Film Review: Cassandro

It’s hard work being a luchador. What’s that? A wrestler.

Imagine what it’s like being a gay luchador in Mexico. No easy task, but then neither is life, right? 

“Cassandro” tells the story of a skinny blond kid named Saúl (played by Gael García Bernal), who sees lucha and decides he wants to do that too. His dad is less than excited at the prospect, but mom Yocasta (played by Perla De La Rosa) is very supportive. 

A female luchadora named Sabrina (who fights under the name Lady Anarquía) sees Cassandro practicing one day and offers to train him. Many practice rounds later, she thinks he’s good enough and thinks he ought to fight as an “exótico." I’m guessing she figured out that he’s gay.

The short form of the rest of the story is that he succeeds as a luchadora, though does have to endure a lot of jeering from audiences at the getups he wears (flashy and some downright, shall I say it, feminine).

The point of the story is that you should pursue your dream, no matter what anyone says.

Gael García Bernal is excellent as the determined Cassandro, who doesn’t take no for an answer, but does learn to endure occasional failure.

Roberta Colindrez is convincing as Cassandro’s teacher, though I must admit it’s difficult for me to imagine women as luchadoras. I guess I’m just old fashioned.

Perla De La Rosa is a gem as Cassandro’s mother, supportive (and proud of her son) to the end.  

Raúl Castillo convinces as Cassandra’s boyfriend Gerardo. And Joaquín Cosio is fine as the shady wrestling promoter Lorenzo.

Director Roger Ross Williams keeps everything moving at a fast pace, and the soundtracks (“Seis Pistoleros”) adds to the emotional level.

I never thought I’d watch, much less write about wrestling, but I’m always up for something new, strange or startling. “Cassandro” qualifies on all counts. 

Film Review: A Haunting in Venice

You can’t get much better than Kenneth Branagh. He’s been one of my favorites as an actor and director for years. But he’s just as good at doing both at once, as he proves in “A Haunting in Venice,” for my money the best film of the year, at least so far.

“A Haunting in Venice” is the first time Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel “Hallowe’en Party” has been adapted for film. I hope it’s never done again. This one is better than any I could even imagine.

Here he plays Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot for the third time, but the first based on a Christie source not previously adapted for film. This script was written by Michael Green.

We meet the retired sleuth tending his garden, well, okay, his spiffy manse, when he reluctantly attends a seance. Among the other guests are some of my favorite actors, Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey and Jamie Dornan among them. (That’s not to slight the rest of the fine cast: Dylan Corbet-Bader, Amir El-Masry, Riccardo Scamarcio and Fernando Piloni. I’m just not as familiar with them.)

But when strange and dark things start happening, Poirot is forced to put on his  sleuth hat and go to work. 

Yeoh plays Mrs. Reynolds, a psychic who quickly grows nervous as she senses evil in the room and sets out to determine what’s up. It’s murder and mayhem, of course, expertly directed and acted thanks to Branagh, and filmed brilliantly enough to scare even people like me, who tend to ho-hum this type of thing.

Tina Fey is wonderful fun as fellow writer Ariadne Oliver, a skeptic who quickly gets scared.

If you know the story, you don’t need me to tell you what happens. And if you don’t, I won’t ruin it for you. Be assured that you’ll be impressed, if not frightened out of your mind.

Don’t miss this cinematic masterpiece.

Theater Review: The Angel Next Door

I’m not often at a loss for words, but North Coast Rep’s strange “The Angel Next Door” left me close to that.

The piece, an NCRT commission, is a world premiere. The plot itself is an adaptation of Ferenc Molnár’s classic 1924 farce, “Play at the Castle,” which makes fun of characters attempting to navigate romance, misunderstandings and comical situations.

This plot gets around. A previous adaptation of the Molnár (“The Play’s the Thing”) was written by P.G. Wodehouse in 1926. Tom Stoppard wrote another adaptation called “Rough Crossing” (featuring actors on a ship trying to get to a job in Europe) in 1991. 

