Omar Sosa Quarteto Americanos-Jazz Evening Extraordinare at 222

Last night and Saturday night were sold out performances for a stand out jazz concert permeated with the joy of "sharing energy, love and the love of performing in California."  Omar Sosa received a warm reception from an appreciative audience; many of whom returned to hear the quartet again on Sunday.  "Whatever happens tonight is only for tonight and we thank you for that."  Mr. Sosa, we thank you and your talented fellow artists, Sheldon Brown on saxophone, Josh Jones on drums and Ernesto Kindelan on baby bass.  Sosa's piano playing was electric and the group played tightly flowing from one genre and timing to another surprisingly but seamlessly.  Dressed in a white satin caftan and loose pants, a white tiered hat, several chunky necklaces and oversized, Elvis style glasses, the jazz pianist, composer and arranger oozed cool and excitement.  Sosa's virtuoso playing kept him on his feet, clapping, dancing and then returning to the keys to struck just the right note or riff that filled in the tempo and richness from  blending winds, strings and percussive instruments.  Brown played euphorically on soprano, alto and tenor sax.  He leaned backwards, sax upwards and exuded deep resonance.  His swaying side to side on soprano and alto sax lended a cascading, visceral pulse.  Kindelan on baby bass, a thinner and shorter bass, was altogether hypnotic.  He's a Grammy nominated jazz bassist born and raised in Cuba.  His right hand deftly strummed while his left hand flew up and down the elongated neck.  Jones drumming was dazzling. His tempos underscored the mesmerizing music whose genres spanned fusion, nouveau and classical jazz.  The final two compositions showed the influence of Cuban and South-American sounds in a both a syncopated somba and a sexy Latin jazz sound.  Sosa was born in Cuba and toured internationally through Europe, Africa, S America and the US.  His prolific compositions and playing have produced more than 30 albums garnering numerous Grammy nominations.   The evenings' performance was a tribute to the euphoria and harmony that ensues with the melding of virtuosity, colossal artistry, enthused performers and entranced audience.  Omar Sosa Quarteto received a resounding ovation that was rewarded with an intoxicating Afro-Cuban composition that made sitting down obsolete.   

Jennifer Lawrence Stars in NO HARD FEELINGS which Begs the Question Why?

Acad. Award and Golden Globes winner, Jennifer Lawrence plays the lead in the rom/com cougar film NO HARD FEELINGS.  The wry twist to this surprisingly touching and funny comedy is a pair of wealthy, helicopter parents are seeking to hire a girlfriend for their awkward son, unbeknownst to him over the summer before he heads to Princeton in the fall to shake him out of his non-existent social circle and give him a whirl in the romance department.  Maddie (played by the bankable Lawrence) has lived her whole life in Montauk with her mom in a modest home.  The home was purchased by hush funds from Maddie's wealthy baby daddy who vacationed happily in the Hamptons with no vested attachments.  Maddie is roused from her bed as her car is being towed by an ex-beau for back taxes owed.  The tow-car driver is played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach ("The Bear") one of several great small starring roles.  Other great guest spots come from Natalie Morales ("Parks and Recreation") as Maddie's bestie, Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti (both Broadway veterans) play overbearing parents and comedian Hasan Minhaj pops up as the perennial Hampton realtor.  Lawrence appears fully nude in a physical beach brawl.  She is bodacious and appealing as the older woman hell-bent on saving her beloved home left to her by her mom.  Maddie will stop at nothing to charm the pants off Percy, the perplexed teen who remains unseen by his peers.  Lawrence gives a touching and likable performance as the sexy, older (but not that much older) woman who convinces Percy she's attracted to him.  A hilarious scene in a restaurant ensues between a classmate of Percy's and Maddie who deftly taunts Maddy as elderly.  The film succeeds despite its thin plot of hot female pursuing dorky guy with its earnest performances.  The delightful romp delivers a strong symbiotic relationship wherein both parties are enriched for having cared for the other.  Of course, there's some silliness along the way which includes a nude escapade on a car hood which is bookended in the film with a reverse twist.   And, there's the expected reveal of the deceitful ruse that brought the miss-matched couple together.  NO HARD FEELINGS packs well-earned fondness for the two deft leads and its charming cast.  You'd have to be a real hard ass not to have fun with this film.  But, this still begs the question, why did Lawrence pick to do this flick in the first place.

