For a small show, “Athena” packs a mighty punch. Set in the specific world of competitive fencing, the 75-minute two-hander is a remarkable achievement for a fierce pair of young actresses whose skill and timing are paramount to the show’s success.
Led with a deft hand and an acute ear by director Nancy Bell, “Athena” tells a slice-of-life story between two 17-year-old athletes as they train for national competition, with the goal of qualifying for the Junior Olympics.
A third character, Jamie (Carmen Cecelia Retzer), is seen briefly near the end.
The worldlier Athena (Isa Venere) appears to have the upper hand in this rivals dynamic, while studious Mary Wallace (Jaelyn Genyse) for all her bravado, is more insecure and sheltered.
Both ambitious and driven, they have teamed up to practice together after school – Athena lives in the city while Mary Wallace commutes from Teaneck, N.J. They have spent so much of their lives competing that they don’t make friends easily, but a bond, no matter how bumpy, forms based on mutual respect and admiration. They push each other and accept nothing but their best. Much is riding on their success and their future.
Jaelyn Genyse and Isa Venere/ Photo by Jon Gitchoff.
Athena, aka Darby Schlossberg, has named herself after the Greek mythological goddess of wisdom and warfare, known for heroic endeavors. She projects confidence, and a command of the sport, but her life skills aren’t as developed yet. They both crave experiences but have devoted themselves to the goal of making it as far as they can in the sport.
Playwright Gracie Gardner’s nimble dialogue is matched by the actresses’ physical agility as they realistically banter and spar. It’s as if we are eavesdropping on two teenagers and their Gen Z viewpoints, frustrations and assessments of their daily routines.
Laced with humor, hormonal angst and that age group’s never-ending melodramas, “Athena” pops with personality and pizzazz.
The tremendous amount of work involved in mounting this show can’t be overstated – what a monumental task for all involved. With its warrior attitude, this intimate 2018 play is a good fit for the Steve Woolf Studio Series
Isa Venere as Athena. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.
Venere and Genyse are flawless in their natural portrayals, conveying appealing vitality as their characters and handling physicality with grace and aplomb. They appear to be well-trained in this ancient sport, and much credit goes to Fight Director Paul Steger and Fencing Consultant Annamaria Lu.
Seth Howard’s set design of a rectangular “piste” is functional and formatted for an in-the-round experience, while Jayson M Lawshee’s lighting design suits the competition and training demands.
Sound designer Jimmy Bernatowicz keeps the fast-paced action at a lively clip, interspersing contemporary dance hits to pump up the energy. Costume designer Renee Garcia outfits the pair in their practice and competitive uniforms, one recognizable through her neon orange shoes and the other by her colorful socks.
With bravura lead performances, this coming-of-age journey of self-discovery is a compelling look at girls trying to grab the brass ring, and ways female friendships are put to the test.
Jaelyn Genyse as Mary Wallace. Photo by Jon Gitchoff
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents “Athena” by Grace Gardner Jan. 15 through Feb. 9 “Performances take place in the Emerson Studio Theatre of the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. This production lasts 75 minutes without intermission. It contains strobe lights, strong language, and is recommended for ages 16 and up. For more information: www.repstl.org.
Mary Wallace and Athena (Jaelyn Genyse and Isa Venere. Photo by Jon Gitchoff.
“Only connect” is a good motto to leave a theater with, where you just saw brilliance shine.
An abundance of new voices and fresh faces mixed with familiar stories and reliable veterans to give us another compelling year of theater among regional professional groups.
Sometimes, there were so many offerings, one couldn’t get to them opening weekend, or my schedule prevented me from early viewing. I attended around 80 eligible shows and am grateful for the theater companies accommodating me. This does not include touring, school or community theatre productions.
I am enriched and in awe of the talent in our midst. And sharing what it feels like to be human in the 21st century is a very wonderful experience. That sense of belonging and community abounds. Onward to a magical year ahead.
As a local theater critic and writer about arts and entertainment, here’s my highly personal annual assessments on 2024 output – my “LOTTIES” – Lynn’s Love of Theatre Awards, as I announce every year. They are not set at five, but categories vary. If I wanted to recognize a performer or a show, I did (my rules). This is separate from the St. Louis Theater Circle, of which I am a founding member. My esteemed colleagues and I will present our annual awards at a gala ceremony, aka theater prom, on Monday, March 24, at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the Webster University campus. Nominations will be revealed soon.
“The Inheritance, Parts I and II.” Provided by Tesseract Theatre Company.
Production of the Year: “The Inheritance, Parts I and II” by Tesseract Theatre Company
A 7-hour commitment but worth every minute, riveting from start to finish, with everyone giving their all. Epic in scope and intimate in execution, Tesseract Theatre Company’s production was exhilarating.
Playwright Matthew Lopez wrote a vivid and perceptive rich tapestry of yearning, desire, melancholy, fear, joy, hope, community, and love. Surprising in its wit and depth of feeling, this Tony and Olivier-Award winning play is a magnum opus on what it’s like to be gay in America.
Boldly directed by Stephen Peirick and seamlessly acted by a passionate ensemble, they each met their moments. Intertwining a sprawling cast of 13, Lopez examined healing, survival, what home means and a class divide, inspired by E.M. Forster’s 1910 novel “Howards End.”
It takes place decades after the AIDS epidemic while three generations of gay men grapple with those past tragedies, and the legacies of shame, secrets, and loss, especially at a time when hard-fought rights are available, yet shifting political tides make them vulnerable.
Because Forster examined class differences and hypocrisy in British society in the early 20th century, so does Lopez project his characters in the early 21st century.
In an uncommon structure, Lopez tackled the complexities we all face, connecting characters, ambitions and eras in a swirling, dizzying, fantastic way. It is specific to the LGBTQIA+ experience, but allies could relate.
Companies of the Year: The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (large) and Tesseract Theatre Company (small)
Danny Williams and Kate Bergstrom. Provided.
The Rep gets the honor, turning around the venerable institution in spectacular fashion after it was on the brink of not surviving in 2023. A change in direction and a rallying community – both faithful and skeptical – helped the reset. So did new Artistic Director Kate Bergstrom, a sunny collaborative charmer whose efforts have been nothing short of astounding, along with managing director Danny Williams, who came aboard in 2022. Two absolute stunners – “Moby Dick” and “August: Osage County” helped restore the luster in early 2024 while The Studio returned with “The Roommate” and a new partnership with Stages St. Louis for the crowd-pleasing “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas” followed a classic “Dial M for Murder” to deliver on its promises. Enthusiasm and goodwill is palpable at every function.
At the Tesseract Theatre Company, Kevin Corpuz and Brittanie Gunn took over operations, and continued bold moves started by founder Taylor Gruenloh in 2010. “The Inheritance, Part 1 and 2” was a landmark achievement, they shifted to musicals for the summer new play festival, and then their ambitious production of “Anastasia: The Musicals” in the fall cemented the statement that they have arrived. Can’t wait to see what is ahead.
Alan Knoll
Artist of the Year: Alan Knoll
Actor-Director Alan Knoll is such a St. Louis fixture that it would be easy to take him for granted, but we never ever do. He’s not one to phone it in, always finds an entry point for us, and continues to stretch his capabilities. Last year, he did some of his finest work yet – as flawed dads in “We All Fall Down” and “August: Osage County,” and as a loyal servant in “Life Is a Dream.”
He also directed the acclaimed drama “Red” for New Jewish Theatre, where he previously helmed “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Broadway Bound,” part of Neil Simon’s Eugene trilogy.
In a 40-plus year career, he estimates he has been in more than 150 productions. He has worked at the Black Rep, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, The Muny, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, Upstream Theater and Imaginary Theatre Company, and the defunct Insight Theater Company, Dramatic License Productions, HotCity Theatre, Muddy Waters Theatre Company and Theater Factory in St. Louis, and at Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, which is one of Missouri’s oldest professional regional theatres, and is about 160 miles from St. Louis.
With his name in the ensemble, you can be assured of a first-rate performance, and with him in the director’s seat, you know you are in for a thoughtful, insightful production.
Tom Ridgely. Photo by Kevin Roberts.
Producers of the Year
Tom Ridgely, Sr. Louis Shakespeare Festival
As the producing artistic director of the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival since 2018, Tom Ridgely has expanded offerings and community partnerships, and taken an innovative, collaborative approach to their mission. In 2024, he oversaw one of the freshest summer productions yet in Forest Park’s Shakespeare Glen – “As You Like It,” and their TourCo’s “The Tempest” broke attendance records in multiple city parks and outdoor venues. Their work in schools and with young artists is an important component as well. Under his leadership, the organization thrives on reinvention and keeps its audiences engaged. The Shakespeare in the Streets events are eagerly anticipated, and they always attempt new ground.
Andrew Kuhlman and Gayle Seay
Andrew Kuhlman and Gayle Seay, Stages St. Louis
Andrew Kuhlman is the homegrown element as executive producer, rose through the ranks, while Gayle Seay brings an astute experienced eye as artistic director at Stages St. Louis. With two seasons under their belt, they showed Stages St. Louis’ audiences that they were moving forward while not messing with the recipe for success that co-founders Jack Lane and the late Michael Hamilton focused on when they started the company in 1987. Andrew, who was mentored by both Jack and Michael, continues to build partnerships while Gayle, familiar with the Stages’ family as a longtime casting director, knows the right people to go to in mounting their shows. They’ve demonstrated that theirs is a strong match, and they build on recent successes. Last season’s “Steel Magnolias,” “Newsies” and “Ragtime” continued the legacy.
