A packed house greeted the very popular American violin soloist
Joshua Bell, who performed the Violin Concerto in D major,
by Brahms, with The Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, under
the baton of Louis Langree. He did not disappoint, and
received a thunderous ovation at the conclusion of the concerto.
Before the intermission, the orchestra played Symphony No.
1 in E-flat major, K.16, by Mozart, who composed it at
the astonishing age of 8, and to conclude the performance
Symphony No. 4 in C minor ("Tragic"), by Shubert, with a
rousing climax in the fourth movement. The audience left contented.
Stephen Hough gave a virtuoso performance of the Piano
Concerto No. 1 in G minor, by Mendelssohn, in the next
concert. His skill and dexterity is amazing, and he delighted the
audience with an encore by Chopin. The program began with the
beautiful Ochestral Suite No. 3 in D major, by Bach,
conducted by Andrew Manze, and finished with the lively
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K 551 ("Jupiter"), by Mozart.
A press conference was held for the Broadway play Grace at
the Grace Hotel with the director Dexter Bullard and the four
member cast, including Ed Asner, Michael Shannon and Paul
Rudd. Opening night is October 4, and I hope to be there.
A photo op was held for the cast of Cyrano de Bergerac,
starring Douglas Hodge, Patrick Page and a young actress from
France making her Broadway debut, Clemence Poesy. I am eager
to see the production.
Gore Vidal: A Celebration was a star studded memorial at the
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Among the many stars who spoke or
performed selections from the author's works, were Elaine May,
Susan Sarandon, Cybill Shepherd, Elizabeth Ashley, Candice Bergen,
James Earl Jones, and Dick Cavett was the host. It was a
touching, funny ceremony. Gore will be missed.
At MoMA, I saw my last film from A View from the Vaults, 2012:
Recent Acquisitions, August 1-19. Thirteen Women, by
George Archainbaud, USA, 1932, a well made murder mystery, about
a woman of mixed parenthood (an exotic Myrna Loy), who seeks
revenge on a group of twelve white sorority sisters (one played by
Irene Dunne), who treated her badly in school. Full of
astrology, psychology and fine acting, it is a very entertaining
film.
MoMA is presenting a series of exciting French films Gaumont
Thrillers: From Fantomas to a Gang Story August 15-September 4.
L'assassin habite au 21 (The Murderer Lives at 21), by
Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1942, has a detective pretending to be a
clergyman in a boarding house, to catch a murderer who he believes
is living there. He encounters a wide assortment of characters and
receives a surprise. It is a pleasant film, remarkable for being
made during the German occupation of France.
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Les rivieres pourpres (Crimson Rivers), by Mathieu Kassovitz, 2000, is a fast moving mystery, in which two detectives, played by Jean Reno and Vincent Cassell, investigate separate crimes in two separate villages in the French Alps. The photography is beautiful, but it is a farfetched story. It still holds the viewer's attention, and one is able to suspend belief and enjoy the shenanigans.
La poison (Poison), by Sacha Guitry, 1951, is a sly, enjoyable film about the war of the sexes. Michel Simon plays a peasant in a small village, who is resolved to kill his heavy drinking, bad-tempered wife of 30 years. His action results in one of the funniest court scenes ever seen on film. The film is a pure delight, with superb acting by a group of eccentric, but charming, characters, who inhabit the village. It is certainly one of the highlights of this series.
OSS 117: le Caire, nid d'espions! (OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies), by Marcel Hazanavicius, 2006, is a spoof of spy films a la James Bond. This takes place mainly in Cairo as the title indicates. It is a convoluted, hyperactive story about Nazis, arab terrorists and a couple of attractive women. However, it is very unfunny, and the dialog is offensive, especially when references are made about the Muslim religion. As the director was responsible for the Academy Award film The Artist, and the two stars, Louis Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, appear in it, more could be expected.
Bande a part (Band of Outsiders), by Jean-Luc Godard, 1964, is about two aimless, amoral youths (Claude Brasseur and Sami Frey), whose motto is to steal rather than work. They involve a foolish young girl (Anna Karina) in a plot to steal her lodger's illegal money. Frey drives around Paris in his open air convertible as if in the Indianapolis speedway, and his penniless friend imitates American outlaws, like Billy the Kid, while carrying a revolver. It is a cynical look at uneducated youth with no goals in life.
Film Society of Lincoln Center presented Latin Beat from August 10-23. I saw One Love/Un amor, by Paula Hernandez, Argentina, 2011, about two young boys in a small town and an aggressive, newly arrived girl, who intrudes in their friendship. Thirty years later, the three reunite in the town, where one still lives. They have become physically unattractive, and are still emotionally confused. Elena Roger, who is currently appearing on Broadway in Evita, makes her film debut, which I doubt will enhance her career. Unfortunately, the film is slow moving and boring, and the characters are tiresome.
Film Society of Lincoln Center is presenting Orientation: A New Arab Cinema August 24-29 with the opening night selection The Rif Lover (L'amante du rif), by Narjiss Nejjar, Morocco/France/Belgium, 2011, which is about a 20-years old woman, living in a quiet seaside village, who is obsessed with the opera Carmen, and wants to live free like the heroine of the opera. When she is seduced by a drug dealer, a series of horrors take place which destroys her life and her family. It is a powerful film, quite realistic, with many graphic violent scenes and filmed in glorious color. The actors are first rate, and it is a wonderful introduction to new Arab films, directed by an intrepid female director. I had the pleasure of meeting her and her fearless female producer, Lamia Chraibi, at a reception following a Q &A after the screening.
08-09-12
Cast
members
of
"Bullet
for
Adolf"
surround
playwrights
Woody
Harrelson
(L)
and
Frankie
Hyman
(center)
at
the
opening
night
party
at
Hurleys's.
232
West
48th
St.
Wednesday
night
08-08-12 |