‘12 Years a Slave’ – Odeon, South Woodford - Sunday 12th January 2014

(Rated 6/5) 

Directed by Turner prize-winning artist Steve McQueen this film is a heart-wrenching work exhibiting the stark harrowing brutality of the world of slavery in 19^th century America suffered by kidnapped former freeman Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and many others, in the form of a series of exceptionally beautiful moving works of art. Sean Bobbitt is the man actually behind the camera and I can only say that the actor artists involved in this must have had great trust and faith in both Bobbitt and McQueen. To say the work is up close and personal is an understatement, especially given what the actors are portraying so bravely and truthfully. Everything about their humanity both physically and emotionally is exposed to the core with exquisite truth and extreme openness.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is responsible for my all time favourite solo piece of emotive performance. He was exceptional as Othello at the Donmar Warehouse. If anything he surpasses that in this film. The expressiveness of his face, and the rest of his body, conveys all. There is no need for dialogue of which there is in fact little. And so often all and everything we get is him in close-up and the poignancy of his character’s feelings.

This is harsh and not for the weak of stomach, but so necessarily so to show us the reality of these experiences. Everyone is excellent and meets up to the standards set by Ejiofor, including Benedict Cumberbatch as a ‘nice’ slave owner – even though he seemed to forget his American accent for a time - and Michael Fassbender and Sarah Paulson as the ‘nigger-breaking’ husband and wife Epps with no compassion or sympathy whatsoever. Fellow slave, Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o) gets caught between the Epps – raped by the husband and tortured by the wife for being her husband’s favourite. Sadly there is arguably even worse to come for her. The sensitivity of Nyong’o’s performance is also extraordinary given she is a newcomer – then again being from truth rather than acting it perhaps the best way to do this kind of work with then a great deal of support to recover from it!

I’m not sure I’d say it’s ‘must-see’ – but it is very important to see and for sure one of the best films made of those that I have ever seen!

(The front row of Screen 1 Odeon, South Woodford is too close to the actual screen for comfort!)

12 Years a Slave – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2014

'War Horse' - DVD - 2011

(Rated 3.5/5)

Just seen the film War Horse. Somehow had less of an impact on me than the stage show! Why? Because, I think, you can convey more by showing less, be more evokative - by being symbolic and representative rather than having a multitude of special effects... and perhaps, arguably, by having a puppet-horse-human combination which somehow emotes so much more than any of those individual beings can. A good film yes. A stunning stage show so much more! But horses truly are so beautiful!! Finder played Joey in his most intense acting scenes, whilst George took on Tophorn in his - georgeously sensitive animals with wonderful personalities.

Warhorse (film) – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2013

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Frankenstein (Reverse Roles) - National Theatre – via NTLive screening - Saturday 26th March 2011

(Rated 3/5 )

As the audience settles into its seats and waits for the show to start so does the actor playing The Creature, in a large bubble-womb centre stage, in this innovative stage version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein directed by Danny Boyle.

And then the creature, and the show, spring to life triggered by impressive stage effect lightning/electricity. So he is born, naked and scarred from the stitching of his patchwork body.

Jonny Lee Miller spends many minutes alone on stage discovering his body; how it moves, how to sit, stand and cries out in shock and wonder at it all; as the actor said like a young toddler but in a fully-grown man’s body. And then he starts to encounter people and learn how to be…

Jonny’s interpretation of the creature was superb; played with great sensitivity and emotional intelligence at times far greater than the other characters he encounters, especially Victor Frankenstein, his creator. Benedict Cumberbatch, addicted to his revolutionary work, excellently plays the scientist as closed-off from other humans, especially his fiancée Elizabeth (Naomie Harris).

Unlike in the classic films, this creature is not a monster with neck bolts and with the focus of the story on his creator. Rather he is the protagonist. The production and Jonny’s performance inspire true empathy. He learns how it feels to be human, to love, to desire, to need, to savour the words of Milton, and to express as though a character from a Shakespearean play, and like in many such tragedies to trust and have that trust betrayed, to experience great loss and to be denied simply because of your appearance. He is like an alien showing us how we are, at times not a very palatable view. Can we really wonder that he turns to anger and rage and in being shown so little care that he does so in return?

The interactions between The Creature and Frankenstein crackle in intensity as they conflict in their analyses of the meaning of life. Almost all the other characters feel like extras, undeveloped by the script and with little to work on, they come across as wasted and stereotypical. Victor’s father (George Harris) seems almost robotic, perhaps this was deliberate – an indication of the parenting of Victor and maybe how he became shut-down (emotionally) himself. Having no real sympathy for many of the supporting characters and with muted reaction from them we almost feel nothing when Victor’s brother, William, is killed.

However the rape and murder of Elizabeth is shocking. We see the trust develop between her and the Creature and, aside from the blind man who teaches the Creature much in his early life, Elizabeth is the only one showing him kindness and compassion. Yet, through the fault of her husband, she has to die; in revenge for Victor’s killing of the Female he created as companion.

And so on the two battle through a kind of no-man’s land and we are left wondering who is in fact the more human.

Frankenstein – Review by The Restricted Reviewer © 2011

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