Love, Life and Loss at Your Local Community Center
A bland room and five strangers in sweatpants: A nondescript community center in New England is the setting of “Circle Mirror Transformation.” They are there for a so-called creative acting class: There’s the aspiring pretty actress who has hit 30 without a big break in sight; there’s the bitter new divorcé who loves making chairs; there’s the insecure teenage girl who doesn’t yet know who she is but dreams of being an actress; there’s the new age instructor who insists on everyone’s expressing their feelings but keeps her own buried deep down; and there’s her husband who struggles with his marriage and the relationship with his daughter.
This unlikely quintet is thrown together by chance, and together, they go on a journey – a journey that is sometimes plain ridiculous and funny, and sometimes deeply emotional. We follow them through the six weeks of their summer acting class, see them interact and slowly get to know them, maybe on a more personal level than is comfortable. Tensions arise, lips are locked and promises are broken; unexpected secrets are revealed.
The beginning of the play is decidedly light-hearted. Anyone who has ever attended an improv class will recognize the exercises that supposedly help the characters free themselves up to be creative. Seeing them acted out on stage makes them laugh-out-loud funny. In a way, you end up laughing at yourself. Deirdre O’Connell does a superb job as the community center acting teacher who has never actually been an actress but instead is determined to release everyone’s inner self. She catches the spirit of a middle-aged spiritual coach who takes the acting class to be more about self exploration than about, well, acting, and is hilarious, but never over the top.
A lot of the humor is derived from human insecurity and awkwardness. When two of the participants end up alone in the room with each other during a break, a halting conversation about their lives unfolds. Hasn’t everyone found themselves making senseless small talk after their first class of the semester? This familiar element of “Circle Mirror Transformation” manages to make the play funny and profound at the same time without ever ridiculing its characters.
Over the course of the story, more serious tones creep in. The seemingly silly games, designed to get the creative juices flowing, turn out to reveal more about the characters than they might have been willing to reveal. When they do a round of family constellations – an exercise in which one person asks others to represent her family members and places them in a way she feels appropriate – we realize that there are all kinds of monsters in these people’s past.
At the same time, personal relationships develop between the characters. Although we only see a brief glimpse of their lives – the weekly acting class – we get a strong sense of who those people are and where they stand in relation to each other. The excellent cast succeeds in letting the subtle lines of dialogues come to life in a gripping and sometimes chilling way.
And as we get to know these people better and better, the intensity of their emotions becomes more and more urgent. We understand them, we know what they want and where they are coming from. This charged environment culminates in one last exercise: Each member of the group anonymously reveals a secret about themselves. And yet, we, and probably they themselves, know whose secret is whose. Everything they have been through together has led up to those revelations, a catharsis of sorts.
Circle Mirror Transformation, at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Aves), playing through November 1. Performance times: Tues-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 2:00 & 7:30 pm, and Sun at 2:00 & 7:00 pm. Tickets: www.playwrightshorizons.org
Montag, 22. März 2010
thecelebritycafe.com: TV Review - Veronica Mars
Original Article
Television at its best.
Life’s a bitch. 17-year-old Veronica Mars has known that for a while now. Her life has fallen apart in the past year: Her best friend Lily was brutally murdered. Veronica’s father lost his job as the sheriff after accusing Lily’s father, the wealthiest man in town, of the murder. Her popular friends, including her boyfriend, ditched her. And finally, her mother left the family and vanished off the face of the earth.
So yeah, fate has dumped a lot on Veronica. But the former girlie girl has toughened up and learned to live with it. She uses her newly-discovered sleuthing skills and her father’s equipment – he is a private detective by now – to solve little mysteries at her high school by day and makes a little cash off that. But by night, she tries to solve the mystery of her best friend’s death.
The plot of Veronica Mars’s first season was originally intended to be a novel by series creator Rob Thomas. And you can tell: The story arc of the search for Lily’s killer spans the whole season and is crafted beautifully. There are no coincidences in Veronica’s story, and everything falls into place in the end – even if it’s not the kind of solution Hollywood would choose.
The writing is just as flawless as the storytelling. The story moves along smoothly, there are incredibly satisfying plot twists, and more witty one-liners than in an episode of Seinfeld. The characters seem human even though they are clearly contrived to serve a plot. And yet, they are just as unpredictable as real people and surprise you with their flaws as well as with sudden and unexpected goodness.
This is not least due to the actors who portray their roles with great skill and dedication. Kristen Bell leads the cast as Veronica, and she plays tough no-nonsense detective just as well as helpless bimbo when Veronica is on undercover research.
Bell is supported by a line-up of actors who really seem to sink their teeth into their roles – most notably, Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni and Michael Muhney. Amanda Seyfried makes a great guest star as dead Lily in several flashbacks.
Veronica Mars is definitely not your average teen drama, and has more in common with a film noir. It is dark and cruel, and shocks you more than once with a sudden reverse of fortune. It deals with death, rape, extortion and violence, and yet, never becomes a soap opera. It is just too cool for that.
Watch full episodes of Veronica Mars here.
Television at its best.
Life’s a bitch. 17-year-old Veronica Mars has known that for a while now. Her life has fallen apart in the past year: Her best friend Lily was brutally murdered. Veronica’s father lost his job as the sheriff after accusing Lily’s father, the wealthiest man in town, of the murder. Her popular friends, including her boyfriend, ditched her. And finally, her mother left the family and vanished off the face of the earth.
So yeah, fate has dumped a lot on Veronica. But the former girlie girl has toughened up and learned to live with it. She uses her newly-discovered sleuthing skills and her father’s equipment – he is a private detective by now – to solve little mysteries at her high school by day and makes a little cash off that. But by night, she tries to solve the mystery of her best friend’s death.
The plot of Veronica Mars’s first season was originally intended to be a novel by series creator Rob Thomas. And you can tell: The story arc of the search for Lily’s killer spans the whole season and is crafted beautifully. There are no coincidences in Veronica’s story, and everything falls into place in the end – even if it’s not the kind of solution Hollywood would choose.
The writing is just as flawless as the storytelling. The story moves along smoothly, there are incredibly satisfying plot twists, and more witty one-liners than in an episode of Seinfeld. The characters seem human even though they are clearly contrived to serve a plot. And yet, they are just as unpredictable as real people and surprise you with their flaws as well as with sudden and unexpected goodness.
This is not least due to the actors who portray their roles with great skill and dedication. Kristen Bell leads the cast as Veronica, and she plays tough no-nonsense detective just as well as helpless bimbo when Veronica is on undercover research.
Bell is supported by a line-up of actors who really seem to sink their teeth into their roles – most notably, Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni and Michael Muhney. Amanda Seyfried makes a great guest star as dead Lily in several flashbacks.
