Film Review: I Am Legend

Plot: Robert Neville (Will Smith) is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable…and manmade. Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City…and maybe the world. But he is not alone. He is surrounded by “the Infected” – victims of the plague who have mutated into carnivorous beings who can only exist in the dark and who will devour or infect anyone or anything in their path. For three years, Neville has spent his days scavenging for food and supplies and faithfully sending out radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. All the while, the Infected lurk in the shadows, watching Neville’s every move, waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind’s last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But his blood is also what The Infected hunt, and Neville knows he is outnumbered and quickly running out of time.

I saw this film with friend and fellow filmstalker Morbius, without doing my usual research, with that I mean doing a Google search for more background information, although James aka spidey1703 (also a filmstalker) saw it on IMAX and wrote a very comprehensive review which you can read here: http://www.filmstalker.co.uk/archives/2007/12/i_am_legend_imax.html.

I had no idea this was based on a 1954 science fiction novel written by Richard Matheson and have been  adapted to film on two other occassions, The Last Man on Earth (1964) and The Omega Man (1971).

I was really impressed by the film regardless of what the pundits have to say about the poor CGI and special effects. Personally, I think this is about one man’s journey to survival done superbly well by Will Smith. That creepy feeling of being the lone survivor on the planet, fighting each day to continue living has never been so magnified in the film – a derelict New York city, having the company of just your dog day in day out, no other human communication whatsoever and still managing doing a day’s work is really not my idea of how I’d want to spend the rest of my life and it’s Will Smith’s powerful portrayal of Neville that keeps your attention for 1 hour and 41 minutes of the film, kinda like Tom Hanks in Castaway.

I Am Legend draws to a close 2007’s lacklustre year for the movies with a bang.

I Am Legend: 4/5

Restaurant Review: Frocks, Victoria Park

This is the second time I have been to Frocks, a dainty little restaurant in Victoria Park. The first time I dined here was for a leaving do of a work colleague and I have always wanted to comeback again just to have that feeling of familiarity, its location being just in my village.

I initially wanted to take my friend Morbius for a Bangladeshi/Indian meal in Brick Lane, just to show him a little bit of East End hospitality and culture, but due to the bad weather and lateness of the time, heck, he came all the way from Wales to London, I thought it was a much better solution to just stay local and check out one of my village’s gourmet restaurants rather than venturing out, although Brick Lane is really not that far, maybe next time eh?

Frocks’ menu is classed as eclectic European, and my friend who is the most easy to please when it comes to food, surprisingly didn’t cringe at their rather fancy menu but safely opted for their parmesan soup, saying ‘you can never go wrong with soup’, but quickly forgetting that parmesan is actually cheese and since he only eats plain cheese, with Branston pickle in a sandwich, then I wonder if this will bode well. I chose their crayfish risotto which was fine, although I was expecting a different texture to my risotto, so with that one I couldn’t say I was thrilled about.

We had a glass of the House Rosé, and for our mains, a well done Argentian rib eye steak with chips for my friend (why didnt they add in some greens there too instead of ordering it as a side?) and a pan fried sea bass fillet with fresh garden vegetables and new potatoes totally won us over. Debating whether we would need some afters, we gave in to a really small serving and quite inventive but annoying way of serving apple crumble and custard and my different flavoured creme brulee.

For a quiet evening where you can relax and talk and really take time with your meal, Frocks is a good place for you. Quite pricey but I have to say wass worth it. A 3-course meal for 2 with wine is £60 plus a 12.5% gratuity added to the bill.

Frocks: 3.5/5

Theatre Review: King Lear

Synopsis: Lear (Ian McKellen), King of Britain, decides to abdicate and divide his kingdom between his three daughters. When Cordelia (Romola Garai) refuses to make a public declaration of love for her father she is disinherited and married to the King of France without a dowry. The Earl of Kent (Jonathan Hyde) is banished by Lear for daring to defend her. The two elder daughters, Goneril (Frances Barber) and Regan (Monica Dolan), and their husbands inherit the kingdom. Gloucester (William Gaunt), deceived by his bastard son Edmund (Philip Winchester), disinherits his legitimate son, Edgar (Ben Meyjes), who is forced to go into hiding to save his life. Lear, now stripped of his power, quarrels with Goneril and Regan about the conditions of his lodging in their households. In a rage he goes out into the stormy night, accompanied by his Fool (Sylvester McCoy) and by Kent, now disguised as a servant.

They encounter Edgar, disguised as a mad beggar. Gloucester is betrayed by Edmund and captured by Regan and Cornwall, who put out Gloucester’s eyes. King Lear is taken secretly to Dover, where Cordelia has landed with a French army. The blind Gloucester meets, but does not recognise Edgar, who leads him to Dover. Lear and Cordelia are reconciled but in the ensuing battle are captured by the sisters’ forces.

