 |
Toff Tips |
 |
 |
 |
|
FILM:September 2012
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The excellent documentary, AI WEIWEI: NEVER
SORRY (cert. 15 1hr. 31mins) is well worth catching. First-time
director, Alison Klayman, shows the personal and professional sides
of this courageous artist who has defied his Government to expose
its shortcomings. Klayman started filming Ai in 2008 following completion
of the "Bird's Nest" Beijing Olympic Stadium, and Ai's denunciation
of the Games as Party propaganda. Weiwei is filmed working in Munich
in 2009 and he and volunteer helpers collecting more than 9,000
names of those who died in the earthquake in Sichuan as a result
of poor building work. Weiwei made an installation of 9,000 backpacks
to memorize them.
He has been brutally assaulted by police and seen the wicked demolition
of his Shanghai studio. Ai has still persevered with his artistic
creations and his political work. We learn of Ai's family background,
the exile of his father, the poet Ai Quing, to a remote part of
China because of his alleged political transgression. Ai believes
in freedom of expression and is striving to achieve it in China.
He is optimistic about the future and at the age of 52 had a son
- the result of an extra-marital affair - who he walks through his
renowned installation in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. The film
ends with Ai's 81-day detention and subsequent release on strict
bail.
I'll begin once again with the words of 11year-old Anna who accompanied
me to see DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS (cert.
U 1 hr. 34 mins.): |
|
One way to describe the events in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog
Days is EMBARASSING. Things happen during the film that made you want
the floor to open up and eat you whole. One such scene was when Greg
decided to dive off a really high diving board to impress a girl he
really likes, Holly Hills. |
But he slips and falls on his bum and his shorts
fall off by getting caught on the end of the diving board, thus leaving
him stranded in the pool with no swim shorts.
I really enjoyed this film, since it really shows how people can change
and grow on other people over a long summer. There were touching scenes
between Greg and his dad, but there are ones where you can't help
but laugh out loud. Overall, I think it is a great movie that the
whole family will enjoy to watch over the summer. Maybe it is an idea
for child not to go with their parents, because they might laugh at
inappropriate places. By Anna Directed
by David Bowers, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is the third installment
of the popular franchise based on the illustrated comic novellas
by Jeff Kinney. Zachary Gordon returns as the titular preteen wimpy
kid Greg Heffley, who's looking forward to a summer of playing video
games until his father (Steve Zahn) says that he must do sports
and outdoor stuff that other kids do with their dads.
Greg really doesn't want to go down his father's path and so pretends
that he has a job at the local country club, where, accompanying
his friend, chubby Rowley (Robert Capron), whose family are members,
he finds that Holly (Peyton List) the girl he is very keen on, is
a member too. Greg's family also get a dog (although he doesn't
add much to the plot, but suits the title literally!). When Greg's
older brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) finds out what Greg is up
to he blackmails Greg into sneaking him into the country club.
There are some good performances from cast members, particularly
Zahn and Bostick and the two leads - Gordon and Capron get up to
some amusing antics. However, having seen the other films in this
series, this one doesn't seem so funny - the element of surprise
is lacking. I must say, however, that Anna and indeed the other
children present, appeared to really enjoy the film.
360 (cert.15 1 hr. 50 mins.) |
A well-known and celebrated director, Fernando Meirelles (City
of God, The Constant Gardner), a super cast, Anthony Hopkins, Jude
Law, Rachel Weisz, Ben Foster and a renowned writer, Peter Morgan
(Frost/Nixon, The Queen) - what could go wrong? Well…Peter Morgan's
screenplay arising from Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde is somewhat
disjointed so doesn't flow easily. |
|
360 is a collection of interweaving stories, starting
with a very attractive Slovakian woman, Mirka (Lucia Siposova),
entering a life of prostitution. She is followed and observed by
her younger sister, who steers well away from a similar job. Her
first client, Michael (Jude Law) is blackmailed by two salesmen
looking for a deal and he opts out at the last minute.