In the NCRT version (script by Paul Slade Smith), an actor named Oliver Adams (Taubert Nadalini) is smitten by – and pursuing – a lovely actress named Margot Bell (wonderfully played by Elinor Gunn).

He goes to find her in a fancy castle with too many doors (six, if I recall correctly). And hears too much noise that sounds like heavy breathing and encounters of the human kind. Could it be that Margot is with (gasp!) someone else?

You can probably guess what sort of thing will happen. 

The only thing that saves this silly script is a great cast that plays each character with the exaggeration required to make it seem funny.

Barbara E. Robertson plays Charlotte Sanders, an adult actress who is there with her actor husband Arthur Sanders (James Newcomb). They add what the few adult comments that are made.

Thomas Edward Daugherty plays Victor Pratt, the reigning king of romance, who also gets mixed up with these crazies.

But by far my favorite character is Olga Molnar (Erin Noel Grennan), who plays the maidservant who bustles in and out in black, bringing coffee and cake in the morning, frequently muttering “Theater people!”

There’s no reason to pay a lot of attention to the plot; just sit back, relax and watch these (expletive deleted) theater people at work.

The details

“The Angel Next Door” plays through October 1, 2023 at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive in Solana Beach.

Shows Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m.

Tickets: (858) 481-1055 or tickets.northcoastrep.org

Theater Review: The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical

 

Time was when journalists prided themselves on writing the truth, often going to great lengths to verify that.

But the political situation has changed over the years, and as power was assumed by one group or another, the look and sound of journalism changed as well.

Writer Hunter S. Thompson watched the changing tides and decided the journalist’s task needed to change as well. He saw himself at the center of what he regarded as “truth,” and pioneered what he called “gonzo” journalism, with himself at the center of all his stories.

“Objective journalism is one of the main reasons American politics has been allowed to be so corrupt for so long,” he wrote. “You can’t be objective about (President) Nixon.”

So Thompson wrote about how he experienced the events he covered. Thompson himself first used the term in his own 1971 novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” in which protagonist Raoul Duke and his attorney, Doctor Gonzo descend on Las Vegas to pursue the American dream through a drug-induced haze, while ruminating on the failure of the 1960s countercultural movement.

Writing for “Rolling Stone” magazine, Thompson covered the weird, the misfits, the freaks and outsiders. But not objectively.

This show, with the impossibly long title of “The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical,” careens from the 1940s to Thompson’s (suicide) death in 2005, with crazy songs by Joe Iconis and lots of era-appropriate dancing (by choreographer Jon Rua).

The show is like none I’ve ever seen, but then Thompson was unlike anyone as well, so it seems fitting. You’ll witness Thompson, his friends and less-than-friends, neighbors and the women in his life.

The set itself is jam-packed with stuff. I wish I’d brought my binoculars to see better all that stuff on the back wall, but the impression is one of muchness.

Gabriel Ebert heads the terrific cast as the iconoclastic Hunter. He is ably aided by Marcy Harriell as his wife Sandy and Giovanny Diaz de Leon, adorable as his young son, called here The Kid. (Or maybe that was his son AND another kid called The Kid. It all gets a bit confusing.)

Another standout is George Abud, excellent as Hunter’s friend Nixon.

This is a difficult show to watch, because nobody gets a break from all the activity, but it certainly does convey Hunter’s theory of gonzo journalism. It should be seen for its oddball subject and for the outstanding production.

Film Review: Kelce

 

I haven’t been a football fanatic or even much of a fan since my long-gone college days, but I do recall being in the stands and brought to near-hysteria by a hard-fought game (especially when my team won).

And I’d never heard of Philadelphia Eagles star center Jason Kelce until I saw the surprisingly fascinating and emotional story of his life and his heart-wrenching decision to retire from the life he loved.

