Thursday Threesome: Three Things I am Seeing in Melbourne This Week

Welcome to a Melbourne edition of the Thursday Threesome as I am currently drinking their coffee and eating their cupcakes.

Here are three things that I am seeing this week in Melbourne! Join me under the cut for more.

It’s difficult to choose things to see when in Melbourne, especially this week/weekend. Notable mentions go to King Kong the musical which I really wanted to see but just looks like it’s not going to happen and The Lord of the Rings with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra which I am still crossing my fingers about especially given I saw the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra do The Fellowship of the Ring a couple of weeks ago and loved it!

1. Monet Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria

On Wednesday we visited the National Gallery of Victoria for the much anticipated Monet Waterlilies Exhibition. I had never been to the Gallery before and was really impressed with the building itself and its water features, stained glass ceiling and public art installations. Upon entering the exhibition itself we found an amazing collection of Monet’s work, much of which were actually drafts that lead to his groundbreaking Impressionist pieces such as his Grand Decorations. The display was brimming with history, which was in many ways even more exciting than the paintings themselves. Monet was an interesting guy in a time of political turmoil and war and had an interesting life and relationship with his art. He was obsessed with capturing mood and light as an Impressionist and at times found himself incredibly successful and adored and at others impoverished and suffering backlash. His obsession extended to the creation of his beautiful garden which was inspired by Japanese plants and art. Painting the willows, waterlilies, wisteria and other plants in this garden lead to his most successful exhibitions and works.

It’s very enjoyable though I have to say difficult to follow both within the gallery itself and chronologically. Information is sparse at times and this becomes frustrating. There is very limited signage to direct you to the order in which to view the works which vary wildly. Best buy one of those walking tours or follow a tour guide to avoid too much frustration.

2. Hollywood Costumes at ACMI

I love the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and often try to check it out when I head to Melbourne. In the past I have seen the Tim Burton and the Disney exhibitions and both were superb. Recently, for Melbourne’s White Night, I went to ACMI for screenings of Andy Warhol’s videos and a zombie movie tribute; it’s diverse. This time around ACMI have brought the iconic costumes of Hollywood films to Melbourne. The exhibition looks at the role of costume in character creation and storytelling and seems to span everything from the gowns used in the film Elizabeth and costumes from The Wizard of Oz through to the Batman suit from The Dark Knight Rises!

I have no doubt that this new exhibition is going to be amazing.

3. Much Ado About Nothing (Joss Whedon) at Cinema Nova

Today Joss Whedon’s indie film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing hits cinema’s, but not everywhere and not for many sessions. The last I checked Perth wasn’t getting a screening at all though I think Luna Cinema was working on it. This is super frustrating but given some good luck I am in Melbourne for the week of screenings at Cinema Nova in Carlton. Firstly, Cinema Nova is awesome. It has bean bags and does high tea if that floats your boat but also has a phenomenal bakery outside for all your post-cinema debrief sessions. Secondly, I am really excited about seeing Much Ado About Nothing. This is the film that Joss Whedon directed and filmed while he was supposed to be on holiday during filming and production of The Avengers. Instead, he made the film he had always wanted to make after years of inviting his favourite actors to his house and reading Shakespeare. I remember watching twitter while this was being filmed. Well, after it was filmed. There was a lot of secrecy during the actual filming but very soon many Whedonverse favourites posted pictures of reunions on set. Nathan Fillion and Sean Maher from Firefly together again! Amy Acker opposite her Angel co-star Alexis Denisof in the relationship their characters couldn’t have! Fran Kranz, Tom Lenk, Clark Gregg and a host of new comers and veterans. Yes; as a Whedon fan I am very excited. Stay tuned for a review after I have seen it!