2009/7/30 Nitin Karani <nitin.kar...@gmail.com> > 'Angels in America' is a six-episode award-winning 2003 HBO miniseries > adapted from the play of the same name by playwright Tony Kushner. The play > is Kushner's political epic about the AIDS crisis during the mid-eighties, > around a group of separate but connected individuals.Angels in America' was > the most watched made-for-cable movie in 2003, garnering much critical > acclaim. This Sunday we will show the first three episodes (the remaining > three will be shown on 23 August), spread over about three hours. > > > > *Cast:* > > * Al Pacino as Roy Cohn > > * Meryl Streep as Hannah Pitt, Ethel Rosenberg, the Rabbi, and the > Angel Australia > > * Emma Thompson as Nurse Emily, the Homeless Woman, and the Angel > America > > * James Cromwell as Henry, Roy's Doctor > > Set in 1980s New York and subtitled "A Gay Fantasia on National Themes," > Angels in America concerns a group of largely gay men who find themselves > caught up in series of disasters that range from love to religion and from > politics to philosophy--and most specifically caught between the rising tide > of AIDS and a generally unsympathetic society. > > In the midst of this, AIDS patient Prior Walter begins to have a series of > visions, which may be fever dreams, medicine-induced hallucinations... or, > most unnerving of all, real. His long dead ancestors rise to speak to him, > the floor cracks open to reveal a burning book--and at the conclusion of the > play's first half a beautiful woman with majestic wings crashes through his > roof. She is the Angel of America. He is, she tells him, a prophet, and she > has come to bring him a message for mankind. > > Intertwined with Prior's other-earthly experiences are oddly parallel > lives. Joe and Harper Pitt are a deeply dysfunctional couple doubting their > faith in the Mormon Church, Joe a closeted homosexual, Harper a > Valium-addicted and mildly psychotic woman given to visions as strange as > those of Prior Walter's. And as further counterpoint historical figure Roy > Cohn (1927-1986), among the most sinister figures of 20th Century America, > finds himself taunted by the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg as he drifts toward > his own AIDS-induced death. The characters swirl in and out of each other's > lives and dreams, playing to stereotypes and yet defying them, arguing > politics and philosophy and love and death--and it is fascinating stuff. > > > > *Viewer comments:* > > *(1) (Angels in America) has captured the essence of what being gay was > in the '80s with all its fears, problems and excitements. But it is more > than just a gay document, it speaks of life generally in the '80s, of > everyone's fears and hopes in such an affluent time. The depiction so real > (even in the surreal sequences) so insightful of that period.* > > *(2) With a mad swirl of irony, intense drama, outrageous humor, and > unexpected twists and turns, Angels in America is almost sure to hold your > attention--particularly if you recall the Ronald Reagan years well enough to > recognize the truly bitter allegory the film offers on what many consider > his largely absentee second term. Truly a must have, multi-layered, bearing > repeated viewings, beautifully directed, performed, and filmed.* > > *(3) I was lucky enough to see the Broadway production of Angels with the > original cast, and it was without question the highlight of my 25 years of > theatre-going.... Personally, I believe that Pacino gives the performance of > his career, and Streep is amazing in her three roles. The other performances > are quite solid as well....* *This film not only won a record 11 Emmys, > taking the award for Outstanding Miniseries and all four acting trophies, it > also won those same awards at the Golden Globe presentations plus four SAG > acting awards. In short, it won practically every award it possibly could. > * > > *(4) I think this movie was very real in it's portrayal of AIDS, and it > really raised awareness for me, because it showed AIDS as a real disease, > not just something we hear about on the news. I was very excited to see > minorities presented like average, real people....* *I found Angels in > America very inspiring, and after seeing it for the first time, I seemed to > see the world in a whole new light. I know that sounds cheesy, but it is > true. For someone very passionate about equal rights, like me, this movie > seemed to relay exactly what I stand for.* (IMDB.com) > * > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > * > > *Time: 5.30 p.m. to 8.45 p.m. (with a 15-minute break after the second > episode).* > > ***Venue:* The Humsafar Trust's Drop-in Centre, 4th floor, Municipal > Transit Building (Vakola Municipal Market Building), Near Raheja Point and > Vakola Masjid, Santacruz (East), Mumbai. > > *Getting there*: It's approximately minimum fare by auto-rickshaw from > Santacruz station (East). You could also take routes 311 or 313. The same > routes also operate from Kurla (West) station. > > *Space courtesy:* The Humsafar Trust. > > *Note:* Programme subject to change without notice. *Please track:* The > Bombay Dost Wiki OR the *Bombay Dost > Facebook*<http://www.facebook.com/BombayDost>page OR follow Bombaydost on > *Twitter* <http://twitter.com/bombaydost> OR subscribe to our *Google SMS > Channel* <http://labs.google.co.in/smschannels/subscribe/BombayDost> > > --------------------------------------------- > My blog's at: http://queerindia.blogspot.com > You can leave me a voice message from any phone at > http://www.jaxtr.com/nitinkarani No call charges apply. >
-- My blog's at: http://queerindia.blogspot.com You can leave me a voice message from any phone at http://www.jaxtr.com/nitinkarani No call charges apply.
