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Category Archives: News
BOOKS: On surviving icepicks in the brain: ‘My Lobotomy’
By Ray Bennett Charles Fleming, journalist, novelist and one of my very best of friends, has a new book out titled “My Lobotomy” written with a man named Howard Dully who underwent the most hideous surgery you can imagine when … Continue reading
Posted in Books, News
Tagged 'My Lobotomy', Charles Fleming, Howard Dully
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VENICE FILM REVIEW: Ang Lee’s ‘Lust, Caution’
By Ray Bennett VENICE – Ang Lee’s lugubrious spy epic “Lust, Caution” (Se jie) brings to mind what soldiers say about war: that it’s long periods of boredom relieved by moments of extremely heightened excitement. There’s an extended and nasty … Continue reading
Posted in Film, News, Reviews, Venice International Film Festival
Tagged 'Lust, 'Se jie', Ang Lee, Caution', Joan Chen, Tony Yeung, Venice International Film Festival
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Marian Alvares wins best actress at Locarno
By Ray Bennett LOCATION, Switzerland – Marian Alvares thoroughly deserved the best actress prize at this year’s Locarno International Film Festival as her performance in Roser Aguilar’s “The Best of Me,” a winning drama about two young people facing life-threatening … Continue reading
Posted in Film, News
Tagged '1 Journee', 'Beneath the Rooftops of Paris', 'Rebirth', 'The Best of Me', Cyril Morin, Marian Alvares, Masahiro Kobayashi, Michel Picolli, Roser Aguilar
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And now for something different in Trafalgar Square
By Ray Bennett The sci-fi nuts were out in London’s Leicester Square Monday night for the U.K. premiere of “Spider-Man 3” but a block away on Trafalgar Square it was all about St. George and coconuts. As Monty Python’s famous giant … Continue reading
Posted in News, Places
Tagged 'Monty Python', 'Spamalot', Ken Livingston, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
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‘Billy Elliot: The Musical’ still running after two years
I called Elton John and Lee Hall’s “Billy Elliot: The Musical” irresistible when it opened in March 2005 and so it has proved as the tuneful adaptation of the well-regarded 2000 movie celebrates its second anniversary at London’s Victoria Palace … Continue reading
Posted in Music, News, Notes, Theatre
Tagged 'Billy Elliot: The Musical', Elton John, Lee Hall, Stephen Warbeck, Victoria Palace Theatre
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No British films in competition at Festival de Cannes
By Ray Bennett The U.K. Film Council has put on a brave face in reaction to the news that not one British movie will be shown In Competition or in the Un Certain Regard sidebar at the Festival de Cannes … Continue reading
Posted in Festival de Cannes, Film, News
Tagged 'A Mighty Heart', Angelina Jolie, Festival de Cannes, Michael Winterbottom, U.K. Film Council
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Helen Mirren wins Critics’ Circle’s top award
Helen Mirren was awarded with Critics’ Circle’s 2006 Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts at a lunch at the National Theatre on April 11. The star of the film “The Queen” and TV’s “Elizabeth I”has already won the Oscar, BAFTA, … Continue reading
Posted in Film, News, Notes, Theatre
Tagged BAFTA, Critics' Circle, Distinguished Service to the Arts, Helen Mirren
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Clive Owen: Man among ‘Children’
By Ray Bennett For some reason, Metacritic read my review of “Children of Men” from the Venice International Film Festival last fall and concluded I gave it an 80% rating. In fact, I ranked Alfonso Cuaron’s extraordinary film along with … Continue reading
Posted in Film, News
Tagged 'Children of Men', Alfonso Cuaron, Clive Owen, Emmanuel Lubezki, Universal Pictures
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The fine eye of Joni Mitchell
By Ray Bennett When I lived in Los Angeles, Joni Mitchell was a regular at my watering hole of choice, Dan Tana’s restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard. Tana’s is famously relaxed about the big names that dine there, but given … Continue reading
‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ deserves its Palme d’Or
By Ray Bennett CANNES — Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” won the Palme d’Or at the 60th Festival de Cannes tonight and for once the jury has made a terrific choice.