2560 Carmen at Royal Opera House London 3rd January 2014

On Friday January 3^rd I made my way to the Royal Opera House in London for the first time to mark the start of my 75^th birthday year. I had only discovered late that there were performances over Christmas and the New Year of Carmen using the 2012 production which I had seen live in 3D and then purchased the DVD but although familiar with the set as well as the Opera which commenced in my childhood it was too good an opportunity miss if tickets were available, There were and for once paying a £150 plus for a ticket did not appear an extravagance.

I had witnessed the virtual rebuilding of the Opera House complex on visits to the former flower, fruit and vegetable market which had now become a tourist Mecca for shops and restaurants and free live entertainment a short walk from Trafalgar and Leicester Squares.

Arriving early only the bookshop and ticket office was open and purchasing a programme excellent value at £5 or less the shelves of DVDs and books were resisted. There was a goon queue of people waiting for the Paul Hamlyn Hall to open. “This is a large iron and glass structure adjacent to, and with direct access to, the main opera house building. Historically, it formed part of the old Covent Garden flower market, and is still commonly known as the 'floral hall', but it was absorbed into the Royal Opera House complex during the 90s redevelopment. The hall now acts as the atrium and main public area of the opera house, with a champagne bar, restaurant and other hospitality services, and also providing access to the main auditorium at all levels The redevelopment of the Floral Hall was originally made possible with a pledge of £10m from the philanthropist Alberto Vilar and for a number of years, it was known as the Vilar Floral Hall; however Vilar failed to make good his pledge. As a result, the name was changed in September 2005 to the Paul Hamlyn Hall, after the opera house received a donation of £10m from the estate of Paul Hamlyn, towards its education and development programmes. As well as acting as a main public area for performances in the main auditorium, the Paul Hamlyn Hall is also used for hosting a number of events, including private functions, dances, exhibitions, concerts, and workshops “

This formal Wikipedia description fails to convey the extraordinary nature of this building which reminds of a department store tea room in Paris, name forgotten. The open structure is half a dozen floors in height with at the top along side the main open area there is separate restaurant and bar area where on sofas we had drinks and watch the diners arrive until it was time to make our way downstairs again and into the Opera House proper which also the facade and main auditorium are substantial the same as before.

Again the formal note reads “Several renovations had taken place to parts of the house in the 1960s, including improvements to the amphitheatre but the theatre clearly needed a major overhaul. In 1975 the Labour government gave land adjacent to the Royal Opera House for a long-overdue modernisation, refurbishment, and extension. In the early 1980s the first part of a major renovation included an extension to the rear of the theatre on the James Street corner. The development added two new ballet studios, offices, a Chorus Rehearsal Room and the Opera Rehearsal room. Dressing rooms were also added.

By 1995, sufficient funds from the Arts Lottery through Arts Council England and private fundraising had been raised to enable the company to embark upon a major £213 million reconstruction of the building by Carillion, which took place between 1997 and 1999, under the chairmanship of Sir Angus Stirling. This involved the demolition of almost the whole site including several adjacent buildings to make room for a major increase in the size of the complex. The auditorium itself remained, but well over half of the complex is new. The design team was led by Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones of Dixon Jones BDP as architects. The acoustic designers were Rob Harris and Jeremy Newton of Arup Acoustics. The building engineer was Arup with Stanhope as developer.

The new building has the same traditional horseshoe-shaped auditorium as before, but with greatly improved technical, rehearsal, office, and educational facilities, a new studio theatre called the Linbury Theatre, and much more public space. The venue is now claimed by the ROH to be the most modern theatre facility in Europe.

Subtitles, projected onto a screen above the proscenium, have been used for all opera performances since they were introduced in 1984. Since the reopening of the theatre in 1999 an electronic libretto system provides translations onto small video screens for some seats, and additional monitors and screens are to be introduced to other parts of the house.”

The overall outcome is a contrasting combination of contemporary luxury of the former floral hall to the glorious luxury of the traditional Opera auditorium unlike some of he almost start structure of other houses which have been seen via relays and TV and which include the Met in New York. Despite having over 2000 seats there is a feeling of intimacy especially in the stalls where we had seats to one side against the wall although thus prove excellent views where the facial expressions of the singers could be experienced although it was something of a neck crick to look up past the singers to sub titles high above. Knowing the story well I did not need these and sat back to enjoy the music and the voice.

Act 1 A square, in Seville. On the right, a door to the tobacco factory. At the back, a bridge. On the left, a guardhouse. A group of soldiers relaxes in the square, waiting for the changing of the guard and commenting on the passers-by ("Sur la place, chacun passe"). Micaëla appears, seeking José. Moralès tells her that "José is not yet on duty" and invites her to wait with them. She declines, saying she will return later. José arrives with the new guard, which is greeted and imitated by a crowd of urchins ("Avec la garde montante").

As the factory bell rings, the cigarette girls emerge and exchange banter with young men in the crowd ("La cloche a sonné"). Carmen enters and sings her provocative habanera on the untameable nature of love ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle"). The men plead with her to choose a lover, and after some teasing she throws a flower to Don José, who thus far has been ignoring her but is now annoyed by her insolence.

As the women go back to the factory, Micaëla returns and gives José a letter and a kiss from his mother ("Parle-moi de ma mère!"). He reads that his mother wants him to return home and marry Micaëla, who retreats in shy embarrassment on learning this. Just as José declares that he is ready to heed his mother's wishes, the women stream from the factory in great agitation. Zuniga, the officer of the guard, learns that Carmen has attacked a woman with a knife. When challenged, Carmen answers with mocking defiance ("Tra la la... Coupe-moi, brûle-moi"); Zuniga orders José to tie her hands while he prepares the prison warrant. Left alone with José, Carmen beguiles him with a seguidilla, in which she sings of a night of dancing and passion with her lover—whoever that may be—in Lillas Pastia's tavern. Confused yet mesmerised, José agrees to free her hands; as she is led away she pushes her escort to the ground and runs off laughing. José is arrested for dereliction of duty.

