Gleason Review
The Plot
After being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, retired footballer begins to make a video diary for his unborn son.
The Good
Those of us in the UK may not know the name of Steve Gleason, but for America, his name is an important one. Following a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease (or ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease as it is also known), the titular subject of this documentary, retired footballer Steve Gleason starts filming video diary entries for both his unborn son and to raise awareness of the disease as he struggles with it. As the film and ultimately his diagnosis progresses, he faces issues including his faith and the struggles his disease brings upon his family.
Director Clay Tweel (Finders Keepers) manages to bring Gleasons life to the screen in this documentary which is as heart-breaking as it is uplifting. Using footage from his video diaries as well as interviews with his wife and family and fly-on-the-wall scenes, Gleason is without a doubt a struggle to get through even for those unfamiliar with both the person and the subject, but it is presented with a beautiful sense of closeness that otherwise would have been easily missing. There are scenes which are tough to watch, such as his heart to heart with his father discussing their differences of opinions regarding death and religion. But for every difficult scene there is an uplifting one soon to follow. Gleason’s story is one which will no doubt resonate with many and for the luckier viewers who have no prior knowledge of ALS, it certainly raises awareness in a brutally honest approach.
The Bad
There really is nothing negative to report on Gleason. The only possible downside could be it’s affect on certain audience members. Those who have known or still know someone suffering through this heart-breaking disease, which results in sufferers losing their ability to move, speak and, eventually breathe, may have a tougher time than others when watching this documentary, but it is highly unlikely to offend.
The Ugly Truth
Tweel has managed to bring the life of Steve Gleeson to the screen in a brutally honest way which, with the help of Gleason’s video diary entries, ensures it is as respectful as possible. For a documentary about a man who has been working to raise awareness to ALS, even having his name on a US law related to it, Gleason couldn’t be more perfect.
Review by Johnny Ellis
Beauty And The Beast Review
The Plot
In the familiar tale as old as time, a beautiful girl finds herself trapped in an enchanted castle with a selfish prince who has been turned into a Beast. Seizing the opportunity the castle’s magical servants try their best to fan the unlikely flames of love between the mismatched pair in order to break the spell that binds them all.
The Good
Beauty and The Beast is a very faithful and inevitably lucrative adaptation of one of Disney’s most beloved and universally celebrated modern animated classics. The timeless core story remains fundamentally compelling and romantically satisfying.
Emma Watson proves her vocal prowess with a strong musical performance as heroine Belle. Meanwhile fellow British star Luke Evans in particular is a magnificently boisterous fit for the brutish Gaston, the self-proclaimed village heartthrob determined to claim Belle’s hand in marriage by any means necessary and in spite of her extreme reluctance. The further vocal talents of Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson pour fresh life into their already familiar characters, helping this new version to recapture much of the magical charm of the previous cartoon.
Those with especially fond memories of the animated film will welcome the new film’s faithful parade of all its key moments and songs. Gaston’s ode to himself, the enchanting ‘Be Our Guest’ and the film’s memorable romantic refrain ‘Tale as Old as Time’ are among the iconic highlights painstakingly recreated with live actors and photo-realistic modern animation.
The new film boasts a joyously colourful production value and all-star cast that few but Disney is truly capable of offering. Those that truly love the original will be delighted to see so little changed and to have a fresh chance to introduce the magic of Disney to their own children and a new generation of fans.
The Bad
Disney continues to unapologetically plunder its extensive back catalogue of classic animated stories for the guaranteed box office success of live action adaptations. While their Sleeping Beauty re-imagining Maleficent at least made efforts to approach the overly familiar material form a fresh perspective, this new version of Beauty and The Beast literally only serves as a scene by scene copy of the original fan favourite.
It’s also worth noting that although this is indeed ostensibly a ‘live action’ version, as the Beast and the rest of the castle’s enchanted inhabitants are actually fully CGI creations the truth is most of the films key scenes are actually largely or even fully animated. As a key example the crowd pleasing ‘Be Our Guest’ dining table musical number remains entirely a work of colourful animation with the solitary exception of Emma Watson’s awed expression. Given the exquisite perfection of the original cartoon version it is questionable how much a more photorealistic animated version truly adds to proceedings.
The film’s occasional efforts to slip in some extra social justice themes are either awkwardly heavy handed or so barely noticeable that they remain utterly trivial. Belle being bullied by the French townsfolk for trying to teach a young girl to read is an awkward attempt to openly polish the film’s feminist credentials.
