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Searching undeterred: The Gift @ParkTheatre

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I recently had a few parcels go missing from where I live. The first parcel disappeared without a trace. The second parcel's contents were removed, and the box was left alone in the lobby. It's one of the things that you have to put up with living in central London. Apart from complaining to the delivery company and filing a police report, it crossed my mind to think about what would happen if I sent myself something rather unpleasant for a future parcel thief to open up. Well, Dave Florez's new work, The Gift, is in this line of thinking, except that the lead receives an anonymous gift of a turd in the mail rather than sending it to himself. It is lovingly gift-wrapped in a cake box from a posh north London bakery. It's a fascinating and hilarious three-hander currently playing at Park Theatre .  Colin (Nicholas Burns) is a little obsessive at the best of times. He doesn't let things drop quickly and is obsessed with the details behind anything and everythi...

Movies: Pina 3D


PINA - Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost - International Trailer from neueroadmovies on Vimeo.

Pina 3D is a tribute to the work of choreographer Pina Bausch and tells of the feelings of her dance company to her unexpected death in 2009. At times it feels more like an embalming than a celebration of her work and her life. You're not presented with any background, or much biography (but it is on the internet), it is about the performance of four of Pina's works intercut with other scenes and anecdotes from the dancers, which are occasionally poignant...

You could be forgiven with all the gloating about 3D coming to the art house movies that this film is any better than the standard 3D fare. Alas it is not. Like all 3D films it is under-lit and like watching a focus group through a two-way mirror, even to the point the smears on the heavy 3D eyewear give the impression of fingerprints on the window pane. For most times dancers in the distance looked blurry and washed out and the movement distorted to the point that I felt I was a stroke patient. Watching the poor quality image was infuriating to the point of distraction.

Only on occasions does it look brilliant and makes use of the format, such as when a woman stands on a chair and dives through a mans arms like a fish, or in the scenes with water or on location in Wuppertal (the suspended monorail makes a few guest starring appearances). These are few and far between however. It isn't particularly sexy or sensual either (notwithstanding the partial nudity, the occasional nipple and obviously fit bodies). For something so fluid and thrilling to see live, it seems a bit plain...

All told it is an interesting failure... You're likely to leave the cinema with your head spinning, but that's the shutter effect from the LCD glasses rather than anything artistic or inspired. See it in 2D.

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