Fringe: Michelle Brasier - Monet X Change - Raising Kane

Reform ★★★★
Michelle Brasier
with Tim Lancaster, Jordan White
Gilded Balloon Teviot, Dining Room • Fringe, Aug.23

With seemingly boundless energy, Brasier puts her entire skillset to work telling a story that's hilarious, pointedly nasty and surprisingly moving. Fuelled by her innate optimism, the audience is taken through a series of twists and turns that emerge through stand-up comedy, dramatisations and sharply funny songs. Brasier's exuberance is infectious, even if the rapid-fire delivery makes it tricky to catch all of her punchlines. But the story is wonderfully engaging, especially as it urges us to see an often harsh world through more positive eyes. And the way she tells it keeps us laughing.

She bounds on stage with a riff equating Jane Goodall's study of chimpanzees with Ryan Seacrest's study of Kardashians, then notes that bonobos, unlike chimps or Kardashians, live happily without conflict, and she wishes humans could too. This leads into an epic story from lockdown, when she ordered a pilates reformer machine online, even though she had doubts about the seller (who is played by guitarist Tim, with Jordan accompanying on keyboards and percussion). Frequently breaking into song, this narrative proceeds briskly, as Brasier exuberantly recounts her efforts to get her money back from the seller over several months, developing an eerily codependent friendship with him in the process. It's a great story, and she punctuates it with songs, projections and riotously funny sideroads.

At each point in the story, she amusingly helps us understand her inexplicable decisions to be nice rather than aggressive. It's a terrific depiction of how we all interact politely in public, and then things shift when something goes wrong. And yet she continues to take a positive approach, always acknowledging how odd this makes her. Which of course brings us firmly on her side as the tale arrives at its conclusion. This isn't just a story about a scammer, it's also about issues of trust, empathy and, most surprisingly, empowerment. Brasier's songs are full of raw emotion and biting humour. And the observations she raises are hilarious, random and ultimately deeply thoughtful. "Maybe women feel they need to help a guy who is a victim," she says. "Or maybe I did it because I would have this story to tell." Be a bonobo.

For details, MICHELLE BRASIER >

photos by Nick Robertson • 14.Aug.23

Life Be Lifein’ ★★★★★
Monet X Change
Underbelly Bristo Square, McEwan Hall • Fringe, Aug.23

After her triumphant appearances on three series of RuPaul's Drag Race, Hall of Famer Monet X Change is one of the biggest drag stars in the world. For this finely crafted show, she proves that she can also command a big stage. Expertly played to fill the expansive McEwan Hall, this performance continually surprises, largely because Monet allows herself to be astonishingly vulnerable as she takes the audience through key life moments that created the majestic diva we see before us. This makes it powerfully involving, moving and even inspiring, while also being very, very funny. And her singing voice is epic.

Shimmering in a glittery jumpsuit under a tower of blonde curls, Monet takes the stage as a gloomy piece of accompaniment begins, then stops it to explain that this song is Lost in the Stars, from an operetta. Interruptions continue as Monet recounts details about her life as an opera singer and drag queen. She learned this song at 18, but hasn't had the voice to properly sing it until now. This leads to stories from her early life as Kevin, who knew he was gay but never said anything to his strongly religious family. And the boys at school said nothing either. Stories tumble out about school crushes, early sexual experiences and mental distractions that derailed very public performances.

Monet is a master storyteller, filling her account with riotously funny asides, pointed observations and striking emotional openness. Along the way, she mentions key songs that pushed her forward in her journey, from Britney Spears' Baby One More Time to Jennifer Hudson's And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going ("in the original key"), each adding to her queer confidence and making her ready for Drag Race, which challenged and sometimes crippled her. She also speaks honestly about relationships that are complex and impactful. All of this adds up to a decision to never play it safe, to use her full voice. And then she does, finally diving into Lost in the Stars and then into a mashup of her most important tunes. It's a jaw-dropping finale, as we see her passions for singing and drag collide in the best possible way. We're not sure whether to laugh or cry, so both are probably correct. 

