tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88433746481819170542024-02-21T04:22:54.377+03:00Essie SpeaksEssie Speaks - mostly about movies - but also of books, countries, life. Mostly movies though :) (Updated every weekend - sunday night latest ^-^)P.S. ALL THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF ITS WRITER - AND THAT WOULD BE ME!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger871125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-38462649742198954942016-04-06T13:09:00.000+03:002016-04-06T13:09:04.696+03:00HAND TO GOD, YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE THIS... <div class="MsoNormal">
So, this
was actually a Christmas present. That statement may well make you despair of
my writing schedule – but I can assure you I am not that far behind. I just
have very disorganized friends. They meant to take me to a play for Christmas you
see. We ended up doing it in February. That is how well coordinated our
schedules are. It’s honestly enough to make one want to throw the towel in completely…</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I am glad
we didn’t though. When we took our seats and caught our first, pre-show glimpse
of the set one thing was clear. This was going to be either a “love” or a
“hate” affair. The reviews seemed to agree. After we booked the tickets I
coincidentally ran into some very well-known publications reviewing the play
and honestly, they didn’t have enough derogatory terms to insult it with. One
of my friends especially doesn’t go to the theatre that often so I was quite
worried about poisoning her for life against the art form. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">But the
inevitable happened, the curtain came up and we entered the world of Tyrone,
which happens to be in Texas. And incidentally Jason (Harry Melling – if the
name is familiar it’s because you may know him better as Dudley Dursely from
the Harry Potter franchise). Jason is going through a bit of a moment. His
father has just passed away – which is hard enough on anyone. His mother is
trying to cope by running a Christian hand puppet workshop. It only has two
students (one the school bully who is there mainly by force) and naturally,
Jason is roped in whether he wants to be there or not… The workshop isn’t going
that well but there is nothing really out of the ordinary going on, well, except
for one small matter the others aren’t aware of… Tyrone – Jason’s hand puppet -
isn’t quite like the others… In fact, as far as Jason can tell he is completely
sentient and out of control – and is about to take over Jason’s life if someone
– anyone! – won’t do something fast… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Before we
get to pondering and analyzing, I just want to get one statement, straight from
the gut, out there. This was by far and away one of the funniest things – if
not THE funniest thing – I have ever seen in my life. I howled with laughter,
stamped on the floor and gave the play a standing ovation. On the other hand,
do be warned. If you consider yourself a Christian (especially) or a believer
in any way and if you are easily offended - steer well clear of this play. It
bars no holds and packs a lot of punches, mostly aimed at the religious
establishment and the social order we live in today. I saw one review (positive
this time) describe the play as Sesame street crossed with The Exorcist. Cant’
think of a more accurate description. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Now, I need
to stress one point. You may have gotten the rather mistaken impression that
this is some kind of dry and slightly off the wall religious and political
satire. No. It’s more like the kind of drunken rant you have when you have had
several whiskeys too many and you are howling with rage against “the
establishment”. It’s the kind of conversation you have at work dos and never
quite get round to living down. But there is not where the inappropriate
behavior stops. The “below the belt” stuff is… Way off the wall… I mean you
need to be not shocked easily on many, many levels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Harry
Melling literally bowled me over with his performance in this show. It is not a
great show of ventriloquism – as most reviews have already pointed out one can
clearly see his lips moving throughout the show. The point of the show is not
to dissimulate that Jason and Tyrone are one and the same. In fact, the more
the play goes on the more obvious it is that the aim of the game is to explore
the two sides of Jason’s personality. But I was absolutely blown away by the
way Melling was able to portray the two opposing characters on stage at the
same time, transitioning so smoothly from one to the other yet separating the
two characters so well and so clearly. A feat in performance and acting
technique, this much is for sure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Hand to God
is an uproarious step into the unknown. I want to gush on and on about it but
really, a lot of the comedy comes from the element of surprise. And as this play
burns the rulebook and bends over forward, backwards and sidewise to surprise
and shock you it would be so very unfair to rat on it. It’s still playing at
the Vaudeville theatre and cheap tickets are relatively easy to come by. I
would say it’s well worth the jump – and the stiches you are about to get in
your sides… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-37443433163631647162016-03-25T15:28:00.000+02:002016-03-25T15:31:22.395+02:00MR ROBOT - THE FUTURE IS COMING... <div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I don’t
know about your social circle, but in mine Mr. Robot is pretty much a phenomenon.
Everyone seemed to watch it and categorically EVERYONE seemed to adore it. I do
not “do” hype as you know but this was coming from so many normally sane and
sensible people (ehm, well, relatively so anyway) that I had to give it a shot.
So I did. Now, I am only half way through but it has become such a stable part
of my life SO darn quickly that I absolutely HAD to talk to you about it. We
cannot have anyone else missing out on this, this is big news peeps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Meet Elliot
(Rami Malek). He is a rather extraordinary man for many different reasons.
Suffering from social anxiety disorder he finds it extremely difficult to make
contact with human beings in real life. What he is good, nay, BRILLIANT at is
computers. This talent guarantees him a career at least. </span></div>
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What it also
guarantees, however, is the opportunity to make a difference. It is the 21<sup>st</sup>
Century after all, we live our lives online, whether we are Joe Bloggs or a
crime lord. Elliot is content making a difference in his own little way until
he is recruited by the mysterious Mr. Robot (Christian Slater). He is the
leader of a band of renegade hackers called fsociety and they are intent on planning
a revolution and changing the world one line of code at a time. The crazy thing is that the way they are
going, they just might succeed…</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It took me
a minute to realize what this was and why it was so good. But when I did, I had
to admire the pure genius of it. Ok, so from practically the opening lines,
Elliot complains of the capitalist system. He talks about how money enslaves us
without us even really being aware of it. The invisible ties of “want”, “need”,
“debt”, “credit” that dictates pretty much our every move. Into this world led
by “invisible” forces comes an anti-hero with a mentor who lands in a secret
force, a group of very diverse people ( kudos on fsociety’s diversity by the
way, two men, two women, one black, one middle eastern lady wearing a hijab)
who are going to defeat the invisible powers that are ruling the world and free
humanity from its enslavement. Yep. Yep you got it. It IS The Matrix all over
again. Just in series form so there are more ratings and it makes more money,
ingenious really. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Now
seriously, if you haven’t seen the series brace yourself. Major spoiler alert.
But there is of course a second film this series references. Fight Club. And I
actually kicked myself when I realized that Mr Robot was… Well, Elliot. And the
formula, here as well, is mirrored eerily. Society being brought to its knees,
a group led by a charismatic and mentally unstable leader, the unreliable
narrator and Darlene(Carly Charkin) who replaces Trinity in the Matrix scenario
and Marla for the Fight Club scenario. She is a perfect combination of the two really - she looks for all the world like a 21st century version of Marla, she is like Trinity in the sense that she is a fighter and a real force to be reckoned with. I need to say, this being a tv series, the big reveal, which in Fight Club creeps
up on you slowly and yet in reality takes only a few minutes is eeked out pretty
much over one episode. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It has had
a severe revamp, there are none of Neo’s “magical powers” or the nervous,
visceral energy of Fight Club that brings the world to its knees supposedly purely
through the power of chaos. Here, we have actually thought out a plan that
could, potentially, actually work. Pure, rational coding and hacking is what we are dealing with– and to be honest
what with everything that is actually possible on the internet these days
hacking is as close to magic as you can get ! All the economic arguments Elliot
and Mr Robot put forward are those of a disgruntled generation that are no
longer happy with the “old fashioned” way of doing things and think the system
is unfair, having got the short end of the stick compared to the boom years
(i.e. mainly millennials. I.e. the main
targeted audience). The antagonist is Tyler Wellick (Martin Wallstrom) is cold,
charismatic and so drop dead gorgeous that you quite frankly can’t help wanting
him to win and lose at the same time. I see the reason for the upgrade from
Agent Smith. He is representing capitalism after all, capitalism is slick,
glossy and it wants you to buy it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Elliot is a
lot less dark than Neo and our narrator from Fight Club though. I would say all
the characters are. But he is a lot easier to sympathize with as well. His
social anxiety makes him very much like us – all our shy, weird, insecure
moments mirrored and multiplied, giving him a weak point exactly like us and
making his “superpowers” instantly tolerable. He has a “best friend” – Angela (Portia
Doubleday) that has always been a little more for him but neither has ever
quite broached it – a common (not necessarily omnipresent, I am really not
saying that) but common, and relatable issue of male – female friendships. What
I am trying to say is Elliot is one of the most tangible and real anti-heroes I
have seen on screen. That coupled with Rami Malek’s clear talent and brilliant performance
put him squarely in the hall of fame of immortal television characters. In this respect he gets the better of our
narrator in Fight Club as well. Our narrator, though a lot more real than Neo,
is still a man of extremes between his attendance of self-help groups as a
means of making connection and later on, his emergence as a charismatic,
one-man-band leader. Elliot is a leader too – but it’s almost in spite of
himself. His “non-leader” persona is a lot closer to us than the narrator ever
was. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Now please
don’t get me wrong. I am not saying any of this is bad, that Mr Robot is simply
a cheap knock-off or something. I am just saying “this is how it was put
together”. Mr. Robot is fascinating and fun. I laugh and cry as I watch it and
drool over Martin Walstrom. I finished the series and am officially heartbroken
– I have no idea how to wait until the second series! All have to remember though peeps, those
glossy things we buy, eat, watch, listen to and – by and large – live are
actually cleverly constructed by some marketing and sales people somewhere… The
Matrix is out there folks… Hmm… I think I am more heavily influenced by this
series than I initially thought… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-15850410462499129172016-03-05T18:01:00.000+02:002016-03-05T18:16:10.706+02:00ARE YOU READY TO BECOME SOMETHING NEW... "THE LOBSTER"<div class="MsoNormal">
I saw the
trailer for The Lobster some time ago. I thought it was categorically the
funniest thing I have seen in years. I then, like a muppet, missed in the
cinema. I was overjoyed when it came out in VOD and I actually watched it
absolutely ages ago, practically on the day it came out. Its director Yorgos
Lanthimos is not a household name yet – but he is getting there. And those who
HAVE heard of him tend to give a knee jerk YES! Or NO! response. If you haven’t <span style="text-align: center;">tried him out yet, you really should give his work a whirl – see which camp you
end up in!</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">The Lobster
takes place in a dystopian near future. There (as in quite a few places here,
as a matter of fact), being a couple is categorically the most important thing
you have to achieve in your life. However fewer invitations to dinners and
awkward conversations are the least the singletons of this universe have to
worry about. If you find you are single, you have 45 days to find a partner. If
you fail, you are transformed into an animal of your choice and released into
the wild. Now, of course the process in monitored, the moment you report you
have become single to the authorities you are transported to a special facility
with other singletons where you have to endeavour to find a partner. Our tale
follows David (Colin Farrel) who is recently divorced. He has just started his
stay in the facility and has a whole world of new characters to meet, make
friends with and hopefully date. Oh the whole place looks like a slightly
eccentric holiday village, but David is under no illusions. The real question
is whether he will survive – and if he does, in what form… <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Yorgos
Lanthimos is one of those –black and white – kind of directors. You either
adore him and, like me, think he is the best thing since moving images on a
screen, or think he is crass, extreme and all together hard to watch. His films
are definitely not for the faint of heart. In my particular case I found
watching Dogtooth (the first film I ever watched by Lanthimos) a weirdly
sado-masochistic experience. Yes, definitely hard to watch. Harder than a lot
of things I have ever seen in fact. But also weirdly pleasurable… And why? I
guess because he has the rather dubious talent of being able to give you the
kind of shock the goriest slashers do, only without the gore and blood and in a
very innocuous looking setting. And let’s be honest here – it is rare to find
the kind of film that gets that kind of visceral response out of you in the day
to day cinematic market. I don’t necessarily think it’s a matter of shocking to
get publicity and bums on seats. It actually is the job of all art to make you
feel things. To make you react. To make you think. There is a little too much
playing it safe, a little too much staying within your comfort zone when it
comes to films these days I feel. That is sort of why Hollywood films are less
of my day to day consumption and more of an occasional treat. I need the films
that I watch actually do something to me – and if you are of the same tribe as
me I can promise you that The Lobster will smack you around the head several times and leave you spinning like a
top…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Like all of
his other films, this universe of Yorgos Lanthimos is unforgiving. The rules
are as harsh as they are eccentric and disobedience is really not an option.
