in-cep-tion [in-sep-shuh n]
noun – beginning; start; commencement.

When Christopher Nolan releases a movie the world stops and takes notice… The director started making films when he was just seven-years-old and 33 years down the line he’s still doing what he loves with only several feature length films to date. A short filmography by Hollywood standards, but when you consider Stanley Kubrick only made 16 films in 5 decades it puts Nolan’s career in perspective. Just like Kubrick, Nolan’s films carry some serious weight, in substance and in return. Unlike Kubrick, Nolan’s films have managed to bridge the great divide… conjoining the big budget allure of a traditional blockbuster with the finesse of an art house production.

With such titles as Insomnia, Memento, The Prestige, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and now Inception under his belt it seems as though he can’t go wrong with his dark surge of films that just seem to get better-and-better. Nolan’s been attached to the new dawn of Batman in a scourge of films that literally tear previous efforts apart with a realistic depiction of superheroes. The comic book heroes of the ’50s have gravitated from tongue-in-cheek fantasy to epic crime sagas in the hands of Nolan. His dark, titanic and revolutionary films have raised the bar when it comes to film-making in the genres of crime and fantasy.

Inception is Nolan’s first wholly original film since Following with a script that took 8 years to complete. The story follows Dom Cobb (DiCaprio), who enlists a dream team and sleep technology to enable him to enter the subconscious of the unsuspecting and steal their thoughts. When he is commissioned with inception, the arduous task of planting a thought in someone’s mind, he inadvertently agrees to change the course of history. His special ops crew are met with unexpected resistance as ghosts of the past resurface and security measures ratchet up a notch in a do-or-die mission.

The first thing you’ll notice about Inception is the quality of production, from its powerful soundtrack and special effects to the big name cast. Inception is a Matrix within a matrix, comparable with the 1999 Sci-Fi classic for its title, paradigm-shifting scenario, stylistic elements, action-packed agenda and co-dependent relationship with CGI. The dream/reality pendulum swings back-and-forth from one world to the next as one reality is substituted by another. The result is unsettling as one is seamlessly cast from a dream state environment back to reality with only a keepsake able to differentiate the two.

The cast is led by Leonardo DiCaprio, who has become hot property in Hollywood with a growing list of solid-to-excellent performances since Gangs of New York in 2002. DiCaprio has aligned himself with Martin Scorsese as a partner-in-crime. The two have forged an alliance, partnering on several quality productions, which include: Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed and most recently Shutter Island. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for awards committees to ignore DiCaprio’s run of solid performances.

DiCaprio is supported by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page with Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard and Michael Caine in what almost seems like an Ocean’s Eleven team. This is an A-grade ensemble of serious contenders, who all maintain a level of precision and composure when it comes to performance. Several Oscar nominees and winners reinforce Inception’s credibility and command solid support performances to augment DiCaprio’s role as team captain. The level of performance is so good that it would be unfair to say there are any stand-out performances from the group, who all function well as a team.

Inception has its own style, tending towards darker hues and a grayed-out vision of the future. The setting is quite timeless with fashion and architecture representing a 50 year scope on history. There’s an affinity for detailed textures and clean surfaces as chic Parisian urban backdrops make way for lavish homes and hotels. Inception has a strong connection with architectural lines and urban living, opting for contrasts between claustrophobic city living and the absent surreal emptiness of Hopper artworks. This gives the world of Inception a precise, clean and surreal texture, which is laced together by fine performances.

The soundtrack is powerful, adding gravity to the dazzling visual aesthetic and forwarding Nolan’s agenda with great purpose like a rising night tide. The music raises the impetus of the special effects and heightens the dream state with its swirling magnitude. This helps establish the film, creates a definite mood and provides a seamless ebb-and-flow, effortlessly blending from one scene to the next like sand in an hourglass.

The CGI deserves equal credit and it’s as if Nolan personally ran through the film frame-by-frame to ensure authenticity, scrapping any hint of second-rate CGI. This gives Inception a sense of truth, suspending the dream reality without ever leaving any space for doubt. Nolan arrests the audience with his grand direction pulling each department together as if by strings like a symphony conductor. The breathtaking action visuals, the fine performances, the vivid dream overture and the balanced direction all come together beautifully.

Inception may not be as imaginative or surreal as The Cell or anything from Lynchland. Nolan probably steered clear of warped environments to keep even keel for maximum worldwide appeal. All-in-all it’s a fine balance between blockbuster and art house, which helps create a tension between the real and the unreal as three movie climaxes reach the apex simultaneously. Several film references function as deja vu with Murphy wearing a sack cloth, Cotilliard’s presence with Edith Piaf’s music and an echo from some of the character’s previous roles.

