On Broadway, a dazzling performance by
Frank Langella as ruthless
financier is the reason to see Man
and Boy, by Terence Rattigan,
at the American Airlines Theatre. He
deserves a Tony nomination.
Samuel L.
Jackson and Angela Bassett,
two extraordinary actors, are also the
reason to see The Mountaintop, by
Katori Hall, about the last night
of Martin Luther King, Jr before his
death in Memphis. It is a fantasy.
Opening night attracted many celebrities
like Magic Johnson, Cicely Tyson, Ben
Vereen and Alicia Keys, and
the party at Espace was wonderful,
Off Broadway, Linda
Lavin is superb as a mother you
would not like to have in The Lyons,
by Nicky Silver, supported by a
fine cast. It is a very funny play on a
serious topic. The opening night party
was filled with guests like Steven
Pasquale, Cady Huffman, Adriane Lenox
and Patricia Clarkson among
others at Jack Bistro & Bar.
We Live Here,
by Zoe Kazan, celebrated its
opening night at Beacon with a sex
member cast, headed by Amy Irving,
with many stars in attendance like
John Gallagher Jr, Natasha Lyonne
and Heidi Schreck.
Any Given
Monday, by Bruce Graham,
celebrated its opening night the same
night at a charming restaurant, Bistro
60. As well as the cast headed by
Michael Mastro, I had the pleasure
of meeting the owner Manuel Uzhca
and his lovely wife Sonia.
Irving Berlin:
Rags to Ritzes was the title of the
concert by the New York Pops at Carnegie
Hall, with guest conductor Jack
Everly and five splendid performers,
headed by Ashley Brown and
Hugh Panaro. It was a lovely concert
of the magnificent music of one of the
great American songwriters.
Kara DioGuardi
hosted a Post-show VIP celebration for
the cast of Chicago to support her
favorite charities at E & E Grill, a
beautiful brand new restaurant next to
the theatre on West 49th St.
I attended the
reception following a Red Bull Theater
Benefit Reading of Volpone
starring F. Murray Abaham, Richard
Easton and Michael Urie.
Among the guests were Laila Robins,
Robert Cuccioli, Richard Thomas
and Daniel Davis. It was a lovely
evening.
It was a sad, but
beautiful memorial for Roger Webster
at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity,
followed by a reception at the
Cathedral's Fellowship Hall, where many
of his friends gathered afterwards.
Jason Grant and R. Couri Hay
hosted this special event in memory of a
fine person, who will be greatly missed.
At the NYFF at
Lincoln Center, the final week of
screenings continues with My Week
with Marilyn, by Simon Curtis,
2011, UK, a very entertaining film,
based on the true story about
Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams)
filming The Prince and the
Showgirl with Laurence Olivier (Kenneth
Branagh) in England. A very
young Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne)
has his first job as the Third
Assistant Director on the film, and
by chance becomes a friend of the
star. It is an inside look at the
making of the film, plus an
engrossing peak into the real,
insecure superstar. Williams is
superb, well supported by Branagh
and Redmayne. It will certainly
delight audiences, and will be a
contender at Oscar time. A Q & A
followed the screening with Curtis,
Williams and Redmayne.
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The Skin I
Live In, by Pedro Almodovar,
2011, Spain, is a typical
provocative film by the great
Spanish filmmaker. It stars a
wonderful Antonio Banderas
(reunited with his director after an
18-year absence) as a plastic
surgeon, kidnapping a lovely
Elena Anaya, to perform a skin
operation over six years. Their are
so many plot twists, that it is
impossible to write about them,
without ruining the enjoyment of the
audience. Footnote, by
Joseph Cedar, 2011, Israel, is a
fine, intelligent film about the
award of a top national prize to a
talmudic scholar by mistake. It was
supposed to be awarded to his son.
It is brilliantly acted and a
perceptive look at the relationship
between father and son. Both films
are highly recommended.
Corman's
World:Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel,
by Alex Stapleton,
2011, USA, is a wonderful tribute to
Roger Corman. Many of his
friends, who received their training
from this maverick filmmaker like
Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard and
a remarkably articulate and funny Jack
Nicholson make this documentary
a must see film of the festival. I
admire Roger, and so will the viewer
after seeing this entertaining film.
Goodbye
First Love, by Mia Hansen-Love,
2011, France/Germany, is a delightful
film which follows a 15-year-old high
school girl (Lola Creton) during
her first love affair and we see her
develop into a more mature lady over
eight years. Lola gives an outstanding
performance. Both she and the director
attended a Q & A after the screening. I
really enjoyed this sweet and touching
film.
The four week
press screenings ended with The
Artist, by Michael Hazanavicius,
2011, France, a homage to the silent
film era. It is an exquisite recreation
in back and white of a silent film star
(a marvelous performance by Jean
Dujardin), whose fame declines as
talking films take over the film
industry. A rising young star, (an
excellent performance by Berenice Bejo),
replaces him in the hearts of movie
fans. A small adorable dog (Uggy)
steals every scene in which it appears.
This is a charming film for cinephiles
and dog lovers alike. Finally, one of
the most enjoyable films of a month of
mainly excellent films is The
Descendants, by Alexander Payne,
2011, USA, starring a superb George
Clooney, as a father with a dying
wife, trying to take over the
responsibilities of a father to two
young daughters, a rebellious
17-year-old (Shailene Woodley)
and precocious 10-year-old (Amara
Miller). It is a clever, intelligent
and perceptive look at a family during
one of the deepest crises they can
experience in life, filmed with lush
photography in Hawaii, the most glorious
place on earth, in my opinion. This film
should also be a contender at Oscar
time, and Clooney gives one of his
greatest performances of his career. Do
not miss this film. It is one of the
highlights of the festival.
10-11-11 (L-R) Laila Robins. Robert Cuccioli. cast
member
F. Murray Abraham at a reception following a Red Bull
Theater Benefit Reading of "Volpone" in the lobby of
Playwrights Horizons. 416 West 42 St. Monday night
10-10-11 |