Blue Jasmine film review

What would Blanche DuBois look like if she were left alone and penniless in 2013?  This is the question I like to imagine served Woody Allen as the inspiration to write Blue Jasmine.  For, certainly, Jasmine French feels a lot like one of Tennessee Williams' grand dames and her situation has unmistakable parallels with that of Blanche's.  Wisely, though, Allen has not rewritten or reimagined A Streetcar Named Desire.  While he may owe the central character to Williams, around her he has crafted a story that is all his own.  It is a story that balances despondency with buoyancy, and Allen stamps the film with his signature brand of humour in a more refined way than ever.  This film belongs to a mature film-maker secure in his medium and confident with his voice.  The story does take a few turns that feel "easy", to give it a pat ending, but I am nevertheless sure this was 100% the film Allen wanted to make.  And, as an Allen fan, that alone makes it worth watching.

Much like a Williams play, the weight of this film rests squarely on the shoulders of its leading lady.  And what a leading lady we have in Cate Blanchett.  Blanchett's film roles are always Oscar-worthy, but with Jasmine we see her employ a raft of new tricks and the result is mesmerising.  Her role dominates the landscape, but rounding out the cast we have an array of stellar actors, each one an inspired choice.  Sally Hawkins and Bobby Carnavale both deliver exquisite performances, with Carnavale serving as our most consistent reminder that this is a Woody Allen film.  

Jasmine's story is ultimatley a sad one, but the film never lets such a tone take over.  It focuses, instead, on the unpredictability of life, and to see Jasmine embrace that unpredictability is something of an inspiration.  Regardless of the destination, she takes us on a wonderful journey.  This, and the many colourful characters make the film a joy to watch.

See this film if you like Tennessee Williams and/or Woody Allen and/or Cate Blanchett and/or ambitious quests for happiness.

Wicked theatre review

Ten years ago I was surfing the internet for cast recordings to new Broadway musicals I may wish to add to my cart.  The clever website suggested I buy new release Wicked.  I noted that the music and lyrics were by none other than celebrated composer Stephen Scwartz, and gleefully observed that the story revolved around none other than the Wicked Witch of the West.  As a youngster, I read a lot of books by L.F.Baum so it seemed to be right up my street.  I ordered the CD and never looked back.  That CD has received a lot of airplay over the years, not to mention the hours I have spent on youtube watching new casts cut their teeth on the show's many strong stand-alone songs.  I have seen the stage show in Melbourne and London.  I know all the lyrics and even most of the script.  Safe to say, I'm something of a Wickedpedia.

And now I have seen Auckland's production.  I was so looking forward to it, but was also apprehensive that this experience may not live up to the honour I have bestowed upon it, like a handprint on my heart.  I need not have worried.  That show I saw last night was remarkable!!  The cast were so on top of their game and gave such fresh performances I was taken along on that ride as though for the first time.

The show remains largely untouched since its Broadway debut in 2003, and I felt a few stage effects have aged less gracefully than the rest, but the success of the show has been largely due to its compelling story and endearing characters.  Sure, the music is immediately accessible and the book is very clever, but the heart of this story is the friendship between The Good and The Wicked.  Through Galinda and Elphaba's backstory we see how things are not always as they seem.  Life is not always black and white, sometimes it is green...and what do you do with that?

I just love Wicked.  I always have, but this latest experience of it thrilled me more than I had even hoped.  The highlight this time round was Jemma Rix's faultless performance as Elphaba.  She is so warm and real and quirky and charming and knows when to restrain those powerhouse vocals and when to let them defy gravity.  She rocks my world.  The whole cast deliver strong performances, but I was quite flummoxed by Jay Laga'aia's interpretation of the wizard.  In my mind, he got that character very wrong.  He can sing though.  There was nothing wrong with his vocal performance.

See this show as many times as you want, you'll not regret it.  

Kiss the Fish theatre review

Kiss the Fish is the latest offering from Indian Ink, and the first of their productions to employ a cast of more than one.  Jacob Rajan has made a name for himself, and the company, as a talented solo artist.  His use of masks and puppets is masterful, and his talent for comedy enviable.  Along with David Ward's music, these skills have become the hallmarks of Indian Ink productions.  Audiences have come to appreciate and expect Rajan's style of storytelling of all Indian Ink productions.  This, then, is something of a departure.  Rajan's style is evident in many parts of Kiss the Fish, and he appears as a supporting cast member.  However, in my mind he was the strongest performer and most at home with this style of theatre.  Therefore, it felt somewhat odd to witness him taking a lesser role in this play.