Veronica Mars is definitely not your average teen drama, and has more in common with a film noir. It is dark and cruel, and shocks you more than once with a sudden reverse of fortune. It deals with death, rape, extortion and violence, and yet, never becomes a soap opera. It is just too cool for that.
Watch full episodes of Veronica Mars here.
thecelebritycafe.com: TV Review - Profit
Original Article
Profit is the best show you have probably never heard of.
Adrian Pasdar (Heroes´s Nathan Petrelli) stars as Jim Profit, a businessman without a conscience who ruthlessly follows his goals. At the moment, his goal is to climb the career ladder at the corporation “Gracen & Gracen”. His boyishly good looks and the shallowness of the business help him disguise what he really is: A sociopath without feelings.
But Profit sure does have the brains to make up for it: He spins a web of blackmail, deceit, bribery, and crime that would do any soap opera credit, were it not so evil and dark (not to forget wildly entertaining). And yet, you can’t help but root for him.
Profit has been compared to American Psycho more than a few times, but also has a lot of moments that bring TV’s Dexter to mind. Some of the special effects (and haircuts!) may seem outdated by today’s standards, but the mind-blowingly good acting and writing sure aren’t.
The show was axed by FOX in 1996, not least because of scenes like this: Profit finds a beautiful woman waiting for him in his office. He makes out with her just to then greet her with, “Hello, mom.” But luckily, all eight completed episodes (plus, tons of bonus material that clearly shows how much fun everyone involved had) are now available on DVD and one can relive all the great plot twists, sexy voice-over and sleeping in a moving box – you have to see it to believe it.
Profit is the best show you have probably never heard of.
Adrian Pasdar (Heroes´s Nathan Petrelli) stars as Jim Profit, a businessman without a conscience who ruthlessly follows his goals. At the moment, his goal is to climb the career ladder at the corporation “Gracen & Gracen”. His boyishly good looks and the shallowness of the business help him disguise what he really is: A sociopath without feelings.
But Profit sure does have the brains to make up for it: He spins a web of blackmail, deceit, bribery, and crime that would do any soap opera credit, were it not so evil and dark (not to forget wildly entertaining). And yet, you can’t help but root for him.
Profit has been compared to American Psycho more than a few times, but also has a lot of moments that bring TV’s Dexter to mind. Some of the special effects (and haircuts!) may seem outdated by today’s standards, but the mind-blowingly good acting and writing sure aren’t.
The show was axed by FOX in 1996, not least because of scenes like this: Profit finds a beautiful woman waiting for him in his office. He makes out with her just to then greet her with, “Hello, mom.” But luckily, all eight completed episodes (plus, tons of bonus material that clearly shows how much fun everyone involved had) are now available on DVD and one can relive all the great plot twists, sexy voice-over and sleeping in a moving box – you have to see it to believe it.
thecelebritycafe.com: TV Review - Tough Love
Original Article
They are pretty, they are successful, they are smart - and yet, some women just seem to fail in the dating world. VH1 Tough Love tries to show them what they are doing wrong, and what a man's point of view is.
Alleged "master matchmaker" Steve Ward is the host of VH1's latest dating show brainchild, who wants to teach eight apparently hopeless women how to date. All of the contestants seem to fit a different stereotype: There's the party girl who has never had a serious relationship, the marriage minded one who already has designed her wedding dress, the gold digger, the career woman, the stalker type, the motherly caring girl, the tough one and the picky one.
Steve is dishing out what they keep doing wrong - and he's not gentle doing it. They learn to build a relationship from ground up - from first impressions to sharing secrets in a positive way to trusting someone.
VH1 Tough Love was a topic of heated discussion even before it hit the airwaves in March. People worried it would have a misogynic undertone and try to form women after some male ideal that was impossible to reach.
It turned out differently: Yes, Steve Ward candidly tells contestants what their faults are, and yes, the tone of the show is not always amiable - but there's a reason it is called Tough Love.
As reality shows go, this one is definitely one of the most tolerable ones in recent history. The contestants seem like real people instead of drama queens who seek media exposure, and the objective of the show is always to help people with their issues.
And then, it even teaches the viewer a little about dating ? the most comforting thing being that you never have to change who you are, just how you present yourself.
They are pretty, they are successful, they are smart - and yet, some women just seem to fail in the dating world. VH1 Tough Love tries to show them what they are doing wrong, and what a man's point of view is.
Alleged "master matchmaker" Steve Ward is the host of VH1's latest dating show brainchild, who wants to teach eight apparently hopeless women how to date. All of the contestants seem to fit a different stereotype: There's the party girl who has never had a serious relationship, the marriage minded one who already has designed her wedding dress, the gold digger, the career woman, the stalker type, the motherly caring girl, the tough one and the picky one.
Steve is dishing out what they keep doing wrong - and he's not gentle doing it. They learn to build a relationship from ground up - from first impressions to sharing secrets in a positive way to trusting someone.
VH1 Tough Love was a topic of heated discussion even before it hit the airwaves in March. People worried it would have a misogynic undertone and try to form women after some male ideal that was impossible to reach.
It turned out differently: Yes, Steve Ward candidly tells contestants what their faults are, and yes, the tone of the show is not always amiable - but there's a reason it is called Tough Love.
As reality shows go, this one is definitely one of the most tolerable ones in recent history. The contestants seem like real people instead of drama queens who seek media exposure, and the objective of the show is always to help people with their issues.
And then, it even teaches the viewer a little about dating ? the most comforting thing being that you never have to change who you are, just how you present yourself.
thecelebritycafe.com: TV Review - Strangers With Candy
Original Article
Politically extremely incorrect and absurdly hilarious – Strangers With Candy delivers.
How “out there” can you get? It seems like writers and actors Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert (yes, that Stephen Colbert) were trying to explore this question while creating Strangers With Candy. Just take the basic plot: 46-year-old Jerri decides to return to high school after decades of living on the street, prostitution and drug abuse. So she continues exactly where she left off when running away 30 years earlier: As a freshman at Flatpoint High, a life full of annoying teachers, arguments with parents and other challenges.
Every episode, Jerri has to deal with an “issue” – a stab at after school specials, the programs that neatly resolve every problem in just under an hour, while teaching young people something essential about life. And so Jerri lives through everything your average teenager does – she joins a cult, battles drugs and an eating disorder, finds out what she wants to do with her life, falls in and out of love and learns how to deal with retarded people. Hilariously, she comes to a not-so-inspiring conclusion at the end of each episode, for example, that you sometimes have to give up your dream (quote, “If you're gonna reach for a star, reach for the lowest one you can.”), or that people simply like you more if you look better.
Just as absurdly comical as the outline is, as politically incorrect are the jokes. Try this on for size: “I cried when I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet – then I laughed really hard.” Sedaris, Dinello and Colbert succeeded in creating a hysterical show that will have you in fits of laughter if you have a weird sense of humor or in fits of rage if you’re too sensitive. One way or the other – Strangers With Candy will not leave you unaffected.