Act 2

Lillas Pastia's Inn

A month has passed. Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercédès are entertaining Zuniga and other officers ("Les tringles des sistres tintaient") in Pastia's inn. Carmen is delighted to learn of José's release from a month's detention. Outside, a chorus and procession announces the arrival of the toreador Escamillo ("Vivat, vivat le Toréro"). Invited inside, he introduces himself with his "Toreador Song" ("Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre") and sets his sights on Carmen, who brushes him aside. Lillas Pastia hustles the crowds and the soldiers away.

When only Carmen, Frasquita and Mercédès remain, the smugglers Dancaïre and Remendado arrive and reveal their plans to dispose of some recently acquired contraband ("Nous avons en tête une affaire"). Frasquita and Mercédès are keen to help them, but Carmen refuses, since she wishes to wait for José. After the smugglers leave, José arrives. Carmen treats him to a private exotic dance ("Je vais danser en votre honneur ... La la la"), but her song is joined by a distant bugle call from the barracks. When José says he must return to duty, she mocks him, and he answers by showing her the flower that she threw to him in the square ("La fleur que tu m'avais jetée"). Unconvinced, Carmen demands he shows his love by leaving with her. José refuses to desert, but as he prepares to depart, Zuniga enters looking for Carmen. He and José fight, and are separated by the returning smugglers, who restrain Zuniga. Having attacked a superior officer, José now has no choice but to join Carmen and the smugglers ("Suis-nous à travers la campagne").

Act 3

A wild spot close to the border with Gibraltar. Carmen and José enter with the smugglers and their booty ("Écoute, écoute, compagnons"); Carmen has now become bored with José and tells him scornfully that he should go back to his mother. Frasquita and Mercédès amuse themselves by reading their fortunes from the cards; Carmen joins them and finds that the cards are foretelling her death, and José's. The women depart to suborn the customs officers who are watching the locality. José is placed on guard duty.

Micaëla enters with a guide, seeking José and determined to rescue him from Carmen ("Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante"). On hearing a gunshot she hides in fear; it is José, who has fired at an intruder who proves to be Escamillo. José's pleasure at meeting the bullfighter turns to anger when Escamillo declares his infatuation with Carmen. The pair fight ("Je suis Escamillo, toréro de Grenade"), but are interrupted by the returning smugglers and girls ("Holà, holà José"). As Escamillo leaves he invites everyone to his next bullfight in Seville. Micaëla is discovered; at first, José will not leave with her despite Carmen's mockery, but he agrees to go when told that his mother is dying. As he departs, vowing he will return, Escamillo is heard in the distance, singing the toreador's song

.

Act 4

A square in Seville. At the back, the walls of an ancient amphitheatre Zuniga, Frasquita and Mercédès are among the crowd awaiting the arrival of the bullfighters ("Les voici ! Voici la quadrille!"). Escamillo enters with Carmen, and they express their mutual love ("Si tu m'aimes, Carmen"). As Escamillo goes into the arena, Frasquita warns Carmen that José is nearby, but Carmen is unafraid and willing to speak to him. Alone, she is confronted by the desperate José ("C'est toi ! C'est moi !"). While he pleads vainly for her to return to him, cheers are heard from the arena. As José makes his last entreaty, Carmen contemptuously throws down the ring he gave her and attempts to enter the arena. He then stabs her, and as Escamillo is acclaimed by the crowds, Carmen dies. José kneels and sings "Ah! Carmen! ma Carmen adorée!"; as the crowd exits the arena, José confesses to killing the woman he loved.

In terms of performances the star of the evening was Veronica Cangemi, the most convincing Michaela I have experienced and who generated the great applause appreciation from the audience at the end. I cannot find an English biog but she appears to have concentrated on Vivaldi, Mozart Handel and others rather than grand Opera.

“Verónica Cangemi (*10 de octubre 1964) es una soprano argentina nacida en Mendoza de amplia trayectoria en Europa especialmente en el área de la música barroca y de práctica informada. Se inició como cellista, posteriormente como cantante ganó el Concurso Francisco Viñas en Barcelona, perfeccionándose con la soprano británica Heather Harper.En 1993 debutó en el Teatro Colón como Zerlina en Don Giovanni y actuó como Pamina en La flauta mágica en 1996.Actúa regularmente en París, Florencia, Múnich , Berlín , Madrid Glyndebourne, Salzburg, Graz, Innsbruck, Montreaux, Würzburg, Ludwigsburg, Ámsterdam, Montpelier, San Francisco y Lisboa.”En 2009 obtuvo el Diploma al Mérito de los Premio Konex como una de las 5 mejores cantantes de música clásica de la década 1999-2008 en la Argentina.

I am also fan of Roberto AlgnaRoberto Alagna (Clichy-sous-Bois, 7 de junio de 1963) es un cantante de ópera francés, con registro de tenor. Proviene de una familia de emigrantes sicilianos. Comenzó a cantar muy joven en cabarets parisinos. Influido por las películas de Mario Lanza y las grabaciones de tenores históricos, cambió a la ópera. Es un cantante básicamente autodidacta, aprendió la mayor parte de su repertorio del contrabajista cubano y aficionado a la ópera, Rafael Ruiz.

Después de ganar el Concurso Vocal Luciano Pavarotti, Alagna debutó profesionalmente en 1988 como Alfredo Germont en La Traviata con la compañía del Festival de Glyndebourne. Esto llevó a muchos compromisos en ciudades pequeñas de Francia e Italia, principalmente como Alfredo, un rol que ha cantado más de 150 veces.

Creció su reputación y pronto fue invitado a cantar en los grandes teatros como La Scala (de nuevo como Alfredo, bajo la batuta de Riccardo Muti) en 1990, Covent Garden en 1992 y en la Metropolitan Opera como Rodolfo en La Bohème.

Sus interpretaciones de Romeo en Romeo y Julieta de Charles Gounod en Covent Garden en 1994 lo catapultaron al estrellato internacional.

