The Rehearsal (2016 film)

Last updated

The Rehearsal
The Rehearsal 2016 poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Alison Maclean
Written byAlison Maclean
Emily Perkins
Produced by Bridget Ikin
Trevor Haysom
Starring James Rolleston
Kerry Fox
CinematographyAndrew Commis
Edited byJonno Woodford-Robinson
Release date
  • 23 July 2016 (2016-07-23)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryNew Zealand
LanguageEnglish

The Rehearsal is a 2016 New Zealand drama film directed by Alison Maclean. [1] It is based on Eleanor Catton's novel of the same name. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

The instructors for the New Zealand drama school are selecting the first-year students. Stanley is admitted. The teacher Hanna is hard on him when he fails to add any emotion to his lines with Frankie. Shy and reserved Stanley meets his two roommates, William and Theo. Teacher Livia wants him to use life experiences to act authentically. Add a "Fuck you" and get physical. This is an acting school.

A sex scandal breaks exposing married tennis pro George Saladin and his star student Victoria. Stanley meets Isolde and they exchange phone numbers. Stanley is assigned to a five-member group acting project. He meets with Hanna and does not connect with this teacher. She wants him to try harder and dig deeper. After lunch with his psychologist father, he does a role playing his father who likes to tell bad jokes. Dad does not want his son to be an actor. Hanna really liked his performance and gave him a book from her own library to read. She tells him acting is hard and he must go all the way. Keep going. Finally he has started acting.

Victoria and Isolde are sisters and they talk a little about the scandal. Isolde tells her sister that she likes Stanley. Later Isolde tells Stanley she had seen Saladin with her sister. There was no forced sex and it looked consensual to her. Stanley's group has decided to use the sex scandal as their acting project. Stanley has not told Isolde and William reminds him she should know.

The next in class assignment is to act an intimate scene. William tells of an Easter dinner event where his father humiliates his mother. Hanna did not like it. He only told a story. Intimacy requires the actor to bear his soul. There must be trust. William says this class was the last place he would share intimacy. Frankie talks to coach Saladin at the coffee shop trying to get background for their project. Isolde invites Stanley and William over for a barbeque. William plays with the family dog. Victoria secretly borrows Stanley's phone to call her coach. William wants Stanley to tell Isolde about their project and once again he fails to come clean. Later the coach calls Stanley to tell Victoria that he has changed his mind. He is staying with his wife.

Hanna has heard of Stanley's girlfriend. She tells him to call off a schoolgirl crush and not embarrass the institute. He sees Isolde and asks her to return his book, but can he just have one picture. She tells him if you will find a private place, I will show you much more. They have sex. They are in love. Nonetheless, the tennis project continues mocking teacher sex with a student. During teacher Perry's class, they announce that William has died in a car crash.

At William's memorial service, Stanley sees Isolde kissing a girl. She tells him that she is sorry but he walks away. Later at a rehearsal, Marnie asks Stanley did he drop Isolde because of the other girl or because of their play. He says she was just too young. There was dissent at a student assembly. Teacher Livia takes the student's side and thinks Dean Hanna Bauer cares more about her new theatre than student grief. In fact she walks out. Later in the parking lot, Hanna tells Stanley that the sex scandal is a great subject even though the coach has pleaded guilty. She calls it great agent bait. Isolde goes to the school looking for Stanley and finds all the set decoration for the play. She feels betrayed.

Stanley finally goes to the Isolde home and tells them about the play. The father Stephen cannot believe how they can violate the family's privacy. Never contact either of his daughters and get out of their home. He explains the performance is cancelled. Stanley tells Isolde he loves her. The night of the performance the curtain parts a small opening, the music starts and the house lights come on. The audience waits. Frankie walks down the isle and walks through the curtain. Minutes later another woman walks down the aisle and through the curtain. Stanley walks down one aisle and Isolde walks down another and they jointly enter the curtain. William loved the "First Follow Technique" and more and more of the audience walked on stage and through the curtain.