In contrast the supposed gay subplot surrounding Josh Gad’s turn as Gaston’s faithful sidekick Le Fou turns out to have been bizarrely overhyped. Amid bold talk of a gay love scene that saw the film banned outright or given restrictive releases in some countries the reality is literally a split second of incidental background dancing. Only the filmmakers will know if more meaningful material was filmed but ended up on the cutting room floor.
While much like the animated original the film does much make frequent jokes at the expense of Le Fou’s simpering admiration for Gaston, this is typical treatment for villain’s comedy sidekicks and certainly nothing as ground-breaking and controversial as audiences may expect in the wake of so much utterly unnecessary media hype.
Live action adaptation is also not without other specific draw backs. Cartoon films frequently get away with having stories set in 17th Century France but voiced by a muddled bag of Anglo-American accents and thick Gallic stereotypes. Unfortunately in the real world as opposed to a purely cartoon creation those inexplicable juxtapositions become all the more jarring.
Emma Watson slips in the occasional Bonjour Monsieur with all the linguistic subtlety of a nervous GCSE student, but her clipped British tones are still pure Hermione Granger. It’s a distracting contrast with the quintessentially French exuberance of for example Ewan McGregor’s singing Candelabra.
While McGregor, Luke Evans and the rest of the all-star supporting cast relish in their roles in truth the central paring of Emma Watson’s Belle and Dan Steven’s full CGI Beast are far less successful embodiments of the beloved animated characters. Neither is an especially good visual fit for the roles and although Steven’s can at least blame animators for changing the Beast’s appearance Watson has less excuse for a mostly stilted performance.
Though Watson’s impressive singing voice is more than adequate for the musical numbers her acting style has sadly not progressed much from the awkward gasping theatricality and blank expressions evidenced throughout the Harry Potter franchise.
The Ugly Truth
While overall the film will likely delight younger audiences experiencing this iconic story for the first time, older fans will almost certainly be left somewhat underwhelmed by what is at best merely a mostly competent approximation of their most special childhood cartoon memories.
Review by Russell Nelson
Kong Skull Island Review
The Plot
In 1973 team of explorers and soldiers travel to an uncharted island in the Pacific, unaware that they are crossing into the domain of monsters, including the mythic Kong.
The Good
When going into Kong: Skull Island, you may be inclined to compare it with 2014’s Godzilla of which this film is the first in an apparent new monster-filled cinematic universe leading to an upcoming versus film. One of the much discussed downsides to director Gareth Edwards’ take on Japan’s most famous lizard was the amount of screen time its titular character received. Fortunately, Kong’s director, Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer) and writers Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein and Derek Connolly manage to smash away any fear of ape absence with an impressive array of cgi and action which will make you yearn for a Kong/Godzilla fight before the credits have even begun.
Set in 1973, Skull Island follows a star studded team of explorers, headed by John Goodman’s Bill Randa and accompanied by Samuel L. Jackson’s Preston Packard and his team of soldiers as they set out to discover what lies on Skull Island. Their Apocalypse Now inspired arrival is soon cut short by Kong himself in an awe inspiring action sequence that will have you on the edge of your seat. With the team now split up on an island that has no map, it is up to Tom Hiddleston’s smoldering adventurer James Conrad to keep more people from dying, while Brie Larson’s Marson Weaver puts her photography skills to the test while occasionally kicking ass. One of the most refreshing things about the film is Weaver’s absence of any notable romantic storyline. For a franchise which has in the past, not been as fairly equal to its female characters as one could hope, Weaver remains a strong and independent character even when she has her moment with Kong.
In addition to the already full cast, John C. Reilly also joins the team as Hank Marlow, a World War II soldier who, after being left stranded on the island with only his Japanese counterpart for company, has become an unwilling inhabitant of the island, learning to live under the rule of its 328 foot king. Reilly brings some much needed humour to the film alongside Hiddleston’s serious(ly handsome) acting.
Even this amount of stars aren’t able to ape the presence of the films main star. Industrial Light and Magic have managed to pull of a superb job of bringing King Kong back to the big screen with some amazing CGI work. Kong is certainly big enough to go toe to toe with Godzilla in 2020 and this writer cannot wait to see more!
The Bad
Anyone looking for more than a simple monster movie may feel a tad short changed come credits time, as, while the film manages to introduce the bulging cast list with ease (take note Suicide Squad) and does a few interesting things with its period setting, it’s never enough to really grasp onto.
On the subject of Suicide Squad, Kong: Skull Island also manages to get away with its 70s laden soundtrack by the skin of its teeth. It’s one verse away from becoming truly grating.
