Review - Toyer

*****

The other day I went to see a preview of Toyer, a psychological thriller directed by William Schoular which opens this week at the Arts Theatre in the West End.

“There's a serial killer on the loose. When a charming stranger appears at psychiatrist Maude's apartment late one night, an innocent encounter soon becomes a sexually charged battle of wits. Is he 'the Toyer', the sadist who lobotomizes his female victims, or merely a playful admirer? In this dangerous game of cat and mouse, Maude must either outwit her adversary or suffer a diabolical fate.”

The play seemed inspired by stories by Alfred Hitchcock and, as mentioned, Silence of the Lambs and much focus has gone into creating the tension and uncertainty that a thriller requires. The sound and the lights do a good job of putting us in the right mood to be frightened but I was left feeling that the acting was not as inspired as it could (and probably should) have been. Keeping in mind that the play had not yet opened when I saw it, and the actors may still be getting into their characters.

Alice Krige (also seen in RSC, Chariots of Fire, Star Trek) playing Maude, seemed a little unsure of how far to take the character. If she had asked me I’d have advised her to go “all the way” and not hold back at all as thinking about the character from the outside prevents the character from reaching the audience. Al Weaver, (Trevor Nunn's Hamlet, Coram Boy at the NT) in the role of Peter seemed much more relaxed and enjoyed playing his part, but I still think he has some of his character’s life to think through in detail before the play opens. There were moments in the play where I felt his character should shift in certain ways that didn’t quite come up to scratch.

The set was effective, but could use a little bit more “life” in it…

In spite of the problems I saw with it, I am going to be quite generous with the grading and give it a 3 out of 5. Had I seen it after it had opened and those problems were there it would have been a 2, but who knows, if they manage to suss all the things I mentioned out by the time the curtain officially rises, the play might well rise to a 4.

-Peter, ASAD Graduate

Review: the Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Review for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

*****

‘’My name is Benjamin Button, and I was born under unusual circumstances. While everyone else was agin', I was gettin' younger... all alone.’’

This film is loosely adapted from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Unlike the original, this is primarily a love story and, as such, relies on good acting and a clear relationship between the two lovers. Sadly, both are missing. The story spans a long period of time but neither Kate Blanchet nor Brad Pitt create characters that are either believable or consistent. Kate Blanchet seems pretty much as she did in Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Brad Pitt is, well, Brad Pitt. Having said this, he does have some good moments near the beginning of the film where we can suspend our disbelief just long enough to see Benjamin Button rather than having to think about Brad Pitt, the actor. But just a moment or two of good acting from the lead is not enough to sustain a film that runs for 2 hours 45 minutes. Tilda Swinton and Jared Harris also give surprisingly weak performances but Taraji P. Henson stands out in her portrayal as Benjamin’s surrogate Mother. I loved the story and enjoyed seeing older actors gracing the silver screen where normally youth, beauty and action shots win the day. But I don’t think this film is anywhere near as good as the makers of it appear to think it is. The most impressive and memorable aspects are the special effects and make up which deserve all the praise they get. Just a shame the acting and directing doesn’t match up.

E Bowe

Review – Slumdog Millionaire

*****

‘’When somebody asks me a question, I tell them the answer.’’

This is a great film and for many reasons. It starts off with what seems to be an innocent Indian version of Who wants to be a Millionaire but before you know it you are hurled into an intense story of torture, corruption and deprivation. Having only read ‘the feel good film of the year’ marketing tagline, I for one, was caught completely off guard. The brilliance of the film, however, lies in the careful balance between gritty realism and fairytale storytelling for what unfolds is the journey of a helpless orphan emerging from the slums of Mumbai as a true hero who ensures good triumphs over evil.

The screenplay, cinematography and sound track are also very good as is the subtle vein of humour running all the way through the film. As for the acting, Dev Patel gives a great debut performance and holds his own against such seasoned actors as Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan who are also excellent in their roles. But the real stars of this film are the children – particularly the first round of them. It is very rare to see children act so well that for moments you actually forget they are acting. My only real disappointment with this film is that the first three children didn’t match the adults they supposedly grow up to become – and we need them to because these are the characters that we get to know at the start and these are the ones we are rooting for. Understandably, this is a tough job for the casting director but how satisfying it would have been to see the real woman that Latika becomes rather than a perfect looking model who has clearly come from anything but a slum. But this aside, Danny Boyle and his creative team tell a beautiful story very well and the Bollywood style tongue-in-cheek end credits are inspired.

E Bowe, ASAD Graduate, www.asad.org.uk