Review: The Last of the Haussmans at the National Theatre

First time writer balances dry punchy humour with moments of blatant honesty and pathos, writes Stephanie Makhlouf.

Helen McCrory as Libby, Julie Walters as Judy and Rory Kinnear as Nick.                             PHOTO: Alastair Muir

CAST: Julie Walters, Rory Kinnear, Helen McCrory
DIRECTOR: Howard Davies
WRITER: Steven Beresford
CLASSIFICATION: TBA
RATING: 8/10

It could be said, most likely, that on our life time, the majority of us will not have the opportunity to witness a stage play on grand stages such as West End or Broadway. Luckily, we have an alternative. National Theatre Live gives audiences the opportunity to watch some of the top actors of our time performing in plays recorded and screened in cinemas around the world. If the thought of watching a play on a cinema screen overwhelms you, then The Last of the Haussmans should put your mind at ease.

A feisty, free-spirited and mildly inappropriate woman, Judy Haussman (the incomparable Julie Walters), who's stuck on her memories of days gone by, creates an almost forced reunion between herself and her two enstranged children when, after falling ill, she needs to be nursed by hard as nails Libby (Helen McCrory) and the gay drug-addicted Nick (Rory Kinnear). 

Both are forced to confront and come to terms with Judy's abandonment of them as children as old wounds are opened and discussed. To complicate matters further, we are introduced to Peter, a local doctor who has a romantic history with both mother and daughter. We also encounter three colourful generations of women as we meet Libby's daughter, uncharacteristically named Summer. Clearly Summer has inherited her mother and grandmother's habits and threatens for the cycle of self-destruction to continue. 

First time writer Steven Beresford's script portrays a universal story of a dysfunctional family and the extreme ups and downs they are capable of having. There as as many laugh out loud moments as there are deeply sad ones which give the story an authentic, yet brutally honest edge/ 

Walters delivers a particularly brilliant performance. From the minute she appears on screen she captures our attention as she lives and breathes every inch of her troubled character. 

We don't get a sense of absolute closure by the ending. Yet, perhaps and even more satisfying, we get the sense that each character has a brighter future ahead of them now that they have confronted the ghosts of their pasts.

A strong ensemble cast along with an outstanding script make The Last of the Haussmans a worthwhile night out.

Film Review: Shame

The Film Fundi is back. Here's a review she did of Shame, just for you. 

“Art can't fix anything. It can just observe and portray. What's important is that it becomes an object, a thing you can see and talk about and refer to. A film is an object around which you can have a debate, more so than the incident itself. It's someone's view of an incident, an advanced starting point.” --Steve McQueen

 

Every so often, there are films that come along that make us sit up a bit and for whatever reason, good or bad draw our attention to issues of great importance. Of course, this is not a foreign concept in cinematic history. It seems that almost every subject deemed controversial, whether it is related to the social or political has been explored to some extent in the medium’s history, which has spanned well over 100 years. There are certain subjects, however, which are considered more controversial or taboo than others. More often than not, subject matter in films relating to religion and sex bring about the most concerned voices in audiences. Ironically, these very same films garner the most engagement from audiences, regardless of their controversy.

One of the seminal controversial films in cinematic history (which was less than a minute long) happened to be the first cinematic screen kiss, The Kiss (1896). The Kiss drew its own set of criticism for daring to put such an “inappropriate” act on screen. Tim Dirks, of filmsite.org notes a critic at the time of the film’s release wrote: "The spectacle of the prolonged pasturing on each other's lips was beastly enough in life size on the stage but magnified to gargantuan proportions and repeated three times over it is absolutely disgusting." All that fuss? Over a kiss? But that was 1896. What is “just a kiss” to us was far more outrageous then. One would like to think that over 100 years later that the cinematic audience all over the world have found some sort of progression. But as time has progressed we haven’t all progressed. Is it coincidence that The Kiss went on to become the Edison Company’s most popular film that year? Probably not. Perhaps one can argue that The Kiss intrigued for a reason. It sparked interest because people were curious, curious of an act that is natural to us.

