Monthly Archives: October 2007

MUSIC REVIEW: Patrick Doyle: Music From the Movies

By Ray Bennett “Wherever there is Pat, there is laughter, and his laugh can be heard across several counties,” said Imelda Staunton on Sunday at the Royal Albert Hall concert of film music by the great Scottish composer Patrick Doyle. … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Ringwood players’ ‘Allo, ‘Allo

By Ray Bennett On any given weekend, enthusiastic players from more than 2,500 amateur theatre companies around Britain get together to put on a show and last weekend, I went down to Hampshire by the New Forest to see the … Continue reading

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VENICE FILM REVIEW: Jimmy Carter doc ‘The Man From Plains’

By Ray Bennett VENICE, Italy — Winning the Nobel Peace Prize does not automatically visit sainthood upon the recipient as Tom Lehrer observed while noting that satire died the day Henry Kissinger became laureate, but it looks pretty good on … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Nick Stafford’s ‘War Horse’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – It’s an imposing puppet made of bamboo, nylon, bicycle chain and leather, and its three human operators are clearly visible, but not long into the National Theatre’s captivating production of “War Horse,” the steed in … Continue reading

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FILM REVIEW: Robert Redford’s ‘Lions for Lambs’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The title of Robert Redford’s “Lions for Lambs” comes from a comment made by a German officer in World War I about the bravery of British soldiers compared to the criminal stupidity of their commanders. … Continue reading

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FILM REVIEW: Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Youth Without Youth’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – It has been 10 years since Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola last worked behind the camera, but high expectations for his new feature “Youth Without Youth,” which screened Sunday at the RomaCinemaFest, are dashed as … Continue reading

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Clint Mansell’s ‘The Fountain’ tops World Soundtrack Awards

By Ray Bennett GHENT, Belgium – “This is really great, fantastic,” said British composer Clint Mansell as he struggled for words when he accepted his World Soundtrack Award  for best original score from three-time Oscar-winner Maurice Jarre. “Speak up, son,” encouraged … Continue reading

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Film composers strut their stuff in Ghent

By Ray Bennett GHENT, Belgium – Double Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla kicked off three evenings of music tied to the Flanders International Film Festival and the World Soundtrack Awards Thursday with a thunderous performance by the electrifying aggregation known as … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Christian Slater in ‘Swimming With Sharks’

By Ray Bennett Hollywood loves to think its corporate monsters are worse than in any other business, as George Huang demonstrated in his scabrous 1994 film “Swimming With Sharks”. Now, British writer Michael Lesslie has rendered the story onstage and Christian … Continue reading

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Gabriel, Desplat, Arnold honoured in BMI London awards

By Ray Bennett Peter Gabriel was in a philosophical mood as he accepted the accolade of BMI Icon in London this week. The British music industry crowd gave him two standing ovations as he spoke of what the honour means … Continue reading

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