Well. I say that, but in this universe – as in, I strongly suspect, most others
– as long as you give the illusion of going by the rules, you can get away
with, well, a certain amount… This, in the film has hilarious results that I
will not be discussing here today as a lot of the film counts on the element of
surprise to make it work. The film does, however, become a Kafaesque dance
where our characters have to apply an endless set of rules to the most intimate
areas of their lives. And what makes the film even funnier is the fact that
most of us – without being aware of it – do this anyway. You know those little
things called social norms we are all so attached to. Yeah… I am willing to bet
you any money that you will be giving them a hefty amount of thought after you
have watched this little number. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Of course
the brilliance of the actors only adds to the success of the dance – Colin
Farrel is the perfect slightly bumbling everyman helping us understand this
universe as we try to figure it out ourselves. Ably assisted by the likes of
John C. Reily, Ben Whishaw and Rachel Weisz who all participate in this
straight faced – in fact deadly serious – dance with conviction and gusto that
will have you cringing and crying out for them as the story takes its twists
and turns… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">In short,
the first thing Lanthimos does when he takes you into a universe is tear up the
rule book, the second is to throw you into the ring at a no-holds-barred cage
fight. It is something you definitely need to decide on for yourself – but if
you survive the fight, well, the benefits are absolutely glorious… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-58679280178534203062016-02-27T14:50:00.000+02:002016-02-27T16:32:02.400+02:00ON WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON WITH MY BLOGGING...Um well... I think I owe you guys an explanation. No really, I do. I want to make it short - you are not here to read my life stroy after all - but do bear with me because I want to make it honest.<br />
<br />
I work as a waitress as a lot of you know by now. It means I keep unsocial hours, unsocial hours that I need to balance out with some vestiges of a social life and training to become an actress some day. It is exhausting but by and large I love my life and with slightly less sleep than the average gal, I even find time for some movie reviewing on the side.<br />
<br />
Now, January and Febuary is always a very, very dry season for events. There aren't any. So for us freelancers there is no work.No work, unless you take some even more unsociable hours, locations and other stuff you would not usually prefer when figuring out your work. When making a living became a bona fide struggle in my own place of work I have had to branch out. This has meant shifts starting at 07.00 in the morning which means me getting up at around 4.30 (I live in a rather uncommutable bit of town). I am getting an averyage of about 3 hours of sleep a night (and another 2 - 3 hour nap during the day) and my body clock is on its head as a result. I will not be able to keep this up ad infinitum, but I am ok for now. The problem is of course that the rest of my life continues to be as busy as ever! I am learning to function on much less sleep but it IS a struggle. Especially when it comes to both acting and writing which need a high level of core energy and alertness as you can do neither on auto-pilot. I have been channeling what core energy I have left into my acting (I have several performances in the offing that need my attention) and the writing has suffered. And I am sorry about that. Not least because on a personal level I miss it terribly...<br />
<br />
I am trying to get back into an update a week. But I have a feeling I may well slip up. Please accept my humble appologies, keep a weather eye on Twitter where I will at least try and give some clue as to whether I will be able to put anything up this week and have a lovely weekend.<br />
<br />
Thank you for sticking with me!<br />
EssieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-9450023344195838252016-02-27T14:29:00.003+02:002016-02-27T15:24:28.427+02:00ALL HAIL MACBETH THAT SHALT BE KING HEREAFTER...<div class="MsoNormal">
So, as you
guys may have noticed, I have finally popped my Shakespeare review cherry with
my look at Henry IV parts 1 and 2. Moving up to a review of one of the greats –
or at least one of the great stories – only seems appropriate. Macbeth is
actually the kind of story I adore. You know I have a soft spot for gangster
films and the like. You know I have a soft spot for psychological films. Well
he we have a man who murders about a dozen innocent people to fulfill his own political
ambition and is driven slowly mad with remorse… In essence, the granddaddy of all the stories
I adore - I absolutely HAD to watch it – and the fact that I loved the story
is, in essence, no surprise.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Even if you
do not know the story of Macbeth per se, you will, without a doubt, recognize
it. Macbeth (Michael Fassbender) is a Scottish clan chief who is loyal to the
King of Scotland during a time of civil war. He has just won a decisive victory
in battle for his liege when he is accosted by three witches who prophecy that
he will first be made the chieftain of another clan and then King of Scotland.
Macbeth is inclined to laugh it off, but then, news arrives that the King has made him the
chieftain of the selfsame clan the witches had prophesied as a reward to his
services. From this moment on Macbeth, first egged on by his wife (Marion
Cotillard) and later on by his own crumbling sanity and insatiable ambition
will set off a string of murders Macbeth feels he absolutely must commit – or
have committed – to secure his place, his throne, his lineage, with tragic
consequences. After a while it becomes a matter of whether the Macbeths can get
a handle on the violence they have unleashed or whether Macbeths already
crumbling sanity will give way completely first… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Now there
have been more adaptations of this tale than anyone could hope to count. This,
to my way of thinking, makes every single new adaptation of the play a little
trickier. After that long of a lineage standing out is hard, seeing as a lot of
intelligent and creative people have been thinking about it a lot and have had
a lot of good ideas about it. There are some strong films out there. It’s a big
competition. And it has to be said, this particular adaptation has a lot of
good things going for it. First of all, the aesthetics. The film is
categorically one of the most visually stunning things I have recently seen. It
is a fittingly cold, bleak, unforgiving and stunning visual aesthetic that runs
through every aspect of the film from the backdrops to the scenery. I honestly
felt as if I could stop the film at a million different random points and just
hang the scene up on your wall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It goes
without saying that this choice and aesthetic bleeds into the choice of actors.
The choice of Michael Fassbender as Macbeth created a lot of ripples and
excitement among the fans. Having seen him perform… Well I can see why he was picked
but I am not sure I have seen the best rendition of Macbeth ever performed…
Visually Fassbender fits the bill perfectly. Handsome, rugged, a sense of
lurking danger under the surface… There is a lot of good stuff in there. I just
thought that Macbeth should have been a bit more emotional than the one
Fassbender portrayed him. Until the middle of the film I found him almost
inscrutable (which is sad really because I would have liked some turmoil as
Macbeth struggles with himself before killing Duncan). When his sanity begins
to crumble it’s a bit better, there is flickers of some strong stuff there but
there was, for my way of thinking, a lot of scope to push the boat right the
way out there. This, I felt, was a stark contrast to Marion Cotillard who
absolutely glowed as Lady Macbeth – from her initial greed right down to the
bitter end when her sanity collapses as well. I have always had a bit of
girl-crush on Cotillard. And I devoutly hope her work in this film will be recognized
too. Now, before Shakespeare experts jump down my throat, yes, I am aware there
is artistic merit in all of this. Pitting the more silent and sullen (talking
about his acting style, not necessarily his role in this film) Fassbender
against the lively and absolutely electric Cotillard may have been a choice. It
is, after all, Lady Macbeth who pushes Macbeth into action and to fulfill his
true potential as a king (and, to call a spade a spade, a serial killer). And
after all at the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth prays to be unsexed (less
like a woman) and before Duncan so much as sets foot in her household she is
ready (or would be ready – were she a
man) to kill him herself, with her bare hands. This choice – these choices –
set the roles of the two characters off. Lady Macbeth must really push Macbeth
to catalyze him and get him to act. Macbeth has to drag himself and his own
convictions, as if he and they were made of lead before he can muster up the
mental strength to act. I get all that. My point is that the lid seems to have
fallen off the jar of sullen Fassbender was using. There is more subtlety there
than he is not moving – oh wait now he is. It does not come across in this performance.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">So I see
why this production of Macbeth garnered so much criticism, especially from the
diehard Shakespeare fans. But then again we must be charitable. Every adaptation
between mediums (even though in this instance it is from one performance art to
the other) loses some of the initial magic by definition. And Kurzels Macbeth
has a lot of good things going for it. I would watch it if I were you. I just wouldn’t
expect it to change my world… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-44197365221024850782016-02-01T14:23:00.000+02:002016-02-01T14:23:21.268+02:00NOT SO MUCH A "LEGEND" AS A CHANCE MISSED... <div class="MsoNormal">
I approached
this film about the infamous Kray twins with a lot of caution. Reviews about it
has been mixed at best. Still I entered the film armed with a love of gangster
movies and a deep appreciation of Tom Hardy’s acting talent. It cannot be that
bad, I thought, probably a bit too violent or something. I love true stories –
and it doesn’t come much gorier than the Krays – so all in all it should be a
good watch. It very soon turned out that Tom Hardys acting was literally the
only thing that was going to get me through to the end of the film. I have been
flipping through some reviews of the film and it turns out that I (along with
the film as it turns out) suffer a great deal from lack of knowledge of the
Kray story. Well it just goes to show doesn’t it, if you don’t have a really
good story, all the rest of the talent involved can only get the film so far…</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Basically
the film tells the story of notorious London gangsters and identical twins Ronnie
and Reggie Kray. Told from the perspective of Frances, the wife of Reggie, the
story charts the rise to power of the twins and their ultimate fall from it –
the latter due in no small part to Ronnie Krays mental health issues… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Now, like I
said I only know bits and pieces about the Kray story. But I do have a sense of
why people would say that. Because watching the film, from a completely outside
perspective as it were, I could feel bits and pieces missing although I did not
know what they were. I mean, to</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">put it in a nutshell, the film does
give some small detail of the twins dealings with other gangs, their ownership
of various nightclubs and casinos and hints at dealings with the police but in
all honesty it shows absolutely and categorically nothing that would warrant
them being accuse of having a criminal empire. I mean wheeler dealers yes. Not
an empire though. Don’t get me wrong, when the time comes the film doesn’t
shirk from showing violence. In fact the violence contains, in my humble opinion,
some of the best bits of the film (I am the type of girl who a day later is
still smiling at the line – I have a joke for you. Paranoid schizophrenic walks
into a pub…- ). Instead, the film
centralizes by and large on (what else) the relationship between Reggie and
Frances with Ronnie as something cross between comic relief and the impending
doom that will ultimately be the undoing of them all (ultimately he is both).
Again, this is a sensible choice in a way – Reggie was the more charismatic
twin who was better at… Well better at being alive to be honest. But he wasn’t
exactly boy scout of the year either. It enhances his struggle with his
increasingly unhinged brother to have a positive light shone on him through the
eyes of Frances. It harks back to that age old story of the gangster, trying to
be good but ultimately being unable to avoid his past. Which would be all very
well and good if we had a clearer, more grim and dire picture of what this evil
empire the twins lived in was all about. Cue the complaints about how
unfaithful to actual events the film is. I can sense what they left out. A couple
of hinted talks with American mafia bosses and a few drunken brawls really
don’t cut it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">And if the
real Kray twins are left underdeveloped by the script, poor Frances definitely
is. She is slightly reduced as your typical Mol. Your typical East End girl.
