adelaide

The Questions

The Questions

The Questions Rating

★★★★★

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State Theatre Company SA proudly unveils the world premiere of the latest collaboration between playwright Van Badham and composer Richard Wise—a modern and heartwarming rom-com that elegantly explores how simple, honest questions can cultivate profound connections and lead to love.

Set against the unique backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, “The Questions” tells the engaging story of a couple whose initial blind date is indefinitely extended due to a lockdown announced just as the visitor is about to make her emergency exit.

As their time together stretches into weeks, and in the absence of any internet or mobile phone coverage, the couple turns to Arthur Aron’s renowned intimacy-building questionnaire, featuring 36 questions designed to pass the time and, in an effort to foster a deeper understanding and acceptance of each other.

Van Badham’s script masterfully combines humour with genuine emotion, delivering dialogue that feels both authentic and relatable. The narrative captures the essence of emotional exploration and connection, with each musical number and piece of dialogue peeling back the layers of the characters, revealing traumas and fostering empathy.

The performances by Chaya Ocampo (Visitor) and Charles Wu (Resident) are compelling and dynamic, and their chemistry illuminates the stage. Their portrayal of a seemingly mismatched couple is both engaging and heartfelt, drawing audiences into their evolving relationship.

The inclusion of the neighbouring rock band adds an additional layer of charm and humour. Their role as observers of the couple’s journey provides a witty counterpoint, while their lively musical contributions enrich the production.

The Questions
The Questions

Jeremy Allen’s set design is exemplary, capturing the essence of modern, minimalist living. The compact lounge and kitchenette evoke a sense of social claustrophobia that heightens the intimacy of the narrative. Gavin Norris’s lighting design is particularly effective, creating the illusion of different settings and cleverly adding an urban chic touch with its cityscape backdrop.

Director Mitchell Butel demonstrates remarkable skill, seamlessly blending theatrical and musical elements to bring this vibrant and heartwarming production to life. Even those who are not typically fans of rom-coms or musicals will find themselves captivated by the production’s witty dialogue, clever lyrics, and the powerful message about connection despite differences.

The audience’s response was overwhelmingly positive, with laughter resonating throughout and a standing ovation for the cast. “The Questions” stands as a thoughtful and humorous exploration of human connection in an era dominated by digital facades. It eloquently demonstrates that true beauty lies in the courage to share our authentic selves—flaws and all.

Buy your tickets @ https://statetheatrecompany.com.au/shows/the-questions/ for one of these upcoming performances:-
Mon 5 Aug 2024, 6:30 pm
Tue 6 Aug 2024, 6:30 pm
Wed 7 Aug 2024, 6:30 pm
Thu 8 Aug 2024, 7:30 pm
Fri 9 Aug 2024, 7:30 pm
Sat 10 Aug 2024, 2:00 pm
Sat 10 Aug 2024, 7:30 pm
Mon 12 Aug 2024, 6:30 pm
Tue 13 Aug 2024, 6:30 pm
Wed 14 Aug 2024, 11:00 am
Wed 14 Aug 2024, 6:30 pm
Thu 15 Aug 2024, 7:30 pm
Fri 16 Aug 2024, 7:30 pm
Sat 17 Aug 2024, 2:00 pm
Sat 17 Aug 2024, 7:30 pm

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Sleeping Dogs (2024)

Sleeping Dogs (2024) Rating

★★★★★

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Adam Cooper’s directorial debut Sleeping Dogs tries to reckon with jealousy, power, perception, and memory but never reaches the heights of genre classics like Se7en or Memento, which are clear inspirations.

Crowe plays Roy Freeman, an almost aggressively broken man whose recent brain surgery scars dice his scalp, his home littered with masking tape with notes to himself.

It is partially a sobering drama about a broken man suffering a debilitating illness and partially a gritty crime thriller, but never enough of either to satisfy fully. The Alzheimer’s diagnosis that bookends the film is under treatment effectively enough that Freeman is able to solve enough of the mystery for the plot to move forward. Despite this, whilst the final reveal hits more with a whimper than a bang, the story has spent so long focusing elsewhere that it never built the alternatives.

Sleeping Dogs (2024)

The story takes an extended detour into a flashback based on a manuscript that tells a compelling story of the corrupting power of influence, but it struggles to translate it back into the main plot, making it no more impactful on the plot than Freeman’s diagnosis.

Where this film does shine is in tone. The almost drained composition of shots when Freeman is our focal point is starkly contrasted to the vivid manuscript flashback, as author Richard Finn reckons with his perception of the murder and his relationships with Laura Gaines (Karen Gillan), a flighty yet brilliant researcher, and Joseph Wieder (Marton Csokas), a murder victim and manipulative psychologist.

These sections are awash with colour and vibrancy, a comment as to how each of our unreliable narrators is coming to the story and how they are analysing events with their own limited knowledge. Unfortunately, this sequence is front-loaded, and we lose this contrast from that point.

