Monthly Archives: December 2007

Year in Review 2007: Film Acting

By Ray Bennett Brad Pitt (above) is my choice as best actor with Casey Affleck as best supporting actor for “The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford.” Laura Linney is best actress for “The Savages” with Romola … Continue reading

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Year in Review 2007: My Top 10 picks

By Ray Bennett Top 10 1. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 2. The Band’s Visit 3. I Served the King of England 4. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly 5. Atonement 6. Michael Clayton 7. … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at the National

By Ray Bennett LONDON — Simon Russell Beale and Zoe Wanamaker (pictured) breathe new life into the roles of belated lovers Benedick and Beatrice in Nicholas Hytner’s warmly enjoyable production of “Much Ado About Nothing” at London’s National Theatre. Clearly … Continue reading

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TV REVIEW: Dickens’s ‘The Old Curiosity Shop’

By Ray Bennett LONDON — Far from chestnuts roasting and choristers singing, Charles Dickens’ “The Old Curiosity Shop” is a curiously bleak tale for Christmas. Famous for the death scene of a most sympathetic character, it’s a sorrowful story of … Continue reading

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FILM REVIEW: Rupert Everett, Colin Firth in ‘St. Trinian’s’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – To remake eccentric English comedies is seldom a good idea, especially the ones from Ealing Studios with all those wonderful character actors. But against all odds, the new version of “St. Trinian’s” almost pulls it off. … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Stephen Fry’s pantomime ‘Cinderella’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The traditional British pantomime, the seasonal romp that mixes fairy tales with broad comedy and lots of innuendo, is given a gay makeover by Stephen Fry in “Cinderella” at the Old Vic. Many of the … Continue reading

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Dan Fogelberg dies

By Ray Bennett Dan Fogelberg, the singer and songwriter whose hits “Leader of the Band” and “Same Old Lang Syne” helped define the soft-rock era, and who used to play now and then in Detroit back in the day, died … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Chichester Festival’s ‘Nicholas Nickleby’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – David Edgar has trimmed his nine-hour 1982 Tony-winning play based on Charles Dickens’ “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby” to two easily digested parts, but they should please audiences just as much. Revived for … Continue reading

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I am trying very, very hard

  He who binds to himself a joy, does the wingéd life destroy; But he who kisses the joy as it flies, lives in eternity’s sunrise — William Blake My photo: Maiden Castle in Dorset near Dorchester, England

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MUSIC REVIEW: Led Zeppelin reunion at the O2 Arena

By Ray Bennett LONDON – For two hours and 10 minutes Monday night, legendary British rock band Led Zeppelin had the privileged fans accommodated by London’s O2 Arena ecstatic listening to 16 of its greatest hits. It was something not … Continue reading

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