Hi everyone!
"Detachment" is an intense but flawed new film playing in selected theaters and On Demand. I was particularly drawn to it because it tells the story of a substitute teacher and his colleagues at a troubled urban high school, an experience that rings close to home as I continue to work with students in an inner city Chicago public high school.
Henry, played by Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody, is the substitute teacher in question. He is what is called a permanent substitute, meaning he works long-term substitute teaching assignments as needed, oftentimes up to a month or longer. Immediately we realize that Henry is no ordinary substitute. He is haunted by memories of growing up with his mother in his grandfather's house. Disjointed flashbacks allude to sexual abuse at the hands of his grandfather who, as the film begins, is at death's door in a care facility with a somewhat negligent staff. Henry is an interesting character who seems permanently on the verge of erupting into violent rage. As played by Mr. Brody, you get a sense that he is indeed striving to be a good person but life and experience render him an emotional void--hence the 'detachment' of the title. He alternates between subbing as an English teacher for a particularly volatile class of high school students and visiting his grandfather in the nursing home. One evening, he witnesses a teenage prostitute Erica (appealingly played by newcomer Sami Gayle) being assaulted on a city bus. Henry doesn't try to intervene. He watches the event rather dispassionately, much to the chagrin of Erica who follows him home and ends up living with Henry in his apartment. Henry comes to serve as a non-sexual father figure to Erica and the evolution of their relationship serves as the backbone for the film.
The high school is plagued by all sorts of problems that any teacher--inner city or otherwise--will undoubtedly relate to. The principal (Marcia Gay Harden) is under pressure by city officials to turn the underperforming school around; a guidance counselor (Lucy Liu) struggles with her own rage and disillusionment at the defiance and overall lack of decency she sees in her students; a young teacher (Mad Men's Christina Hendricks) tries to maintain optimism despite all the chaos, while another (James Caan) gets through the day popping pills and throwing back at his students the abuse they give him. All of this eventually comes together in the suicide of a troubled student.
"Detachment" possesses a visceral immediacy that is hard to look away from. The performances of the entire cast are riveting (Lucy Liu's meltdown gives voice and action to frustrations common to all teachers) and true-to-life although none are particularly well-developed. The film itself feels undeveloped, a loosely-connected mishmash of social issues and a diatribe against contemporary public school education. Henry in particular remains a cipher at film's end. Because he is so emotionally detached--for reasons that never really come into focus--it's hard to know whether we are supposed to sympathize with him or his actions. Scenes that should affect us oftentimes leave us rather cold. The only character and performance in the film that really resonates is that of Ms. Gayle's Erica. She blossoms from hardened old-beyond-her-years girl of the streets to something almost innocent in her affection for Henry and her desire for his approval.
Nonetheless, the film raises some timely and provocative issues that anyone who works within the public education system will undeniably relate to. I recommend it for this reason. This is also somewhat of a worthy renaissance for Mr. Brody who has more-or-less disappeared from the radar after his Oscar triumph ten years ago in "The Piano." He is indeed a real talent and, in "Detachment," he manages to find depth in a character that never really comes to life.
Ciao.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Theater Review: I Didn't Cry for You Argentina--"Evita" on Broadway
Hi everyone!
I was just a kid when the original Broadway production of "Evita" landed on Broadway and went on to run for over 5,000 performances, making stars of Patti LuPone as Evita and Mandy Patinkin as Che. For anyone who saw that production--or listened to the Original Broadway Cast Recording--it was a theatre experience not soon to be forgotten. Over the thirty-odd years since then, no other production of the Tony award-winning Harold Prince-directed musical has come close to matching the original's iconic status. The 1996 Alan Parker film starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas was an impressive cinematic achievement and won Madonna a Golden Globe for Best Actress. Interestingly, there had never been a Broadway revival...until now.
The new production, a transfer from the West End, directed by Michael Grandage and choreographed by Rob Ashford now playing at Broadway's Marquis Theater, certainly has star power with its casting of Ricky Martin as Che. I couldn't wait to see the show and I had very high expectations given the quality of the production team and the hype of its casting. I wish I could say I liked it more than I did. I think the original production was too formative a theatrical experience for me to not be disappointed by its current incarnation.
