November at The Globe Theatrette
Hold on tight – in November, danger lurks around every corner at the Globe. There’s something eerily fascinating about exploring the dark side of humanity and life on screen, and we’re going to lean into that this month.
Who would have thought the usually likeable and benign Benedict Cumberbatch could be such a brilliant baddie? In Jane Campion’s new Western THE POWER OF THE DOG (R13, 11 Nov), the Batch really cranks up his nasty side as a brutal rancher terrorising his new sister-in-law (played by Kirsten Dunst) and her son. Filmed in Central Otago standing in for 1920s Montana, this promises to be a gorgeous and disturbing cinematic highlight of the year.
Inspired by a true story, PERSIAN LESSONS (M, 4 Nov) is a thrilling WW2 drama about the cat-and-mouse-game between a Nazi camp officer and a Jewish prisoner pretending to be Persian to avoid execution. The lie that saves his life soon threatens to become Gilles’ downfall when Nazi officer Koch (Lars Eidinger) orders Gilles to teach him Farsi – a language Gilles doesn’t actually speak. Making it up as he goes along, he gains Koch’s trust – but one false move could mean his death.
Everyone remembers the incredible news story of a group of boys and their coach being stuck in a cave in Thailand – the whole world was glued to their screens following the desperate rescue attempts while time was running out. Gripping documentary THE RESCUE (E, 25 Nov) shows us the bits we didn’t get to see then: the strategic meetings trying to determine the least fatal way of getting the boys out; the anguish of the divers tasked with a near-impossible mission; the claustrophobic nooks and crannies of a cave system only suited to the world’s best cave divers. A terrifying yet truly inspiring watch.
And if all that is a bit too much anguish and peril for you, have a go at FALLING FOR FIGARO (M, 18 Nov), a much more light-hearted bit of escapism. Set in Scotland, this romantic comedy follows Millie (Danielle Macdonald), an American fund manager secretly hoping to become an opera singer. Ditching her corporate life, she absconds to a tiny Scottish village where legendary but stroppy singing instructor Joanna Lumley gives lessons to only a selected few – one of which is a rather handsome local lad. Romance and music amid a picturesque setting – who could resist?
