Category Archives: Reviews

THEATRE REVIEW: Kevin Spacey in ‘Inherit the Wind’

Posted on October 5, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Director Trevor Nunn brings vividly to life a famous courtroom clash between two idealistic heavyweights in the Old Vic production of “Inherit the Wind,” with unforgettable performances by Kevin Spacey and David Troughton as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on THEATRE REVIEW: Kevin Spacey in ‘Inherit the Wind’

THEATRE REVIEW: Anna Friel in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’

Posted on October 2, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Anna Friel is attractive and spirited as Holly Golightly in Samuel Adamson’s new stage adaptation of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket, but the production cannot match her sparkle. The mountain-stream clarity of … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on THEATRE REVIEW: Anna Friel in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’

MUSIC REVIEW: Cliff Richard and the Shadows reunion

Posted on September 30, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – It seemed like a good idea to catch Britain’s evergreen pop star Cliff Richard as he kicked off his big 50th anniversary reunion tour with his original band the Shadows, who went separate ways 20 … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on MUSIC REVIEW: Cliff Richard and the Shadows reunion

THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’

Posted on September 29, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – There is much to admire in the National Theatre production of Tony Kushner’s translation of “Mother Courage and Her Children” Bertolt Brecht, especially Tom Pye’s dynamic set design and Duke Special’s inspired music. But it … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Reviews, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’

THEATRE REVIEW: ‘The Shawshank Redemption’

Posted on September 17, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Fashioned more to take advantage of the enduring popularity of the 1994 movie, the stage version of “The Shawshank Redemption”, which moved to the West End following a good run in Dublin, succeeds as entertainment … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on THEATRE REVIEW: ‘The Shawshank Redemption’

VENICE FILM REVIEW: Michele Placido’s ‘The Great Dream’

Posted on September 13, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett VENICE – A kind of Italian “The Way We Were” although without that film’s epic ambition, Michele Placido’s “Il Grande Sogno” (The Great Dream) tells of a love triangle set against the political turmoil and student protests … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Reviews, Venice International Film Festival | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on VENICE FILM REVIEW: Michele Placido’s ‘The Great Dream’

VENICE FILM REVIEW: George A. Romero’s ‘Survival of the Dead’

Posted on September 12, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett VENICE – George A. Romero’s latest zombie fest, “Survival of the Dead,” is a polished, fast-moving and entertaining picture whose mainstream success will depend on the mass audience tolerance of its tendency to become an abattoir of … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Reviews, Venice International Film Festival | Tagged , , | Comments Off on VENICE FILM REVIEW: George A. Romero’s ‘Survival of the Dead’

VENICE FILM REVIEW: ‘Around a Small Mountain’

Posted on September 11, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett VENICE – Jacques Rivette’s “Around a Small Mountain” (36 vues du Pic Saint Loup) is a fable about chance encounters and lost love set against a small traveling circus in France but it feels more like the … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Reviews, Venice International Film Festival | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on VENICE FILM REVIEW: ‘Around a Small Mountain’

VENICE FILM REVIEW: ‘Between Two Worlds’

Posted on September 11, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett VENICE – Striking images and the suggestion that life is a series of random events that might be repeated make “Between Two World”, Vimukthi Jayasundara’s tale of life in Sri Lanka, intriguing. With no narrative arc, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Reviews, Venice International Film Festival | Tagged , , | Comments Off on VENICE FILM REVIEW: ‘Between Two Worlds’

VENICE FILM REVIEW: Fatih Akim’s ‘Soul Kitchen’

Posted on September 10, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett VENICE – Filled with boisterous good spirits, Fatih Akim’s “Soul Kitchen” tells of a young Greek-German man’s attempts to make a success of a funky restaurant despite a series of mishaps. The film won the Special Jury … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Reviews, Venice International Film Festival | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment