Production in Mexico City - my review

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lombano
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Production in Mexico City - my review

Post by lombano » Mon Oct 23, 2017 3:32 am

Hello, everyone. It's been a long while, I know. Anyway, yesterday I went to see the Jack Thorne play in Mexico City (Foro Shakespeare theatre) - I don't know who the translator was or how different it's from the original script. So here's my review - I'm assuming folks here are familiar with the novel and both films, so spoilers for them are unmarked:

This is a different iteration of the story - officially it's based on both the novel and the Swedish film, but it's also got elements from LMI and original additions. The script is overall closest to the novel. Both Oskar and Eli aren't quite the same as in the story's prior iterations and I'll deal with this first.
Regarding Eli, the actress who played her (Sarawati Valladares) did a very good job and clearly she wasn't cast solely for being a Lina look-alike (though she does resemble an older Lina than that of the film). This Eli is different in that she's more assertive, even aggressive. She practically yanks the Rubik's cube from Oskar, she takes charge when buying candy with Oskar and pays for it, she initiates dancing at Oskar's place, etc. At the same time, she seems more naive in some of her interactions with Oskar. It's not bad, but it is different. While physically she is most like Lina, her outfit when we first see her is like Chloe's in LMI (hoodie and bare legs). Eli being a boy is unambiguous in this version - in fact it's more upfront about this than the novel itself. Haakan addresses her as Elias and grammatically as a male. The novel's dialogue about Eli being "nothing" and the dialogue about telling Oskar her complete name are both included. Nevertheless, her demeanour is generally feminine and, unlike in the novel and even in the Swedish film, the castration is not touched upon, so based on the play alone there is no reason to think Eli is a castrated boy.
Eli's assertiveness plays out in some interesting ways - importantly, before Oskar refuses to invite her in Eli states that she's not what he thinks she is (a vampire) and when he asks what's the difference she answers "I choose not to be [a vampire]." I liked that bit. The assertiveness is sometimes a bit jarring (particularly at first, when one isn't expecting it), but it also plays out as a kind of frank bluntness, which itself works well.
On the other hand, Oskar (Diego Velázquez) was for me the play's greatest weakness. Partly it's the script, but mainly it's the performance - Oskar is almost a one-note scared, weak boy (a bit like LMI's Owen), and the most childish of all versions. The one exception is when the cop breaks in (as in LMI, the cop investigating the murders replaces Lacke), when he directly attacks the cop, when he is perfectly believable attacking the cop (so it's probably more the direction than the actor). Oskar's darker, angry side is basically entirely suppressed, to the point that he feels bad about hitting Johnny.
I really liked Oskar's mother (Yuriria del Valle) - not only is she played really well, but also they "Mexicanised" her lines really well - it's hard to pinpoint it exactly, but it works very well and adds to her believability. Incidentally, in this version both of Oskar's parents are alcoholics and we even learn they met at a bar.
A key addition to the play for me is that when Haakan is caught, Oskar is nearby and witnesses the pouring of the acid - Haakan was trying to kill Micke, one of Oskar's bullies. Eli later suspects that Haakan was in fact trying to murder Oskar out of jealousy - but there's no reason for us to think he was in fact targeting him) so there's at least an element of protecting Oskar in killing Haakan. Haakan himself is unambiguously sexually interested in Eli, though not quite as predatory as in the novel. It's implied that he's been with Eli for longer than novel Haakan, but there's no implication he's been with Eli since childhood. He's obsessed with Eli, but not quite as predominantly sexually as in the novel.
Another touch that's interesting is how the cop is handled - the interaction between him and Oskar's mother when he's interrogated as a witness is very good - the cop's high-handedness, etc is done pretty well. He briefly tortures Haakan (and as in LMI suspects some kind of sect is behind the murders), but can get nothing out of him. The cop is later, as the murders continue after Haakan's death, taken off the case and goes vigilante (a mixture of revenge for his own professional downfall and wanting to end the murders - he's less sympathetic than in LMI but by no means evil), which at least accounts for why he breaks in with no warrant, no backup, etc.
I liked that, in the pool scene, Oskar himself invites Eli in retroactively.
Overall, I liked the play and am glad I went, despite its flaws - my only real complaint is how Oskar was handled but otherwise it's an interesting take on the story and pretty well executed, with interesting touches and additions.
Bli mig lite.

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Jameron
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Re: Production in Mexico City - my review

Post by Jameron » Mon Oct 23, 2017 4:36 pm

Hey, thanks for sharing :)

.
"For a few seconds Oskar saw through Eli’s eyes. And what he saw was … himself. Only much better, more handsome, stronger than what he thought of himself. Seen with love."

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Re: Production in Mexico City - my review

Post by Nightrider » Mon Oct 23, 2017 4:54 pm

Very cool. From the online images I find the use of huge wall size mirror rather interesting. Was the mirror used in the production you've seen?

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lombano
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Re: Production in Mexico City - my review

Post by lombano » Tue Oct 24, 2017 2:03 pm

Nightrider wrote:Very cool. From the online images I find the use of huge wall size mirror rather interesting. Was the mirror used in the production you've seen?

Yes, it was. It's a sliding mirror, so it was in place or not depending on the scene. The staging must've a big challenge, given all the changes of scenery. The mirror helped, I assume, in letting them change the props behind it while another scene played out. The actor in the pic is playing the cop (named Staffan but is more like the cop in LMI).
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Re: Production in Mexico City - my review

Post by dongregg » Tue Oct 24, 2017 5:21 pm

lombano wrote:
Nightrider wrote:Very cool. From the online images I find the use of huge wall size mirror rather interesting. Was the mirror used in the production you've seen?
Yes, it was. It's a sliding mirror, so it was in place or not depending on the scene. The staging must've a big challenge, given all the changes of scenery. The mirror helped, I assume, in letting them change the props behind it while another scene played out. The actor in the pic is playing the cop (named Staffan but is more like the cop in LMI).
lombano, we've missed you. I shamelessly used your goldsmith, Jan, in "Friendship Rings" in part 8 of Set Me As a Seal upon Your Heart.

Thanks. :wub:
“For drama to deepen, we must see the loneliness of the monster and the cunning of the innocent.”

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Re: Production in Mexico City - my review

Post by PeteMork » Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:42 am

Nice review. I'm particularly happy to see you're still infected after all this time. I've always believed the infection finally settles comfortably into a chronic condition from which few, if any, of us ever recover. :D
We never stop reading, although every book comes to an end, just as we never stop living, although death is certain. (Roberto Bolaño)

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lombano
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Re: Production in Mexico City - my review

Post by lombano » Fri Oct 27, 2017 3:53 am

dongregg wrote:
lombano wrote:
Nightrider wrote:Very cool. From the online images I find the use of huge wall size mirror rather interesting. Was the mirror used in the production you've seen?
Yes, it was. It's a sliding mirror, so it was in place or not depending on the scene. The staging must've a big challenge, given all the changes of scenery. The mirror helped, I assume, in letting them change the props behind it while another scene played out. The actor in the pic is playing the cop (named Staffan but is more like the cop in LMI).
lombano, we've missed you.
Thanks!
I shamelessly used your goldsmith, Jan, in "Friendship Rings" in part 8 of Set Me As a Seal upon Your Heart.

Thanks. :wub:
8-)
PeteMork wrote:Nice review. I'm particularly happy to see you're still infected after all this time. I've always believed the infection finally settles comfortably into a chronic condition from which few, if any, of us ever recover. :D
8-)
Bli mig lite.

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