"Rather than being a distraction, the technology underlines Wilde’s themes..."

in

(via The Economist):

"Accompanied by a camera team, Ms Snook begins to narrate Wilde’s tale, her image appearing on a large screen suspended above the stage. She switches between Dorian, Lord Henry and other parts by turning to different cameras and swapping costumes and wigs. It is an amusing if simple trick, you think.

But, like instruments in a jazz ensemble, soon more characters, cameras, screens and Snooks join in. The screens relay both live shots of the actor and pre-recorded snippets of her in assorted roles (she plays 26 in all). The taped Snooks interact with the live one and each other in a tour de force of dramatic timing. As Lord Henry she shares a table with five on-screen diners; as Dorian she is chased through a forest by a virtual nemesis.

Rather than being a distraction, the technology underlines Wilde’s themes. He thought the main characters were all refracted versions of himself; the one-woman format hints that they are jostling facets of a fractured personality. And the screens emphasise the link between Dorian’s vanity and the narcissism of the selfie era, in which many people hide a version of themselves offline."

HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA (trailer)

in

I’m always up for Costner in “Western epic” mode, especially when he clearly has his heart and soul (and checkbook) in this project.

Quoth World of Reel:

Last week, I had reported that Costner would soon return to St. George, Utah to continue filming the third and fourth installments. It seems to be a done deal. Where is he getting all of this money? In addition to mortgaging 10 acres of a $50 million, oceanfront Santa Barbara property to ensure proper funding for the project, Costner also dished out $24 million of his own money to co-fund these epics.