Sunday 4 October 2015

London Road (2015 Rufus Norris)

We had to see this following Norris's film Broken (2012). Norris is an intense-looking theatre director - Q correctly identifies the film as having operatic roots (comparing it to Turandot at one point!). Having no idea what it was about we were initially intrigued by curiously worded singing by TV presenters, then realised that everything in it is real words spoken by residents of Ipswich road where murderer was caught. The effect is incredible. Often very funny e.g. the two girls who can't trust anyone, the TV presenters outside court. But also very impactful - in particular the song performed by the (remaining) prostitutes - we hear some of the real material in audio at the end - and this is the way all of writer Alecky Blythe's stuff is constructed. (This was originally a stage musical.)

Unfortunately for us, Norris is halfway through a year-long stint as resident director at the National, so no more films for the time being.

With the utterly fabulous as always Olivia Colman, Anita Dobson, Kate Fleetwood, Paul Thornley, Janet Henfrey and (briefly) Tom Hardy.

Music by Adam Cork, shot by Danny Cohen (with a noticeable shift from desaturated to full colour as the story progresses).


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