For details, MONET X CHANGE >

photo by Rich Fury • 14.Aug.23

Raising Kane ★★★
written and performed by David Shopland
Assembly George Square, Studio 4 • Fringe, Aug.23

In recounting the life of Orson Welles within the context of his masterwork Citizen Kane, performer David Shopland finds intriguing themes that speak to bigger ideas about human ambition, expectations and creativity. He also ultimately discovers his own personal connections as a writer, director and actor, which adds a colourful kick to a show that's otherwise performed in black and white. The show feels perhaps a bit awkward, as those familiar with Welles and Kane will instantly spot Shopland's clever tinkering with the facts. But this adds nicely to the mischievous, mysterious tone.

With mood-setting music playing, Shopland takes to the stage dressed in grey tones, including his face (heavy-wet grey greasepaint) and hands (gloves). As Orson Welles, he speaks about how his first film Citizen Kane was criticised in Europe by Sartre, who believed that cinema must be present tense, not looking back. Meanwhile in America, Newsweek said the film was the greatest that would ever be made, piling expectations on the young Welles. He then describes his childhood in Wisconsin and the inspiring people he met along the way who gave him focus and direction in life, from his art-loving parents to teachers and his long-time collaborator John Houseman.

Finely written, the script is wordy, so the performance feels mannered, livened up by knowing references and camp impersonations of the people in Welles' life. Most powerful is the sense of a young man "standing on the precipice of immortality", and this is fleshed out in various anecdotes that are packed with knowing detail. Finally, Shopland admits, "I'm not Orson, I'm David," revealing the picture behind the picture as he transforms himself into a very different performer. It's a bracing shift that makes the entire play much more personal and resonant, reminding us to concentrate on the present rather than reliving past glories or worrying about future ones.

For details, FAKE ESCAPE >

15.Aug.23

Full information at EDINBURGH FRINGE >

Critical Week: Dynamic duo

There were no screenings this week due to Christmas, but I have had a few screeners to catch up with at home before voting deadlines. I also had to buy a ticket to see one film in the cinema, due to the lack of press screenings. Holmes & Watson is a rather broad, silly take on a tired, overused character. There are some funny moments scattered through the film, but they're too far apart to properly take advantage of Will Ferrell and John C Reilly's strong chemistry. And here are short reviews of other things I've seen, both catch-up titles that were released while I was away...

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Bad Times at the El Royale
dir-scr Drew Goddard
with Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Cailee Spaeny
18/US 2h21 ***
Stylish and ambitious, this epic-length thriller is a series of stunningly staged set-pieces that ooze insinuation and intrigue. The El Royale Hotel is a vintage glamorous hideaway on the California-Nevada line outside Tahoe that last had some swing in 1966. Like an Agatha Christie story, this isolated place draws together a priest (Hamm), singer (Erivo), salesman (Hamm) and hippie (Johnson), welcomed by receptionist-barman Miles (Pullman). Each person has a but secret. Some of them looking for something buried under the floorboards 10 years earlier. All are willing to resort to violence if needed. Scenes develop with unexpected twists and turns, flashbacks that offer back-stories and connections, and some remarkable emotional subtext in each person's sense of desperation. Writer-director Goddard could easily have trimmed and tightened this snaky, witty script, which continually shifts back and forth within the story. But it's superbly assembled, cleverly directed to play on the layers of secrets the characters are carrying with them. And the cast is excellent across the board, including Hemsworth, who arrives properly about 90 minutes in and takes things in a brutal new direction. Erivo is the standout, bringing a soulful yearning that adds gripping depth beneath the increasing swirl of violence and the nagging feeling that underneath the gorgeous surface, this is yet another movie about desperate people and a bag of cash.

