... in which I make a triumphant return

Yes, that's right, I'm back.

Not that I was really gone, since I have been on twitter and I think all my readers come from there anyway.
"Why were you gone?" you might ask. Well, I'll tell you. I got a new job. And not just any job, but my dream job. A job where I could potentially stay forever. A job that pushes me and challenges me and stretches me to my limit. Which bring me to why I was gone... This ultimate job kind of saps my energy. Those who follow me on twitter know my tweets for the past two months have mostly been along the lines of "Oh my god I'm so busy. So tired. Bed now. #ilovemyjob #razztag."
But I'm back! I'm finally getting into the swing of things, so I'm going to try to re-direct this blog back to what I intended, a movie/book/food review. It is supposed to reflect my interests, not just serve as an open journal for ranting.

So, for my triumphant return, I'll start with a review of an excellent film based on a fantastic production of one of the greatest plays ever written: Hamlet. Specifically, last year's Royal Shakespeare Company's production. Starring David Tennant and Sir Patrick Stewart. Not unexpectedly, the best part of this production was the acting. You expect brilliant acting from the RSC, and this is no exception. The classic "To be or not to be" speech has been performed in many different ways... my (previous) favorite was Kenneth Branagh's version directed into a mirror. Here, the speech is delivered as a close-up on Tennant's face, very little movement, simply watching the emotion flicker across his face. The fourth wall is broken many times in the production, not only giving it the feel of a stage play, but allowing the soliloquies to become more intimate. And Tennant knows exactly how to play on this, when to look directly at the camera and when to look off. It really is the most moving performance of that speech I've ever seen, and that includes several actual stage plays.

Anyone who knows me knows I love Shakespeare. To often we get bogged down in the language, and Hamlet, with it's long speeches, is one of the worst. But here, the actors strive to almost skim over the worst parts, making it easier to understand. The production itself was almost stage-like, very minimal and very little set dressing. So, basically, if you like stage productions of Shakespeare and really really good acting, you'll like this. If you like David Tennant, you'd probably enjoy this too. Overall, I recommend it.