Metro Theater Company (MTC), St. Louis’s premiere professional theater for youth and families and St. Louis’ third-oldest theater company, opens its 2021/22 Season with Digging Up Dessa — a poignant, funny, and empowering family-friendly adventure that champions women in science while highlighting self-discovery in young people. Best for ages 10 and up, MTC presents Digging Up Dessa live at the Grandel Theatre, October 17 – November 7, with socially distant seating. A virtual streaming option is also available October 21 – November 7 at metroplays.org. Tickets are $20-$36 and available through MetroTix.
Digging Up Dessa, written by playwright Laura Schellhardt, had its world premiere at The Kennedy Center in 2018 as part of the Women’s Voices Theatre Festival. The Washington Post celebrated it as a “handsome, funny show,” with D.C. area critics calling it “thoughtful entertainment that is intelligent and involving” (DC Theatre Scene) and “full of heart and innovation…. a rewarding piece of theatre for young audiences” (Theatre Bloom).
Metro Theater Company’s production of Digging up Dessa is directed by MTC Artistic Director Julia Flood. The all-St. Louis four-member cast of performers includes Rae Davis as Dessa, John Katz as Nilo, Alicia Revé Like as Esther, and Lizi Watt as Mary Anning.
Dessa is a modern-day 12-year-old with no shortage of mysteries to solve and fossils to find. Her days are filled with buried treasures just waiting to be uncovered. But when her family of three unexpectedly becomes a family of two, this smart, funny young scientist struggles to overcome her grief and anger at all the changes in her world. Dessa’s unlikely comfort comes from a remarkable new friend, one only she can see and hear—Mary Anning, the 19th-century paleontologist who discovered a breakthrough dinosaur fossil at the age of 12 and became a pioneer in her field. But why is her portrait not on the museum wall alongside those of her male counterparts? Dessa decides that she’s going to fight to earn Mary the respect she deserves. With help from her new classmate and once-rival, Nilo, Dessa unearths secrets of the past and present—for Mary’s legacy and her own way forward. Digging Up Dessa is a 70-minute production with no intermission. The play is recommended for ages 10 and up. Themes of the play include comedy-drama-adventure, empowerment for girls, resilience, history, STEAM, and grief.
WHEN: October 17 – November 7, 2021Sundays at 2 p.m.: Oct. 17, 24, 31 & Nov. 7 Fridays at 7 p.m.: Oct. 22, 29 & Nov. 5 Saturdays at 4 p.m.: Oct. 23, 30 & Nov. 6Wednesdays – Fridays at 10 a.m.: School matinees available upon request for in person field trips WHERE: The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO 63103
School groups can enjoy live performances or virtual field trips at heavily discounted rates, with streaming tickets available for $5 or less and in-person tickets available for $10 per student.
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN VIEWING PERIOD: Metro Theater Company is committed to ensure that economic barriers do not prevent families from experiencing its programs. MTC is offering a three-day pay-what-you-can viewing period October 21 – 23 for both virtual streaming and in-person performances. More information at https://www.metroplays.org/dessa.
COVID-19 SAFETY: Metro Theater Company has been approved as Missouri ArtSafe Certified. MTC continues to update its policies to protect all patrons from COVID-19 exposure risks. For Digging Up Dessa, the following safety measures apply:
• Mask wearing is required for ages 2+• Guests ages 12+ must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and will be asked to show proof of vaccination upon arrival at The Grandel• Unvaccinated patrons ages 12+ with documented medical conditions must be able to provide a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance or a negative antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance• A minimum of two empty seats and one empty row will separate all parties from one another in the theater For more detailed information on Metro Theater Company’s COVID health policies, please visit metroplays.org/covid.
SUPPORT: Digging Up Dessa is supported in part by Berges Family Foundation, Regional Arts Commission, Emerson, Crawford Taylor Foundation, PNC Arts Alive, The Shubert Foundation, Whitaker Foundation, Centene Charitable Trust, and Missouri Arts Council. Streaming of Digging Up Dessa is part of MTC Remote, a new virtual initiative supported by PNC Arts Alive.
About Metro Theater Company: Since 1973, Metro Theater Company has been creating productions that respect young people’s intelligence, tell compelling stories, stimulate curiosity and provoke thoughtful reflection. The Company has reached a total audience of more than two million and has a national reputation for excellence in the field of professional theater for young audiences. Institutional support for Metro Theater Company is provided Berges Family Foundation, Regional Arts Commission, Emerson, Crawford Taylor Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Whitaker Foundation, Children’s Theater Foundation of America, Missouri Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Arts and Education Council. Metro Theater Company has received major honors and awards, both locally and nationally. The company is led by Artistic Director Julia Flood and Managing Director Joe Gfaller. For more information, visit http://metroplays.org.
Join Her Scavenger Hunt in Her First Book, “STL Scavenger”
By Lynn Venhaus
Portions of this article were published in the Belleville News-Democrat onAug. 22, 2021.
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.”
~ George Washington Carver ~ Born in Diamond Grove, Missouri
Talk to Dea Hoover for five minutes, and it’s apparent she is a one-woman tourism bureau.
She has turned her passion for the bi-state region into operating two local tour companies and has written her first book, “STL Scavenger.”
In the spiral-bound softcover book, subtitled “The Ultimate Search for St. Louis’s Hidden Treasures,” she features 17 neighborhoods in both Missouri and Illinois areas of the St. Louis metropolitan region, providing clues and photos of buildings, businesses, statues, and architectural details for a scavenger hunt.
Hint from Hoover: look up!
“I want people to find new places that they might not have seen before,” she said. “Plan a day for each section and linger to enjoy the shops, restaurants and parks along your trail of discovery from St. Charles to Edwardsville, and many destinations in between.”
Hoover wanted to provide a one-of-a-kind experience, and with her expert eye and appreciation for the region, she used her extensive knowledge in a new way.
Reedy Press came up with the format so she could ‘gamify’ the experience – an entertaining and educational interaction with local sites. She credits Barbara Northcott, production manager of the St. Louis-based publishing company, with the concept.
“I would have been a rudderless ship without her. I am very grateful,” she said. “She made it so much better. We shortened the rhymes.”
The format allows for taking notes and multiple people participating, she said.
The book was so popular in its initial printing in May that they followed up with a second printing 13 days later, she said.
“The feedback has really made me happy,” she said. “It means something to people here.”
And while the country deals with a continuing coronavirus pandemic, she said that most neighborhoods included are known for their ‘walkability.”
Among her fun facts:
St. Louis is home to the second most free attractions after Washington D.C.
