Mexican Dir. Alfonso Cuaron's ROMA is a Masterpiece - A Must See on the Big Screen

ROMA is a quiet yet turbulent film set in a city in Mexico 1970s.  It's subdued & without having a plot.  It's a voyeuristic look at the lives of a wealthy, white family & their Mexican housekeeper, care giver, Cleo (an inimitable debut performance by Yalitza Aparicio).  Aparcicio miraculously inhabits her role.  Every emotion registers with poised restraint or dogged tenderness & sorrow.  The film's tumultuous poignancy emanates from Aparicio's tour-de-force portrait of Cleo an indentured servant.  The brilliant director, cinematographer, writer & producer is Alfonso Cuaron (b Mexico 1961).  ROMA won the Golden Lion and the NY Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Picture ('18).  Cuaron's film "Gravity" ('13) starring Sandra Bullock earned him an Acad. Award as Best Director.  The black & white cinematography is so stunning the film could be viewed without sound or subtitles and still resonate magnificently.  Cuaron utilizes recurring leitmotifs.  Water, the sustenance of life, cleansing, purity and taker of life is pervasive throughout.  Other recurring motifs are dogs, airplanes and shit.  The household for whom Cleo works arduously without complaint consists of a father, mother, grandmother, 4 children & a dog.  The dog is never permitted inside the house or outside the gates and defecates tremendous turds that Cleo perpetually removes.  The film is laden with comparisons between Cleo and the family dog.  Although the children & the mother profess their love for Cleo it's   that of a beloved & coddled pet kept at bay, restrained at all times and confined to the whims of its master.  The family watches a movie together while Cleo is seated on the floor, her head being stroked.  The political unrest and social hierarchy is ubiquitous but it's the plight of Cleo's downtrodden life that is stirring.  When rushed to the hospital in labor, the grandmother is unable to provide any personal information regarding Cleo whose lived with them for years.  Sofi presses Cleo to come with her & the children on a vacation to the seaside.  This coerced invite is with expectations she'll heed to caring for the family.  Sofi leaves her youngest children under Cleo's watch as they frolic in the waves despite knowing Cleo doesn't swim.  When they're pulled out to sea Cleo does what a faithful dog would do. She goes in after them regardless for her own safety.  The word Roma means the most gorgeous girl inside & out; an amazing loyal friend.  This is synonymous with a dog.  Cleo devotes herself selflessly to this family & demonstrates super hero strength but she'll never be elevated onto the same plane as a family member.  She'll always be relegated to cleaning up other people's shit.  ROMA is often grueling but it's also defined as a beautiful flower that reveals its exquisite color to its surroundings and carries pure innocence.

Bob Dylan Performs at the Beacon A Musical Genius Delivers a Substellar Show

Bob Dylan is a musical genius and icon.  He has won more awards than any other recording artist.  His unique blend of rock, folk and blues with profound lyrics has earned him 11 Grammys, a Golden Globe, Acad. Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom ('08 from Pres. Obama) and a Nobel Prize in Literature; the first ever bestowed a composer/lyricist.  The Special Citation of the Nobel Prize was awarded in ('08) "for his profound impact on popular music and American Culture marked by lyrical composition of extraordinary power."   Why would anyone who hasn't been living under a rock, or a rolling stone, not want the opportunity to hear this astounding artist, now 77, perform live.  I couldn't pass up this opportunity.  It was a thrill to be seated in the Beacon Theater when the curtain rose and there was Bob Dylan singing and playing the piano.  The thrill was gone somewhere by the 5th song.  Partly because, all the songs sounded interchangeable and much of his lyrics were indecipherable.  Though Dylan's unique raspy pitch and melancholic tone were identifiable and appealing, Dylan used a similar cadence in all his phrasing.  Dylan brought new arrangements to his older, most famous ballads. The aesthetic was bluesy rock; gone was any link to folk music.  He played the harmonica intermittently but not with the clarity and beauty of his early recordings.  Dylan didn't bother to banter, at all.  He did play non-stop for close to 2 hours.  The warning of no photography/filming came with the threat of ejection.  This proved to be true.  Honestly though, Dylan's performing made for a less than thrilling show.  I now have bragging rights to have attended a Dylan concert (without buying a T-shirt) but I wouldn't urge fans who haven't purchased a ticket to his sold-out performances through Dec. 1, to bother paying scalper prices.  (Most expensive seats were $169.)  I'm glad to have been in the audience.  I just wasn't overly elated by his show.  I do advise seeing the musical "The Girl of the North Country" playing at the Public (see attached link). The show features compositions all by Dylan arranged and adapted to tell a story of a family living in Duluth, MN in the late 1930s; the birthplace of Robert Zimmerman, a.k.a. Bob Dylan



https://melindasmalarky.blogspot.com/2018/11/girl-from-north-country-at-public-is.html

