FILM
Blancanieves | Blu-ray and DVD, $39.95 (Reel DVD)
Pablo Berger’s homage to the films of the 1920s had the great misfortune of arriving in the wake of The Artist – a far more accessible and comedic piece. But while it lacks the self-awareness of its Oscar-winning peer, Blancanieves has an endearing, sincere passion at its heart.
Transplanting the Grimm Brothers’ Snow White into Franco’s Spain, Berger recaptures the darkness we remember from first reading those tales as children. This is a world of ghoulish acts and misshapen heroes, cast in the shadow of a dark sexuality.
Our heroine Carmen is the daughter of a prize matador, struck down in his prime. Fleeing her deliciously evil and somewhat perverse stepmother (Maribel Verdú, best known for Y Tu Mamá También), she takes refuge with six bullfighting dwarves. On discovering a flair for her father’s sport, she is recruited by this diminutive troupe, but her new fame engenders resentments.
Relying on clever, beautiful compositions, Blancanieves reminds the viewer how dialogue can distract from the magic of cinema. As with authentic films of its borrowed era, there is a sense here of peering through its grey glass into an enchanting, lost world. Stripped of the irony we’ve come to expect from modern retreads of fairytales, this is a joyous, wondrous and sensuous movie.
» www.arcadiamotionpictures.com/14/blancanieves
MUSIC
Slo Light | Davidge (Shock)
British producer Neil Davidge is best known for steering Massive Attack through its difficult third album Mezzanine. On his superb new solo album, he steps away from the mixing desk but keeps his methods intact. The 10 tracks here, starring a range of more-or-less well-known vocalists, mix lush orchestration and pop melodies with fidgety electronica and trip-hoppy beats. Indeed, the stunning title track, with its echoes of Teardrop, would sound entirely at home on a Massive Attack LP. That said, there’s impressive variety on show here, with How Was Your Day galloping into breakneck dance and They Won’t Know doing a convincing impression of Foals-esque synth-rock. Remaining consistent is the late-night, slightly spooky atmosphere and the layered, seductive production.
PLAY
Frankenstein | Beckett Theatre, Malthouse, opens March 21, $30-$50
Frankenstein has been twice tackled recently. Once, by Danny Boyle’s superb theatrical interpretation starring warring Sherlocks Cumberbatch and Lee Miller, and more recently by the dire monster mush flick I, Frankenstein. In approaching Mary Shelley’s gothic tale, radical Melbourne theatre group (and Malthouse Theatre’s 2014 company-in-residence) The Rabble do things a bit differently. The story is gender-flipped onto a matriarchal world that worships female fertility. Here, spurned childless genius Dr Frankenstein subverts the laws of nature and creates a motherless monster in the laboratory. Those who saw The Rabble’s take on The Story of O last year will know to expect something clever, fearless and confrontational.
This Year’s Ashes | Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Opens March 19, $20-$39
» Ellen has moved to Sydney in the hope of finding a shinier, more ideal life than the one she knew in Melbourne. Instead, she has no friends, is stuck in a job she hates and has dedicated herself to getting drunk and one-night stands. When one of these one-night stands refuses to leave, rather than never seeing her again, Ellen is forced to wonder whether this anonymous bloke really is all that anonymous. Written by award-winning Australian playwright Jane Bodie, This Year’s Ashes is a bittersweet comedy about grief, relationships and cricket.
TV
The Escape Artist | SBS One,
Thursday March 20, 9.35pm
Will Burton (David Tennant) is a hotshot London barrister, famed for getting the guiltiest of crims off the hook. As his adoring boss says: “If you’re chained in a barrel at the bottom of a well … you call for Houdini”. But when Burton emancipates Liam Foyle, he soon realises he’s made a mistake. Wounded by Burton’s refusal to shake his hand (Burton has particular scruples about not shaking the hand of a murderer he’s just freed), Foyle sets his stalkery sights on the barrister’s family.
The jabs at the ethics of a justice system driven by “wins” rather than, well, justice aren’t exactly subtle. Neither is the imagery on show. A lone red balloon, drifting away from a courtroom! Caged birds! Own goals! But The Escape Artist isn’t aiming for subtlety. Tennant is the main reason to tune in. He has a gift for bringing humanity to even the daftest of projects and he’s on top form here as a haunted, hunted man. It’s not perfect, but this is entertaining telly, with a few genuine shocks in store.
MUSIC
Kerri Simpson | Caravan Music Club, Friday March 21, 8pm, $18/$25+BF
Some music is built for late nights and far-too-early mornings. Local blues performer Kerri Simpson knows a few things about these unwise hours, as proved by her new LP 4am. A rough and ready collection of retro-styled R‘n’B, the album is awash with swampy tales of post-midnight misadventure. Through it all can be heard the spirit of New Orleans; a music scene much-admired by Simpson and her bandmates. In recent years, Simpson has built a reputation as a gifted songwriter and performer, whether lending her pipes to others’ projects or recording her own material. This week’s gig – and CD launch – should appeal to all fans of southern-style blues and funk.
FILM
Bethany Arthouse Film Festival | Playhouse Theatre, launches Tuesday, March 25, 8pm, $22
Returning for its 17th season, this is one film festival where the story doesn’t stop when the credits roll. Featuring five left-field titles, shown bi-monthly until August, BAFF is the main fund-raiser for Bethany, whose care services remain invaluable to the region’s most needy. The program kicks off this week with The Gilded Cage, a feel-good French comedy about Portuguese exiles living in Paris. When José and Maria are offered a chance to return to Portugal, their French employers resort to desperate means to keep the couple in Paris. Based on director Ruben Alves’ own experiences of being an immigrant in France, this film manages to be at once authentic and belly-laugh funny.
MYKE’S SPACE
WATCHING | House of Cards (showcase). The second season, approaching its midpoint, has blown away any hesitations I had about the first. Addictive stuff.
LISTENING | Mac DeMarco. His new LP isn’t out until April, but new single Brother is wonderfully wonky slacker rock.
ATTENDING | Underground Cinema’s Rome. Part-film screening, part-costume party, part-theatre, these events are always great fun.
