Saturday 1 September 2007

A Touch Of Voyeurism

Up early today for a dog show at Huntingdon race course. L comes to the show too. This is a rare treat for us. Tolstoy, surely made for dog shows, doesn’t make the trip but Harry does. So round one to Harry. L say’s she got some t's to cross and i's to dot with Harry. Talking of Harry, did you know that The Hold Steady are his new favourite band and he was in the audience for their show in London. Well Daniel Radcliffe was, so the lad has taste.

The dog show doesn't go terribly well. On our first course, Doggo comes off the seesaw and leaves the ring. I'm not sure whether he's, looking for L or looking for his fan club, my Mum and Dad, who didn't come with us this time. Who knows but it was embarrassing. It was, to be fair, a hard course but he shouldn't storm off like that, not very professional of him.

It doesn’t get much better. He’s not convinced when I try and send him over a jump on the next course and we are faulted. Then on the third and final course, we go really well, do all the tricky bits and then he only does 10 weaves out of 12 just because I’m on his right rather than his left. A previous oddity of his resurfacing, just to wind me up.

The good thing about being down in Huntingdon is that I’m well out of local radio reception for Derby's game at Anfield where the boys get hammered 6-0. The updates on Radio 5 are bad enough.

Not sure what L's been reading, probably Harry but something is making her mischievous. Her behaviour is outrageous, indulging in activities that she probably shouldn't, not while we're at a dog show in any case. Not that I'm complaining. Wa-hey. I love a bit of spontaneity. Regrettably we behave although I’m very tempted. Luckily before too long we’re on our way up the A1. Once home, it’s straight to bed.

We decide to skip both of the parties that we’ve been invited to tonight. L’s been invited out by work, my friend is having a BBQ because he’s moving house again, much to our surprise. We didn’t think he’d move again because he’s moved back into a house he lived in before. I thought he’d done a Dawn French and returned there to die. Dawn French apparently is retiring and returning to her roots to live in Cornwall, where eventually she hopes to die.

Instead we head into town for a film and a meal. The meal, Chinese beef is excellent and the beer, two pints of Harvest Pale is also good. The film we see is Hallam Foe.

Hallam Foe is a bit of a weirdo, played by Jamie Bell, who is obsessed with his dead mother. He lives with his dad, played by Ciaran Hinds, and his stepmother who he suspects of having murdered his mother. He seems to spend a lot of time pretending to be a badger, watching and spying on people from a distance. Told you it was odd.

When his step-mother comes up to his tree-house and confronts him with his diary, in which he's recorded his spying missions, he tries to strangle her but she grabs his crotch and they end up having sex on the floor. I was going to say you would wouldn’t you but even I’m not sure about that one. All very bizarre. A very odd way of handling the situation.

After that incident he leaves home and heads for Edinburgh, where he sees a complete stranger who eerily resembles his mother. He smooth talks her into giving him a job as a kitchen porter in the hotel where she is manageress. Then he starts to stalk her by taking to the rooftops and begins to regard the girl, Kate, played by Sophia Myles, as a potential shag. Well, in this case, you most certainly would, wouldn’t you.



He spies on her sex sessions, with her married lover, which she doesn't seem to enjoy very much.

So the film is a weird voyeuristic, eccentric drama come slightly incestuous love story with a bit of humour. Hallam gets away with things that would land most people in jail or get them institutionalised but he is also clever. When Kate’s thoroughly dislikeable lover rumbles him, he manages to track down the guy's apartment and smooth talk his wife and therefore blackmail him.



In the end Kate seduces Hallam but she too is a totally gaga. Typical girl I suppose. When she discovers his secrets, she is a tad pissed off but is she pissed off because he spied on her getting a rough seeing-to or because he's shagging her because she resembles his mother? She has him stood naked in front of her while she interrogates him about his behaviour. Quite how or why this happens, we’re not sure, the film doesn’t tell us. It seems however that his voyeurism doesn’t bother her; perhaps women find that sort of thing a big turn on. Is this where I’ve been going wrong?

There are far too many odd moments to mention and there's no happy ending, which is a bonus. It’s all complemented by a lively soundtrack provided by Domino records. I went straight out and bought the CD.

Well directed and acted. Jamie Bell has got all the credit but the whole cast puts in great performances. The film is quite plainly mad but don't hold that against it.

We adjourn to the Ropewalk again. Smiles again and a Leffe. We get home and I cannot resist jumping L for a quickie. I blame Sophia Myles.

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