tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34216794847464853832024-03-18T18:14:31.776+00:00Shadows on the WallT H E B L O GRich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.comBlogger1507125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-27410613681697789842024-03-18T18:14:00.075+00:002024-03-18T18:14:00.126+00:00BFI Flare: Sing it loud<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTN3a9lJaUo0cad1A3XeWQvnUSWGMkKag-03ZHAO0EWS4FgK6opYrrpf4YJyT8FWd9R4BMyKkXzfVL1sWtnhAVNlAuzycWKRbUe3V8gE2Ur4c-cG6imPnrjBH0BB-dLGzjkZ4J9UqYjKkTaf5gZPEtUTXDanM6SwfZvBaquO64mWhZ9C_QTjBkT1XCvjI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTN3a9lJaUo0cad1A3XeWQvnUSWGMkKag-03ZHAO0EWS4FgK6opYrrpf4YJyT8FWd9R4BMyKkXzfVL1sWtnhAVNlAuzycWKRbUe3V8gE2Ur4c-cG6imPnrjBH0BB-dLGzjkZ4J9UqYjKkTaf5gZPEtUTXDanM6SwfZvBaquO64mWhZ9C_QTjBkT1XCvjI=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>The <b>38th BFI Flare</b> heads into the week with a continuing flurry of screenings and events. Over the weekend it was great fun to hang out with actors and filmmakers who are in town to present their films. The post-screening Q&As have been lively, revealing how important these movies are as they are appreciated by such a wide range of people in the audience. And of course films with a British connection get even more audience love, with round of applause for each cast and crew member. Or in the case of the <i>Merchant Ivory</i> doc, post-film selfies with the likes of Helena Bonham Carter, Greta Scacchi, James Wilby, Rupert Graves, Natasha McElhone and many more. Here's another set of highlights...<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;">Unicorns</span></b><br /><i>dir Sally El Hosaini, James Krishna Floyd; with Ben Hardy, Jason Patel 23/UK ****<br /></i>With a sometimes dreamlike sensibility, this British drama follows two young men who are struggling to make sense of their lives, and may find the answer together. Directing alongside screenwriter James Krisna Floyd, Sally El-Hosaini maintains an optimistic but clear-eyed and honest tone, even as the film takes on some big issues in a situation that feels impossible. It's also remarkably sympathetic to its very different central characters... <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/24/5i.htm#unic">FULL REVIEW ></a></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoDWPo7aQSGSV5-a7U-bIRM02FDioEz39kMnrP_MOAq_y6XlqrHxqvSPoI-ykd6hcuFCrESWaCVrkpZSRQLiofd8w9MeApKMjFHTeUgi9hsmU5uDmTe7FucVY105w_V62Qc8GgK6njLXuTj2s-f9jvKvaiC-qjp1CuPpG-bGif-SXTClsyZ6O8Bik8rv4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoDWPo7aQSGSV5-a7U-bIRM02FDioEz39kMnrP_MOAq_y6XlqrHxqvSPoI-ykd6hcuFCrESWaCVrkpZSRQLiofd8w9MeApKMjFHTeUgi9hsmU5uDmTe7FucVY105w_V62Qc8GgK6njLXuTj2s-f9jvKvaiC-qjp1CuPpG-bGif-SXTClsyZ6O8Bik8rv4=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;">Riley</span></b><br /><i>dir-scr Benjamin Howard; with Jake Holley, Colin McCalla 23/US ****<br /></i>Earthy authenticity infuses this warm drama, as writer-director Benjamin Howard knowingly captures the pervasive masculinity in sporting culture, which expresses itself in ignorant homophobia. He also gets into the mind of a teen athlete grappling with his sexuality. As the drama gets increasingly serious, the film grabs hold powerfully. So even if things begin to turn a bit melodramatic, there's truth in the way the story plays out... <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/24/6i.htm#rile">FULL REVIEW ></a></span></b><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqnGKE9XT1vfadRM3ntGVoLblj6UHWoqpB3B7DxmOZu2k2XCfKhGXuJFfuv39dJG413IedkpKjN-Bxs0691pxGpVNZxqo6qMKbSK-k87VyGi2PiMh5Zu04a9o5-QlofEHU1O2Dbcx0e262kVH3bjKMuK9HOhAPZYE07olX2-rs51oKBMJ4b8PGN3EM9tQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqnGKE9XT1vfadRM3ntGVoLblj6UHWoqpB3B7DxmOZu2k2XCfKhGXuJFfuv39dJG413IedkpKjN-Bxs0691pxGpVNZxqo6qMKbSK-k87VyGi2PiMh5Zu04a9o5-QlofEHU1O2Dbcx0e262kVH3bjKMuK9HOhAPZYE07olX2-rs51oKBMJ4b8PGN3EM9tQ=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;">Hidden Master: <br />The Legacy of George Platt Lynes<br /></span></b><i>dir Sam Shahid; with Bernard Perlin, George Platt Lynes II 23/US***.<br /></i>Essentially making the case that photographer George Platt Lynes deserves a place in art history, this well-researched documentary recounts his career with eye-opening detail. Director Sam Shahid spent a decade compiling the interviews and hunting down archival material that fill this movie to overflowing. And Lynes' stunning images gain meaningful context through the fabulous first-hand anecdotes about a little-known but hugely influential segment of the art world from the 1930s to the 1950s. <p></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_Otlgp-h3Q0jWNkOyCLIv0Gp5Jiqh89wD1k52hV2bXHNFrX3yMb6qc0oBirRkslJklQWSBlpUU-Li0lAb9ESu8vuNXoDXtOKeVmqX5giouISCwQm_pJ8yHAWRdXmIb7349kG8eihudMjhMf__hCBh0I7B-kiPEwgUyvumBIhutEGADXJd0OlOjhpuUeI" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_Otlgp-h3Q0jWNkOyCLIv0Gp5Jiqh89wD1k52hV2bXHNFrX3yMb6qc0oBirRkslJklQWSBlpUU-Li0lAb9ESu8vuNXoDXtOKeVmqX5giouISCwQm_pJ8yHAWRdXmIb7349kG8eihudMjhMf__hCBh0I7B-kiPEwgUyvumBIhutEGADXJd0OlOjhpuUeI=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: medium;">Merchant Ivory<br /></span></b><i>dir Stephen Soucy; with James Ivory, Ismail Merchant 24/US ***.<br /></i>Beautifully assembled with extensive interviews and film clips, this engaging documentary takes thorough look at the team behind the eponymous game-changing production company best known for its 1980s period dramas. As this story unfolds, filmmaker Stephen Soucy unearths some eye-opening things about the film industry and society at large. This is both a story about moviemakers who work outside the system, making first-rate projects against the odds, and an involving account of a decades-long love story that has never been told before. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj63w2klvFXYF2updcxX3xEEqPsb2S9DegOgk6yec_kNaUQ6iVLM_TrTOrnEJ_TYUuKCpVpgwTkIhsUYP_bt3JoK8YiliiKf86G5Th8dnXV8k9U-rDlwCcU79Q5iXtV31gA5MhH0KNJJoC_orEKJqQMeZguVdDSfYespDCAcqXi7ckNSafxoX_DbagPk7U" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj63w2klvFXYF2updcxX3xEEqPsb2S9DegOgk6yec_kNaUQ6iVLM_TrTOrnEJ_TYUuKCpVpgwTkIhsUYP_bt3JoK8YiliiKf86G5Th8dnXV8k9U-rDlwCcU79Q5iXtV31gA5MhH0KNJJoC_orEKJqQMeZguVdDSfYespDCAcqXi7ckNSafxoX_DbagPk7U=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">B E S T O F Y E A R<br /></span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Bottoms</span></b><br /></span><i>dir Emma Seligman; with Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott 23//US ***<br /></i>Both broadly silly and thematically pointed, this high school comedy moves at a brisk pace through a plot that's laced with absurdity. But the satire is cleverly grounded in big issues and emotional resonance, which makes even the silliest gags hilarious. Director-cowriter Emma Seligman gleefully pushes the characters and story right to the edge. So even as the transgressive nastiness takes over, the film has plenty of heart... <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/23/bottoms.htm">FULL REVIEW ></a></span></b><p></p><div><div><i>Full reviews will be linked on Shadows's</i> <a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/shfesllg.htm"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">BFI FLARE PAGE ></span></b></a></div><div><i>For festival information</i>, <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/flare">BFI FLARE ></a></b></span></div></div><div><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-38819519527972589812024-03-17T12:13:00.043+00:002024-03-18T12:37:33.296+00:00Dance: Dazzling sights and sounds<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmJX1UX2io0gKAHENV5EzNbPopXl3j1aiEXnWt120ikXmMcyrLEhGYxKraxvVZaxMGEEaBAVgZ6OXtoHcZMRvv0psYpsvrexXPX8mb6CaWwajC7J4CbKI7w3fs0ctUwsrIRRkU6KqQbwk0iwzgmOniPcNv54SVmSNeUISfpDUHYBjoB281Dn7JhF-yNco" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmJX1UX2io0gKAHENV5EzNbPopXl3j1aiEXnWt120ikXmMcyrLEhGYxKraxvVZaxMGEEaBAVgZ6OXtoHcZMRvv0psYpsvrexXPX8mb6CaWwajC7J4CbKI7w3fs0ctUwsrIRRkU6KqQbwk0iwzgmOniPcNv54SVmSNeUISfpDUHYBjoB281Dn7JhF-yNco=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Company Wayne McGregor<br /></span></span></b><i>direction and choreography Wayne McGregor<br />dancers Winnie Asawakanjanakit, Rebecca Bassett-Graham, Naia Bautista, Jordan James Bridge, Chia-Tu Hsu, Hannah Joseph, Jasiah Marshall, Salomé Pressac, Salvatore De Simone, Mariano Zamora Gonzalez<br />dramaturgy Uzma Hameed<br />Sadler's Wells, London • 12-16.Mar.24</i><p></p><p>The almost absurdly talented, groundbreaking Company Wayne McGregor returned to Sadler's Wells in March with two shows...</p><p><b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDFYTp7_Dxhtc2vRK9xart2i-FG4jiWa7j0P9X3_2ulgRX_pa4iCnsPTdWWv5xXH_R5hEVIp32HyjGz1mXasMUfFDo8Yz-45ow0zAWw8yQnK4k_b4vxwVz9wpU-1ryD2kEaq8MXYUF04ne3WpLT1NLyMwvTDcteFn443FaNv7KWrXSV1phNKqokzQQw2M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDFYTp7_Dxhtc2vRK9xart2i-FG4jiWa7j0P9X3_2ulgRX_pa4iCnsPTdWWv5xXH_R5hEVIp32HyjGz1mXasMUfFDo8Yz-45ow0zAWw8yQnK4k_b4vxwVz9wpU-1ryD2kEaq8MXYUF04ne3WpLT1NLyMwvTDcteFn443FaNv7KWrXSV1phNKqokzQQw2M=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: medium;">Wayne McGregor’s Autobiography (v95)<br /></span></b><i>music Jlin • set Ben Cullen Williams<br />lighting Lucy Carter • costumes Aitor Throup </i>★★★★★<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFp7tl1nvzfSYRW4g_4AKn2eqlqrrWui9t5C_QeLz1iFCVcQAJNn770n2jhT8InH4WORotoqANKXJ0RR0GQo6eRJnAPtcq9A5NQbxkPKSU1_94YghopezR474Chi-OLmWlhxHoOa9f1aDFSueumHwwF3yHSyWfO5itXFYf2k4pFYNxWepqNvcIk0cxBv4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFp7tl1nvzfSYRW4g_4AKn2eqlqrrWui9t5C_QeLz1iFCVcQAJNn770n2jhT8InH4WORotoqANKXJ0RR0GQo6eRJnAPtcq9A5NQbxkPKSU1_94YghopezR474Chi-OLmWlhxHoOa9f1aDFSueumHwwF3yHSyWfO5itXFYf2k4pFYNxWepqNvcIk0cxBv4=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>Each performance of this piece is different, as a selection of 23 individual segments are sequenced by an algorithm based on McGregor's own DNA sequence. So the overall show takes on different shapes and moods as the production progresses. The choreography is physically demanding, and the dancers perform this with an astonishing liquidity under a suspended lighting rig. As the show progresses, there's a powerful sense of yearning and breathlessness, which makes the performance forward-looking and literally alive.<p></p><p>Each piece is distinct, made up of solos, duets and group numbers that are eye-catching and powerfully involving. Movement echoes and confronts, responding and breaking out, continually finding new expressions in specific settings and roles. The music is a mix of instruments, sounds and rhythms that vary the mood and propel the action, often with a rumbling bass that vibrates the audience's bones. Meanwhile, changing lights, costumes and smoke add distinctive touches to each piece.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2DsOfEZ7Pvd6xiCFfu6dtLpw3gMmw6a80xUyyMDs5-i4lO75HgarYYDLteWMODCFnI51HJgr_oGdhYZbvpgmSvAZAfr0JTvONnf2ivC6R5kG8s6O4Ux3ISKcZ2zt1Uk3HcY2Iuy9s8YxDl9htMHVbEGzSopGjIVdTaujGXzwqFsvr30CjxZw4KPue6ho" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2DsOfEZ7Pvd6xiCFfu6dtLpw3gMmw6a80xUyyMDs5-i4lO75HgarYYDLteWMODCFnI51HJgr_oGdhYZbvpgmSvAZAfr0JTvONnf2ivC6R5kG8s6O4Ux3ISKcZ2zt1Uk3HcY2Iuy9s8YxDl9htMHVbEGzSopGjIVdTaujGXzwqFsvr30CjxZw4KPue6ho=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>McGregor's choreography has a floaty sensibility that's often dazzling, smoothly combining modern and classical movement. It's so physically expressive, that the pieces seem to bleed into each other. Highlights include the arena-like <i>Instinct</i>, with its almost martial arts sensibility; <i>World</i>, with some stunning back-lighting trickery; and <i>Sleep</i>, as the ceiling frame drops to the floor while the dancers crawl underneath. Along the way, there are moments of romantic swooniness, arch posturing and dreamy sensuality. Some of it is fast and powerfully energetic, other segments are slow and meditative. And because of the way each performance is assembled, you can never see the same show twice.<p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNRP3i_nkEKvBUgLZkOLxD1pyqRWAIE5eFiXp2y3WsBUFLefxKwEwKmyuwwOQm-eCaMstbNpIlMEHRlWL2fo1HXLRhvfSSlMXyRR4aiLcGFL7qcLaQiJYDc5F6Wk9ZoLkQI5muWPwDumqMFetLyrm2zo4AgBLHNbPkirt4GCAFgdUjWpTCAoW7VpMYK4A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1497" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNRP3i_nkEKvBUgLZkOLxD1pyqRWAIE5eFiXp2y3WsBUFLefxKwEwKmyuwwOQm-eCaMstbNpIlMEHRlWL2fo1HXLRhvfSSlMXyRR4aiLcGFL7qcLaQiJYDc5F6Wk9ZoLkQI5muWPwDumqMFetLyrm2zo4AgBLHNbPkirt4GCAFgdUjWpTCAoW7VpMYK4A=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photos by Ravi Deepres • 12.Mar.24</span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDkKitNe6XGXNo8Q82TiB2RuW9CKoD4T3zMWx5Z_TRd7cAb8SMK7zka2Pa6msyOeLcXfhVRao-Xgsb1VwtlBcwALy_d8NGheJAkKgRgXUfVHYGo-dzf4ApR3AQF_6a78aj8vur9pGERRA_o40XsTszxEPcTeVBwwduUDNSBPxZqeWESS2o3Nd12-moOxg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDkKitNe6XGXNo8Q82TiB2RuW9CKoD4T3zMWx5Z_TRd7cAb8SMK7zka2Pa6msyOeLcXfhVRao-Xgsb1VwtlBcwALy_d8NGheJAkKgRgXUfVHYGo-dzf4ApR3AQF_6a78aj8vur9pGERRA_o40XsTszxEPcTeVBwwduUDNSBPxZqeWESS2o3Nd12-moOxg=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>UniVerse: A Dark Crystal Odyssey</span></b></div><i>music Joel Cadbury • film design Ravi Deepres<br />lighting Lucy Carter • costumes Philip Delamore, Alex Box<br />spoken word artist Isaiah Hull </i>★★★★<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghXER6Kb49iI2_BT5rp4RMeW_zRZkDAAQe9R_WurQhbjfTawV_zRBV4Aj2481DmAwMhI1V0Qz7ereocjWrNpgy2bK7Kuh37IgeHkerL6Na6N3B_BFGSn4vr6yvRViHxJGATBFQtSFdEad_tIjEF48BXm7McA2VDn8QZsz3LAl8Ux9QXVl93n-ly4QfzkE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghXER6Kb49iI2_BT5rp4RMeW_zRZkDAAQe9R_WurQhbjfTawV_zRBV4Aj2481DmAwMhI1V0Qz7ereocjWrNpgy2bK7Kuh37IgeHkerL6Na6N3B_BFGSn4vr6yvRViHxJGATBFQtSFdEad_tIjEF48BXm7McA2VDn8QZsz3LAl8Ux9QXVl93n-ly4QfzkE=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>Based on the 1982 Jim Henson film, this fantastical tale unfolds with fairy tale imagery and technical wizardry. It's an immersive, haunting saga, with big ideas about good and evil and a strong sense of ecology. While following the plot itself is virtually impossible, this is a show that washes over us with often spectacular stagecraft, a skilful combination of movement, music, costumes and projections. It's a gorgeous shifting tale that becomes mesmerising and hypnotic as it shimmers and prowls through sometimes jarring tonal shifts.<p></p><p>The show opens with an extended film clip, a fish-eyed exploration of a cluttered library that hints at the folklore and legends that will swirl throughout what follows. When dancers take the stage, they are joined by a gigantic 3D projected teleporting fish that looks very cool indeed. This interaction between projections and performance continues. And the costumes add to the atmosphere, often covering the performers' faces, evoking images of iconic figures or altering their physicality. The choreography is athletic and often acrobatic, creating lovely shapes and emotional intent.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-jzPB8l_pRS5G20kKXx0tjplOGGQoNzpxvLTgjL6T2W6QBWAwiQTEC3C3FUurxYGSvk8FlOmPg-Wnnl1Wj9ZXKO_oCupokTSRvdJDQJKLNtsuCJkTlQ8cx232bW9twJx6P1r3zrRSkjUOr4jKk5Kmm61hPckGZEmtqyE2WTeBPBFRBLYGk-1qi4-hu4g" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-jzPB8l_pRS5G20kKXx0tjplOGGQoNzpxvLTgjL6T2W6QBWAwiQTEC3C3FUurxYGSvk8FlOmPg-Wnnl1Wj9ZXKO_oCupokTSRvdJDQJKLNtsuCJkTlQ8cx232bW9twJx6P1r3zrRSkjUOr4jKk5Kmm61hPckGZEmtqyE2WTeBPBFRBLYGk-1qi4-hu4g=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>The soundtrack features an elaborate musical mix, plus spoken word pieces exploring climate change themes. All of this combines in a way that's seriously impressive, especially the visual audacity in the lighting, colour and iconography. And these gifted performers throw themselves into each scenario with expressive abandon. So even if it begins to feel a bit random and impenetrable, there's so much beauty in both their solo turns and their interaction with each other that we can't look away.<p></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3TW2FcqpZBCs_HvgRQ-y-YTw10a0maGeZ4kAF4mIkQVVXDAOv2HOEZUSazxyE__i5tPV741PjTJde70KQyi94xfS89VyVGqW2YYynwU-HC-ivA_uqRC0rgBfSRWEJhEzsPn67zLJc2i-xMp0JUmN2pWLiJNGqlAaK0JYOB41X1-4gQPcvt7JxF5AlNzE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3TW2FcqpZBCs_HvgRQ-y-YTw10a0maGeZ4kAF4mIkQVVXDAOv2HOEZUSazxyE__i5tPV741PjTJde70KQyi94xfS89VyVGqW2YYynwU-HC-ivA_uqRC0rgBfSRWEJhEzsPn67zLJc2i-xMp0JUmN2pWLiJNGqlAaK0JYOB41X1-4gQPcvt7JxF5AlNzE=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></i></div><i>For information,</i> <a href="http://www.sadlerswells.com"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>SADLER'S WELLS ></b></span></a><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photos by Andrej Uspenski • 15.Mar.24</span></p>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-45791721719298154932024-03-16T17:58:00.002+00:002024-03-18T18:12:07.129+00:00BFI Flare: Dance the night away<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4jwdHEr1ncWbf8bq-Z6yepPhWAFDv-YM2wXXg1d8ghI9pWSfAWIcz6lqmUOcT-PygdL6Ei4jdFV2HLmZYgGKGvIU8nih4cDbMtO0UffnaoGNV9BbfY9M1pNPYbivcyz4uFJZ-ZKYsZYOwAusYI0MKE6hEVpzMquQlVl5UlTAJTzqau3BPxiMthmluf2M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4jwdHEr1ncWbf8bq-Z6yepPhWAFDv-YM2wXXg1d8ghI9pWSfAWIcz6lqmUOcT-PygdL6Ei4jdFV2HLmZYgGKGvIU8nih4cDbMtO0UffnaoGNV9BbfY9M1pNPYbivcyz4uFJZ-ZKYsZYOwAusYI0MKE6hEVpzMquQlVl5UlTAJTzqau3BPxiMthmluf2M=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>The 38th edition of the British Film Institute's <b>Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival</b> heads into its first weekend with a flurry of special screenings and guest actors and filmmakers. I'll be chatting with quite a few of them over the next couple of days, plus a number of Q&As alongside screenings. There aren't many film festivals left that allow audiences and moviemakers to mix, and this one sometimes feels like it's slipping away, as it begins to feel more corporate each year. But there's still some life and sass left at BFI Southbank, so if you can get there, it's worth the time. And the movies have been notable this year. There's a strong presence from Canada in the highlights here..<p></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"><b>Crossing<br /></b></span><i>dir-scr Levan Akin; with Mzia Arabuli, Lucas Kankava 24/Geo ****<br /></i>After his moving drama <i>And Then We Danced</i>, Swedish-Georgian filmmaker Levan Akin continues to explore society's margins with this involving story set in the persecuted trans subcultures of Georgia and Turkey. Bracingly observant, this humane film tackles big issues with unusual sensitivity, refusing to focus on harsher aspects of life for people simply trying to exist in a place that rejects them. So the film is engaging, uplifting and important... <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/24/3f.htm#cros">FULL REVIEW ></a></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWpAgN9ohfa19barwte1r45z3NlXAbsWHnYFfYWmwipcxpUXXnSrWtLuajqvuq_ET9kPwAcruv7feEnvR8wZET4EuUyE1HmP5AJEMFXU6_6Onj4eRHx8Yw4gtOCJFyCHSdeko_g3uCenoN7ZT49z6Oq1YR15lMaRetlipu8ixD2MxcJuGMxgyeW-NYj2g" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWpAgN9ohfa19barwte1r45z3NlXAbsWHnYFfYWmwipcxpUXXnSrWtLuajqvuq_ET9kPwAcruv7feEnvR8wZET4EuUyE1HmP5AJEMFXU6_6Onj4eRHx8Yw4gtOCJFyCHSdeko_g3uCenoN7ZT49z6Oq1YR15lMaRetlipu8ixD2MxcJuGMxgyeW-NYj2g=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;">Close to You<br /></span></b><i>dir Dominic Savage; with Elliot Page, Hillary Baack 23/Can ***<br /></i>Shot improv-style, with intensely intimate camerawork, this Canadian drama relies on the strong presence of Elliot Page as a young man confronting his connections with his family and lingering feelings for an old flame. Director Dominic Savage finds moments of honest insight within scenes that are continually heightened by conflict. This allows the actors to play emotional scenes with unusual nuance, but it also leaves the film feeling somewhat meandering and indulgent.