De la Comedie Francaise at The Rex Berkhamsted

 

Fortunately, the Rex cinema in Berkhamsted shows the best foreign films, and De La Comedie Francaise is one of these. It's only an hour and fifteen minutes long, but if they just slowed down their conversations just a little bit, it would have been far longer. The film is a clever comedy; the cast and production team are in their final rehearsal on the day of opening night of Macbeth, or should I join then and say, "the Scottish play"? We are inside the "oldest active theatre company in the world". There is a great cast, but even better is the plot. The ups and (mainly) downs of the young director Nina Cardi, played by Pauline Clement, as she arrives on her bike and is not allowed in as she has mislaid her pass. She needs a final run through if she can ever get the cast together at the same time. All of them have various hang-ups, not to mention the truly awful stage manager who seems to argue every suggestion.

Yes, there are lots of laughs in this farce; there are reminders of the play Noises Off, but this is different in many ways. One of the ushers is this young Black guy who is waiting for the result of his application for the French equivalent of RADA, whose reply he should have received hours ago, but when the lead actor collapses, his knowledge of the part is so perfect he will get his big chance. Or not. Towards the end, the bewildered director Nina meets Moliere of all people who complains about Shakespeare being performed in his theatre. At first Nina does not recognise him until he goes and stands next to his portrait. Their conversation might be the highlight of the film. Even later when the audience is taking their seats, the visiting dignitary actually wishes them all "good luck", and you can guess what happens when the performance starts. A wonderful film.

Village Walk in Autumn

 

Yesterday was not the best day to take my camera with me on my usual village walk, unlike the clear blue skies of the day before and today. But the autumn colours were lovely all the way round. The one above is from the bridge over the canal footpath  in the direction of Wendover.

What I did find in the first field I crossed just past the church was a herd of cows. They ignored me, thank goodness. 

The trees were colourful all around that field.

A more sunny day and a picture of the top of Coombe Hill from the path along the big field would have been better. Although it does still show the monument at the top.

A photo just before the canal.

Two photos along the canal.

This picture is taken from the bridge over the canal, looking towards Halton and beyond.

Arriving at the old cricket field past Halton Tennis Club, I ignored all the vehicles and equipment for the filming that was taking place at The Firecrest on the other side of Wendover. There was even a catering setup, and I was tempted to scrounge a cup of tea.

The trees down Halton Lane are just past their best.

Finally, a photo from the path alongside the reservoir looking towards Wendover Woods.

Classic Movies on Sky Arts: Series 6 Episode 2: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

 

I had never seen Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, just not my kind of film. So I wondered why this had been chosen for the new series of Classic Movies on Sky Arts. I found out why. Released in 1989, this is a time travelling adventure where Bill and Ted "head to the past to save the future". The comic duo are high school kids who are basically slackers with no hope of a successful graduation. Written by Ed Solomon and Chris Mathison, no major studio was interested in financing this project until Dino De Laurentis plunged in. The film starred the young Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, who were cast for their apparent connection after hundreds were auditioned. 

We have the same panel as before, except missing this time was Bonnie Greer. Stephen Armstrong was prominent in this episode, and he describes the film better than anyone. Christina Newland tells us, "Although their roles were silly, they wanted to be so sincere in how they played them. " We are told about the two lead actors and how both their parents were interested in theatre. The team describes the plot, and we see some of the historical characters the boys meet along the way.

The finished film still did not make it to cinemas when the studio went bust, and it was shelved for a year until another studio came along and started showing it in colleges. That was the beginning of the momentum that led to a full release and its future success. It led to two sequels and a TV show. Reeves and Winter went on to successful careers in film and even joined up to star in a Broadway play: would you believe Waiting for Godot. 

The Royal Ballet's Manon: Live in Cinemas

 

A new season of performances by the Royal Ballet beamed live to cinemas started last night with Manon. We had seen this ballet once before when English National Ballet brought it to Milton Keynes in October 2018. Unfortunately, after many years of appearing here on their autumn tour, they no longer perform here. Although you miss the excitement of a live production, there are compensations. The close-ups of the lead dancers are extraordinary, although then you miss everything that is going on in the background. Many times we also see the orchestra, which is not possible live in the pit. Despite the obvious quality of the dancing, what I did miss was the ensemble pieces that are more important in other ballets. 

Last night we had the British-born Yasmine Naghdi as Manon with William Bracewell as Des Grieux. They are top-drawer dancers. Yasmine has come through the ranks at the Royal Ballet to become a principal dancer. She only had her first child less than a year ago. One thing that's great about the live show is that there is plenty of time for excerpts of interviews with dancers and producers. It is all hosted by Petroc Trelawny (famous in our house for introducing concerts at the Wigmore Hall and on Radio 3) and Darcey Bussell, once a top ballerina at the Royal Ballet and now training the latest principals. (We remember Darcy from many, many years ago when we actually used to go to the Royal Opera House. The principal on that particular night, Lesley Collier, was indisposed, and we were told she would be replaced by one Darcy Bussell. Queu groans from the audience. What did they know?

It was good that the one-page programme we were given on the way in included on the back a long synopsis of the story with additional words from Petroc before each act started. 

The Garden in October

 

At the beginning of October, the antirhynums were still in flower. Some of the only bits of colour left in the garden. But by the end of the month they were all over, and the border cleared.

Some of the roses are over, but these two are hanging on.

The impatiens in the pots at the front have been great all summer.

This is the hydrangea macrophila, which has been a success in its first year. The blooms are fading now, and it will need some protection before the frosts arrive.  

The Lawn Recovers

 

The lawn was in a pretty awful state in August, with two months without rain. The grass had completely stopped growing.

Fortunately, September and particularly October have been quite wet, and today the lawns are surprisingly green. The odd bare patch, but even these show signs of regrowth. Hurrah!

Classic Movies on Sky Arts: Series 6 Episode 1: The Story of ... A Matter of Life and Death

The first in this new series of Classic Movies on Sky Arts was a film that was so familiar. Apart from my review on "Movies at Home" on 21st May 2021, it was discussed in "The Films of Powell and Pressburger" (post of 17th December 2024) and on other programmes. So I did wonder if this episode was worth watching. In the end it most definitely was. For the new series, we have the five presenters sitting round a table instead of being filmed separately. At the head, and in the lead, is Ian Nathan. He is accompanied by Neil Norman, Steven Armstrong, Christina Newland and Bonnie Greer. Missing from the first series was the now-deceased and missed Derek Malcolm.

We are told that this is "a very original love story". Amongst the clips from the movie, the best was when the two stars in the poster above met for the first time. "You're June ....... You're Peter." The film is so clever when the scenes in heaven are in black and white whilst the rest is in a vivid colour. Neil Norman liked how this was so unusual. Heaven is missing a dead pilot; these scenes are funny and strange.

Steven Armstrong talks about the 1946 film and how it relates to the cold war that followed world war 2, and how it portrays the UK and USA getting together. There is so much about America in the film and hjow, in heaven, they bring out all these foreigners to complain about Britain. (It's actually very funny but American audiences would love it). Ian Nathan says the film is a "magisterial poetic work with groundbreaking special effects. 

Steven Armstrong talks about David Niven and how he gave up acting at the outbreak of the war and was six years away, so his comeback was quite symbolic. Kim Hunter was an American stage actress, and when she met Powell and Pressburger, they knew instantly she was the one. Roger Livesy, who played the doctor, was a P&P regular. (See post on Colonel Blimp). We are told about the cinematography and the production design and about how there has been no other film like it before or since. Neil Norman said it was "completely unique" and Ian Nathan was "so moved by it". I must watch it again.