Monthly culture: December 2022
Saturday, December 31st, 2022 05:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranth01DEC22: Do Revenge (Robinson, 2022) -- Netflix
High school drama featuring Camila Mendes as Drea (whose boyfriend leaks her sex tape) and Maya Hawke as Eleanor (misfit transfer student who's horrified to find she's now at school with the girl who bullied her at camp). It would be too obvious for each of them to enact their own vengeance, but what if 'I do yours, you do mine'?
This was an unexpected delight: dark, twisty, great soundtrack (much of it after my time, which is a nice change), OTT costume design (the lilac and sea-green sailor suits were something else), and awesome performances from the two leads. This is not a sweet teen comedy, but a pair of teenage psychopaths channelling their inner Glenn Close (or 'Glenergy') in long-lasting ways. No parents in sight. Speaking of parents, Maya Hawke's are Ethan and Uma: her unusual but arresting looks are her own.
03DEC22: Hex -- National Theatre
New musical based on Sleeping Beauty, but considerably darker than most recent versions: there is cannibalism, post-partum psychosis, snobbish fairies and a plethora of Prince Charmings. (Princes Charming?) It is also very funny and beautifully staged. I wasn't wowed by the music, but the songs were sung with heart and conviction, and added to the plot. More thorough review at the Guardian. Main reason for seeing this was a catch-up with an old friend: tbh I'd rather have cut to the after-show pizza and beer and proper catch-up.
08DEC22: An Angel at my Table (Campion, 1990) -- Netflix
Based on New Zealand author Janet Frame's autobiographies, this was originally made for TV: it's nearly 3 hours long and more or less relentlessly bleak. Growing up in poverty in New Zealand; family tragedies and tensions; brilliant but socially awkward; (mis)diagnosed with schizophrenia ... There were some touching moments, and the three actresses playing Frame -- especially Kerry Fox as adult Frame -- gave powerful performances, but I can't say I enjoyed this.
15DEC22: The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Lord / Newitt, 2012) -- Netflix
First saw this, but did not review, in 2012. It has aged surprisingly well. Pirates! Hugh Grant! Imelda Staunton! David Tennant! Charles Darwin! and adelicious delightful dodo!
22DEC22: Love Hard (Jiménez, 2021) -- Netflix
Festive romcom, featuring Nina Dobrev as an LA woman who makes a living chronicling her disastrous dates, and Jimmy O Yang as the guy she falls for online and flies 3000 miles to surprise at Christmas -- only to be surprised by the fact he isn't the hunk in the photos, but rather a short and slightly overweight Asian-American guy who lives in his mother's basement. The title comes from their favourite Christmas movies -- his is Love Actually, hers is Die Hard -- and after all the fake dating and misunderstandings and so on, those two films actually feature in the romantic denouement. Not as fabulous as last year's bumper crop of queer Christmas romcoms, but surprisingly good fun.
27DEC22: Spirited (Anders, 2022) -- Apple TV
Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds in a festive musical based on, and a sequel to, A Christmas Carol. I do not care for Will Farrell, but Ryan Reynolds is generally worth watching. Some good songs, some splendid choreography, some sad moments and a sort of happy ending. Unexceptiona(b)l(e).
28DEC22: Ninth Symphony and Fifth Piano Concerto (Beethoven; Royal Philharmonic) -- Barbican
My two favourite works by Beethoven: possibly in my overall top ten classical works. Danny Driver was the soloist in the Piano Concerto (stepping in for Russian Daniel Kharitonov) and was excellent. The combined power of Goldsmiths Choral Union and Highgate Choral Society were suitably triumphant in the Ninth, and I confess I shed a tear for the EU. Utterly splendid performance, with the Barbican softened by Christmas decorations, and the Members' Bar a welcome refuge from (ewww) People.
30DEC22: Robin Hood -- Greenwich Theatre
Great fun, excellent music (clearly picked with the older generation in mind: 'The Boys are Back in Town' for Robin's gang, 'I Want it All' for the Sheriff, 'Mr Blue Sky' at the end. There is a comedy dog, a splendid villain -- Anthony Spargo, who also wrote the script -- and the mandatory Dame, playing Little Joan with plenty of innuendo. Cracker-quality jokes, slow-motion fight scenes and a touch of mysticism a la Robin of Sherwood. Massive kudos to the three-man band, who were very definitely part of the show!