“Kelce,” which will premiere on Prime Video on Sept. 12, shows Kelce’s last game, Super Bowl 57 in February 2023 between his Philadelphia Eagles and the hated San Francisco Giants, which pitted Kelce against his younger brother Travis, who played for the Giants. 

You’ll almost understand how Jason came to regard the football stadium as home when you see the joy reflected on his face every time he’s responsible for a score (many instances are shown).

But football isn’t a kind employer. It takes a physical toll every time Jason takes a hit, is thrown to the ground or gets an injury, and we see those as well.

Kelce made a name for himself while playing college ball at the University of Cincinnati, and was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 pro draft.

He became an instant celebrity, known as a man who could get the job done, highlighted by that history-making Super Bowl appearance which pitted the Kelce boys against each other.

But it’s now eleven years later, and those pro years have taken a physical toll in broken bones and other injuries.

Is it time to hang it up, or does he have another season in him?

“Kelce” tells and shows all, and thanks to Kelce himself does it with grace and intelligence. 

Whether or not you’re a football fan, this film is worth seeing. 

Theater Review: The Savoyard Murders

                    Taylor Henderson, Phil Johnson, Elliott Goretsky, David McBean

What’s to be said about this crazy, mixed-up piece of lunacy that skewers everything from Gilbert and Sullivan to policemen to clarinetists?

Don’t do what I did, sit and take copious notes, trying to make sense of it all. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. What it does do is inspire is a lot of laughs.

The author is local theater artist/actor Omri Schein, who got the idea while watching the Vincent Price movie “Theatre of Blood,” in which several theater critics get killed. Schein decided to take Gilbert & Sullivan operettas as his source, and place it in the semi-spiffy flat of theater critic Tiberius Spriggs, played to the hilt by Phil Johnson. There are posters of several G&S operettas on the walls.

Spriggs has invited four other people, including actor Cyrus Schock (Durwood Murray), about whom Spriggs had written a bad review.

Rowena Rawlings (Taylor Henderson), the lady in red, calls herself an “artiste” and gets insulted by Cyrus Schock, who still wants to sleep with her (will she?).

Director Balthazar Bellwood (Daren Scott) also shows up, claiming to have found a “lost” G&S operetta. 

Ezra Dibble (Eliott Goretsky), a G&S fan, also shows up, as does the uninvited but furious (and hilarious) Desdemona Chatfield Snarr (Wendy Waddell), who lost her actor husband to a theater accident and wants to know why.

David McBean plays seven characters (who else could do that?) with great panache. 

If you’re lost already, fear not. Craziness ensues, of the sort that description wouldn’t elucidate. You gotta be there to see it. 

The set (by Yi-Chien Lee) is terrific, with a big couch in the center and doors in the right places. Costumes are a wow, thanks to Jennifer Brawn Gittings, and aided by Peter Herman’s wondrous and often funny hair and wigs designs.

Leave it to Roustabouts to come up with something weird. A good time was had by all. And that’s what matters.

Theater review: Cabaret

                            Emcee and Dancers

There’s no use just sitting alone in your room when you could be at The Old Globe’s phenomenal presentation of “Cabaret,” playing through Oct. 8 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage.

This storied musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb has been modified many times. This version is an import from Asolo Repertory Theatre in  Sarasota, Florida, the largest Equity theater in the Southeastern United States.

Set in the Berlin of 1931, during the twilight of the Jazz Age, “Cabaret” takes place in a seedy bar known as the Kit Kat Klub, which features nearly-naked (or fabulously dressed) female dancers, male dancers who may or may not be gay, and a boffo orchestra up above the stage to play the accompaniment for the songs and the terrific dances created by director/choreographer Josh Rhodes.

The wonderfully versatile Emcee (Lincoln Clauss) opens and presides over the proceedings, first welcoming the audience with “Wilkommen” and later commenting on much of the action.

