The BRIDE-Maggie Gyllenhaal Creates an Original Film Version of Mary Shelly's FRANKENSTEIN

The new release, THE BRIDE, is a pastiche of movies and disjointed genres including horror, romance. gangster, and black/white musicals stitched haphazardly together in an ingenious experiment by actress/director Maggie Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal pays homage to the 19th C writer Mary Shelly with a wink and a nod to specific movies, actors and writers. Set in the gritty, crime infested 1930s city Ida/Bride (Jessie Buckley, sure to get another Oscar nom if not win for this performance) plays the embodiment of a resurrected woman intended as carnal companionship is electrifying. Christian Bale (an Acad. Award winner for is equally terrifying and even more heart wrenching as Frankenstein. It is Frankenstein who seeks out the mad scientist. Dr. Cornelia (Acad. Award actress, Annette Bening) to allay his entrenched loneliness. Together the two dig up the recently deceased Ida whom we watched implode around a nightclub table with nefarious gangsters prodding her on and then pushing her to an early demise. Once Ida has been resurrected she rejects Frankenstein's overly eager overtures. A more subdued courtship ensues replete with movie dates that often feature one of two nepotistic castings with Jake Gyllenhaal playing a singing/dancing matinee idol on the screen. The other bit of familiar family casting comes with Peter Sarsgaard playing Detective Jake Wiles on the track to reign in Frankenstein and his bride and perhaps some Chicago crime bosses.  I'm more at a loss to describe storylines than I am to point out disjointed tributes to movies such as "Bonnie and Clyde" and most assuredly "Young Frankenstein." Gyllenhaal really tipped her hate to Mel Brooks "Young Frankenstein" especially when having Frankenstein prances and sings "Putting on the Ritz." Penelope Cruz plays Detective Wiles gal Friday whose the brain behind the operation and is breaking new ground in field. This has been quite a posthumous year for Mary Shelly with the Oscar nominated "Frankenstein" film.  However, it's an enigma what Gyllenhaal wants Buckley to emote as Shelly. What works best is the captured poignancy of Shelly's classic. Bale as Frankenstein is a murderous monster and a gentle lover who wants nothing more than Bride by his side. Bening delivers the ruthless distancing of her own doings and responsibilities. Shelly's 1818 novel will remain atop my favorite list; one of the few books I'll reread. Seeing this bizarre, and at times cringeworthy movie with A+ acting and stunning cinematography, "I prefer not to." BRIDE will not  have mass appeal in Kansas or Buffalo but should garner critical acclaim along with 2026 Oscar nominations for casting and several individuals in the cast.)

YOUNG SHERLOCK-Is a Sure Hit and a Must See TV

YOUNG SHERLOCK is a brilliant new series airing on Amazon which offers a stellar cast (including Colin Firth), clever writing, beautiful costuming, charming cinematography and a myriad of murder mysteries. Some of the storytelling may seem convoluted but it is all cunningly unraveled by the a young Sherlock and his partner in crime a young Marietta (obviously before he becomes Sherlock's nemesis). Set in and around Oxford (and some globetrotting to China) this sumptuous and sensual series is seriously a contender for the best show to surface since Sir Conan Doyle gifted us with his unforgettable characters and insufferable albeit ingenious, criminal investigations.  The cast, in addition to Colin firth, includes Hero Tiffin in the titular role (he's also a doppelgänger for the late Paul Walker), an unrecognizable Joseph Fiennes as the patriach, Silas Holmes. The rapid fire banter and loving frustration between the two brothers is credible as is their remarkable sibling resemblance.  Donal Finn plays the young Moriarty Sherlock befriends early on in their dishonorable dismissals from Oxfard. I'm hard pressed to guess what riff will drive these two fast and furious friends into mortal nemeses as they mature.  Max Irons (son of actor Jeremy Irons) contrives a trifecta of terrific actors. In addition, there's the beguiling Zine Tseng as Princess Wei with a piercing vendetta of her own. And last if not first, the indomitable Colin Firth who will forever be revered as the epitome of Mr. Darcy.  The multiple gifted writers and directors include  British director Guy Ritchie best known in the US as Madonna's second husband. It doesn't take an Einstein to deduce that YOUNG SHERLOCK reveals a spellbinding detective series. It's elementary.  "How often have I aid to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." (Sir Conan Doyle)

