Reviews Archives
Brad Pitt is “Just Awesome” Thu, 01 March 2007
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is “a lyrical, brooding, atmospheric anti-Western that gave me the goose bumps numerous times throughout the 2 hour and 20 minute run time.”
And Brad Pitt’s performance? AWESOME!
“Brad Pitt plays Jesse James with cocky swagger and is just awesome. He owns the role, it’s like it was tailor made for him. Just watch the way the guy smokes his cigars and moves his head and eyes….methodical and unnerving.”
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is supposedly going to hit theaters on Friday, Sept. 14.
‘Little Dog Laughed’ Review Tue, 23 January 2007
Just caught The Little Dog Laughed on Broadway late last week. Check out the promo pics below; more after the jump! And here’s a mini-review:
Before the curtain rises, the atmosphere is set with series of sultry whispers, set to a modern lounge beat, that repeat (annoyingly) over and over and over.
Just four characters appear on stage in The Little Dog Laughed, a “good, naughty, laugh-out loud” funny comedy surrounding the serendipitously intermingled lives of Diane (Julie White), Mitchell (Tom Everett Scott of TNT’s Saved), Alex (Johnny Galecki—you know him as Darlene’s ex on Rosanne), and Ellen (Ari Gaynor).
Scenes between Ellen, Alex’s girlfriend, and Alex tended to be too over-the-top cool (though that might have been the intention), and dragged on a little until the story really picked up.
Scenes involving Mitchell, a schmoopy, dopey rising movie star and Alex, an impossibly hip and urbane callboy as the two go through the thrills and complexities of an hush-hush romance are played alternately humorously, with witty lines that usually get lots of laughs, but sometimes fall flat, and (sometimes too) seriously.
By far the best performer, because you did not feel that she was acting, was Julie White as Diane, Mitchell’s very modern, competent, thoroughly entertaining (and thoroughly Machiavellian) Hollywood agent. The character’s hilarious lines (on everything from Cobb salads to Hollywood contract negotiations to awards ceremonies) coupled with White’s sparkling performance add a dose of wit that turns The Little Dog Laughed into a can’t-miss comedy of modern manners.
Sidenote: Tom Everett Scott plays drinking games with his children. Umm…
‘High Fidelity’ Makes Top 5 Musicals Mon, 11 December 2006
On Saturday, Audrey and I caught an afternoon matinée of High Fidelity, a musical version of the Nick Hornby book that was turned into a movie with John Cusack.
This musical version preserves key plot points from the original (music aficionado Rob, who makes top-5 lists throughout the show, loses girlfriend Laura and tries to come to terms with his life while friends Barry, Dick and Liz offer advice and tough love), while broadening the irony and losing the heavier parts. It’s become something like a light sitcom episode of the same story.
High Fidelity’s sets are amazing. They rotate, swivel, slide and recombine to form 5+ great locations: Rob’s Brooklyn apartment, a new age-y apartment, a rainy street corner, and Rob’s record store. Along with the saturated lighting, the sets make High Fidelity a very good-looking show. (Continued after the jump)
‘Mary Poppins’ Broadway Review Fri, 03 November 2006
I got the chance to see Mary Poppins on Broadway a couple weeks ago and might I say, it was “practically perfect!”
Everything seemed to fit in seamlessly from the magical set and vintage costumes to the superb cast. My only gripe with the show is the park scene where these silvery, spadex-clad (there’s a leaf covering, don’t worry) statues come to life, prancing around and dancing together. It was a bit… much. And overly drawn out. Otherwise, if you’re going to see a Disney musical soon, don’t go see Tarzan, give Mary Poppins a chance!
Below, you can watch the Broadway cast of Mary Poppins at this morning’s performance of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (yes, I typed that from memory) from The Today Show. It’s a great performance. It’s just too bad the Today cameramen missed the best part — Gavin Lee (Bert) spelling out Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious with his body. It’s bloody brilliant… but they didn’t show it! Gah! Thank God for YouTube, you can watch Gavin work his magic here with the Original London Cast here.
P.S. Don’t miss the video after the jump. It’s of the cast performing “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” during one of last month’s curtain call.
I have the song memorized, I’m working on the choreography!