Cast

Critical reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds 82% approval rating, based on 22 reviews with an average rating of 6.1/10. [4]

Glenn Kenny, reviewing the film for The New York Times , said it "convincingly conveys the raw feelings that result when life and art rub too fiercely against each other, and how the wounds are that much more severe when you add adolescence to the mix". He praised Rolleston's performance, but found the finale "confounding": "Your mileage may vary, but for myself The Rehearsal delivers a good hour and a half of engagement and intrigue only to top it off with a cherry that left me asking 'Really?'" [5]

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club gave it a "C" grade. [6]

Besides the national praise, there was also positive criticism from international venues as well. Case in point, Sarah Ward of Screen Daily praised the director, Alison Maclean, for crafting "a drama that's as piercing as it is potent". [7]

According to Craig Mathieson of The Age "[the group exercises and rehearsals are shot with an expressive clarity that gets at how they unite the students so that they can work together". [8]

Francesca Rudkin of The New Zealand Herald stated that "Edward's startling authenticity and composure as Isolde means it's hard to take your eyes off her, while Michelle Ny, Alice Englert, singer Marlon Williams and Rachel Roberts make their mark". [9]

Other critics were of different opinions. Chuck Bowen of Slant Magazine called the film "a civics lesson", which, according to him, "tethers a promising tale of artistic toil to the strictures of melodrama". [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne</span> British politician (1779–1848)

Henry William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne was a British Whig politician who served as the Home Secretary and twice as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophia Myles</span> English actress (born 1980)

Sophia Myles (;) is an English actress. She is best known in film for portraying Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in Thunderbirds (2004), Isolde in Tristan & Isolde (2006), Darcy in Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Erika in Underworld (2003) and Underworld: Evolution (2006) and Freya in Outlander (2008).

<i>The Crusade</i> (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 1965 Doctor Who serial

The Crusade is the sixth serial of the second season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by David Whitaker and directed by Douglas Camfield, the serial was broadcast on BBC1 in four weekly parts from 27 March to 17 April 1965. In this serial, the First Doctor and his travelling companions Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright, and Vicki arrive in 12th century Palestine during the Third Crusade, and find themselves entangled in the conflict between King Richard the Lionheart and Saladin. They also meet King Richard's sister Lady Joanna and Saladin's brother Saphadin.

<i>Disappearing Acts</i> 2000 American TV series or program

Disappearing Acts is a 2000 American made-for-television romantic drama film directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, and stars Sanaa Lathan and Wesley Snipes. The film is an adaptation of the New York Times best-selling 1989 novel of the same name by Terry McMillan, and originally aired on HBO on December 9, 2000.

"46 Long" is the second episode of the first season of the HBO original series The Sopranos. It was written by David Chase, directed by Dan Attias and was originally broadcast on January 17, 1999, in the United States.

"Big Girls Don't Cry" is the eighteenth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and is the fifth of the show's second season. It was written by Terence Winter, directed by Tim Van Patten and originally aired on February 13, 2000.

"I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano" is the 13th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the finale of the show's first season. Written by David Chase and directed by John Patterson, it originally aired on April 4, 1999.

<i>Maytime</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by Robert Zigler Leonard

Maytime is a 1937 American musical and romantic-drama film produced by MGM. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, and stars Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. The screenplay was rewritten from the book for Sigmund Romberg's 1917 operetta Maytime by Rida Johnson Young, Romberg's librettist; however, only one musical number by Romberg was retained.

Newt (<i>Hollyoaks</i>) UK soap opera character, created 2007

Barry "Newt" Newton is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Nico Mirallegro. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 22 October 2007. He was introduced as the serial's first emo character and as the foster son of Jack and Frankie Osborne. During the character's duration he was involved in notable storylines including schizophrenia, a suicide pact and living in foster care. In 2010, Mirallegro quit the serial to pursue other projects. Newt left the village on 25 June 2010.

<i>An Impudent Girl</i> 1985 French film

The Impudent Girl is a 1985 French film directed by Claude Miller. It stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, who won the César Award for Most Promising Actress, and Bernadette Lafont, who won the César Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. It is a free adaptation of the novel Frankie Addams.

<i>The Reader</i> (2008 film) 2008 film by Stephen Daldry

The Reader is a 2008 romantic drama film directed by Stephen Daldry, written by David Hare on the basis of the 1995 German novel of the same name by Bernhard Schlink, and starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Bruno Ganz and Karoline Herfurth.

The Actor's Nightmare is a short comic play by Christopher Durang. It involves an accountant named George Spelvin, who is mistaken for an actor's understudy and forced to perform in a play for which he does not know any of the lines.

<i>The Rehearsal</i> (novel) 2008 debut novel by Eleanor Catton

The Rehearsal is the 2008 debut novel by Eleanor Catton. It was first published by Victoria University Press in New Zealand. The Rehearsal was later bought by Granta Books in the UK and released there in July 2009. In 2016, the film adaptation was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the Toronto International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aria Montgomery</span> Fictional character

Aria Marie Fitz is a fictional character in the Pretty Little Liars franchise created by American author Sara Shepard. Described as an “alternative” and artsy teen, the franchise revolves around Aria and her three best friends being blackmailed, stalked and tortured by an anonymous identity known as “A” after the disappearance of their friend Alison DiLaurentis.

<i>Butter on the Latch</i> 2013 American film

Butter on the Latch is a 2013 experimental psychological thriller/drama film written, produced, and directed by Josephine Decker. It tells the story of Sarah and Isolde attending a Balkan music camp, the eroding friendship between them, and the budding romance between Sarah and a male camper named Steph.

<i>Submission</i> (2017 film) 2017 film directed by Richard Levine

Submission is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Richard Levine, based on the 2000 novel Blue Angel by Francine Prose. The film stars Stanley Tucci as a college professor who becomes obsessed with a student. The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 19, 2017.

<i>Jagged Little Pill</i> (musical) 2018 rock musical

Jagged Little Pill is a jukebox musical with music by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard, lyrics by Morissette, and book by Diablo Cody, with additional music by Michael Farrell and Guy Sigsworth. The musical is inspired by the 1995 album of the same name by Morissette and deals with pain, healing, and empowerment. It premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 5, 2018, directed by Diane Paulus.

Characters of <i>Ackley Bridge</i>

Ackley Bridge is a British television drama series that follows the lives of the staff and pupils at the fictional multi-cultural academy school Ackley Bridge College. Series one features the debuts of friends Missy Booth and Nasreen Paracha, headteacher Mandy Carter and her husband Steve Bell, school cook Kaneez Paracha, English teacher Emma Keane and her daughter Chloe Voyle, school sponsor Sadiq Nawaz and his children Alya and Riz, brothers Jordan and Cory Wilson, school receptionist Lorraine Bird, science teacher Lila Shariff, head of pastoral care Samir Qureshi, PE teacher Will Simpson, Missy's mother Simone and grandmother Julie 'Nana' Booth and students Hayley Booth, Razia and Saleem Paracha, Candice Murgatroyd and Naveed Haider. Series two sees the introduction of science teacher Rashid Hyatt, Nasreen's half-brother Aaron Turner, deputy headteacher Javid Shah and student Sam Murgatroyd.

The Tunnel of Love is a three-act play with five scenes and a prologue, written by Joseph Fields and Peter De Vries, adapted from the latter's 1954 novel. It is a comedy with a simple plot, small cast, and only one setting. The action is concerned with the efforts of a married couple to conceive a child and the complications that set in when they decide to try adoption. The staging by Fields features many entrances and exits from the single set with moderate pacing.

References

  1. ↑ "The Rehearsal". New Zealand International Film Festival. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Rehearsal [programme note]". TIFF. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "Toronto unveils City To City, World Cinema, Masters line-ups". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Rehearsal". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Kenny, Glenn (6 July 2017). "Review: Drama Students Aren't Merely Players in 'The Rehearsal'". The New York Times . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  6. ↑ Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (6 July 2017). "The director of Jesus' Son makes a pointless arthouse exercise with The Rehearsal". The A.V. Club . The Onion . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Ward, Sarah (18 August 2016). "'The Rehearsal': Melbourne Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  8. ↑ Mathieson, Craig (9 January 2017). "Shortcuts: Operation Avalanche, The Rehearsal, The Music of Strangers". The Age . Nine Entertainment . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Rudkin, Francesca (14 September 2016). "Movie review: The Rehearsal". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  10. ↑ Bowen, Chuck (27 September 2016). "Review: The Rehearsal". Slant Magazine .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.