24 SWORDS GAZETTE 12 May 2011
GazetteENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT 1
GoingOUT GoingOUT THE HELIX 01 700 7000 The Chernobyl Children’s Appeal Concert THIS year marks the ninth year in a row for the concert, which will see children aged from eight to 18 perform a wide range of songs in aid of the Chernobyl Children’s Appeal, with this year’s concert having a special significance as the world marks the 25th anniversary. All proceeds will help to support the many children who continue to suffer ill health. With tickets priced at €15, the concert starts at 7.30pm on Saturday, May 14 in The Mahony Hall.
MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 The Shaughraun TANEY Drama Society are preparing to bring their extensive skills to bear on their production of The Shaughraun, by Dion Boucicault, which is often described as a touchstone Irish play. The Society’s players will bring the tale of a wily Sligo poacher, called Conn, to vivid life, thanks to a large ensemble, a great set and period-appropriate costumes, with Victorian melodrama, romantic comedy and more added to the mix. The Shaughraun runs nightly at 8pm at the Mill Theatre from Wednesday, May 18 to Saturday, May 21, with admission priced €18/€15.
CIVIC THEATRE 01 4627477 The Tinker’s Curse ANOTHER Irish-set production, The Tinker’s Curse, tells the story of Rattigan, a Traveller who climbs Croagh Patrick to do penance for the sins of a lifetime. Along the way, Rattigan’s relationship with his wife and daughter come to the fore, as he contemplates what it is to be a father, a husband, a Traveller, and a penitent ascending Ireland’s most sacred spot. Written and performed by Michael Harding, with live music by Finbar Coady, The Tinker’s Curse runs nightly at 8pm from Thursday, May 12 to Saturday, May 14, with tickets priced €20/€16 conc, or €10 on Thursday.
DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622 Fingal County Youth Orchestra FCYO are sure to be a hit when its young – but highlyskilled – members play a wide range of concertos, pop songs, contemporary pieces and well-known favourites in this concert, which follows on from their magnificent performance at the prestigious Festival of Youth Orchestras at the National Concert Hall recently. Founded in 1990 and based in Castleknock, the FCYO members, who range in age from 8 to 18, will delight audiences with their accomplished playing. Their concert starts at 8pm on Sunday, May 15 in the Main Auditorium, with tickets pirced €13/€11 conc.
PAVILION THEATRE 01 231 2929 Young At Heart HELD as part of Beltaine, the DLR festival that celebrates older people in the community, a special showing of the life-affirming documentary movie, Young At Heart, will be held on Tuesday, May 17, at 7pm. The smash-hit film follows a group of senior citizens, who, despite their advancing years, sing their hearts out with a wide range of classic and contemporary pop songs, with the bittersweet wisdom of age adding an extra dimension to some of the songs. The documentary helps to show the creativity in older people, and how staying active can keep you young at heart, and is sure to be a welldeserved hit with the Pavilion’s audiences. The film tickets are priced at €5.
Animal trainer Jacob (Robert Pattinson), centre, should look worried – he knows his circus boss, August (Christoph Waltz) probably suspects that he’s been throwing lingering looks at his wife, Marlene (Reese Witherspoon). But whatever Rosie the elephant knows, she’s saying nothing.
Send in the clowns! Don’t talk to Kate about The Depression – she’s gloomily contemplating this bygone era-set manipulative movie ...
Q KATE CROWLEY
EVEN though The Simpsons long, long ago turned into a mirthless, plodding cash cow, I’m reminded of some of the many things it got right along the way. Who can forget the regular appearance of deeply cynical focus groups, lawyers, accountants or product testers with clipboards, calculating exactly how to manipulate everyone in Springfield into coughing up for something useless? Well, it seems that those clipboarders went to Hollywood, and have had a go at movie-making. With an elephant. Hot to trot on the heels of the likes of, err... Operation Dumbo Drop, Larger Than Life and, umm... Dumbo, here comes another film with an elephant as a star – for dumbo here, yours truly, to review. But first, back to those
FILM OF THE WEEK: Water for Elephants ++ (12A) 119 mins Director: Francis Lawrence Starring: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, A Charismatic Elephant
OUR VERDICT: THE scratching noises that some viewers may hear during the film are probably from clipboard-wielding focus group managers at the back, scribbling notes on how well the audience is reacting to each obvious, manipulative point in this particularly calculated film. Five minutes with Krusty the Klown suddenly seems preferable. “Mind you, the elephant is lovely.” (Stick that on yer posters, mate.)
clipboard holders. I’m presuming that they, or somebody, somewhere thought: “What if ... we got Reese Witherspoon, permanently dolled up to the nines like she’s in a Max Factor ad; that vampire guy, Pattinson, who all the girls ditched for the hunkier dude in that Twilight sequel, and made some kind of predictable, cliche-ridden, forbiddenlove film set in a honeyhued Depression-era circus? With an elephant?” Bingo. I think I’ve just described a more interesting film than this
one, but, with half of my review – or space – yet to fill, let’s make a trunk call to find out some more ... Thanks to flashbacks, an old man, Jacob (mostly played by Pattinson, as his youthful self) recounts the greatest tale of his life, back in the Depression, when his newly-penniless self hit the road – or, rather, a railway track, aboard a circus train – for an exciting adventure that would make the most of his veterinary skills. August, the kindhearted, avuncular circus owner, is a gentle – oh, no, silly me, he’s a predict-
ably cold-hearted brute of a man, who’s married to the beautiful Marlena (Witherspoon). She’s quite a dame, being able to ride horses, work with elephants, and throw lots and lots and lots of lingering gazes at the circus’s newest manure shoveller, who, naturally, throws lots and lots and lots of lingering gazes back, all of which gets noticed lots and lots and lots by August. Send in the elephant! It turns out that Dumb– whoops – Rosie the elephant responds very well to Jacob, who is soon assigned to train the circus’s new, star attraction, as well as helping Marlena to work with Rosie. So, with plenty of gentle patting, ear-tickling, and soft-spoken words – and, yes, folks, I mean Jacob’s elephant-training skills – the stage is gradually set for a climactic, big top showstopper. Now, you don’t sup-
pose that an elephant, two star-crossed souls, a jealous husband and a film finale could lead to a crazy climax, do you? Although I was happy to note Jacob’s methods of working with big, dumb, forgetful animals (which I shall apply forthwith to Mr Crowley), I can’t say that I was so happy with the rest of the film. Pattinson – not exactly the most charismatic of actors, shall we say – fizzles rather than sizzles opposite Witherspoon, as both throw their best thousand-yard-stares at each other, past the audience and out the door, towards their pay cheques. Waltz is so over the top, one could be forgiven for looking towards the corner of the screen, in the expectation of spotting an old lady playing some penny-dreadful music on a piano each time he appears, cackling. Two stars. And one’s for the elephant.