As much as it seems that we have moved on from the shock horror of the on screen kiss, many have still not warmed up to the fact that full frontal nudity (even with a reason or purpose) or merely for the sake of artistic expression has a place on our screens. As much as the opposing organizations fight it they have to, at some point, confront the fact that sex, sexuality and nudity is here and here to stay. If that painting that shook up South Africa over the last few month is anything to go by, not everyone supports the words ‘art’ and ‘nudity’ in the same sentence. Considering the range of reactions to the painting and the anger that it has inflicted, there certainly is a concern as to whether Shame is ready for a South African audience, or for that matter if a South African audience is ready for Shame.

Shame is delivered to us by the producers of 2011’s best picture Oscar winning film The King’s Speech and the British Film Commission. The film is brought to life by a relatively new talent to the film industry. Steve McQueen (not to be confused with the late The Great Escape Hollywood legend) directed and co-wrote Shame, his second full length feature film. Better known in the fine art world, particularly for his installation pieces, McQueen was awarded the OBE in the 2002 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his services to the Arts. He also won the Turner Prize in 1999 for his film installation at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London. The latter award led to his first full length feature, Hunger about the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike, led by Bobby Sands. While the film was not widely screened, it was highly praised. But Hunger did more than lay down the groundwork for McQueen’s film career; it played a role in introducing us to a talent (that would go on to be noticed and cast by the likes of directors Quentin Tarantino and David Cronenberg), a German-born Irishman, Michael Fassbender.   

Michael Fassbender as Brandon

McQueen and lead actor Fassbender bring to life a story and character whose struggles that many suffer from but many (still) deny exist- sex addiction. While the topic of sex addiction is somewhat of a taboo in many cultures, which even challenge its very possibility, it is a topic that has been bought to head in the last few year and in a very public way. While Hollywood stars’ spouses, like Sandra Bullock’s Jesse James and golfing legend Tiger Woods have cried “sex addiction” as a reason for their discrepancies many have labelled this self diagnosis as a cowardly excuse for their infidelity. Regardless of whether sex addiction “exists” or not, it is something that needs engagement. Perhaps this is what makes McQueen and Fassbender’s collaboration so powerful and effective. Neither are perturbed by the fact that controversy could mar their progression in the all powerful but still somewhat conservative Hollywood (and most audiences viewing the film). They realise the attention this issue needs and are willing to be unpopular for it. It has been said that there is somewhat of a cruel paradox in addiction in that it transforms a source of pleasure into an inescapable, insatiable need.

 Shame begins on what seems like a relatively routine morning. We are introduced to Brandon (supposedly named for Marlon Brando and his performance in the also erotic and controversial Last Tango In Paris (1972), a thirty-something New Yorker with a great job and even better apartment over-looking the city. While Brandon has somewhat of an active social life with his colleagues, behind closed doors he harbours a secret. Brandon is addicted to sex. It is his first and last thought of the day and consumes every thought and activity.  We witness Brandon’s daily life filled with online pornography, anonymous sex and masturbation sessions that come around as often as he does. One might argue up to this point that Brandon is no more than your “average” sexually active middle aged man with a thriving sex life and sexuality. But gradually a downside to this emerges. His attitude towards sex becomes more apparent as we get to know him. For Brandon, sex is cold, clinical and a means to an end. There is little to no emotion attached to the act for him. It seems, to some extent, Brandon is aware of his problem but is so deep and far gone into it that he has very little hope for himself. Brandon’s daily routine is somewhat thrown off when his troubled sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), unexpectedly drops by. We are not told very much about the siblings or their relationship yet there is an unspoken pain between the two that stems from an (unexplained, but presumed) grief stricken childhood. Sissy says, “We’re not bad people, we just come from a bad place”. While Sissy becomes increasingly co-dependent on her brother, his control over his habit slowly wanes. His problem becomes more evident to him when he meets an attractive co-worker, Marianne (Nicole Beharie) who he starts to have (at least somewhat of) a real emotional connection. As hard as he tries, Brandon can’t perform sexually for her and goes back to what he knows best- sexual satisfaction without emotion or consequence. While Brandon finds comfort in his old ways we begin to wonder how much longer he can keep Sissy from pushing him over the edge and his two worlds from colliding.

