Film and Football

 Yesterday was a nice day, as is also today by the looks of things, and I wasn't feeling bad so I pushed myself to go out to the cinema as there was a single morning showing of The Life of Chuck.  I had wanted to see this since seeing the trailer some weeks back but, as is the way with the Odeon sometimes, they had only been showing it in the evenings.   And then yesterday morning when I woke up and checked my Odeon app I discovered an early showing had miraculously snuck in.  It wasn't there when I checked on Sunday when I was vaguely making some sort of plan for the week.

This was a film of a Stephen King novella and directed by the regular Stephen King director Mike Flanagan.   It is probably the first Stephen King/Mike Flanagan movie that I have ever seen but don't hold me to that but on a guess I wouldn't think I have gone out of my way to see one.  This is because I do not go to horror movies full stop.  I live alone and I do not want to bring terrifying scenarios into my home even in my head from a movie so I just don't do horror.  However, I had a very strong feeling that this was not a horror movie from the trailer and without any research I trusted my instinct.  I was not wrong.  Dedicated Stephen King horror fans may be disappointed.  

I was not disappointed of course and enjoyed the film very much.  It has to be said that it is a bit weird but what would you expect from Stephen King? You would not expect a contemporary, not out of the ordinary everyday story would you?   It is in three acts and they are in reverse.  The story is a mixture of joyful and profound which some say, I noted afterwards, the profundity did not really come off.   However, for me it was enough and I did not drift nor wane in my attention to the detail.  The acting was strong and it held it together with strength where there may have been weaknesses.  There is a strong narration which is, I can do no more than to say, pleasing. 

I even found some tears in my eyes on a couple of occasions, happy ones at poignant moments. 

If you get the chance to see The Life of Chuck do not hesitate to see it. 

Later, in the evening, I watched football from the Champions League thanks to Prime who are showing some of the matches to Prime viewers at no extra cost.  It took me back 20 odd years when I was a dedicated Champions League follower.  It was a joy to watch Liverpool v Real Madrid without commentators invading my view of the match.  I used to watch Champions League football when it was Sky exclusive and I had an analogue set up where I could take an option to watch without commentary.   Prime offered various options for watching and I happily chose not to listen to Alan Shearer and Jon Champion.  It was a fast game and I wanted to see the greatest goalkeeper in the world once more, Thibaut Courtois, in the Real Madrid goal.  I had written in my journal earlier in the day whilst sitting in the Odeon café that Liverpool would not get a goal passed him.  As it turned out I was wrong and they got one and won the match 1-0.  This was not before he had made eight stunning saves and was once again the outstanding goalkeeper that he is.  

Yesterday was a better day for me and another in my total of better days which now reaches 8 in a string of days.