The new "Evita" is definitely pretty to look at. Christopher Oram's set and costume design is lavish and in a sense gives a more realistic setting for the show. The original production as staged by Harold Prince was a Brechtian affair with minimal sets. The high octane performances of Ms. LuPone and Mr. Patinkin were the main focus. It was also very clear that Mr. Patinkin's Che--in his army fatigues and combat boots--was meant to represent Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara. Ricky Martin's Che is more of a likable Everyman, a decision the really robs the show of its bite. The original production was more overtly political than the current Broadway revival. Cynicism pervaded throughout and frankly made the whole piece that much more interesting.
This is not to say that Mr. Martin does a bad job in the role. It's clear from the moment he steps on stage to sing "Oh What a Circus" that the audience loves him. As I said, he's likable with a pleasant though lightweight voice but not as commanding a stage presence as you might expect, or that the role demands. Argentinian singer/dancer/actress Elena Roger--who debuted this "Evita" in London to strong acclaim--is far more problematic. Ms. Roger is clearly more of an actress/dancer than a singer. Her best moments come in the second act as Evita takes the world by storm through her rampant megalomania. She is also impressive in the final section when Evita is dying of cancer. But what's impressive is not Ms. Roger's voice. She is by turns shrill and pitchy, especially in her higher register, and it simply cannot convey the power and emotion required of the Act Two opener "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," the song by which all Evitas past and present are judged and remembered. In the underwritten role of her husband Juan Peron, Michael Cerveris ("The Who's Tommy," "Sweeney Todd") is wonderful. Despite his limited stage time, whenever Mr. Cerveris is onstage, you simply cannot take your eyes off of him. He is the anchor of this production.
In supporting roles, Max Von Essen as the Argentinian tango singer Augustin Magaldi does a beautiful job with his pastiche number "On This Night of a Thousand Stars," and Rachel Potter's rendition of "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" is gorgeously sung.
What I did like was Mr. Ashford's inventive choreography. This production is definitely Latin to its core and the show never looks better than when the cast sings and dances its way through "Buenos Aires" early in the first act. It's an exuberant and spirited moment that is never quite matched by what follows. The second act 'eleven o' clock' number, "And the Money Keeps Rolling In (And Out)" is disappointing because as presented here it just felt perfunctory to me. I remember the original production and this number, as played by Mandy Patinkin, really gave Che a chance to shine. Unfortunately, Mr. Martin doesn't have the gravitas to pull it off. This song is meant to be a real showstopper. As presented here, it barely registers.
I think I may just be biased. I went to see the show with my brother who hadn't seen the original production. And while he's not a huge fan of musical theatre, he really enjoyed this production. Based on the extended standing ovation that greeted the curtain call, it seems the audience unanimously did as well. With over $10 million in advance ticket sales, for better or worse, this production is going to be around for a long time.
Ciao.
I was just a kid when the original Broadway production of "Evita" landed on Broadway and went on to run for over 5,000 performances, making stars of Patti LuPone as Evita and Mandy Patinkin as Che. For anyone who saw that production--or listened to the Original Broadway Cast Recording--it was a theatre experience not soon to be forgotten. Over the thirty-odd years since then, no other production of the Tony award-winning Harold Prince-directed musical has come close to matching the original's iconic status. The 1996 Alan Parker film starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas was an impressive cinematic achievement and won Madonna a Golden Globe for Best Actress. Interestingly, there had never been a Broadway revival...until now.
The new production, a transfer from the West End, directed by Michael Grandage and choreographed by Rob Ashford now playing at Broadway's Marquis Theater, certainly has star power with its casting of Ricky Martin as Che. I couldn't wait to see the show and I had very high expectations given the quality of the production team and the hype of its casting. I wish I could say I liked it more than I did. I think the original production was too formative a theatrical experience for me to not be disappointed by its current incarnation.
The new "Evita" is definitely pretty to look at. Christopher Oram's set and costume design is lavish and in a sense gives a more realistic setting for the show. The original production as staged by Harold Prince was a Brechtian affair with minimal sets. The high octane performances of Ms. LuPone and Mr. Patinkin were the main focus. It was also very clear that Mr. Patinkin's Che--in his army fatigues and combat boots--was meant to represent Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara. Ricky Martin's Che is more of a likable Everyman, a decision the really robs the show of its bite. The original production was more overtly political than the current Broadway revival. Cynicism pervaded throughout and frankly made the whole piece that much more interesting.