Inception is executed with such precision that it’s difficult to fault the film. Apart from its rigidity within the dream atmosphere, a slightly long run-time, a leap of faith in dream technology and its strong parallels with The Matrix… it’s almost flawless. Nolan has demonstrated once again why the majority of his films deserve a place in everybody’s top 100 movie list, a second and possibly even a third viewing.

The bottom line:  Majestic.

Screenplay with Spling
Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling
www.spling.co.za

One lucky reader will win double tickets to a movie of their choice at the Labia Cinema complex in Cape Town.

To enter, all you have to do is read Spling’s movie review for the week and answer this simple question: Which heist film does Spling compare Inception to?

Email your name, contact details and answer to info@capetowncreatives.co.za:

Competition closes on 9 September, 10h00.

Terms and Conditions:

You (and partner) must be available to attend a film at the Labia in Cape Town between the 9 and 16 September.

Tickets are not transferrable and cannot be redeemed for cash.

Prizes courtesy of the Labia Theatre. See what’s showing: http://www.labia.co.za

Homemakers Expo 2 – 5 September

Incorporating a spectrum of South Africa’s best product and service providers, the exhibits range from basic home improvement products to beautiful décor accessories. http://www.homemakersonline.co.za

Mama Mia! 11 August – 26 September

Experience the wonderful, irresistible story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs in the worldwide smash hit musical Mamma Mia! This enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship will premiere at Artscape, Cape Town, 11 August. Mamma Mia! is musical entertainment for the whole family. Its broad appeal to audiences of all ages guarantees everyone at every performance will be “having the time of their lives”.www.artscape.co.za

Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams June – September

Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams is the grande dame of burlesque style. A dinner cirque spectacular that enchants and inspires all who pass through her stained glass doors. Housed in one of the last remaining Mirror Tents in the world, the Madame Zingara dinner/entertainment experience will be sure to thrill audiences. www.madamezingara.com

Hermanus Whale Festival 24 – 28 September

The Hermanus Whale Festival is held annually to celebrate the return of the Southern Right whales to the waters of Walker Bay. Thousands of visitors flock to Hermanus each year to experience the unique natural environment, watch whales, revel in music, comedy and African rhythms throughout the Festival. www.whalefestival.co.za

Kirstenbosch Botanical Art Biennale 5 – 24 September

This established botanical art exhibition has become a well loved and attended show, drawing diverse and enthusiastic crowds to the garden. The 2010 biennale which features botanical art from artists all over the country is supported by Old Mutual and will focus on rare, endangered and narrow endemic species to Southern Africa.http://www.sanbi.org

Cultivaria Festival 23 – 26 September

Cultivaria Festival brings together people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds for a celebration of music and entertainment, food, fine-dining, arts and crafts.
www.cultivaria.com

Madame Zingara’s LOVE MAGIC TOUR is staying open one extra night especially to host a benefit performance for Cape Town City Ballet.

All Tickets include a welcome drink, exceptional 4-course meal, bubbly for the table and the entire LOVE MAGIC SHOW (which has been sold out this Season) – Plus once-off breathtaking performances by Cape Town City Ballet! This is an evening not to be missed – prepare to be Thrilled.

To book your tickets please contact Madame Zingara box-office:

021 001 3366
boxoffice@madamezingara.com

Two lucky readers will each win double tickets to a movie of their choice at the Labia Cinema complex in Cape Town.

To enter, all you have to do is read Spling’s movie review for the week and answer this simple question: ‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ is based on whose autobiography?

Email your name, contact details and answer to info@capetowncreatives.co.za:

Competition closes on 2 September, 10h00.

Terms and Conditions:

You (and partner) must be available to attend a film at the Labia in Cape Town between the 2 and 9 September.

Tickets are not transferrable and cannot be redeemed for cash.

Prizes courtesy of the Labia Theatre. See what’s showing: http://www.labia.co.za

Mao’s Last Dancer, finally – a dance film where the story line is just as fantastic as the dancing – and true! The extraordinary biography of Li Cunxin makes a graceful leap from autobiography to film under the watchful eye of Australian-born director, Bruce Beresford (Paradise Road, Driving Miss Daisy) and screenwriter, Jan Sardi (Shine). The tag line for Mao’s Last Dancer is ‘Before You Can Fly, You Have To Be Free’, an underlying theme throughout the drama with sharp contrasts between America and China under Mao’s rule and last days.