Touring Production of the Year: (tie) “The Cher Show,” The Broadway Series at Stifel, and “Jagged Little Pill” at The Fox.
Jacob Schmitt and Bryce Miller in “Trayf”
THE MVPs
(Must have excelled in two or more shows this year, not a rookie, and whose presence made a difference)
Rachel Bailey Ann Hier Brown Matthew Cox Jerome (J Samuel) Davis Isaiah DiLorenzo Jayson Heil Bryce Miller Drew Mizell Joel Moses Dustin Petrillo Ben Ritchie Jacob Schmidt Molly Wennstrom Eric Dean White Sarah Wilkinson
ONES TO WATCH Ashwini Aurora Cory Burke Jade Cash Tyson Cole Rafael Da Costa Dominic Di Ciccio Andre Eslamian Aaron Fischer Nadja Kapetanovich Gabriel Paul Allison Sexton
Nicole Angeli and Joel Moses in “Lungs”
DYNAMIC DUOS /TRIOS
Nicole Angeli and Joel Moses in “Lungs” (Albion Theatre)
John Riddle and Jordan Donica in “Les Miserables” (The Muny)
Christopher Harris and Dustin Petrillo in “Red” (New Jewish Theatre)
Nancy Bell and Kelley Weber in “The Roommate” (The Rep)
Jacob Schmidt and Bryce A. Miller in “Trayf” (New Jewish Theatre)
Andre Navid Eslamian and Leta DeBardeleben in “Longing”
Adrianna Jones, Amber Alexandria Rose and De-Rance Blaylock in “Blues in the Night” (The Black Rep)
Cameron Jamarr Davis and Eileen Engel in “Dutchman” (Soul Siren Playhouse)
Mitch Henry-Eagles and Molly Wennstrom in “First Date” (New Jewish Theatre)
Kari Ely and Peter Mayer in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis)
Isaiah Henry and Bianca Sanborn in “As You Like It” (St Louis Shakespeare Festival)
Rachel Tibbetts and Ellie Schwetye in “Romanov Family Yard Sale” (ERA)
Hailey Medrano and Bridgette Bassa in “We All Fall Down” (New Jewish Theatre)
Greg Hunsaker and Jane Paradise in “Love in the Time of Nothing,” LaBute New Play Festival.
Matt Anderson, Jeremy Goldmeier, and Donna Parrone as Haunted House actors in “Ripcord” (Stray Dog Theatre)
BRINGING THE HOUSE DOWN
(Best Musical Numbers)
Tiffany Mann in the 2024 Muny production of “Dreamgirls.” Photo by Phillip Hamer
Tiffany Mann as Effie singing “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” in “Dreamgirls,” The Muny
Tamar Greene and Shereen Pimentel as Coalhouse Walker and Sarah singing “Wheels of a Dream” in “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
John Riddle as Jean Valjean singing “Bring Him Home” in “Les Miserables,” The Muny
Jessica Vosk as Jenna singing “She Used to be Mine” in “Waitress,” The Muny
Shereen Pimentel as Sarah singing “Your Daddy’s Son” in “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
Jordan Donica as Javert singing “Stars” and “Soliloquy” in “Les Miserables” at The Muny.
Aaron Fischer as Dimitry singing “Everything to Win” in Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Katerina McCrimmon as Fanny Brice singing “Don’t Rain on My Parade” in “Funny Girl” at The Fox.
The Women (Adrianna Jones, Amber Alexandria Rose and De-Rance Blaylock) singing “Take It Right Back” in “Blues in the Night,” The Black Rep.
Matthew Cox as Crutchie singing “Letter from the Refuge” in “Newsies” at Stages St. Louis
Jamaal Fields-Green as Michael Jackson in the “MJ – The Musical” finale in the touring production at The Fox. Whatever that ‘surprise’ move he concocted for the 1992 “Dangerous” World Tour was. One of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever seen in a musical.
BEST YOUTH PERFORMERS
Will Schulte, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
Zoe Klevorn, “Ragtime,” Stages St Louis
Shane Rose, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
Riley Carter Adams, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Vivian Helena Himes, “Wedding Band,” The Black Repertory Theatre
Lucy Miller, “Wedding Band,” The Black Repertory Theatre
Davin Wade, “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
Maliah Strawbridge, “Big Machine,” Fly North Theatricals
Ellie Schwartz (Shprintze) and Zoe Klevorn (Bielke) in “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
BEST NEW PLAYS
Greg Hunsaker and Jane Paradise in “Love in the Time of Nothing” at the LaBute New Play Festival. Patrick Huber photo.
“Longing” by Lize Lewy
“Elephants’ Graveyard” by Marjorie Williamson, First Run Theatre
“Love in the Time of Nothing” by Jayne Hannah, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, LaBute New Play Festival
“Don’t Be a Hero, Thank You” by Katherine Leemon, Prison Performing Arts
“Romanov Family Yard Sale” by Courtney Bailey, ERA
“Wolf Kings” by Chuck Harper and Maggie Conroy, Young Liars
“Am I Dangerous” by e.k. doolin, Contraband Theatre
“Who’s on First” by Neil LaBute, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, LaBute New Play Festival
“Cash Flow,” Marjorie Williamson, First Run Theatre
“Sandra’s Son,” Cbabi Bayoc (work in progress)
As You Like It. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
BEST COMEDY PRODUCTIONS
“As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
“Trayf,” New Jewish Theatre
“The Roommate,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
“Steel Magnolias,” Stages St. Louis
“Spirits to Enforce,” The Midnight Company
“Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
“The Tempest,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Tour Co.
“Romanov Family Yard Sale,” ERA
“Red Jasper,” Michael Madden Productions
BEST DRAMA PRODUCTIONS
“The Inheritance, Part 1 and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company
“Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
“August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“Red,” New Jewish Theatre
“The Whale,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis,
“Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
“Hold On!” The Black Rep
“Dutchman,” Soul Siren Playhouse
Adrianna Hicks in “Anything Goes” at The Muny. Philip Hamer photo.
BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS
“Anything Goes,” The Muny
“Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
“Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
“Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
“Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
“First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
“In the Heights,” The Muny
“Blues in the Night, “The Black Rep
“(Title of Show),” Prism Theatre
“Waitress,” The Muny
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Zoe Vonder Haar, “Steel Magnolias,” Stages St. Louis
Michelle Hand, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Kari Ely, “Steel Magnolias,” Stages St Louis
Molly Wennstrom, “As You Like It,” St Louis Shakespeare Festival
Susan Wylie, “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
Jasmine Cheri Rush, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Ricki Franklin, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Anna Blair, “The Butcher of Baraboo,” West End Players Guild
Liz Mischel, “Bell, Book & Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
Ami Loui, “Steel Magnolias,” Stages St. Louis
Emily Baker and Isaiah Di Lorenzo in “Woman in Mind (December Bee).” Albion Theatre.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Spencer Sickmann, “Trayf,” New Jewish Theatre
Chuck Winning, “Grief & Woe,” LaBute New Play Festival,
Isaiah DiLorenzo, “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
Joseph Garner, “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
Cassidy Flynn, “Romanov Family Yard Sale,” ERA
Danny Brown, “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Emily Baker, “Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theatre
Caroline Amos, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Kelley Weber, “The Roommate,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
LaWanda Jackson, “Don’t Be a Hero, Thank You,” Prison Performing Arts
Nancy Nigh, “Red Jasper,” Michael Madden Productions
Joy Christina Turner, “The Tempest,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Claire Coffey, “Bell, Book & Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
Gwynneth Rausch, “Elephants’ Graveyard,” First Run Theatre
Jan Meyer, “Elephants’ Graveyard,” First Run Theatre 10. (tie) Annie Baker, “Ripcord,” Stray Dog Theatre
(tie) Julie Layton, “Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jacob Schmidt, “Trayf,” New Jewish Theatre
Bryce A. Miller, “Trayf,” New Jewish Theatre
Ben Ritchie “Red Jasper,” Michael Madden Productions
Alan Knoll, “We All Fall Down,” New Jewish Theatre
Joel Wilper, “Bell, Book & Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
Denise Thimes and Alex Jay in “King Hedley II” at The Black Rep.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Nadja Kapetanovich, “The Whale,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Claire Karpen, “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Alex Jay, “King Hedley II,” The Black Rep
Evann De-Bose, “Hold On!” The Black Rep
Kari Ely, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
Denise Thimes, “King Hedley II,” The Black Rep
Astrid Van Wieren, “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Margery Handy, “The Inheritance, Parts 1 and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Kristen Joy Lintvedt, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
Kari Ely, “Wedding Band,” The Black Rep
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Maggie Wininger, “Molly Sweeney,” Albion Theatre
Ellen McLaughlin, “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Amy Loui, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
Nicole Angeli, “Lungs,” Albion Theatre
Jacqueline Thompson, “Wedding Band,” The Black Repertory
Eileen Engel, “Dutchman,” Soul Siren Playhouse
Jennifer Theby-Quinn, “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Alan Knoll, “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Jayson Heil, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
Dustin Petrillo, “Red,” New Jewish Theatre
Eric Dean White, “Hold On!” The Black Rep
Jerome Davis, ‘King Hedley II,” The Black Rep
Alex C. Moore, “The Inheritance, Parts I and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Michael James Reed, “August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Tyson Cole, “The Inheritance, Parts I and 2,’ Tesseract Theatre Company
Joseph Garner, “Dark Matters,” West End Players Guild
Jerry Vogel, “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
Gary Glasgow, “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
Greg Johnston and Jayson Heil in “All My Sons.” New Jewish Theatre.