There is clearly more to her than that, which is evident by how her story ends,
but the film doesn’t do a very good job into going into detail about her. She
mainly seems to exist to cast the positive light of love onto Reggie Kray. Now
Reggie Kray is also, to be fair, a bit of an offshoot of a certain type – or at
least in this film he is portrayed as such. He is the lovable rogue with street
smarts and a flair for business. Every other British gangster film has one of
them in it. The difference here of course is that Tom Hardy plays him perfectly,
to an absolute T. What every other British gangster film doesn’t have, it needs
to be said, is Ronnie Kray. Ronnie Kray is a paranoid schizophrenic who is left
at the head of the family business when Reggie has to go into jail to serve out
the tail end of a sentence. Already both eccentric and highly suspicious (all
this despite medication, which he takes sporadically) I will leave you to
discover how Ronnie unravels and how he brings the downfall of most if not all
around him. Hardy portrays both twins with fluidity and conviction, so much so
that you positively cringe at Ronnie’s antics for Reggie’s sake, completely
forgetting that they are in actual fact the same person. Boy is this film a
showcase of acting talent! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Violence is
a strange one isn’t it… I honestly think at the end of the day it’s about
striking a balance. I mean if you check out my review of <a href="http://filmdebate.co.uk/filmreview/review-the-revenant/" target="_blank">The Revenant</a> on Film
Debate, you will find me complaining there was far too much violence. Now I
have sort of ended up saying there is not enough. I think the problem here is
that the story is in fact a well-known story of two very violent gangsters.
They are almost part of the fabric of London. Turning their story into one they
could have been cut out of and replaced with any gangster type from any British
gangster film anywhere really, really takes something essential and important
away from the films potential. We are left to the talent of Hardy, who uses
these two characters a lot better in delivering the lines given to him and
giving us a hint of what the film could have been… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-12849089265094386742016-01-23T14:20:00.000+02:002016-01-23T14:20:05.232+02:00AN EXERCISE IN STRENGTH AND BEAUTY... THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">This is
definitely one of those ones you feel rather than understand. It’s one you
watch with your gut as well as your eyes. And boy does director Peter Strickland
make himself at home there. Re-watching the rather dreamlike and mesmerizing trailer I have a feeling that this will be
divisive. Some people will probably find it pretentious and a little too arty. But
others will note its sheer beauty and be drawn in – like the proverbial moth to
the flame – and hopefully, be in store for as pleasant a surprise as I was… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The Duke of
Burgundy definitely doesn’t have straightforward storyline and the storyline
that does exist is only half the story. Cynthia (Sidse Babet Knudsen) and
Evelyn (Chiara d’Anna) are lovers. Cynthia is a scientist –or rather an
academic - she studies moths and
butterflies. On the surface they are a couple like any other – albeit the fact
they are lesbians does raise eyebrows in the older members of the little town they
live in. However, Cynthia and Evelyn aren’t quite your average couple. This is
a sado-masochistic relationship, complete with all manner of punishments you
can (or can’t) imagine… And yet, love is love and relationships are
relationships. They all suffer from the same hiccups and doubts. And as the two
women explore the limits of their relationship, it becomes more and more
questionable whether their love will survive at all…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwS1w1WMWy3WaaCMFJb-L2eIfKoFs4uqjxQP3r49uFpcJ9OZnch2duVyH6dWH5_ZL5AGcD2MqauJg0-v8evqId6MvSy4nBns9WMTOmng7dZ2nX5YMccRwxq8cOtGeN5CfuPwT20lkROFMR/s1600/The-Duke-of-Burgundy3-xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwS1w1WMWy3WaaCMFJb-L2eIfKoFs4uqjxQP3r49uFpcJ9OZnch2duVyH6dWH5_ZL5AGcD2MqauJg0-v8evqId6MvSy4nBns9WMTOmng7dZ2nX5YMccRwxq8cOtGeN5CfuPwT20lkROFMR/s400/The-Duke-of-Burgundy3-xlarge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">If you are
starting The Duke of Burgundy with the hope it’s some rather highbrow version
of porn, I would strongly suggest you back up right now. Yes, the film is by
its nature intensely sexual. But it is also both beautiful and heavily
psychological. And when I say beautiful I most definitely do NOT mean just the actresses. I also mean the film
itself and its visual qualities. The cinematography is flawless, the
photography is stunning and the whole film sustains the mesmerizing, dreamlike
quality throughout and the whole mood sticks with you for quite a while after
watching it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">As for the
film itself, well there is so much to say… I will, sadly, stray into the realm
of spoilers for a little but please bear with me. When the film first begins we
are confronted with the typical dominant – submissive scenario. For a full half
hour this is the reality we watch on screen. But then, slowly, we realize that
even in the world of the film and this relationship these are precisely what
these are – scenarios. As the story unfolds it becomes less and less clear who
really “dominates” the relationship and who really is wearing the proverbial
pants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkTyvpBPkjHEwnNQjVRSZ1p-QHZddWfjvWQociNR_YvK0mY04szZznesRxL6fv4jIluJWKQMQayoCJworn3NlN4AmrxaXk72tTbFHOMgre7I1RsPyIcUJz6P8u00271ho5ZUOAQxpX9LC/s1600/maxresdefault+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkTyvpBPkjHEwnNQjVRSZ1p-QHZddWfjvWQociNR_YvK0mY04szZznesRxL6fv4jIluJWKQMQayoCJworn3NlN4AmrxaXk72tTbFHOMgre7I1RsPyIcUJz6P8u00271ho5ZUOAQxpX9LC/s400/maxresdefault+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Because as
we all know, it never is that simple, is it… No relationship ever is. Be it
romantic, familial or friendly, bonds between human beings are never set in
stone. They are fluid, they change with the people that form them they grow
they expand, they contract… I don’t want to give too much away but as we (and
the two ladies) get deeper and deeper into this story, this exploration, the
film does a very good job of showing us how changeable these seas truly are. I
especially loved the way Cynthia ends up celebrating Evelyn’s birthday… If
there ever was a scene where the worm truly turned… But I should really let you
discover that one for yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">You will
really need to just stop and figure out what just hit you once you finish
watching The Duke of Burgundy. You will reevaluate your own relationships, have
a quiet cup of something or other and if you are anything like me be unable to
watch another “serious” film that day. It’s definitely not for the faint
hearted and rest assured I do not just mean sexually, although the film does
not shy away from the physicality of a sado-masochistic relationship for one
moment (although, kudos to Peter Strickland the director, it doesn’t for one
minute fall into the trap of making the women overly sexualized or “cheapened”
in any way). It will, however, make you go to some interesting places in your
own head. If you can overcome the strength of the story and the in places
abstract story telling that is… This one is in short, a bit of hard work but definitely
worth the effort… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-300373701035413022016-01-11T19:41:00.000+02:002016-01-11T19:41:05.808+02:00CHRISTMAS COMES BUT ONCE A YEAR... I'm not going to say I'm disappointed with the Sherlock Christmas Special. Come on, it's Sherlock. I liked it by definition.<br />
<br />
My point is... Well it's not what I hoped it would be. A bit like most venues on New Years Eve - you go out dressed to the nines and full of expectations but come the venue, on the night, you most often end up with nothing like the photos on the website and bill that is far too large.<br />
<br />
But then again, it is Christmas. This could just be a tolerable blip like Christmas jumpers, crackers and other seasonal stuff that would make no sense outside of the Christmas season... Only time will tell...<br />
<br />
happy viewing,<br />
EssieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-83306411941291333122016-01-11T19:08:00.001+02:002016-01-11T19:08:13.758+02:00THE LEGEND HAS LANDED... "SHERLOCK – THE ABOMNIBAL BRIDE"<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, it’s
finally here. And oh boy, where we waiting for it. It has been a whole three
years since the last “proper” season of Sherlock after all so like all the fans
I pounced on the show the day it emerged blinking onto the TV screen. Oh it was
fun. It was exciting and challenging and all the good things we like about the
Sherlock shows… So was I content then, did I give it a full thumbs up? Um well…
Not quite…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">So let’s
start at the beginning. The Abominable Bride
seems to be set, for all intents and purposes, in an alternative
universe to our modern friend. A sort “how would it go if they were actually
Victorian” type deal. And it is a story tinged with a bit of horror no less –
supposedly the story of a bride who comes back from the dead to kill, first her
own husband but then men who mistreat their wives pretty much everywhere.
Naturally, even in Victorian times Holmes is not about to fall for the whole
“ghost bride” deal, even if Watson himself is on the verge (but ehem, not
quite)of believing the supernatural. But the whole supernatural aspect
notwithstanding, there is a lot more to this case than first meets the eye… It
may even – God help us – even tax our favourite television detective a tiny
bit… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXovIN4TxhZaMUyFB8lCkyvxS9mntj4-jUHYd00QzMmGz5RItGQahVRIbJK_6j-uVJH6OiuurbTdijp1ZJxD5Bit53N6iZhFMVobVLBmlD2gv7NZLFSmqMjakl_rni4ThExd43s0KGJOeJ/s1600/Sherlock-The-Abominable-Bride-Emelia-Ricoletti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXovIN4TxhZaMUyFB8lCkyvxS9mntj4-jUHYd00QzMmGz5RItGQahVRIbJK_6j-uVJH6OiuurbTdijp1ZJxD5Bit53N6iZhFMVobVLBmlD2gv7NZLFSmqMjakl_rni4ThExd43s0KGJOeJ/s400/Sherlock-The-Abominable-Bride-Emelia-Ricoletti.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As you all
know, I am as bigger fan as the next person of complicated storylines. I have
often thrown my toys out of the pram when the story is too simple. But there
can be a little too much of a good thing. Especially complications. Now, the
storyline set in Victorian times itself, I have no trouble with. Nor do I have
issues with the implied supernatural element.
After all I am a bit of a horror
fan (or have become so over the years – psychologists, weigh in lol) and I need
to say this episode of Holmes has some quite strong chill credentials. By no
means prohibitive for sensitive souls but notable. In a good way. That’s what we like about the Sherlock
series – completely logical and real, yet tooth-grindingly fiendish and very
hard to solve without being Holmes (or, you know, a member of the cast with an
actual script to hand). Besides if you are watching a whodunit, there needs to
be a degree of challenge in answering the question otherwise there really is no
point – take it from someone who spends an embarrassingly large chunk of her
life on whodunits. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlN-JeQAxGfH4hysfSsmNB8SsIwv04cDwAXa5dL1zuAeDV8Dnf8zBDqlVYxphpf3ZfAkV_0Km-P_63aVjCI83AnKVLbvX17Qrj_YwTl5xZ91hhBh2aijVSGNKklT9w1nXJEBuefQgrocn/s1600/sherlock-abominable-bride-image-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlN-JeQAxGfH4hysfSsmNB8SsIwv04cDwAXa5dL1zuAeDV8Dnf8zBDqlVYxphpf3ZfAkV_0Km-P_63aVjCI83AnKVLbvX17Qrj_YwTl5xZ91hhBh2aijVSGNKklT9w1nXJEBuefQgrocn/s400/sherlock-abominable-bride-image-8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Ok, herein
begin to lie spoilers so take head. Moving on, I could even buy the whole
“first level” of tying in with the modern Sherlock. You know, it was all a
mental exercise all along. And the whole episode ends with some very
interesting crumbs dropped about the coming season so you know, good job on
whetting our whistles. The bit where it does not work for me is when Holmes
basically suddenly becomes able to travel into his “mind palace” at will, have
long and entertaining chats with himself. In fact, his subconscious mind is so
complicated and so developed that it can set him puzzles his conscious mind has
trouble solving. Though of course logic sort of dictates that he SHOULD be able
to solve it by definition – it is after all a puzzle he himself created. It’s a
very interesting case of split personality if he couldn’t. It sort of mirrors
the film Inception. And at a push it could have been argued away by saying “Oh
well, you always knew his mind was different”. And I will concede to the fact
that it basically is a prolongation of lucid dreaming. But I don’t know… I
almost feel as if they have tried to show us how the goose that lays the golden
eggs works. But in (proverbially) cutting Holmes open, they have slightly
undone themselves… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I think
part of the appeal of Sherlock has always been that it ultimately makes sense.