Carey Mulligan as Sissy

 McQueen’s choice of title for the film is an interesting one. Is Brandon (a)shame(d) by his actions because of a largely conservative society that looks down on self-pleasure, sex out of wedlock and promiscuity? Is he (a)shame(d) that these acts have taken over his life, prohibiting him from functioning as a “normal” person? Is “Shame” the name of something Brandon does feel, or of something the filmmakers think he should feel? Whatever McQueen’s reasoning, debate is certainly open.  While the film itself has thus far been praised as much as it has been criticized, it is the lead actor, Michael Fassbender’s performances that has both fans and critics of the film talking the loudest and is an aspect to the film that a consensus holds is in every sense of the word, brilliant. If one thing can be said about Michael Fassbender it’s that he is fearless. His all encompassing emotionally riveting yet tragic performance is the hero of Shame. 

The film leaves us with a sense of cycles repeating. However, we are not certain if this cycle will prove that old habits die hard or if Brandon can overcome his addiction. In this sense, the film will certainly not leave you with a list of answered questions. Then again, why should it? Shame makes no promises at any point in the film to its audiences; instead it looks to us to make our own minds up. The cynics will believe Brandon is too far gone to have any chance of redemption. On the other side the optimists will see a glimmer of hope for Brandon. We are drawn in to a point, but held just far enough to not become emotionally involved. Perhaps this is what makes it difficult, at first sight to engage with Brandon for the audience. But McQueen is all the wiser for this as our lack of attachment somewhat does help us become one of the films characters with their lack of feeling and emotion attached to everything they do. Shame is not a documentary on sex addiction- it is a mere snapshot in to one man’s life and self-destruction. It investigates our habits and in turn our sexual habits as human beings and how our past traumas can affect the person we eventually mould into and our reactions to those around us. One of the most honest and compassionate yet painful films to make its way on screen in recent years, Shame might not change lives, but hopefully to some extent will create and open engagement about sex addiction and how we manage to fall in to our own cycle of hope and shame and if we choose to escape it.

The Film Fundi's review of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

South African Release Date: 2 March 2012
Cast: Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Thomas Horn, Max von Sydow, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright, Zoe Caldwell
Director: Stephen Daldry
Screenwriter: Eric Roth, based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer

Oscar Nominations: Two (Best picture; best actor in a supporting role: Max Von Sydow)

From the director who bought us Billy Elliot (2000) and The Reader (2008) comes one of the most underrated films of the year. Steven Daldry, a director who has worked predominantly in the theatre proves a transition from stage to screen to be effortless and engaging. Daldry’s interpretation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2005 novel of the same name has, however, obtained a collection of rather mixed reviews.

There are many different opinions as to what makes a film ‘excellent’ or ‘brilliant’. Arguably, one of the quintessential factors (although there are many) is a well-crafted script. Luckily, in director Daldry’s case Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was in the trustworthy hands of Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth. Roth’s difficult task involved adapting the novel into cinematic material that could be both visually and aurally stimulating-  no mean feat for any scriptwriter who has to adapt a well-loved literary piece. Roth appears to be in his element as he brings to life a character that feel out of place in a seemingly ‘normal’ world and who has to navigate himself in his own way, shape and form to make sense of it all. Oskar Schell could be considered a third member of the trilogy of supposed ‘outcasts’ that Roth has helped bring to life on screen. The first of these two being Forrest Gump in Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump (1994) and Benjamin Button in David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). All three are unconventional and nontraditional, but somehow likeable as each of their journeys leave an indelible imprint on our minds.

