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FILM:March 2011
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Narrated by a grown-up Mattie, the Coen brothers
re-make of TRUE GRIT (cert. 15 1hr. 20mins.) pretty
much follows the story of the 1969 film directed by Henry Hathaway,
which starred Oscar-winning John Wayne as 'Rooster' Cogburn. In
Arkansas in 1870 Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), a 14-year-old girl
wants to hire someone to find and capture the employee, Tom Chaney
(Josh Brolin), who's just killed her father. The determined young
woman sets out to hire 'Rooster' Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a federal
marshal with a gritty reputation of getting the job done but usually
with a high body count. She shows how mature she is in negotiations
and hires Cogburn with the condition that she travels along with
him.
Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Matt Damon) has been tracking Chaney for
a long time in order to take the villain, who has also murdered
a Texas senator, back to Texas for a handsome reward. He believes
that Chaney is travelling somewhere in hostile Indian territory
and may have met up with his cohort, Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper).
He knows Cogburn of old and leaves with him. Mattie refuses to be
left behind and pursues them until they reluctantly include her
on their manhunt. They travel across dangerous lands, getting closer
to Chaney.
The directors have captured the spirit of the western but given
it a modern take - it is not just guns and shooting and killing
but has a real story with dramatic tension and much humour. They
are well served by an outstanding cast who seem to actually inhabit
their roles. Haillee Steinfeld is just right as the mature, very
properly spoken young madam who knows exactly what she wants and
how to get it even though she is dealing not just with adults but
with men. The part of LaBoef is much stronger in this modern version
than in the original film and Matt Damon plays the part in an unflamboyant
manner. The opposite can be said of Jeff Bridges who gives the drunken,
smoking, swearing Texas marshall a full blown rollicking performance.
He has been nominated for Best Actor in the forthcoming Oscars.
With excellent photography as well, this is a strongly recommended
film.
HIS & HERS (cert. U 1hr 20mins) is a delightful
documentary about 70 Irish women and the men in their lives. Directed
by Ken Wardrop, the film begins with a young child and then follows
through with young women talking of dating and marriage right up
to a 90-year-old. Each interview, which takes place mainly in the
women's own homes, with a woman exploring her relationship with
a man in her life - father, boyfriend, husband or sons.
It's a nice little film, at times moving, at others amusing. I
had some difficulty with the strong accents of some of the women,
although the very old were fine! The use of subtitles would greatly
help. It is a most charming piece of movie making by Ken Wardrop.
The voices of the females can be heard - perhaps for the first time
- in an intimate and completely fresh way and the manner in which
the portrait of each one through the interviews which are given
to camera, makes for a satisfying whole. If you are unable to see
this at your local cinema, then buy or rent the DVD when it is released
in April.
Try to catch Woody Allen's new film: YOU WILL MEET
a TAKK DARK STRANGER (cert.12A 1hr.38mins.), which
stars a wonderful array of British actors. My former drama school
friend Pauline Collins plays Cristal who foretells the fortunes
of Helena (Gemma Jones) who has been deserted by her husband Alfie
(Anthony Hopkins) who is trying to re-capture his youth. He later
achieves this in spectacular fashion by marrying a young woman (Lucy
Punch) who he meets when she is working as a call girl! Meanwhile
Helena and Alfie's daughter (Naomi Watts) develops a crush on her
handsome, rich boss (Antonio Banderas) - who wouldn't? And her husband
(Josh Brolin) falls for a young woman (Freida Pinto) who he sees
playing the cello in the flat opposite him. If this sounds complicated
it doesn't seem so when watching and a huge number of actors appear
in tiny two-line parts. All the acting is of a high standard and
the Woody Allen touch is still present although this film does not
have as much humour as some of his earlier works.
A must-see, too, is the Oscar nominated WASTELAND
(cert. PG 1hr. 39mins.). This documentary shows the artist Vik Muniz
working with catadores (garbage collectors, or, as they call themselves
"pickers of recyclable materials"). Muniz photographs his subjects
and then they, along with other co-workers, recreate images of themselves
out of garbage materials. The resulting paintings have been shown
and sold at prestigious art galleries and some of the subjects have
found fame. Absolutely absorbing, about a subject that few of us
ever consider, this is a film worthy of an Academy Award. |
THEATRE TIP
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Now is the time to plan a trip to the theatre. Here
are a few worth seeing soon. |
GREENLAND (National Theatre booking until 2
April) is a very well meant play about climate change, which is
a most important subject. The difficulty is that for much of the
show, the audience feels as though it is being lectured at. While
the speeches are all interesting, it is not exactly riveting to
watch as one often feels that the matter could be more succinctly
expressed or that we want more information and therefore need to
pause and take it in, or even read further on the subject.; |
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It has been put together by four playwrights - Moira
Buffini, Matt Charman, Penelope Skinner and Jack Thorne. While the
various components are seamless, it might have been better to have
had one voice here. The sets and production effects, however, with
a huge polar bear and snow falling on the audience, are all terrifically
managed by director, Bijan Sheibani.