Our hero and title character, Li Cunxin, arrives in Texas in 1979 as part of a cultural exchange after being picked for his courage and perseverance to withstand the allure of Western ideology. Beresford presents Houston as a safe haven for the fish-out-of-water dancer, who has something to teach about dancing and much to learn about freedom. From there, Beresford cleverly returns the audience to Cunxin’s childhood through photos, dreams and memories, which provide a seamless flow to the story as Li’s youth is explored in greater detail.

Plucked from an early age by one of Madame Mao’s cultural delegations for intensive training at the age of 11, Cunxin was molded into one of the finest dancers to emerge from the Mao dynasty. His hardships, run-ins with teachers and spirit-crushing regime of exercise against an oppressive Chinese political backdrop are played back like memoirs as Li meets a young American girl and eventually seeks legal advice to defect. The eye-opening tour of life on the other side of the world seems too good to be true, but will Cunxin be able to sever ties with his home country and worse still his own family.

This is a coming-of-age drama and biopic, which accurately depicts the early ’80s and portrays the newsworthy and uplifting story of Li Cunxin. The Maoist government isn’t vilified beyond being another Communist state and is simply represented as a forceful and militaristic culture. Mao’s Last Dancer would have been more controversial if it was made in the late ’80s and by today’s standards it’s regarded as a simple contrast between cultures rather than trying to be subversive or critical of socio-political conditions. The film sides with what’s come to be known as ‘the free world’, but keeps the narrative at an arm’s length – making the audience feel, like an audience.

This makes the emotional punch of the story less manipulative, although there’s no feeling of real identification with Cunxin. Beresford’s storytelling swathes us with its inspiring and epic triumph of the human spirit drama, while almost effortlessly switching between such contrasting cultures and countries. The cinematography is understated, yet compelling… anchoring mis-en-scene for the era and capturing the essence of the dance in performances. The ballet is first-rate and they haven’t settled for anything less than excellent with Chi Cao playing Li Cunxin as an adult. Interestingly enough, Cao’s parents were two of Li’s former teachers and Li asked Cao to play him in the film.

However, the lead star in this production is the powerful story and the whole ensemble act as a team of story adept facilitators, delivering fine yet perfunctory supporting performances. The name stars include: Bruce Greenwood, Kyle McLachlan and Joan Chen with the lesser known Chi Cao, Amanda Schull as Li’s American wife, Elizabeth and Chengwu Gua as Cunxin as a teenager.

Mao’s Last Dancer is a beautiful film much like Billy Elliot and Shine. However, without a powerful lead performance to match the story there’s a slight disconnectedness that makes one feel just out of reach. This slightly diminishes the emotional impact of its climax. Then, there are aspects to the story that are left open-ended… such as Li’s marriage, which ends quite suddenly and ambiguously. The main drive of the story is with Li’s ability to reach his full potential in a climate of freedom and the true emotion that raises that performance. All in all, Mao’s Last Dancer is an epic, triumphant and captivating story.

The bottom line: Moving.

Screenplay with Spling
Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling
www.spling.co.za

With a strong feminine focus, the concept “grew out of a conversation with Fiona, and the images from Finuala Dowling’s poem ‘Doo Wop Girls of the Universe’ which really stuck in both our minds, and this formed the basis of inspiration for the piece”, says Johnstone. “We are privileged to have had the opportunity to work with amazing artists, and felt quite strongly that each person involved should be able to create, according to their strengths. Each part of the whole as it is presented, exists completely in collaboration with the other parts, but was developed separately – guided by common threads, but embracing the elements of chance that would result.”

Elements of the design were the first thing to be explored, Johnstone explains – “Angela brought a rail of clothes in to one of our earliest rehearsals, and we have had such fun playing ‘dress up’ in every rehearsal since! And this has informed the end product much more than we could have expected.”

Using some of the songs from Durban-based singer/songwriter Shannon Hope’s album ‘Still’, the musicians rehearsed separately initially, and then came in to the studio towards the end of the rehearsal period.

The result is an experiment in interdisciplinary integration, which will culminate in a once-off performance on the Main Programme at the Baxter Dance Festival this week. The Baxter Dance Festival aims to provide emerging and established dance companies and choreographers with an opportunity to present their work. The Main Programme will be made up of various works of different lengths presented by established professionals; and works commissioned by the Festival.