<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgea2B4lzFWUgHWf1QmoY9lrVX1AdJiDAV1o4ptRqrtcfsDc85X0uJKEG8ibW300edDqNZr57fu78IGUO-POFp66oRHBJa8qaASMbbJmemEMYV7kZkE7tSESm7IDYiRwBBiVWzfHvcq4j6bMc9hKaikW9AjZtDFGABWWz3i1vCVgD3gqMnTiCqgYBLDjuQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgea2B4lzFWUgHWf1QmoY9lrVX1AdJiDAV1o4ptRqrtcfsDc85X0uJKEG8ibW300edDqNZr57fu78IGUO-POFp66oRHBJa8qaASMbbJmemEMYV7kZkE7tSESm7IDYiRwBBiVWzfHvcq4j6bMc9hKaikW9AjZtDFGABWWz3i1vCVgD3gqMnTiCqgYBLDjuQ=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;">Backspot</span></b><br /><i>dir DW Waterson; with Devery Jacobs, Evan Rachel Wood 23/Can ***<br /></i>Centred around teen cheerleaders, this Canadian drama has plenty of punchy energy in its handheld camerawork, raucous song score and high-energy acrobatics. And the cast is excellent. But the writing and direction leave little space for the audience to get involved, as every thought and feeling is carefully chosen and depicted without nuance. Still, there are moments when we can identify with the characters, and the larger themes are vivid... <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/24/backspot.htm">FULL REVIEW ></a></span></b><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtGTacim4QYxqhH4KhhmQAp6x0HAy6B1F4pW9n2WZnrCXVD2fi9MUHYat3BJ4dsG2z6K17ocnp-2QeFT6rWG5-K7oe79JSmYkwmDElh8QuqodACpOy8LEamFSYFUnZvHw54RMIJ9nh4CmjfwIzPkWVMFBSqrhDiaUvDcqTG0s3kg28E86QWDx2EVcE7os" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtGTacim4QYxqhH4KhhmQAp6x0HAy6B1F4pW9n2WZnrCXVD2fi9MUHYat3BJ4dsG2z6K17ocnp-2QeFT6rWG5-K7oe79JSmYkwmDElh8QuqodACpOy8LEamFSYFUnZvHw54RMIJ9nh4CmjfwIzPkWVMFBSqrhDiaUvDcqTG0s3kg28E86QWDx2EVcE7os=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;">We Forgot to Break Up <br /></span></b><i>dir Karen Knox; with Lane Webber, June Laporte 24/Can **.<br /></i>There's a strong mix of musical and visual sensibilities in this Canadian period drama, which traces the life of a high school band into the big time. Oddly, there's the feeling that this was written to a screenplay formula, rather than capturing firsthand experience of real life, so all of the characters and plot points feel constructed. This makes it tricky to engage with either the people or their story, as it feels cinematic rather than authentic. But the larger themes running through the film make it worth a look.<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiambXOLp-ei799AasRx2V4i2kLkk0KVOJAnoPzE22dz02KxHzWinCLT22h0MPFT9ldjpjd51R1fHPsiXC4W4rCVUecihghpJCywYXUMXiSs91kdjFLlSmStB_HHlYKfBur2yXzH1HkL7TMqltdsobNug9ge3rii_v5u-WYLiw1_N5lEyG6IraH2nQRe1Q" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiambXOLp-ei799AasRx2V4i2kLkk0KVOJAnoPzE22dz02KxHzWinCLT22h0MPFT9ldjpjd51R1fHPsiXC4W4rCVUecihghpJCywYXUMXiSs91kdjFLlSmStB_HHlYKfBur2yXzH1HkL7TMqltdsobNug9ge3rii_v5u-WYLiw1_N5lEyG6IraH2nQRe1Q=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><span><div><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">B E S T O F Y E A R</span></b></div><b style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">All of Us Strangers</b><br /></span><i>dir-scr Andrew Haigh; with Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal 23/UK <span style="color: #cc0000;">*****</span><br /></i>Like <i>Weekend's</i> more challenging big brother, this contained British drama from Andrew Haigh uses incisive storytelling to explore connections in a fractured society. He shoots it in his usual bracingly naturalistic style, this time augmenting the story with a surreal sensibility that draws on the creative process itself. And it's beautifully played by a focussed, invested cast. This is a gently involving, darkly personal film that carries a massive emotional wallop... <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/23/allofuss.htm">FULL REVIEW ></a></span></b><p></p><div><div><i>Full reviews will be linked on Shadows'</i> <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/shfesllg.htm">BFI FLARE PAGE ></a></span></b></div><div><i>For festival information,<b> </b></i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/flare">BFI FLARE ></a></span></b></div></div><div><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-4134214624539827642024-03-14T22:30:00.080+00:002024-03-18T18:13:24.800+00:00BFI Flare: Be yourself tonight<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe7JhEdz4Z-owLfYDKw8q_vxf-ol6avLWrDlYobLHg_z7TiYBbh6BwqYg9ntFdXUVRfIHfpqOO4SoNVfy3qzPF7CwsWxXdKQlFoY8NqslK9fHwjnnLByLNwZ6USeP99nL5n7-zfR38UtUs99poYTv9qU0vZ2VBq-37l9K863SUCv5CVhRRdzMjxU9_HZ8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe7JhEdz4Z-owLfYDKw8q_vxf-ol6avLWrDlYobLHg_z7TiYBbh6BwqYg9ntFdXUVRfIHfpqOO4SoNVfy3qzPF7CwsWxXdKQlFoY8NqslK9fHwjnnLByLNwZ6USeP99nL5n7-zfR38UtUs99poYTv9qU0vZ2VBq-37l9K863SUCv5CVhRRdzMjxU9_HZ8=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>One of my favourite festivals each year, the 38th edition of the British Film Institute's <b>Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival</b> kicked off last night with the European premiere of <i>Layla</i>. Over the next 10 days, BFI Southbank is transformed into a lively space with a range of events, club nights and conversations alongside screenings of some of the most diverse movies on earth. Many of these films are impossible to see anywhere else, so I always look forward to discoveries. And it's also fun to reconnect with the gang of "Flare Friends" who gather annually to celebrate this important aspect of the industry. Here's the first collection of highlights, with my usual Critical Week report down below...<p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Layla</span><br /></span></b><i>dir-scr Amrou Al-Kadhi; with Bilal Hasna, Louis Greatorex 24/UK ****<br /></i>With wonderfully loose authenticity, this breezy British drama hones in on the often contradictory nature of being human. Writer-director Amrou Al-Kadhi refreshingly resists creating characters who are easy to pigeon-hole, and the situations don't resolve themselves in the tidy ways we have grown to expect on-screen. Instead, the film has some strong things to say about how our self-image is a key factor in our work and relationships. And even more importantly, it's a relentlessly charming movie.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-vcKXHQWDg4zRnB47M_rbAeTzGNB25DBMgpF7wXcL1ySPgZVTUe8mEsHkzxYDy2SzUa0H44hoGOGBFdewZ5ukzewScWnlALCVVv8H18qXk2q7p_fUpjOTJk_PZaK59-XkLQ6b3ucrD001jnlpt96lJaMO-aQgbpciB4qUQxv8CZLUdelF7sflXo4oBAg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-vcKXHQWDg4zRnB47M_rbAeTzGNB25DBMgpF7wXcL1ySPgZVTUe8mEsHkzxYDy2SzUa0H44hoGOGBFdewZ5ukzewScWnlALCVVv8H18qXk2q7p_fUpjOTJk_PZaK59-XkLQ6b3ucrD001jnlpt96lJaMO-aQgbpciB4qUQxv8CZLUdelF7sflXo4oBAg=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">The Summer With Carmen<br /></span></b><i>dir Zacharias Mavroeidis; with Yorgos Tsiantoulas, Andreas Labropoulos 23/Gr ****<br /></i>An astutely written and directed meta comedy about the nature of filmmaking, this Greek film playfully pokes fun at both itself and low-budget queer movies. Multiple layers of narrative feed together inventively to explore family relationships, friendships, romance, lust and even pet ownership for a group of 30-something guys. And as it knowingly grapples with issues of loyalty and masculinity, the film is warm, funny and very sexy... <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/24/3f.htm#summ">FULL REVIEW ></a></span></b><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCMiOeeQYpkaEi3P70hq6adyPBeap-5FKuQbu3Q61HKOFGoiB4RVovOIt5F59zIhVWsnOL4m5eq2IZCxzDylhxF49W6HA8Sv9B_rgOdr44FY53kXDw-l9mHOig9nYCzAQr-rgVQ2aHy_v5cI_jGTOjPuU098eC8faaxwj3K5j09cDldsIEfJTSL-LxlxU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCMiOeeQYpkaEi3P70hq6adyPBeap-5FKuQbu3Q61HKOFGoiB4RVovOIt5F59zIhVWsnOL4m5eq2IZCxzDylhxF49W6HA8Sv9B_rgOdr44FY53kXDw-l9mHOig9nYCzAQr-rgVQ2aHy_v5cI_jGTOjPuU098eC8faaxwj3K5j09cDldsIEfJTSL-LxlxU=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">Silver Haze<br /></span></b><i>dir-scr Sacha Polak; with Vicky Knight, Esme Creed-Miles 23/UK **.<br /></i>Beautifully shot like an artful fly-on-the-wall doc and played with remarkable authenticity by a fresh cast, this film is watchable as an observant slice of life. Writer-director Sacha Polak captures the rhythms of British working class situations with plenty of energy, although the plot is so slim that this could have been an effective 20-minute short. There's also a problem with the naturalistic dialog, which is difficult to hear... <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/24/2i.htm#silv">FULL REVIEW ></a></span></b><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyY5ZnHkIwXkAW1p24K3ocmB8ntGndyCG_BKindmKTeZ_v17Wx98abmDofwXJs3zEMbzJqZ-2bvYQGGSTtBcpeQTulxVdHBl4ZtxEDWzA0wCeY6JWwaF2UAIrpHDIsyitu3YTk5WjZr8U4nQqpkGXIDu42XBgDmUa8J7HE5VtWybhtISJL10rGGRrtOvE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyY5ZnHkIwXkAW1p24K3ocmB8ntGndyCG_BKindmKTeZ_v17Wx98abmDofwXJs3zEMbzJqZ-2bvYQGGSTtBcpeQTulxVdHBl4ZtxEDWzA0wCeY6JWwaF2UAIrpHDIsyitu3YTk5WjZr8U4nQqpkGXIDu42XBgDmUa8J7HE5VtWybhtISJL10rGGRrtOvE=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">Calls From Moscow<br /></span></b><i>dir Luis Alejandro Yero; with Dariel Diaz, Daryl Acuna 23/Cub ****<br /></i>Shot fly-on-the-wall style, this sharply well-made film follows the lives of four young Cuban men who are living in limbo in wintry Moscow. They have travelled there with hopes of bettering life for themselves and their families back home by hopefully moving into the European Union. But they're stuck here without documents, and being queer in Russia isn't easy. Filmmaker Luis Alejandro Yero takes an unusually artful approach, revealing inner feelings through overheard conversations, music and silence.<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWVxzwXZbKCvIM-MwSuLbiyF2d5agEdcRRjJQ1PaTEMGYLuIADZPixWSWeYMG7fKlmdcNvBXQUaiJ2tu90pHrrc0HfRMH8QpsPbbOcIoSu_ZMuY1ZP8OrYGWPfg5ax9AqcbxewyJc6pkXz2jJ_7Jn_9LomNBP1JvjZ_JeA879FtUn2T3_T0KnNCKT2i88" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWVxzwXZbKCvIM-MwSuLbiyF2d5agEdcRRjJQ1PaTEMGYLuIADZPixWSWeYMG7fKlmdcNvBXQUaiJ2tu90pHrrc0HfRMH8QpsPbbOcIoSu_ZMuY1ZP8OrYGWPfg5ax9AqcbxewyJc6pkXz2jJ_7Jn_9LomNBP1JvjZ_JeA879FtUn2T3_T0KnNCKT2i88=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">Chasing Chasing Amy<br /></span></b><i>dir Sav Rodgers; with Sav Rodgers, Kevin Smith 23/US ***.<br /></i>Kevin Smith's 1997 comedy <i>Chasing Amy</i> stars Ben Affleck as a comic writer who falls in love with a lesbian played by Joey Lauren Adams. It's been considered problematic for its gender politics, but filmmaker Sav Rodgers found it inspiring because of its honest depiction of openly queer people. So he made this documentary both to say thank you and to understand why the movie generated so much controversy... <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/23/kd.htm#chas">FULL REVIEW ></a></span></b><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div><i>Full reviews will be linked on Shadows' </i><span style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/shfesllg.htm">BFI FLARE PAGE ></a></span></div><div><i>For festival information, </i><span style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/flare">BFI FLARE ></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~<br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">C R I T I C A L W E E K</span></b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_1uLxHBSq6iUnrYydKhbe5dSfrAHy-olKtnwAhCYSVEJ2C-CN_QiCEmNkT0a5z0ACbHA2sydrWUfdbmVZKIvnjOhIgEtIyLBPZ2wCh612ts9RwJQhnvID6Y5UI_05v2X_8JwfivCo1UiB1vBz2IwqPxSAu9cp9IKSIn_tisGdWpiHEwIiN0He5tNEdK0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_1uLxHBSq6iUnrYydKhbe5dSfrAHy-olKtnwAhCYSVEJ2C-CN_QiCEmNkT0a5z0ACbHA2sydrWUfdbmVZKIvnjOhIgEtIyLBPZ2wCh612ts9RwJQhnvID6Y5UI_05v2X_8JwfivCo1UiB1vBz2IwqPxSAu9cp9IKSIn_tisGdWpiHEwIiN0He5tNEdK0=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>Outside the festival, I also watched Sydney Sweeney as a nun in the delightfully gruesome and camp horror thriller <b>Immaculate</b>; Bill Skarsgard in the mayhem-packed hyperviolent action comedy <b>Boy Kills World</b>; Cate Blanchett as a nun in the gorgeous, powerfully involving Aussie drama <b>The New Boy</b>; Caleb Landry Jones in Luc Besson's enjoyably bonkers but somewhat empty thriller <b>Dogman</b>; Emile Hirsch in the rather messy a psychological thriller <b>State of Consciousness</b>; and the complex, delightful queer romance <b>Glitter & Doom</b>. Live on-stage, there was the gifted <b><a href="https://shadowsontheweb.blogspot.com/2024/03/dance-pushing-forward.html">New York City Ballet</a></b> at Sadler's Wells, pointed drama <b><a href="https://shadowsontheweb.blogspot.com/2024/03/stage-what-really-happened.html">Blue</a></b> at Seven Dials Playhouse, and Company Wayne McGregor's fascinating <b>Autobiography</b> at Sadler's Wells.<p></p><p>Coming up this week are the blockbuster sequel <i>Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire</i>, Australian drama <i>Limbo</i>, Irish drama <i>Baltimore. </i>On stage at Sadler's Wells, there's <i>UniVerse</i>, a second Wayne McGregor show, as well as the medieval re-enactment performance <i>Assembly Hall</i>.</p></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-23062715479218292002024-03-10T12:49:00.000+00:002024-03-10T12:49:08.366+00:00Stage: What really happened?<p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-kZAnUWqFSnEEcPEOx5DNA-oy9jXxKCP5L5Sxi4vrLdRuzyICp6eZJCh1JM75Ye9GTEwdFkuYGuLZ0Yvo3SXernVCSqmDB33nukLOFni4viHbOid7P7NMsYNbTa4qZ9tog4djYLRXsHvKY_HJ-tv-YnL_cDzt4Zt1QlXMX9cL_JWsCiU63f9K1KJBRU4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-kZAnUWqFSnEEcPEOx5DNA-oy9jXxKCP5L5Sxi4vrLdRuzyICp6eZJCh1JM75Ye9GTEwdFkuYGuLZ0Yvo3SXernVCSqmDB33nukLOFni4viHbOid7P7NMsYNbTa4qZ9tog4djYLRXsHvKY_HJ-tv-YnL_cDzt4Zt1QlXMX9cL_JWsCiU63f9K1KJBRU4=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div></div><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">Blue</span></b><br /><i>by June Carryl<br />director Michael Matthews<br />with June Carryl, John Colella<br />set Carla Goodman • sound Charles Moscatiello<br />Seven Dials Playhouse, London • 5-30.Mar.24</i> ★★★<p></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKsLHVw7BBs71CmAJjFJ1eAHpSIMyVs9HUgneTojTLBU2RDV0CYGbStdq1oBbIrEpwX1fN7jA_q_mc0TY8k2HgYl4LL5teIZCxzWI9gTw_Ur4_TRyuq5C2LiY7MnAsokHVoHMF0H-HXghrmF-uvGdzlSIzWHaxHaRgINWUILB3Y9WWpsFNgwgwweq0dCc" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKsLHVw7BBs71CmAJjFJ1eAHpSIMyVs9HUgneTojTLBU2RDV0CYGbStdq1oBbIrEpwX1fN7jA_q_mc0TY8k2HgYl4LL5teIZCxzWI9gTw_Ur4_TRyuq5C2LiY7MnAsokHVoHMF0H-HXghrmF-uvGdzlSIzWHaxHaRgINWUILB3Y9WWpsFNgwgwweq0dCc=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>Set in 2021 Los Angeles, this pointed two-hander draws a direct line between the incendiary police violence that sparked the Black Lives Matter protests and the January 6th insurrection. It's a bold, intense drama that continually punches its enormous themes about racism and social change. And while there's a razor sharp observation at the centre of the story, it feels perhaps a bit too polarised, never challenging the audience to consider things from a new perspective. This makes it riveting and involving, but never as provocative as it should be.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a police interrogation room, two long-time friends and colleagues meet under new circumstances. Captain Parker (Carryl) is questioning veteran Sergeant Sully (Colella) about his role in a shooting that left a young man dead after what looked like a routine traffic stop. Over the course of a very tense hour, more details emerge about the situation, and Parker also confronts Sully about evidence that he participated in the attempt to subvert democracy during the Washington DC riot.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2We3nfEh2vfgkphZLCYfU-rseNwwPsyGpqxb1mkK3rUsBnx7zPV1SWSrAjtW77QKz_sA2Nm3k12T8D4Vlrmmsr0jE-3pUqTvr8uRJGOAT2NnMuCYg0wOI4OrHYvgRPTjPXdf3AaSGrn_v8CyMf0BozUMl-J_JhFL9KIDtP0uNvkC4880ypIWg7SEDAxw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2We3nfEh2vfgkphZLCYfU-rseNwwPsyGpqxb1mkK3rUsBnx7zPV1SWSrAjtW77QKz_sA2Nm3k12T8D4Vlrmmsr0jE-3pUqTvr8uRJGOAT2NnMuCYg0wOI4OrHYvgRPTjPXdf3AaSGrn_v8CyMf0BozUMl-J_JhFL9KIDtP0uNvkC4880ypIWg7SEDAxw=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>Of course, Sully's deep-seated racism and resentment emerge early on, echoed in throwaway lines and attitudes about how he sees society slipping away from what he thinks it should be. He denies it every time, but seeing him say these things directly to a Black woman he counts as a friend is darkly unnerving, and the ripples of emotion both actors convey are powerfully moving. These are seriously immersive roles that both actors play with full-on investment. Carryl is particularly involving as Parker tries to remain calm and professional in such a heated situation, but occasionally loses her cool. And Colella remarkably never flinches as the outspoken, angry and fear-fuelled Sully. Each actor adds extra interest by playing up the fact that these two people know each other very well, which allows the heightened emotion to be balanced with moments of earthy humour.</div><div><br /></div><div>These realistic touches help create several heart-stopping exchanges over the course of this hour-long interrogation, as witty, natural interaction turns awkward and then heated. This is staged brilliantly, with the audience sitting right in the room, surrounding the table like eavesdropping ghosts. It's fascinating to watch their familiarity strain under the pressure, as a continual string of very clever lines hit the audience with full force. So watching these old friends circle around in an attempt to trap the other is powerfully involving, even if this is written in such a way that it's never a remotely fair fight.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWDo92A8TjoGtepZWo7LS-87x_KTqSbudzfUn2fKbcbiLETPXtp4obyuXXSpRttoWaUYFLU0uuy65GNYa2CKEQhCpP5BsT_prOmkq__9MA3LedK1oy8mCgGCS9b-mEg1ug7Jc4QxFfdltsm1YyDD_BmYdCAs4N2SgeeupLYQq_81_6AV5bHj6SgMXh0c4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWDo92A8TjoGtepZWo7LS-87x_KTqSbudzfUn2fKbcbiLETPXtp4obyuXXSpRttoWaUYFLU0uuy65GNYa2CKEQhCpP5BsT_prOmkq__9MA3LedK1oy8mCgGCS9b-mEg1ug7Jc4QxFfdltsm1YyDD_BmYdCAs4N2SgeeupLYQq_81_6AV5bHj6SgMXh0c4=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><i>For details:</i> <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk">SEVEN DIALS PLAYHOUSE ></a></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photos by Laurie Sparham & David Adly Garcia • 8.Mar.24</span></div></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-64823811504666732132024-03-09T13:29:00.070+00:002024-03-14T23:39:02.109+00:00Out on a Limb: Oscar picks & Predictions<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQJmqEnVMzYA9xI-h942ON2tzaBueclR5GVZxWKpRE25eCEumnItJM4eH6IidBr0SdMo1fk69j_TJTf1IW5J3QkCqRIgQP7yO1Ebro8lHcGgLS52EWH4Gg5Cddt7FUjcFc0d9rJkZYjYN3M_dPnBWhg6J2nGCet1aBsfElQ-BYoDZ58bf7y0TWrMQQHFE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQJmqEnVMzYA9xI-h942ON2tzaBueclR5GVZxWKpRE25eCEumnItJM4eH6IidBr0SdMo1fk69j_TJTf1IW5J3QkCqRIgQP7yO1Ebro8lHcGgLS52EWH4Gg5Cddt7FUjcFc0d9rJkZYjYN3M_dPnBWhg6J2nGCet1aBsfElQ-BYoDZ58bf7y0TWrMQQHFE=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">As usual, I am more about my picks than my predictions, as I always want someone unexpected to win. This year's winners seem to be predestined, as the same people have walked off with trophies at ceremony after ceremony. So let's hope Oscar voters go against the grain just a little bit. Here's my annual list of who I think will win, and also who I think deserves to get the prize...