Latest news with #Chaplinesque
South China Morning Post
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Performance art by South Ho makes a point about Hong Kong's red lines under security law
There were hoots of laughter as the artist South Ho Siu-nam performed his new live performance piece during the May 10 opening of his exhibition 'Wandering Daily' in Hong Kong. Wearing a pair of plain white, basic trainers laced up with different ends of the same 100-metre-long shoelace, Ho strutted around Blindspot Gallery in Wong Chuk Hang in faux military style, dragging a long trail of white string through the crowded room in his wake. It caused mild mayhem as members of the audience scuttled out of the way or became awkwardly entangled when they refused to budge. Me, My White Sneakers, and Shoelaces was Chaplinesque in its comedy and just as serious. This was an illustration of Hong Kong's reality since the introduction of National Security Law in 2020: there is still a lot you can do – the shoelace gave plenty of slack – but the line is always there. South Ho performs Me, My White Sneakers, and Shoelaces at Blindspot Gallery in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong, on May 10, 2025. Photo: Ray Leung courtesy of artist and Blindspot Gallery 'Wandering Daily' is his first solo Hong Kong show since 2019 and it is a quietly impassioned response to how socially engaged artists continue to stay true to their art despite the new red lines.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Samshayam Movie Review: Suspicion, Laughter, and a Stirring Dilemma
Samshayam is a film that starts with chuckles and ends with a lump in the throat. Director Rajesh Ravi delicately balances comedy and drama in this heartfelt tale of doubt, identity, and parental love. What begins as an absurd suspicion turns into a soul-searching journey for a young couple caught between love and biology. Manoj (played with impeccable comic timing by Vinay Fort) and Vimala (the ever-authentic Lijomol) are a regular, loving couple whose world revolves around their toddler. But one fine day, Vimala is struck by a gut feeling—what if their child was switched at birth? What if the baby they've been raising isn't really theirs? What follows is a delightfully quirky first half, driven by Vinay Fort's Chaplinesque antics, full of small-town charm and situational comedy. The ever-present Indian Coffee House and Bhaskarettan (played by a warm and witty Kunjikrishnan), brings in nostalgia. Cinematographer Maneesh Madhavan captures the earthy textures of Kerala's interiors with a light, unobtrusive lens, making the locations feel lived-in. Hesham Abdul Wahab's music blends seamlessly, with soft melodies that reflect the emotional undertones of the story. The tone shifts in the second half with the entry of Haris (Sharafudheen, in a grounded performance) and Faisa (Priyamvadha), introducing the moral complexities of the situation. The laughter takes a backseat as the film dives into the emotional weight of the couple's dilemma—should they hold on to the child they've raised or pursue the one who shares their blood? Lijo Paul's crisp editing ensures the pace never slackens, even when the film meanders into emotionally murky territory. Director Rajesh Ravi never lets the film become melodramatic, keeping it grounded and human. Samshayam isn't flawless. Some scenes feel slightly stretched, and the resolution could have packed a bigger emotional punch. But it's a sincere film that uses humour to explore a heart-wrenching 'what if.' It asks a powerful question: is parenthood defined by biology or love? Samshayam is a tender, well-crafted tale that sneaks up on you. Come for the laughs, stay for the feels. A thoughtful dramedy with a quirky heart. -Anjana George
The Guardian
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Romeo and Juliet review – star-crossed lovers resurrected in the wild west
The warring Houses of Montague and Capulet are resurrected in the wild west, with the star-crossed lovers in cowboy boots, gingham and Stetsons. Director Sean Holmes's high concept production might have been preposterous and, initially, the idea speaks louder than the play, but by turns it woos, bewitches and becomes irresistible. Romeo (Rawaed Asde) and his brawling compatriots wear holsters while Tybalt (Calum Callaghan) is referred to as something of a lone ranger. There is a blood-smear – as visual foreshadowing – at the back of Paul Wills's incredibly handsome clapboard set, which has a Shaker-like simplicity: three swinging saloon-bar doors and an upstairs window which opens to a band of musicians that includes a harmonica and banjo player. More outlandishly, there are clear comic elements, with a light, funny lilt to many of the lines. Juliet's nurse (Jamie-Rose Monk) is like a rambunctious Wife of Bath; Paris (Joe Reynolds) is like a musical hall clown and Benvolio (Roman Asde) wears a Chaplinesque hat. Juliet (Lola Shalam) looks like Calamity Jane and speaks like a bored teenager, in an emphatically stolid, lowbrow twang. Yet her broadness works, alongside the inner steel she shows to have later on. The comic bonhomie feels ungrounding at first but its heartiness does not grate against the central tragedy. Juliet turns giggly with Romeo and their relationship is sweet, callow, bearing the single-minded ardour of young love. It seems flagrantly to be a crowd-pleasing production with aims to reach a young audience but that mission does not undermine the text or patronise its older audience. And the frontier backdrop fits surprisingly well into Shakespeare's fractious Verona. The masked ball features period line-dancing, there is tension to the brawls and shootouts, as daggers are drawn from the hip, as well as pistols. It is not without its flaws: some actors declaim lines, flattening away the nuance. Rawaed Asde as Romeo certainly brings intensity but every line is spoken in the same determined tone, so that he seems perpetually incensed. Mercutio is over-animated too, albeit entertainingly playing to the audience. It is also long – far closer to three hours than the two stated in the text. And yet you can't begrudge it. The last hour is immaculate in its execution. The dead rise, eerily, and sometimes speak. The ghost of Mercutio delivers news of Juliet's death to Romeo here. The final act is stark for all the earlier laughter. For a while it stands in the balance but, ultimately, here is a rare production where high concept meets high-class execution. At Shakespeare's Globe, London, until 2 August