Now, you can relive all the love, tears, and lessons for life with the complete three seasons of the show in a trapper keeper-like box set.
Politically extremely incorrect and absurdly hilarious – Strangers With Candy delivers.
How “out there” can you get? It seems like writers and actors Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert (yes, that Stephen Colbert) were trying to explore this question while creating Strangers With Candy. Just take the basic plot: 46-year-old Jerri decides to return to high school after decades of living on the street, prostitution and drug abuse. So she continues exactly where she left off when running away 30 years earlier: As a freshman at Flatpoint High, a life full of annoying teachers, arguments with parents and other challenges.
Every episode, Jerri has to deal with an “issue” – a stab at after school specials, the programs that neatly resolve every problem in just under an hour, while teaching young people something essential about life. And so Jerri lives through everything your average teenager does – she joins a cult, battles drugs and an eating disorder, finds out what she wants to do with her life, falls in and out of love and learns how to deal with retarded people. Hilariously, she comes to a not-so-inspiring conclusion at the end of each episode, for example, that you sometimes have to give up your dream (quote, “If you're gonna reach for a star, reach for the lowest one you can.”), or that people simply like you more if you look better.
Just as absurdly comical as the outline is, as politically incorrect are the jokes. Try this on for size: “I cried when I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet – then I laughed really hard.” Sedaris, Dinello and Colbert succeeded in creating a hysterical show that will have you in fits of laughter if you have a weird sense of humor or in fits of rage if you’re too sensitive. One way or the other – Strangers With Candy will not leave you unaffected.
Now, you can relive all the love, tears, and lessons for life with the complete three seasons of the show in a trapper keeper-like box set.
Samstag, 13. März 2010
thecelebritycafe.com: TV Review - Wonder Showzen
Original Article
Bizarro-Sesame Street offends and/or makes you literally roll on the floor laughing.
MTV2’s “Wonder Showzen” is Sesame Street for adults – for adults with a sense of humor as black as tar. It has all the ingredients – puppets, cute, innocent children, lessons for life. But you definitely shouldn’t let your children watch it. In fact, every episode starts off with the following warning: “Wonder Showzen contains offensive, despicable content that is too controversial and too awesome for actual children. The stark, ugly, profound truths Wonder Showzen exposes may be soul-crushing to the weak of spirit. If you allow a child to watch this show, you are a bad parent or guardian.”
That much is true: Because in the world of Wonder Showzen, the numbers and letters are star-crossed Israeli/Palestinian lovers and have on-screen sex. The cute children ask random people on Wall Street questions like, “Who did you exploit today?” and “Where will you hide when the revolution starts?” The inspirational songs have titles like “Thank you, slaves,” (see video below) and kids write letters saying, “Dear Jesus, when I’m done writing this letter, I’m gonna throw it in the garbage. Cause at least the garbage is real.”
If you are easily offended, Wonder Showzen is not for you. The show makes balancing on the verge of bad taste its credo. More than once, it crosses the line.
But it is much more than an assault on good taste. Wonder Showzen is the epitome of what MTV once was: Ground-breaking television that’s different from anything else. There is definitely nothing that compares to this show. It cleverly combines absurdity and randomness with social and political commentary. The juxtaposition of the format of a children’s program and kids as protagonists with total political incorrectness makes for great entertainment – again, as long as you don’t mind exploiting taboos for comical effect – to quote the Wonder Showzen puppets: “This is the Chernobyl of TV shows – only with less laughs.”
Watch “Thank you, slaves”:
Bizarro-Sesame Street offends and/or makes you literally roll on the floor laughing.
MTV2’s “Wonder Showzen” is Sesame Street for adults – for adults with a sense of humor as black as tar. It has all the ingredients – puppets, cute, innocent children, lessons for life. But you definitely shouldn’t let your children watch it. In fact, every episode starts off with the following warning: “Wonder Showzen contains offensive, despicable content that is too controversial and too awesome for actual children. The stark, ugly, profound truths Wonder Showzen exposes may be soul-crushing to the weak of spirit. If you allow a child to watch this show, you are a bad parent or guardian.”
That much is true: Because in the world of Wonder Showzen, the numbers and letters are star-crossed Israeli/Palestinian lovers and have on-screen sex. The cute children ask random people on Wall Street questions like, “Who did you exploit today?” and “Where will you hide when the revolution starts?” The inspirational songs have titles like “Thank you, slaves,” (see video below) and kids write letters saying, “Dear Jesus, when I’m done writing this letter, I’m gonna throw it in the garbage. Cause at least the garbage is real.”
If you are easily offended, Wonder Showzen is not for you. The show makes balancing on the verge of bad taste its credo. More than once, it crosses the line.
But it is much more than an assault on good taste. Wonder Showzen is the epitome of what MTV once was: Ground-breaking television that’s different from anything else. There is definitely nothing that compares to this show. It cleverly combines absurdity and randomness with social and political commentary. The juxtaposition of the format of a children’s program and kids as protagonists with total political incorrectness makes for great entertainment – again, as long as you don’t mind exploiting taboos for comical effect – to quote the Wonder Showzen puppets: “This is the Chernobyl of TV shows – only with less laughs.”
Watch “Thank you, slaves”:
thecelebritycafe.com: Movie Review - Revanche
The 2009 Oscar nominee from Austria is a quiet yet powerful film about culpability.
It all starts with a plan that’s supposedly foolproof: Small-time criminal Alex will rob a bank. Together with Ukrainian girlfriend Tamara who works as a prostitute, he wants to start a new life. They are planning to get out of lower-class Vienna, get away from Tamara’s pimp who tries to pressure her into becoming a private call girl, away from their debt and drug problems, away from their past.
The small bank near Alex’s grandfather’s farm seems to be a safe bet: It’s a rural, quiet area, few people, no police, no one will get hurt. But then, the plan goes awry, and nothing is as it was before…
Revanche is a quasi-film noir in the unlikely setting of Vienna and rural Lower Austria. The contrast, especially between peaceful, sunny landscapes and forests and the dark emotions that the movie evokes, is fascinating.
The movie centers around a single event, depicts its reasons and what leads up to it, as well as the sometimes unexpected impact it has on different people’s lives. It shows how a certain ripple effect is part of every day life and of seemingly mundane and random events. Every action affects a multitude of lives.
The central question of the film is culpability – who can we blame if our lives don’t go according to plan? Is there ever a single culprit or is it a multitude of circumstances that lead us into bliss or perdition?
Another issue is closely related to these questions: Is there even such a thing as revenge, when so many different things led to a certain event? When even your own actions contributed to what happened?
