Friday, November 5, 2010

Hair Does Let the Sun Shine; Social Network Excellent, Tamara Drewe Pretty Good


Recommendations:
From the opening note of Aquarius, "Hair" (above, when everyone is invited on stage for a celebration) at the Kennedy Center is a joy. The actors try to make the Kennedy Center Opera House into an intimate theater and for the most part succeed. Runs through the aisles by actors add to the fun, but the biggest delight is the music. "Manchester, England," "Good Morning Starshine," "Easy to Be Hard," "Hair," and the classic "Let the Sun Shine" (the way that song leads into its chorus is amazing!) keep you humming in your seats. It was a hit in New York and it's a hit here. Go if you can.


I was recently on a biking trip to Provence, France, where one couple was on their honeymoon. He works for Facebook so guess who was at his weddding? Yep, Mark Zuckerberg, the star character of the very entertaining "The Social Network." Aaron Sorkin has written very witty dialogue to support a nerd-hits-it-rich story. I will have to ask my travel friend if Sorkin went a little overboard with the villainous portrait, but it certainly suited his story. It's one of those movies where you never even think of looking at your watch.


The film "Tamara Drewe" is quirky and, at times, a little manipulating, but it creates an atmosphere that's fun to watch. It's about a woman returning to her small English village a little more grown up and with some improved looks. It's based a bit on Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, and I particularly like Gemma Arterton and Dominic Cooper. Stephen Frears is a wonderful director, though this is probably not his best.  Still, I'd recommend for a rental.

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