Saw Elena last night at the Russian Film Festival at the Apollo, Piccadilly.
I picked my winner's tickets up as usual and waited first in the queue to be let into our screening room, but at the last minute, we were let into screen 4 instead of screen 5 as on our tickets. Anyway, we went to our favourite seats, centre back row and the room filled up. Then when all the seats were nearly all taken, a couple arrived and said we were in their seats!
Oops, did not know that the tickets had seat numbers on them, so off we went to look for the right seats only to find that others were sitting in them, their seats had been taken by people with the same ticket numbers.
However, as there were two seats on either side of another couple, they moved up so we could have seats together so we all ended up in the wrong seats!
Then just before the intro from the Russian critic, more people came and said we were in their seats!
We refused to budge as we already lost our really good seats at the back, and now all the seats were taken, and we had been the first to arrive. Great that all the Russians around us, backed us up so they had to go and find seats elsewhere, and sit separately.
Anyway, during the intro, I was distracted by more altercation in the row in front, as two more people were looking for seats and other people were in the same seats!
I think it is likely what happened is Screen 4 and 5 tickets were issued but for the same seats. What chaos!
The film starts slowly and quietly, and then grips you with its human dilemma and morals, and shows that blood is indeed thicker than water, when the mother decides to do something drastic to help her son and family. And what a difference between the rich and poor!
It is very well acted, with the Russian actress providing a very strong lead. Apparently she is up for an award, the European equivalent of the Oscars and she is in competition with Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia). Luckily, it was a good film, as it was the only day I could make (except the opening night but we could not go to that!) after winning tickets for the festival. 8/10
What are the books called? I might look them up instead.
