Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Entertainment Reviews
Within the last few weeks, I have seen the movies "Ray" and "The Incredibles" and this weekend attended the play, "Jersey Boys" at the La Jolla Playhouse. I'm not a professional critic, so you won't get any deep discussions about the acting or any technical matters, just my take-away.
RAY
This is a grittily realistic biopic on the life of Ray Charles, the musician who probably had as much influence as anyone on American popular music from the 60s through the 90s. The only thing about this movie that I can think of to complain about is that it was a bit too long. Although nothing in the movie cried out to be left on the cutting room floor, I think it would have benefited some from tighter editing.
That said, the movie was outstanding. It showed how Charles became blind at age seven form some eye disease, not long after his little brother drowned in a washtub. That tragedy was a seminal event in the boy's life, and it shaped Charles as a man. The film shows Charles' mom toughened his character, how he became a heroin addict, and how he kicked the habit "cold turkey." It also shows how some of Charles' songs were inspired, how he blended several musical genres in his music, the cutthroat nature of the music business, racial prejudice in all its ugliness and how genius can reside in a man along with many flaws.
The casting was superb. The story gripping, and the music extraordinary. Well worth the price of a ticket, and it'll be very rentable when it comes out on DVD. Not for kids under about 14.
THE INCREDIBLES
Like the "Shrek" movies and "Monsters, Inc." this is a very well-done computer-animated film with something for everyone. It's about a family with super powers. Mr. Incredible is super-strong. His wife Plastigirl is a shape-shifter. Their early-teen daughter is Invisigirl, who can make herself invisible and also project a protective force field. Their grade-school age son is Dash; he can run really fast. They have a baby, too, who doesn't exhibit any super powers -- yet.
Mr. Incredible used to be everyone's super hero, but was put out of business, along with all the other supers, following a spate of lawsuits by people claiming to be injured while being rescued or while the super hero foils an evil plot. The supers are now incognito under a government program akin to the witness protection program. Mr. I. works for an insurance company, and is in trouble with his boss for being too helpful to claimants. He's out of shape and bored, and sneaks out for some surreptitious heroics with his buddy Frozone, under the guise of bowling night. Then comes the mysterious phone call from the too-sexy woman and we're off to the races. I won't go into the plot except to say that it reminded me a bit of the "Spy Kids" formula.
This movie makes me wonder whether, as technology improves, there will be much of a future for live actors in other than voice-over roles. While there's never any doubt that it's a cartoon, it doesn't feel like a cartoon. The story and characters are engaging, and there are enough real-life situations to keep an adult's interest.
It goes without saying that the kids love this film. The nice part is that adults enjoy it, too. Another winner.
JERSEY BOYS
For me, this stage performance has to be the crown jewel of the year's entertainment offerings. It's about the life and times of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons from their days as a doo-wop group on urban New Jersey's mean street corners until the present. Three of the original Seasons are still alive, and Frankie Valli is still performing in the small venues where he feels most comfortable. This play tells the story of the group's beginnings, their phenomenal rise, breakup and reconciliation at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. It's got everything -- music, sex, gangsters, tragedy and comedy.
Of course, the music is central to the play. It punctuates the narrative with all of the emotions that songs can convey. The miracle of this production is the casting, especially David Norona as Frankie Valli. Not only does Norona look a lot like Valli, he has a voice that matches. His renditions of Valli's falsettos in numbers like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like A Man" are so good it's downright eerie. And he has Valli's mannerisms down to a gnat's eyebrow. The other Seasons, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi and Bob Gaudio, are ably played by Christian Hoff, J. Robert Spencer and Daniel Reichard. There's no lip synching in this production, and the whole cast does a stupendous job reproducing the Seasons' sound.
Des McAnuff directed the script by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.
I don't get to live theater much, but if every play I ever saw was as good as this one, I'd be there every month. If this show doesn't go to Broadway there's something wrong. And the New York folks will be missing a helluva good time.
RAY
This is a grittily realistic biopic on the life of Ray Charles, the musician who probably had as much influence as anyone on American popular music from the 60s through the 90s. The only thing about this movie that I can think of to complain about is that it was a bit too long. Although nothing in the movie cried out to be left on the cutting room floor, I think it would have benefited some from tighter editing.
That said, the movie was outstanding. It showed how Charles became blind at age seven form some eye disease, not long after his little brother drowned in a washtub. That tragedy was a seminal event in the boy's life, and it shaped Charles as a man. The film shows Charles' mom toughened his character, how he became a heroin addict, and how he kicked the habit "cold turkey." It also shows how some of Charles' songs were inspired, how he blended several musical genres in his music, the cutthroat nature of the music business, racial prejudice in all its ugliness and how genius can reside in a man along with many flaws.
The casting was superb. The story gripping, and the music extraordinary. Well worth the price of a ticket, and it'll be very rentable when it comes out on DVD. Not for kids under about 14.
THE INCREDIBLES
Like the "Shrek" movies and "Monsters, Inc." this is a very well-done computer-animated film with something for everyone. It's about a family with super powers. Mr. Incredible is super-strong. His wife Plastigirl is a shape-shifter. Their early-teen daughter is Invisigirl, who can make herself invisible and also project a protective force field. Their grade-school age son is Dash; he can run really fast. They have a baby, too, who doesn't exhibit any super powers -- yet.
Mr. Incredible used to be everyone's super hero, but was put out of business, along with all the other supers, following a spate of lawsuits by people claiming to be injured while being rescued or while the super hero foils an evil plot. The supers are now incognito under a government program akin to the witness protection program. Mr. I. works for an insurance company, and is in trouble with his boss for being too helpful to claimants. He's out of shape and bored, and sneaks out for some surreptitious heroics with his buddy Frozone, under the guise of bowling night. Then comes the mysterious phone call from the too-sexy woman and we're off to the races. I won't go into the plot except to say that it reminded me a bit of the "Spy Kids" formula.
This movie makes me wonder whether, as technology improves, there will be much of a future for live actors in other than voice-over roles. While there's never any doubt that it's a cartoon, it doesn't feel like a cartoon. The story and characters are engaging, and there are enough real-life situations to keep an adult's interest.
It goes without saying that the kids love this film. The nice part is that adults enjoy it, too. Another winner.
JERSEY BOYS
For me, this stage performance has to be the crown jewel of the year's entertainment offerings. It's about the life and times of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons from their days as a doo-wop group on urban New Jersey's mean street corners until the present. Three of the original Seasons are still alive, and Frankie Valli is still performing in the small venues where he feels most comfortable. This play tells the story of the group's beginnings, their phenomenal rise, breakup and reconciliation at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. It's got everything -- music, sex, gangsters, tragedy and comedy.
Of course, the music is central to the play. It punctuates the narrative with all of the emotions that songs can convey. The miracle of this production is the casting, especially David Norona as Frankie Valli. Not only does Norona look a lot like Valli, he has a voice that matches. His renditions of Valli's falsettos in numbers like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like A Man" are so good it's downright eerie. And he has Valli's mannerisms down to a gnat's eyebrow. The other Seasons, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi and Bob Gaudio, are ably played by Christian Hoff, J. Robert Spencer and Daniel Reichard. There's no lip synching in this production, and the whole cast does a stupendous job reproducing the Seasons' sound.
Des McAnuff directed the script by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.
I don't get to live theater much, but if every play I ever saw was as good as this one, I'd be there every month. If this show doesn't go to Broadway there's something wrong. And the New York folks will be missing a helluva good time.
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