</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">PICTURE</span></b> </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Will win: Oppenheimer - </span>Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: Past Lives - </span>David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dark horse: Anatomy of a Fall - </span>Marie-Ange Luciani, David Thion<br />Darker horse: The Holdovers - Mark Johnson</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">INTERNATIONAL FILM <br /></span></b>Will / should win: The Zone of Interest - </span>James Wilson <br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dark horse: Perfect Days - </span>Koji Yanai, Wim Wenders, Takuma Takasaki</p><p><span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">ANIMATED FEATURE FILM <br /></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Will win: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - </span>Kemp Powers, Justin K Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: The Boy and the Heron - </span>Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki</p><p><span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><b>DOCUMENTARY FEATURE <br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Will win: 20 Days in Mariupol - </span>Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: The Eternal Memory - </span></span>Maite Alberdi, Juan de Dios Larrain, Pablo Larrain</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">DIRECTING <br /></span></b>Will win: Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: Jonathan Glazer - The Zone of Interest</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY <br /></span></b>Will win: Anatomy of a Fall - Justine Triet & Arthur Harari<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: Past Lives - Celine Song<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dark horse: The Holdovers - David Hemingson</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">ADAPTED SCREENPLAY <br /></span></b>Will win: American Fiction - Cord Jefferson <br />Should win: Barbie - Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach <br />Serious contender: Oppenheimer - Christopher Nolan</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE <br /></span></b>Will win: Lily Gladstone - Killers of the Flower Moon<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall <br />Serious contender: Emma Stone - Poor Things</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE <br /></span></b>Will / should win: Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer <br />Dark horse: Jeffrey Wright - American Fiction</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE <br /></span></b>Will / should win: Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE <br /></span></b>Will win: Robert Downey Jr - Oppenheimer<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: Ryan Gosling - Barbie <br />Dark horse: Mark Ruffalo - Poor Things</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">ORIGINAL SCORE <br /></span></b>Will win: Oppenheimer - Ludwig Goransson<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: Poor Things - Jerskin Fendrix</span></p><p><b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ORIGINAL SONG </span><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Will win: What Was I Made For? - Barbie - </span>Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: I'm Just Ken - Barbie - </span>Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">CINEMATOGRAPHY</span></b> <br />Will / should win: Oppenheimer - Hoyte van Hoytema</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">FILM EDITING <br /></span></b>Will win: Oppenheimer - Jennifer Lame<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: Anatomy of a Fall - Laurent Senechal</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">PRODUCTION DESIGN <br /></span></b>Will / should win: Barbie - Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer <br />Dark horse: Poor Things - James Price, Shona Heath, Zsuzsa Mihalek</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">COSTUME DESIGN <br /></span></b>Will win: Poor Things - Holly Waddington<br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Should win: Barbie - Jacqueline Durran</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">VISUAL EFFECTS <br /></span></b>Will / should win: The Creator - </span>Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, Neil Corbould<br />Dark horse: Godzilla Minus One - Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, Tatsuji Nojima</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING <br /></span></b>Will / should win: Poor Things - </span>Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">SOUND</span></b> </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Will / should win: The Zone of Interest - </span>Tarn Willers, Johnnie Burn<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dark horse: Oppenheimer - </span>Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A Rizzo, Kevin O'Connell</p>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-21836068889515145752024-03-08T17:02:00.010+00:002024-03-09T17:05:50.493+00:00Dance: Pushing forward<p><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyGdJSfDl3TSLMSVsOjZjb40Vyn4BNp6jGqD2JpEQEyCuNfFjvKPc0PwsRiugQnQZmhNgp3bjMcJoRNX4U7WcwLWgnvkBy_v__xXK-n6X5Z2p7kIfdbQB_8gfrDAVwJR7eOb49zpG-65IqIAdthUFEyUTBeAXM4sX5IxyqcTwjH1Vi9AtpflyKwUt6a4g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyGdJSfDl3TSLMSVsOjZjb40Vyn4BNp6jGqD2JpEQEyCuNfFjvKPc0PwsRiugQnQZmhNgp3bjMcJoRNX4U7WcwLWgnvkBy_v__xXK-n6X5Z2p7kIfdbQB_8gfrDAVwJR7eOb49zpG-65IqIAdthUFEyUTBeAXM4sX5IxyqcTwjH1Vi9AtpflyKwUt6a4g=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: large;"><b>New York City Ballet: Mixed Bill<br /></b></span><i>Sadler's Wells, London • 7-10.Mar.24 </i>★★★★<p></p><p>Displaying skills at the very peak of the artform, the New York City Ballet continues to blend a reverence of classical forms with modern touches. So this mixed bill is packed with moments that feel surprising and even thrilling as they subvert expectations. This is a spirit-lifting programme featuring four distinct pieces...</p><p><b><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: medium;">Rotunda</span></b><br /><i>choreography Justin Peck<br />music Nico Muhly<br />dancers Megan Fairchild, Miriam Miller, Jacqueline Bologna, Sara Adams, Indiana Woodward, Unity Phelan, Daniel Ulbricht, Victor Abreu, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Sebastián Villarini-Vélez, Jules Mabie, Gilbert Bolden III <br />conductor Andrews Sill</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj96DUt_VB5WQzqjenLC6cbNAA7lDDcO_Mj33YoeVGAeWhXv-0knUy7654cxFAYL6mo9-AcZlGG16ejT_yJNzhvtp6JzBa2N0TJ0Zn1nMvHStpP4HICl3rAonv_QOJN9urnuOb3whBDhqb5fMDppMhvXIihcO3Nv3kzmXHlvWaiSPNlOvhgb1NvgTvrB1c" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj96DUt_VB5WQzqjenLC6cbNAA7lDDcO_Mj33YoeVGAeWhXv-0knUy7654cxFAYL6mo9-AcZlGG16ejT_yJNzhvtp6JzBa2N0TJ0Zn1nMvHStpP4HICl3rAonv_QOJN9urnuOb3whBDhqb5fMDppMhvXIihcO3Nv3kzmXHlvWaiSPNlOvhgb1NvgTvrB1c=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>First up is Justin Peck's jaunty gathering of 12 dancers wearing colourful practice garb, floating in shapes together and separately, echoing each other and then shooting off individually as if they are in a rehearsal jam session. It's expressive and fluid, with an almost weightless, bouncy sensibility that reveals the dancers' lyrical athleticism. Further impressive sequences include duets, solos and more group numbers, all held together with the buzzy choreography and bright music, performed live by an orchestra. Most powerful is the connection we feel between the dancers as they spin around each other, revealing a camaraderie that adds to the impact of the piece.<p></p><p><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: medium;"><b>Duo Concertant<br /></b></span><i>choreography George Balanchine<br />music Igor Stravinsky<br />dancers Megan Fairchild, Anthony Huxley<br />piano Elaine Chelton • violin Kurt Nikkanen</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8d6z34xRsIftWqbwtxRZTt3qw2Bri4J3_diLdYgf6zMeqCIER-MjuH37UyYAzvx66t6umTkz52zpIxYI5zqLSc3a83jU7EUOIH4xwU6LcbJ6ImYkf7BAD-ooCWBFxJ9bJhdtxKSSvzyc30vmHNRkYgedzfM4NOLaT4fnLGcbc9dCsWhjeewOkAu0HaNM" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8d6z34xRsIftWqbwtxRZTt3qw2Bri4J3_diLdYgf6zMeqCIER-MjuH37UyYAzvx66t6umTkz52zpIxYI5zqLSc3a83jU7EUOIH4xwU6LcbJ6ImYkf7BAD-ooCWBFxJ9bJhdtxKSSvzyc30vmHNRkYgedzfM4NOLaT4fnLGcbc9dCsWhjeewOkAu0HaNM=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>There's an instant cheeky sense of interaction between two musicians and two dancers on-stage, as Stravinsky's music starts things off before the physical movement begins. Balanchine's choreography still feels fresh and inventive, revealing beautiful lines, big emotions and engagingly expansive expressions. As these two gifted dancers spiral around the stage, they continually offer humane touches that bare their souls, with added moments of wit, emotion and dazzling footwork. Throughout the piece, they return to the piano and violin to get lost in the music, regroup and set off again. It culminates with a lovely black stage illuminated with action in tiny spotlights.<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: medium;">Gustave Le Gray No 1<br /></span></b><i>choreography Pam Tanowitz<br />music Caroline Shaw<br />dancers Naomi Corti, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Ruby Lister, Mira Nadon<br />piano Stephen Gosling</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimeK48CzHryBHxBgLNMUPzkGZij4eVl3UBW2iMrfyKdoG04drPbdhY-gu9FIbkWwzHCHd83T5cbl5TQTscHA1xcV_GNKvIZL5P5bhjn8iY9_4mB32_dL-qLButIPcTaRuoA7tIEHk1aRHJEsUZK9I3vpOInhia8UNlaUoe3okVvU7CKO2zo0lWqbZ-j-Y" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimeK48CzHryBHxBgLNMUPzkGZij4eVl3UBW2iMrfyKdoG04drPbdhY-gu9FIbkWwzHCHd83T5cbl5TQTscHA1xcV_GNKvIZL5P5bhjn8iY9_4mB32_dL-qLButIPcTaRuoA7tIEHk1aRHJEsUZK9I3vpOInhia8UNlaUoe3okVvU7CKO2zo0lWqbZ-j-Y=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>The piano remains on-stage, as four performers appear dressed in red, with floaty drapes over full-body suits. Once again, there is interaction between the musician and the dancers, but this has a more technical feel to it, choreographed to focus on movement and shapes rather than deeper emotions. It's beautiful, with fascinating touches and some wonderfully cool moments. It's also rather self-conscious in the way it plays out, revealing impressive skill without deeper emotionality. The highlight is a wonderfully absurd sequence in which the dancers push the piano across the stage, and the pianist doesn't miss a note. <p></p><p><b><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: medium;">Love Letter (on shuffle)<br /></span></b><i>choreography Kyle Abraham<br />music James Blake<br />dancers Olivia Boisson, Jacqueline Bologna, Naomi Corti, Christopher Grant, Emily Kikta, Ruby Lister, Malorie Lundgren, Jules Mabie, Alexa Maxwell, Roman Mejia, Mckenzie Bernardino Soares, Taylor Stanley, Quinn Starner, Kennedy Targosz, Peter Walker</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCpSFytSJdXw7lfFvkRGMqEwKQ44YJZr2k1ClCA-fK5JL2imwZLbjGNqjytgl0Aacz5S2-tRyKy376kCtxKITiaTOLBrTDyoPQxGA2kb-5WuDJ7oH0jy6UGUefIT4CLwaRZxGex5VE06w7C4v_6YXREJkqoveXOgE7f99QHJIyrSoBg0dbKnAYgGPDiZU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCpSFytSJdXw7lfFvkRGMqEwKQ44YJZr2k1ClCA-fK5JL2imwZLbjGNqjytgl0Aacz5S2-tRyKy376kCtxKITiaTOLBrTDyoPQxGA2kb-5WuDJ7oH0jy6UGUefIT4CLwaRZxGex5VE06w7C4v_6YXREJkqoveXOgE7f99QHJIyrSoBg0dbKnAYgGPDiZU=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>Ending on a high, this final piece is a wonderfully engaging mix of classical ballet moves with modern dance and hip-hop. The performances and choreography are often exhilarating, accompanied by soulful music that continually reveals new textures. This is a visceral piece that unfolds in a series of terrific variations in pace, creating an expressive, intriguing dreamlike atmosphere that's infused with life and humour. The movement is luxuriant, performed with serious strength while the 15 dancers allow their personalities to emerge in their interaction. With clever costumes that feature theatrical flourishes, and colourful lighting that adds textures to the floor, this is a lovely collection of impressive solos, romantic duets and buoyant group moments, coming full circle with Joy Division's <i>Atmosphere</i>.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIMvJpDSRmlqXxDpjxmcTzlkHpOBeRYG13_QcT3FT1gUIK2HsISQFvRrGP-syUMOMkiGcOYq5eSDRMN1TlHLINEv_ESrH0JdZeOMWxMP5HclzBevrB8Wnu8wAt0RCvqTio-HBwm0GT7YeGLSKYNWoeglXcnClqGkM06-9io1ThHRiskngRXWno0Pld-IU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIMvJpDSRmlqXxDpjxmcTzlkHpOBeRYG13_QcT3FT1gUIK2HsISQFvRrGP-syUMOMkiGcOYq5eSDRMN1TlHLINEv_ESrH0JdZeOMWxMP5HclzBevrB8Wnu8wAt0RCvqTio-HBwm0GT7YeGLSKYNWoeglXcnClqGkM06-9io1ThHRiskngRXWno0Pld-IU=w400-h266" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKlklB-3CgcpBzFUBQMm3pdZYO3UBMUq66eUVi9bW5AHWXHt6bszqnJqgHfjZZh08fEUWkwfT8lDgl0H8ae-7wZ1kbMkAQ7IlcEwsd42mMYuJhP_tKmv6JEEiy_ksyaRQ_nkKLeo2ZUoNRTxo3GH8G_Ox2C6CsVS9B585NUBY-g-dgSIlSkuS1ovBYv5M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKlklB-3CgcpBzFUBQMm3pdZYO3UBMUq66eUVi9bW5AHWXHt6bszqnJqgHfjZZh08fEUWkwfT8lDgl0H8ae-7wZ1kbMkAQ7IlcEwsd42mMYuJhP_tKmv6JEEiy_ksyaRQ_nkKLeo2ZUoNRTxo3GH8G_Ox2C6CsVS9B585NUBY-g-dgSIlSkuS1ovBYv5M=w400-h266" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgusOR0w4WbUBxzxgX_CtzrFIykRBujmlZtTEWaQjm_w9HyU9kd814SFvfeOlJ-IupAWpQqkKfgscixGPwjJ4w2JuRHCeeDHQwY-7STjzdlLFgi0RLKncvvqOlD-GawQVNovNYqtzWVJ-ioCPfdpHT1acalhaV-zK2NrtiLz1pYBFAHEV4s-K44u4EvRoE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgusOR0w4WbUBxzxgX_CtzrFIykRBujmlZtTEWaQjm_w9HyU9kd814SFvfeOlJ-IupAWpQqkKfgscixGPwjJ4w2JuRHCeeDHQwY-7STjzdlLFgi0RLKncvvqOlD-GawQVNovNYqtzWVJ-ioCPfdpHT1acalhaV-zK2NrtiLz1pYBFAHEV4s-K44u4EvRoE=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><i>For information:</i> <a href="http://sadlerswells.com"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">SADLER'S WELLS ></span></b></a></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photos by Erin Baiano & Paul Kolnik • 7.Mar.24</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><br /></p>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-27989267586271076032024-03-07T19:28:00.117+00:002024-03-08T10:06:26.299+00:00Critical Week: I have a bad feeling about this <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZC380yP_K4jeTdnRSRQVSr1rR7u0fZU9GpRPSiOUvEXvTZLlCaB7DD1FNpeMFk0XzKYUiU-9Vo_gnDeagCNtfqR_lQvoscxqmAeVySpQuTJ0bB4LBHV9f8m6pjKboeLI60YkvElh_C9QgHRnfLx7sNAY80bqB5_HQkjy7zA1iWeSuuPlLGuhXAuR7AOc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZC380yP_K4jeTdnRSRQVSr1rR7u0fZU9GpRPSiOUvEXvTZLlCaB7DD1FNpeMFk0XzKYUiU-9Vo_gnDeagCNtfqR_lQvoscxqmAeVySpQuTJ0bB4LBHV9f8m6pjKboeLI60YkvElh_C9QgHRnfLx7sNAY80bqB5_HQkjy7zA1iWeSuuPlLGuhXAuR7AOc=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>I arrived back in London on Tuesday, and any thoughts of starting back to work slowly quickly evaporated as I have worked to catch up on things. Not only is there a backlog of movies to watch and write about, but one of London's biggest film festivals starts next week. And it's the Oscars on Sunday night, the climax to this year's awards season (I'll post my picks and predictions as usual this weekend). Meanwhile, next year's awards season is building up some buzz already, with the astonishing <b>Late Night With the Devil</b>, a 1970s TV talk show pastiche that spirals into inventively thrilling demonic horror. At the centre, David Dastmalchian delivers a career redefining performance.<p></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK703mooIUipXNtX4pIoRzq0g2hXe0WPa2_v0NULdUa-SoxrbkDs2BrkMAZu6cp0Rzqm2Eqp64UDgzugoYJ3ZbPxIURfwB_uFzN6uRA5z1s361Y3yPPwvn9fPvt-bq0VlxFLE_sfRaf0Ffz9FiCO6IMQC82vzkmW1Nrv7_n9mHyX2Ca84i_cFjldSAzAw" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK703mooIUipXNtX4pIoRzq0g2hXe0WPa2_v0NULdUa-SoxrbkDs2BrkMAZu6cp0Rzqm2Eqp64UDgzugoYJ3ZbPxIURfwB_uFzN6uRA5z1s361Y3yPPwvn9fPvt-bq0VlxFLE_sfRaf0Ffz9FiCO6IMQC82vzkmW1Nrv7_n9mHyX2Ca84i_cFjldSAzAw=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #76a5af;">BEST OUT THIS WEEK</span></b><span style="text-align: left;">:</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">Origin • Soul</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">High and Low: John Galliano</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk" style="text-align: left;"><b>ALL REVIEWS ></b></a></td></tr></tbody></table>Other films included <b>American Dreamer</b>, a scrappy comedy-drama starring Peter Dinklage and Shirley MacLaine that's likeable but never quite comes together. <b>Bonded</b> is a very low-budget American slasher thriller that has some underlying charm. And <b>Crossing</b> is a stunner of a drama from Swedish-Georgian filmmaker Levan Akin (<i>And Then We Danced</i>). Set mainly in Istanbul's trans community, it's screening next week at BFI Flare, and deserves to be in awards conversations this time next year. I also had time to catch up with one of last year's movies while I was on the plane back to London...</p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiXxwntW145SNr8QlKtoXdqEptzMjFcCRw9DoqE-v2qdeOXeKxrzH-kSrlhzH6NLGY83fzc4syLn1TP5u0NDoKmJGLiCpd8wIrm8daJ_ozBzEarKnyAbrbfwgqXejTQ7Y_is-GXbijwGaqFExvoPIXQ2HOeR10QSkV6Sz8mo4z-sL9QWa_d1nkdnQzTms" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiXxwntW145SNr8QlKtoXdqEptzMjFcCRw9DoqE-v2qdeOXeKxrzH-kSrlhzH6NLGY83fzc4syLn1TP5u0NDoKmJGLiCpd8wIrm8daJ_ozBzEarKnyAbrbfwgqXejTQ7Y_is-GXbijwGaqFExvoPIXQ2HOeR10QSkV6Sz8mo4z-sL9QWa_d1nkdnQzTms=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #76a5af;">Silent Night<br /></span></span></b><i>dir John Woo; with Joel Kinnaman, Catalina Sandino Moreno 23/US ***<br /></i>Leave it to action veteran John Woo to make the very most out of an explosive thriller that has no dialog at all. The story centres around a man who loses his son, and his voice, to local gang violence, so he spends the next year training to get even. Kinnaman ably balances the beefy tough-guy nonsense with a deeper emotionality, which is even more strongly felt thanks to Sandino Moreno as his understandably frightened wife. But instead of meaningfully grappling with ideas of grief and revenge, the film essentially turns this man into Batman, a seemingly independently wealthy vigilante with a muscle car and a personal arsenal. Woo makes it look fabulous, but any point is lost in the glorious mayhem.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDZdaoQmE_XOJyrnF5wAq3eoHhbeQiOjQpqyiGvGpk16YcBZiv1mg0nlBJOzj0xJHRXGOTfX-7uUQNm7BkOq1rLjtox-0lC82tme5-aivqR9UwAUwdOn-S5CaIZUwaitWT0cbHfkf-i5rvE2h2wfJRgczKvlROpvkxLqAwOLdeYO60VOVbQyLXsjnB8UY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDZdaoQmE_XOJyrnF5wAq3eoHhbeQiOjQpqyiGvGpk16YcBZiv1mg0nlBJOzj0xJHRXGOTfX-7uUQNm7BkOq1rLjtox-0lC82tme5-aivqR9UwAUwdOn-S5CaIZUwaitWT0cbHfkf-i5rvE2h2wfJRgczKvlROpvkxLqAwOLdeYO60VOVbQyLXsjnB8UY=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>This coming week I'll be watching Cate Blanchett in <i>The New Boy</i>, Sydney Sweeney in <i>Immaculate</i>, Emile Hirsch in <i>State of Consciousness</i>, Luc Besson's <i>Dogman</i>, relationship drama <i>Thirty</i>, plus several more films that will be showing at the 38th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, which kicks off next Wednesday with the drag-scene romance <i>Layla</i>. I'll also be staying up all night to watch the Oscars on Sunday night!<p></p>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-47431252898967844232024-02-29T23:08:00.000+00:002024-03-01T03:09:18.047+00:00Critical Week: On the road<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj249pmCkfs6umMeAqrXY9C__Q3MKWCz5Kxz1Sw4pJbj8-8yUy8oAN5rfTqTrUNhMd5BJg494qbcabnfc6lwmc1ZzQ5FL-8IaBijTiihYd08PAr7kC6grJQpVIdaJSq16VGL_fgqdmBSPdZrj_kDkemq1k3epenkM87TOqt4CwngrrSIWaApUwsoCB2Jfc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj249pmCkfs6umMeAqrXY9C__Q3MKWCz5Kxz1Sw4pJbj8-8yUy8oAN5rfTqTrUNhMd5BJg494qbcabnfc6lwmc1ZzQ5FL-8IaBijTiihYd08PAr7kC6grJQpVIdaJSq16VGL_fgqdmBSPdZrj_kDkemq1k3epenkM87TOqt4CwngrrSIWaApUwsoCB2Jfc=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>I'm still in California this week, hanging out with family and friends and trying to avoid work for the most part, and yet I still managed to see two more movies that were out here before opening in the UK ... so that was work for me (reviews are already on the site). First was Ethan Coen's road-trip action comedy <b>Drive-Away Dolls</b>, a pastiche exploitation romp that's smart and funny but also rather thin and corny. But the chemistry between central duo Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan is terrific.<p></p><p>Second was the inspirational true-life drama <b>Ordinary Angels</b>, starring an up-for-it Hilary Swank as a blowsy hairdresser who decides to help a beefy widower (Alan Ritchson) whose young daughter needs a liver transplant. The film thankfully remains grounded in realistic characters and earthy humour, so it's genuinely moving.