Elite Branches Out with Family Trees
by Shirley Lorraine

2731 S. Victoria Ave
In the World Premiere of Family Trees, family members come together to solve a problem and secrets are revealed following the death of Mike (Evan Austin) and Tina’s (Genevieve Levin) mother. A curmudgeonly busybody neighbor (Dorrie Braun) and her milquetoast son (Sabastien Montgomerie) fill in gaps in the offspring’s knowledge and memories. The play is a frank study in the elasticity of relationship dynamics, filled with humor, laced with universal truths and a few surprises.

Playwright Jason Furlani was on hand opening weekend to share in the joy and the nerves that mounting a new work can bring. Family Trees, playing on the Elite’s South stage, is a good match for the theater’s continuing mix of thought-provoking productions.  Based in part on Furlani’s own experiences, the play touches on many common situations that arise after a death, as well as a few unusual viewpoints for consideration.

While the actors are new to the Elite stage, all four of them bring a wealth of theatrical experience to the boards. The opinionated characters are well developed, embodying personality elements familiar to many.  Director William Carmichael pulls solid performances out of each actor. No doubt as the run continues, the cast will continue to ease naturally into their roles as siblings and friends, evening out the fluctuations in their contrasts.

The setting is a typical family home in Schenectady, New York. Well adorned with ceramic plates on the walls and the usual kitchen accoutrements, the set oozes a cozy, homey feel that instantly gives the audience a comfortable place in which to digest.the quirky material.  It is easy to sit back, relax and enjoy the show and at the same time, be able to ponder questions raised by the introduction of deeper ideas. Mother’s urn rests casually on the dining room table while preparations are made to add her to the grove of trees nurtured by relatives past providing the ultimate in recycling efforts.

Dorrie Braun appears to be having a great deal of fun as the neighbor whose bun is too tightly wound. Her straight-edged demeanor provides a sharp contrast to that of Montgomerie’s possibly challenged, yet highly enthusiastic portrayal of a man-child who explores the boundaries of independence while building new relationships. His dialogue was a curious mix of intelligent thought and unsophisticated phrasing which I found a bit jarring.

Austin and Levin’s performances both have the volume turned down in the beginning but amp it  up as the action progresses.   Placing the liquor on the bottom shelf seemed a bit awkward. Frequent trips to the cabinet would be more logical at counter height.

Family Trees has yet to be published and still has opportunity for refinement.

Family Trees runs through Dec 18. Friday & Saturday eves 8 PM, Sunday matinees 2 p.m.

All seats $15. Reservations encouraged. 483-5118
Elite Theatre Company
2731 Victoria Avenue
Oxnard, CA 93035
www.elitetheatre.org

Arrival – Poignant on the spot instant sci-fi classic  (4 trees)
by Richard Lieberman

Director Denis Villeneuve combines hard sci-fi and deep seeded emotion in one of the best sci-fi movies of the year. A thoughtful grown up piece of science fiction not the usual alien invasion doomsday setup that we have become familiar with.

Arrival’s premise begins with twelve mysterious alien space craft landing, or rather hovering over remote locations all over the globe. A linguistics expert Dr. Louise Banks played by Amy Adams is struggling with the death of her teenaged daughter, trying find peace in her daily routine. Her path is interrupted when the twelve alien vessels appear on earth, and the U.S. military comes to her for her help. The military has made minimal contact with the aliens, but their language is unlike anything known to man. She partners with a theoretical physicist Ian Donnelly, played by Jeremy Renner.

Banks and Donnelly enter the alien ship and begin to painstakingly learn their language and teaching them ours. She is convinced the aliens are peaceful and with good intention, but with twelve ships around the world, other countries are having their own interactions with the aliens, and Banks is tasked with finding out why they are here. Arrival doesn’t cringe when it comes to taking on a serious discussion of linguistics, physics or math or the complex language the aliens use. It never leaves us lost at presenting complex and interesting concepts that usually end up on the cutting floor in Hollywood’s sci-fi universe.