The Ugly Truth
Featuring more than enough ape action and an impressive cast, Kong: Skull Island manages to bring back Hollywood’s most famous monkey with a bang and then some. Go in expecting a monster movie and you’ll come out satisfied. Expect any more and you may feel left wanting.
Review by Johnny Ellis
Olivier Awards 2017 Full Nominations List
Best actor in a supporting role in a musical
Ian Bartholomew for Half A Sixpence at the Noël Coward Theatre
Adam J Bernard for Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre
Ben Hunter for The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre
Andrew Langtree for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Best actress in a supporting role in a musical
Haydn Gwynne for The Threepenny Opera at the Olivier, National Theatre
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for Murder Ballad at the Arts Theatre
Rebecca Trehearn for Show Boat at the New London Theatre
Emma Williams for Half A Sixpence at the Noël Coward Theatre
Outstanding achievement in music
Dreamgirls at Savoy Theatre (music by Henry Krieger)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at Palace Theatre (composer and arranger Imogen Heap)
Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre (the band and company creating the gig-like rock vibe of the original concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar)
School of Rock the Musical at the New London Theatre (three children’s bands who play instruments live every night)
Best new dance production
Betroffenheit by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young at Sadler’s Wells
Blak Whyte Gray by Boy Blue Entertainment at Barbican Theatre
Giselle by Akram Khan and English National Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
My Mother, My Dog and Clowns! by Michael Clark at Barbican Theatre
Outstanding achievement in dance
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for its London season at Sadler’s Wells
Luke Ahmet for The Creation by Rambert at Sadler’s Wells
English National Ballet for expanding the variety of its repertoire with Giselle and She Said at Sadler’s Wells
Best entertainment and family
Cinderella at London Palladium
David Baddiel – My Family: Not The Sitcom at the Vaudeville Theatre
Peter Pan at the Olivier, National Theatre
The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells
Best theatre choreographer
Matthew Bourne for The Red Shoes at Sadler’s Wells
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Steven Hoggett for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
Drew McOnie for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Best musical revival
Funny Girl at the Savoy Theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Show Boat at the New London Theatre
Sunset Boulevard at London Coliseum
Best actor in a musical
David Fynn for School of Rock the Musical at the New London Theatre
Tyrone Huntley for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Andy Karl for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Charlie Stemp for Half A Sixpence at the Noël Coward Theatre
Best actress in a musical
Glenn Close for Sunset Boulevard at London Coliseum
Debbie Chazen, Sophie-Louise Dann, Michele Dotrice, Claire Machin, Claire Moore and Joanna Riding for The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre
Amber Riley for Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre
Sheridan Smith for Funny Girl at the Savoy Theatre
Best revival
The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theatre
This House at the Garrick Theatre
Travesties at the Apollo Theatre
Yerma at the Young Vic
Best new comedy
The Comedy About a Bank Robbery at the Criterion Theatre
Nice Fish at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour at the Dorfman, National Theatre
The Truth at Wyndham’s Theatre
Outstanding achievement in an affiliate theatre
Cuttin’ It at the Maria, Young Vic
The Government Inspector at Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Invisible Hand at Tricycle Theatre
It Is Easy To Be Dead at Trafalgar Studios 2
Rotterdam at Trafalgar Studios 2
Best lighting design
Neil Austin for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
Lee Curran for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Natasha Katz for The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Hugh Vanstone for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Best sound design
Paul Arditti for Amadeus at the Olivier, National Theatre
Adam Cork for Travesties at the Apollo Theatre
Gareth Fry for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
Nick Lidster for Autograph for Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Best costume design
Gregg Barnes for Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre
Hugh Durrant for Cinderella at London Palladium
Rob Howell for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Katrina Lindsay for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
Best set design
Bob Crowley for Disney’s Aladdin at the Prince Edward Theatre
Bob Crowley for The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Rob Howell for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Christine Jones for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
Best actor in a supporting role
Anthony Boyle for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
Freddie Fox for Travesties at the Apollo Theatre
Brian J. Smith for The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Rafe Spall for Hedda Gabler at the Lyttelton, National Theatre
Best actress in a supporting role
