Samantha Shay’s
MOTHER MELANCHOLIA
with Barbara Kaufmann, Chalia La Tour, and Breanna O’Mara
Inspired by music from Sóley
Co-commissioned by Tanztheater Wuppertal
Pina Bausch
Virtual On-Demand Screenings from May 9-15, 2022
to
Benefit the Ukrainian People
In-Person World Premiere Screening took
place in Germany: May 7, 2022
Mother Earth is not happy, and
Samantha Shay’s MOTHER MELANCHOLIA expresses her sentiments beautifully
through modern dance, sometimes convulsive and other times in slow surrender,
and the haunting music of Soley. From the poignant eyes of four women who have
witnessed too much, both real and imagined, we see the unthinking devastation of
natural resources and the difficulty getting others to be concerned. They
support one another, commiserating and comforting, while shedding unnecessary
clothing and enjoying what is left. The reality is that you can dress it up any
way you like, but the melancholy is still there. MOTHER MELANCHOLIA
is a stunning rendition of a disturbing destruction.
- Laurie
Lawson -
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Metropolitan Playhouse
Virtual Playhouse
Presents
METROPOLITAN IN MOTION: 2021
Featuring New Works by Choreographers
AMANDA SELWYN,
RACHAEL KOSCH & ADRIANA SANANES,
ANTONIA FRANCESCHI, CATHERINE THARIN, &
HANNAH NEWMAN-PAN
www.MetropolitanPlayhouse.org/metinmotion
Metropolitan
Playhouse at YouTube.com
March 3, 2021, 8 p.m.
Available online through
Saturday, March 6, 2021
Metropolitan Playhouse inaugurates its new series, “The
Wednesday Alternative”, with this contemporary dance production. Presented on
film with great videography, the choreographers strut their signature styles.
First is “The Bells of St. Genevieve” by CATHERINE
THARIN. Dancer Sarah Bauer floats elegantly, a barefoot waif in white, to music
with an exotic eastern vibe. The intriguing “Madam Excerpt”, in contrast, starts
with a hunched, black-shrouded figure (RACHAEL KOSCH) creeping about. She
created the dance with ADRIANA SANANES. Wait for the magic on this one!
“The Kiss of Judas”, choreographed and performed by
HANNAH NEWMAN-PAN, opens a new vista that includes side-by-side film clips and
outdoor performance. Ballet style enters with “Suddenly Singing/Everyone Sang”
to beautiful music played by DANIEL HOPE on violin and JACQUES AMMON on piano.
AMANDA SELWYN and her dancers wrap it up with full orchestral music and multiple
visual frames of dancers in the snow, outdoors, and indoors.
METROPOLITAN IN MOTION: 2021 is just what the doctor
ordered: a “happy pill” to shake off the winter blues. Gorgeous body movement,
sunshine even in the snow. An absolute “upper” for the soul.
-Karen D’Onofrio-
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Works & Process at the
Guggenheim
Presents the
Four-part Docuseries
ISOLATION TO CREATION
By filmmaker NIC PETRY of DANCING CAMERA
Featuring BUBBLE RESIDENCY Artists
EPHRAT ASHERIE DANCE
LES BALLET AFRIK WITH OMARI WILES
THE MISSING ELEMENT WITH CHRIS CELIZ AND ANTHONY
RODRIGUEZ "INVERTEBRATE"
MUSIC FROM THE SOLE WITH GREGORY RICHARDSON & LEONARDO
SANDOVAL
JAMAR ROBERTS
SEVEN DEADLY SINS WITH JOSHUA BERGASSE, JUSTIN VIVIAN
BOND, JEFFREY GUIMOND, MARC HAPPEL, & SARA MEARNS
Airing on WNET's ALL ARTS
Streaming nationwide February 17, at 8 p m. EST
EPISODE FOUR: SHOWTIME
allarts.org
It’s Episode Four, and time to pack up and go home, back
to the city. The performers got outside into the sunshine for some final antics,
stretches, and tap-offs. OMARI WILES of LES BALLET AFRIK calls it “euphoria”.
The artists were permitted to perform outdoors for a small audience at Kaatsbaan
Cultural Park. Joy for all.
Performances were filmed at the Kaatsbaan Festival.
Others were filmed outdoors at Lincoln Center in quarantined conditions,
allowing the performers to work without masks. The exciting results will
premiere live at the Guggenheim when health regulations permit.
During all of
this, everyone was COVID-tested again and again, always with negative results.
The participants and sponsors are proud to announce that their quarantine
protocols worked perfectly. They have established a process that can be
duplicated by others to further artistic interaction during this pandemic.
Lead funding for Works & Process is provided by the Ford
Foundation, the Christian Humann Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, Mertz Gilmore
Foundation, NYC COVID-19 Response and Impact Fund, Stavros Niarchos Foundation,
Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Evelyn Sharp Foundation. The New York City
Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council and the
National Endowment for the Arts, supplied public funds. The U.S. Small Business
Administration Paycheck Protection Program and NYC Employee Retention Grant
Program also provided financial assistance.
A wonderful, inspiring accomplishment by everyone!
-Karen D’Onofrio-
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Works & Process at the
Guggenheim
Presents the
Four-part Docuseries
ISOLATION TO CREATION
By filmmaker NIC PETRY of DANCING CAMERA
Featuring
BUBBLE RESIDENCY Artists
EPHRAT ASHERIE DANCE
LES BALLET AFRIK WITH OMARI WILES
THE MISSING ELEMENT WITH CHRIS CELIZ AND ANTHONY
RODRIGUEZ "INVERTEBRATE"
MUSIC FROM THE SOLE WITH GREGORY RICHARDSON & LEONARDO
SANDOVAL
JAMAR ROBERTS
SEVEN DEADLY SINS WITH JOSHUA BERGASSE, JUSTIN VIVIAN
BOND, JEFFREY GUIMOND, MARC HAPPEL, & SARA MEARNS
Airing on WNET's ALL ARTS
Streaming nationwide February10 & 17, at 8 p m. EST
EPISODE THREE: AFRIK, BALLET, BALLROOM,
BROADWAY, CLUB, HOUSE, & VOGUE
February 10, 2021 8 p.m. EST
allarts.org,
It’s all coming together now. Each of the bubble
residencies is transforming energy and imagination into movement and music. Soon
they will be ready for their public outdoor performance in the Hudson Valley.
One bubble is breaking and freestyling so intensely that
they “almost black-out”. Total commitment of muscle movement free of conscient
thought. Solid emotion. Their world is that of the classic underground dancers
whose lineage is defined by diversity, embracing and freeing those who were
ethnic and members of the LGBT community.
LES BALLETS AFRIK swirls and blends the power of tribal
dance with the elegance of ballroom. Director OMARI WILES provides guidance,
then lets the dancers create at will, with amazing results.
The revival of SEVEN DEADLY SINS promises to be a smash.
Written by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht in 1933, it is referred to as a “sung
ballet”. Imagine a split-personality plot and vocals written for Lotte Lenya.
Throw in some jazz sax and tap freestyling around the
campfire, and enjoy this episode!
Once again, thank you to the Emmy-winning ALL ARTS, the
New York arts and culture hub created by WNET, for documenting this amazing
work. The performers are outstanding in rehearsals. The finished performances
promises to be awe-inspiring.
