Only eleven days away from our next screening at 8pm on Wednesday 20th June at the Hollywood Suite in the Railway. What could possibly go wrong?
When Pat and I (as in Ian) set up Screen Buxton last year, there were three things which we had not bargained for.
One, the consequences of getting our picture in the Buxton Advertiser - Pat tells me he now owns several pairs of dark glasses.
Two, the dark forces trying to thwart our endeavour (but more about that in a later blog).
And three, that film distributors can be very unreliable. Once already we have had to change our advertised programme when the promised film was unavailable. And, oh calamity, this month the same thing happened again.
Were we disappointed? Yes. Downhearted? Jamais mes amis! (As they say Macclesfield)
Since we both come from a backround of crisis management, our state a absolute panic only lasted a couple of days. Then it was time for action. Our first step was to find a new film distributor. Then we began to rack our brains for new title to screen. We were keen to show more European cinema – back in January, our Spanish film "Volver” by Pedro Almodovar packed out the Hollywood Suite at the Railway.
The breakthrough came one bright morning as Pat and I were rollerskating with gusto through Pavillion Gardens .
“I have got it” he said as he coasted towards the lake “The Beat That My Heart Skipped”.
I could see that it was a flash of inspiration by his last minute one hundred and eighty degree turn executed with a flourish.
“It’s got everything” he went on “brilliant acting, gangsters, glamorous women, beautiful music and what’s more, people speaking in French.”
And you know what, he was right. This film is an absolute cracker.
It is an audacious thriller set in Paris . It is directed by Jacques Audiard and stars the electric young French actor Romain Duris. The film is a reworking of James Toback's 1978 thriller Fingers, starring Harvey Keitel. this new and more complex version tells the story of a Parisian petty crook who cannot become the concert pianist he wants to be: a matter that is soon, near-literally, one of life and death. We first meet him on the job carrying a bag of rats into an apartment block to speed up the eviction process. But as well as being a criminal there is restlessness about him. Tom is constantly drumming his fingers, a would be pianist in a constant state of stress and tension.By the denoument of the film you will be on the edge of your seat wondering how it will turn out.
So I would urge you to keep Wednesday 20th June free and join us at the Hollywood Suite of the Railway for an evening that promises to full of nail biting tension (it’s always the same until we get the projector working). You can settle down with a drink and enjoy a modern classic.
What could possibly go wrong?