Sigh, Sigh and Sigh Again

So yeah, yesterday was pretty dang annoying. The afternoon wound on at a very slow pace until it was FINALLY time to leave the office. I was off to the Film House to meet Louise and indulge in a bit of classic Hollywood. I'd been looking forward to this for aaaaages, we were going to see Now Voyager.

The crappiness of yesterday carried on because on my way to the Film House the number 35 bus was at the stop on Lauriston Place. This is the bus that would take me right to Cineworld but today I was not going to that cinema so it was no good to me. Typical!

Anyhoo, I got there on time and met Louise and Little Lord Duff in the Film House cafe. Little Jim was not a happy baby (I'm sorry he was like this but it is reassuring to know it's not just when he sees me!) so we had to take him outside. After about 10 minutes his daddy turned up and Leese and I got to ditch the kid and go for some wine. Hoorah! I'm sure Leese won't mind me saying that, she was looking forward to a glass as much as me! ;o)

We sucked back some lovely shiraz and got settled in to cinema 3 to enjoy the movie.

And oh how I enjoyed it!

It was superb. Bette Davis was marvelous, both as the dowdy and downtrodden Charlotte and as Charlotte trying to find the balance between freedom and being a dutiful daughter. Marvelous! Paul Henreid was just gorgeous as the unhappily married architect and Claude Rains was adorable as the kindly doctor.

One other thing I adored about this movie was that it gave due importance to shoes. One of the first glimpses you get of the mysterious Charlotte is a shot of her clumpy, sensible shoes creeping down the staircase and hesitating while she listens to what they are saying about her. "Look at my shoes!" Charlotte cries during her outburst to Dr Jaquith, "They are shoes my mother would approve of!" And when Charlotte has been coaxed out of her shell and a butterfly is emerging, the first glimpse we see of the new, improved Charlotte is a gorgeous pair of black and white heels coming down the gangplank. The shoes maketh the woman.

Brilliant, brilliant film. I must buy it!