MOVIE
NOTES
REEL TALK
THEATER NOTES
TV NOTES

MOVIE NOTES

Like everyone else, I was saddened by the news of Robert Redford’s unexpected death.  His commitment to independent film changed the entire film business in recent decades.  And his achievements as actor and director (sometimes undervalued) only strengthened his importance.

I had some personal contacts with Redford that are worth remembering.  The first article I ever published–for Film Quarterly magazine–included a major segment on INSIDE DAISY CLOVER, Redford’s early movie in which he had a daring role is a gay actor in Hollywood of the 1930s.  A couple of decades later, when I wrote a feature story about THE NATURAL for The New York Times, I included a phone interview with Redford, in which he praised director Barry Levinson for his contributions to the movie.

In 1991 I wrote another article for the Times about the production of A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT, one of Redford’s finest achievements as a director.  I visited the location in Montana for a couple of days, watched some of the filming with Brad Pitt, Craig Sheffer, and Tom Skerritt, and conducted extensive interviews with Redford.  He was welcoming, articulate, and forthcoming about how passionately he responded to the story and the setting.  He sat with me for a fairly extended interview in his office but then provided some additional tidbits in between takes.  (“Ready for another sound bite?” he asked humorously.)

Many years later, in 2018, Redford was one of the honorees at the Telluride Film Festival, where his film THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN was screened.  I approached him after the screening and reminded him of our previous meeting. He gave me a warm welcome.  What a classy, irreplaceable movie star.

9/17/25

I haven’t added to this Blog for a while, but here are a few notes on moviegoing during a pandemic.  I have probably seen fewer films during the past six months than at any time in my life.  But I have watched a few in several different formats.  I got to see Spike Lee’s DA FIVE BLOODS on my (fairly) large-screen TV, streaming from Netflix.  I liked the movie up until the last half hour, when it took an unfortunate lurch into melodrama.

I also watched several movies on my laptop, including Ron Howard’s excellent–and all-too-timely–documentary about the Paradise fire and another stirring documentary about Obama White House photographer Pete Souza.  Over the last few years, I have watched a number of movies on my laptop, usually because that was the only format that the studios would provide.  Although it’s good to see movies that would otherwise be unavailable, the screen is too small and the sound too tinny.

Then I went to a drive-in screening of a highly touted fall festival movie, NOMADLAND, starring the great Frances McDormand, and directed by Chloe Zhao, who also made the excellent film THE RIDER.  Both movies use real people in addition to trained actors, and the byplay works well.  Perhaps NOMADLAND has been slightly overrated, in part because there have been so few stellar movies available this year, but I enjoyed its look at people living far off the grid and yet managing to maintain their dignity.  But although it was fun to relive a drive-in experience after several decades, it was far from an ideal movie watching experience.  Cars were told where to park, and although we were in the third row, it was still too far from the screen to be fully immersed in the lovely atmosphere that Zhao had created.  And then there was the car-watching atmosphere.  You had to keep the car on to be able to use the FM radio that provided the sound, but about every 15 minutes, the engine would come on, apparently to save the battery.  This was distracting and worked against thorough involvement.

And then I saw one movie in an actual movie theater: the new version of DAVID COPPERFIELD, directed by Alberto Iannucci.  As a huge admirer of the Dickens novel and even of the 1930s version directed by George Cukor with an outstanding cast that included W.C. Fields, Basil Rathbone, and Edna May Oliver, I felt this retread was only moderately entertaining.  But it was a thrill to watch a widescreen movie in a large theater in a multiplex in San Diego (where theaters opened before Labor Day).  There is no way to match the immersion that is possible only in a darkened theater.  I must admit it was weird to be the only person in that particular theater, but I have sometimes watched movies in screening rooms by myself, so it wasn’t a completely novel experience for a critic (though it probably was less appealing to the exhibitors who can’t exactly sustain a business on such low attendance).

All the rules have changed during a pandemic, and if people don’t feel comfortable yet attending an indoor theater, that is a personal decision, and no one should dictate to others.  But we also shouldn’t fool ourselves by pretending that all of these moviegoing experiences are of equal value.  The theatrical adventure is unique, enveloping, and hopefully returning in the not-too-distant future.

9/29/20

Top Ten Movies of 2014:

1. THE IMITATION GAME

2. A MOST VIOLENT YEAR

3. SELMA

4. BOYHOOD

5. THE RAILWAY MAN

6. MR. TURNER

7. LIFE ITSELF

8. IDA

9. THE SKELETON TWINS

10. WHIPLASH

But I would also like to mention several runners-up: American independent films WILD, LOVE IS STRANGE, NIGHT MOVES, FORT BLISS (with a great performance by Michelle Monaghan), and NIGHTCRAWLER; fine foreign films THE LUNCHBOX, GLORIA, and TWO DAYS ONE NIGHT; memorable documentaries KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON, CITIZENFOUR, and THE OVERNIGHTERS among many others. It wasn’t a great year for Hollywood studio pictures, but there were a lot of stimulating films just a little off the beaten path.

1/5/15

The last screening in our new Anniversary Classics series was a 50th anniversary screening of HUD. Only about one-third of the people in the audience had seen the movie before. Everyone marveled at the sharp dialogue, the stunning black-and-white cinematography by James Wong Howe, and the superb performances. Patricia Neal and Melvyn Douglas deserved their Oscars, but Paul Newman matched them. Seeing the movie again reminds you of what a natural, unfussy actor Newman always was. He never seemed to be ACTING, and that may be why he was often underrated. He was always 100 per cent believable.

It was a pleasure to be able to honor the one surviving member of the movie’s extraordinary creative team: co-writer Harriet Frank, Jr. Some sources list her age as 96, though her nephew Joshua Ravetch describes her as “only” 90. She seemed to be touched by the acclaim and all of the applause she received at our screening, since she’s always stayed out of the limelight. She and her late husband and writing partner, Irving Ravetch, rarely gave interviews. (They were married for 64 years before his death in 2010.) When I was a film student at UCLA in the late 60s, I wrote a lengthy article about HOMBRE, another collaboration of Ravetch, Frank, director Martin Ritt, and actor Paul Newman. I sent the article to the Ravetches and requested an interview. They said they did not give interviews but invited me over to their home off Laurel Canyon for an informal get-together. It was wonderful to chat with them, and I was taken by their modesty and professionalism. I saw them a few other times over the years. They spoke at a couple of classes I gave for UCLA Extension in the late 1980s. It was wonderful to see Harriet again and to get another chance to appreciate their superb writing. One member of the audience asked if the pungent dialogue in HUD came from Larry McMurtry’s novel. Harriet didn’t quite remember, but her nephew said he recently read the novel, and virtually none of the dialogue was in the book.

A touching moment came when someone in the audience asked about Paul Newman’s line in

the film during an argument with his stern father: “My momma loved me, but she died.”

Harriet said that probably was a tribute to her own mother, who had been a story editor at

MGM and always encouraged her daughter to pursue her dreams. It’s hard to identify all the

sources of a successful career, but we certainly shouldn’t underestimate the value of

parental support. When someone else asked if HUD could be made today, Harriet said she

doubted it. When did you last see such a sharp-witted, uncompromising movie? Keep coming

to our other classic film screenings! Very few of today’s movies measure up.

9/1/13

Would you rather see an action movie that is ponderous or preposterous? Those are your

choices this summer, and the alternatives are depressing. On the ponderous side, we have

MAN OF STEEL, an agonizingly slow and pretentious reworking of the Superman myth.

Director Zack Snyder seems to be harboring the delusion that he’s making an art film rather

than a comic book retread, because he and screenwriter David S. Goyer introduce a

convoluted, time-fractured narrative structure that would be more appropriate to a small

Sundance offering. There’s no humor at all in this glum, deliberate, heavy-handed opus.

Several good actors–including the new Superman, Henry Cavill–are completely wasted in a

numbing attempt at simple-minded mythmaking.

Compared to this self-important muddle, WORLD WAR Z and WHITE HOUSE DOWN are

at least fast paced and unassuming. But did they have to be quite so idiotic and farfetched?

In WORLD WAR Z credibility is strained at every juncture. When the plane he is riding is

bombed and zombies and passengers alike begin flying out of the aircraft, how does Brad

Pitt manage to survive merely by fastening his seatbelt? In another sequence set in Israel,

we are told this is the only country that has survived the zombie infestation because of the

giant walls built around the city of Jerusalem. But then the jubilant Israeli survivors begin

singing ebulliently at the top of their lungs–even though it’s known that zombies are

attracted to loud sounds. Soon the undead are scaling the giant walls in a mad frenzy, and

it’s curtains for those enterprising Israelis. Who concocts these summer spectacles without

paying the slightest attention to the most basic rules of logic?

This same idiocy infects WHITE HOUSE DAWN, though you might argue that at least

director Roland Emmerich takes his comic book mayhem less seriously than either of the

other two directors. Still, the sight of president Jamie Foxx wielding a bazooka to save the

White House does push even comic book action well past the breaking point. This summer’s

action extravaganzas take cinematic storytelling to a new low.

7/20/13

TOP TEN MOVIES OF 2012:

1. LIFE OF PI

2. AMOUR

3. ARGO

4. THE SESSIONS

5. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

6. SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

7. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

8. THE INTOUCHABLES

9. ZERO DARK THIRTY

10. BERNIE

I would add several fine foreign films: MONSIEUR LAZHAR, A ROYAL AFFAIR,

FAREWELL MY QUEEN, THE KID WITH A BIKE, FOOTNOTE, WHERE DO WE GO NOW?

