2010. Dir: Julie Taymor. Starring: Helen Mirren, Felicity Jones, Reeve Carney, Russell Brand and Djimon Hounsou. ●●●●○
Whilst some of William Shakespeare's plays are constantly in the backs of public consciousness (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet) others drift in and out of fashion; known more to aficionados and literature students than the average cinema goer. The Tempest definitely sits within the second set partly because Shakespeare's last play is problematic. Like A Midsummer Night's Dream it creates it's own logic; albeit significantly darker in it's intent influenced by the failing of Shakespeare's own literary skills and the King James's obsession with witchcraft. Perhaps the biggest issue, which resonates fully in a post-Iraq geopolitical world, is the ambivalent approach to imperialism and colonisation. Julie Taymor's production rather glosses over these issues, using the stunt casting of Helen Mirren in the traditional male lead of Propero (now called Prospera) as a tactic to confuse and mislead the audience's attention.
The titular storm occurs in the opening scenes of Act I, Prospera exercising her powers with the sprite Ariel (Ben Whishaw) under her control in order to wreck a passing vessel carrying the conspirators behind her exile and abandonment to the barren island where she resides. The rest of the story concerns three groups of the survivors as they respond to Prospera's machinations.
The first group contains her usurping brother Alonso (Chris Cooper) oily spreading discourse with Ferdinand (Alan Cumming) against the King of Naples (David Strathairn) with the loyal and verbose Gonzalez on hand (Tom Conti). Meanwhile Ferdinand (Reeve Carney), the heir to the throne of Naples, has been separated and introduced to Prospera's daughter Miranda (Felicity Jones) in order to test his virtue as a potential suitor.
Finally Stephano and Trinculo, comic relief as a drunkard, wasteful, working class (played by Alfred Molina and Russell Brand respectively) form a bond with the island's sole native - and Propera's slave - Caliban (Djimon Hounsou). Together they plot to overthrow the matriarchal state in which Caliban is imprisoned.
The gender change at the centre is a curious one, it allows for a much closer relationship between Prospera and Miranda, one that gives an additional urgency to the protective instincts Prospera feels towards her daughter - from the alleged lustful desire of Caliban to the shield from her work. That said it weakens Miranda who seems both whiny at times, yet also the standing up against her parent is less risky.
Of course Mirren delivers in the central role, but this isn't just a Propera show as other adaptation's have indicated. Chris Cooper is suitably menacing, virtually licking his lips as he whispers conspiracies. Tom Conti also hits the mark as the aging windbag. Brand and Molina might not be doing anything we haven't seen before but it is what they do best - Brand in particular seems to have wandered in from his stand up show. I was especially taken by Ben Whishaw's performance, at once enamoured by Prospera as well as desperately seeking his freedom from her control.
Design wise there are few film-makes more distinctive that Taymor. Sandy Powell's costume design is fantastic, from the zip encrusted noblemen ware to the seemingly pieces together costuming of the island residents. Whishaw's costumes also shone - when he appears as a crow it's beautiful frightening and captivating.
Eliott Goldenthal's music, including incidental songs, is also wonderfully integrated into the action and is among his best scores. Taymor's direction is at it's usual high standard - although she's clearly more interested in spectacle than character. Weirdly at times the film seems rushed - Prospera's about face on her knowledge seems almost whimsical.
I would heartily recommend this version of the play, but would have preferred Taymor to really try to confront the message of the story. When I leave with sympathy for Ariel's imprisonment but no opinion on Caliban's mistreatment I know there's been a trick missed.
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
The Tempest
Friday, 4 March 2011
Plunged in the Foaming Brine (Out this week - 04/03/11)
With ten releases battling for our £10 this weekend it's inevitable there will be a couple that I'd actually like to see - as well as a few that are probably massive stinkers. I imagine the Johnny Depp lizard film ill own the box office, and I'd probably also be interested in seeing the New Zealand offering, however Shakespeare wins out over all of them. The film of the week is The Tempest.
The Tempest
Helen Mirren takes centre stage as Prospera, gender switched from the original telling, in Julie Taymor's latest re-telling of the Bard. If it's anything like Titus it will be a wonder to behold.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●○○
The Adjustment Bureau
Matt Damon and Emily Blunt may fall in love at first sight but that isn't what fate, in the form of a shadowy bureaucracy run by Terence Stamp and Anthony Mackie, has in store for them in this Philip K. Dick adaptation.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Insatiable Moon
Highly commended New Zealand movie about a Maori convinced he's the son of God who must woo the woman of his dreams and save his half-way house from being closed. A unique blend of social-realism and unlikely love story.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Rango
Comic animation in which Johnny Depp, as a holidaying chameleon, must face up to the cut-throats and rustlers threatening the town of Dirt. Expect plenty of Western tropes to get caught in the crossfire.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Ironclad
Brian Cox is the hell-raising noble who along with Knight Templar James Purefoy defies King John (Paul Giamatti in very odd casting) in this Manga Carta related siege movie partly based on a true story. Not that historical accuracy is that important when you have broadswords and trebuchets.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Patagonia
Part-travelogue, part-road movie this film divides into two halves about an Elderly Chilean Woman visiting Wales and a Welsh couple in the titular area of South America. Exploiting the unlikely shared heritage of the two regions (Welsh settlers really did travel to Patagonia to escape persecution in the 1840s).
