Lockdown at Santa Monica High Ends After Police Determine Weapon Was a BB Gun
Police Say a Man Detained Near the Campus Was Not a Threat to the Community.
Santa Monica High School was briefly placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon after police received reports of a man possibly carrying a weapon near campus, authorities said.
The Santa Monica Police Department said officers responded to the area around 3:20 p.m. and quickly located the individual in question. Upon investigation, the object was determined to be a BB gun, not a firearm.
The man was taken into custody without incident, and the lockdown was lifted shortly afterward. Police confirmed there is no ongoing threat to students, staff, or the community.
In a statement, SMPD thanked residents who reported the situation and urged the public to remain vigilant. “Community reports play a critical role in keeping Santa Monica safe,” officials said. “If you see something, say something.”
No further details about the suspect or potential charges have been released.
Court Overturns Mental Health Diversion in Santa Monica Hate Crime Case
District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who sought the appeal, had argued that Taylor’s voluntary participation in the diversion program left him free to walk away, a concern the court upheld
A California appeals court on Tuesday overturned a lower court’s decision to grant mental health diversion to Job Uriah Taylor,
27, accused of a violent, racially motivated attack in Santa Monica in March 2023, ruling that insufficient evidence supported the finding that he would not pose a public safety risk if treated in the community.
The Second District Court of Appeal’s unpublished decision, filed Tuesday, directed the Los Angeles Superior Court to vacate Judge Lana Kim’s March order that had placed Taylor in the county’s Office of Diversion and Reentry program instead of proceeding to trial. Taylor faces charges including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, with hate crime enhancements, following allegations that he attacked multiple victims with a metal pipe while using racial slurs.
The court found that while psychological evaluations indicated Taylor’s schizoaffective disorder could be managed with treatment, no evidence suggested he would consistently comply with a treatment plan. Experts, including Dr. Robin Rhodes Campbell, conditioned their safety
assessments on Taylor’s symptoms being controlled with medication, but noted his history of abandoning treatment and using drugs, which preceded the attacks. Dr. Chris Chen and Dr. Montgomery from the diversion program also highlighted Taylor’s past non-compliance and the lack of a locked facility to prevent him from leaving, with Dr. Montgomery unable to predict his future behavior.
The incident began on March 3, 2023, when Taylor allegedly threatened an African American man with a pipe near the 1100 block of the beach, fleeing after intervention by firefighters. About 20 minutes later, he attacked Christian Hornburg, 64, and Jade Carter at a train platform, striking them with the pipe and stomping Hornburg’s head, leaving him with life-altering injuries requiring long-term care. Duane Ziegler and Michael Okyere were also targeted in related assaults.
The appeals court, in an 18-page ruling, emphasized that Taylor’s history of leaving
facilities within 24 hours and failing to take medication after hospital releases indicated a likelihood of repeating such behavior, posing a potential danger. The panel rejected arguments from Taylor’s defense and the State Public Defender that denying diversion would set a precedent limiting judicial discretion, focusing instead on the lack of evidence supporting his suitability. District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who sought the appeal, had argued that Taylor’s voluntary participation in the diversion program left him free to walk away, a concern the court upheld. The case now returns to Superior Court for trial proceedings.
City of Santa Monica Confirms Airport Closure by Dec. 31, 2028, Amid JSX Permit Review
City Officials Emphasize Commitment to Long-Term Closure
While Considering JSX Proposal
The City of Santa Monica reiterated its commitment to permanently close Santa Monica Airport at midnight on Dec. 31, 2028, in accordance with a 2017 federal consent decree with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The reaffirmation comes as city officials weigh a proposal from JSX Air to operate at the airport under a limited-term lease. Earlier this week, the Santa Monica Airport Commission recommended delaying approval of JSX’s permit application and lease so city staff can conduct a more detailed review of the company’s plans. While the commission’s input is part of the process, the final decision will be made by the city in line with the consent decree and local laws.
Under the agreement, the city must
continue operating the airport through 2028 in compliance with federal regulations and general aviation standards. The consent decree also requires that qualifying aviation uses, such as JSX’s proposal, be allowed to operate under limited-term leases during the airport’s final years to maintain the city’s legal authority to close the facility on schedule.
If approved, JSX’s lease would end in November 2028, just before the planned closure. The agreement would also require the company to fully comply with all city rules, including noise restrictions, hours of operation, and leasing policies.