The Gateway Arch is the tallest national monument (630 feet), and the St. Louis Cardinals are the winningest team in the National League.
The St. Louis metropolitan region has 36 colleges and universities.
Join the Hunt
She has provided an incentive to answer all 366 clues – a contest, running now through Nov. 15 for submitted entries. On Dec. 1, the contest will conclude with a drawing for $500, first prize. Gift bags from STLMade.com, with tickets to local attractions and gift certificates, will be given for the second and third prizes.
For each correct answer you submit, you receive 1 point. The individual with the most correct answers will win the grand prize, and if there is a tie between multiple individuals, Hoover said they will randomly select the winner. Same goes for the local swag prize packs.
To join the hunt, submit answers and check out a bonus puzzle challenge, visit www.stlscavenger. You can submit the answers as an individual, even if you played as a group. You can’t change your answers once submitted.
You can purchase the book online for $20.95. Order at discover-stlouis.com or to pay by check, call her office at 314-522-6367 or email. Dea said $20.95 + tax puts it at about $23.
The book is also available at local bookstores and gift shops.
You can follow along on social media @STLScavenger and #stlscavenger for extra points, challenges, giveaways, scoring updates, and special events.
The book has an accessible smartphone map.
And even if you do not participate in the contest, the book makes a delightful family activity at any time of year and is a gift idea this holiday season.
With an added twist of intrigue, the book makes a staycation more fun – and is a great way to learn the way for new residents.
“Whether you are a native or just arrived, this book will lead you to new places near and far,” she said.
Dea’s Mom Donna
‘Never Come Back the Same Way You Came’
As a tour company operator, Hoover has spent more than 20 years sharing the world with others.
Her love of adventure began while growing up in Vandalia, a small town in Missouri. Her wanderlust blossomed while attending Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in business administration and minoring in English literature.
“I always loved going places and reading. I am always learning whenever I am traveling. It feeds my soul,” she said.
Her childhood was spent in her parents’ Main Street Firestone Tire and Appliance business, where she was involved starting at age 5. A 1965 limited edition Mustang was her pride and joy as a teenager. For Firestone fans, she says she is “gum-dipped.”
Her mother still operates the Main Street retail business; her father is deceased.
“My parents gave me a great gift. Every year, we would come to St. Louis. We’d go to a ballgame, the Zoo and Six Flags,” she said.
“Never come back the same way you came” is her mantra.
Her full-service tour company, Are We There Yet? expanded its operations in 2008 when she acquired St. Louis’s first local receptive tour operation, Discover St. Louis LLC, which was founded in 1975.
She enjoys living a whirlwind existence on the go. For instance, this summer, she was on a day trip to Grafton, and then the next morning, left for a week’s tour in Delaware.
She is past president of the St. Louis Professional Tour Guide Association and previously served on the board of the Missouri Travel Association.
Hoover teaches classes on travel and tour conducting at St. Louis Community College and is a frequent guest speaker for corporations and private organizations.
Her father enrolled her in a Dale Carnegie public speaking course at 16, and she considers that “one of the bedrocks of my success in sales and public speaking.”
She spoke about Missouri’s past in The History Channel’s documentary, “The States.”
Dea and her husband, Declan Rutan, live just across from The Hill in the Southwest Garden neighborhood. She plays on a league at the Italia-America Bocce Club weekly and is vice president of The Hill Business Association.
“Declan jokes they moved the line when they found out he was Irish,” she said.
Hoover described him as her “partner in tourism and rhyme.” Together, they have visited six continents, with Antarctica next on the list.
He helped rhyme the questions.
Dea and her husband, Declan
Answers to the Take Ten Questionnaire:
1. Why did you choose your profession?
“Serendipity. I was working at Saturn and a customer worked for a tour company. I realized being a tour guide might be a good fit. I started 18 months before 9/11 as an over the road tour director. It was tough to continue but it is my passion. I hunger to learn and traveling feeds that hunger. And what makes learning fun is sharing it with others. I am gregarious and love helping people. I’ve found my home.
“I love TV, movies, and live theater. I grew up in a small-town tire and appliance store. We had the first VCR in town and had the first big screen. Our movie theatre was built by two doctors who saw that there needed to be some sort of entertainment in town to keep the kids employed and occupied. As a teenager I saw two plays that I will never forget, ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ at a Washington, D.C. Dinner Theater and ‘Cabaret’ at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo. I acted in plays in high school and participated in drama competitions. I love and support live theatre, even having served on two boards!
And of course, I read. These days I listen since I can check books out of the library, and it gives my eyes a rest.
4. What is your current obsession?
“Goliath” — love Billy Bob Thornton.
Podcasts – “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” (Nora McInerny) and “Unlocking Us” (Brene Brown)
5. What would people be surprised to find out about you?
“That I love to knit.”
6. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life?
“Winning the Olin Cup Championship as a sophomore at Washington University. As a first-generation college student, Wash U. was a deep pond, more like an ocean for me. I was on a team with twin brothers who had graduated from the Illinois Math and Science Academy. I graduated from Van-Far R-I School District, which is quite a difference. When we won, we beat the seniors. They were not happy. We had a professor who had coached us through the process. It taught me that if you know someone with experience*, ask for it and use it. Dad had the foresight to send me through Dale Carnegie at 16 and that made a huge difference. He and Mom were Dale Carnegie graduates when they were selling insurance and it made a big impact on their lives. That education set me up to succeed at the Olin Cup event. It also prepared me for my life, which is public speaking every day, all day, about 60% of the year.”
When I sold cars at Saturn, my used car manager Ron Weltig taught me: “Experience is what you get right after you need it.” So true! I learned early to ask as many people as I could so I didn’t have to make every mistake in the book.
7. Who do you admire most?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor, along with all the women that paved the way for my generation.
Both of my grandmothers. They raised kids under tough circumstances and lived to their 70s and 80s. Their lived hard lives. I’m not sure I would have made it.
8. What is at the top of your bucket list?
Travel to Antarctica, my seventh and last continent.
Write 10 books before it’s all over.
9. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis?
Visit the Zoo.
10. What’s next?
A Walking Tour book of Hannibal, Mo., with Reedy Press
(I was born there because Vandalia, Mo., was too small to have a hospital and Dr. Dougherty had closed his office that had makeshift hospital rooms. And yes, I’m only 50. But it sounds like a pioneer childhood, doesn’t it?
The family business in Vandalia, Mo.
More about Dea (DEE-uh) Hoover
Age: 50
Birthplace: Hannibal, Mo., but my home was Vandalia, Mo., until I was 22
Current location: The Hill in St. Louis
Family: Husband – Declan Rutan and Mom – Donna Hoover, Vandalia, Mo., and proprietor of Vandalia Firestone, Appliance and Furniture at age 81!
