16
march 2018
SECTION ONE
Larchmont Chronicle
Good book and good movie; Eastwood casts real heroes
Red Sparrow (9/10): Not much need be written about a movie this good from an equally good book with some additional twists I don’t remember from the book. There are fine performances by Jennifer Lawrence (of whom you see more than you’ve ever seen before), Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts (especially!), and the rest of the cast. There was a little too much graphic violence for me, but all in all, this should stand up as one of the most entertaining of the year. The 15:17 to Paris (7/10): Director Clint Eastwood hires the heroes themselves as his stars and they perform admirably. He also took on Hollywood by challenging an initial “R” rating. Even though only about 12 out of 900 rated movies get challenged, Clint won and got his PG-13 rating. He wanted teenagers to see the movie and learn about the story. I found
At the Movies with
Tony Medley this movie to be slow as it builds up to the climax, but I guess that is necessary to show how these three are just ordinary American men who, when heroic acts were required, stepped up to the plate without thought of their personal safety and put down a heavily armed jihadist terrorist. Den of Thieves (7/10): Full of plot holes aplenty, and in need of serious editing. However, after about the first hour when the bad guys led by Pablo Schreiber start to execute their devious plan, the film is captivating even though the dénoue-
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ment contains absurdly ridiculous violence that would never happen on a Los Angeles street, or any street in America. There’s a B story about star Gerard Butler’s wife that has no bearing on the story whatsoever. Even so, it’s a fun film to watch. The Leisure Seeker (6/10): I went to see this because of Helen Mirren. No matter how bad the movie, she generally makes it worthwhile. This one delivers a wonderfully realistic presentation of one spouse lovingly dealing with the other who has constant memory failures that can’t help but be annoying, and are becoming more and more common. On the down side, it closes with what appears to be a political pitch for a controversial action that would be a terminal spoiler if I wrote about it, so I won’t. This could have been a terrific movie had it been more tightly directed and edited, and if it had left out the preachy ending. Annihilation (5/10): The first of a proposed trilogy, this is an inscrutable sci-fi excursion that is filled with tension and outstanding special effects and production design without making a bit of sense. From director Alex Garland, who created the outstanding “Ex Machina,” some of the scenes intended to terrify are so grotesque they could pass as homages to “Alien,” and they come close to crossing the line to satire. The Commuter (5/10): Every few years since “Taken” (2008) became a surprise runaway hit 10 years ago, Liam Neeson has come out with a similar type thriller. He is always a man alone facing insurmountable odds. Each time the resulting film has been a little weaker than the one that came before. This one is simply preposterous. There’s a lot of action. Unfortunately, almost every scene is devoid
Women’s History Month Lunch
Benches: Sketches of the 1930s, by Sharon L. Graine
Come hear the story of Marian Anderson, the first African American singer to perform with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Monday, March 5 | 11:30 am Social, 12:00 pm Lunch, 12:45 pm Program
Look What SHE Did!
Look What SHE Did! celebrates unknown female powerhouses by asking accomplished women to talk about the women who have inspired them with their achievements, their fearlessness, and their dedication. Wednesday, March 21 | 6:30 pm Reception and Drinks | 7:30 pm Program
of common sense including the ending. And, speaking of endings, maybe it’s time that Neeson puts an end to these weak follow-ups to “Taken”… or finds better material. Django (5/10): This is the highly fictionalized biopic of a short period of the life of guitarist Django Reinhardt
THEATRICAL TALE of artist Marc Chagall and his wife is at The Wallis through Sun., March 11.
Dance, music, Chagall and Gene Kelly at The Wallis Spring is busting out all over, including at the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., where April’s calendar is filled with musical, dance, drama and comedy shows. The L.A. Dance Project presents “Yag” by Ohad Naharin, using dance, speech, symbolism and setting to tell the story of six dancers Thurs., April 5 to Sat., April 7 at 7:30 p.m. Other presentations include “Martha Graham Duets,” “Helix” by Justin Peck, and “Sarabande” by Benjamin Millepied. Take a free, family-friendly salsa dance class Sun., April 8 at noon as part of Wallis’s Dance Sundays. The class is outdoors and all ages and levels are welcome. Watch “Giselle” as interpreted by Dado Masilo and her South African dance troupe Thurs., April 12 through Sat., April 14 at 7:30 p.m. Set in rural South Africa, the ballet explores African rituals through the fate of a young girl who dies after having been betrayed by a man. She is transformed into a wili, a ghost with a desire for dance and revenge. Learn about legendary actor and dancer Gene Kelly in a onewoman show Wed., April 18 at 7:30 p.m. Patricia Ward Kelly, Kelly’s wife and biographer, combines film clips, personal
memorabilia and previously unreleased recordings along with Patricia Ward Kelly’s insights from interviews and conversations with her husband. Hear about the creative process from Laurie Anderson, based on her book, “All the things I lost in the flood,” Fri., April 20 at 7:30 p.m. Listen to pianist Jeremy Denk perform Beethoven, Mozart, Prokofiev and Liszt Wed., April 25 at 7:30 p.m. Pieces include Prokofiev’s “Visions Fugitives” and Mozart’s “Rondo in A Minor.” Be enveloped in soulful music at “Blues in the Night,” a musical by Sheldon Epps, Fri., April 27 through Sun., May 20 at 8 p.m., with 2:30 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Set in 1938 Chicago, with numbers that were originally performed by Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer and others, the story follows three women and their encounter with a man who has betrayed them. “The Flying Lovers of Vitesbsk” continues through Sun., March 11. The theatrical tale is of the life and love of artist Marc Chagall and his wife, Bella. Marc Antolin and Daisy Maywood star. For more information call 310-746-4000 or visit thewallis.org.
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PLAYdate: The Last Seder
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Join us for a staged reading of “The Last Seder” written by Jennifer Maisel and directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Spend Passover with the Price family. They’re dysfunctional – just like yours! Supper will immediately follow the performance. Sunday, March 25 | Reading starts promptly at 5:00 pm The Ebell is both timeless and timely with members and activities that will expand your social circle and your mind. Please join us and consider becoming a member. 741 South Lucerne Boulevard - Los Angeles, CA 90005 | For information on tickets or the Ebell, visit www.EbellEventTickets.com, www.ebelloflosangeles.org or call 323-931-1277 x 131
(Reda Kateb) during World War II. While there was such a person, apparently nobody knows what his voice really sounded like. It’s a semi-tense escape story, but it leaves a lot of holes that go pretty much unexplained, maybe because director Étienne Cobar made the entire thing up.
WEST L.A. 310-479-4461 11940 W. Pico Blvd.
LARCHMONT 323-467-1052 310 N. Larchmont Blvd.