Kiss the Fish has a charming, if somewhat rambling, story.  Its characters are simple but recognisable.  There are elements of humour, tragedy, romance and heroism.  There is an effective use of music, and the songs are enjoyable.  The maskwork adds to the characters.  The puppetry is effective, though sadly limited to only one character.  Unfortunately I struggled with the mixed styles the show employs.  Rajan brought a familiar other-worldliness to proceedings and I enjoyed his performance a lot.  The rest of the cast, however, seemed to have less of a grasp on the Indian Ink style.  Their performance style often owed more to British pantomime than to Asian masked theatre.

The story is nice and, though not immediately clear, it eventually ties most of its ends together.  I also laughed a fair amount so that goes pretty far.

Overall, I would say the production's strongest feature is that it has a nice and light feel to it.  There is nothing too challenging to watch, though it is not shallow.  It's just nice.

Watch this play for a gentle and easy night out.

White House Down film review

It's an action film with more guns and explosions than named characters, but it is also a smart film and the violence is balanced with humour, cameraderie, politics and a sweet father-daughter story.  

There are several strands that make up the story, and these are each revealed in a clever way; such that there is suspense and satisfying pay-offs, and the strands come together in a natural way.  I would not fault the story at all.  The strongest feature of this film, though, is that the relationships between characters are real and interesting.  Channing Tatum has some wonderful connections with his scene partners, but the one that makes the film is his bond with Jamie Foxx.  The two tussle for power, and find their common ground and watch each others' backs and it is a beautiful thing.  They are funny too.  It was just a shame they could not find an excuse to rap together while dodging bullets and killing bad guys.  Oh yeah, the death count is pretty high.  That is where I tend to struggle with such action-heavy films.  Why all the death?  Why shoot to kill?  Isn't wounding sometimes enough?  Why even use guns?  But the thing I liked about this film is that the gunfire actually felt justified.  And the issue of non-violent peace negotiation is at the heart of the story.

So, this film just works.  The overall tone is fantastic and cheesy, but accept that and there is a lot to enjoy.

See this film to witness a believable dynamic duo.  Who needs superpowers or fancy gadgets when one can simply Channing all over one's Tatum.

Speaking in Tongues theatre review

Speaking in Tongues is the sort of play that has earned Silo its reputation for presenting bold plays with rich material for its cast.  This production is slick and stylish, and securely acted.  It is what we have come to expect from Silo and I enjoyed it.

It is a play that provides much food for thought, particularly about relationships.  It acknowledges the complexity of marriage and our glimpses into several relationships point to relatable issues, while entertaining.

The cast of four are all adept at natural characterisation, and I was particularly impressed with Oliver Driver, who gives us three very different characters, and makes them all interesting and interestingly vulnerable.  The quality I felt was lacking from all performances was spontaneity.  The play is carefully staged, and much of it requires measured performances from the actors, but there was also room for some less guarded moments.  As it was, there were no surprises.  It would have been the icing on the cake to see some raw emotion.

But that's just my minor quibble.  The play is rather outstanding, and Silo present a polished production with excellent production values.  The Herald Theatre has never looked so much like a real theatre!

See this play and lose yourself in a yarn of intertwined relationships and the fallout that can come from taking risks.  

After Miss Julie theatre review

Something to do with a love triangle...I don't know.  The most forgettable play I have seen in a long time.  It just never got going, and then it stopped.

Production values were pretty standard, and Dena Kennedy's easy presence was a delight to behold, but beyond that there is very little to say.

Don't go near this play.

Stoker film review

Chan-wook Park's first English language feature film proves that his style translates just fine.  The language of his films is very much a visual one, and his ongoing collaboration with cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung is one of the most exciting in the film industry today.

The world he creates for Stoker is one of Gothic beauty, observed in ultra-amplified sound and intensified colour.  This is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen, so the absorbing characters and their surprising story is an added bonus.  It's a morbid tale, though, so it won't be to everyone's liking.  It seems Park excels best in such twisted mysteries.

Mia Wokawski and Matthew Goode turn in outstanding performances while Nicole Kidman relies on her usual bag of tricks. 

See this film for a visual feast.  I found it refreshing to see a story told in such a bold, interesting way.