Suffragette/4 Palm Trees

By Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]

It took many “suffragettes” to force changes in voting laws, but the use of the word in this movie’s title is singular. The story of the fight for women suffrage in early 20th century Britain is told through the eyes and the experiences of a young laundress named Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan). Maud has strong, barely-concealed feelings about the way women are treated in her society, but an activist she is not. At first victimized when caught in the middle of a suffragette rock-throwing incident, she is pulled into the movement by her co-worker, Violet Miller (Anne-Marie Duff), and a local pharmacist named Edith Ellyn (Helena Bonham Carter). When Maud is present for a stinging political defeat and soon after witnesses an inspiring secret appearance by the movement’s real-life godmother, Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep), Maud’s all in.

The conflicts in the streets and in the halls of government quickly start to become very personal for Maud, just as they did for many real-life suffragettes. Attending secret meetings of the suffragettes, she finds herself in the middle of arguments over tactics and strategies, as well as under the threat of arrest, as the group becomes more militant. She’s also caught between the group and the authorities who (in the person of Brendan Gleeson’s character) think her to be a weak link in the suffragette chain and try to force her to turn informant.

As with the other suffragettes, Maud’s commitment to the cause also has implications on the job – and in her home, where Maud’s husband, Sonny (Ben Whishaw), finds himself torn between his love for his wife and overwhelming social pressures to “deal with” her as she aligns herself with the suffragettes. Even Maud’s relationship with her young son is threatened by her role in the movement. This story benefits from Abi Morgan’s excellent script, Sarah Gavron’s sure-handed direction and the outstanding performances of all the main characters, particularly Mulligan’s, which makes us see, understand and feel how much suffragettes suffered for their cause.

Suffragette does for the women suffrage movement what 2014’s Selma did for the American civil rights movement. Much like the earlier fight to abolish slavery, the later struggle for civil rights or the more recent issue of LGBT rights, taking a look back at what it took to get women the right to vote reminds us that attaining social justice for all members of society takes time, effort, patience and sacrifice and it’s rarely pretty, but a fight on the side of right eventually triumphs.        The film tells us its ideals in a very clear and entertaining fashion – both in the context of this story’s specific issues shown and in the broader context of the ongoing struggle for equal rights by different groups of people in different countries all around the world. It isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but it’s a very well-made and worthwhile look at a very important time in world history, and with important implications for the world as we know it.

Now playing at Cinemark downtown 10. Rated PG-13

The Clean House at Santa Paula Theater Center
by Jim Spencer and Shirley Lorraine

If you’re looking for an uncommon experience to close out the year, The Clean House, now playing on stage at the Santa Paula Theater Center may just fit the bill.

It is uncommon in many ways.  It does not have a holiday theme.  Individual performances are uncommonly good. Parts of the tale range from the sensitive and poignant to the totally anomalous.

Creatively described as a romantic comedy, the story involves a married couple, both physicians, whose young live-in cleaning lady from Brazil wants to be a comedian and who never gets around to actually cleaning the house. There’s an OCD sister whose obsession is cleaning, and who secretly agrees to clean her sister’s home for the maid.  Complications increase when the husband announces he is leaving his wife – for an older woman with breast cancer who is also from Brazil.

There are other uncommon elements in the play. The show opens with the maid telling a lengthy joke in Portuguese that is never translated. Some of the dialogue is in Portuguese with subtitles flashed above on the proscenium. The husband goes to Alaska to get a tree with medicinal qualities, but can’t get it onto a commercial flight. So, he can’t return until he learns to fly a plane himself. However, the disparate parts hang together, as confirmed by the fact the script was a 2005 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

The entire cast is highly experienced, many with extensive stage, film and television credits and awards.  Although truly an ensemble piece, a pivotal performance is delicately and inspiringly delivered by Emmy winner Laurel Lyle as Dr. Lane, the physician-wife whose ordered world is shaken by uncommon events.

Holding down the clean-up spot, Sindy McKay attempts to bring dithering order to the chaos as Virginia, Dr. Lane’s cleanliness obsessed sister, and she does so with a lightheartedness that belies the character’s claims of not being interested in jokes and humor.

The maid and wanna-be comedian is convincingly played by Javiera Torres who gives the character an energy and hope.

Paul Newman portrays the wayward surgeon-husband, Charles, who falls for his patient while performing a mastectomy on her and justifies the situation by quoting Jewish law, even though he’s not Jewish.

Carmen Saveiros, who really was born in Brazil, is genuine and endearing as Ana, whose spirit and verve ultimately touch and enrich all the other characters and cause Charles to forsake his spouse.

The director is another Emmy winner, Larry Swerdlove, who has recently been adding polish and dimensions to multiple local theater productions by regularly helming plays, not only in Santa Paula, but at Ventura’s Flying H Group Theatre and the Elite Theatre Company in Oxnard.

The Clean House plays weekends to December 20. Santa Paula Theater Center, 7^th & Main Streets, Santa Paula. Friday & Saturday – 8 p.m. Sunday – 2:30 p.m. Tickets: $18-$20.   525-4645 or www.santapaulatheatercenter.org.

Please join the Ventura Film Society at 6pm on Sunday December 6th at the Museum of Ventura County for our Season 7 Closing Night Celebration. The two films we’ll be screening are “Cave Digger”, an Oscar-nominated documentary about an artist who spends ten years sculpting an other-worldly cave interior only to be cut off by his money-conscious patrons, and “Finders Keepers”, the hilarious true story of a mummified human leg and the enterprising Southern entrepreneur who refuses to return it to its rightful owner, a recovering OxyContin addict who wants it back. Tickets are $10 general, $7 seniors & $5 students and are available at the VFS Will Call table at the Museum or in advance from www.venturafilmsociety.com. Scratch Food Truck & No-Host Bar from 6pm. Films start at 6:45pm.

The Ventura Film Society is taking a hiatus next year so that VFS founder and director Lorenzo DeStefano can complete and release his new feature documentary film  about the amazing musician and composer, Rachel Flowers (www.rachelflowersfilm.com).

Lorenzo stated “It’s been a great 7 seasons during which the VFS has screened nearly 400 compelling alternative films and brought in scores of filmmakers and very special guests. Thanks to all of you who’ve so loyally supported us with your attendance, film sponsorships, donations and as volunteers. All of this could not have been done so successfully without you. We especially thank the City of Ventura Community Partnerships and our numerous sponsoring organizations, including the Ventura Breeze, Bell Arts Factory, Downtown Ventura Partners, , the VC Reporter, the Ventura County Star, KCLU-FM, the Museum of Ventura County, and Cinemark Theatres.”

Please visit www.facebook.com/VenturaFilmSociety as well as www.venturafilmsociety.com for future announcements. The VFS hopes to have several very special screenings for you in 2016.

Lion in Winter at Elite Theatre Co
By Jim Spencer and Shirley Lorraine

Tempers flare at Christmas time in a stark and drafty castle in 1183 as King Henry II of England, and his queen, Eleanor of Acquitaine, parry and thrust in an ongoing verbal joust about which of their sons will succeed the king who, at age 50, is facing the winter of his years.

Currently playing at Oxnard’s Elite Theatre Company, The Lion in Winter is a drama laced throughout with subtle humor that weaves a tale loosely based on historical facts about the turbulent relationships among King Henry II, his estranged and incarcerated wife Eleanor, and their three sons – two of whom do eventually become king of England.

The story’s principals are King Henry II (Alan Waserman), Eleanor (Vivien Latham), and their sons – Richard (Adam Womack), Geoffrey (Eric McGowan) and John (Trent Trachtenberg). Complicating matters considerably are the presence of Henry’s mistress Alais (Morgan Bozarth) and a visiting Prince Philip of France (Alex Czajka).

Waserman and Latham are standouts as the royal couple, continually sparring and obviously enjoying their love-hate relationship to the hilt. Both are fascinating to watch as their stoic countenances contrast the emotions beneath the surface. Their scenes together are nothing short of electrifying.

The three sons are a mixed lot. Adam Womack as Richard (Later to gain the throne as Richard the Lionhearted) gives a solid performance with bluster and depth. Geoffrey, the forgotten son who never seems to catch a break, is well, if underplayed, by Eric McGowan. His frustration at being overlooked gives him an edgy quality. A fairly newcomer to the stage, Trent Trachtenberg imbues the teenaged John with just the right amount of petulance and angst befitting the eager, but immature, prince.

Cast as the young Prince Philip of France, Alex Czajka provides an admirable accent, although he speaks quite rapidly. The pace, coupled with the unfamiliar accent, makes him difficult to understand at times. Nonetheless, he gives the character crafty and sly qualities that emphasize his cunning.

