tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89799904096144254742024-03-15T00:20:50.934+11:00Foyer TalkTrevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-29336982144886418612012-04-29T14:26:00.005+10:002012-04-29T14:26:56.277+10:00Moving to Wordpress!I have finally moved my blog over to Wordpress, and will now cease to post content on this site. <i>Foyer Talk</i>, including all archived posts back to July 2008, is still accessible through <a href="http://www.chilver.net.au/">www.chilver.net.au</a>.Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-1846147654133841742012-03-17T13:30:00.000+11:002012-03-17T19:30:06.014+11:00La Guerre Des Boutons<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgaxIrrf8qcyQTjPazECj63kAHDOW-yzp7xcY1xhFzLa-HO-vMEb9GfG4pjCyNReEnSFuOsw5jqXM1Tdum6FPcwYMpkXmuiTYnOZjBF2ZFwAMrDheZiHicjRSzlS4nvMkuZ3pwxxH6uU/s1600/la-guerre-des-boutons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgaxIrrf8qcyQTjPazECj63kAHDOW-yzp7xcY1xhFzLa-HO-vMEb9GfG4pjCyNReEnSFuOsw5jqXM1Tdum6FPcwYMpkXmuiTYnOZjBF2ZFwAMrDheZiHicjRSzlS4nvMkuZ3pwxxH6uU/s200/la-guerre-des-boutons.jpg" width="150" /></a>Taking Offspring Number One off to Manuka to get a bit of the benefit of having the French Film Festival in town was quite an experience! I haven't been to this cinema in years, and it hasn't changed at all (even the popcorn tasted like it might have been there since my last visit!). But this film made it all worthwhile.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1861375/">La Guerre Des Boutons</a></i> (or The War of the Buttons for those who are too lazy to figure that out!) proved an excellent choice given that we don't have time to see more than one this year. But really, how could you go wrong with any film in a French film festival?<br />
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The premise is simple; gangs of boys from two rival country towns in walking distance of each other elevate a long-standing tradition of conflict to all out war in which the greatest victory comes by the ceremonial removal of the buttons from the opponents' clothes. It may not sound all that terrifying, but the wrath of a French mother towards a son returning home with no buttons is nothing to be scoffed at!<br />
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The film is a romp, but in that inimitable French style, the humour is offset by some brilliantly crafted characters, whose more human side is shown as the impact of the Algerian War is felt in the town. The balance between humour and the film's more serious themes is impeccable, making <i>La Guerre des Boutons</i> a film for all ages.Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-62013657468138510092012-03-12T10:20:00.000+11:002012-03-17T19:40:51.256+11:00Hugo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLWCFFD65wO8k6qxZ0s-0WRj9k8UI9OCttU4xlYTcoeN6Gb3fA31wbRUNDOR_402KtBcYO2CnaZk8JH6lqKYSx2lY37Iealmg1O4C4Nxj26GMQrYVGsP9LaRu-udxGWYPEhKTIx7rBVA/s1600/hugo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLWCFFD65wO8k6qxZ0s-0WRj9k8UI9OCttU4xlYTcoeN6Gb3fA31wbRUNDOR_402KtBcYO2CnaZk8JH6lqKYSx2lY37Iealmg1O4C4Nxj26GMQrYVGsP9LaRu-udxGWYPEhKTIx7rBVA/s200/hugo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970179/">Hugo</a></i> is a great film, although it is about half an hour longer than it needs to be and (coincidentally?) half an hour too sappy.<br />
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Set in Paris, it's the story of an orphan in the care of his drunkard uncle, who undertakes his uncle's work to remain in his home in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_Montparnasse">Gare Montparnasse</a>, to avoid ending up in an orphanage. His home puts him in the perfect position to pilfer the bits he needs to continue his dead father's work restoring an old automaton, but it also puts him at risk from the station's other denizens.</div>
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The story is excellent, and the visual effects stunning. The characters are beautifully composed, and the whole film sings... as long as you're patient. This film would have been so much better if it had been written by a Frenchman; its American screenwright, however, has seen fit to weigh it down with as much schmaltz as he could muster. It's a shame, because it would be just about perfect without it.</div>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-65389296953401741542012-02-14T18:00:00.000+11:002012-03-17T19:42:41.432+11:00The Iron Lady<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr8XtzP9wpTT3maf03PM4Jli1AJOJQSGNAKyJdx0XEVqGMObhMHvQp1WXVJqv-HR6FXTZ6GW8cIzGBnO_xP4Da5wngLr4Htx3V0HZhAWOm8isAJMBODK6iJg_11GzaeULA4zgm5kBuWI/s1600/iron+lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr8XtzP9wpTT3maf03PM4Jli1AJOJQSGNAKyJdx0XEVqGMObhMHvQp1WXVJqv-HR6FXTZ6GW8cIzGBnO_xP4Da5wngLr4Htx3V0HZhAWOm8isAJMBODK6iJg_11GzaeULA4zgm5kBuWI/s200/iron+lady.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Meryl Streep's magnificent Maggie Thatcher well and truly matches Helen Mirren's remarkable <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436697/">Queen</a>. It helps, of course, that the script is so well written by Abi Morgan, but to humanise this incredible woman is a great achievement, whoever you give the credit to.<br />
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Of course, it is only her most obvious frailty that provides the window of opportunity. Morgan's script capitalises on the ageing Thatcher's senility, and I don't think there is any other way really to bring the woman down to earth enough for an audience to relate to her as a character.<br />
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The film lacks some of <i>The Queen</i>'s zing. It creates magnificent character, but because of its broad sweep, it fails to create such a clear focus and the character is only just enough to cover the rather flat narrative structure.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007029/">The Iron Lady</a></i> is a very good film, and one well worth watching. But just in case any of you Poms were thinking about it, I've now seen enough biographical films about your twentieth century politicians. They're really not that interesting.Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-1074085367223912602012-01-28T14:10:00.000+11:002012-01-29T16:38:12.393+11:00The Adventures of Tintin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgd-GGHFOEEYpGWEx5s-I7KkW-i2w5nQ640-36Gq60xK0VLj1-QAM1GtJujWY5pwQ32cOWgRHbkv1YIVdYW4NOxBOAhU0YpC6nqtdeFMSxcJELMbX97f3qTnccqzMdvgDG1Aa8U2UJ9U/s1600/tintin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgd-GGHFOEEYpGWEx5s-I7KkW-i2w5nQ640-36Gq60xK0VLj1-QAM1GtJujWY5pwQ32cOWgRHbkv1YIVdYW4NOxBOAhU0YpC6nqtdeFMSxcJELMbX97f3qTnccqzMdvgDG1Aa8U2UJ9U/s200/tintin.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
