21 — Columbia Pictures

Based on true life events, dramatized for effect, 21 centers around six M-I-T students who are trained by their professor, played by Kevin Spacey, to count cards.  They take their extra curricular activity to Las Vegas, where math plays a major role in making millions.  And, may drown these kids in danger.

Kevin Spacey is a perfect fit for the M-I-T professor without scruples.  But, while his performance is stellar, it’s Jim Sturgess who’s getting raves as the student most focused on in the film.

You may remember him from Across the Universe?  No?  Didn’t see it?  Oh, well.  21 is much more palpable than that inspired drug trip, anyway.

But, this isn’t a review about Across the Universe.  So, back to 21, which won’t wow you, but will engage you enough to leave feeling like you got something more than just passive entertainment.

Stop Loss — Paramount Pictures

Even less passive is the Iraq War dram — Stop Loss — a film that wears its war stance on its sleeve.

The often under-rated Ryan Philippe stars as a soldier fresh off a tour in Iraq.  His future looks bright, until a sort of military loophole allows the military to call him up immediately for another tour in Iraq.  Philippe’s character refuses, creating the tension for the movie.

Kimberly Peirce directs.  She’s also the director behind 2000’s Boys Don’t Cry, so she’s no stranger to controversy.  And, she doesn’t seem to be trying to avoid it in any way shape or form with Stop Loss.

With presidential campaigns underway, the five years anniversary of the war and continuing outcries over it, this film is well timed.  It’s easier, as an audience, to get into the film because you can relate, knowing what’s going on in real life now as a story inspired by it plays out on the screen.

21 could be considered Ocean’s Eleven for the teen set.  But, it’s not juvenile.  I say see it in the theater, as it’s a thinking movie with enough excitement to keep you riveted.

Stop Loss is also a thinking movie, which I think is worth a look on the big screen.  Just be ready for a biased tale, which will either anger you into action or confirm your stance on the Iraq War.

Posted: March 27th, 2008 under Film.
Comments: none

Drillbit Taylor — Paramount Pictures

Owen Wilson is back in this week’s new comedy, Drillbit Taylor, a John Hughes film, slapstick style.

Wilson is hired by two freshmen who are tired of being bullied after just the first day of high school.  He’s supposed to protect them, teaching them to defend themselves.  Unfortunately, those are skills he, himself, doesn’t have.
This film has so much going for it.  Well, other than Owen Wilson.  Unless, of course, you like Owen Wilson.  Then, it’s got everything going for it.

The great John Hughes came up with the idea for this film several years ago.  Judd Apatow, the Superbad guy, developed it.  And, as he’s apt to do, Apatow put it in the hands of Seth Rogen, who wrote Superbad, and Kristofor Brown.  Add Steve Brill, the director behind “Without a Paddle.”  Uh, nevermind.

Shutter — 20th Century Fox

If you’d rather laugh with fear, then Shutter might be more your style - another Asian horror import.  And, do we really need another one?

This time, it’s not a deadly videotape nor a catlike pale child nor a dripping apartment we must fear.  It’s ghostly images in photographs taken by an American couple honeymooning in Tokyo.  (So, is the moral of these stories that Americans should never go to East Asia?)  But, in true Asian horror style, they must solve the mystery behind the images in order to get a Scooby Snack.  Or, something like that.

This one stars Joshua Jackson, of Dawson’s Creek fame, or non-fame, depending on what you thought of that show.

It’s a little too familiar, for my taste.  But, fans of Asian horror imports may like it.

Of note, the original was made in Thailand, not Japan, as you’ll likely hear.

Posted: March 20th, 2008 under Film.
Comments: none

This weekend, Playcrafters Barn Theatre presents a murder most foul.  Okay, not foul.  “Anybody for Murder?” is meant to be murder most funny.

Max is married to Janet, but having an affair with Suzy.  Max and Suzy concoct a plan to kill Janet, collect the insurance and live together in financial bliss.

In comes Mary and George Ticklewell, announcing Janet is due for an inheritance from her recently deceased cousin, which they want a part of, but Mary is only a second cousin.  Identity confusion and deathly comedy ensues.

Playcrafters Barn Theatre is my favorite performance space in the Quad Cities.  I love the layout, with the stage jutting into the audience and the audience sitting on three sides of the action.  It’s such a great space, bringing the audience closer to the performance.

The set, crafted by Jeff Adamson, is truly impressive. These are real walls with a real staircase, not just theater smoke and mirrors.  During slower parts in the stage, I just sat and marveled at the set.

The lighting, too, deserves a mention.  I don’t usually notice lighting, unless it’s active and choreographed.  But, I noticed it here, despite its subltey.  The night scene is realistically lit, but light enough to see the actors, while believing they’re moving around the room with the lights out at night.

The show itself is amusing, but not hilarious.  I’ve never met a murder comedy that’s hilarious, actually.  They’re usually filled with predictable and/or flat humor.  Anybody for Murder? is the same, but, Playcrafters at least offers some fine performances to up the amusement level.

Christopher Tracy is a bit endearing, cute, really likable as Max.  He’s the murderer at the start, but you like him.  Tracy also keeps the show going in the dead spots (no pun intended) with ad libbed comments.  He seems to know about pacing and tries to keep things moving by adding comments here and there.