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Greg Johnston, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
Christopher Harris, “Red,” New Jewish Theatre
William Roth, “The Whale,” St. Louis Actos’ Studio
Gabriel Paul, “The Inheritance, Parts 1 and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Joel Moses, “Lungs,” Albion Theatre
Reginald Pierre, “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theatre
Rachel Bailey, “Title of Show,” Prism Theatre Company
Kimmie Kidd-Booker, “Anastasia: The Musical,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Shereen Pimentel, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
Lauren Tenenbaum, “American Idiot,” New Line Theatre
Emily Bautista, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
Samantha Massell, “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
Nancy Ticotin, “In the Heights,” The Muny
Adrianna Hicks “Anything Goes,” The Muny
Tamar Greene and Shereen Pimentel in “Ragtime” at Stages St. Louis. Phillip Hamer photo.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Matthew Cox, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
George Abud, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
Matthew Cox, “Newsies,” Stages St Louis
Fergie L. Philippe, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
Donald Kidd, “Anastasia: The Musical,” Tesseract Theatre Company
James D. Gish, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
Nick Rashad Burroughs, “Dreamgirls,” The Muny
Aaron Kamphoefner, “Sweet Potato Queens,” New Line Theatre
Kevin Chamberlin, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
Will Bonfiglio, “First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
Jayson Heil, “First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
Troy Iwata, “Waitress,” The Muny
Rafael DaCosta, “Dracula,” New Line Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Jessica Vosk, “Waitress,” The Muny
Tiffany Mann, “Dreamgirls,” The Muny
Sarah Wilkinson, “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Marissa McGowan, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
Sarah Gene Dowling, “Ruthless,” Stray Dog Theatre
Jill Abramovitz, “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
Jaelyn Hawkins, “(title of show),” Prism Theatre
Taylor Quick, “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
Katie Orr, “(title of show),” Prism Theatre
Savy Jackson, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
Jill Abramovitz and Adam Heller in the 2024 Muny production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Photo by Phillip Hamer
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (Male or Non-binary)
Adam Heller, “Fiddler on the Roof.” The Muny
John Riddle, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
Jordan Donica, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
Aaron Fischer, “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Tamar Greene, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
Benji Santiago, “In the Heights,” The Muny
Drew Mizell, “Nevermore,” Stray Dog Theatre
Jay Armstrong Johnson, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
Al Bastin, “The Big Machine,” Fly North Theatricals
Clayton Humburg, “American Idiot,” New Line Theatre
BEST ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY
“Romanov Family Yard Sale,” ERA
“Spirits to Enforce,” Midnight Company
“As You Like It, St. Louis,” Shakespeare Festival
“Woman in Mind (December Bee),” Albion Theare
“Red Jasper,” Michael Madden Productions
“Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
“Ripcord, “Stray Dog Theatre
“Steel Magnolias,” Stages St. Louis
BEST ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA
“The Inheritance, Parts I and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company2.
“August: Osage County,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
“Hold On!” The Black Rep
“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
“The Whale,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
“Moby Dick,” The Rep
Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theatre
“King Hedley II,” The Black Rep
“Hamlet,” St Louis Shakespeare
“August: Osage County” at The Rep.
BEST ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL
“Anything Goes,” The Muny
“Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
“Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
“Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
“First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
“In the Heights,” The Muny
“Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
“Les Miserables,” The Muny
‘(Title of Show),: Prism Theatre Company
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN IN A PLAY
Jayson M. Lawshee, “Red,” New Jewish Theatre
Minjoo Kim, “Dial M for Murder,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Sean Savoie, “Hold On!” The Black Rep
William C. Kirkham, “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Denisse Chavez, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Denisse Chavez, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
“The Little Mermaid” at the Muny. Photo by Philip Hamer.
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN IN A MUSICAL
John Lasiter, “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
Rob Denton, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
Sean Savoie, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
Jason Lyons, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
Tyler Duenow, “Nevermore,” Stray Dog Theatre
Travis Richardson, “Blues in the Night,” The Black Rep
Jason Lyons, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
BEST VISUAL PROJECTIONS/DESIGN 1. Zachary Grimm, “Longing” 2. Kylee Loera, “Anything Goes,” The Muny 3. Katherine Freer, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny 4. Zach Cohn, “Hold On!” The Black Rep 5. Joe Taylor, “Romanov Family Yard Sale,” ERA 6. Mike Tutaj, ‘Waitress,” The Muny
BEST SOUND DESIGN IN A PLAY 1. Rick Sims, “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2. Zachary Grimm, “Longing” 3. Michael Musgrave-Perkins and Philip Boehm, “Don’t Wait for the Marlboro Man,” Upstream Theater 4. Chuck Harper, “Wolf Kings,” Young Liars 5. Kareem Deanes, “The Roommate,” The Rep 6. Amanda Werre, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre 7. Amanda Were, “Dial M for Murder,” The Rep
BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN A PLAY
“Romanov Family Yard Sale.” ERA.
Carolyn “Sully” Ratke, “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Michele Friedman Siler, “Life Is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
Colleen Michelson, “Bell, Book and Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
Teresa Doggett, “Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
Sam Hayes, The Tempest TourCo, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
Marcy Wiegert, “Romanov Family Yard Sale,” ERA.
Dorothy Marshall Englis, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN A MUSICAL
Leon Dobkowski, “Dreamgirls,” The Muny
Sarah Gene Dowling, “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Brad Musgrove, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
Tristan Raines, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
Brad Musgrove, “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
Eileen Engel, “Big Machine,” Fly North Theatricals
Sarah Gene Dowling, “Nevermore,” Stray Dog Theatre
BEST SCENIC DESIGN IN A COMEDY 1. Scott Neale, “As You Like It,” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival 2. Kate Rance, “Steel Magnolias,” Stages St. Louis 3. Andrea Ball, “We All Fall Down,” New Jewish Theatre 4. Gary F. Bell, “Bell, Book & Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre 5. Robert Mark Morgan, “The Roommate,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
“Red” at New Jewish Theatre.
BEST SCENIC DESIGN IN A DRAMA
1, Margery Spack and Peter Spack, “Red,” New Jewish Theatre 2. Margery Spack and Peter Spack, “Dial M for Murder,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 3. C. Otis Sweezey, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre 4. Courtney O’Neill, “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 5. Rob Corbett, “Elephants’ Graveyard,” First Run Theatre 6. Timothy Jones, “King Hedley II,” The Black Rep
BEST SCENIC DESIGN IN A MUSICAL
Wilson Chin, “Waitress,” The Muny
Ann Beyersdorfer, “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
Ann Beyersdorfer, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
Arnel Sancianco, “In the Heights,” The Muny
Edward E. Haynes Jr., “Anything Goes,” The Muny
Jamie Bullins, “Blues in the Night,” The Black Rep
Adam Koch, “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas,” The Rep and Stages St. Louis
Alysia Velez and the company of the 2024 Muny production of “In the Heights.” Photo by Phillip Hamer
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Jared Grimes, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
Lindsay Joy Lancaster, “Newsies,” Stages St. Louis
William Carlos Angulo, “In the Heights,” The Muny
Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, “Moby Dick,” The Rep
Mike Hodges, “Xanadu,” Stray Dog Theatre
Michelle Sauer, “AnastasiaL The Musical,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Lesia Kaye, “Dreamgirls,” The Muny
Chelsie Johnston, “American Idiot,” New Line Theatre
Parker Esse (original choreography by Jerome Robbins), “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny 10. Patrick O’Neill, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR
James Moore, “Les Miserables,” The Muny
Khalid McGee, “Blues in the Night,” Black Rep
Roberto Sinha, “In the Heights,” The Muny
Darryl Archibald, “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
E. Renee Gamez, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
Zach Neumann, “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
John Gerdes, “American Idiot,” New Line Theatre
Mallory Golden, “Title of Show,” Prism Theatre Company
Larry Pry, “First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
Dave Sonneborn, “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas,” The Rep and Stages
BEST DIRECTOR OF A COMEDY
Nancy Bell, “As You Like It.” St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Aaron Sparks, “Trayf,” New Jewish Theatre
Rebekah Scallet, “The Roommate,” The Rep
Lucy Cashion, “Spirits to Enforce,” The Midnight Company
Gary F. Bell, “Bell, Book and Candle,” Stray Dog Theatre
Brian Hohlfeld, “Life Upon the Wicked Stage,” Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis
“Hold On!” The Black Rep
BEST DIRECTOR OF A DRAMA
Stephen Peirick, “The Inheritance, Parts I and 2,” Tesseract Theatre Company
David Catlin, “Moby Dick,” The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Alan Knoll, “Red,” New Jewish Theatre
Gary Wayne Barker, “All My Sons,” New Jewish Theatre
Annamaria Pileggi, “The Whale,” St. Louis Actors’ Studio
Ron Himes, “Hold On!” The Black Rep
Philip Boehm, “Life is a Dream,” Upstream Theater
Ellie Schwetye, “Lungs,” Albion Theatre
Kay Ailee Bush, “Longing,”
“Anastasia: The Musical” at Tesseract.
BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Brittanie Gunn, “Anastasia,” Tesseract Theatre Company
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, “Anything Goes,” The Muny
Rob Ruggiero, “Fiddler on the Roof,” The Muny
Sam Hayes, “(Title of Show),” Prism Theatre Company
William Carlos Angulo, “In the Heights,” The Muny
Lee Ann Mathews, “First Date,” New Jewish Theatre
Deidre Goodwin, “Ragtime,” Stages St. Louis
Lili-Anne Brown, “Waitress,” The Muny
John Tartaglia, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” The Muny
Justin Been, “Nevermore,” Stray Dog Theatre
From left: Cleavant Derricks, Jonah D. Winston, Nicole Michelle Haskins, Jessica Vosk and Lissa deGuzman in the 2024 Muny production of “Waitress.” Photo by Phillip Hamer
ABC Broadcaster Jim McKay looked into the camera and gave us the horrifying news live from the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The tragic outcome was a gut-punch, for the news a short time earlier had been hopeful. That sickening feeling is authentically duplicated in “September 5,” an intense and riveting film that has meticulously recreated the network’s control room perspective.
As gunfire rang out in the Olympic Village early morning, the ABC Sports crew was thrust into action covering the breaking news as the world’s eyes and ears.
As TV executive Roone Arledge, Peter Sarsgaard leads an exceptional workmanlike ensemble, including John Magaro as producer Geoff Mason, Ben Chaplin as Marv Bader, vice president of ABC Olympics operations, and Leonie Benesch as Marianne Gebhardt, a German translator who is called on to play a bigger role.
Eight members of the Black September militant group scaled a fence, broke into Israeli athletes’ quarters, killed wrestling coach Moshe Weinberg and weightlifter Yossef Romano, and then took nine hostages.
Black September, an affiliate of the Palestine Liberation Organization, demanded the release of 236 prisoners: 234 in Israel and the two leaders of the West German Baader-Meinhof terrorist group.
No one anticipated such an event, nor had anything like this ever happened previously. It was the 10th day of competition, the first Olympics hosted in Germany since the controversial 1936 Berlin games presided over by Adolf Hitler.
The hostage mission failed. About 20 hours after it began, five of the hostage-takers would be dead, along with 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team and a West German policeman.
In retrospect, it is a moment that forever changed media coverage, an impact felt today. It was the first time an act of terror was live on television. Chilling images from that period still burn bright – especially the terrorist in a ski-mask on the balcony.
With its ‘you are there’ point of view, the tension is palpable in this 95-minute masterly constructed film as news and directions shift. Decisions are made in split-second time, and the staff is trying to be responsible while the clock is ticking, rumors swirl, and 900 million people are glued to television screens.
These are sports guys, not experienced journalists, and you see them adapt, with the added concerns of not sensationalizing an already fraught situation and just trying to maintain coverage just staying on the air.
Swiss director Tim Fehlbaum and his crew have seamlessly blended archival footage with the routines of a darkened media center using analog equipment. At the time, the technology was state-of-the-art, and you see how resourceful they are with the now-primitive pieces.
Technology aside, the questions facing this operation are the same journalists wrestle with today, and that is what makes this tale so fascinating. Fehlbaum co-wrote the tight script with Moritz Binder, and co-writer Alex David.
The Munich Olympics have been the focus of two previous films, Steven Spielberg’s 2005 historical drama “Munich” and the 1999 Oscar-winning documentary “One Day in September.”
And this one avoids making a political statement, preferring to focus on media, not the politics of Israeli-Palestinian relations. The film was in post-production when Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.
The control room offers a fresh perspective, and adds to the claustrophobic nature of the story, as well as the balancing act of a group of different individuals needing to set aside their personal views.
Noteworthy are Benjamin Walker as Peter Jennings, the reporter on scene, and Zinedine Soualem as French engineer named Jacques. Jim McKay is only seen in archival footage.
Production designer Julian R. Wagner’s handiwork accented the crowded space, shooting at the Olympic village, which is now a heritage site, also added to the realistic atmosphere, and the taut editing by Hansjörg Weißrich kept the story on track.
Overshadowed by the massacre, the XX Olympiad was also known for Mark Spitz earning seven gold medals for USA, a world record until 2008, and Russian gymnast Olga Korbut became a media star as she won three. Competition had stopped for 34 hours, then resumed.
Winner of the audience award at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November, “September 5” is worth seeking out for its smart, insightful capture of a significant moment in time. It’s obvious that the splendid cast was committed to ‘getting it right,’ and they convey all the dedication, compassion, confusion and drive of the people involved.
“September 5” is a 2024 historical drama directed by Tim Fehlbaum and starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benisch. It is rated R for language, and the runtime is 95 minutes. It is opening in St. Louis theaters Jan. 24. Lynn’s Grade: A
By Lynn Venhaus Themes? Trends? Moments? How to sum up a year in cinema, when hundreds of films are released in theaters and on streaming to satisfy a diverse public. What gets people out of the house and into a theater when they’re buying a ticket? I’m curious.
Above all with me is storytelling. Then we’ll see about the bells and whistles, the “experience” enhancement, and who’s part of the team on screen and off. The very best feeling is discovering the small gems or being dazzled by the big swings, those who won’t play it safe.
And this year, those were evident in a very erratic year where titles like “Civil War” and “Challengers” were divisive. Everyone has their reasons for why a film clicks.
Two of the themes I responded to were the transformative power of the arts – “Sing Sing,” “Ghostlight,” “A Complete Unknown”) and women trying to hold on to their dignity when people try to take it away (“Anora,” “The Substance,” “The Last Showgirl”).
So, here are the films that connected with me. While I’ve seen about 150, there are films I’ve yet to see that could have made a difference on my annual “best” list, but all in the timing.
I am surprised as much as everyone how the year landed, and I will likely need to re-watch a few too. What always happens during FYC season, when the studios barrage us with content, viewings can be rushed and not digested appropriately.
Without further ado, and I’ve prolonged this annual opus long enough trying to cram more in, my very personal list of what I liked in 2024. To those who attempted to carve a new direction, try a different approach, reach people through our shared humanity, I salute you.
Top Ten Films
1. Dune: Part Two – A masterful melding of massive spectacle, heartfelt high-stakes performances, and astonishing visual artistry, this follow-up to the 2021 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 best-selling science fiction novel of all-time expanded the mythic hero’s journey to its full potential. This chronicle of a feudal interstellar society opened Feb. 25, and director Denis Villeneuve’s enthralling cinematic marvel far surpassed any other epic-wannabe this year.
2. The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Boldly showing political turmoil and paranoia in Iran through a fictional family’s experiences, director Mohammad Rasoulof challenges the totalitarian state by depicting the corruption that led the current situation. He uses a judge’s wife and daughters as people who come to learn what’s really happening as society crumbles. It’s a powerfully told, well-acted stunning achievement.
3. A Complete Unknown – Anchored by Timothee Chalamet’s brilliant immersive portrayal of a young Bob Dylan, this exhilarating, extraordinary film recreates a period when art, music and culture came together to significantly define the 1960s. The actors portraying Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash are also in top form. Whether you like Dylan’s music or not is immaterial – director James Mangold makes us feel his impact, and it’s glorious.
4. Sing Sing – Colman Domingo is at his career-best as a wrongly convicted man incarcerated at Sing Sing prison, who has found redemption through the Rehabilitation Program for the Arts. With an ensemble cast including former prisoners, this drama feels like part of a documentary. With its play presentation framework, the film resonates emotionally in a moving example of the transformative power of the arts.
5. Conclave – A religious-political thriller with a page-turning plot, this procedural to elect a Catholic church pontiff unfolds like palace intrigue. Impeccably presented and acted by an ace ensemble lead by Ralph Fiennes, director Edward Berger reveals the human drama involved in power plays, mysterious maneuvers and shattering secrets. It’s an outstanding film in every way.
6. A Real Pain – Complicated family ties and honoring Jewish heritage are explored in this warm and genuine comedy-drama about two once-close cousins reconnecting on a Holocaust tour. Its power is disarming, and Jesse Eisenberg’s nimble narrative gives Emmy winner Kieran Culkin another opportunity to shine as he shows the effect of grief and loss on a fragile lost soul. This is a rare film that eloquently speaks in an intimate but universal way.
7. Emilia Perez – An exhilarating wild ride that puts romance, desire, redemption, humor, and a dark side all into play. Fearless writer-director Jacques Audiard’s bold fever dream colors outside the genre lines, for its an unconventional cartel crime thriller that’s a musical, in Spanish language, operatic in tone and organic in its delivery of songs and dance. Four women seek happiness on their own terms – Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz — and the result is bravura filmmaking.
8. Wicked – A dazzling spectacle based on the 2003 Broadway musical fantasy, this timeless tale of friendship and love was a true big-screen movie event. With eye-popping production values, sensational performances, stunning costumes, and those thrilling Stephen Schwartz songs, this vivid re-imagining is only the first half. Yes, it’s too long, but it is an absolute must-see.
