Film – Where the Wild Things Are – directed by Spike Jonze

Star rating – 7/10

Let me first admit my vested interest in loving this film – this is one of my favourite all time books, not just children’s books. It is a fabulous story that I inflicted upon my own children, and still do happily inflict upon any passing children who will spare me the time, at every opportunity. Those wonderful opening lines just to remind you are:

‘The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind or another, his mother called him “WILD THING!” and Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP” so he was sent to bed without eating anything.’

And if you have never read this 1963 classic – what have you been doing? Go out immediately and beg steal or borrow a copy….

So, back to this new film version by Spike Jonze. It is not so much a children’s film, as a film for adults like myself who love the book, to enjoy and to take along with them any children they might like to bring along the way. And it has to be said that it is a very dark film. One of my seven year old twin companions on this occasion thought it was a bit too scary to be a PG certificate. Jones brings the story to life by setting poor lonely Max in a family where his big sister and her friends make fun of him and won’t let him join in their fun, and his single parent mother is preoccupied by cuddling up to her new boyfriend with a glass of wine than inspecting Max’s new den. So obviously he gets mad, bites her, and runs away into an adventure with the wild things. Seems quite reasonable under the circumstances.

The adventure itself is also quite dark. The monsters have their own internal wrangling which make the group dynamic difficult to control. But they quickly make the intrepid Max their king and he tries to lead them into peace and harmony, with mixed results it has to be said. Max Records is wonderful as the young Max, and James Gandolfini stars as the voice of one of the main monster characters, Carol.

The film is a bit over long, which makes it more challenging for the young viewers. But the way the much loved and very short story is extrapolated is indeed very good. The wild settings are impressive and slightly futuristic, and the cinematography is wonderful.

So yes, ‘Let the wild rumpus start’, but just make sure you get back home by suppertime.

Theatre – Blithe Sprit – Royal Exchange

Star rating – 8/10

This year’s festive offering from the Royal Exchange is a real delight. The reworking of this hilarious Noel Coward romp will bring cheer and hilarity to those already feeling stressed by the season.

Suranne Jones sparkles and shines in her Royal Exchange debut. She proves her worth as a talented actor – with not a trace of the famous Manc attitude of Karen McDonald, so beloved by ardent Corrie fans like myself. And her elegant costumes are to die for. The play is set in the home of the dapper and suave author Charles Condomine (more about this later) , and his second wife Ruth. The first Mrs Condomine, Elvira, having died some seven years previously of a heart attack whilst recovering from a bout of pneumonia, and being unable to stop laughing at a BBC entertainment show on the radio. You have been warned – laughter can be dangerous. But not in this play.

Elvira’s spirit is conjured up during a séance being held by the true star of the show Madame Arcati. Annette Badland is simply wonderful in this hilarious role. She struts around the stage variously going into trances, and eating as many sandwiches as she possibly can, conjuring up images of Margaret Rutherford in English classic movies. Badland is a superb actress, and will be familiar to many from her TV roles including parts in Dr Who and Bergerac. She has the audience eating out of her hand – nearly literally at one point when a sandwich that she carelessly discarded accidentally hit one of the audience. The whole theatre erupted in spontaneous laughter, as did the cast, it has to be said. And when the sandwich was promptly thrown back she ad libbed brilliantly to add to the fun. But I think this extra frisson was a one night only addition…

The tale unfolds as Ruth is horrified by the sudden appearance of her deceased rival, and accuses her husband of being some sort of ‘astral bigamist’. And the only weak link it has to be said is unfortunately Milo Twomey, who plays the haunted Charles Condomine. He fluffed more lines than I have ever seen at the Royal Exchange – even though this was a preview showing I certainly do expect better. And he shouted his way through the performance, rather than being suave and debonair as the part demands.

That gripe aired then, the rest of the production is stunning and fun filled. And mention must be made of the wonderful set design and special effects, which add to the hilarity.

Bravo then to (almost) all and a very Merry Christmas!

Books – The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest – Stieg Larsson

Star rating 9/10

If you haven’t started on the Millennium trilogy by this late Swedish crime genius yet, firstly - where have you been - and secondly - I am jealous of all the hours of reading pleasure you have yet to come. But please be warned, it is a strong willed individual who can resist leaving any time lag at all between devouring the three volumes. I have spent the last three weeks with my head and brain immersed in these superbly thrilling volumes. So get your excuses ready for your boss for unmet deadlines now…

This third volume is really just a continuation of the second Book, ‘The Girl Who Played With Fire’, as there is hardly a paper width between the two tales. We are again deep in trouble with the Swedish journalist Mikael Blomkvist helping the enigma that is Lisbeth Salander – who is facing a murder trial and incarceration for life on the grounds of insanity. This has got to be the biggest potential miscarriage of justice in history. Abused and used since she was a girl, Salander is the fall girl for a massive state cover up involving Soviet defectors, secret police, and reaching its tentacles even into the Swedish Government.

Salander is that crazy yet appealing mix of vulnerability and feistiness that is so beguiling and intriguing. She is in a hospital bed for a lot of the book, desperately trying to use her amazing IT skills to get her out of a colossal mess, and to help out anyone who she considers to be a loyal friend, which it has to be said is not an extensive group of people. Past experience has taught Salander that it is a mistake to trust - period. And she is no angel for those who do her wrong. I do like a woman who knows how to bear grudges – and boy does she bear them well.

