Bea says: I had thought this was going to be a feel-good film, perfect for seeing with friends on a cold, dull day between Christmas and New Year.
We are temporarily back in London at the moment, and so headed up to the great value Prince Charles Cinema, just off Leicester Square, where tickets are half the price of the big name cinemas in Leicester Square itself (although much more expensive than they used to be, during my first days in London in the mid-90s!).
This was exquisite to watch - such beautiful animation, the likes of which are rarely seen now as studios use more and more CGI/3D effects. Paris, London, the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Edinburgh are captured in such true to life, but soft-focus, detail. I know all these places well and felt I was revisiting them through this film (that bench, that street, that train journey). It wasn't just me - our friends said the same.
There was little dialogue through this achingly sweet yet sad story of a mostly washed-up magician, his rabbit, and a hanger-on he picks up on the Scottish Islands, who eventually finds a better meal ticket than him. Music and occasional murmurings in smatterings of English, French and ?Scottish Gaelic set the scene throughout.
Definitely not feel-good, but wistful, and yes, the perfect thing to see with friends on a dull, cold day between Christmas and New Year.
****
Cecil says: This is apparently a story based on a script by Jacques Tati that never made it to the screen (though there is a moment where the main character stumbles into a cinema showing a Tati film and we see a very brief clip of the man himself, almost Hitchcock style...).
Great characters, though I have to say I saw through the young Highlands lass as soon as she appeared on the scene after the magician's first show in the Scottish pub. But the plot itself didn't really matter.
It was the animation that counted in this film. And if you look at the credits at the end, you see that there were different animators for each of the main characters. Amazing how a dozen different artists could come up with cartoon characters that all fitted so well on the screen together, from the rabbit to the Italian trapeze artists and the Scottish highlanders.
I loved some of the detailed observations. Bea is right about the geography: I could picture the shops on Grassmarket in Edinburgh, and we sat on the very same bench looking down over Waverley station last summer.
But I also loved some of the little details like the crunch of a hearty Scottish Highland handshake; or the pawnbrokers called 'Blair & Brown', which gave the whole film a kind of Aardman Animations feel, though using only-style 2D cartoon characters, which really worked well.
Overall I actually liked this film more than I ever enjoyed Tati's old movies from the 50s and 60s, so hats off to the makers.
***
Monday, 27 December 2010
Monday, 20 December 2010
King's Speech
Cecil says: The last time I saw a film on my own in the States, it was 25 years ago and it also starred Helena Bonham-Carter. I ended up seeing 'Room with a View' 5 times at the cinema, and after seeing King's Speech last night in a packed cinema in DC I felt exactly the same.
Fantastic cast - Bonham-Carter, Michael Gambon, Colin Firth, Timothy Spall, Jennifer Ehle, Geoffrey Rush, Derek Jacobi and a host of other familiar faces; great script; wonderful story. Just a joy to watch.
I think I'll edit my review once I get a chance to take Bea because I'd love to hear her take on it at the same time. But so much to relate to for me personally: from the early onset stammer, to the forced right handedness (well, that may not be true in my case, but some say it was...); through the soundtrack - I haven't heard 2nd movement on Beethoven's 7th for years and always loved it as a teenager, after it was soundtrack to another film in the 70s...); and I loved above all the massive historical characters (Churchill, Chamberlain, Wallis Simpson, Queen Liz herself) in cameo roles, all superbly acted.
Is it significant that the soon-to-be-closed UK Film Council was so prominent in the credits?
I'll stop there, give it my five stars and say more once Bea has been with me...
*****
Fantastic cast - Bonham-Carter, Michael Gambon, Colin Firth, Timothy Spall, Jennifer Ehle, Geoffrey Rush, Derek Jacobi and a host of other familiar faces; great script; wonderful story. Just a joy to watch.
I think I'll edit my review once I get a chance to take Bea because I'd love to hear her take on it at the same time. But so much to relate to for me personally: from the early onset stammer, to the forced right handedness (well, that may not be true in my case, but some say it was...); through the soundtrack - I haven't heard 2nd movement on Beethoven's 7th for years and always loved it as a teenager, after it was soundtrack to another film in the 70s...); and I loved above all the massive historical characters (Churchill, Chamberlain, Wallis Simpson, Queen Liz herself) in cameo roles, all superbly acted.
