Mel Brooks has left the building.
Jun. 6th, 2012 10:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
captainsblogLikewise, there wasn't a bit of Moffat to be deduced, nor a single Yellow Car. Tonight was all Boyle and Ben, Mary and Miller.
Not that it's not without its moments of Brooksian humour or Moff-ish suspense- but they're all entirely the production's, faithful, above all, to the Shelley original.
What is he talking about?
Ya, that. There's a third tickee below that; Em, Cameron and I made it to the nationwide one-time screening with Benedict Cumberbatch as the Creature and Jonny Lee Miller as Victor. (It also starred a hitherto unpublicised set of supporting characters, was directed by Danny Boyle and was a Positive Electrode Production for the NT!!!) Tomorrow night, same Frank-time, same Frank-channel, the leads reverse their roles, as they did throughout its live Southbank run.
Both get significant stage and screentime, as do more of the supporting cast than I might've expected. They are all wonderful in their roles, from Blind DeLacey's slightest evocation of Gene Hackman from 40 years before, to the gorgeous and pitch-perfect casting of Elizabeth. But the night belongs to creator and creature, as Cumberbatch gives life, movement and voice to what has become one of the most wrongly stereotyped roles in all of literature; Miller, in turn, plays foil and foiled throughout, conveying all of the conflict and hubris of the original character and, in the end, visually devolving into much of what his original Creature evolved out of.
It's not without its odd moments: an early scene owes more to a West End re-enactment of "Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat" than anything in canon or adaptation; and the open is about as cold as you can get. They begin with a brief "making-of" piece featuring lead actors, director and adapting writer, pop up a PG-13ish warning card, and BOOM! you're in medias res without being sure whether you're watching more of the short or the main feature.
It's the main feature; trust me on that. Its first moments of the Creature can only be described as a wordless soliloquy; at times, Ben approaches ballet in his movements. I can picture the roles reversed, but given the two choices, I'm happy we went with this one.
The music was astounding, the cinematography about as good as any live-theatre filming is going to get without taking the life out of it, and while you never get a classic "send up the kites!" moment from the special effects department, the lighting, and use of light fixtures ::waves at Eleanor who always pays attention to such things:: more than makes up for that.
Forget the bleats; cue the galvanism.
Not that it's not without its moments of Brooksian humour or Moff-ish suspense- but they're all entirely the production's, faithful, above all, to the Shelley original.
What is he talking about?
Ya, that. There's a third tickee below that; Em, Cameron and I made it to the nationwide one-time screening with Benedict Cumberbatch as the Creature and Jonny Lee Miller as Victor. (It also starred a hitherto unpublicised set of supporting characters, was directed by Danny Boyle and was a Positive Electrode Production for the NT!!!) Tomorrow night, same Frank-time, same Frank-channel, the leads reverse their roles, as they did throughout its live Southbank run.
Both get significant stage and screentime, as do more of the supporting cast than I might've expected. They are all wonderful in their roles, from Blind DeLacey's slightest evocation of Gene Hackman from 40 years before, to the gorgeous and pitch-perfect casting of Elizabeth. But the night belongs to creator and creature, as Cumberbatch gives life, movement and voice to what has become one of the most wrongly stereotyped roles in all of literature; Miller, in turn, plays foil and foiled throughout, conveying all of the conflict and hubris of the original character and, in the end, visually devolving into much of what his original Creature evolved out of.
It's not without its odd moments: an early scene owes more to a West End re-enactment of "Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat" than anything in canon or adaptation; and the open is about as cold as you can get. They begin with a brief "making-of" piece featuring lead actors, director and adapting writer, pop up a PG-13ish warning card, and BOOM! you're in medias res without being sure whether you're watching more of the short or the main feature.
It's the main feature; trust me on that. Its first moments of the Creature can only be described as a wordless soliloquy; at times, Ben approaches ballet in his movements. I can picture the roles reversed, but given the two choices, I'm happy we went with this one.
The music was astounding, the cinematography about as good as any live-theatre filming is going to get without taking the life out of it, and while you never get a classic "send up the kites!" moment from the special effects department, the lighting, and use of light fixtures ::waves at Eleanor who always pays attention to such things:: more than makes up for that.
Forget the bleats; cue the galvanism.
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no subject
Date: 2012-06-07 12:33 pm (UTC)Here (http://www.virginiamohlere.com/?p=614) is what I said.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-08 01:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-07 08:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-08 01:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-08 03:08 pm (UTC)I would say it was more modern dance than ballet, that first scene.
And oh my GOD, I was wondering what was up with the steampunk dance party! The showers of sparks there, and the people with the bang-snaps, both had me a little concerned about safety. I wouldn't want to be near that stuff while wearing little other than a loincloth and a lot of makup!