About us
Berkhamsted Walks and Social welcomes all friends, new and established, to our group. We do ask members to provide a clear profile photo of themselves. The aim of our group is to provide our members with opportunities to meet people with similar interests and to make new friends who want to get out and about in the local area. We offer three walks per week (two midweek and one weekend) in the surrounding countryside. We also offer a range of other events and have a strong commitment to supporting our local community and local events. We organise film nights, theatre trips, concerts, book club, wine club, pub nights, meals out etc.
We are looking for new, committed hosts with fresh ideas, too, to help our local group grow and develop, offering a range of regular and new events to suit the different interests and tastes of our members.
Some events will have a small cost so that the organiser can cover any expenses but most events will remain free of charge. As walks are our most regular events, we ask members to donate £1 towards our costs.
We ask that all members keep their RSVPs up to date and respect the efforts made by all hosts in offering local and varied events for our enjoyment.
Look forward to you joining us at an event soon!
Upcoming events
7
- £7.00
Berkocinegoers at The Civic Centre: When Autumn Falls
Civic Centre, Civic Centre, High St, Berkhamsted HP4 3HB, UK, Berkhamsted, GBTickets are only bought once payments have been made. Once you have RSVPed, please pay £7 immediately by bank transfer using these details:
Martin Jones
KROO BANK
04-07-09
#00779315Trailer
AutumnRotten Tomatoes; 97%
Year: 2024
Country: France
Runtime: 102 mins
Genre: Thriller/Drama
Cast: Hélène Vincent, Josiane Balasko, Ludivine Sagniera### Synopsis
Masquerading, at least, in part, as a cosy crime drama, initial appearances are deceptive in François Ozon’s latest work. Set against the backdrop of autumn, the time of year reflects the stage that Michelle (Hélène Vincent) is at in life, as she potters in the woodlands near her rural French home. One thing that isn’t comfy, however, is her relationship with her daughter Valérie (Ludivine Sagnier) whose brewing resentment with her mother takes on fresh venom after an incident in which she and Michelle’s grandson Lucas (Garlan Erlos) pay a visit. The latest trouble is a case of mistaken identity, Michelle claims, although ambiguity hangs in the air like autumn mist and only thickens as the film wears on.
Michelle isn’t the only one whose relationship with her child is less than ideal, her best friend Marie-Claude (Josian Bolakso) is preparing for the release of her son Vincent (Pierre Lottin) from jail. This straightforward set-up is cleverly pulled this way and that by Ozon as he reveals details from the past, while leaving things shrouded in the present. Elements of this play out as a mystery but Ozon, in the Chabrol style, bolts on a domestic psychological drama while infuses the whole thing with some humour to boot. Somehow Ozon makes these marriages seem harmonious, although his decision to add a touch of the supernatural threatens the film’s cohesion in places.
The delight of the drama stems from the well crafted characters, while its heft hinges on toxicity that may not be immediately obvious. Veterans Vincent and Bolasko are a loveable pair, which makes it easy for us to sympathise with them in comparison to Valérie, who Sagnier plays as sour and sharp in equal measure. Lottin, meanwhile, was the one who was garlanded for his acting at San Sebastian Film Festival and his performance flutters so that although we think we know his ‘type’ initially, he becomes increasingly hard to weigh up.
There are pleasures to be had, too, in the general look of the film, with its autumnal palette and camerawork from Jérome Alméras that pays close attention to the actors so that we can see the subtle shifts in their thought processes and attitudes.
Ozon and his co-writer Philippe Piazzo have worked together numerous times before but this is one of their most satisfying collaborations, delivering an exploration of guilt and the potential for redemption, while making sure the mystery element also turns towards a satisfying climax.Parking in Berkhamsted is very difficult but there is road parking along Three Close Lane. Please allow time to find somewhere to park. We meet by the box office.
1 attendee - £12.00
Berkocinegoers at The Rex: The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Rex Cinema, High Street, Berkhamsted, GBTickets are only bought once payments have been made. Once you have RSVPed, please pay £12 immediately by bank transfer using these details:
Martin Jones
KROO BANK
04-07-09
#00779315Trailer
BudapestRun time: 100 mins
We’re still waiting patiently for Wes Anderson’s upcoming magnum opus: The French Dispatch, but let’s jump back into his most elaborate, and accomplished work to date.
Set in a fictional European spa town between the world wars, The Grand Budapest Hotel pivots around the character of Monsieur Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), the hotel concierge who believes that etiquette helps define civilization. Gustave’s morals are no match for his manners as he enjoys sexual congress with guests of both sexes. It’s a feast of a role, and Fiennes, exuding masterful verbal dexterity, nails every comic and dramatic nuance.
Anderson’s frequently imitated, but never bettered, style is on full display; utilising all his tricks, and with an ensemble cast that’ll make any filmmaker green with envy. It’s a ornamental toy box of a film, so delicious-looking you may want to lick the screen.
It is also, in the Anderson manner, shot through with humor, bittersweet heartbreak and a bruised romantic’s view of the past. It is also a rollicking caper that mixes theft, murder, a prison break and pastry recipes into a rousing free-forall that whips by like a dervishParking in Berkhamsted is very difficult but there is road parking along Three Close Lane. Please allow time to find somewhere to park. We meet between (or near to) the two doors in the bar.
2 attendees
Past events
1646