At the same time in London, his wife Rose (Rachel Weisz) ends an
affair with Brazilian Rui (Juliano Cazarre), but not before his
Brazilian girlfriend, Laura (Maria Flor) has discovered Rui's infidelity
and fled. On the plane back to Brazil, Laura talks to an older British
man, John (Anthony Hopkins), who explains that he is on his way
to a mortuary in Phoenix to confirm if a dead body is that of his
missing daughter; he has been searching for her for many years.
When a blizzard delays them overnight in Denver, Laura, now drunk,
meets up with another passenger. He is Tyler (Ben Foster), a nervous
convicted sex offender, who is travelling to a Halfway House on
bail from the secure prison where he has been held for six years.
We are also introduced to the widower Michael (Jamel Debbouze)
a lonely Algerian, who is attracted to his married Russian employee,
Valentina (Dinara Drukarova). He is very concerned as his Muslim
faith forbids him to follow his desires. Also he does not know that
she is about to leave her Russian husband and is actually in love
with Michael.
All the characters are connected, but the links often seem to be
contrived. However, there are some scenes that work really well
as the actors are all fine. Hopkins delivers a restrained true-to-life
portrait of a father who refuses to give up hope that his daughter
is still alive even if she does not wish to contact him. His scenes
with the young Brazilian actress are moving. Jude Law and Rachel
Weisz also manage to be non-actorly and they play well both together
and separately as do the Algerian and the Russian woman for whom
he can't or won't confess his love.
I would have liked to know more about a number of the characters
as it is hard to care for or about them in the minimum of time devoted
to each one. The real trouble is with the director's decision to
try to interweave disparate story lines into one cohesive circle
- this just doesn't work. In addition, while there is some great
cinematography, the dramatic scenes mainly take place in hotel rooms
or airport settings, so that too little is seen of the attractive
locations. So acting excellent, direction so-so, story line/screenplay
poor!
The above are out now. Coming in September is an unusual film:
while its title HYSTERIA (cert. tbc 1hr. 35mins.)
does not reveal the unexpected subject matter - the fictionalised
history of the vibrator - the story unfolds amusingly, leaving the
viewer happy to laugh but also to ponder on the different lives
of Victorian women.
We snatch an insight into women with money enough to seek medical
help for their bodily and mental 'ailments' and those who are so
poor that they are at the mercy solely of charitable acts from the
medical profession to cure them. The recognised complaint of female
hysteria and the revolutionary way of dealing with it is examined
humorously!
The film opens with the young handsome Dr Granville Mortimer (Hugh
Dancy) being challenged by his employer as to why he is changing
the bandages on the wounds of poor patients. Maintaining the good
medical reasoning for doing so, Dr Mortimer loses his employment
and is expected to follow a meaningful and brilliant career. However,
he is employed by Dr Robert Dalrymple (Jonathan Pryce) in his very
profitable and successful practice treating ladies suffering from
hysteria. There is amusement to be got from the expressions of the
women seeking help as it is obvious the doctors' expertise is being
executed with artful manipulation. We, and the patient, cannot see
the form of manipulation used so successfully by the young doctor
that he is such great demand that his wrists and hands are badly
strained! |
Young doctor Granville has a romantic liaison with Dr Dalrymple's
daughter, Emily (Felicity Jones) while her older sister, Charlotte
(Maggie Gyllenhaal) helps in a poor settlement and involves Granville
in her work. His injury leads him to develop a more effective vibrator…and
the rest is history (well, sort of!) Acted tongue in cheek, especially
by Granville's friend Rupert Everett, this is a light romantic comedy
rather than an erotic film! |
Hugh Dancy and Maggie Gyllenhaal
in Hysteria |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THEATRE TIP
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA (National
Theatre until 12 September), George Bernard Shaw is writing about
the time when the play was written, 1906, but he touches on a subject
very close to our hearts today - the importance of having a National
Health Service. |
All except one of his cast of doctors works in private practice
and, as Shaw puts it, they are treating people for money and cannot
judge the actual medical need without the question of money entering
into the decision. The dilemma faced by newly knighted Sir Colenso
Ridgeon (Aden Gillett) is whether to treat the husband of a beautiful
young woman, Jennifer Dubedat (Genevieve O'Reilly) who pleads for
the life of her husband, the artist Louis Dubedat (Tom Burke). Sir
Colenso has discovered a TB innoculation, which will cure people
of tuberculosis, but he only has sufficient to treat a small number
and his quota is full. |
Genevieve O"Reilly as Jennifer,
Tom Burke as Dubedat, in Doctor's Dilemma at the National Theatre
|
He discovers that Louis is a scoundrel having cheated
on his wife and conned many out of their money. At the same time
one of his friends, a hard-up doctor (Derek Hutchinson), who treats
people according to need rather than having a private practice,
is suffering from TB too. Which of the two should he cure? He is
worried that because he is in love with Jennifer he might let Louis
die in order to marry the widow. Young director, Nadia Fall has
mounted a most attractive production. Although there is much earnest
discussion about the merits of various treatments and their advantages,
the quality of the acting and the interesting sets, which change
seamlessly, ensure that the serious comedy comes across as vibrant
and engrossing.
