MAN ABOUT TOWN

Playwright Robert Reid has launched a new venture; a combined blog and podcast called Flashing Twelve O'Clock . Go visit!

Last week I attended the world premiere of Don Parties On , the latest work from Australian playwright David Williamson, at the MTC. I was less than impressed. My full review is available at Arts Hub , here , but here's a snippet to whet your appetite: "Around sound-bites of Kerry O’Brien discussing the unfolding 2010 election results, Williamson’s assemblage of characters bicker, bellow, and pontificate. Here one of the first flaws of the play becomes quickly evident: these constructs don’t speak in dialogue, they talk in exposition and rhetoric, sounding more like Williamson himself than well realised characters. Too, they’re thinly drawn; two dimensional at best (with the sole exception of the caustic and cutting Jenny, who brings some much needed life to the party when she arrives). At worst, in the case of the snivelling man-child Richard and Roberta, his drama queen lover, they’re totally one dimensional; an impression that is not helped by both Gilshenan and Shiels ...

I didn't see anywhere near as many films in 2010 as in previous years, as a consequence of investing more heavily in the performing arts over the past 12 months, but I still managed to get to the cinema 56 times to see a range of new releases and festival-only flicks. More than most people, obviously; considerably less than my many professional film-reviewing friends. Since I missed out on quite a few of the so-called 'best' films of the year (e.g. The White Ribbon , Un prophète ) I'm going to list my personal favourites - the films that most moved or excited me - rather than claiming that these are the absolute cinematic highlights of the year. In the order in which I saw them, then, here's my Top Ten for 2010: Precious (Dir. Lee Daniels, USA, 2009) A harrowing film about redemption, Precious is the story of an obese, illiterate African-American teenager (Gabourey Sidibe) who is pregnant to her own father for the second time; whose mother belittles and beats ...