Alagna ha desarrollado una particular afinidad por la ópera francesa y los papeles italianos más líricos, aunque algunos observadores muestran preocupación para asumir un repertorio italiano progresivamente más dramáticos, como el rol titular de Otello.

Su primera esposa, Florence Lancien, murió de tumor cerebral en 1994; tenían una hija, Ornella, nacida en 1992.

En 1996 se casó con la soprano Angela Gheorghiu. La pareja ha cantado junta en muchas ocasiones en el escenario y en grabaciones juntos de duetos, arias y óperas completas. Los dos cantantes protagonizaron también la versión fílmica de la ópera de Puccini Tosca dirigida por el francés Benoît Jacquot. Se separaron en 2009.

Alagna abrió la temporada 2006-07 en La Scala el 7 de diciembre de 2006 con la nueva producción de Aida de Franco Zeffirelli. Al comienzo de la segunda representación (10 de diciembre de 2006) fue abucheado y silbado por el público sentado en el loggione (aficionados a la ópera que se sientan en los lugares más baratos de la Scala). El tenor abandonó el escenario. El papel de Radamés fue asumido inmediatamente por Antonello Palombi, que entró en el escenario vestido de calle, con vaqueros y camisa. Más tarde, Alagna se disculpó aduciendo que quiso volver a entrar, aunque Palombi no le dejó.

Luego de fallidos intentos en los años 90, en 2012 finalmente debutó en el Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires en un recital junto a Angela Gheorghiu.

También ha grabado un disco dedicado al legendario cantante español Luis Mariano.

Fue condecorado con la orden de la Legión de honor

Anna Caterina Antonacci was excellent as Carmen but no one can compare with the performance of Christine Rice who I would travel far and wide to see live.

I first saw Carmen as an adolescent live locally when I then lived but cannot remember if I have seen live before the ROH visit. I have view and recorded three shortened version of around 90 mins several decades ago as well as the productions at the Met. There is of course also Carmen Jones the Film where I still have the original gramophone record.

2559 New Year visit to London birthday celebrations begin early

To mark the commencement of my 75^th birthday year I made my first visit to London on January 2^nd 2014 with the main purpose to make my first visit to the Royal Opera House for a revival production performance of Carmen. I had view the opera in a 3D relay from the Royal Opera and the purchased the 3D DVD so Iknew what to anticipate in terms of the setting.

I left early for South Shields metro station paying the £3.30 for the single journey rather than having a rush by waiting for the 9.30 use of what is now a combined bus and metro card. I took the opportunity of a special offer at the Costa Coffee to outlet to register for their card which enabled by to but a pot of porridge for £1 instead of the usual 1.99. It was a very good full post, between than those purchased at supermarkets these days from 50p at the lower end through to over a £1 and which have grown in popularity over the past year. This and coffee set up for the journey and where i then purchased a sandwich and a packet of Tyrell’s crisps which not much change from £5 if that.

I had a good start arranging a train to London which set off from Newcastle so there was no rush about finding a suitable seat one next to luggage area and which I was able to hold on my own for the journey. I had paid double by usual £15 for the journey (£31 plus postage ) but while this year will not be money no object I a determined to experience good and enjoyable activities through the year rather than attempt to concentrate everything on the birthday in March. However if this means paying more than usual then I will as well as taking a relaxed and leisurely approach hence going the day before. I topped up my Oyster card by £20 in arrival at St Pancras fro the cross Thames travel to Croydon the Luton to Brighton train.

I had booked two rooms at the Travel Lodge East Croydon three nights and one for me for the Sunday costing £212 for what effectively was 7 days accommodation average £30 a night which again although rising steadily from previous trips in previous years remains exceptional value for London.

For the evening meal there was a short journey to the Wetherspoons Inn the George for Curry night for under a fiver including a pint of beer, a pappadom and a naan bread. Coffee was later after a walk through the shopping centre to marks and Spencer’s for an umbrella where because there was price tag the end piece had come of something that would have cost over £10 possibly £15 was given away to me for £1. There was a cereal snack pot for the morning from the Sainsbury across the way.

In the morning the plan was take the bus through Sutton Kingston and Teddington where the first home was purchased for £5000 a short walk from Bushy Park closer than Teddington Lock and the TV studios. I made re mistake again of standing at the wrong bus stop so went for a Costa coffee given the half hour wait additional wait. The morning had started dry but there was the suggestion of rain later..

The bus soon crowded out and although thee journey was of interest and full of memories it was long. I marvelled as usual at the size of Busby Park. Lunch was in the small MS and coffee sandwich area at the front of the store. Two mixed four sections of sandwich with fruit juice was indeed expensive, just as well not paying. After lunch the plan had been to walk up to the first home but it commenced to rain quite hard so with a bus stop shelter across the way there was only a few second wait for a bus to the Kinston bus station where another was caught for Wimbledon and the tram stop. The torrential rain prevented a good look at Combe Hill one of the most expensive of Greater London Suburbs close to Richmond park. Fortunately the rain eased approaching the train station stop at Wimbledon and there is the confusing business of entering the station but having to card in on the Tram stop platform. It had stopped raining altogether arriving early afternoon with plenty of time to relax before changing into the new suit which thought was dark blue at the time but in more black with blue pin stripes and a glorious lining to the jacket and excellent fit a little of the large especially with the intention of losing weight further. The suit would have cost over £200 and was still the most expensive purchased at £165.

The contrast between the meal before the Opera House visit could not have been greater was some money saving offers for a Mac D meal where major refurbishment is being undertaken in the shopping precinct and food court adjacent to the main station from the stairway. I will leave the R.O.H experience to the second part of this writing.

We had an unplanned day on Saturday with the taken to see the Mandela Film, a long walk to Freedom at the Cineworld in the Millennium dome. Breakfast was taken at Mac D on the corner by the Travel Lodge of a bacon roll and coffee. It was tempting to journey on the Emirates cross Thames Cable Car but again the weather was against so a good coffee at Costa kept us going until the showing but which was delayed because of technical difficulties. After the film we made our way back to East Croydon fro Sausage and mash at the George where football was being shown on the TV in the alcove where we found a vacant seat. We then had a pleasant walk through the town centre to international food zone at the end other end of town and where I discovered the former hospital building was not a huge cleared site.