Late though I might have been, I finally managed to take the kids along to see <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0983193/">The Adventures of Tintin</a></i>. They weren't that interested at first, and I can understand why, since the marketing is targeted at a higher age group and is certainly intended to attract adults. And by the time we went, it was no longer showing at <a href="http://www.limelightcinemas.com.au/">Limelight</a>, and we had to settle for Hoyts.<br />
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I don't know why I particularly wanted to see this movie, as I never read the comics or had any experience of it before, but the trailer had me enthralled, and I was really keen. Obviously, the usual problem with films that you're really eager to see is that they fail to live up to expectations. Not the case with <i>Tintin</i>.<br />
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The characters are really engaging, especially the bumbling detectives who are simply the most hilarious of characters. Tintin himself is endearing in a very personable way, since he is admired by all the characters for his prowess, but is nonetheless genuinely concerned with other people's welfare. He is, at the same time, subject to frustrations and these shine through with pristine dialogue and amazing animation.<br />
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I'm not normally a fan of animation that looks too realistic, I'd usually prefer cartoons to look like cartoons, but in this context it just works.<br />
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<i>The Adventures of Tintin </i>is barely a children's movie; there is a fairly long-running theme of violence, but it is handled well, and though my daughters (age 10 and 7) tensed up a lot, I never felt uncomfortable with the level of violence they were seeing.<br />
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This is a great film, especially for its characters, but also for its excellent animation.Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0Westfield Woden, Bradley St, Phillip ACT 2606, Australia-35.3466354990305 149.08670425415039-35.3595864990305 149.06696325415038 -35.3336844990305 149.1064452541504tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-62595499322130328952011-11-06T20:30:00.000+11:002011-11-07T23:12:14.887+11:00Underbelly Razor<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6mYUHPzx4r2tUSJrtwwelggIwCMwwL4VMbXZLMS28F7pro4JqDv7f272tprDlMCOlkhgaHHY1KmdeZ4K4VlydU70slRWJbL7aKYixJvXoe25J0hza3NdPfL-LyZOiniajJb9pbXaOzY/s1600/underbelly-razor-tilly-devine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6mYUHPzx4r2tUSJrtwwelggIwCMwwL4VMbXZLMS28F7pro4JqDv7f272tprDlMCOlkhgaHHY1KmdeZ4K4VlydU70slRWJbL7aKYixJvXoe25J0hza3NdPfL-LyZOiniajJb9pbXaOzY/s200/underbelly-razor-tilly-devine.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chelsea Preston-Cormack as Tilley Divine</td></tr>
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I missed the earlier installments of the <i>Underbelly</i> series, and after seeing this season, that's something I regret. What I've seen has been impeccable drama. It is rare to encounter a historical series that marries great dialogue and characterisation with historical accuracy, but <i>Underbelly Razor</i> has done just that. Remarkable, too, because it comes from the WIN Network, who usually avoid broadcasting anything of substantial quality at all costs.<br />
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The clever use of music from recent decades covered as jazz numbers from the nineteen twenties is a touch of genius. It stamps the series as modern (just in case you're not watching it in HD), and draws the audience into the period with much-needed humour. The dialogue only occasionally diverted from the vocabulary of Australian English in the period, and the settings for the action of the series are impeccably depicted. Few films manage such superb historical aesthetics, but it is especially remarkable for a television series.<br />
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The series' two protagonists, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Leigh">Kate Leigh</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilly_Devine">Tilley Devine</a>, are played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0179996/">Danielle Cormack</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2642787/">Chelsie Preston-Crayford</a> respectively, and their performances have been thoroughly engaging. While Danielle Cormack is a familiar and welcome face on our screens, I've never seen Preston-Crayford, and she is equally noteworthy. She also gained my attention because she's playing the namesake of one of Canberra's best-known <a href="http://www.tilleys.com.au/">cafes</a>, and this explains a lot for those of us who live in the capital!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaGeNil1km_fq51T94dYIsszgiEyQQWyXw3ixhNvDhxgtIzmUvbzmp40Z_PoJjJ7Ah9ZKcHVaGJ1LcnsaXyMpxjnWKYZIOxyaeIUkcUEAFhBq56Pg_fhUSjhdHc8fkt5pWQIoGd8emuY/s1600/underbelly-razor-episode-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaGeNil1km_fq51T94dYIsszgiEyQQWyXw3ixhNvDhxgtIzmUvbzmp40Z_PoJjJ7Ah9ZKcHVaGJ1LcnsaXyMpxjnWKYZIOxyaeIUkcUEAFhBq56Pg_fhUSjhdHc8fkt5pWQIoGd8emuY/s200/underbelly-razor-episode-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle Cormack as Kate Leigh</td></tr>
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Dealing with Australian history in this manner is refreshing. I have recently been working on a play set in Sydney in the 1880s and was surprised that I could not find a single novel, film or play that takes the city as its setting in this era. Our focus on the bush was not just dominant; it was absolute. The focus of <i>Underbelly Razor</i> on a Sydney story in the era of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dad_and_Dave">Dad and Dave</a></i>, when we generally like to see ourselves as a quaint agrarian outpost of the British Empire, is both novel and redresses an unfortunate imbalance. I hope its a sign of a maturing national image.<br />
