Tag: Romance

Recent Hits: TV, Film, & Theater

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All the Way (now showing on HBO)

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Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad; Malcolm in the Middle) TOTALLY transformed himself into LBJ- vocally and physically!  It was also a treat to see Melissa Leo (who plays Lady Bird) after a LONG time; I’ve been a fan of hers since her days on Homicide: Life on the Street.  I saw the play (Arena stage production) about 2 mos. ago; the film is V true to that, though there are changes made (as you can do more w/ cinema).  Anthony Mackie (who has NOT aged by much) has a meaty role as MLK, Jr.  Wingnuts (fans of The West Wing) will be happy to see Bradley Whitford (who portrays liberal Democratic senator- Hubert Humphrey).    

 

The Man Who Knew Infinity (now in select theaters)

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I went to go to a free screening about 3 wks ago; I had no expectations.  Well, I really liked it- and NOT just b/c of Jeremy Irons, the music, or cinematography!  Toby Jones (who often plays baddies) is just SO sweet/delightful as G. H. Hardy’s (Irons’) BFF/fellow mathematician.  Jeremy Northam has a side role as charming philospher Bertrand Russell; it was a nice surprise to me.   This is in the time just before WWI- that conflict also affects the lives of the Oxford community.

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British-Indian actor, Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionnaire; The Newsroom), does a FINE job as S. Ramanujan, a devout Brahmin Hindu math whiz who went from Southern India to Oxford U. at the age of 26.  Patel, who is still in his 20s, has a penchant for wide-eyed/innocent/eager characters; it works well here.  Ramanujan left behind his strong-willed widowed mother and lovely new wife, Janaki (Indian-American actress Devika Bhise). It’s been a LONG time since I’ve seen a modern/Western young woman portray a traditional/demure Indian housewife in SUCH a convincing manner! 

 

The Taming of the Shrew (STC: MAY 17-JUNE 26)

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I just saw this last SAT (preview matinee) w/ a gal pal (who luckily got free tickets online)- it was FABULOUS!  This production, directed by Chinese-Indonesian Brit, Ed Sylvanus Iskander, has a beautiful/intricate set and songs (by Duncan Sheik) which are performed by characters (who were NOT given monologues in Shakespeare’s original play).  

Yes, ALL the actors are male, BUT diversity is built into the show!  Indian- American actor Maulik Pancholy (Weeds) plays Kate, Sri Lankan-American veteran actor Bernard White (Silicon Valley) plays Baptista and Dutch/Mexican-Brit, Peter Gadiot (Tut), plays Petruchio.  Chinese-American actor, Telly Leung, has the best singing voice in the cast; he recently appeared as one of the leads in Allegiance (opposite George Takei). 

Get more info here!      

 

 

Game of Thrones: Season 6, Episode 4 (“Book of the Stranger”)

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SPOILERS: Don’t read this review if you have not yet seen or don’t want to know details from the latest episode of Game of Thrones.  

Castle Black/The Wall:

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We ALL cheered (no doubt) as Brienne, Pod, & Sansa slowly rode into the yard of Castle Black! Tormund was wowed by seeing such a woman as Brienne (more to come on that, I’m sure). Sansa and Jon hugged- SUCH a satisfying moment! These half-sibs had NEVER before had a scene together in 6 seasons (as the showrunners noted on HBO site after the ep).

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In short time, Sansa explained to Jon about the severity of the situation w/ Ramsay; she knew in her gut that HE had killed Roose. But Jon, who has been fighting since leaving Winterfell, admitted that he was tired of fighting. And which houses would be their allies? Sansa said that he saved the Wildlings, so they owe him their support.  If Jon wasn’t going to lead an army, then SHE would! (Twitter was abuzz w/ love for this new badass Sansa that night.)

The Eyrie (The Vale):

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We see a teen Robin Arryn practicing archery while his reluctant teacher/protector, Lord Royce, watches w/ some of the knights of the Vale. Robin sucks at hitting the target (NO shocker there)! Then we see a carriage arrive and out comes Littlefinger! Robin runs over to hug his “Uncle Petyr” (blech).

Lord Royce confronts Littlefinger re: what happened w/ Sansa. He thought Littlefinger was talking his charge to Jon at Castle Black, so how the Hell did she end up married to Ramsay!? The schemer stays calm (as usual), saying that Ramsay and his Bolton bannermen STOLE Sansa away on the road.

Pike (The Iron Islands):

Theon (no longer in Reek mode) returns home and keeps apologizing for how he acted under Ramsay’s control. His younger sis, Yara, is mad (at first). Then she gives him some tough love- Theon has to stop saying sorry and decide what HE really wants out of life! Theon declares that Yara should lead the iron born- she’s the best candidate now that their father is dead. Theon’s personal journey continues to surprise me!

Winterfell:

Osha (Rickon’s ONLY protector) is brutally/quickly stabbed and killed by Ramsay (who she tried to seduce)- V sad ending for such a strong character! But before Osha died, she got in some nice barbs at Ramsay. I really thought that the tough Wildling gal would’ve been able to (at least) wound that evil bastard.

Meereen:

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Much to the disgust/dismay of Grey Worm and Messandei, Tyrion declares a truce w/ the slavers (who had backed the Sons of the Harpy).  Varys doesn’t look too happy, BUT this is the price of peace.  Tyrion explains that there will be a grace period (7 yrs) before they MUST  abolish slavery.  Then the slavers are left alone w/ beautiful/young women. 

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After the meeting, they must face a group of angry former slaves in the main hall.  The men wonder at how Grey Worm can go along w/ such a plan.  In the garden, Grey Worm and Missandei (BOTH former slaves) get a nice/meaty scene w/ Tyrion.  Missandei says that he was NOT a slave long enough to know how truly terrible it can be for a person.  Grey Worm thinks that these masters will use Tyrion (NOT the other way around)- they always managed to get their way before.       

Kings Landing:

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In the Grand Sept, after telling Margaery the story of how he came to religion, the High Sparrow allows the disheveled queen to see her big bro in his jail cell. Yikes, Loras looks terrible, and is also an emotional wreck. He cries and says he just wants it to stop! Margaery embraces him, explaining that THIS is the time to be strong (the old man is probably plotting to turn them against each other).

I actually liked the High Sparrow’s story in this ep! (Some of you tweeted that you were unsure if it was true.) He was once a successful cobbler (inheriting his dad’s business) who was drawn to worldly things- fancy clothes, wine, women, and partying w/ wealthy pals. Before dawn one morning (around age of 25), he realized how hollow his life had become, and walked away (w/o his shoes- ironic). Isn’t that usually the case? People (in the real world) that had the most craziest youths (doing extreme/illegal activities) can turn out to be the ones that cling to religion tightly.

In the Red Keep, Cersei learns from Tommen what judgment (a walk of shame- YIKES!) lies in his wife’s future. The High Sparrow has been talking w/ the king now and then. Cersei and Jaime FINALLY convince Uncle Kevyn (Lancel’s dad- FYI) and Lady Olenna to get w/ their plan. The Lannister army will stay outside and guard the city; the Tyrell army (bit larger) come inside the city walls to capture (or kill) the High Sparrow. After Margaery is free and at Tommen’s side, the armies will kill the Sparrows if they don’t surrender. Hmm… wonder if MANY of those rag tag folks can even fight properly?

Vaes Dothrak (Essos):

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Daario (ugh, I barely tolerate this guy) and Jorah (still LOVE him) are outside the city limits, planning the rescue of Dany.  Jorah explains (as he did back in S1 to Viserys) that weapons are forbidden inside this city.  During the fight w/ the two Dothraki on the streets, we see that Jorah is losing (V unexpected); at one point, he throws sand in his opponent’s eyes. Daario has to save Jorah’s life- he stabs the Dothraki in the back (w/ his fave knife).

