Film Review - August: Osage County

Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep in August: Osage County

Tracy Lett's powerful and insightful play 'August: Osage County' dissecting the relationships of the Weston family has been brought to the cinema screen not only capturing but expanding on the intensity and complexities of the stage production. Set in the plains of Oklahoma, the storyline is centred on family matriarch, Violet (Meryl Streep) and her relationships in the dysfunctional Weston clan most notably her three adult daughters, Barbara (Julia Roberts), Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) and Karen (Juliette Lewis) with their respective partners and family. The story commences with family patriarch, Beverly (Sam Shephard) himself an alcoholic and unsuccessful poet hiring a young Cheyenne woman to be the carer for the cancer-stricken, drug dependent Violet. After this task, Beverly disappears triggering the arrival and assembly of the Westons after which all manner of crises emerge, relationships shattered and secrets exposed much due to the actions of the malevolent, controlling Violet. Beverly is found to be deceased but the circumstances involved provide one of several twists. Following this maelstrom, the characters depart, much the worse for their encounters with the rest of the clan and Violet.

Letts play was originally produced for the Steppenwolf Company in Chicago and was brought to Sydney with the original cast by the Sydney Theatre Company in 2010. The play was a sell-out success despite the emotionally draining storyline. This is essentially a series of plots involving the female characters as much of the male roles are quieter, more supportive or of less significance. The play and the film are impressive with superb acting managing complex characters within elements of American Gothic and small moments af dark humour.

New Year 2014 - A new year in a challenged world

As 2014 rolls forward the world appears as challenged on several fronts as much as many previous years - whether this is economically, in politics and international relations or with the environment. The ongoing approach taken by many leaders is to assume the BAU (Business-As-Usual) approach which neither confronts nor addresses many of the challenges which have become entrenched across the globe. Economies and economic activities are not restricted to a single border but operate in an integrated world with Economic Forums, Free Trade Agreements, the World Trade Organisation and cross border movements of currencies at the stroke of a key on a computer system. The environment, on which all life on the planet survives, remains under severe pressure with limited and often inconsistent responses from many governments. A point in case is to build large wind turbine farms and solar energy collectors without actually reducing the number of electrical power stations which operate on coal. Inconsistent political decisions whereby promises made in elections are subsequently dishonoured on assumption of power in government (without any intention of ever committing to the intent) have led to a record level of distrust in democratic institutions and a loss of faith in leadership. 

2014 will be a difficult year upon which much stoicism and strength of commitment will be needed.

Christmas 2013

As the year comes to a close, the holiday season beckons across the globe. One of the most recognisable iconic images of this period is the Christmas Tree from the Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. The Christmas Tree itself originates from customs of the 15th and 16th Centuries in Germany and the placement of an angel or star at the top of the tree symbolises either the angel, Gabriel or the star from the Nativity. Tree worship itself originates from more pagan ceremonies focused on the representation of eternal life. This background for Christmas Trees demonstrates a fusion between pagan ritual and Christian belief which conveniently has now become locked into the exchange of expensive gifts, material wealth and consumerism in general. Perhaps a far cry from the original intent of having a tree with simple decorations.

Nonetheless at this time of year, the opportunity to reflect on the year past, the health and well being of others and to take stock of one's life provides a balance to the various exertions of the previous 12 months. In the words of the American Writer, Kurt Vonnegut, "and so it goes.." Joyeux Noel ! 

Theatre Review - Vere - Sydney Theatre Company 2013 Season

The cast of Vere onstage - Paul Blackwell as Vere (sitting, centre)

'Vere" written by John Doyle is a play of consummate comedy including bawdy school boy toilet humour, critical if somewhat obvious social observation but tinged with pathos and sadness. The theme of Doyle's play is dementia particularly its impact on the person facing this devastating mental  deterioration as well as those who care for that person. A mix of other themes including the science versus religion debate are weaved into the texture of the script for this two Act play with effective absurdist and comedic effect. 