The Consent Decree requires the City to operate Santa Monica Airport through December 31, 2028, in compliance with certain federal laws, regulations, and general aviation airport standards.
To safeguard the City’s authority to close the airport at the end of 2028, the Consent Decree requires that qualifying aviation uses – such as that proposed by JSX – be allowed to operate under limited-term leases during the airport’s final years.
If approved, the proposed JSX permit and lease would expire in November 2028, before the airport’s closure date, and would require full compliance with City rules, including noise restrictions, hours of
operation, and leasing policies.
“Santa Monica Airport will close at the end of 2028, and nothing about this process with JSX Air changes that fact,” said City Manager Oliver Chi. “To reach closure, the City must comply with the Consent Decree, which requires us to carefully review and allow qualifying aviation uses during the airport’s remaining years of operation.”
City officials acknowledged public
concerns about increased activity at the airport and emphasized that they are carefully evaluating the proposal. In the meantime, Santa Monica is continuing efforts to minimize the community impact of current airport operations while preparing for a major land-use transition after 2028, when the site will be redeveloped into community-serving park space.
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The city’s parking benefit was designed to encourage the use of low- and zeroemission vehicles when electric vehicle technology was in its early stages
The City of Santa Monica will end its longstanding policy allowing free metered parking for vehicles displaying Clean Air Vehicle (CAV) decals on September 30, city officials announced.
Under Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 3.16.120, drivers with valid CAV decals—issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles—have been allowed to park at city-operated meters free of charge for the posted time limit. That benefit will officially expire at the end
Santa Monica to End Free Metered Parking for Clean Air Vehicles Today German Coffee Concept to Open First U.S. Storefront on Main Street
The new coffee shop, marked by window paper, originates from Hamburg’s Schanzenviertel
A German coffee concept, Codos Coffee Roastery, is set to open its first U.S. location at 2665#B Main St. in Santa Monica, bringing its blend of specialty coffee and European hospitality to the coastal city.
The new coffee shop, marked by window paper and a sign at the compact storefront, originates from Hamburg’s Schanzenviertel, where it was founded over a decade ago as a family business with a bulldog named Snatch as its mascot. What began as a single coffee bar has grown into a network of locations across Germany, anchored by a boutique roastery opened in 2017.
Codos emphasizes sustainably grown specialty coffee. “We believe exceptional coffee can do more; it sparks joy, encourages conversation, and brings people together,” the company stated on its website.
No official opening date has been announced.
of the month, aligning with the statewide sunset of the CAV program.
Beginning October 1, all drivers, including those with CAV decals, will be required to pay posted rates at metered spaces across the city.
Originally adopted in 2002, the city’s parking benefit was designed to encourage the use of low- and zero-emission vehicles at a time when electric vehicle (EV) technology was still in its early stages. Over the years, the market for zero-emission vehicles has expanded significantly, reducing the need for such local incentives, officials said.
According to a recent staff report, the number of registered zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in Santa Monica increased from just over 1,000 in 2015 to nearly 6,500 in 2023—growing from 1.4% to 10% of all vehicles in the city. Officials believe that percentage is now even higher.
The Santa Monica City Council introduced an ordinance this year to clarify the expiration date for all categories of CAV decals, including purple decals that were unintentionally omitted from previous code language. Without the amendment,
only vehicles with purple decals would have retained the free parking benefit beyond September 30.
The CAV decals—green, white, red, and purple—have allowed eligible vehicles to access both free parking in some cities and solo use of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes under the state-run DMV program. That statewide program is also set to expire on September 30 after which drivers must meet posted occupancy requirements to use carpool lanes.
Santa Monica was one of the last California cities to offer the metered
parking benefit. Other municipalities, including San Jose, Sacramento, and Hermosa Beach, have already phased out similar programs.
City staff determined that the expiration of the benefit is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), citing no potential for significant environmental impact.
Santa Monica continues to support EV adoption through expanded charging infrastructure and policies outlined in its 2017 Electric Vehicle Action Plan.
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The new Women’s Health & Wellness Center at Saint John’s offers personalized, holistic care tailored to each and every patient, offering a full range of mental and physical care solutions, well-women exams, gynecology, cancer screenings, and surgical care. Patients are paired with a patient navigator who assists in care advocacy as well as coordinating appointments to ensure a seamless overall experience. A Women’s Health & Wellness Center that’s actually centered around women is just one of the many ways we treat you for the better.