Dir. Steve McQueen's WIDOWS Women Take Charge in a Crime Caper with Viola Davis and Liam Neeson

 WIDOWS has a short prequel from the film's screenwriter, producer & director Steve McQueen (with outtakes).  He claims making this film was a life ambition & hopes we enjoy the film.  Does the artist & director of Acad. Award winning film "12 Years a Slave" need to hawk his own film?  This was biggest paradox of this action, crime caper.  Perhaps McQueen felt unsure outside his social realism genre and plead his case for expanding his style.   McQueen has been named Commander of the Order for the British Empire.  Regardless, he's quite at home in American storytelling.  WIDOWS takes place in Chicago amidst a political race.  Jack Mulligan (a miscast Colin Farrell) of a white family political dynasty is vying for the district against a local black minster.  Both make deals with the devil to garner self-serving avarice.  Neither candidate gets their own hands dirty but have their  villainous henchmen to carry out their onerous deeds.  Jack Mulligan is the prodigal son of Chicago's political dynasty.  Jack's father (Robert Duval) is a loathsome racist tyrant.  Duval's character is a buffoonish bully stolen from gangster typecasting.  Jalemme (Daniel Kaluya, "Get Out") fares better as the preacher's pit bull. His menacing glare instills real terror.  McQueen's social commentary harkens on dirty politics & racial oppression.  This is subjugated to the crime caper fueled by women widow worriers.  The foxy posse is led by Veronica (the unsurpassable Viola Davis).  Veronica is married to Harry (Liam Neeson) the ring leader for a group of thugs who have long carried out crimes together.  The wives had turned a blind (or bruised eye) to their spouses nefarious dealings and were unbeknownst to each other.  Their spouses' last heist goes fatally wrong.  This leaves Veronica owing millions to the mob, or else!   She assembles 2 of the 3 widows with an offer they can't refuse with little to lose & much to gain by pulling off a major con job.  They have going for them is "No one would suspect they have the balls to do it."  McQueen doesn't pull off a persuasive crime action thriller.  What McQueen does with queenly elegance is present a stirring portrayal of women empowering themselves. The women ruled the men were fools.   Casting Viola Davis was the saving grace.  She was assisted by an exceptional crew including Michelle Rodrigues {"The Fast & Furios),  Cynthia Rodriguez (Tony Award "The Color Purple") and award winning actress Elizabeth Debicki.  Sparks flew when the women formed a crew.  The chemistry between Davis & Debicki was formidable.   No doubt, McQueen's final scene sets up a sequel with Davis and Debicki.  I would order McQueen to detour from crime/action movies and command he write & director another film co-starring these two daunting dames.

Lerner and Loewe's MY FAIR LADY at Lincoln Center The Fairest Musical of them All with Laura Benanti

Pull out the stopper, just get yourselves to "My Fair Lady" at Lincoln Center.  The endearing & memorial musical brings to life Shaw's "Pygmalion" with the genius of legendary musical team of lyricist Alan Lerner & composer Frederick Loewe.  Lerner and Loewe are renowned for many great musicals including "Camelot" and "Brigadoon."  They were bestowed the Kennedy Center Honor in 1984.   "My Fair Lady" first opened on Broadway in 1956 to critical acclaim and was made into an iconic film starring Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle.  This production stars Laura Benanti (Tony winner for "Gypsy" & "She Loves Me").   Ding, dong, ding Ms. Benanti can really sing and plays the perfect waif with a Cockney accent and chameleon persona.   Benanti hits all the right notes in playing Ms. Doolittle.  She transforms herself into a refined lady while maintaining her inner strength & dignity in tact.  Prof. Higgins (Harry Hadden-Paton) the seemingly heartless dialect teacher & relentless tormenter is enacted with perfect pitch and temperament.  The part of Mrs. Higgins is played by Broadway royalty Rosemary Harris.  She adds luster to this first rate ensemble cast.  Allan Corduner as the crusty Col. Corduner is a class act.  Linda Mugleston brings depth & warmth to the character of Mrs. Pearce as the head of Higgins' household.  And, Jordan Donica elevates the love smitten Freddy to new heights.  This is a marvelous production with lots of treats and lots of heat.  You can't leave the theater without humming any one of the marvelous musical numbers.  It's impossible not to be teary eyed at the magical transformations occurring on stage.  Barlett Sher's flawless direction gives the ideal balance of music & emotional heart.  Ted Sperling's music direction is perfection.  The set designs by Michael Yeargan and costume designs by Catherine Zuber were superb.  "My Fair Lady" is all you can ask for in a show anywhere.  It's oh so loverly.  Kick up a rompas cause you won't want to miss this.  You couldn't beg for more.

