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Monthly culture, August 2023
03AUG23: Badhaai Do (Kulkarni, 2022) -- Netflix
A gay policeman (Shardul) and a lesbian PE teacher (Sumi) enter into a 'lavander marriage' in contemporary India. Much dishonesty and horrible homophobia; both protagonists have same-sex relationships on the side ('she's my cousin!' only works until Sumi is caught in bed with her) and both eventually come out to their families. The film lapsed into farce for the middle third, but gets back on track with solid relationships -- including the mutual support and respect between Shardul and Sumi -- and some excellent performances by the various parents and aunties. There are happy endings all round, hurrah!
10AUG23: They Cloned Tyrone (Taylor, 2023) -- Netflix
John Boyega as a drug dealer, Teyonah Parris as a prostitute and Jamie Foxx as a pimp: together they fightcrime a government cloning conspiracy! Very American, dialogue hard to follow without subtitles: I think it's a good film, but one for which I am absolutely not the target audience: too old, too white, too middle-class, too unAmerican.
12AUG23: Loyola (Zipoli, 1720) -- El Parnaso Hyspano, Arcola Theatre
UK stage premiere (only 300 years after it was written!) of a New World baroque opera about the life of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus: prefaced with a short film about Zipoli, the composer, who lived and died in the Viceroyalty of Peru. I've become a fan of Latin American baroque -- the blend of indigenous and Western musical styles and themes works well for me -- but this didn't quite hit the mark: I think my tastes have been formed by choral and orchestral works, while this was a minimalist performance with four musicians and four singers (all very good). W were bemused by the setting in a modern hospital, with Loyola on his deathbed, physio exercises, and a demon masquerading as a priest. As usual, the devil (in this case a demon) has all the best tunes.
31AUG23: Mascots (Guest, 2016) -- Netflix
Mockumentary about football mascots and their embarrassing personal lives. One of them comes from South Croydon. I did not engage with this at all: comedy of embarrassment, awful people being awful, the whole 'mockumentary' thing, with the emphasis on 'mock'.
A gay policeman (Shardul) and a lesbian PE teacher (Sumi) enter into a 'lavander marriage' in contemporary India. Much dishonesty and horrible homophobia; both protagonists have same-sex relationships on the side ('she's my cousin!' only works until Sumi is caught in bed with her) and both eventually come out to their families. The film lapsed into farce for the middle third, but gets back on track with solid relationships -- including the mutual support and respect between Shardul and Sumi -- and some excellent performances by the various parents and aunties. There are happy endings all round, hurrah!
10AUG23: They Cloned Tyrone (Taylor, 2023) -- Netflix
John Boyega as a drug dealer, Teyonah Parris as a prostitute and Jamie Foxx as a pimp: together they fight
12AUG23: Loyola (Zipoli, 1720) -- El Parnaso Hyspano, Arcola Theatre
UK stage premiere (only 300 years after it was written!) of a New World baroque opera about the life of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus: prefaced with a short film about Zipoli, the composer, who lived and died in the Viceroyalty of Peru. I've become a fan of Latin American baroque -- the blend of indigenous and Western musical styles and themes works well for me -- but this didn't quite hit the mark: I think my tastes have been formed by choral and orchestral works, while this was a minimalist performance with four musicians and four singers (all very good). W were bemused by the setting in a modern hospital, with Loyola on his deathbed, physio exercises, and a demon masquerading as a priest. As usual, the devil (in this case a demon) has all the best tunes.
31AUG23: Mascots (Guest, 2016) -- Netflix
Mockumentary about football mascots and their embarrassing personal lives. One of them comes from South Croydon. I did not engage with this at all: comedy of embarrassment, awful people being awful, the whole 'mockumentary' thing, with the emphasis on 'mock'.
Badhaai Do (Kulkarni, 2022) -- Netflix
Re: Badhaai Do (Kulkarni, 2022) -- Netflix
They absolutely do sing and dance!
Re: Badhaai Do (Kulkarni, 2022) -- Netflix