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Santa Monica’s Governance Problem: Elected Council, “Strong” Mayor or? Part Two of Two
SMa.r.t.
Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow
Santa Monica operates under a council–manager system where an elected council establishes policies but delegates dayto-day operations to a professional city manager. While meant to ensure stability, this setup has resulted in staff-driven outcomes, weak oversight, and reduced accountability.
Staff-Driven Outcomes
Council members, who serve part-time and often lack detailed expertise, depend heavily on staff. This dynamic repeats frequently:
• Budget Crises and Autonomy: During the COVID-19 pandemic, thenCity Manager Rick Cole resigned amid disputes over deep budget cuts. The council’s limited role in scrutinizing compensation and severance showed how managerial decisions outpaced political oversight.
• Major Civic Assets: Decisions regarding the Santa Monica Airport and Civic Auditorium have been largely shaped by staff feasibility studies, legal assessments, and exclusive negotiating agreements with developers. The council typically receives staff-driven recommendations late in the process, effectively rubber-stamping them.
• Perceived Priorities and Outside Interests: Residents frequently criticize staff and council for prioritizing legal risk, developer proposals, and narrow financial considerations over bold public goals. This fuels the perception that city hall caters more to outside developers’ interests than to residents’ needs. The disputes over the airport and Civic projects reflect this accountability gap.
Staff and professional administrators generally seek stability, but the complexity of budgets, planning, and legal obligations grants them operational control. Without strong oversight or a mayoral system with direct accountability, elected officials risk acting as intermediaries rather than true leaders.
The Uller Scandal and Fiscal Reckoning
The Eric Uller scandal exposed the dangers of weak oversight. For decades, warnings about Uller’s abuse of children in police-linked programs were ignored. The aftermath has been devastating:
• Settlements: Santa Monica has paid $229 million in Uller-related claims, with more than 180 cases still pending.
• Deficit: The city projects $473.5 million in revenue against $484.3 million in expenses, resulting in a $10.8 million deficit.
• Public Trust: The scandal damaged
the city’s reputation, deepening fiscal and civic challenges.
Broader Economic Headwinds
Beyond Uller, broader shifts are eroding revenues:
• Retail Decline: Third Street Promenade has lost over a third of its foot traffic since 2019.
• Anchor Departures: Nordstrom closed its Santa Monica Place store.
• Tourism Losses: Post-pandemic changes cut into hotel and sales tax revenues.
• Coupled with rising pension obligations and union costs, these factors threaten fiscal stability.
Real Bankruptcy and Outsourcing Risks
If left unchecked, Santa Monica could face a similar fate as Stockton, California, which filed for bankruptcy in 2012 and outsourced core services like trash collection and vehicle maintenance. Once bankruptcy courts take control, decisions shift to outside professionals, weakening local democratic authority.
Santa Monica risks similar restructuring if it delays reforms. Addressing pension costs, union contracts, and structural deficits now is far better than facing forced external management.
Options to Consider for Structural Reform
To prevent decline, Santa Monica must rethink its governance structure:
1. Charter Reform: Consider a hybrid strong mayor system. In this model, a directly elected mayor would serve as the chief executive with authority over departments, budgets, and operations. Meanwhile, an empowered city council would retain legislative powers, land-use authority, and the ability to adopt budgets. Each council member would have independent staff and offices, allowing them to evaluate proposals without relying solely on city staff. This hybrid balances executive accountability with legislative oversight, reducing the risk of bureaucratic dominance or executive overreach.
2. Checks and Balances: Pair executive power with oversight tools such as independent audits, a nonpartisan CFO, a strong auditor, and strict transparency rules.
3. Empowered Council: Give council members their own offices and staff to lessen dependence on city staff and enable independent analysis of developer deals, budgets, and contracts.
4. Incremental Testing: Use a charter commission to develop and test hybrid structures through voter approval.
The Democratic Question
Santa Monica faces fundamental choices:
Continue with a council–manager model, where unelected staff and
external forces often dominate decisionmaking, and council members remain intermediaries.
Consider adopting a hybrid strong mayor system, where voters elect an accountable executive, but councilmembers retain independent authority to legislate and oversee. This approach is about more than efficiency; it’s about democracy. Should residents’ voices be filtered through a council that often cedes power to staff and outside interests, or be balanced with a mayor directly accountable to voters?