There was breakfast at George on Sunday before making my way to London to see my companion off on the train home before a meeting which was to confirm the need to spending the past six weeks feverish research resurrecting matters which I thought had come to an end , albeit an unsatisfactory ending in March 2003 ten years before.

By one of the interesting, and I suspect stage managed coincidences the death of Nelson Mandela was announced during the premier of the film Mandela The Long Walk to Freedom. These days Mandela is spoken of in the same breadth as Mahatma Ghandi who cut his teeth so to speak also as a lawyer in South Africa before honing his ideas into Satyagraha whose effectiveness contributed significantly to gaining independence for India and also similarly when it can to the state with power recognising the game was up so speak there was only on man to negotiate with, although in India there were two with Jinah the leader of the Muslims which divided India creating Pakistan.

On reviewer in the Guardian describes Mandela as a conservative film abut a radical although Mandel could also described as a conservative in the sense of being a traditionalist with a tribal village background from which he was able to break from in becoming a slick city lawyer, representing black countrymen during the worst years of Apartheid as the regime attempt to cling to its ruthless racism in the face if the increasing winds of change., The film pulls no punches revealing Mandela as a typical young man on the make interested in sex but not in marriage and good family life.

The script is adapted by William Nicholson from Mandela's 1995 autobiography with the British Actor Idris Elba in the title role and a performance just as good as the winning actor in 12 years a houses. He is courted by the revolutionary bombing throwing African National Congress and dawn in by events and once in he becomes an active participant in the violent struggle. Once captured he faces the death penalty for which he expects and it is the regime which works out it is better to isolated him rather than made a martyr.

It can be argued that Mandela only became a symbol rather than an important force change and that it was opinion in the West, especially by the UK and other European states which created the inevitability of change rather than the activities of the ANC.

Much has been made that on release he had and his second wife Winnie found themselves with very different outlooks on the future. Winnie, understandably wanted absolute power and revenge for the crimes committed by the White minority over the decades of brutality and humiliations while Mandela and years after year of think throughout the best way to lead his country if the opportunity was to come his way. It is for his statesmanship and reconciliation that he is rightly proclaimed as one of the great historical figures fro achieving statehood for black majority without the kind of bloodbath usually association with such situations with Syria the latest we are witnessing today.

The problem for someone like Mandela is that the choice he made, the right one, inevitably meant that others corrupt or seeking power for power’s sake would become the government. Only dictators with personal armies and a web of informers, secret police and elimination of all rivals for power can hope to remain in control of what happened for long especially as the more open the society the more the International companies and the nation governments will all attempt to cash in. The film was engaging and times, a good film but not a great one.

On Monday I enjoyed a bacon roll and coffee in the sandwich and cake shop on the corner before another early start for the homeward journey, this time only paying £15, with the journey uneventful and the rain keep clear for the walk from the Metro station up the hill home and the great unpack. However instead of writing up the experience as has been practice several weeks were to pass.

2558 BATA night film extravaganza

Sunday 16^th February was BAFTA night, the British Academy Film awards at the Royal Opera House which each year the event becoming more global and attracting more and more starts from the other side of the Atlantic so that as the presentations were made most winners were present in the auditorium. Best film went to 12 Years a Slave which disappointed as did best actor. Whereas the best performance was that of Lupita Nytong’a’s who missed out to Jennifer Lawrence i American Hustle who was aloe great and Lupita also missed on as rising star to an unknown young British young man.

I was very pleased as was Tom Hanks that that supporting actor went to Barkhad Abdi in Captain Phillips and also pleasing was Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity, which also won outstanding British film with Philomena missing out, although it did pick up an award for adapted screenplay. Gravity picked up four other awards. I was also pleased to see the Great Gatsby pick up a couple while American Hustle also two others. Kate Blanchette was best actress deserved but the film was not a great one in terms inconsequential subject with four of the five animated films all based on real life events.,. Nebraska which I have not seen missed out despite several nominations as did the Wolf of Wall Street, with that latter a good thing. Inside llewyn Davis is the latest Coen brothers yet to see also missed out. Dame Helen Mirren looked wonderful for becoming a fellow presented by the president of the Academy by Prince William and kept her speech short and moving with a brilliant Shakespeare quote about the transitory nature of acting and life.

My best film experience of the awards season seen in theatre has not been nominated and was another based on real life experience. The Railway Man is based on the true story of Eric Lomax who left school at sixteen and joined the post office and at 19 in 1939 enlisted in the Royal Corps of Signals, becoming an officer cadet with a commission just before Christmas in 1940. He was posted to Singapore and required to surrender with its fall in 1942.

After experience in the notorious Changi prison he was sent to Thailand to work on the Burma Railway. After the war he remained in he army until 1949 having been mentioned in despatches because of his contribution as a Prisoner of war. He joined the Colonial Services posted to what is now Ghana until 1955. He was married in 1945 within weeks of being liberate with three children, one died at birth and eldest when 47. The youngest survives. In 1980 first met and then married a Canadian young woman 17 years his junior in 1983 after she had moved to the UK a year before. He died in 1012 aged 92.

Not having read his autobiography I have no idea how much of the film is artistic licence although I can confirm that as with the autobiography he does not mention his first family and in a twist the only surviving member his daughter attended the London premier

The main story played by a younger actor explains than when working on the railway he built a radio to listen to the news but was not a transmitted or able to receive messages. When it was discovered he admitted being responsible to save others from torture and death an act of exceptional bravery in the circumstances and for which he was beaten and tortured with the equivalent of water boarding. He survive but remained full of anger about what happened and unable to communicate.

