TheMainFeatureSeason40-Issue2-Screening26September2019

“Whitecrow“isaRussianexpressionforsomeonewhodoesn’tfitthenorm;whostandsoutfromthecrowd.ItistotallyappropriatetodescribethedancerRudolfNureyev,whothroughouthislife,includinghisprivateandpersonallife,confoundedtheexpectationsofthesocietyaroundhim.IvolunteeredtowritethesenotesafterseeingascreeningoftheBolshoiBallet’sproductionofthe“CarmenSuite“earlierthisyear.Theballetwasoriginallychoreographedasashowcaseforthetalentsofanexceptionalballerina,butformetheexcitementlayinthesheetphysicality,thestrengthandtheathleticismofthemaledancers.ThischangeinstyleislargelyduetoNureyev.AfellowdanseurattheRoyalBalletwrote“Until(Rudi)camealong,allamanhadtodotogetintotheRoyalBalletwas,moreorless,turnupandshowwilling.Nureyevcompletelychangedthepace.Heengagedwithfemaledancers,manhandledthem.Itwasexciting,virile.”Buthisstory,toldinthisfilm,isaboutmorethanthehistoryofdance,ofcourse.Itisaboutacomplexandfascinatingman,whosedramaticdefectionfromtheUSSRin1961,outwittingtheKGB,grabbedtheattentionoftheworld,addinganelementoftheclassicColdWarespionagenoveltothemix.

TheWhiteCrowUK/France/Serbia,20182hrs7minsCertificate12ADirector: RalphFiennesScreenplay: DavidHare;JulieKavanagh

(fromherbook“RudolfNureyev:TheLife”)

Cinematographer: MikeEleyProducers: CarolynMarksBlackwood;

RalphFiennes;FrancoisIvernel;AndrewLevitas;GabrielleTana

Cast:OlegIvenko RudolfNureyevRalphFiennes PushkinLouisHoffman TejaKremkeAdeleExarchopoulos ClaraSaintSergeiPolunin YuriSolovievOlivierRabourdin AlexinskyRaphaelPersonnaz PierreLacotteChulpanKharmatova Xenia

RudolfNureyevwasbornin1938inIrkutsk,Russia(thenpartoftheUSSR).HetrainedattheprestigiousKirovBalletSchoolinLeningrad(nowStPetersburg)andenteredtheKirovBalletCompanyin1958.Fromthestart,hewasrecognisedashavingexceptionaltalent,butalsoasbeingunconventionalandpassionateinhisviews.This,inSovieteyes,madehimdangerous.AfterhelefttheUSSR,hehadabrilliantcareerintheWest,whichrangedfromhispartnershipwithMargotFonteynthroughnumerousfilms(inoneofwhichheplayedRudolphValentino)toanappearanceonthe“TheMuppetShow”.HewasfinallyallowedtoreturntheUSSRonavisitin1989,whenhedancedwiththeKirovBallet,andwasabletosaygoodbyetohisdyingmother.Hishealthwasfailingbythen,buthecontinuedtoworkuptohisdeathin1993ofanAIDs-related

illness,andisburiednearParis.Threeyearslater,OlegIvenkowasborninKharkov,Ukraine.Bythen,theSovietUnionhadcollapsed.Ivenkoisaclassicallytraineddancer,andisaleadingartistoftheTatarStateAcademicOperaandBalletTheatre.HenotonlyhasaphysicalresemblancetotheyoungNureyevbutdancesinthesamestyle.HeisverywellthoughtofinEasternEurope,winninganumberofprestigiousprizes,butisrelativelyunknownintheWest.Thisfilmwillchangethat.Whenhewasfirstcontactedaboutauditioningforamajorfilmrole,Ivenkothoughttheemailwasascam,anddeletedit.However,hewasapproachedagain,andthistimeheknewhewantedtoplayNureyev.Initially,RalphFiennes,asdirector,wasnotconvinced,butintheendIvenkosecuredhisfirstactingrole.Now,heenjoysactingandwantstodomoreinfuture,althoughitishopedhewillcontinuetodance!HehassaidthatahardpartofpreparingforthepartwaslearningtospeakRussianthewayRussiansdoratherthanUkrainianRussian.RalphFienneshasbeenadistinguishedactoranddirectorformanyyears,withalonglistofsuccessfulfilmstohiscredit,includingSchindler’sList,TheEnglishPatientandTheGrandBudapestHoteltonamebutafew.MembersmayrecallhispowerfuladaptationofShakespeare’sCoriolanuswhichhedirected,andstarredinwithGerardButler,andwhichWNCCscreenedseveralseasonsago(tomixedreviews!).Anartistofgreatversatility,heis,however,accordingtoseveralofthewebsitesIread,forevertoberememberedasLordVoldemortinHarryPotter.FormoreinformationaboutNureyevandhislegacy,gototheRudolfNureyevFoundationwebsite:nureyev.org/rudolf-nureyev-foundation.DianaJames