Is it significant that the soon-to-be-closed UK Film Council was so prominent in the credits?
I'll stop there, give it my five stars and say more once Bea has been with me...
*****
Monday, 13 December 2010
White Material
Cecil says: It's not often you get a chance to see a French film on the big screen in Washington, so we jumped at the chance to see this at our local cinema round the corner.
Beautiful chaos - are the two words that spring to mind, having seen White Material. It's set somewhere in Africa (a never-defined country, but a mixture of Liberia and Somalia would give you an idea); and it's set at some point in time, maybe contemporary, maybe as long ago as the 90s.
It's all beautifully filmed (on location in Cameroon, I think), but the story is disjointed and really quite hard to follow...But that was probably the intention of the director - Claire Denis. She depicts a society in chaos and at war; and a family in the middle of all that which is going through its own chaos
It's the story of a coffee plantation family from France. The family is split over whether to stay and live through the chaos ("Just 5 days left to complete the harvest") or to get out and return to France. Trouble is, it's also a dysfunctional family: three generations are there, but offspring from different relationships make it hard to work out sometimes who is really related to who. But that is all part of the chaos. Through it all, Isabelle Huppert is brilliant as the mother and manager of the coffee plantation.
All around them there is a civil war going on: you have rebels, often boy (and girl) soldiers running amok with guns and spears; soldiers; corrupt mayors with their own personal army; and a reggae-playing rebel DJ announcing the latest names who would do best to get out of the country.
Reading about Claire Denis after the film, I saw that she too had a colonial upbringing in Cameroon, so much of the context is presumably accurate. I've not seen any of her earlier films, but on the evidence of White Material, I'd go again. This was compelling stuff.
And final tips for those who have not yet seen the film: look out for her white dress, because that gives you a hint of what is memory and what is happening now; and then try to work out the significance of the yellow dogs: they open the whole film, but I couldn't for the life of me work them out...
***
Bea says: From the very first moment of this film I was completely caught up in the atmosphere, created by the slow (but never dull) pace, the crackling tension, the African scenery so well filmed I could almost feel the hot wind blowing, and the evocative music by the Tindersticks.
The central female character played by Huppert is at times foolish in the stubbornness of her resolve to remain on the farm despite many warnings to leave, but unusually in cinema she is also strong, capable, resourceful and brave. I enjoyed watching her story unfold.
It was indeed hard at times to follow the jump-cut storyline, and trace the complex family and social relationships of the characters - meaning events would sometimes happen before I had quite figured out how they fit with the story and characters - but this of course is what happens at a time of choas and emergency.
A beautifully made film, well worth a look.
***
Beautiful chaos - are the two words that spring to mind, having seen White Material. It's set somewhere in Africa (a never-defined country, but a mixture of Liberia and Somalia would give you an idea); and it's set at some point in time, maybe contemporary, maybe as long ago as the 90s.
It's all beautifully filmed (on location in Cameroon, I think), but the story is disjointed and really quite hard to follow...But that was probably the intention of the director - Claire Denis. She depicts a society in chaos and at war; and a family in the middle of all that which is going through its own chaos
It's the story of a coffee plantation family from France. The family is split over whether to stay and live through the chaos ("Just 5 days left to complete the harvest") or to get out and return to France. Trouble is, it's also a dysfunctional family: three generations are there, but offspring from different relationships make it hard to work out sometimes who is really related to who. But that is all part of the chaos. Through it all, Isabelle Huppert is brilliant as the mother and manager of the coffee plantation.
All around them there is a civil war going on: you have rebels, often boy (and girl) soldiers running amok with guns and spears; soldiers; corrupt mayors with their own personal army; and a reggae-playing rebel DJ announcing the latest names who would do best to get out of the country.
Reading about Claire Denis after the film, I saw that she too had a colonial upbringing in Cameroon, so much of the context is presumably accurate. I've not seen any of her earlier films, but on the evidence of White Material, I'd go again. This was compelling stuff.
And final tips for those who have not yet seen the film: look out for her white dress, because that gives you a hint of what is memory and what is happening now; and then try to work out the significance of the yellow dogs: they open the whole film, but I couldn't for the life of me work them out...
***
Bea says: From the very first moment of this film I was completely caught up in the atmosphere, created by the slow (but never dull) pace, the crackling tension, the African scenery so well filmed I could almost feel the hot wind blowing, and the evocative music by the Tindersticks.