Education: Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration – Olin School of Business at Washington University, with a minor in English Literature.
Day job: Tour Operator
First job: Taking the mail to the post office for Vandalia Firestone. I sold Fuller Brush in high school and then was a server at restaurant.
Favorite places you have been: Ireland, Galapagos Islands and Australia. And I love NYC.
Dream vacation: A trip around the world over a year’s time.
Awards/Honors/Achievements: 2015 Groups Today Innovator of the Year
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” ~ George Washington Carver ~ Born in Diamond Grove, Missouri
And the quote earlier about experience.
A song that makes you happy: “Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars; “Shambala” – Three Dog Night; and “Best Day Ever” – Sly and the Family Stone.
By Lynn Venhaus Think New Yorker meets Highlights for the literary geek chic. As a paean to print, “The French Dispatch” is a glorious reminder of how turning pages, enraptured in an article, can take us away to other worlds.
Set in an outpost of an American newspaper – the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun — in a fictional 20th century French city. It brings to life a collection of stories published in the final edition of the newspaper empire’s Sunday magazine, following the death of the editor (Bill Murray).
Experiencing a Wes Anderson film is like being transported into an illustrated picture book with stunning artistically complex worlds both familiar and of wonder – feeling new and nostalgic at the same time.
It is always a unique event that I look forward to with great anticipation, having listed “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Moonrise Kingdom” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel” among my favorite movies of the 21st Century. And his whimsical stop-animation features “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “The Isle of Dogs” (his last movie in 2018) are genius.
No matter if they connect or not, all his films of the past 30 years are painstakingly detailed works of art that offer something different – and feature wit, eccentric characters, superb music accompaniment, and striking composed visuals as common threads.
Therefore, it pains me to say that while “The French Dispatch” is a love letter to journalists and has considerable quirky charms, with dizzying fanciful techniques and the director’s distinctive symmetrical style, color palette and designs, it is at once too much and not enough.
Set in the truly inspired metropolis Ennui-sur-Blasé (which translated, means “Boredom-on-Apathy,” with a wink), this sophisticated exercise is an overstuffed toy box that melds too many concepts to be as satisfying as his top three. And despite its splendid cast, there isn’t a single character that emotionally resonates.
This anthology, running 1 hour 48 minutes, is crowded with enough content for 10 movies. Anderson’s offbeat screenplay, with a story conceived with Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Hugo Guinness, is divided to fit the magazine’s sections: arts and artists, politics/poetry and tastes and smells, but starts and ends with the life and death of diligent editor Arthur Horowitz Jr. – played by Anderson all-star Bill Murray, just as droll as ever.
In “The Concrete Masterpiece” by J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton), which goes off the rails two-thirds in, Benicio del Toro plays Moses Rosenthaler, a psychopathic artist who paints critically acclaimed abstracts in prison, uses Simone (Lea Seydoux), a female prison guard as a nude model, and attracts the attention of Cadazio, an imperious, impatient art exhibitor played by Adrien Brody, backed by his two businessmen uncles (brief appearance by Henry Winkler and Bob Balaban).
“Revisions to a Manifesto” has student radicals protest, which leads to “The Chessboard Revolution,” with rebel leader Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet), who gets the attention of no-nonsense scribe Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand). This meanders and should have ended midway.
The third is “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner,” as recounted by urbane food writer Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) in a television interview with talk show host (Liev Schreiber). This is a complex crime caper involving multiple characters, many locations, and quite a roster of talent.
At times, these short stories seem indulgent, rambling, and tedious. Sharper pacing would have helped with the storytelling, which does benefit from the gifted performers who find their rhythm and deliver crisp dialogue in the earnest manner one expects in these idiosyncratic tableaus.
Owen Wilson, who has been in eight Anderson movies, second only to Murray, is good-natured staff writer Herbsaint Sazerac, who takes us on an amusing tour of the city. Anjelica Huston, aka Mrs. Tenenbaum, capably handles narration duty this time –a lovely addition.
One of the pleasures of this film is to see such a star-studded array of repertory players, and more – among them, Saoirse Ronan, Tony Revolori, Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Steve Park, Lois Wilson, Fisher Stevens, and Griffin Dunne.
The pandemic delayed this film’s release by a year, which heightened expectations and allowed a clever literary marketing campaign to enchant with graphics and snippets, modeled after venerable periodicals from days gone by. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in July, where it received a nine-minute standing ovation.
Having spent nearly a half-century working at publications, the editorial office setting was the most intriguing yet the least focus — an aperitif instead of an entrée. With every bon mot that Murray tossed off as the veteran editor corralled correspondents, I wanted more of that colorful staff.
The sight of Murray taking a pencil to hard copy, as ink-stained editors once did in non-cubical newsrooms, should make journalists yearn for a grizzled authority figure to cut their long-winded prose and hand the typed papers back with gruff remarks and certain expectations. Writers may weep at the sight of a proofreader and a layout guy trying to fit linotype into a grid, for it’s part of a cherished past.
As a film, tightening those long-winded vignettes would have made a difference.
Nevertheless, the production elements are exceptional, especially from frequent Anderson cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman, flipping between black-and-white and color, and other collaborators Oscar-winning production designer Adam Stockhausen (for “Grand Budapest Hotel”) and costume designer Milena Canonero, four-time Oscar winner including “Grand Budapest Hotel,” and composer Alexander Desplat’s score.
Still, a Wes Anderson movie is like hanging out with erudite English Literature majors, some of whom are raconteurs and iconoclasts, who motivate you to add books and adventures to your to-do lists.
“The French Dispatch” is a 2021 comedy-drama directed by Wes Anderson and starring Bill Murray, Benicio del Toro, Lea Seydoux, Timothee Chalamet, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Owen Wilson and Elisabeth Moss. It’s run time is 1 hour, 48 minutes and is rated R for graphic nudity, some sexual references and language. In theaters Oct. 29. Lynn’s Grade: B. Portions of this review were published in the Webster-Kirkwood Times and discussed on KTRS Radio.
A lusciously stylish descent into nostalgic madness, director Edgar Wright’s new film, “Last Night in Soho,” can’t match its technical brilliance with satisfying storytelling.
The film follows Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), a naive soul obsessed with the 1960’s who leaves her rural village to study at the London School of Fashion. She’s haunted by ghostly apparitions, including her mother, a fashion designer who died when Eloise was seven.