9. September 5 – The 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich became a horrific breaking news event on September 5, when Israeli wrestling players were taken hostage by a Palestinian terrorist group. That thrust the ABC Sports crew into action covering the event as the world’s eyes and ears. This intense and riveting film, with its crackerjack ensemble cast in the broadcast control room, recreates that day from their perspective in astonishing detail.
10. Saturday Night – It’s a kinetic snapshot of what happened that fateful wild and crazy night when “Saturday Night Live” premiered on Oct. 11, 1975. As producer Lorne Michaels, Gabriel LaBelle corrals the best ensemble cast of the year. Writer-director Jason Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan capture the frenetic pace and the backstage lunacy that forever changed late-night comedy.
Honorable Mention All We Imagine as Light Anora Exhibiting Forgiveness The Fall Guy Fly Me to the Moon Ghostlight His Three Daughters Hundreds of Beavers The Last Showgirl Maria My Old Ass Nickel Boys The Performance The Piano Lesson Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Thelma Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Foul The Wild Robot
Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
Best Director Denis Villeneuve “Dune: Part Two” Edward Berger “Conclave” Jacques Audiard ‘Emilia Perez” Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” James Mangold “A Complete Unknown” Payal Kapadia “All We Imagine as Light”
Best Actor Colman Domingo “Sing Sing” Timothee Chalamet “A Complete Unknown” Ralph Fiennes “Conclave” Hugh Grant “Heretic” Sebastian Stan “A Different Man” and “The Apprentice” Adrien Brody “The Brutalist” Jeremy Piven “The Performance” Jude Law “The Order” Keith Kupferer “Ghostlight” Andre Holland “Exhibiting Forgiveness”
Best Actress Saoirse Ronan “The Outrun” Angelina Jolie “Maria” Marianne Jean-Baptiste “Hard Truths” Karla Sofia Gascon “Emilia Perez” Cynthia Erivo “Wicked” Fernanda Montenegro “I’m Still Here” Mikey Madison “Anora” Pamela Anderson “The Last Showgirl” June Squibb “Thelma” Tilda Swinton “The Room Next Door”
Best Supporting Actor Kieran Culkin “A Real Pain” John Magaro “September 5” Stanley Tucci “Conclave” Jeremy Strong “The Apprentice” Denzel Washington “Gladiator 2” Adam Pearson “A Different Man” Edward Norton “A Complete Unknown” Clarence Maclin “Sing Sing” Yura Borisov “Anora” Richard Roundtree “Thelma””
Best Supporting Actress Zoe Saldana “Emilia Perez” Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor “Nickel Boys” Danielle Deadwyler “The Piano Lesson” Ariana Grande “Wicked” Monica Barbaro “A Complete Unknown” Elle Fanning “A Complete Unknown” Isabella Rossellini “Conclave” Tilda Swinton “Problemista” Natasha Lyonne “His Three Daughters” Michelle Austin “Hard Truths”
Ghostlight
Best Ensemble “Saturday Night” “Dune: Part Two” “Conclave” “Wicked” :”September 5 “The Piano Lesson” “Sing Sing” “Anora” “Ghostlight’ “His Three Daughters” “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
Best Original Screenplay Jesse Eisenberg “A Real Pain” Mohammad Rasoulof “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan “Saturday Night” Megan Park “My Old Ass” Azazel Jacobs “His Three Daughters” Kelly O’Sullivan “Ghostlight” Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David “September 5” Adam Elliot “Memoir of a Snail”
Best Adapted Screenplay Peter Straughan “Conclave” Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John Divine G Whitfield “Sing Sing” Jacques Audiard “Emilia Perez” Shira Piven “The Performance” Malcolm Washington “The Piano Lesson” Barry Jenkins “The Fire Inside”
Saturday Night
Best Cinematography Greig Fraser “Dune: Part Two” Lol Crawley “The Brutalist” Jomo Fray “Nickel Boys” Edward Lachman “Maria” Jarin Blaschke “Nosferatu” Best Musical Score Daniel Blumberg “The Brutalist” Camille and Clement Ducol “Emilia Perez” Kris Bowers “The Wild Robot” Volker Bertelmann “Conclave” Jon Batiste “Saturday Night”
Best Soundtrack A Complete Unknown The Fall Guy Maria Fly Me to the Moon Twisters Deadpool & Wolverine The Idea of You
Best Production Design “The Brutalist” “Blitz” “Maria” “Wicked” “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” “Conclave” “September 5” “Dune Part Two” “Hundreds of Beavers” “Saturday Night”
Wicked
Best Costume Design Paul Tazewell “Wicked” Massimo Cantini Parrini “Maria” Colleen Atwood “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” Mike Cheslik “Hundreds of Beavers” Jacqueline West “Dune: Part Two” Danny Glicker “Saturday Night” Mary Zophres “Fly Me to the Moon”
Best Visual Effects Dune Part 2 Alien: Romulus Wicked Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Deadpool & Wolverine Twisters A Quiet Place: Day One The Fall Guy Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Problemista
Best Make-Up and Hair Dune: Part 2 Wicked Saturday Night The Substance A Different Man Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Juvenile Performances Maisy Stella “My Old Ass” Elliott Heffernan “Blitz” Alyla Browne “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” Katherine Mallen Kupferer “Ghostlight” Izaac Wang “Didi” Ian Foreman “Exhibiting Forgiveness” Cailee Fleming “IF” William A. Fitzgerald “Ezra” Nico Parker “Suncoast” Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez “We Grown Now”
Best Comedy
Hundreds of Beavers Saturday Night My Old Ass Fly Me to the Moon Thelma Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Memoir of a Snail
Stunt Work The Fall Guy Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Gladiator 2 Dune Part 2 Deadpool & Wolverine
Best Animated Feature The Wild Robot Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl Flow Memoir of a Snail Inside Out 2 Piece by Piece
Will and Harper
Best Documentary Feature Sugarcane Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Black Box Diaries Will & Harper Dahomey Frida Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story Music by John Williams Stopping the Steal The Last of the Sea Women Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Honorable Mention: Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburg, To Russia with Lev, The Truth vs. Alex Jones, The Greatest Night in Pop, I Am Celine Dion, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,
Best International Feature The Seed of the Sacred Fig Emilia Perez All We Imagine As Light I’m Still Here Vermiglio
Best Horror Film Longlegs A Quiet Place: Day One Late Night with the Devil Heretic The Substance
Best Scenes Civil War – “What kind of American are you?” Dune: Part Two – Riding the Sandworm Furiosa – War Rig battle His Three Daughters – Dad’s Chair Challengers – The Churros Wicked – Defying Gravity Hard Truths – Mother’s Day brunch
11 Honorable Mentions: “No Other Land,” “Nickel Boys,” “A Real Pain,” “The Outrun,” “Monkey Man,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Nosferatu,” “Sing Sing,” “In Our Day,” “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus”
10. “Good One”
Meditative, and maintaining an undercurrent of suspense throughout, director India Donaldson’s debut feature is a true gem – an indie that has ample layers to unpack beneath its deceptively simple premise. Lily Collias gives one of the year’s absolute best performances as Sam, a young woman preparing to leave home for college, who goes on a weekend backpacking trip with her father, Chris (James Le Gros), and his best friend Matt (Danny McCarthy), in the Catskills. All is not well, however, and tensions simmer among the group; everyone is trying to find their place in the world, navigating life’s complexities. Mesmerizing cinematography from Wilson Cameron and a soothing score from Celia Hollander complement this unconventional and thoughtful coming-of-age story.
9. “I Saw the TV Glow”
Director Jane Schoenbrun’s dreamlike, unnerving, and uncompromising take on identity and loneliness is one of 2024’s most memorable films. It’s difficult to describe and suffused with a foreboding, hypnotically engaging mood. “I Saw the TV Glow” feels like a film of the moment, zeroing in on the ways media and pop culture can help form/support one’s sense of self, and the suffocating effects of not living one’s truth. Open to interpretation and polarizing in the best ways, Schoenbrun once again proves themself as a director with a surreal vision that’s all their own.
8. “Civil War”
Director Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is a provocative look at a dystopian near-future taken to extremes, and a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of journalism and storytelling itself. Looking beyond the film’s grimly compelling Road-Trip-From-Hell structure, excellent performances, and controversial premise that bends some logic, Garland spotlights photojournalists willing to risk their lives and their sanity for the next shot, the next story, in the hopes that, in the end, it will all mean something. It ultimately encourages viewers to look outside the frame to apply their sacrifice to our own reality. Will we merely let their stories wash over us, desensitized, or will we mobilize to support causes that might, one day, end self-perpetuating cycles of violence and cruelty? “Civil War” is an action-packed, grimly entertaining watch on its own, but it’s also a cautionary tale with real bite, a call to action within visceral, propulsive genre filmmaking.
7. “Hard Truths”
Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives a staggering performance in director Mike Leigh’s “Hard Truths,” — a study on empathy, mental illness, existential angst, and community that offers no easy answers. Leigh’s film is alternately funny, shocking, and heartbreaking, as we observe Jean-Baptiste’s character, Pansy, rampaging through every interaction with little consideration for others or for herself. “Hard Truths” is far from an easy watch, often harsh and unrelenting, but there’s great power in seeing shreds of hope shine through at the most unlikely times, something to hold onto if we have the will and bravery to cherish them in the hopes of a brighter future. An essential film.
