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Men In Black 3

It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.

Bel Ami

The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.

The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

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Carmen 3D (Film)

by Emmet O'Cuana | March 01, 2011 11:32 | Edited April 05, 2011 11:37

With the revelatory 3D bringing us closer to the performance, this is a spectacular cinematic experience.

Carmen 3D takes that most rarefied of entertainments - a night at the opera - and explodes it into a cinematic spectacular. The film itself is a collaboration between theatre director Francesca Zambello and 3D filmmaker Julian Napier, whose camera abandons the passive fixed perspective of the audience to weave around the performers themselves.

 

Set in Seville in the early 1800s, the plot is concerned with a tragic love affair between a young corporal, Don José and a gypsy, Carmencita. The opera's two most famous songs act as climactic junctures in the story. ‘Habanera' is a manifesto for Carmen's own fiercely independent nature and her refusal to be tied to one man; ‘La Toreador' marks the arrival of matador Escamillo, creating a love triangle with fatal consequences.

 

3D comes into its own with this production. With nary a blue cat person (thanks James Cameron) in sight, Napier cleverly positions the camera in amongst the action. The film opens with the performers readying themselves backstage, popping out of the screen. Then we visit the seats in the audience, creating the impression that the viewer is physically at the opera. Napier films the musician's pit itself as the prelude begins and the sound is so clear the turning of score sheets can be heard.

 

The film alternates between presenting the perspective of the audience members and acting as an invisible presence on the stage. At times the principal performers are inches away from the camera, creating an intimacy that enhances the overall experience.

 

Bryan Hymel plays Don José with a warm nobility that frays as his passion for Carmen consumes him. Christine Rice, as the eponymous gypsy, is a revelation, her face showing a mocking smile at the men who drool over her, then caught in a tumult of emotion when forced to choose between two lovers.

 

Carmen 3D combines the techniques of film and theatre to winning effect, making this classic opera more accessible to contemporary audiences. A genuinely cinematic experience.