-Karen D’Onofrio-
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Works & Process at the
Guggenheim
Presents
The Four-part
Docuseries
ISOLATION TO CREATION
By filmmaker NIC PETRY of DANCING CAMERA
Featuring BUBBLE RESIDENCY Artists
EPHRAT ASHERIE DANCE
LES BALLET AFRIK WITH OMARI WILES
THE MISSING ELEMENT WITH CHRIS CELIZ AND ANTHONY
RODRIGUEZ "INVERTEBRATE"
MUSIC FROM THE SOLE WITH GREGORY RICHARDSON & LEONARDO
SANDOVAL
JAMAR ROBERTS
SEVEN DEADLY SINS WITH JOSHUA BERGASSE, JUSTIN VIVIAN
BOND, JEFFREY GUIMOND, MARC HAPPEL, & SARA MEARNS
Airing on WNET's ALL ARTS
Streaming nationwide February 3, 10, and 17 at 8 p m. EST
EPISODE TWO: BEATBOX, MODERN, STREET, TAP
DANCE, AND AFRO-BRAZILIAN RHYTHM
February 3, 2021 8 p.m. EST
allarts.org.
In this episode, BEATBOX, MODERN, STREET, TAP
DANCE, AND AFRO-BRAZILIAN RHYTHM, we glimpse the creative process
within the eight WORKS & PROCESS “bubble residencies”. The artists from MISSING
ELEMENT meld beatbox, breaking, flexn, and krumping. MUSIC FROM THE SOLE works
on perfecting its “salad of cultures”. JAMAR ROBERTS shares his 17 years of
experience with Alvin Ailey’s Dance Theater to push his group to dig backward
and move forward, all in the present. EPHRAT ASHERIE jumps in with high energy
hip-hop.
Amazing talent and energy here. Enthusiasm in the face of
COVID. The bubble residencies give each group a completely safe environment in
which to interact. No masks needed. Freedom inside and outside in the acres of
Hudson Valley greenery.
The performers’ styles are incredibly diverse and
innovative. This series is the best. It turns viewers on to the ultra-modern and
gives us all a much-needed jolt of optimism.
WORKS & PROCESS pioneered the “bubble residencies” in the
summer of 2020. Under protocols developed with Dr. Wendy Ziecheck and ethical
oversight by Dr. Robert Klitzman, artists isolated by the pandemic gathered
together in COVID-free quarantine to expand their visions. The jointly
subsidized residencies were produced in partnership with Kaatsbaan Cultural
Park, Mount Tremper Arts, and Petronio Residency Center.
-Karen D’Onofrio-
Works & Process at the Guggenheim Presents the Premiere
of the Four-part Docuseries
ISOLATION TO CREATION
By filmmaker NIC PETRY of DANCING CAMERA
Featuring Bubble Residency Artists
EPHRAT ASHERIE DANCE
LES BALLET AFRIK WITH OMARI WILES
THE MISSING ELEMENT WITH CHRIS CELIZ AND ANTHONY
RODRIGUEZ "INVERTEBRATE"
MUSIC FROM THE SOLE WITH GREGORY RICHARDSON & LEONARDO
SANDOVAL
JAMAR ROBERTS
SEVEN DEADLY SINS WITH JOSHUA BERGASSE, JUSTIN VIVIAN
BOND, JEFFREY GUIMOND, MARC HAPPEL, & SARA MEARNS
Airing on WNET's ALL ARTS
Streaming nationwide January 27 and February 3, 10, and
17, at 8 p m. EST
EPISODE ONE: A WAY FORWARD
January 27, 2021 8 p.m. EST
allarts.org,
January, 2020. The start of an amazing new year full of
creativity, invention, performance, and surprise. Or so thought WORKS & PROCESS
at the Guggenheim. Of course, we all know what happened. Seemingly overnight the
COVID pandemic took over the world.
With their performers stifling in self-isolation, WORKS &
PROCESS forged a path for artists to safely gather, create, and perform. After
months of research and consultation, in the summer of 2020 they pioneered a
series of “bubble residencies”. Under a protocol developed with medical counsel
Dr. Wendy Ziecheck, and ethical oversight by Dr. Robert Klitzman, artists
isolated by the pandemic gathered in quarantine in the Hudson Valley. In
partnership with Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, Mount Tremper Arts, and Petronio
Residency Center, through jointly subsidized residencies, eight creative bubbles
were born.
Episode One chronicles the process of “bubble” creation.
Individual COVID testing, ensuring that every venue was “sterile”, finding a
safe bus and driver to take them all to their “bubbles”. Quite complicated,
quite thorough. Amazing, really. It is a joy to see the smiles on their faces.
Freedom to interact and create! In front of a live audience!
Now to create and develop their performances. Styles
include beatbox, krumping, flexing, Afro-Brazilian tap, New York street and club
dance, vogue ballroom, and a revival of the 1933 musical “The Seven Deadly
Sins”. The next episodes in the series will follow their progress. A must-see
for anyone who loves the arts. Out-of-the-box, onto the stage, it is enchanting
to see the drive, energy, and spirit that flows through these performers.
A big thank you to the Emmy-winning ALL ARTS, the New
York arts and culture hub created by WNET, for documenting what can be
accomplished, even in the worst of times.
-Karen D’Onofrio-
The Sheen Center for Thought
and Culture
Justice Film
Festival Summer Films
presents
Owls Media
SKID ROW MARATHON
By GABRIELE & MARK HAYES
Directed by MARK HAYES
https://www.sheencenter.org/shows/skidrow/all/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUqqKkZE7Kw&live=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7DmRTjqrjU&live=1
Meet
L.A. criminal court judge and former prosecutor Craig J. Mitchell. He is
intelligent, dedicated to justice, a devoted husband and father, a devout
Catholic, and immensely creative. His career involved years of sentencing the
guilty to prison, yet he never lost hope for any of them. He felt that each had
potential for good, for a new beginning. His optimism led him to create a
project. A long-shot sort of project. A project to motivate those paroled to the
Midnight Mission down on skid row. His wife was nervous. Five a.m., in the dark,
skid row? Judge Mitchell went for it. He was certain that he could do some good.
He was beyond correct.
Judge Mitchell started a “running club”. Anyone
paroled to the mission could join. Just meet him at the appointed time and
“waddle a little way” with him. Bit by bit more people joined, could run longer
distances, keep up a faster pace. They loved the sense of community it gave
them, the sense of purpose, the sense of self-worth. These runners had been drug
addicts, gang members, street drunks, every kind of criminal. Had done years in
prison. They had found a purpose, a goal.
The project expanded to include
participation in marathons. The judge worked some fundraising magic and took a
small group to a race in Ghana. He wanted to expose them to the larger world, to
other cultures, to things they had never dreamed of. Their smiles are wonderful.
Their amazement is incredible to see.
Some fell back to their old ways,
of course, as the Judge knew some would. But it was all about hope. This film is
a must-see. It will put a smile on your face and joy in your heart.
