THE OTTOMAN LIEUTENANT (2017)

March 10, 2017

 Greetings again from the darkness. A story of romance smack dab in the middle of war is always a bit risky and sometimes difficult to sell. Make it a love triangle and toss in distinct religious differences, and if it’s not a mess, it’ll do till the mess gets here (a sentiment borrowed from the Coen Brothers).

This is director Joseph Ruben’s first feature since The Forgotten (2004), and he’s also known for Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), the breakout dramatic role for Julia Roberts after Pretty Woman. The film is written by Jeff Stockwell, who is best known for Bridge to Terabithia (2007), and the script leans heavily on melodrama while also sprinkling in some acts of war.

Hera Hilmar (who favors Abbie Cornish) stars as Lillie Rowe, a head-strong free-thinking nurse living a life of privilege in 1914 Philadelphia, but committed to an ideal of justice for all. She meets a handsome and equally idealistic Dr Jude Gresham (Josh Hartnett) who is fundraising for his hospital located in the remote hills of Turkey. Circumstances are such that a Turkish officer is assigned to escort Lillie to Gresham’s hospital. As if enough sparks haven’t already flown between Jude and Lillie, it’s pretty clear that the attraction between her and Ismail (an excellent Michiel Huisman, “Game of Thrones”) is even stronger. The fourth key character here is Jude’s partner, Dr. Woodruff (Sir Ben Kingsley), whose immediate dislike of Lillie is quickly dispensed once she exhibits her medical competency.

Lillie is warned … war is coming. It’s WWI and it’s the Muslim Ottoman Empire vs the Christian Armenians. To label this revisionist history is an understatement. The 1915 Armenian Genocide is only alluded to with passing mention that the Ottomans “took steps” to control the Armenians. Even in such a lightweight and hokey melodrama, an omission like that jumps out. Whether it’s selective memory or outright propaganda, it seems obvious that the Turkish financiers were hoping to make a political/historical statement hidden behind a romantic triangle wrapped in war. The sweeping score by Geoff Zanelli and the beautiful cinematography of Daniel Aranyo both emphasize the romance aspects, while minimizing the fighting and cultural clashes.

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

LET IT BE: A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES

March 10, 2017

Dallas Summer Musicals at Fair Park

March 8, 2017

This is one of my rare forays from the big screen to the big stage. The touring production of this world famous musical came to Dallas, and will soon play Ft Worth before heading off to the next stop.

 The Beatles’ first big UK hit was in 1962 (“Love Me Do”) and their first U.S. tour occurred in 1964. The band’s final live performance was in 1969 on a rooftop in London, and they officially broke up in 1970. During this unprecedented run (and since), The Beatles sold more records than any band in history, and changed the face and sound of popular music at least a couple of times. Because of this unparalleled success and popularity, it’s not surprising that the band and its music have now generated THREE stage productions – Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles, Beatlemania, and most recently, Let it Be: A Celebration of the Music of The Beatles.

Revamped after successful runs in London’s West End and on Broadway, this touring version is split into two parts: Act 1 hits some of the highlights of the band’s career, while Act 2 provides a look at what might have been – a reunion of the band in 1980. One could describe this as ‘What was’ versus ‘What if?’.

Kicking off with the first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show”, the familiar music immediately lights the warm fire of nostalgia in the audience. The other segments in this first Act include the Shea Stadium concert, the Sgt Pepper era, and finally Abbey Road – replete with a barefoot Paul. What is immediately apparent is that the four lads on stage may not closely resemble the original band in looks, but they certainly are talented musicians and singers. The banter with the audience is not especially a highlight as the exaggerated speaking voices meant to mimic Paul and John are at times cringe-inducing, but this in no way impacts the enjoyment and expert versions of the songs that are permanently imbedded in our DNA.

The difference maker in this show is the ‘What if?’ second Act, as the ultimate fan fantasy occurs – the four lads from Liverpool reunite for a concert on John’s 40th birthday, October 9, 1980. This is ten years after they disbanded, and there are some musical chills as they play a blend of their hits from “the good old days” and meld their talents on songs from their individual projects. Selections include George’s “What is Life”, John’s “Starting Over”, Ringo’s “It Don’t Come Easy”, and Paul’s “Band on the Run”. There is also “Blackbird” in the stage style of Crosby, Stills and Nash; while John’s “Imagine” truly hits the right note. Though the encore is predictable and necessary and crowd-pleasing, the musical highlight of the show is George’s searing version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.