There is enough to satisfy a genre fan, but viewers may be baffled by the leaps it takes to justify a conclusion that didn’t reach the heights it was aiming for.

Sleeping Dogs is now playing in cinemas starting August 1st. Catch it at a cinema near you!

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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Spanish Film Festival: A Ravaging Wind

Spanish Film Festival: A Ravaging Wind

Spanish Film Festival: A Ravaging Wind Rating

★★★★★

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‘A Ravaging Wind’ is the story of a young girl, Leni, who travels with her preacher father, Reverend Pearson, around towns in rural Argentina.

He is an evangelical preacher spreading the word of God and healing sinners. It is a coming-of-age film about Leni as she is trapped in a lifestyle not of her choosing. Argentine director Paula Hernández starts the film as a road movie as we follow them from one church to another.

As they are heading to their next sermon, we start to see more of the character of Leni, played by Almudena González. As she runs errands for her preacher dad, Alfredo Castro, you start to see the doubt in her mind about the direction of her life. On the road, their aging car breaks down, and they are taken, car and all, to a local mechanic out in the middle of nowhere.

Spanish Film Festival: A Ravaging Wind

Here they met Gringo the Mechanic, played by Sergi López, who is opposed to faith and his son Tapioca, played by Joaquín Acebo. Here, we have a similarity between the two families, both being teenagers brought up by their fathers.

As the car is repaired, Reverend Pearson decides he wants to save Tapioca; in fact, he becomes obsessed with trying to save the lad. This echoes with Lenis in the story.

The quality of the acting really makes this movie stand out. Without it, the film would have been a slow-moving road movie. The cast seems to understand the characters and what the director requires of them. It’s a really nice ensemble piece and worth watching. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Spanish Film Festival runs through June-July, 2024 in Adelaide, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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The Promised Land Film Review

The Promised Land

The Promised Land Rating

★★★★★

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1

The inimitable Mads Mikkelsen heads the cast of this epic drama, set in 18th Century Jutland, Denmark. The main narrative revolves around one Captain Ludvig von Kahlen (Mikkelsen,) a long-time soldier, and his attempts to cultivate a seemingly uninhabitable heath as a new settlement. His nemesis, a local landowner and all-round villain, Frederik De Schinkel is played with utmost, epicene gusto by Simon Benebjerg.

Director and co-writer, Nikolaj Arcel, (Riders of Justice, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,)has been painstaking in his attention to historical authenticity and it is something to appreciate. Tricorn-hats-off to the costume, art and lighting crew – the result is exquisite. The mist o’er the heath, the frosts, the driving rain, the howling wind and the bleak, unforgiving darkness, contrasted with the luminous firelight, candle-light, lamp-light and ever-living sunshine. Pick out the mise en scene from any one particular shot and you have a classic study in chiaroscuro – cinematography by Rasmus Videbæk.

Based on a loose adaptation of the book, from a tenuous story about the real Kahlen, the plot gets off to a gripping start, when the loathsome Schinkel realises that the Captain presents a threat to his own ambitions and authority. Local pastor, Anton Eklund, who is sympathetic to the Captain’s cause, introduces him to tenant farmers and labourers, Johannes and Ann Barbara – both fugitives from their cruel master, Schinkel. (All three actors, Gustav Lindh, Morten Hee Andersen and Amanda Collin turn in faultless performances.) Throw in the complication of a love-triangle, the aristocratic Lady Edele Helene, (Kristine Kujath Thorp), and the stage is set for a classic tale of good v evil, justice v injustice, plebs v aristocracy…

The Promised Land

It’s impossible not to be drawn in to the growing relationship between Ann Barbara and the Captain – especially after her husband is captured, tortured and literally boiled to death by Schinkel. An outcast, Romany-child, Anmai Mus, is befriended by the duo – and the trio become an unlikely family group. Happiness subtly creeps up on all three of them – unfortunately, the Captain’s overwhelming ambition is their undoing…

A word has to be said on Mikkelsen’s performance which is generally, brilliantly nuanced – a warmth in the eyes, a curl of the mouth, a smile. He certainly has cornered the market in strong, silent and minimalist. Romany-child, (Melina Hagburg,) is so utterly beguiling that even Mikkelsen stands a good chance of being upstaged.

What is truly disappointing, is that the last act of the film devolves into sentimentality that has the audience question all that we’ve learnt about that world, the main character, his hardness and obsession. Unfortunately, the ending lacks credibility and even borders on the ludicrous, especially given the time period that had supposedly elapsed. A realistic ending, true to the time would have been more powerful, and may have said more about ambition and the ‘hollow crown’ – than the presented fairy-story ending.

Despite some flaws, to misrelate the words of the Desiderata – “it is still a beautiful film”.

My Rating: Four glasses of champagne.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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