In the film he remains a loner but a member of the Scottish branch of a ex POW’s who meet from time to time and it was during one of his trips that he is alleged to have met up with his second wife although we have the impression is has never married. She finds the barrier with his mood swing difficult to cope with and consults on of the seniors in the POW group who talks of the experience to her but the wants Lomax played by Colin Firth in later lifer to kill one of those involved whose photograph is shown in a news paper article about the man leading tortures to the camp which has become a museum. The branch leader commits suicide as a way to force Lomax to take revenge. He eventually goes back and confronts the former Japanese soldier who in fact was not responsible for the torture but acted as interpreter for the jailers and later worked with occupying powers, returning as a pilgrimage to tell the truth about what happened. Lomax was able to find peace through reconciliation and thus make something of his second marriage. Nicole Kidman plays his wife.

And talking o Nicole Kidman i cannot believe i have not done a proper review before of Moulin Rouge 2001 the musical with Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent and about which I have something of what can be described as a history although I never visited the existing theatre club on any of my visits to Paris. The history is also in the form firm of the bohemian lifestyle which i hankered and never achieved, even in later life as artmanjosepgrech.

　

Now to the film which includes more well known tracks and several other musical films out together,"Nature Boy" – Toulouse"The Sound of Music/Children of the Revolution" – Christian, The Bohemians, and the Green Fairy"Lady Marmalade"/"Zidler's Rap (The Can-Can)"/"Smells Like Teen Spirit" – Zidler, Moulin Rouge Dancers.

"Sparkling Diamonds"/"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"/"Material Girl" – Satine and Moulin Rouge Dancers"Rhythm of the Night" – Valeria"Your Song" – Christian"The Pitch (Spectacular)"

– Zidler, Christian, Satine, The Duke, and Bohemians"One Day I'll Fly Away" – Satine"Elephant Love Medley" – Christian and Satine"Greek" – Satine "Like a Virgin" – Zidler, The Duke, and Chorus Boys "Come What May" – Christian, Satine, and Cast of Spectacular Spectacular "El Tango de Roxanne" – The Argentine, Christian, Satine, and Moulin Rouge Dancers "Fool to Believe" – Satine and Zidler"The Show Must Go On" – Zidler, Satine, and Moulin Rouge Stagehands "Hindi Sad Diamonds" – Nini Legs-in-the-Air, Satine, and the Cast of Spectacular Spectacular"Come What May (Reprise)" – Satine and Christian"Coup d'État (Finale)" – Cast of Spectacular Spectacular"Nature Boy (Reprise)" – Toulouse

The following is a partial list of songs featured in the film along with the artist that popularized them"Nature Boy" – Nat King Cole, covered by David Bowie and remixed by Massive Attack for the soundtrack."The Sound of Music" – Mary Martin (and later by Julie Andrews) (from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical of the same name, featuring overdubbed theremin played by Bruce Woolley)"The Lonely Goatherd" – also from The Sound of Music (but heard as instrumental)"Children of the Revolution" – T. Rex"Lady Marmalade" – Labelle, covered for the film, by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, Missy Elliott, and Pink)"Because We Can" – Fatboy Slim"Complainte de la Butte" – Georges Van Parys and Jean Renoir covered by Rufus Wainwright"Rhythm of the Night" – DeBarge"Material Girl" – Madonna"Smells Like Teen Spirit" – Nirvana"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" – Carol Channing"Diamond Dogs" – David Bowie covered for the film by Beck. "Galop Infernal (Can-can)" – Jacques Offenbach (tune for Spectacular, Spectacular) "One Day I'll Fly Away" – The Crusaders, later Randy Crawford "Children of the Revolution" – T.Rex (Covered by Bono, Gavin Friday, Violent Femmes, and Maurice Seezer) "Gorecki" – Lamb "Come What May" – Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman (written by David Baerwald) "Roxanne" – The Police (Title in film: "El Tango de Roxanne", combined with music "Tanguera" by Mariano Mores) "Tanguera" – Mariano Mores (Title in film: "El Tango de Roxanne", combined with music "Roxanne" by The Police) "The Show Must Go On" – Queen "Like a Virgin" – Madonna "Your Song" – Elton John "Chamma Chamma" – Alka Yagnik (Incorporated in the film song titled "Hindi Sad Diamonds"; originally performed by Alka Yagnik in the 1998 Hindi film China Gate, composed by Anu Malik

Elephant Love Medley

The following is a list of songs featured in the medley, along with the names of the writers and singers of the original."Love is Like Oxygen" by Sweet – Andy Scott and Trevor Griffin "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" by Sammy Fain – Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster"Up Where We Belong" by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes – Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie "All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles – John Lennon and Paul McCartney "I Was Made for Lovin' You" by Kiss – Desmond Child, Paul Stanley, Vini Poncia "One More Night" by Phil Collins – Phil Collins "Pride" by U2 – U2 "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes – Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert "Silly Love Songs" by Wings – Paul McCartney "Heroes" by David Bowie – David Bowie "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton and later Whitney Houston – Dolly Parton "Your Song" by Elton John – Elton John and Bernie Taupin

The "Elephant Love Medley" also contains additional original lyrics that are unattributed

In the year 1900, a depressed British writer named Christian begins writing on his typewriter ("Nature Boy"). One year earlier, Christian moved to the Montmartre district of Paris to become a writer among members of the area's Bohemian movement. He encounters performers led by Toulouse-Lautrec; his writing skills allow them to finish their proposed show, "Spectacular Spectacular", that they wish to sell to Harold Zidler, owner of the Moulin Rouge. The group arrives at the Moulin Rouge as Zidler and his "Diamond Dog Dancers" perform for the audience ("Lady Marmalade/Zidler's Rap (Can Can)/Smells Like Teen Spirit"). Toulouse arranges for Christian to see Satine, the star courtesan, in her private quarters to present the work, unaware that Zidler is promising Satine to the wealthy and unscrupulous Duke of Monroth, a potential investor in the cabaret ("Sparkling Diamonds" medley).