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<i>Underbelly Razor</i> is, of course, not without its historical faults, though most are negligible. The one notable problem is the way the police are depicted. The senior ranks of the New South Welsh police seem genuinely concerned with law and order, which seems to be at loggerheads with the histories I've read covering law and order in Sydney in this period. The police were as actively involved in the underworld as Tilley Devine and Kate Leigh, and to depict them as antagonists is taking a lot of dramatic licence! The inherent and utter corruption of the New South Welsh Police Force is known to have been a key factor in the development of the Sydney underworld from the early nineteenth century until the end of the twentieth, and this series treats police corruption merely as a minor theme.<br />
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I will accept this as dramatic licence, as the research required to depict the rest of this world must have been substantial, and I can't see how the writers could have been entirely ignorant of the key role the police played in the Sydney underworld. And forgiving them this licence leaves possibly the best television series I've ever seen; and I love television! <i>Underbelly Razor </i>has the production qualities of our best films, with excellent performances, great dialogue and a great story, well told.<br />
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Now I want to see the earlier seasons!Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-39911426459748462772011-11-04T18:00:00.000+11:002011-11-05T09:24:07.048+11:00Lapland Odyssey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOrUPEFz3ZRF3cHb3M4_XDwPLnRgLIWyrEu1dNe61SfYjQJ9zcH4T4wAHTGTmHf1_09lqUYyfjVW0o_OHvD-tPiJGDpcSxxFYO93GPc9oR1nNKa0bfREVsieFLqz1vUoN4V11QOEPO_M/s1600/lapland+odyssey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOrUPEFz3ZRF3cHb3M4_XDwPLnRgLIWyrEu1dNe61SfYjQJ9zcH4T4wAHTGTmHf1_09lqUYyfjVW0o_OHvD-tPiJGDpcSxxFYO93GPc9oR1nNKa0bfREVsieFLqz1vUoN4V11QOEPO_M/s200/lapland+odyssey.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>
Introducing his film at the <a href="http://www.canberrafilmfestival.com.au/">Canberra International Film Festival</a>, director Dome Karukoski talked about the Finnish cultural cringe, and my first thought was that this would relate well in Australia, where our national identity is also commonly defined by our deficits. <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454505/">Lapland Odyssey</a></i> is a hilarious romp through a landscape that's about as foreign to Australia as it is possible to get, but its characters and humour will be as familiar to audiences of Australian films as sunshine and barbecues.<br />
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Karukoski is suitably cynical of the saleability of a comedy that starts with five suicides, but this black opening sets the tone perfectly for the hapless Janne. In his all-night search for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digibox">digibox </a>he needs to secure his marriage, Janne leads his two hapless friends into Finnish Lapland wilderness amongst blizzard conditions, Russian tourists, the Aurora Borealis, animatronic deer and not a few boobs.<br />
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If I have to watch a formula film, the road movie is always my favourite. The formula, at its best, lends itself to a strong and consistent plot arc, excellent characterisation and endless laughs. Lapland Odyssey has all these features and is a model of the genre.<br />
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It puts me in mind especially of what I think is one of Australia's best comedies: <i><a href="http://foyertalk.blogspot.com/2010/01/lucky-miles.html">Lucky Miles</a></i>. Also a road movie, it is set in our most extreme landscape and finds humour in the imperfections of our national character. <i>Lapland Odyssey</i> does much the same in a Finnish context, and is also funny as hell!<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">You may have missed your chance to see this as part of the </span><a href="http://www.canberrafilmfestival.com.au/">2011 Canberra International Film Festival</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">; for a taste, the trailer is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZD9S_KkHrg">here</a>.</span></i>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-39086510331681329612011-10-30T16:00:00.000+11:002011-10-31T11:26:53.980+11:00King of Devil's Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpfH-faovIAGCNTYUTWxmjeh_bhVWqSI0T9b0fG6H7wZkUi_0Dhi36pYDZ9a09gWGhjcW4GH8CRrj6dl5bQJDRuQvhfHHHGEDWI7OMw3lqUd5KvG_32U5-ve5zv3AMgmkV3yehbxM2dM/s1600/king+of+devils+island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpfH-faovIAGCNTYUTWxmjeh_bhVWqSI0T9b0fG6H7wZkUi_0Dhi36pYDZ9a09gWGhjcW4GH8CRrj6dl5bQJDRuQvhfHHHGEDWI7OMw3lqUd5KvG_32U5-ve5zv3AMgmkV3yehbxM2dM/s200/king+of+devils+island.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
The violence of power and the power of violence are both explored beautifully in <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1332134/">King of Devil’s Island</a></i>. A true story, based on events occurring in 1915 at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bast%C3%B8y_Prison">Bastøy</a> Island in the Fjord of Oslo; a detention centre for ‘maladjusted boys’, as the subtitles tell us.<br />
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Maladjusted is somewhat ironic in the context of this story. The boys in the film are remarkably well-adjusted, and have as keen a sense of right and wrong as their ‘protectors’. Each of the film’s protagonists fail at some point to act according to their convictions, as do their protectors, who subtly develop into the story’s antagonists.<br />
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What I like most about this film is that although it casts certain historical figures clearly in the role of antagonists, all of them are fully developed, and all but one are depicted with a degree of empathy. Just like the protagonists, they’re pawns in a bloody game of chess being played by rulers as remote and inviolate as kings. Violence, in this context, is the inevitable response.<br />