This is not to say that Mr. Martin does a bad job in the role. It's clear from the moment he steps on stage to sing "Oh What a Circus" that the audience loves him. As I said, he's likable with a pleasant though lightweight voice but not as commanding a stage presence as you might expect, or that the role demands. Argentinian singer/dancer/actress Elena Roger--who debuted this "Evita" in London to strong acclaim--is far more problematic. Ms. Roger is clearly more of an actress/dancer than a singer. Her best moments come in the second act as Evita takes the world by storm through her rampant megalomania. She is also impressive in the final section when Evita is dying of cancer. But what's impressive is not Ms. Roger's voice. She is by turns shrill and pitchy, especially in her higher register, and it simply cannot convey the power and emotion required of the Act Two opener "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," the song by which all Evitas past and present are judged and remembered. In the underwritten role of her husband Juan Peron, Michael Cerveris ("The Who's Tommy," "Sweeney Todd") is wonderful. Despite his limited stage time, whenever Mr. Cerveris is onstage, you simply cannot take your eyes off of him. He is the anchor of this production.
In supporting roles, Max Von Essen as the Argentinian tango singer Augustin Magaldi does a beautiful job with his pastiche number "On This Night of a Thousand Stars," and Rachel Potter's rendition of "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" is gorgeously sung.
What I did like was Mr. Ashford's inventive choreography. This production is definitely Latin to its core and the show never looks better than when the cast sings and dances its way through "Buenos Aires" early in the first act. It's an exuberant and spirited moment that is never quite matched by what follows. The second act 'eleven o' clock' number, "And the Money Keeps Rolling In (And Out)" is disappointing because as presented here it just felt perfunctory to me. I remember the original production and this number, as played by Mandy Patinkin, really gave Che a chance to shine. Unfortunately, Mr. Martin doesn't have the gravitas to pull it off. This song is meant to be a real showstopper. As presented here, it barely registers.
I think I may just be biased. I went to see the show with my brother who hadn't seen the original production. And while he's not a huge fan of musical theatre, he really enjoyed this production. Based on the extended standing ovation that greeted the curtain call, it seems the audience unanimously did as well. With over $10 million in advance ticket sales, for better or worse, this production is going to be around for a long time.
Ciao.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Movie Review: Whit Stillman's "Damsels in Distress"
Hi everyone!
The '90s will always be equated in my mind with the films of the incomparable writer and director Whit Stillman: "Metropolitan," (1990) "Barcelona" (1994) and "The Last Days of Disco," (1998) a loosely connected satirical trilogy that defined a decade and a generation. Twentysomething angst was never portrayed as wittily, poignantly, or as precociously as it was in these films. Stillman made stars of Chris Eigemann, Mira Sorvino, Chloe Sevigny, and Kate Beckinsdale. It's been twelve years since Stillman's made a film. Now, in 2012, we have Stillman's latest "Damsels in Distress."
I wish I could say that "Damsels" is a flawless return to form. While there is much to like here, I can't give it a strong recommendation. It is definitely worth seeing though--especially if you're a fan of his earlier films which have earned a cult-like status among film buffs--but more often than not I found the film lacking. The story revolves around a group of college co-eds in what is presumably an East Coast college, led by the blonde-haired Violet (played by a rather bland Greta Gerwig), a pretty but depressive girl who has reinvented herself into a kind of ice queen with a heart of gold. Violet and her florally-named cohorts act as a kind of moral authority at their school, championing suicide prevention through tap dance, good hygiene, and donuts. Violet's earnest confidence is shaken when she catches her genuinely stupid pseudo-boyfriend in the arms of one of her converts. She seeks solace off-campus at a Motel 4 ("It's like a Motel 6 but even cheaper") and is saved from committing suicide herself by the scent of a bar of soap in her motel room bathroom. Violet returns to campus with a new mission: if everyone at the school received a bar of soap like the one she smelled in her motel room, the world would be a happier place.
Meanwhile we also have Lily, a transfer student who is recruited into Violet's group during new student orientation. Lily (a charming Annaleigh Tipton) is in love with Frenchman Xavier ("Gossip Girl" alum Hugo Becker) who introduces her to the 'mysticism' of Cathar lovemaking while being charmed by Charlie (a likable Adam Brody) who turns out to be not at all whom he claims to be.
Add into the mix a soft-focused Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers-inspired song and dance number and the Sambola! an 'international dance craze', and you pretty much have the film in a nutshell. I will say that the biggest laughs for me come in the last five minutes which are totally random and really really funny.