You know it may well be nigh on impossible to actually happen but it sort of
could. It’s not “magic”. Nor is it “mumbo jumbo computery stuff that sounds
clever but actually means nothing”. It was always ever, quite simply, an almost
completely (but not quite) unbelievable mind. And I am not saying that you
should leave everything to faith to be oh so mysterious – especially not in our
modern times. My argument is that IF you are going to try to explain any key
concept of a series to death, you need to have a solid game plan going for you.
Especially when talking about concepts like logic and the mind – because if you
don’t get those arguments to make sense, there is a danger that you, ironically
enough, seem to be unable to make sense of what is basically heightened common
sense. There was absolutely no need for complicated party tricks methinks. We
could just as well have left it to be inexplicable. In its current state, it
have worked better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Hopefully this
was just a party trick for Christmas and we won’t have prolonged stays in
Holmes’ mind palace in the upcoming season. I have a feeling we will be back to
business as usual when the time comes though. After all, this is sort of what
the first of January is all about no… A sort of netherworld between the new
year and the old one when you sort of loll around on the couch, try and get
your act together and mentally prepare for the year to come. I’m sure they will
do better on the “real thing”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-63837437406699106552016-01-03T13:09:00.001+02:002016-01-03T13:09:45.728+02:00BORN AGAIN SHAKESPEARE FAN Oh I know. I should have gone with my original plan and gone with my review of the Sherlock Christmas special. The review is actually written and ready but at the last minute I backed out and clung to this.<br />
<br />
Let me make one thing clear, I was never a "fan" of Shakespeare. I respected him from a distance and always knew I had to learn more about him but never went into raptures or anything. I was astounded at how much of a convert I had become in the matter of just 2 performances.<br />
<br />
I know this tiny little review won't exactly rock the world. But maybe a couple of you who are indifferent like I was will decide to get off the fence and give it a look. I will consider my mission accomplished if you give it just a second look...<br />
<br />
Incidentally - for those who are wondering - we will go back to regular film and tv reviews for a while now. Just in case if you were wondering if I was becoming a theatre critic or something - I'm not. I'm multitasking. Incidentally, I have also resumed my semi-regular spot at <a href="http://filmdebate.co.uk/" target="_blank">Film Debate</a> - head on over for my review of <a href="http://filmdebate.co.uk/filmreview/review-in-the-heart-of-the-sea/" target="_blank">In the Heart of the Sea</a>!<br />
<br />
best,<br />
Essie Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-60971099252961914302016-01-03T12:56:00.001+02:002016-01-03T13:19:26.812+02:00WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S HENRY IV (part 1 and 2) (RSC performance) - OR A STORY OF CONVERSION... <div class="MsoNormal">
I have
always been slightly cautious about writing about “the big guns”. Many reasons
for this, not the least the fact that I am not, in this particular case,
exactly an expert on Shakespeare. Whatever else I have learned (I grew up in
French institutions so it was largely French literature) I had to work my way
over to The Immortal Bard myself. I must say, I did not do a god job. Until I
watched these two plays I had a healthy appreciation of Shakespeare. I could
even say (heck, I SHOULD say) I respected him. But this time… This was
different.</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I don’t
quite know what changed. Beginning to train as an actor has undoubtedly changed
my perspective on such things. It has made me undoubtedly more sensitive to any
performance I approach. Having seen it at a mature age would have contributed
(the first of the two previous actual theatre performances of Shakespeare I
have seen was age 14). Seeing it performed in its original blank verse would
also have added (the second, age twenty-something, was in Turkish. An admirable
performance –but not blank verse). Seeing it performed by the Royal Shakespeare
Company was undoubtedly one of the deciding factors – it is after all their
area of expertise – and even though I have seen the RSC perform other plays
before (Death of a Salesman was one that still sticks in my mind) I had never
see them “do” Shakespeare. And, of course, Shakespeare has many different kinds
of plays, you may not particularly adore the comedies for example but might
fall head over heels for the historical plays like me. It was probably a
combination of a lot of factors. But this performance just hit me like a
freight train. I’m hooked. Kudos to the RSC, you have probably gained a disciple
for life! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DUs93z54gcwdJXXr08EZRqi-GYvLikxEQjAZ1FggYvEwxH0CwjP-UjKid4z7CH_IbwcXyV66EPerOlVeioC2MJ7Kp6SsupYwYV4HY3fp3sH7e-32FTT0HiD0DiBB-3KK6lbYeRZcOkOb/s1600/2014-12-12-HenryIV742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DUs93z54gcwdJXXr08EZRqi-GYvLikxEQjAZ1FggYvEwxH0CwjP-UjKid4z7CH_IbwcXyV66EPerOlVeioC2MJ7Kp6SsupYwYV4HY3fp3sH7e-32FTT0HiD0DiBB-3KK6lbYeRZcOkOb/s400/2014-12-12-HenryIV742.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This is how
I want you to approach the review. I am not some hoity-toity expert who is
going to correct your pronunciation or disapprove of your lack of love for
quinoa. I am just a very average person
who has just started on the path to actor training and who thought it was high
time she figured out “what the whole deal was” about Shakespeare. I expected to
learn something from the performance I went to. I never expected to adore it
the way I did. The aim of this review is to explain how and why this happened –
and maybe encourage you uninitiated to take a second look at The Bard. I kid
you not, you might actually be surprised. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiB5LeiL8nge-ucqwyz5V_icaeJ-RuwMzkDtlfUc8IYL8aotJDtDjC4JywDtFAoBS4V5nZxTbqB8nZg7O_n9HyknnBOYfEap3bT8PY9Eiryqa2lb2QTdh-wepTvBLsxYdcX2cLnveS7B8/s1600/Henry-IV_2889245b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiB5LeiL8nge-ucqwyz5V_icaeJ-RuwMzkDtlfUc8IYL8aotJDtDjC4JywDtFAoBS4V5nZxTbqB8nZg7O_n9HyknnBOYfEap3bT8PY9Eiryqa2lb2QTdh-wepTvBLsxYdcX2cLnveS7B8/s400/Henry-IV_2889245b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">So, ok,
down to business. What the heck am I actually talking about? Well, Henry the IV
is basically made up of two plays. Imaginatively named part 1 and part 2, the play
is based on the reign of King Henry IV. It is part of a tetralogy – a series of
four plays</span><span lang="EN-US"> in this </span><span lang="EN-GB">particular case Richard II, Henry IV
parts 1 and 2 and Henry V – and serves not only as a history of the actual
events of this period but is also a sometimes heart-stopping tale of some of the
larger than life characters and their very human lives. It is, in effect, a precursor
to television series like Game of Thrones. Only differences are there is a lot
less sex and nudity and it is a lot easier to pick up in the middle. That’s a
good point actually – I hadn’t seen Richard II but was able to follow the story
with a lot of ease, so don’t let not knowing what came before put you off going.
Anyway, so at the beginning of Henry IV we have King Henry IV on the throne. He
has just overthrown his cousin Richard II and taken over the throne so feelings
of guilt combine with accusations from around him to create an uneasy atmosphere.
Henry would like more than anything to set out to the Holy Lands to in part
redeem himself. But rebellions on various fronts within the country keep him in
England and will culminate with the battle of Shrewsbury (a real life battle
that took place in 1403). On the other hand we have Henry Jr (let’s call him
Hal for the purposes of differentiation, the play is absolutely lousy with
Henrys) who is the eldest of the princes and the heir to the throne. Hal is, by
and large, slumming it. He spends time with drunkards and thieves (in particularly
a dastardly old knight by the name of Falstaff) and shows absolutely no promise
at all of becoming the kind of person a monarch should be. The play follows
these two strands, the historical battles and the rebellion led by the
hotheaded Henry Hotspur (I did warn you), Hal’s personal journey becoming a
monarch (and preparing him for his title part in the last part of the
tetralogy, Henry V) and the comic relief, a band of dastardly villains (and
Hal’s entourage) led by Falstaff. For those history buffs among you, we start
with the events leading to the battle of Shrewsbury and end with Hal’s
coronation as king Henry V. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qnWpR5l_NStru2s2mWAPDBw94Ru9yotgmfmi8clKoUyqs1-kZzl2rRAq-Mdc_a5SFtrE4K22L2u3mudmxgme8QUCfeNnOhFeruxXD0mZxkuAEcKvWjBtMkkHOxUkBDOOeBUgVeN0N0Cm/s1600/2014-12-12-HenryIV4562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qnWpR5l_NStru2s2mWAPDBw94Ru9yotgmfmi8clKoUyqs1-kZzl2rRAq-Mdc_a5SFtrE4K22L2u3mudmxgme8QUCfeNnOhFeruxXD0mZxkuAEcKvWjBtMkkHOxUkBDOOeBUgVeN0N0Cm/s400/2014-12-12-HenryIV4562.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Now, I have
likened these historical plays to Game of Thrones earlier in the review –
here’s where it begins to differ. As you may or may not know (funnily enough I
did) Elizabethan theatre does not use décor and uses very little in the way of props.
This production of the RSC has opted for a striking and minimal décor with
light effects to give the allusion of different spaces and atmosphere. Thus
there is nothing for the actors to hide behind – the entire emotion of the play
has to come from their performance… And oh what a performance it is. Anthony
Sher is absolutely wonderful as Falstaff – the main comic character
counterbalancing the war and sadness in the other strands of the play and practically
got a laugh a minute from the audience. Alex Hassel was engaging and fun to
watch as Hal . So much so I nearly (not quite but nearly) impulse bought the
last remaining rather highly priced stalls ticket for the last standalone performance
the next day. Had it not been just after Christmas and the end of the month, I
would almost certainly have bought it, and this purely because I was so
attached to the character I was desperate to find out what happens to him next,
and could not imagine ANY other actor portraying him. (I ultimately went for a
more moderately priced version of Henry V, the 1989 film starring Kenneth
Branagh. He was great too of course but that’s another discussion and he wasn’t
Alex Hassel ehm ). Another favourite of mine was Matthew Needham whose Hotspur
is as hot-headed as his name with almost manic energy that of course in the
course of the story goes completely misdirected and ends up ruining him. I
heard older members of the audience muttering about him being OTT but I
honestly do not think that was the case. I think it sets off Hotspurs almost manic
pursuit of a “job” against the attitude of Hal who is a shoo-in for but does
not really care about the job. This in turn is the reason the old king Henry IV
is worried – being a heir apparent is well and good but as King Henry knows
only too well thrones can be easily lost, even when one is virtually sitting on
them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ_3JSJmhKRpDEJSxNefCy0wNtFdmrQNTOMWeZPqVYhRmrm46gm2kaz0dxzH0ifqg3Jxiox5-zeiDc-L2nBbHoEEXErM9KLslvmcJcGMZkaflUDotOridmDj4xXNhD2xsO-UoHIirZGW1/s1600/hf2_kl_dress-492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJ_3JSJmhKRpDEJSxNefCy0wNtFdmrQNTOMWeZPqVYhRmrm46gm2kaz0dxzH0ifqg3Jxiox5-zeiDc-L2nBbHoEEXErM9KLslvmcJcGMZkaflUDotOridmDj4xXNhD2xsO-UoHIirZGW1/s400/hf2_kl_dress-492.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And this,
of course is one of the reasons Shakespeare’s plays have such timeless appeal.