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I can hardly put into words how much I like this film. Beautifully shot in the fjords, with precise timing matching the mood of the film to the development of the winter and remarkable performances from a very talented cast. This film is perfect.<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">You may have missed your chance to see this as part of the </span><a href="http://www.canberrafilmfestival.com.au/">2011 Canberra International Film Festival</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">; for a taste, the trailer is </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cRiT5VFSNk">here</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">.</span></i><br />
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<br /></div>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0Dendy Cinema-35.27915342421349 149.13378238677979-35.282393924213487 149.1288468867798 -35.275912924213493 149.13871788677977tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-6414794577600701172011-10-29T20:15:00.000+11:002011-10-31T11:36:35.593+11:00Toomelah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><a href="http://www.canberrafilmfestival.com.au/2011/09/toomelah/">Toomelah </a></i>is a particularly interesting film, if not especially engaging. Writer and Director Ivan Sen went into the New South Welsh township of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toomelah">Toomelah</a>, which began life as an Aboriginal mission, and filmed this story with the local community performing the roles. As characters and performers, they offer a lot. They are, in a sense, playing themselves, and although the story is fictitious, the setting and the circumstances of life in Toomelah is very real.<br />
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After the screening at <a href="http://nfsa.gov.au/arc/">Arc</a>, Sen described the experience of making the film in this community. He went alone, with no film crew, in order to get unhindered access to the community, and to allow the performers more scope to ignore the camera. The effect is remarkable; these characters come to life, despite having just about the thinnest plot I've ever seen. There was one point while watching the film when I wondered whether the story was actually just Sen following Daniel Connors around and filming his real life.<br />
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The reality, though, is that this is a fictitious story about a real community, played by the people of the community. The slowness of life in this community is, presumably, captured faithfully, but unfortunately I don't think this verisimilitude does the film any favours. It asks a lot of the audience to keep watching, and while I think this is often acceptable, it is more effective when the story is more engaging.<br />
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I think it is particularly important that we tell the story of diverse Aboriginal communities, but I still think these stories need to be told in the dominant storytelling form of our society. While <i>Toomelah </i>is a film worthy of our attention, I doubt it will get much. With a plot arc this slow, it takes pre-established empathy with the characters for an audient to sit through it.<br />
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So I find it sad that I don't think <i>Toomelah </i>will get much attention. It is worthy of every Australian's attention, but its interest lies in the way it was made and what it offers as a picture of life in this community, rather than being intrinsic to the film.Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive-35.283234764444948 149.12148714065552-35.284854764444951 149.11901964065552 -35.281614764444946 149.12395464065551tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-17048425951079778592011-10-28T20:00:00.000+11:002011-10-29T14:42:44.129+11:00The Dark Side of Midnight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Political turmoil is an incubator of dramatic writing, and historical plays about moments of political change are relatively common. Less common are plays set in moments of political turmoil that are about the lives of people who lived through these moments, rather than about the political agitators who created them. This is a shame, as Tessa Bremner's play <i>The Dark Side of Midnight</i> demonstrates with its very heartfelt story about British colonists living through the Partition of India...<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">The rest of this post is published on <a href="http://www.australianstage.com.au/201110284915/reviews/canberra/the-dark-side-of-midnight-%7C-free-rain-theatre-company.html">Australian Stage</a>.</span></i>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre-35.281964841568168 149.13084268569946-35.28277484156817 149.12960868569945 -35.281154841568167 149.13207668569947tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-66170647308451219272011-10-25T19:30:00.000+11:002011-11-05T09:15:57.915+11:00Four Flat Whites in Italy<br />
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I suspect this may be the first time I've seen a New Zealand play on an Australian stage. It's a novel irony to hear actors we know to be Australian making disparaging remarks about Australia in a New Zealand accent!<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">The rest of this post is published on <a href="http://www.australianstage.com.au/201110254905/reviews/canberra/four-flat-whites-in-italy-%7C-ensemble-theatre.html">Australian Stage</a>.</span></i><br />
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<br /></div>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0The Street Theatre-35.278697982932336 149.1238260269165-35.281938482932333 149.11889052691652 -35.275457482932339 149.12876152691649tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-60617034866347764632011-10-17T20:15:00.000+11:002011-10-17T23:26:03.505+11:00The Hunter<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0JEZdfmmnIXJ-aCBvCR3lPIukKiR9c_qme6J56sWY4No_Q43PTrTPofcf9balcfrRR3SyAmjYiA-rnKSm95sP517OJKDW5ysMYbgxZKMT2znLAXVi0C7ws-nK-1Y5q9msCckvfKZcfo/s1600/the+hunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0JEZdfmmnIXJ-aCBvCR3lPIukKiR9c_qme6J56sWY4No_Q43PTrTPofcf9balcfrRR3SyAmjYiA-rnKSm95sP517OJKDW5ysMYbgxZKMT2znLAXVi0C7ws-nK-1Y5q9msCckvfKZcfo/s200/the+hunter.jpg" width="140" /></a>Odd that I should pass the small band of faithful in Martin Place for 'Occupy Sydney' on my way to see <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1703148/">The Hunter</a></i>. Odd, because this film is an interesting take on the idea of a big faceless corporation hiring a hit-man to take care of some business. Only the victim in this case is not to be just one person but an entire species, and they don't just want it dead, they want its DNA. Creepy, yes; and a great premise for a film. What a shame the script wasn't better developed.<br />
