The rest is silence.

Back from Hamlet!

I don't quite know where to start. This was my first time in Stratford, Shakespeare lover that I am, so we went around to see all the famous places. Went and saw his grave, too. I just wish I could keep going there to see more and more and yet more productions. They were putting up a Brechtian Coriolanus in the park and I really, really wish I could've caught that. Oh well. Seeing everybody again was lovely, although way too short, and can it be time for BattleStarFury already?

As for the play itself, well. David Tennant was as good as I figured he would be in this part, while Patrick Stewart as Claudius was, well, Patrick Stewart. There's really not much you can say there. I wasn't really impressed by Ophelia, but I rather liked Horatio. I was very sad they'd cut his exchange with Fortinbras at the end (the rest really was silence), for a variety of reasons.

The performance was quite funny; they fully exploited Polonius' comic potential, the grave digger was just as funny, the clown players were very crude. David's Hamlet also garnered many laughs, as did Rosencratz and Guildenstern (who were totally gay for each other in a way that made me very happy).

On a more serious note, I love that they chose the reading of the play that I myself like best and find most interesting. My favourite bit had to be that Hamlet was mouthing along to Lucianus' speech (the player about to kill the player king). Also my favourite scene, in the Queen's closet, was done just as I wanted it to be, very physical, with Hamlet even kissing the queen good night at the end. He actually showed up in her closet wearing one of the players' crowns. Seriously, how awesome and wonderful and squee! If you find absolute Oedipus complexes squee-worthy, which I clearly do when they're Shakespearean.

Sadly, neither David nor Patrick showed up to sign anything afterwards, which fairly disappointed me. Not so much that I couldn't get anything signed (had they shown up, I'm not sure I would've been ready to fight my way to them to get a signature), but that they wouldn't take ten minutes to sign stuff for their fans.

Oh, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw was in the audience. She played Martha's sister in Who, and stars in Bonekickers for those of you who like cracktastic archeology shows starring Adrian Lester and Hugh Bonneville.

I want to be at BattleStarFury already.

"Romeo is... Italian. Always in and out of love."

Movie meme gakked from the_grynne:

1. One movie that made you laugh: Most recently, it'll have to have been Wall-E. Right before that, Wanted.

2. One movie that made you cry: there have been very few times when I managed to watch Dead Poets' Society without crying. Yes, I've watched this movie an undecent amount of times. It owns a little piece of my soul.

3. One movie you loved when you were a child: Hook. I still know it by heart (the French version). "Toi tu as vraiment vraiment besoin d'une maman." "J'vais t'dire c'que c'est qu'une paramécie bicolore, m'sieur." "Hé, Rufio, va donc casser les noisettes de l'écureuil d'à côté." Etc.

4. One movie you've seen more than once: At the cinema? Casino Royale.

5. One movie you loved, but were embarrassed to admit it: I should be embarrassed for enjoying Waterworld as much as I did, shouldn't I, but I can't quite pull it off. I'm a tiny bit ashamed of liking Wanted, though, because it's so... yeah. But it was fun! And there was Jamie and Thomas! Also the High School Musicals. What? They're ridiculous and fun and I blame this on Joey.

6. One movie you didn't like: Before the Devil knows you're dead. I was really looking forward to it, but wound up being utterly bored. Also Capote. I guess PSH movies tend to disappoint me.

7. One movie that scared you: The Ring. The Japanese version, I haven't seen the American adaptation.

8. One movie that bored you: Apart from the above mentioned PSH movies? The Incredible Hulk. It bored me to tears.

9. One movie that made you happy: Wimbledon. I walked out of the theatre wanting to dance. It's been too long since I've watched it, I really should watch it again.

10. One movie that made you miserable: La Vita è bella. And the Pianist. And I love them to heartwrenching bits. They're movies that make you miserable and yet. Also every Ken Loach movie I've ever seen apart from Ae Fond Kiss, which is not miserable-making.

11. One movie you weren't brave enough to see: Borat. I started it, but couldn't finish. I just don't have that sort of courage. How utterly not funny.

12. One movie character you’ve fallen in love with: Chaucer, from A Knight's Tale. Rupert Everett's Marlowe, for all that he had one tiny scene and is hopelessly gay. Charlie Prince out of 3:10 to Yuma. I could keep listing them.

13. The last movie you saw: At the theatre, The Dark Knight.

14. The next movie you hope to see: I wish I could say Watchmen, but it's a long way until March. I wish I could say The Vintner's Luck, but still no news on a release date apart from "2009". Which is also a long way away. So it's going to be a filmed production of King Lear with Barry Lynch as Edmund. There shall be much, much squeeing. (Thanks again, Vae!) At the theatre? Babylon A.D. Mathieu Kassovitz and Vin Diesel doing sci-fi, I've gotta give it a try.