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Seven Days in London
Nov. 19th, 2004 04:38 amIt's strange how these things all seem to collide together, but in between last Saturday and tomorrow I'll have attended, or be attending, events in London four days out of seven.
Last Saturday Penny came with me to a George Cukor double bill at the NFT - "Little Women" (1933) and "The Women" (1940). The first film has one of those unforgettable tear-jerking scenes that is still as powerful seventy years on - the death of Beth March; and it's interesting to see Katharine Hepburn begin to steal most of the ensemble scenes that she's in.
"The Women" I only knew by reputation ; it's dazzling, very theatrical, and I would like to see it again because the pace and humour is pretty relentless.
Back in September I pre-booked for one of the hot theatrical transfers from Edinburgh - Christian Slater and a supporting cast of stand up comics in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". That was last night, and I'll give it 3 out of 5. I went with Joy and Vicki, a close friend of Joy's who, it turns out, is as much as a film nut as I am - she was in the same screening of "Garden State" that I went to, and went to see Mark Kermode introduce "The Exorcist" at the NFT last week.
There were some strong performances - Frances Barber as Nurse Ratched especially - and Christian Slater very rarely lapsed into the Jack Nicholson mannerisms which his early screen career is famous for. The problem is that the play itself isn't particularly strong - there aren't enough character moments or memorable lines that resonate. There's also a problem with the staging of the ending : as with the film, the Indian chief picks up a massive metal block and hurls it - but on stage he should be throwing it at a glass cubicle, centre stage, which is the Control Room/Dispensary of the ward. He can't do that, of course - too much damage would be done - but by not doing it he's not acting in character...
Anyway, tonight I have a ticket for the "Little Britain" event - and tomorrow it's Bagpuss.
Last Saturday Penny came with me to a George Cukor double bill at the NFT - "Little Women" (1933) and "The Women" (1940). The first film has one of those unforgettable tear-jerking scenes that is still as powerful seventy years on - the death of Beth March; and it's interesting to see Katharine Hepburn begin to steal most of the ensemble scenes that she's in.
"The Women" I only knew by reputation ; it's dazzling, very theatrical, and I would like to see it again because the pace and humour is pretty relentless.
Back in September I pre-booked for one of the hot theatrical transfers from Edinburgh - Christian Slater and a supporting cast of stand up comics in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". That was last night, and I'll give it 3 out of 5. I went with Joy and Vicki, a close friend of Joy's who, it turns out, is as much as a film nut as I am - she was in the same screening of "Garden State" that I went to, and went to see Mark Kermode introduce "The Exorcist" at the NFT last week.
There were some strong performances - Frances Barber as Nurse Ratched especially - and Christian Slater very rarely lapsed into the Jack Nicholson mannerisms which his early screen career is famous for. The problem is that the play itself isn't particularly strong - there aren't enough character moments or memorable lines that resonate. There's also a problem with the staging of the ending : as with the film, the Indian chief picks up a massive metal block and hurls it - but on stage he should be throwing it at a glass cubicle, centre stage, which is the Control Room/Dispensary of the ward. He can't do that, of course - too much damage would be done - but by not doing it he's not acting in character...
Anyway, tonight I have a ticket for the "Little Britain" event - and tomorrow it's Bagpuss.
