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jlmoriarty
Reviews
La habitación de Fermat (2007)
Nice, that's all...
"Fermat's room" ("La habitación de Fermat") is a Spanish thriller, in the spirit of some recent American blockbusters, where maths are supposed to play an important role. But do not expect anything close to "Numbers" in terms of scientific depth. Maths here are only an anecdote.
In fact, this movie is for everyone but mathematicians, who will probably find that the challenges the characters have to face are too trivial and the alleged screw turns of the plot are quite predictable.
The script and the direction are basically OK, but the acting is quite irregular. While Lluís Homar and Santi Millán (especially Santi Millán, who clearly steals the show) are rather convincing and solid, I do not buy Alejo Sauras and Elena Ballesteros as young math geniuses. Maybe it is not all their fault, as their characters are arguably more stereotypical than the other two.
In the end, an entertaining popcorn movie for a rainy fall evening... as long as you do not know enough maths.
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
A miracle out of nowhere
Jesus Christ Superstar is one of my favourite musicals ever. Lloyd Webber and Rice at their best, with a perfect mix of youth, energy and creativity they never reached afterwards. Since stage musicals do not always work in the big screen, Norman Jewison's version of the rock opera really rocks. Everything is taken care of with great attention to the slightest detail: from the art direction to the setting, from the acting to the choreography.
The original elements (compared to the original stage production) are risky, but they work extremely well. The idea of a bunch of friends bringing Jesus' passion to life somewhere in Israel is extremely effective: the already quite uncomfortable ending becomes even more sad and pathetic. Also the extra song "Then we are decided" has some of the best lyrics overall and helps to portray adequately both Annas and Caiaphas characters.
Talking about these two guys, the falsetto voice of Annas is also a great element, sadly lost in some other productions. I think the combination of the deep bass Caiaphas and the female-ish Annas works great. The often satyric lines they share are stronger and more humorous this way. Also Herod's looks help a lot with his Cabaret-like number.
Probably my only concern is Ted Neeley's Jesus, a (small) step behind the rest of the cast in my opinion. Only in "Gethsemane" he seems to give the part what it deserves. Of course, it is the perfect choice for doing that. I am only one of many who have rediscovered Jesus in this song.
Above all performances, Carl Anderson's Judas steals the show. The character is probably the most powerful, both musically and dramatically, but Mr Anderson's acting takes it to its limits. "Heaven on their minds" is one of my favourite songs of all times and, after hearing quite a lot of versions, I still stick to Carl Anderson's. After his sad and untimely passing in 2006, this amazing performance will always remain in the memory of so many fans he left behind.
Interestingly enough, all criticisms and sacrilege accusations have aged poorly, while the music and the lyrics are today as powerful and brilliant as they were in 1973...