(Richard E Grant and Sarah Brightman)Delicious fun from start to finish. (Review by Caroline Smart)
Running on the Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau circuit, First Night blends Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte into a multi-themed modern love story fused with much humour. Shot on splendid locations with an impressive cast line-up, it is directed by BAFTA Award winning TV and film director, Christopher Menaul.
In the lead role is Richard E Grant as Adam, a rich industrialist and aspiring opera singer, who seeks a more cultured world and sets out to produce an opera at his palatial country estate. Playing opposite him is Sarah Brightman who he employs as conductor, a choice which also gives him the opportunity to pursue her romantically closer to home.
Also heading the cast are Emma Williams, Julian Ovenden and Mia Maestro, not to mention a feisty Rottweiler called Baskerville!
Having had the privilege of working on Richard E Grant’s directorial film debut, Wah Wah, wild horses wouldn’t drag me away from seeing him take on the role of an opera singer. Alright, he doesn’t sing in the movie himself but he makes a pretty good job of miming it.
The film is delicious fun from start to finish as this group of opera singers are banded together in luxurious proximity, with dense woodlands nearby for lovers’ trysts. Rehearsals for their performance of Cosi Fan Tutte are hilarious and often fraught with the drama of inter-personal relationships which have either collapsed or moved to another level. Added to this, of course, is Mozart’s beautiful music.
Apart from its universal appeal, First Night will be hugely enjoyed by actors, opera singers and orchestral musicians with a sense of humour. – Caroline Smart
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