Rounding out the cast in the pivotal role of the mistress Alais, Morgan Bozarth is understated and quiet, all the while showing her emotional attachment and support to the much older King. She knows that she’s a bargaining chip in the race for the next King as she will become the wife of whomever is chosen, a fate she does not face lightly nor with pleasure.

The production is under the expert hand of the Elite’s artist director Tom Eubanks. He has been down the road to the castle before, having directed the play for the Ojai Art Center in 2000. As before Eubanks has enlisted the talents of Celtic harpist George Miller to provide authentic musical interludes throughout.

Ventura County has seen several fine productions of Lion over the years and this one ranks high on the list.

Lion in Winter plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. until November 22 at the Elite Theatre Company, 2731 S. Victoria Ave., Oxnard Harbor. Tickets: $15-18. (805) 483-5118 or www.elitetheatre.org.

Spectre/ 1 ½ Palm trees

By Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]

The latest outing for super-spy James Bond takes us back to his roots in director Sam Mendes’ Spectre. The evil organization behind some of Bond’s best films over the years makes its return in a not so spectacular fashion in a film bogged down by clichés, a slow plot, and a “why would you bother?” villain story.

Bond (Daniel Craig) tracks the name of a man left to him by the previous M (Judy Dench) to Mexico City, eventually leading him to a shadowy organization behind many terror attacks throughout the world. At the same time, the new M (Ralph Finnes) must deal with a merger with MI6 that will render the “00 Program” obsolete.

The opening sequence in Mexico City is captivating in its set design, choreographed action sequences, and look for each character. Setting it on the Mexican tradition Day of the Dead creates a beautiful aesthetic that is unfortunately not carried through to the rest of the film.

In rebooting Bond with 2006’s Casino Royale, the franchise began to move in a direction never before seen. Though the films are still about the gadgets and location jumping, the Bond tropes here are too much. Instead of pushing the franchise forward as the prior 3 films starring Daniel Craig have, Spectre takes us back to the days of tired Bond plot points.

Léa Seydoux’s performance shines through a terribly dull script from no less than 4 screenwriters. Craig is excellent as always. However, newcomers Monica Belluci and Christoph Waltz are terribly wasted. Franz Oberhauser as a villain is strange and his motives are an eye roll (as a matter of fact, they were much more effect when they were used in a James Bond parody film, which I will not mention due to spoilers).

In the grand scheme of things, the villains are seemingly evil for no real reason. An Edward Snowden-esque intelligence program is being run and we can tell something isn’t right from the beginning. But we never really find out why evil is a foot. Is the charm of classic evil corporation Spectre enough of an excuse to forgive this film for it’s less than stellar plot?

Frankly, no. Spectre brings up the conundrum of why dig back into the lore than taking the films in a new direction? Blofeld has been done before and defined by Donald Pleasance. As has Goldfinger and Dr. No. As a viewer, I’m more interested in seeing where Bond is going as opposed to returning to places we’ve been in the past. As expected, James bond will return and hopefully the next time around, it will be in a much more original and spectacular way.

Playing Century10 Downtown rating PG13

My Fair Lady at the Rubicon
by James Spencer and Shirley Lorraine

Famed English playwright George Bernard Shaw premiered a play in 1913 about an egotistical professor of phonetics, Henry Higgins, who wagers he can pass off an uneducated flower girl as a duchess simply by teaching her to speak correctly.  He selects a subject and along the way reluctantly finds he has fallen in love with his creation.  Shaw titled his play Pygmalion, after the sculptor in Greek mythology who fell in love with a statute he carved.

Decades later, Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe adapted Shaw’s tale and turned it into the 1956 blockbuster musical, My Fair Lady.

This enchanting  story with its memorable score now graces the stage of Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre Company seven times a week through November 15.

The direction by Rubicon co-founder James O’Neil is fresh and vibrant as he presents the action in an engaging story-telling style with staging perfectly suited to the Rubicon’s specialized performance space.

Central to the story is the character of Professor Henry Higgins,  played by multi-award winning actor Joseph Fuqua.  Professor Higgins is often described as being annoyingly boorish.  While Fuqua portrays Higgins as self-absorbed and inconsiderate, the traits arise from his social obtuseness, rather than innate churlishness.  The result is a deep and rich characterization .

