Director Mark Webb’s indie romantic comedy explores what happens when you fall for someone who just doesn’t love you as much.
The film’s story is shown through snapshots that cover 500 days in the relationship of Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel) revealing the conclusion first, then jumping back and forth through the days. It’s an interesting approach but revealing the end takes away some of the suspense of being part of the developing story. You are aware of how the relationship is going to conclude so you become a knowing passenger that is waiting to see how the characters reach that point.
François Ozon took a similar approach with his film 5 × 2, when a couple’s relationship was played out backwards. The first scene shows the couple getting divorced then four other key scenes in their relationship are shown, finishing with their first meeting. Ozon’s film worked because you were giving an insight into the different sides of the couple’s personalities and what motivated them.
The journey you take through Tom and Summer’s relationship is pleasant but you may be left wanting something more substantial. You develop affection for the characters as you see how their relationship changes from Tom being infatuated by Summer to them starting a relationship. There are some nice quirky scenes, like when Tom’s happiness is shown through an amusing number involving dancing with strangers and the Ikea scene with Tom and Summer playing ‘house’.
Unfortunately the snapshots don’t provide enough space for the characters’ relationship to develop that deeply and although the characters are likeable you don’t feel as if you know them that well. When Tom and Summer’s relationship starts eroding and two swift, truthful blows are dealt by Summer it’s sad but not heartbreaking. You will be able to empathise and sympathise with Tom’s plight but you might feel like the film is a bit of an anti-climax especially with the amount of rave reviews the film has received.
Tweet-size review: An amusing and honest film that shows the fallout of what happens when someone is just that into you.
2 weeks ago
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Tim Firth’s production shows how a Women’s Institute (WI) nude calendar caused a stir, generating headlines and raising over £2m for cancer.
The play has an all-star cast which reads like a list of Eastenders’ alumni as it includes Anita Dobson, Jill Halfpenny and Jack Ryder. Current Eastender June Brown is also in the cast, as a teacher with a penchant for the odd tipple.
Calendar Girls opens with the WI group doing yoga which leads into a quick lazy introduction to each of the characters which they then play up to. Unfortunately the characters are a bit one-dimensional and stereotypical, for example the conservative goodie-two-shoes and the sexy, flirty one. The characters aren’t fleshed out enough for you to care about them or believe in their surface friendships.
When Annie’s (Jill Baker) husband John (Will Knightley) dies from cancer there isn’t much sadness. This is because his death happens too quickly so you don’t get a sense of who he was. His relationship with his wife doesn’t come across as that genuine. It just looks like that they are going through the motions, rather than genuinely caring for each other.
The story plays out in quite a signposted way so it’s no big surprise that the conservative goodie-two-shoes woman has a cheating husband.
Despite the gripes, there are moments to enjoy in this play like the brilliant humour and the excellent delivery of some of the lines from June Brown. If you go to see this play with expectations of a light, frothy production with some funny scenes then you won’t be disappointed. If you want more from the characters beyond the stereotypes and a more substantial offering, then you should give this a miss.
Tweet-size review: If you’re in the mood for a funny, light romp then Calendar Girls is for you.
1 month ago
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Writer Katori Hall’s two-hander takes us to a motel room in Memphis on 3rd April 1968, the night before Martin Luther King was assassinated. This sounds like a serious and slightly depressing premise but surprisingly there are lashings of humour and energy injected into this production.
The Mountaintop blurs fact with magical realism expertly in this interesting play. It has the audience laughing one minute and the next, pondering the imminent loss of King.
David Harewood plays King with confidence and real authority but he only comes to life when the hotel maid Camae (Lorraine Burrough) enters his room. Burrough’s sassy attitude, humour and down-to-earth personality make Camae an engaging character that is captivating to watch. Burrough’s playful exchanges with Harewood reveal that Hall’s King has smelly feet, a wondering eye and likes a good pillow fight.
The banter and chemistry between Harewood and Burrough’s characters are what makes this production so interesting. You invest and believe in their relationship, so it becomes heartbreaking when Camae’s real reason for visiting King is revealed. You really feel for King when he confesses how he fears that one day the people who threaten his life will succeed. He is terrified of dying before he’s had a chance to fix the world and tell his family how much he loves them.
Hall’s script brings King’s character to life and shows how he had the strength and conviction to stand up for what he believed in, though at the cost of his life.
Tweet-size review: Katori Hall’s imaginative and hilarious play does justice to the last night of Martin Luther King’s life.
1 month ago
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Philippe Claudel directs this family drama starring Kristen Scott Thomas as the reticent Juliette who has just been released from prison after 15 years and is staying with her sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein). After such a long time apart, Juliette and Lea need to find a way to relate to one another again and rebuild the relationship. The difficulty of their reunion isn’t helped by the reason Juliette was sent to prison, a subject which Lea is afraid of broaching, especially as Juliette doesn’t want to open up about it.
