Gavin Mitchell gives an especially good turn as Rick, down to the characteristic drawl and seen-it-all eyes; in fact, there are strong performances from all three actors, but that’s where the respectful homage ends. Director Morag Fullerton has distilled the story into key vignettes that will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the film, but she leavens the love story with such a fun-loving combination of slapstick, audience participation and sporadic tap-dancing that this is one production you don’t dare take seriously, and it is all the better for it. Besides playing the main protagonists, each actor has another three or four characters to inhabit. Clare Waugh evades all danger of ever being pigeon-holed, going from doe-eyed love interest Ilsa to hateful Nazi Major Strasser in the swish of a swift costume change, whilst Jimmy Chisolm’s camp Captain Renault is quite possibly the comedic star of the show. The ‘battle of the anthems’ scene is a highlight (a tip: brush up on your French).

Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut manages to take a movie classic, inject it with just enough irreverence to make it a thoroughly enjoyable romp, whilst retaining just enough respect to make you want to watch the original all over again.

Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut runs until October 21 at the Pleasance Theatre, Carpenters Mews, North Road, N7 9EF. For more info visit www.pleasance.co.uk

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What a delightful surprise it is then, to find that the most romantic country in the world can still produce a subtle love story.

The plot of Mademoiselle Chambon, the latest film by Stéphane Brizé (based on a novel by Eric Holder) is simple. Jean (the great Vincent Lindon) is a construction worker with a loving wife and son, but falls in love with his son’s beautiful teacher Mademoiselle Chambon ( played by Lindon’s ex wife, Sandrine Kiberlain) .

Brizé and Florence Vignon – with whom he co-wrote the César winning script – , are more interested in creating well-rounded characters than offering the audience a tired moralistic depiction of adultery or an idealistic paean to l’amour fou.

By focusing on small but poignant instances in the main characters’ everyday life, the film perfectly captures the sudden but mutual attraction between two people who , while having entered the mature stage in their lives still feel lost-Jean in the unsurprising routine of marriage and Veronique in the loneliness of living on her own. The diverse range of emotions that the characters feel (from happiness, to guilt and uncertainty) is exquisitely displayed by the wonderfully expressive faces of the two marvellous actors and the film slowly becomes one of the most realistic and touching love stories of recent times. Near the end of the movie when you hear, for the last time, the wonderful Valse Triste by Franz von Vecsey, instead of shedding a couple of tears you will feel that rare knot in your heart, the one that only great movies can cause.

Final verdict: A sublime combination of subtle moments and powerful emotions

 (Words: Apostolos Kostoulas)

[stextbox id=”custom”]In cinemas September 23rd.  Click here to see a trailer of Mademoiselle Chambon [/stextbox]

The post Something you should see…Mademoiselle Chambon appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.