It turns out that the khaleesi can save HERSELF!  Dany has a GREAT speech in front of all the khals, before setting fire to the (VERY flammable) structure where they’ve all gathered.  Dany emerges from the roaring fire, amazing the Dothraki, who quickly bow down before her.  Then Jorah and Daario (he’s never seen this sort of thing either) bow down, too.  What a FAB ending! 

Deadwood: Season 1, Episode 1

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HBO made SO much money off of The Sopranos, the network decided to take a chance on two lavish, intricate other series- Rome (read my review) and Deadwood.  This Western drama series starts off unlike any other (that I’ve seen)- w/ the hanging of a horse thief!  As the show’s creator David Milch explained, an “unhorsed man was akin to a dead man in the Old West.”  Before he can start his new life in Deadwood, South Dakota, Montana marshall Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant, who I first discovered and LOVED on Damages) has to administer justice.  There is a large, angry crowd outside his office, men w/ torches ready to storm in and attack the prisoner.  Milch said that Bullock (whose name means “young bull”) “hated the mob,” so he decided to swiftly take things into his own hands.   

Bullock (along w/ his pal/business partner, Sol Star) travels on a wagon to Deadwood; the two men plan to set up a hardware store.  Sol (John Hawkes) is Jewish, comes from a business family from Vienna, Austria, though he was raised in Ohio.  This is Hawkes LONG before he made a name for himself on Winter’s Bone (Jennifer Lawrence’s breakout film); he was nominated for an Oscar for his role. 

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Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), a saloon owner and defacto leader of the camp community of Deadwood, has his own share of troubles to handle after one of his prostitutes, Trixie (Paula Malcomson), kills a regular customer who had the nasty habit of hitting her when drunk.  Doc Cochran (Brad Dourif, who some of you will recognize from the LOTR series) comes to examine the wound- it will be fascinating to study the man’s skull.  I liked Dourif as the villainous Grima Wormtongue, but I quickly grew to LOVE his character on this series! 

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Wild Bill Hickok (Keith Carradine, the biggest name actor in S1) arrives at the camp w/ his loyal companions, Jane (Robin Weigert, most recently seen in Jessica Jones) and Charlie Utter.  It’s obvious that Jane (also a fan fave- including mine, along w/ Doc) is in love w/ Bill, though he has recently married another woman.  As for Charlie, he serves as a friend, counselor, and manager to Wild Bill.  On the road, Wild Bill’s entourage comes across a blonde family (w/ Norwegian accents) who are headed back home to Minnesota; Deadwood we gather was too rough and tumble for them.  We will find out exactly WHY in no time!           

Wow, did you see HOW fast Seth got some of the men organized after learning of the murder of the Norwegian family!  He may be a socially awkward man of few words, but he definitely has a STRONG sense of right and wrong.  Wild Bill (another man of action) goes along w/ Seth; he is another fan fave.  (Carradine wore blue contacts, which were quite uncomfortable, for his role as Wild Bill.)

 

Othello (Shakeapeare Theater Company)

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Though an active and talented member of Venetian society who has started to assimilate, he is never fully accepted—and it makes him all the more susceptible to the machinations of Iago, the one person he feels that he can trust. 

…Iago’s hatred of Othello stems from his own jealousy.  He resents the fact that Othello promoted Cassio over him, believes that Othello slept with his wife and cringes at the idea that a foreigner—whom he considers inferior—has the success and recognition that he has been denied.  It is a personal vendetta, and he makes the audience complicit. 

-Katherine Peterlin (STC’s Young Professionals Consortium)

As my regular readers know, Othello is my favorite Shakespeare play.  The themes of this play are relevant today (as we heard in the video above).  I saw it back in 2011 at the Folger; you can read that review here.  I went to see this new adaptation, starring Pakistani-American actor Faran Tahir, at STC on SUN, FEB 28 (7:30PM); it was just 5 days after the play opened.  I had a seat in the 3rd row (rare for me); three 20s gals sitting behind me had free tickets (how lucky)!  Sitting beside me were a middle-aged couple who also enjoyed the show a lot; the husband made some comments that proved that his wife was the Shakespeare expert, but he enjoyed it, too.  As for the desis (South Asians) in the audience, I didn’t see more than a handful (including myself).         