Tennis Is Tempting to Watch Again - Check Out Indian Wells

Pickleball may the rage for especially for those of a (ahem - senior age) but for those who use to play tennis and stepped away, it's time to revisit the game if not as a player then a viewer. I have to admit my tennis days have melded into the pickle playing craze but I'm being drawn back into the luster of tennis that has acquired an elevated level of play by both the men and women. Let's put sexiness aside - no, let's not, the new crop of top male players are raising the bar for sexiness. Carlos Alcaraz is the world's #1 ranked tennis player in the world. I'd double that and name him sexiest man alive. And tennis fashions are breaking new grounds with monochrome dressing and neon colors of orange and yellow. The retro all-white dressing is making a welcome comeback being both classic and cool. Don't be a fool - check out the professional tennis circuit and you'll be amazed at both the elite power and athleticism tennis play proffers. Note the change in playing style; remaining back and not rushing the net as the ability to pass at the net with speed and more drop shots.  Tennis is not only an endurance game is a mind set. I've got my mind set to watch the elite men and women players who are not only at the top of their game but at the highest level ever. Finesse, fitness and fashion all add up to a winning match. I'm loving it! 

B'wy Musical MAYBE HAPPY ENDINGS Definitely a Sappy Robot Love Story

The Broadway musical MAYBE HAPPY ENDINGS has some things going for it. It has a talented cast, clever staging and a diverting but forgettable score. It's set in the not too futuristic city of Seoul. Basically it is a love story between two android servants left abandoned in the same building. Claire (think Ishiguro's novel "Klara and the Sun") knocks on the door of Oliver (think Dickens' abandoned orphan) for assistance in getting charged. Both androids have become obsolete and discarded by their owners. This is the melancholy plot to Ishiguro's novel which evokes memes of selfless dedication that is met by eventual disregard not unlike  Klara or Woody in Disney's "Toy Story." Whereas these fictional characters all elicit our sympathies for their becoming obsolete despite their steadfast devotions, "ENDINGS" fails to compute similar emotional resolutions. Claire and Oliver are different models. Claire is by far the more worldly wise android aware of the nature of their similar situation whereas Oliver is irrepressibly optimistic of being reunited with his benevolent owner. Claire convinces Oliver to take a road trip with her to track down his benevolent benefactor whom Claire realizes is not returning to reclaim him. Oliver is protective of his plant and brings it along on their road trip. (Think ET's connection to plant life.) Their delight in their exposure outside their monotonous quarters is mildly amusing. There are delightful interludes of jazz vocals that represent the music Oliver listened to and grew fond of under his owner's tutelage. This Broadway musical illicit comparisons to other entertainments which fare far better. Overall,  HAPPY ENDINGS is pedantic and predictable and only mildly amusing. Are human failings embedded with codings to enable callous dismissal of one another? Will Androids evolve to develop human emotions? Does MAYBE HAPPY ENDINGS  have broad appeal. The answers are: yes, no and not outside the Wednesday, matinee crowd. 

