Monthly culture, September 2025
Thursday, October 2nd, 2025 07:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranth04SEP25: Eeb Allay Ooo (Vats, 2019) -- Netflix
Indian arthouse film about Anjani, a monkey repeller (the title represents the noises he has to make to scare away the monkeys infesting New Delhi). The monkeys, for religious reasons, cannot be harmed. Anjani is not very good at his job, or at life. Beautifully shot but rather less cheerful than expected.
05SEP25: Materialists (Song, 2025) -- Greenwich Picturehouse
Romcom: Dakota Johnson plays Lucy, a New York City matchmaker torn between impoverished ex John (Chris Evans) and practically perfect Harry (Pedro Pascal). Some interesting bits about the dark side of the dating industry and people's dishonesty, unrealistic expectations and petty motivations. A good script too, with lines like 'you're looking for a nursing home partner and a grave buddy'. Cynical in places but happy endings.
11SEP25: Maria (Larrain, 2024) -- Netflix
Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas is awesome (apparently she even performed some of the singing, though there's a lot of archive footage intercut). This felt like a stage play: lots of two-person dialogues (even when one person was a figment of Callas' medication). She was only in her 50s when she died: but this film made me feel that she had lived, and died, on her own terms.
Same director as Spencer, which we watched the day the Queen died. I am now tempted to watch Jackie, his film about Jackie Kennedy / Onassis.
12SEP25: Patience (Gilbert & Sullivan / Charles Court Opera) -- Wilton's Music Hall
Splendid and hilarious production of ridiculous opera about a romantic poet (styled very much in the Robert Smith mode) and the 'melancholy maidens' of the village: there is also the eponymous barmaid, a trio of military officers, and a number of anachronisms (Frank Sinatra! Kafka! Nietzche!). Jennie Jacobs, as Lady Saphir, was gothed to the nines and had an especially lovely voice. I enjoyed this immensely.
19SEP25: Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Reiner, 2025) -- Greenwich Picturehouse
Their contract requires them to do one last show. What could possibly go wrong?
Nigel is running a cheese shop; Derek owns the Museum of Glue in Tooting Bec; David produces on-hold music. There are tensions. There is an excellent young female drummer Didi (Valerie Franco) -- various big-name real world drummers (Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lars from Metallica) regret that they are not in a position, etc. There are guest appearances from Paul McCartney and Elton John (with a cameo from David Furnish). There are a lot of extremely funny lines, which I did not note because I was laughing too much.
25SEP25: Mindhorn (Foley, 2016) -- Netflix
Julian Barratt plays Richard Thorncroft, an actor who was super-famous in the 1980s for playing Mindhorn, a detective with a magic / cybernetic eye. He has spent the subsequent decades being less successful -- but then is recruited by police to talk to a criminal who won't talk to anyone except 'Mindhorn'. Thorncroft is rude, arrogant, displays poor impulse control, has some very dated behaviours, and is convinced that his ex-partner Patricia will fall for him again. He is a horrible character and this, for me, was not a successful comedy -- redeemed only by being shot in the Isle of Man, so I could location-spot and reminisce.
27SEP25: Iphigenia in Tauris (Gluck: Blackheath Halls Opera) -- Blackheath Halls
Not their most visually impressive production: quite minimalist, in red and white and black. I applaud Orestes and Pylades being played as a couple. Francesca Chiehina (who wowed me as Semele) returns as Iphigenia, mourning her exile: Dan d'Souza, as the local king, had an impressive scowl as well as a great voice. The locals are happy to 'obey the gods / decree to slaughter every stranger'. The music was quite predictable but the harmonies and arias lovely.
Indian arthouse film about Anjani, a monkey repeller (the title represents the noises he has to make to scare away the monkeys infesting New Delhi). The monkeys, for religious reasons, cannot be harmed. Anjani is not very good at his job, or at life. Beautifully shot but rather less cheerful than expected.
05SEP25: Materialists (Song, 2025) -- Greenwich Picturehouse
Romcom: Dakota Johnson plays Lucy, a New York City matchmaker torn between impoverished ex John (Chris Evans) and practically perfect Harry (Pedro Pascal). Some interesting bits about the dark side of the dating industry and people's dishonesty, unrealistic expectations and petty motivations. A good script too, with lines like 'you're looking for a nursing home partner and a grave buddy'. Cynical in places but happy endings.
11SEP25: Maria (Larrain, 2024) -- Netflix
Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas is awesome (apparently she even performed some of the singing, though there's a lot of archive footage intercut). This felt like a stage play: lots of two-person dialogues (even when one person was a figment of Callas' medication). She was only in her 50s when she died: but this film made me feel that she had lived, and died, on her own terms.
Same director as Spencer, which we watched the day the Queen died. I am now tempted to watch Jackie, his film about Jackie Kennedy / Onassis.
12SEP25: Patience (Gilbert & Sullivan / Charles Court Opera) -- Wilton's Music Hall
Splendid and hilarious production of ridiculous opera about a romantic poet (styled very much in the Robert Smith mode) and the 'melancholy maidens' of the village: there is also the eponymous barmaid, a trio of military officers, and a number of anachronisms (Frank Sinatra! Kafka! Nietzche!). Jennie Jacobs, as Lady Saphir, was gothed to the nines and had an especially lovely voice. I enjoyed this immensely.
19SEP25: Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Reiner, 2025) -- Greenwich Picturehouse
Their contract requires them to do one last show. What could possibly go wrong?
Nigel is running a cheese shop; Derek owns the Museum of Glue in Tooting Bec; David produces on-hold music. There are tensions. There is an excellent young female drummer Didi (Valerie Franco) -- various big-name real world drummers (Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lars from Metallica) regret that they are not in a position, etc. There are guest appearances from Paul McCartney and Elton John (with a cameo from David Furnish). There are a lot of extremely funny lines, which I did not note because I was laughing too much.
25SEP25: Mindhorn (Foley, 2016) -- Netflix
Julian Barratt plays Richard Thorncroft, an actor who was super-famous in the 1980s for playing Mindhorn, a detective with a magic / cybernetic eye. He has spent the subsequent decades being less successful -- but then is recruited by police to talk to a criminal who won't talk to anyone except 'Mindhorn'. Thorncroft is rude, arrogant, displays poor impulse control, has some very dated behaviours, and is convinced that his ex-partner Patricia will fall for him again. He is a horrible character and this, for me, was not a successful comedy -- redeemed only by being shot in the Isle of Man, so I could location-spot and reminisce.
27SEP25: Iphigenia in Tauris (Gluck: Blackheath Halls Opera) -- Blackheath Halls
Not their most visually impressive production: quite minimalist, in red and white and black. I applaud Orestes and Pylades being played as a couple. Francesca Chiehina (who wowed me as Semele) returns as Iphigenia, mourning her exile: Dan d'Souza, as the local king, had an impressive scowl as well as a great voice. The locals are happy to 'obey the gods / decree to slaughter every stranger'. The music was quite predictable but the harmonies and arias lovely.