The central female character played by Huppert is at times foolish in the stubbornness of her resolve to remain on the farm despite many warnings to leave, but unusually in cinema she is also strong, capable, resourceful and brave. I enjoyed watching her story unfold.
It was indeed hard at times to follow the jump-cut storyline, and trace the complex family and social relationships of the characters - meaning events would sometimes happen before I had quite figured out how they fit with the story and characters - but this of course is what happens at a time of choas and emergency.
A beautifully made film, well worth a look.
***
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Black Swan
Bea says: We had seen this previewed and thought it might be worth a go, and made our first attempt to do so on a very cold Sunday evening last week - only to find it sold out! We tried again last night, successfully this time, and noticed that the cinema was almost full. This one is proving relatively popular at the box office it seems.
Black Swan is loosely based on the story of Swan Lake it would seem, and the ballet of Swan Lake is also a key part of the film as the plot revolves aroud a ballet company's performance of this classic. Natalie Portman plays Nina, an anxious and perfectionist young dancer at the company, who is chosen to play the Swan Queen - both "white" and "black" roles, meaning she will have to discover and express the darker side of her good-girl, people-pleasing persona - a challenge for her.
The company's (male) director and a new dancer recently arrived introduce her to this darker side of herself, and Nina experiments with her sexuality and with drugs, alcohol and violence. The result is a magnificent performance as the Black Swan, and, interestingly, a rather poor one as the White Swan - her original character. Watch out for a (now) rare performance by Winona Ryder.
When summarised like this the plot actually sounds quite good - if only the director had kept a light touch and maintained this, the film might have been very good indeed. Instead, for some completely unknown reason, the plot descends into the worst and most boring kind of slasher/horror film with much gratuitous violence (dead people coming back to life covered in blood to startle audience etc). In my view, the plot was almost completely abondoned to achieve this.
I noted that the closing credits included some for 3D effects although the film did not appear to be shown in 3D. This is my worry about the effect of the current vogue for 3D - all effects, no plot or story.
A promising film that was dealt with far too heavyhandedly, and so disappoints.
**
Cecil says: As we walked through the bitter Washington cold to get to the cinema last Sunday, I assumed the little 9 year old girls heading in the same direction were probably going to this film about a ballet dancer. Actually I think they were going to the real Nutcracker ballet at the theatre round the corner, and as Bea says, probably a good thing, given the rather explicit sex and violence we were served up as the film progressed.
Having finally got to see the film last night in a still packed cinema, I have to say I'm not quite sure what all the fuss was about, or why it's such a hit over here. Sure, the dancing is good, and I guess it's cheaper to spend $10 on a cinema ticket rather than $50 at the ballet round the corner, but this film did not do a lot for me. I realised half way through that I had sat arms folded and barely moved from the start. I didn't care terribly much what happened to this anorexic, paranoid young thing who couldn't quite hack it as the star performer and had an annoyingly cloying Mom.
So when the film turned into a classic American horror film more reminiscent of Carrie or Aliens, I really wondered what I was doing there, or why the audience around me were getting so worked up at the various shocking body parts transforming or injuries that weren't really injuries.
Having said that, time did fly by and the music is great, but maybe stay warm at home and buy a good CD of Swan Lake instead. Or maybe I was just troubled by the fact that the guy who played the key male role, Thomas, just reminded me of my sister's ex-boyfriend...
**
Black Swan is loosely based on the story of Swan Lake it would seem, and the ballet of Swan Lake is also a key part of the film as the plot revolves aroud a ballet company's performance of this classic. Natalie Portman plays Nina, an anxious and perfectionist young dancer at the company, who is chosen to play the Swan Queen - both "white" and "black" roles, meaning she will have to discover and express the darker side of her good-girl, people-pleasing persona - a challenge for her.
The company's (male) director and a new dancer recently arrived introduce her to this darker side of herself, and Nina experiments with her sexuality and with drugs, alcohol and violence. The result is a magnificent performance as the Black Swan, and, interestingly, a rather poor one as the White Swan - her original character. Watch out for a (now) rare performance by Winona Ryder.
When summarised like this the plot actually sounds quite good - if only the director had kept a light touch and maintained this, the film might have been very good indeed. Instead, for some completely unknown reason, the plot descends into the worst and most boring kind of slasher/horror film with much gratuitous violence (dead people coming back to life covered in blood to startle audience etc). In my view, the plot was almost completely abondoned to achieve this.
I noted that the closing credits included some for 3D effects although the film did not appear to be shown in 3D. This is my worry about the effect of the current vogue for 3D - all effects, no plot or story.
A promising film that was dealt with far too heavyhandedly, and so disappoints.
**
Cecil says: As we walked through the bitter Washington cold to get to the cinema last Sunday, I assumed the little 9 year old girls heading in the same direction were probably going to this film about a ballet dancer. Actually I think they were going to the real Nutcracker ballet at the theatre round the corner, and as Bea says, probably a good thing, given the rather explicit sex and violence we were served up as the film progressed.
Having finally got to see the film last night in a still packed cinema, I have to say I'm not quite sure what all the fuss was about, or why it's such a hit over here. Sure, the dancing is good, and I guess it's cheaper to spend $10 on a cinema ticket rather than $50 at the ballet round the corner, but this film did not do a lot for me. I realised half way through that I had sat arms folded and barely moved from the start. I didn't care terribly much what happened to this anorexic, paranoid young thing who couldn't quite hack it as the star performer and had an annoyingly cloying Mom.
So when the film turned into a classic American horror film more reminiscent of Carrie or Aliens, I really wondered what I was doing there, or why the audience around me were getting so worked up at the various shocking body parts transforming or injuries that weren't really injuries.
Having said that, time did fly by and the music is great, but maybe stay warm at home and buy a good CD of Swan Lake instead. Or maybe I was just troubled by the fact that the guy who played the key male role, Thomas, just reminded me of my sister's ex-boyfriend...
**
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Fair Game
Bea says: I wanted to see this after seeing it previewed in October, as it is set in DC where we are now living. What I didn't know was that it was a true story.
Set in 2001, during the run-up into the Iraq War, the film follows the story of Valerie Plame and her husband Joe Wilson. Valerie is a long-serving and successful CIA agent, and Joe an ex-diplomat with much experience of Africa. Despite an apparently ordinary life as the parents of twins in Georgetown, they both become involved in CIA investigations into the shipment of yellowcake uranium from Niger into Iraq, via a convulated route (the CIA asks for Joe's help due to his knowledge of Africa; Valerie is leading a number of top secret missions in Iraq to investigate the WMD situation that later received so much press around the world).
The plot is quite intricate and involved and, I think, requires some background knowledge - the Plume/Wilson story was obviously huge here and I guess most US audiences would have this awareness. My take on what happens next is that Plume was sold out by the CIA in order to bury the real news; that there were no WMDs in Iraq, as we now all know.
A press leak meant that Wilson's activity with the CIA, and his relationship to Plume and her identity were plastered all over the news media. This resulted in dismissal from the CIA as she could no longer be covert, and a lot of mud-slinging against her and Wilson.
I was most interested in the film's handling of the strain this placed on Plume's sense of self, of who she really was, and on her marriage. These aspects were well dealt with.
The film is taken from books written by both Plume and Wilson, and they were involved with the adaptation, so clearly it is their version of the story; I would certainly like to read both.
A thought-provoking thriller which also made me realised how much time has passed since 2001.
***
Cecil says: Although the CIA comes out of this film with less than flying colours, the portrayal of the internal discussions and dilemmas, not to mention disagreements among officials shows the Agency in a fairly nuanced light - quite different from the image I had of it in the UK through the 50s to the 80s from its nefarious deeds in countries like Guatemala, Chile etc.
It's also interesting to realise how we see world events through fairly parochial eyes. As Bea says, we'd never heard of this Plume character; probably because all the UK attention during and after the Iraq war was focused on Tony Blair (and to a lesser extent George Bush).
This film had a definite anti-war, critical message on the wheeler-dealing going on as war approached back in 2003. But it did so in a more muted way than someone like Ken Loach would have done; or than that recent film by Armando Ioanucci, which I really didn't like. It had genuine drama, it portrayed the characters well, and it raised lots of issues around work, ethics, family and breakdown.
I felt a certain identification with the Joe Wilson character who, in the 2nd scene of the film, cannot resist getting into an angry row with a dinner guest in the middle of a birthday party (something I confess I have done at least 3 times in the last couple of years). Sean Penn played his obstinate determination well.
