I was originally supposed to go to Non-Stop last Monday, but when I checked its IMDB rating, as I do regularly with the films I'm thinking of seeing, it had slipped, so I ended up going to The Book Thief instead. I finally worked my way around to seeing Non-Stop today though, so all is good. And it's showing in my local cinema, so I could walk - which turned out to be a great idea on such a lovely day as this turned out to be! Hallelujah, I can shed some layers at last!
There were about five of us at the screening. Non-Stop is a thriller set aboard a plane, with Liam Neeson as the air marshal, Michelle Dockery and Lupita Nyong' o as flight attendants (one review remarked that they were the only two, but that isn't true - I checked), Julianne Moore as a passenger, Linus Roache as the pilot. The story is - someone is threatening to kill a passenger every 20 minutes, and framing Liam Neeson for it.
It's regularly been said of this film that a plane is a great setting for a thriller. It's an enclosed, claustrophobic environment that people are potentially trapped in for hours at a time, without hope of escape. And you'll always get nervous ones. And they're absolutely right - both for creating a general air of tension, and for creating crash scenarios - there are few things more frightening than a plane crash. This film makes ample use of the fact that we're on a plane, where almost all the action takes place. I believe they had to widen the aisles and raise the ceiling a bit from normal dimensions though, just to make sure that Liam Neeson wasn't crouching all the time - he's 6 ft 4.
So, it's a good film, enjoyable, and with absolutely terrifying moments. We even get brief glimpses of Iceland, where the plane eventually makes an emergency landing. With Walter Mitty dropping by as well, I guess it's destination of the moment! Honestly, the acting isn't much to write home about. Much has been made of the fact that Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong' o isn't given much to do, but I suspect her agent (or whoever) was just trying to put her in whatever was available, since she's only starting out in the business, and this had some well known names. I doubt the part was ever meant to be substantial - Michelle Dockery is supposed to be the one who knows Liam Neeson, two flight attendants with substantial parts would have been excessive - and I would hardly have expected them to beef up the part just for Lupita. Anyway, having seen The Grand Budapest Hotel, it seems that stars making cameos where we just have time to say "Isn't that..?" is quite the norm.
Anyhoo, as I say, the script, I guess, is a bit clunky and doesn't do anyone any favours. But well worth seeing for the scary plane atmosphere! Trust me on that. As for the denouement, when we discover why what's been done was done, they're saying it's a bit twee. Me, I thought it made some sort of sense. Anyway, I didn't have a problem with it.
Right then! The film list has decreased. But tomorrow, I'm off to something else entirely - Being Shakespeare, with Simon Callow. Ah now, when I saw that much, I didn't need to do any more research. Not with respect to whether I wanted to see it, anyway! The logistics did take some more consideration. You see, it's in the Harold Pinter Theatre. (Shudder.) Of all the theatres I've been to in London - and I've been to a few - this has the worst seating configuration. In short, get the top-price tickets. You need them. Or, at least, something in the stalls - the seating upstairs hasn't enough legroom for a five-year-old. And, in the stalls, be very careful you're not sat behind a pillar (yes, they do that!). So check out the seating plan.
And once you have identified where it's safe to sit, under no circumstances book with the venue direct! Unless no-one else is selling tickets. Because they have the highest prices. For this show, there are lots of vendors, and, for top-price tickets, I found LoveTheatre the best - half-price, no booking fee. I might have gone with LastMinute, but they didn't have the tickets I wanted. Sadly, I wasn't able to avail of LoveTheatre's meal + show deal - I have to come from work and there wouldn't be time. Anyway, the upshot is, I have a good seat and am looking forward to it!
Sunday, 9 March 2014
Saturday, 8 March 2014
Film: Nymphomaniac: Volume I
Nymphomaniac: Volume I has dropped a little in IMDB ratings, but is still holding quite high, so it was pretty inevitable I would see it this week. The quickest cinema to get to, where it's showing, is Curzon Soho, so I went there today. This is according to Google Maps (who have a swish new look, check it out! Only problem is the homepage now defaults to North America, and there isn't a way to change that.) Because I went at lunchtime, I got a cheap early bird ticket, yay! I saw they would give a 15% discount for booking Nymphomaniac: Volume II at the same time, and, had it been at the same rating or in the next group down, I might have done that. But it's two levels further down from that, which means there are films to see first, so I skipped it. I was a little late, but didn't miss any trailers, which is good - I enjoy them. And I saw a few I hadn't seen before - for films whose ratings are too low to be of interest, but hey. The cinema was about half full, but I had to sit closer to the screen than I like. Still, I was ok.
This film is causing a bit of a stir. Well, it wouldn't be a Lars von Trier if it didn't! There are some people who just won't enjoy it. First, of course, we have those who simply disapprove, on the basis of the title, the reputation of the filmmaker, and maybe the trailer. Well, they know they won't like it and they'll stay away anyway. Also, if you don't like hard rock, you may be put off by some of the soundtrack - although it's not too intrusive. Finally, if you were expecting a bonkfest, seek elsewhere. There is nudity in this film, there is actual sex - it's not simulated, apparently they brought in pornstars for the genital closeups. But the purpose really isn't titillation.