Conclusion
Santa Monica prides itself on transparency and progressive values. Yet, its current structure buries major decisions in staff reports, weakens accountability, and diminishes leadership. The revolving door of city managers worsens this instability.
If Santa Monica aims to tackle homelessness, crime, fiscal instability, and preserve its civic heritage, it must now pursue structural reform. Delaying action risks not just inefficiency but a systemic collapse and possible bankruptcy.
Michael Jolly for SMa.r.t.
Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow
Samuel Tolkin, Architect & Planning Commissioner; Thane Roberts, Architect; Mario Fonda-Bonardi AIA, Architect; Robert H. Taylor AIA, Architect; Dan Jansenson, Architect & Building and Fire-Life Safety Commission; Michael Jolly, AIRCRE; Jack Hillbrand AIA, Landmarks Commission Architect; Matt Hoefler NCARB, Architect.
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SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dr. Nancy Greenstein, Chair; Dr. Sion Roy, Vice Chair; Dr. Luis Barrera Castañón; Anastasia Foster; Dr. Margaret Quiñones-Perez; Dr. Tom Peters; Rob Rader; Sophia Manavi, Student Trustee; Kathryn E. Jeffery, Ph.D., Superintendent/President Santa Monica College | 1900 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 | smc.edu
Photo by Ed Gandara
Food Safety and Inspection Service Issues
Public
Health Alert Tied to
Listeria
in Ready-to-Eat Pasta Meals
Multistate Listeria Outbreak Spurs FSIS Alert on Prepared Pasta Meals
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for certain ready-to-eat meals made with an FDAregulated pre-cooked pasta ingredient that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. FSIS, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said whole-genome sequencing linked a pasta sample used in these meals to the current listeriosis outbreak associated with prepared pasta meals. Additional updates will be posted as the investigation continues.
As of September 25, 2025, a total of 20 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from 15 states. Of the 13 people interviewed, 7 (54%) reported eating precooked meals, and 4 specifically reported eating chicken fettuccine alfredo. Of 20 people with information available, 19 have been hospitalized, and 4 deaths have been reported. There is one illness in a pregnant mother that resulted in a fetal loss.
FDA will continue to collaborate with federal and local partners and implicated firms and will provide updates as they become available.
Products under the alert
• Albertsons recalled store-made deli pasta salads
• Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine 12.3 oz – best-by date of June 26, 2025, or prior
• Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine 32.8 oz – best-by date of June 27, 2025, or prior
• Home Chef Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo 12.5 oz – best-by date of June 19, 2025, or prior
Affected product according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) public health alert:
• Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce 12-oz. – best if used by dates of SEP 22, 2025; SEP 24, 2025; SEP 25, 2025; SEP 29, 2025; SEP 30, 2025; and OCT 01, 2025.
• 16-oz. plastic tray packages labeled “TRADER JOE’S CAJUN STYLE BLACKENED CHICKEN BREAST FETTUCINE ALFREDO” with “best if used by” dates 9/20/2025, 9/24/2025, or 9/27/2025.
Stores Affected:
• Albertsons: Albertsons, Albertsons Market, Pavilions, Market Street, and Vons
• Kroger: Home Chef Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Meals
• Trader Joe’s: Trader Joe’s Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Breast Fettuccine Alfredo
• Walmart: Marketside Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo Meals; Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce
During the outbreak probe, a producer tested the FDA-regulated, pre-cooked linguine used in one product and confirmed the presence of L. monocytogenes. Further testing showed the strain is genetically related to the outbreak. FSIS previously announced a recall in June tied to this listeriosis event and continues to coordinate with the FDA, CDC, and state partners.
Listeriosis can be serious, particularly for older adults, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant people, and their newborns. Illness may include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions; gastrointestinal symptoms may precede invasive infection. Infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or severe neonatal illness. Antibiotics are the standard treatment. Anyone at higher risk who develops flu-like symptoms within two months of eating a potentially contaminated product should seek medical care and mention the exposure.
FSIS is concerned that some items may still be in home refrigerators or freezers. Do not eat these products. Discard them or return them to the place of purchase.
• Questions about the alert: Nate’s Fine Foods, 916-677-7303, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. PT.
• General food-safety questions: USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or MPHotline@usda.gov.
