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Melbourne Arts - film, theatre, music, comedy, cd reviews
Philip Seymour Hoffman can’t seem to put a foot wrong lately, and this latest effort only testifies to the fact. With another stand out performance in The Savages (see review in earlier post) also currently out at the cinemas, you’d be hard pressed to find a decent screening that doesn’t have Hoffman involved. Ok a slight exaggeration, but you get the point, and in case you don’t, I’ll elucidate more clearly: Hoffman is a superstar.
The screenplay for this film is by and large the blueprint for its success. Having great actors bring it to life and a super sharp directional approach merely add icing to the cake. In a fast paced flow of events, it jumps back and forth in time to let you know of characters’ motivations, but not for a minute is it confusing.
Ethan Hawke as Hank Hanson is perfectly cast as a stress ridden divorcee with massive financial troubles (and emotional complexes), who is lured by his brother, Andy Hanson (Hoffman), to rob a “mom and pa” jewellery store. The only catch is, the store Andy has in mind is their actual mom and pa’s jewellery store which they have grown up working at and hence know the ins and outs of its functioning. That may already be giving away a little surprise that was set for the viewer about 20 minutes in, so I won’t spoil any more of the plot, except to say (and this isn’t spoiling anything as it occurs in the opening scene) that it goes drastically wrong.
The rest of the film flashes back in time a day or two then comes up to where it left off, and repeats this process. It’s an interesting narrative device that often had me going “oh riiiiiiiight, that’s why he…...”, similar to the viewing habits induced in a Tarantino piece.
Marisa Tomei is back to some form playing the Andy's sexed-up (and appallingly unfaithful) wife, though at times it was difficult to distinguish her dumb pouts with her acting. Albert Finney is also convincing as father Hanson, the vengeful old man with maybe a hint of senility, and again, at times it seemed difficult sometimes to distinguish the senility from the acting. But at the end of the day, it’s Hoffman who brings this film to the fore with this powerhouse performance of a fat drugged-up opportunist; a character he began his career playing in films such as Boogie Nights, only this time, he’s a classier fat drugged-up opportunist, though twice as devilish.
Without doubt there is something enticing about the circus; watching a group of wild-eyed misfits, aka circus performers, hold an audience in the palm of their sweaty hands as they showcase incredible talent, perform tricks and escape near-death under a large canvas tent is enthralling, let’s face it. So when a band adopts the same alluring appeal and unprecedented reputation as a circus freak-show grotesquery of art, words and music, it is difficult to comprehend why there would be desire for change. But this is exactly what front man and master of ceremonies, Martin Martini, set out to do at the beginning of 2008.
In a bid to ditch the circus image, two talented performers, Peter Burgess (tuba) and Xani Kolac (violin) were unchained and set free from the Bone Palace camp and replaced with guitarist Natasha Rose and bass player Jules Pascoe. So with a new line-up and a lot of hype surrounding their first gig in Melbourne for quite some time, an eager crowd crammed inside the warm confinements of the Ding Dong Lounge to see those menacingly attractive freaks and whether their unique brand of circus rock had altered. From the opening moments, their infectious, old-world grooves reeled fans to the front of the stage, all hooked on the music and unpredictable nature of their live show. For the first time, we are treated to cuts from Dream Until You Die with new guitar and bass additions giving their overall sound a somewhat harder, edgy vibe; some wickedly profane, some indignant, some playful and some gloomily pessimistic. Scathing of corporate culture and greed, Martini out-rightly condemns political hypocrisy and stomps all over sacred territory (this is the ‘I caught Jesus sleeping in’ tour after all). Capturing the attention of the audience – and a few hats from unsuspecting punters – was madman trombonist James Macaulay, aka The Bison, tottering up and down the stage in a flimsy mini skirt like a seasoned burlesque dancer in between gulps of beer while Martini, donning a tattered old wife-beater singlet, projected his bawdy Australian roar of absurdist political commentary in his usual uncompromisable Aussie accent. With a set that fuses funk with jazz and everything from cabaret, blues and gypsy-rock in-between, Martin Martini and his mob of circus freaks – despite the new line-up – still know how create a similar sound so delightfully original and undeniably quirky; except now, it is, well, a lot harder.
Wall-to-wall with sweaty limbs, Festival Hall was crammed with anticipation on a particularly balmy night in Melbourne. Inside the pit, the temperature continued to rise as more people crammed their way to the front. Tightly packed bodies swayed in and out, all jostling for best position until a thunderous roar of screams filled the air - the Kings of Leon had arrived and I was pumped. And no doubt, so too were the 2,000 skinny black jean-clad fans that filled the hall. So how was it? How did one of the most talked about bands of late, perform to a sold out venue? Disappointing is
one word. Underwhelming, is the other. To put it in a sentence, a rather introverted half-hearted performance, which didn’t quite live up to the hype. For a start, nothing prepared me for their refusal to engage with a devoted audience, their lack of communication, and the air of “fuck we’re cool” which permeated the entire show. Where was the energy? The presence? The charisma? Weren’t the Kings of Leon here to give us something back for our hard-earned cash? In short, they looked tired and over it. Perhaps their relentless touring schedule finally got the better of them. Whatever it was, the performance seemed to lack the energy and punch that a headline act of this stature should possess. Obviously not priding themselves on showmanship, all four Fellowill brothers were oblivious to their onstage presence, or lack there of. For the entire show drummer Nathan perfunctorily tapped his way through each song, chewed gum and blew bubbles while guitarist Matthew brazenly lit cigarettes and devoted more attention to his straightened hair than his onstage performance.
