The Fall, written by Drew Hewitt and directed by Charlotte Peters, is one of the winners of Original Theatre Company’s Originals Playwriting Award, and stars Alex Kingston, Tyger Drew-Honey, Sara Stewart, and Adrian Lukis.
Janet and Liam are happily married, until that is, she stops talking to him, actually she stops talking completely. She begins seeing a psychiatrist in an attempt to find a diagnosis. What secrets are buried deep in Janet’s psyche? What will the revelation mean for her family? Will she share her secret or simply remain mute? How much of our lives are free will and how much is already mapped out for us?
Stewart and Lukis play the married couple. There are moments of sincere caring between them versus moments where you’re not entirely sure if they like each other. The writing gives these characters good depth and remains intriguing for the audience. Kingston, as the psychiatrist, is a steady existence within the storm of Janet’s hidden trauma.
Available to stream from 21 Nov 2022 19:30 until 28 Feb 2023 23:59.
Set in the early 1980s, in a coastal town and how the people who work in a cinema deal with the difficulty of the times, touching on racism, mental health and relationships.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Empire of Light (2022, dir. Sam Mendes) - review by Rookie-Critic
Empire of Light has a gorgeous score and brilliantly inspired cinematography as well as a couple of masterful performances from Olivia Colman and Michael Ward, which makes it all the more disappointing that the film itself isn't that special. Sold to audiences as a kind of "ode to the cinema," the theater is almost just a backdrop for a plot that is messy and largely unfocused. I did really enjoy a lot of the first half of the film, I caught myself smiling ear-to-ear multiple times, but it really starts to unravel in the second half. The film switches perspective between Colman and Ward a couple times, and their stories are so different it really does feel like you switched movies when the other lead isn't around. Also, and I felt this way about Licorice Pizza last year, I find age gaps in romance stories pretty problematic. Granted, in Licorice Pizza it was incredibly problematic because it was a 15 and a 25-year-old, and in Empire of Light the romance is developing between two consenting adults who's ages are never disclosed, but Ward is 25 and Colman is 48, so we can assume at least a 20 year difference in their characters. I just can't get past it, and I can't make an excuse for it being ok.
Also, they way they handle mental illness is... not the best. I get that it takes place in the 80s and the attitude and general knowledge wasn't where it is today, but there are things that the film suggests that I just can't get behind. Lastly, to round back to the original point about the film marketing itself as an ode to the cinema, there are a couple of scenes where it decides that it does want that to be what the movie is, for that moment, at least. Unfortunately, those moments are the best of the entire film, largely thanks to Toby Jones, who gives what could have been the role of his career had it actually been a substantial part of the film at all. I really believe that, had this film actually been about what it was marketed as instead of the really odd and problematic romance that we got, it would have been really brilliant. Sam Mendes can do so much better than this, and has. Knowing this is his first fully solo-written screenplay is incredibly disheartening. If you watch this, do it for everything but the plot, because Roger Deakins' (the absolute best there ever has been and possibly ever will be) camerawork mixed with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' atmospheric score elevate the great acting to make this middling movie look and feel magical, even if they're at odds with the director and his script.
A reminder to all, Summer of Giles (@summerofgiles) kicks off on 17th of July and will only be two weeks, ending on the 1st of August. Head on over to the Summer of Giles website for more info. Numbers have dwindled guys, and I don't want 2024 to be the last one.
And for any Buffy x Giles shippers, feel free to join the rest of us on the B/G Discord server HERE. NB: You HAVE to be 18+ to join. Be warned adult and sensitive topics are discussed. See you there 😁.
(Remember when everyone was obsessed with these like 10 years ago?xD - I'mma do this, and I implore you to do so... And tag me in it so I can be nosy? Probably reblog them too lol)
Preferably Pictured Answers :)
Day One: Favourite Classic Doctor
Day Two: Favourite New Who Doctor
Day Three: Favourite Classic Story
Day Four: Favourite New Who Episode
Day Five: Favourite Writer
Day Six: Favourite Male Companion
Day Seven: Favourite Female Companion
Day Eight: Favourite piece of music
Day Nine: Saddest Moment
Day Ten: Favourite Spin Off
Day Eleven: Favourite Dalek Story
Day Twelve: Favourite Monster (Not villian, so any monster goes)
Day Thirteen: Favourite Villain
Day Fourteen: Favourite Master
Day Fifteen: Favourite Cyberman story
Day Sixteen: Favourite Friendship
Day Seventeen: Favourite Tardis Team
Day Eighteen: Favourite One Time Character
Day Nineteen: Favourite Quote
Day Twenty: Favourite Tardis interior
Day Twenty One: Write 'Doctor Who' in your handwriting and post it
Day Twenty Two: Scariest Moment
Day Twenty Three: Two Classic companion outfits you love
Day Twenty Four: Two New Who companion outfits you love
Day Twenty Five: What is your favourite regeneration
Day Twenty Six: Favourite planet
Day Twenty Seven: Your favourite sonic screwdriver
Day Twenty Eight: Favourite Christmas episode
Day Twenty Nine: Favourite companion's family member
Day Thirty: An episode/story you don't think is spoken about enough