The story, written and directed by von Trier, centres around Joe, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg. She is found, battered, bruised, and bloody, lying unconscious on the ground, by Stellan Skarsgard, who lives nearby. She refuses his offer to call an ambulance or the police, saying she's a bad person and it's her own fault. So he brings her home, tucks her up in bed with a cuppa and some cake, and asks her what happened. She tells him that he needs to hear the whole story to understand, and he's willing. And so we embark on the story of her life, complete with flashbacks.
She, of course, is the nymphomaniac of the title. We are introduced to her late father, Christian Slater, whom she adored. Shia LaBeouf appears repeatedly as one of her more significant partners. Much has been said about his bad acting, and indeed I'm glad he doesn't have a bigger role - but he's ok for what's necessary. Uma Thurman shows up in an interesting scene, as the wronged wife whose husband has just left her for Joe - so she decides the best strategy is to follow him to Joe's flat, with their three little boys, to show them the "whoring bed". It's quite amusing, in an excruciating way, because Joe had been trying to dump him, and decided the easiest way was to tell him she was only doing so because she knew he'd never leave his wife. So, before she knows it, he's at her door, suitcase in hand, moving in. Followed, quite unexpectedly, by his family. Followed by the hapless lad that she had invited round for dinner that evening, who knew nothing about any of this..
Ah well, easy come, easy go - she has a whole list of others! I was particularly taken with the scene where she explains that she has so many on the go that she can't keep track of names, never mind relationship status. So, when she comes home to an answering machine full of messages, she makes a list, and for each, rolls a die. The number that she throws determines how she responds to the message. From 1, which requires a gushing response, 2, which is still positive but less enthusiastic, through to 5, which is complete rejection, and 6 - no response at all. Well, it helps her get through them..
I had great fun watching this. I believe the second film is darker, and I think that's mostly what's in the trailer, which is why I got the impression it was depressing. Maybe it's the young lady who plays the young Joe, who never really looks depressed, the way Charlotte Gainsbourg tends to by default. Maybe it's the surreal touches, like Stellan Skarsgard's constant interjections about fly fishing, which gets him much more excited.
I also remember a reviewer scoffing at the implication that this is a feminist film. There is a line in the film about "the power of women", and I'll say this - it is interesting to contemplate how a similar film, with a male protagonist, would be received. Suppose you have an attractive young man with a high sex drive, who cannot keep from sleeping with as many women as he can manage (and that's quite a lot). People might disapprove - but would they disapprove quite as much as when Joe does the same? Would they have the same attitude when he couldn't remember girls' names, or didn't bother to call them back? Or had several on the go at once? It's an interesting one.
Had a Chinese after, in Wan Chai Corner restaurant again - well, I was passing! - in glorious sunshine. Then took a very packed Tube home. Tomorrow, there is an interesting play on, but as usual with these things, it's sold out, bah humbug. And it's the last day. So it's looking like a film again - one I would have gone to last week, except that its rating slipped, but none of the higher-rated films are showing tomorrow. And so the winner is.. drum roll please.. Non-Stop, where Liam Neeson plays an air marshal aboard a plane where the passengers are being bumped off one by one, and he's being framed to look like he's behind it. Julianne Moore plays a passenger, the flight attendants are Michelle Dockery and Lupita Nyong' o. Should be fun - as they say, planes are claustrophobic environments, full of slightly nervous people at the best of times, so perfect for a thriller. And apparently, this is nearly as non-stop as its name!
This film is causing a bit of a stir. Well, it wouldn't be a Lars von Trier if it didn't! There are some people who just won't enjoy it. First, of course, we have those who simply disapprove, on the basis of the title, the reputation of the filmmaker, and maybe the trailer. Well, they know they won't like it and they'll stay away anyway. Also, if you don't like hard rock, you may be put off by some of the soundtrack - although it's not too intrusive. Finally, if you were expecting a bonkfest, seek elsewhere. There is nudity in this film, there is actual sex - it's not simulated, apparently they brought in pornstars for the genital closeups. But the purpose really isn't titillation.
The story, written and directed by von Trier, centres around Joe, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg. She is found, battered, bruised, and bloody, lying unconscious on the ground, by Stellan Skarsgard, who lives nearby. She refuses his offer to call an ambulance or the police, saying she's a bad person and it's her own fault. So he brings her home, tucks her up in bed with a cuppa and some cake, and asks her what happened. She tells him that he needs to hear the whole story to understand, and he's willing. And so we embark on the story of her life, complete with flashbacks.
She, of course, is the nymphomaniac of the title. We are introduced to her late father, Christian Slater, whom she adored. Shia LaBeouf appears repeatedly as one of her more significant partners. Much has been said about his bad acting, and indeed I'm glad he doesn't have a bigger role - but he's ok for what's necessary. Uma Thurman shows up in an interesting scene, as the wronged wife whose husband has just left her for Joe - so she decides the best strategy is to follow him to Joe's flat, with their three little boys, to show them the "whoring bed". It's quite amusing, in an excruciating way, because Joe had been trying to dump him, and decided the easiest way was to tell him she was only doing so because she knew he'd never leave his wife. So, before she knows it, he's at her door, suitcase in hand, moving in. Followed, quite unexpectedly, by his family. Followed by the hapless lad that she had invited round for dinner that evening, who knew nothing about any of this..