Vere is a physicist and passionate advocate for a "theory of everything" to unify the known phenomena of the universe into a seamless whole. As an associate of Peter Higgs, he has been invited to participate in the proof of the Higgs boson at CERN's Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland in only a month’s time. It will be the crowning summit of his life in all ways personally and professionally. Alas medical tests have revealed Vere is suffering from early onset dementia with rapid deterioriation and he has only weeks, not months left. Act I is set in the University as Vere bids goodbye to the Vice Chancellor and his colleagues whilst hiding his dark diagnosis whilst Act II finds Vere living with his adult son's family as his condition worsens. 

Paul Blackwell commandingly holds centre stage as Vere with Geoff Morrell as the Vice Chancellor and later the pompous Reverend Roger. Rebecca Massey appears as both Vere's academic colleague and as the churchman's bi-polar but cheerfully ignorant wife. Matilda Bailey, Matthew Gregan, Ksenja Logos and Yalin Ozucelik (playing Vere's son) provide the strong supporting cast.

Doyle himself is well known to Australian audiences with an impressive list of credits to his name in theatre, film and television both as writer and as a performer. Overseas he is better known for his role as one of the Roy & H G duo of social and sports commentators.

Theatre Review - Waiting For Godot - Sydney Theatre Company 2013 Season

Richard Roxburgh and Hugo Weaving - Waiting for Godot

Samuel Beckett’s absurdist play “Waiting for Godot” has often been credited as one of the most influential English language plays of the 20^th Century with a litany of interpretations on  meaning and intent whether religious, existential or autobiographical.

The play in two Acts is focussed on two characters, Gogo and Didi (abbreviated from Estragon and Vladimir in the original Beckett version), who wait endlessly and in vain for the arrival of someone named Godot. The tedium and monotony of their wait is interrupted for awhile by the arrival of two other protagonists - Lucky, a baggage-burdened, nearly-silent slave who has a rope tied around his neck and his aggressive and pompous master, Pozzo. The entire content of the play is actually the musings and discourse between these characters and little else.

Adapted by Andrew Upton for the Sydney Theatre Company’s 2013 season, the most tangible value of the play are the performances of Hugo Weaving and Richard Roxburgh as the two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon. Upton has made changes to the dialogue and placed the two act play in an urban setting of an alleyway rather than Beckett’s original setting in the countryside. The STC production also identifies the two main characters as tramps or down-and-outs whereas Beckett himself never provided such a biographical description.

Essentially this is a play about nothing much at all as the two main characters debate issues of little actual philosophical or existential consequence in a haphazard sometimes circular manner without resolution or insight. Beckett’s ultimate absurdist achievement has been to have critics and audiences debate and ponder this work whereas in fact, ‘the emperor has no clothes’.

America Painting a nation - Art Gallery of NSW - Summer Exhibition 2013/2014

Charles Willson Peale: John & Elizabeth Cadwalader

The major summer exhibition of the Art Gallery of NSW for 2013/2014, America painting a nation, is promoted as the first historical survey of American painting held in Australia with many masterpieces shown here for the first time.The exhibition brings together 92 works from major artists, such as James Whistler, Edward Hopper, Mark Rothko, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollock and has been brought to Sydney in collaboration with Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Terra Foundation for American Art. In reality, this is an edited version of an exhibition which was originally chosen for audiences in South Korea.

In terms of content and masterpieces, these are thin on the ground in fact. There are three paintings by O'Keeffe and Homer; two each by Sargent, Eakins and Cassatt; and one each by Hopper, Rothko and Pollock. As Sydney Morning Herald art critic, John McDonald, observed ".....although there are some strong pictures in this group, none might be described as iconic.." He further noted that the Art Gallery of NSW would be hard pressed to sell "...a show in which most of the artists will be unknown to the vast majority of viewers...". Although this art show is thin with major art 'names' there is an impressive body of work to be seen nonetheless and the choice of works will pleasantly surprise the viewer if expectations are not set too high. The exhibition has 7 set chronological themes in which the paintings are grouped with the stronger works predominately coming from the 19th Century. The choice of paintings for the 20th Century is decidedly weaker both in number and content.

America Painting a nation  is on show until 9th February 2014.

Thomas Moran - Grand Canyon of the Colorado River