Revanche was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film in 2009, and deservedly so. The depicted emotions seem so raw and intense you just have to feel for the characters. And while it might be considered an arthouse film, the ever-rising tension of the story will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Revanche opens May 1 in New York, Seattle, and Boston, and will make its way around the country through July, according to distributor Criterion. Watch out for it.
It all starts with a plan that’s supposedly foolproof: Small-time criminal Alex will rob a bank. Together with Ukrainian girlfriend Tamara who works as a prostitute, he wants to start a new life. They are planning to get out of lower-class Vienna, get away from Tamara’s pimp who tries to pressure her into becoming a private call girl, away from their debt and drug problems, away from their past.
The small bank near Alex’s grandfather’s farm seems to be a safe bet: It’s a rural, quiet area, few people, no police, no one will get hurt. But then, the plan goes awry, and nothing is as it was before…
Revanche is a quasi-film noir in the unlikely setting of Vienna and rural Lower Austria. The contrast, especially between peaceful, sunny landscapes and forests and the dark emotions that the movie evokes, is fascinating.
The movie centers around a single event, depicts its reasons and what leads up to it, as well as the sometimes unexpected impact it has on different people’s lives. It shows how a certain ripple effect is part of every day life and of seemingly mundane and random events. Every action affects a multitude of lives.
The central question of the film is culpability – who can we blame if our lives don’t go according to plan? Is there ever a single culprit or is it a multitude of circumstances that lead us into bliss or perdition?
Another issue is closely related to these questions: Is there even such a thing as revenge, when so many different things led to a certain event? When even your own actions contributed to what happened?
Revanche was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film in 2009, and deservedly so. The depicted emotions seem so raw and intense you just have to feel for the characters. And while it might be considered an arthouse film, the ever-rising tension of the story will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Revanche opens May 1 in New York, Seattle, and Boston, and will make its way around the country through July, according to distributor Criterion. Watch out for it.
thecelebritycafe.com: Movie Review - Memento
Unusual thriller tells story backwards, with a twist at the “beginning“.
What would it be like to never know what you just did? This theoretical premise is Leonard’s life. He lost his short-time memory, and now struggles with finding his wife’s killer while coping with his disability. His life is a series of moments by themselves, since he doesn’t remember what brought him there or what just happened.
In a desperate attempt to make sense of the world, Leonard organizes it by writing information on post-its, taking pictures of everyone he meets, and even tattooing the most important things (“Find him and kill him”, in respect to his wife’s killer) onto every part of his body, until he starts looking like a bizarre notepad.
Leonard is in a constant state of insecurity, disorientation and desperation. He never knows whom he can trust and who is taking advantage of him. In a genius twist, Director Christopher Nolan puts the audience in the same spot by putting the movie’s sequences in reverse order and telling the end of the story first. At the beginning of each scene, we are just as confused as the protagonist, since we don’t (yet) know what led up to it.
“Memento” certainly requires a lot of attention on the viewer’s part to be adequately enjoyed. It is a totally different viewing experience: You have to find a way to orient yourself in a disorienting world.
But once you know how to watch it, there’s nary a movie that is more fun to watch. The audience slowly discovers the whole story, complete with a shocking plot twist at the end, uh, beginning.
What would it be like to never know what you just did? This theoretical premise is Leonard’s life. He lost his short-time memory, and now struggles with finding his wife’s killer while coping with his disability. His life is a series of moments by themselves, since he doesn’t remember what brought him there or what just happened.
In a desperate attempt to make sense of the world, Leonard organizes it by writing information on post-its, taking pictures of everyone he meets, and even tattooing the most important things (“Find him and kill him”, in respect to his wife’s killer) onto every part of his body, until he starts looking like a bizarre notepad.
Leonard is in a constant state of insecurity, disorientation and desperation. He never knows whom he can trust and who is taking advantage of him. In a genius twist, Director Christopher Nolan puts the audience in the same spot by putting the movie’s sequences in reverse order and telling the end of the story first. At the beginning of each scene, we are just as confused as the protagonist, since we don’t (yet) know what led up to it.
“Memento” certainly requires a lot of attention on the viewer’s part to be adequately enjoyed. It is a totally different viewing experience: You have to find a way to orient yourself in a disorienting world.
But once you know how to watch it, there’s nary a movie that is more fun to watch. The audience slowly discovers the whole story, complete with a shocking plot twist at the end, uh, beginning.
thecelebritycafe.com: TV Review - Everwood
“Everwood” provides laughter, tears, and Treat Williams with a beard.
Somewhere in the middle of the Colorado mountains: Welcome to Everwood, a small town complete with quirky inhabitants and easy-going lifestyle, where everyone knows everyone. But then, a new face appears in town: Dr. Andrew Brown (Treat Williams, with a beard!), a world-famous neurosurgeon and his children Ephram (Gregory Smith) and Delia (Vivien Cardone).
Andy is here to start a new life. After his wife died in a car accident he realized how little he knew his own children. Now, he wants to reconnect. There’s just one problem: His son hates him.
Ephram, meanwhile, has other problems: He falls in love with the most popular girl in school, Amy (Emily VanCamp), who, of course, has a boyfriend. And not only that, this boyfriend is in a coma. So when she hears about a surgeon coming to town, she has new hope.
The aforementioned quirky Everwoodians have various reactions to the new residents: There’s the town’s doctor (Tom Amandes) who isn’t happy about the new competition as Andy opens an office. There’s his estranged mother (Debra Mooney) who is married to the only black guy within a 30-mile radius. There’s Andy’s neighbour Nina (Stephanie Niznik) with whom he always finds a sympathetic ear.
“Everwood” was easily one of the best dramas on TV. Mostly because it had a lot of drama (Deaths! Comas! Unrequited love!) without ever being cheesy, and just enough comedic elements without being ridiculous.
Another strong suit of the show are its characters, whom you just can’t help but fall in love with as you get to know them along the way. A lot of that is due to great writing, but just as much credit goes to the actors who craft their characters with a certain fondness. Tom Amandes in particular succeeds in making the town doctor, who seems to be nothing but a funny sidekick at first, into a multi-layered, interesting person.
There’s one thing you can count on with “Everwood”: Almost every single episode will make you cry like a baby, or, at the very least, make your eyes water. It’s just that good.
Somewhere in the middle of the Colorado mountains: Welcome to Everwood, a small town complete with quirky inhabitants and easy-going lifestyle, where everyone knows everyone. But then, a new face appears in town: Dr. Andrew Brown (Treat Williams, with a beard!), a world-famous neurosurgeon and his children Ephram (Gregory Smith) and Delia (Vivien Cardone).
Andy is here to start a new life. After his wife died in a car accident he realized how little he knew his own children. Now, he wants to reconnect. There’s just one problem: His son hates him.
Ephram, meanwhile, has other problems: He falls in love with the most popular girl in school, Amy (Emily VanCamp), who, of course, has a boyfriend. And not only that, this boyfriend is in a coma. So when she hears about a surgeon coming to town, she has new hope.