Satine mistakes Christian for the Duke, and dances with him before retiring to her private chamber with him to discuss things privately ("Rhythm of the Night), but soon learns he is just a writer; by this time Christian has fallen in love with her ("Your Song"). The Duke interrupts them; Christian and Satine claim they were practicing lines for "Spectacular Spectacular". With Zidler's help, Toulouse and the rest of the troupe pitch the show to the Duke with an improvised plot about an evil maharajah attempting to woo an Indian courtesan who loves a poor sitar player ("The Pitch (Spectacular Spectacular)"). The Duke backs the show on the condition that only he may see Satine. Satine contemplates on Christian and her longing to leave the Moulin Rouge to become "a real actress" ("One Day I'll Fly Away"). Christian goes back to Satine to convince her that she loves him ("Elephant Love Medley"). As the cabaret is converted to a theatre, Christian and Satine continue seeing each other under the pretence of rehearsing Satine's lines. The Duke becomes jealous and warns Zidler that he may stop financing the show; Zidler arranges for Satine to dine with the Duke that evening, but she falls ill from tuberculosis ("Górecki"). Zidler makes excuses to the Duke, claiming that Satine has gone to confession ("Like a Virgin"). Zidler learns that Satine does not have long to live. Satine tells Christian that their relationship endangers the show, but he counters by writing a secret love song to affirm their love ("Come What May").

As the Duke watches Christian rehearsing with Satine, Nini, a jealous performer, points out that the play is a metaphor for Christian, Satine and the Duke. Enraged, the Duke demands the ending be changed so that the courtesan ends up with the maharajah; Satine offers to spend the night with the Duke to keep the original ending. At the Duke's quarters, Satine sees Christian on the streets below, and realizes she cannot go through with this ("El Tango de Roxanne: "Roxanne/Tanguera"). The Duke tries to rape her, but she is saved by Le Chocolat, one of the cabaret dancers, and reunited with Christian, who urges her to run away with him. The Duke tells Zidler he will have Christian killed if Satine is not his. Zidler reiterates this warning to Satine, but when she refuses to return, he finally informs her she is dying ("A Fool to Believe"). Satine tells Christian they can no longer see each other as she will be staying with the Duke ("The Show Must Go On"). Christian tries following her, but is denied entry to the Moulin Rouge, and becomes depressed, even though Toulouse insists that Satine loves him.

The night of the show, Christian sneaks into the Moulin Rouge, intending to pay Satine to return his love just as the Duke paid for her ("Hindi Sad Diamonds"). He catches Satine before she steps on stage and demands she tell him she does not love him. Suddenly they find themselves in the spotlight; Zidler convinces the audience that Christian is the disguised sitar player. Christian denounces Satine and walks off the stage. From the rafters, Toulouse cries out, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return", spurring Satine to sing the song Christian wrote to express their love. Christian returns to the stage, joining her in the song. The Duke's bodyguard tries to kill Christian, but is thwarted, while the Duke's own attempt is stopped by Zidler. The Duke storms out of the cabaret as Christian and Satine complete their song ("Come What May (Reprise)", "Coup d'État (Finale)").

After the curtain closes, Satine succumbs to tuberculosis. She and Christian affirm their love before she dies. A year later the Moulin Rouge has closed down, and Christian is writing the tale of his love for Satine, a "love that will live forever" ("Nature Boy (Reprise)").

I went to see the 1952 film with Jose Ferrer as Henri Toulouse Lautrec when I just become a teenager, Later I discovered some Wallpaper made up of Lautrec Posters which was a great delight. I saw the film in Sutton in a packed theatre with noisy teenagers which ruined the experience. I have the DVD but still watch the film anytime its is shown on TV.

A different kind of film which I have seen several times because it sums the superficiality of an age is Antonioni’s Carlo Ponti production of Blow Up..

The plot is a day in the life of a glamorous fashion photographer (David Hemmings), inspired by the life of an actual "Swinging London" photographer, David Bailey. It begins after spending the night at a doss house where he has taken pictures for a book of art photos. He is late for a photo shoot with Veruschka at his studio, which in turn makes him late for a shoot with other models later in the morning. He grows bored and walks off, leaving the models and production staff in the lurch. As he leaves the studio, two teenage girls who are aspiring models ( Jane Birkin and Hills) ask to speak with him, but the photographer drives off to look at an antiques shop. Wandering into Maryon Park, he takes photos of two lovers. The woman ( Venessa Redgrave) is furious at being photographed. The photographer then meets his agent for lunch, and notices a man following him and looking into his car. Back at his studio, Redgrave arrives asking for the film, but he deliberately hands her a different roll.

She in turn writes down a false telephone number to give to him. His many enlargements of the black and white film are grainy but seem to show a body in the grass and a killer lurking in the trees with a gun. He is disturbed by a knock on the door, but it is the two girls again, with whom he has a romp in his studio and falls asleep. Awakening, he finds they hope he will photograph them but he tells them to leave, saying, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow!"

As evening falls, the photographer goes back to the park and finds a body, but he has not brought his camera and is scared off by a twig breaking, as if being stepped on. The photographer returns to his studio to find that all the negatives and prints are gone except for one very grainy blowup showing the body. After driving into town, he sees Redgrave and follows her into a club where The Yardbirds, featuring both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck on guitar, are seen playing. At a drug-drenched party in a house on the Thames near central London, he finds both Veruschka – who had told him that she was going to Paris, and when confronted, she says she is in Paris – and his agent (Peter Bowles), whom he wants to bring to the park as a witness. However, the photographer cannot put across what he has photographed. Waking up in the house at sunrise, he goes back to the park alone, but the body is gone.