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<i>The Hunter</i> doesn't disappoint entirely. A strong storyline and some very interesting relationships develop. Despite some unfortunate stereotypes there is some genuine complexity in the fabric of the film, but <i>The Hunter</i> lacks any real character development. Now, I'm all in favour of plot-driven stories, but the plot in this film doesn't move fast enough to carry well without stronger characters. The hunter himself, played by Willem Defoe, is two-dimensional and lacks any back story to justify his quiet demeanour. By the time he reaches the climax, we still don't really know him. The vaguely heroine-like Lucy Armstrong doesn't quite make it to romantic lead, but despite the lack of script development, Frances O'Connor does a great job of bringing her to life. Apart from the very engaging children, played by Morgana Davies and Finn Woodlock, the rest of the cast are just plot devices.<br />
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I still think there's a lot to love about <i>The Hunter</i>. Tasmania's wilderness is a landscape that was made to be a film set, much like Utah's Monument Valley was, except the Tasmanian bush has mood swings. Really, what the characters lack is almost made up for by the bush, which certainly changes its mood more often than Willem Defoe does. I'm not just being flippant; the bush genuinely works for this film, and the cinematography is exceptional, which makes the poor script all that much more disappointing.<br />
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This one's not worthy of a cinema screen, but it's worth seeing when it comes to TV. And I really did like it.<br />Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com01 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia-33.859368724884114 151.21300935745239-33.861016724884117 151.2105418574524 -33.857720724884111 151.21547685745239tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-20012886174985034702011-10-05T20:00:00.000+11:002011-10-06T10:38:05.765+11:00Love Song<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The warmth of John Kolvenbach's play Love Song is brought to the fore in <a href="http://www.centrepiecetheatre.com/">Centrepiece</a>'s production, which opened at <a href="http://www.theq.net.au/">The Q</a> in Queanbeyan tonight. This play brings a vibrancy to themes that can be cold and stark, drawing humour and humanity into some otherwise dark places.<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">The rest of this post is published on <a href="http://www.australianstage.com.au/201110054839/reviews/canberra/love-song-%7C-centrepiece-theatre.html">Australian Stage</a>.</span></i>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0The Q: Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre-35.354476155392668 149.23398971557617-35.356095155392666 149.23152221557618 -35.35285715539267 149.23645721557617tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-67288984378878057792011-10-01T20:00:00.000+10:002011-10-02T12:31:07.690+11:00MP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a playwright who calls Canberra home, the thought of writing a play about politicians or politics has crossed my mind a few times. I've even started once, before giving up in disgust at the depressing result of that folly. I'm glad, though, that Alana Valentine gave it a better sh<span id="goog_1778960986"></span><span id="goog_1778960987"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>ot when she sat down to write <i><a href="http://www.thestreet.org.au/estreet/">MP</a></i>.<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">The rest of this post is published on <a href="http://www.australianstage.com.au/201110014820/reviews/canberra/mp-%7C-the-street-theatre.html">Australian Stage</a>.</span></i>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0The Street Theatre-35.278531571056085 149.1238260269165-35.279341571056086 149.12259202691649 -35.277721571056084 149.12506002691651tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-69977569450491501842011-09-28T20:00:00.000+10:002011-09-30T23:06:43.814+10:00Avenue Q<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think it was family loyalty that took me along to <i>Avenue Q</i>. That, and some pretty high recommendations on Facebook and She Who Must Be Obeyed telling me to go see it while I still had the chance. Honestly, the idea of yet another bit of children's pop culture being appropriated for the adult market just wasn't appealing.<br />
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But in true Canberra musical theatre style, our 'amateurs' have redeemed a rather dry book and presented something truly spectacular. Technically, it was almost faultless. Apart from a few occasions when I couldn't hear the words over the band, I was blown away by how great these guys sounded. And it was a tiny band too; all I could see were two keys, two strings and a hitter who had plenty of space to rattle about in the pit.<br />
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The kudos, though, goes to a great cast, most of whom had to learn to control two bodies rather than the usual one. And it was fun just to observe as an audient that at first I had to keep reminding myself to look at the puppet rather than the actor! In time they blended, which just made the whole puppet/puppeteer thing work so well. At least in individual scenes it did.<br />
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As a whole show, though, <i>Avenue Q</i> just doesn't hold together very well. Whose story is this? What is it about? And why couldn't they just pick a story and stick with it? There are some interesting characters here that really deserve better treatment! But that's musical writers for you; most couldn't see a story if it played itself out on a stage in front of them!<br />