6. “The Substance”
Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” is one of the most intense films I’ve experienced this year — brazenly confident in its style, performances, and satire that’s both in-your-face and ingeniously layered. It’s a poignant takedown of societal beauty standards, especially in Hollywood, but also a nightmarish exploration of fame, self-hatred, and aging bodies. The film’s body horror set pieces are both highly entertaining and wildly unsettling, delivering an escalating series of WTF moments along with human truth and real directorial craftsmanship. Indeed, “The Substance” is an unforgettable ride.
5. “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
Filmed in secret in Iran, director Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is a daring look at a family in disarray. Iman (Missagh Zareh) is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, a sought-after position that nevertheless requires him to sacrifice his personal morality. His responsibilities create a rift between him, his wife, and his daughters, who watch protests outside their home (Rasoulof shows real-life, harrowing footage taken from smartphone cameras) in horror and want to stand up for what they believe in. What follows is an urgent, riveting thriller that reaches a fever-pitch of intensity by its conclusion, made all the more powerful by the bravery of the cast and crew, who risked their lives to bring this story to life.
4. “Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World”
Director Radu Jude’s latest film is a blisteringly funny satire that tackles a whole bunch of ideas— worker exploitation, the search for true self-expression, the perils of the gig economy, corporate dehumanization, the push-pull between truth and fiction in filmmaking, and Romania’s tumultuous history — in a nearly three-hour odyssey that’s constantly upending expectations and remains as deeply poignant as it is defiantly unsubtle. Ilinca Manolache is a force of nature as Angela, a production assistant pushed to her limits on a never-ending assignment filming auditions for a multinational company throughout Bucharest, taking breaks whenever she can to make TikToks as her caricatured alter ego, Bobiță. “Do Not Expect,” in all its acerbic glory, is a cry from the heart, a masterful takedown of societal ills.
3. “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”
As a lifelong fan of “Wallace and Gromit,” especially “The Wrong Trousers,” my expectations were sky high for the return of the world’s favorite inventor and his canine companion. Luckily, directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham do not disappoint — delivering another charming, clever, and well-crafted gem that retains the distinct spirit of the series, putting most other animated films to shame through its sterling attention to detail and all-ages appeal. “Vengeance Most Fowl” packs in some thoughtful commentary about technology (specifically artificial intelligence) as well, and it marks the return of the diabolical penguin Feathers McGraw, one of cinema’s great antagonists. Nothing can recapture the brilliance of the original three shorts, but “Vengeance Most Fowl” comes damn close at times.
2. “Anora”
Fueled by a star-making performance from Mikey Madison, director Sean Baker’s “Anora” is an emotional roller coaster if there ever was one, presenting an intense, darkly comedic, and heartbreaking fairytale turned on its head. With Baker’s characteristically empathetic eye, he explores the complicated nature of the American Dream, the dehumanizing power of wealth, and the perils of young love, while painting compelling pictures of people striving in systems that take advantage of them. Madison, taking us on Ani’s arc every step of the way, expertly conveys the character’s perseverance, fiery spirit, and gradual self-actualization as Baker’s tragicomic odyssey unfolds. A pitch-perfect ensemble elevates the film further, with each character given depth through Baker’s nonjudgmental eye.
1. “Hundreds of Beavers”
There’s some films that change you, and director Mike Cheslik’s “Hundreds of Beavers” is one of those experiences — a slapstick epic that demands to be watched with a crowd. The inventiveness is off-the-charts, and the film is a reminder of the creative potential of the medium, using limited resources and limitless imagination to elicit guffaws galore, while delivering something firmly, unquestionably new. Nothing has stuck with me quite like “Hundreds of Beavers,” and, if you’re one of the hundreds of people I’ve been preaching its merits to who haven’t checked it out yet, consider this all-powerful ranking another nudge to press play. It’s time. Take the plunge.
If your family is prone to putting the ‘fun’ in dysfunctional, you’ll be able to relate to the crowd-pleasing hijinks of “Chicken and Biscuits,” an amiable comfort-food style comedy served with a salty side of sass by the Black Rep.
Wackiness ensues when three generations of an African American family gather for the funeral of their patriarch, Bernard, who was a beloved pastor at a popular church in New Haven, Conn.
The relationships are typically complicated, starting with his two bickering daughters, prim and bossy Baneatta (Denise Thimes) and raucous and unfiltered Beverly (Paulette Dawn). The night-and-day siblings are a surefire recipe for tussling, as Baneatta has an unmistakable air of superiority and disapproval when it comes to her more flamboyant colorful sister. Played by the elegant Denise Thimes, she says a lot with a withering look or a well-delivered quip.
Thimes, an internationally renowned jazz singer, is a welcome presence on the Edison Theatre stage, and was impressive in a dramatic role in “King Hedley II” last summer. She proves her comedic skills here, and has delightful chemistry with A.C. Smith, as her husband. Of course, she bosses him around when he’s trying to be in charge.
Smith, another Black Rep veteran whose crisp timing enlivens his interactions, is zesty as the well-meaning Reginald Mabry, who will be taking over as the church’s pastor, so he feels he has a lot to prove presiding over the funeral service.
But clearly, he can’t foresee the simmering resentments that will erupt when everyone gathers.
Kaylyn McCoy and Paulette Dawn as mother and daughter. Photo by Keshon Campbell.
Beverly, a bona fide drama queen, is played with cheeky bravado by Paulette Dawn, who makes her Black Rep debut but has portrayed the over-the-top character before, in her native Kansas City.
As she gripes about wearing traditional black, Beverly has decided to honor her daddy’s penchant for bright colors with a purple plunging neckline cocktail dress that she wears with a push-up bra to enhance her amble bosom. She has no qualms about showing off her attributes.
Beverly has brought along her Gen Z daughter La’Trice Franklin, played with expected attitude by Kaylyn McCoy. She doesn’t have as much history with her relatives and is written as more of an observer.
Baneatta also has a daughter, Simone, who has a big chip on her shoulder. Dumped by her fiancé for a white woman, and Alex Jay plays her as a grump, quick to argue with anyone.
She is at odds with her gay brother Kenny, who brings his boyfriend Logan Leibowitz with him. Their interracial and interfaith relationship adds a layer of complexity that isn’t explored more deeply, but Cameron Jamarr Davis and Jacob Schmidt are compelling enough actors that they give the roles more nuance than indicated (and it would have been nice for that to happen).
A few relatives are more accepting than others, which is an ongoing conflict, especially with Kenny’s mom Baneatta, who is rude and dismissive of Logan, second only to Simone’s exasperation. As written, these issues are stereotypical and not amusing, an outdated quick way to get cheap laughs.
At far right, Jacob Schmidt and Cameron Jamarr Davis. Photo by Keshon Campbell.
This Jenkins family feud follows a familiar format not unlike sitcoms and other broad comedies where secrets are revealed, characters express their concerns, and disagreements are neatly resolved in a light-hearted way.
Don’t expect anything more from actor-turned-playwright Doug Lyons’ 2020 effort, which is designed to be a sunny reminder of the ties that bind, and how we share more similarities than differences in troubling times.
(It did, after all, open on Broadway Feb. 28, 2020, right before the coronavirus pandemic hit, causing widespread shutdowns, and the run was short-lived. However, there was a reboot in 2021.)
Director Ron Himes has selected a cast that gels, who work together well, and flavor this exercise with feel-good vibes. You can tell how much fun they are having as an ensemble.
Also, part of the plot is a mysterious guest, Brianna, who shows up at the funeral to deliver a eulogy that others may not like to hear. The late second act addition is played by Delisa Richardson, who makes the most of her stage time.
Photo by Keshon Campbell.
Another running gag is church soloist Mother Jones, whose interpretation of “Amazing Grace” receives mixed reviews but is hilarious as a comedic bit. Jermaine Manor is the musician offstage, and sound designer Kareem Deanes has fun with this element.
The set is minimal, designed by Tim Jones, which moves action between a bedroom, hotel room, church, reception gathering spot and commercial kitchen, featuring efficient lighting design by Ethan Steimel.
Costume Designer Andre Harrington has gathered an attractive selection of tasteful black dresses and striking fancy hats for the women whose last names aren’t Franklin, and outfitted the men in suitable attire. Mikhail Lynn assembled the appropriate props.
If you’re seeking a pleasant piece in these precarious times and dismal winter, “Chicken and Biscuits” is a recipe that can hit the spot. This ensemble puts the ‘fun’ in funeral as they tickle funny bones.
The St. Louis Black Repertory Company presents “Chicken and Biscuits” from Jan. 8 to Jan. 26 at the Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. Tickets are available at theblackrep.org or through the Box Office at 314-534-3807. Reduced pricing is available for seniors, educators, museum staff, students, and groups of 12 or more.
Paulette Dawn and Alex Jay. Photo by Keshon Campbell.
Efficient and stylistically engaging, if being neither especially scary nor emotionally involving, director Leigh Whannell’s “Wolf Man” is the embodiment of a serviceable horror flick— coasting along on atmospherics and gory set-pieces instead of fully chowing down on its themes.