WethankRedEyeforsubsidisingthecostofprintingthesenotes.RedEyePrint,Unit2D,LansburyEstate,102LowerGuildfordRoad,Knaphill,GU212EPTel:01483772111

Venicefilmfestival:shockandaweasJoker–andRomanPolanski–triumphComicbookmoviestarringJoaquinPhoenixtakestopawardandAnOfficerandaSpywinsgrandjuryprize Joker,ToddPhillips’mordantspinonGotham’sgrinningantihero,haswontheGoldenLionawardatthe76thVeniceFilmFestival.Thefilm,whichstarsJoaquinPhoenixasawould-bestandupcomic,wasecstaticallyreceivedatitspremiereontheLidolastweekend,withcriticsimmediatelytippingittobethefirstsuperherofilmtotakethebestpictureOscar.RecentGoldenLionrecipientsincludeRomaandTheShapeofWater,bothofwhichwentontotriumphattheAcademyAwards.InhisspeechonSaturday,Phillips,whosepreviousfilmsincludetheHangovertrilogy,thankedWarnerBrosforentrustinghimwiththeDCproperty.Asequelisrumouredtobeintheworks,aswellasafilminwhichPhoenix’sJokerencountersRobertPattinson,whowasrecentlychosentoreplaceBenAffleckasBatman.AlthoughJokerwasahitwithreviewersandPhoenixissomethingofafestivaldarling,theresultwasnonethelessperceivedtobeanunusuallymainstreamchoiceforLucreciaMartel’sjury.Yetmoresurprising,givenMartel’sdisparagingremarksaboutitsdirectorattheopeningpressconference,wastheawardingofthegrandjuryprizetoRomanPolanski’sAnOfficerandaSpy.Thefilm,whichstarsJeanDujardinandLouisGarrel,isbasedonRobertHarris’snovelabouttheDreyfusaffairin1895France.Yetdespitethecontinuedcontroversysurroundingitsdirector,thatfilmalsometwithhighlypositivereviews.Polanskididnottraveltothefestivaltopromotethedrama,nordidheattendtheclosingnightceremonytopickuphisprize.LucaMarinelliwonbestactorforMartinEden,andArianeAscaridetookthebestactressprizefortheFrenchdomesticdramaGloriaMundi.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/07/venice-film-festival-shock-and-awe-as-joker-and-roman-polanski-triumph

Comments and reactions to: Stan and Ollie No of reaction slips received = 25 Average score = 6.92 Score 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ~ ~ ~ 1 ~ 2 5 9 6 1 1 Affectionateandrespectfultribute.Inearlystartedapplaudingattheend!Enjoyedtheshort.Mainfeaturewasslow,stageyandsad.Warmedupwhenthewivesappeared(alltoobriefly),butfeltlikeamissedopportunityVeryemotional.Goodstarttothe40thseasonMorecombeandWisehavenothingtofearfromthisduoNotafanofthistypeofhumour,butenjoyedthefilmverymuchWelldone,butperhapsbetterasanhour-longTVfilmFilmslowandsad Greatcasting–veryenjoyableAnexcellentstarttotheseason GoodstarttotheseasonSadbuttrue–wellperformed. Slightlytoolong,but…Beautifullyportrayedcharacters AgoodinsightintothelastdaysofagreatduoRemarkableperformancesbyCooganandReilly–likeanoldmarriedcouple Position Film Averagescore

1 StanandOllie 6.92

Forthcomingattraction:10October2019DerBallonTwofamiliesriskalltomakethecrossingoftheinnerGermanborder,fromtheGDRtoWestGermany,withahome-madehot-airballoon.Overcomingproblemsinsourcingmaterialandgasburners,theycomeunderpressureastheSTASIbecomeawareofthepotentialescapeattempt.