Jazz TRIO M at 222 Explosive/Hypnotic Enjoyed by this Critic

Saturday night, the 222 in Healdsburg brought a seasoned trio of jazz musicians; TRIO M: Myra Melford, piano, Matt Wilson, drums and Mark Dresser, bass. TRIO M have been performing together for 20 years. Their effusive enjoyment of jazz and performing with one another was palpable from the 222 Art Gallery turned intimate night club. The trio came on stage and broke into their first number which actually included a second piece without any intro. Although the relaxed atmosphere was infectious, a little more info would've benefitted listeners attempting to be attuned to contemporary improvisational works. The divergent, definitive idioms of jazz are still breaking inroads into meandering measures of jazz innovations. The first number sound like a subtle warmup on a diminutive scale from that of an orchestral tuning prior to the conductor's raised baton. Wilson on drums shook hand held "castanets" that resembled shells. This produced a pleasing clacking. He also used them to strike cymbals which he then grabbed to cut off the reverberations. Meanwhile, Melford struck several keys in a randomly seeming manner. Melford's playing style reminded me at times of Monk's; seemingly random but landing with resonate intention. As the number progressed, her solo notes morphed into multiple keys then bleed into a more complex composition. Her keyboard playing overpowered Wilson's drumming and Dresser's underlying bass playing. Major take aways for me from the evening were several unique methods each of the artists incorporated when playing their instruments. Melford used the edge of her right hand to strike 5 keys in unison while trilling on the notes with her left between each strike on the keys. Wilson also under the back of his fingers to strike cymbols and drums as if knocking on a door for a hallowed sound. Dresser's arco at a 45 degree angle downward was a unique strumming technique that resulted in more of a wind instrument aesthetic than string. Wilson spoke on behalf of the trio. Several times he was corrected by Melford or Dresser for incorrectly naming the piece or crediting the composer. "Well, as you can tell, we've done a lot or traveling and recording together," he joked to the audience. I was most intrigued with the inventive techniques and surprising flourishes of the musicians. As a pianist myself, I was most impressed with Melford's playing. The SF Chronicle described her playing as "explosive, a virtuoso who shocks and soothes, and who can make the piano stand up and do things it doesn't seem to have been designed for." With the advent of new and blending jazz styles, I'd like to be led by performers, particularly  within intimate settings, to serve audiences as informers as to what genre or style we're listening to. 

LOOK BACK-Japanese Anime Drama Worth a Look/Dir Oshiyama

I was taken aback by the simplistic animation that belies a quiet beauty and a homily on friendship, artistic integrity and society that is deeply moving. Kyomoto Oshiyama's feature debut features two adolescent girls Fujino and Kyomoto who are both avid cartoonists. Fujino is popular at school, with well rounded interests and an avid illustrator/comic strip creator who is celebrated by her classmates. Kyomoto is the same age as Fujino and shares the same passion for creating comic strips and the pages and their strips are included their school's papers. Sadly, Kyomoto suffers from agoraphobia and is home schooled. Fujino is enlisted by a school official to bring Kyomoto's 6th grade diploma to her at home. Begrudgingly Fujino walks to deliver the other girl her diploma. The basic character illustrations are enhanced by the lush background artwork that imbue a sombre sense of isolation. The scenery becomes a main character as it serves to illustrate the four seasons in their majestic beauty and provides an ambiance of both solitude and jubilation. Fujino enters Kyomoto's home and leaves the diploma and a quickly drawn strip that slides under Kyomoto's bedroom door. As Fujino is leaving Kyomoto runs to catch up with her. Despite her nervousness, she tells Kyomoto how much she admires her work. A symbiotic friendship ensues between the two girls and each draws the other more out into the world. They collaborate on their crafts and create a prolific body of work that gets purchased and published. Their flourishing friendship is joyful and rewarding to behold. After high school graduation, Fujino decides to pursue a professional career. Kyomoto decides to further her art education. Instead of encouragement from Fujino, she receives a hurtful barrage of warnings that Kyomoto will be unable to manage without Fujino by her side. But, it is precisely what Kyomoto wants to accomplish: less dependence upon her friend and improve her scenic illustrations. LOOK BACK is told in flashback by Fujino after tragedy strikes as she tries to recreate a harsh world into a serene haven. Neither living in isolation or outside in a senselessly violent world without foibles. But the best in life comes from finding fellowship and passions. Take a good look at this disarming anime film on Prime Video dubbed in English. LOOK BACK  resonates with surprisingly strong emotions and illustrious artistry. 

