Friday 9 March 2012

Will this be FOURTH time lucky?

For financial reasons I necessarily have to be selective regarding which films I go to see. I decided not to spend on this one first time round, being put off by two reviews which thought it condescending to non-white people. (I can never keep up with what is the latest p.c.-acceptable term.) Having given it a miss, I began to think I'd made a mistake when other reviews I encountered were not only more positive but even laudatory. Then came the Oscar for Viola Davis (thanks to Paul, in comment below, for correcting the name to Octavia Spencer) as' Best Supporting Actress' and by then I was really regretting my decision.
Hoping to catch it on any fortuitous special repeat showings, I first found that it was to be a single matinee playing a fortnight ago at a cinema about 20 miles away, which would have cost me (combining train fare and admission price) about £14 (Over $20 American). However, I decided to go. But, checking on the Internet the day before, I found that this showing had been completely booked out. (It was showing at a small 'art-house' cinema, seating about 80.)
    Then I found there was going to be a one-off showing yesterday morning at a cinema in Brighton at one of their special weekly shows for 'Senior Citizens' (with free coffee and bickies!) at a price of just £3 (under $5) - and I could use my free bus pass to get there. Trouble was, it was also the morning of my pre-booked appointment at the podiatry clinic for my first post-diabetes assessment examining the state of my feet, which was rather too important for me to request a postponement - I'd only discovered the clash the previous day. So more frustration.
     Then today I've only just found out that it's to be shown, for just one afternoon, actually at the cinema closest to me here in Worthing at the end of this month. Will anything prevent me seeing it this time? I hope not - but if this really is to be the fourth time lucky, all I can say is that it had better be good!

18 comments:

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    1. It'll be most interesting to see if I'm closer to the opinion of you and Ron (of 'Retired in Delaware') or to that of Paul (below) and other critics which I've read. Watch this space!

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  2. Hello Ray:
    This has been on and off our list of films to see too. Now we really are relying on your seeing it - fourth time lucky and all of that - so we can be guided by your recommendation. The normal price of cinema tickets, or so we feel, in the UK is absurd. If we pay the equivalent of £3 here, we consider it expensive.

    Good luck!

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    1. I'm already feeling ambivalent about it, J & L. Isn't that dreadful? But such is the effect of divergent opinions.
      - And if film admission prices here were around £3 for all showings I'd be setting up permanent residence in a cinema!

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  3. Octavia Spencer won Best Supporting Actress. Viola Davis lost Best Actress to Streep. In my opinion, Davis should have won for 'The Help.' As for the movie - entirely overrated!

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    1. Thanks for that correction, Paul. (I'll leave the original mistake in my blog but give you an acknowledgement).
      The film itself seems to be dividing opinion so that at least should make it an interesting watch.

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  4. I've been meaning to pop along myself, but, I'm not skinny enough to be sneaking through the dodgy catched toilet window to avoid paying!

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    1. I'll have to let you know whether it would have been worth the risk, Jase - or whether you would have been better off staying in that toilet.

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  5. Another one for the 'plus' side, Bob, which seems to be winning. Thanks.

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  6. I enjoy your thoughts on film
    I found the Help sad and depressing, but I hope it raises enough outrage to make a difference.

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    1. Oh dear, this puts a different slant on things. I'd been expecting something light and frothy, not deep and upsetting. Now want to give it a miss again - but I'll have to go, if only to cock a snook at fate which repeatedly seems to be trying to stop me.

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    2. I'm intrigued by your use of the phrase "cock a snook" and assume that it is totally English. Can you inform me of its meaning and origin?

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  7. Paul, as I wrote the phrase 'cock a snook' above I did wonder if it was, in fact, a parochially British phrase, and it may well be so. My dictionaries only say that the origin is obscure, although the meaning is unambiguous, viz: to show a gesture of defiance. So I suppose it's something like 'giving the finger to' (don't Americans call it "flipping the bird"?) - but whereas in most other western countries just one finger is shown, of course we in Britain have to be different by showing TWO fingers, being the same as a victory sign but displaying the BACK of the hand. The origin of this gesture, or at least one explanation of it, is that it goes back to the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 when the English, fighting the French, would cut off a particular two fingers from the prisoners taken from the French army, so rendering them incapable of drawing a bow, the English then being able to, erm, 'cock a snook' at the French by brandishing their own same two fingers, intact of course. This explanation seems almost TOO plausible to be true, but I like the neatness of it.

    And here endeth today's history lesson.

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  8. Thank you for today's lesson. Totally informative and enjoyable.

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    1. My pleasure, Paul, though must admit that after writing above I did retrospectively have to check that I'd got the date of the Battle of Agincourt right. Phew!

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  9. I watched it last night and I LOVED it,

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    1. Another thumbs-up from someone I respect - though it's a pity that I'm getting such disparate opinions. It's now got me really bursting with curiosity - but there's still 2 weeks to wait before it's shown here.
      Anyway, thanks, David.

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