With an emphasis on the music, the stage props were minimal. Either side featured a retro dial radio and television. While the band played, the familiar clips of actual Beatles audiences were shown; during the costume changes, we were treated to music from the era, news clips, and the always good-for-a-laugh Carnation Instant Breakfast commercial. Complementing the fine music were the spot on costumes. Evolving from the early suits, mop-tops and Beatle boots to the spectacular Sgt Pepper psychedelic colors, and culminating in Lennon’s iconic New York City t-shirt, the clothes and facial hair leave no doubt as to the era. Neil Candelora plays Paul with the perfect amount of fake stage pep and constant need for audience feedback, and JT Curtis as George gets to flash his prolific musical expertise periodically while struggling to maintain the mostly still nature of the quiet one. Chris McBurney handles Ringo’s drums with relative ease, and Michael Gagliano adds the Lennon edge necessary to capture the band’s stage presence. It may not be a true “Revolution” but everything does “Come Together” for an extremely fun and crowd-pleasing time.

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE LAST LAUGH (2017, doc)

March 5, 2017

last-laugh Greetings again from the darkness. The best comedy often touches a nerve. Jokes can make us feel uncomfortable and even a bit embarrassed for laughing. Although the best comedians are traditionally those who attack the politically correct world we live in, there are certain topics that remain taboo even to the bravest comedians: child molesting, rape, AIDS, 9/11, and the Holocaust. Director Ferne Pearlstein examines the issue of taboo comedy through numerous interviews with some well known and successful comedians, authors, and even Holocaust survivors.

Much of the focus here is on the Holocaust, and some of the familiar faces providing insight include Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, Gilbert Gottfried, and Rob and Carl Reiner. We learn the most important rule is … never tell a crappy joke about a dark subject – it better be really funny! We also learn that while the Holocaust is mostly off-limits, the Nazi’s are fair game. Bugs Bunny, Charlie Chaplin, The Three Stooges, and The Marx Brothers have all mined the Nazi world for the sake of comedy and satire, though maybe none have done so as frequently or successfully as Mel Brooks (“Springtime for Hitler”)

One of the most interesting recurring threads of the film involves Auschwitz survivor Renee Firehouse. North of 90 years old, this remarkable lady is extremely sharp and understands the importance of laughter … while also never being shy about what she thinks is NOT funny. Ms. Firestone even meets up with the effervescent Robert Clary, a fellow Holocaust survivor, and known to many as LeBeau on the TV show “Hogan’s Heroes”.

A trip to the Holocaust Survivor Convention on the Las Vegas strip offers up more thoughts on the role comedy played in keeping these folks alive. We see rare footage of carefully staged Cabaret acts from within the concentration camps … who even knew this went on? The recently re-discovered footage of Jerry Lewis’ “The Day the Clown Cried” is also shown, and the commentary from Harry Shearer makes it clear that the rest should never find an audience.

Authors Etgar Keret, Shalom Auslander and Abraham Foxman each provide their thoughts on forbidden comedic topics, and clips are shown from “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and Brooks’ The Producers, as well as scandalous moments from Louis CK, Joan Rivers, Chris Rock, and the most censured comic of all, Lenny Bruce. Laughter may be the best medicine, but sometimes it’s interesting to take a step back and determine exactly what is off-limits. When has a joke gone too far? It appears from Ms. Pearlstein’s project that the line in the sand is determined by personal taste, preference and judgment.

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE FREEDOM TO MARRY (2017, doc)

March 5, 2017

freedom-to-marry Greetings again from the darkness. The film takes us back more than forty years to a 1973 poll that found the majority of the people in the United States felt homosexuality was immoral. That’s what the folks at the non-profit organization Freedom To Marry had to overcome in their decades long fight to win the right for legal gay marriage. Filmmaker Eddie Rosenstein offers up a behind the scenes, and very detailed look at the history, strategy, and tactics used by the group to reach their goals.

In 1983 Evan Wolfson wrote his Harvard thesis on why gay marriage is moral and just. After that, and because of it, Mr. Wolfson became the driving force, the leader, and the face of the movement for gay marriage rights … as well as the Director of the Freedom To Marry organization. This is really the inside story and a chronological legal and political history of the push for gay marriage.

The fight is truly a Civil Rights movement of rallies and marches – both for and against. We witness the revolution one conversation at a time, and the film counts down the days to the Supreme Court arguments, as well as the final decision. 102 days until the Supreme Court arguments open … and a reminder that about a decade prior there were zero firms that allowed gay marriage. Much time is spent with Mary Benauto, the chief litigator for the cause, and a true champion of legal gay rights.

It’s Evan Wolfson who dominates the film, and rightly so. He’s known as “The Marriage Guy” and “The Paul Revere of Gay Marriage”. We witness him leading many important meetings and consistently working towards the goal. He explains to us that AIDS shattered the silence of the community, as the movement shifted from “leave us alone” to “let us in”. As Ms. Benauto explains, “I do this work because people just want to be who they are”; but it’s Evan who makes his mission clear when he states, “I always believed we would win”. The film is an extraordinary look at a vital part of Civil Rights history, complete with heroes.

