Movies and Theater

MRS WARREN'S PROFESSION at the Berlind Theater. Bernard Shaw at his best, bringing you around to his views by hitting you on the head repeatedly. Mrs W's job is to run a collection of whore houses on the continent. Her profession is never described in such a crass way, of course, but her position is that the girls working in her houses are much better off than those slaving away in the work houses of the day. Her daughter, raised as a lady by her mother, rejects the mother and her tainted income. Very high minded, indeed.
Feb 7. BOY A, an English film about Jack, a young boy who is sent to prison for 14 years for the murder of a young girl. His mentor tries to help him adjust to work and society in Manchester, but the news of his release leaks out into the newspapers, so he loses his job, his girl friend, and his friends. In the last episode he flees to Brighton, where he looks down into the seaside, obviously contemplating suicide.
Mar 2. STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, set in the upper west side, where we live in Manhattan. We meet a older writer, Leonard Schiller, who is written out, but has produced 4 good novels in his earlier years. A pushy young graduate student, Heather Wolfe, wants to write a thesis on his work, pressing him hard, both intellectually and emotionally. He is shaken up, so much so that he has a stroke. Excellent role playing by Frank Langtella and Lili Taylor.
Mar 28. DUPLICITY, corporate spy film starring Julia Roberts and Clyde Owen. Confusing satire on the James Bond movies. Couldn't care less about about the two leading characters, who rely on their star power. What are they trying to steal from the opposing corporation? A formula for growing hair on bald men. Worth billions if it works. Marian liked this balderdash.
BUTLEY (DVD), starring Alan Bates. Bates plays an English prof at a London University, who spends his time insulting all of his friends. Spectacular putdowns. Here in the USA you would be beaten to a pulp if you emulated Butley. A review cites a blitzkrieg of vitriolic commentary with which he engages his students, colleagues, friends, estranged wife. Dated 1974.
June 21. SUMMER HOURS, a French film featuring Juliette Binoche about a cultivated French family, its house filled with valuable art treasures, the mother planning for her death, and the children scattering over the globe to the US and China. Themes of nostalgia, globalization, and generational conflict wound up in this interesting film. Worth a visit.
Nov 6. THE INDIAN WARS 1540-1890, DVD, 3 disks. War is a gross overstatement. An estimated 20 thousand people were killed over 350 years. Nothing compared to the recent world wars. The "wars" consist of a series of skirmishes, with the Indians disappearing afterwards. The most violent action occurred during the last years of the 19th century when Indian warrior societies led by brilliant chiefs developed in the west-- men like Geronimo and Crazy Horse. The Indians were eventually subdued by the cavalry, diseases, and loss of their protein supply--the buffalo.
Nov 23. JOHN ADAMS, the biography of our second president, adapted from the Pulitzer-prize winning book by David McCullough. Beautifully done biography. Learned much about the politics of the early days of the nation. Adams, initially a royalist, turned to insurrection after the Boston massacre. Then he became a leader of the revolution. His job was to convince Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York to join the battle. Pa was led by a Quaker, who abhorred war. New York was the site for industry and trade, mostly to Britain. Adams was denied a second term as president by his "friend" Madison, who paid to print and circulate scurrilous articles about him. Adams old age was painful: he lost a daughter to breast cancer, a son to alcohol. His wife died about 15 years before him.
Nov 30. BLADE RUNNER, starring Harrison Ford. Four robots called replicants, indistinguishable from humans without testing, have burst away from the moon and are hanging around in LA. Harrison Fort, a bladerunner, is hired to locate and kill them before they kill humans. Ford is almost killed by the most advanced replicant, but survives because the robot has been programed to last only four years and dies before he kills Ford.
Dec 1. PLAY IT AGAIN SAM, written and directed by Woody Allen, who plays the lead with Diane Keaton. First film starring Keaton and Allen, leading to Oscars for their work in Manhattan and a short-lived marriage. A film with Bogart continually in the background, advising Allen how to organize his love affairs. Allan plays the complete idiot, not able to move around his apartment without breaking most of the crockery. In this respect it reminds me of A LADY CLLED EVE, starring Henry Fonda, a rich idiot who spends most of his time chasing snakes in the Amazon, and Barbara Stanwyck, daughter of a gambler, who falls in love with him. He repudiates her, so she returns to his life as a sophisticated English woman, who conquers him once again. The poor idiot doesn't see the resemblance, although his bodyguard repeatedly points it out to him. Moronic premise, lively movie.
Dec 3. MY WONDERFUL DAY, a British play by Alan Ayckbourn at 59-59 theater. Hilarious comedy about a black cleaner and her 8-year old daughter. It is Tuesday, so the girl must speak only French--her mother's rule. The house owner, his wife, and his business partner think she knows only French, so they play out their assignations and hatreds in front of the girl, who writes it all down for her school writing exercise. The girl, Winnie, steals the show. It's both embarassing and funny at the same time. Ayckbourn's patented magic that I recall from The Norman Conquests.