(Rated 4/5 )
I’ve lost count of how many times I have seen the musical ‘Les Mis’ on stage, and how many people I have taken with me ;). It is my all time favourite musical. If requested I could probably sing it all by heart though you may not want to hear that ;) Unless, that is, I sing along with it in which case I am able to carry the tune pretty nicely if I say so myself :) My first experience of it was at its opening at the Barbican. That dates me… and it! It 25 years old in 2012!! I won’t tell you how old I was then :) Like all good things over-indulged in, I started to get a tiny bit bored and so left it for maybe at least 10 years. I even left seeing the film for some time til now. I wanted to really want to see it…
It’s good, very good actually, but not great. Given that it is a film I expected the production of it to be better. The staging of Les Mis was extremely impressive – in particular the barricade – but then maybe that would be the case because it’s not so easy to do on stage. The script, or should I say score, is changed a little from the stage version – a new song for Valjean and one of Gavroche’s about Little People taken out – also some very minor alterations – not really sure why but that doesn’t matter very much. What I wish is that they hadn’t chosen ‘stars’ to sing the leads – or okay more specifically Russell Crowe as Javert as he was okay but not good enough to carry the film in the huge rivalry main plot along with Hugh Jackman as Valjean, who did a much better job. However Anne Hathaway as Fantine was excellent – deservedly winning awards – as were Amanda Seyfried as Cosette and Samantha Banks as Eponine – gorgeous voices. Helena Bonham-Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as Mme and Mr Thenardier were fun and stayed in tune-ish. But the most impressive and surprising for me by far was Eddie Redmayne as Marius. Stunning singing! Well done young man! But why not have that quality for Javert and Valjean together?! A big shame that something as permanent as a film is not given the best of the best of the right talent to make it hugely impressive.
Les Miserables – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2014
Showing posts with label Redmayne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Redmayne. Show all posts
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Friday, 13 January 2012
‘Richard II’ - The Donmar Warehouse - Tuesday 10th January 2012
(Rated 4/5 )
There is no doubt in my mind now that the Donmar Warehouse, not only provides the setting of the plays performed within it, but also a hugely important quality; a kind of transpersonal, ethereal character, who adds volumes to the quality of performances of the players and the emotional experiences of individual audience members. It feels appropriate to me to name this character Lady INTIMACY. She enhances the relationships between actors and audiences immensely and provides the deepest connection possible for the theatre. The actors are even more exposed than on the standard stage. The audience members are up close and personal, and at each performance there can only be 250 of them. The performers share in all their brilliance or collapse under their inadequacies. TRUTH on STAGE. I have now seen several productions at the Donmar: Othello with Chiwetel Ejiofor wrenching my heart to breaking point in the title role; King Lear with the ever-stunning Derek Jacobi; A Doll’s House with a wealth of excellent performers and the manically moving Polar Bears – all of which blew me away – and then just one, which will remain nameless, did not. The latter fell flat – was alright but not great – the truth revealed with no hiding behind a magnificent stage or by being far away from the viewing eyes.
The Donmar has completely spoiled me. All other theatres in comparison, and even if just a tiny bit, I find disappointing. And I guess this is why I am writing about it before I even review its production of Richard II! The theatre has only one negative from my point of view – its reputation now exceeds its capacity making tickets very hard to come by. That said, I have joined the returns queue on a number of occasions now and never failed to get in. And at least, if standing and being cold are problems for you, you are able to sit down with a wall against your back, (and something soft under your bum if you’ve brought such an item), and the wait is inside.
And so to Richard II – the play which contains one of the most famous speeches of all time:-
“This sceptered isle… This England”
- delivered in this case by a Donmar regular, Michael Hadley, in such a refreshingly different way. The speech comes only four lines before the character’s (John of Gaunt) death and is usually delivered with great gusto. In Michael’s conveyance there was a vulnerability and struggle, which brought the power and the passion of the feelings across even more poignantly and heroically. My friend and I noticed several other familiar Donmar faces – I commented the Donmar reuses actors and she said it sounded like they I meant they are recycling them. This all adds to the warmth and intimacy – a family atmosphere. And the star, Eddie Redmayne, is also a Donmar recyclee. His Richard is very youthful, childlike; a boy at once amused by his status as King – playing King – and at the same time overwhelmed by the power and enormity of what being King means to him. He is a youngster trying to be a perfect God – constantly practising how that might be, and in his efforts and naivety failing badly at holding the Heart and the Head of what that role entails at its best. He is corrupted by it all and has to be deposed – and by whom but his own cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, played by Andrew Buchan. They performed like young lads play-fighting – Richard had come to the throne age 11 years; you’re at once endeared and horrified. Richard is healed in his downfall and loss – in a way he has to break-down to break-through – and in that process, and Eddie’s portrayal, I felt so much compassion for him. I was moved to tears and upset by the forced parting from his Queen, Pippa Bennett-Warner, and his murder. For me, although like the next Richard (III), this Richard was something of a conquering tyrant, I felt more empathy for him. In my opinion, he knew not what he did, was never old enough to become wise, and was like a hysterical child set on winning. Yet it shows how dangerous that is given the power and responsibility of his position. Shakespeare was hard on both these Richards though. History shows them to be much better than he made out. But then where’s the drama eh?!
Like The Comedy of Errors the text of this play is very poetic and lyrical. It is a delight to listen to, especially when voiced so beautifully by all concerned.
Director Michael Grandage – whose Donmar reign ends with this play - and my friend both stated this is a play close to their hearts. It is now for me too.
Richard II – Review by TheRestrictedReviewer © 2011
Twitter: @RestrictReview
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
‘My Week With Marilyn’ - Vue Cinema, Leicester Square - Monday 30th November 2011
(Rated 4/5 )
This is a wonderful little film about real-life film-maker Colin Clark’s time spent working as third assistant director on The Prince and The Showgirl, starring Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe. It features particularly beautiful performances from Michelle Williams as Marilyn and Eddie Redmayne. He is adorable as the young Colin, who becomes besotted with Marilyn and helps take care of her, so enabling her to produce her incredible performances. Also personally striking a huge note for me was Dame Judi Dench as Dame Sybil Thorndike, who contrary to Olivier’s reaction to her, encouraged Marilyn by asking her for help in reading lines together – such a lovely example of empowering someone! Michelle produced a truly inspired, sympathetic and gentle embodiment of Marilyn.
This is a gorgeous insight into Marilyn’s use of Method acting, which so conflicted with Olivier’s (Kenneth Branagh) use of technique from observation of people. Marilyn’s work was erratic to say the least. Many times she would be late for set, other times ill and unable to come at all, yet more times what she produced was wrong, mediocre or even bad. This maddened Olivier. Yet when in the zone – and as Paula Strasberg (played very nicely and humorously by Zoe Wanamaker) said it took her time to prepare – she was sheer brilliance. She was so vulnerable and in touch with a breadth of emotional range, which would even amaze Olivier. As he said towards the end of the film, while he and Colin watch the rushes of her work as The Showgirl, she was exceptional and yet had no idea how good she was, which made her even more brilliant.
The captions at the end of the film remind us that following this work, Marilyn made Some Like It Hot – her most famous and critically acclaimed performance. And Olivier also produced his best work on stage directly afterwards. Had they learned from each other in spite of their majorly opposing approaches?
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