Babel Review Thu, 26 October 2006
Caught a screening of Babel last night. How did Brad Pitt measure up? Even ex Gwyneth Paltrow told NYDN that he’ll take home an Oscar: “It’s the best performance Brad’s ever given. [Babel] makes you want to take good care of your children.” Here’s how it went down…
3 different countries. 4 groups of people. Lives forever changed. A man in Morocco is sold a rifle that he gives to his two sons to protect their goats from jackals. While practicing their shooting, the younger son accidentally shoots an American woman, (Cate Blanchett) who is vacationing with her husband (Brad Pitt) aboard a tour bus. The movie establishes the characters that are further connected to the American couple, the children who are with their Mexican nanny back in the States and the original owner of the rifle, a Japanese businessman whose daughter is deaf-mute.
GALLERY :: Click here for HQ movie stills of Babel!
(Continued after the jump)
‘Jay Johnson: The Two & Only’ Review Tue, 17 October 2006
ONE-MAN SHOW :: Jay Johnson: The Two and Only is a Broadway show like no other. For starters, it really is a one-man show unlike Martin Short’s “one-man show,” Fame Becomes Me. Well, sort of. Johnson is an extremely gifted ventriloquist that brings his audience into a hilarious reality he so deftly creates. He magically brings to life about a dozen inanimate co-stars including a nutcracker, a decapitated head, a tennis ball, a vulture puppet named Nethermore, and a gorilla puppet named Darwin.
THE LOWDOWN :: Jay Johnson not only covers his own history but the nitty gritty history of ventriloquism (it does drag on for a tad too long). But believe me when I say that Johnson was born to be a ventriloquist. The show really will blow you away from start to finish, leaving you wondering, did he really just do that? The Two and Only is, for the most part, kid-appropriate fun and something for the whole family to enjoy. After the jump is a summary of what other reviewers are saying…
Jay Johnson and his gorilla puppet Darwin
on The Late Show with David Letterman
Little Miss Sunshine Review Wed, 30 August 2006
Little Miss Sunshine is this summer’s sleeper hit and if you haven’t seen it yet, you are TOTALLY MISSING OUT. It was labeled one of the hottest properties at Sundance back in January, opened in select theaters back in July, and the buzz is still flowing. And rightfully so! It’s 102 minutes of pure hilarity from start to finish.
The standout (and thoroughly competent) ensemble includes Steve Carell as a suicidal Proust scholar, Greg Kinnear as a wannabe motivational speaker dad, Toni Collette as a working mother trying to hold the family together, Alan Arkin as a foul-mouthed, heroin-snorting grandpa, Paul Dano as a Nietzsche devotee and, last but not least, the adorable Abigail Breslin as daughter Olive, who competes in the Little Miss Sunshine contest.
Although most wouldn’t typically warm up to Little Miss Sunshine because it has "quirky indie" and "dark comedy" written all over, it most certainly delivers. It’s a beautiful comedy that’s so clever and fresh, you’ll thank me later. Check out Little Miss Sunshine while it’s still out in theaters. It’ll be worth every penny!
TIDBIT :: Paul Dano is Audrey’s brother’s friend from Wilton, CT. Just thought you’d like to know!
Spamalot Review Fri, 11 August 2006
Spamalot is big, glitzy bundle of inside jokes that anyone can get into.
Its creamy center is comprised of crowd-pleasing, very faithful reproductions of scenes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, with a dip into Life of Brian here and there. Added to this core material are playful nods to Broadway classics and melodramatic conventions — be on the lookout for Phantom and Les Mis, among others.
Rabid Python fans will smile early and knowingly as those key scenes from The Grail are reenacted. Though the actors’ performances don’t match the originals (and what could?), they are still hilarious and gain an extra punch from being performed live with bouncy song and dance numbers tacked on.
(Continued after the jump)
Spamalot also benefits theatregoers new to Monty Python because, as a Broadway show, it draws those favorite parts from the movie (everything from the Knights Who Say "Ni" to the holy hand grenade to the random deus-ex-machina gestures-from-the-sky) into a more accessible frame of reference.
Meanwhile, both crowds will laugh at the showbiz gags, expanded diva role for the Lady in the Lake, and cleverly projected expository animations, and breaking of the fourth (stage) wall.
All in all, Spamalot’s many and disparate jokes, gags, and catchy tunes eventually work together to form a dysfunctional and funny whole. You’ll leave the theatre (after a rousing singalong) with a tune on your lips and a desire to go rent the movie again in your heart.
– Written by Audrey