Symmetrical, stunning compositions and an early scene where the two characters enter the alien ship for the first time remind us of the sci-fi classic 2001. Arrival though is not as sterile as 2001 and has an almost gritty character that plies us with a sense of reality.  The movie makes its characters from our hero and heroine to the Chinese General seem alone and unable to effectively communicate with each other. That inability to communicate with others, not just aliens is a central theme that permeates the film.

Arrivals success is ambitious in its telling of a complex hard science fiction story through the emotionally compelling and heartbreaking story of its main character Amy Adams. Watching Adams struggle with attempting to decipher the alien’s language constantly driven by memories of her daughter is heart wrenching establishing empathy with the audience.

Adams character  moves the film forward to a climax that is both satisfying and emotional, quietly triumphant and emotionally satisfying.

Playing time 1hr.58min.  PG13

Doctor Strange/4 Palm Trees
by Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]

When we first meet Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), he’s an esteemed neurosurgeon at the top of his game. His unparalleled skill comes with a cost, however – he’s arrogant, a bit brash and very shrewd of the patients he deems worthy of his time. When a freak accident causes Strange to drive his car off a cliff, rendering his hands useless. After tons of closed doors and colleagues who’ve deemed his case impossible, he uses his last funds on a plane ticket to Kamar-Taj, Nepal. There, he finds a sect of sorcerers lead by a woman simply known as the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) – their mastery over the mystic arts and the spirit could hold the key to Strange’s recovery. As he studies under the Ancient One, however, an old pupil of hers named Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) reappears. He hopes to conjure up a forbidden power in exchange for eternal life, and at the cost of reality as we know it. This forces Strange to realize that the power he’s been given holds great responsibility. As his powers grow, he eventually has to choose between going back to a way of life he once knew, or defending it.

What makes Strange’s origin story so satisfying is that it’s basically the story of a selfish, self-centered man who realizes the world is much bigger than him. It’s the simplest of stories at the outset, and nothing we haven’t seen before, but when mixed with the film’s contemplation of time and mortality, equates to an adventure with slightly more weight to it. By focusing on such grounded ideas, Derrickson never loses his emotional tether, allowing Strange’s journey to the end of his ego to manifest itself both thematically and metaphysically.

The film’s visuals, they’re totally unhinged and worth the price of admission alone, delivering insane action sequences which smash through the bounds of physical possibility with unabashed glee. No two battles are the same, with Strange and his colleagues defending reality, as we know it through environments that shape shift with clockwork complexity. In the best way, Derrickson’s commitment to the bizarre makes the film feel unmoored from its very foundations and liberated from its peers, going full blast into hardcore fantasy mode with a ferocious vitality and ingenuity.

The performances are like the icing on top, adding depth to characters who feel authentic and well-rounded. As Strange, Cumberbatch is perfectly cast. The film centers on his ability to balance being self-absorbed yet charming, and it’s a fine line that few could replicate. It also makes the film rewarding, to see how he changes throughout, slowly realizing the responsibility of his new powers and how much he can do with them. Swinton brings a sense of gravitas and power to the Ancient One, balancing hidden layers which become more apparent as the film progresses. As one of her most trusted, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Karl Mordo is a nice contrast to Strange. Confident in his powers and motivated by a burning conviction, his arc sits nicely beside Strange’s and converges in a way that makes the character more interesting than his printed counterpart. Mikkelsen has so much charisma, and even through he’s doing horribly dark things, you believe that he doesn’t view himself as a villain.

In a lot of ways, Doctor Strange’s achievements feels like a culmination of what Marvel’s done in the past, and where they’re heading in the future. It takes the origin story template and finds ways to make it feel new, working well as a standalone while still tying into the larger scheme of things. At a time when superhero films are starting to all feel and look the same, Derrickson’s latest is a rich feast that pushes the ideas of what we expect in the genre (at least visually) and adds another colorfully vibrant reality to an already dense roster of heroes.

115 minutes. Rated PG-13. Now Playing at Cinemark Downtown 10.

“Calendar Girls” Bust Out the Laughs
by Shirley Lorraine

First, it happened. Then it became a hit movie. Now it is hitting stages across the country and the world. A delightful lightweight romp based on a real event, “Calendar Girls” centers around a stalwart and staid British women’s organization, the Women’s Institute Association, referred to as the WI.

Their fundraising goal for the present year is to raise money to purchase a settee for the currently dismal waiting area in a hospital cancer wing in honor of one of the members’ husband who recently deceased from the disease.

But when the subject of their annual calendar comes up, members of the group opt to stray from the usual fare of churches, bridges and landscapes. Instead, a handful of them decide to bare “most” in a calendar layout using themselves as the models with props representative of the club’s standard focus of baking, knitting and gardening.  As members of the WI of Knapeley in the Yorkshire Dales, they are less invested in the traditional than they are in finding new ways to achieve the same ends, having more fun in the process. With the encouragement of a cause, the ladies employ a young photographer (Andrew Garrett) to make the project a reality.

Director Judy Blake opted to forgo the English accents while keeping the idioms of the language, which did work well. Despite some unfamiliar references, the cast delivers a spun-candy froth with emotional undertones that periodically brings the audience back to terra firma.  The meaning behind the effort struck a chord with many in the audience.

Cast members include Helen Benjamin, Karla Marie, Angela DeCicco, Rosalee Calvillo, Laura Ring, and Nancy Hullihan as the “Calendar Girls”.  Marilyn Lazik, Allan Noel, Ray Mastrovito, Andrew Garrett, Leslie Nichols, Penni Blum, Anthony Baldonado, and Joyce McWilliams fill in the rest of the story.

All of the participants embrace their characters with enthusiasm and varying levels of skill that emphasize the realism they are portraying. The cast works as an ensemble – each providing unique mannerisms and body language, and each adding to the storyline both in minor and major ways. Each character has at least one moment to shine in the spotlight, securing the feeling of unity and friendly rivalry that belonging to a women’s group can elicit.

Angela DeCicco gives a solid performance throughout as Cora, the musical director. Laura Ring dives into her role as the resident “tart” with abandon. Helene Benjamin and Karla Holland as the catalysts for the effort clearly depict the friendship bond that drives them. In the role of the reluctant Ruth, Nancy Hullihan is reserved until pushed to her limit.  Rosalee Calvillo as Jessie brings her own seasoning to the mix.

Adding a regal touch in a cameo role is SPTC long-time producer Leslie Nichols.  Nichols wins the best hat award for her stunning creation which she wears with a strong air of ownership.

SPTC winds up its 2016 season with a delightful diversionary presentation. If you want to catch this one, make your reservation soon.

www.santapaulatheatercenter.org/805-525-4625
through Dec 18. Friday & Saturday eves 8 PM

Reservations are highly recommended to ensure

a seat for this popular show.

ALL Sunday 2:30PM performances are already SOLD OUT!
Adults $20, Students and Seniors $18

Arrival / 4 Palm Trees
by Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]

Our very existence is built around the need to communicate, and more importantly, understand one another. Arrival deconstructs this idea from the ground up, exploring language as a measure of intent, an art form, and depending on how you look at it, a weapon. It’s a stunning landmark of a film, one that tackles the age-old idea of first contact with ideas and social sensitivity, rather than explosions or noisy, meaningless gunfights.

The story picks up on the day they arrive: 12 gigantic, alien ships hover strategically across the globe. The world is plunged into chaos while its leaders attempt to figure out the basic questions: Why are they here? Where did they come from? What do they want? Without any answers forthcoming, Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) of the U.S. Army enlists the help of linguist expert, Dr. Louise Brooks (Amy Adams), and theoretical physicist, Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner). As the 12 nations involved grow progressively weary and hostile towards the visitors and each other, Brooks and Donnelly scramble to find answers which could either unite or destroy the human race.

The most noticeable thing about it is the tone – there’s a layer of unease and uncertainty, but right from the get, Villeneuve’s direction and Eric Heisserer’s script is all about wonder and exploration, rather than violence or physical threat. Like the best sci-fi, the film’s extraordinary elements (the aliens) are more a catalyst than anything else, with the true struggle occurring within the mind of its characters, as they grapple with issues of paranoia, distrust and a fear of the unknown. Without spoiling too many things, the film finds a way to completely pull the rug out from underneath us, constantly shifting whenever we think we’ve got it figured out, without ever losing sight of humanity as its focal point.

