What could be better? an opening night play with an outstanding actress, a long satisfying gossip and catch up with an old friend, and some Gay Yorkshire rumpy pumpy !
As Wallace would say " a cracking day out there Grommit!"
I met Nu in Soho and we went to the Curzon to see God's Own Country which is a film of great beauty and some soul.
It tells the story of a young moorland farmer Jonney Saxby ( Josh O'Connor) who deals with his frustrations of life with a disabled dad and emotionally distant grandmother on a failing upland farm by casual gay sex and binge drinking.
When the emotionally more mature Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) turns up to help with the spring lambing, Jonney is forced to deal with his demons as the pair embark on an intense love affair against the backdrop of a Harsh lifestyle in decline.
God's Own Country has been described rather unfairly as the Yorkshire Brokeback mountain. This is misleading as this movie has a sort of harsh charm all of it's own with the Bleak Moorlands echoing the empty hardness of Jonney's life. Filmed with minimal dialogue O'Connor shines as the unsympathetic and at times downright unlikable Jonney whilst the painfully attractive Secareanu underplays his role as the emotionally warmer Gheorghe rather beautifully and although the narrative of Jonney's emotional journey from " fuck up" to manhood isn't particularly original, the film does pack a bit of a punch emotionally.
8/10
I wish the play was as good as the movie. Unfortunately Wings at the Young Vic was a bit of a mess!
Wings is more or less a monologue by an aging stroke victim Emily ( The glorious Juliet Stevenson) who tries to make some sort of sense of a sudden and catastrophic brain injury . Confused and disorientated with motor and intellectual deficits , Emily tries and fails to make real her unreal world where nurses are seen as captors and where her body feels weightless and not her own.
For an hour, Stevenson remains suspended in a body harness and spins impressively around the darkened stage as she she shares a stream of consciousness of her experiences within the fugue state of a CVA and although she is undoubtedly a wonderful actress the play fails to impress
It was the opening night and it was sad to see Stevenson looking so upset at the lacklustre applause as the play ended.
We finished the day chatting and catching up. Touching base with old friends is a tonic for the soul
Sounds like a full day, John! Yes, old friends are the best!
ReplyDeleteI'd say the best part of the day was catching up with Nuala.
ReplyDeleteExcellent in all regards.
ReplyDeleteYes, old friends are the best!
ReplyDeleteเย็ดสาว
It's too bad about the play - I think it is a wonderful premise to try to show the effects of stroke from the patient's view. So many people do not understand what it does to a person.
ReplyDeleteLovely to catch up with old friends, and the movie sounds worth seeing.
the movie sounds good, I don't know if i'll be able to find it here though :(
ReplyDeleteJuliet Stevenson is absolutely Brilliant .. I will see a film if she is in it .. regardless of topic etc.
ReplyDeletePlays are another thing ... sometimes, no matter how brilliant the actor, the play just isn't going to work .. sounds like that is what happened here.
Your description of the play sounds like my worst nightmare. Too many theatre producers/directors are then surprised by the critiques; they should look to themselves.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it your worst nightmare? Because the theme makes you feel uncomfortable?
DeleteOther than that, I agree: Theatre producers/directors "should look to themselves" as should visual artists (say, painters) instead of blaming the not buying public and badly chosen gallerists for failure to sell and decorate the walls of the world. Deja vu?
U
Cro Magnon, my thoughts exactly. Why on earth would anyone want to experience a stroke vicariously? Particularly since the theater-going population tends to be older, that play would remind everyone in the audience of the fragility of their own physical and mental integrity, and not in a good way. Too scary, if you ask me.
DeleteI go to the theatre to be entertained, not depressed; a stroke victim's monologue sounds like the latter.
DeleteCheap point-scoring is of no interest to me. But good try.
I loved Juliet Stephenson in a 'politicians wife' with Trevor Eve.
ReplyDeleteYes !!
DeletePity for you about the play despite its shining star turn. Pity for me that I'm unable to bring myself to see that film which is getting universal praise.
ReplyDeleteCinema & play in one day is a lot to take in. Glad you enjoyed being with Nu.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't you wait and see this film with Chris?
ReplyDeleteI will see it with chris if it shows up in wales
DeleteI must say, I don't think much of Ms Stevenson's hat.
ReplyDeleteIt must be so hard to work on a play with such dedication and then see it not go over well. I can't imagine the heartbreak. Sounds like a great movie, though! I'll keep an eye out for it here.
ReplyDeleteI loved Juliet Stevenson in the film - Truly Madly Deeply.
ReplyDeleteNot quite sure what rumpy pumpy is, but it sounds delightful!
ReplyDeleteI know it from watching Black Adder on public television in America, but he's the only person I've ever heard use it. So, it's a thing that real people say?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteOh, shit, I just read the explanation from Rachel...maybe not delightful, and John did reply. and I can't delete my 12:51 post. So I'm as sorry as can be about the whole damn thing.
DeleteQueer spitting on his fingers before screwing a pretty boy up the arse.
ReplyDeleteI really should not read this blog whilst drinking as I have just spit it everywhere with your reply.
DeleteThe more I read it the more offensive I find it.
DeleteI was describing a exact scene from the film for the meaning of rumpy pumpy for above.
DeleteThere was several more tender sex scenes too to balance the smut
DeleteHow sad about Juliet Stevenson - I think she is such an excellent actress - she must have been pretty upset by it I think.
ReplyDeleteI have seen good and bad reports of God's Own Country - shall probably go and see it when it arrives here.
Dont take the WI with you pat
DeleteI don't know if it makes me smutty or tender or both, but that above picture, along with the subject matter itself, makes me want to see the movie. Hope it's shown in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine the heartbreak. Sounds like a great movie, though! I'll keep an eye out for it here.
ReplyDeleteหีฟิต