A cinematic week

[nineveh_uk]

Having missed Spectre, and put off Carol until the Christmas break, I finally managed to get myself to the cinema not only once this week, but twice, indeed on successive days.

Bridge of Spies When I say that this was an excellent old-fashioned film, I mean that in the best way. It was possessed of such old-fashioned virtues as a strong script,

Comments

[lareinenoire]

I have a deep nostalgic love for The Nutcracker and used to see it every year as a child, but I totally agree that it lacks anything resembling a coherent plot. It was funny taking J to see it some years ago because I was in throes of nostalgia and he was just confused as to why people liked something so utterly pointless. I fully expect to be the one in charge of taking Lexa when she's old enough--we'll see which of her parents she takes after!

[sonetka]

I never saw it until I was an adult but then I loved it, pointlessness notwithstanding, so maybe it's genetic :). I will say that I can never watch a production without wishing I could go to a Christmas party like the Stahlbaums'. It always look so incredibly lavish (except that there's never any food in sight, which keeps it from being totally perfect).

[nineveh_uk]

I loved the Christmas party set, and would love to go to a Christmas party like that. However watching it on stage just made me think of Fanny & Alexander, and that Bergman's take on the family party would be much more interesting!

[nineveh_uk]

It turns out that I like my ballet with lots of plot (which can be interrupted for dancing) or without plot, but not a half-way house. This also explains why I was so annoyed by the third act of Sleeping Beauty.

Being the one on ballet duty sounds like a fate you might live with ;-) Just make sure you catch her young.

[lareinenoire]

Yeah, I also get a bit sick of Act III of Sleeping Beauty. The third act of Swan Lake never bothered me in spite of the series of random dances for no particular reason, probably because there's still legitimate suspense generated by Rothbart and Odile.

I have a book of stories from famous ballets that I read nearly to pieces as a child and that I've asked my dad to look for and I've already got her listening to Tchaikovsky, so we'll see if she takes to it.

[nineveh_uk]

The third act of Sleeping Beauty annoyed me because there was a plot, and suddenly it disappeared. Swan Lake doesn't - I suspect for the reason that you identify, because the underlying plot is still going on.

[lareinenoire]

I'm still hoping to convince J to see Swan Lake with me at some point--it is probably my favourite ballet, period, and I always end up crying by the end. He did enjoy the film Black Swan reasonably well, so I suspect he'd be amenable.