Film: You would be understandably wary of the latest John C. Reilly movie if you made the mistake of seeing Holmes & Watson recently, but his latest buddy picture, Stan & Ollie, is really quite entertaining. No, really. Reilly plays Oliver Hardy to Steve Coogan’s Stan Laurel in a biography that focuses on the latter years of their performance partnership as they toured Great … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Aug. 26-27
Music: Piano duos are not so common that they can be overlooked when they pop up, and since we’re in the last weeks before the season starts getting underway again, it’s a good time to catch one. On Sunday at the Boca Steinway Gallery, two fine Miami-based pianists, Tian Ying and Anastasiya Naplekova, team up for a concert of standout works for this combination, including … [Read more...]
‘Trip to Spain’ offers more drama along with duo’s brilliant banter
By now, you should know what to expect from Michael Winterbottom’s Trip franchise — namely the consumption of rapier repartee and haute cuisine in privileged places, 86ing the suspense, romance and action that provide structure to most entertainment product. For three television series turned films, the director has sent versions of his convivial, real-life stars, Steve … [Read more...]
Misguided direction makes ‘The Dinner’ none too edible
The structure of Oren Moverman’s The Dinner is, appropriately enough, prandial. It begins, roughly, with an aperitif, and concludes shortly after a digestif at an uber-luxurious prix fixe restaurant, the sort of dimly lit culinary castle where a wine is selected for each course, where the waiters explain the provenance of the garnish, and where the bill costs as much as an … [Read more...]