The way the themes – even though the circumstances change – echo down the ages.
That and, in this particular case, the fact that multiple genres – an almost
vaudeville type comedy, a war epic and a tragedy are so skilfully mixed. It’s just wonderful storytelling. It’s what
we love in films when they come off right – blending genre conventions,
creating larger than life characters (and yes the characters were actually real
but the skill of the writer and actor combined is in making them look real in a
performance) and above all telling a compelling story. Sound familiar? I bet we
could apply that one to every single one of your favourite films. Well folks,
this is where it began. This is why you need to learn more about Shakespeare.
And this is why I am watching Shakespeare screen adaptations at a practically
obsessive rate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">So put
aside your preconceptions. If you think you’ll struggle with the blank verse do
what I did and read up on the topic first (and by that I mean I checked the
synopsis on my phone on the way to the theatre). Just pick a decent performance
and see what the fuss is about. Believe you me; I first got the tickets purely
because my Middle Eastern side can’t resist a decent bargain on Timeout Offers.
I ended up having my life changed for ever… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><i>Curious ? Then head on over to <a href="http://www.kingandcountry.org.uk/">www.kingandcountry.org.uk</a> to find out more! There isn't much in the way of indiviual performances left I am afraid but you can actually see the whole tetralogy over a few days and get "the whole deal!</i></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-80218161918111114102015-12-28T18:01:00.000+02:002015-12-28T18:01:03.034+02:00WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!One of my New Years' resolutions absolutely needs to be to observe holidays both online and off... I didn't mean to forget to wish you a Merry Christmas. Or a happy New Year. I hope you had and have both. It's just that with me and films, it's pretty much business as usual. I am not into films that are especially seasonal. One effect it does have on me though is that I have a bit of a check back on the year and try and catch up with any of the big ones I failed to see this far.<br />
<br />
Hence my review of Mr. Holmes. I started watching this thinking it would be something nice and easy to watch one evening. And while it was definitely nice, easy to watch is not exactly how I would describe it. Well, with a legend like McKellan portraying a legend like Holmes, I should have known better...<br />
<br />
I better get onto the show. Scroll down folks, and I hope you enjoy!<br />
Essie Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-12789108978708157672015-12-28T17:36:00.000+02:002015-12-28T17:36:32.802+02:00A LEGEND LOOKING BACK ON A LEGEND, AS PORTAYED BY A LEGEND... "MR HOLMES"<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s always
a risk to meet celebrities and personal heroes in real life, isn’t it? Who
knows what they are like in real life, their public persona is, after all,
there to please. In real life, well, they can get away with pleasing a lot
fewer people, let’s put it that way. And there you have it, dreams destroyed in
instants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And boy oh
boy wouldn’t the long suffering Mrs Munro (Academy Award nominee Laura Linney)
know it… She and her little boy Roger (Milo parker) are housekeepers to the
famous detective Sherlock Holmes (Sir Ian McKellan). You would think this was
an honour, an adventure and a thing to be proud of. The problem is though, that
Holmes in real life (unlike his legend) is getting old and he is doing it with
very bad grace indeed. He is battling the first stages of dementia, which makes
his personal torture double because he is also looking back on his life wracked
with regret, regret concerning a particular case that really didn’t go Holmes’
way… The problem is, Holmes can’t exactly remember what happened. And for this
reason he can’t figure out if there is a way back from this tragedy… His only
source of joy is Roger, a bright and talented boy who adores Holmes. However
Roger is only nine and his mother does not approve of this unlikely friendship
so his assistance may well be too little too late…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzBzGkDKdQYZKsEwwAchNbOKO5HaW88mxCBlDG8Fx3uViVXDHklaIb8RiFz86PkUGLR1N0jfTAf_dZ3X0VF-4rjdYXshPHESGOQNiRtKZKnrtKLsDEQTbOXUQ70YVQ2aA-3n2hATme7sZ/s1600/mr-holmes-roger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzBzGkDKdQYZKsEwwAchNbOKO5HaW88mxCBlDG8Fx3uViVXDHklaIb8RiFz86PkUGLR1N0jfTAf_dZ3X0VF-4rjdYXshPHESGOQNiRtKZKnrtKLsDEQTbOXUQ70YVQ2aA-3n2hATme7sZ/s400/mr-holmes-roger.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I loved
this film for so many reasons. First up, amusingly enough, Holmes himself
contemplates the legend of Holmes and frankly finds lacking a lot. And quite a
few bits added on. It’s a wonderful reflexion on celebrity and the legend
created around the famous. It is almost as if celebrities aren’t allowed to be
human beings with the occasional bad day and bad mood. More importantly they
don’t always have control over what the </span><span lang="EN-US">public imagine them to be and therefore by
default “become” something or someone they can barely recognize themselves.
Consider the case of Mr Holmes then, who on top of all of that is now also
suffering from dementia and having to struggle with his own demons. Or if you
would prefer, consider any other star that has to cope with pleasing the public
with their performances on stage and off while fighting big and scary personal
demons. Think Amy Winehouse or Kurt Cobain… Sure Mr
Holmes spells out the same message in the safety of a nice little whitewashed
cottage on the coast, but it is basically the same story and it ain’t pretty… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVCs3m8_XGCJw6hFCN7od5z7v4NdpepV_1mwEzWCWsZKf8hz-i9vnU9dkkLLjfP8AkXgRspDG8ARcEqf-OvACwKsXslFbhJn3Wh_5R4aGN_7PlaWwtzVkN7TBTCrCGy_xokP-NGWbzsx4/s1600/imgID28589519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVCs3m8_XGCJw6hFCN7od5z7v4NdpepV_1mwEzWCWsZKf8hz-i9vnU9dkkLLjfP8AkXgRspDG8ARcEqf-OvACwKsXslFbhJn3Wh_5R4aGN_7PlaWwtzVkN7TBTCrCGy_xokP-NGWbzsx4/s400/imgID28589519.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">On top of
all of that, Mr Holmes is an unflinching gaze directed at old age. The skill of
Ian McKellan is truly extraordinary as he portrays, in turn, a greying but
still very much on form Sherlock Holmes on his last case and contrasts it quite
beautifully to the frail old man desperately trying to hold onto his memories,
his sanity but maybe most importantly his former self. As I watched McKellan I couldn’t help but
think that it couldn’t have been an easy part to play, not least because he
himself is 76 years old. Although he is on top form in the film (and in real
life as far as we can tell!) one cannot help but wonder if at times he felt
that portraying this aging celebrity looking back at his life and his public persona
cut a little too close to home. But then again, this is what it takes to be a
truly great actor. You cannot worry about “looking good” if you want to do the
part justice. You can only go straight forward, warts and all, and this is what
creates performances like McKellen’s where we feel truly sorry for Holmes and
feel - perhaps for the first time – that
he has become a real person. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNiM68zIsBO2JQJ5C_DyBAaeaHQA9GHcNUoeMFjciEzSLZ8wPVW3DFp0-Y8KZVjHLOMzklEWpuobqQ0OsPBbDNLMwmmVntrRf3T0JG5zmLOQCWysom37cXdGNLLnp-SQ0GlF3-9NxVOBr/s1600/mr-holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNiM68zIsBO2JQJ5C_DyBAaeaHQA9GHcNUoeMFjciEzSLZ8wPVW3DFp0-Y8KZVjHLOMzklEWpuobqQ0OsPBbDNLMwmmVntrRf3T0JG5zmLOQCWysom37cXdGNLLnp-SQ0GlF3-9NxVOBr/s400/mr-holmes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I actually
love this last point too. Think for example of Holmes’ more famous modern
incarnation in the form of Benedict Cumberbatch. A combination of modern
technology and latest fashions means that Holmes is more like a superhero than
anything else. Except that his superpowers are quite “human” and even though
they are definitely improbable in real life, they are definitely not
impossible. In short, the ideal kind of superhero for our disenchanted times…
Now we finally see Holmes with the mask off – as it were. And even Holmes
(McKellen) cracks a giggle as he watches the “legend of Holmes” in the cinema.