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Unknown
Liam Neeson wakes up from a car crash unable to remember much about his old life, save that he's a doctor and married to January Jones. Unfortunately she denies it in this twisty Euro-thriller also starring Frank Langella.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Archipelago
Joanna Hogg's follow-up to 2008's Unreleated is another dissection of upper middle class Brits on holiday slowly unravelling their insecurities and petty prejudices. Fascinating, but probably not worth a cinema ticket.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
As if I'm not there
A harsh dose of cinematic realism about the Bosnian War of the 1990s. Juanita Wilson's drama is taken from true stories revealed during the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Age of the Dragons
I get the feeling it's going to be a classic year for bad movies. This appalling looking dreck is a rehash of Melville's Moby Dick set in a world populated by dragons. Danny Glover and Vinnie Jones headline, which gives you an idea of the quality.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●○○○○○○○○○
And, naturally, there's a Bollywood release from last week that I missed out on.
Tannu weds Mannu
The Clue's in the title of this release from the sub-continent. Newlyweds from an arranged marriage are completely unsuited for each other, so of coursethey'll be head over heels by the final curtain.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Tuesday Trailers - The Tempest
12 years ago Julie Taymor adapted Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus for the big screen in an amazing and powerful way, presenting the movie version with a unique and visionary style. Now it's time for her to look at one of the more complex comedies, a story that involves sorcery, jealousy and high-farce. Just watching the trailer made me salivate over the style and (oscar-nominated) costumes. Can't wait to see more.
The Tempest opens on 04 March 2011.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
David Strathairn
Happy Birthday to
David Strathairn
62 today
The consummate character actor, David has been bolstering ensembles for over 30 years, but did you know one of his first jobs following graduation was as a clown in a travelling circus? Coming soon is his role as King Alonso, Helen Mirren usurper in The Tempest.
Monday, 22 November 2010
Tom Conti
Happy Birthday to
Tom Conti
69 today
I wanted to find a screen capture of Tom in The Tempest, Julie Taymor's on screen adapatation of Shakespeare's fantastical tale set on a deserted island, however none seem to exist. I guess this Scottish actor is just too far down the pecking order in the cast list that includes Helen Mirren and Russell Brand.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
David Strathairn
Happy Birthday to
David Strathairn
61 today
A consummate character actor David has had few opportunities to take centre stage himself, although when he does he manages to hold it with his powerful presence, just look at his frequent collaborations with John Sayles or his Oscar nommed performance as Ed Murrow for proof. Right now he's got a minor role in Howl which premiered at Sundance at the weekend and he's also among the classy cast for The Tempest.
Friday, 1 January 2010
20 for 2010 - Numbers 17 to 20
It seems hard to believe that I've been blogging so long that I'm returning to a theme I've already covered, that of the films I'm most looking forward to in 2010. In case you don't remember (or more likely weren't reading last year) on 1st January 2009 I counted down the top twenty films I was anticipating.
In retrospect it wasn't a great list. I have, so far, seen 11 of the films and only one of these made the top ten of films I actually saw - admittedly it was the final number 1 - Where the Wild Things Are. Therefore 10 were just not good enough. Of the remainder I'll be seeing The Lovely Bones and Brothers in January, Whatever Works has no sign of a UK release date, My Own Love Song has disappeared and Hachi looks like it's going striaght to video. The rest have been bumped into 2010 schedules and will be listed below as part of the countdown.
You could extrapolate that experience and try to second guess which of the top 20 will move to 2011 or drift off (I already know that one of the list has a UK release date in Jan '11), alternative you could tell me in advance which of these will make the year end top ten. There will actually be a competition later in the rundown with a bag of minstrels as the top prize (It's my cinema snack of choice).
The rules are simple.
1. I use the US release dates and schedules. I know this flies in the face of the way I do my top ten, but it's impossible to estimate how long it will take between releases here and there and it's often easier to find those details in the states. This means that It's Complicated and Precious aren't eligible even though I will see both of them.
2. On IMDB the filming must have started, and it must be recorded as a 2010 film. It's arbitrary I know, but it helps to reduce the likelihood of a film slipping into next years schedule.
3. (New Rule Alert) Films that made the list last year will be shunted to the back of this years list no matter how excited I am about them. I call this the Shutter Island rule because last year Shutter Island was the top film and I am still looking forward to it more than any other film on this list - but it wouldn't be fair to lead 2 years in a row so that, and all the other projects that have been delayed are at the back.