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrshOaz4pMng-DNCIC3XjjXLNmV4rQG56MmK750ukPOQkUmpMbciKDFcnLH-Sfif7VjwUiR2UqqAB_BDSpd0WqlGmkBnD83BVp18yTzz1CAhs-AICWQuZ_EPIYRbWTZwscL5O_UzzpbaI3UdQLWYVTZtqku7zyNjBl8sR88UrQKzBnR7h9sYlEkDnOC14" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrshOaz4pMng-DNCIC3XjjXLNmV4rQG56MmK750ukPOQkUmpMbciKDFcnLH-Sfif7VjwUiR2UqqAB_BDSpd0WqlGmkBnD83BVp18yTzz1CAhs-AICWQuZ_EPIYRbWTZwscL5O_UzzpbaI3UdQLWYVTZtqku7zyNjBl8sR88UrQKzBnR7h9sYlEkDnOC14=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>As I head back to London, I have no movies in the diary, although I'm hoping to catch up with something on the flight if possible. Finding something I haven't seen on the airline's entertainment system - and that I actually want to see as well - isn't always easy. It'll be Wednesday next week before I begin to get back into normal gear, just as Oscar night arrives.<p></p>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-63362276840215511032024-02-23T00:26:00.003+00:002024-02-23T00:28:10.821+00:00Critical Week: Holding on...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEX0RJ7tgkKu0Gb5ASCipZKAL89_5jpfS2cWu6qokCqjCftrejdQW7upv28xUbzqK17M1JOgCdVbzC4fH6Src6JetyDtHCO9OzFBqx2aam0symlcUr8JSfx4KGY6bwsyI-m1OgsmF_EnpvrX37cNE-LJ9q8UidICLr3p5vUokDpZfP8S28lKgCzBxcXKo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEX0RJ7tgkKu0Gb5ASCipZKAL89_5jpfS2cWu6qokCqjCftrejdQW7upv28xUbzqK17M1JOgCdVbzC4fH6Src6JetyDtHCO9OzFBqx2aam0symlcUr8JSfx4KGY6bwsyI-m1OgsmF_EnpvrX37cNE-LJ9q8UidICLr3p5vUokDpZfP8S28lKgCzBxcXKo=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>I've been enjoying hanging out with family in Southern California, not worrying about the rather iffy weather, which turned downright nasty just in time for me to trek across town to see <b>Dune: Part Two</b> on the Warner Bros lot (which was cool - see Insta post below). It was quite surreal to be feeling so wet and soggy while watching such a dry and sandy movie. But of course I loved it; Denis Villeneuve's imagination and attention to detail being this dense story to life in constantly surprising ways. Each shot looks simply spectacular, and the powerhouse acting ensemble gets a lot to do as well.<p></p><p>I also caught <b>Lisa Frankenstein</b> in a cinema, directed by Zelda Williams (daughter of Robin) from a script by Diablo Cody. It's a bit of a messy concoction, but is packed with genuinely hilarious dialog and up-for-it performances from a strong cast that includes Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano and Carla Gugino. Its 1980s setting offers some strong gags as well.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQgscUlWfDd33h-ASsrB24OMnOiMbO7bU7DvTzT2FVE2kRf7NEGxtav5W4hA7R8yR5fVN5hg2FyLK6_aKJqOv0xC0CHL8BBwkfk_iKOwyZ4ltvDcSN5afSmAAlS7PuPmLUyVx66dh5syphOCC9ir6nWt29K_ijGNdUmfZ3QUeug7bZN6PmZAO2eEI_Lz4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQgscUlWfDd33h-ASsrB24OMnOiMbO7bU7DvTzT2FVE2kRf7NEGxtav5W4hA7R8yR5fVN5hg2FyLK6_aKJqOv0xC0CHL8BBwkfk_iKOwyZ4ltvDcSN5afSmAAlS7PuPmLUyVx66dh5syphOCC9ir6nWt29K_ijGNdUmfZ3QUeug7bZN6PmZAO2eEI_Lz4=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>Ethan Coen's <i>Drive-Away Dolls</i> opens this weekend, so I plan to catch that in a local cinema. I am also asking around for contacts for a <i>Kung Fu Panda 4</i> press screening here, as it opens the week I return to London. There may be some other things that pop up along the way, and I do have some screener links to watch, but am reluctant yo give up family time for that.<div><br /><p></p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3ndJvLrQDE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 3px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 1px 10px 0px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px; width: calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3ndJvLrQDE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 0; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; 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font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0px;"></div> <div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px); width: 12.5px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0px; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0px;"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); transform: translateY(16px); width: 0px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; transform: translateY(-4px); width: 16px;"></div> <div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid rgb(244, 244, 244); height: 0px; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px); width: 0px;"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3ndJvLrQDE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Rich Jack Cline (@ukcline)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-42571406413327226482024-02-16T23:45:00.061+00:002024-02-23T00:14:07.475+00:00On the Road: Use your head<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCbG_FiShJnhR9nFoBytoyJOXpXLYZZ7M4GdbVsxZpZE66KZMcI9Img0r0POl1xIgx1VG5mFrMQPcOnJ75uEwtdI37ExajeOeYI4LjzbplMhjQKSssE3H5PqgiVhb3GLPh2CaTMEydahHpHYbR8WRm2mEyQwiXbVPRrhx_fZS9z3wuH2UIVwIGmxPozRI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCbG_FiShJnhR9nFoBytoyJOXpXLYZZ7M4GdbVsxZpZE66KZMcI9Img0r0POl1xIgx1VG5mFrMQPcOnJ75uEwtdI37ExajeOeYI4LjzbplMhjQKSssE3H5PqgiVhb3GLPh2CaTMEydahHpHYbR8WRm2mEyQwiXbVPRrhx_fZS9z3wuH2UIVwIGmxPozRI=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>I'm in Southern California for a couple of weeks, mainly to celebrate my mother's birthday, but also to visit with family and friends and hopefully get some nice weather this time of year. Although the rainy storminess hasn't started off very promisingly. I'm also going to completely miss this weekend's Baftas - the British Academy Awards - and will just have to read about the winners online. Meanwhile, on the flight over here I caught up with three films from last year that I'd missed...<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Dumb Money<br /></span></b><i>dir Craig Gillespie; with Paul Dano, Pete Davidson 23/US ***.<br /></i>The story of the GameStop stock market mayhem is made thoroughly entertaining by lively direction from Craig Gillespie that concentrates on character quirks rather than the dull financial details. That said, some of these details begin to make sense as a group of amateur traders take on the big hedge funds. The terrific over-packed ensemble includes Paul Dano, Nick Offerman, Seth Rogen, America Ferrera, Pete Davidson, Sebastian Stan and Shailene Woodley. Some plot threads get lost along the way. But it's consistently entertaining and occasionally engaging too.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfPQd7mheD5RuXHK169mg7ENGd27Hs0lVIbt8ZVAfNReYkysUvI46ys35Jm7EbElBCE7Lw7VLz5jWKAgtqwekBb86P0sHaqX74pbk-3E3rTKrYoHe3pZ7LHnoKzy8H-o2eIH2Fq_d0nCrosqRv1IV-2mDH3WZpStLJFDFxrounHF3wp12lHYkSHBsxXZg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfPQd7mheD5RuXHK169mg7ENGd27Hs0lVIbt8ZVAfNReYkysUvI46ys35Jm7EbElBCE7Lw7VLz5jWKAgtqwekBb86P0sHaqX74pbk-3E3rTKrYoHe3pZ7LHnoKzy8H-o2eIH2Fq_d0nCrosqRv1IV-2mDH3WZpStLJFDFxrounHF3wp12lHYkSHBsxXZg=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">She Came to Me<br /></span></b><i>dir-scr Rebecca Miller; with Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway 23/US ***<br /></i>Writer-director Rebecca Miller creates an intricate, intelligent multistrand narrative using light and nicely offhanded performances and jagged interaction. But the plot never quite grabs hold, as it centres around a blocked opera composer (Peter Dinklage) and a scrappy tugboat pilot (Marisa Tomei) who becomes his muse, while his obsessive wife (Anne Hathaway) spirals. Subplots involve their teen son, his girlfriend, her parents and lots of tangled feelings, bad decisions and messy behaviour. It's all a bit corny, and aside from the general economic realities it's difficult to connect with a central theme. So even with the wonderfully nuanced acting, it ends up feeling cute and a bit simplistic.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyOWmTEOCRujhitsuUjsg93lpjFApAEkG0vESg8W-15OoHYWuJobl9LP4kmKrzfUYGnNHDj5FGeLHsOMDQ3itfyGGtzs_qNKsaCWykhx_2Ll6ASuhocb12XJ2zaAPKUK8TKIZMJloD8zbdsyAoEZBYy-kXIOPK34FuG3tDTV_mtEX2j7an9EtG5fe49UY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyOWmTEOCRujhitsuUjsg93lpjFApAEkG0vESg8W-15OoHYWuJobl9LP4kmKrzfUYGnNHDj5FGeLHsOMDQ3itfyGGtzs_qNKsaCWykhx_2Ll6ASuhocb12XJ2zaAPKUK8TKIZMJloD8zbdsyAoEZBYy-kXIOPK34FuG3tDTV_mtEX2j7an9EtG5fe49UY=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Strays</span></b><br /><i>dir Josh Greenbaum; voices Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx ***<br /></i>The central joke here is that a sweet movie about cute dogs is bursting with profane dialog and outrageously adult jokes. That concept feels stale within minutes, but thankfully the script is loaded with genuinely hilarious humour aimed squarely at grown-up dog lovers. The plot is very simple, as an abandoned pup realises that his owner mistreated him, so vows revenge with a group of fellow strays. Wacky adventures ensue, often involving humping things. So if the general tone is belaboured as it tries desperately to push things rudely over the top, the furry characters win us over, ably voiced by a first-rate cast.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0y-sA7f4a9rEQN9KM9RyxxqYIfpxg1WyGjAnSdfuUFKSFe2TjqgLHLsYhViMPbZ-5L15s0skNmV_OObexgdbAzAxW1scjlt1SWD4ojTwlGo6BLEMFq_bjtr0zEUtJoLMQi_AUvAgMIRa6KiAtxN7Q4yz_4GdzAogVsZsqHYwydNqvDP5jI2tsrW320jY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0y-sA7f4a9rEQN9KM9RyxxqYIfpxg1WyGjAnSdfuUFKSFe2TjqgLHLsYhViMPbZ-5L15s0skNmV_OObexgdbAzAxW1scjlt1SWD4ojTwlGo6BLEMFq_bjtr0zEUtJoLMQi_AUvAgMIRa6KiAtxN7Q4yz_4GdzAogVsZsqHYwydNqvDP5jI2tsrW320jY=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>While I'm out here I'm planning to catch up with a few films that are in cinemas here but not yet out in the UK, like <i>Drive-Away Dolls</i> and <i>Lisa Frankenstein</i>, and I'm on the lookout for press screenings of <i>Dune: Part Two</i> and <i>Kung Fu Panda 4</i>. Otherwise, I'm enjoying time with family and friends and not thinking about movies.<p></p>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-20397415582313151702024-02-08T22:33:00.001+00:002024-02-09T14:48:52.803+00:00Critical Week: Hit the road<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeEu3TJVv96yS5-BG6v30YHXCMYI36x7xwj4a3mtLHl7C227vdraE0Mt8abopVyOhpP91bx2C6wu-S7DGdHYJkpxESGldH2X5hjkv1HR4qX7pNZQKlrk-pmG0qalP8zGvFKKKmqwTUSh6N48yQyVyA08RFhidX39pQFndsf8agqB8gxiSM6Cx9YhfgtQI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeEu3TJVv96yS5-BG6v30YHXCMYI36x7xwj4a3mtLHl7C227vdraE0Mt8abopVyOhpP91bx2C6wu-S7DGdHYJkpxESGldH2X5hjkv1HR4qX7pNZQKlrk-pmG0qalP8zGvFKKKmqwTUSh6N48yQyVyA08RFhidX39pQFndsf8agqB8gxiSM6Cx9YhfgtQI=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>I've been taking it a bit easy this week, following the busy weekend I spent organising the 44th London Critics' Circle Film Awards. It was a great event, packed with our terrific nominees and winners, and the coverage continues across the media (I posted several pics on <a href="http://instagram.com/ukcline">Insta</a>). As for watching movies, there have just been four, all very watchable but not quite there... <p></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVXWu1LjO0-n20j9htMSvxEmIkBinBGujf9K4cI0KIyLtxfJXZZbNlAf-sBwaUPF3bPrCG31a6rplD1K9iol9ATFp-TTZoAclkJQhnEbQDIMIx8v0nUhAeAJI4CjGliDtEi2quTi3vEheH_YQvWAKeZY8zxMbqKohufqpn3O5HZx1fbFpW3kVW06bPETs" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVXWu1LjO0-n20j9htMSvxEmIkBinBGujf9K4cI0KIyLtxfJXZZbNlAf-sBwaUPF3bPrCG31a6rplD1K9iol9ATFp-TTZoAclkJQhnEbQDIMIx8v0nUhAeAJI4CjGliDtEi2quTi3vEheH_YQvWAKeZY8zxMbqKohufqpn3O5HZx1fbFpW3kVW06bPETs=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">BEST OUT THIS WEEK</span></b><span style="text-align: left;">:</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">Perfect Days • The Iron Claw</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">The Taste of Things</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">Turning Red</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk" style="text-align: left;">ALL REVIEWS ></a></td></tr></tbody></table>Clara McGregor stars with her dad Ewan in <b>Bleeding Love</b>, an offbeat father-daughter road movie that's somewhat uneven but has its moments. Kingsley Ben-Adir takes on the iconic title role in <b>Bob Marley: One Love</b>, a biopic that tries far too diligently to create a myth when the man's actual life was amazing enough. The Stone Age thriller <b>Out of Darkness</b> plays with cheap jump scares rather than actual suspense. But it's well-made, even if the hair, makeup and costumes are all wrong. And the dark British drama <b>Hoard</b> has lots of visual style and huge emotional kicks, but struggles to engage the audience very deeply.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghP1_XXTpLVSY-QwquMRL0Qa0FcgZlZrjddjVuhxUxJdqiLuzgn5DdGsUNESddWWUJNXMLtYn6JiO4_BXOPkByo6SS2_fTs1NpDq0NMs9ojJrOIGNRnkAHc4rd9r8JxFUcWe7sarpBvXmqju-m-r9qDfXuFUr07ildDmEtS_Qd9fBQFYUbt2gcPVhQcCw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghP1_XXTpLVSY-QwquMRL0Qa0FcgZlZrjddjVuhxUxJdqiLuzgn5DdGsUNESddWWUJNXMLtYn6JiO4_BXOPkByo6SS2_fTs1NpDq0NMs9ojJrOIGNRnkAHc4rd9r8JxFUcWe7sarpBvXmqju-m-r9qDfXuFUr07ildDmEtS_Qd9fBQFYUbt2gcPVhQcCw=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>This coming week I'll be watching Dakota Johnson in <i>Madame Web</i>, Olivia Colman in <i>Wicked Little</i> Letters and the fantasy <i>Glitter & Doom</i>, among other things. I'll also be flying off to Los Angeles for a family reunion, so I hope there are movies on the flight that I haven't yet seen.<p></p><div><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-556310874107645232024-02-01T22:49:00.044+00:002024-02-02T15:01:43.863+00:00Critical Week: Hold that thought<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl__hoWgfj7AhNV8Lrl2Ax_7cGqH9lmHq6tZIvoE127dgRXw_XYq-e45prq_x_KrGavYyqCHlgMqk5K4J-JrnPdPoEPjE6-CnxtYmnDsdWSStoxJOcE7OVo21YXB0Cgy2LZfSv2WhqbZejptsUsTD2je20cH8pK2n0pXhgLuuvue-szjJ_sbsnPgvBnbE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl__hoWgfj7AhNV8Lrl2Ax_7cGqH9lmHq6tZIvoE127dgRXw_XYq-e45prq_x_KrGavYyqCHlgMqk5K4J-JrnPdPoEPjE6-CnxtYmnDsdWSStoxJOcE7OVo21YXB0Cgy2LZfSv2WhqbZejptsUsTD2je20cH8pK2n0pXhgLuuvue-szjJ_sbsnPgvBnbE=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>I'm even busier this week as the date approaches for the 44th London Critics' Circle Film Awards, which I am organising on Sunday. So much to organise, including the slippery business of wrangling celebrities. But the ceremony and party are going to be great. Meanwhile, the big movie this week was Matthew Vaughn's <b>Argylle</b>, in which Henry Cavill plays a suave super-agent living in the mind of novellist Bryce Dallas Howard. The idea is clever, but the film is far too busy, loud, violent, twisty and long to work properly. Still, some colourful moments and a great cast (Sam Rockwell, Samuel L Jackson, Ariana DeBose) make it almost watchable. The animated adventure <b>Migration</b> is a lot more fun, gorgeously animated and packed with great characters thanks to screenwriter Mike White (of <i>The White Lotus</i> fame).<p></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTqmO-NAwcNTMxr76kNe8_UjJEsvKRGeUImbbUkWYLUSKKrf4mEq40YKzZNOCBAJ58E9gb8RicQPW9b1Wc7Tkz-T6VHD9I55Xe0w_ttmBv6Db1Al3_0t4SASStyStkY_pjCUfkAppL0hjEPFB6BAlO2o2KYhox6h_QnfG1evsNjp0IwCBUBDb7-LymnLs" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTqmO-NAwcNTMxr76kNe8_UjJEsvKRGeUImbbUkWYLUSKKrf4mEq40YKzZNOCBAJ58E9gb8RicQPW9b1Wc7Tkz-T6VHD9I55Xe0w_ttmBv6Db1Al3_0t4SASStyStkY_pjCUfkAppL0hjEPFB6BAlO2o2KYhox6h_QnfG1evsNjp0IwCBUBDb7-LymnLs=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">BEST OUT THIS WEEK</span></b><span style="text-align: left;">:</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">The Zone of Interest • </span><span style="text-align: left;">Skin Deep</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">American Fiction • </span><span style="text-align: left;">Disco Boy</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">How to Have Sex • Blue Giant</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk" style="text-align: left;"><b>ALL REVIEWS ></b></a></td></tr></tbody></table>Further afield, the drama <b>Shayda</b> centres closely on the experiences of an abused Iranian wife seeking shelter in Australia. It's beautifully acted, involving and hugely emotional. The Japanese animated jazz-infused drama <b>Blue Giant</b> is packed with a spectacular imagery and music, and a strongly engaging story. And the dark drama <b>Pornomelancholia</b> is the thoughtful, naturalistic story of a young man who wants to become a pornstar in Mexico. I also got the chance to revisit my best film of 2023, Andrew Haigh's <b>All of Us Strangers</b>, as it finally opened in UK cinemas last weekend. It hit me in a very different way the second time - astonishing filmmaking that I will revisit again.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBXyB401QG2_7hn9c9z76Gnoo6XbafdQLfAOGIZc9INIenrUm0uyJXJhF9YDrcbEuC_6XI-RSW8rwkgYlmBOn139hXt_Mzetd98-WuEqUTBdJDFg5MisMxc3qQuLvBan65nDXQzoflA5yEDpI_gqDroMnddrMzmSNa_kUf01Hh_Q77AUrMjUqgbUup_uc" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBXyB401QG2_7hn9c9z76Gnoo6XbafdQLfAOGIZc9INIenrUm0uyJXJhF9YDrcbEuC_6XI-RSW8rwkgYlmBOn139hXt_Mzetd98-WuEqUTBdJDFg5MisMxc3qQuLvBan65nDXQzoflA5yEDpI_gqDroMnddrMzmSNa_kUf01Hh_Q77AUrMjUqgbUup_uc=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>This coming week I'll be watching the biopic <i>One Love: Bob Marley</i>, the thriller <i>Out of Darkness</i> and the drama <i>Hoard</i>, among other things and getting some sleep.<p></p><div><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-55154053237858785252024-01-27T10:35:00.002+00:002024-01-28T20:57:38.931+00:00Critical Week: Let's make a plan<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUokjXn139paO8MMNd61sR1crvR76DH15cMyMZW06Q-7pLDMQbow51wEJ8D0T2JeaNdjQnj4_XrLK5_F6o-jhviB1UMuJAKYiOJ282ZVgZVuTlM7r74mu7zHOLZzhU6GDwHE2toC9qbUhBrxYe_s38Uts9B8P2W3R-jl7AeX_-5JFpVL3Dflbv_LoRSRU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUokjXn139paO8MMNd61sR1crvR76DH15cMyMZW06Q-7pLDMQbow51wEJ8D0T2JeaNdjQnj4_XrLK5_F6o-jhviB1UMuJAKYiOJ282ZVgZVuTlM7r74mu7zHOLZzhU6GDwHE2toC9qbUhBrxYe_s38Uts9B8P2W3R-jl7AeX_-5JFpVL3Dflbv_LoRSRU=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>I'm late with most things this week, including this post, for two reasons: firstly I'm organising the 44th London Critics' Circle Film Awards, a seriously complicated event that's coming up in just a week and involves a myriad of variables to sort out. And secondly, I am migrating everything to a new computer, My vintage iMac has been slowing down after 15 years of faithful service, so I finally took the plunge. This new one is another world entirely, outrageously nimble and I can open websites again! But I have to learn how to do pretty much everything in a new way.<p></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbb5-_VJBYigUoIV-GZEjVUFyQhOs38yLUq0Gpf0qqtFy8FopP3kS_7Jg35toGU1NRi-SMJ2iXDSVYuljmyny21SY6O1uxDXaPc-1l0Lco4kcB6s1GIl5HiEiZjYwQBUbsC1g7W9BzSGtuyElTADph3t_poyZYPeKy_m6-89623GHjr0_OH6dV8ZI1Qh0" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbb5-_VJBYigUoIV-GZEjVUFyQhOs38yLUq0Gpf0qqtFy8FopP3kS_7Jg35toGU1NRi-SMJ2iXDSVYuljmyny21SY6O1uxDXaPc-1l0Lco4kcB6s1GIl5HiEiZjYwQBUbsC1g7W9BzSGtuyElTADph3t_poyZYPeKy_m6-89623GHjr0_OH6dV8ZI1Qh0=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">BEST OUT THIS WEEK</span></b><span style="text-align: left;">:</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">Totem • Samsara</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">All of Us Strangers</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="text-align: left;">PERHAPS AVOID:</span><br style="text-align: left;" /></b></span><span style="text-align: left;">Padre Pio</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk" style="text-align: left;"><b>ALL REVIEWS ></b></a></td></tr></tbody></table>I've also of course been watching films, although not as many as I should have. I caught up with Snoop Dogg's comedy <b>The Underdoggs</b>, which takes a true story and bends it into the usual formula involving the foul-mouthed coach of a scrappy team. Watchable but not very funny. Ian McShane plays a bored hitman in <b>American Star</b>, gorgeously shot in the Canary Islands. It's very snow and meandering, but full of intrigue. The offbeat British drama-documentary hybrid <b>This Blessed Plot</b> traces the witty journey of a filmmaker who can talk to ghosts. And there were two rather elusive South American films: from Chile, <b>The Settlers</b> is a bold, gorgeous trek across the continent with historic repercussions, while the Argentinian odyssey <b>Eureka</b> is even more ambitious, opening in the Wild West (with Viggo Mortensen) and ending in the Amazon, with a North Dakota police chapter in between. Perplexing but fascinating exploration of indigenous cultures.