• To report a problem with meat, poultry or egg products: Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System at foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/ (available 24/7).
For outbreak details and ongoing updates, see the CDC’s alert on prepared meals and the FDA’s advisory on the Listeria monocytogenes investigation into
prepared pasta meals. FSIS will update this notice if additional FSIS-regulated products are identified.
Mirror Mirror Med Spa Specializes in Skin, Face and Body Treatments
One
of the top med spas in Los Angeles is at the top for a reason: stateof-the-art, minimally invasive, customized skin care that produces real results in a safe and supportive environment.
Voted “Best Med Spa in LA 2024, Mirror Mirror Med Spa provides the optimal environment for individuals looking to embrace their ideal selves under any condition and at any stage in life.
“We are a very unique boutique medical spa that provides cost-effective treatments with cutting edge technology and a staff that comprises over 30 years of experience,” said Nadya Christian, the spa’s master aesthetician and patient coordinator. “Whether you want to sculpt your body, get a facial, Botox or fillers, we do it all. If it has anything to do with health, body, wellness and beauty, you have it under one roof.”
The spa provides a variety of customized skin care services that are designed to provide each individual with smooth, radiant skin and a renewed sense of selfconfidence. With each treatment, the spa aims to enhance each patient’s confidence and overall wellbeing.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
Mirror Mirror Med Spa offers the most advanced and effective, minimally invasive and non-invasive medical cosmetic procedures in Los Angeles with awardwinning innovation, clinically proven to reduce treatment time, recovery time, and deliver real results.
“Our boutique spa uses cutting edge technology for any body, face, skin, weight loss or sculpting procedure. You don’t have to go to different medical spas for anything else because we have it all,” Christian said.
Some of Mirror Mirror Med Spa’s most popular services include:
• Injectables for weight loss: The spa offers Semaglutide and Tirzepatide injections for weight loss, which are highly sought after and requested by patients. Semaglutide operates by imitating the body’s hormones responsible for signaling fullness, thereby reducing appetite and slowing down the process of gastric emptying.
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Unlike most medical spas, Mirror Mirror Med Spa lists prices for each procedure on
Independent Review Reveals Gaps in L.A. County’s January Wildfire Evacuation Response
Report Cites Outdated Policies, Communication Failures as Key Obstacles
Los Angeles County’s handling of evacuation alerts during January’s devastating wildfires showed significant gaps in policies and communication, according to an independent review released this week.
The McChrystal Group, commissioned by the Board of Supervisors, analyzed how officials responded as multiple wildfires swept through communities from Altadena to Pacific Palisades, fueled by hurricane-force winds. Those winds not only intensified the fires but also grounded
firefighting aircraft and made nighttime aerial surveillance impossible on Jan. 7, a critical point in the emergency.
“While frontline responders acted decisively and, in many cases, heroically, in the face of extraordinary conditions, the events underscored the need for clearer policies, stronger training, integrated tools, and improved public communication,” the report said.
While the review did not find a single point of failure, it highlighted a series of problems that limited the county’s ability to warn and evacuate residents. Among them were outdated policies, inconsistent procedures, and communication vulnerabilities that slowed coordination across agencies.
“Our communities deserve transparency—and this report is a critical step toward accountability. It shows
where we fell short during the January wildfires and where we must do better,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, Third District. “This report is only as strong as the action that follows. As climate-driven disasters accelerate, we must stay focused on education and prevention, training, and community partnerships that make us truly prepared. In the Third District, emergency preparedness is a way of life—and I look forward to our community joining us for events this fall to strengthen our work together.”
The January wildfires were among the most destructive in county history, claiming 31 lives and destroying 16,251 properties across Los Angeles, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Malibu, and surrounding areas.
To prepare the report, the McChrystal Group interviewed 147 people and held
their website to ensure transparency.
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six community listening sessions, focusing on lessons learned rather than assigning blame. The firm has also been tasked with a follow-up review examining recovery and repopulation efforts.
County supervisors are scheduled to discuss the findings and recommendations during their public meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 30, with a focus on strengthening emergency response systems and ensuring communities are better protected during future disasters.
You can read the full report here.
Highlights of findings and recommendations are here.
A summary of County actions and improvements already taken or underway is available here.
For a summary of the report’s findings about Eaton Fire notifications and evacuations, click here.