The problem I have with the film is that it never lives up to its potential. Granted, a particularly high standard has been set based on Stillman's previous films. There are a handful of zingy one-liners and some mildly amusing social commentary but on the whole the film lacks focus. Promising elements introduced early on disappear in the film's rather cumbersome middle section only to make a welcome return in the third act. I also found myself longing for a more charismatic leading lady. It's clear that Stillman wrote the role of Violet with someone like Chloe Sevigny in mind. Greta Gerwig even looks like Sevigny but she lacks Ms. Sevigny's understated acerbic quality. Instead, Ms. Gerwig more often than not delivers her lines as though she was reading them from her script. It's kind of hard to care too much about what happens to her. Earnestness never looked or sounded so dead.
I couldn't help but feel the whole premise of the film is stale. And while it might sound sacrilegious to die-hard Stillman fans, I think "Gossip Girl" (which shares some similarities with Stillman's oeuvre) in its funniest, most satirical moments is sharper and more nuanced than what we've got in "Damsels in Distress." Leighton Meester's Blair Waldorf would be right at home in Stillman's world and she'd probably make it a whole lot more fun.
By all means, go and see "Damsels in Distress" if for no other reason than its final sequence. It's great to have Stillman back and I hope we don't have to wait another twelve years for his next film. But in the meantime, I'll be revisiting Stillman's 1990s and watching the fifteen or so "Gossip Girl" episodes I have taking up space on my DVR.
Ciao.
The '90s will always be equated in my mind with the films of the incomparable writer and director Whit Stillman: "Metropolitan," (1990) "Barcelona" (1994) and "The Last Days of Disco," (1998) a loosely connected satirical trilogy that defined a decade and a generation. Twentysomething angst was never portrayed as wittily, poignantly, or as precociously as it was in these films. Stillman made stars of Chris Eigemann, Mira Sorvino, Chloe Sevigny, and Kate Beckinsdale. It's been twelve years since Stillman's made a film. Now, in 2012, we have Stillman's latest "Damsels in Distress."
I wish I could say that "Damsels" is a flawless return to form. While there is much to like here, I can't give it a strong recommendation. It is definitely worth seeing though--especially if you're a fan of his earlier films which have earned a cult-like status among film buffs--but more often than not I found the film lacking. The story revolves around a group of college co-eds in what is presumably an East Coast college, led by the blonde-haired Violet (played by a rather bland Greta Gerwig), a pretty but depressive girl who has reinvented herself into a kind of ice queen with a heart of gold. Violet and her florally-named cohorts act as a kind of moral authority at their school, championing suicide prevention through tap dance, good hygiene, and donuts. Violet's earnest confidence is shaken when she catches her genuinely stupid pseudo-boyfriend in the arms of one of her converts. She seeks solace off-campus at a Motel 4 ("It's like a Motel 6 but even cheaper") and is saved from committing suicide herself by the scent of a bar of soap in her motel room bathroom. Violet returns to campus with a new mission: if everyone at the school received a bar of soap like the one she smelled in her motel room, the world would be a happier place.
Meanwhile we also have Lily, a transfer student who is recruited into Violet's group during new student orientation. Lily (a charming Annaleigh Tipton) is in love with Frenchman Xavier ("Gossip Girl" alum Hugo Becker) who introduces her to the 'mysticism' of Cathar lovemaking while being charmed by Charlie (a likable Adam Brody) who turns out to be not at all whom he claims to be.
Add into the mix a soft-focused Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers-inspired song and dance number and the Sambola! an 'international dance craze', and you pretty much have the film in a nutshell. I will say that the biggest laughs for me come in the last five minutes which are totally random and really really funny.
The problem I have with the film is that it never lives up to its potential. Granted, a particularly high standard has been set based on Stillman's previous films. There are a handful of zingy one-liners and some mildly amusing social commentary but on the whole the film lacks focus. Promising elements introduced early on disappear in the film's rather cumbersome middle section only to make a welcome return in the third act. I also found myself longing for a more charismatic leading lady. It's clear that Stillman wrote the role of Violet with someone like Chloe Sevigny in mind. Greta Gerwig even looks like Sevigny but she lacks Ms. Sevigny's understated acerbic quality. Instead, Ms. Gerwig more often than not delivers her lines as though she was reading them from her script. It's kind of hard to care too much about what happens to her. Earnestness never looked or sounded so dead.
I couldn't help but feel the whole premise of the film is stale. And while it might sound sacrilegious to die-hard Stillman fans, I think "Gossip Girl" (which shares some similarities with Stillman's oeuvre) in its funniest, most satirical moments is sharper and more nuanced than what we've got in "Damsels in Distress." Leighton Meester's Blair Waldorf would be right at home in Stillman's world and she'd probably make it a whole lot more fun.