The aforementioned quirky Everwoodians have various reactions to the new residents: There’s the town’s doctor (Tom Amandes) who isn’t happy about the new competition as Andy opens an office. There’s his estranged mother (Debra Mooney) who is married to the only black guy within a 30-mile radius. There’s Andy’s neighbour Nina (Stephanie Niznik) with whom he always finds a sympathetic ear.
“Everwood” was easily one of the best dramas on TV. Mostly because it had a lot of drama (Deaths! Comas! Unrequited love!) without ever being cheesy, and just enough comedic elements without being ridiculous.
Another strong suit of the show are its characters, whom you just can’t help but fall in love with as you get to know them along the way. A lot of that is due to great writing, but just as much credit goes to the actors who craft their characters with a certain fondness. Tom Amandes in particular succeeds in making the town doctor, who seems to be nothing but a funny sidekick at first, into a multi-layered, interesting person.
There’s one thing you can count on with “Everwood”: Almost every single episode will make you cry like a baby, or, at the very least, make your eyes water. It’s just that good.
thecelebritycafe.com: Movie Review - The Reader
Original Article
The movie version of Bernhard Schlink’s novel delivers: Kate Winslet naked, strong story-telling, fascinating take on German history.
Berlin, 1958. Michael is fifteen when he first meets Hanna, a woman more than twice his age. Nevertheless, they fall in lust, and gradually, into some sort of love. Their relationship includes an important element: Michael regularly reads to Hanna. Together they go through the world’s literature, from Schiller to Chekhov.
But then, the affair ends suddenly, abruptly, as Hanna disappears from her apartment. Michael is not going to see her again until ten years later, and it will be in a courtroom. She is accused of killing hundreds of people as a Nazi prison guard.
Director Stephen Daldry sensitively paints a picture of a young boy who doesn’t really know where he’s going, an unconventional relationship and the ramifications of learning something unbelievable about someone you once loved.
Kate Winslet gives the performance of a lifetime as a woman without remorse. And yet, she is not evil in the slightest. She just shut herself off from what happened, disconnecting herself from her past. “It doesn't matter what I think. It doesn't matter what I feel. The dead are still dead,“ she says.
In the courtroom, she seems lost, helpless, almost pathetic. “What would you have done?” she asks the judge, and it’s not a rhetorical question.
Meanwhile, Michael has to battle his own demons. He knows something, a piece of information that would exonerate his former lover, but can he bring himself to disclose it? Doesn’t she still deserve punishment? And who is he to decide? Those are questions that will haunt him for a long time.
Yes, „The Reader“ deals with the topic of the Holocaust, but it is not a Holocaust movie. It’s just as much a character study, the story of obsessive love, and a tale of coming to terms with the past, personally and collectively.
The movie version of Bernhard Schlink’s novel delivers: Kate Winslet naked, strong story-telling, fascinating take on German history.
Berlin, 1958. Michael is fifteen when he first meets Hanna, a woman more than twice his age. Nevertheless, they fall in lust, and gradually, into some sort of love. Their relationship includes an important element: Michael regularly reads to Hanna. Together they go through the world’s literature, from Schiller to Chekhov.
But then, the affair ends suddenly, abruptly, as Hanna disappears from her apartment. Michael is not going to see her again until ten years later, and it will be in a courtroom. She is accused of killing hundreds of people as a Nazi prison guard.
Director Stephen Daldry sensitively paints a picture of a young boy who doesn’t really know where he’s going, an unconventional relationship and the ramifications of learning something unbelievable about someone you once loved.
Kate Winslet gives the performance of a lifetime as a woman without remorse. And yet, she is not evil in the slightest. She just shut herself off from what happened, disconnecting herself from her past. “It doesn't matter what I think. It doesn't matter what I feel. The dead are still dead,“ she says.
In the courtroom, she seems lost, helpless, almost pathetic. “What would you have done?” she asks the judge, and it’s not a rhetorical question.
Meanwhile, Michael has to battle his own demons. He knows something, a piece of information that would exonerate his former lover, but can he bring himself to disclose it? Doesn’t she still deserve punishment? And who is he to decide? Those are questions that will haunt him for a long time.
Yes, „The Reader“ deals with the topic of the Holocaust, but it is not a Holocaust movie. It’s just as much a character study, the story of obsessive love, and a tale of coming to terms with the past, personally and collectively.
thecelebritycafe.com: Movie Review - The Baader Meinhof Complex
Original Article
A little-told piece of German history in a film that tries a little too hard to be a documentary.
Terrorism is not a new phenomenon. Germany, the 1970ies: The left-wing Red Army Faction (RAF) becomes the most feared group in the country by bombing government buildings, robbing banks and organizing kidnappings. They protest US Vietnam policy, the treatment of the so-called Third World, and capitalism. Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof and Gudrun Ensslin are the group’s founders and leaders. They believe in their causes and are convinced that violence is necessary to fight the evils of the world. But then, things get out of control and people get hurt and killed. Can the spiral of violence be stopped?
2008's The Baader Meinhof Complex hasn’t found a US distributor yet, but it is up for a foreign language Oscar on Feb 22. The nomination is well-deserved, a win however wouldn’t be. The film does a good job at portraying a piece of German history that has been more or less neglected by the movie industry. It gives you an overlook of three generations of RAF terrorists and their fate. This is where the film’s first problem arises – it tries too hard to stuff in too many facts and events into 150 minutes, and that doesn’t quite work. Especially the last third feels more like a series of snapshots than like a movie. The second problem is related to that – the film tries so hard to document absolutely everything, it seems to forget it is supposed to be a drama.
The strongest suit of The Baader Meinhof Complex are definitely the actors (especially German stars Moritz Bleibtreu and Martina Gedeck), who make their terrorist characters so human and passionate you can’t help but root for them a little bit.
A little-told piece of German history in a film that tries a little too hard to be a documentary.
Terrorism is not a new phenomenon. Germany, the 1970ies: The left-wing Red Army Faction (RAF) becomes the most feared group in the country by bombing government buildings, robbing banks and organizing kidnappings. They protest US Vietnam policy, the treatment of the so-called Third World, and capitalism. Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof and Gudrun Ensslin are the group’s founders and leaders. They believe in their causes and are convinced that violence is necessary to fight the evils of the world. But then, things get out of control and people get hurt and killed. Can the spiral of violence be stopped?
2008's The Baader Meinhof Complex hasn’t found a US distributor yet, but it is up for a foreign language Oscar on Feb 22. The nomination is well-deserved, a win however wouldn’t be. The film does a good job at portraying a piece of German history that has been more or less neglected by the movie industry. It gives you an overlook of three generations of RAF terrorists and their fate. This is where the film’s first problem arises – it tries too hard to stuff in too many facts and events into 150 minutes, and that doesn’t quite work. Especially the last third feels more like a series of snapshots than like a movie. The second problem is related to that – the film tries so hard to document absolutely everything, it seems to forget it is supposed to be a drama.