-Karen D’Onofrio-
A MAY SKY PICTURE ENTERTAINMENT presents
A C. FRASER PRESS/DARREN PRESS film
THERESA IS A MOTHER
www.TheresaIsAMother.com
Starring
EDIE McCLURG, C. FRASER PRESS, RICHARD POE
MATTHEW GUMLEY, ROBERT TURANO, ELAINE BROMKA
And introducing
SCHUYLER IONA PRESS, MAEVE PRESS and AMAYA PRESS
Music based upon the original songs by SCHUYLER IONA PRESS
Music arranged by JOHN FERRARA and GAABE SCHNIDER
Editor: CHAD SMITH
Set Designed by CAMERON STERN
Costumes Designed by LAUREN OPPELT
Director of Photography: ALEX KORNREICH
Sound by CJ DeGENNARO
Associate Producer: CHRISTINA POWERS
Produced by DARREN PRESS
Written by C. FRASER PRESS
Directed by C. FRASER PRESS & DARREN PRESS
To Theresa (C. Fraser Press) life is a song. You may find it at a
Laundromat, in a Gospel kitchen, or on an iPod. Although her life-long dream of
being a professional musician has remained unfulfilled, the beat goes on against
all odds as pesky details like rent and bills persist. In a last-ditch attempt
at survival Theresa packs up her three children (Schuyler Iona Press, Maeve
Press, Amaya Press) and leaves New York City to return to her rural
childhood home. Her parents (the delightful Edie McClurg and Richard
Poe) open their house, if not their hearts, to this eccentric female
traveling band. Let the familial insanity begin!
THERESA IS A MOTHER is an unconventional tale of dreams and reality, past
and present, responsibility and neglect, and closures and beginnings. The
characters are so bizarre that at first you wonder what you are watching. But as
the story unfolds, slowly the universal human elements are revealed and you are
suddenly caught up in this wacky and incongruous group of people.
If that isn’t impressive enough for you, most of the actors are related. In
addition to having written THERESA IS A MOTHER, C. Fraser Press
co-directs and stars as the mother. Her three children belong to the Press
family, as does the co-director (Darren Press). Still not imPRESSed? All
the music in the film is based on the original songs by Schuyler Iona Press.
Obviously THERESA IS A MOTHER is a family affair in both fiction and
fact. What isn’t so obvious is its inspirational message. That sneaks up on you
and packs a powerful punch.
- Laurie Lawson -
ONE NIGHT STAND
Directed and Produced by ELIZABETH SPERLING and TRISH DALTON
Director of Photography: NARA GARBER
Editors: KAREN WEINBERG and JULIE JANATA
QUADCinema
34 West 13th Street (between Fifth & Sixth Avenues)
(212) 255-2243 or
www.quadcinema@aol.com
Opens April 26, 2013
Nothing but fun – that’s what you’re going to find in ONE NIGHT STAND.
Okay, there will be a lot of stress, sweat, tears, and even vomiting but all in
all this documentary is hilarious. This film follows the likes of Rachel
Dratch, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Richard Kind, Mandy Gonzalez, Capathia Jenkins,
and Cheyenne Jackson, along with other top Broadway and Hollywood
writers, actors and directors as they attempt the impossible – producing four
original short musicals from blank page to live stage within 24 hours. This is
part of The 24 Hour Musicals event, and it is designed to both celebrate
creativity and create chaos. First writers and composers having never worked
together are charged with creating scripts and songs literally overnight. At
daybreak actors and directors are given the daylight hours to memorize and
rehearse lines, lyrics, and dance steps. And as the sun slowly sets in the West,
it’s Showtime! And there are actually four shows that are presented. But the
real entertainment in ONE NIGHT STAND is the behind-the-scenes activities
as theatrical magic is fashioned.
- Laurie Lawson -
ERIC WOOLFSON’S
POE
A Limelight Records DVD and CD Release
Release Date: April 06, 2010
Available at
www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com and various online retail outlets
In 1974 a fortuitous meeting took place between songwriter and keyboardist
Eric Woolfson and engineer and producer Alan Parsons at the
now-famous Abbey Road Studios in London. Two years later a collaboration
produced “Tales of Mystery and Imagination,” an album based on the
stories of Edgar Allen Poe. The album was a success and the forerunner of
several other albums known as the Alan Parsons Projects. And now
Woolfson’s musical POE is being introduced to the United States via a
DVD and a CD of the same name, fulfilling the dreams of Eric Woolfson who
died four months ago.
POE is a history of the author’s life interspersed between subjects and
themes of his writings. This is a rich story that has the makings of a
masterpiece. The music is refreshingly composed with a bit of darkness and light
blended by haunting cords and unexpectedly upbeat rhythms. The songs manage to
captivate us, as did Poe with his stories, appealing to our fascination with the
macabre. Andrew Lloyd Webber protégé Steve Balsamo portrays Poe in the
DVD and sings seven of the songs on the CD.
POE is an impressive musical tribute to a literary genius that captured
the attention and stimulated the imaginations of readers everywhere. It is
creative entertainment that demands a stage in the midst of cultural history.
Let’s hope it gets one in New York City.
- Laurie Lawson -
urbanworld
FILMS
presents
THE VISIT
Directed & Produced by Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Screenplay by Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Based on The Play THE VISIT by Kosmond Russell
Starring
Hill Harper - Rae Dawn Chong - Billy Dee Williams - Marla Gibbs - Phylicia Rashad
Opening December 13, 2000
Original Music by - Michael Bearden, Stefan Dickerson, Ramsey Lewis
Wallace Roney, Stanley A. Smith
Cinematographer - John Ndiaga Demps
Costume Designer - Carlos Rosario
Production Designer - John Larena
Editing - Alison Learned, Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Line Producer - Charla Driver
Executive Producers - Vicky Pike, Morris Ruskin, Stacy Spikes
Co-Executive Producers - Peter Kleidman, Kosmond Russell, Chet Williams III
Associate Producers - Susanne Columbia, Anastasia King
Principal Cast
Alex Waters.........................Hill Harper
Tony Waters.........................Obba Babatunde
Felicia McDonald....................Rae Dawn Chong
Henry Waters........................Billy Dee Williams
Lois Waters.........................Marla Gibbs
Dr. Coles...........................Phylicia Rashad
Marilyn Coffey......................Talia Shire
Bill Brenner........................David Clennon
Al Rheingold........................Glynn Turman
Max Cruz............................Efrain Figueroa
Julie Bronsky.......................Amy Stiller
Inspired by real events, THE VISIT is a story of personal redemption
in the face of physical incarceration and deterioration. Alex Waters,
affectingly played by Hill Harper, is in prison for rape. After five years,
in the face of the encroachment of full-blown AIDS, Waters begins to
reach out to his family.
Initially hostile and vulgar, even to his own family, Waters' tone softens
and matures in the course of the film. One constant is that in every
situation, he vehemently insists on his innocence. What initially seems
to be an issue of physical freedom soon emerges as a journey toward
spiritual vindication. Toward this goal, much of Waters as he sees
himself is revealed through a series of dream sequences. Healthy in
repose, even as his body is ravaged, for much of the film the best part of
Waters' life exists within his dreams.
The action here unfolds through a series of meetings, memories and
dreams. Alex Waters regularly visits with prison psychologist, Dr. Coles
(Phylicia Rashad). His family makes intermittent visits. His life is
status quo until an old acquaintance and abuse survivor, Felicia
McDonald (Rae Dawn Chong), makes an unexpected visit. At this
point, redemption of the mind enters the picture. It is here that Alex
Waters' dreams move beyond his prison cell.
Perhaps lengthy, if well-intentioned, THE VISIT is full of fine
performances and good intentions.