Some of you may be thinking: Isn’t Othello supposed to be black (as in African-American)?  But remember that in The Bard’s time, “black” may have had a different meaning.  “Renaissance representations of the Moor were vague, varied, inconsistent, and contradictory,” as E. A. J. Honigmann, editor of The Arden Shakespeare, noted.  “The term Moor referred to darker-skinned people in general, used interchangeably with similarly ambiguous terms such as African, Somali, Ethiopian, Negro, Arab, Berber, and even Indian to designate a figure from Africa (or beyond). Various uses of the word black are insufficient evidence for any accurate racial classification; that could simply mean swarthy,” Honigmann concluded.

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Abd el-Ouahed ben Messaoud ben Mohammed Anoun, Moroccan ambassador to the court of Elizabeth I (some consider him as the model for Othello)

Original Line:  She gave me for my pains a world of… sighs.

Changed Line: She gave me for my pains a world of… kisses.

Above is one of the lines that was changed from the original (I noticed it right away); it’s more suited to the WWI setting of this play.  This is the kind of adaptation that grows on you, though I quickly noticed that the lighting was very well-done (from the 1st scene).  Iago (played by Jonno Roberts, a New Zealand native) is a very strong villain; he’s matter-of-fact, yet funny.  One of his tactics is to tightly embrace several of the individuals (Rodrigo, Othello, and Cassio) who he has ensnared in his web.  Since Roberts is tall, broad, and muscular (like a modern-day military man), this comes off as potentially scary.  I especially liked Iago and Othello’s scenes; the actors obviously have good chemistry and a great command of the text.  All the supporting actors did well, especially the two who played Desdemona and Emilia.

There were two moments in this play that I thought were particularly good.  One was Othello grabbing Iago, pulling him down, and choking him (when the villain first accused Desdemona of unfaithfulness).  The other scene was when Othello went into a fit of epilepsy, falling to the floor, and shaking for several seconds (everyone leaned forward in their seats).  I was sure that this play would get better w/ time; it has been extended through April 2.  Go check it out if you have a chance! 

2016 New African Film Festival (March 11-18)

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AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center  (8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910) will be hosting the 12th annual New African Film Festival, showcasing African films from ALL corners of the continent. Below is info re: the 2 films that I’m MOST interested in seeing.  (FYI: Opening Night films usually sell out quickly, so try to get tickets early!)  I may have to go see it SUN.

You can read my review of one of the films from last year’s festival here: https://knightleyemma.com/2015/03/22/2015-new-african-film-fest-triangle/

Lamb

Friday, March 11 – Opening Night/Reception (7:15 PM) & Sunday, March 13 (4:45 PM)

Yared Zeleke’s remarkable feature debut tells the story of young Ephraim, a half-Jewish Ethiopian boy who is sent by his father to live among distant relatives after his mother’s death. Ephraim uses his cooking skills to carve out a place among his cousins, but when his uncle decides that his beloved sheep must be sacrificed for the next religious feast, he will do anything to save the animal and return home.

The Price of Love

Saturday, March 12 (7:15 PM) & Wednesday, March 16 (7:15 PM)

A recovering addict, Teddy drives his cab across the sprawling Addis Ababa, in the hopes of making an honest living. But when Teddy picks up the beautiful prostitute Fere, just as she’s escaping an abusive john, he’s thrust back into the world of trouble he tried to escape. After an act of retribution, which leaves Teddy’s cab stolen, he joins forces with Fere in the hopes of saving both their lives. As romance blossoms between the two outsiders, they learn the hard way that love comes with a price.

http://silver.afi.com/Browsing/Movies/Details/m-0100000548