If there’s another thing to love about Villeneuve’s approach, it would have to be the level of realism that grounds his aliens and their language, both in written and verbal form. In fact, there isn’t a single aspect about the extraterrestrial visitors that doesn’t feel well thought out. From the designs of their ship to the creatures themselves, everything is simple and timeless, allowing their symbolism to speak louder than their presence. In this way, they make a huge impression, texturally weaving into the film’s themes without clouding them.

The ensemble is strong as well, with great turns from Whitaker, Renner and even Stuhlbarg, but Amy Adams is the film’s guiding light. Everything is built around her character, Louise, and Adams is perfect at embodying the story’s themes conviction. The emotional ground which the story covers is pretty vast but she gives it both the grand scale and intimacy it requires, really helping to sell the film’s complexity, especially during its final act.

Though its a film that’s all too familiar with our self-destructive ways, it’s one that chooses to uphold a piercing sense of hope, depicting its characters as intelligent people who truly want to avoid violence at all cost – a rare thing indeed. The ending also happens to be one of the smartest, most rewarding conclusions of the year, a mindtrip and that appeals to both the brain and heart. Villeneuve’s latest finds the director in peak form, armed with a message that’s as important now, as it’s ever been.

PG-13. 116 minutes. Opens November 11 at Cinemark Downtown 10.

Sci-Fi Musical Rocks the Bard
Shirley Lorraine

In a decidedly out-of-this-world variation to their usual fare of dramas, comedies and introspective works, the Rubicon Theatre has brought together a stellar cast to take the audience on an unforgettable journey through time and space.

From the moment one enters the theater, the scene is set. Blue-haired, pointy-eared members of the Starship Rubicon flight crew welcome everyone aboard. The stage is buzzing with beeping equipment and lights. The audience is ready to blast off into space with Return to the Forbidden Planet, a high-quality send-up mixing Shakespeare’s The Tempest and other works with classic rock and roll music and a generous helping of stereotypical science fiction.

Played with conviction and a dash of irony, the crew of the SS Rubicon delivers slightly altered versions of the Bard’s words, once again proving the timeless omniscience of his writings.  The themes of love, madness and the desire for power know no planetary boundaries.

Pounding out a galaxy of familiar foot-tapping tunes from the 1950’s and 1960’s, many of the actors’ double as the musicians, staying perfectly in character as they rock out. You won’t want to miss Rubicon co-founder, Artistic Director Emeritus and star of the recent drama Darrow, James O’Neil, belting out “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” as he gives life to the villainous Dr. Prospero.

Directed and choreographed to perfection by Kirby Ward, each member of the starship’s crew embodies their chosen character with gusto. Many have adopted characteristics of familiar sci-fi characters from television and film just enough to be reminiscent.

The star-studded cast includes Jason Graae as the robot Ariel, Caleb Horst as the ingénue Cookie, Harley Jay as Captain Tempest, Craig McEldowney as Bosun and Martin Landry as the Navigation Officer. Rebecca Ann Johnson as Gloria, the Science Officer, and Kimberly Hessler as Dr. Prospero’s daughter Miranda, lend the female vocal power to the mix.

Music Director Trevor Wheetman on synthesizer, Omar D. Brancato on bass, and Matt Tucci on drums are occasionally accompanied by Jay on electric guitar, Graae on clarinet and others. Although the live music sometimes drowned out the lyrics, the familiarity of the songs made that a forgivable and minor faux pas.   The four flight crew members perform multiple-duty as back-up singers and dancers, adding additional dimension to the festivities.

Return to the Forbidden Planet is pure toe-tapping fun, especially for those of us who grew up jiving to the tunes of Eric Burdon, James Brown, The Beach Boys and Roy Orbison while tuning in to Lost in Space, Star Trek and Twilight Zone.  Bend time and space with an evening of hilarity, fun and poetry. Catch this one quickly before it leaves Ventura’s orbit.

