The Storm, the God of Carnage, and the Dark Knight.

There exists, probably in a parallel universe, where everything thrives in a perfect state. But definitely, not in our universe, and not yesterday.

Saturday morning is greeted by a strong gush of the wind, and an even angier typhoon. As if the weather is sending mixed messages (just like any other flirty relationship) that nothing will be accomplished that day. I tried to pray to the demi-gods of Facebook and Twitter that Saturday ought be spared of the usual flood brought about by an hour of heavy rain. It is answered, albeit late and almost haphazardly.

As early as 6:30AM, buyers are already sending text messages if the God of Carnage would push through. We booked July 21 for the God of Carnage. “Booking” is the act of buying the entire show and reselling it, and is not in any way a metaphor for something sexual. Depending on the number of tickets sold, profit is around P100,000-P200,000. After inquiries with Atlantis Productions, we are informed that the play is a go. Of course, we are fully aware that Atlantis never backs out of its plays/musicals, come heavy rain or snow.

Some of my buyers cancelled as early as 7:30AM, probably brought about by fear of Ondoy-related incident. I can’t blame them, and even advised friends not to watch the play if the weather does not improve by 11AM. Someone from the group must have prayed really hard because by noon, the weather improved.

God of Carnage, a Tony-award winning play by Yasmina Reza, is a comedy of manners, without the manners: the play begins as two middle-income couples (Lea Salonga and Adrian Pang, Mench Lauchengco-Yulo and Art Acuña) meet to amicably resolve a playground squabble between their kids. Lines are drawn, allegiances are made and broken, and the evening quickly turns into a laugh-out-loud train wreck – served up with clafouti, espresso, and a bottle of rum (borrowed from the Atlantis’s notes.)

Reviews have been very kind, but my take is that Lea should stay away from straight plays. She can get tedious and boring at times. There are moments when she’s the star, burning bright, but there are times when she fails to deliver. The same goes with Art Acuña who is bloody brilliant in The Kitchen Musical. My problem with him is that he sometimes gets confused with his made-up world that it devours him in the process. I don’t know if I will root for him or will just dismiss him as a wallflower.

Menchu, on the other hand, seems to be swallowed by the acting chops of the three others. Of course, we all know that Menchu is great in her own right, but standing next to Salonga, Pang, and Acuña might be too much for her. Although, there are moments when you see the real Menchu (the one that breathes songs and spews greatness) emerge. Her role as the bipolar mother in last year’s Next to Normal is undeniably her benchmark, to date.

The real star is Adrian Pang (They’re Playing Our Song). He is awkwardly brilliant, amazingly confused, and hilarious in every scene. Even without trying, there is something in him (or in his acts) that is relatable and quirky. His presence alone would definitely be worth every peso spent, and the energy consumed going to the play amidst the rain, flood, and everything else in between.

***

The Dark Knight Rises (“TDKR”) is the third installation from Christopher Nolan’s (Inception, the other recent Batman flicks) storyline that supposedly “ends” the Batman franchise with a bang. The bang sounded more of a small thump, probably drowned by the hysteria that surrounded TDKR.

I was never a fan of the first Batman film, and I can still vividly recall my review courtesy of my old blog. The second film sent mixed feelings, neither here nor there. The third installation might be the best in the three, but I still think that Nolan has something better up his sleeves which he failed to show to the audience.

Of course everybody else’s probably knows the story, so it would be futile to provide a synopsis here. I guess the only problem with the story is its length. Nolan decided to throw everything in this film, even to the point of boring his audience at parts. The film started with a good show with the airplane incident, as if Nolan telling us that this would be grander, better than the Joker heist in The Dark Knight. But it ended there because the next hour or so bored us to death: from the absence of Batman/Bruce Wayne to Catwoman starting a series of events that would change Gotham City.

There are too many characters here that are intertwined, which probably removed the story from its focal point. Alfred leaving, Commissioner Gordon’s being drowned by guilt, the unknown Robin finding his mask, Selina and Talia being the love interest of Bruce, Bane as the villain/protector, and even the presence of Scarecrow. Just a side comment, Talia would bear Bruce’s child Damian who would later be a Robin to a different Batman (Dick Grayson, the original Robin/Nightwing).  

I keep on dismissing Anne Hathaway as the Catwoman, probably due to my partiality with Michelle Pfeiffer being the original. But, heck let it be said that she’s the one to be reckoned with in this film. If there’s a saving grace, Hathaway would definitely top the list.

So, would I recommend it? For P180, it gets a 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. And to think, I am a Batman fanatic.

*P.S. My heart goes to the relatives and family members of the Colorado shooting. For someone who is earning his Ph.D. and thinking at the same time that he is the Joker must be the one big joke.  Nobody is laughing though.