Whether you are into buying shoes or not, SHOES,
a delightful, sexy (in the Sun Page 3 sense) musical, which was
originally at Sadler's Wells, is now at the Peacock Theatre (until
3 April) and is worth a visit. |
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Richard Thomas has written and composed the various sketches
which include songs and dancing, and the director and principal
choreographer is Stephen Mear. We find a group of musicians seated
on a raised platform and with singing by four singers and 14 dancers
who introduce us to a full, albeit brief, history of shoes, on to
a full description of the different types of shoes we have today. |
All this is illustrated in a variety of song styles
and, in particular, a complete cross section of different types
of dancing from classical to tap to jazz.
The standard of song and dance is high, although some of us found
it hard to understand the words sung by the soprano and, as the
words are very important here - mainly humorous in a satirical or
straight-on jokey fashion - it is important to understand everything.
The shoes are all interesting with some very strange styles and
others new to me with obviously famous names to which eulogies are
given. The costumes also vary from lovely and appropriate to a rather
strange flesh coloured corset-type body cover worn by the male dancers,
which are neither erotic nor, to my eyes, attractive. Extra worn
by the male dancers, which are neither erotic nor, to my eyes, attractive.
Extra choreographers including Sidi Larbi, who uses great movement
for two pieces called Salvatore Ferragamo and Old Shoes) and Aletta
Collins in her inimitable modern style. The show should appeal to
those who enjoy quirky musicals and/or dancing and , of course,
to those obsessed by shoes! |
A ghost story with an intimate setting is found in Alan Ayckbourn's
play which has not been seen in London previously. SNAKES
IN THE GRASS at the delightful Print Room Theatre, London
W2 (until 12 March) shows us three women - Annabel (Susan Wooldridge),
her sister Miriam (Sarah Woodward) and Alice (Mossie Smith.) Annabel
returns to the family home to be re-united with her sister, Miriam
after the death of their father who has been ill for many years.
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This tyrannical man was nursed by Alice until Miriam
made her leave. Alice now accuses Miriam of murdering her father
and tries to blackmail the sisters; threatening them with exposure
and consequent prison for Miriam. Ghosts of the past come back to
haunt the sisters and also new ones seem to be present. This dark
play is given its sinister atmosphere by the excellent setting:
the disused tennis court in the overgrown garden of the neglected
family home. The audience sits on either side and we can also see
the side of a summer house built over an old well, whch will be
used later in the play. play. Atmospheric lighting and some creepy
music assist in frightening the characters (and the audience) Lucy
Bailey directs this London premiere and is well served by her cast
of experienced actors. Sarah Woodward gives us a good picture of
the quiet, repressed sister, a woman in her forties who has stayed
at home to care for her horrid father. We can well believe the touch
of madness that she later reveals. There is a good contrast in the
older sister, Annabel, who has had a career and a marriage and Susan
Wooldridge brings this out very well. While Mossie Smith's character
is somewhat exaggerated, it fits in with the black comedy and altogether
this is an enjoyable, if somewhat disturbing, production. I left
this attractive little theatre with a rather sore behind from the
hard chairs and grass from the tennis court on my coat. |
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Just like the Greek myth of Penelope, who waited for her husband,
Odysseus, to return from the Trojan wars, the eponymous heroine
of PENELOPE (Hampstead Theatre until 5 March) has
been courted by 100 suitors. Now there only remain four who live
in an old disused swimming pool converted into a living-room, which
is the focal point for the audience. It is so hot that they sit
on sun loungers in swimwear. |
Director Mikel Murfi and his Druid Company have come
up with a lively very Irish production. Written by Enda Walsh, verbose
is an understatement. However, it is good to hear intelligent dialogue
well put across by the four actors.
The excellent Niall Buggy, whose bald head shines in the stage
lighting, gives an authoritative portrayal of the elder statesman,
Fitz. Karl Shiels shows us a brash young man proudly exhibiting
his (fairly) fit body in his swimming briefs. It's a good, well-acted,
fluently written play - rush along to see it while you can. |
There are currently many musicals in London's West End but, I
promise you, none like SHOWSTOPPER! THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL |
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(Ambassadors Theatre every Tuesday until 29 March
and touring Thurs 17 March, 7.30pm - The Lighthouse, Poole 0844
406 8666 / www.lighthousepoole.co.uk, Friday 18 March, 8pm - Selby
Town Hall, Selby 01757 708449 / www.selbytownhall.co.uk, Saturday
19 March, 7.45pm - Mill Arts Centre, Banbury 01295 279002 / www.themillartscentre.co.uk,
Thursday 24 March - Komedia Brighton 0845 293 8480/ www.komedia.co.uk/brighton,
Friday 1 April, 7.30-Tolmen Centre, Constantine 01326341353/ww.constantinecornwall.com/tolmencentre,
Thursday 7 April, 7.45pm - The Lights, Andover 01264 368368 / www.thelights.org.uk,
Saturday 23 April, 7.30pm - Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond 01748
825252 / www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk, Thursday 12 May 8pm - Komedia
Bath 0845 293 8480 / www.komedia.co.uk/brighton).