MET's JEWELRY Exhibition is so Expansive in Scope, Time, Place and Design the Purpose is Displaced

The bedazzled JEWELRY exhibition at the MET "The Body Transformed" is an overly ambitious collection drawn from the MET's collection that spans from the ancient Egyptian period 3000 BC and vast continents & cultures to the 20th & 21st C ;"Resplendent and Avant Garde Pieces".  The most ancient artifacts were adornments made of gold linked with deities & rulers.  The curatorial comments attributed the ancient precious trinkets with the spiritual & miraculous; so we were told.  Alas, the collection traversed continent to continent, century to century but soon grew old and tiresome.  Perhaps, the most auspicious pieces were from Benin with necklaces adorning figurative sculptures.  The most arresting piece is a large golden crown from the UK 18th C inset with precious gems.  Of course, this is also the most off-putting knowing the spoils go few while minions toil.  The galleries are darkened to offset the glistening jewels.  This felt too gimmicky & tawdry.  Searching for a commonality amongst the multitudinous regions, relics & epochs one can attribute intricate craftsmanship & the understanding the jewelry was not availed by underlings.   I traversed in a somnambulant state through the darkened galleries until jolted in the final galleries containing the most recent exquisite jewelry.  This gallery was entitled "Redefining Resplendency".  Here you'll find jaw dropping creations from Alexander McQueen's collection.  The diamond & ruby hooded body armor is a magnificent combination of design elements emblazoned with bling.  The Tiffany necklace with moonstones (1837) is resplendent and the ephemeral Tiffany necklace (1904) looks to be worn by fairies from "A Midsummer's Night Dream.  The diadem with agate & pearls designed by the Italian House of Castellani 19th C is another arresting piece.  My favorite item from the entire show was the evening dress by Karl Lagerfeld for the House of Chanel (2015) that combines haute couture evening gown with built-in jewelry at the neck, waist and cuffs. (This was no little black dress.)  I came away feeling shallow from this JEWELRY exhibition.  The show in its entirety was not transformative.  I cherry picked favored pieces from the most current era and felt the broad continuum deflated the currency of earlier antiquities.  As Coco Chanel famously said, "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take at least one thing off."  JEWELRY "The Body Transformed" would've been more effective had it been done with less fanfare.

"Wildlife" Paul Dano's Directorial Debut Stars Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal

The exquisitely shot film "Wildlife" marks actor Paul Dano's directorial debut.  Paul Dano & Zoe Kazan wrote the screenplay based on Pulitzer Prize winning author William Ford's novel.  Carey Mulligan stars as the beleaguered wife Jeanette married to quixotic husband Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal).  Their son Joe (Austrian actor Ed Oxenbould) is a good natured & kind hearted teen who becomes an innocent pawn pitted between his fiery mom and fair-weathered dad.  The family has moved countless times as Jerry seems unable to maintain a steady job.  His overblown ego continually causes friction with his employers.  "Wildlife" is a coming of age film set in a small MT town.  Fires are raging out of control in the surrounding woodlands.  Jerry gets fired yet again from his new job at the local country club for crossing inappropriate lines between guest & employee protocol,  Jerry asks his son "What's a man entitled."  The coming of age tale forces Joe to contend with his parent's adult problems that shouldn't be shouldered onto him.  When Jerry is offered his job back, he won't  relinquish his foolish pride & return to work despite the much needed income.  Instead, Jerry signs on as a fire fighter against his wife's vehement protestations that it's far too dangerous.  Joe's angelic face is the blank backdrop that registers all the emotions seething within.  Joe is consumed by his mother's outlandish & shameful behavior, his father's foolhardiness and his loving devotion to both.  Jerry's volatile rage drags Joe into a combustible confrontation that might have proven lethal.  Throughout all the hazardous, inappropriate & venomous situations in which Joe's unhinged parents put him through, he maintains an admirable grace & inner strength.  Sophie Darlington's cinematography is breathtaking and feeds into the story.  Oxenbould's performance captures the loss of innocence.  Mulligan offers up a fiery portrayal.  Dano's directorial debut is impressive.  But for all the sparkling elements the movie falls short of igniting charred moments of profound intensity.  The film sputters with several explosive scenes but mostly it smolders along at a slowly contained pace.