- Kessa De Santis -
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Colpo di Luna (MOON SHADOW)
A film by Alberto Simone
Starring
Nino Manfredi
with Isabelle Pasco and Tcheky Karyo
Opens December 1, 2000
Cinema Village
22 East 12 Street
New York City
Running time: 82 minutes
In Italian with English subtitles
Director /Screenwriter - Alberto Simone
Cinematography - Roberto Benvenuti
Editor - Enzo Meniconi
Music - Vittorio Cosma
Art Direction - Andrea Crisanti
Costume Design - Beatrice Bordone
Sound - Remo Ugolinelli
Production Design - Andrea Crisanti
Producers - Roberta Manfredi, Alessandro Olivieri
Co-producers - Leonardo de la Fuente, Eddy Wijngaarde
Associate Producers - San Fu Maltha, Pim van Collem
Executive Producers - Conchita Airoldi, Dino Di Dionisio
Cast
Lorenzo..........................Tcheky Karyo
Salvatore........................Nino Manfredi
Luisa............................Isabelle Pasco
Agostino.........................Jim Van der Woude
Titto............................Johan Leyson
Filippo..........................Mimmo Mancini
Michele..........................Paolo Sassanelli
Strikingly shot in an interesting cinematographical style, COLPO di
LUNA (MOON SHADOW), a subtle venture into modern allegory
presents the sort of cerebral adventure so painfully lacking in
American cinema.
The plot revolves around an ordinary scientist, Lorenzo, who is
unexpectedly thrust into a "community" for mentally challenged
adults. Far from an asylum, this place is more like an assisted living
facility. The staff encourage marginal autonomy and creative self-expression.
Emotionally repressed Lorenzo slowly engages both the
staff and the residents, and it changes him.
Lyrical Italian, and the lush backdrop present in dramatic contract to
the internal disarray experienced by the majority of the characters
presented in this film. Through flashbacks, always shown in action
or print in brownish hues and grainy textures, personal histories are
revealed. This artistic continuity aids in the coherence of the piece,
which could have easily dissolved into a disparate series of psychiatric
counseling sessions. Instead, the interactions are real, human and
touching.
Admittedly a fan of foreign film, I applaud COLPO di LUNA for
providing mature viewing. The action is internal. When characters
are affected, it is in the nature of their conceptions and philosophies.
What a welcome change.
- Kessa De Santis -
LIONS GATE FILMS
Presents
THE BIG KAHUNA
Starring
KEVIN SPACEY
DANNY DEVITO
PETER FACINELLA
Opens April 28, 2000
Directed by..............................................JOHN SWANBECK
Screenplay by............................................ROGER RUEFF
Producers..ELIE SAMAHA/KEVIN SPACEY/ANDREW STEVENS
Director of Photography..................................ANASTAS MICHOS
Production Designer......................................KALINA IVANOV
Editor...................................................PEGGY DAVIS
Composer.................................................CHRISTOPHER YOUNG
THE BIG KAHUNA takes place in a 16th-floor hospitality suite with
a view of Wichita. Here two veteran businessmen, Larry (Kevin
Spacey) and Phil (Danny DeVito), come together with newcomer
Bob (Peter Facinella) in hopes of reeling in a lucrative account - "the
big kahuna." As the men reveal their business philosophies and the
night progresses without bagging "the big kahuna," the true
personalities and emotions of each come to the surface, clashing and
co-mingling. The men face the next day with a greater understanding
of each other, their jobs, and themselves.
Spacey, as always, dominates the screen with the brash-yet-charming
character of Larry. Boldly speaking his mind and often offending the
neophyte Bob, he diffuses the tension with a conciliatory smile and
bad-boy appeal. DeVito exudes wisdom and gives Spacey a run for
his money in screen domination. Weariness and insight penetrate his
definition of honesty, which will blow you away. And Facinella as
the innocent newcomer holds his own among these stars.
Writer Roger Rueff has peppered his witty dialogue with
sophisticated humor and offers interaction that comes off totally
believable and natural. Director John Swanbeck enhances the
intensity with closeups and maintains a brisk pace. THE BIG
KAHUNA is a winner on all fronts - three superb actors, a few life
lessons (stay and "listen" to the closing credits - you're sure to make
a few resolutions of your own), and a story that both entertains and
enlightens.
-Laurie Lawson-
WOMEN (ELLES)
A WinStar Cinema release of a Samsa Film production
Directed by LUIS GALVAO TELES
Release date: October 29, 1999
Screenplay by LUIS GALVAO TELES and DON BOHLINGER
Cinematographer ALFREDO MAYO
Starring
Linda..........................................................CARMEN MAURA
Eva............................................................MIOU-MIOU
Chloe..........................................................MARISA BERENSON
Barbara........................................................MARTHE KELLER
Branca.........................................................GUESCH PATTI
With
Gigi...........................................................JOAQUIM de ALMEIDA
Luis...........................................................MORGAN PEREZ
Edgar..........................................................DIDIER FLAMAND
Ines...........................................................MARIE GUILLARD
Tiago..........................................................FLORENCE LOIRET
Raquel.........................................................MAPI GALAN
WOMEN is a new ensemble film which features an international cast in
a story about coming to terms with desires, needs and intimacy. The
primary focus is on the lives of a group of five friends, each of whom is
experiencing, by varying degrees, some sort of personal crisis. Written in
a manner which may seem to be less than pro-male through the course of
the film, the script, by Luis Galvao Teles and Don Bohlinger, is tinged with
realism and has a feel of authenticity. Though the tone of the film is not
anti-relationship per se, the characters of WOMEN, both the women and
the men, often have cause to take issue with their respective partners. Yet,
even as they do, there is something hopelessly romantic about this film.
Even when characters seem to be suffering, it is mostly do to what can best
be described as love-sickness. Aside from the fleeting relationship glitches,
the audience is offered a sacrificial cow in the form of caterer, mother,
divorcee Barbara (Marthe Keller). Still in love with her ex-husband, and
planning her daughter's upcoming wedding, Barbara falls seriously ill. An
unfortunate choice for this particular role, Ms. Keller, though good in the
lighter moments, especially as part of the circle of friends, lacks credibility
as a victim. Her grief and torment seem forced and unreal. Quite a
surprise, she missed the mark.
Another problem in the film is the underwritten part of Chloe, played by
Marisa Berenson. Little more than a cryptic, ex-junkie who lusts after
friend Branca (Guesch Patti), Chloe is described more often than revealed.
Her sexuality and history are never explored in more than a fleeting way.
In comparison to the other four women, she is like a footnote.
A few strained moments exist within the framework, but do not serve to
cripple WOMEN. Although the dying comrade motif seems trite and
overused, it does not undermine this promising script. The characters lives
and stories are all intertwined, so that, in the end, everything comes
together neatly. Teles offers a welcome happy ending in a film that is full
of sexual encounters, personal victories, and personal tragedies. At the end,
there is hope. WOMEN could easily be dismissed as just another chick
flick, but few of those not only feature actors of this caliber, but also a
story that, far from a tear-jerking tragedy, is uplifting without being
grandiose or extreme.
- Kessa De Santis -
Strand Releasing Presents
SHOW ME LOVE
Written and Directed by LUKAS MOODYSSON
Release date: October 15, 1999
Cinematographer ULF BRANTAS
Principal Cast
Elin.................................ALEXANDRA
DAHLSTROM
Agnes..............................REBECCA LILJEBERG
Jessica.............................ERICA CARLSON
Johan Hult.......................MATHIAS
RUST
Markus...........................STEFAN HORBERG
Olof................................RALPH
CARLSSON
Karin..............................MARIA HEDBORG
Oskar.............................AXEL
WIDEGREN
Birgitta............................JILL
UNG
Camilla............................LISA SKAGERSTAM
SHOW ME LOVE is a tale of teen angst with a decidedly
different spin.