Oskar Schell (Horn) is an inquisitive and intelligent boy. His borderline Aspergers means he sees the world in a different way to those around him. The film tells of his journey as he grapples with the death of his father who lost his life in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre. A year after the event, upon the discovery of a mysterious key held in a small envelope in a blue vase he finds in his father’s closet, he goes on a mission to search for a lock for the key. He hopes to find a final message from his father, or at least something to keep their connection alive. With his only clue being the word ‘Black’ written on the small paper envelope he visits all the residents with the surname ‘Black’ in the five boroughs of New York. Still distraught over the loss of her husband, Oskars’ mother, Linda (Bullock) is no help and Oskar thinks it best to hide his mission from her. He meets many people on his adventure, none of which can give him the answers he is looking for, yet this only increases his desire to keep looking. Along the way he encounters Abby Black (Davis) who has problems of her own but feels it necessary to help Oskar on his journey. He also comes across a man (known only as The Renter) who rents a room in Oskar’s grandmother’s (Caldwell) apartment. The Renter does not speak and only communicates with a note pad and tattooed ‘YES’ and ‘NO’ on each of his palms. Oskar feels a strange connection to the mysterious man, who after hearing his story wants to accompany him on his adventure. The two form an unlikely, kindred bond but a secret drives the two apart and eventually the Renter decides to leave town as his presence in Oskar’s life is hindering rather than helping him. What follows is an exciting yet unexpected resolution to Oskar’s passionate adventure.

It is difficult to believe this is Horn’s first film. His nuanced and emotionally engaging performance is remarkable. This is sure to be the start of a promising career, one that someone like Haley Joel Osment could have had, but fell short of. Sandra Bullock is at her best since Crash (2004). She brings a beautiful sensitivity to her role and her scenes with Horn are a definite highlight of the film. Max Von Sydow justifies his Oscar Nomination has great merit and Viola Davis once again proves why she is fast becoming one of the most respected actresses in the industry. The use of sound and music in the film enhances our experience of the story and helps us understand a little better what Oskar is going though, especially with his tambourine, which is always close by to calm him in any tense situation.

As mentioned, the film garnered largely mixed reviews, which mainly leaned towards negative responses. While some claim the plot and ‘9/11’ factor was contrived and manipulative, perhaps the act of taking a relevant event, like 9/11 and finding a personal story in a public tragedy is how the film intended to be most effective. Highly acclaimed American film critic Roger Ebert said that, “No movie has ever been able to provide a catharsis for the Holocaust, and I suspect none will ever be able to provide one for 9/11. Such subjects overwhelm art. The artist's usual tactic is to centre on individuals whose lives are a rebuke to the tragedy. They sidestep the actual event and focus on a parallel event that ends happily, giving us a sentimental reason to find consolation. That is small comfort to the dead.” With respect to Ebert’s argument, perhaps a catharsis from the national tragedy was not what Daldry or in fact even Foer intended. One would like to think that the British director is not that arrogant or ambitious. Understandably, the story plays a litter closer to home for Americans and more specifically, New Yorkers. The 9/11 theme was part of the story but certainly not the story as it was in, for example, Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center (2006) or Paul Greengrass’ United 93 (2006). After all, at the core of the story is the relationship between father and son and the hope to maintain that bond in both life and death.

While the subject matter is rather heavy and emotionally draining and at any moment  could have slipped into crass sentimentality, it is the stellar combination of acting, scriptwriting, editing and directing that have been fine tuned to an incredible balance that make this film work so well.   Consequently, the pay off climactic moment produces one of the most remarkable and honest endings I have seen in many years

Jozi Film Festival

10-12 February 2012

Finally, a film festival for Joburgers, by Joburgers. Next Friday will see the start of what hopes to be an annual event in every Joburger’s calendar. The festival will be hosted at two venues- The Bioscope situated in the very ‘seen’ Fox Street (Johannesburg CBD) as well as The Kensington Club (Kensington, east of Johannesburg). Prominent sponsors of the event include Fort Greene Filmworks and Wits Film and Television Department.

The festival will showcase not only some of South Africa’s more established film-makers, like Jyoti Mistry (I Mike What I Like) but also up-and-coming ones like Michael Rix (Tengers). What sets this festival apart from other South Africa film ones (such as Durban’s DIFF or Encounter’s Documentary Festival) is that entrants must be from Johannesburg, or their film must be about Johannesburg. While critics of the fest might grumble at this exclusivity, there is a method to this madness. It aims to reflect the dynamic, vibrant and ever changing city by those who know it best- its inhabitants. Broadly speaking, the films could perhaps be considered love letters to a city commonly referred to as the “New York of Africa”.

The organizers hope that one of the main appealing factors of the festival is that the films will be  widely accessible. For this reason, the admission fees are very reasonable, with some screenings being free and others at R20 per viewing, thus, not only drawing industry pros and arts students but also locals. On Sunday 12 February, Taku Kaskela, HOD of Wits Film and Television will be hosting free seminar workshops at the Kensington venue.