By all means, go and see "Damsels in Distress" if for no other reason than its final sequence. It's great to have Stillman back and I hope we don't have to wait another twelve years for his next film. But in the meantime, I'll be revisiting Stillman's 1990s and watching the fifteen or so "Gossip Girl" episodes I have taking up space on my DVR.
Ciao.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Glee...I hardly know ye...
Hi everyone!
Is there anyone out there in the blogosphere who still watches "Glee"? I've been a fan of the show since its premiere in 2009. I've followed its up and downs and continue to stick with it even though more often than not I feel that it's become a show that's lost its way.
The first season was a brilliant take on contemporary high school, touching on issues that affect high school students with insight, satirical humor, and a fair bit of poignancy. Having been a high school choir and show choir geek myself--now over twenty years ago--I even related to the bond these gleeks have with each other set against the social exclusion and bullying they often encountered for being "different." At the end of its fourth season, there is still much to recommend about the show. I don't think there's any show currently on network television that succeeds as "Glee" often does in pulling at the heartstrings while 'teaching' worthwhile lessons about race, GLBT, teen pregnancy, and the universal desire to fit in regardless of one's socioeconomic status.
However...this season the show has been saddled with trite and treacly story-lines that don't really go anywhere and the characters themselves--who once possessed the charm and biting wit of the best of John Hughes--have been reduced to one-dimensional caricatures who are more annoying than they are relatable.
I, for one, am sick of the Rachel and Finn on-again/off-again romance and the will-they-or-won't-they get married plot inspires little more than indifference. Quinn, the mean girl pregnant cheerleader of the first and second seasons, who had always been my favorite character, barely registers on-screen anymore. A promising plot earlier this season wherein she and resident bad-boy Puck (the baby's father) conspired to steal their baby away from its adoptive mother--a rival show choir director at the high school--petered out as Quinn suddenly had a change-of-heart and then was reduced to serving little purpose other than as back-up singer. I am especially disappointed by the handling of Quinn's horrific car accident. This was the moment the Winter season finale built up to. It was a true cliffhanger in the classic 80s prime time soap tradition: Quinn was running late to Rachel and Finn's wedding. She's driving home to pick up her bridesmaids dress while texting a panicking Rachel and not paying attention to the road. A semi slams into her car and the screen goes black. Like millions of gleeks around the country at that moment, I was stunned. For that reason I couldn't wait to see last week's spring premiere. And boy was I disappointed, even a little pissed off.
Little mention is made of the accident. Quinn appears in a wheelchair looking as pretty as ever. She's paralyzed from waist down but is optimistic she'll gain full recovery. The mean girl has become something of a nice girl martyr all the while serving as a rather heavy-handed PSA against texting behind the wheel. It made me angry. I felt robbed as a loyal viewer. I felt I deserved something better than this.
My complaints continue. Some of the show's best moments have traditionally revolved around Jane Lynch's ascerbic and genuinely funny cheerleading coach. Now she's having a baby and has lost her edge. Matthew Morrison's Will Schuester has nothing to do anymore except introduce the week's glee club assignments and share 'teachable moments' with the kids, though he had a nice turn last night in the "Stayin' Alive" musical number. Kurt and Blaine function as little more than gay poster-children, which is fine I suppose, but I miss the genuinely wrenching moments where Kurt dealt with his sexuality and his relationship with his blue-collar auto mechanic dad. These scenes used to move me to tears. Who can forget Kurt's impassioned performance of "Rose's Turn" a couple seasons back? or last season's prom episode? Blaine, played by Darren Criss who is always a show highlight, has some nice moments, particularly in his musical sequences, but again any plot that might have been gritty or riveting in a real-life scenario (like when Blaine nearly lost his eye after a particularly vicious attack) was all tied-up with safe and sanitized ribbons and bows. Everyone lives happily ever after.
With only a handful of episodes remaining this season--and half the cast graduating from high school--change seems to be afoot...or is it? We already know that Rachel and Finn (the show's anchors) will be back for a fifth season (will they or won't they move to New York so Rachel can attend the New York Academy of Dramatic Art?) which may or may not be a good thing depending on whether the writers are able to create a plot line for them that presents a more realistic portrayal of what it's like struggling to become an actor in New York. I hope Blaine and Kurt remain because I think it's important to present positive gay relationships on television (Santana and Brittney also serve this purpose in a more humorous but no less poignant presentation). Maybe a broadening of locations as these characters branch out into the "real" world outside of high school will provide a much-needed creative spark to Ryan Murphy and his team?
