Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1192401
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 DECEMBER 2019 CULTURE ENVIRONMENT questioning narrative tight- ness, the script's the thing, and it ticks along gloriously, offering up one generous twist after another in a way that is both plausible and propulsive. 'Generous' is the word, too, because the twists really are delicious gifts, not jolts ap- plied in a panic to keep your eyes from glazing over. At the centre of it all is Marta. Ana de Armas gives a career- best performance which more than makes good on what is the true protagonist role in this crowded assemblage of talents and criss-crossing an- gry desires. Even if some of the Thrombeys appear to be more 'woke' than others – most no- tably the 'SJW' student Meg (Katherine Langford) and her mindfulness guru mum, Joni (Collette) – they are either ig- norant or resentful of her fam- ily's plight as undocumented migrants in the current US political climate, whose sup- posedly 'moderate' strands are exposed in an excruciat- ing post-dinner diatribe by Harlan's son-in-law Richard (Johnson), and whose impact on the current generation is personified in the bifurcating figures of 'liberal snowflake' Meg and 'alt-right troll' Jacob (Martell), the creepily well- dressed pre-teen and son to Walt (Michael Shannon), who inherited his father's publish- ing arm. But this layer of politi- cal commentary isn't force- fully caked-on. It's not even a layer. It's a fitting piece of the Thrombey puzzle – it is part and parcel of the same privilege that provides ample fodder for both its gloriously neo-gothic mise-en-scene and tight and joyously ticking- along plot machine. It's also a machine that seeks to grind the likes of Marta and her family under its boot, which gives a shot of adrenaline to our erstwhile heroine. KNIVES OUT SHARP & STABBY CLEAN-CUT CRACKED BLADE BLUNT EDGE ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Most plants don't like salt in their system, so places like salt- marshes and seashores are areas they avoid. Some plants, how- ever, have colonised these saline habitats, and the large shrub most evidently adapted to these conditions is the African tam- arisk (M. bruka). It can survive in salty places because it has evolved a way of ridding its system of excess salinity by expel- ling salt from its leaves. Not only, but the drying salt crystals encrusting the leaves have the added bonus of rendering them unpalatable to most insects. The tamarisk shrub natural shape is often hard to make out, thanks to our street pruners' zeal to topiarise them into silly half-domes and cubes – walk the Għadira promenade, see what I mean. Right now tamarisks are getting ready for their winter sleep and their leaves are turning a nice orange-brown. Despite the name, the African tamarisk is quite native – and protected. Text: Victor Falzon - Photo: Desiree Falzon 690. African Tamarisk When we say ensemble, we mean ensemble. Standing, from left: Riki Lindholm, Noah Segan, Chris Evans, LaKeith Stanfield and Don Johnson. Seated, from left: Michael Shannon, Katherine Langford, Toni Collette, K Callan, Jaeden Martell and Jamie Lee Curtis Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 587: Find out more http://foemalta.org/event/zero-waste-christmas/ The verdict Wry and classy entertain- ment of the kind Rian John- son has managed to dish out here would make for a wel- come gift at any time, but it's all the more refreshing when it comes nestled in a sea of oversaturated franchises and tired reboots. Making the best out of an already-excel- lent cast and wrapping the experience around inspired editing and production de- sign, this is a diabolically delicious and sneakily clever concoction that will leave a naughty grin on your face long after the credits have rolled. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ KNIVES OUT (12A) Zero Waste Christmas activity happening this December! We are motivated to make this holiday season a greener by not generating waste, being crafty and thirty and by giving things we don't use a new life. This will be an informal event with various workshops, and we encourage you to contribute your skills and knowledge so that we all learn from each other! What to expect? Have a look at the activities being planned: Clothes swap - Sometimes we are a bit bored with what's in our wardrobe, or clothes we used to wear do not fit us anymore. The best remedy to this situation is to swap those clothes! We will be hosting a clothes swap. Bring up to a maximum of 5 items. Upcycling - Magically transforming trash to treasure! We will be making: an amazing wallet with milk and juice cartons, pallet wood Christmas tree, decorations and ornamental items and drawstring bags for veggie or Christmas bags. Home Products & Cosmetics - We can create a lot of household cleaning and decorative items as well as beauty products out of common material. We are planning to do the following (time permitting!): body sponge, lip balm, beeswax food wrap, home cleaner Christmas wrapping: using the drawstring bags you created or the Furoshiki method. We will welcome you with free coffee and tea. We will have wine and beers by donation. Please get some snacks and food to share!