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I think, really, <i>Avenue Q</i> is a musical trying to be cutting edge and funny at the same time. It only succeeds in the latter, and occasionally fails at that because it's trying to be cutting edge. Does that make sense? Probably not, but I know what I mean. And whatever it's failings, <a href="http://www.supaproductionsinc.com/">Supa</a>'s cast and crew have outdone themselves. I had a ball.Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0ANU Arts Centre-35.277576885789784 149.1200065612793-35.279197385789786 149.1175390612793 -35.275956385789783 149.12247406127929tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-72003998143492799292011-09-15T20:00:00.009+10:002011-09-16T15:40:37.835+10:0022 Short Plays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04OMWLPdCPi-PjUnGhaK4v12ETcf6DkwwGyLal1ao1v9goqEdaWBdH9w7Uo9xxAwEdlRt242Qza1oWh4_1vuf17QviSUBK90bbSvvahfq1v43MMnYNsFS0xyT378-Wsb-EZ1vcrnTWmQ/s1600/22_short_plays_53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04OMWLPdCPi-PjUnGhaK4v12ETcf6DkwwGyLal1ao1v9goqEdaWBdH9w7Uo9xxAwEdlRt242Qza1oWh4_1vuf17QviSUBK90bbSvvahfq1v43MMnYNsFS0xyT378-Wsb-EZ1vcrnTWmQ/s200/22_short_plays_53.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Opening with a convivial vibe at <a href="http://www.thestreet.org.au/">The Street Theatre</a> tonight, <i>22 Short Plays</i> by David Finnigan is a series of shorts carefully drawn together from longer works and staged by Melbourne's <a href="http://www.mka.org.au/">MKA</a>.<br />
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It should not be taken as a bad thing that I really don't want to see the more complete scripts these shorts came from. As they stand in this context, they're often funny and always clever. While most of the characters tend towards either caricature or the absurd, there is the odd moment when something jumps out as rather more insightful, and the absurdity of the real world dwarfs the absurdity on stage. But it's not often this kind of concept drama plays out well in long form, and perhaps Finnigan is a master of the short form.<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ffe599;">The rest of this post is published on <a href="http://www.australianstage.com.au/201109154758/reviews/canberra/22-short-plays-%7C-mka-and-the-street-theatre.html">Australian Stage</a>.</span></i>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-51189979156989162272011-09-10T19:00:00.002+10:002011-09-10T21:59:05.748+10:00Broadway Bard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thesydneyfringe.com.au/sites/default/files/images/show-logo/broadway_bard_logo_600x300dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://thesydneyfringe.com.au/sites/default/files/images/show-logo/broadway_bard_logo_600x300dpi.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>I have just had one of the most enjoyable experiences of Shakespeare's work I can remember. <i>Broadway Bard</i>, part of the <a href="http://thesydneyfringe.com.au/">Sydney Fringe</a>, is a show in which a bunch of random soliloquies or scenes (and even a couple of sonnets) and match it with a Broadway song. Simple enough. But the vivacity with which this concept has been realised is refreshing and very real.<br />
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Setting the tone by reminding us that Shakespeare didn't write for academics, but for the brutal criticism of the paying customer, Julian Kuo, the voice of the show, proceeds at an almost frantic pace through a selection of bits of the plays and sonnets of the Bard. His recitations of Shakespeare's words are just brilliant, and his performances of the musical numbers are inspired. He holds a great rapport with the audience throughout, and is most engaging as an almost-solo performer.<br />
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Kuo is supported by Isaac Hayward on piano, who must find it tiring at such a long sitting. His entrance, however, was awkward, and I'm not sure the director achieved what he was aiming for. Pianists, unless they are also actors, are probably best left at the piano. Especially the really good ones. Kuo could have used some better direction, too. Despite excellent presence, the stage at times felt like a large open paddock, and the plethora of props was really unnecessary. I suspect that it could be successfully staged with none, but at least half of the props really should have gone.<br />
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I forgot all that, however, during Kuo's rendition of Hamlet's 'To be or not to be' speech, which, while a little difficult to relate to at first, given that Kuo had his back to the audience for far too long, really sprang to life when it segued so seamlessly with <i>Somewhere Over the Rainbow</i>. The juxtaposition of these two pieces lent both an air of melancholy such as I have never seen more successfully brought about.<br />
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This, like many other moments, left me with goosebumps, and I don't goosebump very easily. I almost found this journey through the familiar and not-so-familiar highlights of Shakespeare's work to be more fun than seeing an entire play. Watch for it in Canberra!Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0Marrickville NSW, Australia-33.901921486797455 151.1614810952758-33.915142486797457 151.1422220952758 -33.888700486797454 151.18074009527581tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-86866279238312374292011-08-20T07:35:00.001+10:002011-09-10T22:07:20.301+10:00Playing Gertrude's Horatio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xGOo_Y4gggBX7kVwc2zEz1HaekoTovLpMHHKOtaYQr31_ZewXpxjUaW3r_02c2T5bpsuF87eiLXHLvK1qtaSz3SM-25TvIVSTrbfc_K8tQUuUQIWPWGnWaVB12RoFKw4mqTN6RZ9v4o/s1600/GertrudesHamletFlyer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xGOo_Y4gggBX7kVwc2zEz1HaekoTovLpMHHKOtaYQr31_ZewXpxjUaW3r_02c2T5bpsuF87eiLXHLvK1qtaSz3SM-25TvIVSTrbfc_K8tQUuUQIWPWGnWaVB12RoFKw4mqTN6RZ9v4o/s200/GertrudesHamletFlyer.jpeg" width="142" /></a></div>Although I grew up in that period when Shakespeare was well and truly out of favour in New South Welsh schools, I have loved his work ever since I first gave Hamlet the time of day at the age of 21. This was the year when Kenneth Branagh put the whole damn thing on screen, and even that self-indulgent marathon wasn’t enough to dampen my enthusiasm. Shakespeare’s plays, layered as they are with so many diverse readings, are always ready to yield another insight or provoke another idea. Among my favourite of Shakespeare’s provocations is Tom Stoppard’s magnificent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. This play, derived from Hamlet, features I think the best description of theatre ever devised. Offering a performance to a pair of potential customers, the leader of a performance troupe explains their creative oeuvre:<br />
