Arts
Zwei Filme über schwierige Zeiten im Leben und eine Ausstellung zu architektonischer Brillanz. Von EVE LUCAS
Films and an exhibition
FILM PREVIEW | DRAMA
Mary Queen of Scots has had plenty of attention in the centuries since her death in 1587. History loves a hero — or heroine — and Mary’s death by order of her cousin Queen Elizabeth I has often given Mary the advantage. Now, a new film, Mary Queen of Scots, has arrived to support that judgement.
After the death of her first husband, Francis II of France, Mary returns to her homeland aged 18 to take up the crown she has inherited from her father, James V of Scotland. She also lays claim to the English throne through her great grandfather, Henry VII of England. Both claims challenge those made by Elizabeth. Played by Saoirse Ronan, Mary is shown as a fighter queen, able to ride and shoot with the best of her male courtiers, and capable of proving herself their equal in debate and politics. She’s sure that she should win, and that she can. When she is captured by Elizabeth (Margot Robbie) and put in prison, she refuses to play the strategy games at which Elizabeth excels. Her confidence is pure, but it is also her ruin. Director Josie Rourke comes from the theatre and her staging of the two queens in dialogue is spellbinding — even though they never met in real life. It is high drama that is absolutely believable. Friedrich Schiller, one of Mary’s early supporters, surely would have approved. Starts 17 January.
FILM PREVIEW | BIOGRAPHY
One of the young “it” actors currently impressing directors with their range and maturity is Timothée Chalamet. Nominated for an Oscar last year for his role in Call Me by Your Name, Chalamet can now be seen together with veteran actor Steve Carell in Beautiful Boy. He plays Nic Sheff, a smart, intelligent young man who has become addicted to drugs because they make him feel better than he ever has. His father, David (Carell), tries to help him come clean. But father and son discover that the involvement of a parent only adds the burden of love to a process in which distance is as essential as closeness. Belgian director Felix van Groeningen brings a fine and subtle touch to a complex issue and Chalamet is simply incredible. Starts 24 January.
EXHIBITION | ARCHITECTURE
The German architect Hans Scharoun is remembered for the Berlin Philharmonic, a concert hall built in the 1960s. Although Scharoun (1893–1972) never met the Canadian-american architect Frank Gehry (born 1929), his influence on Gehry’s design for the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles is obvious, both inside and out. The exhibition Frank Gehry — Hans Scharoun: Strong Resonances, showing until 20 January at Berlin’s Stiftung Brandenburger Tor, underlines the similarities of ideology and design. Both Scharoun and Gehry built democratic structures in which the audience practically encloses the orchestra — creating an enjoyable intimacy for music lovers. Here’s a chance to see how it was achieved. More details at stiftungbrandenburgertor.de