It seems rare these days to mention a Hollywood celebrity in the same breath as “Israel” these days, without also invoking the word “numbskull.”
But John Malkovich has never been a sheep.
Which means he has no qualms about performing in Israel. Again. This time starring in The Music Critic.
In this staged production with John Malkovich, Malkovich plays a maddeningly verbose music critic who blends some of the most pointed music critiques of the last century written about some of the greatest works of music, with his unique form of sardonic caricature and intensely acerbic wit. “The Critic” takes aim at some of Western Classical music’s leading composers including Dvorak, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, and Schumann. Schumann, “fancies himself a composer,” while Brahms is a “giftless bastard,” and Claude Debussy is described as “simply ugly.”
Assisted and supported by violinist Claire Wells, violist Hsin-Yun Huang and cellist Anthony Lysy, Igudesman and Joo capture the essence and flavor of several chamber music works while the music critic’s harangues continually escalate, to the increasing annoyance of the musicians onstage.
Tickets are not cheap
but it might just be worth it alone to see an actor of John Malkovich’s talent performing here.
This will be John’s third time in Israel. He was previously here in 2013, performing in The Infernal Comedy — Confessions of a Serial Killer. Before that, he was here in 2008 to accept an achievement award at the 25th Jerusalem Film Festival.
But my favorite John Malkovich performance might just be this:
A Scottish Labour MP is taking legal advice after the Hollywood star John Malkovich allegedly said he would like to shoot the politician.
Malkovich is reported to have said that the Glasgow Kelvin MP, George Galloway, was one of two people he would most like to kill.
The source of Malkovich’s anger appears to be Mr Galloway’s condemnation of Israel’s action against Palestinians and his criticism of the west’s policies on Iraq.
The actor was addressing students at the Cambridge union debating society when he was asked who he would most like to “fight to the death”.
Malkovich, star of movies including Dangerous Liaisons and the Killing Fields, replied: “I’d rather just shoot them.”
—
The actor did not explain exactly why he disliked Mr Galloway. He said only that Mr Galloway did not tell the truth.
Mr Galloway said he was astonished that the actor should have such animosity against him.
In a world full of Mark Ruffalos and Susan Sarandons, be a John Malkovich.