Performances conclude Sunday November 13.  Thursday and Fridays blast off at 8 p.m., 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. $34-$64 – discounts available for seniors, students, active military and teachers. 667-2900, rubicontheatre.org. 1006 E. Main Street, downtown Ventura.  Reservations highly recommended. Call for availability.

Sci-Fi Musical Rocks the Bard
by Shirley Lorraine

In a decidedly out-of-this-world variation to their usual fare of dramas, comedies and introspective works, the Rubicon Theatre has brought together a stellar cast to take the audience on an unforgettable journey through time and space.

From the moment one enters the theater, the scene is set. Blue-haired, pointy-eared members of the Starship Rubicon flight crew welcome everyone aboard. The stage is buzzing with beeping equipment and lights. The audience is ready to blast off into space with Return to the Forbidden Planet, a high-quality send-up mixing Shakespeare’s The Tempest and other works with classic rock and roll music and a generous helping of stereotypical science fiction.

Played with conviction and a dash of irony, the crew of the SS Rubicon delivers slightly altered versions of the Bard’s words, once again proving the timeless omniscience of his writings.  The themes of love, madness and the desire for power know no planetary boundaries.

Pounding out a galaxy of familiar foot-tapping tunes from the 1950’s and 1960’s, many of the actors’ double as the musicians, staying perfectly in character as they rock out. You won’t want to miss Rubicon co-founder, Artistic Director Emeritus and star of the recent drama Darrow, James O’Neil, belting out “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” as he gives life to the villainous Dr. Prospero.

Directed and choreographed to perfection by Kirby Ward, each member of the starship’s crew embodies their chosen character with gusto. Many have adopted characteristics of familiar sci-fi characters from television and film just enough to be reminiscent.

The star-studded cast includes Jason Graae as the robot Ariel, Caleb Horst as the ingénue Cookie, Harley Jay as Captain Tempest, Craig McEldowney as Bosun and Martin Landry as the Navigation Officer. Rebecca Ann Johnson as Gloria, the Science Officer, and Kimberly Hessler as Dr. Prospero’s daughter Miranda, lend the female vocal power to the mix.

Music Director Trevor Wheetman on synthesizer, Omar D. Brancato on bass, and Matt Tucci on drums are occasionally accompanied by Jay on electric guitar, Graae on clarinet and others. Although the live music sometimes drowned out the lyrics, the familiarity of the songs made that a forgivable and minor faux pas.   The four flight crew members perform multiple-duty as back-up singers and dancers, adding additional dimension to the festivities.

Return to the Forbidden Planet is pure toe-tapping fun, especially for those of us who grew up jiving to the tunes of Eric Burdon, James Brown, The Beach Boys and Roy Orbison while tuning in to Lost in Space, Star Trek and Twilight Zone.  Bend time and space with an evening of hilarity, fun and poetry. Catch this one quickly before it leaves Ventura’s orbit.

Performances conclude Sunday November 13.  Thursday and Fridays blast off at 8 p.m., 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. $34-$64 – discounts available for seniors, students, active military and teachers. 667-2900, rubicontheatre.org. 1006 E. Main Street, downtown Ventura.  Reservations highly recommended. Call for availability.

Curtains Rises at Camarillo Playhouse
by Shirley Lorraine

Curtains, now onstage at the Camarillo Skyway Playhouse through November 20, is a send-up of backstage murder mystery musicals set in 1959 Boston.  Music and lyrics are by John Kander and Fred Ebb of Cabaret and Chicago fame.

In Curtains the ultimate bad omen occurs on opening night of a Broadway-bound musical– the murder of the much disliked, talentless leading lady.  Enter detective Frank Cioffi (William Carmichael), a part-time thespian himself, who quarantines the cast and questions the players, all of whom may have had ample motive to do the deed.  Producer Carmen Bernstein (Aileen-Marie Scott) tries to keep the show on track despite numerous setbacks, including another murder or two.

Subplots include the detective being smitten by a member of the ensemble, an unscrupulous Boston Globe reporter, and a sparring songwriting team.

The performance of the miscast and doomed Robbin’ Hood is directed by a flamboyant Christopher Belling, played to the hilt by Bill Sweeney. Apparently given free reign by Curtains director Rick Steinberg, Sweeney camps it up thoroughly throughout.

