Othello, National Theatre

Anna and I had booked tickets to see Rory Kinnear do Othello, or as we call the play "Iago" as soon as they were released. We are huge Rory fans. Rory did not disappoint, without him that play was just another Othello, same as always. I can see how people would be impressed with the sets and staging but really it wasn't bold or edgy, it looked good but really it was very traditional, Nick Hytner doesn't take risks anymore, I'm glad he's stepping down as artistic director. The play was good and everyone was good and Rory of course was magnificently horrid but the play we saw the second day put how just average it was into perspective.

Man of Steel (2013)

Father's day. My dad has always loved Superman but hated what they do to him in films, he hates most of all that Lex Luthor is always portrayed as a ridiculously campy figure of fun, Superman Returns continued this and we were so disappointed because Kevin Spacey can be super evil, we all know it.

There was no Luther in this one so I was hopeful, also I liked the look of Henry Cavill, he looked like Superman as I imagine him even if he was not as my dad did. Anyway, within two minutes of the film starting I knew my dad would hate it and hate it all. Russell Crowe (who dad had so enjoyed in Les Mis!) riding about on a 3D dinosaur, wtf?! After the first ten minutes I stopped worrying how my dad was feeling and just decided to concentrate on how I felt. 

Everyone seemed to hate it but I liked it. I agree with my dad that Kevin Costner was awful and should not have been allowed but Jonathan Kent is always a douchebag so it doesn't bother me that much. I liked it. I actually really liked it. I liked it all the way through and I loved the end. 

Sorry dad, it was the best Superman I'd seen! Still not right at all, I agree, but a better effort than ever before.

Star Trek into Darkness (2013)

When Calum came to visit we all saw the new Star Trek film, I saw it again with my dad in Hebden Bridge, which was great because I haven't been there for ages, I love all the sweeties you can buy and cups of tea and hot chocolate. I got through two packs of poppets and a highland toffee bar probably for under a pound. Best cinema in Britain.

Anyway, I liked the film because I'd seen Wrath of Khan and so I got that it was just a big rehash of bits of that- Also I've heard the episode of Fags, Mags and Bags (Radio 4) Wrath of Khan which is also a rehash of that- but HILARIOUS. But I don't think you need to know Star Trek to enjoy this one. I didn't really know Star Trek when I saw the last one but I still totally loved it! 

Everyone agrees without Cumberbatch the film would be average though. Hooray for the return of Jermey Irons/Alan Rickman Die Hard type British Villains, well done Cumberbatch, use your acting talent to camp and laugh and use that voice!!

In the House (2013)

I wonder what it is about Kristin Scott Thomas that the French like? That cold almost frigid character she always plays, is that what foreigners think the English Rose is? I have known women who come across cold and frigid, they always marry foreigners, I suppose anyone else would realise they are socially awkward, to the foreign eye they are just English.

Anyway, I like KST ok, she's fine but I found the way she delivered her lines was too English, surely the French audiences noticed this? She delivered her lines with the sarcastic intonation in the wrong places, right if you're speaking English, but weird if you're French. Vis the plot, again it was like people raving about Tim Roth in Broken, she was just a bit part in the background, it was all the French actors, her husband, the creepy boy and the family he gets involved with, they were the film, it wouldn't have mattered if she'd been there at all! 

But it was a good film, I think I'll make my dad rent it when it comes to the Library.

Grigory Sokolov at La Fenice, Venice (April 2013)

When Rob and I went to Venice in April we decided to try and recreate the joy of seeing a classical piece of music in a fabulous traditional theatre like we'd done in Prague when we saw Mozart's Magic Flute performed in the State Opera House. In Prague we had shared our box with a group of horrific Americans- the mother and her friend were fine, they enjoyed it oohing and ahing quietly while the teenage daughter shifted and texted and Dad, no better, got up the moment the singers took their bows and said gruffly "Well you can cross that off your list, an Opera in Prague," what a dickhead, the wife should have punched his pus…

WELL, we sort of had the opposite problem in Venice! The only concert I could find at that time of year was a piano concert in the magnificent Fenice (Phoenix Theatre- so named because they rebuilt it after it burned down in the 70s) The guy playing was a famous Russian pianist, I hadn't been to any piano concerts before but thought, well, if he's famous he'll maybe bash out some famous pieces that we can enjoy before we go to dinner! (Italy is all about going to dinner) The boxes in Prague sat 6 people, the ones in Venice were more intimate, we were sharing our box with a very well-to-do older couple obviously from the Venice Set, they probably went to music concerts every month, it was probably their thing. 

I sat and listened and enjoyed the music for 40 minutes before I totally zoned out, then came the interval. "Don't worry," I assured Rob, "second acts are always shorter than the first." He too had zoned and as it was now ten past nine we were getting a bit peckish, we'd probably be out by ten.

At half ten we were starving and after not recognising any of the music and we said afterwards that the pieces he played probably displayed great skill and that's why he was famous and skilled but when you come down to it, as we were just the common man, to us the music was instantly forgettable and we would have preferred some good tunes. There was about three minutes in the first act I remember that was nice.
Anyway, at half ten he took his bows, thank god, we were starving! Thank god the restaurant we'd chosen was only a second away next door! thank god!
He then proceeded to play SIX encores. The couple we shared the box with clapped and stood up and were so utterly thrilled by number four that the chap was turning round to us and holding up four fingers in delight, "Four! Four!" he said in amazement. "Yes!" We said through gritted teeth.
We couldn't leave. We were so hungry and so bored and yet we couldn't leave. What if the couple we were sharing the box with came into the same restaurant we had run to to see us scoffing big plates of squid ink pasta and Venice veal? They'd think we were awful uncultured pigs! We had to stay. After the sixth encore it was eleven o'clock. We left calmly but managed to eat three courses, drink massive amounts of wine and have coffee within an hour. It was a good meal.

Broken (2013)

I can't remember if I saw this rehash of To Kill a Mockingbird before or after some of these April/May films but I thought it was brilliant and violent and haunting and horrible and brilliant. It was a film Anna and I wished we'd seen with our parents and with our boyfriends but that we didn't want to watch again in a hurry because it was just so traumatic! 

Rory Kinnear's ham-eating was a good comic moment for us but in context just as frightening as the rest of his great performance. All actors involved brill- Cillian Murphy was great. Tim Roth was praised at the time but I don't know why, he was barely in it and he didn't add much when he was. 

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

Hello "Things I have watched and Seen blog" prepare to be reminded of the crap I've seen in the last four months! Starting with this particular piece of crap that I had the misfortune of seeing when it was out! Disappointing! And as usual 3D just gives me a headache!