Ah well, easy come, easy go - she has a whole list of others! I was particularly taken with the scene where she explains that she has so many on the go that she can't keep track of names, never mind relationship status. So, when she comes home to an answering machine full of messages, she makes a list, and for each, rolls a die. The number that she throws determines how she responds to the message. From 1, which requires a gushing response, 2, which is still positive but less enthusiastic, through to 5, which is complete rejection, and 6 - no response at all. Well, it helps her get through them..
I had great fun watching this. I believe the second film is darker, and I think that's mostly what's in the trailer, which is why I got the impression it was depressing. Maybe it's the young lady who plays the young Joe, who never really looks depressed, the way Charlotte Gainsbourg tends to by default. Maybe it's the surreal touches, like Stellan Skarsgard's constant interjections about fly fishing, which gets him much more excited.
I also remember a reviewer scoffing at the implication that this is a feminist film. There is a line in the film about "the power of women", and I'll say this - it is interesting to contemplate how a similar film, with a male protagonist, would be received. Suppose you have an attractive young man with a high sex drive, who cannot keep from sleeping with as many women as he can manage (and that's quite a lot). People might disapprove - but would they disapprove quite as much as when Joe does the same? Would they have the same attitude when he couldn't remember girls' names, or didn't bother to call them back? Or had several on the go at once? It's an interesting one.
Had a Chinese after, in Wan Chai Corner restaurant again - well, I was passing! - in glorious sunshine. Then took a very packed Tube home. Tomorrow, there is an interesting play on, but as usual with these things, it's sold out, bah humbug. And it's the last day. So it's looking like a film again - one I would have gone to last week, except that its rating slipped, but none of the higher-rated films are showing tomorrow. And so the winner is.. drum roll please.. Non-Stop, where Liam Neeson plays an air marshal aboard a plane where the passengers are being bumped off one by one, and he's being framed to look like he's behind it. Julianne Moore plays a passenger, the flight attendants are Michelle Dockery and Lupita Nyong' o. Should be fun - as they say, planes are claustrophobic environments, full of slightly nervous people at the best of times, so perfect for a thriller. And apparently, this is nearly as non-stop as its name!
Friday, 7 March 2014
Film: The Grand Budapest Hotel
It was with great glee that I took myself along this evening to see The Grand Budapest Hotel. You see, it's been cleverly marketed, this. The week before last, it previewed in the British Film Institute only. So it sold out, and I didn't get to see it. Last week, it previewed in several other places - but only on Sunday, when I wasn't here, and I didn't get to see it. It also showed in the secret cinema, which, for once, revealed what they'd be showing - but I didn't fancy paying over £50 to go to a secret venue, on a night when I had work in the morning, and the event was advertised as lasting until 11pm.
So I waited, and it was showing in my local Vue cinema today. It's handy, how Vue is one of the few chains that let you see an exact seating plan, so you can see how fast the cinema is filling up - I checked it periodically throughout the day. And while I could see seats being filled, there weren't enough going that I got worried. Which was handy, because, had I booked (in anticipation of not otherwise being able to get a seat), not only would I have had to pay a booking fee, but I wouldn't have been able to use my voucher either. Sure enough, when I arrived at the cinema, the display indicated that there were still 200 standard seats remaining. My favourite seats - centre block, in front of the aisle - were gone, but I got an aisle seat in the row behind.
Well now, what shall I say about this film? It's directed by Wes Anderson, and everyone in Hollywood wanted to be in it, evidently. Everyone who wasn't in The Monuments Men, anyway. And, actually, in Bill Murray's case, he managed both! Would you like to know who's in it..? As a review in the Evening Standard remarked, the cast list makes The Monuments Men cast look like the Tweedale Players (or something like that). I took the list from IMDB, it was easier than typing..
Right then. The only people who actually appear for the duration are Ralph Fiennes, who plays the concierge of the Grand Budapest, and his lobby boy / acolyte, a newcomer amongst all these stars! The story hinges around Ralph's relationship with Tilda Swinton, here playing 84, while in her last film, Only Lovers Left Alive, she was married to a 31-year-old. You go girl! So anyway, she gets herself murdered, and leaves him a valuable painting. Her brutish son, Adrian Brody, frames him for murder, and we're off! On quite the most surreal adventure you're likely to see this year. Willem Dafoe plays Adrian Brody's henchman, and Saoirse Ronan is the lobby boy's girlfriend.
They're the only ones who appear in any way regularly throughout the film! We have cameos from F. Murray Abraham, as the former lobby boy, old now, relating his story to the "author", Jude Law (who turns into Tom Wilkinson in later life), who writes a book about it. Mathieu Amalric plays Tilda Swinton's butler, who finds himself torn between loyalty to his employers and to the truth, and the innocent Ralph Fiennes. Jeff Goldblum is the family lawyer. Harvey Keitel plays a prisoner that Ralph Fiennes befriends when he is imprisoned. Bill Murray is a member of the "Society of the Crossed Keys", a secret society of hotel concierges that comes to Ralph Fiennes' rescue when he needs help. Edward Norton is the police chief. Owen Wilson is Ralph Fiennes' replacement as concierge of the Grand Budapest, and Jason Schwartzmann is the incumbent when the story is being related to the narrator. Léa Seydoux is Tilda Swinton's maid.
