Limelight: 'To be young at heart' By Lubna Abdel-Aziz His energy is near nuclear. From him you can expect anything and everything, and you usually get it. Chronologically he may be 55, but we are to ignore the passage of the half a century of time, as he surely does. His outrageous behaviour is that of a five year old, bubbly, bouncing, boisterous schoolboy, unable to sit still, full of tricks and pranks, spreading mischief as he breathes. A favourite on the talk show circuit, comedian/actor Robin Williams' appearance is eagerly awaited by young and old. It is however, his highly refined art, and his perfectly trained talent, that has filled our hearts with some of the joy that he abundantly possesses. In a career that has spanned over 30 years, Williams has appeared in over 75 films, but it would be a mistake to assume that you have figured him out. Williams manages to surprise, delight, engage, thrill, and even shock, and with every spontaneous performance, we have learned never to expect the expected. One thing is certain, he never fails to tickle us pink. No role is too small for Williams; even in a cameo appearance, he is sure to walk away with the whole film. In Nine Months (1995) he appeared in 2 scenes as the eccentric Russian obstetrician, Dr. Kosevich, and despite the presence of such superstars as Hugh Grant and Juliet Moore, only Robin Williams is remembered. Williams reprised the role in real life when he went to visit his friend, and Julliard college buddy Christopher Reeve (the late Superman ) following his horseback riding accident. It is said that the paralyzed Reeve laughed for the first time since his accident when he saw Robin as the comic Dr. Kosevich and "knew that life was going to be OK." This is in essence, the talent of Williams, whether the role is big or small, he renders that soothing, refreshing, happy feeling "that life will be OK," after all. Is it any wonder that at the famous Actors' Studio, the great Al Pacino declared that Robin Williams was his idol! From Dead Poets' Society (1989) to Mrs. Doubtfire (1994), from Awakenings (1993) to Good Will Hunting (1998), Williams has skillfully played every note, every pitch, every nuance of human emotion. He won an Oscar for writing the original story of Dead Poets' Society, and another for his performance as psychiatrist Dr. Maguire in Good Will Hunting. Amongst his many delightful appearances, this season, is his rendition of Ramon, the adélie penguin who hails from Argentina, leaving audiences in stitches, in his recent hit Happy Feet. Ramon and his four adélie amigos befriend the hero Mumble, an emperor penguin (Elijah Wood), who has a major problem. Deep in the heart of Antarctica, if you are an emperor penguin, you are considered nobody, unless you can sing, and Mumble is stone deaf. He can tap dance, but that means nothing to the emperor penguins - "it just ain't penguin!" Mumble is simply too different and is soon cast out of the community. He seeks the council of guru Lovelace (also Robin Williams), a rockhopper, self proclaimed oracle of the adélie penguin colony, who will answer any question for the price of a pebble. The finale is a rollicking, , frolicking, joyous, Spanish Fiesta, with song and dance, love and romance, transporting ecstatic audiences, tapping their feet, all the way home. Happy Feet smashed all the competition on its opening weekend, which included James Bond's recent outing with the rugged Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. Since filmmakers have discovered the penguins, they are suddenly irresistible. Following the BBC's Life in the Freezer, and the French documentary La Marche de L'empereur (March of the Penguins 2005), several commercials have starred the penguin, and they have been included in many other animated pictures. Without a doubt, penguins are among the most captivating of animals in general and birds in particular. The penguin however, does not fly. It stands upright on very short legs, and its very clumsy waddle, brings a smile to our lips. Could it have inspired Charlie Chaplin's immortal trademark shuffle? Penguins lost their ability to fly many millions of years ago. Their wings developed into flippers, which now serve as paddles in the water, and together with their webbed feet, make them marvelous swimmers and divers. Half their time is spent in the water, the other half on land. The largest are the emperor penguins, which stand 1.2 metres and weigh about 45 kilograms. Among the other 17 species varying in size and weight, the tiniest is the little Blue Penguin, or Fairy Penguin, which stand 40 cms tall and weighs only one kilogram. The evolutionary history of penguins is scant and poorly understood, but we do know that the oldest fossils date back 62 million years in New Zealand. Like humans, many mate for life; like humans, some mate for just one season. They strike an elegant pose in their black and white "tuxedo" plumage, and have no fear of humans. Humans in return, love them, and find them surly, cutesy, and highly amusing, and so between this wonderful penguin and the hilarious Robin Williams, how can director George Miller combining both, miss! As for Robin Williams, a highly respected professional despite his zaniness, he has a million projects going on simultaneously, a good percentage of which goes to charity. He and his wife founded the Windfall Foundation, which raises money for a variety of noble causes. An avid cyclist, he has supported champion Lance Armstrong at his many events, including La Tour de France. He remains rowdy and rambunctious, incorrigible and irreverent, and who would want him otherwise! It is his unique brand of loony, screwball, humour, loaded with talent and versatility, "that brightens our path for a while," leaving us playful, joyful, chipper, even a little mischievous, and certainly a lot younger.. Don't you know, that its worth, Every treasure on earth, To be young at heart Song: Young At Heart, Music by Johnny Richards, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh