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzIxome2ZXSjuBB4NehA6WMoH9VBxaYza1N8LFPGgZqAP53ybBZff3w_IcIjRqUCZPFe49_cMFhXH3HdzyIy9gSm3CrqbBRtEYjeAEyTCXmXPIUJFFxJoCN-vICY2VSxjOEiunTOF-DLU4PFu76N4W4W8O-L89TmGIIZHfiFuYBLMTVTGvqb9v_1r_Z0c" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzIxome2ZXSjuBB4NehA6WMoH9VBxaYza1N8LFPGgZqAP53ybBZff3w_IcIjRqUCZPFe49_cMFhXH3HdzyIy9gSm3CrqbBRtEYjeAEyTCXmXPIUJFFxJoCN-vICY2VSxjOEiunTOF-DLU4PFu76N4W4W8O-L89TmGIIZHfiFuYBLMTVTGvqb9v_1r_Z0c=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>This coming week I'll be watching Henry Cavill in the spy romp <i>Argylle</i>, animated adventure <i>Migration</i>, black comedy <i>Club Zero</i>, Australian drama <i>Shayda</i>, musician documentary <i>Dalton's Dream</i> and the dark drama <i>Pornomelancholia</i>.<p></p><div><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-73646565256867683862024-01-22T17:42:00.000+00:002024-01-22T17:42:08.848+00:00Stage: Blissfully out of control<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAQRJccXUca9U2nDLy6MvYPKh-L9nCbQprlyVLy2ncLjTAdqXhJlD4tT7cnW9N9rxBVmy-bWRjG3ZlV6aGtnUnt5OKId7ZbEA5q_OoiTLu3rLnhpg79IKtTPOnWvuL0m4zgwf4sMWxGC9LMfMhLQxGAZhszZTF-hS5DiV-wpzL_kORH5iENormAeYT5NE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAQRJccXUca9U2nDLy6MvYPKh-L9nCbQprlyVLy2ncLjTAdqXhJlD4tT7cnW9N9rxBVmy-bWRjG3ZlV6aGtnUnt5OKId7ZbEA5q_OoiTLu3rLnhpg79IKtTPOnWvuL0m4zgwf4sMWxGC9LMfMhLQxGAZhszZTF-hS5DiV-wpzL_kORH5iENormAeYT5NE=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Stamptown</span></b></span><br /><i>host Zach Zucker<br />with Natalie Palamides, Martin Urbano, Kemah Bob, Furiozo, Marshall Arkley, Cleopantha, Rowen K, Steffen Hanes, Erin Farrington, Dylan Woodley<br />sound Jonny Woolley • lighting Lily Woodford-Lewis<br />Soho Theatre, London • 17-27.Jan.24</i> ★★★★★<p></p><div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMJBcgh-5GxsI-y0c8rH1bvHlQKIlr1k-31R4hMCfqjlUzpAQ-4qkhy50RZU_oTrRORBiILtUNCPM33B3f60IwVJVe0tCBt7e1R6L3YqRQu5ByvShsMU6EIGCxsMl2ayI2vyFCW-UKKjM8-eKasVtr-qTFyHEgevRTtWbX_wB2lUI5H4Otp38lknxdIP0" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMJBcgh-5GxsI-y0c8rH1bvHlQKIlr1k-31R4hMCfqjlUzpAQ-4qkhy50RZU_oTrRORBiILtUNCPM33B3f60IwVJVe0tCBt7e1R6L3YqRQu5ByvShsMU6EIGCxsMl2ayI2vyFCW-UKKjM8-eKasVtr-qTFyHEgevRTtWbX_wB2lUI5H4Otp38lknxdIP0=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marshall Arkley</td></tr></tbody></table>Even before this show starts, boisterous chaos has already filled the theatre. Then master of ceremonies Jack Tucker (aka Zach Zucker) takes the mic and everything spirals even more blissfully out of control. This is a remarkable collision of standup, burlesque and clownery, unfolding with an expert sense of improvisational energy that often seems to catch the performers themselves off guard. It's so relentlessly entertaining and unpredictable, that audience members will want to come back and see what might happen next time.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the centre of a wildly full-on variety show, the charming Zucker skilfully holds things together, teetering on the edge of anarchy. His corny jokes elicit applause and groans as he peppers us with a continuous series of snappy visual and verbal gags. When he can, he introduces the next act. The show includes three burlesque numbers, with Cleopantha sparking sassy attitude in a eye-popping traditional routine, Rowen K displaying impressive acrobatic handstands and muscle man Marshall Arkley adding whip-cracking, fire-breathing antics along with, well, it needs to be seen to be believed.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg0uTkhq2wyuzXA1rFDa2wCxGANPkodnzDTr8hz0arxaSkoDAUQ9XWZomqIe7Zf_XBRt34FM8cq1S7VdHpLET2WNu47XAVEsQ1s4ZoI3Ou7F8M5sFRtIZpjIVOCcqJNrMFRmfICuLy2q4qmYckK1TvnBjZmAbo0BRuQLAfKYR3HFZpT65TAAEOvuKoYN8" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg0uTkhq2wyuzXA1rFDa2wCxGANPkodnzDTr8hz0arxaSkoDAUQ9XWZomqIe7Zf_XBRt34FM8cq1S7VdHpLET2WNu47XAVEsQ1s4ZoI3Ou7F8M5sFRtIZpjIVOCcqJNrMFRmfICuLy2q4qmYckK1TvnBjZmAbo0BRuQLAfKYR3HFZpT65TAAEOvuKoYN8=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Furiozo</td></tr></tbody></table>Stage manager Erin offers trigger warnings for the edgier elements in the show, but arrives far too late. The beefy Furiozo inventively mimes an entire crime saga with game assistance from an audience member. Kemah Bob delivers a surreally hilarious standup set about the innate absurdity of seasalt. A vampire (Hanes) stalks the show waiting for his chance to add something spooky. And comic Martin Urbano plays a critic who reads from his appalling notes throughout the show. </div><div><br /></div><div>There's a lot more going on, and nothing that happens seems to go quite as planned. But because it's so genuinely amusing, the audience can't help but get swept into the swirling energy. Each of these performers, including the people running the sound and lighting, is a the very best at what they do. Their timing, quick thinking and ability to riff off each other is flat-out genius, blending smart punchlines with sublimely silly buffoonery. And because the show plays out with such a gleefully freeform structure, it will always be fresh and new, unexpected and jaw-dropping. And definitely not for the faint of heart.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipLIDDXCWRK3WiRV0JdwwkrzkYZC2Q84sHkrsaPzRI7mqAtUgj2hOyUTEqdoWnd9IgE0IsQBr3mz7TdQiB4xmVgnuvS8gAdewN9wqi8-YEt-Ybu5zpBl84VKjVr1zIo7DvFSaQ1AmHiLhRGIPJYwm6fvEFZ58kifG9y-GPTu5vkg4KdX6ZsFf7WJw1cKg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipLIDDXCWRK3WiRV0JdwwkrzkYZC2Q84sHkrsaPzRI7mqAtUgj2hOyUTEqdoWnd9IgE0IsQBr3mz7TdQiB4xmVgnuvS8gAdewN9wqi8-YEt-Ybu5zpBl84VKjVr1zIo7DvFSaQ1AmHiLhRGIPJYwm6fvEFZ58kifG9y-GPTu5vkg4KdX6ZsFf7WJw1cKg=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFrnvbFn8zGlyURV2gKlIOT5VuSbzZYIYj7cV29rAtLvFtIjuiQV-PzLY_xf-sFphOVx3t3a4wEHu4fjMtOMtBLM9BBXno0oB5vjSYOSQzV5ak_OR2m8QIu98mhveSN8kohrdjeQosV-ppemOqdIC2s2TYdvVtC_yvSXQ-7xb3sK_qgE4z7oOqN1AfTR4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFrnvbFn8zGlyURV2gKlIOT5VuSbzZYIYj7cV29rAtLvFtIjuiQV-PzLY_xf-sFphOVx3t3a4wEHu4fjMtOMtBLM9BBXno0oB5vjSYOSQzV5ak_OR2m8QIu98mhveSN8kohrdjeQosV-ppemOqdIC2s2TYdvVtC_yvSXQ-7xb3sK_qgE4z7oOqN1AfTR4=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br />For information, <a href="http://www.stamptowncomedy.com/"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">STAMPTOWN ></span></b></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photos are from previous productions • 18.Jan.24</span></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-3609157235517078472024-01-20T18:55:00.001+00:002024-01-20T18:55:26.579+00:00Stage: Impossible decisions<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKxfmeWM0Yv1rZZswFPBS4HXyLrzKo4_aei_Wc3ywOwZPKA17DXoOBlopHOEH6gKc1Dk215278MdP1yi8J66Y3CPwUSQE-bp6Uq0EqTxS1yX3KfV_nB3pgSnAQjfgKrWS6Xm0HcwTdkgXTwkLxd1-aECVXPwAWejWImlaY5zU6qUTxAlIUAjfYuvM1iwo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKxfmeWM0Yv1rZZswFPBS4HXyLrzKo4_aei_Wc3ywOwZPKA17DXoOBlopHOEH6gKc1Dk215278MdP1yi8J66Y3CPwUSQE-bp6Uq0EqTxS1yX3KfV_nB3pgSnAQjfgKrWS6Xm0HcwTdkgXTwkLxd1-aECVXPwAWejWImlaY5zU6qUTxAlIUAjfYuvM1iwo=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">The Mother of Kamal<br /></span></span></b><i>by Dina Ibrahim<br />dir Stephen Freeman<br />with Dina Ibrahim, Mirdrit Zhinipotoku, Jojo Rosales, Nalân Burgess, Manav Chaudhuri<br />music Jon Kudlick • lighting George Petty<br />costumes Alice McNicholas • sound Aidan Good<br />The Gatehouse, Highgate • 19-28.Jan.24</i> ★★★<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiellwJJFPiohLSHdWzGU3hl_GOg4T9PG7LCwbD8rOi4QtEh1eKUXVQxJcRDA_CljYq89de3J9AVZk48kw-_SK0pSIejGMp1P06uh5l-aqhuAotbIT-L3L_Q6OFPMga9pVvmBmO3NgtDoEVT2YrPA-38_d3QBaOvOkFY4sEsNu9yVLNxQVOWtkgqVwYuwU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiellwJJFPiohLSHdWzGU3hl_GOg4T9PG7LCwbD8rOi4QtEh1eKUXVQxJcRDA_CljYq89de3J9AVZk48kw-_SK0pSIejGMp1P06uh5l-aqhuAotbIT-L3L_Q6OFPMga9pVvmBmO3NgtDoEVT2YrPA-38_d3QBaOvOkFY4sEsNu9yVLNxQVOWtkgqVwYuwU=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>Actor-writer Dina Ibrahim has adapted the autobiographical novel <i>Um-Kamal</i>, written by her father Fawzi Ibrahim, and she is essentially playing her grandmother on-stage. The first-hand nature of the narrative gives the play an often startling attention to detail, capturing small moments with an emotional sensibility. Conversely, this also means that there is too much going on for the audience to completely engage in the story. The central narrative is compelling, but it is recounted with too many characters and diversions. And the lack of an accessible perspective is a problem.<p></p><p>With a bit of time jumping, the story starts in 1948 Baghdad as the working class Jewish Ibrahim family tries to navigate a tricky religious and political landscape. With Nazi anti-semitism in the air, officials are particularly paranoid about communists. Suddenly, teen son Kamal (Zhinipotoku) and younger brother Sasson (Rosales) are arrested as subversives. Their mother (Ibrahim) is distraught, and when she tries to get them released is horrified to be forced to make an impossible choice. Meanwhile in prison, Kamal and Sasson take very different approaches to their predicament. The decisions they make propel the family through the next few decades, leading ultimately to a reckoning with their past.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN52s-cwuJG5PKd1iBm4r72BmfWPqsD1-9cAiwl4WJccfPkKKmPIYKz_4KlPXmHjW7iMfxwz57n9MAlIeJwu0pF8_jHI8TiDYUKx3XLe7UPAZmV5oSTkWpUEW48Wk0j7psISX3ZhbOX-RRy-W8jS9t4tC0KcsX8S-JAxyB-1Z356QQqozID3TW8jvueQY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN52s-cwuJG5PKd1iBm4r72BmfWPqsD1-9cAiwl4WJccfPkKKmPIYKz_4KlPXmHjW7iMfxwz57n9MAlIeJwu0pF8_jHI8TiDYUKx3XLe7UPAZmV5oSTkWpUEW48Wk0j7psISX3ZhbOX-RRy-W8jS9t4tC0KcsX8S-JAxyB-1Z356QQqozID3TW8jvueQY=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>There's real power in the central narrative, especially as it weaves in refreshingly complex ideas about fate. So this mother and sons feel like their actions have had momentous repercussions, when the situation was far more nuanced than they knew. The script almost misses this idea in its effort to pack in so many encounters, some of which take place on-stage alongside each other as the five cast members switch between a bewildering array of characters. Many of these people appear in just one intensely emotional scene, so it's impossible to work out who they are or what they mean in the greater scheme of things.<p></p><p>Because this is such a wrenching story, the actors play the roles with a heightened intensity, conveying their feelings to the back of the theatre. These over-sized performances are especially notable due to the offbeat casting, in which actors play a range of ages and ethnicities against type. Zhinipotoku and Rosales are able to create vivid characters, and Ibrahim plays her emotions to the hilt, but other connections are unclear over a decades-long timeline. And several well-played roles are lost in the shuffle, most notably the boys' father (Chaudhuri). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmC-TEA-WD4CPyFITdGJSrdrKsTFdDuFsrXmAKOiptgR6KN6gJoBDFUtWuM1luUdcihgKsErpPzFTA2ISdhdhuChWnqIq4RBunJiHqhxHaSW00l_aFJjKFOtZWbHEMYew4uU6ZFGx9gNTiJ-DOQCoFsQ4d91yPsvyP-ibnuyOqBaRtxlzpedMM7bY4XUI" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmC-TEA-WD4CPyFITdGJSrdrKsTFdDuFsrXmAKOiptgR6KN6gJoBDFUtWuM1luUdcihgKsErpPzFTA2ISdhdhuChWnqIq4RBunJiHqhxHaSW00l_aFJjKFOtZWbHEMYew4uU6ZFGx9gNTiJ-DOQCoFsQ4d91yPsvyP-ibnuyOqBaRtxlzpedMM7bY4XUI=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>This is an ambitious production, using bursts of loud music, bright lights and smoke to add to the atmosphere, plus several surreal sequences involving choreographed movement. The stage itself is effective and simple, nicely isolating each scene. So if the script and direction were more focussed, telling the story with a singular point of view that allows the audience to identify with a character and lean into the situations, the vitality and importance of the material would hit with much more force.<p></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgztixXl0rUiSqQRS2ibEqZr359wIE1kQw8iqsse6qfnxyDwAJx-3wCyZSh4y8g6AJSpcp9B9-GiHULChsDC1qs94wvACQQn-h6icrrUIW0DdPXbBB6hf-bnnV39JL-bDO50iyhTndMOflsXhbkoEodhJYczh8ZPCkKG3yY8YQN6wmznkPkBv0qhT6U6TI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1500" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgztixXl0rUiSqQRS2ibEqZr359wIE1kQw8iqsse6qfnxyDwAJx-3wCyZSh4y8g6AJSpcp9B9-GiHULChsDC1qs94wvACQQn-h6icrrUIW0DdPXbBB6hf-bnnV39JL-bDO50iyhTndMOflsXhbkoEodhJYczh8ZPCkKG3yY8YQN6wmznkPkBv0qhT6U6TI=w400-h248" width="400" /></a></i></div><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCKHZqz8XAhI51a93A-hBrtdPW6KTe3BKreO30-tZcGrLc31UuJ3GBWlgFQSwfe7MVlZ07VRrThijB2gHG1ZT8uUT3UQe9WLLZOYZS8Tl5txE9bXqeU26TX4IQViY6bhDH4QvqPS6b2PoNMxld-u_ajdrLVlb5TCR1FmHUbckiQEyfR3nOB_NQ61czmGg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1500" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCKHZqz8XAhI51a93A-hBrtdPW6KTe3BKreO30-tZcGrLc31UuJ3GBWlgFQSwfe7MVlZ07VRrThijB2gHG1ZT8uUT3UQe9WLLZOYZS8Tl5txE9bXqeU26TX4IQViY6bhDH4QvqPS6b2PoNMxld-u_ajdrLVlb5TCR1FmHUbckiQEyfR3nOB_NQ61czmGg=w400-h274" width="400" /></a></div><br />For details, </i><a href="https://www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">UPSTAIRS AT THE GATEHOUSE ></span></b></a> <p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photos by Gary Manhine • 19.Jan.24</span></p><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-51140234687638173422024-01-18T20:16:00.002+00:002024-01-18T20:16:51.305+00:00Critical Week: Hey, bruv<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjj_2NSzShKU3pFnGulHN_Kb-pmDq1d_ATKhLbU75WVu1AbW36of8JQa51U3PL3RHIrHtjq01Ck0hEFkYbfkKVM2gTkOZnCVZn4zek99WuPo3xetOjIvFMd-dnyfTvZl8hE7A6n9KZjZaYNDw2AGjC2oSkAotMGnZ35hyD80IQAImSj2YTIlLcnG2AhAE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjj_2NSzShKU3pFnGulHN_Kb-pmDq1d_ATKhLbU75WVu1AbW36of8JQa51U3PL3RHIrHtjq01Ck0hEFkYbfkKVM2gTkOZnCVZn4zek99WuPo3xetOjIvFMd-dnyfTvZl8hE7A6n9KZjZaYNDw2AGjC2oSkAotMGnZ35hyD80IQAImSj2YTIlLcnG2AhAE=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>I've been busy this week organising the forthcoming London Critics' Circle Awards, and also voting in both Online Film Critics Society awards and the Dorian Awards. And we also had the Bafta Film Awards nominations today, which is the biggest awards alongside the Oscars. Those nominations come next week. So there's been plenty to do along with watching a few movies... <p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOrTRJ0seBksqzHYaTeuetZUirQD80A9Yz5si_FhEwfPyj-SHioBjG-NzA9uP78t4MuWx_g8YqgIHZlKx5Ak6WZ3pze7tcwAHjdJByWOlQGKe8NEdvznngGCgYOv9WuL-kR3wbpskOYr4VOElUr9U94ZTuchR4WCVpuxSN3Lh8Q9mYa8o_0qVegj0QlYs" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOrTRJ0seBksqzHYaTeuetZUirQD80A9Yz5si_FhEwfPyj-SHioBjG-NzA9uP78t4MuWx_g8YqgIHZlKx5Ak6WZ3pze7tcwAHjdJByWOlQGKe8NEdvznngGCgYOv9WuL-kR3wbpskOYr4VOElUr9U94ZTuchR4WCVpuxSN3Lh8Q9mYa8o_0qVegj0QlYs=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">BEST OUT THIS WEEK</span></b><span style="text-align: left;">:</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">The End We Start From</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">The Holdovers • The Kitchen</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk" style="text-align: left;"><b>ALL REVIEWS ></b></a></td></tr></tbody></table>The British drama <b>Gassed Up</b> won the audience award at the London Film Festival, and is a stylish and impressively made film until it's taken over by a standard crime thriller. The cast is packed with rising stars, led by Stephen Odubola. Another British thriller was also very slickly made: <b>Jackdaw</b> stars Oliver Jackson-Cohen as a motocross rider who gets entangled with a crime boss who happens to be his estranged father. Strong performances make it enjoyable, including a tough Jenna Coleman and a scene-chewing Thomas Turgoose. <p></p><p>More highbrow, the Swedish drama <b>Opponent</b> stars the always excellent Peyman Maadi as an Iranian refugee grappling with his inner demons. The charming Italian romance <b>Fireworks</b> gets very dark indeed as it explores prejudice in a 1980s small-town. And the offbeat comedy <b>The Civil Dead</b> playfully subverts the ghost story genre with its likeably sad sack characters</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1ItB2xZ2nUyP52phCEwd8hbmJpyY2jgh1n7qCoKGop0t9zHz-iPl9OxaVKgqTfaWgdU5sdqP_8V-eXEJJ7gF2Xfn7TvV1_29vFRIqrqaIanzkyDy0_C5QTwulkq09w-8OpuWjJVcUsYkWKlBiet8f9HvGFrStX7vePMFd7OWuZWoca1xS_xAkMgEieAg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1ItB2xZ2nUyP52phCEwd8hbmJpyY2jgh1n7qCoKGop0t9zHz-iPl9OxaVKgqTfaWgdU5sdqP_8V-eXEJJ7gF2Xfn7TvV1_29vFRIqrqaIanzkyDy0_C5QTwulkq09w-8OpuWjJVcUsYkWKlBiet8f9HvGFrStX7vePMFd7OWuZWoca1xS_xAkMgEieAg=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>This coming week is also a bit slower than usual at the cinema, but I have a lot to do. I'll be watching three British films: Ian McShane in American Star, Diana Quick in Forever Young, and the offbeat drama-documentary hybrid This Blessed Plot. And I have two stage shows to cover as well.<p></p><div><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-35950825088010325572024-01-12T10:16:00.011+00:002024-01-12T14:32:02.359+00:00Critical Week: Pretty in pink<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5eyTohQTmNFAR1UqHxmVn_5r6-gefQhWgFMmsk2Nili9jIcMc8UxpRZpltXJxNdpMrX9szpcjFg7alfOlsAC4tDbXbIpG_uspgZtBYr-ym8O4gfEracqlfWrNIqzfOeMHrgtaCywINgL8qyRGRPekIyLwiMpBlJC_qLWyQa27nQn22PpId7ZmNWYNWPE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5eyTohQTmNFAR1UqHxmVn_5r6-gefQhWgFMmsk2Nili9jIcMc8UxpRZpltXJxNdpMrX9szpcjFg7alfOlsAC4tDbXbIpG_uspgZtBYr-ym8O4gfEracqlfWrNIqzfOeMHrgtaCywINgL8qyRGRPekIyLwiMpBlJC_qLWyQa27nQn22PpId7ZmNWYNWPE=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>Screenings are back in full swing now, alongside continuing awards-season events, so there's plenty to watch out there these days. As a voter, it was nice to have a link to watch the Golden Globes live on Sunday, even if it finished at 4am London time. I enjoyed seeing the results of the all-new voting base, journalists scattered across some 75 countries who don't follow the usual Hollywood script. And the feed I was watching kept running during the ad breaks, so it was cool to watch the astonishing array of stars schmoozing and playing around before being called back to their seats. Now I have three weeks to finalise plans for the London critics awards, where we hope to have plenty of big names in the room to celebrate.