Phew! Well, that's everyone accounted for. Now, what's it like?
It's terrific. One of the reviews mentioned that every shot is perfectly framed, but you don't appreciate what that really means until you see it. There are images from this that will stay with me forever. Ralph Fiennes, as they're saying, is a revelation as a comic actor! It really merits a second, possibly a third, viewing, because of the detail. And it carries along at such a pace that you will miss some of the finer points. Oh, and I found Saoirse Ronan's Irish accent quite striking in this unspecified Eastern European setting.
Check out the trailer. If you like the trailer, you will love the film. I did! It's almost certainly the most intelligent comedy you'll see this year.
Tomorrow's film.. well, I was bound to see it eventually! Looks like Nymphomaniac: Volume I. I do like Lars von Trier's films, in general. Nothing wrong with a bit of shock value. And my flatmate says it's good. Sadly, I have to go slightly further afield than he did - it's not showing in as many cinemas anymore. But I'll manage..
So I waited, and it was showing in my local Vue cinema today. It's handy, how Vue is one of the few chains that let you see an exact seating plan, so you can see how fast the cinema is filling up - I checked it periodically throughout the day. And while I could see seats being filled, there weren't enough going that I got worried. Which was handy, because, had I booked (in anticipation of not otherwise being able to get a seat), not only would I have had to pay a booking fee, but I wouldn't have been able to use my voucher either. Sure enough, when I arrived at the cinema, the display indicated that there were still 200 standard seats remaining. My favourite seats - centre block, in front of the aisle - were gone, but I got an aisle seat in the row behind.
Well now, what shall I say about this film? It's directed by Wes Anderson, and everyone in Hollywood wanted to be in it, evidently. Everyone who wasn't in The Monuments Men, anyway. And, actually, in Bill Murray's case, he managed both! Would you like to know who's in it..? As a review in the Evening Standard remarked, the cast list makes The Monuments Men cast look like the Tweedale Players (or something like that). I took the list from IMDB, it was easier than typing..
 | Ralph Fiennes | ... | |
 | F. Murray Abraham | ... | |
 | Mathieu Amalric | ... | |
 | Adrien Brody | ... | |
 | Willem Dafoe | ... | |
 | Jeff Goldblum | ... | |
 | Harvey Keitel | ... | |
 | Jude Law | ... | |
 | Bill Murray | ... | |
 | Edward Norton | ... | |
 | Saoirse Ronan | ... | |
 | Jason Schwartzman | ... | |
 | Léa Seydoux | ... | |
 | Tilda Swinton | ... | |
 | Tom Wilkinson | ... | |
 | Owen Wilson | ... |
Right then. The only people who actually appear for the duration are Ralph Fiennes, who plays the concierge of the Grand Budapest, and his lobby boy / acolyte, a newcomer amongst all these stars! The story hinges around Ralph's relationship with Tilda Swinton, here playing 84, while in her last film, Only Lovers Left Alive, she was married to a 31-year-old. You go girl! So anyway, she gets herself murdered, and leaves him a valuable painting. Her brutish son, Adrian Brody, frames him for murder, and we're off! On quite the most surreal adventure you're likely to see this year. Willem Dafoe plays Adrian Brody's henchman, and Saoirse Ronan is the lobby boy's girlfriend.
They're the only ones who appear in any way regularly throughout the film! We have cameos from F. Murray Abraham, as the former lobby boy, old now, relating his story to the "author", Jude Law (who turns into Tom Wilkinson in later life), who writes a book about it. Mathieu Amalric plays Tilda Swinton's butler, who finds himself torn between loyalty to his employers and to the truth, and the innocent Ralph Fiennes. Jeff Goldblum is the family lawyer. Harvey Keitel plays a prisoner that Ralph Fiennes befriends when he is imprisoned. Bill Murray is a member of the "Society of the Crossed Keys", a secret society of hotel concierges that comes to Ralph Fiennes' rescue when he needs help. Edward Norton is the police chief. Owen Wilson is Ralph Fiennes' replacement as concierge of the Grand Budapest, and Jason Schwartzmann is the incumbent when the story is being related to the narrator. Léa Seydoux is Tilda Swinton's maid.
Phew! Well, that's everyone accounted for. Now, what's it like?
It's terrific. One of the reviews mentioned that every shot is perfectly framed, but you don't appreciate what that really means until you see it. There are images from this that will stay with me forever. Ralph Fiennes, as they're saying, is a revelation as a comic actor! It really merits a second, possibly a third, viewing, because of the detail. And it carries along at such a pace that you will miss some of the finer points. Oh, and I found Saoirse Ronan's Irish accent quite striking in this unspecified Eastern European setting.
Check out the trailer. If you like the trailer, you will love the film. I did! It's almost certainly the most intelligent comedy you'll see this year.
Tomorrow's film.. well, I was bound to see it eventually! Looks like Nymphomaniac: Volume I. I do like Lars von Trier's films, in general. Nothing wrong with a bit of shock value. And my flatmate says it's good. Sadly, I have to go slightly further afield than he did - it's not showing in as many cinemas anymore. But I'll manage..