There is also an unusual interpretation of RICHARD III
at Shakespeare's Globe (until 13 October, and at the Apollo Theatre
from 2 November), with Mark Rylance playing the King as a hesitant,
sometimes quietly charming villain who can become a murderer, with
excuses, in the flash of an eye, in this all-male version. |
Mark Rylance as Richard III
|
Rylance's approach gives a different slant on the King that we
all assume to be fundamentally evil. He stumbles over words and
is at first meek when he woos Lady Anne, over the coffin of her
father-in-law who he has just murdered. He uses all his charm to
turn around her feelings so that she succumbs to him. |
In a very charming voice, Richard says: "I do love
thee so that I will shortly send your soul to heaven" referring
to his brother Clarence. Rylance's slow clear speech will help anyone
who comes new to this Shakespearian play. His evil intentions are
shown, however, when he gets angry with the young prince who climbs
on his shoulder, "So young, so wise will never live long," he comments
afterwards. The audience are encouraged to cheer Richard, Duke of
Gloucester when he is asked to be King and, as usual, with the lively
Globe audience, they do so enthusiastically.
Using original practices works well in Tim Carroll's production
and the males taking on female parts perform convincingly. Lady
Anne (Johnny Flynn) has a light voice and looks almost female. The
very long skirts worn by the women in the play cover their feet
and have the effect of making them seem to roll along as though
on clockwork wheels. The humour is brought out in the production
and the audience are completely silent during the more serious moments
such as Richard's mother who states that she hates her adult son
and wishes he had never been born. If you have yet to visit the
Globe, go this season or - for a more comfortable seat- book for
the Apollo in London's West End!
You know that it will end in a blood bath when you watch a Jacobean
play and THE REVENGER'S TRAGEDY (The Old Red Lion,
Islington until 29 September) delivers this albeit in a rather different
manner from the usual well-populated production. |
Here a cast of only six perform Thomas Middleton's tragedy with
as much humour as the play can possibly carry, and give us the bloody
grotesque happenings in close up in this tiny theatre. With men
playing women's parts as well as the main characters who are male
and at one point the only female in the company, Christine Oram,
playing a prison guard, the versatile cast strive hard to put across
this somewhat complex play.
The Jacobean drama of affairs, murder and revenge is presented
in a 1980s setting. Director Nicholas Thompson has managed to define
the characters well so that we always know who is who, even when
- as in the case of Mark Field who plays the main character Vindice
and also his disguised other self, Piato - the same actor covers
two or three parts! |
|
All act convincingly except Christine Oram who seems
to be a bit lost in the two main characters she covers - the Duchess
and Gratiana (mother of Vindice and Hippolita (Henry Regan) and
Castiza). The daughter, Castiza is well portrayed by Nicholas Kline
who performs a lovely aerobics scene to a Jane Fonda video. Steve
Fortune (seen in the picture above as a guard with Nicholas Kline,
here as Spurio, the bastard son of the Duke) is excellent as the
Duke.