Pretty, popular Elin (Alexandra Dahlstrom), is the
object of affection in an
unusual love triangle. Isolated loner Agnes
(Rebecca Liljeberg), and
average teen Johan (Mathias Rust), unbeknownst to each
other, are each
vying for Elin's attention. As the plot unravels,
in not really unpredictable,
but nevertheless, realistically crafted ways,
writer-director Lukas
Moodysson taps into the humanity of his
characters. These people seem
real. Even a scene depicting teens at a drunken
party never degenerates to
the point of presenting the characters as caricatures.
Holding the film up to a mirror of reality, it can be
faulted for presenting
many characters who are, perhaps, too generous of
spirit, and too
understanding. As Agnes' lesbianism enters the
public consciousness, she
is subjected to a degree of ridicule, and like many
teens in her position,
becomes suicidal. However, her peers, though mean
at times, are never
genuinely cruel, and her father (Ralph Carlsson), is so
attentive and
concerned for his depressed daughter, that hers seems
unlike the
experiences of most adolescents.
In terms of the structure of the work, all of the
elements are in place. Elin
is the type of girl who believes she will be a movie
star, shows a lot of
cleavage, and has a "reputation." She
spends a good deal of her time with
her sister (Erica Carlson), but fights with her
often. She laments the
limitations of her small town, Amal, despite her
popularity. Agnes is quiet
and cute, with a comparatively muted appearance, and
virtually no friends.
She has temper outbursts that are spurred by her
dissatisfaction with her
life, but she never seems hopeless. A relative
newcomer to Amal, she too
longs for something else, but what Agnes wants is to
fit in.
Moodysson's film comes across, ultimately, as
inherently optimistic.
Perhaps he is of the next generation of film makers,
for whom subjects like
a teen's coming out sexually will be a plot
complication and not an obstacle
to be overcome. In spite of the fact that SHOW ME
LOVE was originally
released under the title FUCKING AMAL, the film has
quite a positive,
if gooey ending.
- Kessa De Santis -
In Swedish with English subtitles.
Castle Hill Productions and Hawkeye Entertainment Present
A GIRL CALLED ROSEMARIE
A film by BERND EICHINGER
Release Date: October 15, 1999
Directed by BERND EICHINGER
Produced by BERND EICHINGER and USCHI REICH
Screenplay by BERND EICHINGER and UWE WILHELM
Director of Photography GERNOT ROLL
Cast
Rosemarie..................................................NINA HOSS
Hartog.....................................................HEINER LAUTERBACH
Fribert....................................................MATHIEU CARRIERE
Bruster....................................................HORST KRAUSE
Marga......................................................HANNELORE ELSNER
Christine..................................................KATJA FLINT
Nadler.....................................................TIL SCHWEIGER
von Oelsen.................................................HEINRICH SCHAFMEISTER
A GIRL CALLED ROSEMARIE, based on the life of Rosemarie Nitribitt,
a notorious character in 1950's Frankfurt, is an intriguing piece of
filmmaking. Created by first-time director Eichinger, this promising film
was, remarkably, made for German television. Audiences need not fear,
however, because the piece has none of the trappings or shortcomings that
a U.S. audience would expect from a TV movie of the week. In fact, had
it not been publicized, there is nothing about A GIRL CALLED
ROSEMARIE that would cause an audience to imagine that it was ever
conceived of as anything but a feature film.
Rosemarie Nitribitt, an orphan, and delinquent of sorts, eventually became
a prostitute, a pawn in a nasty attempt at corporate blackmail, and the
center of a sensational, unsolved crime. A character who is essentially in
search of love and a better life for herself, Rosemarie is ultimately a victim
of her own ambitions. In her unrealistic attempt to marry her lover,
Hartog (Heiner Lauterbach), Rosemarie becomes trapped in a web from
which she cannot escape. Entrusting her future to a "benefactor," Fribert
(Mathieu Carriere), she enters high society through the back door, all the
while imagining that she can leave her sordid past behind and become a
lady of high society. Her union with Fribert has far-reaching and tragic
results. The path that leads her there is consistently engaging in this fine
film.
Eichinger's cinematic interpretation of Ms. Nitribitt's short, volatile life is
dramatically solid and unflinching in its vision. Although the series of
upper-class men that constitute Rosemarie's client base each represents a
type or caricature of sorts, for instance, a monocle wearing prince, Nina
Hoss, as the title character, is quite impressive and genuine in her approach
to the role. She imbues the role with joie de vivre, and even splashes of
humor. The cast, as a whole, is filled with fine actors, and Eichinger, as
director, creates a universe in which his heroine is truly the center of
attention. From the beginning of the film, when young Rosemarie, movie
magazines in hand, is thrown into a workhouse, to the end, when she
crashes a party decked out in Marilyn Monroe inspired attire and hair, we
are drawn into her world of lofty dreams and grim reality.
Perhaps the greatest achievement of A GIRL CALLED ROSEMARIE is
that it leaves the audience wanting more. The running time of just over
two hours seemed to breeze by, and by the end I was hungry for the real
story of Rosemarie Nitribitt, and for all of the details that were hinted at
in Eichinger's film.
In German with English subtitles.
- Kessa De Santis -
Merchant Ivory Films, in association with Artistic License Films presents
ON CONNAIT LA CHANSON (Same Old Song)
Written by AGNES JAOUI and JEAN-PIERRE BACRI
Directed by ALAIN RESNAIS
Opening October 15, 1999
Starring
PIERRE ARDITI SABINE AZEMA JEAN-PIERRE BACRI ANDRE DUSSOLLIER
AGNES JAOUI LAMBERT WILSON JANE BIRKIN
ON CONNAIT LA CHANSON (Same Old Song) would be rather
standard fare were it not for the odd addition of random bouts of lip-synching
which repeatedly replaces the dialogue in this film. Filled with
snippets of a seemingly endless number of what are probably popular songs,
the film would surely be better received in France, where the tunes would
be familiar to audiences. Here they are an odd footnote to what is a good,
though hardly extraordinary, film.
Apparently, the convention of lip-synching is director Resnais' way of
paying tribute to the late Dennis Potter, who also employed this tactic in
such works as Pennies from Heaven and The Singing Detective. As for ON
CONNAIT LA CHANSON, the story does not seem to benefit from the
addition of the music, but it is not so intrusive as to be an absolute
detriment either. At the core, the film is about very basic human
interactions. There is a love triangle, a cheating spouse, a hopeless
optimist, a hypochondriac, a woman on the verge of a nervous
breakdown... And all of the elements and subplots are neatly and clearly
resolved by the end.
So, what writers Jaoui and Bacri, and director Resnais have created here
really is the same old song. The script is good, the direction fine,the actors
able, and game, but they are all singing a familiar tune. There are no
spectacular, transcending moments here, and there probably weren't meant
to be. ON CONNAIT LA CHANSON is an experiment, an homage, set
to a decent story, and performed by some engaging people. It is odd,
strangely optimistic, and difficult to recommend.
- Kessa De Santis -
81/2
Directed by FEDERICO FELLINI
A Corinth Film Released by Kino International
Opening April 9, 1999
Exclusive engagement at the Paris Theatre (4 West 58th St.)
Screenplay
FEDERICO FELLINI
TULLIO PINELLI
ENNIO FLAIANO
BRUNELLO RONDI
Starring
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI
CLAUDIA CARDINALE
ANOUK AIMEE
SANDRA MILO
Federico Fellini's 81/2, winner of the 1963 Academy Award for Best
Foreign Language Film, is being rereleased for an exclusive theatrical
showing. A stunning, timeless achievement in filmmaking, it should not
be missed. Beautifully and memorably shot, 81/2 explores the life of the
main character, Guido (Marcello Mastroianni), from two different
perspectives. Here, reality and fantasy are at once distinctive and
cinematically blended, so that Guido's story is told from the inside out.