It's not surprising that ratings have taken a plunge this season. I've considered abandoning the show as well, but every so often the show still gets at my core and keeps me hooked and I keep coming back. Bring back the sarcastic ever-so-slightly precocious humor, give these characters and their relationships a total overhaul (or abandon them altogether and start new) and return to what "Glee" always did best: entertain while making us think and laugh and weep and make us take a deeper look at ourselves--who we are now as adults, and who were were in high school.
Mr. Murphy, give us a reason to come back for Season Five.
Ciao.
Is there anyone out there in the blogosphere who still watches "Glee"? I've been a fan of the show since its premiere in 2009. I've followed its up and downs and continue to stick with it even though more often than not I feel that it's become a show that's lost its way.
The first season was a brilliant take on contemporary high school, touching on issues that affect high school students with insight, satirical humor, and a fair bit of poignancy. Having been a high school choir and show choir geek myself--now over twenty years ago--I even related to the bond these gleeks have with each other set against the social exclusion and bullying they often encountered for being "different." At the end of its fourth season, there is still much to recommend about the show. I don't think there's any show currently on network television that succeeds as "Glee" often does in pulling at the heartstrings while 'teaching' worthwhile lessons about race, GLBT, teen pregnancy, and the universal desire to fit in regardless of one's socioeconomic status.
However...this season the show has been saddled with trite and treacly story-lines that don't really go anywhere and the characters themselves--who once possessed the charm and biting wit of the best of John Hughes--have been reduced to one-dimensional caricatures who are more annoying than they are relatable.
I, for one, am sick of the Rachel and Finn on-again/off-again romance and the will-they-or-won't-they get married plot inspires little more than indifference. Quinn, the mean girl pregnant cheerleader of the first and second seasons, who had always been my favorite character, barely registers on-screen anymore. A promising plot earlier this season wherein she and resident bad-boy Puck (the baby's father) conspired to steal their baby away from its adoptive mother--a rival show choir director at the high school--petered out as Quinn suddenly had a change-of-heart and then was reduced to serving little purpose other than as back-up singer. I am especially disappointed by the handling of Quinn's horrific car accident. This was the moment the Winter season finale built up to. It was a true cliffhanger in the classic 80s prime time soap tradition: Quinn was running late to Rachel and Finn's wedding. She's driving home to pick up her bridesmaids dress while texting a panicking Rachel and not paying attention to the road. A semi slams into her car and the screen goes black. Like millions of gleeks around the country at that moment, I was stunned. For that reason I couldn't wait to see last week's spring premiere. And boy was I disappointed, even a little pissed off.
Little mention is made of the accident. Quinn appears in a wheelchair looking as pretty as ever. She's paralyzed from waist down but is optimistic she'll gain full recovery. The mean girl has become something of a nice girl martyr all the while serving as a rather heavy-handed PSA against texting behind the wheel. It made me angry. I felt robbed as a loyal viewer. I felt I deserved something better than this.
My complaints continue. Some of the show's best moments have traditionally revolved around Jane Lynch's ascerbic and genuinely funny cheerleading coach. Now she's having a baby and has lost her edge. Matthew Morrison's Will Schuester has nothing to do anymore except introduce the week's glee club assignments and share 'teachable moments' with the kids, though he had a nice turn last night in the "Stayin' Alive" musical number. Kurt and Blaine function as little more than gay poster-children, which is fine I suppose, but I miss the genuinely wrenching moments where Kurt dealt with his sexuality and his relationship with his blue-collar auto mechanic dad. These scenes used to move me to tears. Who can forget Kurt's impassioned performance of "Rose's Turn" a couple seasons back? or last season's prom episode? Blaine, played by Darren Criss who is always a show highlight, has some nice moments, particularly in his musical sequences, but again any plot that might have been gritty or riveting in a real-life scenario (like when Blaine nearly lost his eye after a particularly vicious attack) was all tied-up with safe and sanitized ribbons and bows. Everyone lives happily ever after.
