Film Review - Hannah Arendt

Barbara Sukowa (wearing pearls) in Hannah Arendt

German-Jewish philosopher and political theorist, Hannah Arendt's coverage of the 1961 trial of former SS Lieutenant-Colonel Adolph Eichmann in Israel for The New Yorker is the subject of this insightful film by Margarethe von Trotta. Eichmann, one of the key Nazi war criminals still at large after the end of WWII had been responsible for the transportation of people, mainly Jews, to the concentration camps. Captured by Mossad in Argentina he had been spirited away to stand trial in Israel to which Arendt travelled from the United States in order to see first hand the face of the man who played a pivotal role in the camp system. It was from this trial and her writings concerning Eichmann that she introduced the famous concept of 'the banality of evil'. Arendt's work become controversial due to her analysis of Eichmann's detachment during his wartime role and her direct reference to the role of Jewish councils (Judenrat) during the War.

Extensive usage of original black and white footage from the actual trial of Adolph Eichmann is used in the film which adds historical validity and context. Barbara Sukowa expertly portrays Arendt's uncompromising commitment to shed insight into the nature of Eichmann and those like him who carried out crimes against humanity in one of the darkest chapters of the 20th Century. Hannah Arendt has mixed dialogue of both German and English with the German scenes subtitled.  

Film Review - The Monuments Men - George Clooney

John Goodman, Matt Damon, George Clooney, Bob Balaban and Bill Murray

Directed, written and produced by George Clooney, Monuments Men is loosely based a book by Robert M Edsel which tells the story of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program, a small allied group tasked to recover artworks and other cultural items stolen by the Nazis during WWII.

The group faces an almost impossible task of locating the millions of looted items secreted in various locations in Germany and returning them to their rightful owners. With a team comprising only seven art historians, curators and museum directors, combat action still in progress, a similar unit from the Soviet Union also seeking to seize artworks as war reparations and orders from Hitler to destroy the seized objects if Germany falls, it is a race against time.

The film has an exceptionally strong cast with George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bob Balaban, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin and Hugh Bonneville as the antiquities recovery team with Cate Blanchett as a French art curator, who for the most part is sceptical as to their true motives. With high production values and a feel good theme, this is a well executed, Saturday afternoon matinee type of film.

Australian Opera 2014 Season - Carmen - Opera Review

Milijana Nikolic onstage in Carmen - Australian Opera 2014

Georges Bizet's Carmen is a staple part of any opera company's repertoire and no less so for the Australian Opera. Included in the 2014 season, Carmen brings a story and a music score which has long become far more recognisable and popular than when it first premiered in Paris in March 1875. The opera is in four acts and based on a novella by Prosper Merimee with the libretto written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy. The story plot set in Spain follows the seducing influence of the fiery Gypsy, Carmen, who ensnares a naive solder by the name of Don Jose, causing him to abandon both his childhood sweetheart and his military duties. But Carmen sees greater opportunity and Don Jose loses her romantic attention to the flashy and glamorous toreador, Escamillo. In a fit of jealousy, Don Jose stalks and then kills Carmen and thus compounds the tragedy. As an opera, Carmen, broke new ground with the representations of proletarian life, squalor and lawlessness. The use of a chorus of street urchins and pickpockets adds an unusual element to the mechanism of choruses on stage.

For the Australian production the central role of Carmen herself is sung by Nancy Fabiola Herrera or Milijana Nikolic and for this performance Milijana Nikolic gave a perfect representation of the persuasive charm and influence of Carmen. For those who enjoy opera, Carmen is a required attendance in any yearly season.

Earth Hour 2014 - Saturday March 29, 2014 - 8.30PM

Earth Hour in 2014 will be held on Saturday the 29th of March at 8.30PM with this year's focus on Australia's own wonder of the world, the Great Barrier Reef. Earth Hour's theme this year is 'Lights out for the Reef' to highlight the current threats to the reef from climate change and other causes. So light up the candles and turn out the lights on the evening of the 29th March.

Opera Review - The Magic Flute - Australian Opera 2014 Season

Papageno and Prince Tamino facing danger.