In excellent comedy fashion, the play within the play is clearly not Broadway material. However, some of the individual characters do shine in the surrounding play. Olivia Heulitt as the lead’s understudy Niki gives a particularly fine performance, both in acting and singing. She is well matched with Carmichael, who has a smooth, easy-going sound.  Another standout is Dawn Notagiacomo as Bambi, the stereotypical chorine whose bimbo persona masks some true talent.  Kyle Johnson gives a solid performance as Bobby Pepper, the lead player. Aileen-Marie Scott is a vocal force to be sure, although at times her brassiness overwhelms the lyrics.

The tempo of the show on opening weekend was uneven and a few technical glitches were still being refined.   Several of the songs had weak, lackluster endings.  Although a big Kander and Ebb fan, I would place this show on their B-list of memorable musical offerings.  Many of the songs contain familiar phrasing reminiscent of numerous other Kander and Ebb shows.  The score is pleasant yet unmemorable.

Curtains is a lightweight musical overall. Action moves back and forth between the show being put on by the players and the show the audience is watching. In that premise lies inherent inconsistency with both musical styles and cast performances which, in my opinion, kept the script from being fully realized.

Choreography by Miriam Durrie-Kirsch is ambitious and high energy although executed well by most of the large cast.   There are many “insider” references that anyone who has been on a stage will appreciate.  It is gratifying to experience a musical production that is less well known and to see a theater company expand its horizons beyond the standards.

Curtains runs Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays, 2 p.m. through Nov. 20.

Camarillo Skyway Playhouse
330 Skyway Drive, Camarillo
Camarillo Airport
  388-5716 or  [email protected]
Adults $20, Students, seniors and military, $15, Under 12, $10

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children/2 ½ Palm Trees
by Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is a return to form for director Tim Burton. It’s not anything particularly new, but it’s what he does best – gothic mystery that finds its affection and beauty amidst tragedy. Burton, above all, has always been about embracing oddities and outcasts, with characters who simply don’t belong in a world that fears what they don’t understand. Ransom Riggs’ original novel was obviously inspired by Burton’s earlier work, and now the director picks up where the book left off, translating its lyrical poetry into arresting imagery, telling a poignant story about the confusion of growing up and finding the strength to move past misfortune.

After the mysterious death of his grandfather, Abe (Terrence Stamp), Jacob (Asa Butterfield) is left with a series of cryptic clues. He thinks he might’ve seen a terrifying creature fleeing the scene of Abe’s death, and his grandfather’s final words mentioned something about finding a bird, a loop and an island. After months of failed therapy, Jacob gets a birthday present, an old book of Abe’s with a postcard from someone named Alma Peregrine (Eva Green). Dated only a few years back, and from an island close to Wales, he coerces his father to take him there under the guise of a summer vacation. What he finds on the island are more clues which lead him to Miss Peregrine, a kind, yet eccentric caretaker for a group of orphans with peculiar powers and abilities. This discovery, which defies the laws of nature and even time, shatters Jacob’s perception of reality, putting him on an irreversible path towards an extraordinary destiny.

The performances are another endearing aspect of the film. Leading the entire thing is Eva Green’s as the children’s caretaker, Alma Peregrine. Though she isn’t the story’s central character, she owns the film, with Green’s piercing stare and bird-like mannerisms (the character can also turn into a peregrine falcon) finding a rapturous eccentricity that we can’t look away from. You’ve also gotta love the statuesque silhouette that Atwood’s costume gives her as well – it’s slick, literally sharp, giving the character a mythical aura. The second best performance here is Ella Purnell’s Emma, a headstrong girl who is lighter than air, and has shared a past with Jake’s grandfather, Abe.

Though her character looks like a young girl, she’s actually really old, and Purnell has a maturity that sells the roll, as well as a charm and poignancy that really embodies the peculiars’ unique situation. She’s definitely a talent, and there’s no doubt she could carry an entire film on her own. Sadly, as Jake, Asa Butterfield has been better. He doesn’t go beyond what the role needs and feels a little wooden initially, but he grows into the character as the film progresses.