<p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaXK9cwC1Yyh_KuUHOHpCl_HkpHFacckzOEjWd2CHXEfAGL1Oem1FzSOgMuKvKB03g2mQN8fN7omQy859ubySfeuC5E1lsjaN53y4KHjHFywUhKYhTSehI8dIzTE5-3mKt_0PJf9gKtCWltk3BMR8plJcUx6YQt0YxcldV5OOkHJZYlxKl0y5BPnfyXgM" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaXK9cwC1Yyh_KuUHOHpCl_HkpHFacckzOEjWd2CHXEfAGL1Oem1FzSOgMuKvKB03g2mQN8fN7omQy859ubySfeuC5E1lsjaN53y4KHjHFywUhKYhTSehI8dIzTE5-3mKt_0PJf9gKtCWltk3BMR8plJcUx6YQt0YxcldV5OOkHJZYlxKl0y5BPnfyXgM=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">BEST OUT THIS WEEK</span></b><span style="text-align: left;">:</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">Soul • Poor Things</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk" style="text-align: left;">ALL REVIEWS ></a></td></tr></tbody></table>As for the movies, the big screening this week was for the musical remake of <b>Mean Girls</b>, which is essentially the same movie with added music video-style songs and references to social media. Some of this works nicely, but it feels a little uneven. <b>Race for Glory: Audi vs Lancia</b> is a rather dry tale of rivalry between German and Italian car companies, livened up by a solid cast and a bit of racing action. The 90s-set New York drama <b>You Can't Stay Here</b> makes up for its low budget with some big underlying ideas and cool cinematic references. The British arthouse drama <b>Silver Haze</b> is relentlessly miserable, but shows some visual style. And the documentary <b>Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer</b> is fascinating for both fans and potential fans, but surprisingly straightforward<b>.</b><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQwShL1qPXhuhOtQqr9x7wMJidtr6cPMUyxZOT2TbWRmC1_HgcgNWohMwiU6tfPJ_WHgfYlOKFjNty8Gcnz8coexsj4fqTicO1ugzfM1MT7uocOfsdaYsvNGoJR1MhYTDQLHjKNvINDR6HhHYHkJPnHfc6Q7MQK1gDmdx-aPuRfxWPYeYOqL9nbYmgYgw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQwShL1qPXhuhOtQqr9x7wMJidtr6cPMUyxZOT2TbWRmC1_HgcgNWohMwiU6tfPJ_WHgfYlOKFjNty8Gcnz8coexsj4fqTicO1ugzfM1MT7uocOfsdaYsvNGoJR1MhYTDQLHjKNvINDR6HhHYHkJPnHfc6Q7MQK1gDmdx-aPuRfxWPYeYOqL9nbYmgYgw=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>This coming week I'll be watching Viggo Mortensen in <i>Eureka</i>, British thriller <i>Jackdaw</i>, award-winning British drama <i>Gassed Up</i>, Swedish refugee drama <i>Opponent</i>, Italian romance <i>Fireworks</i> and offbeat comedy <i>The Civil Dead</i>.<p></p>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-12697784977728873342024-01-08T19:58:00.014+00:002024-01-09T14:29:40.395+00:00Screen: January TV Roundup<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYk0jIhyOBkv6GhZ7qDMWWmo9ImK8onLXHwTN8nnJiofBv95dalNnWoul49hrHLNT3GdasS7tYd1zT3VK75mpu73ex8RqYggLKjHJh8Y_BZusGLWyd7UMjE4WTYj_enigtRbLFAHPCIMy1KAoTTs0-uH2PiFJerIeK0j2iV99KLBm0FB_dF8n49caHMXc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYk0jIhyOBkv6GhZ7qDMWWmo9ImK8onLXHwTN8nnJiofBv95dalNnWoul49hrHLNT3GdasS7tYd1zT3VK75mpu73ex8RqYggLKjHJh8Y_BZusGLWyd7UMjE4WTYj_enigtRbLFAHPCIMy1KAoTTs0-uH2PiFJerIeK0j2iV99KLBm0FB_dF8n49caHMXc=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>Extra television was required this autumn to prepare for casting my TV ballots in the 81st Golden Globes. But it's just impossible to catch everything. Still, I'd seen most nominees in each category before I cast my final-round votes, then cheered <i>The Bear, Succession</i> and <i>Beef</i> to victory on Sunday night. Here's what I've been watching over the past four months, starting with nine new series. Or in the first case, new-ish...<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Frasier<br /></span></b>Kelsey Grammer slips effortlessly back into his iconic role for a third time, still seeming like a man living in the wrong place and time, and loving it despite the constant annoyances. This reworking is more of a standard sitcom than the 1993-2004 iteration, with the usual collection of offbeat characters and predictable tensions. So that Niles-Frasier dynamic feels sorely lacking. That said, these people definitely grow on us. And it's the funniest new comedy in years, a rare show that can make us laugh out loud. (Paramount) </p><p><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2YkfBtSVwD3lLlEd1N8Wpl4UsnI9UGjHTXbaMnHVRMa97PWt0NwA5bKD8fq7jJ5owT5vXkM6bX_WRzp1-4vEcTOQl7U33fhvtlvxcw0t6cWm0rLi3dsN9nnM1v7-deZ05D0kDxPAoDV7Fiqb21u_-eaDfCDD1ScROE_IdhEZCMs0BAXI44B04aOabezw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2YkfBtSVwD3lLlEd1N8Wpl4UsnI9UGjHTXbaMnHVRMa97PWt0NwA5bKD8fq7jJ5owT5vXkM6bX_WRzp1-4vEcTOQl7U33fhvtlvxcw0t6cWm0rLi3dsN9nnM1v7-deZ05D0kDxPAoDV7Fiqb21u_-eaDfCDD1ScROE_IdhEZCMs0BAXI44B04aOabezw=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Fellow Travelers<br /></span></b>Lavishly and boldly assembled, this drama traces several decades in American politics through the prism of homophobia and fear, most notably in the 1950s McCarthy hearings. An epic romance is recounted in fragmented snippets that prevent the viewer from properly engaging with the narrative's emotional momentum, but individual scenes are gorgeously written and played, and various story arcs carry strong emotional wallops. Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey have wonderfully prickly chemistry in the central roles. (HBO)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCP_ubwfFrTMlYaL_zdeXIv3PudMthXHzn4cCgunyUSy54c2IHgY2Ti07f6S6cDC8gMnqGyVmHnJNzx6bkAqRARcO2rffTEK7_oMLabpgUJa_Z3DFiBklawAWScbcFkueamzGtEGqD2tHEh0M81us9w2UPJ6sPxYtUkFM1MOu9sHu9aecj2yd2PSCTdSY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCP_ubwfFrTMlYaL_zdeXIv3PudMthXHzn4cCgunyUSy54c2IHgY2Ti07f6S6cDC8gMnqGyVmHnJNzx6bkAqRARcO2rffTEK7_oMLabpgUJa_Z3DFiBklawAWScbcFkueamzGtEGqD2tHEh0M81us9w2UPJ6sPxYtUkFM1MOu9sHu9aecj2yd2PSCTdSY=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Lessons in Chemistry<br /></span></b>First-rate production values and excellent performances add both weight and depth to this 1950s drama, which takes a specific look at the often cruel suppression of women in American society. The story centres on ace scientist Elizabeth (a superb Brie Larson), a survivor of abuse who finds herself increasingly marginalised despite her brilliant mind. Strong performances from Lewis Pullman (as her colleague and romantic foil) and Aja Naomi King (as an intrepid neighbour) add terrific textures. (Apple)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBCX9kx_HN5FKsDXYEhga_Zb0PFQ4YHW1c__Tt7p0vVl9o0fbyN2K_7fJ3ER1s87LRM5JXSRXH0BjSQIVDFWb2YT-iNOImkgVAb4a5fR_L9Q-JHbiTNVPbr854psK3MzeLnuPPgqTpHBd4lo-Met0hIBMs4SbN37o8h0wzQW6CLutfZK4I5t6OpG5-MuQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1001" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBCX9kx_HN5FKsDXYEhga_Zb0PFQ4YHW1c__Tt7p0vVl9o0fbyN2K_7fJ3ER1s87LRM5JXSRXH0BjSQIVDFWb2YT-iNOImkgVAb4a5fR_L9Q-JHbiTNVPbr854psK3MzeLnuPPgqTpHBd4lo-Met0hIBMs4SbN37o8h0wzQW6CLutfZK4I5t6OpG5-MuQ=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">The Brothers Sun<br /></span></b>Michelle Yeoh storms the small screen as the mother of siblings (Justin Chien and Sam Song Li) who haven't seen each other in decades. One stayed in Taipei with their Triad boss dad (Johnny Kou) and became a killer, while the other moved with mum to Los Angeles and became "soft". The spiralling interaction within this family, plus a range of terrific side roles, makes this show worth a look, while the violence that surrounds them erupts in fiercely well-staged action sequences. It's a lot of fun, and keeps us on our toes. (Netflix)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYSoZaM-5nngKpaePBvbJWICHDuHGJiYSScagzV_QAgXiCMALDHhLT1Z0WnTO_i6eupt0EhaZjVBlYUarBMbUkvvo9I3-PPeEq68YrLMhxdW7fXeW6GkleW_gPLpnvJQecF3c18rSNhfIqdw5EovSK2USgZUivvQtPwmCbzQ3xjCNi-MxBlwwZwOifd7o" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYSoZaM-5nngKpaePBvbJWICHDuHGJiYSScagzV_QAgXiCMALDHhLT1Z0WnTO_i6eupt0EhaZjVBlYUarBMbUkvvo9I3-PPeEq68YrLMhxdW7fXeW6GkleW_gPLpnvJQecF3c18rSNhfIqdw5EovSK2USgZUivvQtPwmCbzQ3xjCNi-MxBlwwZwOifd7o=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Gen V<br /></span></b>This spin-off from <i>The Boys</i> has a sparky young cast and a driving sense of momentum, plus the same intensely hyper-violent touches and gimmicky sexual shenanigans. The fresh-faced cast is likeable, even as their super-powered university student characters rocket through a series of outrageous situations while uncovering and trying to expose a massive conspiracy involving a shady cabal that is exploiting all of them. Ultimately, it's a bit of nasty nonsense that folds itself back into <i>The Boys</i>. (Prime)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjASxOpx5t-iNQNNu5jw-E9Qz6PZ77qvbJuUrLDNlkstfR0joQeI8HhcmqouxEe79gpJOvhWztKSLwA5Pojs1HfR_D1pE4A5JktpZiW8d7JU12RaN5ymge2LTisflvvgZ1ns9MbgemaTEzeQd8rsXN4nwddckgjzM2RIFq9LunWDq0ykowHMlAuDDXvdiY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjASxOpx5t-iNQNNu5jw-E9Qz6PZ77qvbJuUrLDNlkstfR0joQeI8HhcmqouxEe79gpJOvhWztKSLwA5Pojs1HfR_D1pE4A5JktpZiW8d7JU12RaN5ymge2LTisflvvgZ1ns9MbgemaTEzeQd8rsXN4nwddckgjzM2RIFq9LunWDq0ykowHMlAuDDXvdiY=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Blue Eye Samurai<br /></span></b>Beautiful manga-style animation brings this epic-legend series to life, with hour-long episodes that feel rather ambitious, but also textured and satisfying. Set in 17th century Japan, when being foreign was illegal, the story sends a young samurai who is half-European (thus the blue eyes) on a very personal quest. Secrets abound throughout the narrative, which unfolds with a wonderful series of unexpected adventures and relationships and lots of underlying secrets. And the characters have complexity and charm. (Netflix)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrG5oThTaYSrq29RoVrq6MgDvHJ5mBy596Azl3WLd_GapzMriJwJdYeC_W0s0pfOLZ7IOqTYixUpBEUZmIlBudDLMuSlfnZMud2J76BNcGJC7aBLHWNyOjIjDt-95L71qTaOm_3IaHHp1YnJccC0wutH2aOQDVvpgRaRRYe-lXI6Tfo1lts8Y0mfYtsvY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrG5oThTaYSrq29RoVrq6MgDvHJ5mBy596Azl3WLd_GapzMriJwJdYeC_W0s0pfOLZ7IOqTYixUpBEUZmIlBudDLMuSlfnZMud2J76BNcGJC7aBLHWNyOjIjDt-95L71qTaOm_3IaHHp1YnJccC0wutH2aOQDVvpgRaRRYe-lXI6Tfo1lts8Y0mfYtsvY=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Still Up <br /></span></b>This sitcom is about an insomniac and her agoraphobic male pal who are never in the same room. Both are insufferable, difficult to like as they communicate by video chat. Thankfully, Lisa and Danny are brightly well-played by Antonia Thomas and Craig Roberts. But their misadventures feel contrived, as does how the story pushes them together. Along the way, they constantly poke fun at Lisa's partner (Blake Harrison), the show's most engaging character who's ridiculed for his humanity and sense of responsibility. Hmmm. (Apple)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-gSEyUAZPT_Vn7p98sZ2qLAJ_XE3Jm9AzZ8NqiVljxcW7xUm1tFja9vhVfm80cuo3QO6u4aKiFPIxngEKJvpI-NZ9Uh1Q8ZI1SRpiZYFbd3Ds9pu7jivGslOAKbJ7FSkFDX5kL6TVz25awpoyzbsxq2E-GA5Lsyt3UPiFtkwSzQhnnBRTtShRd9NloOQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-gSEyUAZPT_Vn7p98sZ2qLAJ_XE3Jm9AzZ8NqiVljxcW7xUm1tFja9vhVfm80cuo3QO6u4aKiFPIxngEKJvpI-NZ9Uh1Q8ZI1SRpiZYFbd3Ds9pu7jivGslOAKbJ7FSkFDX5kL6TVz25awpoyzbsxq2E-GA5Lsyt3UPiFtkwSzQhnnBRTtShRd9NloOQ=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Tore <br /></span></b>From Sweden, this is a pitch-black comedy that isn't afraid to get very grim indeed, as the young title character (William Spetz) grapples with both his sexuality and his grief. This makes it often tough to watch, as Tore isn't particularly likeable, because he acts without thinking about anyone, even himself. But it's fascinating to watch as his experiences push and pull him in various directions, shifting his perspective and trajectory. And Spetz delivers an astonishingly brave performance in a wonderfully messy role. (Netflix)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFgljzM3Hw-UsBQD4NJLjWV0x6AOmUdNLjKlXAe1N-96EneUhjnGnjpCEzjD3Rret86I2L8qImMmUWUOEvnP4-8WDKVYFfyqoPkAwyyZkBJ-aLONNsvFVzFiD1csLiWIZkzL28mL4Pv5BFoWsab-bMJCdjZY-VWDSL_lbBn6CgioXtrqPKxRSc2pbjtF0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFgljzM3Hw-UsBQD4NJLjWV0x6AOmUdNLjKlXAe1N-96EneUhjnGnjpCEzjD3Rret86I2L8qImMmUWUOEvnP4-8WDKVYFfyqoPkAwyyZkBJ-aLONNsvFVzFiD1csLiWIZkzL28mL4Pv5BFoWsab-bMJCdjZY-VWDSL_lbBn6CgioXtrqPKxRSc2pbjtF0=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;">Escort Boys<br /></span></b>Corny title aside, this French series has an intriguing premise that could serve as a fascinating exploration of masculinity. Alas, the story is told through a resolutely male gaze, with characters who are unflinchingly macho. It's about a teen girl who, to save the family farm, creates a stable of escorts with her brother and friends. The setting, in a part of France that looks like the Australian Outback, is gorgeous. While the obvious female themes are here, issues of sexuality only timidly emerge in the final two episodes. (Prime)<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwuosmjtdQkVB48_o6R0EKO39fo1vS_qsd1HvxZb2WQPsZPvmuS-_f9JO6fdeLeUZBAh6xrUKhtaudfjiEpmJ1uJWCxv9oGvpDdxyKyIsaaeR5Yx0OeqzoHcmNhoip9b1ozpjJHGmjOoxVn2U4q77tNQI0dpdsEZSoTRzQ7ffay8yYYjSKNIfVxbtcvEg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwuosmjtdQkVB48_o6R0EKO39fo1vS_qsd1HvxZb2WQPsZPvmuS-_f9JO6fdeLeUZBAh6xrUKhtaudfjiEpmJ1uJWCxv9oGvpDdxyKyIsaaeR5Yx0OeqzoHcmNhoip9b1ozpjJHGmjOoxVn2U4q77tNQI0dpdsEZSoTRzQ7ffay8yYYjSKNIfVxbtcvEg=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: medium;"><b>A F I N A L B O W</b></span><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #45818e;">The Crown: series 6 <br /></span></b>This final season's first half builds to the death of Princess Diana (the fantastic Elizabeth Debicki) and her seismic influence on the royal family and the world. Then the show returns to the Queen (Imelda Staunton), Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce), Princess Margaret (Lesley Manville), Prince Charles (Dominic West) and his sons., tying up loose narrative loose ends. As always, this is impeccably produced, with first-rate acting in complex roles. And as it inventively blends fact with fiction, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. (Netflix)</p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7g_gGmbbHxAyUYUJDyqhklKmzzsgfnZeQ4CYKsRIbSSQI7-cZ---6MDe8tvf-3zvWSPiyClJZGOkiguuqOh3opwf0N_B30hzD1fFQA7xZsWVHNBPXQvk5apLmlVV2QQI4GgtPFW-oNPOHyAGedvZlkbQB17IahjcWbV-O41WhR8lwGafz2bdfSGxUXbI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7g_gGmbbHxAyUYUJDyqhklKmzzsgfnZeQ4CYKsRIbSSQI7-cZ---6MDe8tvf-3zvWSPiyClJZGOkiguuqOh3opwf0N_B30hzD1fFQA7xZsWVHNBPXQvk5apLmlVV2QQI4GgtPFW-oNPOHyAGedvZlkbQB17IahjcWbV-O41WhR8lwGafz2bdfSGxUXbI=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></span></b></div><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: medium;"><b>A N O T H E R H E L P I N G</b></span><p></p><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">The Morning Show: series 3 <br /></span></b>Far soapier than previous seasons, this show slows its momentum while diffusing the plot among various improbable character threads. Topicality remains strong enough to hold the interest, especially with powerhouse actors like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Greta Lee and Julianna Margulies. It may not be as brisk, bold and nimble as the first season, but it's a rare show that takes on big issues relating to show business. And Jon Hamm has some nasty fun a the Musk-like tech baron on a mission. (Apple)</p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhL1J7fe8xx8H0UPjaGhaINweTbIhFXOUAUT5zN1GGCdS9a2a6lWR9hARv4n0zif-v_55uwZp7taB7Z271iuKUO3GM3A0prvA0K_iR9zpURYiXTNKasjk_JWijHvkFVff5rk05i0fpFYCS_Ck35rwPiY3xUhfP4v5t31b-fuIc0ztr2fgh5TL9cQHNejXs" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhL1J7fe8xx8H0UPjaGhaINweTbIhFXOUAUT5zN1GGCdS9a2a6lWR9hARv4n0zif-v_55uwZp7taB7Z271iuKUO3GM3A0prvA0K_iR9zpURYiXTNKasjk_JWijHvkFVff5rk05i0fpFYCS_Ck35rwPiY3xUhfP4v5t31b-fuIc0ztr2fgh5TL9cQHNejXs=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">The Tourist: <br />series 2<br /></span></b>Jamie Dornan and Danielle Macdonald continue the adventures of the amnesiac Irishman, leaving the Australian Outback for Ireland and a new barrage of kidnappings, attacks and mayhem. It turns out that Elliot is actually scion of the Cassidy mob, and he reignites the feud with the rival McDonnell family. The twists and turns are fun, violent but gleefully played with tongue in cheek. While some of the random sideroads feel a bit annoying, the great Olwen Fouere is fabulously formidable as Elliot's no-nonsense mother. (BBC)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHI6mtngcJysfp69xKfbhd6RVZko4ikjXoaX_brXXiDUIohwTPobeSuLaQgQ-GETZoLS9zau45U6oAQCX0p9j371qJTkXxJVzi9y0jKd9Zq-pLik4qIKdVPWkTTqYDeCtwEVGEug36TCz3PDgXSg1KSVjW5L1glgY7Blu5I0e0L950_b3u8Is5YiDQZZc" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHI6mtngcJysfp69xKfbhd6RVZko4ikjXoaX_brXXiDUIohwTPobeSuLaQgQ-GETZoLS9zau45U6oAQCX0p9j371qJTkXxJVzi9y0jKd9Zq-pLik4qIKdVPWkTTqYDeCtwEVGEug36TCz3PDgXSg1KSVjW5L1glgY7Blu5I0e0L950_b3u8Is5YiDQZZc=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">Upload: series 3<br /></span></b>This show's plottiness increases once again, and the exhausting convolutions distract from the more entertaining relationships and sci-fi nuttiness. As the central premise splinters to follow other characters, Robbie Amell's Nathan is doubled as well, creating two main storylines while further beefing up supporting roles for leading ladies Andy Allo and Allegra Edwards, as well as Owen Daniel (as the entire afterlife hotel staff). This is a guilty pleasure, offering fun while never grappling with deeper ideas in the premise. (Prime)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUcPgrhSZu7QV9-OTrcP-qxnvDMbxdQ99eX9vRNNGPl2p6rAjNNylXaGo62IJhUV45qOafRoAwXy5YH1EDQxs8PSI0xozPNPWIdFvhwQVAk0BoPaDgNMzgopBzg7jqaKXZ1AhQij_BA7VZVyA6DB7PZtV7liF5Pdt88giahcUs7Bzknu5ZnGtKWpT23mg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUcPgrhSZu7QV9-OTrcP-qxnvDMbxdQ99eX9vRNNGPl2p6rAjNNylXaGo62IJhUV45qOafRoAwXy5YH1EDQxs8PSI0xozPNPWIdFvhwQVAk0BoPaDgNMzgopBzg7jqaKXZ1AhQij_BA7VZVyA6DB7PZtV7liF5Pdt88giahcUs7Bzknu5ZnGtKWpT23mg=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">Our Flag Means Death: series 2 <br /></span></b>Adding some terrific new characters and spiralling adventure chaos, this pirate ship comedy charges confidently into its second season. It's hilarious to watch events continually rocket off in new directions, as the characters struggle to make sense of each new situation. This season starts off sparky and silly, then get a bit murky with lots of flashback-induced soul-searching. So the final few episodes feel a little meandering and corny. But the way the show continually punctures masculinity is fiendishly clever. (Max)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEideMIeYfFCE11884OLKTp7ZQii69BtH-0vCKCdaoejr9weh3371vxv33WfDnSbL-sP75x_fPHCdBwgGB2Szrb-oAuAeMlezJTdmU3YC1AuM_o15yL9MEMR9ynnZGCV9OjxwdQAzWDNsSEFL1FFI0guLDQXJZ7AJftrxUKRY5z2eR9S6QaxwRazH4DkaaE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEideMIeYfFCE11884OLKTp7ZQii69BtH-0vCKCdaoejr9weh3371vxv33WfDnSbL-sP75x_fPHCdBwgGB2Szrb-oAuAeMlezJTdmU3YC1AuM_o15yL9MEMR9ynnZGCV9OjxwdQAzWDNsSEFL1FFI0guLDQXJZ7AJftrxUKRY5z2eR9S6QaxwRazH4DkaaE=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">Elite: series 7<br /></span></b>Madrid's party/murder school is back in session, with traumatised ex-student Omar (Omar Ayuso) now on staff while his new boyfriend (Fernando Lindez) is a student, improbably funded by last year's multiple-tragedy victim Ivan (Andre Lamoglia) then launching into an awkward love triangle. There's a feeling like the stakes have been raised, most notably with the aggressive police, who are seen illegally wiretapping teens and violently evicting homeless kids from a shelter. But several vanished characters are sorely missed. (Netflix)<p></p><p><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: medium;">I G I V E U P</span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-PBWFB2EyIxi9O_nemMpto0JnOjTA36f_xLFivNAN52WW5vZqrE_gJQgTR13aCP7kgpvQNnaKvWWckCydMgClOreRIXn1TY8yb7UEPTe9uJwpaeyWueY1mUk7CzvF2UOth1Ry6OwQ7kBDxAz6nw37ct4J_LH-mHgYc6SDx0nk0O43NhDG8tZRVXywWxw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-PBWFB2EyIxi9O_nemMpto0JnOjTA36f_xLFivNAN52WW5vZqrE_gJQgTR13aCP7kgpvQNnaKvWWckCydMgClOreRIXn1TY8yb7UEPTe9uJwpaeyWueY1mUk7CzvF2UOth1Ry6OwQ7kBDxAz6nw37ct4J_LH-mHgYc6SDx0nk0O43NhDG8tZRVXywWxw=w200-h113" width="200" /></a></b></div><b><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: medium;">Loki: series 2 <br /></span></b>Rocketing back into its time-travelling, parallel universe mayhem, this show is far too pleased with its own impenetrable mythology to allow the viewer in. Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson have terrific chemistry, plus the great Ke Huy Quan, but it's swamped by overwrought production values and badly overwritten dialog. I tried to just sit back and have some fun with this, but lost the will to live by episode 3. (Disney) <p></p><p><b><span style="color: #783f04;">NOW WATCHING</span></b>: Fargo (5), The Traitors (2), Invincible (2), Open To It.