Art doc. “The Price of Everything” Koons, Loons and Baboons

“The Price of Everything” is a behind the scenes art doc. that paints a caustic picture of a Ponzi like scheme that envelopes frenzied contemporary art sales; buy low sell high.  Director Nathaniel Kahn (“My Archictect”) uses a multi-colored pallette.  He blends artists, art dealers, collectors, curators & critics to create a glossy & engaging film that is flippant at the expense of art sellers and collectors.  Jeffrey Koons doesn’t see he’s being lampooned but he’s laughing all the way to the bank.  Amy Cappellazzo is Sotheby’s Fine Arts Chair.  She is the canvas on which Kahn layers on the art, artists and the good, bad & ugly of the business commodity the contemporary art market has morphed into.  Cappelozzo is captured at Sotheby’s, in her limo and within wealthy client’s condo conversing like a wolf on Wall Street.  She said there are 3 types of people “Those who see, those who only see when they’re shown and those who will never see.”  She’s pompous & hypocritical, “People know greatness when they see it.”   Cappelozzo drives the narrative at the speed of a Sotheby’s auctioneer.  The artistic integrity inherent in the doc. is derived from the painter Larry Poons.  “People thought he was dead but that wasn’t his fault.”  Poons gained fame early for his “ minimalist dot paintings”.  Poon’s years of obscurity can be attributed to his commitment to creativity not the gimmick of repitivity.  Poons wry wisdom brings both humor & gravitas to the preponderance of art and its intrinsic rather than monetary value.  Painter Marilyn Minter’s candor was hilarious.  Gerhard Richter is befuddled by the exorbitant prices his paintings bring in, “They’re nice, but they’re not a house.”  Collector Stefan Ellis’ epitimozies the capricious self-indulgence of the wealthy 1% for whom the 99% will find ridiculous & repugnant.  And,  art critic Jerry Saltz brings some sanity to the scarcity driven art world.  “The Price of Everything” is coated in shellac that reflects a shameless lack of passion for art but rather a passion for the art of the deal.  That’s not to say the film documentary is not worth watching.  Delving into this elitist & exclusive art world is priceless.

Viola Davis Speaking with NPR's Audie Cornish at 92ndY Tells Exactly What She Thinks - Holy Moly WOW!

Last night Viola Davis was in conversation with Audie Cornish.  Cornish is a co-host of ALL THINGS CONSIDERED and NPR Presents, a live interview series.  Cornish did a remarkable engaging the inimitable Davis and encouraging her to give eye-opening, electrifying remarks on her illustrious career, life and obstacles to achieving success.  It was pointed out in the program that Viola Davis is the first black actress to win Tonys (Fences and King Hedley II), Oscar (Fences) and Emmy awards (How to Get Away with Murder).  There are only 22 who've received this triple crow of achievement.  Whoopie Goldberg has garnered all 3 accolades but her Tony was for producing not acting.  Regardless, it's an outstanding achievement.  An honor I bemoaned having the nomenclature of "first black actress".  After listening to Davis I came away with eye-opening perspectives & a better understanding of the ongoing obstacles that actors of color (particularly women) have to contend.  First, Davis shared how she tackles getting into character for a role & the toll it takes.  In assuming a role Davis admitted it's hard for her to compartmentalize work and relinquish all the angst of her character.  "Each character takes a chunk out of your soul".  Davis fell in love with acting as she feel in love with her husband, wanting to make a commitment to becoming better at both her craft and as a wife & mother.  As an artist Davis says her job is to be an observer, a thief of others' emotions so as to create a fully formed human being so people will not feel so alone and develop empathy.   Davis marked the demarcation that she is working to change the narrative of "my people, people of color."   And, she thoughtfully and cogently outlined the stumbling blocks at every segment in the entertainment business to obtaining jobs and opportunities.  Davis praised working with director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave and Widows).   McQueen transcends the ordinary to the extraordinary and translates humanity by bringing out the rawness in one's self.  Cornish asked Davis to define success.  Davis responded, "Many people have the goal of climbing to Mt. Everest and then asking themselves, now what?  Success is what you do with your experience in the short period of time we have and leaving a legacy on earth; having a purpose.  My authenticity is rebellion. My fuck you."   Viola was thoroughly authentic, dynamic, delightful and enlightening.  I encourage everyone to check out her segment/link on NPR with Audie Cornish.  Davis & Cornish opened doors towards discourse, appreciation & empathy.  The one hour program was far too brief.   NPR segments are continually edited down.  This evening could have continued for hours.