The Australian Opera 2014 season includes a perennial favourite for Opera companies and audiences, The Magic Flute. Mozart's two Act opera is performed in English although the original was set to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder and uses the singspiel format of both singing and spoken dialogue. What distinguishes this latest performance of the Mozart classic is that it is the production of Julie Taymor which was performed at the New York Met in 2004. Taymor is best known for her designs for The Lion King and the result is a colourful, dazzling visual spectacle to match Mozart's effusive music.

Over two hours the audience experiences a range of images from giant puppet polar bears, a Queen of Night with enormous, multiple, geometric wings, puppet birds and various other creatures soaring through the air, three women with detachable masks and three boy spirits looking like latter day Methusalahs dressed in white lycra. The stage itself has a partial circular walkway bringing the characters to the audience and around the orchestra pit. 

The Operatic story follows Prince Tamino in his quest to save Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night from the evil sorcerer, Sarastro. He is aided by a magic flute given to him by three mysterious ladies and by Papageno, the bird catcher who has been given some magic bells by the ladies and told to accompany Tamino on his quest. The Queen of the Night appears and tells Tamino that if he can rescue her daughter then Pamina can be his wife. The magic flute has special powers and can change sorrow to joy and the magic bells given to Papageno brings great happiness to all who hear them. The Magic Flute remains one of the easiest operas to enjoy and is accessible to all ages and levels of opera experience.

Film review - American Hustle

(l to r) Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence

American Hustle is an American film spanning the crime, comedy-drama genres directed by David O Russell with an engaging storyline, well positioned period settings/wardrobes and an expert ensemble cast including Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence with a short appearance by Robert de Niro. There are few surprises in most of the storyline structure however there are a couple of twists which are not obvious and provide much needed surprises. It is a well executed film with high production values and accordingly has garnered a series of film industry awards. Interestingly David O Russell also directed Silver Linings Playbook which also starred Cooper and Lawrence.

The film plot follows two con artists Irving (Christian Bale) and Sydney (Amy Adams) who are caught in a sting operation by FBI agent, Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso forces the two con artists to help him set up another more elaborate sting operation to snare corrupt politicians and correspondingly enhance his career prospects. One of the targets is the Mayor of Camden, New Jersey (Jeremy Renner). DiMaso promises Irving and Sydney that if they can help him achieve four additional arrests he will release them.  Irving's erratic wife (Jennifer Lawrence) introduces an unstable and unpredictable element to the operation being unaware of its true intent and a tendency to say whatever she thinks at any given moment.

Christian Bale is unrecognisable as Irving and delivers a convincing performance with strong support from Amy Adams as his partner in crime. American Hustle is a competent professional film and well worth the price of a cinema ticket.

Theatre Review - Travelling North - Sydney Theatre Company 2014 Season

Bryan Brown and Alison Whyte - Travelling North

Travelling North is one of the older plays by David Williamson being first performed in 1979. The Sydney Theatre Company has brought it back for the 2014 season but with something of a listless, airless atmosphere, much like the Queensland tropics where much of the action is set. The story is centred on Frank (a retired engineer) and Frances, who are in a later life relationship, and decide to relocate to sunny, laid back Queensland from chilly Melbourne. The children from their previous marriages have long grown up and established their own families but retain ties to their parents. In the case of Frances' two daughters, Helen and Sophie, they are resentful of their mother's move away which they portray as Frank's manipulation rather than a sensible decision by Frances. The change in lifestyle, pace and climate for Frank and Frances is brought to an end by the discovery of Frank's failing heart condition which necessitates a re-evaluation of their lives, relationship and commitment.

Bryan Brown and Alison Whyte are cast as Frank and Frances respectively with Harriet Dyer and Sara West providing a strong portrayal of Frances' two truculent and possessive daughters, Helen and Sophie. Alison Whyte who had to replace Greta Sccachi at short notice is extremely effective as the free-spirited Frances. The play is curiously lacking in several elements - Bryan Brown as Frank is simply playing Bryan Brown and his delivery of Williamson lines from the script lacks vigour. The set design is so minimalist that it is little more than two-level decking for the first Act with the addition of a chair for the second Act. The resulting expansive space is poorly used with any advantage lost. The period wardrobe of the actors is well researched (stubbies, sandals with socks) but is the only bright part of an unenterprising production.