“Shannon and the Heartstrings” features vocalist Shannon Hope, and some of her songs; with musical support from nylon string guitarist Nir Hermelin; in Costumes, Set and Make-up designed by Angela Nemov. With concept and choreography by Fiona Gordon and Kristina Johnstone in collaboration with the cast, the piece features lighting designed in consultation with Craig Dobson, and is brought to life by dancers Tania de Jongh, Jamie Jansen, Melissa Jansen, Kerry-Lee Knott-Craig, Thalia Laric, Seugnet Liebenberg, Che Milani, and Katie Thorp.

“Shannon and the Heartstrings” will have one performance only – on the Main Programme at the Baxter Dance Festival, on Thursday 26 August 2010. The performance starts at 8pm. The Festival runs 25 to 29 August at the Baxter Theatre. Tickets for each night of the Main Programme are R75 (discounts apply) and are available through The Baxter Theatre or Computicket.

Images: Fiona Milligan

Fiona Gordon
072 298 6831

Join Barefoot Workshops this Friday at 7 p.m. at the Labia Theatre on Orange Street for a screening of the latest collection of short documentary films, each ten minutes in length, produced here in Cape Town by local and international filmmakers.

Two films were produced in four weeks:

Jikileza: Jikeleza dance project turns children’s lives around in Hout Bay Townships. A film by Alexia Beckerling & Ranjan Roy.

Aurelia: The journey of a woman who survived the unthinkable and came out strong enough to make a life of giving back. A film by Miriam Welderufael & Thabelo Motene.

Please come and celebrate this wonderful accomplishment!

* Meet the filmmakers
* Discover untold stories in your own back yard- thirty minutes of compelling content screened in intimate, sixty-seat, art house theatre
* Support inspiring leaders and communities featured in the films
* Network with people dedicated to strengthening community-based media, and storytelling in Cape Town
* Learn more about Barefoot Workshops, and our short, intensive, filmmaking workshops in Cape Town
* Join us after the screening for casual talk, and get-to-know-you social down the road on Long Street

This screening is FREE and open to the public. Drinks & dinner after screening are not included.
Please RSVP to guarantee space!

SIOBHAN HODGSON
intombipictures@gmail.com
073 1227 480

Fiona Gordon: An all-South African cast and creative team bring the music of ABBA to life on the Artscape stage.

Donna Sheridan’s knees weaken at the sight of men from her past, on the island she calls home, on the eve of her daughter’s wedding. Little does she know that her daughter Sophie has orchestrated the entire thing, in the hopes of finding out who her father is. Using the music of the well-known and loved songs of the 70s-sensation pop group, this feel-good rom-com about friendships spanning decades and many types of love, recreates the purple haze of the love generation, as characters gather on the island, brought together by this ‘small matter of a wedding’.

Simple set design sees waves reflected in the backdrop, surround, and lighting; and makes for a neutral canvas against which to showcase the colourful palette of ‘fabbaulous’ costumes, as ‘Donna and the Dynamos’ (Ilse Klink, Kate Normington) teeter in their platform boots reliving the glory days of their youth, in this story about ‘growing up and growing back down again’.

Much of the success of this ‘smash hit musical’ lies in the inherent singability of the music of ABBA, which has fans across generations, and many a foot tapping. Gina Shmukler is Donna Sheridan, and Carmen Pretorius is the ‘girl with golden hair’ – her daughter Sophie, both justifying their casting in the confident competence with which they managing that extremely difficult task of recreating music that many know and love. Sophie’s love, Sky (Stephen Jubber), is well-cast as a match for her; as are the long-lost love interests of her mother.

Amongst subtle commentary on the significance of dreams, that institution that is marriage, and the special bond that exists between a mother and daughter, some of the most memorable scenes are the respective ‘last nights of freedom’ of the young couple, with significant contribution to their successes due to creativity in costuming.

Movies doing what they do in terms of creating a fantasy world, and the movie version of the musical having shown in cinemas relatively recently, it’s difficult not to have expectations of the stage version which cannot possibly be met, but the immediacy of the stage plays a different, and no less significant, role in the creation of the magic.

The finale sends off with a burst of energy that has the audience firmly on its feet, and the words of ‘Mamma Mia!’ planted firmly in my head!

‘Mamma Mia!’ plays at the Artscape Opera House until 19 September 2010, and thereafter at the Teatro at Montecasino. Tickets cost from R180, and bookings can be made through the respective theatres, or Computicket.

Fiona Gordon
fiona@artslink.co.za