Brideshead Revisited or The Go Between - lower class misfit spends summer in upper class pile, would have got more stars for the plot but many of the characters were horrible so only 3*)
• Marvellous (traditional annual viewing with the Buddhists of this heart-warming film, 5*)
• The Miracle Club (about a trip to Lourdes for a miracle, also predicable and sentimental but features Maggie Smith and Kathy Bates both doing Irish, 4*)