The title role of Eliza Doolittle is performed by Kimberly Hessler, who provides Eliza with all the savvy and vulnerability demanded by the part.  Rubicon’s Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns calls Hessler “one of the finest voices I have ever heard – a pure, true effortless soprano…”  We could not agree more.  Her entire performance is precise, engaging, powerful, as well as vocally pristine.  She’s just spot on.

Everyone in the 17-member cast gives a balanced performance.  Most handle several roles ranging from household staff members to aristocrats.  Memorable performances are also turned in by Patrick DeSantis and Susan Denaker as, respectively, Eliza’s father and Higgins’ mother.

The score is performed on two baby grand pianos located on stage adjacent to the grand staircase that is the main set piece.  The all-important musical director is Lloyd Cooper, who performs on one piano and Chris Kimbler plays the second.

Rubicon’s hallmark attention to detail heightens the experience. The costumes, hairstyles and special effects are exquisitely showcased during a scene where sumptiously clad aristocrats gather for opening race day at Ascot. Even the stage hands, who enter only during partial black outs to efficiently change set pieces, are costumed as Edwardian butlers in tails.  During the race sequence, the thundering pack of horses can be heard moving across the back of the theatre in an enjoyable demonstration of surround sound techniques in a live theatre setting.

In short, My Fair Lady turns out to be grand.

My Fair Lady plays until November 15, 2015.  Show times: Wednesday – 2 & 7 p.m.; Thursdays & Fridays – 8 p.m.; Saturdays – 2 & 8 p.m.; Sundays – 2 p.m.  Talk backs follow at Wednesday evening shows.  Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA, 93001.  Tickets – $54.00 – $64.00.  Ticketing and seat selection available 24/7 at www.rubicon.theatre.org.  667-2900.

Bridge of Spies/ 4 Palm Trees

By Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]

What does Steven Spielberg have left to prove after having one of the best and most enviable careers in the history of film? He invented the blockbuster, his partnership with John Williams was crucial in the salvation of the orchestral film score, and he gave us the PG-13 rating. Now, in the late stages of his career, Spielberg has turned his eye to historical dramas.  Bridge of Spies proves that this “third act” of Spielberg’s career may be his most interesting yet.

The USSR grows more powerful as the world lives in fear of a war between the Soviets and the US. The capture of Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) leads him to the introduction of James Donovan (Tom Hanks), an insurance lawyer who’s firm throws him a high profile criminal justice (his former line of work) case because they figure it would do the firm, the country, and spirits good to put Abel away.            However, it becomes apparent that both men are that of value and principle, not willing to short change anybody to speed up an outcome. The film then completely changes focus as an American U2 pilot (Austin Stowell) is shot down and taken prisoner, leading the CIA to ask Donovan to negotiate an exchange of prisoners in East Berlin.

The “third act” of Spielberg’s career has become one of deconstructing the façade constructed by history on many of the faces, figures, and events that have become essential to what makes the people of the United States “American.” Tom Hanks, in one of the best performances of his career, tells us that it is not our heritage that makes us American, but the rulebook. He will not violate Abel’s trust, not even when confronted by the pushy CIA Agent Hoffman (Scott Shepherd).

The writing by Joel and Ethan Coen is top notch. A sequence involving Abel’s supposed family comes off as, needless to say, Coen-esque in its bizarre humor. The script, as great as it is, really doesn’t do much by way of pacing to move the story along. As magnificent as this is, the 140-minute runtime becomes very apparent. This is forgivable for some truly amazing moments. Especially in scenes between Donovan and his family, particularly when his son comes home after watching an educational video in school about what to do in case of a nuclear attack (oh, the naivety of the 50s, how charming you are).

Technically, the film’s serious nature is reflected in its color palette thanks to cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. The look of 35mm film is not subdued in anyway and as a matter of fact, I’d say is essential in this film to create the look and feel of the period. Pulling no stops, Spielberg throws us headfirst into the period and it is astoundingly beautiful.

Tying all elements together is a score by composer Thomas Newman, who had to step in to replace John Williams on this picture, and he does an admirable job. The Newmans are incredible at crafting scores that are distinctly American, with Tom Newman sounding the most “contemporary.” It is delicate, tense, but in the end, exactly what the film needs and no more.

