Newsnight Review 11 July, 2008
Here is Martha's look ahead to what's on Newsnight Review tonight:
"When I was a student, my favourite music was definitely punk, the sweaty gigs of Siouxsie and the Banshees, X Ray Specx with the inimitable Polly Styrene, with my collection of Clash singles blaring out from a Dansette. But I also had a secret love and used to slip out to a pub on the High Street which had a fine collection of Abba singles on its juke box. I went to Abba: The Movie and even had a box of Abba: The Soap on my wall. So I was definitely the target audience for Mamma Mia the stage musical which I went to see when it opened as I was interviewing its director Phyllida Lloyd for Woman's Hour. I loved the tortuous way each song was shoehorned into the story line. Tonight we'll be discussing the new film starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters. Does it capture the energy of the stage show?
My guests are Bidisha, Jonathan Freedland and John O'Farrell. We'll also be reviewing a new Ö÷²¥´óÐã One drama called Burn Up, set in the run up to a UN conference on climate change. But this has a bit more drama than the bracketing of texts and draft communiqués. It stars Rupert Penry Jones from Spooks and Bradley Whitford from The West Wing whom I have been pining for since the ending of Studio Sixty on the Sunset Strip. Couldn't we all club together to demand a second series?
Also in the programme a new take on Pirandello's classic play Six Characters in Search of an author. Rupert Goold and Ben Power's new version, playing in Chichester is a very timely reworking. It's set in the world of TV fakery.
And we'll end by discussing new short stories by Tobias Wolff, the highly acclaimed American writer. I am very interested in the form as I am chairing the judges for the Ö÷²¥´óÐã National Short Story Award, the winner will be announced on Monday. As well as discussing Wolff's fiction, I will be interested to hear my guests' views on why short stories seem to thrive more in America than here.
Do join us all at 11pm.
Martha"
Check out the Review website .
Comment number 1.
At 11th Jul 2008, Xie_Ming wrote:When talking of the International Criminal Court, be sure to explain why the USA refused to join
and has passed legislation authorizing the military rescue of any US officials arrested by the ICC.
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Comment number 2.
At 15th Jul 2008, born_2_booze wrote:I find it interseting to note that both the panel on NN Review and Mark Kermode on the Culture Show gave favourable reviews of the 'Mama Mia' film musical released recently.
A point raised on both programs was that; though at first the film is awful, unwatchable, cringe-making etc, once this initial shock had been overcome and as the audience emerged on the far side, dark side of cheesiness, the film then becomes bearable, nay, enjoyable! Harmless family fun, or words to that effect.
Meryl Streep, interviewed on the Johnathan Ross program, explained her reasons for signing-up to do the film. She explained how, following the 9/11 attacks, she decided to take her children to see the Mama Mia musical then playing in New York, as relief from the events happening in NY. She explained how, when the musical finished, the children sang and danced from the theatre (how lovely) and how positive, powerful she though these songs, the story, the music.
Perhaps today, in the post - 9/11 world of rising oil prices, house prices, debt, food shortages etc etc, our trusty panelists (and Mark)are themselves prone to the unconcious softening of their otherwise tough, stern rigours regarding what passes as passable, ok. In need of a light relief, an escape, a blotting out of daily concerns. Perhaps if this film was released in the mid '90s it would not have even been considered for review on either program.
Is there not a psychology study which suggests the link between world economics and the length of womens skirts, as portrayed in film? (something along those lines)...ah yes...during times of hardships the skirt length tends to be longer but during an economic up-turn the skirt hem rises in direct relation, reflecting the more care-free prosperous time.
Currently then, the skirt hem is easily on the knee, arguably below it. (In fact Streeps in dungerees) And while this is the case, Mama Mia, it seems, fulfils the unconcious desire to be saved from the fearsome, perilous jaw of economic uncertainty, terror and rain.
Just a thoght.
I havn't actually seen the film myself.
I don't think I will.
A
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