Befuddled, he watches a mimed tennis match, is drawn into it, picks up the imaginary ball and throws it back to the two players. While he watches the mime, the sound of the ball being played is heard. As the photographer watches this mimed match alone on the lawn, his image fades away, leaving only the grass as the film ends.” so you a film about nothing people. The delicious Sarah Miles is also in the film

A film expected to win the Oscar Best film but hopefully not the Baftas is 12 Years A Slave (Cineworld 23^rd January 2014) which I thought covered well trodden ground and a film about slavery today would have much more relevant. There is one outstanding perforamance who should get best supporting actress, Nupito Nyong’o as the slave girl mistress of the master Bendict Cumberbatch has to be in everything these days as Fassbender and Brad Pitt! The film is based on the book by Solomon Northup

From wikipedia

Solomon Northup (July 1808 – 1863?)was a free-born African American from New York, the son of a freed slave. A farmer and violinist, he owned a property in Hebron. In 1841 he was kidnapped by slave-traders, having been enticed with a job offer as a violinist. When he accompanied his supposed employers to Washington, DC, they drugged him and sold him as a slave. He was shipped to New Orleans where he was sold to a plantation owner in Louisiana. He was held in the Red River region of Louisiana by several different owners for 12 years, during which time his friends and family had no word of him. He made repeated attempts to escape and get messages out of the plantation. Eventually he got news to his family, who contacted friends and enlisted the Governor of New York, Washington Hunt, to his cause. He regained his freedom in January 1853 and returned to his family in New York.

Northup sued the slave traders in Washington, DC, but lost in the local court. District of Columbia law prohibited him as a black man from testifying against whites and, without his testimony, he was unable to sue for civil damages. Later, in New York State, the two men were charged with kidnapping but two years later the charges were dropped.

In his first year of freedom Northup published an account of his experiences in the memoir Twelve Years a Slave (1853). Northup also gave dozens of lectures throughout the Northeast about his experiences in order to support the abolitionist cause. The details of his death are uncertain.”

Two films which I hope do exceptionally well are Gravity and Captain Phillips which I have already reviewed. I am yet to see Philomena another film which could do well tonight and which I hope to see on Wednesday, if not before

A film which I found difficult to get into but thought it has a great ending twist although thoroughly immoral from start to finish is American Hustle and where a number of actors could get an award, Christian Bale, Any Adams and Jennifer Lawrence.

American Hustle (Cineworld 28 January 2014) is a 2013 American crime comedy-drama film directed by David O. Russell, from a screenplay written by Eric Warren Singer and Russell, loosely based on the FBI ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s and early '80s It stars Christian Bale and Amy Adams as two con artists who are forced by an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) to set up an elaborate sting operation on corrupt politicians, including the mayor of Camden, New Jersey (Jeremy Renner). Jennifer Lawrence plays the unpredictable wife of Bale's character.

Principal photography on American Hustle began on March 8, 2013 in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, and New York City. The film had its nationwide release in the United States on December 20, 2013. The film received critical acclaim and has been a box office success. It received ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, and became the second film since 1981 to be nominated in the four acting categories, the first being Silver Linings Playbook, also directed by David O. Russell and also starring Cooper and Lawrence. American Hustle won three Golden Globe Awards, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and is nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, among other achievements. We shall see!

Wikipedia story notes

In 1978, con artists Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser have met, started a relationship, and are working together. Sydney has improved Rosenfeld's scams, posing as English aristocrat "Lady Edith Greensley". They are a well-matched couple, but Irving is hesitant to leave his adopted son Danny with his wife Rosalyn, who will not divorce him.

FBI agent Richard "Richie" DiMaso catches Irving and Sydney in a loan scam but offers to release them if Irving can line up four additional arrests. Sydney opposes the agreement. Richie believes Sydney is English but has proof that her claim of aristocracy is fraudulent. Sydney tells Irving she will manipulate Richie, distancing herself from Irving.

Irving has a friend pretend to be a wealthy Arab Sheikh looking for potential investments in America. An associate of Irving's suggests that the Sheikh do business with Mayor Carmine Polito of Camden, New Jersey. The popular mayor is campaigning to revitalize gambling in Atlantic City but has struggled to raise the necessary funds. Richie devises a plan to entrap Carmine despite the objections of his boss Stoddard Thorsen and Irving. Sydney helps Richie manipulate an FBI secretary into making an unauthorized wire transfer of $2,000,000. When Stoddard's boss, Anthony Amado, hears of the operation, he praises Richie's initiative, pressuring Stoddard to continue the operation.

Richie's over-eagerness to catch Carmine causes the mayor to leave their meeting. Irving convinces Carmine that the Sheikh is legitimate, expressing his dislike toward Richie, and the two become friends. Richie arranges for Carmine to meet the Sheikh at an airfield, forcing Stoddard into further expenses. Without consulting the others, Richie has Mexican-American FBI agent Paco Hernandez play the part of the Sheikh.

Carmine brings the Sheikh to a casino party, telling him that mobsters are there and it is a necessary part of doing business. Irving is surprised to see that the violent Mafia overlord Victor Tellegio, second-in-command to Meyer Lansky, is there, and wants to meet the Sheikh. Tellegio explains the business will need the Sheikh to become an American citizen, and Carmine will need to expedite the process, bribing officials if necessary. Tellegio also requires a $10,000,000 wire transfer, to prove the Sheikh's legitimacy. Richie agrees, eager to bring down Tellegio, while Irving realizes the operation is out of control.

Richie confesses his attraction to Sydney, but becomes confused and aggressive when she drops her English accent and admits to being American. Irving arrives to protect Sydney and tries to call off their deal with Richie, but Richie says that if they back out, Tellegio will learn of the scam and murder Sydney, Irving, Rosalyn, and Danny.

Rosalyn starts an affair with Pete Musane, a mobster she met at the party. She mentions her belief that Irving is possibly working with the Internal Revenue Service, so Pete threatens Irving, who promises to prove the Sheikh's investment is real. Irving later confronts Rosalyn, who admits she told Pete because she feels unloved. Rosalyn agrees to keep quiet about the plan but wants a divorce.

With Carmine's help, Richie and Irving entrap members of Congress into receiving bribes on videotape. Richie goes over Stoddard, convincing Amado that $10,000,000 is needed to entrap Tellegio, but only gets $2,000,000. A meeting is arranged at the offices of Tellegio's lawyer Alfonse Simone, but Tellegio does not show up. The operation continues, and Richie records an admission of criminal activities when Simone accepts the transfer.