Melissa Allan, Caroline Deyga, Kirsty Findlay, Karen Fishwick, Kirsty MacLaren, Frances Mayli McCann, Joanne McGuinness and Dawn Sievewright for Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour at the Dorfman, National Theatre
Noma Dumezweni for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
Clare Foster for Travesties at the Apollo Theatre
Kate O’Flynn for The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Best new opera production
4.48 Psychosis at the Lyric Hammersmith
Akhnaten at London Coliseum
Così Fan Tutte at Royal Opera House
Lulu at London Coliseum
Outstanding achievement in opera
Renée Fleming for her performance in Der Rosenkavalier at the Royal Opera House
Stuart Skelton for his performance in Tristan and Isolde at London Coliseum
Mark Wigglesworth for his conducting of Don Giovanni and Lulu at London Coliseum
Best actor
Ed Harris for Buried Child at Trafalgar Studios 1
Tom Hollander for Travesties at the Apollo Theatre
Ian McKellen for No Man’s Land at Wyndham’s Theatre
Jamie Parker for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
Best actress
Glenda Jackson for King Lear at The Old Vic
Cherry Jones for The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Billie Piper for Yerma at the Young Vic
Ruth Wilson for Hedda Gabler at the Lyttelton, National Theatre
Best director
Simon Stone for Yerma at the Young Vic
John Tiffany for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
John Tiffany for The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theatre
Matthew Warchus for Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
Best new play
Elegy at Donmar Warehouse
The Flick at the Dorfman, National Theatre
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre
One Night In Miami… at Donmar Warehouse
Best new musical
Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre
The Girls at the Phoenix Theatre
Groundhog Day at the Old Vic
School of Rock the Musical at the New London Theatre
Amy Schumer The Leather Special Review
The Plot
Following a meteoric pop culture rise Amy Schumer is given a further celebratory Netflix original comedy special.
The Good
If you already have a Netflix subscription you don’t have to pay to watch this.
The Bad
Schumer’s entire special is unashamedly devoted solely to the one subject, herself. Obviously it’s not uncommon for stand-up comics to draw heavily from their own daily existence as a source of anecdotal humour. In fact it’s an industry standard cliché. Unfortunately in Schumer’s case her material is an unrelenting and often uncomfortable blend of demeaning self-loathing and poorly disguised narcissism.
For those that care to dwell on it there’s also an obvious irony and irritating hypocrisy in the fact that Schumer has become the most unlikely of feminist icons. While mainstream recognition is often regrettably elusive for female comics it’s somewhat tragic that so many feel obliged to award Schumer de facto ‘role model’ status merely due to fortuitously becoming a household name.
Given an unconscionable amount of public attention and apparently free comedic reign it’s very depressing that Schumer only seems able to use her implausible fame and this latest comedy special to regurgitate lazy misogyny mistakenly passed off as some kind of ironic self-empowerment.
Despite Schumer’s frequent headline grabbing social media rants about the cruelty of trolls and everyday sexism, her entire comedic act has always been and sadly remains built around endlessly ’body shaming’ and ‘slut shaming’ herself. It’s increasingly hard for even Schumer’s fiercest of supporters to deny or defend the bizarre schizophrenia of persistently virtue signalling about feminist issues and yet chronically undermining them in the worst ways possible.
To put it in some context just how depressingly dire the situation actually is, an entire third of this high profile ‘comedy special’ is exclusively comprised of jokes about how bad Amy Schumer’s vagina smells. That’s a huge chunk of material spent literally wallowing in disgust at her own genitals and asserting that the same criticism actually applies to all women.
To sum up the rest of Schumer’s set she makes awkward jokes about being an obnoxious blackout drunk, binge eater and self-proclaimed slut. Constantly reminding audiences how inspiringly self-confident she is then immediately lamenting how increasingly fat, butch and unstylish she feels. Schumer offers up ‘inspiring’ epiphanies such as the reassurance that men will at least always want to have anal sex regardless of how slovenly unattractive women allow themselves to become. Anecdotes about explosive diarrhoea and being frequently covered in messy male ejaculate round out Schumer’s grim assault on her own self esteem.
The one time Schumer lurches away from self-abuse she spends a few minutes defending her very public intervention into the acrimonious American gun law debate following a tragic shooting at a screening of Trainwreck. Whilst providing temporary relief from the tirade of self-deprecation it’s a heavy handed attempt to be suddenly ‘serious and important you guys’ that will only further irritate those that disagree with her politics or merely dislike obvious Social Justice Warrior antics.
The Ugly Truth
Much like Schumer’s overly hyped big screen outing Trainwreck there will be those that do find this new special highly amusing. It’s just ironic those people will likely be a strange mix of misguided 4th wave feminists and apologetically sexist men. Those looking for feminine themed comedy treats on Netflix would do much better to check out Iliza Schlezsnger’s offerings instead.
Review by Russell Nelson