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The Other Side of the Wind
dir Orson Welles; scr Orson Welles, Oja Kodar
with John Huston, Oja Kodar, Bob Random, Peter Bogdanovich, Susan Strasberg, Norman Foster, Lilli Palmer
18/US 2h02 ****
Not many films have this kind of production history: returning to Hollywood after a 20-year exile, Orson Welles started filming this in 1970 and carried on for six years, followed by a decade of editing before his death. More than 30 years later, the film was finished by a team working from Welles' notes and 100 hours of footage. Ironically, it's the story of famed filmmaker Jake (Huston), hounded by the press as he makes his latest epic, shooting as usual without a script. Critics say Jake has lost touch with culture, and he's having problems with cool young star (Random). As the leading lady, Kodar spends rather a lot of time naked, but generates a strong sense of mystery. Narrating the story as Jake's protege, Bogdanovich offers a sparky performance as a fast-talker who seems to steal his personality from everyone he meets. Stylish and bold, this is a striking look at the industry, mixing colour with black and white to blur the lines between movies and reality. The jazzy tone, skilful camerawork and energetic performances are fascinating as well as raucously entertaining. This twist on Felliniesque comedy-drama is perhaps a bit too loose and unfocussed to properly grab hold or build up a sense of narrative momentum, but it's packed with fiercely inventive touches and dazzling imagery. And its knowing approach to the process of filmmaking is lacerating. This is Welles' love/hate letter to cinema. And it's bound to be revered by generations of film students to come.

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There are no press screenings next week either, but I still have a few discs a and links to watch. The problem is that it feels too good to just relax and NOT watch movies for a change....

Critical Week: Just act natural

It's been another hot week in London, with a heatwave arriving just in time for the weekend. Again. Thankfully, screening rooms are nicely cooled. Films I caught up with this week include the action comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me, a genuinely hilarious romp anchored by Mila Kunis and the riotous Kate McKinnon. With its UK release delayed by the World Cup, Ant-Man and the Wasp was finally screened, and it's a lot of fun. Although it's nothing we didn't expect. And one to watch is the Japanese anime Mirai, a gorgeous, family-friendly story that's bound to cross boundaries.

Off the beaten path, we had the Portuguese arthouse drama The Forest of the Lost Souls, a cleverly twisty story about mortality that shifts into a slasher horror. From Italy, Sicilian Ghost Story is a sumptuously inventive take on a true story, told through the eyes of two pre-teens whose sweet romance is interrupted by a mafia kidnapping. The micro-budget American drama Brotherly Love bravely tackles the issue of homosexuality through the eyes of a young man training for the priesthood. And The Eyes of Orson Welles is a treat for movie fans, a love letter from British archivist Mark Cousins to one of the last century's most iconic filmmakers.

Coming up this next week, screenings include Jason Statham vs a giant shark in The Meg, Spike Lee's acclaimed BlacKkKlansman, Michael Jai White in the thriller Making a Killing, the British animation Sgt Stubby, the British canal-boat drama Tides, the Icelandic comedy Under the Tree, and the Elvis/America doc The King.

Critical Week: Take the desert by storm

Films don't get much bigger than Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller's return to the franchise 30 years after Thunderdome. Starring Tom Hardy in the title role (that's him as the grille ornament in the photo above), it's a roaringly entertaining action thriller with startling emotional and thematic depth. Speaking of which, Arnold Schwarzenegger delivers an unusually deep performance in Maggie, an involving father-daughter drama with zombie overtones. And Rupert Everett and Emily Watson play the king and queen in the comedy romp A Royal Night Out, an engaging film that's loosely based on real events in London 70 years ago this week.

Further afield, British critics are finally catching up with Song of the Sea, the stunningly beautiful Oscar-nominated Irish adventure based on local mythology. Second Coming is a low-key British drama starring Idris Elba that feels like it only has enough of a plot for a short, but is very nicely made. From Spain, Marshland is a sharply well-shot serial killer drama that's involving but a little dry. And I also caught up with The Last of Robin Hood, an involving drama directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice), which stars Kevin Kline in a story about the final months of of Errol Flynn's life.

Special screenings this week included Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles, Chuck Workman's superb doc, screened to the press on Welles' actual 100th birthday to launch the BFI's summer season featuring his films and lots of rare material. And one evening I headed to the Soho Revue Gallery for a screening of the short film Eleanor, an ambitious project starring Ruth Wilson that shows on three screens and carries quite an internalised kick (MY SHORT REVIEW).

This coming week we have George Clooney in the Disney epic Tomorrowland, Al Pacino in Danny Collins, Dustin Hoffman in The Choir, Peter Bogdanovich's comedy She's Funny That Way, the acclaimed horror Unhallowed Ground, the indie sci-fi thriller Infini and the Oscar-nominated doc The Salt of the Earth.