Out of a desire to make it big and follow in her mother’s footsteps, Eloise arrives in the big city, unprepared for what she’ll find — social alienation. Her roommate, mean girl Jocasta (Synnove Karlsen), and others judge her for her supposedly antiquated interests, while pervy men casually harass her. To get away, Eloise rents a West London apartment maintained by a wryly funny landlady (the late Diana Rigg, giving a glorious performance in her final role). The room Eloise rents — bathed in flashing red and blue neon light — seems pleasant enough, if a bit creepy.
One night in her slumber, Eloise is transported back to the 60’s to live in the shoes of Sandie (Anya Taylor Joy), an up-and-coming singer who wants to become the next Cilla Black. An embodiment of the sort of confident, ambitious woman that Eloise hopes to become one day — and a chanteuse able to sing a killer rendition of “Downtown” — Eloise quickly becomes infatuated with her. However, darker truths are revealed when Sandie gets involved with an alluring, slimy bugger named Jack (Matt Smith) who promises to make her a star. Sandie’s traumatic experiences start bleeding into Eloise’s present as increasingly morbid visions impact her waking life.
This storyline represents an interesting deviation from Wright’s male-driven comedy background. Unfortunately, “Last Night in Soho” feels jumbled, with a spellbinding first half that devolves into clichés by the conclusion. Still, the film is invigorating thanks to its deft craftsmanship and wholehearted performances from the entire cast, McKenzie and Taylor-Joy especially.
Indeed, Eloise is a sympathetic protagonist, a youthful fish-out-of-water struggling to fit in. McKenzie’s acting lends her an innocent vulnerability, making her rapid infatuation with Sandie somewhat believable, and her later descent into paranoia all the more disturbing. The last third requires McKenzie to be in constant panic mode, yet she keeps emotions grounded when the script proceeds in absurd directions.
Eloise’s initial time-traveling visions are utterly fantastic — throwing her (and viewers) into a decadent world of glitz and glamour that blocks out the darkness lurking beneath the flashiness, featuring the pervasive pop culture references that Wright specializes in. With shimmy-worthy tunes blaring in the background, these sequences are a pure joy, most notably a hypnotic dance sequence involving Taylor-Joy and McKenzie being swapped back-and-forth mid twirl.
“Last Night in Soho” shines in these instances, where Eloise and Sandie are experiencing the euphoric bliss of realizing their dreams with sky-high hopes for the future. This idea of escaping into an idealistic version of the past is, in fact, a key theme in “Last Night in Soho.” Eloise gradually sees the cracks in the facade, observing how the sexism of the time continues to infest the London of today, rendering her deeply traumatized.
Although Wright and co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns aren’t able to massage this concept into something truly impactful, Wright deploys nearly every cinematic tool at his disposal to catch viewers off-guard in the grim second half, in which the film shifts from a coming-of-age tale to a mystery to outright horror. Combining giallo-inflected, fever-dream lighting and camera movements with a soundscape mixing together classic tunes and foreboding ambiance with whispers of dialogue, “Last Night in Soho” depicts Eloise’s mental turmoil with immersive aplomb.
However, this jack-of-all-trades approach sacrifices the dramatic pull that could have elevated it to another level. Firstly, we don’t get to spend enough time with Sandie for her to feel like a fully developed character. Taylor-Joy brings a confident energy to her performance that’s always entertaining to watch, but Sandie is kept frustratingly distanced from viewers throughout. We only witness snippets from the highs and lows of Sandie’s burgeoning career, eschewing nuance to keep the story moving forward at an overly brisk pace.
Additionally, when the horror arrives, “Last Night in Soho” has predictable jump scares and generic-looking baddies. It also lacks much of the clever self-awareness that helped make Wright’s other films so successful. Moments of dark comedy are certainly here — Terence Stamp chews scenery to a pulp as a sketchy creep who would fit in well among the “Greater Good” crowd — but “Last Night in Soho” takes itself quite seriously, even in its ludicrous finale, in which Sandie takes center-stage and Eloise’s arc is left frustratingly streamlined.
Along with a token Black character willing to risk his life for Eloise despite barely knowing her and an unnecessary slasher detour in the climax, the film becomes ever-more trippy, losing sight of the real societal issues that Wright and Wilson-Cairns obviously care so much about.
“Last Night in Soho” is easy to get lost in. When you peel back the curtain, though, it’s a cinematic ride built on a rickety foundation.
Thomasin McKenzie
“The Last Night in Soho” is a 2021 psychological mystery-thriller directed by Edgar Wright and starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Diana Rigg, Terence Stamp, Matt Smith. Its run time is 1 hour, 56 minutes, and it is rated R for bloody violence, sexual content, language, brief drug material and brief graphic nudity. It opened in theatres Oct. 29. Alex’s Grade: B.
Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” is an experience as eye-popping as it is utterly overwhelming.
“The French Dispatch,” largely inspired by writers at The New Yorker magazine, including James Thurber, James Baldwin, Mavis Gallant, and others this Gen Z critic has never heard of, recounts the experiences of four writers at the French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas, Evening Sun newspaper based in a fictional French town. These writings take place within “Ennui-sur-Blasé” (Boredom-on-Blasé), which proves to be far from boring. The editor-in-chief, a strict yet sentimental chap named Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray), has just died, leaving behind one final issue of the paper filled with eccentric happenings and colorful characters.
Anderson’s film is structured like an anthology narrated by the author of each “article,” opening with a biography of Howitzer and ending with his obituary. We get a scene-setter from a beret-wearing cyclist, Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson). Sazerac sets the scene, showcasing a French town packed with people of all sorts, as well as hundreds of rats and cats. We then delve into an arts report by JKL Berenson (Tilda Swinton) as she gives a PowerPoint presentation on an (in)famous incarcerated painter named Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio Del Toro), his muse/prison guard Simone (Léa Seydoux), and a greedy art collector named Julien Cadazio (Adrien Brody) wanting to capitalize on Moses’ works.
Afterwards, viewers are launched into a rather intimate profile, written by Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand), of a young, insecure revolutionary named Zeffirelli (Timothée Chalamet), who amid the student uprising in 1968 engages in high-stakes chess matches with authority figures. “The French Dispatch” saves the best for last, however, as food columnist Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) — a gay Black man — discusses on a talk show a profile he wrote of Lt. Nescafier (Stephen Park), an esteemed chef of a local police chief The Commissaire (Mathieu Amalric). Both Wright and Nescafier are dragged into a life-or-death situation.
Timothee Chalamet as Zefferelli
If this sounds like a lot to digest, you’d be correct. There’s so much movie here that it’s hard not to be mentally swamped. This lessens the impact of individual vignettes that are, by themselves, quite profound. Nevertheless, “The French Dispatch” provides a nonstop barrage of aesthetically pleasing eye candy that holds attention even as the overstuffed whole threatens to undermine the compelling characters on display.