YOUR FRIENDS and NEIGHBORS-Not For Everyone with Too Much Going On/Jon Hamm/Amanda Peet Star

Jon Hamm is the central character in a convoluted cast of characters starring as Andrew Cooper "Coop." Coop brings up to speed  quickly taking us through his predictably plodding pathway leading to Princeton and a fast paced financial career that careens into a plush lifestyle in an affluent suburb with a sexy wife (Amanda Peet) and son and daughter. Just as quickly this house of cards comes crashing down. His wife is caught au flagranet with his ex-best friend which results in divorce, she gets the mansion and major custody.  His conniving boss Jack, played convincingly by Corbin Bernsen ("LA LAW") fires him (while they're in a jacuzzi after racquetball) for his sexual indiscretions with a co-worker. Jack takes his client roster, reminds him of his no compete clause and freezes his lucrative earnings with the firm (whether Coop has a legal case grounds to sue is not clear for now). What result is a cataclysmic financial fallout that still has him driving his Ferrari and responsible for the mortgage on his ex's mansion, two private education tuitions and the care for his beloved but mentally unstable sister. We're lead to believe, although it's not clear, how destitute Coop is although he's desperate enough to commit felonious burglaries on his apparent "friends and neighbors" who retain their residences in his former hood. There's ambiguity as to whether to feel empathy for Coop as a victim and vindicate him of his sticky fingered findings from his filthy rich former neighbors. Whether these upper crust elites are still friends to trust is in doubt. Ham is one handsome hunk and he's having himself a lot of sex while still lusting for his ex. If Ham is your jam, there's plenty here to savor. There's also some interesting characters with his male best friend who is also his money manager, a former neighbor also in the throes of divorce and a willing sex partner. His teenage daughter brings her tennis game and sexual escapades into the fold. And, a tough wizened pawnbroker whose wise to shady customers adds a little "Breaking Badass" to the mix. You get a lot for your buck in this dark comedy. However, I want to see a smart parody on the rich especially with epiphanies from Coop. Coop has figured out how to navigates his way around cops and inside the wealthy homes left unlocked. I'm curious but not totally convinced that despite the lush lifestyles, good looking cast and illicit loot is worth spending more time with. 

SF Ballet "Broken Wings" Frida Kahlo's Colorful Life in a Choreographed Masterpiece

"Broken Wings" premiered with the SF Ballet last April. I had the opportunity to be transported in time, place and space by the Company's performance on Sunday at the SF' Opera House. Despite being familiar with Kahlo's life and art, I forgot she and her husband, Diego Rivera, lived in the Bay Area in 1930. Their presence augured artistic and cultural prosperity to SF for the following decade. The vibrant, colorful "Broken Wings" ballet painted a vivid portrait of Frida Kahlo's life, artistic aesthetic, married life, and death and breathes new life into the company's repertoire which would benefit from more updating. The only other piece on the program was Sir Frederick Ashton's (b. UK 1904-1988) "Marguerite and Armand" (1963) was dated, dull, melodramatic that's feels archaic. Its storyline is somewhat analogous to the mawkish love story between Heathcliff and Cathy on the moors. In Sir Ashton's choreography, it's seen as a bore. Returning to the first, stronger and more creative piece on the program, "Broken Wings," it soars with exquisite choreography, artistic staging, brilliant costuming and Peter Salem's musical composition which all combined to render a bio of Frida that highlighted her life from her trolley car accident leaving her bedridden for a year, the inspirations in her paintings, her tumultuous relationship with Rivera, the abortion, and her premature death which is attributed to conflicting and indeterminate reports. The choice to portray 8 of her predominant "muses" in her paintings with all male dances dressed in flowing Mexican skirts with midriff tops in varying, bright colors and individualized headgear bearing flowers or antlers was daring. It all paid off highly. The rippling skirts and graceful movements were bold. Dancers in skull masks, large sombreros, black slacks and tops with skeletal markings were eerily effective. The dancing blended  strength and sophistication. The skeleton dancers taunted Frida with her impending doom. The skeleton dancers used a long ladder as a prop. The requisite precision added a scary element should a slight misstep/slip up occur. Thankfully all the elements blended majestically including the bandage /bondage costuming on Frida. Frida performed a stirring dance tangled in red vines referencing her abortion. The dancer representing Diego gave the character appropriate swagger and sleaze. His large stature lent a towering but not overpowering presence to Frida. The shadowing of Frida's dancing added a double-entendre' an inference on their relationship.The sensual, alluring dancing of one of Diego's illicit lovers was no match to Kahlo's fury which provided a bit of levity. An added bonus was the Spanish vocalist and 2 acoustic guitars for a somber ballad. The trio provided an additional richness to an already compelling ballet. Bravo to SF Ballet Company, the SF Ballet Orchestra. I'm hoping there'll be more contemporary and complex choreography added to SF Ballet's programming. I look forward to seeing the Company's "Frankenstein."