<blockquote>“We’re more of the love, blood, and rhetoric school. Well, we can do you blood and love without the rhetoric, and we can do you blood and rhetoric without the love, and we can do you all three concurrent or consecutive. But we can’t give you love and rhetoric without the blood. Blood is compulsory.”</blockquote>The importance of blood, or more precisely, violence, can’t be underestimated in Shakespeare’s work...<br />
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<i>The rest of this post is published on <a href="http://australianstage.com.au/201108184665/features/canberra/on-being-horatio.html">Australian Stage</a>.</i>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-19390327597155113902011-07-08T15:36:00.001+10:002011-07-11T20:28:12.023+10:00Blood Brothers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdzDnAyCPfTC2VOYhEoIlE6Bel-sa2ttjs_VP_sVS1kHb0AR82-BHB0M0yu2Ofl1xAAtA5t4j52P4KM_XZgnHZxDPOXkhaZHbYYgdluwvVYj-Z0nES-V5t-FR8_YUdkTObnImRo69Za0/s1600/blood_brothers_cov1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdzDnAyCPfTC2VOYhEoIlE6Bel-sa2ttjs_VP_sVS1kHb0AR82-BHB0M0yu2Ofl1xAAtA5t4j52P4KM_XZgnHZxDPOXkhaZHbYYgdluwvVYj-Z0nES-V5t-FR8_YUdkTObnImRo69Za0/s200/blood_brothers_cov1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>There is an awful lot of speculation out there about the bonds between twins. Whether it's about finishing each others' sentences or remotely sensing trouble in each other's lives, twins arouse a lot of speculation about whether certain behaviours are innate or acquired. Such speculations, I suspect, were part of the inspiration for Blood Brothers, now playing at The Q in Queanbeyan...<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">The rest of this post is published on <a href="http://www.australianstage.com.au/201107074540/reviews/canberra/blood-brothers-the-musical.html">Australian Stage</a>.</span></i>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-33596859594366332612011-07-07T23:00:00.015+10:002011-07-08T07:44:50.984+10:00I'm back!After a long period without seeing any theatre, I felt like I made something of a comeback tonight! Between holidays, a family crisis and a minor battle with pneumonia, it's been something of an epic struggle. I'm glad to be back, though. I've started rehearsing to play Horatio and Voltemand in <i>Gertrude's Hamlet</i> which takes to the stage at Tuggeranong Arts Centre in August.<br />
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Tonight, I was blown away by The Q's production of <i>Blood Brothers</i>. My review will appear on Australian Stage soon, and I'll post a link, but in the meantime, book your tickets!Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-82183848607763595172011-04-09T19:00:00.001+10:002011-04-13T14:53:20.661+10:00The Phantom of the Opera<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8o-QGujkzed3BlVyTq1rj6lTSnll2ax0ciVFeb3qnVEqcWyAVlsPQvCCHBuauujbiBkte6oApO1-kII36U3HEX2S1FiKpjm2blV1BXQGFvpB_P4gsI_oYTn2y8ey9jGqTa4QHBrSWRU/s1600/phantom_featured_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8o-QGujkzed3BlVyTq1rj6lTSnll2ax0ciVFeb3qnVEqcWyAVlsPQvCCHBuauujbiBkte6oApO1-kII36U3HEX2S1FiKpjm2blV1BXQGFvpB_P4gsI_oYTn2y8ey9jGqTa4QHBrSWRU/s200/phantom_featured_01.png" width="200" /></a></div>I'm just home from Las Vegas where I had the opportunity to see<i> The Phantom of the Opera</i> at the Venetian. What I have found fascinating since first hearing about the production is the idea that a theatre could be constructed specifically for one show; it seems at once wasteful and devout. The ancient Greeks invented the notion of an architectural entity devoted to theatre, and three thousand years seems rather a long time to wait for a theatre devoted to one show. Las Vegas, apparently, boasts two, but I only managed to see the Venetian’s Phantom Theatre. It is a spectacular representation of Paris’s Opera Populaire, complete with wax vestiges of Parisian high society in the nineteenth century in the balconies.<br />
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The custom build has allowed for some spectacular use of the fly tower to quickly present a myriad of different scenes and aid some very clever blocking. Effects including fireworks and flame throwers as well as a dancing chandelier and a rather clever gondola, not to mention the thickest smoke I’ve ever seen, cover a multitude of sins as the performers omit all pathos to avoid making a technical error. Not that it would matter if their performances were better; the audience simply wouldn’t notice with all the smoke and mirrors around (and, I might add, not all of the smoke is intentional special effect; Nevada’s lax smoking laws mean that cigarette smoke from the neighbouring casino fills the auditorium constantly).<br />
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I’ve said in the past that I like museum pieces; and apart from some impressive special effects, there’s little more of value in this show. Any student of theatre should see it, purely to flesh out their understanding of nineteenth century theatrical culture and gain a sense of the theatre’s layout. Of course, if you’re going to Paris you could go see the real thing, and probably get a better show into the bargain. The Venetian’s production, though, is also a fine example of theatrical precision, and execution, but little more. Dead flat characterisation and mechanical and unfeeling theatrical precision from the performers sucks what little life Andrew Lloyd Webber deigned to sprinkle into his book, and leaves you with nothing more than special effects to keep you entertained.<br />
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The big theatrical surprise of my trip to the United States is that the express version of <i>Aladdin </i>being performed twice daily (and often more) at Disney’s California Adventure Park shows the same technical precision and impressive technical effects while also portraying the story and characters with reasonable passion. It really puts the Venetian’s production of <i>Phantom </i>to shame. Still, that’s Las Vegas; the bright and shiny things are a very thin veil designed to distract the observer from the soulless decrepitude of the human condition. Andrew Lloyd Webber fits in perfectly.Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-11132590238977684692011-03-10T20:00:00.003+11:002011-03-11T14:39:32.239+11:0042nd Street<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebI54sMHj19YSKyGMLSBpjy6Z2pF2wwheDASlNGW0CddjaiN4kd8ZsfQJgI8mjlvZC1G6zh_bp2Cs6UjvmX1qLeRtdQqyIB2CoDAm9-23YYch_hYGPuvAe45wgbTi2Oj-hegmU861nZE/s1600/42nd_street_cov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebI54sMHj19YSKyGMLSBpjy6Z2pF2wwheDASlNGW0CddjaiN4kd8ZsfQJgI8mjlvZC1G6zh_bp2Cs6UjvmX1qLeRtdQqyIB2CoDAm9-23YYch_hYGPuvAe45wgbTi2Oj-hegmU861nZE/s200/42nd_street_cov.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Erindale was alive tonight with Philo's opening of 42nd Street. The froth and bubble of Broadway is generous if not really enlightening, and the cast delivered a fine performance of a quaint old musical.<br />