On the final night of the festival (Sunday 12 February), awards will be handed out. Categories include: Best Feature Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Animated Film, Best Fiction and Non Fiction Short, Best Mobile Phone Film, Best Student Film, and Audience Choice Award.

For more information and a full guide to the films visit www.jozifilmfestival.co.za or email brendon@jozifilmfestival.co.za or shareen@jozifilmfestival.co.za

Review: Midnight in Paris

South African release date: 30 December 2011
Genre: Fantasy/ Comedy.
Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes.

WITH: Kathy Bates (Gert), Adrien Brody (Salvador), Carla Bruni (Museum Guide), Marion Cotillard (Adriana), Rachel McAdams (Inez), Michael Sheen (Paul), Owen Wilson (Gil), Tom Hiddleston (Scott Fitzgerald), Alison Pill ( Zelda Fitzgerald), Marcial Di Fonzo Bo (Picasso), Corey Stoll (Ernest) and Léa Seydoux (Gabrielle).

Midnight In Paris sees Woody Allen embark on his next trip outside his beloved New York. Released in The US in May this year, the film has been highly regarded as some of Allen’s best work since the 1970s.

Allen’s unique brand of wit, comedy and romance as well as his excellent casting choices are largely why each aspect of Midnight In Paris unite in such a harmonious fashion. At 77 years old, Allen certainly understands that times have changed and has thus somewhat adapted his style but without losing its specific appeal. Perhaps Allen’s smartest move was the casting of Owen Wilson, who younger audiences will be familiar with from such films as Wedding Crashers (2005) and You, Me and Dupree (2006). His easy going charm and charisma suits Allen’s style perfectly.

The story follows Gil (Wilson), a rather uninspired Hollywood writer who has found himself tagging along on a trip to Paris with his fiancé Inez (McAdams) and her well-to-do parents. Gil’s romanticized view of Paris is very much like our own-it is whimsical, otherworldly, a slice of bohemian life which is just a few steps away from the reality we face at home. It is certainly no accident that Allen chose to open his film with a lengthy yet scenic establishing montage of the City of Lights. We are drawn into the dream to some extent, but just enough so that our feet are firmly placed on the ground. 

 

Owen Wilson as Gil and Rachel McAdams as Inez

While on the trip Gil hopes to find inspiration for his novel, which as it stands is without direction. While on their trip Gil and Inez bump into one of Inez’s old college professors and his wife. The pompous pseudo intellectual, Paul (Sheen) catches Inez’s eye and insists she and Gil accompany him on trips to galleries and museums as he parts with his facts about Parisian history. While Inez is eager to listen to Paul’s often inaccurate ramblings, a less than impressed Gil has other ideas. One evening he decides to leave the group and go for a walk through the historical streets. But this is no ordinary walk. Gil stops for a moment to take in his surroundings. The clock strikes midnight and something strange happens. A taxi stops in front of him and the door opens...

 

Marion Cotilliard as Adriana and Owen Wilson as Gil

What follows is a trip back to the 1920s. Of course, Allen does not attempt to explain how this transition into the 20s and back into the present day happens. This is not a downfall; just a mere request to suspend our imaginations. Gil’s trip to the past brings him in to contact with some of literature and art’s most respected figures including Ernest Hemmingway (Stoll) and Pablo Picasso (Di Fonzo Bo). But it is a meeting with Gertrude Stein (Bates) who Gil gives his novel to, to read and give him notes that speaks to him far beyond the pages of his book. The more time Gil spends in the past the more he realizes he has to confront and re-examine his present. Midnight In Paris proves to be a light, witty and enjoyable film. Allen’s unique style, invaluable charm and appeal will see a much broader audience than ever before warming up to it this season.

Adrien Brody as Salvador Dali, Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway and Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein

 

The Film Fundi

We're going to be shaking things up here on Are You Charlie? this year. Say hello to our breath of fresh air, Stephanie. Having just completed her Honours in Dramatic Arts, she will be entertaining you with her mad knowledge on all things film-related. And here you thought she was just a pretty face...