Also a group of exceptional documentaries: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, THE CENTRAL

PARK FIVE, WEST OF MEMPHIS, THE INVISIBLE WAR, THE GATEKEEPERS.

1/25/13

Nora Ephron remembered:

The news of Nora Ephron’s death from leukemia came as an especially sad shock. I talked

to her many times over the years, and I always enjoyed our conversations. The first time was

a phone interview I did about a forgettable film that she wrote, MY BLUE HEAVEN, starring

Steve Martin. Since we had never spoken before, she asked if I would call her back to clear

any quotes I wanted to use. She said she was making this rather untoward request because

of a bad experience she’d had recently with another journalist. As she explained, “I read a

supposed quote of mine using the word ‘futon,’ which is a word I’ve never used in my life.” I

had to appreciate the wit of that comment, even though journalists don’t usually like being

asked to double check their quotes. I complied and called her back when I had completed

the article and read to her what I planned to use. “That’s exactly what I said,” she

commented with an obvious sense of relief.

I interviewed her many times after that. She was always cooperative and never again

asked to reconsider a quote. For an article on Mike Nichols, she praised him without ever

gushing, and she helped me to identify the key to his character in talking about the childhood

illness that not many people knew about.

A few years later, when I was producing a documentary on Spencer Tracy for A & E’s

Biography series, I interviewed Nora on camera because I thought she would have some

pertinent comments on the importance of the Tracy-Hepburn romantic movies. (Her parents

had written one of those movies, DESK SET.) She did not disappoint, and we used a long

excerpt from her interview. I still remember how perfectly she described Tracy’s

contribution to the duo’s romantic spark: “What he brings is a confidence in his own

masculinity that is so absolute that he doesn’t mind that she’s smarter than he is.”

We met again shortly after that at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. I hosted the opening

night tribute to Sally Field, and Nora was very complimentary about my handling of the event.

The next day I attended a panel on screenwriting that she participated in, and her comments

were the highlight of the afternoon. (I don’t even remember who else was on the panel.)

Lots of tributes are pouring in. Many people appreciated the wit of her screenplays and

of her immensely popular essays and books. I can add personal testimony that she was a

smart, gracious, classy voice of literacy. You could say she advanced the cause of women in

film, but she did it without any self-righteousness. She was one of those people who

brightened every room and every conversation she entered.

6/30/12

Turner Classic Festival Rocks and Rules:

TCM’s Classic Film Festival in Hollywood was a revelation this year. This was my first year

attending this festival, and I was amazed by the enthusiastic crowds that the movies drew.

People came from across the country to watch classic movies on the big screen and sometimes

meet the stars and directors. It was especially gratifying to see people of all ages in line for

the films–plenty of younger people in addition to the older crowds who might seem to be the

primary audience for vintage films. Lots of people (including me) were turned away from the

screening of RAW DEAL, which was unfortunately held in one of the smaller theaters in the

Chinese Theatre multiplex. But I really didn’t mind missing out because I was so thrilled to

see so many movie fans vying to make it into a pretty obscure film noir from Hollywood’s

golden age.

On the whole, the festival was extremely well run. Films started on time, and the larger

theaters seemed able to accommodate everyone who wanted to attend. I was disappointed

that the conversation with Kim Novak before the screening of VERTIGO seemed a bit

truncated. But she revealed some fascinating tidbits. She did not feel comfortable in the

grey suit that is one of the key costumes worn by the film’s mysterious heroine. But

Hitchcock insisted on the outfit, and Novak reflected that in retrospect, her discomfort in

the fairly formal suit helped to convey the awkwardness of a woman who did not quite feel at

home in her own skin.

Discussions with Stanley Donen after the screening of CHARADE and with Angie

Dickinson before the screening of RIO BRAVO were even more illuminating. Dickinson dished

director Howard Hawks, who made a lot of entertaining movies but clearly left a lot to be

desired as a human being. Stanley Donen, on the other hand, was remarkably charming and

gracious. Revisiting CHARADE only underscores the decline in literate screenwriting over the

last 40 or 50 years. And of course, where are the actors who can match the urbanity of Cary

Grant and Audrey Hepburn? I began the festival by thinking that people who paid $500 or

more for a pass were being overcharged. But given the quality of these classic films, I’m not

so sure the price tag was overinflated. The cinematic offerings of 2012 seem pitifully thin

by comparison.

4/16/12

New ratings controversy:

A massive protest has erupted over the R rating assigned by the MPAA to the

documentary BULLY. This is a remarkably timely film that exposes the painful consequences

of teen bullying all across the country. Of course one of the techniques that teenagers use

to humiliate their peers is language, and the film includes a number of four-letter words,

most notably “fuck,” which is supposedly verboten in the PG-13 category. It’s a joke to

pretend that teenagers under the age of 17 never hear this word outside the company of

their parents, but that is in effect what the R rating assigned to this film suggests.

The benighted head of the MPAA rating board, Joan Graves, insists that the board must

be consistent and cannot alter its standards to reflect the quality of the film under

consideration. And there is apparently a hard-and-fast rule that a PG-13 film can contain no

more than one “fuck,” no matter the context. Actually, reporters who had done their

homework would discover that there have been several exceptions in the past. Before there

was even a PG-13 category, ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976) got a PG despite several

expletives flying through the newsroom at The Washington Post. In 1983 THE RIGHT STUFF

was also rated PG, even though it was one of the running jokes of the movie that the

astronauts regularly exclaimed, “Fuckin’ A!” In fact, the movie featured at least 6 or 8 uses

of the F-word, and I don’t think the Republic collapsed.

Lawyers who have spoken about suing the MPAA should look up these precedents–there

are several others as well–and keep the fires flicking at Joan Graves’ feet. This woman is

clueless, and she’s keeping teenagers from seeing one of the few movies that might actually

improve their lives.

3/30/12

TOP TEN MOVIES OF 2011:

1. THE DESCENDANTS

2. THE ARTIST

3. A BETTER LIFE

4. WIN WIN

5. INCENDIES

6. SARAH’S KEY

7. MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

8. HUGO

9. BUCK

10. 50/50

15 more good movies: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, A DANGEROUS METHOD,

CONTAGION, BRIDESMAIDS, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, A SEPARATION, THE

DEBT, PINA, INTO THE ABYSS and CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS (both by Werner

Herzog), THE HELP, THE GUARD, RAMPART, ALBERT NOBBS, PARIAH

1/15/12

Memories of Elizabeth Taylor:

I had two encounters with Elizabeth Taylor, one

of the last great screen icons. In 1964 I was a student at Amherst College, and on a trip to

New York, I went to see the Richard Burton production of HAMLET and was thrilled by his

performance. I wrote a review for the college paper, and my father cheekily sent a copy to

Burton in New York. In it he mentioned that his son had enjoyed the production even though

on a student budget, he had to see it from the balcony.

Surprisingly, Burton wrote

back. He was very complimentary about my review, said that it was more perceptive than the

reviews written by many professional critics. He also invited us to come back to see the

production, and he would offer two pairs of orchestra seats and then would like to meet us

afterwards. I went back to New York that summer with my sister, a friend and cousin who

lived in New York. We joked beforehand that it would be exciting if La Liz would also be

there, but we really thought that was unlikely. But when we were ushered back to Burton’s

dressing room after the performance, there she was. My sister sat down next to her before

realizing who was beside her on the couch. Burton was very gallant when he said, “Elizabeth,

have you met Mr. Farber?” (Shouldn’t it have been the other way around?) She didn’t say

much but was very gracious, and she looked stunning. He was a pleasure to talk to.

When we left the theater, hordes were crowded around the stage door, behind police

barricades, and flashbulbs were popping. That was of course the height of the Taylor-Burton

romance, and crowds waited outside the theater every night hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

Needless to say, we felt privileged.

25 years later, in 1989, I was writing a story

for The New York Times about a new TV movie version of Tennessee Williams’ SWEET BIRD

OF YOUTH. I went to interview Taylor at her Bel Air mansion. I started out by telling her

that we had actually met once before. “My God, Hamlet!” she exclaimed. “That must have

been 30 years ago.” “25,” I replied, wincing only slightly.

At first glance she didn’t

cut an imposing figure. She was short and overweight, dressed in sweats. But when I sat

down next to her on the couch and looked into those famous eyes, something magical

happened. I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone who conveyed the same magnetism. Her

face was the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. We had a very enjoyable conversation about

Tennessee Williams. She confided that she once planned to do SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH on

the stage, but she decided to do PRIVATE LIVES instead because she wanted to work with

Richard Burton one more time. (This was years after their second divorce.) She spoke very

thoughtfully about the play and about her AIDS work, which was her main activity at the

time.

When I got up to leave, she said, “I hope we’ll see each other before another

25 years have gone by.” Sadly, that was not to be. But I feel privileged to have encountered

a true legend at two very different moments in both of our careers.

3/24/11

Oscar bores:

In the last few years there hasn’t been a single surprise in

the major Oscar categories. Probably this is because of the explosion of awards and award

shows. By the time the Oscars are announced, every other industry group has anointed the

winners, and the Academy doesn’t seem to veer from all these pre-ordained choices. But it

may also have something to do with the growing timidity of the voters. They seem to want to

go with the tried-and-true picks. Remember some of the upsets of the past: Roman Polanski

and Adrien Brody winning for THE PIANIST, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE beating SAVING

PRIVATE RYAN. That’s one of the things that makes the show fun. It’s all well and good to

criticize this year’s hosts. To put it bluntly, they bombed. But the bigger problem is the

disappearance of all suspense from the victory speeches.