With only a handful of episodes remaining this season--and half the cast graduating from high school--change seems to be afoot...or is it? We already know that Rachel and Finn (the show's anchors) will be back for a fifth season (will they or won't they move to New York so Rachel can attend the New York Academy of Dramatic Art?) which may or may not be a good thing depending on whether the writers are able to create a plot line for them that presents a more realistic portrayal of what it's like struggling to become an actor in New York. I hope Blaine and Kurt remain because I think it's important to present positive gay relationships on television (Santana and Brittney also serve this purpose in a more humorous but no less poignant presentation). Maybe a broadening of locations as these characters branch out into the "real" world outside of high school will provide a much-needed creative spark to Ryan Murphy and his team?
It's not surprising that ratings have taken a plunge this season. I've considered abandoning the show as well, but every so often the show still gets at my core and keeps me hooked and I keep coming back. Bring back the sarcastic ever-so-slightly precocious humor, give these characters and their relationships a total overhaul (or abandon them altogether and start new) and return to what "Glee" always did best: entertain while making us think and laugh and weep and make us take a deeper look at ourselves--who we are now as adults, and who were were in high school.
Mr. Murphy, give us a reason to come back for Season Five.
Ciao.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Shahs of Sunset: First Season Review
Hi everyone!
Those of you who have been following me since I launched this blog last November have probably noticed that I've not posted much lately. The reason for this is not that I'm no longer interested in keeping the blog going, but rather that I found the whole process of finding newsworthy current affairs to write about every day was more of a challenge than something I enjoyed. When I initially launched the blog, my intent had been to write about culture, art, society, etc--hence Author on the Town. I got away from that, and while world issues is something that I am very passionate about, it's hard work to write about every day. I've also noticed that my most popular entries are those devoted to film, literature, and restaurant reviews--i.e. culture.
So...I'm excited to report that I'm refocusing this blog to fit within that category. In other words, I'm going back to my original intention. I'm thinking two new postings every week on all manner of pop culture and the worlds of art, music, film, theatre, literature, and nightlife. My real passions. I also want to make this blog more interactive. I want to hear from you, my readers, whether you agree or disagree with my reviews. I also want to hear about what you're reading, watching, where you're eating and drinking, your likes, dislikes, all of the above.
Having said that, I am devoting tonight's entry to a first season wrap-up of Bravo's new reality-based show "The Shahs of Sunset," which had its first season final this evening.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the show, "Shahs of Sunset" depicted in Real Housewives fashion the intersecting lives of six Persian-Americans living in Los Angeles--otherwise known in the Persian community as Tehrangeles for the large Persian community that exists there. Over the past six Sundays, we've gotten to know GG (beautiful and spoiled with anger management issues), Mike (Jewish, hunky, trying to get his real estate career back on its feet after some difficulties in Las Vegas), MJ (real estate broker with self-esteem and Mother issues), Asa (funky, avant-garde, concerned more with being true to her artistic vision than appealing to the commercial market), Reza (opinionated, gay, dealing with estrangement from his father), and Sammy (in high end real estate development, clubby, the party boy). What they share is the fact that all are the children of wealthy Iranian exiles.
And while much is made of and discussed on the show about what it means to be Persian in the United States, I didn't really come away with anything particularly profound or enlightening about the Persian community from having watched this show. In fact, "Shahs of Sunset" has been criticized in Persian circles for enhancing negative stereotypes. I'm not going to dwell on that here.
What I will say is that for yet another formulaic Bravo reality-based series, "Shahs of Sunset" proved to be highly entertaining and even, especially in the final two episodes, really quite poignant. Sure, the series was not without its share of drama and over-the-top alcohol-fueled confrontations in very public settings (GG more often than not rightly or wrongly serving as the eye of the hurricane), just plain weirdness (Asa's 'Diamond Water' ritual was debated and dissected on Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live"), and the needlessly voyeuristic (I didn't really need to witness MJ and Reza getting simultaneous colonics), but where it succeeded most for me was in its handling of difficulties and misperceptions between Old World parents and New World children. Reza's tearful reunion with his dad in the second to last episode was about as poignant a moment as I've seen in the reality-TV genre, likewise the scene in the final episode where MJ tries to come to terms with her mother whom Reza had previously said simply does not love her. And while I never quite figured out the reasons for GG's anger management challenges, (though she finally mentions having been bullied as a kid for being Persian) I did feel just a bit sad for her when she confessed to Mike that she hadn't been on a date in five years and that she really was a good person deep down inside. I loved her awkward date with the doctor in the season finale. It was about as vulnerable as I'd ever seen GG. And I kind of like Asa's single "Tehrangeles" that received its premiere in the season finale -- always it seems at least one of these reality cast members has to have a single! (It's available on iTunes, by the way.)