FILM REVIEW A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY
BEHIND THE SCREEN
By Kathryn Whitney Boole
This will not be your normal moviegoing experience, so release those expectations. You will be entering the minds, the psyches of our two main characters, “David,” played by Colin Farrell, and “Sarah,” played by Margot Robbie. This is a hypnotic story with a half footprint in reality and half in imagination, that takes place in the thoughts, memories, and dreams of David and Sarah.
As is the case with memories, the scenes are how the characters remember them. Many of the awe-inspiring panoramas are of Southern California landscapes, the same terrain and coastline which mesmerized me when I first moved here at the age of 14 from the Midwest and East Coast. The geography of our state continues to inspire me with its vastness and beauty every time I see these views.
the scenes become all too real, and they form a bond despite each being a dedicated loner.
To truly understand and enjoy this film, it is necessary to appreciate the art of the director, Kogonada. As a young man, he did a PhD dissertation on the art of Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu, who had started making films in the silent movie era, and whose best-known film was Tokyo Story (1953). Ozu had a rich filmmaking career and was well-known in Japan, making both comedies and dramatic films. Kogonada was inspired by Ozu’s works to become a filmmaker himself and has built his reputation as a video essayist. His first video essay was on the show Breaking Bad in 2012.
His documentary, Hands of Bresson, was voted one of the best of 2014 by Sight & Sound magazine. So his style is built on reflection and is like Wes Anderson’s, very composed, but with movement and more expansive landscapes. Ozu was born in Seoul and emigrated to Indiana and then
The guide for the journey our characters take is a rental car with a computerized screen whose GPS is voiced superbly by Jodie Turner-Smith. The rental car agency is the gate to the subconscious, and its front desk is managed beautifully by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Kevin Kline in great cameo roles.
The visual landscape of their dreams and thoughts is gorgeous, natural landscapes with extraordinary lighting, paintings, and vivid memories. The two can take part in each other’s memories and make comments and observations, providing support when
Chicago, where he grew up. In a 2015 interview, Kogonada compared his video essays to the art of making sushi: “With sushi, every cut matters. And so do the ingredients. Those two ongoing choices are the difference. What you select, and how you cut it.” This informs his style of filmmaking, which has a Zen quality.
Farrell and Robbie are natural and endearing in roles that are not their usual type. It might be easy to think that these two just stepped right into starring roles from the beginning of their careers, but they have both spent blood, sweat, and
RATED R 109 MINUTES
RELEASED SEPTEMBER 19TH
building their skills and reputation. Robbie does not usually endow roles with the vulnerability she shows here. Both actors earned their success in this industry through perseverance, and both have never lost the ability to “pay it forward.”
As a youth, Farrell once dropped out of acting school and was turned down to be a member of an Irish boy band. Then he started getting small roles on film and TV, and his career took off. He is one of a handful of actors who can wrap himself in roles that are hugely diverse. When he was called to replace Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus after the actor’s death, Farrell donated his salary to Ledger’s young daughter.
Robbie grew up on a sugar cane farm in Australia owned by her grandparents. In her late teens, she moved to Melbourne to pursue acting. She earned a guest star role on a soap opera and made such an impression on the director that they made her character a series regular. Then she moved to Hollywood for her career, never looking back.
Her breakthrough role was in Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, and with the
salary she earned, she paid off her mother’s mortgage. She won critical acclaim for her portrayal of ice skater “Tonya Harding” in I, Tonya. and to play “Harley Quinn” in Suicide Squad, she did intensive research on multiple personalities, trained in boxing, gymnastics, weapons, aerial skills, and learned to hold her breath underwater for 5 minutes.
It’s hard for today’s audiences, who are used to breakneck action, to appreciate a more cerebral quality. If you expect a roller coaster ride going into this film, you will be disappointed. It’s a thoughtful story about dreams, reality, and memories, and it poses the question, “What is real?” There is no magnetism pulling the characters together, but rather an understanding of the other’s life as they come to understand their own memories. The message is to take the risk, or you may never reach your full happiness.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
tears
Better is helping our community breathe easier after a disaster.
The Disaster Relief Pulmonary Clinic at Saint John’s was founded to help restore the lung health of our community after the January fires.
The clinic offers specialized care to first responders and residents, focused on their long-term pulmonary health needs. Helping our neighbors heal is just one of the many ways we do everything for the better.
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