JULIUS CAESAR (Noel Coward Theatre until 15 September
then touring *) |
Cyril Nri and Paterson Joseph
in Julius Caesar. |
This thrilling political conspiracy is convincingly set in modern
Africa drawing thoughts of dictatorships and the perils it holds
for all.
Overlooking the stage is the back of a huge statue of Caesar with
his arm held up. It is reminiscent of Sadaam Hussein and many other
dictators. |
The audience is quickly transported to Africa by
the exciting rhythmic pounding of music and there we remain throughout
the journey of the conspirators. The African setting with its all-black
cast is perfect for discovering Julius Caesar anew and director,
Gregory Doran, should be greatly commended for this.
The magic and fortune-telling of the chilling soothsayer, bearing
his warnings of the Ides of March take one swiftly into the danger
of the play and continues throughout. The African setting helps
to convey the importance of the prophecies of doom. There is a chorus
of musicians and singers who supply the crowd scenes, which are
a little sparsely populated.
The cast is composed of some of our top classical black actors.
Best of all is Cyril Nri's Cassius, who dressed all in white, has
a definite "lean and hungry" look and shows that he is the thinker
behind the action as he becomes the leader of the conspiracy to
assasinate Caesar. Ray Fearon's Mark Anthony is excellent and has
a beautifully rounded vocal range. Patterson Joseph gives a stunning
performance of Brutus, using expression, body language, voice and
accent brilliantly to enthral us with the workings of his mind.
He shows us a Brutus who is egotistical and not exactly the noble
Brutus who we usually see. In the hands of Jeffery Kissoon Caesar
comes across as indecisive but with a certain regal quality. It
is good to see women playing the female parts and Adjoa Andoh as
Brutus'wife and Ann Ogbomo as the wife of Caesar, bring veracity
to their characters.
The music by Akintayo Akinbode is well suited to the action with
its mixture of African rhythms and more sombre background sounds.
Caesar's assassination could have been delivered less clumsily
and might have affected the reality of it all, had the manipulative
and profound funeral speeches not been delivered so well. We were
again drawn back into the action. The whole production works very
well in its African setting and is indeed a resounding triumph for
the RSC. It is good to see it being offered around the country.
*Aylesbury Waterside Theatre 19-22 September, Bradford Alhambra
Theatre 25-29 September, The Lowry Salford 2-6 October, Norwich
Theatre Royal 16-20 October, New Theatre, Cardiff 23-27 October.
ADVANCE BOOKING INFORMATION for Rodgers & Hammerstein's
CAROUSEL:
The show is brought vividly to life in an outstanding new stage
production, opening at the Barbican in London following critical
praise in Leeds and Manchester. Opera North's vibrant staging of
this timeless American classic combines gripping storytelling and
powerful musical performances. The production will transfer to Paris
in 2013. One of the greatest Broadway musicals of the twentieth
century, created by the writer and composer of The Sound of Music,
Oklahoma! and The King and I, CAROUSEL features
some of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most compelling and emotional
music, including 'You'll Never Walk Alone', 'If
I Loved You' and the joyful 'June Is Bustin' Out
All Over'.
It is set in a small New England seaside community and tells the
story of true love and the tragedy of feelings left unspoken, as
mill worker Julie Jordan falls in love with troubled fairground
worker Billy Bigelow. After Billy commits a desperate act that ends
in tragedy, he is granted one last chance. Will he be able to make
things right second time around?
This fresh version of Carousel is led by director Jo Davies, with
set and costumes by Olivier-award winning designer Anthony Ward,
who has designed numerous Broadway and West End shows (The King's
Speech, ENRON, Oklahoma!, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang). Cast members
for London include Michael Todd Simpson as Billy Bigelow, Katherine
Manley as Julie, Sarah Tynan as Carrie, and Yvonne Howard as Nettie
Fowler. The full Broadway score is ravishingly recreated by musical
forces led by conductors James Holmes and Jonathan Gill, with a
chorus of over 30 singers, 14 dancers and choreography from Kim
Brandstrup and Kay Shepherd. Carousel is in London for a strictly
limited run of five weeks, from 15 August until 15 September. www.carouseltheshow.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carlie Newman & Sharon Michaels |
|
|