Film: You’ve already seen Gravity, right? Well, a new, less flashy, more earthbound, but tension-filled movie with virtually the same plot arrives in theaters this weekend. It is All Is Lost, the saga of a man (Robert Redford) out in the ocean on his yacht when it is hit by a shipping container of sneakers. It punctures his boat’s hull and forces him to use his wits and his sailing savvy to survive. Redford, 77, with a craggy, weathered face that speaks volumes, is the only actor in the film, and he is almost wordless, except for an opening log entry and a well-chosen expletive later on. Redford has never won an Oscar for his acting, and the Academy’s sentiment is probably on his side this year. Oh, and it is also a very good, physical and mental performance in a film that is pure cinema. Opening in area theaters this weekend.
Theater: This was supposed to be a “last weekend” announcement for Palm Beach Dramaworks’ stunning production of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, but the West Palm Beach company has just extended the run for one more week, through to Nov. 17. So procrastinators can take advantage of a new block of tickets that have been released, a new opportunity to see the Mutt-and-Jeff team of John Leonard Thompson and Brendan Titley as scrappy, parental George and his slow-witted, but kindly sidekick Lennie. They are two migrant workers with a pipe dream of settling down on their own farm, but as the dark-toned production directed by J. Barry Lewis makes clear, the have-nots of the world rarely attain their dreams. Still, theatergoers can see why Dramaworks is acclaimed for doing the tough American classics, by calling (561) 514-4042 for tickets.
Music: The Delray String Quartet opens its 10th anniversary season tonight in Fort Lauderdale, and follows it with a second concert Sunday afternoon at the Colony Hotel in Delray Beach. The foursome is just about to release its latest disc on the Centaur label featuring works by Franck and Glazunov, and this will be a good time to check in and hear the work of this durable ensemble. On the program tonight at All Saints Episcopal is the lone String Quartet of Giuseppe Verdi, the Hoffmeister Quartet of Mozart (K. 499) and the Romance of the gentle and distinctive English composer Gerald Finzi. Tonight’s concert begins at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday’s at 4 p.m. Tickets for the Fort Lauderdale performance are $30; Delray’s is $35. Visit delraystringquartet.com for more information.
The musicians of the Palm Beach Chamber Festival have been extra busy this season, having expanded into winter concerts at Lynn University and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Lake Worth. Tonight, many of the same musicians help Patrick Clifford of Palm Beach Atlantic University open his second season of the Distinguished Artist Series, which will bring artists such as violinist Rachel Barton Pine, a Chicago favorite, to the stage of Persson Hall at PBAU later this season. Tonight’s program features the Bassoon Sonata of Paul Hindemith and the early Op. 11 Piano Trio of Beethoven, along with works by Mucyzinski, Devienne, and another Beethoven work, the Eyeglasses Duo for viola and cello. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20; call Palm Beach Atlantic University Ticket Central at (561) 803-2970 or email ticketcentral@pba.edu. You can also buy them at www.pba.edu/das-calendar.
Art: The Flagler Museum on Palm Beach is a splendid repository of Gilded Age history, not only for the existence of the 1902 mansion itself and its contemporary furnishings, but also for its historically minded bookstore and its regular art exhibits. This year, the Flagler is paying tribute to the man who made it all possible, Henry Flagler, in the 100th anniversary year of his death at age 83 in Palm Beach. Flagler was one of those men, like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie whose accomplishments in building their country were so fundamental that we don’t recognize them anymore. Today’s technology may be slowly changing the structure of the empire they built, but here in Florida, we have lived for the past century in the world Henry Flagler built. The retrospective of his life at the Flagler includes photos and artifacts, and on Saturday, children in the fourth through eighth grades are invited for a special gallery tour beginning at 10 a.m. Kids will have a hands-on activity afterward, including crafting a replica of the gold telegram that commemorated the finishing of Flagler’s rail link to Key West. The museum is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon until 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $18 for adults, $10 for youth ages 13-17, $3 for children ages 6-12, and children under six are free. Call 655-2833 or visit www.flaglermuseum.us for more information.