...............A Film Review!
I took myself down to Stowmarket Regal to see All is True.
In 1613 a cannon used in the Shakespeare play Henry VIII at his Globe Theatre misfires and the Theatre burns to the ground. Devastated, Shakespeare returns to Stratford where his family have been much neglected by him.
The film imagines the last 3 years of his life, including the truth of his son Hamnet's death at the age of 11; the reason for leaving his "second best bed" to Anne; who his sonnets were really written for and about and the reason for his death in 1616.
It isn't filmed in black and white, or foreign with subtitles and the subject is certainly unfashionable
but as Kenneth Brannagh directs and stars as Shakespeare (with large false nose!) and Judy Dench is Anne and these two can surely pick and choose whatever they want to do they must have thought it better than some of the reviews it has had.
It is written by Ben Elton and there are several little reminders of his brilliant TV series Upstart Crow.
I enjoyed it in a quiet sort of way and also enjoyed being back in The Regal. Apart from going there with small WI last year to see Mamma Mia, Here We Go Again I think the last time I went to the cinema was to see Crocodile Dundee in 1986!.......... Colin wasn't a great film fan and there was no spare money anyway.
Back in the day........when I was 14 and 15............... I used to go to The Regal every Saturday night (3 shillings down the front!)with friends or whichever boyfriend, no one bothered what the film was, it was all about being out and about and being seen out and about! I'll be a bit more choosy now and you won't find me there watching anything weird, arty or nasty.
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The weather forecast for IP14 looks much better this week - less wind and dryer too. The BBC online forecast says " gentle/moderate breeze" rather than "strong winds".......... thank goodness. I was getting quite fed up with the continuous blowing and having to prop the garage door up to keep it open to get the car out.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
As you say, big names there including, on the poster, Ian McKellen, so it has to have some good things about it. Actually, I sounds really very interesting and I might look out for it on DVD (if it gets that far), thanks.
ReplyDeleteI think we're all looking forward to some calmer and sunnier weather now - this week is supposed to be very pleasant, thank goodness.
xx
Sir I. M. has a small role.
DeleteMuch less windy this morning - thankfully
Upstart Crow is fabulous, isn't it. We hardly ever go to the cinema either...the last time was for the Bond film Skyfall. Our forecast for this week is much more settled and less windy too, thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this review. We're entitled to Meerkat Movies (came with car the insurance) but rarely make use of it. OH likes Ben Eltons stuff, I enjoy Branagh's acting. This could be a possible outing!
ReplyDeleteEven the name the Regal conjures up old memories of my cinema going days when cinemas were full (but full of smoke too) and had an intermission and an A and B film showing and cartoons on a Saturday morning for the kids.
ReplyDeleteI will, as usual wait, for it to come on TV - I love Dame Judy Dench - I think I would love her in anything.
and the B films were always poor and the lady had ice-creams in the intermission.
DeleteThere were about 20 people there so plenty of room!
Oh, they've just started Upstart Crow on the telly here - season 3 for some reason! I am enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have seen one film this year and it probably comes to a grand total of 2 for me this past 12 months, but you take the biscuit for longest hiatus! Oh, and my first "date", if you could call it that, was to the cinema when I was about 14 with a boy who evidently asked me on a dare. "Young Frankenstein" at The Mecca. I was utterly engrossed while his two friends, obviously the darers I spotted hiding behind us, kept him distracted by sniggering and throwing sweets in our general direction. They probably blew their week's pocket money on that lark!
Shame they didn't start at the beginning with Upstart Crow. Hope they make more
DeleteNot relevant to this post but just want to say Thanks for your lovely blog, I've followed you for a while now. Thanks as well for the daily moon phases. I've become very interested in the night sky lately and seeing your moon images is great.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a lovely comment. Took me several tries to get the Moon Phases thingy added but got there in the end
DeleteMe too! I see you are also getting the Mumbai spam!!!
ReplyDeleteI wish there was someway we could send them an invoice for the advertising they are getting on all our blogs ... that would stop them!!
DeleteI just permanently delete without mentioning it - probably done by an automatic computer
DeleteI've only been to the cinema a couple of times this year. After having our passes for the last few years I think I have got 'the big screen' out of my system for a while. I'm not sure I fancy this film, although I do usually like things with Judy Dench in them.
ReplyDeleteI doubt I will go very often but nice for a change.
DeleteI went for 34 years without going to a film and probably several years before that, and have only just started again. I have explained this on my blog several times but I think it must fall on deaf ears in disbelief the number of times I have to repeat that I do not know such and such an actor and no, I have never seen them before.
ReplyDeleteI am hopeless at quiz questions about actors- haven't got a clue usually.
DeleteNot helped by the fact that we also never watched films on tv, or tv dramas. And I still don't!
DeleteThe movie sounds enchanting. I love Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
How nice that you got out to see a movie. Maybe you can start going more often if there are films that interest you. This movie sounds like an interesting one especially for those that like Shakespeare. I remember those days when I was young going to the movies once a week regardless of the movie just to be with friends. Movies were much more affordable in those days!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog too thank you. My friend of fifty seven years took me to see Mama Mia two and we laughed til we cried and then we went for a glass or two of wine x I used to love cinema but somehow watching a dvd at home isn't the same no little cardboard tub of vanilla ice cream with a wooden spoon!
ReplyDeleteWe only go to the cinema now if the film is one that needs to be seen on the big screen. Pretty much everything else we wait for the dvd release and this is one I shall very much look forward to.
ReplyDeleteHugs-x-
I enjoyed this film, Sue. Not wonderful, but enjoyable. We have recently been to see The Aftermath which we also enjoyed. The Favourite wasn't to our liking, nor was Colette. We don't go to the cinema often, but then a spate of films comes which we think we might enjoy. Sadly, the reality is that we seldom really enjoy them. We go to Dartington's Barn Cinema, a cinema in a 14th century barn - really! It's lovely!
ReplyDeleteMargaret P