Philippine Asian News Today Vol 21 No 3 | Page 26

26 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY February 1 - 15, 2019 By Alan Samuel Much Ado About Nothing. Words like these emanated from top British scribe Willie Shakespeare. With tongue firmly in cheek comes your way The Favourite from Fox Searchlight Films. Already the darling of the soon to be awards season this fan favorite continues to draw in impressive crowds at The Park Theatre in Vancouver. Lo, for many a year the British have been regarded for churning out the best actors. Consider The Favourite to be a testament to that fact. Off we go back in time to a so merry England where we bear witness to the court of one Queen Anne In a performance fitting to be knighted a largely unknown Olivia Colman takes to the screen like a duck to water. Or is that an ugly duckling. Come to think of it ducks figure rather prominently in This tale of a jaded queen and the men (oops, check that - women) that come (or should that be cum) a calling. Not wanting Right from the outset I’m not sure if I should have titled my latest review stroked or stoked. Opting for the former description due to the subject matter be prepared to be swept away by Young Picasso. Part of Cineplex’s In the Gallery series this is another example of bringing art to the fil-going public in an entertaining, enlightening and invigorating and easy to understand and sure to be appreciated way. Now movie fans the world over will know this slick and meaningful movie is all about the one of a kind artist who rose from humble beginnings to take the art world by storm. See the growth of a legend in this mesmerizing portrait of an iconic figure. Fit for all ages these ninety movies is inspiring and engaging throughout with memories to last a lifetime You don’t have to like art to appreciate the care conveyed in this aesthetically appealing presentation. But it helps. Most people know about Picasso and his importance to the world of art. For almost two hours we see just how a man’s family and friends came to influence a new movement that took the visual world by storm. Told with countless interviews with curators, historians and the main man’s own grandson Young Picasso is a treasure of wealth. Naturally there is an abundance of the founder of modern art’s works on display. Go behind the story and basis of to turn this terrific piece into a cheap porn artscape you just can’t walk or turn away from the fact that this stuck up royal has a “thing” for the ladies. Things get a bit hectic behind closed doors when two completely women enter the picture both vying for her attention and dare, I say favours. Power corrupts as The Favourite beautifully displays this truism to a fault. Set inside a beautiful estate adorned with treasures fit for a queen Rachel Weisz (The Mummy) and Emma Stone Leave nothing on the table in command performances as two women, Lady Sarah and Abigail Who will both stop at nothing to win their master’s heart. Never mind that the colony is in turmoil and on the brink of destruction thanks to both external and internal threats. Here we have a lady solely interested in her carnal capacity/capability with two ladies in waiting there at the ready. Ah, the lengths people will go to get The Favourite (PG) ** Tone Deaf! what they want and those others be damned. Seeing these two charges of the Queen go at it could well have been the origin for the term dragon lady or the template for deviousness that resonates. Ribald, raunchy, raucous and liberally sprinkled with your choice of tasteful (?) four letter words The Favourite is definitely fun and original. And different. But what else would you expect from Greek god to the cinema director Yorgos Lanthimus (The Lobster) who continues to impress by presenting a creative edge few in Hollywood could generate. Geared to the Masterpiece Theatre Downton Abbey Crowd if you enjoy fine acting then here’s one movie that serves it up in spades. It also keeps you guessing which makes it a delicious historically themed black comedy in spades. Young Picasso (G) ***** Stroked! such material and you’ll come away learning about Spain’s most renowned natural Wonder and appreciate iT even more. Above all is the tale of this giant relates to the importance of family, friends and surroundings. So, we have here a life that many can relate to and most have shared in from a personal standpoint. At an early age we see the strength and guidance of a father who took his boy under his wing and gave him the tools to practice and grow. A love of art was installed early in the lad’s life as good old dad was an art teacher himself. Learning his trade and focusing on the community he lived in this art in training moved with parents from Malaga to Madrid to Barcelona to Paris with at each stop learning more and soaking in the environment around him. Like so many young people eventually Pablo decided to break free of his father and so would begin an unparalleled journey of growth and discovery that the world can be proud to have witnessed. And we can’t help to see the way women impacted his life as in the early nineteenth century we learn how a painting of five nude women, tasteful in all respects, became the start If cubism with its inclusion masks which this trailblazer first incorporated after seeing an exhibit in France. Ahead of his time he was indeed. What a wonderful, trip down memory lane Young Picasso is Fully inspiring. High marks of this documentary include a scintillating soothing score, gorgeous shots of modern Spain that capture the flavor of the culture and community and unparalleled access to in Europe this master’s 8000 paintings that simply formed a small part of the legends 50,000 odd creations stemming from engravings, sculptures, drawings, etchings give or take. Talk about output, determined and perhaps even possessed this is an eye-opening journey not to be missed. Showtimes for Young Picasso: Feb 24 Sunday 12:55 pm. International Village, Silver City Riverport, Silver City Victoria, Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo Also may be playing at select theatres in B.C. on Feb. 27, March 5, 7, 10, 15, 18, 27 TEST No.1: Geography & Travel 1. The name of what big country comes from an Indian word that means “big village”? a. Brazil b. Canada 2. London’s Big Ben is neither the clock nor the tower but the name of the great bell inside the tower. a. True b. False 3. By law, all buildings in what beautiful northern African city must have a shade of red or pink? a. Cairo b. Marrakesh c. Khartoum d. Algiers 4. In terms of area, what is the world’s biggest peninsula? a. Iberian Peninsula b. Kamchatka Peninsula c. Yucatan Peninsula d. Arabian Peninsula 5. If you wish to go to the village of Hell, which cold country should you visit? a. Iceland b. Sweden c. Norway d. Russia 6. What company operates the five largest cruise ships in the world? New York City is the ‘Big Apple’; What Asian city is the ‘Big 7. Durian’? The famous Great Blue Hole is a giant submarine sinkhole lying 8. off the coast of what Central American country? What island – now plagued by plastic trash – got its name because 9. it is roughly equidistant between North America and Asia? Based on NASA’s nighttime satellite images of Earth, a trip of 10. what city is the brightest spot on the planet? WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM ANSWERS NEXT PAGE