NEW LOOK FOR TALE AS OLD AS TIME

This review was published in The West Australian dated Mar 23, 2017.

MOVIE
Beauty and the Beast
Emma Watson, Dan Stewart
Director Bill Condon

Review Ray Chan

When Disney made a live action version of Alice in Wonderland in 2010, little did the studio realise the floodgates it would be opening.

    Since then, three more of its animated movies have made the transition – Malificent, Cinderella and Jungle Book – and the cinematic progression of these creations from one to the next has been clear to witness, as the waters were tested with original stories at first, to gradually incorporating various elements and music from the classic cartoons.

    With Beauty and the Beast, it seems the evolution has reached its final stage, with the movie basically a complete and faithful live action remake of its 1991 Oscar-nominated animated namesake.

    From Belle (Emma Watson)’s energetic walk through the village to Gaston’s amusing narcissistic ode, from the show-stopping dinner table theatrics to the moving ballads of love, all the musical sequences audiences have associated and loved with the feature are included, and performed with grandiose, gusto and grace. 

    The film is also embellished with some extra insight into various characters, in particular Belle’s father, played by Kevin Kline, whose character is fleshed out with an interesting backstory that adds some drama to the fairy tale. Josh Gad endears himself to the audience as Gaston’s sidekick LeFou, who, as everyone has no doubt heard by now, has been cast as an openly gay character. 

    But it’s a progressive change that doesn’t hurt the overall narrative, serving instead to reflect modern society, as much so as the couple of mixed-race relationships shown among some of the major supporting players, which were also absent from the original. Disney has always promoted tolerance and love, and it is ironic that in conveying this message, the studio has suffered criticism from viewers who hang on steadfastly to outdated conservative beliefs.

    If you know the score by heart, you’ll no doubt sing along heartily as cast go through the entire songbook (although Watson’s voice sounds a little weak at times). As a bonus, award-winning composer Alan Menken has been brought back to create some new songs for the movie, and they’re every bit as haunting and charming as the ones he wrote in 1991. Menken’s penmanship harkens back to the days when melody was king in the Disney studios, unlike some of the pieces commissioned for the later Disney offerings.

    As for the beast himself, Dan Stevens plays him with aplomb, his emotions flitting between rage, fear, remorse and sincerity. The CGI effects portray him convincingly as the hirsute, bovine creature that becomes the eventual recipient of Belle’s love, but they are most convincing in bringing to life the huge number of inanimate objects in the story. 

    This movie illuminates rather than tarnishes the legacy, but one wonders how much more wondrous it could have been had it been made in this form initially, thereby avoiding inevitable comparisons between the two adaptations. It’s a lovely musical in its own right, one which rejuvenates and refreshes a tale as old as time for newer audiences.

@beourguest 

A CLAW ABOVE THE REST

This review was published in The West Australian dated Mar 2, 2017.

MOVIE
Logan
Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart
Director James Mangold

Review Ray Chan

You have to take your hat off to the producers for having the chutzpah to make this film.

    Billed as the last Logan movie, it could have so easily gone awry had the premise not been treated with the respect it deserved. Can you imagine a movie about the death of Superman or the final days of the USS Enterprise? 

    The demise of legends never goes down well with fans, and movie studios need to tread warily when venturing into such territory.

    Logan takes place in 2029, when the mutant population has shrunk significantly and the X-Men have disbanded. No new mutants have been born in more than two decades, and as their numbers dwindled, X-Men founder Charles Xavier's dreams of a new stage in evolution has slowly died.

    A weary Logan, played with aplomb by Hugh Jackman, has surrendered himself to alcohol, and lives in a remote, makeshift hideout which he shares with fellow mutant Caliban, nursemaid to the ailing and infirm Xavier. In addition, Logan's power to self-heal is dwindling; fading as he has aged, with his face and body being scarred from past injuries and battles.

    Logan’s path eventually crosses that of 11-year-old Laura, a product of a company named Transigen, which had been breeding children with mutant DNA samples to create their own super-powered team. He is persuaded to return Laura to her cohorts, all of whom escaped the laboratory and are now in a safe haven somewhere in North Dakota. Logan takes Xavier along on this mission as a team known as the Reavers attempt to abduct Laura back into the Transigen camp.

    Jackman has claimed many times that this would be the last time he would play the Wolverine, and it is a damn fine way to go out. Director James Mangold absolutely delivers with what is a brutal film on both a violent and emotional level. 

    This film holds nothing back when it comes to blood, sweat and tears, with several moments that’ll leave you either recoiling in horror or bawling your eyes out. Despite the fact that the action seen in this film is probably the best and grisliest we’ve seen in an X-Men movie, where this movie succeeds most is in its character-driven story full of pathos, vulnerability and uncertainty.

    Patrick Stewart is wonderful as he gives a heartbreaking final portrayal as Xavier, who’s now become something of a tragic character, yet is still trying to cling on to any shred of hope and optimism. When he meets his somewhat unexpected fate in the movie, the audience will be both shocked and saddened.