in THE BONDSMAN Kevin Bacon Is One Degree Away from the Devil

The new supernatural/horror series on Prime Video is primed to pique your interest in all things requiring an exorcism or skepticism in Satan's existence. In any event, "The Bondsman" gets off to a brilliant beginning with the untimely killing of Hub Halloran (Kevin Bacon), a bondsman killed in his line of work and then brought back from the dead by Satan. Satan assigns him to do his bidding by capturing Hell dwelling sinners who somehow managed to escape their shackles of fire and brimstone and send them back to the pit of permanent penance. What makes this show something extraordinary is its propensity for offering credibility to this preposterous premise. Hub's god fearing mom, Kitty (Beth Grant, "The Mindy Project") believes her son when he tells her he thinks he may have come back from the dead. Kitty is also convinced by Midge (Jolene Purdy ,"The White Lotus") that she's dead serious as the Devil's emissary overseeing Hub whose been given a temporary furlough from Hell as long as he carries out his assassination assignments and consigns escaped demons now embodying human forms. There's plenty of chills when the demons stake out their prey. There's also plenty of family drama and country music on hand to provide excellent entertainment to go with your goosebumps. Grammy winning Country Star Jennifer Nettles plays Hub's estranged wife, Maryanne. Maryanne singing in this series adds a heavenly respite and is integral to the show. (Whether Bacon's singing is essential is highly circumspect.) Hub and Maryanne share custody of their preadolescent son Cade (Maxwell Jenkins). Cade wants to break into a singing career like his mother. It's obvious there's still a strong, mutual attraction between Hub and Maryanne but she's involved with Lucky (Damon Herriman) who heads up a very shady and dangerous mob operation. To keep THE BONDSMAN from falling into a "Buffy the Vampire" redux are intriguing subplots and mysteries. In addition to the tried and true-good ruling over evil are other, more perplexing anecdotes. Hub's mom wants to know from Hub why he was sent to Hell in the first place. Kitty also wants to know if there's a redemptive get out of Hell free card. How will Hub, with the aid of his mom, outsmart Satan and his delinquent demons? Last and perhaps least, will Hub and Maryann get back together? THE BONDSMAN is a concoction of genres that generates ample heat thanks to an excellent ensemble and spirited writing. I recommend this spicy pastiche of action/drama and horror. Should you be  into gore, you'll dig it even more.  

MID-CENTURY MODERN Is Gay Golden Girls but Tarnished, Sad and Bad/Stars Nathan Lane

I have come to bury this stinker of a show that tries to emulate "The Golden Girls"only with gay men as roommates. The show has 2 fewer cohabitants and a lot less going for it than the comedy classic "Golden Girls". Tragically this sitcom on Hulu was Linda Lavin's swan song as she died before finishing her work on the show. Sadly, Nathan Lane, Nathan Lee Graham and Matt Bomer are cast as fast friends who come together over the coffin of the fourth in their tight night crew now in their twilight years (except for maybe Bomer) all seeking love and providing solace for each other. The idea for this 10 episode series which stems from a charming, albeit appropriated premise, with star power in Lane and Lavin misses the boat by lightyears in "Mid-Century Modern" with schlocky writing and frothy, flagrant stereotypes of gay men. You'll grow old and crotchety watching this pile of crock.