</p><p><b><span style="color: #783f04;">COMING SOON</span></b>: Expats, Feud: Capote vs the Swans, Mr & Mrs Smith, Sexy Beast, The Woman in the Wall, The New Look, Players, Abbott Elementary (3), True Detective: Night Country (4), The Conners (6), Queer Eye (8).</p><p><i>Previous roundup</i>: <a href="https://shadowsontheweb.blogspot.com/2023/10/screen-october-tv-roundup.html"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">OCTOBER 2023 ></span></b></a> </p>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-43472244250489752722024-01-06T19:28:00.028+00:002024-01-07T13:56:54.860+00:00Stage: Let's talk about sex<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh79AEQCJvmUVP50QBudw7YbiOHDTb5GPle87_q6IA599LbgWNyN5rhGeWv011viHNTZdbHV1uHMshaNuhs32qAEyXBVYXcik6WnXiL-v4JmKa6jfa1vC1C8N6hlrJWg7Xdlqx2Y6f-_Zvuq-DS2k4JehXmb5bTk4qk8I5heg6yltBUJJqLKU_yDuPjUts" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh79AEQCJvmUVP50QBudw7YbiOHDTb5GPle87_q6IA599LbgWNyN5rhGeWv011viHNTZdbHV1uHMshaNuhs32qAEyXBVYXcik6WnXiL-v4JmKa6jfa1vC1C8N6hlrJWg7Xdlqx2Y6f-_Zvuq-DS2k4JehXmb5bTk4qk8I5heg6yltBUJJqLKU_yDuPjUts=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">The Sex Lives of Puppets<br /></span></b><i>by Mark Down & Ben Keaton<br />performers Mark Down, Isobel Griffiths, Simon Scardifeld, Dale Wylde<br />directors Mark Down & Ben Keaton<br />puppets Russell Dean and Blind Summit<br />lights James Mackenzie<br />Southwark Playhouse Borough, London • 4-13.Jan.24</i> ★★★★<p></p><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPYwjwzXImP0qWk1uQ3Dh89uZXOk_uizMmQRvd15fAe1FkUetogEypVLy3ZPEu5kfpq-XubsB3QsQnD2VNpp71ymdQvhFYXra6UZOtTkEpehz8KrULcDUWc-Nu1CXvKgl9GAElVC1hBbTnmJXWAsraMbQ4MtnNlgG90KipIBwQU4ewmHJQdkqMCmE057I" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPYwjwzXImP0qWk1uQ3Dh89uZXOk_uizMmQRvd15fAe1FkUetogEypVLy3ZPEu5kfpq-XubsB3QsQnD2VNpp71ymdQvhFYXra6UZOtTkEpehz8KrULcDUWc-Nu1CXvKgl9GAElVC1hBbTnmJXWAsraMbQ4MtnNlgG90KipIBwQU4ewmHJQdkqMCmE057I=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>Working on a complex series of layers, this inventive adults-only show combines puppetry with verbatim theatre to explore issues relating to sexuality from a gleefully British perspective. A world premiere, the show is based on real interviews with people about their sex lives, which are then performed by the Blind Summit team with witty touches, big personalities and creative visual trickery.</div><div><br /></div><div>Puppets take their place in the spotlight on a table either alone or in pairs. And it's remarkable how each figure blossoms with sparky energy, as performers take turns providing voices and movements. Couples bounce off each other in hilariously intimate ways as they speak about how they express themselves sexually. So each interview overflows with humour and pointed honesty, offering continual resonance. Some of these figures are so engagingly lifelike that we'd happily watch them share their stories for the full 90 minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBYWD13ZGmWeepSr5VKW4tKDFy2iNmyxs5RhjGgMdJ-FBonYWpQXUsADFo7eyXehiCCo_6Eb93jogavk-cc0AGbNgmTFMmQp7Dk2C_WOQBZKA8iFnvVjrb2IUlCYBGoszDpu9KKVON1bzX2FlEme_xy45ohDFz_n2jRp-AdfBmXz1Bb4RJvbk4YugDQAE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBYWD13ZGmWeepSr5VKW4tKDFy2iNmyxs5RhjGgMdJ-FBonYWpQXUsADFo7eyXehiCCo_6Eb93jogavk-cc0AGbNgmTFMmQp7Dk2C_WOQBZKA8iFnvVjrb2IUlCYBGoszDpu9KKVON1bzX2FlEme_xy45ohDFz_n2jRp-AdfBmXz1Bb4RJvbk4YugDQAE=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>Puppets represent a wide range of ages, ethnicities, sexualities, social status and accents, plus of course varying levels of embarrassment about the topic at hand. Realistically, most warm up once they start talking, giggling about their interests, fetishes and feelings. So the chatter quickly traverses the emotional spectrum alongside the flirtation and nudge-nudge innuendo. Before the interval, the show climaxes in a beautifully surreal moment of eye-catching visual theatre, followed by an outrageous bit of shadow puppetry. Then for the finale, performers screen their faces for an amusing pile-on that's played for comedy rather than smuttiness.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtPUUKXbCwAoarJ1c6Yqh3TxO3Mpow0_9HQR57E0U2gjFXfU7siNWMZelNxRChk7Fl49YiR3NPPjjTHBNYSR8xV28p-ooaTF0VnNbPFcnDs_mHODVUXKKeKamhacBDaxz9iVxc5stq6b9FFdGCEh6xyOBkOiVVCNcG65VsWCex5z0gQDXo0zExzyHi5as" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtPUUKXbCwAoarJ1c6Yqh3TxO3Mpow0_9HQR57E0U2gjFXfU7siNWMZelNxRChk7Fl49YiR3NPPjjTHBNYSR8xV28p-ooaTF0VnNbPFcnDs_mHODVUXKKeKamhacBDaxz9iVxc5stq6b9FFdGCEh6xyOBkOiVVCNcG65VsWCex5z0gQDXo0zExzyHi5as=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>Augmented by an effectively simple stage set, sound and lighting, the performers are dressed in black, never trying to be invisible. So they express their puppets' feelings on their own faces, offering a second play outside the play. This adds knowing, underlying echoes of fetishism and manipulation. Since the show is frank and honest about sex, some audience members might be taken aback. But it's never rude or shocking. And even though it's very funny, the truthfulness makes it feel eerily like watching a documentary. Indeed, many scenes offer genuine insight, such two elderly men talking about their lively sex lives in a retirement home. And it's here that one finally finds the courage to admit that that he's gay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because this is based on interviews, there is no further exploration of these bigger themes. But the point is that we rarely, if ever, speak about these things. And we need to be reminded that sex is different for everyone. So each anecdote will spark thought and discussion. And in the mean time, we can enjoy the artistry of these performers and puppet-makers,. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJ-CVa5NUTNNLkLJeK6eDH7g56aU-MeS5ovFoobqK7h66J8SFEM1rEp8aui27wbAG8cuOiUE-coBH7-4svxDBxAwtyBCHY8-vHq1tbO_9DpkDj2l10GOaYbQERR3mhdcPvlan8tcy7jGjJ8prZiJfskUaU1E-S_y21kXlRrBr7isRJiARU5ByZpFNsbTM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJ-CVa5NUTNNLkLJeK6eDH7g56aU-MeS5ovFoobqK7h66J8SFEM1rEp8aui27wbAG8cuOiUE-coBH7-4svxDBxAwtyBCHY8-vHq1tbO_9DpkDj2l10GOaYbQERR3mhdcPvlan8tcy7jGjJ8prZiJfskUaU1E-S_y21kXlRrBr7isRJiARU5ByZpFNsbTM=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXHXhhImcCN2dwlJbMiWPocO6K4OxrIihLuyzBmjI0NXKpiZUf0x7L6vaoRfoH3tX1qlanSOiSH6Bbr146xTLTqua8M2oMNUd05iuC0vLboP4F7G0DZHq_BDIs6h8r4b7TFhbDZpoLZ7TkWlusJapUS4u0JuzHHDW6MRI36Mbt7e5-Tr_2yEbxpFWiW8M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXHXhhImcCN2dwlJbMiWPocO6K4OxrIihLuyzBmjI0NXKpiZUf0x7L6vaoRfoH3tX1qlanSOiSH6Bbr146xTLTqua8M2oMNUd05iuC0vLboP4F7G0DZHq_BDIs6h8r4b7TFhbDZpoLZ7TkWlusJapUS4u0JuzHHDW6MRI36Mbt7e5-Tr_2yEbxpFWiW8M=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs5_F1WVe54qInNwk-N14Fj4_TYZFlpwRXDKxIt-jBU1YEXpdcVDXH1l4X67YSx942s8vFCHWnEq9-fCBnFpTu1NioYruJjwUV9qddxox-29NA_R0R1pxuE04vIxh-QOC-K_KFzpwhblZw-qXkvzoFVzYG_P2kTC-2YFwknK4ebIjq5su-D1CsJVlFo8A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgs5_F1WVe54qInNwk-N14Fj4_TYZFlpwRXDKxIt-jBU1YEXpdcVDXH1l4X67YSx942s8vFCHWnEq9-fCBnFpTu1NioYruJjwUV9qddxox-29NA_R0R1pxuE04vIxh-QOC-K_KFzpwhblZw-qXkvzoFVzYG_P2kTC-2YFwknK4ebIjq5su-D1CsJVlFo8A=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div><i>For details, </i><a href="https://www.blindsummit.com"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">BLIND SUMMIT ></span></b></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photos by Nigel Bewley • 5.Jan.24</span></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-42064604724157284112024-01-04T22:28:00.002+00:002024-01-04T22:28:38.194+00:00Critical Week: Campfire stories<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPNv5k3A_7hXRKplTfIK_U3hsZa4QBYuKAF0bYpYd1z47jSNRjJkkvzp4rcJAOs8wbqifbF6WSJF7-Kr_oRGpBN0cW8G3tP1YBm2BVGINNSt-4Xt0GASN9kyw0O--sd8Ug0DL_I1E8ipt-cU4qI6biFjU9TBRBsLLFznnlrjit6nNu42KdvSXwn385WPA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPNv5k3A_7hXRKplTfIK_U3hsZa4QBYuKAF0bYpYd1z47jSNRjJkkvzp4rcJAOs8wbqifbF6WSJF7-Kr_oRGpBN0cW8G3tP1YBm2BVGINNSt-4Xt0GASN9kyw0O--sd8Ug0DL_I1E8ipt-cU4qI6biFjU9TBRBsLLFznnlrjit6nNu42KdvSXwn385WPA=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>The new year has kicked off in London with rather a lot of wind and rain, which makes me want to shelter indoors rather than going out to see any movies. But screenings are starting up again this week, so I'm venturing out into the cold and damp. Meanwhile, movie awards season is cranking up another gear with more voting deadlines and the completely revamped Golden Globes coming on Sunday night. I voted in them again this year, so will be curious to see who wins, although I'll have to wait to read about it on Monday as no one broadcasts the ceremony in the UK.<p></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyD5bitGuj78isgrnbLXWnIqdb18AfCBVDkSdcTtbA1BLTLdWS6eziGLFyozIdi3EM2YRHI2qOz0VOfn4d3a27mL7z5Rt0WeGn0978Vja4OFRk2RtI9-qztEgOxom3WTUFEG2rQkfZUQMkuY3oFPlqYDE724VCQFdQgVchDoVoXt24CUi9IKbG-CoTsK0" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyD5bitGuj78isgrnbLXWnIqdb18AfCBVDkSdcTtbA1BLTLdWS6eziGLFyozIdi3EM2YRHI2qOz0VOfn4d3a27mL7z5Rt0WeGn0978Vja4OFRk2RtI9-qztEgOxom3WTUFEG2rQkfZUQMkuY3oFPlqYDE724VCQFdQgVchDoVoXt24CUi9IKbG-CoTsK0=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">BEST OUT THIS WEEK:<br /></span></b><span style="text-align: left;">Memory • Scala!!!</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk" style="text-align: left;"><b>ALL REVIEWS ></b></a></td></tr></tbody></table>Filmwise, I watched the timely near-future thriller <b>The End We Start From</b> with Jodie Comer (pictured above with Benedict Cumberbatch) as a new mother in a flooded Britain - the perfect movie to watch on a very rainy day! The odyssey plays cleverly through emotions and perspectives rather than action or plotting. <b>Bricklayer</b> is a preposterous action thriller set in Greece with Aaron Eckhart and Nina Dobrev, directed by explosion-master Renny Harlin. The loose-limbed thriller <b>He Went That Way</b> follows two men on a 1960s road trip. It's a bit awkward but nicely played by Jacob Elordi and Zachary Quinty. And I also watched the five intriguing shorts nominated for the London Critics' Circle Film Awards.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhBqtAxkSaI9rmts8mNZQd79Rb6OQFOVCJRhVEBtk8xW8M7NtYwrNhVWw1R0cuisr_miah1WJSMUymlpiyg3Jm08DAKUuX_D7z6V-Bc5-A1IiWT3s9gqasz1Dxqsq65_skYL0tJlumkcvUifgOJ2ORE71SNaMPYDSpGfNr1-KtK5FwCq0sbxh9rtRbFzw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhBqtAxkSaI9rmts8mNZQd79Rb6OQFOVCJRhVEBtk8xW8M7NtYwrNhVWw1R0cuisr_miah1WJSMUymlpiyg3Jm08DAKUuX_D7z6V-Bc5-A1IiWT3s9gqasz1Dxqsq65_skYL0tJlumkcvUifgOJ2ORE71SNaMPYDSpGfNr1-KtK5FwCq0sbxh9rtRbFzw=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>This coming week I'll be watching the new adaptation of the stage show <i>Mean Girls: The Musical</i>, the thriller <i>You Can't Stay Here</i>, London-set drama <i>Silver Haze</i>, Chilean drama <i>The Settlers</i> and the documentaries <i>Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer</i> and <i>The Disappearance of Shere Hite.</i><p></p>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-42207789028977185722023-12-31T23:59:00.002+00:002023-12-31T23:59:00.132+00:00A Year in Shadows: Vol 39<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5yrtc2Difsg6njB8E234XS3xq0-2MtkCZR9EZBbqkIsZ-Bzn8Fxl6i35cHAfP9DclNw30LhBpit_Vp51zmWV0JxBh3oWdBLXsLY81zNx13Olt1Cwzlcy5d0Z4ibF7tIxMk-oPUfy5WAQk9PS4sY95FrWoXnFEHBFtbAzMJrsshceQlLm8Ree4IVcXMlI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="762" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5yrtc2Difsg6njB8E234XS3xq0-2MtkCZR9EZBbqkIsZ-Bzn8Fxl6i35cHAfP9DclNw30LhBpit_Vp51zmWV0JxBh3oWdBLXsLY81zNx13Olt1Cwzlcy5d0Z4ibF7tIxMk-oPUfy5WAQk9PS4sY95FrWoXnFEHBFtbAzMJrsshceQlLm8Ree4IVcXMlI=w310-h640" width="310" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>It was another full set of 52 covers in 2023,</b> featuring the following films in order: <i>A Man Called Otto, M3gan, The Son, The Fabelmans, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Magic Mike's Last Dance, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Creed III, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, John Wick: Chapter 4, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, Air, Renfield, Chevalier, Big George Foreman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, Book Club: The Next Chapter, Fast X, The Little Mermaid, Reality, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, The Flash, No Hard Feelings, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Elemental, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Gran Turismo, Blue Beetle, Scrapper, Passages, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, A Haunting in Venice, Expend4bles, The Creator, The ExorcistL Believer, May December, Trolls Band Together, Typist Artist Pirate King, Priscilla, The Marvels, Saltburn, Napoleon, Candy Cane Lane, Wonka, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Maestro</i> and <i>The Color Purple</i>, plus the Bafta and Oscar covers.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note that full-size versions of these covers can be found in posts that were made here each week throughout the year.</span></p><p><i><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: medium;"><b>Trivia alert!</b></span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Most crowded</b>: There are more than 25 chickens for <i>Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget</i>, and 11 people for <i>A Haunting in Venice</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>On multiple covers</b>: Only Michelle Rodriguez and Jonathan Majors appear on two covers, always alongside costars. Three others appear twice, but the second time is as an animated character they voice: Bradley Cooper (raccoon), Salma Hayek (cat) and Michelle Yeoh (bird). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Getting one cover all to themselves</b>: Halle Bailey, Fantasia Barrino, Timothee Chalamet, Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Khris Davis, Amie Donald, Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, Kelvin Harrison, Barry Keoghan, Jimmy Kimmel, Gabriel LaBelle, Zachary Levi, Emma Mackey, Xolo Mariduena, Cillian Murphy, Eddie Murphy, Joaquin Phoenix, Keanu Reeves and Sydney Sweeney.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Sharing a cover with their costars</b>: Micah Abbey, Candice Bergen, Orlando Bloom, Kenneth Branagh, Jordana Brewster, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Shamon Brown Jr, Ellen Burstyn, Nicolas Cage, Sasha Calle, Lola Campbell, Nicolas Cantu, George Cobell, John Corbett, Camille Cottin, Harris Dickinson, Vin Diesel, Monica Dolan, Jamie Dornan, Jacob Elordi, Nathalie Emmanuel, Adele Exarchopoulos, Andrew Barth Feldman, Tina Fey, Dominique Fishback, Jane Fonda, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson, Ryan Gosling, Hugh Grant, David Harbour, Jude Hill, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Jackman, Michael B Jordan, Elias Kacavas, Elena Kampouris, Sung Kang, Diane Keaton, Michael Keaton, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophia Lillis, Evangeline Lily, Kelly Macdonald, Archie Madekwe, Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, Ezra Miller, Julianne Moore, Carey Mulligan, Brady Noon, Leslie Odom Jr, Rege-Jean Page, Teyonah Parris, Chris Pine, Natalie Portman, Anthony Ramos, Kelly Reilly, Margot Robbie, Franz Rogowski, Paul Rudd, Riccardo Scamarcio, Justice Smith, Cailee Spaeny, Mary Steenburgen, Channing Tatum, Levy Tran, Nia Vardalos, Iman Vellani, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, John David Washington and Ben Whishaw.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Appearing once as an animated character they voice</b>: Mamoudou Athie (water), Antonio Banderas (cat), Camila Cabello (troll), Peter Cullen (robot), Pete Davidson (car), Anna Kendrick (troll), Liza Koshy (robot), Leah Lewis (fire), Thandiwe Newton (chicken), Ron Perlman (gorilla), Bella Ramsey (chicken) and, David Sobolov (rhino). Meanwhile, the cat alongside Tom Hanks on the very first cover seems to be the only actual animal.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>And here are four drafts that weren't used</b>: The first is an alternate version for <i>Creed III</i>. <i>Across the Spider-Verse</i> and <i>Asteroid City </i>were anticipated in June but usurped by other films due to late screenings. And <i>The Bikeriders</i> was pulled from its release date and moved into 2024, so this cover may turn up next year. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrgy6AGEHBvr2_Cf_V8esVzEdJIUGwFuG3UL8Edw1XeH6RYt6oO6h4AG27Vs0aRlHc08xhWo6kSozLfKOPENZSOBNxFAO2RrHWWhRO_-YX9_EphXA-WBzcHQh5suYrsc__lwMrdkM8h110suwCbdGUfLu0-A0lnbSc9P_cLzWKbHtG-6ERNu5jSnNcG-Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="724" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrgy6AGEHBvr2_Cf_V8esVzEdJIUGwFuG3UL8Edw1XeH6RYt6oO6h4AG27Vs0aRlHc08xhWo6kSozLfKOPENZSOBNxFAO2RrHWWhRO_-YX9_EphXA-WBzcHQh5suYrsc__lwMrdkM8h110suwCbdGUfLu0-A0lnbSc9P_cLzWKbHtG-6ERNu5jSnNcG-Q=w253-h400" width="253" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-44618245366464622412023-12-30T16:48:00.014+00:002023-12-31T17:15:45.990+00:00The Best of 2022: 43rd Shadows Awards<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEazeimylRWmPHMtiMlVMFKF28r90Xqr7gDUNApSW5eWZpWChYXUJ4qCrseHsmQimbYX86UrSRjqJfFUM4QeDPSC99YwwOjsukJeasqIPtL-BHUP0GN5nlAZUo2WT9_c4dkrKRLjn4ZhLoEtU8SS980GFpZyBLnaWeGIS5UasxCyfTKaZDj0aIcbel4x8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEazeimylRWmPHMtiMlVMFKF28r90Xqr7gDUNApSW5eWZpWChYXUJ4qCrseHsmQimbYX86UrSRjqJfFUM4QeDPSC99YwwOjsukJeasqIPtL-BHUP0GN5nlAZUo2WT9_c4dkrKRLjn4ZhLoEtU8SS980GFpZyBLnaWeGIS5UasxCyfTKaZDj0aIcbel4x8=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>The year-end ritual is complete, as I compile my lists of the best of the year. This post is merely a preview - there is <b><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/23/23awards.htm">so much more on the website</a></b> if you dare! Meanwhile, my voting continues in various awards (Golden Globes, London Critics, Online Critics, Galeca Dorian Awards), bearing only passing resemblance to these lists due to eligibility rules. And I'll add my usual Critical Week note below...