Monthly culture: February 2018
Monday, March 5th, 2018 07:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranth10FEB18: Julius Caesar, Bridge Theatre
Beginning as an American-style political rally, complete with rock band playing 'Eye of the Tiger' and 'Seven Nation Army', this production in the round at the new Bridge Theatre was loud and immediate and occasionally overwhelming. Good use of modular stage, frightening sound effects of urban warfare (some audience members were visibly distressed), and the crowd scenes -- which involved the audience, at least those who were standing -- were very powerful. Some excellent performances, especially Adjoa Andoh as Casca: Ben Whishaw's Brutus seemed rather too fastidious, but David Morrissey's Mark Antony seemed injected with new life at Caesar's death. Still far from my favourite of Shakespeare's plays, but an interesting, passionate, engaged production.
13FEB18: Black Panther, Odeon Covent Garden
I liked and admired and enjoyed this: I didn't love it as I've loved some of the other Marvel films. In particular, I never really felt that T'Challa was vulnerable -- or, really, very relatable. And Wakanda's isolationist policy contrasted sharply with the villain's wicked scheme of, er, supporting POC and overcoming centuries of oppression.
I liked Shuri (Letitia Wright), T'Challa's genius younger sister, who has some of the best lines: 'Great, another broken white boy for us to fix'. And in general the female characters were great: not quest objects, not in need of rescue, plenty of agency and little in the way of romance.
Andy Serkis also v good as scenery-chewing, utterly mad Ulysses Klaue.
And the post-credits scene made me squeak happily.
14FEB18: a-ha, O2
As this was the night after Black Panther, I and my companion were sleepy: plus the weather was frightful. The gig was touted as 'acoustic', which seemed to mean that they had a harpsichord and a string section as well as guitars, drums etc. They also had Ian McCulloch (ex-Bunneymen), who duetted with Morten Harket on a memorable 'The Killing Moon' and 'Scoundrel Days'.
Morten still has a glorious voice and lovely shades; the monochrome staging was very stylish; but I confess we left after 'The Sun Always Shines on TV', missing the obvious a-ha song.
16FEB18: The Shape of Water, Greenwich Picturehouse
The setting is a facility somewhere in or near Baltimore at the height of the Cold War. A 'sensitive asset', captured in South America by the strong-jawed Strickland, has been brought to the lab. Mute cleaning lady Elisa (Sally Hawkins) -- an orphan discovered 'by the river' -- befriends the creature and teaches him American Sign Language. Meanwhile, the Russians are intrigued, the military are ruthless, and Strickland is despicable: because this is an inversion of the classic 'creature feature', and the man who would have been the hero if this film were made in the Sixties is now the villain.
I am so pleased that this won the Oscar for 'Best Picture': it is not a wholly original story, but it's a beautiful telling. A palette of teal and amber, a lovely soundtrack, a strong female friendship (between Elisa and her co-worker and interpreter, Zelda, who's played by the marvellous Octavia Spencer), and a luscious soundtrack ... all good. There's a magic-realist feel to it, including a couple of scenes which feel dreamlike and don't seem to have consequence: and it has a happy ending. Delightful. Except the bit with the cat (which appalled and amused in equal measure).
Beginning as an American-style political rally, complete with rock band playing 'Eye of the Tiger' and 'Seven Nation Army', this production in the round at the new Bridge Theatre was loud and immediate and occasionally overwhelming. Good use of modular stage, frightening sound effects of urban warfare (some audience members were visibly distressed), and the crowd scenes -- which involved the audience, at least those who were standing -- were very powerful. Some excellent performances, especially Adjoa Andoh as Casca: Ben Whishaw's Brutus seemed rather too fastidious, but David Morrissey's Mark Antony seemed injected with new life at Caesar's death. Still far from my favourite of Shakespeare's plays, but an interesting, passionate, engaged production.
13FEB18: Black Panther, Odeon Covent Garden
I liked and admired and enjoyed this: I didn't love it as I've loved some of the other Marvel films. In particular, I never really felt that T'Challa was vulnerable -- or, really, very relatable. And Wakanda's isolationist policy contrasted sharply with the villain's wicked scheme of, er, supporting POC and overcoming centuries of oppression.
I liked Shuri (Letitia Wright), T'Challa's genius younger sister, who has some of the best lines: 'Great, another broken white boy for us to fix'. And in general the female characters were great: not quest objects, not in need of rescue, plenty of agency and little in the way of romance.
Andy Serkis also v good as scenery-chewing, utterly mad Ulysses Klaue.
And the post-credits scene made me squeak happily.
14FEB18: a-ha, O2
As this was the night after Black Panther, I and my companion were sleepy: plus the weather was frightful. The gig was touted as 'acoustic', which seemed to mean that they had a harpsichord and a string section as well as guitars, drums etc. They also had Ian McCulloch (ex-Bunneymen), who duetted with Morten Harket on a memorable 'The Killing Moon' and 'Scoundrel Days'.
Morten still has a glorious voice and lovely shades; the monochrome staging was very stylish; but I confess we left after 'The Sun Always Shines on TV', missing the obvious a-ha song.
16FEB18: The Shape of Water, Greenwich Picturehouse
The setting is a facility somewhere in or near Baltimore at the height of the Cold War. A 'sensitive asset', captured in South America by the strong-jawed Strickland, has been brought to the lab. Mute cleaning lady Elisa (Sally Hawkins) -- an orphan discovered 'by the river' -- befriends the creature and teaches him American Sign Language. Meanwhile, the Russians are intrigued, the military are ruthless, and Strickland is despicable: because this is an inversion of the classic 'creature feature', and the man who would have been the hero if this film were made in the Sixties is now the villain.
I am so pleased that this won the Oscar for 'Best Picture': it is not a wholly original story, but it's a beautiful telling. A palette of teal and amber, a lovely soundtrack, a strong female friendship (between Elisa and her co-worker and interpreter, Zelda, who's played by the marvellous Octavia Spencer), and a luscious soundtrack ... all good. There's a magic-realist feel to it, including a couple of scenes which feel dreamlike and don't seem to have consequence: and it has a happy ending. Delightful. Except the bit with the cat (which appalled and amused in equal measure).
yeah
Date: Monday, March 5th, 2018 08:09 pm (UTC)