I've been invited to movie screenings several times, and I usually turn them down. I have a low tolerance level for mediocre movies, and so I accept screening invites only if I already have a strong idea that I"ll like the movie.
But an invite from Black and White whisky to come view Deadpool at JW Marriott was definitely not to be missed.
I've never watched a movie screening at a posh hotel before, and I was looking forward to an evening of pampering and entertainment.
I arrived there bang on time thinking this would be like a regular movie showing that would start at the fixed time.
Unfortunately not. The first half an hour or so was spent schmoozing around the place - hanging around at the bar enjoying the complimentary whisky cocktails (for the bloggers), and people-watching all the glamorous faces in the crowd.
And there were plenty of glamorous faces. Because this event was held in the prestigious JW Marriott, the crowd was much more high-profile than the one you might expect at your local cinema hall - even a ritzy one.
In addition, the event was not just restricted to the movie. There was some fine music by Argenil followed by a laugh out loud stand-up show by Azeem Banatwalla.
The cinema hall was unique in that there were no actual seats. A few bean bags scattered around, and the room was filled with mattresses and pillows to lean against - giving a very lounge-like atmosphere, like watching a movie at home.
It was a bit funny to see some of the really glam girls trying to twist themselves gracefully on the floor mattresses with their short skirts and high heels 😀 . Actually, even I had planned a dress and heels to wear to the event, and thankfully K nixed it, asking me to wear pants as it would be cold. He was so right. And why are men always so right about things like these?
Outfit issues aside, the mattresses and bean bags were very comfortable, and it was a pleasure to just sit back, kick your heels, and enjoy some delicious snacks and whisky cocktails. There was plenty of food to go around, but I went for the burger and wedges, and a chocolate truffle to settle into the evening.
Both the dishes were excellent.
We then hung out with Deadpool for a while killing the time till the movie started.
About Deadpool
As for the movie itself? It was good. I liked it but didn't love it.
The plot in a nutshell: Ryan Reynolds is the sharp-tongued Wade Wilson, a former special forces operative who contracts a fatal cancer which has spread all over his body. In a desperate bid to stay alive for the love of his life Vanessa, Wade undergoes black market treatment for his cancer provided by sicko scientist Ajax. The treatment is awful, leaving him scarred all over his body, and turns him into Deadpool - with accelerated healing powers and superhuman strength.
Ryan Reynolds plays the title role of Deadpool and he simply owns the role. It's probably the first movie I've seen of his where I actually liked him in the part.
The movie starts off with a bang - a lot of good quality high-octane action. I especially loved the opening credits. Instead of the usual list of stars' names, the credits called attention to the genre-defining clichés that fill out the cast - a moody teenager, a CGI character, a British villain, and so on.
But once that was done, and the backstory begins, I got quite distracted by the frequent asides. You know what I mean? It's when the hero stops right in the middle of a scene to address the audience. Most of these asides were funny, but they also pulled me out of the movie viewing experience. Underneath the jokes, and the unique ways of delivering the story, the basic story was just the same old regular one - the journey of a regular man to a super-hero out to get revenge against the man who did him wrong.
There's also the huge amounts of sex and violence. The movie's R-rated, so I knew what to expect, but still there was a lot of bad language and sex, and the violence (though cartoonish) was very violent and full of blood. Warning, even though this is a super-hero movie, it is definitely not for children.
Still, an enjoyable and unusual movie.
It was a great time overall and one of the most pleasant and well-organized movie events I have been to.
Huge thanks to Black and White whisky and JW Marriott for the invitation.