TINA the Tina Turner Musical is Tiny on Story but Soars with Titanic Talent

The Tina Turner Musical playing in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Theater is a jukebox musical based on the life of the iconic singer/entertainer Tina Turner who died this past May.  Known as the "Queen of Rock n' Roll" she rose to fame by singing with Ike Turner and then to even more fame with a solo career in her 40s with the release of "Private Dancer." Much of Tina's life has been in the public eye including the enlightening 2023 documentary, "The Incredible Life of Tina Tuner in Her Own Words."  TINA the musical opened on Broadway in November '2019.  The show closed during COVID and never recovered at the box office.  The whole story could be the show was never all that nice or easy to enjoy.  The story failed to delve deeply into Tina's life.  The music that was groundbreaking for its sound and style were not given its due.  Act One is overly long and lacking in hitting an emotional chord.  Born Anna Mae and abandoned by her father who was cruel to her mother and a mother who withheld love,  she was raised by her grandmother until age 16 when reunited with her older sister and mother in St. Louis.  Very little is remarkable about Anna Mae's childhood except for a propensity to sing loudly in church which was scorned by her mom and praised by her dad who served as the church's pastor.  A highlights of the musical was the musical number, "Nutbush City Limits" song by the young Anna Mae (Daelyanna Benson).  The other standout performance came from Anna Mae's grandmother (6X Grammy nominee, Ann Nesby).  There's little of interest diner her life until goes out clubbing with her sister in St. Louis and she's a standout singer alongside headliner, Ike Turner.  Ike shows up late at Anna Mae's home to convince her mom to allow her to go on the road with him.  It took only a little unctuous charm and the enticement of money to be sent home for her to acquiesce.  The show stays murky throughout the first Act where there is little tenderness between Ike and the renamed Tina.  Ike's abusiveness towards his wife and sons somehow feels forced and the closing number "I Don't Wanna Fight No More" feels nonplussed.  Act Two gives the musical some needed necessitation but it spins itself like a promo for the "Private Dancer" CD.  The down on her luck and stunning career revival got but little sentiment to do with it.  By the final numbers, "We Don't Need Another Hero" and "The Best" it was simply too little too late.  It did give its novice lead Naomi Rodgers her best shot to shimmer and shine.  Tina's life journey felt erratic and draining.  The show's salvation came from the strength of several iconic hits and razzle-dazzle numbers.  However, we don't need another jukebox musical that relies solely on hits and misses out on winsome storytelling.  

SOMEWHERE in QUEENS Starring Ray Romano/Laurie Metcalf

The non-heralded, just released to screening SOMEWHERE in QUEENS, is a somewhat entertaining movie of an Italian, working class family in Queens centered around a father, Leo Russo (Ray Romano), mother, Angela (Laurie Metcalf) and their son Danny, a senior in high school.  Danny is a nice, quiet kid who comes alive on the basketball court.  Leo is a helicopter dad who goes from doting to doing something really bad, but with the best of intentions for his son.  Leo works construction for his father and brother's company, alongside two nephews and two longtime friends.  Every Sunday, the entire Russo family gathers round the dining table to share a meal full of meatballs, squabbles and swats on the side of various heads.  To say the family is at a loss for love is analogous to accusing the matriarch of not making enough food on Sunday to feed their entire parish.  (Perish this anathema thought of not enough food prepared.)  Any special event; birthdays, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, the entire Russo clan bans together to fete one another's miles stones.  It's understandable since Matthew is the youngest, he might be on the diffident side.  But, Danny is shy on an entirely different level.  Danny battles social anxiety and has flown mainly under the radar.  He's expected to join his dad, uncles, cousins and granddad in the Russo construction business post-graduation.  Everyone, including Danny is content with this plan except for dear old dad.  Leo lives for going to see his son shine on the basketball court at his school games.  The night of Danny's last high school game, a college basketball scout encounters Leo in the parking lot.  The two banter about the game and Danny's potential.  The scout is dismayed to learn Danny's plans don't include college.  He offers to put in a good word for Matthew at a university in NJ.  Following the last high school game brings other surprises. The parents meet Dani, Matthew's girlfriend for the first time.  Leo is unabashedly pleased while Angela's displeasure is evident.  Regardless, Angela invites Dani to family dinner on Sunday.  The family convenes around the table and the consensus is Matthew has himself a real spitfire and a keeper.  Matthew would like to keep the romance going but Dani soon breaks off their relationship.  This puts Matthew in a tailspin derailing plans for Matthew's tryout for the sport scholarship for college.  Leo grossly oversteps and a farcical plot ensues.  Romano is the star, writer and director of this somewhat charming, likable family comedy.  Some of the time, Romano over plays his part and over directs Metcalf who plays her role with too much hostility.  Somewhere the good intentions of familial love gets muddled up in deception which leads this to a somewhat middling recommendation from me.   