I also identified with the Plame character. Thankfully I have never had the power of the White House (or Number 10) pushing against me and undermining my character, but I have experienced that moment of breaking point when the forces of politics, the media and power games somehow try to involve you in their own games. So I had vivid memories as she breaks down in front of the mirror at her parents' home.
This is good drama; psychological and political. Well worth a watch, whatever your views on Iraq.
***
Set in 2001, during the run-up into the Iraq War, the film follows the story of Valerie Plame and her husband Joe Wilson. Valerie is a long-serving and successful CIA agent, and Joe an ex-diplomat with much experience of Africa. Despite an apparently ordinary life as the parents of twins in Georgetown, they both become involved in CIA investigations into the shipment of yellowcake uranium from Niger into Iraq, via a convulated route (the CIA asks for Joe's help due to his knowledge of Africa; Valerie is leading a number of top secret missions in Iraq to investigate the WMD situation that later received so much press around the world).
The plot is quite intricate and involved and, I think, requires some background knowledge - the Plume/Wilson story was obviously huge here and I guess most US audiences would have this awareness. My take on what happens next is that Plume was sold out by the CIA in order to bury the real news; that there were no WMDs in Iraq, as we now all know.
A press leak meant that Wilson's activity with the CIA, and his relationship to Plume and her identity were plastered all over the news media. This resulted in dismissal from the CIA as she could no longer be covert, and a lot of mud-slinging against her and Wilson.
I was most interested in the film's handling of the strain this placed on Plume's sense of self, of who she really was, and on her marriage. These aspects were well dealt with.
The film is taken from books written by both Plume and Wilson, and they were involved with the adaptation, so clearly it is their version of the story; I would certainly like to read both.
A thought-provoking thriller which also made me realised how much time has passed since 2001.
***
Cecil says: Although the CIA comes out of this film with less than flying colours, the portrayal of the internal discussions and dilemmas, not to mention disagreements among officials shows the Agency in a fairly nuanced light - quite different from the image I had of it in the UK through the 50s to the 80s from its nefarious deeds in countries like Guatemala, Chile etc.
It's also interesting to realise how we see world events through fairly parochial eyes. As Bea says, we'd never heard of this Plume character; probably because all the UK attention during and after the Iraq war was focused on Tony Blair (and to a lesser extent George Bush).
This film had a definite anti-war, critical message on the wheeler-dealing going on as war approached back in 2003. But it did so in a more muted way than someone like Ken Loach would have done; or than that recent film by Armando Ioanucci, which I really didn't like. It had genuine drama, it portrayed the characters well, and it raised lots of issues around work, ethics, family and breakdown.
I felt a certain identification with the Joe Wilson character who, in the 2nd scene of the film, cannot resist getting into an angry row with a dinner guest in the middle of a birthday party (something I confess I have done at least 3 times in the last couple of years). Sean Penn played his obstinate determination well.
I also identified with the Plame character. Thankfully I have never had the power of the White House (or Number 10) pushing against me and undermining my character, but I have experienced that moment of breaking point when the forces of politics, the media and power games somehow try to involve you in their own games. So I had vivid memories as she breaks down in front of the mirror at her parents' home.
This is good drama; psychological and political. Well worth a watch, whatever your views on Iraq.
***
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part One
Bea says: When friends suggested we join them to see this very popular new release, Cecil opted out immediately as he is no fan of Harry Potter. I, however, have been following the series since the publication of Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone in the 1990s. I haven't been quite as dedicated a follower of the films, but have seen most of them in a haphazard way, when I've been able to (Sunday afternoons on TV, or on long plane journeys).
Despite my dedication to the series, I haven't yet read the Deathly Hallows, even though it has been out for some years now. I think it's because I know it's the last Potter book ever, and somehow if I read it then I know it's definately ended. If I don't, then I know the last one is always there for me - for sometime in the future when I really, really feel the need to read a comforting book. Books are, except in a few very rare cases, so much better than films that seeing a film of a book first never bothers me - if I even vaguely enjoy a film I know I will love any book its taken from.