No more culture this year. Nooooo.
High school drama featuring Camila Mendes as Drea (whose boyfriend leaks her sex tape) and Maya Hawke as Eleanor (misfit transfer student who's horrified to find she's now at school with the girl who bullied her at camp). It would be too obvious for each of them to enact their own vengeance, but what if 'I do yours, you do mine'?
This was an unexpected delight: dark, twisty, great soundtrack (much of it after my time, which is a nice change), OTT costume design (the lilac and sea-green sailor suits were something else), and awesome performances from the two leads. This is not a sweet teen comedy, but a pair of teenage psychopaths channelling their inner Glenn Close (or 'Glenergy') in long-lasting ways. No parents in sight. Speaking of parents, Maya Hawke's are Ethan and Uma: her unusual but arresting looks are her own.
03DEC22: Hex -- National Theatre
New musical based on Sleeping Beauty, but considerably darker than most recent versions: there is cannibalism, post-partum psychosis, snobbish fairies and a plethora of Prince Charmings. (Princes Charming?) It is also very funny and beautifully staged. I wasn't wowed by the music, but the songs were sung with heart and conviction, and added to the plot. More thorough review at the Guardian. Main reason for seeing this was a catch-up with an old friend: tbh I'd rather have cut to the after-show pizza and beer and proper catch-up.
08DEC22: An Angel at my Table (Campion, 1990) -- Netflix
Based on New Zealand author Janet Frame's autobiographies, this was originally made for TV: it's nearly 3 hours long and more or less relentlessly bleak. Growing up in poverty in New Zealand; family tragedies and tensions; brilliant but socially awkward; (mis)diagnosed with schizophrenia ... There were some touching moments, and the three actresses playing Frame -- especially Kerry Fox as adult Frame -- gave powerful performances, but I can't say I enjoyed this.
15DEC22: The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Lord / Newitt, 2012) -- Netflix
First saw this, but did not review, in 2012. It has aged surprisingly well. Pirates! Hugh Grant! Imelda Staunton! David Tennant! Charles Darwin! and a
22DEC22: Love Hard (Jiménez, 2021) -- Netflix
Festive romcom, featuring Nina Dobrev as an LA woman who makes a living chronicling her disastrous dates, and Jimmy O Yang as the guy she falls for online and flies 3000 miles to surprise at Christmas -- only to be surprised by the fact he isn't the hunk in the photos, but rather a short and slightly overweight Asian-American guy who lives in his mother's basement. The title comes from their favourite Christmas movies -- his is Love Actually, hers is Die Hard -- and after all the fake dating and misunderstandings and so on, those two films actually feature in the romantic denouement. Not as fabulous as last year's bumper crop of queer Christmas romcoms, but surprisingly good fun.
27DEC22: Spirited (Anders, 2022) -- Apple TV
Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds in a festive musical based on, and a sequel to, A Christmas Carol. I do not care for Will Farrell, but Ryan Reynolds is generally worth watching. Some good songs, some splendid choreography, some sad moments and a sort of happy ending. Unexceptiona(b)l(e).
28DEC22: Ninth Symphony and Fifth Piano Concerto (Beethoven; Royal Philharmonic) -- Barbican
My two favourite works by Beethoven: possibly in my overall top ten classical works. Danny Driver was the soloist in the Piano Concerto (stepping in for Russian Daniel Kharitonov) and was excellent. The combined power of Goldsmiths Choral Union and Highgate Choral Society were suitably triumphant in the Ninth, and I confess I shed a tear for the EU. Utterly splendid performance, with the Barbican softened by Christmas decorations, and the Members' Bar a welcome refuge from (ewww) People.
30DEC22: Robin Hood -- Greenwich Theatre
Great fun, excellent music (clearly picked with the older generation in mind: 'The Boys are Back in Town' for Robin's gang, 'I Want it All' for the Sheriff, 'Mr Blue Sky' at the end. There is a comedy dog, a splendid villain -- Anthony Spargo, who also wrote the script -- and the mandatory Dame, playing Little Joan with plenty of innuendo. Cracker-quality jokes, slow-motion fight scenes and a touch of mysticism a la Robin of Sherwood. Massive kudos to the three-man band, who were very definitely part of the show!
No more culture this year. Nooooo.
