Frankenstein- National Theatre UK production

Frankestein is a 2011 National Theatre UK play directed by Danny Boyle, which not only was presented as a stage project, but also was broadcasted live in cinemas all around the country. It is a superb production, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Miller as both The Creature and Frankenstein- they switched roles every night, and so the two men got to play both roles in alternative nights. As expected, the show was not significantly different, but the two fantastic actors portrayed the parts in totally different ways. For example, from what I've heard, Miller as the Creature is much more dynamic, but also human; Cumberbatch's movements, especially in the beginning, are slower and he chose to act the part in much more raw, evil way, compared to his partner.

As you might now, it tells the story of a young man named Frankenstein who created a man, but was so shocked to see his project come to life, that he left him, running away. We experience the show from the creature perspective- we see him breathe for the first time, and then starting to learning to move, speak, eat and so on. After being beaten and considered to be a monster, he ends up at the house of a kind, old, blind man, who, unaware of the Creature appearance, takes pity in him and proceeds in teaching him how to read, speak and yearn for more knowledge and love. It is now when one of my favorite scenes occurs, as they talk about life, its meaning, why people act the way they do and others. I'm sure that if you've read the book, you will know what I am talking about. Tragedy comes when the old man's son doesn't approve of the peculiar human being, and so, it moves on and takes upon him to find Frankenstein and convince him to make him a female creature. Frankenstein agrees, but suddenly changes his mind moments before creating her, in one of the beautiful, touching scenes I have seen, as the Creature explains to him what he thinks love is and how it feels. The script, the lines, the dialogue, their interaction, everything was perfect. I think that was the point where I decided that I definitely need to read the book, as well. Infuriated, the Creature goes after the professor and ruins his wedding day, starting a long journey to the north with the scientist behind him, as Frankenstein vows to kill him.

I had the pleasure to see a screening of the production last week with Jonny Lee Miller as the Creature- he completely surprised me and I was floored by his performance. To start with, I was impressed by his commitment to the part- playing such an iconic, but also extremely peculiar and unique part, is a hard task, especially in the first half of the play, when he basically has to show us how a man learns in 20 minutes what we learn in 20 years. It's strange, yet appealing, and he convinced us all that he was the Creature. There were so many little details, so many gestures, hand movements and so on, that helped create the character and make us understand him. Miller is a force of nature and deserves all the credit, alongside his co-star, of course.

Benedict Cumberbatch played the part of the professor and had a more supporting role, although the second part featured a lot of key scenes between the two men. The talented English man, as expected, was fantastic in the part and had great chemistry with Miller, and I have a feeling that him as the Creature would have been just as interesting to watch, although, like I said, Jonny Lee was superb.

As for the actual production, I have to say that Danny Boyle did wonders. Everything was visually beautiful, especially the lighting, the score was haunting and appropriate to the play and you could see the director had a cinematographic vision.

The play was very well received in the UK, earning many accolades, including Best Actor at the Laurence Olivier awards (the Tony's of UK theatre), split between Miller and Cumberbatch. I know it will be shown in cinemas this autumn in Europe, but I really hope the people from the US or Australia or India will get to see it, too, somehow. It is a fascinating play/movie and I highly recommend it!

May recap

May was a pretty good month for me. I finally finished all my projects and essays for university and successfully turned them in, and now I just have to focus on my dissertation. After that stressful beginning of the month, I went back home for a week and a half and enjoyed spending time with my family and some close friends, while my mom spoiled me and fed me like there was no tomorrow :) Now I am back in London, ready to rumble, do my research and find a job. I need a job/work experience/internship/anything to do this summer, otherwise I will go crazy!
[Side note: lovely London people, what do I have to do to get into the press screenings? can I or is it too early to do it? help please?]

As for actual movies I saw this month, I am happy to check some important titles I've been meaning to see for months (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, City Lights and so on).

Here's the list for May:


Movies:
Young Adult [2011]
City Lights [1931]
Some Like It Hot [1959]
Coco avant Chanel [2009] foreign film
Taxi Driver [1976]
Raging Bull[1980]
The Virgin Suicides [1999]
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon [2007] foreign film
Big Fish [2003]
Moonrise Kingdom [2012]
Brief Encounter [1945]

Books: 1

I also participated in some very cool blogathons
- Nostra's The Ten: Best actors of all time- my pick
and
- Duke&the movies' Representing Humanity- my choices

Next month:
- 2 concerts (Maccabees and BBC Hackney Weekend)
- Viewing of Frankestein, the Danny Boyle theater play that he directed, starting Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller, which also was broadcast live across the UK, and now it's being re-introduced to some select theaters. Just so there are no confusions: I am going to see it in the cinema theater, so no, unfortunately, I won't see Cumberbatch in person, but he will be on a huge screen in front of me, and I am fine with that :)
- Diamond Jubilee parties
- Tate Museum visit
...and hopefully, many more interesting things!

Have a great June everyone!

Random recommendations post

Hey guys!

Since it is Monday and I know most of you, like myself, love discovering new films, tv shows, music, magazines and so on, I decided to share with you some all-time and/or current favorites:

TV Show- Sherlock

The fantastic TV show follows Sherlock, a modern day wacky detective in his journey through misterious cases and inmaginable villains, accompanied by Dr John Watson, his loyal friend and partener. I can't write a full review or objectively say what is good or wrong about this show, I can only tell you that it is fantastic and that you should see it right now- it is worth your time! There are 2 seasons released, each one having 3 episodes of 90 minutes each, so basically you have 6 mini-movies to warch! Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as John Watson are perfect and their chemistry is dynamite. Actually, mister Cumberbatch has been on my mind lately and I find him fascinating for different reasons, I might write a post about him soon!
Please do see Sherlock!