These different levels of perception give the film dimension without a
great abundance of plot complications. A good deal of the action takes
place in Guido's mind, as he seeks resolutions through daydreams that
could never be achieved in reality. In his real world, Guido is a
filmmaker who is struggling to complete his latest project. Situated at a
spa where he has gone for a rest cure, Guido surrounds himself with
colleagues, his mistress, Carla (Sandra Milo), and later, his wife, Luisa
(Anouk Aimee). Guido is a man who wants it all, but without the
responsibility. He lies to his wife about his mistress, and when she does
not believe his explanation that the affair had ended three years prior,
he retreats into an extended fantasy sequence. In his mind, Luisa and
Carla join hands, then the scene changes, and they become just two
members of a bizarre harem, filled with all the female characters in the
film. In this place, the older women are banished to live upstairs, and
even when they begin to revolt, they quickly quiet down, with Luisa
adopting her matronly role and doing the "family" laundry. These
scenes give great insight into Guido's character. When not reliving
moments from his past, he engages in fantasy. He seems desperate to
flee reality, exuding an innate weakness to be definitive in the real
world.
Fellini created something delicious with this film. It is a world of
daydreams and odd encounters that has clearly become a template for
avant-garde films to follow. Fans of the cinema should not miss 81/2.
It stands as a reminder of what creative filmmaking should aim to
achieve.
- Kessa De Santis -
Fox Lorber Presents
A Hotwire/Complex Corporation Production
CONCEIVING ADA
Produced and Directed by LYNN HERSHMAN LEESON
Screenplay by LYNN HERSHMAN LEESON and EILEEN JONES
Release date: February 26, 1999
Starring TILDA SWINTON and FRANCESCA FARIDANY
CONCEIVING ADA is a technologically innovative film about a
computer programmer's (Francesca Faridany) attempt to create an
interactive dialogue with a virtual incarnation of Lady Ada Lovelace (Tilda
Swinton) who exists in the computer. The premise starts out basic enough.
A person from this era wants not only to watch history, but to converse
with an important figure from the past. Unfortunately, a promising idea
becomes muddled along the way. While the scenes are pretty to look at,
the means by which programmer Emmy Coer interfaces with her hero is
never coherently or plausibly accounted for in the script.
The film has a great cast, which includes not only the two leads, but also
Karen Black, as the mother of both main characters, and the late Timothy
Leary, in an appropriately flaky role as Emmy Coer's mentor, Sims. The
Sims character embodies the flaws in the science here. His advice to Emmy
seems mystical and philosophical, but not at all technological. Director
Lynn Hershman Leeson invented the "LHL Process of Virtual Sets" for
CONCEIVING ADA. This seems to be a case where the quest to use new
methods to create the visual part of the film allowed the story to fall along
the wayside.
CONCEIVING ADA is an imagined biography of Lady Ada Lovelace.
Here, the life of Ada is far more interesting than that of her "conceiver,"
Emmy. It is no surprise, then, that Emmy becomes obsessed with Ada's
life. For the viewer, therefore, Emmy serves only as a hindrance to learning
about a much more interesting character. The film would have worked far
better as a straight tale of Ada. Imagined or not, Ada's biography is
titillating.
- Kessa De Santis -
|
Strand Releasing presents
DRY CLEANING (Nettoyage a Sec)
Directed by ANNE FONTAINE
For release February 5, 1999
Screenplay Dialogues by GILLES TAURAND and ANNE FONTAINE
Starring MIOU-MIOU, CHARLES BERLING and STANISLAS MERHAR
DRY CLEANING is a provocative tale of the undoing of a seemingly
mainstream couple who become fatally involved with an alluring stranger.
Nicole and Jean-Marie Kunstler (Miou-Miou, Charles Berling), owners and
operators of a dry cleaning establishment, form an unlikely friendship with
Loic (Stanislas Merhar), a transvestite performer, after seeing his act, and
paying for his services as a "gigolo." Through a series of events, Loic comes
to live and work with the Kunstlers.
These characters inhabit a dingy, dark world. Jean-Marie, while meticulous
in his profession, allows life to happen to him when it comes to personal
matters. He seems, at times, unwilling, perhaps unable to act, except in the
extreme. His inaction is one edge of the triangle. Nicole embraces the
novelty of Loic, and he becomes her sustenance to the detriment of
everything she has known before. Loic, an orphan, is sexualized and needy.
Alternately crass and composed, the Kunstler's interest in him is credible
as played here.
As a screenplay, DRY CLEANING does not hold all that many surprises,
despite the subject matter. The "spontaneous" sexual encounters between
Nicole and Loic are nothing new. Jean-Marie's reaction upon witnessing
the couple is not unexpected either. Nothing that happens in DRY
CLEANING, in fact, is out of step with the tone of the film. That the
events are not shocking makes the plight of the characters all the more
evident. The audience sees what they are stepping into ages before it
happens. Caught up in the ride, these characters are unable to see the
pitfalls at every turn.
That the characters are so credible is to the credit of the three leading
actors, who each seems to be the person they are portraying. Anne
Fontaine's direction highlights the darkness that surrounds these
characters, and which leads them to follow such doomed desires. As a
whole, DRY CLEANING can best be said to inhabit a world of its own.
In French with English subtitles.
- Kessa De Santis -
Shadow Distribution Presents
A Paradis Films production
PORT DJEMA
Directed by ERIC HEUMANN
Opening December 11, 1998
Screenplay by ERIC HEUMANN and JACQUES LEBAS with LAM LE
Cast
Pierre Feldman JEAN-YVES DUBOIS
Alice NATHALIE BOUTEFEU
Jerome Delbos CHRISTOPHE ODENT
Ousman EDOUARD MONTOUTE
Soeur Marie-Francoise CLAIRE WAUTHION
Antoine Barasse FREDERIC PIERROT
PORT DJEMA is set in a small, East African country of the same name.
Port Djema, a remnant of the French Empire, is in the midst of an ethnic
war. Told from the point of view of Dr. Pierre Feldman (Jean-Yves
Dubois), who has traveled far from his Parisian home to fulfill a promise
to a murdered friend, the film is gripping and subtly mysterious. Set to
beautiful music by Sanjay Mishra, and filmed by cinematographer Yorgos
Arvanitas, PORT DJEMA is quite a package.
As Pierre makes his way around the region, searching for a child once
looked after by his deceased friend, Dr. Antoine Barasse (Frederic Pierrot),
he is soon thrust into the heart of the conflict. Within days, he has walked
in his friend's shoes, despite warnings and the apparent dangers that await
him at every turn. On his journey he meets Alice (Nathalie Boutefeu), a
photographer who shoots shadows and remnants. She photographs not the
people caught up in the conflict, but the things they leave behind. Also a
friend of Antoine's, Alice is like a shadow herself, appearing to be
incidental in most scenes, but ultimately of great significance.
This story is cleverly told from the viewpoint of Pierre, a character
relatively unfamiliar with the politics and goings-on in Port Djema. The
details of the conflict are minor here. The real focus of PORT DJEMA is
the journey that one man must make, physically and spiritually, in
fulfillment of a promise. The real tale is a cerebral one, about what Pierre
learns along the way.
PORT DJEMA is a thoroughly watchable film. The acting, writing,
directing all come together to make this something worth seeing.