There is something wonderfully self-reflexive about this latest addition to the
canon of Holmes reenactments watching itself on a (albeit fictional) cinema
screen. But I guess this Holmes is slightly different. Just as Cumberbach’s
Holmes is a superhero without “super” powers, a more realistic Holmes would not
be completely invincible. Old age and death come to us all after all, and
Homes’ ultimate battle with his greatest nemesis – dementia – is one that all
of us can sympathize with on some level. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">For all
that though, Mr Holmes is very much an upbeat film. I recommended it to my
grandmother and mother, and both are particularly partial to “happy” films. Yes
it is melancholy and thought provoking in places, but the friendship between
Roger and Holmes – with Roger potentially taking the baton from Holmes in some
unseen future – is a sight to behold. </span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-51786042337674648202015-12-21T14:16:00.000+02:002015-12-21T14:16:02.014+02:00ESSIE COMES HOMEWell, thank goodness it's Christmas.<br />
<br />
I'm back. I finally am. I have taken a few weeks off work, I am being very lazy (I haven't changed out of my pijamas for an inordinate amount of time) and am binge-watching films on various online mediums which should make for a good stash of reviews for the next few weeks.<br />
<br />
We should be ok from now on. Although, of course, I have said this a good many times before, I can only show in time and with my actions that I mean it.<br />
<br />
It has been a strange winter. I have really pushed myself hard. To the point that friends and fellow cast members have taken me aside and expressed concern. Strangely enough I was not aware I was pushing myself. I didn't even realise I was tired until I began to rest. But if you happen to be one of the lovely people who worried about me, please relax. I am resting. I am eating well (well, I am eating a lot which is... ok it's not the same thing but I am eating actual food, not coffee and sugar so that's a start right? Baby steps guys, baby steps...). I am making sensible plans about my future. It involves writing on a regular basis, so please keep watching this space. But above all I am fully aware that burnout is a real thing (I have actually suffered from it before and have actually lost my last white-collar job because of it. I was trying to balance a full time office job and two freelance type jobs all at once which "broke" me. But that's a story for the pub). And I fully intend to not go there again.<br />
<br />
Ehm. Well that was a little more personal than I expected. Ok I'm going to work on those reviews now. Then I will email my editor (looking at you Adam) and see what's going on over in other websites. In the meanwhile here's a review of a play. Check it out.<br />
<br />
much love and seasons greetings,<br />
EssieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-13585322975782885302015-12-21T13:54:00.000+02:002015-12-21T13:54:18.557+02:00THE HOMECOMING (Jamie Loyd company )<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I don’t
know if you guys remember what I did when I first got into film… I actually
made it my business to watch a film a day. It’s a habit I plan to get into once
the nightmare that is working in catering during the Christmas period is over
and done with for one more year. My point though, is that I would genuinely
have loved to have been able to do this for theatre too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I have
several problems in doing this though. I mean first of all, you have to make a
substantial chunk of time for it. Which is fine, except if you have a million
commitments and only one of you –a situation you are barely sustaining already
- so really barely have time to shower
every day much less factor in trips to the theatre. Cheap tickets aren’t that
hard to come by really – there are a million and one discount ticket websites
all around and with a bit of careful planning you can find a ticket of some
sort – but the thing is I rather do prefer getting “proper” seats, i.e. not the
nosebleed seats. Well what can I say, that’s my little luxury… In short, I
genuinely wish I could, but I can’t. I nearly missed this twice. Got on the
bandwagon with a bunch of friends at the 11<sup>th</sup> hour, three weeks went
by, I forgot we had booked the tickets and had to do a lot of wriggling out of
work to be able to attend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNsw6T_QOg7T8OtJeDSzJzAd-VosAFsq1iOa2EhsI-qu2-cYQvRdecz0PLo1VomYa5bKCM__VETK72s8wEH4I3N9eafIiV2qITYIHhTLuflcQsDk4W5NAaDyJdXl5COomRKTMapwfhAq8/s1600/John-Simm-in-The-Homecoming.-Photography-by-Marc-Brenner1.jpg1-700x455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNsw6T_QOg7T8OtJeDSzJzAd-VosAFsq1iOa2EhsI-qu2-cYQvRdecz0PLo1VomYa5bKCM__VETK72s8wEH4I3N9eafIiV2qITYIHhTLuflcQsDk4W5NAaDyJdXl5COomRKTMapwfhAq8/s400/John-Simm-in-The-Homecoming.-Photography-by-Marc-Brenner1.jpg1-700x455.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Well, the
guys had certainly picked a good one. The Homecoming is considered one of Pinter’s
best plays and Jamie Loyd one of his best interpreters of our time. With a stellar cast to boot, this has to be
one of the stronger productions of the play… It is the story of Teddy (Garry
Kemp) who returns from America to introduce his new wife, Ruth (Gemma Chan) to
his family. His mother has long since departed this world and his cantankerous
father ( Ron Cook), his uncle, Sam (Keith Allen) and brother Joey (John
MacMillan) and Lenny (John Simm). This is a thoroughly masculine household,
clearly marked by a lack of warmth and love. And from the moment she arrives,
Ruth’s very presence changes absolutely everything… But how will this strange power
struggle – with Ruth as the ultimate prize – ever end? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszW4zKakvmIcHTMVFXVQEWjYlDpppGxFBzIrOLzLwO5ow_lJIPePKJsFoyhRdXvEz8HFAwxmOKpEKgaWHlpPV7bLHt-g5iyts4JDb0WOsZfJ4XbHCSEvEtZAaywfHdJyAMtGRzm1ipc8M/s1600/28966_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszW4zKakvmIcHTMVFXVQEWjYlDpppGxFBzIrOLzLwO5ow_lJIPePKJsFoyhRdXvEz8HFAwxmOKpEKgaWHlpPV7bLHt-g5iyts4JDb0WOsZfJ4XbHCSEvEtZAaywfHdJyAMtGRzm1ipc8M/s400/28966_full.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We went to
this play as a mixed group of friends – most of the women came out of the play
crying “Misogyny!” – and of course strictly speaking this is true. The entire power
play in the game (for it is, in all but name, a game) is based around sex and
gender. The portrayal of the household before Ruth as uniquely male and
therefore cold, full of resentment and loveless is a very old-fashioned way of
determining gender roles . And when it boils down to the final confrontation,
the entire power play is based around sex. That and – for those who know the play
– the final position Ruth ends up in puts the whole dialogue between the
genders onto a purely sexual plain – not even an emotional one. In this sense,
the character of Ruth is clearly reduced to her gender and nothing else. But
herein of course lies the talent of Gemma Chan who is very clever at hinting at
the hidden depths – and not all of them particularly pleasant! – of Ruth that
has been suppressed by circumstance and ‘50s society. Yes, without a doubt Pinter’s
story is a misogynistic and reductionist portrayal of a woman. But the other point
to remember is that this is by and large the reflection of the society the play
was created in. Art and life are, at the end of the day, pretty much
inextricable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7sH3FMrR3DKNDKcdrh6H7ar46dACOixf8mzUGvlhnB4-UgyqoM0pwXMOTbapYG6UUCbpt4M2B18du-6tCichWTyZTKr_n_iv9u2VOG6dCyc2HK8dBEAQV5mjjJ3k8bMiP-XiQ6iiHEED/s1600/the-homecoming-4-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7sH3FMrR3DKNDKcdrh6H7ar46dACOixf8mzUGvlhnB4-UgyqoM0pwXMOTbapYG6UUCbpt4M2B18du-6tCichWTyZTKr_n_iv9u2VOG6dCyc2HK8dBEAQV5mjjJ3k8bMiP-XiQ6iiHEED/s400/the-homecoming-4-large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The other
thing worth pointing out is that in this particular universe Ruth does – in my
opinion – end up as the boss. True, her control over the men is purely sexual
(although the final scenes of the play do hint at a lack of more motherly
affection that is the key problem as well) but the point is that she is, in one
sense, the one calling the shots. The only problem is that apparently she
cannot exert any kind of control without using her sexuality. But she is the
boss, nonetheless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">This is a
brave production. I loved the minimal and stark décor and the permanent air of
uncomfortable cold and resentment that runs through almost every single line
exchanged between the mail characters. The music, the décor (or indeed the lack
thereof) and the whole story marks it out, at first at least, as a very “male”
story made for a man’s world. I guess what we should see it as is what happens
if you insert one strong and provocative female character into this very male
world. It definitely provides a lot of food for thought. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The
Homecoming is not one of the faint of heart. It is not a bit of light
entertainment of an evening. It is strong, it grabs you by the throat and
forces you to look at some stuff that is not necessarily that pleasant to look
at. It is however a wonderfully talented cast performing a story that is –
whether we like it or not – strangely relevant to our present day, at least
definitely at some parts of the world and of modern society. Also – from personal
experience – a good introduction to Pinter, if you haven’t been introduced yet! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-28690697176430789632015-11-23T14:31:00.001+02:002015-11-23T14:31:23.893+02:00ON THE SPORADIC NATURE OF MY BLOGGING So, yeah I fell off the blogging bandwagon.<br />
<br />
I am ridiculously busy though. Close friends and my mother all agree that I am living the life of roughly three seperate people . Apparently none of them blog. Which is unfortunate.<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">To be honest, I have barely had time to watch anything. And those I did see, I have barely had the time to review. My writing on other websites have suffered too, although I am clawing my way back...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">It is quite obvious to me that this is now more than a minor hiccup and more a reorganisation of my life. I crave your patience as I work out where everything goes in this brave new world.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">But in the meanwhile I do hope you enjoy this weeks review... </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Best, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Essie </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-15524695430818807712015-11-23T13:58:00.000+02:002015-11-23T14:03:31.080+02:00A STUDY OF OBSESSION AND MADNESS... FOXCATCHER... <div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Oh boy, I
have been wanting to catch up with this bad boy for a while. This got chins
wagging back in the Oscar season, remember… First it was Steve Carells
unbelievable performance as the archetypal (real life ) crazy millionaire John
Du Pont. Carell, by and large known for his comic performances shot right to
the top of the Oscar nominations list with his performance, and incidentally
with his make-up. Or rather his make-up shot to the top of nominations without
him, it is after all a different category. Then there was the whole scandal
about Channing Tatum getting snubbed in the best supporting actor category. You
know shit just got awkward when even Mark Ruffalo who got nominated instead of
him openly says Tatum has been snubbed. And then, then there was the whole
matter with the real life Mark Schultz who withdrew his support from the film
shortly after its release. Having seen the film he was warned that the film
could potentially portray him as gay and strongly opposed to any such thing
being the case. Though to be honest everyone also noticed that Schultz was
rather opportunely pointing towards his own interviews and books he had
contributed to as an alternative source… Mmm… Anyway, you will recall it
definitely made its own fair share of ripples, not least because it actually is
– that old favorite of mine – a true story. A story of madness and murder – a favorite of
the general public too now you mention it! Oh and yeah, there is the odd bit of
wrestling thrown in… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">David and
Mark Schultz are a brother team of great renown in the wrestling world. Both
are Olympic gold medal winners but David (Mark Ruffalo) is generally seen as
the superior talent and definitely a much better coach and trainer than Mark
(Channing Tatum) who is more hot-headed and definitely full of resentment at
not being able to escape his brothers shadow. It is for this reason that when,
seemingly quite out of the blue, he is approached by eccentric millionaire John
du pont (Steve Carell) he sees in his proposition an opportunity to finally
strike out on his own and succeed. The stakes are high- du pont wants to be the
coach of the American wrestling team that is sent to the 1988 Olympic games. He
wants David to be a part of it and to help coach the team. He will spare absolutely
no expense in doing so. For David, living alone in a tiny flat and living off
the American equivalent of pot noodles, it’s a whole new world… But it is also
the beginning of a relationship tinged with drug abuse, obsession and ambition
that will prove extremely destructive in more ways than one… <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMuEFqQqrPxvYH5yccD3OCzFwdRPD2deejI7IkByQmLXmxumo882s8x3Twpkkt4s3XGKgBjZNQUxa3FMXs1dqD0H-t54VbH4NrgXiRrsbyUyw0dzSLg2y6xK449oO_HhZCAQnvYbE9kd-/s1600/foxcatcher-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMuEFqQqrPxvYH5yccD3OCzFwdRPD2deejI7IkByQmLXmxumo882s8x3Twpkkt4s3XGKgBjZNQUxa3FMXs1dqD0H-t54VbH4NrgXiRrsbyUyw0dzSLg2y6xK449oO_HhZCAQnvYbE9kd-/s400/foxcatcher-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">First of
all, let us get the most obvious bit out of the way. The wrestling. I cannot
stress enough that this is not a sports film. The wrestling is, in fact, almost
incidental – although goodness knows du pont himself would be very displeased
with that. This is a very insightful and fascinating look at obsession and how
it pushes people to react. Carell must have jumped for joy as an actor when he
got the part of Du pont – what a character! Basically a real life Norman Bates
(only with added millions of dollars and gigantic estate), Du pont – well into
middle age – is ruled by his mother Jean (played rather superbly by Vanessa
Redgrave) and deep down wants nothing more than to rebel against her. In his quest,
he has come up with a sport she would definitely disapprove of, and that would
set him apart from her (she breeds prize racehorses) and becomes completely
obsessed with becoming the best in the world at it – so he is not only
rebelling but in fact overshadowing her as he does it… And he has the resources
that enable him to not stop at anything to achieve this goal… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Then of
course there is the whole dynamic between Mark and David, the eternal story of
sibling rivalry. Both actors do a superb job of their parts. And I really don’t
care how much stick you give Tatum about the Magic Mike franchise – the man can
act. And boy can he move. I am not just talking about how good looking he is
(and let’s face it ladies and gents he is DAMN good looking) he just has a
talent of moving fluidly and looking damn good while he does it. The one piece
of criticism I will put across however is that the character of David is a
little too perfect. He seems to be the archetypal benign older brother, perfect
coach and father. I mean, I never knew the guy, maybe he actually was like
that. But I have a nasty suspicion that there is some level of whitewashing –
so to speak – going on in the light of, not to give out too many spoilers, what
happens next…</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Foxcatcher
sustains a very robust level of tension throughout. It had me on the edge of my
seat throughout and the successful way it sustained the psychological tension
between this extraordinary and larger than life characters was a large part of
it. It is a wonderful study of the human
mind set against one of the most competitive strands of an already competitive
industry (professional sport). I personally found it both hair-raising and
thought provoking. And I promise you, you will, at the very least, get what all
the fuss is about… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-39047161411811973222015-11-16T17:40:00.000+02:002015-11-16T17:40:19.992+02:00THE EVIL DEAD... OR THE STORY OF HOW IT ALL BEGAN... <div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I try to
stick to the tradition of watching a horror film or two on Halloween. Even if I
am busy, or ill (or both) that is my way of celebrating the holiday. In my
native Turkey we do very little to celebrate this holiday so that is where it
stops for me. I mean, I can always do with an excuse for watching horror films
and eating candy. The Evil Dead was my second film this Halloween. I actually
checked out the trailer at around 2.00 in the morning, in the dark. It gave me
the willies so I left it to the morning. Now those of you who know me in real
life will know I do not scare that easily so I was surprised at feeling nervy
at a trailer. But hey, I had already watched one really spooky film so I cut
myself some slack. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I watched
this big boy the next day, in broad daylight, with cats and people milling
around noisily outside my door. I was TERRIFIED. I am a grown woman and we are
talking cringing, pausing the film multiple times, hiding from the screen
behind my fingers, the whole nine yards… Sam Raimi, you sick, sick puppy… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Of course
horror fans will know that The Evil Dead is now officially one of the archetypes
of a specific type of horror film. You know, a group of young people end up in
a remote spot in the woods (more often than not they are renting a cabin though
God only knows why you would choose to vacation bang in the middle of a weird
forest all by yourselves but hey… Suspension of disbelief and all that. ) So
yeah, our group of young people come to a remote cabin that they are renting as
a relaxing vacation. But the whole thing goes south very quickly when they
discover a sinister looking study on demonology left by the previous occupant.
