Saturday, January 26, 2008

The Orphanage, Juan Antonio Bayona

Neither horror nor psychological thriller, this film seems unsure of its purpose.

Caveats.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Macbeth, Verdi

The libretto may strip down Shakespeare's play, the music rounds it out. The performances were excellent, and the visual elements draws the audience right into this world of insane, murderous ambition.

Highly recommend.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Happy Days, Samuel Beckett

Starring Fiona Shaw under the direction of Deborah Warner, this production sets the gold standard by which all other productions of not only Happy Days but all Beckett plays are measured. I could watch this production over and over again. WONDERFUL.

When the audience arrives, it is met with a stage filled with 10 or so feet of construction rubble stage front with a bright white curtain immediately behind. Crickety, ominous electronic voices fill up the auditorium. Suddenly, bells dong, the curtain raises then drops, and the houselights don't seem to dim because of the bright lights on stage.
Winnie is in waist-high hole in the trash mound at front-center stage, just in front of proscenium. As portrayed by Shaw, she maintains her dignity while not acknowledging her peculiar predicament.

After intermission, the mound is higher, up to Winnie's neck. Though most in the audience laugh in the appropriate moments, I don't. I find her an extraordinarily sympathetic character. What a revelation of these lines Shaw's acting is. All pauses are filled with her acting.

In ways I've never experienced before, the production liberates the play.

Highly recommend.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Julian Schnabel

Defies all expectations about suitable matter for a film.

Highly recommend.

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