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THEATER REVIEW
The Call
War Horse
RATING: 6 out of 10
Once again I find myself on the horns of a dilemma: We have an Academy Awardwinning actress at the helm, a fairly original premise and a suspenseful plot. Yet somehow, the movie just misses the mark. It hits the dartboard, but not the bull’s eye. Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) is a 911 responder working in Los Angeles. When she makes a crucial mistake talking to a victim of a home invasion, she is hopelessly scarred. Months later, when a young girl, Casey (Abigail Breslin), is abducted from a shopping mall, Jordan once again gets a call for help from an untraceable disposable cell phone Casey has in the trunk of the man’s car. It’s up to Jordan to use the clues Casey provides to find her and save her before she becomes a serial killer’s next victim. I liked this movie. It’s smart, suspenseful and incredibly wellacted. Yes, it’s as predictable as a Gilligan’s Island episode, but even that didn’t really bother me. I think the biggest problem with the film is that it wants to be The Silence of the Lambs and it just is not. At best, I would say it’s a good stormy-night rental.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone THE MAGIC IS GONE
RATING: 5 out of 10
I don’t know what to tell you. This movie stars some of the greatest comic actors working today. It has a clever, timely premise and some very funny dialogue. Yet, all I can do is picture a half-dozen studio executives and screenwriters sitting in some dive bar in West Hollywood saying to themselves, How did it all go so terribly wrong? Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) are the kings of magic. With their sequined velvet jumpsuits and jaw-dropping illusions, they fill their audience with shock and awe. I would say imagine Siegfried and Roy, but I’m sure you’re already there. That is, until their audience starts to dwindle—drawn instead to a new breed of magician. The crowds are now drawn to the edgy, sexy magic of Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), a rogue street magician with a dangerous repertoire. I would say picture Criss Angel, but I’m sure you’re already there. Can the old-school magicians update their style? Is this new breed of performer the future of magic? Can Burt and Anton save their career, as well as their friendship? Does anybody really care? Judging from the box office reports, the answer is no. It’s a pretty funny movie. Correction: It’s a pretty funny movie that I couldn’t care less about. It’s striving to be a theme cult classic like Anchorman or Talladega Nights, and falls miserably short. BY DEBBIE BALDWIN
86
MARCH 22, 2013 {LadueNews.com}
STORY
PLAY: War Horse
Ted Narracott, the town drunk in Devon, England, puts up his rent money in order to outbid his well-to-do brother, Arthur, at a local auction for a foal whom he brings home to his wife Rose and son Albert. Rose is distraught over her husband’s reckless spending spree, but Albert is delighted. He quickly names the foal Joey, and goes about caring for him daily.
GROUP: Touring Company
Joey is high-spirited and not suited to farm labor, so when Ted makes another foolish wager with his brother (that Joey be taught to plow or he will be given to Arthur for his son, Billy), Rose and Albert are disconsolate. With just one week to train him, Albert relies on his bond with Joey to convince the horse to accept a harness and, miraculously, plow a small bit of land in order for Ted to win the bet.
VENUE: Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd. DATES: Through March 24 TICKETS: $15$66; 534-1111 or metrotix.com
RATING: A 5 on Eventually, though, Ted does sell Joey, who ends up mounted and a scale of 1-to-5. fighting in the ranks of English troops on the European continent in World War I. Albert lies about his age in order to join the military in an attempt to find Joey, as they and others endure tragedies and hardships throughout the long and brutal duration of ‘The Great War.’
HIGHLIGHTS Writing an anti-war story is unsurprising; After all, how often are you going to come across a pro-war tale? What makes War Horse so endearing and affecting is that war is the secondary thread in this yarn behind the emotional and deep-felt bond between a lad and the animal he loves. Anyone who has ever considered a pet to be a member of the family rather than a possession will understand this. Watching the puppeteers manipulate Joey’s 120-pound frame, moving his ears and tail and mouth with impeccable timing to match the sound design, is quite remarkable. It’s certainly reminiscent of The Lion King, but it has a majesty all its own as the 10-foot-long, 8-foot-tall Joey is maneuvered with the smoothest dexterity. The cast includes strong performances by Alex Morf as the dedicated Albert; Mat Hostetler as his wastrel father, Ted; Angela Reed as his loving mother, Rose; Brian Keane as Uncle Arthur; and Michael Wyatt Cox as cousin Billy. War Horse seamlessly weaves two tales into one in sketching an indelible portrait of love and loyalty between the human Albert and his valiant, four-legged friend. BY MARK BRETZ
PHOTO OF WAR HORSE BY BRINKHOFF/MOEGENBURG
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