Nobody takes the study very seriously and it is read out loud to much hilarity,
however… Unbeknown to them, they have
woken a curse… And it is coming straight for them… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The Evil
Dead was one of those infamous films that was banned for years in some
countries, edited heavily in others and definitely became the stuff of legend
very quickly in all. What gets you in the gut is the absolutely brutal savagery
of the film combined with a rather masterfully created atmosphere. And the absolutely savage violence is
unrelenting, no holds barred and in a word, not tastefully done at all. It is a
complete battery on your senses and after a while you are just reduced to
staring at the screen in terror, unable to turn away – pretty much like
watching a train crash. The fact that the film was made in 1980 and that some
of the effects were very patently achieved with stop motion and play dough is
neither here nor there. Raimi seems to know exactly where all your primal fears
are and how best to abuse them. You literally have no escape… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">And yet,
the overkill (literally) on violence does not make you glaze over after a
while. The film is intelligent and humorous throughout and keeps you oddly
engaged, which is not good news for your nerves if you are basically engaged
with a cabin full of murderous and bloodthirsty demons. Several tropes are noted and turned on their
heads as they go along – there is, for example a typical character who would be
the –last girl – in normal films. You know how it goes, the couples get plucked
off one by one, the last, pure (often white and single) girl survives, thus
making the film a hidden ode to the patriarcle system. Well we start off with
two couples and the sister of one of the boys –familiar enough. But then the potential
last girl is actually the first to be cursed, shortly after being raped by a
tree (no that was not a typo) I might add. The film studies student in me wants
to also make something of the fact that she gets trapped under the cabin in the
cellar for a good part of the film after she is transformed into a demon, you
know, repressed female sexuality and all that jazz. Especially since our last
boys girlfriend is used quite openly to tempt him into the demonic fold. I did
tell you that the film hits you at your most primal – and sex is, as we all
know, a large part of all that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This is not
one of those horror films you put on just to giggle at the monsters and the general
lack of common sense prevalent in slashers and B – movies. It’s a good, old
fashioned corner stone. It’s an actual source. Its future incarnations have diluted
it on the way, this is true, but even all these decades later when you re-visit
the source, you find that electrifying and truly demonic energy present in all
its glory, ready to inspire your dreams – and nightmares… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-40036507102360348502015-10-19T19:19:00.004+03:002015-10-19T19:19:56.358+03:00ESSIE AND GATHERING CLOUDS... The clouds are gathering... In so many ways...<br />
<br />
In our play this week Andre, our hero, struggles with his own mind as it plays trick after trick on him.<br />
<br />
I personally have one heck of a week coming. I am no longer doing office work, I am back on the shift work so I now once again have multiple 6.00 a.m. starts looming on my horizo. Oy vey...<br />
<br />
On a completely different note, this is London so we have officially said goodby to the sun until next spring. <br />
<br />
Much clouds. Wow.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I have to dash now, but I hope your week has fewer clouds than mine and much sun.<br />
<br />
Oh I am not complaining. I am just a little chilly... <br />
<br />
much love,<br />
EssieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-2652462947443168202015-10-19T19:05:00.000+03:002015-10-19T19:05:11.276+03:00THE MOMENT THE FATHER BECOMES THE SON... <div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I love
going to the theatre. Movies have always been another matter, I don’t particularly
mind if I watch them in the cinema or in the living room. Well, possibly except
when the experience is better served by 3D and IMAX, you actually NEED to go to
the cinema for that. But all that aside, you might even say I prefer watching
films in my own living room, in my pajamas and munching as many noisy snacks as
my gut will hold. The magic of the theatre is completely different for me.
London is a great and wonderful place and if cheap theatre tickets are your
thing, there are a million and one different websites you can use to come by
them. You have to use your noggin a little bit, but with a minimal amount of
triage you can end up paying pretty much Band 3 prices for Band 1 tickets. I
tend to avoid Band 3 tickets, but for this play, the price was very good. So I
risked it. I ended up in literally the last row in the house, riiight up in the
rafters. I was kicking myself as I took my seat – never again such false
economies, I vowed – and my inner Middle Eastern started scanning the grand
circle below to see if there were empty seats I could sneak into during the
interval. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I am not
going to say that I will now sit in Band 3 for always and always, I will probably
still very much go for Band 2 at the very worst. But nor do I regret having got
these seats up in the rafters in this particular case. It reminds one how truly
powerful a live performance has to be. Especially as I now have pretentions at
crossing the curtain to the other side of the stage, it is awesome and quite
frightening that I, in a seat where I could comfortably touch the roof of the
building (or would be able to if I was only about a foot taller) I was actually
bowled over by the performances and the emotions. I cannot begin to conceive
how you would go about actually giving such a performance (I can’t yet,
anyway). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The Father
is the story of Andre (Kenneth Cranham). He is getting on a bit, but by and
large he is managing fine – or so he tells himself. His daughter Anne (Claire
Skinner) would tell a different story. Andre doesn’t understand why she insists
on finding him carers. Or why he frequently ends up still wearing his pajamas
at the end of the day. Or where his watch is. Some days strange men and women
come into his house (or is it is daughters?) and claim to be his daughter and
son in law, Andre just doesn’t understand. But surely it’ll all come to him…
He’s fine… Right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Translated
from the original Moliere award winning French play by Christopher Hampton, The
Father gives us a toe-curlingly realistic portrayal of a decaying mind. The
truly fascinating thing is the way the play shows us both sides of the
argument. Kenneth Cranham’s Andre – who, in case you needed it spelled out for
you, is clearly suffering from some form
of dementia – is a larger than life character who is painfully realistic. And
the play is structured in a way that brings his disease and confusion right to
you with hair raising (in a good way) reality. But although the disease is
swallowing Andre whole, it does not swallow the story. In the midst of this
confusion we see Anne and her husband Antoine desperately trying to cope with
the effects of this disease. All characters are unflinchingly human. One
vacillates between wanting to strangle them and wanting to comfort them… And
this makes the story that little bit harder to watch if, for whatever reason,
the topic is close to your heart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The Father
is definitely not your average evenings light entertainment. This is the kind
of show that makes you stop, shake yourself and seriously think about life.
You’ll go to the pub badly in need of a stiff drink and be a little too boisterous
and loud as you try to expulse the dark clouds that gathered in you throughout
the show. And as someone who has dementia in her family, I can testify to the
fact that you will get a powerful insight into what life with dementia truly is
like. I described the play in some detail to my mother and she reckons she
wouldn’t be able to watch the play. And for all her eccentric tastes in film (I
am yet to be able to discern a pattern with your viewing Mom, and this is from
someone who has known you for 32 years) Mom is a tough cookie. Sensitive souls
beware. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">So how
would I summarize The Father ? Strong, beautiful and dark. Very dark. I would
also point out that it is in London’s Wyndham Theatre for a very limited run,
so I would strongly advise you catch it before it is gone. Go on. Get out of
the pajamas and put the popcorn to one side for two minutes. Life really does
begin outside of your comfort zone and it is worth getting a little
uncomfortable to really learn something about life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-78883288260320322752015-10-11T13:11:00.003+03:002015-10-11T13:11:45.068+03:00ESSIE'S WEEKHi guys!<br />
<br />
So, week two (give or take) in my office life. It still feels like a suit of clothes that doesn't fit very well. But I am getting my own stuff in as well, so for now all is well.<br />
<br />
It really is turning into a sort of high-stakes juggling act though. I don't find the work itself that tiring, it's the fitting my own life around it bit that is complicated. It is a valuable time-management lesson for when I return to the wierd and wonderful world of shift work. I mean, if I can actually manage my escalating acting world, household responsibilities and blog going with this sale of 9 hours of my day every day (though technically more because it takes me over an hour to get to work every day) imagine what will happe when I am back to making my own schedule! I can't wait!<br />
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In the meanwhile here's a slightly tardy review. Tardy as in the show closed two weeks ago. Oh well, it doesn't stop me thinking about it and talking about it.<br />
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Onwards and upwards my dears!<br />
EssieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-25140967843042321522015-10-11T12:30:00.000+03:002015-10-11T12:30:32.787+03:00FUTURE CONDITIONAL - A REMINDER THAT THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN... <div class="MsoNormal">
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well this
is messy. This is precisely what I was talking about last week. The whole point
of my writing about plays I go to was to shine a tiny candle onto the theatre
scene. Sort of asking you to accompany me as I sneak slowly (and on a budget)
into London’s theatre scene. I saw this play absolutely ages go. I finally was
able to put some time aside to catch up on my writing. One search on Google
shows that it closed the day before I wrote this. FFS. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Never mind.
It may reopen. And there is no harm in being retrospective. And this is MY blog
God-darn it, if I want to write about a play that closed two weeks ago, I will,
so there. Boo to anyone who criticizes me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHOOrIXmyH7wIzdGUphqy9ZL-qAy27uuefEs3NJjNV70N-tx62ZWs2oOH1HO7MGX6laHc5E5qchT1I80CdahrVjLfpxSy_LVjFLurhRfL3W-V0VniXLoDgwiUaC3lte7CmLYhLvkHEL1_/s1600/3759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHOOrIXmyH7wIzdGUphqy9ZL-qAy27uuefEs3NJjNV70N-tx62ZWs2oOH1HO7MGX6laHc5E5qchT1I80CdahrVjLfpxSy_LVjFLurhRfL3W-V0VniXLoDgwiUaC3lte7CmLYhLvkHEL1_/s320/3759.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Future
Conditional is the story of what is wrong with the British educational system.