<p></p><p><b style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8Whc3Ey2jMzK3WnGJ61K8Efwp15EXz0GBHixsR8ysK4HR0WG3lU-pPlwHKj57eEZdAeXg1kVcTWJGe6ERSrlMY7-NDfHm3s6aaJPeQ8DBEJqfIPjvGSGjeMyPnm6n1UGJVD09o5yNTUumaXo2kzaOE04vzX1dF5vP3aRC2MTvAka0AylwOPXkt53jxuw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8Whc3Ey2jMzK3WnGJ61K8Efwp15EXz0GBHixsR8ysK4HR0WG3lU-pPlwHKj57eEZdAeXg1kVcTWJGe6ERSrlMY7-NDfHm3s6aaJPeQ8DBEJqfIPjvGSGjeMyPnm6n1UGJVD09o5yNTUumaXo2kzaOE04vzX1dF5vP3aRC2MTvAka0AylwOPXkt53jxuw=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></span></b></div><b style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">BEST FILM:</span></b><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>All of Us Strangers</b> (Andrew Haigh)</li><li><b>Past Lives</b> (Celine Song)</li><li><b>Joyland</b> (Saim Sadiq)</li><li><b>Poor Things</b> (Yorgos Lanthimos)</li><li><b>Reality</b> (Tina Satter)</li><li><b>Anatomy of a Fall</b> (Justine Triet)</li><li><b>The First Slam Dunk</b> (Takehiko Inoue)</li><li><b>The Zone of Interest</b> (Jonathan Glazer)</li><li><b>Killers of the Flower Moon</b> (Martin Scorsese)</li><li><b>Barbie</b> (Greta Gerwig)</li></ol><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2KKWKEvM22_q1d8wB_bFvZntjzV7zpfp1VWD1XGdEwxvot9INSfIJmkjLmj02lbVpNABbM5ja9vrJr1-_SADURLMLAaTqZfCeuH3dKJZA1p7VXwaiqSiIZ482tLxcibzNGihgmOsUMxp3vaqjBmUhfUUQq2FYQ5b7xvvO-Rn3cdLeM7yGGY06ZyAQIyk" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2KKWKEvM22_q1d8wB_bFvZntjzV7zpfp1VWD1XGdEwxvot9INSfIJmkjLmj02lbVpNABbM5ja9vrJr1-_SADURLMLAaTqZfCeuH3dKJZA1p7VXwaiqSiIZ482tLxcibzNGihgmOsUMxp3vaqjBmUhfUUQq2FYQ5b7xvvO-Rn3cdLeM7yGGY06ZyAQIyk=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;">DIRECTOR:</span></b><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Celine Song</b> - Past Lives</li><li><b>Tina Satter</b> - Reality</li><li><b>Andrew Haigh</b> - All of Us Strangers</li><li><b>Jonathan Glazer</b> - The Zone of Interest</li><li><b>JA Bayona</b> - Society of the Snow</li></ol><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoypXWLc_C86gEcfJgSDurjgdnqlC0eWSGLh_MePRHfDWgAZPnai-SwJ86pRsSJXaoao7_5f-ex9eocussv5RDRHwBM4-2B3TTG-PHiDVRBGeRSEnwIHYXQJI3bVgqDTi0J720VwcmFHcZRIZGhdUr-zDowLzAJaadN-lqHcITl0PoHPgLq5F-2lEho1I" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoypXWLc_C86gEcfJgSDurjgdnqlC0eWSGLh_MePRHfDWgAZPnai-SwJ86pRsSJXaoao7_5f-ex9eocussv5RDRHwBM4-2B3TTG-PHiDVRBGeRSEnwIHYXQJI3bVgqDTi0J720VwcmFHcZRIZGhdUr-zDowLzAJaadN-lqHcITl0PoHPgLq5F-2lEho1I=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;">SCREENWRITER</span></b>:<p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Celine Song</b> - Past Lives</li><li><b>Andrew Haigh</b> - All of Us Strangers</li><li><b>Saim Sadiq</b> - Joyland</li><li><b>Molly Manning Walker</b> - How to Have Sex</li><li><b>Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach</b> - Barbie</li></ol><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5qKhKzglmo2JXMLzJIw2VwChV5gLBmysUmGEKr4kbtUqZHYOqC8exJagMCOZn5yMN9YIgComrD0t66EctFvzN0HNxg3dL-HcsgpZ40C4VBzubcJ_21vyq3TscXay5tcEfmj1wMzbBn-KikEVPi1fmXPaJZH2UbyFiNXyiI54VzoiHsGO52ykWkzvmaDg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5qKhKzglmo2JXMLzJIw2VwChV5gLBmysUmGEKr4kbtUqZHYOqC8exJagMCOZn5yMN9YIgComrD0t66EctFvzN0HNxg3dL-HcsgpZ40C4VBzubcJ_21vyq3TscXay5tcEfmj1wMzbBn-KikEVPi1fmXPaJZH2UbyFiNXyiI54VzoiHsGO52ykWkzvmaDg=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;">ACTRESS:</span></b><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Sandra Huller</b> - Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest</li><li><b>Emma Stone</b> - Poor Things</li><li><b>Sydney Sweeney</b> - Reality</li><li><b>Teyana Taylor</b> - A Thousand and One</li><li><b>Lily Gladstone</b> - Killers of the Flower Moon</li></ol><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqrFC7DvF9XLPP8yT5TWS7Pn9-_dl8RT4Man0cC58-3Hx5iMByA1G1rh0uVnTLIA2A3KA3utXsAf8cRaJKb4G7aOVUbL9r48OsmHU48uWtoCCG1s8mOx1TURgBwIC_anZmF00-1wtGWq_FBdkXo7yOX41oB7w_C3fKm2_4Gf4PWFxCa416GSga0GEYstk" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqrFC7DvF9XLPP8yT5TWS7Pn9-_dl8RT4Man0cC58-3Hx5iMByA1G1rh0uVnTLIA2A3KA3utXsAf8cRaJKb4G7aOVUbL9r48OsmHU48uWtoCCG1s8mOx1TURgBwIC_anZmF00-1wtGWq_FBdkXo7yOX41oB7w_C3fKm2_4Gf4PWFxCa416GSga0GEYstk=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;">ACTOR:</span></b><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Ali Junejo</b> - Joyland</li><li><b>Andrew Scott</b> - All of Us Strangers</li><li><b>Cillian Murphy</b> - Oppenheimer</li><li><b>Koji Yakusho</b> - Perfect Days</li><li><b>Colman Domingo</b> - Rustin, The Color Purple</li></ol><p></p><p><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm6N7DnSfSNrP-jKnCRwlW4967IoHqv66ehuR3cayFQW71gmPP3a6L7EAE3T438b8TCK93lxy4HuON31nkQoAyoDfZnuf0z26xzgZv1wDVYOeg9uK7LZpdxtmnXIdnY2NoAvwcoHqCfYj9deBoFeAXeagzCej7ejXuRUzy8CscHhZKIVBc8lQXgwTTjRE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm6N7DnSfSNrP-jKnCRwlW4967IoHqv66ehuR3cayFQW71gmPP3a6L7EAE3T438b8TCK93lxy4HuON31nkQoAyoDfZnuf0z26xzgZv1wDVYOeg9uK7LZpdxtmnXIdnY2NoAvwcoHqCfYj9deBoFeAXeagzCej7ejXuRUzy8CscHhZKIVBc8lQXgwTTjRE=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>SUPPORTING ACTRESS:</b></span><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Da'Vine Joy Randolph</b> - The Holdovers, A Little White Lie, Rustin</li><li><b>Rosamund Pike</b> - Saltburn</li><li><b>Danielle Brooks</b> - The Color Purple</li><li><b>Jodie Foster</b> - Nyad</li><li><b>Claire Foy</b> - All of Us Strangers</li></ol><p></p><p><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho8lOHrWwhK3qtYlh4BIqJbkl3yCk4ZYgnJAboTQQ1FGSHpU3aXqYNDpLkt4q_VXks0bazcOz607zVRT1HN3Tjy1TvDV4yldKWfnkYW6xS3VGphnQnLbHRKyugq3VfB5wnowLpJD3AhJ8vrOj0GtqbYGvc7FlEU8k-YHxu540LubE53zeH1vduKdzuMwQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="198" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho8lOHrWwhK3qtYlh4BIqJbkl3yCk4ZYgnJAboTQQ1FGSHpU3aXqYNDpLkt4q_VXks0bazcOz607zVRT1HN3Tjy1TvDV4yldKWfnkYW6xS3VGphnQnLbHRKyugq3VfB5wnowLpJD3AhJ8vrOj0GtqbYGvc7FlEU8k-YHxu540LubE53zeH1vduKdzuMwQ=w134-h200" width="134" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>SUPPORTING ACTOR:</b></span><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Paul Mescal</b> - All of Us Strangers, Foe, God's Creatures, Carmen</li><li><b>Robert Downey Jr </b>- Oppenheimer</li><li><b>Mark Ruffalo</b> - Poor Things</li><li><b>Alessandro Borghi</b> - The Eight Mountains</li><li><b>Aaron Pierre</b> - Brother, Foe</li></ol><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNSIHuc47aeUJ3KJiYkWort3eMmJGXUUtK7J5KJGMyJ9SEUCc_KAgW435uO68gOnGXPm_xgUpa3WTloOPZm00cgG8AHFJw5gxBMuyqvW1j5QhGZjGkKI3gZQfP8cHR5-aVh1ZvNsBNYxBrWkMb3CwUIRo0waRZILohrzO21MxIZmJLmcZcDREOCwSvNCk" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNSIHuc47aeUJ3KJiYkWort3eMmJGXUUtK7J5KJGMyJ9SEUCc_KAgW435uO68gOnGXPm_xgUpa3WTloOPZm00cgG8AHFJw5gxBMuyqvW1j5QhGZjGkKI3gZQfP8cHR5-aVh1ZvNsBNYxBrWkMb3CwUIRo0waRZILohrzO21MxIZmJLmcZcDREOCwSvNCk=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #f6b26b;">WORST FILM:</span></b><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Expend4bles</b> (Scott Waugh)</li><li><b>Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey</b> (Rhys Frake-Waterfield)</li><li><b>Hunt Club</b> (Elizabeth Blake Thomas)</li><li><b>Haunted Mansion</b> (Justin Simien)</li><li><b>Assassin Club</b> (Camille Delamarre)</li></ol><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #93c47d;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #93c47d;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1R7-QtgywQgQYAV5UORlNSI4G8KJacTi7m28ge8zwm0yQX1oSoepBZ50FRCHjI_FDWdv5VBSRJWs9mnWmuYOSlYsPUHYbYVn7GotYrbaiBBmnBaE5Exj43OrLc2cyUuC356pu3T1IN0wsyJDTWFTY7GjTqPHGmZp14xwMSf_SGgGztu3gwqIbuULvQIg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="95" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1R7-QtgywQgQYAV5UORlNSI4G8KJacTi7m28ge8zwm0yQX1oSoepBZ50FRCHjI_FDWdv5VBSRJWs9mnWmuYOSlYsPUHYbYVn7GotYrbaiBBmnBaE5Exj43OrLc2cyUuC356pu3T1IN0wsyJDTWFTY7GjTqPHGmZp14xwMSf_SGgGztu3gwqIbuULvQIg=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #93c47d;">TV SERIES:</span></b><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>The Bear</b> (FX)</li><li><b>Lessons in Chemistry</b> (Apple)</li><li><b>Ted Lasso</b> (Apple)</li><li><b>Dave</b> (FX)</li><li><b>Succession</b> (HBO)</li></ol><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNOIEFcPV3lwaGqUbW8IyH_VeLRwA7bqxZW8SX81PJe22SRNfUk2C-9G4vnUx6_ivmCUiXKhEfzHx7Xy0yuMhmvwCcIt69DYyzeOgIPzQn1zu8mOQG1kib1hhG8N-RFuNYfInofRlRcpxIjzTJndpO3IqhItbd66P41ZTx1jBUTelmzompwdy9e3Ypl3g" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="95" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNOIEFcPV3lwaGqUbW8IyH_VeLRwA7bqxZW8SX81PJe22SRNfUk2C-9G4vnUx6_ivmCUiXKhEfzHx7Xy0yuMhmvwCcIt69DYyzeOgIPzQn1zu8mOQG1kib1hhG8N-RFuNYfInofRlRcpxIjzTJndpO3IqhItbd66P41ZTx1jBUTelmzompwdy9e3Ypl3g=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">POP SINGLE:</span></b><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>People Pleaser</b> - Cat Burns</li><li><b>Flowers</b> - Miley Cyrus</li><li><b>Heaven</b> - Niall Horan</li><li><b>Padam Padam</b> - Kylie</li><li><b>Chemical</b> - Post Malone</li></ol><p></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfwkPTvPBdI6QonWXuItbnsXNzfLAP5pfv5W92C8agVqicTUkN2BudU6gR4XvoduNJCMf29uG5_ukV1iOYMHAS3XuL_G8ORlJNI04nvasnJIhyntO8LUjaA3agYnp9_Crt5Y-LlWRPCPt97Z597lC0ygkgti7q8vxEm7De7XJxdgjFdXNCgkweP3JuokU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfwkPTvPBdI6QonWXuItbnsXNzfLAP5pfv5W92C8agVqicTUkN2BudU6gR4XvoduNJCMf29uG5_ukV1iOYMHAS3XuL_G8ORlJNI04nvasnJIhyntO8LUjaA3agYnp9_Crt5Y-LlWRPCPt97Z597lC0ygkgti7q8vxEm7De7XJxdgjFdXNCgkweP3JuokU=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">C R I T I C A L W E E K : <br />Everything’s new</span></b></span><p></p><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-ciUBYkEvWIYpssTcx1NR7McknBkxuHuCROvz3yknER-gWqWHnou4JzVxlYcg9s-pWtCYSe8Tqf3pkSAaMlhz6HyOq3zSgrlQ-y6w0e5hygs3H4Kac7Ea3AEudjQQIoCMSFViJFxaX2DtFPXr9ZFclhOyMbjpwLD_yNYZ8xl5OW3ifYmPvT9Xi0gHgic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-ciUBYkEvWIYpssTcx1NR7McknBkxuHuCROvz3yknER-gWqWHnou4JzVxlYcg9s-pWtCYSe8Tqf3pkSAaMlhz6HyOq3zSgrlQ-y6w0e5hygs3H4Kac7Ea3AEudjQQIoCMSFViJFxaX2DtFPXr9ZFclhOyMbjpwLD_yNYZ8xl5OW3ifYmPvT9Xi0gHgic=w145-h200" width="145" /></a></div>I've been in catch-up mode, but have limited my viewing, preferring to take a bit of time off for a change. Watching movies is work for me! But I caught up with Wim Wender's wonderful drama <b>Perfect Days</b>, a pointed observation about life through the eyes of a hugely likeable Japanese toilet cleaner. And then there was Franz Rogowski giving another staggering performance in the thoughtful French drama <b>Disco Boy</b>, Ferzan Ozpetek's nostalgic and involving personal drama <b>Nuovo Olimpo</b>, the familiar but effective immigrant romance <b>Norwegian Dream</b> and two very strong docs: <b>Beyond Utopia</b>, a riveting look at a pastor who helps people escape from the North Korea, and <b>20 Days in Mariupol</b>, a devastating account of Russia's horrific siege on the Ukrainian port city.</div><div><br /></div><div>This coming week I will continue catching up with films for voting purposes, because there are still a lot of those! New screenings kick off with Jodie Comer in <i>The End We Start From</i>.</div></div><div><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-42847049758560267202023-12-21T17:40:00.007+00:002023-12-21T17:45:50.658+00:00Critical Week: Party season<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDZ5gh9pXPHnfPeCI8sNGn4rseBMRU2TPMTf65klBDnKX28QeboiVKbTs_R1O9VqO6wXsJr73hAQU7kz_KTtmN4EofzsaXaUk1Om_B9hacTGml3Ywg6a4oeqaIdSba1SHYXSdz38B2ZpCw6_HMcMTI-hDJKfS1yjDThWsTlsaOADE8cyIPjuxQxN0yoKQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDZ5gh9pXPHnfPeCI8sNGn4rseBMRU2TPMTf65klBDnKX28QeboiVKbTs_R1O9VqO6wXsJr73hAQU7kz_KTtmN4EofzsaXaUk1Om_B9hacTGml3Ywg6a4oeqaIdSba1SHYXSdz38B2ZpCw6_HMcMTI-hDJKfS1yjDThWsTlsaOADE8cyIPjuxQxN0yoKQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>Well, we're coming up to the end of the year, and awards are pouring in at a rapid pace, with top 10 lists and critics groups announcing their honours. I've been busy with <b><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/shglobes.htm">Golden Globes</a></b> ballots and organising the <b><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/shcricir.htm">London Critics' Circle</a></b> nominations announcement this week (we announce our winners on 4th February). We also announced that we're giving special awards to Jeffrey Wright and Colman Domingo at our 44th ceremony. There have also been a couple of Christmas parties, of course, as we prepare for the holidays this weekend. So I've only seen three films...<p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxAt99JfsyuR-dpgYKV3rF_kd1oaVVkTjy8R7EcFmBZyCCGTuNsCVwfsCnD6Dn6p5WUKcfXxZN03my1fdrhMk-9XnX9NQxpmGRD3wTq62Xz2OJXUj-9FlfagppiqE1H73Lc_Z6_X6VXWN65mSMmGoMVka_ionuUKiMNZd6LJK5S_pvrI63FnaOP93FrWs" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="650" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxAt99JfsyuR-dpgYKV3rF_kd1oaVVkTjy8R7EcFmBZyCCGTuNsCVwfsCnD6Dn6p5WUKcfXxZN03my1fdrhMk-9XnX9NQxpmGRD3wTq62Xz2OJXUj-9FlfagppiqE1H73Lc_Z6_X6VXWN65mSMmGoMVka_ionuUKiMNZd6LJK5S_pvrI63FnaOP93FrWs=w200-h91" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #741b47;">BEST OUT THIS WEEK</span></b><span style="text-align: left;">:</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">All of Us Strangers</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">Society of the Snow</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">Memory • The Iron Claw</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><a href="http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk" style="text-align: left;"><b>ALL REVIEWS ></b></a></td></tr></tbody></table>The British drama <b>How to Have Sex</b> earned several nominations, and I understood why as I finally caught up with it. Starting as a raucous drunken holiday comedy, it quickly shifts into something much more provocative and important. Debut writer-director Molly Manning Walker is certainly one to watch. And then there was the lavish French swashbuckling adventure <b>The Three Musketeers: Milady</b>, the second part in this all-star adaptation, putting Eva Green's shadowy character at the centre of the mayhem. It looks great, and the cast is terrific, keeping it enjoyable even when the plot bogs down in detail. I also saw the Mexican drama <b>The Trace of Your Lips</b>, a beautifully made and rather intensely erotic drama about isolation and connection.<br /><p></p><p>I won't see many movies this coming week, but I will need to watch the Aaron Eckhart thriller<b> The Bricklayer</b>, the biopic <b>Tchaikovsky's Wife</b> and the immigrant drama <b>Norwegian Dream</b>. </p><p><b><span style="color: #990000;">HAPPY CHRISTMAS!</span></b></p><div><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3421679484746485383.post-67126465040774027862023-12-18T12:20:00.001+00:002023-12-19T12:28:11.890+00:00Stage: We didn't make it to Disney<p><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMcv-b62Za-APPpQUWxbgIAKjy3rYrjru9JDLrPhGW8PgnHC7VcaAENP8I_N0kDsC-JF35hMoqOMg-02RO3VmKrF01R8vwW1qBZnYgwMgjnladUYzGBnEMwZPblLrFmFfaHF6JMPx3g9L20mCdMhJ4k3dFWUOuf3ejdxmHbKmtaM__PjBTWee9KnDA0jI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMcv-b62Za-APPpQUWxbgIAKjy3rYrjru9JDLrPhGW8PgnHC7VcaAENP8I_N0kDsC-JF35hMoqOMg-02RO3VmKrF01R8vwW1qBZnYgwMgjnladUYzGBnEMwZPblLrFmFfaHF6JMPx3g9L20mCdMhJ4k3dFWUOuf3ejdxmHbKmtaM__PjBTWee9KnDA0jI=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></span></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunate<br /></span>The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch<br /></span></b><i>by Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx<br />music Tim Gilvin<br />director Robyn Grant<br />with Shawna Hamic, River Medway, Thomas Lowe, Allie Dart, Julian Capolei, Jamie Mawson, Corrina Buchan, Jack Gray, Jamie McKillop, Milly Willows<br />choreography Melody Sinclair<br />sets/costumes/puppets Abby Clarke<br />lighting Adam King<br />Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London • 8.Dec.23-17.Feb.24</i> ★★★★<p></p><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgemR0PelbXoHF09IdTo8DmItlwJriEiqAHBgSC1m1uOlOEFYWtsFmpJI_NQ6ntu3a6gyF4z9Kbj26SJUNxtmdQxe6VrPX91cWMmBp_MbC-_dtEKP_3U4G3dcWPRXNk812R_EWwls2ttyaJdKcSt8cQnfBxSkZynWGSVMe__uo8LXM7rJPaXIEbJKgna-s" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgemR0PelbXoHF09IdTo8DmItlwJriEiqAHBgSC1m1uOlOEFYWtsFmpJI_NQ6ntu3a6gyF4z9Kbj26SJUNxtmdQxe6VrPX91cWMmBp_MbC-_dtEKP_3U4G3dcWPRXNk812R_EWwls2ttyaJdKcSt8cQnfBxSkZynWGSVMe__uo8LXM7rJPaXIEbJKgna-s=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>With a cheeky, adult-oriented sense of humour and dazzling staging, this riotous musical explores the story of <i>The Little Mermaid</i> through the eyes of the octopus villain Ursula. Even in the relatively small space at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, the show has a lavish scale with gorgeous sets and costumes, eye-catching lighting effects, elaborate choreography and ingenious puppet work. It's a bit let down by a sound mix that blurs the witty punchlines and lyrics, but enough gets through to keep us laughing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Narrating the story in vibrant style, Ursula (Hamic) takes us back <i>Wicked</i>-style to her childhood and school days with the preening sexy merman heir to the throne Triton (Lowe). Ursula is unpopular at school, so their hilariously sexy romance is doomed. Flash forward 20 years, and Triton's daughter Ariel (Medway) strikes a bargain with the now outcast Ursula, sacrificing her voice to acquire legs so she can live on dry land with her beloved dim-bulb prince Eric (Mawson). </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrQBK6M7zgNppF1o2MQuYSRXStqf4MbkjJtcUz4q4wEJCV3260C6cy-0bJkKMwakncuFMaEgQbfW07SF43-a9VxSE19nd61_bPjoI6OQJN2Zsgw5lkt45V0S7IB2LqIbnDIpImacNPSZgIvtf6tyf6YBZnBsmlzE4fJh0c56RQv5C2p0sAWHRggTVwIYw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrQBK6M7zgNppF1o2MQuYSRXStqf4MbkjJtcUz4q4wEJCV3260C6cy-0bJkKMwakncuFMaEgQbfW07SF43-a9VxSE19nd61_bPjoI6OQJN2Zsgw5lkt45V0S7IB2LqIbnDIpImacNPSZgIvtf6tyf6YBZnBsmlzE4fJh0c56RQv5C2p0sAWHRggTVwIYw=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>Everything about this show is fresh and energetic, with a mix of new songs and pastiche numbers that are cleverly reworked. So <i>Kiss the Girl</i> becomes a plea for consent called <i>Ask the Girl</i>. And <i>Part of Your World</i> becomes something hilariously unprintable. Each is performed to the hilt by the gifted cast, with full-on staging and costume shenanigans that inventively recreate the worlds both above and under the sea. Colours are intense and visual gags abound, making this the kind of show in which it feels like the cast is having a lot of fun, and they're sharing it with us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hamic has wonderful presence as the rock chick Ursula, a neon-haired explosion of charisma and sarcasm. She keeps the story zipping along, and has terrific chemistry with the Lowe's hugely engaging himbo. Drag Race star Medway is wonderfully deadpan as Ariel, a young woman who isn't as ignorant as everyone wants her to be. And scenes are expertly stolen by the fiendishly talented all-singing, all-dancing duo of Allie Dart and Julian Cappolei, who play a variety of quick-change characters so expertly that each emerges as a favourite. Their comical timing and musical skills are perfection.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqRw_iBF7OtuxigCG_5ZyqV2KxsjMe6CkI2ba3icoak1ofeXoE5bGP7HEdn2mZBnc6PEsAB_Z18wAjftNqZiUWrjfaSOKR0dSoSqGzgVhBDsrIfuNLfSbn0bgD6ldUBkaKeZ8BQzjsZCsCUt41NIeC8gXHHGqi4h60o1ELOUyXboLmhak8FR2RlXFY1Gw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqRw_iBF7OtuxigCG_5ZyqV2KxsjMe6CkI2ba3icoak1ofeXoE5bGP7HEdn2mZBnc6PEsAB_Z18wAjftNqZiUWrjfaSOKR0dSoSqGzgVhBDsrIfuNLfSbn0bgD6ldUBkaKeZ8BQzjsZCsCUt41NIeC8gXHHGqi4h60o1ELOUyXboLmhak8FR2RlXFY1Gw=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div>With its outrageously smutty plot and florid language, this is definitely not a show for the kids. But grown-ups will find it irresistible as it takes a gleefully askance approach to a childhood favourite, complete with a triumphant message about self-determination. While it smartly makes use of the entire space, the show feels a bit cramped into this venue, so it's nice to see that the forthcoming UK tour includes full-scale theatres. </div><div><br /></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZ2bQuSlEkjgrmm5mPUT7oPdr95FwTdCh0D8lPRGVPZprrNtqCwCtL8ljvRHYvg7Bq42aY6HNxC_BJn0b-nsny6ddCfKRzupcEi7op5CNfEKTmDda90L8fGpHjuw30YuXAE1tcAlIBvUCzUB6-vm06xbirFcF6zHo2Hm354euMXUpXbLVL6ZThwDUX_-Y" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZ2bQuSlEkjgrmm5mPUT7oPdr95FwTdCh0D8lPRGVPZprrNtqCwCtL8ljvRHYvg7Bq42aY6HNxC_BJn0b-nsny6ddCfKRzupcEi7op5CNfEKTmDda90L8fGpHjuw30YuXAE1tcAlIBvUCzUB6-vm06xbirFcF6zHo2Hm354euMXUpXbLVL6ZThwDUX_-Y=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkPlSE1jqdwuuqBHG7VepuNOJQSB4c_AtvuCHk2e1AdzJA1EX1GTP5osgw5-migEg9LbY0MlPFAKOv-zbMAZtjPQbGnvA1T2DNIiJdoedRq1TFDpjiHdd02G-CT0JGtBvVn2T5qv6QrKyCf8d78zg4-oDpPzW_KPl9vQyonX7iA_f5HYj3kmTfJqHfibU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkPlSE1jqdwuuqBHG7VepuNOJQSB4c_AtvuCHk2e1AdzJA1EX1GTP5osgw5-migEg9LbY0MlPFAKOv-zbMAZtjPQbGnvA1T2DNIiJdoedRq1TFDpjiHdd02G-CT0JGtBvVn2T5qv6QrKyCf8d78zg4-oDpPzW_KPl9vQyonX7iA_f5HYj3kmTfJqHfibU=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>For details</i>, <a href="http://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE ></span></b></a></div><div><i>For information on the national tour until July 2024</i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <a href="https://unfortunatemusical.com/">UNFORTUNATE ></a> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">15.Dec.23</span></div></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div>Rich Clinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17294157597889960151noreply@blogger.com0