A serious awards contender, Bridge of Spies goes beyond a typical awards season film and explores themes and behaviors that are, if anything, as relevant now as they were back in the late 50s. What makes us American? How far are we willing to go to do what is right? When our countries don’t want to be involved, they called on Donovan- who proved that sometimes, we have to set aside preconceived notions and prejudices to bring people proper justice, a principle that is truly American.

Rated PG-13. 140 minutes. Drama. Now playing at Cinemark Downtown 10.

Ventura Film Society at 7:15pm on Wednesday Nov.11, Century 10 Downtown Ventura presents “Advanced Style”. This 2014 documentary examines the lives of seven unique New York women, aged 62 to 95, whose eclectic personal style and vital spirit have guided and inspired their approach to aging. This film paints intimate and colorful portraits of independent, stylish women who are challenging conventional ideas about beauty, aging, and Western’s culture’s increasing obsession with youth.   The VFS is proud to present this as the 11th of 12 films in our 2015 season. Tickets are $10 general, $7 seniors & $5 students and are available at the VFS Will Call table outside the theater or in advance from www.venturafilmsociety.com. Visit  website for additional information and to see the film’s trailer, or call  628-2299. Special thanks to all of our donors, volunteers,and patrons, especially the Ventura Breeze, for supporting the Ventura Film Society.

Sicario/4 Palm Trees
By Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]

Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario doesn’t allow us to be a bystander – if you come at it thinking you can just sit back and enjoy, you’re wrong – it’ll chew you up and spit you out. At the very least, it’s a compelling crime drama with unrelenting tension; what separates it from most films of its ilk however, is the way that Villeneuve and scriptwriter Taylor Sheridan deliver a nuanced take on the hopelessly twisty Mexican drug wars. Like real life, there’s no easy solution to this rampant problem, nor does the film truly provide one.

After a botched raid involving rotting, mutilated corpses and a battering ram, FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) comes into contact with a DOD consultant named Matt (Josh Brolin). If Kate will volunteer, he promises to give her a real shot at combatting the Mexican drug wars, which are spilling into her jurisdiction. After hesitantly accepting, Kate is thrust into an exceedingly complex web of deception and brutality, with no clear sign of understanding or even a way out. Clinging to her idealism and true desire to set things right, the by-the-book Kate must learn to survive in a land of wolves.

The view of the story’s central conflict makes Villeneuve’s film fascinating, presenting it as a breathtaking cinematic descent into hell. The deeper we go, the more nightmarish it gets, but never for the sake of shock, instead illustrating the war on drugs as a savage mobius strip that thrives on ordered chaos, supply and demand.

In the hands of any other writer or director, a film like this would go from one action set piece to another. Instead, there’s a weight to everything, with humanity in the balance and poetic contrasts that are dark, yet too urgent to ignore.

In addition to the story’s focused themes, the film still manages to deliver two of the most intense sequences of the year. Without spoiling things, one involves an extended excursion across the border and into Juarez, while another involves thermal photography against the pitch black darkness of night. Villeneuve’s direction is as taught and tight as it gets, utilizing stunning photography from Roger Deakins to get both our minds and hearts racing as his characters face insurmountable odds psychologically as well as physically.

There are three incredible performances at its core. Emily Blunt as the idealistic Kate Macer plays a modern heroine who must confront her integrity and the impossible reality of her situation. She’s in a tough spot, and Blunt allows the character to be more than just our audience surrogate, but also a relatable cipher that calls us out and makes us complicit in her journey.

She’s far from a cartoony archetype thanks to Blunt’s simultaneous strength and fragility, but also a fierce character clinging on to what she believes is right. Benicio Del Toro gets the second most play in the film as the mysterious, shady Alejandro. This is one of his best performances ever, and he is the personification of what the entire film is about, challenging our allegiances through an ambiguous, primal mix of opposing character traits. Josh Brolin’s Matt, provides a lot of the film’s levity, but it comes with an undeniable dark side. There’s a sinister slant that contrasts with his nonchalance about the entire ordeal that’s a bit creepy and keeps things always on edge.

Simply put, Sicario isn’t just one of the most intense experiences of the entire year, it’s also of one the year’s best, period. Villeneuve’s thriller is on a league of its own, proving that action films can go deeper than empty thrills to explore the consequence and the ideas behind the chaos. My best advice to you: see this and don’t forget to breathe; focused and fully formed on every level, it’s an unforgettable revelation of the human darkness that lies at the fringe of everything we hold dear.

Playing Century Downtown  Rated R