I'd recommend you see this at any number of venues in London,or elsewhere for all I know. It's a film that's like a poem, a paen to the director's home city of Liverpool. The sound-track is amazing, the hallmark of Terence Davies films - a mix of quotes from poems, predominently T.S. Eliot, popular songs and great classical music as he relates personal memories of the city since the WW2 . The perfect illustration of how images can be used for ironic purposes. Apparently he had the Cannes critics in tears and I can see why.

What's not to like? Well, the audience at NFT3 bristled at the anti-royal Coronation sequence. I gave some loud chuckles to get them going, and because I thought it was appropriate - Davies reading out the wedding present list and showing contrasting images of the Royal wedding and street parties - but it didn't work. I think the NFT has gone down the nick since the refurb and is attracting the wrong crowd. I wish I'd gone to Mile End after all.

Sheila

Well, they laughed in Cambridge, Sheila!

Jem, I've just been on to the BFI to get the name of a person to complain to - not that hey can do anything about the audience, obviously, but in a way it's connected.

I went to an early evening screening expecting to pay £4.45 as a member and OAP concession. In 'Time Out' I read 'early evening concessionary price £4.25' and although that would be 25p more than the Mile End venue I thought the ease of access from SE London was worth paying the minimal extra. But when I got there the assistant said '£5.25' As the film was about to start - it was 6.40pm - I didn't argue. As I say the audience were like cardboard cut-outs didn't respond at all to the humour.

Next, I thought I'd have a beer. Since the extensive refurb of the place, along with the South Bank area, there's a big upstairs cocktail area with sofas and high-priced food, near the bookshop. That was packed with frolicking youths like the set of a Noel Coward play. I was more interested in the downstairs bar with doors onto the South Bank where you can sit at tables under Waterloo Bridge. I'd noticed last week that what was once a cheap cafe at the other side of the bar had been turned into a waiter-service place with prices to match.

Two heavies were sitting at the interior entrance to the bar area. 'Sorry, Private Function'. I couldn't face the upstairs crush so I went home.

I can see what's gone wrong here. The whole nature of the audience has changed because what was an admittedly somewhat shabby venue for film-lovers has become a fashionable meeting place for well-heeled tourists and dilletantes who reagrd it in the same light as the other South Bank restaurants and bars.Grrr. I can imagine some of the people last night would write in to complain about disrespect to the royal family. I heard someone say as I came out: 'Well, what did the director do? Just put a lot of music over old film footage!'

I don't use the place much, apart from seeing Festival films but I noticed then that a Scotch Egg at the bar cost £3.50. Very rough-looking they were too, as if made by a child. Even the pickled onions were £1.50. I had to go out and get a bag of nuts.

Anyway, I've got the name of the man in charge and will be writing in. My husband wants to see the film, but we'll go out to Mile End, I think. Or North Finchley.

I had an argument with the girl on the phone about how to define 'early evening', too. She admitted that since downstairs has been taken over by a private company there have been 'problems'.

Still, in a way that's what the film was about, wasn't it? Change and decay.Hope you fared better.

Sheila

Sheila that's shocking. I'd love you to send a copy of this post to Terence Davies himself. All very low key at the Arts, Cambridge, where the man himself did a Q&A last week. It's such a great venue and pays no lip service to anyone but the filmmakers who visit - and they are legion.

He's Davies is a lovely man and an entertaining speaker, unlike some. Last year I heard him at to BFI when they screened the restored print of 'Distant Voices, Still Lives' and he had the audience in the enraptured.

It's a shame the BFI seems to have lost its way.

Sheila

<Added>

not 'in the enraptured' but 'enraptured.' I don't want to suggest anything of the 'born again' aspect, especially given his atheist views.

Or you might try writing to Mark Kermode on his Radio 5 show. He reads letters and emails aloud. Last week he raved about this film - said it was the best he'd seen all year so you would definitely have a sympathetic ear.

<Added>

Here's a link - you could Facebook him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/entertainment/kermode.shtml

I remember you admired him, the one with the odd hairstyle. I didn't realise his programme was still on. He knows more about films than Jonothan Ross did, which wouldn't be difficult, but I still can't take to these slick-presentation programmes. That blonde bimbo whose role was simply to nod and smirk at him was really off-putting.

Oh, I see it's the radio show you mean! Yes, I did download some programmes to listen to on my ipod but haven't checked them for a while. Thanks for the link.

Sheila

Thanks for reminding me about this, Jem. I just downloaded the latest one - a not very interesting interview with Ridley Scott and one before that about some gangster film. However, I've subscribed to get a regular download and it was good to be reminded of other progs I'd decided to subscribe to - the little download wheels were whizzing away. What'sthis - Melvyn Bragg???? Well, I caught a bit of his Aristotle during the week and was thinking I could have listened to more, so I've transferred that, too. I haven't got an iPod, just two MP3 players that I've finally got the hang of.

I think there are a lot more progs available now than when I first tried downloading podcasts. Good idea for walking about.

Sheila