Ennui-sur-Blasé is a meticulously crafted setting, a cinematic dollhouse that refuses to be categorized in simple terms. In typical Andersonian fashion, everything moves like a clockwork machine coming to life. A quiet neighborhood suddenly fills with activity upon the rising sun, sets transition between one another as characters walk from room to room, and elegantly symmetrical shot compositions are once again used in full force. Interestingly, “The French Dispatch” also alternates between black-and-white and color photography shot-to-shot — perhaps representing timeless bursts of humanity that transcend the written word.
Each section utilizes Anderson’s style in different ways, paying homage to French filmmakers like Jacques Tati and François Truffaut, as well as cartoonists from The New Yorker. That being said, “The French Dispatch” knows when to subvert its rules to emphasize the darker elements of this charming, albeit troubled dreamworld, particularly concerning the existential threats that tinge Wright’s perspective with sadness and dread. For brief moments, the madcap fades away to zoom in on true, deeply felt emotions. Alexandre Desplat’s score perfectly accompanies the action, eliciting joy and melancholy.
Of course, there’s an outstanding amount of acting talent here (including some cameos I won’t spoil), and everyone brings their A-game, even if we only spend a few minutes with them. Murray, Del Toro, and Wright are standouts — lending their characters a sense of three-dimensionality that’s all the more meaningful in such cartoonish locations. Although some performances are more effective than others — Chalamet is somewhat one-note, for example — they’re perfect vessels to deliver Anderson’s signature playful, occasionally irreverent dialogue that seems even more obsessive than usual.
Although some might say “The French Dispatch” is style over substance, Anderson’s film grows more meaningful the more I think about it, stretching my Film Studies muscles to approach coherent conclusions. We see a literal tortured artist being exploited for profit, an aging journalist mourning her youth, childish revolutionaries blinded by idealism, and outsiders seeking comfort in an alienating world. While the second portion featuring McDormand and Chalamet comes across as a bit precious and rushed in places, there’s rarely a dull moment. Despite the sections’ differences, they’re thematically bonded through exploring concepts of belonging, passion, storytelling, and the creation of art itself with a whimsical edge that likely benefits from repeat viewings.
Additionally, the notion of this newspaper traveling all the way back to corn-covered Kansas holds its own significance. Stories should be universal, after all, and “The French Dispatch” underlines how this form of humanistic journalism shouldn’t be discarded amid the changing media climate. As a tribute to artists of all kinds and a wistful thesis on the future of print, this is a film that deserves to be mulled over, and I’m eager to research the people who influenced it. Tighter pacing and more focus could have made it one of Anderson’s best, but “The French Dispatch” is most assuredly worth opening up.
Jeffrey Wright and Liev Shreiber
“The French Dispatch” is a 2021 comedy-drama directed by Wes Anderson and starring Bill Murray, Benicio del Toro, Lea Seydoux, Timothee Chalamet, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Owen Wilson and Elisabeth Moss. It’s run time is 1 hour, 48 minutes and is rated R for graphic nudity, some sexual references and language. In theaters Oct. 29. Alex’s Grade: B+.
Presented by the Critics Choice Association onMonday, December 6 in Los Angeles
The Critics Choice Association announced today select honorees for the annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, taking place on Monday, December 6 at the newly reimagined Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel. Since 2014, the Celebration of Black Cinema has honored standout achievements in Black filmmaking; this year, for the first time, the awards ceremony will also celebrate achievements in television. The event will feature 20 award categories (10 from film and 10 from television). A full list of honorees and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.
Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry will receive the “Career Achievement” Award as a tribute to her extraordinary roles over the years, as well as her highly anticipated directorial debut in her new film in which she also stars as the disgraced MMA fighter Jackie Justice in Netflix’s Bruised, which will release in select theaters on November 17 and globally on Netflix November 24, 2021. Berry’s career has spanned three decades, including performances in Die Another Day, Jungle Fever, Losing Isaiah, Bulworth, Swordfish, John Wick, and as legendary actress Dorothy Dandridge. She’s the first and only Black woman to win the Oscar for “Actress in a Leading Role” for her performance in Monster’s Ball in 2002.
“Berry’s iconic performances throughout her career have showcased her brilliance as an actor and blazed the trail for Black performers who have come after her. She has become the personification of excellence as she transcends from being in front of the camera to sitting in the director’s chair,” said Shawn Edwards, CCA Board Member and Executive Producer of the Celebration of Black Cinema & Television.
Emmy nominated Anthony Andersonwill receive the Producer Award for Television for his celebrated work on the critically acclaimed ABC series’ black-ish, grown-ish and mixed-ish. Anderson, who serves as an executive producer on all three series, has become a major force in Hollywood in front of and behind the camera.
Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson will be honored with the Actress Award for Film for her outstanding performance in the Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. Hudson’s unique combination of singing and acting, perfectly captured the essence of the ‘Queen of Soul.’
Academy Award-winner Barry Jenkinswill receive the Director Award for Television for his critically acclaimed Amazon series The Underground Railroad, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead. The series was a transformative work of art that explored the perilous journey of an enslaved woman, Cora Randall, during her desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South as she hopes to realize a life she never thought possible.
All Celebration of Black Cinema & Television honorees will be introduced by a prestigious group of presenters who will celebrate their work and their ongoing commitment to telling Black stories.
A portion of the proceeds will be designated to provide scholarships to students from underrepresented communities participating in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Gold Rising Program. The Academy Gold Rising Program is an industry talent development, diversity and inclusion initiative that provides individuals access and resources to achieve their career pathways in filmmaking.
The Celebration of Black Cinema & Television will be produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates and Swisher Productions, an event production agency specializing in live events.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing almost 500 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
Features by two first-time documentarians, Ascension and Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) lead this year’s nominations with six each.
Ascension is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Jessica Kingdon for Best Director, Best First Documentary Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Score.
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson for Best Director, Best First Documentary Feature, Best Editing, Best Archival Documentary and Best Music Documentary.
Recognized with five nominations each are Becoming Cousteau and The Rescue.
The nominations for Becoming Cousteau are Best Documentary Feature, Liz Garbus for Best Director, Best Narration, Best Archival Documentary and Best Science/Nature Documentary.
The Rescue is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Score.
“This has been and continues to be a fantastic year for documentary storytelling. And the number of first-time feature documentarians in the mix of nominees, alongside proven veterans, shows that nonfiction cinema continues to have a very bright future,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch. “Our world, from its most amazing wonders to its greatest challenges, is being reflected back on the screen so immediately and creatively by today’s filmmakers, and it’s a tremendous honor for us to recognize all of their achievements.”