The strongest suit of The Baader Meinhof Complex are definitely the actors (especially German stars Moritz Bleibtreu and Martina Gedeck), who make their terrorist characters so human and passionate you can’t help but root for them a little bit.
thecelebritycafe.com: Stage Review - Chicago the Musical live
After 13 years on Broadway, Chicago the Musical still delivers.
“...and all that Jazz”: Ever since the Oscar-winning movie starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta Jones and Richard Gere in 2002, Chicago the Musical has been a household name. And even after 13 straight years on Broadway (after having been revived in 1996), the live version doesn’t fail to entertain.
In the 1920s, the morals in Chicago are loose: Every week a new murder case rocks the headlines and another murderess becomes a heroine for 15 minutes. The latest one is Roxie Hart, a young unrepentant beauty who shot her boyfriend because he was about to leave her. She arrives in a women’s prison filled with sexy criminals and run by Matron Mama Morton with an iron fist. Most unhappy about Roxie’s arrival is inmate Velma Kelly because the new girl is stealing her place in the spotlight. And not only that – top lawyer Billy Flynn, a must-have to win your process, seems to focus his attention on the newbie.
The current production of Chicago certainly plays to its strengths – being a classical Broadway musical. There are no experiments – instead, there are colorful lights, sparkly costumes, and stirring tunes; also, some dark humor you cannot help but thoroughly enjoy.
One definite highlight is – just like in the movie – the “Cellblock Tango”, a confessional sextet by all the murderesses whose lyrics just make you smirk (“And then he ran into my knife – he ran into my knife ten times!”) and whose tune makes your feet tap along.
There are two performances that stand out: Melora Hardin (Roxie), famous for her portrayal of Jan Levenson on NBC’s The Office, mostly because it’s really cool to be close to a famous person in actuality. Also, she skillfully walks the fine line between making Roxie an annoying ingénue and a cold-blooded criminal, respectively. And then there’s Tom Hewitt, who brings just the right amount of slick and glib to the role of Billy Flynn. Plus, he has a way better voice than Richard Gere.
Chicago, which has been at the Ambassador Theatre since 2003, is a perfect evening of entertainment without any surprises. Solid Broadway gold.
“...and all that Jazz”: Ever since the Oscar-winning movie starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta Jones and Richard Gere in 2002, Chicago the Musical has been a household name. And even after 13 straight years on Broadway (after having been revived in 1996), the live version doesn’t fail to entertain.
In the 1920s, the morals in Chicago are loose: Every week a new murder case rocks the headlines and another murderess becomes a heroine for 15 minutes. The latest one is Roxie Hart, a young unrepentant beauty who shot her boyfriend because he was about to leave her. She arrives in a women’s prison filled with sexy criminals and run by Matron Mama Morton with an iron fist. Most unhappy about Roxie’s arrival is inmate Velma Kelly because the new girl is stealing her place in the spotlight. And not only that – top lawyer Billy Flynn, a must-have to win your process, seems to focus his attention on the newbie.
The current production of Chicago certainly plays to its strengths – being a classical Broadway musical. There are no experiments – instead, there are colorful lights, sparkly costumes, and stirring tunes; also, some dark humor you cannot help but thoroughly enjoy.
One definite highlight is – just like in the movie – the “Cellblock Tango”, a confessional sextet by all the murderesses whose lyrics just make you smirk (“And then he ran into my knife – he ran into my knife ten times!”) and whose tune makes your feet tap along.
There are two performances that stand out: Melora Hardin (Roxie), famous for her portrayal of Jan Levenson on NBC’s The Office, mostly because it’s really cool to be close to a famous person in actuality. Also, she skillfully walks the fine line between making Roxie an annoying ingénue and a cold-blooded criminal, respectively. And then there’s Tom Hewitt, who brings just the right amount of slick and glib to the role of Billy Flynn. Plus, he has a way better voice than Richard Gere.
Chicago, which has been at the Ambassador Theatre since 2003, is a perfect evening of entertainment without any surprises. Solid Broadway gold.
thecelebritycafe: Movie Review - The Counterfeiters (Die Fälscher)
Original Article
Last year's foreign Oscar winner offers a different take on the Holocaust.
Sometimes, it feels like the film industry has already told every story about the atrocities of the Holocaust there is to tell. The only way to still pulling it off is finding a small story inside all of the big history and tell it – and that is exactly what the 2008 foreign-language Academy Award winner The Counterfeiters (Die Fälscher) does.
Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics) is a master counterfeiter – and he is living the sweetest life it can buy him. But then, he gets arrested, and ends up in the concentration camp Sachsenhausen. And the Nazis are not about to let his talent of forging currency and documents go to waste. They set up a workshop where they have Sorowitsch and others forge British money, among other things. In exchange, the counterfeiters get a little oasis in the middle of hell: More food, better beds, a life that actually deserves the name, compared to all the other prisoners.
This puts the group in a dilemma in two ways: They want to survive, they want to live, and they know they only will if they obey the Nazis' orders. But on the other hand, they are painfully aware they are financing the war on the Germans' side by providing them with valuable foreign currency. And then, there’s the guilt of hearing the screams from the other side of the camp while lying in their comfortable beds or having a cigarette.
The Counterfeiters was Austria’s first Oscar win for Best Foreign Language Movie, and deservedly so. It features a number of strong performances, especially by lead Karl Markovics, who is one of the country’s most promising acting talents. The visuals are far from glossy, and seem impressively rough and realistic.
The story suffers from a few lengthy sections and the rather unrealistic portrayal of Adolf Burger, a counterfeiter colleague of Sorowitsch's, from whose point of view the story is told. While all the other characters are realistically torn between doing the “right thing” (resisting the Nazis) and their will to survive, Burger seems to be some kind of angel who always argues for the morally sacrosanct choice, apparently without any fear of being killed for it. One can assume without too much speculation that he made himself look a bit better on purpose, since the movie is based on Burger's own memoirs – and no-one can really blame him for that.
Last year's foreign Oscar winner offers a different take on the Holocaust.
Sometimes, it feels like the film industry has already told every story about the atrocities of the Holocaust there is to tell. The only way to still pulling it off is finding a small story inside all of the big history and tell it – and that is exactly what the 2008 foreign-language Academy Award winner The Counterfeiters (Die Fälscher) does.
Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics) is a master counterfeiter – and he is living the sweetest life it can buy him. But then, he gets arrested, and ends up in the concentration camp Sachsenhausen. And the Nazis are not about to let his talent of forging currency and documents go to waste. They set up a workshop where they have Sorowitsch and others forge British money, among other things. In exchange, the counterfeiters get a little oasis in the middle of hell: More food, better beds, a life that actually deserves the name, compared to all the other prisoners.