We begin in 1995, where a young boy named Blake (Zac Chandler) lives with his survivalist father, Grady (Ben Prendergrast), on a farm nestled within a remote valley in west-central Oregon. Dad, a single, paranoid ex-Marine with a temper, runs a tight ship around the house; his over-protectiveness masks a deep-seated distrust and fear of the outside world.
One day while out hunting, Blake and Grady encounter a strange, frighteningly erratic humanoid creature weaving amongst the trees. They barely fend it off while holed up in a deer stand — a sequence greatly enhanced by the film’s enveloping sound design and camerawork; the threat could come at any time, from any angle. Could it be the hiker that recently went missing and is, allegedly, feral? Grady must find out.
Flash forward 30 years, and the all-grown-up Blake (Christopher Abbott), now an aimless writer in-between jobs, has moved from the Cascades to the Big Apple and started a family. He’s seemingly doing pretty well, but he’s going through a rough patch with his journalist wife, Charlotte (Julia Garner). Blake is very close with their young daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth), but strains of his father’s toxicity shine through from time to time, an uneasy reminder of the mental scars Grady left on him.
Blake receives a letter in the mail notifying him of Grady’s passing, along with the keys to the farmhouse. Thinking that it could be a good opportunity to get away from the city and reconnect with his family, Blake, Charlotte, and Ginger take a roadtrip to the foreboding mountains.
It’s not exactly a relaxing vacation, though, as they soon encounter a creepy acquaintance from Blake’s childhood (Benedict Hardie) and, yes, that fuzzy-mugged humanoid beast from all those years ago. After causing Blake’s van to crash, the creature scratches Blake, later prompting Blake to undergo a gnarly metaphorical transformation in which he slowly but surely becomes the titular “Wolf Man.”
Whannell, a skilled filmmaker who previously directed such works as 2020’s deeply messed up “Invisible Man” remake and 2018’s underappreciated sci-fi gem, “Upgrade,” ensures that “Wolf Man” coasts along well enough on its jolt-heavy suspense and excellent sound design without impressing from a character standpoint.
Indeed, for all its effective scenes of cat-and-mouse suspense, “Wolf Man” can’t deliver on the emotional front. The seams of Whannell and Corbett Tuck’s screenplay show early on, where exposition dumps largely take the place of organically learning about who these characters are and what they’re striving towards.
The performances are merely fine. Abbott gets more to chew on than others, literally, as he embodies Blake’s gradual loss of faculties and humanity and visibly battles the disease that’s overtaking him, while Garner’s Charlotte is underwritten and mostly one-note. Firth fares better than some other child-actors-in-horror-movies as of late, but she can’t break free from the clunky confines of the screenplay.
It’s all quite programmatic. At the least the simple characterizations help make the film’s 103-minute runtime go at a fast clip; all the better that we get to the scares sooner.
These are Whannel’s forte, and he delivers the goods — creating a series of setups and payoffs that are more enjoyable than outright scary, playing with viewers’ expectations to catch us off guard (or at least attempt to), complete with suitably graphic makeup effects. Whannell and cinematographer Stefan Duscio make great use of the isolating landscape, peppered with trees, and Blake’s creaky farmhouse, keeping the focus tight on the characters as the events pass in real-time, largely over a single night.
The film’s outstanding sound design also does much of the heavy lifting throughout — especially strong during the tense opening sequence, and in visualizing the werewolf mutation directly through Blake’s eyes. Whannell shows the difference between reality and the warped distortions Blake experiences, often changing between them in the same shot; voices become muffled and faces turn barely recognizable. It’s neat, bringing to mind the sorts of cinematic tricks Whannell deployed in “Upgrade,” but remains more of a novelty, since “Wolf Man” doesn’t do enough early on to make us actually care.
While Whannell should be commended for tackling this Universal Monsters character with a different angle — veering away from the mysticism of its origins — and focusing on generational trauma and mental illness, “Wolf Man” feels half-baked. Whannell tries to be both fun and, by the end, weirdly sobering. This tonal mishmash doesn’t do the film any favors given itss sloppiness in scenes that aren’t focused on the immediate horror at play.
But “Wolf Man” was never trying to be groundbreaking. Watching in a theater is always the best option for movies, but, in this case, it’s the essential way to sink your teeth into this perfectly fine take on a horror legend.
“Wolf Man” is a 2025 horror movie directed by Leigh Whannell and starring Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner. It is rated R for bloody violent content, grisly images and some language and the run time is 1 hour, 43 minutes. It opened in theaters Jan. 17. Alex’s Grade: B-.
A massive and ambitious drama, “The Brutalist” swings for the fences with big, bold visuals from a mid-century architect and an unwieldy dark narrative about struggles between art and commerce that spans 33 years over a 3 hour, 35-minute runtime.
To view it in one setting is a commitment, although theaters have a 15-minute intermission built in, showing the 215-minute film in two divided parts. It’s shot in Vista Vision, the first film using that process in many years.
While the film is technically brilliant, with stunning production design by Judy Becker and impressive stark cinematography by Lol Crawley to convey a giant scope of artistic vision and architectural grandeur, the script co-written by director Brady Corbet and his wife, Mona Fastvold, is a rocky road populated with thorny, complex characters.
This immigrant tale about László Tóth, a Jewish architect who crosses the Atlantic by boat from Hungary after World War II in 1947, gives the Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody a meaty role that he can dig into, exploring various facets. This is not a biography, although it seems as if this character is based on a real person.
Once in Pennsylvania, he struggles to find comparable work to what he did so well before, and his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) comes later, also a Holocaust survivor. Their backstory is bare minimum, and their family dynamic is odd. They appear independent at times, others as dependent and intertwined.
After being commissioned to build a library for his elitist father by his pompous son, Toth encounters a wealthy industrialist, Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr. (Guy Pearce), who is a cold and callous businessman.
But Van Buren has sense enough to realize Toth’s talent. To strive for the American Dream, they need each other to accomplish their goals, and an uneasy partnership – of sorts – begins as Toth is hired by Van Buren for a structure in his mother’s honor, envisioning a modernist community center that will establish their legacy.
Neither man likes to compromise, and they each dream big, but Van Buren is a bully and has an off-putting way of humiliating Toth. The architect is also difficult to corral, stubborn in irritating ways, and it seems, teeters on going mad at times.
And then there is a doozy plot development that changes everything (and won’t be spoiled here). And a flat ending that seems tacked on after the film could have ended.
Neither of these deeply flawed, ethically challenged guys is all that likable, and the film has a weird chilliness and sterility to it. But it’s obvious both actors are giving their best efforts molding these distinctive men.
For clarity, brutalism is a style of architecture popular from the 1950s to the 1980s known for exposed concrete and brick that was designed with geometric, angular shapes and blocky forms. You’ve seen government buildings, parking garages and high-rises made in this style, and to me, ugly metropolitan slabs that are not visually appealing nor memorable.
Corbet, in his third feature after 2018’s “Vox Lux,” has a certain style, and those enamored by visionary auteurs will be enthralled. This film is a grand effort in establishing his singular vision. Yes, it’s artsy, but it’s also indulgent, and I feel parts are disjointed and often try too hard.
Corbet keeps viewers on their toes and when you think he’s headed in one direction, he veers a different way. Some of the most outrageous plot points don’t exactly fit a tidy narrative, and it spirals into several tangents that become increasingly head-scratching.
The strong supporting cast features two of Corbet’s actresses from Vox Lux, Raffey Cassidy as Toth’s niece Zsofia and Stacy Martin as Van Buren’s daughter Maggie Lee, as well as Joe Alwyn as her entitled creepy twin brother Harry Lee, and Isaach De Bankole as Toth’s friend Gordon, often a voice of reason.
Because of its audacious sweeping saga, punctuated by Daniel Blumberg’s haunting music score, few movies compare to “The Brutalist.” An awards magnet, it won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and recently, a Golden Globe for motion picture – drama, as well as many critics’ groups’ love.
Yet, upon reflection, it’s more showy style than substance, and lacks connection. Not sure what it’s trying to say, but it’s not easy to embrace, except for what it is – an aspirational work of art that is one of those films more admired than widely accepted.
“The Brutalist” is a 2024 drama directed by Brady Corbet and starring Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones. Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Isaach De Bankole and Alessandro Novolo. It is rated R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, rape, drug use and some language, and its runtime is 3 hours, 35 minutes. It opened in local theatres Jan. 10. Lynn’s Grade: B.
Brilliantly clever and charming, the 20-years-coming return of the world’s favorite inventor, Wallace, and his canine companion, Gromit, does not disappoint. Directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham retain the franchise’s beating heart in “Vengeance Most Fowl,” and, as a lifelong fan, I think that makes for absolutely essential viewing.
“Vengeance Most Fowl” takes place many years after the events of “The Wrong Trousers,” with the criminal mastermind penguin Feathers McGraw imprisoned in a cell off the Arctic exhibit of the Lancashire zoo, biding his time for an escape, and the Blue Diamond back in the hands of bumbling authorities.
The jaded Chief Inspector Mackintosh (Peter Kay) is preparing to redisplay the priceless rock in the local museum, assisted by the eager newcomer PC Mukherjee (Lauren Patel).
