Four More Late Summer Movies . . .

'The New Girlfriend'

'The New Girlfriend' is a French movie which opened at the Toronto Film Festival in 2014 and is just now showing in U.S. theaters.  It's written and directed by Francois Ozon, based on a short story by Ruth Rendell.  It stars Romaine Duris as David/Virginia, Anais Demoustier as Claire, and Raphael Personnaz as Gilles. 

Banner for 'The New Girlfriend'

'The New Girlfriend' is a story of fluid identities and shifting allegiances among close friends and family following the death of a young woman shortly after childbirth.  While not a mystery, it has the mysterious feeling of some of Alfred Hitchcock's and Brian De Palma's best films.  It's difficult to write about the plot without giving away too much, but it's definitely worthwhile for anyone who is interested in recent international films and not allergic to subtitles.

'The Gift'

'The Gift' was written, directed and produced by Joel Edgerton and stars Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall and Mr. Edgerton.

Poster for 'The Gift'

Bateman and Hall play Simon and Robyn Callum, a young couple relocating to Los Angeles when Simon gets a new job there.  They've purchased a 'California modern' home in the Hollywood hills with lots of glass walls to take in the stunning views of the city below.  While they're out shopping for household items one day they run into Gordon Moseley --'Gordo' -- played by Edgerton.  Gordo claims to know Simon from high school, although Simon doesn't remember him.  Gordo starts dropping by the Callum's new home -- often with gifts and sometimes when Robyn is there alone.  Tension builds as Gordo insinuates himself further into the Callums lives.  

This is another movie, though, where too much information about the plot will spoil the experience of seeing the film.  The acting and directing are excellent and the cleverly nonchalant scattering of clues can lead to seemingly blind alleys as motives are revealed and character flaws are exposed.  It's definitely another movie that's worth seeing and savoring.

'Ricki and the Flash'

We were kind of wary of the Meryl Streep movie 'Ricki and the Flash'.  It opened to middling reviews from critics and movie-goers.  Nevertheless, with little that interested us among late summer movie releases, we ventured out to the Bow-Tie Chelsea to catch Ms. Steep as Ricki Rendazzo.

Poster for 'Ricki and the Flash'

Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jonathan Demme, the movie is about Linda/Ricki who deserts her husband, Pete (Kevin Kline), and three children, Julie, Joshua, and Daniel (Mamie Gummer, Sebastian Stan, and Ben Platt) to pursue a dream of rock'n'roll stardom.  That dream has left her in middle-age -- estranged from her family, with a struggling rock cover band, 'Ricki and the Flash', playing in a small bar in the San Fernando Valley and making ends meet as a cashier in an organic food market.  Rick Springfield plays Greg, the band's lead guitarist and Ricki's casual lover.

While far from a great movie, 'Ricki and the Flash' gives movie-goers an opportunity to see Ms. Streep play a conflicted woman caught between her shrunken dreams of rock stardom and the mess left by shirking her responsibilities to her family.   It's a must for Streep fans and rock lovers of a certain age.

'A Walk in the Woods'

'A Walk in the Woods' is directed by Ken Kwapis and based on a book by Bill Bryson.  It stars Robert Redford as Bryson with Nick Nolte and Emma Thompson. 

Poster for 'A Walk in the Woods'.

It's the tale of Bryson's attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail with an old, but not particularly close, friend.  It's not very good.  Redford's acting is as wooden as the forests the pair walk through.  Nolte supplies quirky character which bounces off Redford's stoic straight man.  Thompson (as Bryson's wife) brings skepticism and censure to the enterprise.  Kristen Schaal is strident as a fellow hiker and Mary Steenburgen is cautiously coy as a lodge owner of a certain age.

This movie is an appalling waste of time and talent -- and a real disservice to some of America's loveliest scenery.

NYC Ballet 'Swan Lake' Dress Rehearsal

On Tuesday afternoon, September 22nd, I attended the 'dress' rehearsal for Peter Martins' 'Swan Lake' which was opening later that evening.  The idea that it was a 'dress' rehearsal seemed pretty casual -- most of the corps dancers were in practice clothes, except the men wore their garish orange boots.  Even the principals weren't in pristine costume -- Prince Siegfried wore grey sweatpants over his costume through much of the first scene and Odette wore footless tights.

The 'orchestra' consisted of a piano in the pit 'conducted' by Stuart Capps and a violinist who showed up in time for the solo violin passage in the lakeside scene.

Still, it was an opportunity to see a brand new Siegfried, Russell Janzen, perfectly paired with a lovely Odette, Teresa Reichlen.  They are both tall, slender dancers with long arms and legs.  The pas de deux in the first lakeside scene was notable for their long, beautifully coordinated lines and for Russell's partnering of Tess with steady calm.  Surrounded by a corps of swans in drab and raggedy practice clothes Tess and Russell indeed stood out.   

Teresa Reichlen and Russell Janzen in the pas de deux from George Balanchine's 'Diamonds' from 'Jewels'.
Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

At this rehearsal, Taylor Stanley in the role of Benno danced the pas de trois with Indiana Woodward and Sarah Villwock.  Ms. Woodward and Ms. Villwock are new to their roles and there were still a few kinks in the pas de trois to be ironed out later in a rehearsal studio.  Harrison Ball danced the Jester -- a role I dislike and find hard to judge objectively.  It's showy and requires a bravura dancer.  Harrison seemed to be having an off day.  Gwyneth Muller was regal as the Queen, although she or a page or lady-in-waiting need to mind her train which was doubled back on itself here.  The children from the School of American Ballet were well-drilled and adorable -- although they were still getting used to the Theater's stage and the adult dancers surrounding them.

In the lakeside scene, the four cygnets -- including Claire Von Eyck at one end of the chain -- were brilliant.  Silas Farley waved Von Rotbart's flaming orange cape with panache.  Although the role of Rotbart was created by Albert Evans, I see no reason to continue casting minorities -- Silas and Preston Chamblee in the current run -- in this role.  It's way past time for New York City Ballet to introduce color blind casting in all of its works and move beyond this type of tokenism -- it's racist and appalling.

This cast will  be dancing Thursday evening, September 24th -- when Russell will make his debut as Siegried -- and again at the Sunday, September 27th, matinee.

Following the rehearsal of the first half -- I'm never sure if it is two scenes and one act or two acts with no intermission -- of 'Swan Lake' there was a rehearsal of the pas de quatre from the ballroom scene with Megan Fairchild, Ana Sophia Scheller, Tiler Peck and Joaquin De Luz.  This stellar cast did a partially danced walk-thru of this so-so piece of Martins' choreography.  I assume that they've danced this enough times that they were saving themselves for the performance that evening.  It was a rather lackluster finish to a spotty afternoon.

On a different note, Jared Angle was listed in the handout as one of the 'rehearsal masters' and was on stage offering pointers to Reichlen and Janzen about their performance.  Does this portend a transition from principal dancer to artistic staff in Jared's future?  If so, the NYCB website hasn't caught up with the news.  We'd hate to see Jared stop performing, but he's a great addition to the artistic staff with a wealth of experience dancing a wide range of roles.