THE CROWDED ROOM-Intentionally Confusing, Continuously Intriguing Psychological Thriller

THE CROWDED ROOM now screening on Apple TV is jam packed with a good looking cast.  The ensemble of actors are all convincing in their roles which is crucial in making this disturbing physiological, courtroom drama so thrilling.  The series is immensely rewarding for those able to muster past the first three of ten episodes.  The confusion ingrained may have been deliberately construed for being misleading until troubling truths reveal themselves in a manner to assuage any ire at being misdirected.  In fact, skepticism get's carried over into the courtroom and the trial itself takes precedence.  Danny (an excellent Tom Holland) is a high school student with few friends, a cruel step-father (Will Chase) and an over-worked, penitent mother, (Emmy Rossum).   Danny is on trial for shooting a firearm into a crowd at Rockefeller Center injuring several bystanders.  We see Danny as an accomplice to the shooter who remains at large.  Prior to being arrested, we observe Danny as a troubled teen, besotted by a high school hottie and escaping to London to track down his birthfather.  As Churchill is oft quoted, the plot is "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."  Some of the incessant questions haunting us is why is the beautiful, benevolent psychology student, Rya Goodwin (an incandescent Amanda Seyfreid) is being allotted so much time and leeway by his defense attorney.  Is Danny being forthcoming and honest with his counsel and Rya?  Within the puzzling events are various characters that add electrifying ingredients within the miasma of mystifying sequences.  Most of the characters of flawed but the acting so flawless one can easily get caught up in a thrilling web of terror.  There's plenty of grace and empathy bestowed to Danny, to his relentless attorney suffering PTS and to his embattled mother.   V arious pathways will trigger the viewer to want to decipher fact from fallacy, victim from captor.  THE CROWDED ROOM is a hoarder's delight filled with more than ample intrigue to make this a sure crowd pleaser.  I recommend staying tuned in to determine what's really real.  

STEPH CURRY: UNDERRATED-Doc. Overly Repetitive & Self-Congratulatory

The recently released doc. on Steph Curry screening on Apple TV focuses on the young, underweight and under the radar basketball player whose grown into one of the undisputed, best players in the NBA.  Don't believe me, just ask Steph who will tell you just how amazing he is.  He's had a meteoric rise since playing college Division 1 basketball with a major dream of playing in the big league.  This doc. is meant as an inspirational and uplifting film about working hard to pursue your dreams and hone your craft despite what the riffraff have to say.   Basketball is a game but playing with the creme de la creme entails working one's tale off.  Curry is a pointed example of reaping what you sow.  Today, he goes toe to toe with the best basketball players in the world despite being a head shorter and a good 40 pounds lighter than most players.  Curry is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, an NBA Finals MVP, a nine-time All-Star and mega super star.  The doc. tends to enforce how far he's come from a scrawny build adolescent with a peach fuzz mustache to the breakout college athlete and NBA impresario.  Regrettably, the film doth trumpet one's horn too loud and too often to cull appropriate appreciation for Curry's prowess.  The entire family can all watch the film together and enjoy its warmth and its heralded star until it hits you over the head one too many times.  Curry's mom get's a lot of praise and adulation from her son only the viewer doesn't receive enough playing time with Steph's adorable kids and talented wife, Ayesha.  Some of the best scenes in the film are shot at home while dad's doing his due diligence on school work alongside his kids doing their homework.  Curry's return to get his college degree after leaving school before graduating in order to play in the NBA is laudable.  So too, are the relationships Curry had with his teammates (many of whom he's still close with).  There's also plenty to be said for the encouraging, coaching style of Davidson's Bruce Fraser.  Fraser's reassuring touch tends to make Ted Lasso's look harsh.  (I have to wonder why Fraser hasn't gone on to coach in the NBA).   I felt more suspense and fun watching Curry's college team earn a bracket and advance it in the NCAA tournament made than viewing footage of Curry's professional games where they're a well known fait accompli.  UNDERRATED is created with a positive missive in mind, but to call this doc. great is way too kind and overrated.