So the three of us, sans Cecil, headed up to Georgetown on the day after Thanksgiving to see Part One of the Deathly Hallows. And comforting is probably the least appropriate word to use about this story - it was dark, dark, dark and not very comforting at all. Even the usual comic relief (various Weasleys, the Hogwarts ghosts, Hagrid) were either deadly serious or absent entirely. The film was shot almost entirely in dark interiors or the blue light of northern England in winter. There was much action as usual - as Harry, Ron and Hermione evaded, sometimes not very successfully, capture from various minions of You-Know-Who. As the magical world of wizards and witches fell to these dark forces I couldn't help thinking about our own "muggle" world and the chaos we are in right now - if only we too had some cryptic messages from Dumbledore beyond the grave about how to get out of this mess...
The film ends at a point where it would seem that Harry, Ron and Hermione's cause is lost. We left the cinema feeling low and overwhelmed - one friend commented on how similar to the Lord of the Rings film sequence it felt, and I agree; it felt like watching The Two Towers; the dull blue darkness present throughout, the grim creatures in charge of the world and the sense that it would take some kind of miracle for hope to be restored.
I expect hope will be restored in Part Two, but there will be a long wait for it. And however it is restored, it will never be as light and carefree as The Philosopher's Stone again. That's ok - it's part of growing up, and growing older.
If you like the series, a must-see - but think twice before taking the kids.
***
Despite my dedication to the series, I haven't yet read the Deathly Hallows, even though it has been out for some years now. I think it's because I know it's the last Potter book ever, and somehow if I read it then I know it's definately ended. If I don't, then I know the last one is always there for me - for sometime in the future when I really, really feel the need to read a comforting book. Books are, except in a few very rare cases, so much better than films that seeing a film of a book first never bothers me - if I even vaguely enjoy a film I know I will love any book its taken from.
So the three of us, sans Cecil, headed up to Georgetown on the day after Thanksgiving to see Part One of the Deathly Hallows. And comforting is probably the least appropriate word to use about this story - it was dark, dark, dark and not very comforting at all. Even the usual comic relief (various Weasleys, the Hogwarts ghosts, Hagrid) were either deadly serious or absent entirely. The film was shot almost entirely in dark interiors or the blue light of northern England in winter. There was much action as usual - as Harry, Ron and Hermione evaded, sometimes not very successfully, capture from various minions of You-Know-Who. As the magical world of wizards and witches fell to these dark forces I couldn't help thinking about our own "muggle" world and the chaos we are in right now - if only we too had some cryptic messages from Dumbledore beyond the grave about how to get out of this mess...
The film ends at a point where it would seem that Harry, Ron and Hermione's cause is lost. We left the cinema feeling low and overwhelmed - one friend commented on how similar to the Lord of the Rings film sequence it felt, and I agree; it felt like watching The Two Towers; the dull blue darkness present throughout, the grim creatures in charge of the world and the sense that it would take some kind of miracle for hope to be restored.
I expect hope will be restored in Part Two, but there will be a long wait for it. And however it is restored, it will never be as light and carefree as The Philosopher's Stone again. That's ok - it's part of growing up, and growing older.
If you like the series, a must-see - but think twice before taking the kids.
***
Sunday, 21 November 2010
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Bea says: Last night our plan was to see a film at the wonderful, restored Byrd Theatre in Richmond, Virginia and any film would have done. The Sorcerer's Apprentice wouldn't have been amongst our usual choice of films, but it did well enough, despite being a clear second to the whole experience.
Settled into our plush red seats, we gaped in wonder at the intricate decoration and enormous chandelier (which changed colour regularly - a nice touch!). The evening show got off to a great start with Bob Gulledge at the mighty Wurlitzer, rising up through the floor to play 15 minutes of nostalgic movie tunes (Somewhere Over the Rainbow etc). Patrons clapped, whistled and stamped their feet - it was a fantastic atmosphere.
The film itself was nothing out of the ordinary - a non-animated remake (although I'm not sure how true to the original - except for the famous mop scene) of the animated Sorcerer's Apprentice from many years ago, with some Arthurian legends thrown in and the general gist heavily borrowed from Harry Potter, and with much use made of computer technology.
It was entertaining enough, however, although the car chase scenes were too long for me. I like Nicholas Cage, so was happy enough to watch him play Balthazar, and in classic Disney fashion it all turned out all right in the end (world saved, and both Balthazar and the apprentice got their girl).