Larsson, who tragically died before these novels became the worldwide publishing phenomenon that they are today (and deservedly so – unlike some others I could mention Mr. Dan Brown), is railing against both state oppression, right wing conspiracies, and violence against women in general. And he makes sure that the women in his novels are not merely victims or bit part players. They are centre stage at the heart of the action. And speaking of action, this final part of the spectacularly wide ranging tale is like a spider’s web – slowly building up the players and the game that they are each playing. It is not just an action packed thriller. There is certainly action but so much more than that. This is a morality tale for our times.

It is just a tragedy that we will not get to hear more of the wonderful Lisbeth Salander – computer hacker extraordinaire, heroine to rival all heroines – just don’t cross her. My kind of woman.

Film – A Serious Man – directed by Ethan & Joel Cohen

Star rating – 5/10

This is a very dark film – no doubt about that. It is the tale of Larry Gopnik, a Jewish physics professor in the mid west of America in the 1960s. When we join Larry and his family their world seems to be disintegrating fast. His wife has been having an affair and announces that she wants them to separate. Larry has to move into a motel with his overweight, dysfunctional brother Albert. His son and daughter seem to have no redeeming features to speak of. His son is a TV obsessed dope head, and his daughter is obsessed with washing her hair and planning to have a nose job. And his work at the college is not going swimmingly well either.

The Cohens use a cast of unknowns here, and the acting is top class. Michael Stuhlbarg is excellent as the hapless Larry. He seeks guidance from a string of Rabbis – none of whom seem particularly suited to the task. He finds solace in the arms of a sexy neighbour. Still nothing goes right for him.

The film is very bleak, Just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do - in a spectacular fashion. It is darker than the Cohen brothers’ earlier offerings. Too dark for me by far. In the end I just didn’t really get the point of the film. And I didn’t get all of the humour. There are a lot of Jewish jokes that totally passed by me, but had some of the audience rolling with laughter. The closing credits assure the audience that ‘No Jews were harmed in the making of this motion picture’. So that’s a relief. But I was disappointed – not as good as for example ‘Fargo’, or ‘No Country for Old Men’. For my money not one of their best offerings.

Theatre – Annie Get Your Gun – Young Vic

Star rating – 8/10

Irving Berlin’s famous musical is not often revived these days. Possibly something to do with the racist overtones in the original, sidestepped here in this new production by Richard Jones, by leaving out the less PC elements like the ‘I’m an Indian Too’ number. It is also a show without a shred of a feminist leaning, where the moral of the story is for women to be pink and fluffy, and to let their desired man win in any contest in order to win him over.

So, not one for Spare Rib readers then. But having said all that, this production, with the brilliantly versatile Jane Horrocks in the title role, is a bundle of laughs, and irresistible fun. Horrocks again demonstrates her vocal range, as she also did so memorably in ‘Little Voice’. Her target hunk is also played with style, and tongue firmly in cheek by Julian Ovenden, as Frank Butler. There is also a great supporting cast, who in the main only add value to the proceedings, perhaps except for a weak link in Buffalo Bill.

The score is arranged to great effect for four pianists, with heart warming numbers like ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’; ‘Anything You Can Do’; and ‘They Say it’s Wonderful’. There is real chemistry between Annie and Frank, and the story of their on/off/on again/off again… love affair is heartening. Even with the anti feminist message of the show, I am still a sucker for a good musical, and this is a great one, with a good modern production and another star turn by the leading gun toting Horrocks.

Books – The Girl Who Played with Fire – Stieg Larsson

Star rating – 9/10

Ok so I admit it – there has been no external cultural exploits this week as I have been too busy with my nose stuck into the second of the incredibly exciting Millennium Trilogy – posthumously published by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. This volume is not quite so self contained as the first, but is no less gripping for that. The exciting and intriguing character of Lisbeth Salander again mesmerises – strong; bloody minded; fearless; sexy; an IT genius; secretive; and now an expert solver of impossible algebraic formulae to boot, Salander is a person you just need to know more about.

The other central character in the story is again her former lover and sometime friend (or at least he tries to be and she constantly resists) journalist Mikael Blomkvist. To start to reveal anything by way of a plot synopsis would be to spoil the fun. Suffice it to say that this is a thrilling instalment, with a cliff hanger ending. So that means another week in my life trying to fit in work, in between having my head stuck firmly in the third and final volume. Thoroughly recommended – but be warned – once you start you really can’t stop.

Books – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson

Star rating – 9/10

I am totally embarrassed to admit that I have only just got around to reading the first instalment of Stieg Larsson’s best selling Swedish crime trilogy. In my defence I did buy this as a present for a friend when it was first published in 2005, having read the rave reviews, but just never got around to sampling it myself.

And although I don’t usually put reviews on the blog of books that are not newly published or discovered, I couldn’t resist a few lines just to say that this was brilliant. It had me totally gripped with the fast paced and enthralling adventure. The two lead characters, are very interesting and attractive people. You want and need to know lots more about the journalist Mikael Blomkvist, and the strange, vulnerable but brilliant Lisbeth Salander, who you wouldn’t want to get anywhere near your own PC.

I don’t usually read series of books back to back but I feel there is no other way with this one. Off to the bookshop then right away...