Nonetheless, the gig did have its moments. This is the Kings of Leon after all – a band that, let’s face it, manage to write a foray of incredibly catchy tunes. The four lads opened up with Knocked Up, the opener off their latest album, Because Of the Times, then followed this up with Taper Jean Girl which successfully got the crowd to sing along. You could even argue that it was worth it all just to see Charmer, Molly’s Chamber and Four Kicks performed live, even if the band never dares deviate from the studio take on the album. They say every great band should leave you wanting more, but in this case a fair proportion of the crowd would have left feeling short-changed. Sorry, fellas, but simply turning up to perform does not constitute a good performance. Let’s hope when they return next time, they’ll give their fans something to actually sing about.
It’s no wonder Shimabukuro’s been hailed the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele. His intricate, often speedy, and very diverse ukulele technique continues to push the boundaries of the 4-stringed instrument, and after just a few moments into his third full-length album, it’s easy to see how he came to adopt this reputation. While Shimabukuro’s earlier records have traditionally focused on original material, Gently Weeps consists of a mix between his own compositions and some interesting interpretations of songs such as Chick Corea’s Spain, Schubert’s Ave Maria and George Harrison’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps. The original tunes on the album showcase Shimabukuro’s vast variety of playing styles ranging from delicate ballads such as Wish on My Star to upbeat flamenco inspired songs like Let’s Dance to make this a well-rounded package with vast appeal.
debut album - on the rocks
While not a lot is known of this young Adelaide four-piece, their sound is a welcomed breath of pure rock. Forming in early 2004 at just 14 years of age, the four members from Adelaide are accustomed to the big bright lights of playing main stage having already shared the bill with prominent Australian acts such as COG, Kate Ceberano and Killing Heidi just to name a few. Souped-up guitar riffs reminiscent of the Zeppelin era drive the majority of the songs which make up on the rocks; however the album does mellow out with songs such as today is already gone and steps up the pace again with need for speed. With catchy melodies, big hooks and galloping rhythm that grow handsomely familiar with each repeat, on the rocks is a worthy debut album which may just spill over into chart success.
Beckett Theatre - until May 4
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Adapting Shakespeare to the stage is a difficult task. There are many areas in which to go devastatingly wrong. Yet the task is made all the more harder when the adaptation is not made from a set-out play with notes and instructions, but rather from a poem of, let’s say, timeless literary merit. But that’s exactly what this groundbreaking collaboration between the Malthouse Theatre and Bell Shakespeare attempts, and the result is a startling and moving depiction of desire, rejection and the inextricable pain bound with love
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The Savages tells the story of two siblings, Wendy (Laura Linny) and Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who must band together to care for their elderly father, Lenny Savage (played by Philip Bosco). The siblings have practically avoided their father for a number of years, citing a difficult family history—which included the domineering nature of their father—as the reason for their shunning him in adult life. But with an ailing dementia getting worse by the day and the death of his girlfriend, there’s no one left to look after poor old dad except Wendy and Jon.
The two of them initially try to put Lenny in a nursing home, but Wendy gets obsessed with the idea and concludes, after thorough research, that there are better nursing homes around and that dad must have the best one. Jon is not so enthusiastic as his sister, and sees the whole episode as a distraction from what he really should be doing, which is writing a book on Brechtian Theatre. His pragmatic approach is often starkly contrasted with Wendy’s new found empathy for her father and the conflict of interest often produces some funny moments
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Movie Review
From writers/producers/directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer (“Date Movie”, “Epic Movie”), comes another wannabe comedy that has you scratching your head, wondering ‘somebody is actually letting these guys make another movie?’ And more worrying still, ‘somebody is actually endorsing this as a legitimate feature film?’
Using the film “300” as the basis for their latest spoof, the film makes no apologies for its bad taste and cheap jokes, and we get this from the opening ‘joke’: a baby Shrek looking for some nipple action who then spews up everywhere. And that’s the whole comedy ethos in a nutshell right there: spoofs on other films, tit jokes and mucus. If you left after the opening 30 seconds, you can rest assured that you didn’t miss anything
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Movie Review
Simon Pegg has been quite a busy man these last few years. After the huge success of “Shawn of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”, his latest creation (co-written with American comedian, Michael Ian Black) is a less ambitious attempt of genre-blending compared with those just mentioned (horror/comedy and action/comedy, respectively), and instead keeps it real with the conventional genre crossing of a romantic comedy. Thankfully, however, Pegg sticks more with what he knows, and so there are certainly a lot more laughs than there are romances. In fact it’s more a paean to the anti-hero in love, and we cringe at our protagonist a hell of a lot more than we lust for him.
Pegg plays Dennis Doyal, a retail store security guard who runs out on his pregnant fiancée, Libby (Thandie Newton), on the day of their wedding day after a sever bout of ‘cold feet’. This is more or less the prelude, and the film formally begins with the caption “5 Year Later”, whereby our (anti) hero has gained a few pounds and in a somewhat desperate state of regret and hopelessness, wishes only for Libby to take him back. But she is much too sensible for that, after being humiliated, embarrassed, and heart broken by the lamentable Dennis, and it doesn’t take long before she starts dating another man, Whit (Hank Azaria
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