Last year at the Fifth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, Dick Johnson is Dead took home the CCA’s top award for Best Documentary as well as the Best Director award for Kirsten Johnson.
My Octopus Teacher took home the awards for Best Science and Nature Documentary and Best Cinematography. The film later received many more accolades and awards, including an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
In addition to the 14 award categories and one honor listed below, a most prestigious honor – The Pennebaker Award (formerly known as the Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award) – will be presented to esteemed documentarian R.J. Cutler. This award is named for Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award winner D A Pennebaker, who passed away in 2019. The award will be presented to Cutler by Pennebaker’s producing partner and wife, Chris Hegedus.
R.J. Cutler is the award-winning producer/director whose work includes some of the most acclaimed documentaries of the last thirty years. His most recent film, the Apple Original Film cinema verité documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry, is nominated for Best Music Documentary.
The nominees for the Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards Presented by National Geographic Documentary Films are:
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Ascension (MTV Documentary Films) Attica (Showtime)Becoming Cousteau (Picturehouse/National Geographic Documentary Films) The Crime of the Century (HBO Documentary Films) A Crime on the Bayou (Augusta Films/Shout! Studios) Flee (Neon)Introducing, Selma Blair (Discovery+) The Lost Leonardo (Sony Pictures Classics) My Name is Pauli Murray (Amazon Studios) Procession (Netflix) The Rescue (National Geographic Documentary Films) Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu)
BEST DIRECTOR Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin – The Rescue (National Geographic Documentary Films) Liz Garbus – Becoming Cousteau (Picturehouse/National Geographic Documentary Films) Jessica Kingdon – Ascension (MTV Documentary Films) Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry – Attica (Showtime) Jonas Poher Rasmussen – Flee (Neon) Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu) Edgar Wright – The Sparks Brothers (Focus Features)
BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Jessica Beshir – Faya Dayi (Janus Films) Rachel Fleit – Introducing, Selma Blair (Discovery+) Todd Haynes – The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+) Jessica Kingdon – Ascension (MTV Documentary Films) Kristine Stolakis – Pray Away (Netflix) Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu) Edgar Wright – The Sparks Brothers (Focus Features)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Jessica Beshir – Faya Dayi (Janus Films) Jonathan Griffith, Brett Lowell and Austin Siadak – The Alpinist (Roadside Attractions) David Katznelson, Ian Seabrook and Picha Srisansanee – The Rescue(National Geographic Documentary Films) Jessica Kingdon and Nathan Truesdell – Ascension (MTV Documentary Films) Nelson Hume and Alan Jacobsen – The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52 (Bleecker Street Media) Emiliano Villanueva – A Cop Movie (Netflix) Pete West – Puff: Wonders of the Reef (Netflix)
BEST EDITING Francisco Bello, Matthew Heineman, Gabriel Rhodes and David Zieff – The First Wave (National Geographic Documentary Films) Jeff Consiglio – LFG (HBO Max and CNN Films) Bob Eisenhardt – The Rescue (National Geographic Documentary Films) Affonso Gonçalves and Adam Kurnitz – The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+) Jessica Kingdon – Ascension (MTV Documentary Films) Joshua L. Pearson – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu) Julian Quantrill – The Real Charlie Chaplin (Showtime)
BEST NARRATION 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room (Apple TV+) Jeff Daniels, Narrator Becoming Cousteau (Picturehouse/National Geographic Documentary Films) Vincent Cassel, Narrator Mark Monroe and Pax Wassermann, Writers The Crime of the Century (HBO Documentary Films) Alex Gibney, Narrator Alex Gibney, Writer The Neutral Ground (PBS) CJ Hunt, Narrator CJ Hunt, Writer The Real Charlie Chaplin (Showtime) Pearl Mackie, Narrator Oliver Kindeberg, Peter Middleton and James Spinney, Writers Val (Amazon Studios) Jack Kilmer, Narrator Val Kilmer, Writer The Year Earth Changed (Apple TV+) David Attenborough, Narrator
BEST SCORE Jongnic Bontemps – My Name is Pauli Murray (Amazon Studios) Dan Deacon – Ascension (MTV Documentary Films) Alex Lasarenko and David Little – The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52 (Bleecker Street Media) Cyrus Melchor – LFG (HBO/CNN) Daniel Pemberton – The Rescue (National Geographic Documentary Films) Rachel Portman – Julia (Sony Pictures Classics) Dirac Sea – Final Account (Focus Features)
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY Becoming Cousteau (Picturehouse/National Geographic Documentary Films) The Real Charlie Chaplin (Showtime) The Real Right Stuff (Disney+) Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (HBO Documentary Films) Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu) Val (Amazon Studios) The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+)
BEST HISTORICAL OR BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY Attica (Showtime) A Crime on the Bayou (Augusta Films/Shout! Studios) Fauci (Magnolia Pictures/National Geographic Documentary Films) Final Account (Focus Features) Julia (Sony Pictures Classics) My Name is Pauli Murray (Amazon Studios) No Ordinary Man (Oscilloscope)Val (Amazon Studios)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry (Apple TV+) Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James (Showtime) Listening to Kenny G (HBO Documentary Films) The Sparks Brothers (Focus Features) Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu) Tina (HBO Documentary Films) The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY The Crime of the Century (HBO Documentary Films) Enemies of the State (IFC Films) Four Hours at the Capitol (HBO Documentary Films) Influence (StoryScope, EyeSteelFilm) Mayor Pete (Amazon Studios) Missing in Brooks County (Giant Pictures)Nasrin (Hulu) Not Going Quietly (Greenwich Entertainment)
BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY Becoming Cousteau (Picturehouse/National Geographic Documentary Films) Fauci (National Geographic Documentary Films) The First Wave (National Geographic Documentary Films) The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52 (Bleecker Street Media) Playing with Sharks (National Geographic Documentary Films) Puff: Wonders of the Reef (Netflix) The Year Earth Changed (Apple TV+)
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY The Alpinist (Roadside Attractions) Changing the Game (Hulu) The Day Sports Stood Still (HBO) Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible (Showtime) LFG (HBO Max/CNN Films) Tiger (HBO)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY Audible (Netflix) Borat’s American Lockdown (Amazon Studios) Camp Confidential: America’s Secret Nazis (Netflix) Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol (The New York Times) The Doll (Jumping Ibex) The Last Cruise (HBO Documentary Films) The Queen of Basketball (The New York Times) Snowy(TIME Studios)
MOST COMPELLING LIVING SUBJECTS OF A DOCUMENTARY (HONOR) Ady Barkan – Not Going Quietly (Greenwich Entertainment) Selma Blair – Introducing, Selma Blair (Discovery+) Pete Buttigieg – Mayor Pete (Amazon Studios) Anthony Fauci – Fauci (Magnolia Pictures/National Geographic Documentary Films) Ben Fong-Torres – Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres (StudioLA.TV) Val Kilmer – Val (Amazon Studios) Ron and Russell Mael – The Sparks Brothers (Focus Features) Rita Moreno – Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It (Roadside Attractions) Valerie Taylor – Playing With Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story (Disney+)
About the Critics Choice Awards The Critics Choice Documentary Awards are an off-shoot of The Critics Choice Awards, which are bestowed annually by CCA to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, the Critics Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations. The Critics Choice Awards ceremony will be held on January 9, 2022 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, CA and will be broadcast live on The CW.