Sporting a cast of talented young actors and starring Rob Brydon, we take a
look into the lives of those on all sides of the system. The families, the
teachers, the law-makers… In the thick of all of this, we have one young and very
talented Pakistani refugee who has an extraordinary idea about how we can make
the whole thing a lot fairer. The question is, can she get past the preconceptions
and bad habits to actually change the world… <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I will
start off by assuring you that while the play really and truly IS about “what
is wrong with the educational system”, it is neither as serious or as dry as
that sentence makes it sound. There is a lot of laughter, on big topics and
small, and while we are definitely pushed to think while we watch this play –
and it clearly has its political message well and truly at the forefront of its
mind – it is not didactic at all. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsqehQlvTv3ITavPYtw7qdTyzOZx1yJ3NVKJ5TxLlDAQrEeu8z89p3IG95sqw3zAsMpa4RMXOrN86oJR3tor8K_fyphK6nhERNSql5Jv5ULUbh98cXoI05lsNN_RCSFjzRDP2acC7Fgpl/s1600/09d29a1c-96b8-4ed5-82d2-a83bf6743c00-2060x1236.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsqehQlvTv3ITavPYtw7qdTyzOZx1yJ3NVKJ5TxLlDAQrEeu8z89p3IG95sqw3zAsMpa4RMXOrN86oJR3tor8K_fyphK6nhERNSql5Jv5ULUbh98cXoI05lsNN_RCSFjzRDP2acC7Fgpl/s320/09d29a1c-96b8-4ed5-82d2-a83bf6743c00-2060x1236.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That said,
it does work a lot better if you actually know a bit about the British
educational system. My knowledge, it must be admitted, is patchy. And I did
find bits of the play – it is quite heavy on very serious political discussion
– a tad hard to follow as far as the topic went. I mean don’t get me wrong you
can follow it. I am just quite sure I would enjoy it more if I knew more about
the topic. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The other
surprise for me was Rob Brydon. His role is basically that of John Keating in
Dead poets society. The only thing is, he is a very toned down version of him.
Yes his scenes are good and striking but to be that “extraordinary teacher” who
“changes his pupils’ lives” as the posters for the play professes he needed
that extra bit of “umph”. As it is, he is good and portrays his part more than ably,
but , I do wish there was more of him doing more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I mean I
can sort of see why that artistic choice was made. Rob Brydon is the big name
of the play, but the spotlight of it stays on the topic and the young, talented
and energetic cast. He is an integral part of the process, but not the centerpiece
of the affair. This means we the audience can give a fair share of attention
and limelight to all the parts and hopefully give some thought to the message. And good theatre is all about teamwork, at the end
of the day. I have more of a problem with the fact that the whole part of the
“life saving teacher” lacked a certain je ne sais quoi. I don’t really have a problem
with whether Rob Brydon was playing the part or not. The part needed something more, something
bigger. I mean either that, or the play really should stop using the line “who
is the teacher who saved your life” (or something to that effect) in its
advertising. But the other point is that Alia, who is based largely on Malala
Yousufazi the Pakistani schoolgirl who fought for the right to female
education, does not necessarily need “saving”
in the first place. She is perfectly capable of doing it herself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> But this is not a play about teaching any side
“a lesson”. It is neither that serious nor that glum. On the contrary, it brims
with hope for the future and the new generation. Yes, it points out the flaws
in the current system clearly and concisely. Ruthlessly even. But the
overwhelming message, I felt, was one of hope. We have many bright and
beautiful young men and women growing up in this country right now. Give them
half a chance and they can fix it. All you need to do is not get stuck in your
old ways and cling to old methods that clearly don’t work. Just open your mind to
the possibility that there is a whole different way of doing things that would
make us all a lot happier. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">I went to see the play on a matinee. I counted
no less than three different school uniforms in the auditorium. This gives me
hope. Young people are not just “constantly
staring at their phones” as </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">the
older gener ations</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> would have us believe. They are interested, and
engaged.They just do things differently –
as does every new generation. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-73463805231609383342015-10-04T13:32:00.003+03:002015-10-04T13:32:44.471+03:00WELL THIS IS AWKWARDI guess I owe you guys an explanation. So, I work in an office now. It literally happened overnight, the agency I work for needed folks to work in the office, I was magicked up. From one day to the next. Now the reason this happened so quickly is that I had been going on at them a bit to give me a stint in the office. Ya know the score, I'm over 30 now, this whole working night shifts and day shifts running into eachother, on your feet and awake until 3 in the morning is a young womans game. So finally I got my wish, I must be happy, right? Well, well...<br />
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I mean don't get me wrong I am not unhappy. It's just drastically different. And I am having to relearn survival skills I had learnt over 5 years ago and subsequently abandoned. I have to figure out a new way of organising my time. I am, provisionally, here until Christmas. For about three months I shall have a drastically different life. I shall reserve judgement about what I make of it and wether I want to keep it up or not.<br />
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The one thing that has happened is that artistic endeavours have had to be shuffled around, timewise. Acting and all my activities acting related are now part of my absolute essential daily activities like eating, washing and (ehm) going to work. They also happen to take up a good number of my evenings. And I now work 9 to 6. What I liked the most about working irregular hours was the ability to crowd necessary working hours into fewer days and have more completely off days or half days. It allowed me to have time to write and be rested on days I have a lot of artistic endeavour planned. My new schedule means I have to push through the mental leftovers of a day at the office to get to my creative juices. Sometimes I simply can't get to them all.<br />
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Now, I am getting better and better AND BETTER at maintaining energy levels and planning my time. We should be ok from this point onwards. But rest assured, if we have another massive slip-up I am going to sit down and really think about what we need to do about it. We can cross that bridge if we ever get to it. In the meanwhile please accept my humble appologies for the delay and enjoy the write-up!<br />
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much love,<br />
EssieUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-14898821173465028332015-10-04T13:01:00.000+03:002015-10-04T13:01:36.217+03:00FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD IN THE 21ST CENTURY<div class="MsoNormal">
I have said
this before and I will say it again, there is nothing quite like a good period
drama. The sweeping skirts the high emotion, that sense of being transported to
another world… Many are the cases where there isn’t much thinking needed – we
are watching a thing of beauty, to be admired as the embodiment of a beloved
tale but then set aside – except possibly to form mental pictures when we read
the book itself if, like in the case of Far From The Madding Crowd, it was an adaptation.</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WCm1XNVD_0c/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WCm1XNVD_0c?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">This newest
incarnation of the spirited young heiress Bathsheba Everdene comes at a very
interesting time in cinematic history. Her current embodiment, Carey Mulligan,
is a part of a very vocal part of a growing and high profile movement in the arts
promoting equal pay and opportunities for women. Her next big film will in fact
be none other than Suffragette, the story of the birth of the women’s rights
movement in England. Unless you have actually been living under a stone, you
will have heard something about how Viola Davis triumphed at the Emmys and you
will have read something of her acceptance speech that underlines the need for
more opportunities for actresses of colour . You might not think that a 19<sup>th</sup>
century novel taking place on a sweeping country estate is not the ideal place
to start discussing women’s equality (except maybe to point it out as a
terrible example). But those who are in the know will know, Bathsheba Everdene
is not your average 19<sup>th</sup> century heroine…</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3_WWi1fhidyaQo6Mw-UxBVLfpS8lwoCtOGPiShVxZZdYS3zdVxXyMrhnnxT9JxKinjupMFRyxHuMqwEEfmeoAgHB3vjNMLnapwEM2F7i1PpMCnQ2VnGSU30TWIDk30WltM7Pe4wlfhJg/s1600/60335146_FILM_TITL_3286086b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3_WWi1fhidyaQo6Mw-UxBVLfpS8lwoCtOGPiShVxZZdYS3zdVxXyMrhnnxT9JxKinjupMFRyxHuMqwEEfmeoAgHB3vjNMLnapwEM2F7i1PpMCnQ2VnGSU30TWIDk30WltM7Pe4wlfhJg/s320/60335146_FILM_TITL_3286086b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">She is, in
fact, a young woman of very modest means who is swept to the head of an
illustrious country estate as an heiress
and fear not, the whole Deus ex machina nature of this is really, really
not lost on me. But this is not about
her rags to riches story. It is more about what she does after she arrives at
the riches. It is common to think of 19<sup>th</sup> century heroines as faint
hearted little things, all tight corsets and smelling salts, but Bathsheba is a
definite excep</span>tion. She is<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="background: white; color: #0e385f; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">a
canny businesswoman, excellent at managing her staff and brave in the face of
the disapproval surrounding her. Her beauty and intelligence (and of course her
riches) make her the catch of the area, soon suitors of all walks of life start
openly courting her… Bathsheba is her
own woman, and has a lot of p</span>lans about her life – and becoming someone’s
wife is definitely not among them…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">What
strikes one straight away is what a modern heroine Bathsheba is. Even in modern
cinema and literature one struggles to find a heroine that is so much an active
agent in her own destiny – so it is surprising to see a heroine from a hundred
years ago putting modern heroines to shame. Carey Mulligan, it must be said,
takes the role on with gusto and spirit. I can, at this point, barely imagine
anyone else taking on the part. Another performer who has been highly praised
is Michael Sheen or stars as one of her suitors, her neighbour Mr Boldwood – I
honestly wish we could see more of him in the story but he has two other
suitors to contend with so we must make do with relishing the sheer quality of performance
over the comparative lack of quantity. One of the main suitors, Gabriel Oak, is
brought to life by Mathias Schoenarts. Schoenarts is well suited for the
handsome yet slightly sullen Farmer Oak, although – and I don’t I can never decide whether he has simply been
cast in a series of characters that find it difficult to display emotion or
that the actor himself actually finds displaying emotion hard… </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">A lot has
been said on how pretty the film is, and I must agree. The stunning Kent
countryside is a character of the film itself. And although there are some very
poignant moments in the film where you are literally hanging off the edge of
your seat, by and large, the film is beautiful. But not that deeply engaging. This
is an unsurp</span>rising result of adapting a long and complex
novel into a two hour commercial film intent on getting bums on seats (as is
the want with all of show business).The resulting film is rather pretty but has
lost some of its grit along the way. It is polished and a little too perfect –
as if it is trying very hard to get all the requirements for a period drama
correct so that we can focus on the more thought provoking aspects of the film.
Or possibly so we can pardon them…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The problem
is that the lack of grit makes the whole affair even less believable. The story
loses some of its strength through sheer poise and grace. To give but one example,
I would have wanted Gabriel Oak to have a bit more of a rant – not full-blown
broken furniture but still something – when he realises that Sergeant Troys
insistence on ignoring the approaching storm may well ruin them all. Similarly,
in the scenes that follow I think Bathsheba could very well have made a bit
more of a fuss (to put it mildly) as the details of Troys past come pouring
out. I mean of course she reacts but it all feels very much single tear rolling
gracefully down the cheek… It is as if marriage (minor spoiler alert) has
deflated Bathsheba’s spirit overnight, making her very elegant but about half
the woman she was at the beginning of the film. This change may well have taken
p</span>lace during married life but I very much doubt it would have happened
within about a week of being wed… <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">All told,
Far From The Madding Crowd is enjoyable. Yes it could have been bigger,
stronger, more. But what it has is still quite strong, elegant and graceful. It
is an artistic choice at the end of the day – you could go down the route of
underlining the feminism in the story and going for something more gritty,
modern and realistic. But another choice is to hint at those themes and stick
with the period drama routes of the production – it makes it the best of both
worlds, edgy but just safe enough… Being a businesswoman, I am sure Bathsheba
would have understood… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843374648181917054.post-5999901288810558192015-09-12T13:13:00.002+03:002015-09-12T13:13:52.791+03:00ABOUT INNER LIVES AND OUTER LIVESIt is the bane of human existence that people are not always what they seem. Sometimes this is because of some kind of sinister plan, for whatever reason the person is trying to manipulate you for whatever reason.<br />
<br />
But sometimes it is a tad more complicated than that. Maybe you are trying to leave your past behind. You need to be reinvented and you are trying to become the person you are portraying - you may not be there yet but with hard work you intend to! Or maybe, like Morvern, you are actually suffering terribly but sharing your pain with the world is not the solution.<br />
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When faced with periods of great change some of us want to run out enthusiastically, eyes shining to scream the progress at the world, be it good or bad. Others need to take a more quiet approach. You may not hear them screaming, and jumping around, but if you look closely you will see their eyes glowing in the dark. And if you draw a little closer you will see there is just as much, if not more, going on in their hearts. It is merely a matter of knowing where - and how - to look...<br />
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have a great week you guys!<br />
Essie Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0