Saturday, June 30, 2012

Roseanne Case

A lively, lovely performance on the New Haven Green.

Recommend!

love fail (David Lang)

A wonderful performance by Anonymous 4, but the visuals detracted from the overall effect. We'll see it again in December at BAM.

Recommend...just watch with closed eyes.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Taiwanese King Lear (WU Hsing-kuo)

A fascinating production that takes the basic narrative of Shakespeare's King Lear and re-imagines it through the lens of traditional Chinese theatre--and then through the lens of a Chinese actor who has partially abandoned his traditional roots.

Recommend.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Yuval Ron Ensemble

We seldom leave a performance midway, but in this case we didn't even wait for an intermission. The ensemble is best described as an ineffectively combining superficial mysticism, faux learning and annoying self-conscious affect.

I won't put too much blame on Arts and Ideas for bringing this group of smug emoting because it was brought to New Haven by an ecumenical conference. Nevertheless, it didn't belong at A&I.

Avoid.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Ben Allison Band with Robert Pinsky

I loved, loved this performance...and I usually do not like jazz.

Highly recommend.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The Radio Show (Kyle Abramham/Abraham-In-Motion)

Fascinating performance followed by fabulous talk-back.

Recommend.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson)

Funny, charming movie without an ounce of cynicism or saccharine. I enjoyed every moment of this love story between two misfits who find each other on the Island of New Penzance and, using the Sam's skills as a Khaki Scout, establish a makeshift hideaway they call Moonrise Kingdom. Their short escape doesn't last long, and yet their strong bonds of affection eventually help them return to family and friends.

Fine, nearly flawless film.

Highly recommend.

Nothing is Impossible (Philippe Petit)

This year's first Festival of Arts and Ideas speaker, and the overwhelming question was this: would a man whose fame (and survival) depends upon meticulous planning really come before an audience and give a talk that's completely spontaneous--or was the apparent spontaneity an act?

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Snow White and the Huntsman (Rupert Sanders)

When did curled-lipped mouth breathing become attractive?  Even more to the point, when did it become acting?

Other than having to watch Kristen Stewart, this was a visually stunning adaptation of the Snow White fairy tale.  I'm not certain if it's refusal to let SW choose the lowly Huntsman over the the Duke's son is a nod to its medieval setting or to the 1%.

Recommend. (Even though my comments sound grumpy.)

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Turn me on, Dammit! (Jannicke Systad Jacobsen)

A nifty Danish film about a fifteen-year-old (nearly sixteen!) girl with an insatiable hunger for sex but no one to feed her, so to speak.  Clever and humorous without being voyeuristic or condescending.

Recommend.

Monday, June 4, 2012

The Intouchables (Nakache & Toledano)

Fine French film that uses pathos and humor to dispel many stereotypes about wealth and disability while exploiting other stereotypes about race and poverty.

Highly recommended.

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