This puts the group in a dilemma in two ways: They want to survive, they want to live, and they know they only will if they obey the Nazis' orders. But on the other hand, they are painfully aware they are financing the war on the Germans' side by providing them with valuable foreign currency. And then, there’s the guilt of hearing the screams from the other side of the camp while lying in their comfortable beds or having a cigarette.
The Counterfeiters was Austria’s first Oscar win for Best Foreign Language Movie, and deservedly so. It features a number of strong performances, especially by lead Karl Markovics, who is one of the country’s most promising acting talents. The visuals are far from glossy, and seem impressively rough and realistic.
The story suffers from a few lengthy sections and the rather unrealistic portrayal of Adolf Burger, a counterfeiter colleague of Sorowitsch's, from whose point of view the story is told. While all the other characters are realistically torn between doing the “right thing” (resisting the Nazis) and their will to survive, Burger seems to be some kind of angel who always argues for the morally sacrosanct choice, apparently without any fear of being killed for it. One can assume without too much speculation that he made himself look a bit better on purpose, since the movie is based on Burger's own memoirs – and no-one can really blame him for that.
thecelebritycafe.com: Movie Review - Frost/Nixon
Original Article
Frost/Nixon is a piece of history and a potential crowd-pleaser, all wrapped in one.
There he is, former President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella), at the end of his political life: It has been a few months since Watergate and his resignation and he has been reduced to being a guest speaker at low-profile conferences.
Cue David Frost (Michael Sheen): The British talk show host is known for interviewing the crème de la crème of Hollywood and pop music and hosting shows about escape artists. With virtually no credentials in political journalism, he still decides to take on what could be considered the most important interview of the time: Richard Nixon’s first big post-Watergate talk. And because money talks, and also because Frost seems to be a safe bet as a soft.hitting interviewer to Nixon’s team, he gets the job. And he ends up “giving Richard Nixon the trial he never had,” as Sam Rockwell’s character puts it.
“Trial” is definitely the operative word here. Frost/Nixon which re-tells the story of one of the most memorable interviews in American history plays like a cross between a boxing match and the best courtroom drama you have ever seen. It centers, of course, on the interviews themselves, but also allows a glance backstage: You get to see how both parties prepare for the interviews (which is actually a bit like preparing for a boxing match) and what strain they are under (Nixon wants to rehabilitate himself; Frost needs the interviews to be spectacular, mostly because he has problems selling them to TV stations).
Above all, Frost/Nixon has the feel of a highly enjoyable play, which after all is where it originated. Still, it transforms seamlessly to the screen, mostly because of the excellent performances by Langella and Sheen. Even though Langella has been accused of “overdoing” his Nixon, he succeeds in capturing the spirit of the 37th US president and has rightfully earned an Oscar nomination. The difficulty of accuracy vs. artistic interpretation of the material is the same here as with all biopics and “true stories”, or even more so, seeing as everyone can go back and look at the real Frost/Nixon interviews. But director Ron Howard and screenwriter Peter Morgan (The Queen) succeed in finding a balance between realism and Hollywood-esque appeal to audiences.
Frost/Nixon is a piece of history and a potential crowd-pleaser, all wrapped in one.
There he is, former President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella), at the end of his political life: It has been a few months since Watergate and his resignation and he has been reduced to being a guest speaker at low-profile conferences.
Cue David Frost (Michael Sheen): The British talk show host is known for interviewing the crème de la crème of Hollywood and pop music and hosting shows about escape artists. With virtually no credentials in political journalism, he still decides to take on what could be considered the most important interview of the time: Richard Nixon’s first big post-Watergate talk. And because money talks, and also because Frost seems to be a safe bet as a soft.hitting interviewer to Nixon’s team, he gets the job. And he ends up “giving Richard Nixon the trial he never had,” as Sam Rockwell’s character puts it.
“Trial” is definitely the operative word here. Frost/Nixon which re-tells the story of one of the most memorable interviews in American history plays like a cross between a boxing match and the best courtroom drama you have ever seen. It centers, of course, on the interviews themselves, but also allows a glance backstage: You get to see how both parties prepare for the interviews (which is actually a bit like preparing for a boxing match) and what strain they are under (Nixon wants to rehabilitate himself; Frost needs the interviews to be spectacular, mostly because he has problems selling them to TV stations).
Above all, Frost/Nixon has the feel of a highly enjoyable play, which after all is where it originated. Still, it transforms seamlessly to the screen, mostly because of the excellent performances by Langella and Sheen. Even though Langella has been accused of “overdoing” his Nixon, he succeeds in capturing the spirit of the 37th US president and has rightfully earned an Oscar nomination. The difficulty of accuracy vs. artistic interpretation of the material is the same here as with all biopics and “true stories”, or even more so, seeing as everyone can go back and look at the real Frost/Nixon interviews. But director Ron Howard and screenwriter Peter Morgan (The Queen) succeed in finding a balance between realism and Hollywood-esque appeal to audiences.
thecelebritycafe.com: Movie Review - The Deep End of the Ocean
Original Article
Tragic family story – including bad acting by children.
It’s every mother’s nightmare: When Beth Cappadora (Michelle Pfeiffer) turns her back for a second, her three-year-old son Ben is abducted from her high school reunion. The search doesn’t yield any results. And so, the family has to deal with this sudden loss: Beth develops a serious case of depression, her husband Pat (Treat Williams) tries to hide his grief and move forward, and their oldest son Vince (Jonathan Jackson) has to deal with both his guilt (he was supposed to be watching his brother) and the lack of attention from his parents.
Almost a decade later, the family moves to a new neighborhood. A boy comes by and asks if he can mow their lawn – and instantly, Beth recognizes her son Ben. Will the family be reunited after nine years? And is it even possible to make up for the lost time?
The Deep End of the Ocean has quite a few things going for it: A solid cast and, more importantly, an intriguing premise. What a pity that it doesn’t make more of it.
The most glaring problem is that the makers aren’t sure what kind of story they want to tell. Is this a movie about the loss of a son? Is it about a family’s reunion or about the problems afterwards? Or is it about the impossibility of changing the past?
Instead of choosing, the movie tries to tell a variety of different stories, and that doesn’t quite work out. In the end, the different parts seem too disjointed.
A second problem is the partially incomprehensible motivations of the characters. In one case in particular, this is due to a bad child actor. Ben’s (Ryan Merriman) displayed emotions don’t seem to fit his actions even once.
The Deep End of the Ocean could have been a pretty good Lifetime movie. Instead, it was turned into a below-average motion picture.
Tragic family story – including bad acting by children.