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Concert: Liana Isakadze
Well, it's nice to actually get something from ShowFilmFirst for a change! I checked, and it's September since I last went to something with them. You see, they offer free tickets to various events - but it's become a habit of theirs to send out the offers - at least to me - so late that the tickets are already gone, or indeed, that the show has already started! Their latest gimmick is to offer "premium membership", which guarantees you'll get the email in time to go to the show. For a fee, of course. Huh.
Well, this was an email that came in time - yesterday, to be precise. A classical concert - lovely! Also probably the reason it hadn't sold out already. In Cadogan Hall. I jumped at the chance, then checked where the place was. Easy-peasy - Tube to Sloane Square, turn right out of the station, and it's straight ahead, down a side street. The building with the clocktower, which, tonight, was illuminated in blue and green. A short walk.
Entering by the door marked "Box Office", the stalls are up the stairs to the right, but they were still roped off when I got there. Down the steps to the left is the box office, and beside that, a bar. Where, for the first time in my life, I saw an orderly queue form. At a bar. Unheard of. You can tell you're in an affluent neighbourhood. In England. Anyway, by the time I got my large glass of wine, I hadn't even had time to start it when the announcement came that the auditorium was open and we could take our seats. So it got drunk fairly quickly..
We had to climb stairs - a notice at the bottom warned us that there were 62 steps, but I certainly don't think we had to climb so many. Everyone was seated in the stalls. My free seat was nice and central:
Well, this was an email that came in time - yesterday, to be precise. A classical concert - lovely! Also probably the reason it hadn't sold out already. In Cadogan Hall. I jumped at the chance, then checked where the place was. Easy-peasy - Tube to Sloane Square, turn right out of the station, and it's straight ahead, down a side street. The building with the clocktower, which, tonight, was illuminated in blue and green. A short walk.
Entering by the door marked "Box Office", the stalls are up the stairs to the right, but they were still roped off when I got there. Down the steps to the left is the box office, and beside that, a bar. Where, for the first time in my life, I saw an orderly queue form. At a bar. Unheard of. You can tell you're in an affluent neighbourhood. In England. Anyway, by the time I got my large glass of wine, I hadn't even had time to start it when the announcement came that the auditorium was open and we could take our seats. So it got drunk fairly quickly..
We had to climb stairs - a notice at the bottom warned us that there were 62 steps, but I certainly don't think we had to climb so many. Everyone was seated in the stalls. My free seat was nice and central:
Seats are lovely and comfy, plenty of legroom. Yes, this is a nice venue!
The Japanese guy to my left was hardly off his phone for the first half. Not only was he taking photographs every time anyone took a bow, but I swear he was recording a lot of it as well. Tsk. The show itself was what you might call populist, with the usual suspects - Mozart, Strauss, Vivaldi, Brahms: and some less usual - Saint-Saens, Gershwin. The star, Liana Isakadze, seemed to thrive on having an audience, and all players had great fun with the livelier numbers. A very enjoyable night, and a nice change - it's ages since I was at a classical concert. Mind you, not everyone was so impressed - the little girl in front of me got very bored in the second half, and decided to occupy herself by practicing origami on her ticket stub. Which meant that every pause in the music was punctuated by the rustling of paper. Grrr...
So. It's looking like I'm back to films again tomorrow night.. and what's coming top of the list? Why, The Grand Budapest Hotel, of course! At last.. watch this space!
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Play: The One
With only standing tickets for The One last night, I said I'd better book a seat for tonight, since they were available. And so I did. Given the difficulties of getting to the Soho Theatre, I left in good time - it took me nearly 10 minutes longer than Google Maps said it should have, but I still got there in time. I mused, as I dodged people and moved as quickly as I could, that there's a difference between the crowds on Shaftesbury Avenue and those on Dean Street - on Shaftesbury Avenue, you get tourists, either lost or taking pictures; on Dean Street, you get crowds of people outside bars and clubs, because it's too crowded inside, or they're queueing to get in - so they take over the pavements and you have to take to the road and dodge the black cabs. Ah yes, a Wednesday night in Soho.
When I got in, I was directed to the stools at the side. Hmm. Well, anyway, there was a rail to lean on, so it was ok, and there was the odd seat if I had really objected. It was almost full - not completely, the cushion beside me was unoccupied (these were benches, rather than stools). And so we're into the play.
O dear. This is described as an "achingly funny" comedy. Or maybe an "uncomfortably funny" comedy. Well, "uncomfortable", I'll give it. I seriously cannot believe that this piece of self-indulgent tripe got an award of any kind. Basically, we spend an hour watching a couple tear strips off each other. O definitely, if you have a sadistic streak, this is the play for you. Otherwise, I cannot see the point of it. The comedy wasn't funny, the female lead had a distractingly deep voice, and spoke so quickly that, for the first ten minutes or so, I had no idea what she was saying, and when I did, I found it hard to take her or her words with any depth. Then her character turns into the most unlikeable bitch imaginable. He provides a kind of punching bag, that she attempts to turn into a creature as vicious as she is. There is a third character, who appears twice, and provides the function of showing us just how dysfunctional this couple is. Time Out describes the ending as "ambiguous" - I was just glad it ended. I didn't give a hootin' holler what happened to either of these characters, as long as I didn't have to see them ever again.