- Kessa De Santis -
AMKO PRODUCTIONS, INC. PRESENTS
SUE
AN AMOS KOLLEK FILM
Opening November 20, 1998
Starring ANNA THOMSON as Sue
Cast
Ben MATTHEW POWERS
Lola TAHNEE WELCH
Linda TRACEE ROSS
Larry JOHN VENTIMIGLIA
Eddi EDOARDO BALLERINI
Sven MATTHEW FABER
Willie ROBERT KYA HILL
Interviewer DECHEN THURMAN
Sydney JOSHUA KAPLAN
Phil LAZARO PEREZ
SUE is a film about loneliness and desperation. Set in New York City, it
explores the way in which an individual can be alone, by choice or chance,
even in the crowds of a populous city. Though far from uplifting, the film,
written, directed and produced by Amos Kollek, is not without charm, wit
and humor. Anna Thomson plays Sue with alternating currents of
sexuality and disintegration, but always with the destructive quality of her
actions in the forefront.
The action follows Sue through a series of random meetings with strangers,
most of them sexual. As her desperation and alienation mounts, she seeks
out more unlikely companions, even as she pushes aside her chances for
real friendship and love. Along the way, Sue encounters Lola, a thief and
prostitute, engagingly played by Tahnee Welch, a psychology student
(Tracee Ross), and a maybe-boyfriend, Ben, credibly portrayed by Matthew
Powers. Even Austin Pendleton makes a brief appearance as a man who
mistakes Sue for a prostitute. Many of Sue's encounters are destructive,
but even when she is fortunate enough to happen upon those who seem to
genuinely care for her, she is unable to make the choice that will improve
her life.
That, in a nutshell, is SUE. The actual plot complications revolve around
her desperate attempts to secure employment and keep her apartment, but
the meat of the movie is the ongoing series of random meetings that
characterize the transiency of Sue's relationships, the genuine isolation that
she experiences. Anna Thomson is affecting as Sue. Sometimes alluring,
sometimes repugnant in her desperation and decline, Ms. Thomson has
captured a soul past the brink, on the verge of hitting the ground.
The darkness of this film is palpable, but lightened enough to make it more
real than wrenching. SUE won't bring you to tears, and it won't make you
want to go out and hug every lonesome stranger that crosses your path, but
it is an interesting little story. It will probably make your own life seem a
whole lot brighter.
- Kessa De Santis -
RIVER RED
A New Film by ERIC DRILLING
Opening November 6, 1998 at The Quad
Starring
TOM EVERETT SCOTT, DAVID MOSCOW, CARA BUONO,
LEO BURMEISTER, DAVID LOWERY
Dave (Tom Everett Scott) and Tom (David Moscow) Holden are the
victims of a cruel father. As the younger brother, Tom takes the brunt
of abuse until one fateful night when Dave kills his father. To protect
his older brother from a jail sentence, Tom takes the blame for the
murder and is sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility. Dave is
free from jail but not from his conscience and the guilt of his deeds.
As Tom pays the penalty for a crime he did not commit, Dave
punishes himself by turning to a life of crime and isolating the people
who want to help, including his new-found girlfriend Rachel (Cara
Buono).
RIVER RED is supposed to be a film about passion, the bond
between brothers, and the human need to redeem ourselves. The
viewer must make many leaps in order to reach these conclusions. We
do not witness enough violence or its aftermath to justify a murder.
After the crime has been committed, the reactions of the brothers are
almost matter of fact. A condition of shock and denial can be
warranted immediately following the deed, but for the majority of the
film Scott and Moscow interact in a mono-syllable, semi-comatose
state. Finally after Moscow is released from the juvenile facility, a
multi-faceted personality emerges, and his effort to save his brother is
touching.
RIVER RED is a fine story of parallels and contrasts. Unfortunately,
it lacks intensity, suspense, and anything with which we could
empathize. Its attempts to be arty consist of bucolic scenes by a
tranquil river, the obnoxious cawing of a bird, and several scenes of
wood chopping. It does possess some fresh and moody music by
Johnny Hickman and a fine acting debut by David Lowery, both
from the platinum-album recording group CRACKER. But unless
you have actually killed your father, you're probably going to walk
away from this one unmoved.
-Laurie Lawson-
CHICAGO CAB
A GFT Entertainment Film Released by Castle Hill Productions and Dream LLC
Adapted from the play "Hellcab" by WILL KERN
Directed by MARY CYBULSKI and JOHN TINTORI
Produced by PAUL DILLON and SUZANNE DeWALT
Screenwriter Will Kern used his personal experiences as a cabdriver
on the streets of Chicago to write his award-winning play "Hellcab."
From this emerged the film CHICAGO CAB, a humorous and
poignant trip that follows a day in the life of a cab driver with some
very strange passengers. Paul Dillon, who also portrayed the driver
in the play, is a bit eccentric with subtle similarities to Christopher
Lloyd's Reverend Jim character in the television series Taxi. He's
lonely and socially inept but basically a guy trying to do the right
thing. Into the back seat of his cab comes an array of characters that
would plague anyone's day. John Cusack is a menacing oddball who
demands transportation to a dark alley; Laurie Metcalf and her illicit
lover have sex on the way to the hotel; an impertinent and
promiscuous Gillian Anderson fights with her boyfriend; and a heart-wrenching
Julianne Moore calmly accounts being brutally assaulted.
What these and several other passengers reveal is how the cab driver
becomes a small, short part of their lives. Their stories are abruptly
interrupted and have no conclusion; then he moves on to another. He
empathizes but usually cannot influence or alter the outcome. The
camera shots are close and tight, depicting the physical proximity of
driver and passenger. Within that small space, he is subjected to
prejudices and passions, threats and propositions, and a plethora of
emotions. Those looking for a plot or solutions to the problems of
mankind will be disappointed. What you get instead is a glimpse into
a profession that randomly encounters all kinds of people;
CHICAGO CAB is a fine slice-of-life film.
-Laurie Lawson-
LITTLE BOY BLUE
A Film by ANTONIO TIBALDI
Starring
RYAN PHILLIPPE
NASTASSJA KINSKI
JOHN SAVAGE
SHIRLEY KNIGHT
Director: ANTONIO TIBALDI
Writer: MICHAEL BOSTON
Cinematographer: RON HAGEN, A.C.S.
Production Designer: JOHN FRICK
Editors: ANTONIO TIBALDI and TOBIN TAYLOR
Music Composer: STEWART COPELAND
Music Supervisor: FRANK FITZPATRICK
Costume Designer: APRIL FERRY
LITTLE BOY BLUE is a dark film about love, perversion,
criminality, revenge, and survival against all odds.It is also one of the
most bizarre stories ever.
Jimmy (Ryan Phillippe of I Know What You Did Last Summer fame)
is a nineteen year old with a promising baseball pitch and a girlfriend
named Traci (Jenny Lewis). And these are the only rays of hope in
poor Jimmy's life. His father Ray, a former Vietnam veteran tautly
portrayed by John Savage, is sadistic and prone to violence. His
mother (Nastassja Kinski) is not immune from Ray's abuse, but the
ties that bind them are deep rooted. Jimmy also has two younger
brothers (marvelously portrayed by Devon Michael and Adam Burke)
who have learned how to survive in this unhealthy environment. Into
their already-turbulent lives comes a woman (Shirley Knight) from the
past hell-bent on revenging years of suffering.
LITTLE BOY BLUE is raw and gritty, as stark as the dilapidated
trailer that houses the family's sordid secrets. Antonio Tibaldi keeps
the tension level high. Nothing is as it seems, and at every turn there
is a surprise that challenges your credibility. But as the story twists
and turns, you absorb the latest revelation and anxiously await the
next. There's not an ounce of predictability in this one; its debauchery
at its best.