2/28/11

Oscar snubs:

This year’s Oscar nominations have to be among the most

boring ever. There were only a few surprises on the entire list of nominees. Voters seemed

to be very timorous this year, going with all the tried-and-true candidates and veering away

from any independent thinking.

In years past many foreign directors and writers

would make it into the director and screenplay nominations, but this year there was only one:

Mike Leigh’s nomination for the screenplay of ANOTHER YEAR, which deservedly pushed the

ridiculous BLACK SWAN out of contention in that category. But the Academy choices have

been growing increasingly provincial. It’s shocking that Lesley Manville was overlooked for

ANOTHER YEAR; to my mind she gave the best single performance of the year. And speaking

of foreign film snubs, since the Oscars expanded to 10 best picture candidates, there hasn’t

been a single foreign film included on the list. This year there wasn’t a single nomination for

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, the most successful foreign film of the year and

one that received several nominations from BAFTA (the British Academy), including best

screenplay and best actress. Shame on the American Academy for ignoring so many films

beyond our own borders.

2/1/11

TOP TEN OF 2010:

1. THE KING’S SPEECH

2. 127 HOURS

3. THE GIRL WITH

THE DRAGON TATTOO

4. GET LOW

5. RABBIT HOLE

6.

ANOTHER YEAR

7. THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

8. THE SOCIAL

NETWORK

9. THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES

10. THE FIGHTER

Ten more good movies: THE WAY BACK, INCEPTION, WINTER’S BONE, ALL

GOOD THINGS, THE GHOST WRITER, HOW DO YOU KNOW, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT

SHOP, MESRINE, UNSTOPPABLE, AGORA.

12/31/10
Reading A.O. Scott’s glowing review of DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS only confirmed for me

how notoriously unreliable the movie reviews in The New York Times have become. There was

a time when Bosley Crowther became a whipping-boy for other critics, and eventually he lost

his job after he famously failed to “get” counterculture hit BONNIE AND CLYDE. The Times

critics are in a different but no less distressing no-comprendo zone today. If Crowther’s

fatal flaw was a deference to middlebrow standards, the critics today are so desperate to

avoid being called middlebrow that they frequently miss the boat. A.O. Scott, the man who

savagely attacked Oscar-winner DEPARTURES and Oscar nominee THE LAST STATION,

laughed himself silly while watching the bloated, witless DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS. Didn’t he

see the original French movie, which was lean and biting and even poignant? I’ve seen movies

that are worse than SCHMUCKS, but the film is clearly a misfire for the talented director,

Jay Roach. Other critics saw the film’s obvious flaws. Scott didn’t. Read him at your own

peril.

8/2/10

THE GREEN ZONE is the kind of movie that

Hollywood once made far more frequently. It’s an expensive studio picture with a big star

(Matt Damon) and an intelligent exploration of a provocative social theme. But studios rarely

attempt such films today, and the tepid box office response to Paul Greengrass’s movie

makes it unlikely that we will see many more of these films in the future.

It’s not

surprising that rightwing columnists have denounced the movie. It’s a surprisingly hard-

hitting indictment of the deception and ineptitude that led up to the invasion of Iraq. In the

guise of an action movie, GREEN ZONE pulls no punches in exposing the phony rationale

behind this costly and destructive war–the search for WMD that never existed. And in the

character of the Iraqi interpreter who aids Matt Damon’s search for the truth, the film

offers a poignant critique of the hubris that led us to meddle in another nation’s inner

turmoil. This is a more politically charged movie than the Oscar-winning HURT LOCKER, and

it’s just as well made.

3/22/10

TEN BEST MOVIES OF

2009:

1. UP IN THE AIR

2. THE LAST STATION

3. THE

HURT LOCKER

4. PRECIOUS

5. THE COVE

6. THE

PRINCESS AND THE FROG

7. MY ONE AND ONLY

8. LEMON

TREE

9. ADAM

10. SERAPHINE

16 more good movies:

STAR TREK, EVERY LITTLE STEP, AN EDUCATION, TRUCKER, SKIN, ME AND ORSON

WELLES, THE HANGOVER, THE MESSENGER, YOO HOO MRS. GOLDBERG, BRIGHT STAR,

THAT EVENING SUN, THE STONING OF SORAYA M, THE YOUNG VICTORIA, A

SERIOUS MAN, THE INFORMANT!

Worst movies of the year include:

ANTICHRIST, CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, COUPLES RETREAT, I LOVE YOU

BETH COOPER, NINE, and SHERLOCK HOLMES.

12/27/09

 

Yesterday I saw two movies in a single day that provided pure

entertainment pleasure. Such a rare occurrence is almost enough to restore one’s faith in

the movies. Perhaps it has something to do with expectations. PIRATE RADIO bombed in

England, and it was not screened here until right before opening, so a certain smell was

emanating from the movie. Yet it turns out to be another delicious British comedy from

writer-director Richard Curtis, the wit behind FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL,

NOTTING HILL, and LOVE ACTUALLY. Philip Seymour Hoffman is the ostensible star, but

he’s really just a member of a superb ensemble that also includes Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans,

Kenneth Branagh, and Tom Sturridge. They all create vivid characters in this tribute to the

subversive spirit of rock and roll, which amazingly was banned from British radio in the

1960s. The soundtrack of 60s hits is pure bliss for anyone who remembers the music of the

era, and Curtis’s writing is full of wickedly funny touches. Perhaps the shipwreck finale is

straining too hard to give the movie a commercial lift, but the whole enterprise is so spirited

that you’re willing to forgive this lapse into grandiosity.

Another delight is the

new Disney animated musical, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG. We’re supposed to keep a lid

on our reviews for another two weeks, so let me just say that this is one of Disney’s most

entertaining movies since BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, with ravishing animation, a wonderful

cast of mainly African-American actors, and a rousing score by Randy Newman.

11/11/09

It’s not so surprising that ANGELS &

DEMONS didn’t match the opening-weekend grosses of Hollywood’s other action

blockbusters. This new Ron Howard-Tom Hanks opus is a brainy potboiler. That’s not to say

it is drenched in profundity. But it does require you to pay attention, which eliminates about

half the popcorn crowd. There are actually some (half-baked) ideas in this latest Dan Brown

adaptation, as there were in THE DA VINCI CODE. But this movie is a lot faster-paced, and

although it doesn’t really hold up to close scruitny, it’s an entertaining ride through the

Vatican (mainly recreated in Hollywood).

People who have ADD will find this movie

much too hard to follow, which is one reason I enjoyed it. As the level of popular

entertainment continues to sink, this classy thriller is a throwback to the adventure films of

yesteryear. The only thing that’s missing is a truly surprising denouement. Any seasoned

moviegoer will be able to guess the identity of the villain, though at least Howard and his

screenwriters (David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman) sprinkle the plot with some clever red

herrings. The movie may not be Oscar bait, but it’s an acceptable summertime diversion.

5/17/09

1. WALTZ WITH BASHIR

2. BOY A

3. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

4. THE READER

5. MILK

6. FROZEN RIVER

7. THE VISITOR

8. THE CURIOUS CASE

OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

9. THE EDGE OF HEAVEN

10. IN SEARCH

OF A MIDNIGHT KISS

Other worthwhile movies

(listed alphabetically): APPALOOSA, AUGUST EVENING, THE BAND’S VISIT, BEFORE

THE RAINS, BOTTLE SHOCK, THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS, CAPTAIN ABU

RAED, THE COUNTERFEITERS, DEFIANCE, THE DUCHESS, KABLUEY, LET THE RIGHT

ONE IN, MAN ON WIRE, A SECRET, STOP-LOSS, WALL-E, THE WITNESSES, YOUNG AT

HEART.

Worst movies of the year included: WANTED, MAMMA MIA, EAGLE

EYE, SYNECHDOCHE NEW YORK, and SEVEN POUNDS.

12/20/08

TWILIGHT was a huge hit over the weekend, and despite

many nay-saying reviews, I found it surprisingly entertaining. While critics seemed to assail

it for unintentional humor, I found most of the humor was intentional. How could you do a

contemporary teen vampire movie without a bit of tongue-in-cheek slyness?

The

movie’s success owes a lot to director Catherine Hardwicke, one of the most talented

filmmakers working today. She honed her skills as a gifted art director, and I liked her two

previous films as director, THIRTEEN and LORDS OF DOGTOWN. (I must admit I skipped

THE NATIVITY STORY.) TWILIGHT has a great visual style. The Pacific Northwest town

where the story takes place is beautifully caught. It’s a place drenched in fog and mist,

darkness and rain–vampires hate sunlight, remember–and the setting is bewitching to

behold. The two lead actors, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, have the requisite

chemistry, and while I probably don’t share the enthusiasm of the fan base, I had a good

time at this pop-cult phenomonen.

11/24/08

Is THE DARK

KNIGHT as great as many critics say? In a word, no. On the plus side, the film compels your

interest for its entire running time, and director Christopher Nolan brings off a number of

spectacular action sequences. The late Heath Ledger definitely etches one of the scariest

and most sinister villains to darken the screen. And Ledger’s isn’t the only strong

performance in the movie. Christian Bale is a bit monotonous, but Michael Caine, Morgan

Freeman, Gary Oldman, and Maggie Gyllenhaal all deliver smoothly effective turns. And

Aaron Eckhart’s outstanding performance has been overshadowed by all the well deserved

praise for Ledger. As crusading district attorney Harvey Dent, who turns into the vengeful

Two Face, Eckhart has an even more complex role than Ledger’s Joker, and he does it full

justice.

