The Tennessee Williams archive is supposedly filled with uncatalogued manuscripts and revisions and rethinkings and retitlings of the same. Actress-turned-writer Jodie Markell makes a serviceable exercise in exhumation of the words of The Bird in “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond,” written a half-century ago, and Bryce Dallas Howard, playing a rich young flapper in 1923 Memphis, makes the most of her large, blue, feline eyes amid the humidity. Still, she seems too contemporary, too strong, to embody a Williams belle named “Fisher Willow.” (It’s reported Lindsay Lohan had been set for the role originally; that would have been an entirely different kettle of melodrama.) With an inadequate Chris Evans as the requisite young hunk-perhaps-brute Fisher hopes to usher into society for the season as her escort, Mamie Gummer, Ann-Margret and Jessica Collins. For what it’s worth, Will Patton was born to play alcoholic fathers, but a twist and a splash from his directors are required. Ellen Burstyn’s peroration as an opium addict who wishes to die is ripe, but hardly in the league of her role in “Requiem for a Dream.” The mind wanders, drifting to daydreams of the recent New York production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” starring Cate Blanchett under the direction of Liv Ullmann. 102m. (Ray Pride)
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Uncanny Ally: A Review Of M3GAN "M3GAN" sells itself in its first handful of seconds in how it introduces the handiwork of roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams, "Get Out") and her present product, PurrPetual Petz from Funki.
Fine Line: A Review Of Shortcomings It's a season for the comeuppance of a curmudgeon in Randall Park's smart, biting "Shortcomings," adapted by Adrian Tomine from his graphic novel of the same name.
Spawn Sacrifice: A Review Of The Creator "The Creator" is richly detailed, punchy, pulpy, punkish entertainment that still has highly serious subjects in mind, without growing didactic and with substantial heart.
A Drag Getting Old: A Review Of Indiana Jones 5 In the protracted opening couple of reels, a very young, computer-crafted Harrison Ford plays a younger cultural marauder who first encounters the dull MacGuffin of the title.
The Tennessee Williams archive is supposedly filled with uncatalogued manuscripts and revisions and rethinkings and retitlings of the same. Actress-turned-writer Jodie Markell makes a serviceable exercise in exhumation of the words of The Bird in “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond,” written a half-century ago, and Bryce Dallas Howard, playing a rich young flapper in 1923 Memphis, makes the most of her large, blue, feline eyes amid the humidity. Still, she seems too contemporary, too strong, to embody a Williams belle named “Fisher Willow.” (It’s reported Lindsay Lohan had been set for the role originally; that would have been an entirely different kettle of melodrama.) With an inadequate Chris Evans as the requisite young hunk-perhaps-brute Fisher hopes to usher into society for the season as her escort, Mamie Gummer, Ann-Margret and Jessica Collins. For what it’s worth, Will Patton was born to play alcoholic fathers, but a twist and a splash from his directors are required. Ellen Burstyn’s peroration as an opium addict who wishes to die is ripe, but hardly in the league of her role in “Requiem for a Dream.” The mind wanders, drifting to daydreams of the recent New York production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” starring Cate Blanchett under the direction of Liv Ullmann. 102m. (Ray Pride)