I'd have left at the interval, if there had been one. I bravely hoped it would improve. Ah well. If you should feel like an hour or so of misery, it's running until the 30th. Booking recommended - it's strangely popular. All I can say is, I've ticked it off my list. And to top off the evening, on my way back along Shaftesbury Avenue, I was detained by an Italian couple who wanted to know whether they were on Oxford Street. Well, no, I informed them, it's in that general direction.. but you know what? See that pillar thing sticking up over there? It's a map! Go look at that. No really, they're so helpful. Jeez, the amount of persuasion it took to get them to go over there and look at the map. And really, honestly, these maps are helpful! I've used them before myself, and it's very useful to have them at intervals all over town.
Uhh. Anyway, much more hopeful for tomorrow's entertainment. I got home this evening to an email from ShowFilmFirst, which I joined a while ago. I've seen some free films with them, but lately have been unlucky - by the time the emails get to me, the shows are already sold out. Well, this evening, they were offering free tickets to a classical violin recital! which is probably why they weren't sold out. Anyway, I got me one. And it's on tomorrow evening. Handy I hadn't anything booked - by booking tonight's show, I missed out on a free film screening I was offered when I went to the cinema on Monday night. Ah well. This is on in Cadogan Hall, which describes itself as "London's newest concert venue". It's also quite close to me. Great! Should be interesting..
When I got in, I was directed to the stools at the side. Hmm. Well, anyway, there was a rail to lean on, so it was ok, and there was the odd seat if I had really objected. It was almost full - not completely, the cushion beside me was unoccupied (these were benches, rather than stools). And so we're into the play.
O dear. This is described as an "achingly funny" comedy. Or maybe an "uncomfortably funny" comedy. Well, "uncomfortable", I'll give it. I seriously cannot believe that this piece of self-indulgent tripe got an award of any kind. Basically, we spend an hour watching a couple tear strips off each other. O definitely, if you have a sadistic streak, this is the play for you. Otherwise, I cannot see the point of it. The comedy wasn't funny, the female lead had a distractingly deep voice, and spoke so quickly that, for the first ten minutes or so, I had no idea what she was saying, and when I did, I found it hard to take her or her words with any depth. Then her character turns into the most unlikeable bitch imaginable. He provides a kind of punching bag, that she attempts to turn into a creature as vicious as she is. There is a third character, who appears twice, and provides the function of showing us just how dysfunctional this couple is. Time Out describes the ending as "ambiguous" - I was just glad it ended. I didn't give a hootin' holler what happened to either of these characters, as long as I didn't have to see them ever again.
I'd have left at the interval, if there had been one. I bravely hoped it would improve. Ah well. If you should feel like an hour or so of misery, it's running until the 30th. Booking recommended - it's strangely popular. All I can say is, I've ticked it off my list. And to top off the evening, on my way back along Shaftesbury Avenue, I was detained by an Italian couple who wanted to know whether they were on Oxford Street. Well, no, I informed them, it's in that general direction.. but you know what? See that pillar thing sticking up over there? It's a map! Go look at that. No really, they're so helpful. Jeez, the amount of persuasion it took to get them to go over there and look at the map. And really, honestly, these maps are helpful! I've used them before myself, and it's very useful to have them at intervals all over town.
Uhh. Anyway, much more hopeful for tomorrow's entertainment. I got home this evening to an email from ShowFilmFirst, which I joined a while ago. I've seen some free films with them, but lately have been unlucky - by the time the emails get to me, the shows are already sold out. Well, this evening, they were offering free tickets to a classical violin recital! which is probably why they weren't sold out. Anyway, I got me one. And it's on tomorrow evening. Handy I hadn't anything booked - by booking tonight's show, I missed out on a free film screening I was offered when I went to the cinema on Monday night. Ah well. This is on in Cadogan Hall, which describes itself as "London's newest concert venue". It's also quite close to me. Great! Should be interesting..
Tuesday, 4 March 2014
Play: A Taste of Honey
Well, I finally got to A Taste of Honey, eh? It was sold out last week, and I would've gone last night, except the only tickets left were £50 each. Plus booking fee. Which wouldn't stop me in some cases, but for a 50s kitchen sink drama, I didn't fancy it. Well, there were two cheaper tickets available for tonight, and I took the more central of them.
Left in decent time for town, and, just to be sure, took the first train to pass through West Brompton, even though it wasn't going my way - but they all stop at Earl's Court, and you can change.. and the next heading into town from West Brompton wasn't for another six minutes, so I said, surely I'll save time by taking this one and changing. And I do believe I did, as I wasn't at Earl's Court long before one came along heading the right way.
I managed to get a seat. And then I heard a persistent "mouw, mouw".. Could there be a cat on the train? Indeed there was. First I've come across! (on a train). In a carrier, positioned across from a couple who were doing their very best to placate it, but puss was having none of it. "Mouw, mouw, mouw". Very unhappy-sounding cat, despite her trying to play with it. Anyway, they all got off at Victoria.