It was, rather like the Harry Potter sequence, perhaps a little more dark and violent than I expected and rather scary for some of the younger members of the audience!
If you find yourself in or near Richmond, Virgina, go to this theatre - especially on Saturday nights to catch Bob's playing.
Cecil says: This has got to be one of the most extraordinary cinemas in the world - http://www.byrdtheatre.com/.
And a great policy of charging just $1.99 per seat meant whole families turned up for the show we watched. About 300 in the audience for an early evening showing. If that was repeated for all 5 Saturday showings, it makes a pretty penny for the cinema and something other pricier and modern cinemas might want to think about.
As Bea says, the wurlitzer was fantastic; worth $1.99 just hear and see that; and the audience lapped it up. Cries of 'We love you, Bob', as he disappeared below stage, followed by the spotlight down to the last visible hair on his head. A fantastic spectacle.
We also learnt that Ralph Dolby, son of THE Dolby sound system family, had Dolby sound set up in the Byrd at way below cost, such was his love of the cinema. And the sound is good. A bit too good for my older ears in such a fantasy film with loads of special effects (I'm never quite sure why film makers think that audiences want to be assaulted by crash, bang wallop every 20 seconds; and the computer-generated special effects just seem to accentuate this).
I actually enjoyed Alfred Molina playing the evil sorcerer more than Nicholas Cage. He's one of those actors you see around in films but you can never remember which was his top role; actually he has done so many films over the years, and he has more to come in 2011 already if Wikipedia is to be believed.
As Bea said, it didn't matter to us what film showed - it was the cinema we went to see, so for star rating, I can only give ** to the film but ***** to the cinema. Another example of the community saving a local icon - bravo Richmond, Virginia.
Settled into our plush red seats, we gaped in wonder at the intricate decoration and enormous chandelier (which changed colour regularly - a nice touch!). The evening show got off to a great start with Bob Gulledge at the mighty Wurlitzer, rising up through the floor to play 15 minutes of nostalgic movie tunes (Somewhere Over the Rainbow etc). Patrons clapped, whistled and stamped their feet - it was a fantastic atmosphere.
The film itself was nothing out of the ordinary - a non-animated remake (although I'm not sure how true to the original - except for the famous mop scene) of the animated Sorcerer's Apprentice from many years ago, with some Arthurian legends thrown in and the general gist heavily borrowed from Harry Potter, and with much use made of computer technology.
It was entertaining enough, however, although the car chase scenes were too long for me. I like Nicholas Cage, so was happy enough to watch him play Balthazar, and in classic Disney fashion it all turned out all right in the end (world saved, and both Balthazar and the apprentice got their girl).
It was, rather like the Harry Potter sequence, perhaps a little more dark and violent than I expected and rather scary for some of the younger members of the audience!
If you find yourself in or near Richmond, Virgina, go to this theatre - especially on Saturday nights to catch Bob's playing.
Cecil says: This has got to be one of the most extraordinary cinemas in the world - http://www.byrdtheatre.com/.
And a great policy of charging just $1.99 per seat meant whole families turned up for the show we watched. About 300 in the audience for an early evening showing. If that was repeated for all 5 Saturday showings, it makes a pretty penny for the cinema and something other pricier and modern cinemas might want to think about.
As Bea says, the wurlitzer was fantastic; worth $1.99 just hear and see that; and the audience lapped it up. Cries of 'We love you, Bob', as he disappeared below stage, followed by the spotlight down to the last visible hair on his head. A fantastic spectacle.
We also learnt that Ralph Dolby, son of THE Dolby sound system family, had Dolby sound set up in the Byrd at way below cost, such was his love of the cinema. And the sound is good. A bit too good for my older ears in such a fantasy film with loads of special effects (I'm never quite sure why film makers think that audiences want to be assaulted by crash, bang wallop every 20 seconds; and the computer-generated special effects just seem to accentuate this).
I actually enjoyed Alfred Molina playing the evil sorcerer more than Nicholas Cage. He's one of those actors you see around in films but you can never remember which was his top role; actually he has done so many films over the years, and he has more to come in 2011 already if Wikipedia is to be believed.
As Bea said, it didn't matter to us what film showed - it was the cinema we went to see, so for star rating, I can only give ** to the film but ***** to the cinema. Another example of the community saving a local icon - bravo Richmond, Virginia.
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