|About the Critics Choice Association (CCA) The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing almost 500 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
Three actors deliver brilliantly nuanced performances in “Blue/Orange,” a multi-layered satirical comedy-drama that focuses on madness, health care and race within a framework of frustrating bureaucracy and power struggles.
William Humphrey, Ben Ritchie, and Jason Meyers turn in some of their best work by grasping every shifting thought, trigger and changing attitude in conversations that blur lines on mental health.
The discourse is hefty and the roles demanding, for the characters are opaque. Allegiances switch as reasoning seems plausible – but one can’t ever be certain in these fiery exchanges.
Stray Dog Theatre is presenting this intellectually stimulating material as its first indoor show inside the Tower Grove Abbey, their longtime home, in 2021. With a contemporary focus that is more tragic than comic, that tone suits the production’s interpretation of this thorny material.
Shrewdly written by British playwright Joe Penhall, known primarily for several “fringe” works, and set in a UK institution, the play, first staged by the National Theatre in 2000, went on to win the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, with Bill Nighy, as Robert, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Christopher, nominated for several acting awards.
(More fun facts: Andrew Lincoln played Bruce and the three moved on to the London West End in 2001. The next year, the show opened off-Broadway, with Harold Perrineau Jr. as Christopher, and an acclaimed British revival in 2016 starred Daniel Kaluuya as the patient.)
Stray Dog has wisely decided to forego British accents, so that we are not distracted from the dense amount of dialogue that rapidly volleys back and forth.
The day before Christopher (William Humphrey) is supposed to be discharged from a psychiatric ward, his doctor (Jason Meyers) begins to have reservations that he shouldn’t be released. He shares his concerns with a senior colleague (Ben Ritchie).
Practically jumping for joy as the hyper Christopher, Humphrey is gleefully ready to go – and already packed. He still insists his father is former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada Oumee and sees the pulp inside an orange as blue. In his mind, is this real or delusional? Thus begins a bureaucratic battle.
As the now confused patient becomes increasingly agitated, is he having an acute psychotic episode or is he being unduly provoked? What must happen to prevent him from leaving?
Christopher was diagnosed with a borderline personality order, and on day 28 at the London National Health Service mental hospital, he is due for release – unless a diagnosis changes.
As Dr. Bruce Flaherty, Meyers sees red flags and makes a convincing case that Christopher could be a paranoid schizophrenic. His superior, Dr. Robert Smith, doesn’t detect it. Exuding authority and clinical acumen. Ritchie recites reasons why psychiatry can fail black men like Christopher. After all, Dr. Smith is writing a book – interesting! – on the cultural and ethnocentrism factors that come into play in these situations.
Perhaps drum beating and seeing himself as a “white savior,” the imperious Robert thinks Christopher should return to his neighborhood for the cultural support – even though he lives alone and doesn’t know that many people. Sure, his behavior is odd, but is it cause for alarm?
Smith is worried that if Christopher stays longer, he could get worse and thus begin a never-ending cycle — or is that more of a reflection on the lack of beds and prevalent bottom-line thinking?
Christopher would really like to return to Africa, where he says he has a job, but will settle for his diverse London borough neighborhood if it means his freedom. And there is a probable threat of being attacked by racist thugs, so his fear seems real, but is it indicative of instability – and is pompous Robert being patronizing?
England’s cultural population includes Caribbean and African expatriates, and there are statistics that more black people, percentage wise, are in mental and penal institutions.
And what exactly causes seemingly stable Bruce’s third-act meltdown – and earlier blurting out the “N” word, which could fill an entire act with discussion. This really complicates the narrative, not just exposing an ugly prejudice and stereotypical thinking.
However, the roots of the problems are in the eye of the beholder. As the two professionals argue, drawing Christopher, pawn-like, into a tug of war of damaging rhetoric – clearly emotional scars are being inflicted.
Is this in any way beneficial and do the doctors think this will advance their careers?
Penhall’s incendiary words, written more than two decades ago, seems as urgent now as they were relevant then. This is a living, breathing work that changes direction throughout its two acts, and the verbal dexterity required is admirable.
In a bracing portrayal, Humphrey straddles the line of helpless vulnerability and angry advocate for getting his life back on track. Both instinctive, Ritchie and Meyers convincingly earn and lose their characters’ credibility.
Associate Artistic Director Justin Been deftly moves the actors around so that we are caught off-guard as characters reveal their positions, transferring the ‘edge’ around – and the performers never get ahead of the script, not tipping their hand about what’s next.
The cast has smartly constructed their roles. It’s an exemplary showcase of control, and lack of, as perceptions differ and speeches flow.
“Blue/Orange” could have easily turned preachy but keeps its intensity, although the second act gets weighed down somewhat with repetitive opinions. And while it’s not predictable, the ending may not satisfy those who have become invested in Christopher’s well-being.
Besides directing, Been also designed the claustrophobic set and the sound, and both he and Artistic Director Gary F. Bell gathered the props. Lighting designer Tyler Duenow maintained the setting’s institutional glare.
The hell that is the ever-present boondoggle for those suffering from mental illness shows no sign of improvement in today’s uncertain world. As this riveting production demonstrates, it’s a difficult subject to ponder, and “Blue/Orange” daringly takes a stand.
Jason Meyers, William Humphrey and Ben Ritchie in “Blue/Orange.” Photo by John Lamb.
“Blue/Orange” is presented Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 7-9, 14-16 and 21-23 at 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Oct. 17, at the Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Avenue, St. Louis, 63104.
Limited tickets are available because of physical distancing throughout the theater. For more information or tickets, visit www.straydogtheatre.org, or call 314-865-1995.