Kristen Scott Thomas gives a winning performance as Juliette, showing her pain and trouble in adjusting to life after prison extremely well. Elsa Zylberstein is brilliant as the positive Lea who desperately wants to be close to her elder sister again even though her husband Luc (Serge Hazanavicius) is wary of Juliette and doesn’t want her in their house.
I’ve Loved You For So Long is very slow-burning and though the performances are engaging, you do have to make the effort to stay focused as the pieces of the story are gradually revealed.
Lea’s adopted Vietnamese children are absolutely adorable. The eldest daughter Petit Lys’ (Lise Ségur) bold questions and observations are great to watch.
One scene that doesn’t work is when Lea gets in an overheated discussion about Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment with her students. Her arguments obviously stem from her feelings about her sister and lack the subtlety of the rest of the film.
French films usually have strong dialogue and great characterisation and I’ve Loved You So Long doesn’t disappoint in those areas. The only issue with the film is that the main protagonist of the film Juliette is aloof and withdrawn so it makes it hard for the audience to get close to her world. You will just watch her from a distance admiring Kristen Scott Thomas’ acting skills.
Tweet-size review: Slow-burning family drama that is rewarding if you stay with it.
3 months ago
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The long-awaited sixth Harry Potter film finally arrives and David Yates who directed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix takes the helm again. As well as the usual magic and good versus evil battles there are some sprinklings of romance.
Poor Harry (Daniel Ratcliffe) wants Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) to notice him but she is too busy kissing Dean (Alfred Enoch). Ron (Rupert Grint) gets involved with Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave), who is very full-on with her affections, much to Hermione’s (Emma Watson) dismay. The heartache that is portrayed by Emma Watson is particularly touching and you will root for her to get together with Ron.
A welcome addition to the cast is Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) who has returned to Hogwarts to teach potions after some coaxing from Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Dumbledore is after one of Horace’s memories of the young Voldemort aka Tom Riddle (Frank Dillane) that will lead him to unlocking some information about his immortality.
Tom Riddle is played creepily well by Frank Dillane, who is slightly reminiscent of the devil’s child Damien from The Omen. The easy chemistry between Daniel Ratcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint is great to watch and like catching up with old friends. My favourite character is Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch) for her quirkiness and lovable nature.
There are lots of stories to keep up with such as Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) being chosen by Voldemort to carry out an evil task and is being assisted by one of Dumbledore’s allies, Helena Bonham Carter joining the dark forces of Voldemort as the mad Bellatrix Lastrange, Harry going on quests with Dumbledore…
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is 153 minutes long and with numerous story strands without all the characters driving towards one leading direction, it is easy for the mind to start wandering. The short story strands can be amusing and entertaining but they don’t seem to be given enough airtime to develop fully. It has been a long gap since the last Harry Potter film, so a reminder of who the minor characters are, would have been handy for the less die-hard Harry Potter fans.
The end of the film doesn’t seem like much of a resolution but a slight pause for breath as the audience waits for the two-part final instalment Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Unfortunately this film isn’t one of the standout Harry Potter ones in the series but it is entertaining, funny and worth watching.
Tweet-size review: Hormones, love potions and evil cause havoc and heartache at Hogwarts.
3 months ago
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As part of the Cultural Olympiad Open Weekend MOBO award-winning hip-hop artist Akala hosted some fine performances that melded hip-hop with Shakespeare.
Colin Salmon opened the show with a moving and strong recital from a scene in Richard II, accompanied by the talented musicians Angie Anderson (African percussion), Tom Evans (violin) and Angelo Kangellaris (guitar) who set the right mood and atmosphere.
Then Akala took to the stage to highlight how hip-hop and Shakespeare aren’t as different as people may expect. Akala is charismatic and quickly warms up the audience with a quotes exercise where we have to guess whether the quote originates from hip-hop or Shakespeare. If you didn’t recognise a quote, it was pretty tricky deciding which category it belonged to. The majority of the audience thought that one quote was the handiwork of Shakespeare, until Akala asked if we had heard of a guy called Eminem.
Akala explained how hip-hop and Shakespeare shared the same iambic pentameter rhythm, covered the same themes and used similar language. This is how he tries to engage young people in Shakespeare with his workshop and theatre production company The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company.
The recital pieces by Malachi, Tolu and Lorianne about themes such as power struggles were incredibly powerful and engaging. Unfortunately the spell broke a little when Ms Dynamite read off the sheet for her piece.
Angelina’s performance on the piano and singing was really beautiful. The finale with all the performers on stage really got the audience going and left them wanting more.
After such a strong performance, Akala is going to generate plenty of interest in The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company and quite rightly so.
Tweet-size review: Hip-hop artist Akala uses his charm and charisma to make Shakespeare cool again.
3 months ago
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