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The story is that of a talented girl who dreams of singing on Broadway. Her talent noticed, she lands a role in the chorus line and when she accidentally trips the leading lady, fracturing her ankle, she manages to take her place. Woops, did I give away the ending? No, I think that was the writer...<br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;">The rest of this post is published on <a href="http://www.australianstage.com.au/201103104274/reviews/canberra/42nd-street-%7C-canberra-philharmonic-society.html">Australian Stage</a>.</span></i>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-71692042007667319072011-02-17T20:00:00.002+11:002011-02-18T18:14:21.150+11:00Look Back in Anger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6X4rIZsOPAo8nqvFbYyzopfgkkW-r4IUA_zTmxcOZQhLTgUPyJMATBzvOleEovKk1iecV1_hBFjpBK5iJC72g9WpqAV18cykqp52YiGpf4itiReVtOiyyNnzp2MpCNJg1y_bpCiiNTZw/s1600/look+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6X4rIZsOPAo8nqvFbYyzopfgkkW-r4IUA_zTmxcOZQhLTgUPyJMATBzvOleEovKk1iecV1_hBFjpBK5iJC72g9WpqAV18cykqp52YiGpf4itiReVtOiyyNnzp2MpCNJg1y_bpCiiNTZw/s200/look+back.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Ten pound Poms let out of the nursing home may enjoy a trip down memory lane with Paris Hat's production of <i>Look Back in Anger</i>, but there is much more to this play for those of us who didn't live through post-war England. This is an opportunity to experience a first-rate performance of a play that was pivotal in the development of modern theatre...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #fff2cc;"><i>The rest of this post is published on <span id="goog_2062271160"></span><a href="http://www.australianstage.com.au/201102174211/reviews/canberra/look-back-in-anger-%7C-paris-hat.html">Australian Stage</a><span id="goog_2062271161"></span>.</i></span>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-5929223065767961962011-02-14T18:40:00.000+11:002011-02-18T18:15:12.148+11:00127 Hours<div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">SPOILER ALERT: this post contains references to the ending of the film.</span></b></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFxWkIxDVYxG3oZj4XQBSARapVembBPN2MOvjTy5LpANzHIXtU9AsHnvXvDvHYL78_O2ZoaHO4SL1N7ZUGcEtDARoiGSuEnyn7rFv93Ro5HHQobMoI4G6RfpQxzBeuOrliTajC7SyLlU/s1600/127-Hours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFxWkIxDVYxG3oZj4XQBSARapVembBPN2MOvjTy5LpANzHIXtU9AsHnvXvDvHYL78_O2ZoaHO4SL1N7ZUGcEtDARoiGSuEnyn7rFv93Ro5HHQobMoI4G6RfpQxzBeuOrliTajC7SyLlU/s200/127-Hours.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>A true story about a chap who literally gets stuck between a rock and a hard place for 127 hours sounds like a pretty boring premise for a film, doesn't it? But, perhaps because the film was directed by one of the UK's best directors, and perhaps because the survivor of this ordeal was far more practical and down-to-earth than your average American, this is a brilliant story.<br />
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</div><div>Its protagonist, Aron Ralston, could well have been turned into a sickly sweet caricature, but Boyle's deft use of his hallucinations, memory, premonitions, or whatever you want to call them, are handled in a way that firmly grounds him in the reality of his circumstance. The film doesn't try to pretend that Aron never gave up hope, and it is his constant prevarications between hopelessness and persistence at the only option available to him that makes him both real and truly inspirational.</div><div><br />
</div><div>There have been some ridiculous stories about people finding the blood and gore too much. My suspicion is that these folk must have been completely shielded from any exposure to blood in their entire existence to be so extremely squeamish. There is nothing particularly extreme about the depiction of the removal of Aron's forearm, you might just need a strong armrest to grab hold of at a few critical moments. Limelight Cinemas' hardware held up fine!</div>Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8979990409614425474.post-63057008395518895552011-02-11T20:00:00.006+11:002011-02-13T18:56:48.336+11:00Oklahoma!Free Rain really are gracing the stage of The Q at the moment with their production of <i>Oklahoma!</i> The classic musical has certainly been in good hands under the direction of Anne Somes and musical direction of Leisa Keen, and the energy on opening night was simply infectious.<br />
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Despite being a musical, and a light one at that, there is some genuine depth to these characters. Jenna Roberts' portrayal of the heroine is particularly noteworthy, but they all sit in the shadow of Tony Falla, Amy Dunham and Mathew Chardon O'Dea who shine in the love triangle. Despite being given very little to work with by the writers, they have developed an engaging story that really moves along.<br />
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I was particularly impressed with the cast's American accents. Perhaps for the first time in Canberra, a local cast has successfully emulated a single American accent, rather than the more common practice of each cast member using an accent from a different part of the United States. It may not have been a perfect Oklahoma accent, but even the cast of the 1955 film didn't manage that!<br />
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There is something unfortunate in the fact that, when they wrote <i>Oklahoma</i>, Rodgers and Hammerstein didn't see the value in the pioneering story that underlies the central love story. It leaves the love story a little hollow, and turns references to Oklahoma's journey to statehood into quaint oddities. I think that with more focus on this aspect, the story would resonate much more deeply, and the central love story would be enhanced by a heightened sense of purpose and destiny.<br />
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In all, this production of <i>Oklahoma!</i> is certainly one of the better musical productions of recent years.Trevarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16109384177682509637noreply@blogger.com0