The plot brings American writer Cliff Bradshaw (Alan Chandler) to Berlin to work on a new novel. He finds a room at Fräulein Schneider’s (Kelly Lester) rooming house, and though he can only afford half her asking price, she takes him in.

Here he will meet (and take a liking to) young dancer Sally Bowles (Joanna A. Jones), and romance may blossom. A performer whose lovely and expressive voice won me over immediately, her rendition of the poignant song “Maybe This Time” almost made me weep.

Needing money, Cliff will agree (for a price) to travel and bring back items from outside Berlin to smuggler Ernst Ludwig (Alex Gibson), because as a foreigner he can travel more easily than natives.

Fräulein Schneider meets Jewish fruit vendor Herr Schultz (Bruce Sabath) and they strike up a friendship over a pineapple that may result in marriage.

Fräulein Kost (Abby Church) is a prostitute who takes a room in Fräulein Schneider’s boarding house. Fräulein Schneider doesn’t like this, but she needs the money as much as Fräulein Kost.

Mainly, this show is about late Weimar Germany, that time just before the Nazis take over, when people do what they must to survive and try to enjoy life as much as possible.

There isn’t a single weak link in this fabulous cast, nor in the excellent nine-member orchestra. Kudos also go to set designer Tijana Bjelajac, costume designer Alejo Vietti, lighting designers Cory Pattak and Paul Vaillancourt, sound designer Haley Parcher, hair, wig and makeup designer Michelle Hart and fight director Rachel Flesher.

And huge congratulations to Josh Rhodes, director and choreographer, who manages to make the audience feel almost part of the action.

This show is not short (it runs about 2-1/2 hours), but trust me, the show is so good that time will fly. Don’t miss this show.

                                          The Emcee

The details

“Cabaret” plays through October 8, 2023 on The Old Globe’s Donald & Darlene Shiley Stage, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Shows Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m.

Tickets: (619) 234-5623 or www.TheOldGlobe.org

Theater Review: August: Osage County

There’s the goofiness of Blondie and Dagwood. There’s the famous marriage of Liz and Dick (Taylor and Burton).

And then there’s the monumental sadness and difficulty of just being a family in Tracy Letts’ classic “August: Osage County,” in a brilliant staging through Sept. 16 by Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company at downtown’s Tenth Avenue Arts Center.

Assembled here are many of the brightest lights of San Diego theater, portraying different parts of a large, unruly Oklahoma family that just can’t seem to find a place to be or a thing to do that works.

“Life is very long,” says one, quoting author T.S. Eliot. So is this play: three acts and about 2-1/2 hours, in fact. 

But don’t let that stop you. If you’re not familiar with the play, don’t worry. Just sit back and enjoy the fabulous multilevel and very complicated set (designed by Tony Cucuzzella), Jessica John Gercke’s just-right costumes and Erik Montierth’s excellent lighting.

There’s a lot of cigarette smoking, pill-popping and marijuana use in this large family.

At the beginning we meet Johnna Monevata (Faith Carrion), hired by Beverly Weston, a once-famous poet, to take care of his wife Violet, being treated for mouth cancer.

The family is run, so to speak, by pill-popping matriarch Violet Weston (Deborah Gilmour Smyth), whose husband Beverly (Robert Smyth) disappears early on. This does not seem to bother control freak Violet much; she just wants to get her daughters married off to suitable men. And she’s willing to do just about anything to accomplish this.

The overall plot is too long and complicated to explain here, and it doesn’t really matter to this reviewer. Just know that this play won four 2008 prizes for Best Play: Pulitzer, Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award.

This is a terrific production by all involved. There isn’t a weak link in the chain. Do yourself a favor and see this show. Just be prepared for length. 

The details

“August: Osage County” runs through Sept. 16, 2023 at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center, 930 Tenth Avenue, San Diego.

Ticket prices: $18 previews, $32-40 for show run

Shows Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Tickets: www.BackyardRenaissance.com

                Photo courtesy of Pine & Pebble Photography