Reviews
31 January 1992
Felix 924
Nikita
F o l l o w i n g a shoot out during a raid on a Parisian drugstore, N i k i t a (the title heroine) is given a life sentence for the murder o f a gendarme, instead she finds herself given the choice o f either death or becoming a government assassin, the w o r l d outside has been told that she is dead. She has little choice and so starts training for her new career.
excellent student, and an apparent favourite of her tutor B o b . After the lengthy training she is launched into her new career o f disposing o f targets according to instructions. Her release to the outside w o r l d brings a new identity, boyfriend, fiat and comfortable lifestyle. The happiness brings c o m p l i c a t i o n s including hiding from her boyfriend the true nature o f her w o r k . Each murder that she executes causes increasing anguish and remorse, slow and we witness her deterioration as the double life that she has to lead takes its toll. F i l m e d in the familiar azure glow that is the hallmark o f Besson movies, Nikita is a stylish f i l m that maintains the suspense throughout with a dead sexy star, miss it at your peril.
Transferred to a gigantic hi-tech warehouse she is trained in the skills o f the trade - including the finer points o f femininity. A t first she is r e b e l l i o u s , but g r a d u a l l y she knuckles d o w n and becomes an
The f i l m w i l l be screened in M e c h E n g 2 2 0 . at 7-30 p m , Thursday 6th February. Entry is 80p for members, and 1-80 for non members, so come along for a great evenings entertainment.
This week. F i l m Society present Nikita. the top French film of 1990. s t a r r i n g the g o r g e o u s Anne Parillaud.
Grease
The long awaited opening of Grease w a s . I a m s o r r y to s a y . a disappointment. T w o hours o f nonexistent story later I find myself wondering where £ 8 0 0 0 o f U n i o n money has gone. W h e n the production finally started, fifteen minutes late, we were subjected to random bursts o f feedback d u r i n g the o p e n i n g numbers as microphones were handed around the stage wi l l y-ni l l y. A s the evening progressed we were shocked by the complete lack o f direction on stage. T o o many participants hindered the smooth flow in large dance routines, long scene changes broke up what little plot there was. The set was probably the best part of the production. T h e neon signs, effective 'burger bar' and multilevelled stage, supporting a live band, did add considerable aesthetic appeal, but the lighting never reached its full potential bearing in mind the size o f the lighting r i g . Sandy ( R o w a n Fenner) battled
w i t h p o o r sound management throughout the first act but picked up noticeably after the interval when control o f the sound board changed hands. T h e contribution made by the rest o f the 'pink ladies' was also g o o d . The male chorus was less polished and was vastly o v e r p o w e r e d by the w o m e n ' s voices most o f the time. S a d l y , Danny (Ben Guest), did not meet up to the requirements o f such a demanding lead and was outshone by other members o f the ' B u r g e r Palace B o y s ' , notably Roger ( E d Mulligan). The production needed another full dress rehearsal to remove the final glitches in the performance. However, the band conducted itself most professionally. B y the time you read this r e v i e w . Grease w i l l have had three performances. The cast and c r e w w i l l hopefully have relaxed into their roles and provide stunning final performances on the Friday and Saturday nights. The opening night suffered from technical problems which should be resolved as the show continues although it w o u l d have been more professional i f this had been achieved beforehand. The G o o d , the B a d , the Ugly and the Short.
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Somebody's been busy with paste a n d bSush. the p o s t e r s are everywhere around West L o n d o n . All My Sons is set in late 40s A m e r i c a and it's based around the K e l l e r f a m i l y . Jo K e l l e r (Ian Bannen) is the father o f the sons. One of w h i c h , C h r i s , works with him at his factory. The other son, L a r r y , never came back from the war. T h e father and son admit that L a r r y must be dead but the mother is going to keep on waiting. W h e n A n n . Larry's childhood sweetheart, comes to stay, for she is now Chris's g i r l , the initial portrait o f a happy, secure and loving family is gradually dismantled. Jo K e l l e r is a charismatic, j o v i a l and popular man. H e is successful in business and his family is his d r i v e . But we discover what this is based upon and this raises many questions on loyalty. patriotism and responsibility. There are many issues that run through this play and many clever, witty and poignant lines. A s we got
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closer to the truth o f each character in the play the implications o f the issues w i d e n . Y o u really do see. i f you didn't already k n o w , how easy it is for a family to be held together by lies and fear o f the truth. Matthew M a r s h as C h r i s and Susan Sylvester as A n n were both excellent and carried it for some o f the weaker performances. N a m e l y , Ian Bannen who was sloppy and unconvincing. Unfortunately half the cast had plausible, unobtrusive A m e r i c a n accents and the rest were either over the top. half-hearted or they slipped in and out of different accents. O n the whole though, it's a sensitive and powerful production. The Y o u n g V i c is a friendly and informal theatre and was founded in 1970 to make theatre more accessible to young people and students. It is also theatre in the round w h i c h can make y o u feel more involved in the play. All My Sons runs until February 29th. Tickets are £ 7 . 5 0 with student card and £ 1 3 without. F o r performance times call the B o x Office on 071-633 0 1 3 3 . Darwen.