My trip to the National Theatre was unusually trouble-free - I had left in good time for once, and actually had no trouble finding where I was supposed to go. Gee, could I finally be getting used to the place?! I don't think there are any really bad seats here - certainly, mine was central enough to the row to keep me happy, and I didn't feel too far from the stage (I was about a third of the way along the row, about halfway up the circle).
A kitchen sink drama it is, revolutionary for its time, about a teenage girl with a positively frightful mother, who regularly neglects her to be with her male friends. Unsurprising, then, that when the daughter finds someone who shows her some affection, she jumps at it, and soon finds herself pregnant. The father, a sailor, has sailed off into the sunset - neither can she rely on her feckless mother, who has remarried; that turns out not to be such a great decision either.
It's quite an old story, but it's well told, the script is excellent, and I enjoyed it. The mother disappears for the first part of the second act, and it is only when she makes an unwelcome return that we realise what a malign influence she is. It's interesting, because you can just sense the breath of promise that the future holds in this play. A promise that the mother threatens to stifle. On a whole number of levels, I can see why this was shocking in the 50s. Still popular today, obviously. Runs until 11 May - booking advisable, especially if you want a cheap-ish seat. Limited availability for the rest of this month, and getting busy for April as well.
And tomorrow night, I'm off to The One, at the Soho Theatre. Which sounds good. I must leave in time for that one, though - it's another place I'm always rushing for, and a couple of times I've been late for the show. And that's mostly down to having to push my way through crowds in the West End.. it's a 10-minute walk from Leicester Square, not accounting for lost tourists you have to dodge!
Left in decent time for town, and, just to be sure, took the first train to pass through West Brompton, even though it wasn't going my way - but they all stop at Earl's Court, and you can change.. and the next heading into town from West Brompton wasn't for another six minutes, so I said, surely I'll save time by taking this one and changing. And I do believe I did, as I wasn't at Earl's Court long before one came along heading the right way.
I managed to get a seat. And then I heard a persistent "mouw, mouw".. Could there be a cat on the train? Indeed there was. First I've come across! (on a train). In a carrier, positioned across from a couple who were doing their very best to placate it, but puss was having none of it. "Mouw, mouw, mouw". Very unhappy-sounding cat, despite her trying to play with it. Anyway, they all got off at Victoria.
My trip to the National Theatre was unusually trouble-free - I had left in good time for once, and actually had no trouble finding where I was supposed to go. Gee, could I finally be getting used to the place?! I don't think there are any really bad seats here - certainly, mine was central enough to the row to keep me happy, and I didn't feel too far from the stage (I was about a third of the way along the row, about halfway up the circle).
A kitchen sink drama it is, revolutionary for its time, about a teenage girl with a positively frightful mother, who regularly neglects her to be with her male friends. Unsurprising, then, that when the daughter finds someone who shows her some affection, she jumps at it, and soon finds herself pregnant. The father, a sailor, has sailed off into the sunset - neither can she rely on her feckless mother, who has remarried; that turns out not to be such a great decision either.
It's quite an old story, but it's well told, the script is excellent, and I enjoyed it. The mother disappears for the first part of the second act, and it is only when she makes an unwelcome return that we realise what a malign influence she is. It's interesting, because you can just sense the breath of promise that the future holds in this play. A promise that the mother threatens to stifle. On a whole number of levels, I can see why this was shocking in the 50s. Still popular today, obviously. Runs until 11 May - booking advisable, especially if you want a cheap-ish seat. Limited availability for the rest of this month, and getting busy for April as well.
And tomorrow night, I'm off to The One, at the Soho Theatre. Which sounds good. I must leave in time for that one, though - it's another place I'm always rushing for, and a couple of times I've been late for the show. And that's mostly down to having to push my way through crowds in the West End.. it's a 10-minute walk from Leicester Square, not accounting for lost tourists you have to dodge!
Monday, 3 March 2014
Film: The Book Thief
Ah now! the eagle-eyed amongst you will say. Wasn't I supposed to be going to Non-Stop tonight? Well, the fact of the matter is, its IMDB rating has plummeted - about 0.1 per day. Which effectively rules it out for this entire week, although it's still rated highly - but how far will it fall before it stabilises? Top of the ratings, then, was The Book Thief. Which is holding its rating. Well, actually, it's tying with Nymphomaniac: Volume I, whose rating has risen. Now, I'm familiar with the films of Lars von Trier. Some I really liked - one (Antichrist) is one of the worst I've ever seen. Either way, the man's films are depressing. The trailer for Nymphomaniac looks depressing. (The reviews say it's the most non-erotic film about sex ever made.) Not that that would stop me, but if I have a decent choice..
So off I popped to the local cinema, again, for The Book Thief. Used my voucher, the one I got here last time - the one without a date printed on it, that they said didn't matter. Turns out.. it doesn't! He happily accepted the voucher, and gave me another. Without a date. Fair enough. Also, I think he might have given me too much of a discount.. I think I might've got the senior discount.. but who's complaining? ;-) He also mentioned that, although he was allocating me a seat, the place was empty and I could really sit wherever I liked. Duh.. In fact, it was several minutes before anyone else arrived at all, and I thought I'd have a private screening. No, there were about six of us in the end. But it was such a large screen that we hardly noticed each other.
