mbeltzner Reviews

Slings and Arrows (2003–2006)

Advice: suffer this outrageous fortune - it's fantastic

[2 June 2004]

This series is not only great fun to watch, but is also extremely poignant and insightful. The antics offered by the characters keep things moving quickly and maintain the entertainment, but every now and again, they slip a subversive bit of social commentary into the mix as well.

When Irwin's corporate shark quips at one point that she's always had an idea to do a musical about John Lennon's life, saying that it would have everything the modern production needs to succeed (sex, drama and familiar music) it's hard for the "Mama Mia!" marquee to not flash in the mind's eye. When Burns' young stud pronounces that he loves "serious theatre" while holding an inflatable doll in the shape of the man from Munch's "The Scream", the fundamental paradox in presenting the arts in our times hits you in the face: in order to produce, you need to sell, but it's hard to sell without selling out.

The contrast between approaches to Shakespeare used by Gross' reluctant, haunted (literally!) Artistic Director and McKellar's over the top Art-Nouveaux Director (a send up of Robert LePage, I'm sure) is fantastic, and illustrates that Shakespeare can be both artistic AND accessible. The snippets shown of the final mounted production of Hamlet are brilliant, and Gross' speeches about the meaning of the various passages in the play should be cribbed by all high school students studying it.

One hopes that Showcase, Bravo or HBO will pick this up, and even better, that a DVD release is forthcoming. Or better yet - a second series?

Treed Murray (2001)

Like an onion, the movie peels away layer after layer, each stronger and more raw than the one before.

[10/10 · 13 September 2001]

On Thursday, Septembet 14th, "Treed Murray" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. I was fortunate enough to be there to watch what is the best Canadian film in years, and one that will be Oscar worthy if Alliance Atlantis carries it in wide release. Canadians will be able to see it in major cities, carried by Odeon Pictures.

A movie has not ever been able to make me feel as tense as I felt while watching "Treed Murray." Perhaps it is because the characters and the story are so real - so plausible. The suspension of disbelief is so strong that one could almost mistake the tale for a dramatic re-enactment of a true event. The actors are all absolutely brilliant, led by stellar performances by David Hewlett (Murray) and Cle Bennett (Shark).

The story, as mentioned in my one-line summary, draws inspiration from classic plays such as "Troylus & Cressida" and "Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolfe?" that deal with hypocrisy and the revealation of people's true nature. Writer/Director William Phillips states that "Twelve Angry Men" also inspired the script, which similarily features a battle of wits and influence between two characters to win the hearts and minds of a group of people. Perhaps the most striking thing about this film is how quickly it is able to shift the viewers' sympathies between characters. You never know who you are rooting for, who you hope will emerge victorious.

I would recommend this movie to anyone and everyone, and urge people to see it if possible. It's brilliant entertainment that's non-standard Holywood fare.

My Wife Is an Actress (2001)

Excellent and witty, a wonderfully balanced film.

[9/10 · 13 September 2001]

I saw the world premiere of "Ma femme est une actrice" last night at the Toronto International Film Festival. It's a wonderful romantic comedy that occasionally strays into the darker subject of sexual jealousy and paranoia that can rip lovers apart. Yvon Vital writes and directs with a mature sense of balance - darker scenes balanced with humour, imagined problems weighed against real crises, love compared with lust. Vital uses his dual role as writer and director to make reference to plot points in his own choice of framing and direction of the scene - this again balances the film, giving the viewer the feeling that they're being let in on a joke or personal reference.

I would highly recommend seeing this film if possible. We were told that a North American distributor has picked it up, so hopefully it will be released in a theatre near you.

Bravo!