I don't know whether "Shahs of Sunset" has been picked up for a second season. I think the likelihood is high that it will be, given its relative ratings success. All in all, if Bravo and reality-TV is your thing, "Shahs" does not disappoint. Unlike most reality show denizens, these people are actually all rather likable though you might not think so from the first episode. Give it time. They'll grow on you..and you might even find yourself humming "Tehrangeles". I do, though I'm kind of weird that way.
Ciao.
Those of you who have been following me since I launched this blog last November have probably noticed that I've not posted much lately. The reason for this is not that I'm no longer interested in keeping the blog going, but rather that I found the whole process of finding newsworthy current affairs to write about every day was more of a challenge than something I enjoyed. When I initially launched the blog, my intent had been to write about culture, art, society, etc--hence Author on the Town. I got away from that, and while world issues is something that I am very passionate about, it's hard work to write about every day. I've also noticed that my most popular entries are those devoted to film, literature, and restaurant reviews--i.e. culture.
So...I'm excited to report that I'm refocusing this blog to fit within that category. In other words, I'm going back to my original intention. I'm thinking two new postings every week on all manner of pop culture and the worlds of art, music, film, theatre, literature, and nightlife. My real passions. I also want to make this blog more interactive. I want to hear from you, my readers, whether you agree or disagree with my reviews. I also want to hear about what you're reading, watching, where you're eating and drinking, your likes, dislikes, all of the above.
Having said that, I am devoting tonight's entry to a first season wrap-up of Bravo's new reality-based show "The Shahs of Sunset," which had its first season final this evening.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the show, "Shahs of Sunset" depicted in Real Housewives fashion the intersecting lives of six Persian-Americans living in Los Angeles--otherwise known in the Persian community as Tehrangeles for the large Persian community that exists there. Over the past six Sundays, we've gotten to know GG (beautiful and spoiled with anger management issues), Mike (Jewish, hunky, trying to get his real estate career back on its feet after some difficulties in Las Vegas), MJ (real estate broker with self-esteem and Mother issues), Asa (funky, avant-garde, concerned more with being true to her artistic vision than appealing to the commercial market), Reza (opinionated, gay, dealing with estrangement from his father), and Sammy (in high end real estate development, clubby, the party boy). What they share is the fact that all are the children of wealthy Iranian exiles.
And while much is made of and discussed on the show about what it means to be Persian in the United States, I didn't really come away with anything particularly profound or enlightening about the Persian community from having watched this show. In fact, "Shahs of Sunset" has been criticized in Persian circles for enhancing negative stereotypes. I'm not going to dwell on that here.
What I will say is that for yet another formulaic Bravo reality-based series, "Shahs of Sunset" proved to be highly entertaining and even, especially in the final two episodes, really quite poignant. Sure, the series was not without its share of drama and over-the-top alcohol-fueled confrontations in very public settings (GG more often than not rightly or wrongly serving as the eye of the hurricane), just plain weirdness (Asa's 'Diamond Water' ritual was debated and dissected on Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live"), and the needlessly voyeuristic (I didn't really need to witness MJ and Reza getting simultaneous colonics), but where it succeeded most for me was in its handling of difficulties and misperceptions between Old World parents and New World children. Reza's tearful reunion with his dad in the second to last episode was about as poignant a moment as I've seen in the reality-TV genre, likewise the scene in the final episode where MJ tries to come to terms with her mother whom Reza had previously said simply does not love her. And while I never quite figured out the reasons for GG's anger management challenges, (though she finally mentions having been bullied as a kid for being Persian) I did feel just a bit sad for her when she confessed to Mike that she hadn't been on a date in five years and that she really was a good person deep down inside. I loved her awkward date with the doctor in the season finale. It was about as vulnerable as I'd ever seen GG. And I kind of like Asa's single "Tehrangeles" that received its premiere in the season finale -- always it seems at least one of these reality cast members has to have a single! (It's available on iTunes, by the way.)
I don't know whether "Shahs of Sunset" has been picked up for a second season. I think the likelihood is high that it will be, given its relative ratings success. All in all, if Bravo and reality-TV is your thing, "Shahs" does not disappoint. Unlike most reality show denizens, these people are actually all rather likable though you might not think so from the first episode. Give it time. They'll grow on you..and you might even find yourself humming "Tehrangeles". I do, though I'm kind of weird that way.
Ciao.
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