Safety precautions because of the COVID-19 public health crisis are in place for guests, actors, and staff. Masks are required to be worn by all guests, regardless of vaccination status. Stray Dog Theatre recommends, but does not require, that all guests be vaccinated. The up-to-date guidelines can be found on their website.
By Lynn Venhaus Oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau made underwater exploration his life’s passion. In his unmistakable red knit cap and sailing the intrepid vessel The Calypso, he got our attention through his inspiring voyages.
This competently assembled documentary from director Liz Garbus looks at his extraordinary life, achievements, and tragedies. Garbus, an Emmy winner for “What Happened, Miss Simone” and Oscar nominee for “The Farm: Angola, USA,” uses newly restored footage from his archives to create a respectable biography.
Narrator Vincent Cassel reads some passages from Cousteau’s diaries, and his aquatic life was cinematic-ready, so the visuals are what holds one’s attention.
If you are not familiar with his life’s work, finding out about Cousteau’s co-invention of the Aqua-lung, a breathing apparatus for below the ocean’s surface, his innovative filmmaking techniques for under the sea, and his early efforts on conservationism are fascinating.
If you paid attention to his adventures, so well-documented in 120 television documentaries and more than 50 books, then you won’t be surprised – but perhaps have a newfound appreciation for all that he did.
The film is best when it is in water, but not as interesting when it’s on land. The man himself preferred the water too. (His first wife said he ‘smelled like the sea.’) A curious, restless man, the ocean was his oxygen.
He was a young officer in the French Navy when he started his underwater pursuits. His first book, “The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure,” was published in 1953.
As a film pioneer, he adapted his book into a documentary, “The Silent World,” with filmmaker Louis Malle that won an Oscar and the Palme d’or at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. A restless man, the ocean was his oxygen,
During his heyday in the 1970s, he was a household name. John Denver released a popular tribute song, “Calypso,” in 1975, and his television show, “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” ran on ABC from 1966 to 1976. PBS then ran his “The Cousteau Odyssey” from 1977 to 1982.
After his death in 1997 from a heart attack at age 87, Cousteau’s foundation kept up his environmental work, but the younger generation doesn’t know much about his achievements. He was one of the first to sound alarms about the environment and climate change, growing more panicked about the fate of mankind as the issues grew.
His personal life was complicated – not a particularly good husband or father, which he admits on camera, and his long absences from home affected his two sons, Jean-Michel and Philippe. At age 38, Philippe was killed in a plane crash, which devastated his parents, and Jacques became more driven about work – if that was even possible.
Some of his personal flaws are merely mentioned, but not really delved into – if you’re a tad confused about his marriages, join the club. When his wife of 53 years, Simone, died of cancer in 1990, he married Francine Triplet six months later – although he already had two children with her – Diane and Pierre-Yves. (Hmmm?) Both kids are co-producers of the film. Hmmm…
And while he had missteps – working for petroleum companies early in his career, for example, to pay the bills, his legacy is undeniable.
“Becoming Cousteau” is a nostalgic reminder of how we learned more about sea life through his perspective, and what a beautiful world he introduced us – whether we were enthralled kids or intrigued adults.
“BecomingCousteau” is a 2021 documentary from National Geographic directed by Liz Garbus. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some disturbing images and smoking, its run time is 1 hour, 33 minutes. It opens in theaters on Oct. 22. Lynn’s Grade: B
By Lynn Venhaus A good-looking film with a kicky soundtrack, “The Harder They Fall” comes across as a bloody western shot like a music video.
It’s no surprise, because first-time director Jeymes Samuel, a music producer and singer-songwriter known as The Bullitts, is a protégé of Jay-Z and worked with him on “The Great Gatsby” soundtrack for director Baz Luhrmann. Under his real name, Shawn Carter, Jay-Z is one of the film’s producers.
Samuel demonstrates an appealing slick style, but sadly the well-worn story lacks substance. Co-written by veteran screenwriter Boaz Yakin and Samuel as a tale of revenge and robbery, it’s merely ordinary – without much character development, squanders the talents of its extraordinary cast that includes solid-gold Idris Elba, Regina King and Delroy Lindo, with rising stars Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz and LaKeith Stanfield, who just gets better with every role.
The lethal shoot-outs and blood-spurting showdowns, an integral part of the western genre, are repetitive and do little to advance a gripping story. Overall, the plot is run-of-the-mill, mostly predictable, except for the third act revelation.
It’s unfortunate because you want to root for this type of new western that spotlights black cowboys. Supposedly, on the western frontier, one in four cowboys were black, and they haven’t been given proper due in America’s history on ‘go west’ and the great migration.
In the beginning, the director states that the story is fiction, but the people existed. Most of the action takes place in Redwood City, which was a primarily black community.
Faring well in this film are emerging stars Danielle Deadwyler as Cuffee, who identifies as him and would like a career in law enforcement, and Edi Gathegi as Bill Pickett, a young trigger-happy hotshot.
RJ Cyler has a solid turn as sharpshooter Jim Beckworth as does Deon Cole as Wiley Escoe, but it is Majors’ film. His outlaw Nat Love, no matter how many times he’s intimidated or dismissed, is driven and relentless.
Playing a man of few words who acts quickly, Elba’s physicality is felt throughout, a foreboding presence from the opening scene where he takes down a family, to breaking out of chains in prison stripes, and then as a feared frontier gang leader.
An interesting twist is how fierce the women are – Regina King as “Treacherous Trudy” and Zazie Beetz as Stagecoach Mary. They take the bullets out of their guns and use their fists and hand-held weapons for a rip-roaring knock-down drag-out brutal fight.
With its attractive production elements, the movie benefits from cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. ‘s framing of these newly constructed towns, showcasing the period production design by Martin Whist, with editing by Tom Eagles. The violence is graphic – a blown-off arm here, an exploding head there.
Amid the dusty outdoors and bullet-ripped clothes, Antoinette Messam’s costume design features a wide range of interesting vintage hats and lived-in frontier wear, with a few striking dusters and coats adding to the characters’ stature. You can always pick out Nat Love because of his jaunty red kerchief.
Not to be confused with a 1956 movie of the same name starring Humphrey Bogart, “The Harder They Fall” unfortunately lacks staying power because it preferred style over substance.
“The Harder They Fall” is a 2021 western directed by Jaymes Samuel and stars Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Regina King, Zazie Beets, LaKeith Stanfield, Delroy Lindo and Danielle Deadwyler. Rated R for strong violence and language, the run time is 2 hours and 16 minutes. In theaters Oct. 22 and streaming on Netflix on Nov. 3. Lynn’s Grade: C+
