Jacqueline Laggy and Matthew Korinko star in Same Time, Next Year. (Photo by George Wentzler) By Dale King Same Time, Next Year is an engaging play with a fairly basic plot. Still, it is filled with intrigue that runs the gamut from humor to tragedy and guilt to glorious lessons learned. And while a number of people are mentioned in this play, Same Time, Next Year is still … [Read more...]
Aniston’s performance not enough to lift heavy ‘Cake’
As the praise for Jennifer Aniston’s performance in Cake continues to reverberate across awards season, it begs the question: Are voters bestowing these hosannas on the acting, or the makeup? I’ll submit that that the distinction lies with the latter, that it represents another case of misapplied plaudits. Voting blocs love when actors step out of their comfort zones, and this … [Read more...]
Gritty performances lift Arkansas swamp thriller
If anything can connect the ambitious young oeuvre of writer-director Jeff Nichols, it’s the sense of angst and dread permeating flyover country. The filmmaker behind Shotgun Stories, set amid a sibling feud in Arkansas, and the extraordinary Take Shelter, about a doomsday prepper in Ohio, Nichols is back in Arkansas for his third feature, Mud, an appropriate title for a grimy … [Read more...]