To its credit, the movie also has a more intricate plot than most comic

book movies, but here is where it gets into trouble. Many of the plot developments are

confusing, sometimes downright incomprehensible. The set-piece involving the shooting of the

police commissioner is something of a muddle. As the movie races toward its climax, we’re

never quite certain how the story resolves itself. Critics who have priased the darkness of

the vision may be confusing thematic darkness with narrative murkiness. To tell the truth,

this is a consistent failing of Christopher Nolan’s films. I saw MEMENTO three times, and I

never managed to parse the plot. Nolan’s period piece about rival magicians, THE PRESTIGE,

also zoomed toward an elaborate denouement that never quite made sense. Could it be an

accident that INSOMNIA, Nolan’s most lucid movie–and in my view, his best–was the one

movie he didn’t write? Most of his other films succumb to incoherent storytelling.

Critics are reading all kinds of psychological depths into THE DARK KNIGHT that I don’t

see and that they haven’t done a very good job of elucidating. Incidentally, not all reviews

have been raves. The New Yorker’s David Denby is another nay-sayer who raises some

pertinent criticisms. I would have to agree that THE DARK KNIGHT is the best of all the

Batman movies. But in the last analysis, it’s still a Batman movie, not a work of moral or

psychological acuity. The critics are trying to read a lot of profundity into a skillfully

executed but superficial action extravaganza.

7/19/08

REEL TALK

All 8 movies shown during my summer series received votes from some members of the Reel

Talk audience. Yes, even Matthew Weiner’s controversial ARE YOU HERE collected a few

votes, though I must admit it came out in last place.

ALIVE INSIDE, the inspiring documentary about music therapy for older people suffering

from dementia and other ailments, was the definite favorite of the audience. LOVE IS

STRANGE was not far behind, in second place. THE NOVEMBER MAN (third place) and

HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS (fourth) were only a couple of votes apart.

AFTER, the family drama with a surprising 9/11 subtext, also drew quite a bit of support

from the audience.

Summer of 2014 was not the best season for movies, so I had to search a little farther

afield for rewarding films to screen and discuss. Looking forward to a rebound in the fall!

9/7/14

Nine of the ten movies shown during our spring series received votes from some members

of the Reel Talk audience. There were no votes at all for THE M WORD. I guess you really

really didn’t like Henry Jaglom’s latest opus. But in addition to the top four movies, there

were significant votes for WALKING WITH THE ENEMY, OBVIOUS CHILD, and even,

surprisingly, GOD’S POCKET.

I was personally pleased that once again the audience chose my favorite movie of the

series, THE RAILWAY MAN, as their favorite as well. WORDS AND PICTURES was a close

second, but I am happy that one of the earliest movies in the series–and one of the most

intense–came out in the top position. People enjoyed hearing the filmmakers from those two

movies, but I think many agreed that Shirley Knight (from REDWOOD HIGHWAY) and John

Slattery (from GOD’S POCKET) were especially scintillating guests.

Knight regaled us with wonderful stories from her long career. She had really wanted to

be a singer but fell into acting almost by accident when she won a role in THE DARK AT THE

TOP OF THE STAIRS, filmed in her native Kansas, and started out acting alongside Robert

Preston, Dorothy McGuire, and Angela Lansbury. But the actor who influenced her the most

was Richard Burton, who starred in her second film, ICE PALACE, which Knight characterized

as dreadful. Still, Burton gave her a tutorial on Shakespeare during breaks from filming, and

Shirley still remembers his generosity. She also spoke candidly and movingly about the

devastation she felt after the accidental death of her husband, writer John Hopkins. But

she relies on the support of her three children. When she told her daughters that Tom

Skerritt would be her semi-romantic interest in REDWOOD HIGHWAY, they all encouraged

her to take the part. “Mom, he’s hot!” they all said.

6/14/14

SUMMER 2013 AUDIENCE AWARD:

Often when Reel Talk members vote on their favorite movies of the series, they will

include at least one of the later movies in the series. But this summer’s top choices were the

first three movies in the series: FRUITVALE STATION, STILL MINE, and BLACKFISH (in

that order). I was pleased to see FRUITVALE remembered as the #1 choice, since that

remains my favorite movie not just of the series but of the entire year to date.

Once again, however, every single one of the nine movies shown received votes from some

members of the audience. The second, third, and fourth choices–STILL MINE, BLACKFISH,

and YOU WILL BE MY SON–were bunched very close together, and THE SPECTACULAR

NOW and JOBS were not far behind. I would have to say that James Ponsoldt, the director

of THE SPECTACULAR NOW, was the most inspiring guest speaker, but all of the filmmakers

were passionate, articulate, and enlightening to hear.

8/31/13

During our spring series, there was a clear audience favorite: THE RELUCTANT

FUNDAMENTALIST. But of the remaining nine movies screened, seven had considerable

support from members of the audience, and votes were pretty evenly divided among those

movies. Many people commented how much they enjoyed STARBUCK, THE ENGLISH

TEACHER, AT ANY PRICE, THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, FILL THE VOID, even MY BROTHER

THE DEVIL. Only two movies scored poorly: ADMISSION and AUGUSTINE. And even those

two movies collected a few votes. AUGUSTINE was probably the least favorite, and yet it

was one of the best reviewed movies of the 10 in this series. It has 91 per cent favorable

reviews from Top Critics on Rotten Tomatoes. This only confirms my view that there is a

serious disconnect between critics and members of the audience–at least members of the

Reel Talk audience. You can judge for yourselves which group is the more sensible.

5/22/13

9 of the 10 movies shown during our fall series received quite a few votes from members

of the Reel Talk audience. David Chase’s movie NOT FADE AWAY was the only movie that

received no votes–that’s right, zero–from our audience. Partly, of course, this was because

fewer people went to see this bonus screening at Paramount Studios. But the bottom line is

that most people just didn’t respond to this movie. It happens. I might add that the movie

did receive excellent reviews in The New York Times, the Los Angeles

Times, and several other important publications. These critics could be wrong of

course, or they could be right, and the audience might be… less right. As I’ve said many

times, opinions vary–often wildly.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK was the clear audience favorite, but there was lots of

support for QUARTET, THE IMPOSSIBLE, A ROYAL AFFAIR, KON-TIKI, and A LATE

QUARTET. It was interesting that many of the people who voted for QUARTET also voted

for A LATE QUARTET–not because they have a fetish for quartets, but probably because

the classical music theme of both movies appealed to a certain segment of the audience.

Most people seemed to appreciate the diversity of the films shown as well as the passion of

the filmmakers who spoke after the screenings. Dustin Hoffman certainly ended the fall

series on a high note. He seemed fully engaged with the audience, and his stories were candid

and eye-opening. Hoffman spoke during my first-ever Sneak Preview series, after a

screening of KRAMER VS. KRAMER. It was fun to re-connect with him 30 years later!

12/21/12

I was thrilled that the audience agreed with my choice of the best film of the recently

concluded Summer Series. SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN was the decisive winner of our

audience poll. I predicted that ROBOT & FRANK or HOPE SPRINGS would be the

winner, and they were indeed the second and third choices, but I am delighted that the

audience really appreciated and applauded the very unique qualities of SUGAR MAN.

All 10 movies that I screened received votes from some members of the audience. In fact,

every single film received at least a few first-place votes. Even ALL FALL DOWN, our film

from 1962, had a number of champions, and this was impressive considering that fewer people

probably saw this film. I asked the question of whether Reel Talk members would like to see

occasional older films with special guests like Eva Marie Saint, and the vast majority voted

YES. In fact, many people said they loved the idea and welcomed such screenings, especially

if they were bonus evenings as we offered this time. All in all, people seemed very pleased

with the diversity of movies screened and with the informative and entertaining guest

speakers. Thanks to everyone who participated in the poll!

8/29/12

My recently concluded foreign film series may have had the best audience reactions of

any series I’ve given. It’s not uncommon for all of the movies to receive votes from some

members of the audience, but this time, every one of the eight movies had a LOT of votes,

and many people commented that they had trouble ranking the films because they had

enjoyed all of them or almost all of them. There was a tie for first place: IN DARKNESS

and MONSIEUR LAZHAR. And amazingly, there was also a tie for second place: CHICO

& RITA and SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN. And the remaining 4 films were not

far behind. There was not a single complaint in all the surveys, which must be a first, and I

don’t expect that to be repeated any time soon! But the reactions were most gratifying.

To the question of whether people would be more likely to stay for the discussions if

there were unlimited free parking, only a small percentage–15 out of more than 100

surveys–said this would make any difference to them. Some commented that they left early

simply because it was too late for them, and there’s no way to remedy that situation. Of

course it would be great if the Landmark were able to allow a longer period of free parking

to Reel Talk members, but I’m glad that most people seem happy to stay for the discussions

if they find the film stimulating. Looking forward to the spring series!

3/1/12

THE ARTIST was the overwhelming winner in the audience poll of favorites of the fall

season. Following were THE DESCENDANTS and the final film, THE FLOWERS OF WAR,

which were only separated by a few votes. There were also plenty of votes for MY WEEK

WITH MARILYN, YOUNG ADULT, and ORANGES AND SUNSHINE, but every single one of

the 12 movies screened had support from some members of the audience.