So, with that in mind, here are the films 20 to 17 that I am most looking forward to seeing in 2010.
17. Shutter Island Dir. Martin Scorsese. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley and Michelle Williams.
18. Love Ranch Dir. Taylor Hackford. Starring Helen Mirren, Joe Pesci and Sergio Peris-Mencheta. (No, I couldn't find any decent screen pics apart from the one I used last year)
19. The Tempest Dir. Julie Taymor. Starring Helen Mirren, Russell Brand and Djimon Hounsou (below as Caliban).
20. Biutiful Dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu. Starring Javier Bardem, Rubén Ochandiano and Blanca Portillo.
If you want to know a little more about why I was interested in these films then take a look at the labels below and you'll see last years posts.
Look out for number 16 in the 20 for 2010 countdown tomorrow.
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Chris Cooper
Happy Birthday to
Chris Cooper
58 today
With apologies for being a bit late in the day. I'm afraid I often pass over Chris Cooper due to him sharing a name with an old friend of mine and my friends face comes up in my head. This is tragic because not only is he a person in his own right he's a hugely expressive and competent actor. Coming soon for him are the short collection New York, I Love You and Julie Taymor's return to Shakespeare with The Tempest. Both should be worth watching, even if the second proves to be a little barmy.
I also heard a rumour some months ago that Cooper had replaced Paul Dano in voicing one of the Wild Things. I've not seen any evidence though (or even a change in imdb) so I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that.
Sunday, 4 January 2009
20 for 2009 - The Tempest
I'm opening this post with Lord Snowdon's portrait of Helen Mirren because Helen is my main reason I want to see this, not the only reason, but one of the main ones. It's going to be a bit of a purple year for the Dame, and 2 more of her films will pop up in my top 20, only one other actor will come close to achieving that. Julie Taymor's adaptation of the Tempest is the first on my list of Mirren's films.
Taymor is a visual genius, no two ways about it, and her first Shakesperean follow up to 1999's Titus should be a real treat.
The Tempest is an odd play, one of Shakespeare's last works it has sections of really beautiful prose, but the story is delightfully batty. Prospero (or Prospera, played by Mirren) has been banished from Milan by the usurping Duke Antonio (Chris Cooper). Prospera lives on an enchanted island with her daughter Miranda (Felicity Jones), the islands deformed inhabitant Caliban (Djimon Hounsou) and a collection of spirits, notably Ariel (Ben Whishaw). Antonio and a group of nobles (Alan Cumming, Reeve Carney) and misfits (Russell Brand, Alfred Molina) are shipwrecked on the island. Cue a number of parallel stories involving romance, revenge, intrigue and drunkeness.
Cinematically there have been a number of films based on The Tempest; Cult SciFi The Forbidden Planet, Peter Greenaway's mesmerizing Prospero's Books with John Gielgud playing all the roles and Derek Jarman's homoerotic version from 1980. However no direct version has really suceeded in mainstream cinemas.
I think this version with it's amazing cast, headed by the superb Mirren may just be the one to do it.
Saturday, 23 August 2008
Is Shakespeare getting hot again?
I realise that's probably a facile title but I have been noticing him quite a bit over the last 3 months.
Tilda Swinton is scheduled to take the role of Lady Macbeth in Come Like Shadows, there's an all star cast gathering for King Lear including Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts and Keira Knightley. Just this week James McAvoy and Emily Blunt have been outed as the star-crossed lovers in the bizarre sounding Gnomeo and Juliet. Finally I also spotted on imdb that Julie Taymor will be returning to the bard for The Tempest.
Now I don't know about you but I've not seen such a glut of Shakesperean adaptations in a long while, probably not since he fell in love with Gwynneth Paltrow (who's also in King Lear). Of course I had to check this theory and naturally I was proved wrong.
If we take a look at imdb the cinematic Shakespearean releases have been increased each decade since the 70s by about 45%. And if we look on a closer scale we can see that over the noughties adaptations have been slowing down with just 3 in 2008 against 9 in 2004. What has changed is the newsworthyness of the talent involved. As strange as this may seem Keira Knightley is a bigger box office draw than Al Pacino (who portrayed Shylock in 2004).
Perhaps the statistics are showing the turning of the tide and the growth is indeed coming to a close. If so these starry versions must be the last hurrah before a period of decline. Maybe Marlowe or Jonson will come back into fashion. I expect it's more likely to be a short term blip. Shakespeare wrote in such a way that generation after generation are captivated by the insights he had into human interactions and situations. The writing is so powerful that directors and actors will always want to present new ideas and interpretations.
Not to mention Branagh still has loads of them to make.
I expect I'll go to see at least 2 of the films I listed, but I think I will also be looking out for the more obscure adapatations. I wouldn't want to miss anything great just because it doesn't have a marquee name.
What do you think? What is the future for Shakespeare? Will the trend for more adaptations continue or are we about to hit an Elizabethan recession? Feel free to comment.