Right then. The Book Thief is based, appropriately enough, on a book, and concerns a little girl growing up in Nazi Germany. Her mother is a Communist, and, as such, considers it safer for her little girl to be adopted out to a middle-aged, childless couple with no such smirches on their character (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson). The child has never learned to read, but when she does, she takes to it with abandon, resorting to stealing a book from a Nazi bonfire. She befriends the Burgermeister's wife, whose son was killed in the war, and who lets her read from their library. When the Burgermeister discovers what's going on, he puts a stop to it, but she manages to find a way to break in, and - not "steals", as she explains to her friend, she "borrows" books. Hence, the book thief. There's also a hidden Jew in her basement, for added drama. The film is mostly in English, with various words and phrases of German thrown in - which really gives a sense of authenticity to, in particular, the book-burning scene, where the speech is delivered entirely in German, in a square draped with swastikas. Truly chilling, and chilling to see people, particularly children, forced to play along.
Which brings me to what I found surprising about this film. You see, I went into this expecting something maybe a little bit schmaltzy. What I got was not what I expected. It's hard to describe. The film I saw tonight was.. sweet. The scenery is gorgeous - snowy landscapes and a picturesque, medieval village. The score was Oscar-nominated. Yes, I know, you can trivialise it and say, well, we have a little blond, blue-eyed girl that everyone's mad about, and nothing bad ever really happens to her, and it's a sanitised version of what the reality was. I've read reviews that have said that. But you know what? I don't think it is. I thought it was an interesting take on a story that's been told many times. I don't think I've ever seen Nazi Germany described by a child living there.
And, honestly, I'm still crying as I write this. The ending is a real tearjerker. It creeps up on you. I see why this is consistently highly rated. But it's more personal than that. Because my daddy would do anything for me, just like Liesel's, and he played the accordion too.. Go see the film, it's a lot better than you'd expect.
Phew. Anyway. Guess what? I'm heading to plays the next two nights! Fancy.. tomorrow night, I could have gone to see The One, at the Soho Theatre, but there was standing room only. Instead, I'm going to.. A Taste of Honey! Yes, this is the one I baulked at when I could only get £50 tickets. Well, I discovered there were all of two cheaper tickets left for tomorrow night. So I'm going, at last. And heading to The One the night after, when I can get a seat!
So off I popped to the local cinema, again, for The Book Thief. Used my voucher, the one I got here last time - the one without a date printed on it, that they said didn't matter. Turns out.. it doesn't! He happily accepted the voucher, and gave me another. Without a date. Fair enough. Also, I think he might have given me too much of a discount.. I think I might've got the senior discount.. but who's complaining? ;-) He also mentioned that, although he was allocating me a seat, the place was empty and I could really sit wherever I liked. Duh.. In fact, it was several minutes before anyone else arrived at all, and I thought I'd have a private screening. No, there were about six of us in the end. But it was such a large screen that we hardly noticed each other.
Right then. The Book Thief is based, appropriately enough, on a book, and concerns a little girl growing up in Nazi Germany. Her mother is a Communist, and, as such, considers it safer for her little girl to be adopted out to a middle-aged, childless couple with no such smirches on their character (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson). The child has never learned to read, but when she does, she takes to it with abandon, resorting to stealing a book from a Nazi bonfire. She befriends the Burgermeister's wife, whose son was killed in the war, and who lets her read from their library. When the Burgermeister discovers what's going on, he puts a stop to it, but she manages to find a way to break in, and - not "steals", as she explains to her friend, she "borrows" books. Hence, the book thief. There's also a hidden Jew in her basement, for added drama. The film is mostly in English, with various words and phrases of German thrown in - which really gives a sense of authenticity to, in particular, the book-burning scene, where the speech is delivered entirely in German, in a square draped with swastikas. Truly chilling, and chilling to see people, particularly children, forced to play along.
Which brings me to what I found surprising about this film. You see, I went into this expecting something maybe a little bit schmaltzy. What I got was not what I expected. It's hard to describe. The film I saw tonight was.. sweet. The scenery is gorgeous - snowy landscapes and a picturesque, medieval village. The score was Oscar-nominated. Yes, I know, you can trivialise it and say, well, we have a little blond, blue-eyed girl that everyone's mad about, and nothing bad ever really happens to her, and it's a sanitised version of what the reality was. I've read reviews that have said that. But you know what? I don't think it is. I thought it was an interesting take on a story that's been told many times. I don't think I've ever seen Nazi Germany described by a child living there.
And, honestly, I'm still crying as I write this. The ending is a real tearjerker. It creeps up on you. I see why this is consistently highly rated. But it's more personal than that. Because my daddy would do anything for me, just like Liesel's, and he played the accordion too.. Go see the film, it's a lot better than you'd expect.
Phew. Anyway. Guess what? I'm heading to plays the next two nights! Fancy.. tomorrow night, I could have gone to see The One, at the Soho Theatre, but there was standing room only. Instead, I'm going to.. A Taste of Honey! Yes, this is the one I baulked at when I could only get £50 tickets. Well, I discovered there were all of two cheaper tickets left for tomorrow night. So I'm going, at last. And heading to The One the night after, when I can get a seat!
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