To the question of whether audience members would prefer to see a very good film with

no speaker who worked on the film or a slightly less good film with a stimulating filmmaker to

speak, there were strong opinions on both sides of the question. However, a large majority

favored the idea of showing the better film without a speaker from the film. These people

liked having speakers from a related field who could address the issues raised in the movie. I

will always continue to try for that. I ignored a couple of people who said, “We want to see

great movies with great speakers every week.” Don’t we all, but we’re living in a material

world, as someone said. Onward to foreign films!

12/22/11

As I expected, THE DEBT was the audience favorite during our summer series. Once

again, all nine movies received votes from some members of the audience, though A LITTLE

HELP and HIGHER GROUND stirred less enthusiasm. All of the others had lots of support. I

was pleased to see the documentary SENNA come in second, followed very closely by THE

WHISTLEBLOWER and CRAZY STUPID LOVE. Then there was a bit of a gap, and STRAW

DOGS, 5 DAYS OF WAR, and ANOTHER EARTH were also bunched very close together.

I was especially pleased with the guests this summer, and many people singled out Renny

Harlin and Rod Lurie as their favorite speakers. Others mentioned the crew from ANOTHER

EARTH, the directors of CRAZY STUPID LOVE, the director of THE WHISTLEBLOWER,

and of course John Madden and Vera Farmiga. This is one of the few times in the history of

Reel Talk that I had the director of every single film I screened, and I had leading cast

members with 4 of the 9 movies shown. Some people think that the best movies are shown in

the fall, which isn’t necessarily true. I certainly get top-notch speakers during other

seasons, so if you come not just to see the movies but to talk about them with the most

knowledgeable sources, this session ranked especially high.

9/2/11
Once again, every movie in the series received votes from some members of

the audience. THE FIRST GRADER was the first choice, followed closely by A BETTER LIFE

and BUCK. I was impressed that THE FIRST GRADER did so well, since it was shown early in

the series, and often people are more favorably inclined toward movies shown more recently.

MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE, BEAUTIFUL BOY, and THE NAMES OF LOVE

also received substantial numbers of votes from Reel Talk members. I was pleased that a

difficult film like BEAUTIFUL BOY was appreciated by the audience. One person wrote, “A

disturbing film, but my favorite.”

I was also pleased that the Regent Theatre

received high marks from many members of the audience. A few people commented that they

were “surprised” at how much they liked it, referring to it as a comfortable, old-fashioned

theater. People also liked the helpfulness of the theater staff, the convenient, inexpensive

parking and the proximity of so many restaurants. Several people preferred The Landmark

for its stadium seating and better concessions, but others commented on the larger size of

the Regent as a plus. So it is definitely a theater we will consider in the future.

6/23/11

This year’s foreign film series was to my mind one of the best series

I’ve ever held, and the audience seemed to agree. All 8 movies got quite a few votes from the

Reel Talk audience, and there was no overwhelming favorite. EVEN THE RAIN was only a

few points behind the first-place winner, INCENDIES, and WINTER IN WARTIME was only

3 points behind PRECIOUS LIFE. A few people commented that they had a hard time voting

because they liked all the movies, and several people voted for 5 or 6 instead of just 3.

I did find it interesting that the comic films–SIMPLE SIMON, FRIENDSHIP, and A

SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN–had fewer votes than the heavier dramas. Is this a slight

prejudice against comedy that also figures in Oscar voting? It’s too bad that many people

find comedy a bit more negligible than drama, but it may also be true that the dramas I

showed were particularly strong this winter. In a tighter field, comedy gets edged out. The

victory of INCENDIES is impressive, since this was a bonus screening that was seen by

fewer people than most of the other movies. If you missed any of these films, be sure to

catch them when they open in theaters or when they make it to DVD.

3/5/11

All 14 movies shown during the fall series received votes from several

members of the Reel Talk audience, and there were first-place votes for every single film.

HOW DO YOU KNOW had fewer votes than any other film, but this was partly due to the

fact that more than half the people had turned in their ballots before this bonus screening.

A lot of people made a point of mentioning that they had hated HOWL and/or THE

TEMPEST, yet both of those movies did have enthusiastic support from some Reel Talk

members. One person who was critical of many of my selections this fall called HOWL

“awesome.” Which only goes to show, different strokes…

As I suspected, there

was no runaway favorite this time. Votes were fairly evenly divided among many of the films.

Despite its disturbing subject matter, RABBIT HOLE was the surprise winner, closely

followed by FAIR GAME, 127 HOURS, CONVICTION, TODAY’S SPECIAL, and NOWHERE

BOY (which was only one point behind TODAY’S SPECIAL in the balloting). ALL GOOD

THINGS, BURLESQUE, JOLENE, and CASINO JACK all had a significant number of votes.

Not much support for MORNING GLORY; that actually had an even smaller vote total than

THE TEMPEST and was tied with HOWL near the bottom of the list. It seems as if the more

challenging films definitely were the audience favorites, though the feel-good indie comedy

TODAY’S SPECIAL was the high scorer among more lightweight fare. Good, discerning

choices from the audience this time. Onward to foreign films!

12/17/10

After the shocking death of Ronni Chasen a few weeks ago, the publicist for

our Reel Talk series said to me, “Who would want to kill a publicist?” I responded, “Well,

there are a few…” In putting together my series, I depend on publicists, and some of them

are infuriatingly unreliable and unresponsive. They seem determined to make everyone’s life

difficult so that they can confirm their own importance.

Ronni wasn’t like that. I

knew her for more than 30 years and always counted on her straight shooting. If I asked

her for help in lining up a film or a speaker for my series, she responded immediately. Often

she delivered the people I asked about, but if she couldn’t, she would call me promptly to tell

me that it wasn’t going to work. Many people leave you dangling, refusing to return phone

calls and just behaving with a rudeness which is not at all justified by their position as

handmaidens to the more talented and more powerful. Ronni, by contrast, was unassuming,

helpful, straightforward, and always fun to chat with. When I saw her at Sundance a couple

of years ago, hawking a film that she knew wasn’t quite first-rate, she confided to me, “I’m

getting too old for this,” and we shared some of our battle scars. By rights she should have

faded out slowly and with dignity, as she deserved. Her violent end was an affront to all of

us who knew her and cared about her.

Now as for some of those other Hollywood

publicists…

12/3/10

All of the movies shown during the

summer series received votes from some members of the audience, and 7 of the 8 movies had

substantial support. LOVE RANCH was clearly the least favorite, with only 7 points total.

MAO’S LAST DANCER, which received decidedly mixed reviews from the critics, was the

unmistakable audience favorite. GET LOW was a strong second, but there were lots of votes

for WHITE WEDDING, THE SWITCH, THE DRY LAND, THE WILDEST DREAM, and EAT

PRAY LOVE. Overall audience satisfaction seemed high this time. In fact, this was one of

the few times that not a single person complained about the quality of films selected for the

series.

8/17/10

Allan Loeb, the screenwriter of THE

SWITCH, was one of the most candid speakers who has ever attended my screenings. He

pulled no punches in discussing his conflict with the Miramax executives who softened some

of the hard edges in his script in their desire to make the characters more “likable.” When

someone asked Allan if he had considered a less “predictable” ending, he revealed that his

first idea was that when Jason Bateman finally proposes to Jennifer Aniston, she tells him

that she is pregnant as a result of her romance with Patrick Wilson. The film was then meant

to end on an idyllic family celebration (not unlike the scene that currently ends the film) with

one surprising fly in the ointment: Aniston and Bateman are raising their child, along with a

younger boy who looks exactly like Patrick Wilson. Now that would have been an

unconventional ending!

8/11/10

Some notes on the audience

award: All 11 movies shown in the Spring series received votes from some members of the

audience. In fact, while a few people complained about my choice of movies in the spring, I

found it interesting that every single movie had first-place votes and a number of second and

third-place votes from some members of the audience. The votes were more evenly divided

than in most other seasons of Reel Talk–with one exception. The overwhelming favorite of

Reel Talk members was the Oscar-winning best foreign film, THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES.

Since this was a bonus screening that not everyone could attend, the support it received was

even more impressive. In the winter season, the movie that won the audience award was also

a bonus screening–THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. This may suggest that bonus

screenings are a big draw, but it also suggests that people have a taste for complex mystery

stories that unfold over a period of years or even decades.

5/31/10

CHLOE intrigued audiences at our screening, and there were more questions

than usual for our excellent pannel–producers Ivan Reitman and Tom Pollock and

screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson. The mixed reviews for the film are not really surprising.

Any strong sexual film inevitably polarizes critics. But don’t believe the critics who describe

the film as “silly” or “laughable.” This is a common defense mechanism when critics see a

graphic sexual film that makes them uncomfortable. They invariably describe it as ridiculous

because they are simply too frightened to confront a serious exploration of a taboo subject.

Members of our audience recognized the truthfulness in the portrayal of an older woman

(brilliantly played by Julianne Moore) who fears that she is losing her attractiveness. Ivan

Reitman candidly discussed his interest in the subject–his desire to contemplate the

staleness that can infect any long-term marriage. When it comes to facing these bold sexual

themes, supposedly sophisticated critics like The New York Times’ A.O. Scott and The New

Yorker’s Anthony Lane really don’t have a clue.

3/25/10
REEL TALK AUDIENCE AWARD WINTER 2010

Every one of the seven movies I

showed this time received votes from some members of the audience. GIRL ON THE TRAIN

and VINCERE had less support than the others, but the other five movies all received a

substantial number of votes. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was, not surprisingly,

the first choice, though the victory was more impressive when you realize this was a bonus

screening that not everyone was able to attend. NORTH FACE was a strong second, followed

by BROKEN PROMISE, NOBODY TO WATCH OVER ME, and THE YELLOW

HANDKERCHIEF.