Irving visits Carmine's house and admits to the scam but tells Carmine he has a plan to help him. Carmine blames Irving, saying he only wanted to improve New Jersey and throws Irving out, their friendship now destroyed, much to Irving's regret. Later, the money is missing, but an anonymous source offers to return it in exchange for immunity for Irving and Sydney and a reduced sentence for Carmine. Amado is willing to make the deal, but Richie objects. Irving suggests Richie either has the money or is incompetent for losing it—in fact, Irving and Richie never met with Tellegio's lawyer. Instead, Irving had a friend pose as the lawyer Simone to con Richie, giving Irving needed leverage, and keeping them from earning the wrath of the mob. Amado accepts the deal and removes Richie from the case, dropping him back into obscurity.

Irving and Sydney open a legitimate art gallery and move in together, while Rosalyn lives with Pete. Rosalyn shares custody of her son Danny with Irving. Tellegio accepts that Irving and Sydney deflected attention from him and leaves them to get on with their lives.

The Wolf of Wall Street Cineworld 21^st January 2014) is an immoral and decadent film indictment of investment although that investors were swindled out of millions does not cause me concern because the client were motivated by greed greed and more greed.

Wikipedia notes

Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) narrates the film showing his monstrous success with his firm complete with ribaldry at work, a sumptuous home on the Gold Coast of Long Island and a trophy wife who is a former model. He then flashes back to 1987, where he began a low-level job at an established Wall Street firm. His boss Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) advises him to adopt a lifestyle of casual sex and cocaine to succeed. However, shortly after he passes his exam to become a certified stockbroker, he loses his job on account of the firm's bankruptcy as a result of Black Monday.

Now unemployed in an economy that is unaccomodating to stockbrokers and sufficiently discouraged to consider a new line of work, Jordan's wife Teresa (Cristin Milioti) encourages him to take a job with a Long Island boiler room dealing in penny stocks, which are also largely ignored by regulators. Belfort impresses his new boss with his aggressive pitching style, and earns a small fortune for the boiler room and himself as penny stocks have a much higher commission than blue chips. Jordan also befriends Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill), a salesman living in the same apartment complex and they decide to go into business together. To facilitate this, his accountant parents are recruited as well as several of Jordan's friends, some of them experienced marijuana dealers. The basic method of the firm is a pump and dump scam. To cloak this, Belfort gives the firm the respectable WASP-ish sounding name of Stratton Oakmont. An article in Forbes dubs Jordan the "Wolf of Wall Street", and soon hundreds of ambitious young financiers flock to his company.

A decadent lifestyle of lavish parties, sex and drugs follows. Jordan regularly uses prostitutes and becomes addicted to cocaine and Quaaludes. FBI Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) begins investigating Stratton Oakmont. When Jordan meets Naomi Lapaglia (Margot Robbie) at one of his parties, he begins an affair with her, resulting in his divorce from Teresa. Jordan makes Naomi his second wife in an extravagant wedding and gives her a yacht aptly named Naomi, and soon they have a daughter, Skylar. Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission works jointly with the FBI to intensify the Stratton Oakmont investigation.

Jordan instantly makes US$22 million on his securing the IPO of Steve Madden Ltd. To hide his money, Jordan opens a Swiss bank account with the corrupt banker Jean-Jacques Saurel (Jean Dujardin) in the name of Naomi's aunt Emma (Joanna Lumley), who is a British citizen and outside the reach of American authorities. He uses friends with European passports to smuggle cash to Switzerland. When Donnie gets into a public fight with Brad Bodnick (Jon Bernthal), who is one of their money couriers, and Brad is arrested, their scheme is nearly exposed.

Donnie offers Jordan a powerful brand of Quaaludes, hoping to ease the sting of the bad news. The pills are old and seem to have lost their potency, so they take huge doses to compensate. Jordan then receives a call from Bo Dietl, his private investigator, who insists Jordan call him back from a payphone. Jordan drives to a country club to phone Bo, who warns Jordan of Brad's arrest and that his house phone has been wiretapped. At this point, the Quaaludes finally kick in with overwhelming effect. Severely debilitated, Jordan drives back home to prevent Donnie from using his phone. When Jordan arrives home Donnie (who is also high) is on the phone with Saurel. Jordan fights Donnie to make him get off the phone and tells him he found out what happened between him and Brad. Donnie starts choking on ham and nearly suffocates. Jordan snorts cocaine to counteract the effect of the Quaaludes in order to help save Donnie's life.

With the shadow of law enforcement hanging over them, Jordan's father Max (Rob Reiner) attempts to convince his son to step down from Stratton Oakmont and escape the large amount of legal penalties. However, during his leaving party at the office, Jordan changes his mind and to the great acclaim of his employees vows to stay on.

Jordan, Donnie and their wives on a yacht trip to Italy learn that Emma has died of a heart attack. Over his grieving wife's objections, Jordan decides to sail to Monaco so they can drive to Switzerland without getting their passports stamped at the border and settle the bank account, but a violent storm capsizes their yacht. After their rescue, the plane sent to take them to Geneva is destroyed by a seagull flying into the engine, exploding and killing three people. Witnessing this, Jordan considers this a sign from God and decides to sober up.

Two years later, Denham arrests Jordan during the filming of an infomercial. Saurel, arrested in Florida over an unrelated charge, has told the FBI everything. Since the evidence against him is overwhelming, Jordan agrees to gather evidence on his colleagues in exchange for leniency.

Jordan is optimistic about his sentencing and expresses this to his wife. The encounter turns violent when Naomi tells Jordan she will divorce him and wants full custody of their children. Jordan throws a violent tantrum, gets high, and ends up crashing his car in his driveway during an attempt to abscond with their daughter.

The next morning, Jordan wears a wire to work. Jordan silently slips Donnie a note warning him about the wire. The note finds its way to Agent Denham, who arrests Jordan for breaching his cooperation deal. The FBI raids and shuts down Stratton Oakmont.

Despite this one breach, Jordan receives a much reduced sentence for his testimony and is sentenced to 36 months in a minimum security prison in Nevada. After his release, Jordan makes a living hosting seminars on sales technique How much is true though?