    Coming close to stealing the movie from Jackman and Stewart is Dafne Keen, who excels in every scene as the frightened yet steel-willed Laura. Bred from Logan’s DNA, Laura rightly considers Logan her father, and the deeply poignant connection between the two comes to another tear-jerking head at the movie’s conclusion.

    Logan succeeds on every level in delivering the Wolverine film we’ve all been waiting for, as we bid farewell to two beloved characters that were introduced at a time when superhero movies were just starting to get their foot into modern cinema. 

    This is, in my mind, the best super-hero ever made, and one even worthy of an Academy Award nomination.

CLASS FOR THE CLASSES

This review was published in The West Australian dated Mar 2, 2017.

CONCERT
Adele
Review Ray Chan

It says much for the appeal of music sensation Adele that fans flocked to Perth from the length and breadth of the state to attend possibly the blockbuster live act show of the year. Farmers even gave up a day (or two) of life on the paddocks to make the sojourn, while FIFO workers had long ago already rescheduled their rosters to ensure they could attend.

    Imagine a turnout about a fifth of what you’d get at the annual Skyworks show in the city, cramming into Domain stadium. The expected size of the crowd dominated the news events for days preceding the event, even forcing the transport authorities to issue warnings of traffic gridlocks in the lead-up to the spectacle. As Adele herself asked at the concert, “was there no other news in Perth?”

    The universal popularity of the British songstress was evidenced by the make-up of the audience: hip young things mingled with ladies and gents dressed in their formal best, with the age gap ranging from seniors in wheelchairs and walking frames to children barely able to walk. ‘Tis a curious thing indeed that she appeals to all generations, for Adele’s music, by her own admission, can be “terribly depressing” … but fans have obviously overlooked that in favour of her glorious voice and heart-tugging lyrics, while families are willing to forgive the odd profanity or two from a performer who cannot help but win over crowds with her charm, self-effacing commentary and hilarious Cockney banter.

    Adele’s Hello has not only provided the singer with a massive worldwide hit, but also given her the perfect song to open up any of her shows. And so it was at Subiaco, where fans erupted as the familiar refrains echoed clear as crystal, with Adele emerging from the specially-built stage spectacularly adorned in sequins which glittered like diamonds.

    The second song, Hometown Glory, endeared her even more to the crowd, as the wraparound video screens, initially showing shots of Adele’s birthplace, morphed into images of several Perth landmarks ... a nice touch which raised the noise appreciation department up a notch.

    From there, it was a virtually flawless performance, as Adele sailed through her repertoire of hits and favourite songs, including cover versions of Alison Krauss’ Don’t You Remember, and Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love, a piece that, while recorded by numerous other artists, has now become recognised as Adele’s own as much as its composer’s.

    The upbeat I’ll Be Waiting and Rumour Has It provided a nice counter balance to the slower ballads and torch songs, while the James Bond theme Skyfall was a standout, backed by outstanding screen visuals and a male choir.

    The entertainment factor was well-orchestrated and a feather in the cap for the team behind it (including Adele herself, no doubt). In between songs, fans were constantly engaged by a mixture of small talk, ad libs, audience participation – including an impromptu encounter with an Adele impersonator – and a round of souvenir slingshot as the singer fired shirts through a cannon to four lucky members of the crowd.

    Adele came back strongly after the encore break, which was highlighted by an amusing American-inspired Kiss Cam live video feed of various fans, with Rolling In The Deep getting everyone rocking in the stands, and the emotionally-charged Someone Like You rousing a feel-good singalong at the singer’s encouragement.

    Mention should be made of the gigantic, specially constructed theatre in the round, which offered the various bells and whistles that enhanced the experience to a prodigious level. The sound system was near faultless, projecting Adele’s voice loud and clear to near and far, while the 360-degree screens offered everyone a chance to not only view Adele close-up, but also the various videos made for the songs, many of which were shot exclusively for the show. 

    The stage was big enough to shine the spotlight on Adele when needed, and to allow her to walk around the circle to meet and greet her fans. There were launchers in place to puff out smoke for theatricality when needed, while those in the closer seats were treated to huge sprays of confetti, which included hand-written lyrics from Adele.

    Fireworks were even initially planned for the show, but rejected for safety reasons after Adele’s son caught some debris in his eye during a pyrotechnics trial run. But you know what? No fireworks were needed, as the singer provided more than enough of her own, sending thousands home delirious but despairing that Adele is unlikely to venture on a tour of this magnitude again. 

SETLIST

Hello

Hometown Glory

One and Only

I'll Be Waiting

Rumour Has It

Water Under the Bridge

I Miss You

Skyfall

Don't You Remember

Make You Feel My Love

Send My Love (to Your New Lover)

Sweetest Devotion

Chasing Pavements

Take It All 

Set Fire to the Rain

When We Were Young

Rolling in the Deep

Someone Like You