Two of these well received movies–BROKEN PROMISE from

Slovakia, and NOBODY TO WATCH OVER ME from Japan–have no American distributors

and may never be seen in theaters in this country. So I am especially pleased that I was able

to expose people to these two fine films.

3/3/10

REEL

TALK AUDIENCE AWARD FALL 2009:

Every single movie shown during the fall

series received votes from some members of the audience, though I must admit there were

only a few votes for PARIS, AMELIA, and OH MY GOD.

I expected UP IN THE

AIR to win the audience award, and indeed it did, but the race was closer than I expected.

There was strong support for half a dozen additional movies. THE YOUNG VICTORIA came

in a strong second, but THE LAST STATION was only five points behind. There were a a

great many votes–including quite a few first-place votes–for SKIN, ME AND ORSON

WELLES, THE DAMNED UNITED, and TRUCKER. Although the last three movies shown in

the series scored best, I was pleased that so many people remembered the movies screened

early on.

12/18/09

The recent death of John Hughes made

me remember his appearance at my screening series during the early days when I was doing

the program with UCLA Extension. In 1985 Hughes came to discuss THE BREAKFAST CLUB,

along with one of the stars of the film, Judd Nelson. You may remember that the film ends

with the 5 diverse members of the Breakfast Club, who were suspicious of each other at the

outset, forging a rapport. The first question I asked the audience when the film ended was:

“How many people think these 5 kids will still be friends on Monday morning?” The audience

was pretty divided on that question. I asked Hughes for his answer to the question, and I

remember he said, “You have a lot of pessimistic people in this audience.” People’s answer to

that question reflected their own philosophy of life, and Hughes made it clear that he

believed the friendship the kids formed over the course of one day together would carry

over once they re-entered the real cutthroat world of high school. His own optimistic point

of view showed through his answer to that question, and it probably shone through all the

movies he made as well.

8/10/09

REEL TALK AUDIENCE

AWARD SPRING 2009:

All 11 of the movies I showed during the spring series

received votes from some members of the audience. Actually, there were a lot of votes for 6

or 7 of the movies, so that was gratifying. But there was a clear favorite: DEPARTURES,

which also won the Oscar for best foreign film of 2008. These were the top five choices:

1. DEPARTURES

2. THE SOLOIST

3. LEMON TREE

4. AMERICAN VIOLET

5. THE STONING OF SORAYA M

5/20/09

The turnout for THE STONING OF SORAYA M was a

little lighter than usual. No doubt the title scared some people away. And there were a few

walkouts during the gruesome stoning sequence at the climax of the film. Given that, the

reaction to the film was overhwelmingly positive. Most viewers saw beyond the violence to

the film’s pertinent message about the mistreatment of women in fundamentalist societies,

and they responded to the power of the filmmaking.

Shohreh Aghdashloo, the

wonderful actress who was Oscar-nominated for HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, was

particularly eloquent in protesting the human rights absues that have taken place in her

native Iran. All of the filmmakers hope that this film will eventually be shown there, even if

it’s only via pirated DVDs. The audience was tremendously engaged in the discussion, and

more people had questions and comments than we’ve heard in most of our screenings this

time.

5/13/09

Our screening of LEMON TREE stimulated

some anticipated controversy. This film about a Palestinian widow fighting to hold on to her

family’s beloved lemon grove was made by an Israeli director, Eran Riklis. Nonetheless, a few

members of the audience considered the movie anti-Israeli. One person said that it

neglected to demonstrate the genuine security concerns that motivate the Israeli characters

in the film. In fact, a few people wanted to conduct an extended argument with our

panelists, who represented a full spectrum of opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A couple of the panelists were more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Saree

Makdisi described the wall as comparable to apartheid, a comment which agitated some

members of the audience. On the other hand, Carrie Menkel-Meadow, a legal scholar who was

worked in Israel, pointed out that Israeli courts have sometimes sided with Palestinians who

lay claim to land held in the occupied territories.

Carrie also said that she sees

hopeful signs in that younger people whom she has taught in Israel seem much more open-

minded than members of an older generation. The film itself ends on a melancholy note that

leaves us looking for any sliver of hope.

4/24/09

REEL

TALK AUDIENCE AWARD FOR FOREIGN FILM SERIES 2009:

In our recently

concluded series, all six movies got a lot of votes from the audience. The only one that was at

all controversial, surprisingly, was SHALL WE KISS? A few people said they hated that film,

though others picked it as their favorite. There were no negative comments about any of the

other movies–a welcome change from some past series! PATRIK, AGE 1.5, the final movie in

our series, came in first, though THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE, from Canada, was a very close

second. The rankings:

1. PATRIK, AGE 1.5 119 votes

2. THE

NECESSITIES OF LIFE 111

3. MOSCOW, BELGIUM 90

4.

EVERLASTING MOMENTS 76

5. TEAR THIS HEART OUT 62

6.

SHALL WE KISS 48

Our bonus screening of PARIS 36 also went over very

well. We had a delightful discussion with the director, Christophe Barratier, and the leading

actress, Nora Arnezeder, who makes an extraordinary impression in her first starring role.

Christophe commented that he wanted some of the musical numbers to evoke the feeling of

an old Busby Berkeley musical, and most of the songs had to be pre-recorded because of the

elaborate staging. But for the scene where Douce, played by Nora, makes her singing debut,

Christophe wanted the singing to be done “live” in order to capture the immediacy of the

moment. His decision was astute; it’s a beautiful moment, and a very entertaining movie.

3/13/09

REEL TALK AUDIENCE AWARD FALL 2008:

The votes are in, and there’s a clear winner for the audience award: SLUMDOG

MILLIONAIRE. Will the Oscars follow suit? Time will tell.

Four movies won the

lion’s share of the votes in this fall’s voting: After SLUMDOG, #2 was THE READER, #3

went to THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, and #4 was THE BOY IN THE

STRIPED PAJAMAS. Even though a few people commented that they hated WALTZ WITH

BASHIR, that film came in fifth, though it was well behind the top four.

In past

series every single movie I showed received votes from some audience members, but this time

10 of the 12 movies had champions, but there were two movies that got no votes at all:

BALLAST and THE DUKES. I guess you really, really didn’t like those two! Many people

went out of their way to denounce BALLAST. Obviously I don’t agree, or I wouldn’t have

shown it, but I can’t dismiss the audience reaction. This was perhaps the worst reaction to

any movie I’ve shown in years. Yet it got rave reviews from many critics and has been

nominated for six Independent Spirit Awards. So there’s some disconnect between the

critics and the audience with regard to this particular film. You may notice BALLAST is not

on my list of the year’s best films, so I am somewhere in between other major critics and the

Reel Talk audience. Fascinating to see the different reactions.

12/20/08

WALTZ WITH BASHIR is one of the strongest films of the year, and it

encouraged a lot of audience participation in our discussion. I anticipated that the film

would be controversial because of its criticism of Israeli involvement in the war in Lebanon in

1982. One woman commented that at a time when there is so much hatred of Israel and of

Jews, she did not like to see a film that presented Israel in a negative light. The director,

Ari Folman, challenged her and asked if she had such strong feelings why she did not send her

own children to fight in Israel. She responded by saying she was not a pampered American

Jew but an Egyptian who had been banished from Egypt for being Jewish. The exchange was

fascinating, but others immediately jumped in to defend the film as a powerful anti-war

testament.

Today I received an e-mail from another member of the audience who

praised the film for its brilliant artistry but attacked it for being leftwing propaganda that

criticized Israeli soldiers rather than Palestinian terrorists. So this is a film that stirs

strong reactions. Many people stayed afterwards to debate the film among themselves in the

lobby. How rare to find any film that generates this kind of impassioned discussion.

12/2/08

The screening of THE DUKES this week led to one of the

most scintillating evenings we have had at Reel Talk recently. The film itself, the wryly comic

story of a band of desperate Doo Wop singers who turn to burglary to reverse their

fortunes, is a charming small movie. While it begins awkwardly, it keeps building and develops

a great deal of wit and warmth by the time it reaches its rousing conclusion. Some critics

have compared the film to the classic Italian comedy about a bungled burglary, BIG DEAL

ON MADONNA STREET, and director and co-star Robert Davi confirms the influence of

Italian cinema on his life and work. (The Felliniesque score makes these parallels quite

explicit.)

The movie is a winner, but the discussion with Davi and co-stars Peter

Bogdanovich and Elya Baskin truly turned this into a memorable evening. While they shared

anecdotes about the making of the movie, they also regaled the audience with their views of

current films and their adventures working with legendary stars like Frank Sinatra, Marlon

Brando, and Clint Eastwood. One of the highlights was their illuminating dissection of

Method acting. Both Davi and Bogdanovich studied with the legendary Stella Adler, and they

provided vivid reminiscences of the great acting guru. Adler’s most famous pupil was Brando,

and Davi worked with Brando on one of the actor’s last movies, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.

He recalled being invited to Brando’s hotel suite for ice cream, and Brando showed him the

long fingernails he wanted to use to play the part of the Spanish inquisitor, Torquemada.

Davi used ths to illustrate the way in which the best actors rely on both external and internal

technique to create their characters. But when Brando asked Davi if the makeup he

envisioned might be a little too outlandish for a fairly conventional Hollywood spectacle, Davi

conceded that he was probably exercising his skill on the wrong kind of movie.