Meanwhile, things are proceeding as usual in cheery 62 West Wallaby Street — the cheese-loving inventor Wallace (admirably voiced by Ben Whitehead after the passing of Peter Sallis) has filled the house with even more Rube-Goldbergian contraptions aimed at maximizing “convenience,” while his loyal pooch Gromit provides emotional support and cleans up the messes Wallace leaves behind.
Wallace has a new invention, however, that he claims will make both their lives easier: a perpetually-smiling garden gnome turned handyman called “Norbot” (Reece Shearsmith), who can carry out any and all chores around the house while yapping incessantly about how it “likes to do a job.”
One of the “tidying ups” included slicing-and-dicing Gromit’s well-kept garden into a squarely homogenized version of its former self. Wallace and Gromit’s neighbors take interest in Norbot and want to employ him, so Wallace starts a “Gnome Improvement” company to help him pay the ever-worrying stack of bills.
Ol’ Feathers watches from afar, and as Norbot gains in popularity, the incarcerated penguin plots how to take advantage of the gnome to escape the zoo, exact his revenge, and acquire the Blue Diamond once and for all. An action-packed adventure ensues, where Wallace’s future as an inventor is threatened, and Gromit’s ingenuity is put to the test.
Indeed, “Vengeance Most Fowl” hits the spot like a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day: a Greatest Hits celebration of Wallace and Gromit that’s beautifully animated, hilarious, and packs in some resonant commentary about the current state of technology for good measure.
On a basic level, though, it’s great to spend more time with these characters — “Vengeance Most Fowl” is a balm for even the most cynical soul, packing more creativity, craft, and all-ages entertainment into its 79-minute runtime than most films could ever dream of.
Even so, achieving the heights set by the original three short films (“A Grand Day Out,” “The Wrong Trousers,” and “A Close Shave”) was a near impossible task. “Vengeance Most Fowl,” for all its strengths, isn’t immune from shameless nostalgia (particularly regarding Lorne Balf’s score, which is largely content to riff on older tracks) nor is it as well-paced as it could be, occasionally feeling stretched with side-characters that are nowhere near as fun to watch as the dynamic duo and dastardly penguin.
But Park and Crossingham preserve the essence of “Wallace and Gromit” here. The claymation stop-motion animation (with some occasional CGI) is glorious to behold — tactile and timeless, albeit smoothed-down compared to its predecessors.
Park and Mark Burton’s screenplay is chock full of puns and dad jokes, often opting for broader, more literal comedic beats than the prior installments (perhaps to appeal to a wider audience than the sometimes niche humor of the originals), but no less amusing, and always in the affably British spirit of the series.
Gromit and Feathers are the true standouts in “Vengeance Most Fowl,” though, two silent film adversaries squaring off once again after many years. Feathers, in particular, gets numerous opportunities to shine like a pseudo James Bond villain, using his wits and badass vibes to get what he desires — beady-eyed, intimidating, and darkly funny, with plenty of totally convincing disguises at his disposal.
Gromit provides much of the film’s pathos, struggling to accept Wallace’s increasing overreliance on technology in practically every facet of daily life, greatly exacerbated by Norbot, who seemingly hijacks Gromit’s roles in the household. Gromit’s bemusement, frustration, and undying loyalty to his master and friend is as funny and emotional as ever.
“Vengeance Most Fowl” is a fun ride from start to finish, with gags and plot developments that are best left unspoiled. What’s surprising, though, is the film’s trenchant commentary on artificial intelligence and technology in general — the necessary balance between what can be automated and what’s best left to the human touch.
Park and Crossingham don’t take the easy way out and demonize Norbot, but rather recognize the guardrails that must be put in place, and the importance of not letting convenience hijack lived, meaningful experience.
This also extends to the film’s construction itself — “Vengeance Most Fowl” is an ingenious mixture of old-school and new-school animation, of updating the look of “Wallace and Gromit” without sacrificing its soul, brought to life with hand-crafted effort.
There’s just no excuse not to give “Vengeance Most Fowl” a shot. This newest adventure is a real treat, sure to please longtime fans and newcomers alike.
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is a 2024 stop-motion animated film directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, with voice-over work by Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, and Reece Shearsmith. It is rated PG for some action and rude humor and runtime is 1 hour, 19 minutes. It began streaming on Netflix on Jan. 3. Alex’s Grade: A.
Anchored by Timothee Chalamet’s brilliant immersive portrayal of a young Bob Dylan, this exhilarating, extraordinary film recreates a period when art, music, politics, and culture came together to significantly define the 1960s.
The characters are unforgettable because of the nuanced performances from Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash and Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo (a fictionalized version of Dylan’s first New York girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, who died in 2011).
Whether you like Dylan’s music or not is immaterial – director James Mangold makes us feel his impact as one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history, and it’s glorious. He captured a vibrant music scene in New York 1961 and a pivotal four-year span where a generational voice was emerging.
Mangold, who made “Walk the Line” about Johnny Cash and the crowd-pleasing “Ford v. Ferrari,” has created an authentic world – the burgeoning folk scene in Greenwich Village, the political upheaval of the times, and the events that shaped America. Dylan forged relationships with singer-songwriters finding their voices.
Mangold collaborated with Jay Cocks on the screenplay, which they adapted from Elijah Wald’s 2015 book “Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties.”
The film follows a young Bob Dylan from the time he arrives in New York as a 19-year-old Minnesota native named Robert Allen Zimmerman to his groundbreaking and controversial appearance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, when he played the electric guitar and revolutionized the genre.
Dylan’s masterpiece, “Highway 61 Revisited,” is now considered one of the most influential albums of all-time, and the film explores how this period, going from acoustic to rock, cemented his legacy as someone who changed the course of American music.
He got his start with traditional folk song recordings in 1962, including his tribute “Song to Woody” on that debut, followed by “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” in 1963, which featured “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.” His lyrics became more sophisticated and introspective.
As Dylan’s fame grew, he became increasingly frustrated and the writers did not soften his prickly edges, while showing what drives the creative process. Besides his hero Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy), Seeger and Baez would shape his artistry as well.
Chalamet’s scenes with Barbaro are electric, particularly the live performance of “It Ain’t Me, Babe” at Newport.
He also has terrific chemistry with Elle Fanning – they were a couple in Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York” (2019) — and she is grounded as the committed activist that helped mold Dylan’s political awareness. (Dylan requested her name be changed in the film).
The principals did their own singing and playing, and that adds to the film’s realistic environment. Chalamet’s career-best performance is seamless, with some of the numbers hypnotic – especially the seminal “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” which became an anthem for civil rights and anti-war movements.s
He doesn’t imitate Dylan’s rough vocal quality, but rather gives the essence in phrasing and delivery. Chalamet learned to play 30 songs and took lessons from a vocal coach, a guitar teacher, a dialect coach, a movement coach and even a harmonica tutor.
The fact that he personified the legend’s elusive nature is a marvel to witness as well. While the movie doesn’t provide a complete portrait of the complex artist’s 60-year career, it is a good start to learning about this mysterious figure who at times became confrontational, although it is not a deep dive by any means.
In addition to the folk singers, fine supporting actors include P.J. Byrne as folk music promoter Harold Leventhal, Dan Fogler as Dylan’s manager Albert Grossman, and Will Harrison as Bob Neuwirth, Dylan’s road manager.
I hope it fosters more appreciation for the album “Highway 61 Revisited,” Dylan’s sixth that was released on Aug. 30, 1965. He used rock musicians as his backing band on every track except “Desolation Row,” the last song.
The album is named for the major American highway that connected his birthplace of Duluth, Minn., to the southern cities connected by the Mississippi River and their rich musical heritage – St. Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans, plus the Delta blues areas.
Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash.
Dylan wrote about his kinship with that route in his memoir “Chronicles: Volume One,” “Highway 61, the main thoroughfare of the country blues, begins about where I began. I always felt like I’d started on it, always had been on it and could go anywhere, even down into the deep Delta country. It was the same road, full of the same contradictions, the same one-horse towns, the same spiritual ancestors … It was my place in the universe, always felt like it was in my blood.”
Dylan has sold more than 125 million records, and among his awards are the Presidential Medal of Freedom, ten Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 2008, the Pulitzer Prize Board awarded him a special citation for “his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.” In 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and he famously did not attend.
He was included in the Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, where he was called “master poet, caustic social critic and intrepid, guiding spirit of the counterculture generation” for his musical and cultural contributions.
“A Complete Unknown” mirrors the times that Dylan helped shape, but don’t expect a documentary, for everyone with intimate knowledge can pick apart the accuracy. But the creative team’s thoughtful attention to detail is remarkable , visualizing an important period for one of the most enigmatic individuals in music history.
Costume designer Arianne Phillips, known for “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” has vividly stamped that ‘60s period with counterculture flair, while production designer Jacques Audouy, Mangold’s go-to designer, has provided expert depictions of that time and place.
What a long, strange trip it has been – and I enjoyed waltzing down memory lane in the spectacular fashion presented here. This is more a look back with appreciation rather than analysis; and a celebration of our finest music poets.
“A Complete Unknown” is a 2024 drama directed by James Mangold and starring Timothee Chalamet, Monica Barbaro, Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz and Scoot McNairy. It is rated R for language and has a 2-hour, 21 minutes runtime. It opened in theaters Dec. 25. Lynn’s Grade: A.
