There are some films (and filmmakers, for that matter) that wear their influences on their sleeves, unabashedly declaring to which cinematic predecessors its creators are most indebted. There’s nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but the catch is that the director should bring enough of his or her original voice to the material […]
drama
Posted inArts & Entertainment
“Family Secrets”
In the one-woman show “Family Secrets,” currently on stage at the Downstairs Cabaret at Winton Place, actress Carolyn Michel portrays five different members of one conventionally unconventional family as they struggle to relate to one another and find happiness within their own lives. Originally performed by actress Sherry Glaser and co-written by Glaser with her […]
Posted inMovies
“Before Midnight”
It’s been 19 years since movie audiences were first introduced to Jesse and Céline, the chatty, opinionated couple played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, who have been the focus of the now three movies in Richard Linklater’s “Before” series of films. In 1994’s “Before Sunrise,” we watched as the pair met by chance aboard […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
THEATER REVIEW: “Steel Magnolias”
Robert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias” has remained consistently popular since making its stage debut in 1987. Bolstered by a successful, star-studded film adaptation a few years later, the play continues to be staged at numerous theaters across the country and just last year was adapted again for a made-for-TV movie featuring an all-African-American cast. The play’s […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
THEATER REVIEW: “Venus in Fur”
“Venus in Furs” is not pornography. We are told this several times by Thomas, the playwright appearing in the play “Venus in Fur” (note the singular), now playing on the Geva Theatre Nextstage. In Geva’s “Venus,” Thomas is the writer and director of a theatrical adaptation of the controversial 1870 novel “Venus in Furs” by […]
Posted inMovies
“Oblivion”
Whatever their merits, the devotion of their many fans, and the panegyrics of a whole gaggle of critics, those phenomenally successful semi-literary works known as graphic novels (in my day they were pretty much just comic books) often generate a certain pretension. The writers and illustrators introduce learned allusions, copy established literary patterns, interweave complicated […]
Posted inMovies
“42”
No doubt consciously timed for the opening of the baseball season, the new movie “42” provides a valuable lesson in contemporary American history, showing viewers the culture of baseball and of the nation not all that long ago. As everyone must know, the picture deals with some of Jackie Robinson’s struggles as the first black […]
Posted inMovies
“The Place Beyond the Pines”
As the showing I attended of “The Place Beyond the Pines” — director Derek Cianfrance’s moody, ambitious, new crime-drama — came to an end, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation happening amongst the college-age group sitting behind me. One was explaining to his friends that while the film wasn’t what he expecting, he thought it […]
Posted inMovies
“Room 237”
Rodney Ascher’s documentary, “Room 237,” playing at the Dryden this week, presents some very unusual interpretations of Stanley Kubrick’s classic adaptation of “The Shining.” Through voiceover, we hear from a number of people offering their explanations for what the director was really saying with his horror masterpiece. Using “clues” found in the film, they see […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
THEATER REVIEW: “33 Variations”
Intricate, delicate, and lovely are possibly the three words that best describe “33 Variations,” the drama currently on stage at Blackfriars. The play, written by Moises Kaufman (“The Laramie Project,” “I Am My Own Wife”) and directed by John Haldoupis, is a nuanced look at the way people relate to one another, refuse to relate […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
“The Whipping Man”
“The Whipping Man” by Matthew Lopez begins in desolation and ends with not much more than a speck of hope — a meager sense of opportunity if the characters can somehow overcome years (even centuries) of experience (and history).
Posted inArts & Entertainment
THEATER REVIEW: “August: Osage County”
After it debuted in 2007, Tracy Letts’ drama “August: Osage County” won just about every theater award that matters — Tony, Drama Desk, Pulitzer, New York Drama Critics’ Circle, etc. The play itself is extraordinary, even though the subject matter is about as ordinary as you can get. A far-flung extended family is brought back […]