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

TABLE 19 (2017)

March 3, 2017

table-19 Greetings again from the darkness. Writer/director Jeffrey Blitz (Spellbound) takes the approach that many wedding guests would prefer – he skips the wedding and heads straight to the reception. Another wise move by the filmmaker is assembling a very talented ensemble of funny folks. This cast proves they can wring a laugh from dialogue and moments that would probably otherwise not elicit much of an audience reaction. Instead, the full house on this evening had quite boisterous responses on numerous occasions.

The initial set-up drags a bit as we are introduced to the characters that will soon enough populate Table 19 at the reception. Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel bellhop) is Renzo, the longing for love (or anything similar) high schooler who might be a bit too close to his mother (voiced by the great Margo Martindale). Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson are the Kepp’s, a mostly unhappily married couple who own and run a diner together. June Squibb is Jo, the bride’s long-forgotten nanny who sees and knows more than most. Stephen Merchant plays the outcast nephew/cousin who has been recently released from his prison sentence for white collar crime. Lastly we have Anna Kendrick as Eloise, the fired maid of honor and former girlfriend of the bride’s brother (Wyatt Russell), who also happens to be the best man and now dating the new maid of honor.

This is the island of misfit wedding guests known as Table 19, and purposefully placed in the back corner as far as possible from the family and favored guests. Of course we know immediately that this Team Reject will unite for some uplifting purpose at some point, and the movie improves immediately once that goal has been revealed. Comedic timing in a group setting can often come across on screen as forced, and it’s a tribute to the cast that these characters come across as human and real.

Make no mistake though, this is Anna Kendrick’s movie. She plays Eloise as we would imagine Anna Kendrick in this real life situation. Sure, a wedding reception is low-hanging fruit for comedy, but it’s the third act where Ms. Kendrick’s talent really shines. Comedy drawn from emotional pain is the most fulfilling because we’ve all been there. The melodrama that creeps in is pretty predictable, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good time. The scenes with Ms. Kendrick and Wyatt Russell (Everybody Wants Some!, and Kurt and Goldie’s son) are the best, and it leaves us wishing for more attention to both.

Don’t worry, the film features the required wedding cake mishap, a flirtatious wedding crasher (Thomas Cocquerel) and a drunken mother of the bride singing karaoke to Etta James’ “At Last”. It’s designed to be a crowd-pleaser, and mostly succeeds with a nice blend of silly, cute, and emotional tugs.

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

WOLVES (2017)

March 3, 2017

wolves Greetings again from the darkness. Anthony is a good kid with a bright future. He’s a star basketball player and a bright student, and has a loyal girlfriend and seemingly normal home life. It comes as no surprise that most of those elements either aren’t as smooth as they seem, or are more complex than on the surface.

Writer/director Bart Freundlich (known for his 1997 debut feature The Myth of Fingerprints, and for being married to Julianne Moore) slowly unveils the cracks in Anthony’s (Taylor John Smith) façade. His college professor dad (the always great Michael Shannon) is a drunk, abusive man with a short fuse and severe gambling addiction. He’s the kind of guy who is always working on his great American novel, while juggling gambling debts and throwing down quiet jealousy of his son. His mother (Carla Gugino) has good intentions and clearly wants the best for her son, but she’s just not capable of standing up to the menace. It plays like a Maslow’s hierarchy of crappy parenting.

There are plenty of clichés that we’ve seen in many movies, but it’s a pleasure to see so much real basketball being played. Anthony has a sweet jump shot and a sweet girlfriend named Victoria (Zazie Beetz), and the interpersonal relationships all have nuances that come across as real life. Even Uncle Charlie (Chris Bauer) seems torn about which family member most needs his protection. Emotional-physical-financial strains abound and it all seems to crash down on Anthony as he strives to earn a college scholarship by impressing the coaches from Cornell.

As Anthony navigates the choppy waters towards independence, the film teases us with some sub-plots that could have been further explored. Anthony hits it off with an older, wiser street baller (John Douglas Thompson) who starts mentoring him. We also are given hope that Anthony’s mom will actually do something for her son rather than regretting what she hasn’t done. Lastly there is a quick tease as to an alternative past that would make some sense – though whether that’s real or imagined is left up to the viewer’s perspective.

The film ultimately plays like a Disney film that utilizes an inordinate number of “F-words”, and it even reminds a bit of the Paul Giamatti movie Win Win. It’s the acting and the periodic sequences of real emotion that allow us to remain interested in the characters right up until the end … even if our hopes differ from one of Anthony’s own parents.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson

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