Word: kingsley
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...British director Tony Palmer's new film, Testimony, dramatizes the view that Shostakovich was a closet dissident who was bitterly resentful of the system that shackled him. In David Rudkin's elegant screenplay, Shostakovich (Ben Kingsley) negotiates his artistic salvation through public acquiescence, gratefully accepting his humiliation at a 1948 Soviet Composers' Union meeting and ritualistically denouncing Stravinsky at a conference the next year in New York City. Always he is haunted by the doom- laden specter of Stalin (Terence Rigby), who is seen thumbing through dossiers while sitting by the telephone, dispatching his opponents to their graves simply...
...remote island in the Adriatic, the film's plot centers on Pascali (Ben Kingsley), a part Turkish eccentric and informer for the Sultan who agrees to translate for Mr. Bowles, a visiting archaeologist (Charles Dance.) Bowles makes his living by obtaining a lease on land, then tricking its owners into buying it back at an exorbitant price. But this time, he really finds something on the property and refuses to sell it back when the Pasha who owns it gets suspicious. Pascali as the interpreter, is held repsonsible, and he finds himself in a bit of a bind...
...this has the makings of an exciting plot, but the screenplay is so poor that the film would be stultifying were it not for exquisite scenery and an outstanding performance by Kingsley. Filmed at Rhodes and Simi, it offers breathtaking views of little towns and crystyal clear water surrounded by picturesque cliffs. The photography is marred only by repeated and ridiculous shots of the sun setting (apparently, the sun does not set on the Ottoman Empire, and the symbolism is none too subtle...
...while Charles Dance plays his part with characteristic woodenness and lack of charm, Kingsley provides proof of his versatility as an actor. His expressive face finds interesting contortions in this film as he runs the gamut of feelings--anger, fear, anguish and love being the chief ones. At times manipulative and at times manipulated, Pascali is always convincing. Kingsley's perfomrance is so good, in fact, that one can almost forgive him for the lousy script and blatant prejudice. But almost isn't good enough...
Just as unstuffy is Icahn's partner, Alfred Kingsley, a burly analytical wizard whose tiny office is buried in financial documents. "I know exactly where everything is -- unless somebody moves the paper. Then there'll be a crisis." Somehow Icahn's operation remains efficient despite the increasingly complicated latticework of his investments. Icahn raises money through an array of partnerships bearing such names as Aero Limited, Crane, Pelican and Condor. He changes the titles frequently so that his competitors cannot easily follow his activities in the market. To play, new investors must kick in a minimum of $100 million...