Though the other kids have smaller roles, each one is pretty distinctive aside from their powers, making the overall ensemble a really fun one to watch. Lastly, Samuel L. Jackson is relishing his role as the villainous Mr. Barron, chasing the kids through time itself – you can’t wait to see him return to the screen each time he disappears.

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children isn’t perfect, but Burton’s imagination is inspiring, and the film’s message is one that’s sincere. The plot juggles a lot of story, inheriting some of the book’s faults, but Goldman and Burton have made changes for the better, punching up the emotion while making the ending feel like more of a complete story – it could continue, or serve as a fitting endcap. As a film about the pains and confusion of growing up, or a fantastic adventure that traverses time and grief, Burton’s latest is a wonderful portrait about saying goodbye to the past and embracing an uncertain future with open arms.

Rated PG-13. 127 minutes. Now Playing at Cinemark Downtown 10.

The Magnificent Seven
by Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]

It was only a matter of time before Akira Kurosawa’s action masterpiece Seven Samurai was updated for a modern generation. Only this time around, the filmmakers have chosen to stick to the Western genre and use that format to bring the story to life once more in a re-telling of the John Sturges ensemble film The Magnificent Seven. That film, released in 1960, told the story of seven hired guns who upon protecting a village of poor farmers for virtually no money learn that they are not fighting for the inhabitants, but instead for something far greater than themselves. This time around Antoine Fuqua brings his fast, slick spin to the West with Denzel Washington playing Sam Chisolm, a man in black who is tasked with assembling seven guns once more for the same premise.

Joining Chisum is Josh Faraday (Chris Pratt), a smooth talking and charismatic face who is also good with a pistol. Jack Hunter (Vincent D’Onofrio) is an eccentric and expert tracker and Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke) is a legendary marksman who is struggling with his violent past. The film is excellently cast Vaszquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier), and Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee) round out the cast and bring an authenticity to their characters even with little screen time for some. They are brought together by Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett), a widow seeking revenge for the death of her husband and to stop Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) from destroying their lives and their homes.

If you’re familiar with the original film, you’ll notice recycled elements from the first two; everything from set pieces to specific lines of dialogue. Sturges’ film has a runtime of 128 minutes and fits in an impressive amount of exposition, action, and story in that time. Clocking in at 132 minutes Fuqua’s Seven seems extremely rushed, with a few characters getting shoddy introductions (sorry Red Harvest, but your intro didn’t make a lot of sense), strange character development that doesn’t lead anywhere, and a mustache twirling villain whose evil plan isn’t very evil or for that matter, coherent.

On that note, the film’s cast shines and brings characters to life that would otherwise prove dull on the page. Hawke’s Robicheaux is a man suffering from a legacy of violence and death, one that has finally taken its toll on his ability to be able to fire a weapon at another human being. With his eyes telegraphing the struggle, he doesn’t need to say much in order for us to know what he’s feeling. Washington is perfectly cast as the man in black, this time named Chisolm (probably a nod to the John Wayne western classic Chisum). Although the film is a little too referential (the opening is almost beat for beat out of Django Unchained), the film finds its footing in the modern action genre with its astonishing final battle between a hundred men against seven.

The film’s final set piece uses actual stunt riders on horse back as opposed to having to rely on CGI to create acrobatics that were once done practically. It is big and goes on for a long time, but it is without a doubt some of the most exciting action put on screen this year. Film score nerds will also recognize a very familiar rhythm played by the percussion in the film’s score, that’s right, it is a quote of Elmer Bernstein’s iconic score to the original film.

Though not necessarily very politically correct, Kurosawa and Sturges burden the audience with the farmer’s poverty more so than to let us know. These people were on the point of desperation, no longer knowing what to do. My main problem the film is that this is a tale of revenge. There is no realization that these men have to do what is right. In the third act, it’s revealed that the intentions of defending the people of the town go beyond standing up for what is right and are actually a plan for revenge. That said, it seems to fit perfectly well in this gritty update to The Magnificent Seven, yet somehow doesn’t feel right.

Now playing at Cinemark Downtown 10. 128 minutes. Rated PG-13.