Music

I'm not a big house/electronic/disco or...well, whatever Lana del Rey's music genre is, but these two songs are pretty good! Lana Del Rey is an interesting case- her voice is so special, sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't, but it is something out of ordinary!Too bad her SNL performance was that bad!

Magazine-Vanity fair

In the last couple of years I've been constantly buying Vanity Fair- the American magazine is a great read for many reasons, in my opinion! Firstly, it covers a large array of domains, from celebrities (their usual cover subject), to sports, economy, society, trends, and unsolved cases. It has profiles of known individuals, but told from a different perspective or with untold stories until now; it highlights new talent and gives credit to the ones who deserve it. Second of all, the articles are very well-written, well-researched and easy to read! I must admit, not all of the numbers are great overall, you should check the content table before buying!

Film Website

David Bordwell's website is perfect for film fanatics and theory lovers- not only does it feature a great number of articles on history and movies, it also has many analysis posts on scenes, characters, shooting styles and so on. An interesting read! http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/

Sundance related articles

As you may know, Sundance is in full swing in Utah right now and these articles should help you understand and learn more about the film festival!
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/01/20/sundance-redford-romney-transformers/
http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance-2012-a-complete-guide-to-all-the-films
http://www.indiewire.com/article/meet-the-sundance-filmmakers-the-complete-collection
http://www.indiewire.com/article/notes-from-sundance-opening-night-four-films
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/sundance-2012-buyers-guide-a-primer

What about you, what have you been reading/listening/watching lately? Let me know in the comments!

Hope you all have a nice day and a great week!

War Horse[2011/2012]

First thing I said after I saw this movie, and I think I actually tweeted it, was: Steven Spielberg is stuck in the 90s! If he would have released this movie 2 decades ago it would have won every award and it would have made millions. Just think about it: sobbing story, horses, beautiful scenery, war, handsome and brave men, funny one-liners, and of course THE ORCHESTRA (is it safe to say this kind of music was overused? that's what I thought). It reminded me of those types of movies like Braveheart, or Legends of the Fall- am I the only one?

Now, in some ways, War Horse is a good movie- it is made in a visually attractive way, the characters are approachable and you can't go wrong with a story about war or animals, can you? Both in one film? Perfect. It was nicely directed and I loved the sets, but then again, I do have to repet myself, the music killed me- I understand the need of classical pieces and, in some scenes, the orchestra worked, but mister Spielberg, must you use it almost all of the time? The script is cheesy and tries to mix some comedy with drama, but doesn't quite succeed (men running away from a duck?), and so, the actors weren't allowed to shine too much, as everything seemed a little too forced, too dramatic.

I admit it- I was bored, for about a half of the movie- I think it got interesting when Albert went to war, but until then, the only things that got my attention were the brief appereances of Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch (seriously, Britain, do you even have an ugly or not-charming man in your region?). Speaking of men, I thought Jeremy Irvine, beside the fact that he is, indeed, a handsome young man (girly comment), was pretty good and showed a certain spark that can definitely raise up to be a star in a couple of years- the boy has got potential.

I can't really say more, as it didn't really stir up anything in me. I do not like animals, in any shape or form (shocker, I know, I have been told), so the horse part didn't get to me! Some moments were nice and I am sure, heartbreaking for some (Joey stuck in wires, Albert whistling Joey in the "hospital"), but overall I wasn't impressed.

Sorry mister Spielberg, nice try though! Thanks for Cumberbatch, Hiddleston and Irvine!

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy [2011]

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (from now on called TTSS) is a classic British spy thriller set in the 1970s. It has all the right elements: bleak atmosphere, silent, monotonous characters, grey colours, cigarettes and secrets. A lot of secrets, well-hidden and carefully guarded.

George Smiley, played by Gary Oldman, is forced back from his retirement, to find out who the mole in the Circus is. Alongside Peter (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Mendel (Roger Lloyd-Pack, who I immediately recognized from Harry Potter), they start the search inside the "company", rulling out one by one.

Now, as I said, it can be a rather dull movie for some- for me, it was the first part, but right around the middle, or even before that, when Tom Hardy comes back into the picture and talks about his long lost Russian love and Cumberbatch steals information, I am sucked into the story and guess what? I am starting to enjoy myself- the plot thickens, the characters get more shadier, the secrets start pouring over, the music ascends....and in the end, we get our mole, all wrapped up with a bow. I have to admit it wasn't perfect and there are some loose ends, but overall, for a spy thriller, it was pretty damn good- well executed, great performances, fantastic sets and costumes and an interesting premise.

Acting-wise, you can never go wrong with Brits- they always seem to be on point. Colin Firth offers a swift change and a shocking turn in actions, Tom Hardy is convincing as a spy who falls in love with a Russian diplomate and tries to save her (I am starting to like him, I didn't before) and Toby Jones got my attention, he always surprises me. As for Benedict Cumberbatch- what can I say? This is was the first time I have ever seen him in a movie, and I actually loved him- although he has such a weird appeareance, not very attractive to say so, he is still very charming and has an appeal some work on for years; it's effortless, just like his performance.

Last, but not least, Gary Oldman- the man, the legend. I usually consider the wild, unpredictable, maniac performances to be the best, as they are rare to find in the real world, but mister Oldman proved me wrong tonight. He showed not only me, but everyone, that control is sometimes ten times harder to perform then a wild act. He played Smiley with such restraint and calm, that I do believe he deserves a lot more attention for this part that he is given now.

Overall, I think TTSS is a good movie and you should see it, if you have the chance! Brits rarely mess up and they didn't this time, either! Enjoy!