Rangers Take Down 1st Place Vancouver Canucks but Veterans were 1st and Foremost Honored

The Ranger v Canuck hockey game at MSG last night was a big win for the Rangers.  The NY Rangers checked the Canucks with a 2-1 victory over the 1st place Vancouver team.  First and foremost, tribute was made to our valiant service women & men.  The West Point Cadette Choir sang both the Canadian & American anthems beautifully.  The Rangers along with Budweiser proudly honored and recognized the brave men & women in our trig-state area who've served or currently serving in the US Armed Forces and will continue to pay tribute throughout the season.  The game last night got off to a slow, scoreless 1st period  but with one take-down punch out fight sending both players into a 5 minute penalty.  The 2nd period the Canucks got off to a quick start scoring on a power play.  The Rangers came back and tied the game with their power play goal against Vancouver's giant of a goalie; Jacob Markstrom at 6'6".   There was a double review on a shot to the goal by Vancouver that was ruled correctly as no score (evident on the Jumbotron).  The 3rd period the Rangers offense picked up the pace and scored the 2nd and winning goal.  The Canucks pulled their goalie with more than 2 minutes on the clock but then the Rangers had a penalty making the final seconds tense.  Keen Thompson, SNL alum and "Mighty Duck"  was there to see the Rangers ice the Canucks 2-1.

GIRL from the NORTH COUNTRY at the Public is Bound for Broadway - Music and Lyrics by Bob Dylan SEE IT!

GIRL from the NORTH COUNTRY is the quintessence of great theater.  It's an ingenious production written & directed by Conor McPherson incorporating the music & lyrics of legendary recording artist Bob Dylan with a stirring 30s epoch drama & electrifying entertainment.   Dylan received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.  For those who questioned Dylan receiving the Nobel Prize, this will quell all doubts.  Every musical number is comprised by Dylan's songs creating a miraculous theatrical experience that will leave you thunder struck with awe.  The story is set in Duluth, MN in 1939.  The country is going through the Great Depression & headed towards another world war.  The people living in this frozen tundra along Lake Superior are all scraping and hustling to maintain a roof over their heads & food on the table.  Nick & Elizabeth Laine (Mare Winningham) run a boarding house that is floundering with the help of their feckless son Gene and devoted daughter Marianne (Kimber Sprawl).  Marianne was found left abandoned as an infant in one of the rooms.  No sooner does Nick takes the baby to an orphanage than Elizabeth rushes back and bring her home.  She grows up beloved & cared for by Elizabeth, Nick & Gene.  Regardless, the community's hateful racist attitudes force Elizabeth to homeschool their daughter & keep her close at hand.  The play doesn't shy away from the town's recent lynchings, the nation's racial injustice & detestable bigotry.  Still, this production has a unifying colorblindness that blends peaceful harmony in song & dance.  The universal themes of pain, loneliness and unrequited love transcends the era.  Musical numbers such as "True Love Tends to Forget" & "Is Your Love in Vain" capture the play's heart wrenching angst.  Lucy Hind's movement direction transitions the play with artistic skill.  Hardships accumulate with the growing snowdrifts outside & the motley mix of drifters & locals who venture inside the boarding house.  The storyline moves seamlessly & poignantly to Dylan's lyrics and Simon Hale's inventive orchestration & arranging.  The stage is bursting with talent.  Brilliant actors that can all sing, dance & play musical instruments.  Mare Winningham gives a tour-de-force performance & sings beautifully.  Sydney James as Joe and Kimber Sprawl as Marianne were phenomenal.   The impassioned & remarkable "GIRL from the NOTH COUNTRY" is bound uptown to Broadway.  

