Opera lovers are in for a treat with the Met Opera’s new staging of Dvořák’s Rusalka, a haunting love story inspired in part by Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of The Little Mermaid.
When the Fouchés, an Afrikaans family, arrive at the ATKV Buffelspoort resort for the holidays, they find that their regular caravan spot has been taken over by the Khumalos. Much hilarity ensues as the two families engage in madcap tit-for-tat exchanges and shenanigans. Buffelspoort manager Oom Gert and his dopey assistant are doing everything they can to prepare the resort for a surprise visit by an inspector from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa who will determine whether to award the venue an additional star, or not… Questions start to arise about the interest in a beauty salon that offers far more than manis and pedis… There’s an old lady on holiday with her dog which she struggles to hide as no pets are allowed, a handyman who can’t fix a thing, and a couple of local celebrities who think they can get away with not being recognised – all set against the backdrop of the beautiful and peaceful natural environment of the resort. The tranquillity is most profoundly disturbed by the ongoing clashes between the Fouchés and the Khumalos. Will they be able to set aside their cultural differences and actually enjoy their escape from the rigours of city life?
Kristine Opolais stars as the mythical Rusalka, with Brandon Jovanovich as the Prince, Jamie Barton as the witch Jezibaba, Katarina Dalayman as the Foreign Princess, and Eric Owens as Rusalka’s father, the Water Sprite.
Rusalka's world premiere was staged at the National Theatre in Prague in 1901. The only one of Dvořák’s operas to gain an international following (so far), Rusalka is in many ways a definitive example of late Romanticism—containing folklore, evocations of the natural and the supernatural worlds, and even a poignant interpretation of the idea of a love-death.
The story has a strong national flavour as well as universal appeal, infused by the Romantic supernaturalism of Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué’s novella Undine (previously set as an opera by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Tchaikovsky, and others) and Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid.
Screening times for Rusalka at Nouveau (Rosebank Mall, JHB; Brooklyn Mall, PTA; Gateway Commercial, DBN; and V&A Waterfront, CT) and select Ster-Kinekor cinemas are as follows: 25 March at 5pm; 26 March at 2.30pm; 28 March and 5 April at 11.30am; and 4 April at 6pm.
The running time is 3hrs and 40mins, with two intervals.
A terrifying sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that could have caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected. Life stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, and Olga Dihovichnaya. It's directed by Daniel Espinosa (Safe House), and is written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland, Deadpool).
Director Daniel Espinosa says that before he was approached to direct Life, he had given some thought to the ways his filmmaking heroes approached science fiction. “I think the reason so many great directors have walked into science fiction is to work with the unknown – the fear or fascination with the unknown,” he says. “We live in a world that is quite mundane, but in space, you enter an adventure – you don’t know how it looks, how it feels, what it can do to you, where it is. It doesn’t make a sound. That’s terrifying.”
Tony Webster (Jim Broadbent) leads a reclusive and quiet existence until long buried secrets from his past force him to face the flawed recollections of his younger self, the truth about his first love (Charlotte Rampling) and the devastating consequences of decisions made a lifetime ago.
Playwright Nick Payne (Constellations) adapted Julian Barnes' beautiful and beguiling novel for the big screen, helmed by acclaimed director Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox).
“I hope that (moviegoers) can walk away with a sense of a very particular kind of longing that Tony feels,” says Payne.
For Batra, the hope is more about making a film that complements the book, yet stands up as a film in its own right. “I really hope we populated Julian’s universe in a way that’s true to the movie and the book as well. He’s just a wonderfully generous man and I hope the movie and the book can exist together as complements.”
Jon Baker (Dax Shepard) and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello (Michael Peña) have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten up pro motorbiker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover federal agent investigating a multi-million dollar heist that may be an inside job — inside the CHP.
The inexperienced rookie and hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kick-starting a partnership is easier said than done. But with Baker’s bike skills combined with Ponch’s street savvy, it might just work… if they don’t drive each other crazy along the way.
Writer/director Dax Shepard delivers a buddy cop comedy loaded with enough action, stunts and hard-R humour to push it to the legal limit.
Citing the inspiration he drew from the late ‘70s/early ‘80s TV series created by Rick Rosner, who is now one of the film’s executive producers, Shepard says, “To me, the key elements of that show were the setting, the bikes, and the fact that Jon and Ponch were heroes.” And as much as those characters were unique to the show, his Jon and Ponch are different. This is a new incarnation, with its own personality — a big-screen “CHIPS” for a new generation that takes the stunts, action, and comedy further than the small screen would allow.
Five ordinary teens must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove — and the world — is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.
Directed by Dean Israelite (Project Almanac), starring Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G, Ludi Lin, featuring Bill Hader, with Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Banks.
The screenplay is by John Gatins (Kong: Skull Island, Real Steel). Story is by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless (Dracula Untold) and Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney.
Dean Israelite grew up watching Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in South Africa. “It became a phenomenon there, just as it did all around the world,” he says. “What I remember most is how empowered the show made you feel. When it emerged that this project was going to reimagine the show, I was very excited. I knew if I could tap into the feeling of the original it would be an incredible adventure.”
Remaining true to the spirit of the television series has been fundamental to every decision made by the production team, says Israelite. “We are here because of the fans who have sustained the series for over 23 years. It’s imperative that they come out of this movie feeling like we have taken what they love — and we love — about the series and brought it to life in a contemporary way while respecting the mythology.”
A speculative thriller, when a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation. Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, Sicario) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams, Girls), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (Catherine Keener, Captain Phillips) and Dean (Bradley Whitford, The Cabin in the Woods).
At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behaviour as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.
Equal parts gripping thriller and provocative commentary, it was written and directed by Jordan Peele (Key and Peele).
Says Peele: “First and foremost, I always want to entertain, so I hope people experience that in the theatre. Get Out is a loud experience. It’s fun, scary and titillating, and I want audiences to laugh. After that, I hope that they have a discussion about race and horror films that they haven’t had before.”
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