THEATRE and MOVIE REVIEWS MARCH, APRIL, MAY 2013
Proof-Menier
Chocolate Factory-Sunday
March 30. 2013
Jamie Parker as Hal and Mariah Gale as
Catherine in Proof at the Menier Chocolate Theatre Photo: Alastair Muir
I had to recall the movie, which came out a few years
ago but thought the plot and characters well substantiated and thoroughly
engaging enough, especially when it comes to higher education Maths for this to
be a Tony award winning play. Mariah Gale plays Catherine the protagonist, a
very clever actress but sounding a bit like a robot with her dry wit,
abandoning university in order to care for her father, brilliant mathematician
Robert (Matthew Marsh) who has a breakdown and eventually dies. This raises the
question, is there a link between genius and mental illness? It’s odd trying to
get one’s head around a play about Maths and mathematicians, referred to as
geeks, when there aren’t many mathematical terms or explanations of theories
(proof) within the text. It does though, purport the idea that Maths is in
itself beautiful because of its truth and science, which is something I will
never have the intellect for despite being a musician. Handsome, clever and
charming actor Jamie Parker plays the perpetually frustrated Hal, whom I last
saw at the Globe, as one of the professor’s ex students, who when trying to
plough through the professor’s notes is given a key by Catherine to a draw
which unlocks a notebook containing the next big original proof. After having
slept with her, he doubts whether the work is actually that of Catherine as she
claims and hence the breakdown in the relationships between the sister, Claire
(Emma Cunliffe), Hal and Catherine. Catherine lives in fear of inheriting her
father’s mental illness at a young age and many prickly scenes ensue.
The set is a dilapidated and neglected back porch of a
house in Chicago, which sets up the play well. A thoroughly enjoyable piece at
the Chocolate Factory.
Trance.
Film preview at Greenwich Picture House. Sunday
24th March. 2013
This
is Danny Boyle’s latest movie, a psychological thriller based on an art heist
and whilst good and intriguing is also confusing and requires much
concentration to connect the nuances and dots. I wasn’t quite sure what to make
of this dream like state film, which boasts stars such as Rosario Dawson
playing Elizabeth the hypnotherapist who physically bares all on screen, James
McAvoy plays Simon the inside job guy with a gambling problem and Vincent
Cassel plays Franck a thief and gang leader. It’s a head-spinning plot about
the mind, hypnoses, truths and untruths based on a theft at auction of a very
expensive Goya painting (and we have no idea who is going to buy it?) The latter,
being obvious right from the start. Unfortunately we end up sympathising with
all characters at some point during the movie and are left not knowing who the
good or bad guys really are? A disjointed film which leaves one guessing.
Paperboy
at Greenwich Picture House.
A sexually charged
film which includes: the ‘n’ word, gore, race-politics, blood and intestines,
violence, the gutting of a croc, oh and did I say sex? Great film set in 1969,
shot as a documentary but doesn’t quite hang together well and is quite
disjointed. I think it gets lost in the mix of genres and overall style of what
it should be, which is what, we don’t quite know? The cast are terrific with
the likes of Nicole Kidman, her best work in a long while and not wooden, all
grown up and seriously gorgeous Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey with incredibly
believable film make-up (it had me looking for flaws) and very scary and
chilling John Cusack. The film is set in Florida, which sweats and whilst some
scenes are set in swamps, there were no real crocs to be seen which was odd?
The film is admirable but is missing the WOW factor.