THE HIDDEN ONES - WWII Immersive Theater at War with Itself yet Impactful

THE HIDDE ONES is an immersive theatrical experience that resonates with deafening power.  The play created & directed by Anthony Logan Cole embarks with a few audience members into a cramped hiding place for 2 families during the Holocaust.  The location for the play was only revealed 2 days prior to its performance by a cryptic email that evokes confidentiality and caution.  Patrons are queried before entering and stripped of their outer garments & bags by a large man who is brusque and distrustful.  The power of the play created & directed by Anthony Logan Cole lies in the trust the audience surrenders and the families' trust & reliance for one another while trying to remain undiscovered and alive.  The cast of the families in hiding consist of mother/father & daughter and a mother/father & son.  The boy's mother Monica Blaze Leavitt and the girl Rakel Aroyo were mesmerizing.  Before entering the set, you are ordered to wait & then led by hand behind hanging curtains, shushed and gently seated in varying spots just off the main area where the families gather to eat and fraternize while remaining mute. Braden Hooter's scenic design felt authentic & confining.  I was moved by the families tenderness with each other under these horrifying times & the vicariousness of their safety sequestered from the Nazis.  The requisite for remaining silent & still was terrifying.  I complied fully & willing with the actors positioning me & pantomiming instructions.  It was somewhat paradoxical that music was played throughout.  The score included popular songs in the 40s by Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby and the German born Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."  Given all that was stripped & taken from the Jews during WWII, those still in hiding were left only to imagine & envision an outside world of beauty & humanity.  The repeated shrilling of a locomotive was a jarring reminder of the millions being carted off to the camps.  The choreography by Whitney Sprayberry was stirring, especially the slow motion toasts and Shabbat rituals.  I was only spoken to once by the boy's father.  He spoke of those hiding in sewers and the loss of his wife, baby and a brother who was a homosexual.  He thought he'd be spared since he only married a Jewess.  A short narrative tying in the families given for the participating audience may have better served to anchor the reality in which we were submerged.  The father's war story conflicted with his role in the cast and fought with a full immersion as a human being trying to survive these heinous times.  Yet, when the bashing of the doors finally arrived, the utter fear & selfless heroic acts left me with a visceral response of terror and persevering empathy.  

THE WAVERLY GALLERY at Golden Theater - Golden Years are hell with Elaine May and Lucas Hedges

THE WAVERLY GALLERY is the name of a defunct art gallery run for almost 30 years by Gladys Green (the incomparable Elaine May) in Greenwich Village.  She's an eccentric octogenarian teetering on senility.  The play begins with Gladys having lunch with her grandson Daniel (Lucas Hedges "Manchester by the Sea").  Gladys is garrulous, charming and ultimately exasperating.  She talks non-stop about herself and the glamorous social life she led with her previous husband; both deceased.  Gladys asks Daniel questions repeatedly.  His contained vexation with his grandma is admirable & hilarious.  Gladys tells Daniel about his paternal grandma who was, well "nuts" at the end of her life.  ACT I is set in 1989 and Gladys' non-stop prattle is maddening but tolerable by her daughter Ellen (Joan Allen), Ellen's husband Howard (David Cromer) and Ellen's son Daniel.   Gladys' loquaciousness at the family dinner table is a comedic masterpiece.  May began as a comedy duo with Mike Nichols & she's a showbiz legend.  May as well hand her the TONY for this remarkable performance.  Her comedic timing is uncanny & her dramatic turn extremely poignant.  ACT II set 2 years later paints a drastic change in Gladys.  Her dementia has deteriorated to the point where she can no longer manage on her own.  Her mind has been smashed to pieces a blank canvas.  The full-time care required is excruciatingly draining on her family.  Ellen's  anger & frustration is understandable and the situation painful for everyone.  Ellen wishes her mom would have a "peaceful death" and tells Daniel to "just shoot me when I get like this."  The running gag with hearing aids is bittersweet.  Don (Michael Cera) is a pathetic flailing painter who hangs his art & his hat in the vacant Waverly Gallery.  Don keeps insisting the family needs to adjust Gladys' hearing aids.  The owner of the gallery evicts Gladys despite the families pleas for more time.  The owner has his own plans for the space although it remains empty for the next 2 years.  Most people don't have the strength or unwilling to commit to someone whose life is fading.   Kenneth Lonergan's brilliant play was a Pulitzer Prize finalist (2001).  The play is cleverly staged.  The brick wall curtain serves as a screen between scenes showing how things have changed over the years in Greenwich Village from the 1960s to 1980s.  Daniel speaking directly to the audience is very affecting.  Allen & Hedges are excellent in their roles.  May gives a powerhouse performance.  Lonergan's brilliant play is a potent reminder to listen to each other, to remember the details and to fully embrace life.   THE WAVERLY GALLERY is a masterpiece and May is a miraculous force of nature.