Off-Broadway, a revival of The Lady From Dubuque,
by Edward Albee, has received a splendid production, directed by
David Esbjornson. The play was a flop on Broadway, and it is easy to see
why. None of the characters have any relationship to reality; however, Albee
is always provocative, and his sardonic humor keeps the audience awake.
Tribes, by Nina Raine, is an unusual
play about an unconventional family, who have a deaf son, who they taught to
lip read. He meets a girl who is losing her hearing and uses sign language.
The cast is first rate, and the play is interesting.
A revival of Painting Churches, by Tina Howe,
has two fine actors Kathleen Chalfant and John Cunningham as a
formerly wealthy couple in reduced circumstances, forced to sell their home,
Their artist daughter comes to help them move. Although it was a hit when it
first opened, this production is slow moving, and the daughter is
irritating.
Denis O' Hare gives an amazing one man
performance in A Iliad, based on Homer's classic. For 100
minutes, he plays The Poet, relating the classic to modern day warfare.
Mankind has learned nothing since the Trojan war. Stephen Spinella
alternates in the role, and attended the opening night party at the New York
Theatre Workshop party room with other guests, including Blair Bown, Ben
Vereen and Michael Grief.
Flight, by Michel Wallerstein, is about
a survivor (a splendid Maria Tucci) of the holocaust, who is
suffering dementia in a home for the elderly. It is a depressing story. The
opening night celebration took place in the lobby of DR2 Theatre with guests
Janet McTeer, Jennifer van Dyck and Daryl Roth.
I attended a reception for Celebrating Our Legacy,
an Oral History Photographic Exhibition of Professional Theatre Women at
the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts with guests Estelle
Parsons, Lois Smith, Willa Kim, Jo Bonney and Susan Hilferty
among many others.
The Women's Project 2012 Women of Achievement
Awards 27th Annual Gala Celebration at Copacabana honored Thia Breen,
Barbara Goldsmith and Cornelia Guest. Cindy Adams was the
host, and Former Governor David Paterson, Nora Ephron, Lucia Hwong
Gordon, Julie Crosby and Cassandra Seidenfeld Lyster were among
the guests. It was a festive occasion.
Balducci's Gourmet on the Go Cafe had a press
preview in the Hearst Tower, 301 West 56th St. Kelly Rutherford
"Gossip Girl" attended, as did Judy Spires (CEO Balducci's). We
sampled the delicious food and toasted the opening with champagne. It will
be very successful, and is just a couple of blocks from my home. Welcome to
my neighborhood.
The press screenings for New Directors/New Films
2012 March 21-April 1 have begun. Where Do We Go Now?, by
Nadine Labaki, France, Lebanon, Italy, Egypt, 2010, takes place in a
rural village in Lebanon, which is torn about by religious strife. As the
men are constantly killed, the women unite to stop the slaughter.
Surprisingly, the film contains a lot of humor, and songs. The arrival of
blonde strippers from the Ukraine adds to the merriment. Although the
subject is serious, there are many entertaining moments.
The Raid: Redemption, by Gareth Huw Evans, 2011, Indonesia,
USA,is about a police SWAT team, attacking a building inhabited by drug
dealers. It is violent, bloody and much too long. There is a limit to how
many explosions, automatic firing, machete and dagger stabbings an audience
can endure.
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Goodbye, by Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran, 2011, is a harrowing story, of a human rights lawyer (a brilliant performance by Leyla Zareh), who attempts to leave her country, where she suffers under the repressive regime. It is heart breaking, and reveals a grim picture of life in modern day Iran. It is an impressive and powerful film.
An Oversimplification of her Beauty, by Terence Nance, USA, 2011, is a self-indulgent vanity production about a young artist, who eagerly expects a visit from a young lady, who leaves a message on his answering machine to cancel the visit. Scenes and dialog are repeated endlessly. This filmmaker should learn that not everyone is enamored with his talent, and a film should not be repetitive, boring and dull.
Omar Killed Me, by Roschdy Zem, France, 2011, is based, apparently, on a true story of an illiterate Moroccan gardner accused unjustly of murdering a wealthy widow in the South of France. A writer begins an investigation of this miscarriage of justice. I recommend this powerful film highly. I do not recommend Gimme the Loot, by Adam Leon, USA, 2012, about two New York City teenagers, who are petty thieves. The film begins when they steal spray cans from a convenience store for graffiti. They enter the subway without paying, and deliver illegal drugs to customers. They are inarticulate, using vulgar language, especially the f*** word
in almost every sentence. It is a sordid view of life in the Big Apple, without any redeeming virtue.
Crulic: The Path to Beyond. by Anca Damian, Romania, 2011, is an animated documentary about another true miscarriage of justice, this time in Poland. A Romanian is arrested for stealing, for which he proclaims he is innocent by going on a hunger strike, in which he dies. It tells another powerful and sad story. Hemel, by Sacha Polak, The Netherlands/Spain, 2012, is about a sexually obsessed young woman (an attractive Hannah Hoekstra), who goes from one sexual encounter after another, usually with unhappy consequences. It is a portrait of a very disturbed lady, perhaps due to her peculiar relationship with her father, a very sensual widower. The film contains male and female nudity, sexual situations and strong language. The Minister, by Pierre Scholler, France, 2011, shows an inside view of political wheeling and dealing on the highest level.
There is a wonderful performance by Olivier Gourmet as the Minister in charge of National Transportation, who is besieged with problems, beginning with a crash of a coach, which kills many young students. The manipulations of the amoral, ambitious, so-called public servants is captured excellently in this remarkable film. Again, I recommend it highly.
Las Acacias, by Pablo Giorgelli, Argentina, 2011, is about a middle-aged truck driver who takes a young woman and her 5-month old daughter from Paraguay to Buenos Aires, a 900 mile trip. There is minimal conversation between the two on the long trip, and we learn little about the two adults, although there appears to be a romantic attraction beginning at the end between the two lonely souls. The trip like the film itself is long and monotonous, pausing at decrepit rest stops and uninteresting landscapes.
Romance Joe, by Lee Kwang-Kuk, South Korea, 2011, is a baffling story about a film director, who disappears, and a frustrated filmmaker who meets a barmaid, who tells him about her encounter with the missing director. It repeatedly switches from one time period to another and it is difficult to know who is who or what the film is about. It is a puzzle with no solution.
Gerhard Richter Painting, written and directed by Corinna Belz, is a documentary about one of the most famous living German painters. We see how he creates his new paintings. It is an intimate look at a painter, who prefers to work alone, outside of the spotlight. He allows us the privilege of watching him work. Art lovers will enjoy this film.
03-08-12
Cast
members
(L-R)
Jonathan
Walker.
Mira
Tucci.
Maddie
Corman
at
the
opening
night
party
for
"Flight"
in
the
lobby
of
DR2
Theatre.
103
East
15th
St.
Wednesday
night
03-07-12 |