At first it came as a delightful surprise to see this Simon Boccanegra (libretto: Francesco Maria Piave) from the Teatro Comunale di Bologna available on DVD. In November, 2007, thirteen opera lovers from Michael Tisma’s Ovations International opera tour travelled to Teatro Municipale Valli in Emiglia Romana to see Bologna’s production of Boccanegra. Without exception, everyone considered it an emotionally gripping performance of Verdi’s pessimistic tale of spiritual disturbance and foreboding. What is evident while watching the DVD is the difference between the confident execution and polish of the Teatro Valli performance and the unfinished, yet promising rendition caught at the opera’s prima in Bologna.
Death on the Nile (1978) film mindless entertainment playing out on sets and wonders larger than the stakes, both of these films fail to live up to the hype of Agatha Christie's mystery. Check out cast & characterless controversy.
Netflix’s new comedy drama, Don’t Say Good Luck, is a heartwarming tearjerker as well as a love letter to the transformative power of being a theater kid. Directed by Julia Hart, Don’t Say Good Luck follows Sophie (Sunny Sandler), a theater kid who finally gets the lead role in her school’s production of Waitress - just as she finds out her mom Elizabeth (Melanie Lynskey) is dying of cancer. While the singing is by no means spectacular and Sandler’s acting is stiff, the film is grounded in the moving performance of Lynskey as a mother who wants nothing more than for her daughter to achieve her dreams, even if she can’t be there to see them.
A bumpy journey about revolution and family makes us feel fear, disgust, humor, and satisfaction.
If “Good Time” was a lean exercise in suspense, “Uncut Gems” is an ongoing panic attack. It handcuffs us to an immoral man, made up of selfishness and unreliability. At every point, Adam Sandler connects himself to this idiotic soul, unearthing the misguided opportunism that comes with gambling addiction
The history of Hollywood is as ugly as it is beautiful. Most notably absent from Hollywood history are Black-produced films. “They’ve Gotta Have Us” explores the rise of Black cinema.
Given a choice between a man and a mountain, it’s safer to choose the mountain.
