(The poster for the movie)
Anne Power proves that her surname carries
weight and much energy! (Review by Caroline Smart)
From the burgeoning days of Hollywood – and
probably even before that – actresses have done their best to hide their ages.
The reason? Agents, impresarios, producers and directors often look at the age
of those putting themselves up for parts and automatically decide that the
person is too old … or too young.
Unfortunately, with date of birth required
on an official identity document, this kind of side-stepping is no longer
possible. So, performers often get trapped in the “age gap” without the movers
and shakers taking the time to pursue an obviously talented artiste to see if
they could actually get away with the age difference.
Anne Power – no stranger to theatre
audiences, especially those in KZN from the old days of her performances in
concerts at beach resorts as well as fans of her Take a Break television series
– decided that enough was enough! With an A-List rating, starring roles and years
of experience behind her, she tired of being told that she was too old for this
or that part.
Durban-born director Robert Haynes was experiencing the same
frustrations in the film and television industry and he approached Power with
an idea to do a movie about a woman of a certain age. She accepted with
alacrity. Haynes and his partner, Riaan Janeke,
wrote the script in a few weeks and the result is a high-tech
illustrated CV, as it were! It shows what happens when Power has a reality
television crew assigned to her as she auditions for the lead in a new
theatrical production, Woman of a Certain
Age.
To
The Power of Anne is difficult to describe – I see it as an
autobiographical drama/musical documentary. The press release calls it “a
unique new film in the faux-reality genre”. Haynes describes his directorial
feature film debut as a “mockumentary” and that “people are either going to
‘get it’ or not”.
The movie not only showcases Power’s considerable
skills but those of her undeniably talented son, Ryan Flynn, the product of her
marriage to the legendary actor Bill Flynn. Ryan Flynn was seen as Prince
Charming in the Playhouse Company’s production of Cinderella in 2011.
Also appearing are seasoned screen veterans including Terence Bridgett,
Louise Saint-Claire, Dawn Lindberg and Des Lindberg, Wim Vorster and Michael de
Pinna. A delightful surprise for me was a credible performance from well-known
singer Tim Moloi as a callous, hard-nosed producer.
Proving that she can still crack it as a top
performer; Power sings several numbers, the highlight of which was The Rose. This is one artiste who’s
grabbing the passing years with energy and demonstrating that she’s got what it
takes. As Anne herself says: “How can I apologise for being older? Who said 50 can’t be fabulous!”
This film is worth seeing on a number of
levels – Power’s sense of humour drives it through and she’s not afraid to be
shown in vulnerable personal moments or with running eye-make-up as she
struggles through a gym sequence or undergoing a Botox process. Behind the
glam, there’s a real woman … and a feisty one! An inspirational example to
follow.
Hosted by socialite and event coordinator, Edith Venter, To The Power of Anne was launched at a
glittering gala evening at Il Grande at NuMetro Montecasino on March 19. It will
be released by Indigenous Film Distribution to open at selected cinemas on March
29. – Caroline Smart
For a sneak peek behind the
scenes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V68hxvq2ku4&feature=youtu.be
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