Goneril and Regan are both in love with Edmund, who encourages them both. Discovering this, Goneril’s husband Albany forces Edmund to defend himself against the charge of treachery. A knight appears to challenge Edmund and, after fatally wounding him, reveals himself to be Edgar. News comes that Goneril has poisoned Regan and then committed suicide. Before dying, Edmund reveals that he has ordered the deaths of Lear and Cordelia.

King Lear is the first Shakespeare play I ever saw on stage and I know it may sound lame but I just had to see it because it had Ian McKellen playing Lear and it is produced by the RSC, so how can I lose? Having had a taste of the company’s earlier performance of Chekhov’s The Seagull which I thoroughly enjoyed, I was in full anticipation to see this grand production which was also directed by Trevor Nunn.

McKellen’s Lear was a masterful portrayal of power, descent, and tragedy. Having just finished the Arden’s version of the published novel was already much too overwhelming, and seeing it brought into life by a huge and versatile talent as McKellen was a stroke of genius. Towards the end of the second act I was choking and nearly in tears with his tender and dramatic moment with Cordelia.

The other gentlemen in the ensemble, notably Hyde playing Kent, gave another brilliant performance- Meyjes as Edgar, Winchester as Edmond, Gaunt as Gloucester and McCoy as the King’s Fool were just as commanding. I must say that I was a little disappointed with Garai’s treatment of Cordelia, not that Cordelia is a role to die for, but it seems that she played it the way she did as Nina in The Seagull, not so much with Dolan who although was brilliant playing Masha, was in a totally different character as Regan.

I was totally blown away by this performance and was just pleased that I had the chance to see it. I am really looking forward to see more of RSC’s productions in 2008.

Hamlet, anyone?

King Lear: 4/5

Playing at the New London Theatre until January 12

TV Review: Ballet Shoes

Plot: Set in 1930s London, Ballet Shoes tells the inspiring tale of Pauline (Emma Watson), Petrova (Yasmin Paige) and Posy Fossil (Lucy Boynton), who are adopted by an eccentric explorer, “Gum” (Richard Griffiths), and raised as sisters by his selfless niece (Emilia Fox) and her nurse (Victoria Wood). Each of the girls has a dream to fulfill; Pauline longs to be an actress, Petrova yearns to be an aviator, and Posy seems born to be a ballerina. But when “Gum” disappears, the money runs out. The feisty, ambitious and devoted Fossils find they must fight to survive…

I first heard of the Shoes books by Noel Streatfeild from the film You’ve Got Mail. Apparently it’s 11 juvenile novels, none of them I have read just yet but I am sure I will love and after watching Ballet Shoes adapted into a tv-movie produced by the BBC and I was hooked and will definitely devour all these books with much gusto.

For more info on the other Shoes books, please follow this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A908985

Ballet Shoes: 4/5

TV Review: Doctor Who Holiday Special

This festive season seem to be bringing out a lot of confessions from me eh? Okay, I’ll come straight out. Again. The only science fiction I know is Star Wars, and I was told, it’s not even science fiction, that its more like science fantasy, is this true? Anyway, although I enjoy the genré, I don’t think I have seen much of it really, having enjoyed films like Flash Gordon, The Last Starfighter, Dune and I think that’s about it. It wasnt until much much later on that I saw Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Blade Runner and then there’s the Firefly series and Serenity.

Now my friend Morbius, whom I can call a real hard core sci-fi nut and I mean that with all respect and admiration, has been telling me for years I should try and watch BBC’s Doctor Who. Now as you already know, I don’t own a telly so it was a very good excuse not to see it. My sister Shi have seen the recent Doctor Who series starred by David Tennant and swears by it as well and yet I still wasnt moved, not until yesterday when I decided to just check what the fuss is all about.

The title of the holiday special is Voyage of the Damned where the Doctor (David Tennant) finds his TARDIS colliding with a spaceship based on the RMS Titanic during a Christmas party. With the help of a waitress named Astrid (Kylie Minogue), the Doctor must take on the race called the Hosts as the lives of the Titanic crew and those on Earth are in danger.

I must say that I was very impressed with it all- the plot, the actors performances and the special effects, but I must say I have taken quite a liking to David Tennant who played the Doctor. It’s more of the way he looked unperturbed in the most dire of situations, well, maybe that’s how time lords really behave but heck what do I know? Miss Minogue didnt bother me a bit, I also thought she breezed through her performance okay. Tennant is slated to play Hamlet in RSC’s next season and after being impressed by his performance here there is no doubt I will enjoy watching him as Hamlet.

If you missed it, it’s available for free on the internet by the BBC iPlayer service (the internet version is available in the UK only).

For more Doctor Who stuff, visit the website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

Doctor Who Holiday Special: 4/5