-Laurie Lawson-
CARLA'S SONG
Directed by KEN LOACH
A Channel Four Films Presentation
Released by Shadow Distribution May 15, 1998
Starring ROBERT CARLYLE, OYANKA CABEZAS and SCOTT GLENN
Screenplay by PAUL LAVERTY
Produced by SALLY HIBBIN
Director of Photography BARRY ACKROYD
Composer GEORGE FENTON
Carla's Song, set in 1987, traces the budding, unlikely love story of
a Scottish bus driver and a Nicaraguan refugee. The action begins
on a bus in Glasgow, as the unconventional driver, George (Robert
Carlyle) comes to the aid of a mysterious passenger (Carla, played
by Oyanka Cabezas) when she is caught without a ticket. Through
a series of coincidences and persistent actions on George's part, the
two become involved. Eventually, in an attempt to understand his
troubled new love, George takes Carla back to her homeland. Here,
amid the Contra's continuing assault on the Sandinistas, he comes
to have a greater understanding of her life.
George is the ultimate nice guy, taking on what is an obviously
complicated situation when he befriends Carla. The premise here,
while bordering on the implausible, seems completely credible and
reasonable as it evolves in Carla's Song. Robert Carlyle gives George
life, and his actions seem credible. Oyanka Cabezas' performance is
compelling and appropriately restrained. The supporting cast is
good. Although, Scott Glenn as an ex-C.I.A.officer now supporting
the Sandinistas is in the unfortunate position of having to deliver
the only quasi-p.c. dialogue in the script. He acts as the vehicle by
which the politics of the war are explained, which, while a necessary
exposition, could have been executed better.
This is an interesting story that covers new ground. A minor
difficulty for speakers of American English will be the Scottish
English prevalent in the first half of the film. Although distracting,
the action is clear enough to make a word for word comprehension
of the dialogue unnecessary.
Carla's Song is a love story that moves in unlikely directions, and a
film that traces a difficult journey. Sometimes endearing, sometimes
tragic and horrifying, it is never bludgeoning. Political, yes, but
there is a legitimate context in the form of a well-crafted tale of the
human spirit and what it can endure to deliver the message.
- Kessa De Santis -
|
Fox Lorber Features presents
LIFE OF JESUS (LA VIE DE JESUS)
A film by BRUNO DUMONT
Bruno Dumont's LIFE OF JESUS (LA VIE DE JESUS) has picked
up a few awards, including last year's Cannes Film Festival Winner
of the Jean Vigo Prize for Best First Feature, the International
Critic's Prize at the 1998 Chicago Film Festival, and the Official
Selection at the New York Film Festival, before it opens at Cinema
Village (22 East 12th Street) on May 15th. It is a stark and gritty film
- in the first five minutes you witness tragedies in Rwanda via a
television in a small bar, a friend dying of AIDS in a hospital, and an
epileptic fit. Under Dumont's direction, Phillippe Van Leeuw's
camera does not blink, and neither do you.
Set in a small village in Northern France, Life of Jesus relentlessly
follows the uninspiring lives of Freddy (David Douche), a 20-year-old
prone to epilepsy, and his four friends. The boys are unemployed,
minimally educated, spiritually deficient, and lacking in initiative.
Their boredom is broken only by aimless trips on motor bikes,
attempts to teach a soundless finch to sing, and perfunctory love
making. Freddy's only passion is his girlfriend Marie (Marjorie
Cottreel), but even that relationship lacks sensitivity. As the scenes
flit from one scenario of tedious activity to another, you begin to feel
the boys' restlessness and boredom. You find yourself wishing that
one of them would take action to change their lives (indeed, you
silently cheer as the young Arab Kader Chaatouf boldly pursues
Marie), but because these characters are totally powerless over the
events that influence them, the actions they do take are crude,
insensitive, and eventually violent.
Life of Jesus is a masterful study of youth bereft of choices, the
resultant monotony and racism, and its violent response. It is a true
portrayal of characters with long and uncomfortable closeups, silence,
and subdued action - even the violent scene is short and passionless.
Amazingly the effect is mesmerizing as you follow along with the act
of living, no matter how random it may be. Dumont offers no
promises of redemption or easy pat solutions; instead, he submits a
chillingly realistic slice of life.
-Laurie Lawson-
CHARACTER
Directed by Mike van Diem
Screenplay by Mike van Diem
in cooperation with Laurens Geels and Ruud van Megan
From Sony Pictures Classics, to be released March 27, 1998
Starring Fedja van Huet, Jan Decleir and Betty Schuurman
Character is set in 1920's Rotterdam, but this dark tale could be set
in any time or place and be as affecting. The story unfolds through
flashbacks, gradually revealing the complex events that have led the
central character, Katadreuffe (Fedja van Huet), to be arrested for
the murder of the fearsome, dreaded bailiff, Dreverhaven (Jan
Decleir). As Katadreuffe conveys his version of events to the police,
which entails recounting the pivotal moments of his entire life,
including his discovery that Dreverhaven is his father, the richness
of Character emerges, right from the start.
As the omnipresent Dreverhaven, Decleir uses his physicality to
dramatic advantage. A large man, his brooding presence hints at the
best and worst elements of his character, even when he is seemingly
docile. As Katadreuffe, a man heavily burdened by the tenuousness
of his situation, van Huet often looks distraught, but never
overcome. As his mother, Joba, Betty Schuurman gives a subtle,
nearly silent performance. Her very presence, complementing
Dreverhaven's, speaks volumes although she says nothing at all.
Joba's subtlety balances Dreverhaven's voracity. The effect is a
compelling, well-acted film.
Under Mike van Diem's direction, Character becomes a study of not
only the characters in the story, but of the location. The look of the
film sets a definite mood, an overall darkness, tempered for
moments by hope, light and beauty, that is right in line with the
subject matter. Character is a complex, intriguing tale, and definitely
worth a look.
- Kessa De Santis -
THE DRESS
A Film by ALEX VAN WARMERDAM
Director: ALEX VAN WARMERDAM
Screenplay: ALEX VAN WARMERDAM
Cinematography: MARC FELPERLAAN
Costume Designer: LEONIE POLAK
Original Score: VINCENT VAN WARMERDAM
Opening: January 16, 1998
Running Time: 103 minutes
Alex van Warmerdam's THE DRESS follows the escapades of a
colorful swatch of material that changes hands (and bodies) many
times in its short life. Perhaps even more colorful are his quirky
characters. There's an aging housewife who does herself in with a
bolt of lust, a young sexually frustrated housemaid who attracts
sexually-perverted gentlemen, an innocent school girl who takes a
fateful ride in the dress, a homeless woman, and a ticket collector who
becomes possessed by the dress and all who wear it.
Van Warmerdam keeps the pace going by constantly presenting
preposterous situations and interweaving the catastrophes of the
characters. The humor is zany and sophisticated. And he gives the
dress a life of its own. Even after it is part of a cremation ceremony,
it still lives on. Nudity, sexual encounters and battles, insanity, and
tragedy are all a part of his delightful adventure. To blend these
incongruent elements and manage to make the audience laugh is quite
an impressive feat.
THE DRESS has received the International Film Critics' Award at
the Venice Film Festival and the Dutch Film Critic's Prize Best Dutch
Film at the Netherlands Film Festival. This is a film worth seeing.
-Laurie Lawson-