Living In Montpellier: November 2011

November 27, 2011

My Week with Marilyn

"My Week with Marilyn" is the true story from Colin Clarke's diaries. This ambitious young man spent a week as Sir Laurence Olivier's 3d assistant on "The Prince and the Showgirl". To be honest I went to see this film last night because I saw the trailer and Eddie Redmayne as Colin Clarke is rather cute. So I thought why not ? It turned out to be an awfully good moment of cinema. Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe is absolutely astonishing ! Not to mention Kenneth Branagh as Sir Laurence Olivier. And, yes, Eddie Redmayne is very good as well.
I have never been personally fascinated by Marilyn Monroe. As depicted in this film she was a "poor lost girl who couldn't cope with her fame but couldn't live without it" In the same period in France my film icons are Simone Signoret and Yves Montand. Not only they were outstanding actors - and Yves Montand a great singer, I love his interpretation of the songs drawn from Jacques Prévert's poetry - but they had strong left wing awareness to say the least. When I go to Paris I always try to go to Place Dauphine (see : http://mymelange.net/mymelange/2007/01/the-prettiest-square-in-paris-the-place-dauphine.html) where Simone & Yves used to live in a flat called "la roulotte".

Nottingham by Night (2) : Old Market Square

Nottingham by Night (1) : Old Market Square

November 24, 2011

Klaus Weber at Nottingham Contemporary. See : http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/

Handel's Messiah in Wakefield Cathedral. See :http://www.yorksphilchoir.co.uk/wp/

Week end in Wakefield

I stayed with my friends E & J in Wakefield. Saturday afternoon we went to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. As I mentioned here it's really worth a visit. They have an indoor exhibition and a tea room as well. Sunday morning E & J introduced me to Hepworth Wakefield. It's the largest purposely built museum outside London. Mainly dedicated to Barbara Hepworth who was a sculptor from Wakefield . For more info see : http://www.hepworthwakefield.org/. In the afternoon with E. we had a stroll along Thornes Park in Wakefield. J. was at her choir rehearsal for the performance in the evening of Handel's Messiah in the cathedral. It was very good and the venue was fully packed.

November 18, 2011

Post Horn Gallop at West Bridgeford Drama Society (1)

Touchng Horizons

Last night I went to the Arts Nottingham Theater with J. I had been invited through the drama group to see a dance production by this new company : http://ampersandance.com/index.htm
If you look under "Arts Directors" you see how different are the backgrounds of those 2 artists. As it happens each one had choreographed a piece. Although they had both a definitively contemporary touch, the 1st one - choreographed by Benoit - was more classic.
All in all as I say a very pleasant evening in an old fashioned and cosy theatre.

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

Last Saturday I went to the Playhouse with my new friend J. "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" by Bertolt Brecht. It's in fact a parallel story the rise of Adolf Hitler in the 30's in Germany. Very powerful play indeed !
For more info see : http://www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/whats-on/drama/the-resistible-rise-of-arturo-ui/

November 02, 2011

Last week end in Orléans

I did my monthly visit to friends and family. My step-father was away so on Sunday with my mum and a friend we had a day out in Sologne. It's an area a few miles south of Orléans and it hosts mainly private woods and properties. It's quite famous for the hunting parties. Le Château du Lude is one of those hidden gems. Although privately owned and not opened to the public, respectful admirers are welcomed on the grounds.