For

his part Bogdanovich railed against the emptiness of today’s special effects extravaganzas,

to the cheers of the audience. He also dished some of the actors he has directed, including

Cher and Timothy Bottoms, the young star of THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, who kept flubbing

one of the picture’s key lines of dialogue. The director said he generally preferred working

with new actors like Tatum O’Neal (who won an Oscar for Peter’s PAPER MOON), Madeline

Kahn, and John Ritter. But Bogdanovich had nothing but praise for Audrey Hepburn, whom he

directed in one of her last movies, the underrated THEY ALL LAUGHED. “Audrey was not a

diva,” he said, contrasting her to some of the other self-important stars he encountered.

Bogdanovich waxed nostalgic about the era of the late 60s and early 70s, when he got his

start as a director. “Working on Robert’s movie took me back to those days,” Bogdanovich

said.

10/29/08

The votes are in for the audience award for

this summer’s Reel Talk series. All eight movies shown received votes from some members of

the Reel Talk audience. And the winner is: FROZEN RIVER.

THE TRAP came in

second, and the next three movies were not far behind: SIXTY SIX, TOWELHEAD, and

BOTTLE SHOCK.

I am especially proud of having shown FROZEN RIVER and THE

TRAP, and I’m delighted that Reel Talk members responded so strongly to both movies. No

other screening series in town showed FROZEN RIVER, and not only did we show the movie,

but we had the two stars and the writer-director for our discussion. THE TRAP will probably

not be released theatrically in Los Angeles at all, so I am pleased that we were able to screen

it with the director, Srdan Golubovic, who traveled all the way from Belgrade for our

screening.

Thanks to everyone for joining us. I look forward to more great movies

in the fall!

8/17/08

Our screening of SIXTY SIX on

Monday may have elicited the warmest response of any movie shown in the current series. No

doubt this was the perfect audience for this particular movie. When director Paul Weiland

asked how many people in the theater were Jewish, he was a bit startled when about 3/4 of

members of the audience raised their hands. (For the record, others seemed to be equally

captivated by the movie.) As one person commented, the movie did a great job of balancing

humorous and more emotional moments. The LA Times clearly sent the wrong person, one

Michael Ordona, to review this movie. He just didn’t get it the way the Reel Talk audience

obviously did.

It was fun to meet the leading actor, Gregg Sulkin, who has grown

up since making the movie a couple of years ago. He’s in Hollywood to meet with studios, and

it’s easy to see him as the next young heartthrob. Too bad the Harry Potter movies have

already been cast. The kid could have been a contender. He made it clear that there was

real acting involved in playing the nerdy Bernie in the film. In reality Gregg is a star soccer

player, so it wasn’t easy for him to impersonate the last geek chosen. Weiland obviously

sensed an innate talent when he selected Gregg, who had never acted before, after a lengthy

search.

Paul has pointed out that the movie is at least semi-autobiographical. His

own bar mitzvah did indeed take place on the same day that England aced the World Cup in

1966. One member of the audience revealed that he was at the match at Wembley Stadium,

and the movie stirred a lot of memories for him. Paul noted sardonically that history

repeated itself when SIXTY SIX opened in England the same day as BORAT. Still, it caught

on in England and hopefully will find an audience in America. When someone asked how he

expected the movie to play in Des Moines, Iowa, Paul claimed to have never heard of such a

place.

8/6/08

After the discussion of FROZEN RIVER, it

was inspiring to hear Melissa Leo talk about her struggles as an actor. After working for

close to 30 years, it was gratifying to her finally to land a leading role of grit and substance.

I remember hosting a discussion of THE VISITOR a few months ago when Richard Jenkins

made exactly the same point. He said he had been waiting his whole life for a role like the

one he was finally offered in THE VISITOR. Now he seems like a good bet for end-of-the-

year critics’ awards and maybe an Oscar nod as well. It’s possible that Leo may repeat the

pattern. The critics have always recognized her talents, and now they at last have a chance

to anoint her for a starring role.

It’s interesting that both FROZEN RIVER and

THE VISITOR deal with the subject of illegal immigration, though in FROZEN RIVER the

focus is not on the immigrants. These are two movies that actually have some social and

political consciousness. THE VISITOR has more humor, but in my view it’s an even bleaker

movie than FROZEN RIVER. Although some see it differently, I found the ending of Jenkins

playing the drums in a subway station to be an image of utter desolation and desperation.

FROZEN RIVER, by contrast, offers a glimmer of hope at the end in its suggestion of newly

formed families and friendships. Both movies are among the strongest of the year.

It was great to have a panel of three smart, impassioned women–Melissa, co-star Misty

Upham, and writer-director Courtney Hunt. Misty appreciated the script’s three-

dimensional portrayal of Native American characters. It sounded as if she and Melissa had

something of the same fractious relationship offscreen that they embodied onscreen. But

they clearly came away from the experience with a great deal of mutual respect.

7/22/08

We had another great discussion this week after the

screening of IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS. I discovered this movie at the Tribeca

Film Festival in 2007, and the film’s director, Alex Holdridge, and producer, Seth Caplan,

said that our response after that screening provided a major boost for them. We saw the

movie as part of one of our film festival tours. I invited the filmmakers and cast members to

join us for breakfast at Landmarc restaurant in Tribeca, and the dozen members of our

group welcomed them with applause and ecstatic comments.

The Reel Talk

response was just as enthusiastic, confirming that this movie made by a group of

twentysomethings has an appeal that extends way beyond that age range. Alex amazed the

audience when he reported that the movie was shot for $12,000 in 2006. Eventually they

spent a bit more when they reshot a few scenes and did the final edit and 35 mm transfer.

But the audience was astounded by the quality that could be achieved on the most minuscule

budget. The key to a good movie is the writing, and the wit and perception in Alex’s script

clearly made up for any budgetary limitations.

The actors and filmmakers had all

known each other since their student days in Austin, Texas, and they were eager to work

together. Sara Simmonds, the lovely actress who plays the feisty female lead in the film,

commented that at first they thought they were just making an enjoyable home movie. But

her view changed when she saw the first day’s rushes and appreciated the visual beauty in

Alex’s portrayal of Los Angeles on film. Indeed the movie’s black-and-white photography is

a major asset, and the visual evocation of downtown Los Angeles ranks with the most

memorable portrayals of the city of angels on celluloid. One audience member even

suggested that the movie should be shown to members of the Los Angeles Conservancy, and

Alex reported that the Conservancy is hosting the movie’s LA premiere at the Orpheum

Theatre in August. Ironically, Alex and Seth reported that they had to sneak into the

theater when they shot the film, pretending that the actors were auditioning for a reality TV

dance show that was holding auditions there.

One of the most rewarding aspects

of Reel Talk is being able to expose unheralded movies to audiences who might never seek out

the films on their own. The warm response of the audience was gratifying to me as well as to

the filmmakers.

7/16/08

Tonight’s screening of THE TRAP

turned out to be a high point of the series, thanks to the participation of director Srdan

Golubovic. Srdan traveled from Belgrade to attend the screening, and he said it was his first

attendance at a screening of his film in the U.S. THE TRAP was one of the nine semi-finalists

for the best foreign language Oscar of 2007, and some of us felt it should have been one of

the five nominees. It’s a powerful moral drama, with some similarities to the recent Woody

Allen movie, CASSANDRA’S DREAM, but far more compelling.

Although Srdan

apologized for not knowing a few English words, his passion came through most eloquently in

the discussion following the screening. He lamented the current state of Serbian society,

particularly the huge divide between rich and poor. “There is no middle class in Serbia

today,” he declared. Sounds an awful lot like George W. Bush’s America. And the plot of the

movie, which hinges on a father’s desperate actions when his insurance refuses to pay for his

son’s operation, could easily happen in this country. Some have even talked about an

American remake of THE TRAP. While Srdan would like to make a movie in Hollywood–as he

commented, “Any director who says he does not want to work in Hollywood is lying”–he is

clearly deeply invested in the life in his country. He attributes many of the problems to the

years of warfare that wracked the Balkans in the 90s, and he spoke eloquently about the

far-reaching and devastating consequences of war on the soul of a nation. Once again, the

theme resonates in our lives as well.

6/30/08

THEATER NOTES

WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY is the best new musical I’ve seen since MEMPHIS, which

won the Tony award last year. I saw both musicals at the La Jolla Playhouse, though I can’t

say every show I’ve seen there has been stellar. Last fall’s LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE was a

stiff, far inferior to the movie that inspired it.

WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY, by contrast, is a true original. It transposes the Sleeping

Beauty myth to a present-day sleep disorder clinic, and its interweaving of classical fairy

tale motifs and contemporary satiric riffs is often inspired. The show has a light, comic

touch, but it also has moments of emotional power as it examines timeless themes of parental

overprotectiveness, feminist yearnings, and the terror as well as the promise of love. Maybe

the first act is more exciting than the second (a common problem with musicals), but the

music is stirring, and the performers have the soaring voices to do it justice. I hope to see

this show duplicate MEMPHIS’s success on Broadway.

8/24/11

When Arthur Laurents died on May 5, many of the commentators discussed his

famous prickly personality along with his achievements. My first encounters with Laurents

didn’t reveal that side of the man. He wrote me very nice notes after my reviews of THE

WAY WE WERE and THE TURNING POINT. I appreciated the compliments, and as a result,

I did my own research on Laurents and decided that he wasn’t really getting his due from

critics of the 1970s. A playwright, screenwriter, librettist and director who had conquered

Broadway as well as Hollywood, he was undervalued at that point in his career. That changed

in later years when he outlived most of his collaborators and directed revivals of his most

famous musicals, WEST SIDE STORY and GYPSY, when he was in his 90s.

I met

Laurents only once, when I was doing research for HOLLYWOOD ON THE COUCH. I read

something that led me to believe that he might have some interesting insights into

psychoanalysis in Hollywood, and he did not disappoint. We had a long conversation at his

apartment in the Village, and then I discovered the delightfully bitchy and gossipy side of him

that others had noted. He was honest about his own experiences on the couch, but he also

dished plenty of dirt about others–stars as well as shrinks. He asked me to sign a paper

promising that I would let him approve his quotes before the book was published, but he

asked for only a couple of minor word changes when I sent him the manuscript. Surprisingly,

since he was known to be openly gay, he asked me to change one use of the word “acerbic,”

because he felt that was code for gay.

I contacted Laurents a couple of times

after that. When I saw his play, JOLSON SINGS AGAIN, in Seattle, I wrote him a note

telling him how much I had enjoyed it. (Once again, he had been underrated by the critics.)

When I saw a preview performance of his musical disaster, NICK AND NORA, I actually

called him and tried gingerly to make a few suggestions and offer a little encouragement. He

was polite, but I think he knew by then that the game was up.

I re-evaluated

Laurents after reading his autobiography, ORIGINAL STORY BY, in 2000. Even though I

had championed him for years, this book disappointed me. It was disheveled and

disorganized, and it was a truly nasty piece of work. I was dismayed by the unredeemed

viciousness of so many of his comments, perhaps because I knew some of the people he was

trashing. His comments on Sydney Pollack, the director of THE WAY WE WERE, were

scathing but unfair. At one point he tried to prove the idiocy of Pollack and Robert Redford

by talking about one of the love scenes in the movie. The first time they make love,

Redford’s Hubbell Gardner is drunk, and Streisand’s Katie Morosky is not sure he even

knows who she is or that he remembers what happened. For their second love scene, when

their affair has begun in earnest, Laurents had written a line for Hubbell: “It’ll be better

this time.” But Redford and Pollack wouldn’t include the line, and Laurents blamed it on the

star’s vanity and the director’s weakness: “Someone was trying to say Robert Redford

couldn’t be better: he was always good,” Laurents wrote in his book. Actually, the movie is

much better without that line. Laurents doesn’t like ambiguity; he wants to hit every nail on

the head. Pollack and Redford realized the film was more interesting if we weren’t entirely

sure whether Hubbell remembered their first sexual encounter.

After reading

Laurents’ book, my view of the author changed, and I moved from being a passionate

defender of an underappreciated artist to a disinterested observer mildly amused by

Laurents’ venomousness as well as by his amazing longevity. I couldn’t help being tickled by a

comment attributed to Harvey Fierstein at Laurents’ 85th birthday: “Only the good die

young.”

5/7/11

Ben Brantley of The New York Times has pronounced

the current theater season as one of the strongest in many years. Having just returned from

a New York theater binge, I’m scratching my head. I certainly saw a number of intriguing

plays, but the overall impression is one of disappointment. Theater critics are starved for

quality, so they tend to overrate moderately interesting or enterprising productions. I saw

nothing that even came close to THE HISTORY BOYS or THE COAST OF UTOPIA, two of

the Tony-winning plays of recent years that truly deserved their accolades. No musical

performance dazzled me as Hugh Jackman in THE BOY FROM OZ did a few years ago, and

this year’s musicals could not measure up to AVENUE Q or IN THE HEIGHTS, other recent

winners.

To start with the worst first, BILLY ELLIOTT is mind-bogglingly

mediocre. Stephen Daldry’s movie is exhilarating, but the stage version adds absolutely

nothing to the movie. The Elton John songs are completely undistinguished, and Daldry

doesn’t seem to have the flair for musical staging of some of his British peers. When the

young Billy and his adult counterpart–a superb dancer from the New York City Ballet–

perform a pas de deux to the music from Swan Lake, the show rises to a whole different

level, simply because of the quality of the music. Of course it may not be fair to compare

Elton John to Tchaikovsky, but that’s the risk you take when you let audiences listen to

something better than Muzak. The actors perform well, and the show jerks a few tears

simply because of the strength of the original material. But it’s a surprisingly flat evening in

the theater.

In terms of drama, GOD OF CARNAGE is an entertaining tour de

force for the superb quartet of James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, and Marcia Gay

Harden. But the play itself seems fairly slight compared to Reza’s earlier plays, ART and

THE UNEXPECTED MAN. It doesn’t resonate as those plays did; it’s a fairly superficial

exercise in venom–the theatrical equivalent of a cinematic catfight.

I preferred

Neil Labute’s REASONS TO BE PRETTY. This play left me with a lot more to mull when the

lights came on. Not everything was tied up neatly; I found myself questioning the actions of

the characters, which made for a deeply involving experience. Labute’s writing is always

razor-sharp, but this time, he touched some emotional depths as well. The characters come

alive in a way that the boors and harpies of GOD OF CARNAGE never quite managed to do.

And I personally found Thomas Sadoski’s performance one of the highlights of the Broadway

season. Don’t expect my choices to win the Tonys. The voters will probably go for the box

office successes. Business as usual on Broadway.

6/5/09

One of the

most enjoyable performances I’ve seen recently was the REPRISE production of I LOVE MY

WIFE at the Brentwood Theatre. This seems to me exactly the kind of revival that REPRISE

was designed to offer. Although I’ve seen a lot of musicals, I was unfamiliar with this one, so

I was curious to check it out. While the comedy about swingers in the 70s is definitely of its

period, and predictably tame, the Cy Coleman music is fun, and the whole production is

exhilarating. The four lead actors–Jason Alexander, Patrick Cassidy, Lea Thompson, and

Vicki Lewis–have the musical chops to make the show sizzle, and the four musicians–who

double as singers–add to the impudent mood. After speaking to the bass player, I learned

this was the way the show had been performed on Broadway in 1977, but I can’t imagine that

it could have been performed any better than it was at the Brentwood Theatre. The

musicians moved in and out of the action with breathtaking ease. This show itself may not be

a pinnacle of musical theater, but the production is a knockout.

This was not,

however, an opinion shared by the LA Times theater critic, Charles McNulty, who trashed the

show in today’s paper. It was an outrageously unfair review. McNulty didn’t even mention

the four musicians, who add so considerably to the irreverent bounce of the production.

Anyone who’s been reading McNulty for the last couple of years knows that he’s notoriously

hard on lively entertainment while exalting a lot of esoterica. This is the privilege of the

critic, God knows, but McNulty has been to my mind a consistently unreliable arbiter. Worse,

he fails to make a convincing case for his perverse preferences. The LA Times has been

decimating its critical ranks recently. Isn’t it time for McNulty to make the cut?

12/8/08

After the Saturday matinee performance of XANADU at

the La Jolla Playhouse, I overheard an older woman say to her companion, “Well, it’s no

MAMMA MIA.” That’s a good thing. I missed XANADU on Broadway, but this new

incarnation, directed by Christopher Ashley, who also directed it in New York, is a hoot. I

can’t say that I have strong memories of the Olivia Newton-John movie, but this film riffs

not just on that legendary camp disaster but on all the cultural mistakes of the 80s. The lead

character, Sonny (charmingly played by Max von Essen), is an aspiring artist who is blissfully

ignorant of all artistic events that transpired before the birth of disco. Douglas Carter

Beane’s delightful book skewers many of the fads of the roller disco era with sly wit. The

show even has a serviceable plot, which is more than you can say for many contemporary

musicals. The songs are about at the level of the ABBA repertoire, but they’re rousingly

performed by an expert ensemble. All in all, this is one of the most pleasing musical

entertainments that I’ve seen lately.

11/24/08

TV NOTES

The season finale of ENTOURAGE has to rank as

the worst series finale in the history of television. How did a series that started out so sharp

and edgy end on such a stupefyingly soggy note? This was a series at its best that was

known for its biting wit, not for its big bleeding heart. Yet the ending went for unbelievable

sentimentality in resolving all of the story lines. Do we really want to see weddings,

pregnancy, and cloying family reconciliations at the conclusion of a series about the

cheerfully cutthroat world of Hollywood. The series has been going downhill for some time,

which is no doubt why they decided to bring it to a close. But I wouldn’t have guessed that

such rank sentimentality would overtake this once acerbic series. I guess Mark Wahlberg

wants us to know that he and his buddies are sweetie pies after all is said and done. And the

sun will come out tomorrow, blah blah blah.

What were they thinking???

9/12/11

With the Emmy awards approaching, I have to put in a word for my favorite show,

BREAKING BAD. MAD MEN, a good but not great show, has won two years in a row. It’s

time to spread the wealth. BREAKING BAD has gotten steadily better during its three years

on the air, and it’s now one of the most daring and compelling TV series ever produced. It’s

up there with THE SOPRANOS, and frankly, during the last season, I think it’s actually

surpassed that TV landmark. The show has steadily darkened in tone, and it’s also become

almost unbearably suspenseful. The episode “The Fly,” which consisted of a duet between

the two lead actors, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, must be one of the best hours ever seen

on television. Cranston has deservedly won two Emmys, and this year, Paul matched him with a

devastatingly poignant portrayal. The twisted father-son relationship that develops between

these two drug dealers is quite unlike anything I’ve seen in other series, and it built to a

cliffhanger ending that was breathtaking in its boldness and terrifying moral anguish. Will

Emmy voters see the light? We can hope.

7/30/10