Pamela Crouch is impressive as the dead Janet.  That may sound like a slam, but it isn’t.  It’s not easy to go completely limp and trust in others to carry you around.  She does quite well at letting all control go.  And, her performance in the Second Act is quite charming.

Jean Lupoli’s Suzy offers the only two moments in the First Act in which I laughed out loud.  She offers a bit of a ditzy likeableness, which keeps you interested in the show.

Ben Hopkins, who plays Edgar, for me was the most enjoyable to watch.  He offers the most natural performance.  I truly enjoyed every moment he was on stage.  He’s sort of a gruff, likeable fellow with a good sense of humor.

Greg Bouljon, however, is made for this kind of humor.  As George, he plays the comedy of the show perfectly.  His style of delivery matches perfectly with what’s called for from the script.

Kathy Heckman  is appropriately cast as Mary, with the right amount of nagging wifeliness and controlling money-hungry, status monger.

The first act was a tad dull, with the audience not laughing as much as I think the script expects.  Part of this may due to pacing, which was a bit off.  Tighter entrances and picking up on cues for lines could correct this.  The second act, however, picks up with the audience offering their first, full on laughter in response to the comedy on stage.

Anybody for Murder? runs this weekend at Playcrafters Barn Theatre in Moline.  Shows start at 7:30 Friday and Saturday night and at 3:00 on Sunday.  Tickets are $10 and can be reserved at the theater’s website or by calling (309) 762-0330.

Posted: March 13th, 2008 under Theater.
Comments: 2

This week, I had a chance to catch the Prenzie Players’ The Taming of the Shrew.  And, I have to say, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had with William Shakespeare.

The story is a battle of the sexes, with suitors chasing Bianca, but not allowed to take her hand until her older sister, Katherine, is married.  The problem?  Katherine is a head strong, sharp-tongued woman — an untamed shrew.  In comes Petruchio, who sets upon the task to win Katherine over, shaping her into the model wife.

The Prenzie Players set the show in a bar, with the audience sitting at the bars tables.  The stage is the entire room, with the audience, as bar patrons, watching the play within a play unfold.  The actors walk amongst the tables, interacting with the audience.  In fact, the asides so common to Shakespeare are spoken directly to individuals in the audience, which seems so much more affective.  And, they ad lib.  Ad-libbed Shakespeare?  God save us!  But, it works.

As for the cast, this may be the best collection of truly exceptional actors I’ve ever seen in the Quad Cities.  Few stand out, as almost the entire cast plays at the same level of greatness.  I have to admit, it’s been years since I’ve seen or studied Shakespeare, so it took me all of the first act to get accustomed to the language.  But, that didn’t diminish my enjoyment.  I didn’t always understand what the actors were saying, but they did, speaking in the language of Shakespeare as if it were their native tongue.  Thus, they are able to speak with appropriate inflection and body language, which conveys the meaning even if the words themselves are not understood.

The cast truly is incredible, but if I had to pick some standouts, they would be Chris Moore as Petruchio and J.C. Luxton as his servant, Grumio.  While the entire cast speaks with the full knowledge of the meaning of their words, these two are a bit above the rest, making the words their own and performing with authority and confidence.  Truly impressive.

Maggie Woolley as Bianca and Jaci Entwistle as Baptista Minola also offer great performances, crafting full characters out of Shakespeare’s words.

Jake Walker is really amusing to watch as Gremio, offering many laughs through his characterization.

But, my favorite is Eddie Staver III, who plays Christopher Sly, a drunken character for whom the other cast is performing.  He is a part of the audience, pulled into the play at a few points, and never drops his drunkenness.  He’s truly impressive to watch.  For me, his role was too small.  I wanted to see more of him, truly in awe of his ability to maintain his character at all times.

And, I can’t neglect Dustin Oliver, who appears as a woman (wearing a bad wig).  He may have the smallest role in the show, but I smiled every time I looked at him.  From tossing his hair to chastising his husband for not watching the show, everything he did was subtle, not at all over the top, and just made me giggle!

The only cast member I would criticize negatively would be Beth Woolley, whose Katherine is angry… just angry… at least in Act One.  The entire first act, whenever on stage, she stomps around the room and conveys only the emotion of anger or rage, with no nuances nor subtleys.  She has an over-the-top anger, for which I could find no motivation.  I think of the character of Katherine as sharp, witty, toying and haughty.  Here, she’s just angry.  Nothing but angry.  However, Woolley’s performance much improves in the second act.  I breathed a sigh of relief as I finally saw some subltey in her performance.  She conveys several emotions, none of which were over the top.  And, she delivers the longest monologue of the show, so it’s good that’s she more than just a ball of anger.  After seeing her in Act Two, I know Woolley has the ability to offer more than just a one-dimensional character in Act One.  If she matched the multi-dimensions of Act Two Katherine in Act One, she, too, I would list among the impressive.

As I said, this is the most fun I’ve had watching a performance of Shakespeare’s work.  It’s the cast and the direction that make it so.  This isn’t a performance for which a show was selected and then the cast found.  This is a cast that wants to do this show.  Their passion and respect for and love of Shakespeare’s material is very much apparent.  And, that helps the audience.  Even if you don’t understand what’s going on, you’ll still have a great time.

Posted: March 6th, 2008 under Theater.
Comments: 4