It’s every mother’s nightmare: When Beth Cappadora (Michelle Pfeiffer) turns her back for a second, her three-year-old son Ben is abducted from her high school reunion. The search doesn’t yield any results. And so, the family has to deal with this sudden loss: Beth develops a serious case of depression, her husband Pat (Treat Williams) tries to hide his grief and move forward, and their oldest son Vince (Jonathan Jackson) has to deal with both his guilt (he was supposed to be watching his brother) and the lack of attention from his parents.
Almost a decade later, the family moves to a new neighborhood. A boy comes by and asks if he can mow their lawn – and instantly, Beth recognizes her son Ben. Will the family be reunited after nine years? And is it even possible to make up for the lost time?
The Deep End of the Ocean has quite a few things going for it: A solid cast and, more importantly, an intriguing premise. What a pity that it doesn’t make more of it.
The most glaring problem is that the makers aren’t sure what kind of story they want to tell. Is this a movie about the loss of a son? Is it about a family’s reunion or about the problems afterwards? Or is it about the impossibility of changing the past?
Instead of choosing, the movie tries to tell a variety of different stories, and that doesn’t quite work out. In the end, the different parts seem too disjointed.
A second problem is the partially incomprehensible motivations of the characters. In one case in particular, this is due to a bad child actor. Ben’s (Ryan Merriman) displayed emotions don’t seem to fit his actions even once.
The Deep End of the Ocean could have been a pretty good Lifetime movie. Instead, it was turned into a below-average motion picture.
thecelebritycafe.com: Movie Review - Away From Her
Touching, understated tale of a couple that has to deal with Alzheimer’s disease.
Grant and Fiona have been married for over four decades. They have a good life together, living in a small but comfortable house by a lake. Most importantly, the love each other. But then, they have to face the fact that Fiona is developing Alzheimer’s disease. They decide she should live in a home – for her own safety. Alzheimer’s is not like any other disease, though. Fiona starts to forget their history, and even Grant himself. “I think I may be beginning to disappear,” she says.
And suddenly, Grant is not only a stranger, but even an intruder in his own wife’s life. He has to decide if he will make the biggest sacrifice of all for the woman he loves.
Away from her is a small movie about big emotions. It’s about the struggle with Alzheimer’s, about losing oneself, and losing the person you love without being able to do anything about it. Director Sarah Polley foregoes any melodramatics, and yet, the despair and helplessness is tangible in every scene.
It touches on the theme that so much of a person’s character is made up of their memory. Fiona is not just losing her memory, she is actually losing herself. Her new world is confusing, and there are no signs that tell her what to do and where to go. She is desperately seeking something that makes sense, and finds it in an unexpected place.
At the same time, Grant is almost in a state of grief. He has lost the Fiona he has spent his life with. But at the same time, a different Fiona is still there. How is he supposed to deal with that? And there’s still that feeling that maybe Fiona is punishing him by forgetting – an emotion that alternates with nascent hope.
Both Gordon Pinsent and Oscar-nominated Julie Christie play their roles with understated perfection. Their story almost seems to be a reverse relationship. They start out as intimate as a couple can be and become strangers. They are far apart in the end – even though Grant once vowed he never wanted to be “away from her.”
thecelebritycafe.com: Review - Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps
Men and women, explained.
Have you ever wondered why your boyfriend doesn’t talk about his feelings or can’t seem to find anything in the fridge? Have you asked yourself more than once why your wife never shuts up and just can’t find her way on a map? Are you puzzled why you and your partner apparently approach the simplest things in a totally different way?
Happily married couple Allan and Barbara Pease try to answer those and other questions in their self help-meets-science publication “Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps”. In the same vein as “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus,” their basic assumption is that men and women are fundamentally different. They reportedly spent seven years collecting research, conducting interviews and developing their ideas. The concepts and arguments of “Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps” are based on recent findings in brain and social research.
The title already says it: The authors argue that typical “male” and “female” behaviors and skills are based on physiological differences and are therefore innate. This starts with spatial sense (men are better) and field of vision (men have tunnel vision) and ends at the basic way we hear what the other says (women see talking as a way of relating to others, while men think women are giving them a problem to solve).
The most obvious pitfall of writing a book like this is being conceived as sexist. The authors address this right at the beginning: They see science on their side. They also emphasize that they are always talking about the average man/woman and acknowledge that every individual is on a different point of a spectrum with the so-called male brain on one end, the female on the other.
“Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps” is the epitome of popular science. Whoever expects anything else obviously hasn’t really read the title of the book. Yes, it is based on scientific research, but the wording is extremely simplified and obviously aimed at everyman.
The book is total infotainment and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. But everyone who has ever had a fight with their significant other can’t help but smirk at some of the statements.
Freitag, 12. März 2010
Starpulse: Actors & Actresses We Want To Return To TV
Original article: http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/10/31/actors_aamp_actresses_we_want_to_return_
While TV gives us one reality program after another, there are quite a few talented thespians that seem to be out of a job. Here's a list of TV actors we want to return to the small screen:
While TV gives us one reality program after another, there are quite a few talented thespians that seem to be out of a job. Here's a list of TV actors we want to return to the small screen:
Starpulse: Spotlight on Movies From Austria
Original Article: http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2009/02/19/spotlight_on_movies_from_austria
Austria's most important export as far as movies go is Arnold Schwarzenegger. In that respect, the small country in the middle of Europe has given us Terminator, Eraser and Conan the Barbarian.
Austria's most important export as far as movies go is Arnold Schwarzenegger. In that respect, the small country in the middle of Europe has given us Terminator, Eraser and Conan the Barbarian.
Starpulse: TV Nemeses That Have Incredible Sexual Chemistry
Original Article: http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/12/08/nemeses_that_have_incredible_sexual_chem
Love is never straightforward in TV land. There are always tons of obstacles, problems, and misunderstandings. Sometimes, the two leading characters are even arch enemies. Which definitely enhances sexual chemistry.
Love is never straightforward in TV land. There are always tons of obstacles, problems, and misunderstandings. Sometimes, the two leading characters are even arch enemies. Which definitely enhances sexual chemistry.
Starpulse: Awesome But Dead: Five Great TV Shows That Were Cancelled Undeservedly
Original Article: http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/09/23/awesome_but_dead_five_great_tv_shows_tha
Everyone can think of one off the top of their head: A TV show that got the axe way too soon. Actually, there is at least one show per season that "died before its time"
Everyone can think of one off the top of their head: A TV show that got the axe way too soon. Actually, there is at least one show per season that "died before its time"
Starpulse: The Fake News Is All I Need
Original Article: http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/09/15/the_fake_news_is_all_i_need_the_daily_sh
They have had Bill Clinton. They have had Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards (all in a single episode). They have had John McCain
They have had Bill Clinton. They have had Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards (all in a single episode). They have had John McCain
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