Showstopper! is improvised by a group of actors with two musicians working alongside them, the cast presents a different show each performance. Built around the idea of a writer having just one night to create a hit show to impress his producer, he asks the audience to suggest a title, storylines and musical styles that they'd like to see in the show. The Showstoppers then create a musical from scratch based around that structure.
On the night I went, we had "Caesar's Salad," the story of the
olive picker's daughter and her love affair with Julius Caesar set
in Rome and employing the musical styles of Les Miserables,Bob Fosse
(which I suggested) and others. The actors could actually sing and
there was an attempt at dancing - probably most successful in a
Fosse routine. Created by Adam Meggido and veteran improviser Dylan
Emery (who acts as MC, co-ordinating the action as the show progresses),
the actors are most talented and the show is a lot of fun. The audience
engages and responds with gales of laughter and even the songs are
bouncy.
And for book-ahead suggestions: a must-see during the summer months
in London is a play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Its 2011 theatre
season 'The Word is God', celebrating the 400th
anniversary of the King James Bible and the enduring power of dramatic
language, commences with a cover-to-cover reading of The
King James Bible (17-25 April) and a touring production
of Hamlet, presenting a rare opportunity to experience the two foundation
stones of the modern English language back-to-back. The Bible will
be recited by 20 actors - including many Globe regulars - in five
teams of four over the course of 69 hours, spread across eight days
between Palm Sunday and Easter Monday. The small-scale production
of HAMLET (on tour from 13 April; at the Globe
from 23 April), directed by Dominic Dromgoole, stars Joshua McGuire
and opens at the Globe on Shakespeare's birthday, 23 April, before
travelling to Theatre Royal Margate, Georgian Theatre in Richmond
and Bath and finishing in Elsinore.
The first large-scale production at the Globe will be the premiere
of ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (27 April - 21 August),
directed by John Dove. This production will be followed by Shakespeare's
bright, witty comedy, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (21
May - 1 October), from acclaimed director Jeremy Herrin with Eve
Best as Beatrice and Charles Edwards as Benedict. 'The Word is God'
theme will continue with Christopher Marlowe's DOCTOR FAUSTUS,
the greatest tragedy in English before Shakespeare. Directed by
Matthew Dunster, Paul Hilton takes the main role. In August, the
Globe will celebrate the British medieval tradition with THE
GLOBE MYSTERIES in a new version by poet and playwright
Tony Harrison, directed by Deborah Bruce. ANNE BOLEYN,
directed by John Dove, returns to the Globe following its 2010 sell-out
run. The season will be brought to a rude and rowdy climax with
THE GOD OF SOHO by Chris Hannan, directed by Raz Shaw - a wild satire
on modern living, set in contemporary, suburban England. Box office:
020 7401 9919 or online: www.shakespearesglobe.com. Worth going
just for the lively young audience - groundlings stand for only
£5.00 with hundreds of tickets available.
The other real winner for summer theatre in the capital is sure
to be the 2011 season at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. William
Golding’s gripping drama, LORD OF THE FLIES,
directed by Timothy Sheader opens the season on 19 May (–
18 June). Lucy Bailey injects her unique visual dynamism into John
Gay’s original text of THE BEGGAR’S OPERA
23 June (until 23 July). This comically corrupt satire is packed
full of lewd songs and low ballads recreated from the original pastoral
score and played on authentic instruments.
&Continuing the successful series of Shakespeare plays for younger
audiences, PERICLES will be re-imagined for everyone
aged six and over from 2 July (until 23 July). The final production
is George and Ira Gershwin's hit musical comedy, CRAZY FOR
YOU (28 July to 10 September) which is packed full of Gershwin
classics including "I Got Rhythm", "Nice Work If You Can Get It."
Timothy Sheader directs, with choreography by Stephen Mear. Box
office: 0844 826 4242 or online: www.openairtheatre.com
It is worth noting that the Royal Shakespeare Company celebrates
its 50th Birthday with a season of nine plays in the newly transformed
Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Opening with MACBETH on 16 April (- 6 October), and continuing until
November, the season includes THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, A
MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT'S DEAM, MARAT/SADE, Pinter's THE
HOMECOMING |
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Carlie Newman |
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